ChaLean Extreme - Week 4 - Saturday

I am officially done with the Burn phase of ChaLean Extreme. Today I did Burn It Off and Recharge, and I start the Push phase on Monday. I have been looking forward to this all month!! I'll have updated stats tomorrow.

I'm having a rough day because my son is sick again, some stomach issues. It's been one thing or another ever since he started preschool. I'm so tired of it, and I imagine he is, too. Every time I walk by something I shouldn't have, I want it.

9:20 AM - turkey bacon, toast w/ butter, scrambled eggs w/ onion, green pepper & salsa

10:00 AM - coffee w/ half-and-half & Splenda

11:25 AM - banana; I hadn't planned on having a banana, but my son asked for one, then didn't want it after I got it ready

1:50 PM - chicken & broccoli

Between lunch & dinner, I ate a small bit of crust off my son's French toast sticks and 1 pecan that my husband brought home from a pecan tree - I didn't bother logging it.

6:00 PM - round steak, quinoa w/ butter, garlic & onion; I'm trying all sorts of new things this week - yesterday couscous, today quinoa.

Calories - 1432
Carbs - 111 (22 fiber)
Protein - 124
Fat - 53
C/P/F Ratio - 31.3/35/33.7

ChaLean Extreme - Week 4 - Friday

Damn it, I had my entire day blogged and I hit the clear content button.

Burn Circuit 3 today - 1 set of 12 (or at least 10) to failure of the following:

sumo squat /w overhead press [10 lb dumbbells]
lunge w/ calf raise [15 lb dumbbells]
squat w/ lateral raise [7.5 lb dumbbells]
lunge w/ frontal press [10 lb dumbbells]
squat w/ calf raise [45 lb EZ Curl Bar]
sumo squat w/ deltoid raise [7.5 lb dumbbells]
squat w/ overhead press (+1 set of 3 presses, super slow) [10 lb dumbbells]
lunge w/ lateral raise [10 lb dumbbells] - up from last week!
extreme pushups - all 3 on my toes, but not super slow
sumo squat w/ calf raise (+1 set of 3 squats, super slow) [45 lb EZ Curl Bar]

I took another walk today - 2 miles in 32:40. I was going to go a third mile, but I'm breaking in new sneakers and my feet were a bit cranky.

6:35 AM - banana & cottage cheese

10:20 AM - apple w/ peanut butter, cottage cheese

3:50 PM - tuna fish & cheese sandwich, coffee w/ half-and-half & Splenda

6:00 PM - Corn Flakes (no milk); just a snack while I wait for my husband to get home for dinner

7:25 PM - tilapia, red beans & couscous w/ butter; this was the first time I've ever had couscous. It was good, and I'm learning that half a serving of pasta or rice can really go a long way.

Calories - 1625
Carbs - 173 (30 fiber)
Protein - 144
Fat - 48
C/P/F Ratio - 40.6/33.9/25.5

ChaLean Extreme - Week 4 - Thursday

So, it's pretty much unanimous that I have to get rid of my old jeans and buy new ones, including a couple pairs NOW. This scares me. I'm not ready, for a couple reasons. One, as I said yesterday, I don't want to waste money on something I won't wear very long. The main reason, though, is that I don't want my fat highlighted. I can hide it now. Sort of. I mean, it's obvious (or was) that I am/was overweight/obese. I feel like buying new jeans will just bring attention to my jiggles. Do not want. I'd rather hide in my comfortable fat clothes and be self-conscious all the time in something that fits. And that's so stupid because, dude, people can see I'm chubby. So do I do what makes me feel better or what makes me look better? I might look better, to others, in a proper pair of pants, but I will be extremely uncomfortable and super aware of my flaws. I'm the kind of person who likes to hide. I'd wear a mask (or paper bag, because I am cheap) over my head if I could. I'll settle for Harry Potter's Cloak of Invisibility though!

Exercise was weird today. On Thursdays, I can't work out until after I take my son to school, because there's not enough time to do it before. Then when I got home, I wanted to listen to a radio bit. By the time I started my dvd, it was 9:15 already. Then about 25 minutes in, my mother-in-law called so I lost my groove for 10 minutes. By the time I finished and took a shower, I was starving, so I made lunch. By the time I ate, I just didn't feel like going for a walk, and I feel guilty about that. I know I don't need to do it every day, and I've already done it 3 times this week. My body is just tired and my shins hurt. I needed a break. Gah, but the guilt!!! I need to get over it.

7:45 AM - orange & cottage cheese

11:30 AM - turkey bacon, scrambled eggs w/ onion, green pepper & salsa, toast w/ butter

11:45 AM - coffee w/ half-and-half & Splenda

3:05 PM - Cheerios w/ skim milk

5:10 PM - a chicken nugget and a bite of mixed vegetables leftover from my son's dinner; I didn't log these in my tracker

6:30 PM - roasted chicken (dark meat) & broccoli

Calories - 1367
Carbs - 132 (24 fiber)
Protein - 109
Fat - 40
C/P/F Ratio - 33.9/32.9/27.2

ChaLean Extreme - Week 4 - Wednesday

I have to take some time to decide whether I'm happy or bummed about something. I was folding laundry today and noticed that my pants are getting kind of worn. I've had them for a long time, because they are comfortable and they stretch. The one pair of jeans I wear has an elastic band and it's getting too baggy to wear. I can't believe I just admitted I wear jeans with elastic but there you go. I can't wear them much longer because they are just looking ridiculous. I wear large t-shirts to cover up a lot of things. I like large t-shirts and will probably continue to wear them. I used to wear XL but they really are tents on me now, so I don't miss those. So yeah, I'm happy my clothes are getting too big for my current body. Current body still has a long way to go, especially in the gut. I have lost weight in my hips and my butt looks pretty good for a hefty chick. But the stomach area is depressing. And I know that will be the last area to fall into place. I'm not worried about it - there's still plenty of weight to lose to get rid of it. Regardless, it bothers me. My workout pants are actually loose around the waist and hips and they would fall off if I didn't have all that belly fat. So I will be very, very happy when that's gone. I've had a c-section, but I'm not going to let that get to me. I've seen lucky people with c-sections get great abs without surgery. Maybe I can get lucky.

But that's not what I'm bummed about. I pulled out my old jeans. I'm talking OLD, probably from the mid to late 1990s, jeans. I believe people call them Mom Jeans now. I have several pairs - 1 size 16 slim, 2 size 12 petites, 1 7/8 button fly, an 11 something, and then some newer jeans I bought when I lost weight in 2003. The size 12s "fit" - that means I can button them, and they look pretty damn good as long as I'm wearing a big shirt. The pair of 7/8 button fly fits better than the 12s. Nothing else fits. I either can't button them or my thighs are too big. And I have good legs. They may be short, but they have curves and are strong. But my point is, all these different brand of jeans in different sizes, and the fit is CRAZY hit and miss! How the hell am I supposed to know what size I am if the brands vary so much.

Maybe the problem is that the pants are old. I can't bear to part with them, though. They are perfectly good jeans. Just not in style. So, do I keep them and wear them, and probably not buy anything new and fashionable, or do I ditch them and spend crazy money that I don't want to spend on something that won't looks stupid? I don't want to by new clothes until I am "done" losing weight. I only have 30 more pounds to go, 20 if my husband has any say (which he does - I know it's my body, but he likes what he likes. Plus, when I start putting on muscle, I'll weigh more, but look smaller, so really, we both win). It all comes down to that belly fat. I can't make any jeans look good right now and I'm not selling my kid to buy a pair that would give me hope. Maybe when I'm "done" I will splurge and buy that look-at-how-freaking-hot-my-body-is pair of jeans, but not now.

Burn Circuit 2 today - 1 set of 12 (or at least 10) to failure of the following:

sumo squat w/ bicep curl [15 lb dumbbell]
lunge w/ one arm triceps extension [10 lb dumbbell]
deadlift w/ row [50 lb EZ Curl Bar]
sumo squat w/ overhead triceps extension [15 lb dumbbell]
deadlift w/ reverse grip row [50 lb EZ Curl Bar]
bowler's lunge w/ one arm row [15 lb dumbbell]
bicep curl w/ abductor balance (+1 set of 3 curls, super slow)[15 lb dumbbells]
forward lean lunge w/ double row (+1 set of 3 rows, super slow)[10 lb dumbbells] - I really wanted to go up to 15 lbs but my arms were dead ass tired from the curls
triple thread push up (+1 set of 3, super slow) - all on my knees, my arms are wrecked when these come at the end

I hit the road again this morning. 3 miles in 46:40. I would have done another mile but I had to pee, I was out of water, and I was way too hot with a hoodie and a jacket. I didn't want to stop to take off the coat and pee in my water bottle so I'd have more to drink. I'm kidding. Well, about drinking pee.

6:45 AM - cottage cheese

9:20 AM - Banana  Nut Cheerios w/ 2% milk, banana

9:45 AM - coffee w/ half-and-half & Splenda

1:05 PM - turkey bacon, toast w/ butter, scrambled eggs w/ onion, green pepper & salsa

5:25 PM - London broil, spaghetti squash & broccoli w/ butter

8:30 PM - grilled cheese sandwich

Calories - 1512
Carbs - 137 (2 fiber)
Protein - 123
Fat - 58
C/P/F Ratio - 35.1/31.6/33.3

ChaLean Extreme - Week 4 - Tuesday

Cardio Kickbox today. What a great workout. I felt so energized after. Then I drank a 6 hour energy drink, so I am bouncing off the walls, dancing through the house. On my walk to the library, I wanted to run. Have you seen Twilight, when Edward runs? I felt like I could do that. I made the trip there and back in 24:05, excluding the time it took to exchange books (oh, and go the post office a couple blocks over). I didn't run because I had a back pack with a Diana Gabaldon book, both ways, and if you've ever seen her books, they run anywhere from 600-900 pages, or there abouts. So it was a heavy load. And my empty water bottle was in there. I can't wait until the weather is warmer so I can do this better. But it was a good, invigorating walk.

I measured out a 1 mile loop in my neighborhood because sometimes I just don't need to go to the library and I feel weird going to the door just to turn around. So the plan is to do 2-3 loops every time I go out for a walk. The goal is to get out at least 3 times a week.

9:10 AM - turkey bacon, scrambled eggs w/ onion, green pepper & salsa, coffee w/ half-and-half & Splenda

12:20 PM - turkey pepperoni & mozzarella string cheese

2:55 PM - tuna fish sandwich, coffee w/ half-and-half & Splenda

7:30 PM - Italian sausage on bread w/ ketchup & mustard, mixed vegetables

9:00 PM - Neapolitan ice cream; I had some carbs to spare so I figured I'd have a treat. It was late enough in the evening that I wasn't in any binge danger. I probably should have eaten just half a cup (1 serving) instead of 1 cup.

Calories - 1661
Carbs - 120 (23 fiber)
Protein - 121
Fat - 79
C/P/F Ratio - 28.7/28.9/42.4

ChaLean Extreme - Week 4 - Monday

Last week of Burn!!! Yay!

Burn Circuit 1 today. It consists of 1 set of 12 (or at least 10) to failure of the following:

sumo squat w/ hip lift [45 lb EZ Curl Bar]
lunge w/ posterior fly [7.5 lb dumbbells]
push up w/ leg lift - 8 on toes, 4 on knees
deadlift w/ posterior fly [7.5 lb dumbbells]
lunge w/ core rotation [20 lb dumbbell]
bench press w/ leg lower [50 lb EZ Curl Bar]
squat w/ side bend (+1 set of 3 squats, super slow) [25 lb dumbbells]
forward lean lunge w/ double arm posterior fly (+1 set of 3 flys, super slow) [7.5 lb dumbbells]
chest fly w/ hip lift (+1 set of 3 push ups, super slow) [15 lb dumbbells] - pushups on knees

I also walked to the library again. 1.5 miles in 25:30. That brings my California journey up to 10.5 miles. I absolutely loved it today. It was cold and windy and I was an idiot because I didn't make sure the hood on my hoodie had a draw string, so I had to try to hold my water bottle and my hood. But it was great. I remember waking up and actually looking forward to a walk, and it wasn't even a scheduled day for it. I was out and back before 9:30 AM so I still had plenty of time to get my morning stuff done. I created a playlist for my walks because I found myself messing around with my Zune to repeat certain songs. Oh, yes, I can't wait until tomorrow! The walk put me in SUCH a GREAT mood!!!!

6:40 AM - apple & cottage cheese

10:00 AM - turkey bacon, scrambled eggs w/ onion, green pepper & salsa, toast w/ butter, coffee w/ half-and-half & Splenda

2:55 PM - chicken salad w/ salsa & sour cream

5:45 PM - homemade chili w/ whole wheat sour cream biscuits (from Dawn Hall's Busy People's Low Carb Cookbook); I debated and debated whether or not I wanted to have chili. I was going to, then changed my mind (to have chicken breast & beans) but then I reminded myself that once in a while, it's okay to each chili. And the biscuits. Both were made from scratch with good ingredients. So I went ahead and had a bowl of chili. And several biscuits.  I did not enter these into my nutrition tracker, and now I'm tempted to eat something "bad" but I think I can resist.

7:50 PM - Honey Nut Cheerios w/ 2% milk; I will admit I ate a huge bowl (3 servings worth) but it was better than the chocolate alternative. And I logged this!

No numbers tonight.

ChaLean Extreme - Week 3 - Sunday

Weighed in at 144 today, down a pound and a half from last week, but still half a pound above my low at the beginning of the month. Le sigh.

I do have a brag. I took my son to a birthday party today and turned down pizza and ice cream cake. I knew, without any doubt, that if I ate any, it would trigger a binge. I was so uncomfortable there, because I didn't know anyone and I'm an extremely shy person in real life, and I really didn't want that to affect my eating for the whole day.

8:10 AM - Honey Nut Cheerios w/ skim milk, coffee w/ half-and-half & Splenda

10:30 AM - eggs & homemade spinach tortilla w/ garlic butter

2:30 PM - chicken salad w/ salsa, sour cream & mozzarella cheese, banana; I'm starving

6:40 PM - brown rice, roasted pork loin, mixed vegetables

Calories - 1531
Carbs - 162 (25 fiber)
Protein - 96
Fat - 48
C/P/F Ratio - 44.3/26.2/29.4

ChaLean Extreme - Week 3 - Saturday

I have to give a huge thank you to my friend Jessica. I woke up with a sore throat and told myself I wasn't going to work out, that I was feeling too crappy. Then I remembered how sick Jess has been this week and she still go her workouts in, and they weren't wimpy. So I got my butt up and did Burn It Off and Recharge this morning. Thank you, Jess, for the motivation to keep me on the straight and narrow!

After my workout, I walked a couple of blocks with my son. He took his bike out on the road for the first time ever and he had a blast. I'm not counting it as exercise, and I have no idea how far we really walked. It was only 6 or 7 blocks. Maybe 8.

8:50 AM - apple & cottage cheese

11:40 AM -turkey bacon, scrambled eggs w/ onion, green pepper & salsa, banana, coffee w/ half-and-half & Splenda

1:00 PM - bread; I ate the crust off my son's sandwich. My bread crumb container is full and I can't stand to waste good bread

1:55 PM - pizza salad (lettuce, turkey pepperoni, mozzarella cheese, pizza sauce)

7:25 PM - roast & broccoli

9:30 PM - crackers w/ peanut butter; just a leftover pair from my son's snack

Calories - 1294
Carbs - 107 (20 fiber)
Protein - 120
Fat - 45
C/P/F Ratio - 32.6/36.4/31

ChaLean Extreme - Week 3 - Friday

Burn Circuit 3 today - 1 set of 12 (or at least 10) to failure of the following:

sumo squat /w overhead press [10 lb dumbbells]
lunge w/ calf raise [15 lb dumbbells]
squat w/ lateral raise [7.5 lb dumbbells]
lunge w/ frontal press [10 lb dumbbells]
squat w/ calf raise [45 lb EZ Curl Bar]
sumo squat w/ deltoid raise [7.5 lb dumbbells]
squat w/ overhead press (+1 set of 3 presses, super slow) [10 lb dumbbells]
lunge w/ lateral raise [7.5 lb dumbbells]
extreme pushups - All 3 on my toes, again! I didn't go as slowly as the video does, but it was still slow!
sumo squat w/ calf raise (+1 set of 3 squats, super slow) [45 lb EZ Curl Bar]

No walk today. I went grocery shopping so I didn't have time.

6:35 AM - apple & cottage cheese

10:00 AM - waffles w/ peanut butter

10:35 AM - coffee w/ half-and-half & Splenda

12:50 PM - chicken meatloaf

5:40 PM - roast & spaghetti squash, coffee w/ half-and-half & Splenda

8:30 PM - Cheerios w/ skim milk

Calories - 1550
Carbs - 150 (16 fiber)
Protein - 136
Fat - 46
C/P/F Ratio - 38.4/34.9/26.7

ChaLean Extreme - Week 3 - Thursday

Burn Intervals and Ab Burner today. I really tried to come up with an excuse not to do it, and that made something just snap in my head. What the hell is wrong with me that I'm looking for excuses to skip cardio? Bad Becky! I did it, and hated it the way you hate something when it just pushes you so hard but at the end, I was glad I did it. Then I walked to the library again, bringing my total distance up to 9 miles. I'm never going to get to California at this rate LOL But I did enjoy the walk and I think I'd like to do it at least twice a week, possibly three. I need to get my son a bike lock, then he can ride his bike with me, when he's not in school. I have a bike, but I haven't ridden since I was a teenager.

I found a great blog entry today about working out at home. It's a great read and easy to understand if you're overwhelmed and confused, thinking you can't get a good workout at home. You absolutely can!!!

7:35 AM - cottage cheese, Cheerios w/ skim milk

11:00 AM - chicken meatloaf w/ asparagus; I modified SparkPeople's ranch chicken loaf a bit. The recipe calls for 20 oz ground chicken, and I had 16 oz ground chicken breast. I also use Special K Protein Plus cereal and 1 oz of bread crumbs made from the double fiber bread I buy. I have tons of bread crumbs because my son won't eat crust and I can't throw it away! It was SOOOO good that I actually sat down and ate slowly, rather than wolfing food down at my desk like I usually do. It was a tad try, but I had kept it in the oven while I was on my walk. Don't worry - my oven was off, it was just the left over heat. Oh, I will be making this again. Oh, and I used powdered ranch dressing mix, rather than pre-made dressing.

11:35 AM - coffee w/ half-and-half & Splenda

3:20 PM - chicken breast & broccoli, Fiber One bar

6:15 PM - pizza salad (lettuce with turkey pepperoni, mozzarella cheese, pizza sauce)

8:00 PM - Fiber One bar; that's the last of them, yay!

Calories - 1458
Carbs - 151 (33 fiber)
Protein - 145
Fat - 39
C/P/F Ratio - 39.3/37.8/22.9

ChaLean Extreme - Week 3 - Wednesday

I was wrong yesterday, about the distance to the library. It is 1.5 miles, not 1 mile. That makes me feel better, getting there and back in 27 minutes. That brings my "walking to Amy's house" total up to 6.5 miles.

Burn Circuit 2 today - 1 set of 12 (or at least 10) to failure of the following:

sumo squat w/ bicep curl [15 lb dumbbell]
lunge w/ one arm triceps extension [10 lb dumbbell]
deadlift w/ row [45 lb EZ Curl Bar]
sumo squat w/ overhead triceps extension [15 lb dumbbell]
deadlift w/ reverse grip row [45 lb EZ Curl Bar]
bowler's lunge w/ one arm row [15 lb dumbbell] - I hate these
bicep curl w/ abductor balance (+1 set of 3 curls, super slow)[15 lb dumbbells] - this was rough LOL
forward lean lunge w/ double row (+1 set of 3 rows, super slow)[10 lb dumbbells]
triple thread push up (+1 set of 3, super slow) - all on my knees

6:20 AM - apple & cottage cheese

8:50 AM - turkey & cheese sandwich, coffee w/ half-and-half & Splenda

12:10 PM - turkey, cream cheese & asparagus roll ups; these were great!!

3:05 PM - Special K Protein Plus cereal w/ skim milk; I know I said before that I didn't care too much for it, but it's growing on me, and my store had it on sale

5:50 PM - chicken breast, green beans w/ cream cheese & ranch dressing mix

7:00 PM - Fiber One bars (yes, plural); I am hungry

9:00 PM - Cheerios w/ skim milk

Calories - 1947
Carbs - 237 (50 fiber)
Protein - 145
Fat - 64
C/P/F Ratio - 44.9/27.5/27.5

ChaLean Extreme - Week 3 - Tuesday

I planned on doing Cardio Kickbox today but when I woke up, I didn't feel like it. Then I was going to walk to the library to pick up a weight lifting book (Slow Burn by Fred Hahn) but it's too cold out there for me. And that's just stupid because I have gloves and a coat. There was no good reason not to do it. Being lazy is never a good reason.

So I finally sucked it up and walked to the library. It's about a mile and took 25 minutes to walk there and back (not counting the 2 minutes I was in the building). It was windy and my head and face were cold. I should have worn a hoodie, but I don't have one. I must put that on my shopping list for Friday. I want to walk more.

My shoulder feels normal today. Thanks to Tami and Sara for the advice. I'm good as gold. In fact, I can't remember the last time my shoulder actually felt this good.

10:15 AM - Cheerios w/ skim milk, coffee w/ half-and-half & Splenda; I finally got around to trying the new banana nut Cheerios. They are dangerous! Very good. I will have to be careful to stick to reasonable portions.

10:55 AM - turkey & cheese sandwich; GAH! I'm hungry - I should not have started the day with starchy carbs!

1:20 PM - mozzarella string cheese; just waiting for my lunch to cook

1:40 PM - chicken breast, broccoli & carrots w/ light balsamic vinaigrette dressing

3:30 PM - Fiber One bar; I feel so guilty eating these LOL They are so good. I wish I could get my homemade bars to taste like this.

5:30 PM - spinach tortilla; I tested one I was making from a recipe and it was gooooooooooooooooood!

6:10 PM - spinach tortillas w/ roasted chicken (dark meat); this was so filling and tasty; I'm completely stuffed!

Calories - 1295
Carbs - 168 (32 fiber)
Protein - 92
Fat - 36
C/P/F Ratio - 49.2/26.8/24

Spinach, Millet, and Flax Tortillas - Recipe

For weeks now, I've been trying to find a way to replicate the spinach & flax lavash I bought at our local health food store. The product is made by Sami's Bakery in Florida, and the ingredients, according to the package, are pretty simple:

Millet Flour, Brown Rice Flour, Ground Flax Seed, Salt, Non Aluminum Baking Powder, Spinach, Oregano, Garlic and Water

The nutritional information, per half a piece:

Calories: 61
Fat - 1 g
Carbs - 11 g (8 g fiber)
Protein - 2g

They are pretty good size pieces, 8 inches, I think, and I usually ate a whole one. VERY delicious - even my husband raved about them. The problem? They are pretty pricey - especially locally - for 6 pieces. So I was determined to find a recipe to make them at home. All of the ingredients were available and reasonably priced, so I was all for it.

It took me weeks to find something I could use. Google searches for "spinach lavash" kept leading me back to Sami's Bakery's web site. I finally got smart and changed "lavash" to "tortilla" and finally got some good hits. Most recipes called for regular flours, either white or wheat, but I was determined to only use the flours listed in the ingredients.

After much research, here is my recipe for spinach tortillas using the ingredients above. The nutritional information, as you will see, didn't come out as "good" as the ones from Sami's Bakery - those seem to have more fiber. But other than that, I am very pleased!!! So is my husband. My son, not so much, but he's a picky little thing.

1/3 cup (84 g) spinach - I used frozen that was thawed and drained very well
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup (40 g) golden flax meal - you could probably use regular
1 cup (160 g) brown rice flour
1 cup (140 g) millet, ground into flour - I only had whole millet and had a heck of a time figuring out the equivalent of whole millet to millet flour
1 tbs oregano
2 tbs garlic powder - more or less, depending on your preferences
1 tbs onion powder - not in the original list of ingredients but I put it in practically everything - you can leave it out if you want
1/2 cup warm water - I found I needed twice as much water

Combine dry ingredients and spinach in bowl. Add water slowly while kneading with dough hook. Knead about until ball forms. (This did not form a ball the way regular dough does. I think mixing my hand and forming a ball would be just as good.) Let rest 15 minutes. Divide into 12 balls, about the size of ping pong balls, and press into 4-6" circles.

Brown tortillas in pre-heated pan for about 5 minutes on each side, just until cooked. (Next time I will bake them, and post an update with directions for that.)

Nutritional Information, per tortilla:
Calories - 107
Fat - 2 g
Carbs - 21 g (2 g fiber)
Protein - 2 g

They were really, really good! So good that I think I will be making them often enough to justify buying a tortilla press. Today, I just sprayed a silicone baking sheet with nonstick spray, folded it over each ball, then pressed it down with a cast iron skillet. Then I had to carefully peel the tortillas from the baking mat by flipping it over so that the dough was in my hand, then pull the mat gently off. I actually wonder if I'm just better off doing it this way, if the dough would stick to the press. I'll have to think about it.

Anyway, here are some pictures:

http://www.22gnomes.net/misc/spinachtortillas1.JPG

http://www.22gnomes.net/misc/spinachtortillas2.JPG

http://www.22gnomes.net/misc/spinachtortillas3.JPG

If you have any tweaks or suggestions, I'd love to hear them!!

If you are a disordered eater (especially binge eating)

I want to pose a few questions, especially for the people reading who have food issues (binge eating, in particular). I've made it pretty clear in previous posts about my binge eating that I'm not sure therapy would be the right thing for me, especially since we don't have health insurance or anything. What's the purpose of therapy for disordered eating? Does it help you identify what your food issues are, then give ideas how to deal? How are the ideas any different from thing one finds in the self-help books? What if I don't need help identifying the source of my issues? Do you ever doubt that you are, in fact, a binge eater (or bulimic/anorexic), that maybe you're just looking for an excuse? I ask that last question because sometimes I feel like I don't really have a problem, that I just need to buckle down and be good. Sometimes I get so frustrated trying not to eat everything in sight that I feel like a failure, even if I haven't touched a thing. I don't understand how, on some days I can be so certain I'm a binge eater and on other days I'm just a pig because I'm a pig. Does anyone else go through this?

ChaLean Extreme - Week 3 - Monday

I screwed up. I don't know what happened, I think I wasn't focusing, and I jerked my right arm duing a posterior fly. There was a horrible grinding in my neck/shoulder area and I know that, in a few hours, I am going to ache like crazy. That area has been bothersome ever since I did it, so I think it will only get worse throughout the day and night. Not happy LOL

Today I did Burn Circuit 1. It consists of 1 set of 12 (or at least 10) to failure of the following:

sumo squat w/ hip lift [45 lb EZ Curl Bar]
lunge w/ posterior fly [7.5 lb dumbbells]
push up w/ leg lift - 6 on toes, 6 on knees
deadlift w/ posterior fly [7.5 lb dumbbells]
lunge w/ core rotation [20 lb dumbbell]
bench press w/ leg lower [45 lb EZ Curl Bar]
squat w/ side bend (+1 set of 3 squats, super slow) [25 lb dumbbells]
forward lean lunge w/ double arm posterior fly (+1 set of 3 flys, super slow) [7.5 lb dumbbells] - this is the one that messed me up because I don't think I was ready to go from 5 to 7.5 pounds
chest fly w/ hip lift (+1 set of 3 push ups, super slow) [15 lb dumbbells] - all the pushups were on my knees because I was freaked out by the fly incident

I have a confession. Last night, after I posted my blog, I ate one of my son's chocolate covered pretzels. They are small, and that one bite was delicious. And I desperately wanted to scarf down the rest of the bag. I wanted to say "Screw it! I'm struggling anyway so I might as well enjoy myself, at least." I was mad that I couldn't handle them, and my son was getting on my nerves, frustrating me even more. I wanted the chocolate so desperately. Then I remembered how physically crappy and guilty I would feel if I did that. So I didn't. And I am disgusted with that because I hate having these issues. I hate that if I eat something, I worry about what it will do to me. I freaking hate this.

Tami asked a good question in my last Spark blog. I was talking about cutting things from my diet and she asked what there was to cut. My eating has gotten a lot better, but I think I have a lot of room for improvement. I still eat some processed foods. And of course, there's the Splenda. I know that's not good for me and I am probably consuming too much. At Blogger, Hayley suggested adding fruit and more vegetables. More fibrous vegetables is definitely a good idea. Corn and carrots aren't really the greatest choice, and I tend to eat those often. And then there are the times I eat something whole wheat (my double fiber bread, pasta, or even the pumpkin muffins I make), I feel guilty for eating those. I shouldn't feel that way, but I always think "man, I could have made a better choice." So while all this is going on, I'm trying not to become that chicken breast, egg white, and nothing-but-vegetables eater. I know I couldn't do that and I'd be going nuts. It might last 2 weeks before I binge, in that scenario. So right now I'm just struggling to find the right balance and I don't think I'm quite there yet. There are some days when I feel so accomplished, then there are days like yesterday that remind me that I'm vulnerable. I think I need to focus on making smarter, healthier choices and substitutions, rather than "cutting" things from my diet. I think that sort of implies that I'm looking to eat less, and that is definitely not the case. I'd love to eat more, actually, and improve the quality of the foods I eat.

7:55 AM - apple & cottage cheese

9:45 AM - Cheerios w/ skim milk, coffee w/ half-and-half & Splenda

2:00 PM - turkey bacon, scrambled eggs w/ onion, green pepper, garlic & salsa

7:30 PM - beef, pasta & mixed vegetables (corn, broccoli & cauliflower) w/ sour cream; it's amazing how mixed vegetables and half a serving of whole wheat pasta can add substance to just a little meat

Calories - 1343
Carbs - 135 (18 fiber)
Protein - 102
Fat - 38
C/P/F Ratio - 41.8/31.6/26.6

ChaLean Extreme - Week 2 - Sunday

Weigh in day. 145.5, so I lost 2 of the pounds I gained last week. This has me in a bit of a panic. I want to start cutting things out of my diet, but I know if I start cutting stuff, that will lead to a binge. I definitely don't want that. So I'm not going to change anything just yet. Well, I know that I need to work on getting more vegetables and fewer starches. That's always a problem I have. The Splenda is still a problem, and now I'm wondering about sodium. This is just too overwhelming. I have to keep telling myself to take it slowly. My priority now is preventing binges. And continuing my workouts.

6:45 AM - cottage cheese on toast, coffee w/ half-and-half & Splenda

10:00 AM - coffee w/ half-and-half & Splenda, turkey bacon, scrambled eggs w/ onion, garlic, green pepper & salsa

1:15 PM - chicken breast & broccoli w/ light balsamic vinaigrette dressing

2:50 PM - Cheerios w/ skim milk

4:40 PM - grilled steak w/ mixed vegetables, coffee w/ half-and-half & Splenda

8:00 PM - almonds

Calories - 1617
Carbs - 138 (30 fiber)
Protein - 156
Fat - 49
C/P/F Ratio - 34/38.6/27.4

ChaLean Extreme - Week 2 - Saturday

Today was Burn It Off and Recharge. Burpees suck.

Tami asked if I am sore from doing the workout so often, and I wanted to talk about that a bit. I was sore when I first started last week, in my upper body, because I hadn't been doing the fly and raise movements previously. The exercises in New Rules of Lifting hit multiple muscles, so there wasn't focus on my deltoids, which is really what bothered me when I started. The lower body exercises (squats & lunges) here are not strenuous at all. With NROL, I wasn't doing any direct calf work, so my calves were a tad sore last week. But now that I'm at the end of week 2, I don't have any soreness. Well, I take that back. I'm still working on my form, so as I get closer to proper form, the muscles are used differently (more correctly!) and they can be a bit tender. But I do each workout once a week, and I think Chalene designed it to hit different upper body muscles. I'm not sore now, but I exepct to be when I switch to the Push phase in a couple weeks because it's very different from the Burn phase. I am looking forward to it because Push doesn't have these combination moves. Plus, the reps are fewer. You know what that means - go heavy or go home! I am going as heavy as I can now for these little muscles, but Push is much more in my comfort zone.

10:00 AM - yogurt, coffee w/ half-and-half & Splenda

12:00 PM - lunch buffet; I did okay here. I am considering it a free meal. I didn't stuff myself but I ate what I wanted. And I remembered my last run in with the dessert bar and how crappy it made me feel, so I limited myself to half a cup of ice cream and one cookie.

1:30 PM - coffee w/ half-and-half & Splenda

6:15 PM - roast & broccoli w/ cheddar cheese; I wasn't really hungry, but it had been a long time since lunch

7:00 PM - coffee w/ half-and-half, Splenda & Baileys Irish cream liqueur

No numbers today.

ChaLean Extreme - Week 2 - Friday

Burn Circuit 3 today - 1 set of 12 (or at least 10) to failure of the following:

sumo squat /w overhead press [10 lb dumbbells]
lunge w/ calf raise [15 lb dumbbells]
squat w/ lateral raise [5 lb dumbbells]
lunge w/ frontal press [10 lb dumbbells]
squat w/ calf raise [45 lb EZ Curl Bar]
sumo squat w/ deltoid raise [5 lb dumbbells]
squat w/ overhead press (+1 set of 3 presses, super slow) [10 lb dumbbells]
lunge w/ lateral raise [5 lb dumbbells]
extreme pushups - All 3 on my toes, baby!!! I didn't go as slowly as the video does, but it was still slow!!!
sumo squat w/ calf raise (+1 set of 3 squats, super slow) [45 lb EZ Curl Bar]

6:40 AM - apple & cottage cheese

11:05 AM - pumpkin carrot muffins, cookies & cream protein shake

11:35 AM - coffee w/ half-and-half & Splenda, mozzarella string cheese, Fiber One bar; I should not have taken so long to run my errands this morning - I was way too hungry

3:20 PM - apple & cottage cheese

6:45 PM - roasted chicken breast & mixed vegetables; it's always a good meal when my 4 year old requests vegetables for dinner; I'm still ravenous though

8:15 PM - peanut butter sandwich

Calories - 1809
Carbs - 194 (37 fiber)
Protein - 161
Fat - 51
C/P/F Ratio - 41.3/34.3/24.4

ChaLean Extreme - Week 2 - Thursday

Burn Intervals & Ab Burner today. They kicked my butt. The modified burpees in Burn Intervals blows hard. Ok, they are fine - I'm the one who sucks. Holy crap, I much prefer regular burpees. And don't get me started on Ab Burner - my core is crazy weak and I have a hard time getting through the 10 minute session. I need to do more core work, for sure. I'll figure out a plan.

Well now, shortly after writing about the need for more core work, I got this blog update from Craig Ballantyne, the dude who does Turbulence Training. I think I've found my answer.

Ugh! My mother-in-law just sent a Valentine's Day package for my son. It has a small container of Pringles and a small heart with chocolates in it. But that's not what's getting me. The bag of chocolate covered pretzels is! Holy crap! I saw that and I got this terrible jolt in my gut, and heart started racing. I could totally see myself opening the bag and eating the entire thing. I got mad that she'd send this stuff but then I realized she didn't do anything wrong. I have chocolate in the house all the time - there's a huge bag of chocolate chips in the pantry, ice cream in the freezer - and none of it bothers me. Heck, even I bought some chocolates for my son, and I haven't given them a second thought. But those pretzels...

8:05 AM - apple & cottage cheese

11:00 AM - leftover breaded chicken breast & broccoli, coffee w/ half-and-half & Splenda

11:50 AM - pumpkin carrot muffin; I am just so hungry!!! I did stop at one muffin though.

2:50 PM - tuna salad w/ light Italian dressing

3:45 PM - carrots; I'm so hungry.

5:45 PM - pizza cups (phyllo dough shells filled w/ turkey pepperoni, shredded mozzarella cheese, onion, garlic, & pizza sauce)

7:40 PM - peanut butter sandwich; ugh, I am so hungry!!!!!!!!!! I have GOT to get control of this hunger - I seriously feel like a bottomless pit. I know I'm still eating under maintenance levels and it probably wouldn't hurt to eat more.

Calories - 1597
Carbs - 160 (31 fiber)
Protein - 124
Fat - 58
C/P/F Ratio - 38.7/30/31.3

ChaLean Extreme - Week 2 - Wednesday

Burn Circuit 2 today - 1 set of 12 (or at least 10) to failure of the following:

sumo squat w/ bicep curl [45 lb EZ Curl Bar]
lunge w/ one arm triceps extension [10 lb dumbbell]
deadlift w/ row [45 lb EZ Curl Bar]
sumo squat w/ overhead triceps extension [15 lb dumbbell]
deadlift w/ reverse grip row [45 lb EZ Curl Bar]
bowler's lunge w/ one arm row [15 lb dumbbell]
bicep curl w/ abductor balance (+1 set of 3 curls, super slow)[6 @ 45 lb EZ Curl Bar, 4 @ 15 lb dumbbells] - Holy failure, Batman!
forward lean lunge w/ double row (+1 set of 3 rows, super slow)[10 lb dumbbells] - my arms were wrecked after the bicep curl
triple thread push up (+1 set of 3, super slow) - all on my knees


6:30 AM - apple & cottage cheese

9:35 AM - grilled turkey & cheese w/ mayo on millet, flax, spinach lavash; this was the most wonderful taste to ever grace my mouth LOL I loved it and really need to learn to make the lavash from scratch

10:00 AM - coffee w/ half-and-half & Splenda

1:15 PM - chicken salad w/ cheese, salsa & sour cream

4:00 PM - pumpkin carrot muffin; OMG, these are just as good cold as they are warm. It was so hard to stop at just one!

5:50 PM - breaded (w/ double fiber bread crumbs) baked chicken breast, mixed vegetables

7:50 PM - banana, Cheerios w/ skim milk; I'm just starving - bah!!! I couldn't decide between pumpkin muffins, ice cream, or the fruit and cereal. I think I made the right choice.

Calories - 1836
Carbs - 192 (32 fiber)
Protein - 152
Fat - 52
C/P/F Ratio - 41.6/33.1/25.3

ChaLean Extreme - Week 2 - Tuesday

I did Jillian Michaels Cardio Kickbox today. I hadn't done it in a while. It's short and intense and I was actually able to keep up this time. The last few times I'd done it, I couldn't go at their pace. Today I could. Except for one of the kick moves - my son kept walking around me while I was trying to keep up. I don't think he's going to learn until he gets kicked :(

8:05 AM - apple & cottage cheese

10:20 AM - turkey bacon, scrambled eggs w/ onion, green pepper, garlic, cheese & salsa, coffee w/ half-and-half & Splenda

1:30 PM - carrot & cucumber salad w/ mayo & sour cream dressing

3:30 PM - coffee w/ half-and-half & Splenda, pumpkin carrot muffins; these muffins are seriously addicting

6:45 PM - chicken salad w/ cheese, salsa & sour cream

8:30 PM - pumpkin carrot muffins; I was just crazy hungry today!!! I need to refocus and get more vegetables.

Calories - 1980
Carbs - 162 (22 fiber)
Protein - 135
Fat - 85
C/P/F Ratio - 33.3/27.6/39.1

ChaLean Extreme - Week 2 - Monday

I realized the biggest beef I have with ChaLean Extreme. These combination moves don't really help my leg muscles much, especially my hamstrings. My small arm muscle raises are weak so I have to use small weights. Small weights aren't going to do jack for my deadlift. It's frustrating because I know I can deadlift a lot more than I'm using here for the posterior fly. I've also been hindered with grip and wrist weakness when I do squats with dumbbells, so I've switched to my EZ Curl bar, to maximize the leg work. I know I have to work on grip and my wrist but I don't think I should sacrifice my squats to do that.

Today I did Burn Circuit 1. It consists of 1 set of 12 (or at least 10) to failure of the following:

sumo squat w/ hip lift [45 lb EZ Curl Bar]
lunge w/ posterior fly [7.5 lb dumbbells]
push up w/ leg lift - 6 on toes, 6 on knees
deadlift w/ posterior fly [7.5 lb dumbbells]
lunge w/ core rotation [20 lb dumbbell]
bench press w/ leg lower [45 lb EZ Curl Bar]
squat w/ side bend (+1 set of 3 squats, super slow) [25 lb dumbbells]
forward lean lunge w/ double arm posterior fly (+1 set of 3 flys, super slow) [5 lb dumbbells]
chest fly w/ hip lift (+1 set of 3 push ups, super slow) [10 lb dumbbells]

I was going to tack on some Wii Fit or Sports when I finished but I think I'm coming down with what my son had and I'm exhausted.

I finally got a call from the bone marrow registry. For new readers, I was potentially a very good match for someone and had been in for 2 rounds of blood testing, the last one shortly after Christmas. My potential recipient got too sick and the cancer was really aggressive, and the patient passed away, so they won't be needing me. I am really upset, but there's nothing I could have done differently. I think I might go eat that bag of M&Ms I've been saving for months and months. It hurts that I couldn't do this for someone. I really wanted to be able to do this. Of course, I am still on the registry, so maybe someday, they can use me again.

8:50 AM - apple & cottage cheese

10:25 AM - roast beef salad w/ cheese & light balsamic vinaigrette; I think I ate too much beef

11:50 AM - coffee w/ half-and-half & Splenda

1:45 PM - pumpkin carrot muffin & cottage cheese; I'm not really that hungry but I have to run some errands and won't be back for a while

5:20 PM - Fiber One bar, mozzarella string cheese; dinner is delayed tonight and I couldn't wait so I just grabbed

5:45 PM - coffee w/ half-and-half & Splenda

5:55 PM - roast w/ acorn squash baked fries; dinner wasn't delayed as much as I thought it would be - it I'd know it would only be another 30 minutes, I wouldn't have had a snack

Oh, and I didn't eat the M&Ms. I wanted them, but I remembered my vow to actually have a plan for eating them, and not just impulse.

Calories - 1556
Carbs - 131 (24 fiber)
Protein - 149
Fat - 51
C/P/F Ratio - 33/37.8/29.2

ChaLean Extreme - Week 1 - Sunday

I know I said I wasn't going to weigh in until the end of the month, but habit and curiosity got the better of me. 147.5, up 4 pounds. I had a couple higher calorie days and a lot of people gained a bit of water weight when they started ChaLean Extreme, so it sounds like everything is normal.

9:30 AM - pumpkin carrot muffin; just something to hold me over while I cooked breakfast

10:00 AM - turkey bacon, scrambled eggs w/ onion, green pepper, garlic, cheese & salsa, coffee w/ half-and-half & Splenda

3:25 PM - Fiber One bar; I've been running around like a mad woman today and it was quite unexpected, but dinner is cooking and I just wanted to grab something, anything!

4:10 PM - brown rice w/ peas & onion, pork tenderloin.

4:50 PM - small chocolate chip cookie, mozzarella cheese stick; I didn't log the cookie - I was getting some cookies for my son and just popped on into my mouth without thinking; I ate the cheese to get my mind off more cookies

8:00 PM - ham & cheese sandwich w/ mayo

Calories - 1489
Carbs - 131 (27 fiber)
Protein - 112
Fat - 60
C/P/F Ratio - 34.7/29.8/35.6

ChaLean Extreme - Week 1 - Saturday

Today's workout was Burn It Off (cardio) and Recharge (stretch/yoga). Here's the list of exercises:

Burn It Off:
Single leg floor tap (20 per leg)
Burpee (10)
Plyometric reverse lunge (25)
Plank w/ knee pulls (2x24)
Jumping jacks (w/ thigh toner)
Step straddle
Speed skaters
Speed skaters (w/ thigh toner)
Screamers
Lateral lunge w/ lateral raise (20 per side)
Football drills
3 point stance (2x16)

Recharge:
Rag doll
Arm sweep & chair
Moving fan
Plie
Fan
Stretch
Plank
Up dog
Down dog
Split leg stance
Warrior stances
Right angle
Triangle
Pyramid
Runner's lunge & pyramid

Food was not stellar today. I was absolutely not hungry.

11:00 AM - ham slices w/ mayo on whole wheat bun

12:25 PM - banana

1:00 PM - coffee w/ half-and-half & Splenda

3:15 PM - chicken breast & broccoli w/ light zesty Italian dressing

4:00 PM - half a chicken nugget; I didn't log this - it was just my son's leftover and I didn't want to throw it out

5:55 PM - pumpkin carrot muffin; I modified SparkPeople's pumpkin carrot muffin to include some wheat germ and it came out great!!!

8:00 PM - banana, scrambled eggs w/ onion, green pepper, garlic, salsa & cheese; turkey bacon

Calories - 1310
Carbs - 129 (25 fiber)
Protein - 102
Fat - 44
C/P/F Ratio - 39.1/30.9/30

ChaLean Extreme - Week 1 - Friday

My abs are a bit tender today, mostly in the obliques. I feel good, though. I am enjoying these workouts, I guess. Mostly, I'm excited about what they will (hopefully) do for my body. I'm trying not to let my expectations get too high, but it's hard not to feel empowered. The weights I'm lifting look a little discouraging but I really am maxing out the effort. In the end, that's all I can really do. I have to stop comparing this program the one I was doing. These are combination moves that I haven't really done a lot of. At first, I was ashamed that my weights were so low but not now. The tempo is slower, the set goes to 12, and there is practically no rest between exercises. So I have nothing to be embarrassed about.

Today was Burn Circuit 3 - 1 set of 12 (or at least 10) to failure of the following:

sumo squat /w overhead press [10 lb dumbbells]
lunge w/ calf raise [15 lb dumbbells]
squat w/ lateral raise [5 lb dumbbells]
lunge w/ frontal press [10 lb dumbbells]
squat w/ calf raise [15 lb dumbbells]
sumo squat w/ deltoid raise [5 lb dumbbells]
squat w/ overhead press (+1 set of 3 presses, super slow) [10 lb dumbbells]
lunge w/ lateral raise [5 lb dumbbells]
extreme pushups - I did 1 rep on my toes, 2 on my knees
sumo squat w/ calf raise (+1 set of 3 squats, super slow) [15 lb dumbbells]

I followed up with 20 minutes of Wii Sports (baseball & tennis) and 20 minutes on the Wii Fit.

7:30 AM - apple & cottage cheese

11:45 AM - lunch buffet; I took my mom out to lunch because she's leaving town for a few weeks; I had one plate of salad vegetables with just a little bt of dressing then another plate with very small portions of some of the items from the buffet; my only regret is dessert - I had a small scoop of some sort of Oreo pudding and 3 cookies; after eating the sweets, I felt nauseated - it was just too sweet! I have learned that my body doesn't need or want more than just a little!

1:00 PM - coffee w/ half-and-half & Splenda

2:30 PM - banana

6:30 - sushi; I couldn't eat too much without getting stuffed

No numbers today because of the unknowns, but I am really, really proud of myself for not using those unknowns as an excuse to eat tons of whatever junk I wanted. Surprisingly, I had NO cravings at all today!!!

ChaLean Extreme - Week 1 - Thursday

Today was Burn Intervals & Ab Burner. I've listed the individual exercises below. Burn Intervals alternates cardio drills with high rep-low weight muscle endurance exercises. I used a resistance band for those because it was more convenient. I almost said easier but didn't want to seem wimpy. I have no real opinion of this workout yet. I didn't like it much, but I didn't hate it. It's just not what I'm used to. I'm sure it will be better next week. The only think I know for sure is my core sucks. The ab exercises were hard!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thankfully, the video went by quickly. Oh, and I used the modifications for the ab work.

Burn Intervals:
Jump rope drills
Bicep curls
Speed skate (w/ thigh toner)
Overhead shoulder press
Kickboxing drills
Lunges
Lunge w/ jump shot (20 per leg)
Bent over row
Plyometric bowler's lunge
Bent over triceps extension
Overhead triceps extension
Kickboxing drills (w/ thigh toner)
Lateral raise
Sumo burpees (20)
Bicep curls
Plyometric reverse lunge
Weighted crunches
Kickboxing drills
Squats
Jumping jacks & high knees (w/ thigh toner)
Lower body blast (w/ thigh toner)

Ab Burner:
Moving cat
Crunches
Side taps
Criss cross
Double presser
Side pike
Weighted crunch
Obliques (w/ weight)
Reach & tuck
Oblique wrap through
Reach & tuck
Oblique wrap through

8:30 AM - apple & cottage cheese

1:45 PM - ham, cheese & avocado quesadilla, coffee w/ half-and-half & Splenda; I know I went too long without eating but it's been a hectic day

7:35 PM - scrambled eggs w/ onion, green pepper, garlic, turkey, cheese & salsa

Calories - 1212
Carbs - 83 (12 fiber)
Protein - 102
Fat - 51
C/PF Ratio - 27.6/34.1/38.3

I know I didn't eat enough today but I really wasn't hungry.

ChaLean Extreme - Week 1 - Wednesday

I cannot believe I made it through yesterday without losing control. I was so preoccupied with food last night, I couldn't concentrate on anything else. It sucked. Nothing sounded good to me - not the crackers or the granola bars or the ice cream or the chocolate. And before anyone suggests that I just get those kinds of things out of my house, it doesn't matter if they are in the house or not. If I want them, I will go out of my way to buy them, and then I will definitely binge. Those kinds of foods being in the house do not harm me or bother me in any way. I wanted something last night, but didn't know what. Getting off the computer helped a lot. 99% of the time, if I post my blog with my daily totals and shut it all down, I can get through it without a problem. Thank goodness there hasn't been any online drama to keep me hanging around longer. You can't get off the computer when there's a message board cat fight!

I'm going to be completely honest here. I almost decided to hold off on ChaLean Extreme until next week. Since I didn't get to exercise yesterday (my own stupid choice, even though it was a rest day), and my son is still in that needy, annoying place (he is doing much better though!!! I am sending his butt to school tomorrow), it would have been easy to postpone. Fortunately, I came to my senses and Sebastian was fairly cooperative.

So I did Burn Circuit 2 - 1 set of 12 (or at least 10) to failure of the following:

sumo squat w/ bicep curl [15 lb dumbbells]
lunge w/ one arm triceps extension [10 lb dumbbell]
deadlift w/ row [20 lb dumbbells]
sumo squat w/ overhead triceps extension [15 lb dumbbell]
deadlift w/ reverse grip row [15 lb dumbbells]
bowler's lunge w/ one arm row [15 lb dumbbell]
bicep curl w/ abductor balance (+1 set of 3 curls, super slow)[10 lb dumbbells]
forward lean lunge w/ double row (+1 set of 3 rows, super slow)[15 lb dumbbells]
triple thread push up (+1 set of 3, super slow) - I did these on my knees. Again.

All the weights were good for me. I followed up with Turbo Jam 20 Minute Workout. I don't think I'm going to keep throwing this in at the end of the circuits. The Wii Fit might be a better idea, since I'm getting cardio on other days. My balance really, really needs work.

7:20 AM - apple & cottage cheese

11:50 AM - turkey bacon, scrambled eggs w/ onion, green pepper & salsa

12:15 PM - coffee w/ half-and-half & Splenda

1:50 PM - ham, onion, tomato, lettuce & avocado on whole wheat tortilla

6:20 PM - chicken soup (roasted chicken & broth, salsa, sour cream), millet/flax/spinach lavash

Calories - 1572
Carbs - 110 (28 fiber)
Protein - 132
Fat - 61
C/P/F Ratio - 29/34.8/36.2

ChaLean Extreme - Week 1 - Tuesday

I did not work out today, not because I'm sore (I'm not really) but because my son is really sick and and I don't want him out of my sight for longer than a minute. It's just normal kid stuff, I hope, but it worried me enough that I made an appointment for him with the doctor. Unfortunately, it's not until late this afternoon. He's so clingy when he's sick so I really need to focus on him. Neither one of us has slept well the last few nights.

Oh, it turns out Sebastian has a double ear infections (again) and strep throat. I'm so stressed about this. I want to binge. I want chocolate. Damn. I really, really want it. I feel so out of control and upset that my son is this sick, even though I know this is normal. I'm still mad that I didn't work out this morning and I'm just a mess. There's nothing I'd love more than eating ice cream out of the freaking carton.

8:00 AM - Fiber One bar, coffee w/ half-and-half & Splenda; I grabbed something quick while I waited to call the doctor - I didn't know if we'd be going in right away and didn't want to have to mess with breakfast if we had to go in immediately. We didn't, so I'm kind of mad that I ate the granola bar.

10:45 AM - eggs & toast w/ margarine

12:45 PM - cottage cheese

2:30 PM - carrots, celery & cucumber w/ ranch dressing, grapes

6:15 PM - bottom round roast on whole wheat roll w/ mayo

7:40 PM - banana; I am desperately trying not to binge here, it's making me crazy!! The urge is so strong and nothing is working to distract me!

Calories - 1395
Carbs - 144 (30 fiber)
Protein - 102
Fat - 56
C/P/F Ratio - 38.7/27.5/33.8

ChaLean Extreme - Week 1 - Monday

Today I did Burn Circuit 1. It consists of 1 set of 12 (or at least 10) to failure of the following:

sumo squat w/ hip lift [20 lb dumbbells]
lunge w/ posterior fly [10 lb dumbbells] - too hard, so I'm going to drop the weight next time
push up w/ leg lift - I did these one my knees
deadlift w/ posterior fly [10 lb dumbbells] - again, too hard
lunge w/ core rotation [20 lb dumbbell]
bench press w/ leg lower [10 lb dumbbells] - too light, so I'll add more weight next time
squat w/ side bend (+1 set of 3 squats, super slow) [20 lb dumbbells]
forward lean lunge w/ double arm posterior fly (+1 set of 3 flys, super slow) [5 lb dumbbells] - I got smart and lowered the weight right off the bat
chest fly w/ hip lift (+1 set of 3 push ups, super slow) [15 lb dumbbells] - a bit too heavy

Overall, I clearly suck!! I didn't do a lot of fly (or side lateral) work in any of my previous programs, so these exercises are extremely difficult for me, especially at the slow pace. That makes so much difference in the difficulty level!!! I thought I was a pretty decent lifter but this stuff is daunting. I almost quit with the first exercise LOL

But I didn't. In fact, I followed up with the Turbo Jam 20 Minute Workout. Honestly, I threw that on the end in case I am too sore to do any cardio tomorrow. It's a scheduled rest day, but I am determined to take only 1 rest day a week, on Sundays. We'll see how my body feels tomorrow and I'll decide then.

8:00 AM - apple & cottage cheese

11:30 AM - lettuce, turkey, cheese, tomato & onion on whole wheat tortilla, coffee w/ half-and-half & Splenda

2:30 PM - tuna salad w/ onion, green pepper, cucumber, celery, tomato, cheese & Caesar Vinaigrette dressing

5:30 PM - mozzarella string cheese; just something to hold me until dinner, because I have no idea when that will be

7:20 PM - pork tenderloin & coleslaw

9:30 PM - Cheerios w/ skim milk

Calories - 1595
Carbs - 137 (17 fiber)
Protein - 139
Fat - 155
C/P/F Ratio - 34.3/34.8/30.9

NROL - Week 26 - Sunday

I'm taking a free day. I'd planned on taking a more liberal than normal day, but the various dips I've made are making it too hard for me to track properly. Plus, I ate the rest of the cookies I made yesterday. No, I didn't eat the entire batch (which was only 22 cookies) but I probably had a third of it. Oh well. So far, that's my only real guilt. I'm trying hard to be good because the game of "No Self Sabotage" is underway. Why? Because I weighed in today at 143.5 - that is down 3 pounds from last week. I'd like to keep that loss, so I'm not going hog wild today. I hope.

I also took measurements and took pictures today. I'm not going to post them until after my 12 week ChaLean Extreme challenge, but I took them. I'm pleased and hopeful. Looking at the pictures is a bit discouraging because it doesn't really look like I'm losing. Maybe I'm not working out hard enough. I don't know.

ChaLeaN Extreme is 3 phases - Burn, Push, and Lean. Each phase is 4 weeks long, and designed to push your muscles to failure with slow, heavy reps - usually a set of 10-12 or 6-8. There's some cardio involved, and ab work. The schedule looks like this:

M: Burn/Push/Lean Circuit 1
T: REST - but I'll be throwing in an extra cardio, either Turbo Jam or Tae Bo
W: Burn/Push/Lean Circuit 2
Th: Interval & Abs
F: Burn/Push/Lean Circuit 3
Sa: Burn (cardio) & Recharge (like yoga)
Su: REST - definitely sticking with a rest day here

I've decided that I'm only going to weigh on the last day (a Sunday) of each phase. So I won't weigh in again for 4 weeks. I'll also do measurements and take pics on those days.

Oh boy, I'm so excited to start!!