Jillian Kicks My Butt - Week 9 - Tuesday

30 seconds rest between exercises and sets.

barbell squat 3x5x75
barbell calf raise 3x8x75

barbell bench press 3x5x65
dips 3x8xbodyweight; I think these are what makes the inner part of my elbow hurt.

barbell Romanian deadlift 3x5x85
chest supported dumbbell row 3x8x20

Biggest Loser stuff this morning. I really wanted to toss this and use the Wii but I consider the Wii fun, and not exercise. 40 minutes and 187 calories...it was definitely not my best effort.

I've been thinking about my lack of progress with the scale. I know the scale is not the best measure of progress, blah, blah, blah. I know all that. Last night, when I ate a granola bar almost immediately after eating cottage cheese and an apple, I felt guilty. At the time, I just felt hungry, but after I went to bed, I was mentally kicking myself in the butt. I probably could have ignored the hunger - and yes, it was hunger - but I was getting cranky and I just needed something. Broccoli and cauliflower did not sound appealing at all. It's easy to say "Oh, eat some vegetables, they will fill you up." But no, I'm not going to just eat a bunch of vegetables that won't really satisfy me. Being satisfied with what I eat is about more than just volume/quantity. It's about more than the nutritional quality of the food, too. I am finally to the point where I would rather have fruit and nuts than candy. I'd rather have an avocado over anything else in the world. Hummus, rather than mayonnaise. I love my homemade bread and tortillas and granola bars. I honestly believe they are healthy. I do try not to overeat them - I'm satisfied with one piece of toast at breakfast, rather than two pieces - and I really do think I'm doing well nutritionally. So I think my body just needs maintenance right now. I'm not going to change anything about how I eat. If the scale doesn't move, so be it. Of course, if I start really gaining (though, I don't see how fat gain is possible if I'm keeping my calories where they are now), then I'll have to do something. But for now, I can't freak myself out about the lack of progress. There are other areas I can focus on, such as improving my overall fitness. I think that is a good place to shift my attention.

6:35 AM - apple & cottage cheese

11:00 AM - omelet w/ onions, green pepper, cube steak & salsa, toast w/ light cream cheese, an apple while I was cooking

2:40 PM - salad w/ cucumber, tomato, green pepper & Italian dressing

5:45 PM - spaghetti squash w/ stew meat

6:30 PM - cucumber w/ mustard, avocado

8:15 PM - protein granola bar; I agonized over whether or not I should have one. I'm still hungry.

Four cups of coffee and 120 ounces of water.

Calories - 1552
Carbs - 162 (32 fiber)
Protein - 108
Fat - 57
C/P/F Ratio - 40.6/27.1/32.3

Jillian Kicks My Butt - Week 9 - Monday

30 Day Shred Level 3 and Turbo Jam Cardio Party 3 - 77 minutes and 548 calories. I only messed up my Turbo moves once and it was so much fun. This is definitely my favorite workout. Jillian can still kiss my butt. Halfway through Level 3, as of today. 135 minutes of Shred and 150 minutes of Banish Fat Boost Metabolism left if this rotation. Yes, I am counting down the minutes. I'm so sick of calisthenics that I'm not getting Shaun T's Insanity workout for a long, long time. I will, however, be using some of the moves Jillian uses for HIIT in the next challenge. I've decided to call it, very simply, Labor Day Challenge. It will be 6 weeks long, running until I leave for New York for a wedding. I am not exercising in New York, not even a walk. By the time we leave, it will be 24 weeks without anything more than Sundays off. Damn skippy I'm going to take Labor Day weekend to myself.

But of course, I am not sure I want to do what I designed for those 6 weeks, or pick up New Rules of Lifting where I left off. I did it for 6 months last year, before doing ChaLean Extreme. I really would like to go back and finish the remaining programs in the book. I would have enough workouts for 6-8 months. I could still do the cardio I wanted to do - I just wouldn't have to think about the strength training, trying do decide what to do and reps and sets and all that. Yeah, I think I'll pick up NROL where I left off. Maybe. Either way, I'll be doing weights 4 days a week. I don't quite feel confident enough in my ability to really design a good program, and I am getting to the point where I'd like to start adding muscle.

6:35 AM - Fiber One Caramel Delight cereal w/ skim milk

8:50 AM - yogurt

11:30 AM - omelet w/ avocado, green pepper, onion & salsa; homemade whole wheat & flax toast w/ light cream cheese

2:15 PM - salad w/ tomato, green pepper, avocado & Italian dressing

2:50 PM - protein granola bar

6:40 PM - stew meat & mixed vegetables

7:20 PM - apple & cottage cheese; Ugh, I'm just so hungry.

8:05 PM - protein granola bar; This hunger is ridiculous!!! I swear I could eat all night.

Two cups of coffee and 120 ounces of water.

Calories - 1878
Carbs - 231 (41 fiber)
Protein - 120
fat - 60
C/P/F Ratio - 47.5/24.7/27.8

Jillian Kicks My Butt - Week 8 - Sunday

No change in weight this week. It figures, the week I decide "Screw the scale!" is the week it starts pissing me off. I know the problem is that I'm not eating clean enough. I think the homemade wraps and bread and granola bars have to go. It's not fair. Some people can eat Lean Cuisines and frankenfoods all day long but my homemade-with-good-ingredients stuff (plus a bowl of Fiber One every other day) gets me in trouble. I don't think I need to decrease my calories. I am sometimes out of my SparkPeople calorie range (usually by 100 calories or less) but I also burn way more calories than I have allotted. No, I'm not under eating, either. I'm not eating enough or working out hard enough to gain muscle at this stage of the game. so the quality of my diet must be jacked up.

I've finally found my M&M nemesis - the new strawberried peanut butter Transformer M&Ms. I bought some for my son and he actually let me have one and it was not pleasing to my palette. These particular candies are safe from me and my love affair with the melt in your mouth, not in your hand goodness. But honestly, I'm so frustrated with my lack of weight loss that I might eat crap today, just for spite. Okay, I won't because I know it will just piss me off even more and probably kick off a binge, which I don't need right now. I need to focus and get through this.

9:00 AM - scrambled eggs w/ green pepper, onion, salsa & cube steak

9:45 AM - homemade protein granola bar

12:55 PM - tuna salad w/ onion, green pepper, tomatoes, baby carrots & light Italian dressing

2:50 PM - baby carrots & mozzarella string cheese

5:45 PM - ground turkey & spaghetti squash

8:00 PM - almonds & mandarin oranges

Three cups of coffee and 120 ounces of water.

Calories - 1625
Carbs - 141 (18 fiber)
Protein - 118
Fat - 67
C/P/F Ratio - 34.3/28.7/37

Jillian Kicks My Butt - Week 8 - Saturday

30 seconds rest between exercises and sets.

pull/chin up 5x3xbodyweight; 5 actual, 10 negatives
plank 5x45s

barbell hang clean & press 3x5x40
double crunch 3x10

dumbbell stationary lunge 3x5x25 per side
walking push up 3x8

Turbo Jam Cardio Party 3 and Recharge - 70 minutes and 443 calories. Cardio Party is getting "easier" for me to do. I think I only messed up the moves once or twice. I think by the end of next week, I should have it down. This one is so much fun! I almost skipped Recharge because I got up late and didn't get to work out right away. It was 11:30 before I finished and got out of the shower.

8:45 AM - apple & cottage cheese

12:15 PM - turkey wrap w/ pepper jack cheese, tomato & green pepper

1:35 PM - protein granola bar

4:00 PM - turkey & cream cheese roll ups w/ baby carrots

7:20 PM - tilapia & risotto

Two cups of coffee (one with Bailey's & Kahlua) and 120 ounces of water.

Calories - 1682
Carbs - 175 (25 fiber)
Protein - 156
Fat - 42
C/P/F Ratio - 41.2/36.6/22.2

And for this week's useless-but-it-gives-me-a-chance-to-do-even-basic-math calorie differential...I burned 11361 calories just being me, and 2376 calories through cardio, for a total of 13737 calories burned. I ate 11650 calories, for a difference of 2087, almost 3/5 of a pound.

Jillian Kicks My Butt - Week 8 - Friday

30 Day Shred Level 3 and Banish Fat Boost Metabolism today, 80 minutes and 497 calories. I am most definitely over Jillian. I had absolutely zero motivation today. Gah, Jillian can bite me. Two more weeks.

6:35 AM - Fiber One Caramel Delight w/ skim milk

10:20 AM - avocado omelet w/ onion, green pepper & salsa

1:55 PM - turkey & avocado on homemade wraps; these are really good, made with whole wheat flour and flax. Today was our first shot at making these. Sebastian manned the tortilla press while I cooked them up. They aren't as big as the Flat Out wraps I was buying, and they don't roll as well, but they will do. It doesn't cost me $3.50 to make 6 tortillas, so I can definitely live with it.

2:55 PM - protein granola bar

6:40 PM - tilapia, green beans, baby carrots & hummus

8:20 PM - turkey w/ cream cheese & chives rollups

Three cups of coffee and 120 ounces of water.

Calories - 1463
Carbs - 159 (39 fiber)
Protein - 103
Fat - 52
C/P/F Ratio - 41.8/27.2/31

Jillian Kicks My Butt - Week 8 - Thursday

30 seconds rest between exercises and sets.

barbell squat 3x5x75
barbell calf raise 3x8x75

barbell bench press 3x5x65
dips 3x8xbodyweight

barbell Romanian deadlift 3x5x85
chest supported dumbbell row 3x8x20

Biggest Loser stuff - 40 minutes and 218 calories. I got a cramp in my side halfway through. I don't think I drank enough water beforehand or something. I'm so glad I only have to do this workout four more times!! My motivation for this and Jillian's stuff is pretty much gone.

I made the decision today to change my goal weight from 115 pounds to 120 pounds. I'd really, really like to add some muscle and I think I'd look terrific at 120 pounds. Heck, I don't look so bad at 130. So, I'm going to start paying more attention to body fat percentage and muscle than scale weight.

7:15 AM - apple & cottage cheese

10:20 AM - almonds & mandarin oranges

12:25 PM - chicken salad w/ tomato, green pepper & Tuscan Romano dressing

1:50 PM - homemade protein granola bar; These are so good. I may have trouble limiting myself to 1 per day. They are pretty big and I just ate one and I'm full, but I want another.

6:55 PM - cube steak w/ jasmine rice & broccoli

7:30 PM - protein granola bars; Yes, plural. I knew I couldn't eat just one per day. I have to post my blog, brush my teeth and take my melatonin or I am going to eat the whole batch.

Two cups of coffee and 120 ounces of water.

Calories - 1801
Carbs - 220 (25 fiber)
Protein - 131
Fat - 51
C/P/F Ratio - 47.3/28.2/24.5

Jillian Kicks My Butt - Week 8 - Wednesday

30 Day Shred Level 3 and Turbo Jam Cardio Party 3 - 77 minutes and 537 calories. I used 15 pound dumbbells for the strength exercises in 30DS, but I had to do my push ups on my knees because my elbow feels funny. It's been a while since I've done push ups on my knees. I was off track with CP3 - some of the moves are still confusing to me.

7:15 AM - Fiber One Caramel Delight cereal w/ skim milk

10:30 AM - chicken breast omelet w/ onion, green pepper, hummus & salsa

2:45 PM - vegetable salad w/ avocado & light balsamic dressing

6:20 PM - roasted chicken, broccoli & cauliflower w/ Tuscan Romano dressing

8:00 PM - apple & cottage cheese

Three cups of coffee and 120 ounces of water.

Calories - 1483
Carbs - 161 (38 fiber)
Protein - 120
Fat - 46

Jillian Kicks My Butt - Week 8 - Tuesday

Minimal rest between exercises and sets.

pull/chin up 5x3xbodyweight; 5 actual, 10 negatives
plank 5x45s

barbell hang clean & press 3x5x40
double crunch 3x8

dumbbell stationary lunge 3x5x25 per side
walking push up 3x8

Biggest Loser stuff today, 40 minutes and 179 calories. I was really off my game. I couldn't get my heart rate up for anything!

My body fat calipers came today, and I gave them a try. I'm not sure how accurate the reading is because it's the first time I have used calipers, I did the test on myself, and I only did the 3 site test. But, according to the calculations, I'm 22.4% body fat, which is decent (and 22% was my initial goal when I first started losing weight - I'll be shooting for 18% now, regardless of how accurate this test was). I'm going to have my husband practice and do a 7 site test on me some time this week.

Funny story - when I got the calipers out of the box, Sebastian (he's almost 5) asked what they were for, and I told him. When I finished my measurements, he asked, "So, how fat are you?" LMAO This is the same kid who said, when we first got the Wii Fit and I made my Mii: "Look at that fat little you, Mommy!"

7:00 AM - apple & cottage cheese

9:50 AM - turkey sandwich w/ tomato, onion, green pepper & hummus

1:55 PM - roasted chicken w/ polenta & barbecue sauce

3:50 PM - mandarin oranges

6:05 PM - salad w/ lettuce, roasted chicken breast, onion, tomato, green pepper, red pepper dressing & avocado; This was probably the best avocado I have ever eaten.

7:05 PM - homemade whole wheat & sour cream chocolate chip cookies; I'm so hungry. I almost ate some bars I have stashed in my stockpiling room, but opted for homemade something instead. I absolutely have to make some protein granola bars this week.

7:30 PM - apple & cottage cheese; It's one of those "I'm so hungry I could cry" days.

No coffee (but massive amounts of Diet Coke) and 120 ounces of water.

Calories - 1842
Carbs - 223 (31 fiber)
Protein - 149
Fat - 44
C/P/F Ratio - 47.3/31.7/21

Jillian Kicks My Butt - Week 8 - Monday

30 Day Shred Level 3 and Banish Fat Boost Metabolism today - 80 minutes and 502 calories. I was so worn out during BFBM that I probably didn't get as much out of it as I could have. Don't get me wrong - I worked hard but I modified some of the moves some of the time. And I'll be honest - during Shred, I did not do the jumping jacks with the dumbbells. I think it's ridiculous that she has people doing that. I support 98% of what Jillian says, but this is definitely not a good idea. Plus, I developed a ganglion cyst on my wrist when I was doing ChaLean Extreme (not doing the workout, just picking up a weight carelessly), so I'm pretty careful with my joints these days.

It turns out there was something seriously wrong with my three year old powdered milk. Okay, it might have only been 2 years old, but it was too old to be eaten, that's for sure. I thought something was weird Saturday night when I felt HORRIBLE shortly after tasting my ice cream, but I shrugged it off as just being shaky from not eating in a while and a bit nervous that my son and husband were STILL out at the drag strip (what can I say - I missed my baby!!). But I tasted it again yesterday and felt ill shortly after, so I tossed the whole batch of ice cream, as well as whatever powdered milk was left.

6:30 AM - Fiber One Caramel Delight cereal w/ skim milk

9:15 AM - yogurt

11:45 AM - turkey bacon, toast w/ hummus, scrambled eggs w/ onion, green pepper & salsa

2:40 PM - raw broccoli & cauliflower, turkey wrap w/ tomato, onion, green pepper & hummus

6:45 PM - chicken salad w/ lettuce, tomato, onion, green pepper & red pepper Italian dressing

7:00 PM - Pepperidge Farm coconut cake; I did not plan to have this but ate it anyway. No guilt, but I am glad there's no more.

Three cups of coffee and 120 ounces of water.

Calories - 1806
Carbs - 228 (39 fiber)
Protein - 125
Fat - 51
C/P/F Ratio - 48.8/26.8/24.3

Jillian Kicks My Butt - Week 7 - Sunday

131 today, up 1.5 from last week.

I had a few (three, M&M sized) of those chocolate Easter candies that are in my freezer last night after I blogged. They tasted funny. I don't know if it was because I had the taste of powdered milk in my mouth or what, but it was not pleasant. I tried making ice cream with powdered milk (well, I made sweetened condensed milk for ice cream) and I licked the spoon. I'd eat the ice cream like that but I don't know if my husband will. He doesn't like it when I try to go completely homemade LOL

9:25 AM - Total cereal w/ skim milk, banana

12:25 PM - scrambled eggs w/ onion, green pepper, avocado chipotle hummus & salsa

3:45 PM - vegetable brown rice & homemade (baked) General Tso's chicken

7:00 PM - Pepperidge Farm coconut cake; I did eat two servings, no guilt. I set my day up so that I could enjoy this dessert (and the dinner before it).

Three cups of coffee and 80 ounces of water.

Calories - 1573
Carbs - 223 (18 fiber)
Protein - 70
Fat - 43
C/P/F Ratio - 57.1/18/24.9

Jillian Kicks My Butt - Week 7 - Saturday

Minimal rest between exercises and sets.

barbell squat 3x5x75
barbell calf raise 3x8x75

barbell bench press 3x5x65
dips 3x8xbodyweight

barbell Romanian deadlift 3x5x80
chest supported dumbbell row 3x8x20

I did Turbo Jam cardio Party 3 again, and the Recharge dvd from ChaLean Extreme - 70 minutes and 405 calories. I got distracted during CP3 and I kept falling off the pace, as we race fans say.

6:10 AM - apple & cottage cheese

9:55 AM - turkey bacon, scrambled eggs w/ onion, green pepper & salsa

1:30 PM - broccoli & cauliflower, turkey sandwich w/ pepper jack cheese, tomato & onion

3:35 PM - whole wheat & sour cream chocolate chip cookies

5:30 PM - red quinoa polenta & roasted chicken breast w/ pasta sauce; My friend Sara served us polenta once and I'd been anxious to make it for myself at home. I found this stuff at our health food store and it was great! I can see myself eating it often.

Four cups of coffee and 120 ounces of water.

Calories - 1602
Carbs - 173 (24 fiber)
Protein - 123
Fat - 43
C/P/F Ratio - 44/31.2/24.7

My BMR for the week; 11361+2566 calories from exercise = 13927 calories burned. Subtract the 11148 calories eaten, and my deficit for the week is 2779 calories, about 4/5 of a pound.

Jillian Kicks My Butt - Week 7 - Friday

30 Day Shred Level 3 and Turbo Jam Cardio Party 3 today - 77 minutes and 534 calories burned. I'm not sure what to say about Level 3. The first circuit was not very difficult at all. Then the second circuit came along and kicked my ass. It's definitely my favorite level, but some of the moves are the same ones I hate in Banish Fat Boost Metabolism, so I am really going to hate double dipping on certain days - I have BFBM scheduled 5 more times in the next 3 weeks. Wow. Only 3 more weeks. I'm half tempted to just do Shred 5 days a week for 2 weeks to get it done, but I don't want to give up anything else to make room for it. So, 3 weeks it will be.

Today was my third attempt at Cardio Party 3. I'm still having trouble with the moves but I'm sure I'll get it quickly. I do have to adjust the chain we have hanging in the living room for our sex swing punching bag because I keep smacking it. It's looped up and out of the way, except for when I do this workout. There's so much hands in the air stuff that I hit it quite a few times. So, between trying not to do that and trying not to trip on the seam between our carpets, I'm not able to completely let loose and go. It's still fun though. I really, really, really wish I could be a Turbo Kick instructor. Damn this shyness.

6:25 AM - Total cereal w/ skim milk

10:15 AM - turkey bacon, toast, omelet w/ onion, green peppers & salsa

1:30 PM - chicken breast, mozzarella cheese, green peppers, onion & pasta sauce baked in flat bread wrap; This was wonderful, but I'm cranky and still hungry.

3:45 PM - broccoli, cauliflower, baby carrots & avocado chipotle hummus

7:05 PM - all-veggie salad w/ light balsamic dressing

Four cups of coffee and 120 ounces of water.

Calories - 1473
Carbs - 159 (35 fiber)
Protein - 119
Fat - 44
C/P/F Ratio - 42.3/31.6/26.1

We interrupt this blog to bring you a rant.

I have a bit of a rant here. I was reading a review of Turbo Jam and was surprised to see these listed as disadvantages:

• The official website states that Turbo Jam should not be started without a consultation with a physician.
  

Any legitimate weight loss program should say that. Most people probably don't see a doctor beforehand, but I'd worry if a site didn't encourage you to get the okay from a doctor first.

• There are no fat burning supplements offered with the Turbo Jam weight reduction program.
  

Unless you have a legitimate problem losing weight, proper diet and exercise should be all you need. If you need more, see the above point about doctors. (And before anyone calls me out, yes, I take vitamins and use protein powder, but not in the way that most fitness sites push them. I probably don't even need the vitamins anymore, and just take them out of habit. I use the protein powder to make my own protein bars. There's no reason to buy and eat any of the bars and shakes made by EAS, for example.

The ingredients in a MyoPlex barf: MyoPro (unique blend of whey-protein concentrate from specially filtered and ion-exchanged whey protein, calcium caseinate, milk-protein isolate, taurine, L-glutamine, sodium caseinate, egg albumin, and alpha-ketoglutaric acid [AKG]), calcium caseinate, corn syrup solids, maltodextrin, cocoa, oat fiber, vitamin and mineral blend (dipotassium phosphate, potassium chloride, magnesium oxide, choline bitartrate, disodium, phosphate, beta carotene, dl-alpha tocopheryl acetate, potassium citrate, ascorbic acid, ferrouse fumarate, manganese gluconate, biotin, tricalcium phosphate, niacinamide, zinc oxide, d-calcium pantothenate, vitamin a palmitate, copper sulfate, chromium citrate, cyanacobalamin, selenium amino acid chelate, molybdenum amino acid, chelate, folic acid, pryidoxine, hdrochloride, riboflavin, thiamine, hydrochloride and potassium iodide, sunflower oil, natural and artificial flavors, salt, sucralose, mono and diglycerides, medium chain tryglycerides and soy lecithin.

The ingredients in my homemade protein bars: rolled oats, baking soda, vanilla extract, unsweetened applesauce, ground flax, honey, brown sugar, almonds, dried fruit, shredded coconut, vanilla protein powder [whey protein isolate, natural flavor, guar gum, soy lecithin, stevia leaf extract]

My bars taste a hell of a lot better. I win.)

• Turbo Jam involves a fairly significant lifestyle change in regards to regular exercise regimes.
  

Duh. Exercise and good nutrition should be lifestyle changes.

• The official Turbo Jam website is set up more like a massive ad or infomercial than an information source.
  

They all are these days.

• If you haven’t seen success following exercise programs in the past, Turbo Jam alone may not have much different to offer you.

That's not Turbo Jam's fault. If you suck, you suck. Turbo Jam's not for everyone so do your research, then do something you love. Except sit your ass on the couch.

Their conclusion:

****Overall, Turbo Jam comes across as a somewhat unique and interesting weight loss program. However, it would certainly be nice for some dieters to have an appetite suppressant or fat burner of some sort to assist with the weight loss process. Furthermore, some individuals may not care for the lifestyle change involved with a weight loss product like Turbo Jam. If you already lead an active lifestyle, this product could offer a novel change of routine, but if your weight concerns are food-related, you may want to look into a diet supplement of some sort.****

WHAT? An appetite suppressant? That's healthy. Fat burner? There's no real evidence that they work. Don't care for the lifestyle change that goes along with weight loss? Have fun yo-yo dieting! Don't get rid of your fat clothes. If your weight concerns are food related, there's no exercise that's going to help you. You cannot exercise off a crappy diet. Just like you can't spot reduce - you can crunch until the cows come home but no one will see your abs until you drop body fat (which means eat better). Oh, and no, you can't "tone" either - what you mean is, again, drop body fat to show off your muscles. You won't get bulky unless you try really, really hard. That weight gain you get when you start exercises or change your routine? It's water. You didn't gain 5 pounds of muscle in a week or two or even a month. But I'll save that rant for a different day, along with the "do you exercise while you have your period" nonsense. Unless you have debilitating cramps, get your lazy butt up and move!

I've been there, and I know it's hard. I struggle with it every single day, but my body deserves better. Of course, I do have "bad" foods now and then but I don't stuff myself with them anymore. I didn't use pills and I didn't use meal replacements or the kind of supplements most programs push. I worked my ass off (quite literally) and made good nutritional choices (most of the time).

I'm not saying my way is the right way. Everyone is different - I had to learn that and find my own path. But this review of Turbo Jam (which ultimately is a fitness program - yes there's a nutrition guide that promotes natural foods and reasonable portions. Oh, the horror of using common sense when trying to lose weight and get healthy!!!) is just horrible. None of the "disadvantages" are a reason not to Jam as part of your fitness regimen.

Okay, rant over for now.

Jillian Kicks My Butt - Week 7 - Thursday

Minimal rest between exercises and sets.

pull/chin up 5x3xbodyweight - 5 actual, 10 negatives.
plank 5x45s

barbell hang clean & press 3x5x40
double crunch 3x8

dumbbell stationary lunge 3x5x25 per side
walking push up 3x8

Biggest Loser cardio fun - 40 minutes and 226 calories. I love Bob Harper, really, I do, but I'm getting sick of him, too. Not as much as Jillian though. Still, I am looking forward to the end of this rotation.

Okay, I ate three tiny Easter candies last night after blogging. I don't even know what these things are. Chocolate, I can say for sure. Not enough to affect anything, but I did want to be honest.

I'm all a-squee this afternoon because of a great score on Amazon for fitness stuff. One of my stalkees, jennincat on Spark (she also has a great site blogged about her calipers for body fat testing and noted that Amazon has them for $5.91 (regularly $19.99). With shipping, less than $11. But wait! I still have a balance from my gift cards. So, I got body fat calipers for free! Yay! I'm dreading, I mean excited to get them! I'll have to have my husband do the measurements at first, for the 7 site test, while I practice getting the 3 site test down. There was a time when I wouldn't dream of letting him play with my fat. I still have quite the belly, which has always been my "ick" spot, but the idea of him touching my stomach doesn't bother me. I don't care if he sees my fat now - soon it will be gone. Okay, maybe not soon, but sometime within the next year, I should be able to get my body fat down to a more appealing level.

Speaking of unappealing - have you ever looked at your stomach while in plank position? OMG!!!!!! It's fascinatingly disturbing. I should take a picture next time so I can do comparisons as I lose the rest of this fat. It just hangs there, bumpy and shaped like an squarish hour glass. Focusing on it helps me stay in plank longer LOL

8:30 AM - apple & cottage cheese

9:50 AM - banana; I really needed something between my weights and cardio - I was shaky.

12:00 PM - chicken omelet w/ onion, green pepper & salsa

3:05 PM - salad w/ onion, green pepper, tomato, croutons & light balsamic vinaigrette dressing

7:15 PM - stew meat & corn in tomato sauce, homemade corn muffins w/ butter

Four cups of coffee and 120 ounces of water.

Calories - 1634
Carbs - 184 (19 fiber)
Protein - 118
Fat - 48
C/P/F Ratio - 44.8/28.8/26.4

Jillian Kicks My Butt - Week 7 - Wednesday

30 Day shred Level 2 - LAST DAY!!! - and Banish Fat Boost Metabolism today. Let me just say, I was DREADING Banish Fat today! I almost ditched it and did Turbo instead, but I am determined to keep it in the rotation for the full 10 weeks - three and half weeks. I cannot wait to be done with Jillian. She's fantastic and her workouts are awesome, but tedious. I'm rethinking Shaun T's Insanity, which comes out this month, because it's - from what I hear - all cardio drills. Frak that. Anyway, I did 80 minutes and 535 calories. I'm not 100% convinced my monitor is accurate but I'm going to try to stop worrying about it.

8:10 AM - Total cereal w/ skim milk

10:40 AM - turkey bacon, toast, scrambled eggs w/ onion, green pepper & salsa

2:15 PM - turkey wrap w/ tomato & onion, raw broccoli, cauliflower, green peppers & avocado hummus

7:30 PM - grilled chicken breast salad w/ tomato, onion & Tuscan Romano dressing

8:30 PM - homemade whole wheat & sour cream cookies; I needed more calories - I was a bit under for the day and these were just sitting in my freezer.

Four cups of coffee and 120 ounces of water today.

Calories - 1517
Carbs - 172 (32 fiber)
Protein - 121
Fat - 42
C/P/F Ratio - 44.5/31.2/24.2

Jillian Kicks My Butt - Week 7 - Tuesday

No rest between exercises. Between pairs, just enough to change out weights when needed.

barbell squat 3x5x75
barbell calf raise 3x8x75

barbell bench press 3x5x65
dips 3x8xbodyweight

barbell Romanian deadlift 3x5x80
chest supported dumbbell row 3x8x15

Biggest Loser stuff - 40 minutes and 207 calories burned. I think I need to take my heart rate monitor back. It took me almost 10 minutes to get a reading this morning, and I know I put the stupid strap on right. So, we'll probably head to Virginia this weekend and exchange it at Dicks. And I might look for more goodies while I'm there.

8:30 AM - apple & cottage cheese

10:50 AM - banana bread; I didn't realize I'd grabbed two pieces until after I stuffed the whole thing in my mouth. Bah!!

3:00 PM - tilapia w/ chipotle sauce, raw broccoli, cauliflower, baby carrots & green peppers w/ avocado chipotle hummus

6:35 PM - grilled (extra lean) beef burgers w/ tomato, onion & mustard on flat bread

7:55 PM - yogurt

Two cups of coffee and 80 ounces of water. I had a real problem with water today. I just couldn't gag it down.

Calories - 1463
Carbs - 170 (25 fiber)
Protein - 101
Fat - 49
C/P/F Ratio - 44.7/26.4/28.8

Jillian Kicks My Butt - Week 7 - Monday

Level 2 of 30 Day Shred and Turbo Jam Cardio Party 3 today, for 77 minutes and 586 calories. I got 175 for Shred and 411 for CP3 - these numbers "feel" better to me. The Shred number is closer to what other people my weight are burning with it. I'm going to see how it goes for the rest of the week. Who knows - maybe my monitor is now overestimating.

My son and I spent most of the morning and afternoon cleaning the house. I was so hungry from being on the go constantly. I didn't even get a cup of coffee until way late.

705 AM - Total w/ skim milk

8:50 AM - apple & cottage cheese

11:30 AM - salad w/ lettuce, green pepper, tomato, onion, tuna, avocado & red pepper Italian dressing

1:35 AM - turkey, avocado & pepper jack cheese on flat bread

3:00 PM - homemade chocolate ice cream; My son and I rewarded ourselves with a well deserved treat - absolutely zero guilt!

7:30 PM - baked tilapia w/ chipotle sauce, spicy corn risotto

Two cups of coffee and 120 ounces of water.

Calories - 1758
Carbs - 185 (28 fiber)
Protein - 145
Fat - 57
C/P/F Ratio - 40.2/31.6/28.2

Jillian Kicks My Butt - Week 6 - Sunday

129.5 today. Down 2.5 from last week. I've lost 3 pounds in 6 weeks. That sounds about right for this stage and the way I'm eating - half a pound (average) per week.

I think I might have the answer to my heart rate monitor problems. Well part of it anyway. I'm still confused but there's a VO2 setting on the HRM - that has something to do with oxygen something or other. I understand the basic premise of it but to explain it is just way out of my league. The more fit you are, the higher your VO2. The default setting seemed high to me, so I lowered it - a lot, probably too much, because after I did more reading, I'm fitter than I thought. I'm definitely at least average, and I gave my self a number in the very unfit range. So I need to change that. Of course, the most accurate way for testing VO2 is under the supervision of people who know what they are doing. Luckily for me, there are things I can do on my own to give me a decent enough approximation. This morning, I did the Rockport Fitness Walking Test and my VO2, according to that, is approximately 42 mls/kg/min. The units aren't important (LOL mainly because I can't explain them, even though I understand them) but the number itself puts me in the Superior category. I don't know about all that (because it's not an official, struictky controlled test, just a good approximation) but I'm DEFINITELY fitter than the Fair category I had myself in yesterday. So, I am going to change that number in my HRM, along with my weight (which I hadn't been able to even decrease until today!) and see what happens tomorrow when I do Cardio Party 3.

Oh, and walking that mile in 15:15, I burned 73 calories. I'm counting it.

7:50 AM - cottage cheese, Total cereal w/ skim milk

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

1:00 PM - turkey, tomato, onion & green pepper wrap

2:00 PM - banana bread; I was tasting a new recipe. It was great.

4:40 PM - grilled chicken w/ pepper jack cheese, sweet potato w/ ketchup

6:30 PM - apple & cottage cheese; I really wanted a Fiber One bar or even ice cream or candy, which would have been fewer calories, but not as much food. Plus, this was healthier.

Three cups of coffee and 120 ounces of water.

Calories - 1701
Carbs - 135 (21 fiber)
Protein - 160
fat - 43
C/P/F Ratio - 39/38/23

Jillian Kicks My Butt - Week 6 - Saturday

No rest between exercises. Between pairs, just enough to change out weights when needed.

pull/chin up 5x3xbodyweight; I managed 1 regular chin up per set, so 5 chin ups and 10 negatives!!!
dumbbell calf raise 3x8x30; Next week, I'm switching this to my other workout, to pair with squats so I can use the barbell. The dumbbells are taking too much from my arms when I really, really need them for chin ups. I'll put the planks in its place here. I think that would be much better all around.

barbell hang clean & press 3x5x40
double crunch 3x8

dumbbell stationary lunge 3x5x25 per side
walking push up 3x8

I tried a new cardio program today - Turbo Jam Cardio Party 3. I meant to try this out last weekend, but my husband was home and I despise an audience when I'm doing a new routine. I previewed it the night before and it looked a little chaotic, and I sure as heck didn't want my husband distracting me. At least with Cardio Party 2, my body knows the routine without much thought. My high from doing 5 chin ups was smashed to bits when I saw that this 50 minute workout only burned 251 calories. Between this and Recharge (which I almost didn't do because I was so discouraged), I burned 296 calories in 71 minutes.

My best guess with the calories here is that my monitor "learned" more about my heart rate in the last month and adjusted. That's discouraging because a) the calorie numbers I was getting must be inflated and b) I'm busting my hump and burning crap for calories. I'm not half-assing my workouts. Well, if I say I do, then I did, but for the most part, I'm putting in maximum effort! How is it that 50 minutes of pretty intense cardio only burns 250 calories? Now that I look at some of the web sites that calculate calories burned based on weight and time and type of activity, 50 minutes of low impact aerobics does, indeed, burn about 250 calories for my weight. I wouldn't call today's session high impact or general aerobics (which burn 349 and 324 calories, respectively) because I was just learning the moves and couldn't really do the jumps. And there aren't even a lot of jumps in Turbo Jam. Now, if I were doing Jillian's Banish Fat, that's high impact - part of it anyway. Ah, frak it. there are just so many variables. I don't know why I'm obsessing.

I'll tell you why I'm obsessing. I bought this heart rate monitor as a tool since I wasn't tracking my food. But now that I am tracking my food again, and I'm getting lower (though probably accurate) readings, I wonder WTF I'm doing. What do the numbers tell me? I don't know. I can't really work harder during the work out. I put my all into it. I can't work out more. I work out enough - 7 hours a week is perfectly acceptable. They are intense hours. I should not feel like I'm doing anything wrong, or not working hard enough. But I do, and it's pissing me off. I have a $100 watch with a big, ugly face.

7:25 AM - Total cereal w/ skim milk; half my son's waffle

11:10 AM - turkey bacon, scrambled eggs w/ onion, green pepper & salsa

3:00 PM - grilled chicken breast w/ sauteed onions & green beans

8:45 PM - shrimp dip phyllo rolls; This is just cooked shrimp & cream cheese with chives mixed in the food processor, then rolled on phyllo dough. I knew this was going to be a heavy meal and planned my day accordingly. It was SO WORTH IT!

Three cups of coffee (two with Bailey's) and 120 ounces of water.

Calories - 1566
Carbs - 160 (16 fiber)
Protein - 116
Fat - 47
C/P/F Ratio - 41.8/30.5/27.8

And the differential is a guestimate this week, considering the wonky HRM stuff and the granola bars I ate and couldn't track. I burned 2075 calories through exercise and my BMR for the week was 11431, for a total of 13506. I ate 11043 plus the 800 (approximately) from the granola bars for 11843 calories eaten. the difference is 1663. I'm not in enough of a calorie deficit for even half a pound.

Jillian Kicks My Butt - Week 6 - Friday

30 Day Shred Level 2 and Banish Fat Boost Metabolism (yuck - getting tired of this one but it's such a good workout) - 80 minutes and 413 calories. Something happened in the middle of my Shred workout and the heart rate monitor crapped out on me for a minute. Between that and some weird adjustment my HRM made yesterday, my calories burned were a bit lower than normal. I am 100% certain the settings on my monitor (age, weight, gender) are correct, so I don't know if today was just a fluke or what. I don't understand the OwnZone thing with my monitor at all - it adjusts based on your heart rate somehow. Normally, I'm working out between 65 & 85% of my whatever, and today it was only between 55 & 75%, even though I didn't change anything about how I work out. I'll see how it goes tomorrow (even though tomorrow's workout is new and I have nothing to compare it to) and maybe I'll have to go through the OwnZone set up again. From what I've read on the Polar support boards, this is normal and a good thing? I also might not be moistening my contacts on the chest strap well enough.

I'm very stoked - the Ab Straps for my Iron Gym came today. I will have to incorporate them into my next program.

5:20 AM - Total cereal w skim milk, banana

7:50 AM - homemade bagel w/ light cream cheese & turkey

11:20 AM - scrambled eggs w/ onion, green pepper, salsa & sour cream

2:40 PM - baby carrots & green peppers w/ avocado hummus

4:05 PM - yogurt, and not the low calorie kind; I had some Yoplait Pina Colada in the refrigerator and figured I'd try it out. I didn't know it had chunks of pineapple. I don't like yogurt with chunks. I only ate 2 bites.

4:30 PM - mozzarella string cheese

7:00 PM - grilled chicken breast & quinoa

Two cups of coffee and 120 ounces of water. Oh, and 1 bite of chocolate ice cream.

Calories - 1551
Carbs - 157 (22 fiber)
Protein - 116
Fat - 55
C/P/F Ratio - 40.7/30.2/29.2

Jillian Kicks My Butt - Week 6 - Thursday

No rest between exercises. Between pairs, just enough to change out weights when needed.

barbell squat 3x5x75
plank 3x45s

barbell bench press 3x5x65
dips 3x8xbodyweight

barbell Romanian deadlift 3x5x80
chest supported dumbbell row 3x8x15

Biggest Loser stuff after - 40 minutes and 200 calories burned. I also walked to the post Office (1.69 miles) with my son as he rode his bike. I didn't wear my heart rate monitor because I don't plan to "count" the calories burned from our walks. I spend so much time on my butt at home. I have to give my little guy a lot of credit. It was our first longer journey with the bike, and he stuck with it the whole time, even when he got tired. I even offered to push the bike, but he was determined to do it on his own. He kept muttering, "I can do this!" while pedaling his little heart out. I'm so proud of him.

I woke up late again today. I was worried this would happen, now that I don't really have a reason to be up. At least I know I'll be up early tomorrow. I have stuff planned.

I'm also feeling kind of bloated. I wonder if I might be getting too many not so good carbs. I know I've been eating the homemade bagels every day, but I'm trying to get rid of them. I think a reevaluation of my diet may be in order. I know I'm going to have to eat cleaner if I want to lose the rest of this. I'm happy to just maintain for a while but I also don't want to get complacent about it all.

8:20 AM - apple & cottage cheese

10:50 AM - Fiber One yogurt

12:20 PM - chicken omelet w/ green pepper, onion & salsa, homemade bagel w/ light cream cheese

3:35 PM - turkey wrap w/ avocado hummus, onion & green pepper

5:45 PM - baby carrots & avocado hummus

9:10 PM - beef fajita salad

Two cups of coffee and 100 ounces of water.

Calories - 1629
Carbs - 163 (37 fiber)
Protein - 132
Fat - 42
C/P/F Ratio - 39/38.6/22.4

Jillian Kicks My Butt - Week 6 - Wednesday

I have to say, I was very disappointed with myself. I've decided that I can no longer deal with No More Trouble Zones. It is a great program, but doing it with Shred and doing regular weight training was making me crazy. It' not hard - just more boring than I can tolerate. I didn't feel like it was working me hard enough to get a good cardio effect from the circuits and was doing NOTHING for my muscles. So, I've decided not to do that video anymore, and I'm going to do real cardio in its place, probably Turbo Jam Cardio Party 1. I can burn more calories in less time if I do Turbo or Tae Bo. I'm still going to do Banish Fat Boost Metabolism as scheduled, though. So why was I disappointed? I was upset that I didn't stick with my original plan, to do things this way for 10 weeks. Then I realized that I have to be flexible if I'm going to do this for the rest of my life. If something's not working, I need to change it as soon as I realize it's not, rather than wait until some self-imposed deadline.

So, today I did Turbo Jam Cardio Party 1 and the standing portion of Ab Jam in place of NMTZ. I haven't done CP1 in probably a year, and other than having to relearn the moves (and trying not to mix them up with CP2, which I do often), it was wonderful! The whole time I was Shredding, I just felt relief that I had Turbo Jam after instead of anything else. I am very, very happy with the switch. After all 3 workouts were said and done, I did 79 minutes and burned 499 calories.

We slept in today and my whole day felt off kilter. I do NOT like getting my workout in so late. So no more sleeping in!

8:15 AM - apple & cottage cheese

10:50 AM - banana protein smoothie, homemade bagel w/ light cream cheese

1:00 PM - sliced turkey & green peppers w/ avocado hummus on flat bread

4:00 PM - Fiber One yogurt

7:00 PM - chicken omelet w/ green pepper, onion & salsa, homemade bagel w/ light cream cheese

8:30 PM - pepper jack cheese & air popped popcorn; Gotta have a Good night and Big Balls snack!

Two cups of coffee and 120 ounces of water today.

Calories - 1666
Carbs - 207 (38 fiber)
Protein - 140
Fat - 37
C/P/F Ratio - 48/32.6/19.4

Jillian Kicks My Butt - Week 6 - Tuesday

No rest between exercises. Between pairs, just enough to change out weights when needed.

pull/chin up 5x3xbodyweight; 1 actual, 14 negatives. I was having some grip problems with this and the calf raises.
dumbbell calf raise 3x8x30

barbell hang clean & press 3x5x40
double crunch 3x8

dumbbell stationary lunge 3x5x25 per side
walking push up 3x8

Biggest Loser cardio and cool down - 40 minutes and 206 calories.

Confession time. After I "went to bed" last night, I got it into my head that there were still some chocolate granola bars that I made a few months ago for my son. They were in the freezer, and I just could not get them out of my head. Around 9:30 last night, I got up and dug them out. I really, really tried not to think about them but it was like my body wouldn't let me go to sleep until I woke up and had one. Or two. I'm not upset about the indulgence - they were pretty healthy. I'm more disappointed that I can't properly account for them in my tracker. The two bars were probably a total of 400 calories, but since I just made the recipe up as I went and didn't write anything down, I can't put it in the tracker. And that's the only thing that really bothers me about the incident.

5:45 AM - apple & cottage cheese

8:05 AM - total cereal & banana w/ skim milk

10:10 AM - sliced turkey w/ onion, green pepper & avocado hummus on flat bread; I am super hungry today. I could have eaten twenty of these.

1:20 PM - small piece of cake at my son's preschool

1:55 PM - chicken salad w/ salsa & sour cream

2:50 PM - the rest (2) of my son's homemade granola bars; This is one of those days when I can't get enough food and I don't care what it is. Oh well.

6:00 PM - spaghetti squash & onion w/ chicken & pasta sauce

7:10 PM - baby carrots & avocado hummus

Two cups of coffee and 120 ounces of water.

No numbers today!

Jillian Kicks My Butt - Week 6 - Monday

30 Day Shred level 2 and Banish Fat Boost Metabolism today - 80 minutes and 461 calories burned. Not too shabby, considering I wasn't all that with it this morning. I got very little sleep and when I got up, my son woke up with flu symptoms. He was not happy about staying home from school, but tomorrow is his last day, and his pre-school class is having some sort of recital, so I had to reason with him that he's better off resting today than missing tomorrow. If he's not better by Wednesday, I will take him in to his pediatrician because he's had several tick bites in the last few weeks. It's either Lyme or Swine.

5:10 AM - apple & cottage cheese

8:55 AM - toast w/ light cream cheese, turkey bacon, scrambled eggs w/ onion, green pepper & salsa

12:55 PM - chicken breast & broccoli w/ roasted red pepper Italian dressing

3:30 PM - baby carrots w/ avocado hummus

6:30 PM - roasted chicken & spaghetti squash w/ pasta sauce

8:00 PM - yogurt

Four cups of coffee and 120 ounces of water today. And I did nibble on a few oyster crackers.

Calories - 1549
Carbs - 145 (28 fiber)
Protein - 153
Fat - 44
C/P/F Ratio - 36.7/38.6/24.7

Jillian Kicks My Butt - Week 5 - Sunday

Holding steady at 132 pounds this week. I'm not surprised I didn't lose anything.

I scored a great fitness bargain today. I've been looking into foam rolling (a form of massage for sore muscles) and I haven't started because I'd have to order a good piece of foam, and with shipping they can be kind of pricey, over $30 (because they are long). As I was walking out of the grocery store today, I saw some bigger size pool noodles that were firmer than anything I've seen before. They were the PERFECT shape and size, and less than $5! Score! So I'm going to incorporate foam rolling into my regimen.

7:10 AM - Total cereal w/ skim milk

10:20 AM - breakfast slider: poached eggs on homemade bagel halves, w/ tomato, onion, turkey batty & cheese

10:55 AM - half a serving of homemade chocolate ice cream; My son didn't finish his and I absolutely could not let it go to waste! It was soooooooooo good.

12:45 PM - baby carrots & avocado hummus, sliced turkey w/ hummus on flat bread

4:30 PM - yogurt

5:50 PM - grilled steak w/ broccoli & cauliflower

7:40 PM - sliced turkey w/ hummus,  tomato & onion on flat bread

Two cups of coffee and 80 ounces of water. I'm having a hard time getting my water in this week.

Calories - 1588
Carbs - 159 (34 fiber)
Protein - 124
Fat - 55
C/P/F Ratio - 39.1/30.6/30.3

Jillian Kicks My Butt - Week 5 - Saturday

No rest between exercises. Between pairs, just enough to change out weights when needed.

barbell squat 3x5x75
plank 3x45s

barbell bench press 3x5x65
dips 3x8xbodyweight

barbell Romanian deadlift 3x5x80
chest supported dumbbell row 3x8x15

Cardio Party 2 and Recharge today, for 63 minutes and 401 calories. My arms and back were so sore from Thursday's workout that I didn't want to do ANYTHING!! Fortunately, once I start Turbo Jam, I get pumped up! And while I was contorting during Recharge, not only was I treated to oddly shaped belly fat during the various stretching poses, but I noticed my sunburn is practically gone, and in it's place, the most disgusting looking tiny blisters. I swear, I need to keep my eyes closed when I work out. And it doesn't help that my son comes up and pets my flab afterward, when I'm cooling off.

To show how pathetic my life is, I spent most of a Friday evening watching Turbo Jam videos and loving every minute of it. I so desperately want to ditch what I'm doing now and do Turbo full time. I don't hate the Jillian stuff and I do have a great variety in my current program, but there's just something about Turbo Jam that just makes me so happy. I'm not the most coordinated person in the world so being able to actually do (most of) it really lends to the appeal. I like cardio drills well enough (I do intend to get Shaun T's Insanity at some point), but it quickly becomes monotonous. I'm halfway through this current "challenge" and the end can't come soon enough. I don't want to be known as the person who can't handle 30 Day Shred. That's a blow to my ego.

I woke up late this morning. Well, I was up at 5 AM but didn't feel like getting out of bed. So I didn't get up until after 7. It felt good to sleep in but I felt like my whole day was gone by the time I finished working out and took a shower.

7:25 AM - apple & cottage cheese

10:50 AM - turkey bacon, homemade bagel w/ light cream cheese, scrambled eggs w/ onion, green pepper & salsa

2:40 PM - grilled cheese & turkey on homemade whole wheat bread

6:30 PM - roasted chicken, broccoli & cauliflower w/ roasted red pepper dressing

8:00 PM - yogurt; I really, really, really wanted some homemade chocolate chocolate-chip ice cream but in the end, I decided that it was just too high calorie for me, today. The next recipe I try will be healthier.

Four cups of coffee and 120 ounces of water.

Calories - 1504
Carbs - 150 (25 fiber)
Protein - 119
Fat - 45
C/P/F Ratio - 40.5/32.2/27.3

And now for this week's math geek. This week (Sunday - Saturday), I burned 11431 calories just existing. Through (cardio) exercise, I burned 1979 calories, for a total of 13410 calories burned this week. This week, I ate 12247, for a difference of 1163 calories - a third of a pound.

Jillian Kicks My Butt - Week 5 - Friday

30 Day Shred Level 2 and No More Trouble Zones - 81 minutes and 338 calories. My arms, especially the triceps, were a tad sore today from yesterdays' chin ups. My sunburn is much better and I was worried I'd have trouble with the mat work, but it went well.

I have two quick things to mention here about yesterday. First, I spent some time yesterday attempting to organize my loose recipe papers - all the stuff I photocopied from Paula Deen's books, magazine inserts, cut outs from papers, index cards I'd jotted recipes on. I didn't get anywhere in terms of organization but I amazed myself as I looked through the recipes and did not once say, "Oh, I'll never be able to have that." On the contrary, I said, "I can make this and enjoy it without going nuts." That's huge! I was not intimidated by a single recipe, in terms of carbs or fat or calories. I'm not a brilliant cook but I can hold my own fairly well and I love to collect recipes. And now I think I'm ready to start making some of the ones I've been saving up, even if it calls for Paula's pound of butter.

Second, my sunburn hurt so much yesterday that I screamed and cried my way out of my shirt and bra, then realized I could have just pushed it all down over my hips to take them off. But anyway, I put on a tube top for comfort. My husband LOVED it. He's always made a point, even at my heaviest, to tell me the things he likes about my body, and has never, ever said anything negative about my weight. He may make cracks about the exercise equipment everywhere or a dvd I'm watching "Honey, it doesn't work like that, you have to get up and do the moves." But I know it's all in jest. So he commented, quite excitedly, about my tube top and skimpy butt-cheek showing boxers. And he said, "I think you look great. You don't have to lose any more weight for me." So that made me feel really good, but I immediately made it clear: "I'm not doing this for you." Of course he joked that I have a boyfriend on the side. And it absolutely was a joke, and I knew that, but I said, "I did this for me, and I'm going to do more, for me."

So, don't do it for anyone but yourself. Don't feel guilty for taking the time to exercise or for spending a little bit of money on something fitness related or some healthier food choices. I tried to schedule my exercise when my son was least likey to need/bug me, and even getting up at 5 AM hasn't really given me the time to work out alone. He gets up anyway and starts yapping at me, but I tell him to take a hike. If he doesn't like it, he can go back to bed. I could wait until he goes to school for the day, but then most of my day is wasted. I spend all morning thinking about the exercise I have to do, then by the time I get home, get it done, and get showered, it's about time to go get him. So I take that time in the morning, when he should be sleeping but isn't through no fault but his own. Tuesday is his last day of school, and I intend to keep the current schedule. After I workout, I plan to get him outside for a couple hours, on his bike or his scooter, until the sun gets up too much. I do feel guilty that I can't have him outside all day playing but my skin cannot handle it. Plus, I really hate this freaking heat. I live in the worst possible location. I hate the heat, the sun and the sand.

5:20 AM - Total cereal w/ skim milk

7:50 AM - apple & cottage cheese

11:00 AM - turkey bacon, homemade bagel w/ light cream cheese, scrambled eggs w/ onion, green pepper & salsa

2:35 PM - salad w/ sliced turkey, green pepper, onion, tomato, lettuce & red pepper Italian dressing

5:50 PM - roasted chicken breast w/ light barbecue sauce, mixed vegetables, homemade vanilla ice cream

Two cups of coffee, one cup of tea and 120 ounces of water.

Calories - 1610
Carbs - 182 (22 fiber)
Protein - 125
Fat - 40
C/P/F Ratio - 46/31.5/22.5

Jillian Kicks My Butt - Week 5 - Thursday

No rest between exercises. Between pairs, just enough to change out weights when needed.

pull/chin up 5x3xbodyweight
dumbbell calf raise 3x8x30

barbell hang clean & press 3x5x40
double crunch 3x8

dumbbell stationary lunge 3x5x25 per side
walking push up 3x8

I knew going into this that I would not be doing 15 chin ups. I broke it up so that I might get 1 per set and the rest would be negatives, but I only managed one real chin up and 14 negatives over the 5 sets. I'm not disappointed - I look at it like I have a goal to work toward. Overall, the workout was challenging and the last pair of exercises really got my heart rate up.

I did not sleep well last night. I couldn't lie on my back or on my left side because of the sunburn, so I was up often, trying to get comfortable. I'm not really tired today but I can't have another like that. I'm actually kind of worried about Saturday's workout, which includes bench presses and squats, with the bar across my back. If my sunburn's not better, I'm going to have to substitute. I think I can do push ups instead of benching and a different kind of squat - NOT a front squat though, I despise those. But I'd prefer to do what I have scheduled.

Cardio today was Biggest Loser stuff - 40 minutes and 209 calories. I feel like that's not enough, but I keep forgetting that I've also just weight lifted. I wish there was an accurate way to calculate calories burned there.

5:25 AM - apple & cottage cheese

8:50 AM - turkey bacon, homemade bagel w/ light cream cheese, scrambled eggs w/ onion, green pepper & salsa

12:15 PM - salad w/ lettuce, green peppers, tomato, onion, red pepper Italian dressing & Sargento salad finisher

3:00 PM - chocolate covered banana; My son and I made this - we melted some chocolate chips with coconut oil and poured it over some bananas, then popped it into the freezer until the chocolate set. He loved it!!!

6:20 PM - turkey patty, ketchup, onion & tomato on flat bread

8:00 PM - apple & cottage cheese; I couldn't decide between a turkey sandwich and some Fiber One treats.

Two cups of coffee and 140 ounces of water today.

Calories - 1852
Carbs - 184 (26 fiber)
Protein - 151
Fat - 65
C/P/F Ratio - 38.3/31.4/30.4

Jillian Kicks My Butt - Week 5 - Wednesday

30 Day Shred Level 2 and Banish Fat Boost Metabolism today, for 80 minutes and 473 calories. I really tried to step it up, because I didn't want to use my sunburn as an excuse to half-ass it. It was either a fluke and psychological, or my endurance is getting better, but I rocked it today. I worked hard and only a couple times had to skip a rep near the end of BFBM.

I forgot to add my banana to yesterday's breakfast. I ate it as I walked out the door to go to the school and completely forgot to write it down. So add on another 105 calories to yesterday's marathon eating session. Still no guilt. In fact, I'm confident it was a good thing for me. I was hungry yesterday and I didn't eat anything horrible. I didn't gorge, and I sort of spread things out. I did ask myself if I was really hungry and yes, I was!

5:15 AM - Special K Chocolatey Delight cereal w/ skim milk

9:00 AM - turkey bacon, avocado omelet w/ onion, green pepper & salsa

12:30 PM - salad w/ sliced turkey, green pepper, avocado & red pepper Italian dressing,  whole wheat & sour cream chocolate chip cookies; I at least took the time to thaw them today, instead of scarfing them down frozen.

3:25 PM - turkey wrap w/ onion, green pepper, tomato & cheese

6:15 PM - London broil & baked red potato slices; I tried making baked potato chips but my slicer sliced the potatoes way too thin. They were good, anyway.

7:25 PM - Special K Chocolatey Delight cereal w/ skim milk; Who knew that the crumbs in the bottom of the bag could equal two servings? And I'm still hungry.

Two cups of coffee and 140 ounces of water today.

Calories - 1748
Carbs - 204 (20 fiber)
Protein - 106
Fat - 64
C/P/F Ratio - 44.9/23.331.8

Jillian Kicks My Butt - Week 5 - Tuesday

No rest between exercises. Between pairs, just enough to change out weights when needed.

barbell squat 3x5x70
plank 3x45s

barbell bench press 3x5x65
dips 3x8xbodyweight

barbell Romanian deadlift 3x5x80
chest supported dumbbell row 3x8x15

I cannot tell you how much I loved this workout!!! It was quick, too, because there were no rests. Well, I did catch my breath between my second-to-last set of dips and my last set of bench presses, otherwise, my arms would not have gotten through the press set. Oh man, I loved it. I hope the B workout is as good.

As usual on weight days, I followed up with some Biggest Loser cardio and stretch - 40 minutes and 198 calories. I also spent 3 hours in the blazing hot sun herding 4 year olds from one activity to another at my son's Field Day. I think I got some good sun. I screwed up though and didn't know all I had for sunscreen was spray on lotion. I like the no rub stuff. So I am going to see who has the best deal this week (or next) and get some good stuff. I have sunburn in spots on the back of my shoulder. I hope it doesn't affect my workout tomorrow - I know already that I won't be able to wear my regular top.

5:15 AM - apple & cottage cheese

7:45 AM - hb egg, Special K Chocolatey Delight cereal w/ skim milk

11:30 AM - sliced turkey breast, green pepper & American cheese on flat bread

12:50 PM - Special K Chocolatey Delight cereal w/ skim milk; I was SO HUNGRY when I got home from the school function that I ate two servings of cereal. I was just starving and didn't want to take any more time to prepare a proper meal.

3:00 PM - homemade beef jerky & yogurt; I seriously feel like I could eat an entire cow.

6:10 PM - flat bread wraps w/ turkey bacon, onion, green pepper, pickle, cheese, tomato and sliced turkey breast

6:45 PM - whole wheat sour cream chocolate chip cookies; I ate 3, straight out of the freezer. Cravings hit fast and hard. I followed this up with a double shot of Special K Chocolatey Delight cereal w/ skim milk.

7:30 PM - another (half) of a turkey wrap from dinner, except no cheese or bacon or green pepper

One cup of coffee and 140 ounces of water today.

I know I ate a lot today but I feel no guilt whatsoever!! I thought it was important to listen to my body, and my body kept saying, "Feed me!!!" I was only slightly over my maintenance level calories so no worries!

Calories - 2256
Carbs - 292 (38 fiber)
Protein - 155
Fat - 65
C/P/F Ratio - 49.3/26.1/24.6

Jillian Kicks My Butt - Week 5 - Monday

30 Day Shred Level 2 and No More Trouble Zones today for 81 minutes and 360 calories.

5:10 AM - Special K Chocolatey Delight cereal w/ skim milk

7:15 AM - apple & cottage cheese

10:15 AM - turkey bacon, scrambled eggs w/ avocado, onion, green pepper & salsa

2:45 PM - sliced turkey breast, green pepper & American cheese on flat bread

5:45 PM - grilled chicken salad w/ hb egg, avocado, red pepper Italian dressing & Sargento salad finisher

On November 12, 2008, I bought a small bag of Dark Chocolate M&Ms. I put them in the freezer and told myself I couldn't eat them until I had a plan. The only condition I set at the time was that I couldn't eat the whole bag in one day. I planned on eating them tonight. I even put them into my food tracker and entered all that info here. I was still within my calorie range and I wanted them. Boy did I want them. But I had ice cream last night, so I'm passing on the M&Ms tonight.

Two cups of coffee and 180 ounces of water.

Calories - 1514
Carbs - 120 (23 fiber)
Protein - 129
Fat - 62
C/P/F Ratio - 30.9/33.2/36