ChaLean Extreme - Week 12 - Thursday

Today was my last Get Lean Intervals!!!! Good freaking riddance! I also took a very adventurous walk with Sara. We got lost and attacked by dogs, and her poor kid got knocked over in his stroller as a result of those bastards whose asshole owners can't control them. We did about 4 miles in 1h12m.

I have a new favorite podcast - TheFitCast - I started listening because they've had Craig Ballantyne on a few times, and he's my hero but these guys (Kevin Larrabee, Leigh Peele & Jonathan Fass) are great! They know their stuff, and are very funny. At the end of the podcast, they have some off topic discussion and I love them!!!

I have made a huge decision. After talking with Hayley about Tuesday's blog (the one about intuitive eating), I have decided that, starting tomorrow, I am no longer going to weigh and track my food in my nutrition tracker. I'm tired of being a slave to measurements, especially when I'm cooking from recipes - because I rarely cook the same way twice. So, I'm not going to do that anymore. I'm not completely abandoning measuring, especially with some of the trouble foods. I'll still measure out peanut butter and nuts and "treats" but that's only so I don't go overboard. And gradually, I'll stop doing that. I am still going to write down everything I eat, but I'm not going to worry about grams of this or grams of that. I'm going to start trusting myself. I feel fairly confident that I can do it this way. I think I've come a very long way in nine months! I didn't think I'd ever get here, but now that I'm here, I am so excited and looking forward to tomorrow's freedom.

HOWEVER...

In Skwigg's blog entry, she says she stays accountable by weighing every day. I don't want to do that. Weighing every day makes me crazy and I eventually start eating less and less, to almost nothing. That leads to binges. DO NOT WANT. What I do want, for accountability, is a heart rate monitor, the Polar F6. It's about $110 and since I want it by Monday, I'd have to go to Virginia and buy one. But really, the price is bothering me. I've been considering buying one for close to a year now - heck, almost 2 years!!! I was going to get one for Christmas 2007 but changed my mind because, in the end, it wouldn't affect how I did my cardio. I think I blogged about it at the time. Now, I think one will give me the accountability that I need without weighing and measuring. I have absolutely no goal for calories burned - I just want to see what I am burning. And that's a want not a need so I am having a really hard time justifying the cost on something I consider frivolous. I could call it a birthday gift (mine is Saturday) but my husband didn't get a gift on his birthday because we had to spend the money on repairs for his truck. Sara suggested I consider it a reward for all my hard work, but I feel funny about that, too. So I don't know what to do. I know everyone is going to say "Get it!!!" and I know I deserve it but I'm still having a hard time spending that much money on something that is not something I really, really need (but I had NO problem writing a check for $55 for my son's preschool spring pictures that are going to sit in the envelope they came in for eternity).

6:00 AM - apple & cottage cheese

8:30 AM - Fiber One yogurt, mozzarella cheese, Quaker Multigrain Minis

11:00 AM - coffee w/ half-and-half & Splenda, turkey bacon, scrambled eggs w/ onion, green pepper & salsa

12:55 PM - baby carrots

2:50 PM - chicken sandwich w/ cheese

5:40 PM - stir-fry pork & jasmine rice w/ vegetables; I didn't bother tracking this. And it was nice to nibble on green peppers while I cooked, without worrying about how much I ate! I did eat just one serving of rice and probably 4 oz of pork. The bowl look really full LOL

8:30 PM - Total cereal w/ skim milk

No numbers today because of dinner. I'll spot check every now and then.

ChaLean Extreme - Week 12 - Wednesday

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

single-leg calf raise w/ bicep curl (+1 set of 3 curls, super slow) [15 lb dumbbell] - I tried with 20 lbs but it was too much. A third set of dumbbell handles would have been nice today.
triceps push ups (+1 set of 3 overhead triceps extensions, super slow) [15 lb dumbbell] - 5 on toes, 6 on knees
split-lunge w/ bicep curl (+1 set of 3 squats, super slow) [10 lb dumbbells, 15 for breakdown set]
double triceps kickback w/ stationary runner’s lunge (+1 set of 3 triceps dips, super slow)[10 lb dumbbells]
bicep/hamstring curls (+1 set of 3 squats, super slow) [10 lb dumbbell]
plank w/ single-arm triceps extension (+1 set of 3 triceps hovers, super slow) [10 lb dumbbell] - plank on my toes, hovers on my TOES!
reverse lunge w/ double arm bicep curl (+1 set of 3 squats, super slow) [10 lb dumbbells]
supine overhead triceps extensions (+1 set of 3 push ups, super slow) [20 lb dumbbell] - push ups on my toes
sumo squat calf raise w/ bicep curl (+1 set of 3 curls, super slow) [10 lb dumbbells]

Last night's Biggest Loser was amazing. Don't worry - NO SPOILERS here. I was in awe of the progress these people have made. I actually cheered (as in jumped up, shouted and clapped) twice during the show. The challenge required them to carry their original body weight through a series of stops, shedding pounds in the same pattern they did during the their time at the ranch. They all talked about how eye opening it was for them to realize that they'd been carrying that much weight around all the time. A few hours later, I was giving my son a piggy-back ride. He weighs about 45 pounds, which is less than I've actually lost, and it was just weird to think that I used to carry around that extra weight, too. Certainly, not as much as the contestants, but my body did feel weird.

6:05 AM - apple & cottage cheese

11:05 AM - coffee w/ half-and-half & Splenda, turkey bacon, toast w/ butter, scrambled eggs w/ onion, green pepper & salsa

12:50 PM - baby carrots

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

5:05 PM - half a hot dog, Quaker Multigrain Minis; I can't decide whether I like these minis or not. They are good for something sweet and crispy but the serving size is pretty small. I could have easily eaten the whole bag.

6:50 PM - chicken sandwich

8:20 PM - apple w/ peanut butter & nutella

Calories - 1658
Carbs - 158 (24 fiber)
Protein - 128
Fat - 56
C/P/F Ratio - 38.4/31/30.7

ChaLean Extreme - Week 12 - Tuesday

I ended up not doing any cardio today, for several reasons. It was hot as hell in my house, I couldn't go anywhere because I had to wait for the AC guy, and I had a ton of couponing to catch up on before tomorrow's triples at Harris Teeter. I don't feel guilty about it because, starting next week, exercise on Tuesdays is no longer optional. So I'm taking the day off.

In some motivating news, my Wii Fit officially said I'm not overweight anymore. My Mii, however, is still porky.

There was a great blog in my Google Reader today, by Skwigg. It's about how she's used intuitive eating (IE) to regain control. I'd heard of IE before and snorted at the possibility that I'd ever be able to go that route. Now, it seems like a very real possibility. These last 20 pounds are kind of scary - I know they won't come off easily, and right now, I am struggling to figure out how I want to eat. Do I buckle down and eat more cleanly until I get to goal or do I keep doing what I've been doing? Now that my body is in the healthy range, will it revolt if I don't cut out some of the crap I've been eating? Notice I didn't say I would restrict anything. I will never go that route again. But maybe now, "slightly less than moderation" is something I need to consider.

6:45 AM - apple & cottage cheese; I also had part of a granola bar I made for my son. I have no way to track the specifics of it, but next time I make them I will pay attention because they are really good LOL

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

3:00 PM - chicken salad w/ salsa & sour cream

6:20 PM - almonds & grapes

7:00 PM - apple & cottage cheese

8:30 PM - Total cereal w/ skim milk

Calories - 1548
Carbs - 144 (20 fiber)
Protein - 141
Fat - 48
C/P/F Ratio - 36.6/35.8/27.6

ChaLean Extreme - Week 12 - Monday

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

squat w/ cross-body chop (+1 set of 3 squats, super slow) [20 lb dumbbell, a pair for the breakdown set]
reverse lunge w/ Arnold press(+1 set of 3 presses, super slow) [20 lb dumbbell] - failed at 10
chest fly w/ hip lift (+1 set of 3 hip lifts, super slow) [20 lb dumbbells]
kneeling overhead press w/ center crunch (+1 set of 3 presses, super slow) [20 lb dumbbells] - failed at 10
push up w/ side plank (+1 set of 3 push ups, super slow)- My arms were so shaky I only managed 2 on my toes and 10 on my knees, and the breakdown set of 3 was on my toes
dead lift w/ frontal press (+1 set of 3 presses, super slow) [15 lb dumbbells] - failed at 10, even though this is the same weight I did last week - my arms were just wrecked!
traveling push ups (+1 set of 3 triceps push ups, super slow) - all on my knees, even the breakdown set
chest fly w/ abduction (+1 set of 3 flies, super slow) [20 lb dumbbells] - failed at 10
Army crawl (+1 set of 3 planks w/ leg lifts per leg, super slow)

I bumped just about every exercise up by 5 pounds this week, and was able to make it to 10 reps. This was my last time with this circuit, so I'm pleased with the progress, especially considering how I thought I'd have to really back off on the weights for this phase. This particular circuit was really great.

The news about my air conditioning is not good. The outside compressor needs to be replaced, and no one has any idea when that can be done. I do know it's crazy hot in this house and working out this morning sucked!!!

I'm really hungry today. You'd think with the heat, I'd have no appetite. But I definitely feel like I could eat and eat. I think it's because I'm cranky. I always want to stuff my face when I'm cranky. I could have eaten all damn night.

6:10 AM - apple & cottage cheese

9:00 AM - toast w/ butter, turkey bacon, scrambled eggs w/ onion, green pepper & picante sauce; coffee w/ half-and-half & Splenda

12:20 PM - round steak, broccoli & coleslaw

3:00 PM - sno-cone; I didn't log the 5 calories in this.

4:40 PM - chicken salad w/ tuscan romano dressing, piece of cheese hot dog

6:00 PM - another sno-cone

7:25 PM - Total cereal & banana w/ skim milk

Calories - 1614
Carbs - 161 (28 fiber)
Protein - 133
Fat - 50
C/P/F Ratio - 39.4/32.7/27.8

ChaLean Extreme - Week 11 - Sunday

Up half a pound to 136.5 today. I shouldn't have eaten that chocolate yesterday. I'm kidding! I don't know exactly why I gained. Yes, my calories were higher but not enough to gain. I only ate over maintenance levels on one day, and it wasn't by much. I'm sure I'm retaining water because my rings are sticking. And as I always say, I need more vegetables.

No formal exercise today. I took a walk today - 3 loops that I measured out to be a mile with my car but according to Google Maps, it's only 0.7 miles per loop. So I did 2.1 miles in 46:36. That doesn't seem right - I'll have to measure with my car again. I wanted to do 4 loops, but I forgot my sunscreen. It's a good thing I cut it short because I got home just as my husband was getting ready to take our son outside for a few hours - without sunscreen on! That would have pissed me off.

I think I've figured out my workout schedule for 30 Day Shred. I'm going to do it for 10 weeks, then see if I want to keep up the rotation until after my trip to New York (which now looks like will only be for Sam's cousin's wedding Labor Day weekend) or jump into what I have planned after. Here's what it looks like:

Week 1

MONDAY: 30 Day Shred (25 minutes), Jillian's No More Trouble Zones (55 minutes of circuits similar to 30DS)
TUESDAY: Turbulence Training Workout 1, Biggest Loser Workout I High Intensity Cardio (20 minutes), Biggest Loser Workout II Men's Intervals (10 minutes)
WEDNESDAY: 30 Day Shred, Jillian's Banish Fat, Boost Metabolism (55 minutes of cardio, similar to her cardio kickbox)
THURSDAY: Turbulence Training Workout 2, Biggest Loser Workout I High Intensity Cardio, Biggest Loser Workout II Men's Intervals
FRIDAY: 30 Day Shred,, Jillian's No More Trouble Zones
SATURDAY: Turbulence Training Workout 1, Biggest Loser Yoga (all levels, I think it's just under an hour)
SUNDAY: Off

Week 2

MONDAY: 30 Day Shred, Jillian's Banish Fat, Boost Metabolism
TUESDAY: Turbulence Training Workout 2, Biggest Loser Workout I High Intensity Cardio, Biggest Loser Workout II Men's Intervals
WEDNESDAY: 30 Day Shred, Jillian's No More Trouble Zones
THURSDAY: Turbulence Training Workout 1, Biggest Loser Workout I High Intensity Cardio, Biggest Loser Workout II Men's Intervals
FRIDAY: 30 Day Shred, Jillian's Banish Fat, Boost Metabolism
SATURDAY: Turbulence Training Workout 2, Biggest Loser Yoga
SUNDAY: Off

Repeat the two week rotation 5 times.

It looks like a lot to write it all out but it's really not. The Turbulence Training workouts have just 6 exercises, 3 sets of 8 (or so) each. No fancy moves, just good old fashioned weight training. It shouldn't take longer than 90 minutes per day, maybe a little longer on Saturdays if I do the entire yoga dvd. It won't be long before I'm not able to walk outside in this farking heat, so really, this isn't a lot of activity at all. If you're interested, this is what the Turbulence Training workouts look like.

7:15 AM - apple & cottage cheese, coffee w/ skim milk & Splenda

11:00 AM - toast, turkey bacon, scrambled eggs w/ onion, green pepper & picante sauce, coffee w/ half-and-half & Splenda

2:10 PM - chicken salad w/ croutons & tuscan romano basil dressing; I didn't care for this dressing (Wishbone Bountifuls) and probably won't buy it again. I'll use it as a marinade, I think.

5:05 PM - grilled roast, baked (well, microwaved) red potatoes toped w/ sour cream, turkey bacon & mozzarella cheese

6:40 PM - chocolate frothy; It's from the Busy People's Low Carb Cookbook I have - basically hot chocolate mix, milk, gelatin, Splenda & ice cubes blended to make a milk shake. I am trying to resist the ice cream but it is so farking hot because our AC unit is dead and it's almost 90 degrees in the house.

8:00 PM - mozzarella string cheese

Calories - 1552
Carbs - 127 (13 fiber)
Protein - 149
Fat - 45
C/P/F Ratio - 33.6/39.5/26.9

ChaLean Extreme - Week 11 - Saturday

I hated every minute of Fat Burn Challenge today. I don't know why. I wasn't in the right frame of mind for exercise. I did do the Recharge video after, but my heart wasn't really in it. I'm so glad there is only a week left. I desperately need a change.

Speaking of change, I'm not sure how my next "challenge" is going to work out. I am 100% sure I'm doing 30 Day Shred 3 times a week. At first, I was going to fill in the other days with Biggest Loser workouts, but I also wanted to do some of Jillian's other stuff, so then I was going to make it all Jillian. Then I figured, since I have the time, I can do all of it without over training - just stick with Jillian's longer cardio 3 times a week, then follow up on Shred days with one of the shorter Biggest Loser workouts. But now, I really want to make sure I get some good strength training in, so I was thinking of Turbulence Training on the days I don't Shred. But then when do I do Jillian's other stuff? It's too much to put at the end of Shred. So now I don't know how to schedule it. I know I have the rest of my life to do it all.

7:30 AM - Total cereal w/ skim milk

8:40 AM - banana

10:50 AM - coffee w/ half-and-half & Splenda, turkey bacon, scrambled eggs w/ onion, green pepper & picante sauce

1:40 PM - small chocolate egg, barely bite sized; I stole it out of my son's Easter basket, but didn't log it. It was really sweet! I didn't crave more but I know I sure could have eaten more! A year ago, I would have.

2:15 PM - chicken breast & broccoli w/ light Italian dressing

4:05 PM - cauliflower

7:30 PM - chicken breast & vegetable risotto

9:00 PM - apple w/ peanut butter

Calories - 1642
Carbs - 188 (31 fiber)
Protein - 117
Fat - 45
C/P/F Ratio - 46.3/28.8/24.9

ChaLean Extreme - Week 11 - Friday

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

sumo squat w/ anterior deltoid lift (+1 set of 3 squats, super slow) [15 lb dumbbell, a pair for breakdown set]
double-arm row w/ single leg lift (+1 set of 3 rows, super slow) [20 lb dumbbells]
single hamstring curl w/ lateral raise (+1 set of 3 raises, super slow) [5 lb dumbbell]
runner's lunge w/ double-arm rows (+1 set of 3 rows, super slow) [20 lb dumbbells]
lateral raise w/ abduction (+1 set of 3 raises, super slow) [5 lb dumbbells]
plank w/ single-arm row (+1 set of 3 push ups, super slow) [20 lb dumbbell] - all on toes
reverse lunge w/ lateral raise (+1 set of 3 raises, super slow) [5 lb dumbbell]
posterior deltoid raise w/ leg lift (+1 set of 3 raises, super slow) [5 lb dumbbell]
squat w/ double-arm anterior deltoid lift (+1 set of 3 squats, super slow) [5 lb dumbbell, pair of 20 for breakdown set]

7:10 AM - apple & cottage cheese

10:50 AM - turkey bacon, toast, scrambled eggs w/ onion, green pepper & picante sauce, coffee w/ half-and-half & Splenda

2:40 PM - sweet potato & turkey casserole

4:00 PM - cauliflower w/ sweet onion dressing; There was dressing left over when I finished my vegetables, so I licked the plate. What? I'd already logged the whole amount - I was not letting those delicious calories go to waste!

6:35 PM - chicken salad, toast

Calories - 1675
Carbs - 162 (22 fiber)
Protein - 131
Fat - 56
C/P/F Ratio - 38.6/31.3/30.1

ChaLean Extreme - Week 11 - Thursday

I woke up stuffy and not feeling like doing cardio at all. The plan was to do my cardio dvd before taking Sebastian to school, then walk after. But since I could barely stand to breathe, I didn't do my videos until after I took him to school and time to get my nose cleared out. It still feels like I've got my head stuck in a vacuum cleaner bag though. Anyway, I did Chalene's Get Lean Intervals, then the standing segment of Ab Jam.

7:30 AM - Total cereal w/ milk

10:30 AM - turkey bacon, scrambled eggs w/ onion, green pepper & picante sauce, coffee w/ half-and-half & Splenda

1:00 PM - apple & grapes; This was not filling and really just made me hungrier. Next time, I'll have protein with it.

2:50 PM - turkey & sweet potato casserole

6:05 PM - fajita salad

Calories - 1279
Carbs - 128 (14 fiber)
Protein - 81
Fat - 49
C/P/F Ratio - 40.2/25.5/34.3

ChaLean Extreme - Week 11 - Wednesday

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

single-leg calf raise w/ bicep curl (+1 set of 3 curls, super slow) [15 lb dumbbell]
triceps push ups (+1 set of 3 overhead triceps extensions, super slow) [15 lb dumbbell] - 3 on my toes, 9 on my knees
split-lunge w/ bicep curl (+1 set of 3 squats, super slow) [10 lb dumbbells, 15 for breakdown set]
double triceps kickback w/ stationary runner’s lunge (+1 set of 3 triceps dips, super slow)[10 lb dumbbells]
bicep/hamstring curls (+1 set of 3 squats, super slow) [10 lb dumbbell]
plank w/ single-arm triceps extension (+1 set of 3 triceps hovers, super slow) [10 lb dumbbell] - plank on my toes, hovers on my knees
reverse lunge w/ double arm bicep curl (+1 set of 3 squats, super slow) [10 lb dumbbells]
supine overhead triceps extensions (+1 set of 3 push ups, super slow) [20 lb dumbbell] - push ups on my toes
sumo squat calf raise w/ bicep curl (+1 set of 3 curls, super slow) [10 lb dumbbells]

I also took a walk with Sara today - 4.5 miles in 1:16:08, and I learned that the route I have at my house is just shy of 1 mile per circuit. Oh well. I did remember to eat before walking, and it helped a lot.

It was a high calorie day and I don't care! I feel absolutely NO guilt about my choices. None!

5:10 AM - apple & cottage cheese

7:00 AM - coffee w/ half-and-half & Splenda

8:30 AM - almonds & string cheese

10:50 AM - turkey bacon, toast, omelet w/ green pepper, onion, cheese & picante sauce

3:00 PM - sno-cone made with sugar free syrup; I used so little syrup and there isn't much to it that I didn't bother logging it in my tracker. It did help my throat though!

3:30 PM - salad w/ sweet onion dressing

6:05 PM - turkey & sweet potato casserole

6:40 PM - turkey & sweet potato casserole; So good, I had to have more.

9:00 PM - ice cream

Calories - 2409
Carbs - 214 (26 fiber)
Protein - 145
Fat - 109
C/P/F Ratio - 35.4/24/40.7

ChaLean Extreme - Week 11 - Tuesday

Today's exercise was a walk. I didn't do a video this morning, so I sprayed some SPF 50 on my shoulders, rubbed some SPF 80 on my face, and hit the pavement. I meant to do 4-5 miles but I was so hungry that I only got 2 miles in (in 30:18). I won't make this mistake again - eat before a walk!!

Last night after I blogged, I did have a cup of tea with cream and honey. I'm not going to go back and put it in my tracker. My cough is back (nose is okay though!) and I figured I'd give tea & honey a shot. It didn't really help, and it was after midnight when i remembered I bought cough syrup last week. The cough is requiring me to drink more water, and I had 176 ounces today - that's 1.375 gallons!

7:00 AM - Total cereal w/ 2% milk, coffee w/ half-and-half & Splenda

11:05 AM - grapes, turkey bacon, scrambled eggs w/ onion, green pepper & picante sauce

1:00 PM - apple & cottage cheese, grapes, almonds

4:00 PM - salad w/ sweet onion dressing; I love this dressing! It's Ken's Sweet Vidalia Onion. It's so good. I just made a plain salad because I was starving and craving the dressing LOL I did have some celery & broccoflower & other veggies I could have used but I was too hungry to chop them up.

6:35 PM - roasted pork chop w/ pasta sauce, peas

8:00 PM - tea w/ honey, ice cream; I needed something to soothe my throat :p

Oh, and I had 3 Junior Mints that my son left lying around. At least, I think they were mints. Oh boy, I hope they were mints.

Calories - 1661
Carbs - 168 (17 fiber)
Protein - 113
Fat - 63
C/P/F Ratio - 39.7/26.7/33.6

ChaLean Extreme - Week 11 - Monday

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

squat w/ cross-body chop (+1 set of 3 squats, super slow) [20 lb dumbbell, a pair for the breakdown set]
reverse lunge w/ Arnold press(+1 set of 3 presses, super slow) [15 lb dumbbell]
chest fly w/ hip lift (+1 set of 3 hip lifts, super slow) [15 lb dumbbells]
kneeling overhead press w/ center crunch (+1 set of 3 presses, super slow) [15 lb dumbbells]
push up w/ side plank (+1 set of 3 push ups, super slow) [12 on toes, 3 breakdown on knees]
dead lift w/ frontal press (+1 set of 3 presses, super slow) [15 lb dumbbells]
traveling push ups (+1 set of 3 triceps push ups, super slow) [7 on toes, 3 on knees, 3 breakdown on knees]
chest fly w/ abduction (+1 set of 3 flies, super slow) [15 lb dumbbells]
Army crawl (+1 set of 3 planks w/ leg lifts per leg, super slow)

I managed to increase most of my weights this week!

And holy crap! My husband was looking at my dumbbells and told be that because one set of handles is solid and the other is hollow, the 10s and the 15s are probably about the same weight, once you factor in the weight of the handles. Sure enough, when we weighed them, the 10s weigh 14 pounds and the 15s weigh 16 pounds. So, I'm stronger than I think LOL

I wanted to do a little bit more exercise today, and didn't think I'd get a chance to walk, and I couldn't use the regular DVD player (because I absolutely had to listen to the radio this morning and I can't do both!), so I did my first Bodyweight 100. You may remember my obsession a few months ago with the Spartan 300 workouts, especially after Craig Ballantyne posted his video of the circuit. It's a workout the actors of the movie 300 did near the end of their training, and it's pretty hardcore. Anyway, I've decided that I will do one, eventually, but I'll have to build up to it. I spent days researching and making copies of the various versions, and today, I did my very first. It was just 100 reps:

5 bodyweight rows
15 bodyweight squats
5 pushups (on the toes)
50 jumping jacks
10 mountain climbers
5 lunges (per leg)
5 bodyweight rows

You do these with no rest in between exercises. I completed it in 2m47s. I probably could have done it quicker, but I had to keep checking my list to see what was next. I expect the time to get better once I memorize the list. I'm not going to bother logging these in my fitness tracker, but I'll make a note whenever I do one. I'm going to shoot for once a week. I really wanted to tack on a jump rope tabata but I couldn't concentrate on my timer and put 100% effort into it. Again, since I had to have the morning radio show on (it was Ass Masters day - all they do is fart to see who can go the longest - yes, I'm classy like that), I couldn't have my mp3 player (which has my tabata track) plugged in. Maybe Wednesday!

By the end of the day, my body felt like it smacked the pavement from 30 feet. I think I'm really going to ache tomorrow.

My schedule is wonky this week because my husband's truck is out of commission and I have to take him to work, so there's not time to workout before I take my son to school. The upside of that is that I can actually do a little extra with my workouts, and I really need to kick things up a notch because I would LOVE to lose the last 21 pounds before the wedding we're attending in September.

6:30 AM - coffee w/ half-and-half & Splenda

7:10 AM - apple & yogurt; I desperately need to go grocery shopping! I haven't been out of cottage cheese in the longest time.

9:45 AM - homemade protein granola bar; There was 1.5 bars left and I just finished the batch off. I was hungry!

12:15 PM - tomato, onion & green pepper omelet w/ turkey bacon and cheese sandwich; Yes, I made it a sandwich. And it was good.

2:30 PM - baby carrots & mozzarella string cheese

5:15 PM - roast & broccoli w/ sweet onion vinaigrette

7:45 PM - ice cream & almonds; I limited myself to 1 serving.

Calories - 1833
Carbs - 187 (30 fiber)
Protein - 114
Fat - 74
C/P/F Ratio - 40/24.4/35.7

ChaLean Extreme - Week 10 - Sunday

Weigh in day, and it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be - 136, so I'm down that pound I gained last week. Only 21 pounds to goal. But weight really isn't a good indicator. My husband told me the other day "You're wasting away." I am by no means skinny yet (I'm not even 5'2") but he's definitely noticed the loss. I did complain that I wasn't putting on any good muscle (which I know I can't do in a caloric deficit) but he scoffed. And the other day he was staring at me - it was hot and I'd taken my shirt off - and I asked what the hell he was looking at. He said he was looking at my abs. Dude must have some funky kind of fat x-ray vision because my abs are nowhere to be seen just yet. Well, my belly puffs out in the middle and cuts in on the sides, instead of just being completely Santa's bowl full of jelly, so there's something going on there. I think the best changes have been in my shoulders. Thank you, Chalene! All that shoulder work in ChaLean Extreme!

I went for a walk today - 5 miles in 1:17:37.

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

11:40 AM - the crust of my son's sandwich; This kid kills me! The bread is homemade. There's no crust on it. But he still won't eat the edges!! I didn't log it.

12:50 PM - grilled cheese & tomato sandwich w/ mustard, baby carrots

3:35 PM - homemade protein granola bar, apple, carrots

6:00 PM - homemade pizza; This was so good! I made a whole wheat (stuffed) crust and topped it with cheese, sauce, pepperoni, onions, green peppers, black olives & jalapenos. I stuck to one piece (1/6 of the pizza) and it was totally satisfying - much better than I remember any commercial pizza tasting.

8:15 PM - homemade protein granola bar

Calories - 1722
Carbs - 197 (30 fiber)
Protein - 93
Fat - 67
C/P/F Ratio - 44.7/21.2/34.1

ChaLean Extreme - Week 10 - Saturday

Fat burn Challenge & Recharge today. I was in no mood to do either, especially not the Recharge. I wanted to add on a Tae Bo video but my son has been a major brat lately and I just can't stand it anymore. I'm going to go crazy during the summer - I can barely handle Spring Break. I wish we could enroll him in some sort of summer program but I don't see that happening.

I was so hungry today and nothing sounded good. I expect no loss on the scale tomorrow.

9:10 AM - Total cereal w/ milk, granola bar

11:10 AM - turkey chili salad w/ mozzarella, coffee w/ half-and-half & Splenda

3:00 PM - turkey sandwich w/ mustard

6:30 PM - turkey chili, granola bar

8:00 PM - toast w/ margarine

Calories - 1972
Carbs - 222 (38 fiber)
Protein - 118
Fat - 73
C/P/F Ratio - 44/23.5/32.5

ChaLean Extreme - Week 10 - Friday

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

sumo squat w/ anterior deltoid lift (+1 set of 3 squats, super slow) [15 lb dumbbell, a pair for breakdown set]
double-arm row w/ single leg lift (+1 set of 3 rows, super slow) [15 lb dumbbells]
single hamstring curl w/ lateral raise (+1 set of 3 raises, super slow) [5 lb dumbbell, 10 for breakdown set]
runner's lunge w/ double-arm rows (+1 set of 3 rows, super slow) [15 lb dumbbells]
lateral raise w/ abduction (+1 set of 3 raises, super slow) [5 lb dumbbells]
plank w/ single-arm row (+1 set of 3 push ups, super slow) [15 lb dumbbell] - all on toes
reverse lunge w/ lateral raise (+1 set of 3 raises, super slow) [5 lb dumbbell]
posterior deltoid raise w/ leg lift (+1 set of 3 raises, super slow) [5 lb dumbbell]
squat w/ double-arm anterior deltoid lift (+1 set of 3 squats, super slow) [5 lb dumbbell, pair of 15 for breakdown set]

I don't like this circuit at all - all those stupid, weak little arm muscles. The whole 40 minutes today, I kept thinking to myself, "Two more weeks. Just. Two. More. Weeks." Of course, this means I need to work these muscles more. When I finish 30 Day Shred and I'm "designing" my own stuff again, I'll make sure to include some work for these weaklings.

I'm really hungry today, but feeling so bloated. I seriously feel like I've been stuffed into a sausage casing.

9:10 AM - apple & cottage cheese

10:35 AM - homemade granola bar

1:05 PM - turkey chili salad w/ mozzarella cheese, coffee w/ half-and-half & Splenda

4:15 PM - tuna salad w/ light balsamic dressing

6:15 PM - homemade granola bar

8:30 PM - scrambled eggs, ham, toast

Calories - 1776
Carbs - 172 (25 fiber)
Protein - 149
Fat - 61
C/P/F Ratio - 37.5/32.5/30

ChaLean Extreme - Week 10 - Thursday

Get Lean Intervals today. I was going to do a Tae Bo ab workout but we got up late (because I could not sleep last night!!!) and I had house cleaning to do now that my company is gone. I'll try to do it Saturday. My son was funny during my workout. He said, "Mommy, this is my favorite workout!" I should make his little butt get up and do it with me. I catch him doing the moves every so often - not during the workout, but during the day. I hope he'll do the Tae Bo Kicks (I think that's the name of the one for kids) with me when he gets a little older. Right now, he only has enough attention span for Transformers and Geo Trax.

Beachbody has a new workout coming out, called Insanity. Indeed. I must have it.

Oh, and more reasons to love Craig Ballantyne! Jon Le Tocq of Storm Force Fitness posted an interview with Craig and it's full of great fitness information!!

9:10 AM - Total cereal w/ 2% milk

10:30 AM - homemade granola bar

11:15 AM - coffee w/ half-and-half & Splenda

2:00 PM - asparagus & cheese omelet

3:45 PM - homemade granola bar

6:15 PM - turkey chili

8:30 PM - turkey sandwich w/ mustard

Calories - 1637
Carbs - 194 (30 fiber)
Protein - 104
Fat - 54
C/P/F Ratio - 46.2/24.7/29.1

Protein Granola Bar - Recipe

2 1/2 cups (200 g) rolled oats
3 scoops (100 g) vanilla protein powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup (122 g) unsweetened applesauce
3 Tbs (20 g) ground flax
1/4 cup (84 g) honey
1/3 cup (80 g) brown sugar

1/2 cup (56 g) almonds (chopped)
1/2 cup (80 g) dried fruit (chopped)
1/2 cup (68 g) shredded coconut

Mix the oats, protein powder, baking soda, extract, applesauce, flax, honey, and brown sugar in a bowl. Stir in almonds, dried fruit, and coconut. Spray a 9x13 inch cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray. Press mixture over cookie sheet evenly to the edges. Bake 18-20 minutes in a 325 degree oven. Let cool and cut into 12 bars. Store in air-tight container in refrigerator.

Calories - 216.8
Fat - 6.4 g
Carbs - 33.2 g (3.9 fiber)
Protein - 10.7 g



If you make this and are a member of SparkPeople.com, please rate my recipe there! Thanks!

ChaLean Extreme - Week 10 - Wednesday

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

single-leg calf raise w/ bicep curl (+1 set of 3 curls, super slow) [15 lb dumbbell]
triceps push ups (+1 set of 3 overhead triceps extensions, super slow) [15 lb dumbbell] - 3 on my toes, 9 on my knees
split-lunge w/ bicep curl (+1 set of 3 squats, super slow) [10 lb dumbbells, 15 for breakdown set]
double triceps kickback w/ stationary runner’s lunge (+1 set of 3 triceps dips, super slow)[10 lb dumbbells]
bicep/hamstring curls (+1 set of 3 squats, super slow) [10 lb dumbbell, 15 for breakdown set]
plank w/ single-arm triceps extension (+1 set of 3 triceps hovers, super slow) [8 lb dumbbell] - plank on my toes, hovers on my knees
reverse lunge w/ double arm bicep curl (+1 set of 3 squats, super slow) [10 lb dumbbells]
supine overhead triceps extensions (+1 set of 3 push ups, super slow) [15 lb dumbbell] - push ups on my toes
sumo squat calf raise w/ bicep curl (+1 set of 3 curls, super slow) [10 lb dumbbells]

My mother-in-law offered to cook dinner. Macaroni & cheese and hot dogs. No thanks. When I told her I don't eat those, she looked all sorts of pissed, but I really don't care. I get so sick of her telling me "Oh, you can have some." Or "Once in a while won't hurt." Or even worse, "When you get done losing the weight, you'll have to start eating normally again." Bite me. Yes, I can have macaroni and cheese or hot dogs, but on my terms, and not the least healthy versions I can possibly find. My son won't eat those things either. My husband, however, will eat anything, but he won't be home until late. So none of us are eating her dinner. And I don't feel bad about it. She wouldn't eat my homemade bread. She went out and bought Wonder Bread. They wouldn't eat the vegetable risotto I made, because they didn't recognize the word "risotto" (or because it had vegetables). I suppose I could be gracious and appreciate her offer to cook - and I do...I'm glad I don't have to cook for them tonight - but I don't really feel like compromising my own eating in my own house.

I'm also frustrated because I haven't been able to work out as much as I wanted to this week, and the way I'm used to. I usually work out in the living room but it would be rude to do that when my inlaws are sitting right there. It's bad enough they make comments and try to talk to me while I'm in the middle of a set. I just can't wait until they leave tomorrow. My mother-in-law wants to try ChaLean Extreme, but she's got excuses for why she can't do this move or that move. Instead, I talked her into doing some Biggest Loser stuff when she goes home. I think she trusts my recommendation but I doubt she will follow through. She's one of those people who just won't ever get it. But boy, she sure has plenty of comments on how you're doing stuff!

7:50 AM - apple & cottage cheese

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

1:00 PM - ham sandwich

1:50 PM - mandarin oranges

6:45 PM - protein granola bar; I was playing in the kitchen again, and I'm very happy with how these turned out. I will post the recipe soon!

7:20 PM - tuna salad w/ light balsamic dressing

9:00 PM - turkey sandwich w/ mustard

Calories - 1468
Carbs - 173 (21 fiber)
Protein - 125
Fat - 35
C/P/F Ratio - 45.9/33.2/20.9

ChaLean Extreme - Week 10 - Tuesday

No exercise today. We were up early and off to Williamsburg, Virginia to the Ripley's Believe It Or Not Museum. Then we took my step-daughter shopping for a prom dress. I'm not going to bother with times, but here's what I packed to eat during the day:

yogurt (actually, I ate this before I left, with some coffee)
hard boiled egg whites (all those Easter eggs!!)
mozzarella string cheese
ham
baby carrots
mandarin oranges
almonds

I ended up eating only the ham and egg whites, and I got a salad at McDonald's for lunch. At home, I had a turkey & cheese sandwich.

Calories - 1539
Carbs - 96 (14 fiber)
Protein - 149
Fat - 61
C/P/F Ratio - 25.2/39/35.9

ChaLean Extreme - Week 10 - Monday

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

squat w/ cross-body chop (+1 set of 3 squats, super slow) [15 lb dumbbell]
reverse lunge w/ Arnold press(+1 set of 3 presses, super slow) [15 lb dumbbell]
chest fly w/ hip lift (+1 set of 3 hip lifts, super slow) [10 lb dumbbells]
kneeling overhead press w/ center crunch (+1 set of 3 presses, super slow) [10 lb dumbbells]
push up w/ side plank (+1 set of 3 push ups, super slow) [6 on toes, 6 on knees, 3 on knees]
dead lift w/ frontal press (+1 set of 3 presses, super slow) [15 lb dumbbells] - Made it to 12 this week
traveling push ups (+1 set of 3 triceps push ups, super slow) - 3 on my toes, the rest on my knees
chest fly w/ abduction (+1 set of 3 flies, super slow) [10 lb dumbbells]
Army crawl (+1 set of 3 planks w/ leg lifts per leg, super slow)

My husband's birthday is today and I made him a peanut butter pie, but at 400 calories for a teeny tiny slice, I wasn't about to have any.

7:05 AM - apple & cottage cheese

9:10 AM - homemade bagel w/ ham & cheese

9:30 AM - coffee w/ half-and-half & Splenda

1:35 PM - stew meat & asparagus w/ light balsamic vinaigrette dressing

6:30 PM - Green Giant Simply Steam Broccoli & Carrots, stew meat, tomato

Calories - 1266
Carbs - 114 (21 fiber)
Protein - 114
Fat - 41
C/P/F Ratio - 35.6/35.6/28.8

ChaLean Extreme - Week 9 - Sunday

After I blogged last night, I ended up eating again. Sebastian left carrots for the Easter Bunny and someone had to get rid of them. I wish he'd left donuts.

Or not. I weighed in today at 137, up one pound from last week. I'm disappointed but not surprised. There are tons of reasons why I gained that pound (which isn't fat, I'm positive) - I've been sick, hormones, too many processed foods. Whatever. Looking back at my diet for the last week, it hasn't been horrible. Sunday was excessive but still not terrible. I didn't work out as hard as I could have. It's frustrating nonetheless.

I'm not measuring or tracking today. I am worried I'll end up grazing all day. Between the disappointing weigh in, cooking foods I normally wouldn't, and just hanging out all day, I'm really edgy about what I eat. The Easter candy is making me insane, and that's crazy because I've had M&Ms and Girl Scout Cookies & all sorts of goodies in this house for months without a problem. But as soon as I saw my son's Easter basket, my mind went crazy!!! Just like with the Valentine's Day candy! Why is that???

At one point, I got so restless, I took a walk. I needed to do something or go crazy. I walked 4 miles in 1:02:36 - no speed record, for sure, but it was good to get out.

• a few small homemade cookies that my friend made last weekend and sent home with us
• eggs, ham & crescent rolls
• coffee w/ half-and-half & Splenda (and Baileys - at 9 in the freaking morning!!!)
• Wheat Things Fiber Select w/ homemade crab dip
• mandarin oranges
• hard boiled eggs, carrots
• peanut butter & Nutella sandwich
• shrimp, tilapia, vegetable risotto, mashed potatoes, stuffing, biscuit & gravy
• egg salad sandwich
• a few M&Ms (not the ones from my freezer - the ones in my son's basket)

It sure looks like a ton of food. It feels like a ton of food.  I overate today. I'm not sure if I'm mad at myself or not. I know days like this are going to happen. I'll live. I'm not tempted to binge. Well, I am, but I won't! I've worked too hard to let that happen.

ChaLean Extreme - Week 9 - Saturday

Fat Burn Challenge today.  I skipped Recharge because I had a marathon house cleaning session in preparation for the arrival of my inlaws, and didn't have time. It's been a hectic day and I've had a hard time eating on schedule.

I don't know what's going to happen tomorrow. I am in charge of the menu, but my guests are a) not fans of vegetables and b) not interested in trying new things. I'm roasting a ham over night, so breakfast will be eggs and ham. Dinner: steamed shrimp, tilapia, stuffing, mashed potatoes, mixed vegetables, biscuits & gravy. I have crackers for homemade crab dip. I have a menu - I just don't have a plan, and that scares me a bit.

6:30 AM - apple & cottage cheese

11:20 AM - bagel w/ egg salad, orange juice

12:05 PM - coffee w/ half-and-half & Splenda

4:00 PM - mozzarella string cheese; I'm starving and getting my husband to make up his freaking mind what he wants for dinner is like pulling teeth.

4:20 PM - Total cereal w/ skim milk; it's been decided that everyone is having pizza. Everyone but me.

6:40 PM - Green Giant Simply Steam Broccoli & Carrots, turkey & cheese sandwich

7:30 PM - cottage cheese & banana; For some reason, I just feel like I can't eat enough right now!

Calories - 1767
Carbs - 228 (31 fiber)
Protein - 126
Fat - 47
C/P/F Ratio - 49.6/27.5/22.8

ChaLean Extreme - Week 9 - Friday

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

sumo squat w/ anterior deltoid lift (+1 set of 3 squats, super slow) [10 lb dumbbell, 15 for breakdown set]
double-arm row w/ single leg lift (+1 set of 3 rows, super slow) [15 lb dumbbells]
single hamstring curl w/ lateral raise (+1 set of 3 raises, super slow) [5 lb dumbbell, 10 for breakdown set]
runner's lunge w/ double-arm rows (+1 set of 3 rows, super slow) [15 lb dumbbells]
lateral raise w/ abduction (+1 set of 3 raises, super slow) [5 lb dumbbells]
plank w/ single-arm row (+1 set of 3 push ups, super slow) [15 lb dumbbell] - all on toes
reverse lunge w/ lateral raise (+1 set of 3 raises, super slow) [5 lb dumbbell]
posterior deltoid raise w/ leg lift (+1 set of 3 raises, super slow) [5 lb dumbbell]
squat w/ double-arm anterior deltoid lift (+1 set of 3 squats, super slow) [5 lb dumbbell, 15 for breakdown set]

This workout made me want to cry, for real. Holy hell. I could barely manage the 5 pounds with these smaller muscle groups, but sometimes 5 pounds wasn't enough and 10 pounds was too much. I don't have anything in between but I'm going to have my husband make me a new set of handles so I can use my plates individually. It's really disappointing because I am not new to weight lifting. My arms definitely need work.

I am still really miserable with this cough and stuffy nose. I was up all night coughing again. I think I'm going to have to sleep in the living room tonight, sitting up on the couch. I wish we had a recliner. I wish I had health insurance. I need to know what the hell is causing this and figure out how to deal with it because it's getting really old.

7:35 AM - apple & cottage cheese

9:50 AM - homemade whole wheat bagel, turkey bacon, scrambled eggs w/ onion, green pepper & picante sauce, coffee w/ half-and-half & Splenda

11:30 AM - homemade protein bars

4:00 PM - ricotta pancakes w/ sugar-free syrup; Wow, I get really bitchy if I go too long without eating.

7:50 PM - chicken breast, Green Giant Simply Steam Broccoli & Carrots

8:10 PM - Hershey's sticks; Another one of those "I'm miserable and just need a little something" treats. I just had a little, and it was good.

Calories - 1584
Carbs - 153 (23 fiber)
Protein - 132
Fat - 49
C/P/F Ratio - 38.6/33.3/28

ChaLean Extreme - Week 9 - Thursday

Damn it all to fucking hell. I upgraded the program I use to write my blog throughout the day, and it erased everything I had. I'm not sure I remember everything I had down. Piece of shit program.

Anyway...

Exercise today was Get Lean Intervals and a 4 mile walk. I'm still not feeling well but I have company coming Saturday and things to do, so I'm just trying to stay consistent with the exercise.

6:30 AM - apple & cottage cheese

8:40 AM - homemade cookies n cream protein bar

10:15 AM - coffee w/ half-and-half & Splenda

12:20 PM - chicken salad w/ picante sauce & sour cream, millet & flax chips

3:40 PM - millet & flax chips

6:25 PM - cube steak & peas

9:35 PM - millet & flax chips, Green Giant Simply Steam Broccoli & Carrots

Calories - 1534
Carbs - 186 (70 fiber - holy crap!!!)
Protein - 121
Fat - 36
C/P/F Ratio - 48/31.2/20.9

ChaLean Extreme - Week 9 - Wednesday

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

single-leg calf raise w/ bicep curl (+1 set of 3 curls, super slow) [15 lb dumbbell]
triceps push ups (+1 set of 3 overhead triceps extensions, super slow) [15 lb dumbbell] - all push ups on my knees
split-lunge w/ bicep curl (+1 set of 3 squats, super slow) [10 lb dumbbells]
double triceps kickback w/ stationary runner’s lunge (+1 set of 3 triceps dips, super slow)[10 lb dumbbells]
bicep/hamstring curls (+1 set of 3 squats, super slow) [10 lb dumbbell]
plank w/ single-arm triceps extension (+1 set of 3 triceps hovers, super slow) [8 lb dumbbell] - plank on my toes, hovers on my knees
reverse lunge w/ double arm bicep curl (+1 set of 3 squats, super slow) [10 lb dumbbells]
supine overhead triceps extensions (+1 set of 3 push ups, super slow) [15 lb dumbbell]
sumo squat calf raise w/ bicep curl (+1 set of 3 curls, super slow) [10 lb dumbbells]

I'm not feeling much better today but you know how I hate to get off schedule with my lifting...

5:45 AM - apple & cottage cheese

8:50 AM - ricotta pancakes w/ sugar free syrup, coffee w/ half-and-half & Splenda

12:55 PM - chicken salad w/ picante sauce & sour cream

3:40 PM - bagel w/ cream cheese

7:10 PM - turkey bacon, scrambled eggs w/ onion, green pepper & picante sauce

9:00 PM - Fiber One Chocolate Mocha bar; I probably shouldn't have eaten this but I'm feeling crappy and sorry for myself.

Calories - 1555
Carbs - 159 (26 fiber)
Protein - 127
Fat - 46
C/P/F Ratio - 40.8/32.7/26.5

ChaLean Extreme - Week 9 - Tuesday

I did not work out today. I was up most of the night coughing and I was just too tired to do much. I did go buy some cough suppressant to see if that would help. It didn't.

7:30 AM - Total cereal w/ skim milk

9:30 AM - coffee w/ half-and-half & Splenda

11:15 AM - scrambled eggs w/ chicken breast, cheese, onion, green pepper & picante sauce

4:20 PM - homemade bagel w/ margarine; I used my bread recipe and turned it into bagels.

7:15 PM - chicken breast & coleslaw

9:00 PM - Total cereal w/ skim milk

Calories - 1458
Carbs - 166(24 fiber)
Protein - 96
Fat - 46
C/P/F Ratio - 45.6/26.2/28.3

ChaLean Extreme - Week 9 - Monday

I'm starting the last phase of ChaLean Extreme today! Four more weeks and I'll be done, and starting 30 Day Shred/Biggest Loser workouts. From everything I've read, the Lean phase is very challenging, and most people have had to drop the weight loads quite a bit. To sort of not deal with that, and because I don't want to buy more weights to create the different sets I'd need, I'm going to use resistance bands for this phase. I've never really used resistance bands for strength training before, so I'm eager to see how it works out. It will be nice not having to swap out plates all the time! When I reviewed the workouts again yesterday, I did go back and forth, trying to decide if I really wanted to use the bands. Since I've never used them before, that was the deciding factor. I need to know how they work, and appreciate how hard they make you work for myself.

But you know what they say about plans. I started with the bands but they were so uncomfortable for me. I got through the first 3 exercises then started over with weights. I couldn't get the bands to feel right, and I wasn't working as hard as I should have been. I am VERY glad I went back to using weights. This was the most challenging workout I've had so far, and I loved it.

Also based on what I've read, I'm changing the order of the circuits, to ease the stress on the shoulders. In order, a lot of people complain about the shoulders being overworked.

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

squat w/ cross-body chop (+1 set of 3 squats, super slow) [15 lb dumbbell]
reverse lunge w/ Arnold press(+1 set of 3 presses, super slow) [15 lb dumbbell]
chest fly w/ hip lift (+1 set of 3 hip lifts, super slow) [10 lb dumbbells]
kneeling overhead press w/ center crunch (+1 set of 3 presses, super slow) [10 lb dumbbells]
push up w/ side plank (+1 set of 3 push ups, super slow) [6 on toes, 6 on knees, 3 on knees]
dead lift w/ frontal press (+1 set of 3 presses, super slow) [15 lb dumbbells] - I failed at 11
traveling push ups (+1 set of 3 triceps push ups, super slow) - all on my knees
chest fly w/ abduction (+1 set of 3 flies, super slow) [10 lb dumbbells]
Army crawl (+1 set of 3 planks w/ leg lifts per leg, super slow) - these are fun

Before this workout, I took a 4 mile walk with my friend Sara. I was tired going in and that, with the attempt with the bands, might be why I failed at 11 for the one move, and why I couldn't do all of my push ups on my knees. I was completely drained by the end.

Monthly pics are up on my progress page, at the bottom - you can just click on the Updated link in the top right to take you to the new stuff. I don't think you can really tell, especially since I was so full from dinner when I took the pics. Hopefully next month's pics will look leaner and not so bloated.

7:50 AM - apple & cottage cheese

10:15 AM - Cheerios w/ skim milk, banana

12:20 PM - turkey bacon, scrambled eggs w/ onion, green pepper, salsa & pepper jack cheese, coffee w/ half-and-half & Splenda

1:40 PM - Quaker True Delights granola bar; I got a free sample in the mail and I was just staving!

4:00 PM - chicken salad

7:30 PM - stuffed (w/ ground beef, pinto beans & homemade tomato bacon dressing) cabbage

Calories - 1876
Carbs - 168 (25 fiber)
Protein - 144
Fat - 71
C/P/F Ratio - 35.6/30.5/33.9

ChaLean Extreme - Week 8 - Sunday

Down 1.5 pounds to 136. According to SparkPeople.com, my BMI is 24.9 - in the healthy range. I am no longer overweight. I'm in such a pissy mood today that I can't even be happy about it.

7:45 AM - coffee w/ half-and-half & Splenda

8:20 AM - ricotta cheese pancakes w/ sugar free syrup

10:45 AM - spicy Thai rice w/ chicken

1:05 PM - homemade cornbread muffins; I was giving a go to the muffins I found at the Recipes of a Cheapskate blog I ate way too many.

The rest of the day was unmeasured and not logged in my tracker. I went to my friend's house for appetizers and dinner and had some jalapeno & cheese stuffed wantons, crackers & dip, and polenta with marinara sauce & cheese. Oh, and cookies. I had a few more of the cookies when I got home, but that was it. Well, I ate some carrots to try to get the "good" out of my mouth.

No numbers today!

ChaLean Extreme - Week 8 - Saturday

Fat Burn Challenge and Recharge today. That cardio workout is crazy.

8:30 AM - apple & cottage cheese

1:05 PM - chicken salad, coffee w/ half-and-half & Splenda

3:20 PM - yogurt

5:15 PM - cantaloupe

6:00 PM - chicken tacos

8:40 PM - Cheerios w/ skim milk

Calories - 1353
Carbs - 165 (23 fiber)
Protein - 102
Fat - 36
C/P/F Ratio - 47.3/29.2/23.4

ChaLean Extreme - Week 8 - Friday

Push Circuit 3 - 1 set of 8 (or at least 6) to failure of the following:

sumo squat [70 lb barbell]
single-arm row [25 lb dumbbell]
chest fly [15 lb dumbbells]
bowler's lunge (+1 set of 3, super slow) [20 lb dumbbells]
double-arm bent-over row (+1 set of 3, super slow) [25 lb dumbbells]
bench press (+1 set of 3, super slow) [65 lb barbell] - I only made it to 6 today because I was so tired
single-leg sumo squat (+1 set of 3, super slow) [20 lb dumbbells]
reverse-grip bent-over row (+1 set of 3, super slow) [20 lb dumbbells]
long-arm pullover (+1 set of 3, super slow) [20 lb dumbbell]

Last day of Push, and it sucked. I hardly got any sleep last night and was exhausted!!!

6:25 AM - apple & cottage cheese

7:50 AM - Cheerios w/ skim milk; boy am I glad I decided to eat this at the last minute

12:50 PM - turkey bacon, scrambled eggs w/ onion, green pepper & salsa, coffee w/ half-and-half & Splenda; I volunteered at my son's school this morning for a special event and I had no idea it would take so long. By the time I got home and cooked something, I was starving!!!

4:35 PM - almonds

8:15 PM - chicken casserole; It was a very large portion but oh so good.

Calories - 1765
Carbs - 123 (17 fiber)
Protein - 146
Fat - 77
C/P/F Ratio - 27.8/33/39.3

ChaLean Extreme - Week 8 - Thursday

Get Lean Intervals today. Bah! I was dreading it. At first, I intended to squeeze it in before taking my son to school, then changed my mind. I'm so glad I did. It was nice to work out uninterrupted. I had so much energy when I was done that I did Turbo Jam Ab Jam AND the 20 Minute Workout. Then I was completely drained. I'm glad I ate twice before starting - I think that made a difference.

6:30 AM - apple & cottage cheese

8:45 AM - cookies & cream ricotta protein bars

11:00 AM - coffee w/ half-and-half  Splenda

12:15 PM - crustless broccoli quiche

3:30 PM - more crustless broccoli quiche

5:45 PM - Cheerios w/ skim milk

7:35 PM - chicken breast & corn with cream cheese; Don't make that face - it's really good

Calories - 1648
Carbs - 140 (19 fiber)
Protein - 131
Fat - 63
C/P/F Ratio - 33.8/31.6/34.5

ChaLean Extreme - Week 8 - Wednesday

Push Circuit 2 - 1 set of 8 (or at least 6) to failure of the following:

standard overhead press [15 lb dumbbells]
single-leg lunge [20 lb dumbbells]
standing reverse fly [10 lb dumbbells]
standing Arnold press (+1 set of 3, super slow) [15 lb dumbbells]
single-leg dead lift (+1 set of 3 standard dead lifts, super slow) [15 lb dumbbells, 20 lb for breakdown set]
bent-over lateral raise (+1 set of 3, super slow) [10 lb dumbbells]
frontal should press (+1 set of 3, super slow) [15 lb dumbbells]
single-leg tap lunge (+1 set of 3 static lunges, super slow) [20 lb dumbbells]
lateral deltoid raise (+1 set of 3, super slow) [10 lb dumbbells]

6:35 AM - apple & cottage cheese

10:05 AM - turkey bacon, scrambled eggs w/ onion, green pepper & salsa, coffee w/ half-and-half & Splenda

1:25 PM - chicken breast & broccoli w/ tomato bacon dressing

4:40 PM - Fiber One yogurt; I am officially loving this stuff!

6:10 PM - Cheerios w/ skim milk

8:30 PM - Steamfresh Meal for 2 shrimp & pasta; dinner was really late today because my husband decided to work late after telling me this morning that he'd be home at a decent time. I planned my entire day so I could actually eat this meal with him. Fortunately, I didn't have to do much thinking after the change of plans - I just shifted my cereal to before dinner instead of after.

Calories - 1546
Carbs - 153 (25 fiber)
Protein - 114
Fat - 51
C/P/F Ratio - 39.9/29.9/30.2