NROL4W - Stage 2 - Monday - Workout B1

Stage 2B

wide grip dead lift from box 2x10x65 lbs

75 s rest

Bulgarian split squat 2x10x10 lkbs [per leg]

underhand-grip lat pull down (assisted chin up) 2x10

75 s rest

reverse lunge from box w/ forward reach 1x10x10 lbs, 1x10x15 lbs [per leg]

dumbbell prone Cuban snatch 2x10x10 lbs

75 s rest

(long arm) Swiss ball crunch 2x10x

reverse crunch 2x10

lateral flexion - Swiss ball side crunch 2x10 [per side]

75 s rest

prone cobra 2x60s

This workout took about 35 minutes, but I'll be honest - I didn't warm up like I usually do. I'm not feeling well, my son's not feeling well and in general I'm just frustrated and depressed and I have to keep reminding myself that even if I fuck up my diet, there is no reason to give up on exercise. 

Food:

banana
apple, cereal & yogurt w/ cinnamon & Splenda
salad w/ cucumber, carrots, roasted chickpeas & homemade honey mustard dressing
apple & cottage cheese
omelet w/ onion, green pepper, avocado & salsa, roasted cauliflower & broccoli
eggs - It was incredibly difficult to figure out what I wanted to eat that was a) meatless and b) Core-friendly, as I did not want to use any points yet. I am so damn hungry on Meatless Mondays, even if my fat & protein intake is the same (in terms of grams) as other days.

80 ounces of water and 4 coffees. 35 weekly and 2 activity points remaining.

Tomorrow's workout - intervals. I've decided to do the intervals that belong at the end of 2B twice a week, on non-lifting days. I just don't have the time to do them when they are scheduled, until after school ends. 

NROL4W - Stage 2 - Sunday - Turbo Jam Cardio Party 3

I burned a whopping 446 calories. I think that VO2 change really shows up in longer workouts. And CP3 is always more intense than most things I do, which is why I love it.

Food was out of control today. OUT. OF. CONTROL. I got mad at my husband for eating the last ice cream cone, after I'd already eaten 3 of them. He didn't really do me any favors. I just found something else horrible to eat. I hate myself. I'm reading a new book about binge eating, while I binge. Double disgust. Why is it so hard? I have tried everything to distract me from eating. I know I eat well and eat enough when I am not binging. I don't know what the problem is. I don't understand why I can't slay this beast.

Tomorrow's workout - Stage 2B

NROL4W - Stage 2 - Saturday - Workout A1

Stage 2A

front squat/push press 2x10x45 lbs

75 s rest

(barbell) step up 2x10x45 lbs [per leg]

dumbbell one-point row 2x10x20 lbs [5 on left leg, 5 on right leg]

75 s rest

static lunge, rear foot elevated 2x10x20 lbs [per leg]
push up 2x10

75 s rest

plank 2x60 s

cable (lying dumbbell) horizontal wood chop 2x10x20 lbs [per side]

75 s rest

This took about 35 minutes - 2 activity points, but I'm not going to bank them since I "ate well" last night.

I also did the intervals that should go at the end of the 2B workout, but because that workout is so freaking long, I'm going to tack it on here when I can, or do it on a separate day.

Intervals: 3 min warm up, 1 min work/2 min recovery x 5, 2 min cool down [20 minutes total] - My recovery intervals are a mix of light jogging and light jump rope moves. My work intervals are 1 round of each of the following: burpees, single leg floor taps (from ChaLean Extreme Burn Intervals) - 30 seconds per leg, switch kicks (from Insanity), globe jumps (from Insanity), Turbo Jam Twist (30 seconds per side).

This was exhausting! I did 18 burpees, with good jumps, in the first minute, but couldn't count for subsequent work intervals because I was trying too hard not to throw up/pass out/die. I think I picked some darn good exercises for this. I burned 150 calories, for another 1.5 activity points that I am not going to count.

Food:

chocolate milk [1 pt]

scrambled eggs w/ onion, green pepper & salsa

Then we went out to lunch and it all went down hill from there. I'm so sick of this.

80 ounces of water.

Tomorrow's workout - bike, tennis & swimming, if the weather cooperates. Otherwise, H2IK!

NROL4W - Break Week - Friday - Rest Day

I did not do any cardio today. I took a rest day to "reset" my schedule, so that my rest day always comes before  the start of a new week of workouts. It will only be this way for Stage 2. Once I start Stage 3, I won't have to deal with school and work so I will have time to not rush around and make sure it's all done before 7 AM.

My Swiss ball deflated yesterday. I need to rush and buy a new one. With only one good store in the area, I really hope they are in stock.

Food:
oatmeal & peanut butter [2 pts]
tilapia w/ avocado salsa & salad vegetables
apple & cottage cheese
yogurt [2 pts]

We went out for dinner, to a buffet. I was good and didn't stuff myself, but I'm pretty sure I've used up all my points! I felt full - not satisfied, but not stuffed and sick, either!

60 ounces of water and 4 coffees.

Tomorrow's workout - Stage 2A

NROL4W - Break Week - Thursday - Weights

squat  - 4x6x80 lbs
dumbbell shoulder press - 4x6x25 lbs
60 s rest

dead lift - 4x6x100 lbs
assisted pull/chin up (alternating, 2 sets of each) - 12 assisted pull ups, 1 unassisted chin up, 11 assisted chin ups
60 s rest

plank (to failure) - 80s, 70s, 60s, 65s
60 s rest

2 activity points. Exhausting!!

Food:
omelet w/ onion, green pepper, avocado & salsa [1 pt for using coconut instead of olive oil - won't make that mistake again! Coconut oil is not a healthy oil.]
pinto bean burger w/ mustard & quinoa
red pepper slices & Fiber One yogurt [1 pt]
roasted vegetables, whole wheat spinach bread stick [2 pts] & tilapia w/ avocado salsa
eggs w/ rice cakes [1 pt]

80 ounces of water and 2 coffees. 23 weekly and 8 activity points remaining.

Tomorrow's workout - unknown.

NROL4W - Break Week - Wednesday - Turbo Jam Fat Blaster

The old standby this morning. I couldn't decide what I wanted to do. So Fat Blaster, it was. I burned 187 calories - 2 activity points. I also took a short bike ride to the library (about 1.5 miles) but didn't wear my HRM or anything.

Food:
scrambled eggs w/ onion, green pepper & salsa
chicken breast & pinto beans w/ fat free ranch dressing
apple & cottage cheese
quinoa & ground turkey stuffed peppers, topped with no sugar added pasta sauce, milk
frozen banana w/ peanut butter [5 pts] & oatmeal granola

80 ounces of water and 2 coffees. 28 weekly and 6 activity points remaining.

Tomorrow's workouts - weights, the same routine I did yesterday. Saturday I will start Stage 2 weights for NROL.

NROL4W - Break Week - Tuesday - Weights

Since I'm between stages this week and didn't want to not lift, I decided to put together a very simple routine, all 4x6:

squat - 4x6x80 lbs
dumbbell shoulder press - 1x6x20 lbs, 3x6x25 lbs
60s rest

dead lift - 2x6x80 lbs, 2x6x90 lbs
assisted pull/chin up (alternating sets, so 2 of each) - 12 assisted pull ups, 1 unassisted chin up, 11 assisted chin ups
60s rest

plank (to failure) - 75s, 65s, 60s, 60s
60s rest

This took about 30 minutes - 2 activity points. I really wanted to focus on form here. I'm really proud of my dead lifts. I was able to keep conventional form the entire time, instead of switching to Romanian.

Food:
oatmeal w/ cinnamon & Splenda
chicken breast & pinto beans
venison & salad w/ homemade honey mustard dressing - The salad was so filling, I couldn't even eat all of my venison.
eggs
oatmeal granola [2 pts for second serving of healthy oils]

80 ounces of water and 2 coffees. 33 weekly and 4 activity points remaining.

Tomorrow's workout - I have no idea!

NROL4W - Break Week - Monday - Turbo Jam Fat Blaster

I changed my mind about running intervals. I was too tired to do anything when I got up, probably because I was up until well after midnight crying over the Lost finale. Plus, I felt like total crap from my weekend binge. I'm crazy bloated and I can't even wear my rings. I'm an idiot.

So I did Fat  Blaster after I took Sebastian to school. Normally, I use the time between taking him in and going into work to catch up on the shows I've recorded but I'm pretty much caught up now that things are winding down. I still wasn't really in the mood to do anything but I forced myself. I knew I'd feel worse if I didn't push play. I burned 204 calories - 2 activity points.

Food:
cereal & yogurt w/ cinnamon & Splenda
apple & cottage cheese
red pepper slices
scrambled eggs w/ onion, green pepper, avocado & salsa
oatmeal granola
pinto bean burger w/ honey mustard & olive oil

80 ounces of water and 2 coffees. 35 weekly and 2 activity points remaining.

Tomorrow's workout - weights, just something basic, high weight low rep.

NROL4W - Stage 1 - Sunday - Rest Day

There are seven deadly sins. Today, I was two of them. Well, three if you count the wrath I felt toward myself for my sloth & gluttony. I won't embarrass myself with details, but it was bad.

Tomorrow's workout - treadmill intervals.

NROL4W - Stage 1 - Saturday - Burn It Off

Last night was not good. I was so freaking hungry and I tried eating okay stuff but I chose pretzels when I should have chosen fat & protein. And pretzels are a trigger food for me, so I went out and bought ice cream. I ate two good sized bowls of it. Plus, I paid full price for the ice cream so I am doubly pissed.

So of course, I binged today. It was horrible. I feel terrible. As in physically. I ate tons of bad, bad crap.

I decided to do Burn It Off again and see if/how my new VO2 setting changed my calorie burn. My previous VO2 setting was 42, but it had been almost a year since I tested for that. I did another test during the week and my VO2 improved to 44. I burned 198 calories today, up from 182 on Wednesday. Usually, my calorie burn goes down on subsequent workouts. So, while it didn't make a huge difference, the VO2 setting adjustment did show that I burn a few more calories than I thought.

Tomorrow's workout - hopefully tennis & a bike ride.

NROL4W - Stage 1 - Friday - Workout B9

Another "special" workout to assess progress. The first time I did the exercises at these weights, it was 2 sets of 15, except for the crunches, which were 2 sets of 8.

dead lift - 80 lbs - 23 before I started RDLs instead of CDLs. Ugh. I have to concentrate so hard to keep conventional.
dumbbell shoulder press - 17.5 lbs - 19 - I did not do as well as I would have liked here.
wide-grip lat pull down (assisted pull up) - 11 without breaks - When I first started, I had to take 3 or 4 breaks to get my 15 reps.
lunge - 25 per leg
(weighted) Swiss ball crunch - 20 lbs - 45

Ok, confession. I actually did these last night so I could sleep in a bit this morning after watching the Grey's Anatomy finale. Doing them after morning cardio then a day of work may have had something to do with my piss-poor performance but I'm not going to stress about it. And I'm not taking any activity points for this, either.

Food:
scrambled eggs w/ onion, green peppers, avocado & salsa
apple & cottage cheese
McDonald's vanilla ice cream cone [3 pts] & carrots
bean burger w/ mustard on sandwich thin [1 pt]
beef burger on sandwich thin [4 pts]
oatmeal granola

80 ounces of water and 2 coffees. 3 weekly and 6 activity points remaining.

Tomorrow's workout - Burn It Off from ChaLean Extreme.

NROL4W - Stage 1 - Thursday - Burn It Off

I forgot how fantastic (and short) this workout from ChaLean Extreme is. It's 27 minutes of drills, what I imagine Insanity to be on a super easy day. Anyway, I burned 182 calories (2 activity points).

Food:
scrambled eggs w/ onion, green pepper, cheese [2 pts] & salsa
apple & cottage cheese, a corn dog nugget [1 pt] - I need to start chewing gum when we break down the line at work so I don't steal bites.
roasted vegetables
banana & oatmeal w/ peanut butter [2 pts]
oatmeal granola

80 ounces of water and 2 coffees. 11 weekly and 6 activity points remaining.

Tomorrow's workout - special Stage 1B workout.

NROL4W - Stage 1 - Wednesday - Workout A9

Today's workout is a special Stage 1 workout. It's not a mandatory session, but something the authors of New Rules of Lifting for Women added so we can see how much we've improved over 16 workouts. Well, 8 of each. The deal is, you use the weight you used in the very first workout and do as many reps as possible (AMRAP) for each exercise (just 1 set), with a 60 second rest between exercises. In the first workouts, I did 2 sets of 15 reps for each exercise (except prone jackknife which was 2 sets of 8), so obviously, I want to do more than 15 reps here.

squat - 65 lbs - 34
push up - on toes - 25
lying dumbbell row - 20 lbs - 30
step up - 15 lbs - 27 per leg
prone jackknife - 25

I'm not taking any activity points because it was less than 10 minutes of actual work.

I also did the Rockport Fitness Walking Test to determine my VO2max (the amount of oxygen I move while I do cardio) because a friend and I have been trying to figure out why I don't burn very many calories when I work out. I did my mile on the treadmill (at ~4.3 mph) in 13:59, and my heart rate wwas 119 bpm, giving me a VO2max of 44.62 mls/kg/min. According to the charts, that's in the "excellent" category, but barely! I certainly don't feel very fit. I wish I'd known about VO2max when I first started working out!  I did it last year and my number was 42.something, so I've improved a bit.

Oh, and I burned about 105 calories on that walk - I had the HRM still running for 2 minutes after because I forgot to press the button. I'm not taking any APs for it though.

Food:
banana, scrambled eggs w/ onion, green pepper & salsa
apple & cottage cheese, bread sticks [8 pts] - I ate some bread sticks at work and they made me so sick!
banana
homemade chicken pizza on whole wheat spinach crust [5 pts for non-Filling Foods ingredients]
cereal & yogurt w/ cinnamon & Splenda

80 ounces of water and 2 coffees. 16 weekly and 4 activity points remaining.

Tomorrow's workout - Burn It Off from ChaLean Extreme.

NROL4W - Stage 1 - Tuesday - Turbo Jam Fat Blaster

Good old Turbo Jam Fat Blaster today. 186 calories - 2 activity points. I didn't push as hard as I should have.

Food:
omelet w/ onion, peppers, avocado & salsa
apple & cottage cheese
red pepper slices & carrot sticks
chili crock pot pork chops & green beans
avocado & cheese sandwich [3 pts for cheese & bread]

80 ounces of water and 4 coffees. 29 weekly and 4 activity points remaining.

Tomorrow's workout - a special version of Stage 1A - max reps!

Crock Pot Chili Pork Chops - Recipe

I found this recipe and figured I'd give it a shot. I'm going to be a very busy woman once school resumes in the fall and I need to practice my slow cooker recipes.


1/2 cup chopped onions
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup ketchup
1 teaspoon chili powder
6 bone-in pork chops (I used boneless pork sirloin chops, trimmed of fat)
Salt and pepper


1. Cook onions in oil until pale brown. Add garlic, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, water, ketchup and salt and pepper. Cover and simmer the sauce for 10 minutes. 

2. Arrange pork chops in crock pot, then pour sauce over the chops. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-7 hours.


This makes 6 servings, each with 224.4 calories, 10.8 g fat, 9.2 g carbs (0.2 g fiber), 22 g protein - 5 WW/Core friendly.


This was really good, but had a little too much liquid. I'd probably leave out the water next time.

NROL4W - Stage 1 - Monday - Workout B8

Stage 1B

deadlift 3x8x110 lbs

60 s rest

dumbbell shoulder press 3x8x25 lbs

wide-grip lat pull down (assisted pull up) 3x8

60 s rest

dumbbell lunge 3x8x30 lbs [per leg]

(weighted) Swiss ball crunch 3x15x30 lbs

60 s rest

2 activity points.

Food:

oatmeal w/ cinnamon & Splenda, mandarin oranges

apple & cottage cheese

curried chickpeas & black beans

roasted vegetables, butternut squash "fries"

yogurt & cereal
avocado & cheese sandwich [3 pts for cheese & bread]

80 ounces of water and 2 coffees. 32 weekly and 2 activity points remaining.

Tomorrow's workout - Turbo Jam Fat Blaster

NROL4W - Stage 1 - Sunday - Rest Day

After I blogged last night, I had some pretzels with homemade dip, and some Wheat Thins. I didn't put any of them in my tracker, but I'm estimating about 10 points worth, being safe. I honestly wish I hadn't eaten any of it. I could "afford" to but I didn't need to. And I'd done so well the last two weeks. Bummer. Worse than that, though, I immediately bloated and felt crappy from the bad carbs. Same thing today. I ate carbs and craved more. Not sugar junk, but things like bread and pretzels and rice cakes. I think this is a clear sign that I need to tick with Filling Foods AND plan out my menus each day (as I had been until after dinner last night). Impulse eating, even when it's on plan, messes me up. So I need to be faithful to my menus.

Tomorrow's workout - Stage 1B8.

Orange Honey Chicken - Recipe

I found this one on the Beachbody web site.


4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 pound)
2 Tbsp. honey 
1 Tbsp. orange juice 
1 Tbsp. ground cumin 
1 Tbsp. garlic, minced 
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to broil. 


2. Mix honey, orange juice, cumin, garlic, salt, and pepper. Coat chicken breasts with mixture. Set some mixture aside.


3. Broil chicken about 4 minutes per side, brushing twice with remaining mixture. (Four minutes, my butt. More like 10 minutes per side. Maybe I should have pounded the chicken thinner.)


Makes 4 servings, each with 160 calories, 1.4 g fat, 9.8 g carbs (0.1 fiber), 26.1 g protein - 3 WW/Core+1 (negligible, but +1 to be safe).

Curried Chickpeas & Black Beans - Recipe

This one is from the Bootcamp Buddies board.


1-2 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup chopped onion (scallion work well too)
1 tablespoon minced ginger (or 1/8 tsp ground ginger)
2-3 teaspoons curry powder (for this recipe, I like a milder curry powder that has a bit of fennel seed)
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
salt to taste
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1. Heat oil in a large, non-stick skillet over medium heat.


2. Add onion and ginger and saute about 3 minutes, or until tender.


3. Add curry powder and stir to coat onions evenly.


4. Add tomatoes with their juices and cook 1-2 minutes or until mixture seems slightly thickened, stirring well.


5. Add black beans, chickpeas and salt to taste.


6. Stir to coat beans evenly.


7. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for about 5 minutes or until chickpeas are heated through.


8. Turn off heat, and stir in fresh cilantro (or parsley), and lemon juice.


9. Serve warm.

10. This dish goes nicely over some jasmine or basmati rice.


Makes 4 servings, each with 190.8 calories, 3.1 g fat, 31.9 g carbs (10.3 g fiber), 10.2 g protein - 3 WW/Core friendly by itself.


This was really good, except I bought a can of tomatoes that was twice as big as I needed and didn't realize it until I dumped it all in the pan. Still, I set aside 1 serving to take for lunch tomorrow for Meatless Monday. I'd make this again.

NROL4W - Stage 1 - Saturday - Functional Fitness

I didn't get out in the morning for a bike ride because my husband had to work and didn't bother telling me until the last minute. I spent the entire day cleaning my entire house -  lots of step ups, dead lifts, squats, rows, arm circles, pushing, pulling, cardio.

Food:
scrambled eggs w/ green pepper & salsa, banana
yogurt [2 pts]
homemade veggie burger on romaine lettuce w/ red pepper slices & pretzels [2 pts] w/ mustard
steak salad w/ onions, garlic, red peppers & vidalia onion dressing [2 pts]
multi-grain Cheerios [4 pts] w/ milk

80 ounces of water and 2 coffees. 10 weekly and 10 activity points remaining.

Tomorrow - a bike ride & tennis.

NROL4W - Stage 1 - Friday - Workout A8

Stage 1A

squat 3x8x90 lbs

60 s rest

(atomic) push up 3x8

seated row (lying db row) 3x8x30 lbs

60 s rest

step up 3x8x25 lbs [per leg]

prone jackknife 3x15

60 s rest

2 activity points for this. It's my final 1A workout. There's a special workout next week, but it's 1 set of max reps with my starting weights. I am disappointed that I didn't get to 100 pounds for my squat but there's always next time.

Food:

chocolate milk [1 pt]

omelet w/ onion, green pepper, avocado & salsa

apple & cottage cheese

McDonald's ice cream cone [3 pts]
tilapia w/ green pepper slices, roasted carrots & butternut squash "fries"
banana, grilled cheese sandwich [4 pts]

80 ounces of water, 2 coffees. 20 weekly and 10 activity points remaining.

Tomorrow - a bike ride and heavy house cleaning.

NROL4W - Stage 1 - Thursday - Turbo Jam Cardio Party Remix

I keep forgetting about this half-hour gem. 224 calories, but I'm still uncoordinated for some of the moves. 2 activity points.

Food:
scrambled eggs w/ green pepper, onion, avocado & salsa
chicken breast, carrots & Core'N bread
tuna sandwich w/ celery, romaine lettuce & fat free mayonnaise [2 pts for bread], roasted vegetables
cereal & yogurt w/ cinnamon & Splenda

80 ounces of water and two coffees. 28 weekly and 8 activity points remaining.

I had a bit of a victory today. I don't know if you've noticed but the last week and a half have been very good, nutritionally speaking. Yes, I had an ice cream cone last Friday and a piece of fudge on Sunday, but I controlled it. In fact, I am taking my son for an ice cream cone again tomorrow. I've been looking forward to it all week. Anyway, I was at Walgreens today and while I was in the checkout lane, I spied the candy bars. I thought to myself, "Those look like they would taste good" but that crazy "I must have that and that and that or I'm going to lose my mind" panic didn't set in. For a moment, I thought there was something wrong with me. Then I realized that this is how I need to be all the time. Of course, I still have a long road but it felt good to look at that stuff and not want it.

Tomorrow's workout - Stage 1A8.

NROL4W - Stage 1 - Wednesday - Workout B7

Stage 1B

deadlift 3x8x105 lbs

60 s rest

dumbbell shoulder press 3x8x25 lbs

wide-grip lat pull down (assisted pull up) 3x8

60 s rest

dumbbell lunge 3x8x25 lbs [per leg]

(weighted) Swiss ball crunch 3x15x30 lbs

60 s rest

2 activity points. I bumped my dead lift up 15 pounds. I don't think I was trying hard enough before. And I did ALL of my assisted pull ups without mid-set breaks.

Food:

Silk light chocolate soy milk [1 pt]

scrambled eggs w/ onion, green pepper & salsa

crumb-coated chicken thighs [1 pt for bread crumbs] w/ red pepper slices

chicken breast w/ romaine lettuce & dijon mustard dressing, Core'N bread, baked butternut squash "fries"
apple & cottage cheese

80 ounces of water and two coffees. 30 weekly and 6 activity points remaining.

Tomorrow's workout - Turbo Jam Cardio Party Remix.

NROL4W - Stage 1 - Tuesday - Turbo Jam Fat Blaster

I did Turbo Jam Fat Blaster today. It was fun. I'm glad I went with that instead of 30/30 drills. I burned 194 calories (2 activity points).

Food:

scrambled eggs w/ onion, green peppers & salsa

chicken breast w/ black beans

apple & cottage cheese

crumb-coated chicken thighs [1 pt for bread crumbs] & Core'N bread w/ roasted vegetables - Still my favorite way to make chicken!! 

oatmeal w/ cinnamon, Splenda & banana

80 ounces of water and two coffees. 32 weekly and 4 activity points remaining.

Tomorrow's workout - Stage 1B7.

NROL4W - Stage 1 - Monday - Workout A7

Stage 1A

squat 3x8x85 lbs

60 s rest

(atomic) push up 3x8

seated row (lying db row) 3x8x30 lbs

60 s rest

step up 3x8x25 lbs [per leg]

prone jackknife 3x15

60 s rest

2 activity points for this. Those jackknives are exhausting!

Food:

Silk light chocolate soy milk [2 pts]

omelet w/ onion, red peppers & salsa

apple & cottage cheese

red pepper slices

black bean burger w/ mustard on romaine lettuce w/ baked squash "fries"
yogurt w/ banana, cereal, cinnamon & Splenda

80 ounces of water and 4 coffees. 33 weekly and 2 activity points remaining.

Tomorrow's workout - either Turbo Jam Fat Blaster or some 30/30 intervals.

NROL4W - Stage 1 - Sunday - Rest Day

I woke up and still didn't have an appetite but I knew I needed to eat.

Food:
omelet w/ onion, red peppers, avocado & salsa
Yoplait Delights parfait [2 pts]
jasmine rice [2 pts] w/ venison
tilapia & roasted vegetables, fudge [7 pts] - I had a piece of fudge at the farmers market. I'm tickled that I only had the portion I initially gave myself and didn't buy more. It was good, delicious, but I'm glad I didn't eat more because it would have made me sick and made me feel guilty.
chicken breast w/ whole wheat pasta
toast w/ butter [3 pts]

I was a little hungrier than normal this afternoon, probably because I ate so little yesterday, but still within an acceptable range. Honestly, I'm amazed I didn't lose it, but I am so proud of myself. It was a stellar week, and I could not be more proud of myself.

80 ounces of water and 2 coffees. 2 activity points unused this week.

Tomorrow's workout - Stage 1A7.

NROL4W - Stage 1 - Saturday - Turbo Jam Cardio Party 3

My son insisted on doing Turbo with me. He gets so frustrated a few minutes into the warm ups because he is not coordinated enough to do the moves and he can't keep up. I try to tell him that it takes lots and lots of practice and that even I get mixed up once in a while. He's only (almost) 6 and I worry that this will turn him off from exercise. He does have unstructured exercise but he likes to do what I do. Until he "messes up" and runs off crying :( Luckily, I'll be doing this for many, many years so hopefully the influence will always be there. I really wish my husband would get in on it. He always says he's going to start working out and eating right, but he never does. The problem is, he wants to do Atkins and I don't. Atkins is much easier for him than Weight Watchers is. But I am not willing to go back to Atkins. I don't have a problem with the plan at all. I think it's a great way of eating for people who can stick to it properly. And Atkins done properly does include vegetable and fruit and grains and all that stuff. It's not all eggs, bacon, and steak. But that's not the point here. The point is, Atkins is not for me, but it is for my husband. Who should have priority? My husband, because he could stand do lose 40 pounds? Or should I have priority, because I'm the one who does all the shopping and cooking? A big problem is that Sam doesn't take his lunch to work, and doesn't eat breakfast, so he eats very little throughout he day. He would take his lunch if I packed it for him but damn, do I need to chew it up and spit it in his mouth for him, too? He's a 33 year old man. He can make his own damn lunch. I get up before he does every day, to get our son ready for the day and to do my workout. I'm not making his lunch, too, while he sleeps in. Personal responsibility has to come in somewhere.

And it's not like Weight Watchers would be complicated for him. He can do the Simply Filling Technique like I do. It's not rocket science. I've told him several times what he can eat to satisfaction. He doesn't have the binge eating and craving problems that I do. He does overeat though. But I think most people struggle finding the line of satisfaction. He'd learn. But he doesn't make the effort. And I know that people have to be ready and make the decision on their own. Trust me, I know that! He says he wants to, but I spent years saying I wanted to, too. So I don't know what to do. I refuse to pack his lunch and I'm not going to nag him to eat breakfast or workout. I make healthy dinners but that's just one meal a day. And don't get me started on weekends. Sam eats out of boredom. He's worse than I am when it comes to that. But what the heck can I do? Nothing.

Oh, and Turbo Jam Cardio Party cost me 411 calories (4 activity points). Good workout!

Food:
omelet w/ onion, green pepper, avocado & salsa, toast w/ butter [3 pts]
jasmine rice [2 pts] & chicken breast on romaine lettuce

It wasn't a particularly good food day. I didn't eat breakfast until late, and I went to bed before dinner because I was in such a pissy mood. I didn't even get my blog posted until Sunday morning because I was so angry. But instead of craving chocolate, I lost my appetite.

80 ounces of water and two coffees. 3 weekly and 13 activity points remaining.

NROL4W - Stage 1 - Friday - Workout B6

Stage 1B

deadlift 3x10x90 lbs

60 s rest

dumbbell shoulder press 3x10x22.5 lbs

wide-grip lat pull down (assisted pull up) 3x10

60 s rest

dumbbell lunge 3x10x22.5 lbs [per leg]

(weighted) Swiss ball crunch 3x12x30 lbs

60 s rest

2 activity points. I did manage my first set of assisted pull ups without a break!

At work, my co-workers commented on how well I eat, and one of them asked if I'd ever been fat. They were quite shocked, then impressed, that I used to be 60 pounds heavier. I don't think 60 pounds is that big of a deal. My partner if fitness crime is approaching 100 pounds lost.

Food:

Silk light chocolate soy milk [2 pts] - fantastic post-workout drink!

omelet w/ onion, green pepper, avocado & salsa

chicken breast w/ jasmine rice [2 pts] & green peppers
vanilla ice cream cone from McDonald's [3 pts] - I am very pleased that I did not eat any of my son's ice cream, that I did not get a McFlurry, and that this did not make me eat more junk.

venison & roasted vegetables - I had so many vegetables, I couldn't even eat half the 3.5 ounces of venison I gave myself.
apple & cottage cheese

80 ounces of water and 3 coffees. 8 weekly and 9 activity points remaining.

Tomorrow's workout - Turbo Jam Cardio Party 3. I miss this one and I can't do it and tabata sprints.

NROL4W - Stage 1 - Thursday - Turbo Jam Fat Blaster

I've had enough of trying Tae Bo and I went back to my favorite cardio, Turbo Jam. I burned 201 calories (2 activity points).

Food:
Silk light chocolate soy milk [2 pts], oatmeal w/ banana, cinnamon & Splenda
hard boiled egg & red pepper slices
chicken breast & jasmine rice [2 pts]
chicken breast w/ avocado on Romaine lettuce, roasted vegetables
apple & cottage cheese

80 ounces of water and one mug of coffee. 15 weekly and 7 activity points remaining.

Tomorrow's workout - 1B6

NROL4W - Stage 1 - Wednesday - Workout A6

I messed up yesterday. Jasmine rice is NOT a Filling Food and I should have counted the 2 points for it. I've adjusted my weekly points count.

Stage 1A

squat 3x10x80 lbs

60 s rest

(atomic) push up 3x10

seated row (lying db row) 3x10x27.5 lbs

60 s rest

step up 3x10x22.5 lbs [per leg]

prone jackknife 3x12

60 s rest

2 activity points. I was so shaky when I finished, I needed a "recovery" drink. I had a cup of chocolate soy milk and felt a lot better. I may have to do that from now on, after I lift. I really need to try to bump the squat weight up. I wanted to focus on getting some depth, though.

Food:

omelet w/ onions, green pepper, avocado & salsa, Silk light chocolate soy milk [2 pts]

jasmine rice [2 pts] & ground venison

apple & cottage cheese
Mexican chicken casserole [1 pt for cheese] & Core'N bread
Silk light chocolate soy milk [2 pts] & Core'N bread

80 ounces of water and two mugs of coffee. 19 weekly and 5 activity points remaining.

Tomorrow's workout - Turbo Jam Fat Blaster

Mexican Chicken Casserole - Recipe

I'm sure there's a recipe out there somewhere for this, but this is what I threw together in honor of Cinco De Mayo!

10-12 oz cooked chicken, cut into bite size pieces (I used the dark meat from a whole chicken I roasted)
1 15-oz can black beans,drained & rinsed
1 15-oz can whole kernel corn, drained
2 oz onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp olive oil
salt & pepper to taste
16 oz salsa
4 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded or diced

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Sautee the onion and garlic in olive oil.

3. Mix all ingredients, except for cheese, in a casserole dish. Sprinkle cheese over top. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly.

This makes 8 servings, each with 213.6 calories, 6.2 g fat, 22.5 g carbs (3.9 g fiber), 16.3 g protein - 4 WW/Core+1

NROL4W - Stage 1 - Tuesday - 30/30 Drills

I didn't feel like doing Tae Bo this morning, so I did my own thing. A 3 minute warm up, then I alternated 30 seconds of burpees or shuffles with 30 seconds of jogging for 6 cycles. Then I did 3 1/2 minutes of jump roping. The whole thing took 15 minutes (108 calories, 1 activity point). My shoulders are a tad sore from yesterday's shoulder presses and pull ups.

Food:
omelet w/ onion, green peppers, avocado & salsa
tilapia & broccoli
cantaloupe & cottage cheese
stuffed peppers (jasmine rice, onions & ground venison)
red pepper slices & hard boiled eggs

80 ounces of water and 4 mugs of coffee. 28 weekly and 3 activity points remaining.

Tomorrow's workout - 1A6.

NROL4W - Stage 1 - Monday - Workout B5

Stage 1B

deadlift 3x10x90 lbs

60 s rest

dumbbell shoulder press 3x10x22.5 lbs

wide-grip lat pull down (assisted pull up) 3x10

60 s rest

dumbbell lunge 3x10x22.5 lbs [per leg]

(weighted) Swiss ball crunch 3x12x30 lbs

60 s rest

2 activity points. This was exhausting but I loved it. My assisted pull ups are showing a little improvement. I can do more before I need a quick break. 

Food:

oatmeal w/ banana

hard boiled eggs w/ green pepper slices

apple & cottage cheese, small bite of blueberry cobbler [2 pts] - I'd never had this before so I took a bite. It was pretty good but probably not something I would ever make on my own.

omelet w/ onion, green pepper, avocado & salsa
orange

yogurt & cereal
cheese sandwich [3 pts] w/ red peppers & Silk light chocolate soy milk [2 pts]

80 ounces of water and one cup of coffee. 28 weekly and 2 activity points remaining. I swear, I'm so hungry on Meatless Mondays. I didn't have time to make beans or quinoa today so the protein was skimpy.

Tomorrow's workout - Tae Bo Fat Blasting Cardio or Cardio Blast 1

NROL4W - Stage 1 - Sunday - Rest Day

I didn't rest today. I got up early and went for a bike ride. I'd planned on doing 5 miles (going to my son's school and back) but my legs were tired and I was still half asleep. I did about 3.8 miles in 30 minutes and burned 183 calories. It was a good time. I hope my legs get stronger so I can go for longer periods of time. But for only my second time out, it wasn't too bad. I did enjoy it very, very much.

Food:
omelet w/ onion, green pepper, avocado & salsa
chicken breast w/ romaine lettuce, green pepper slices & vidalia onion dressing [2 pts]
broccoli, pan seared tilapia w/ lime [1 pt for flour breading] - I added just a smidge of Adobo Paste made by Chipotle People. My best friend sends me their products every year for my birthday and I love the stuff. It was so fantastic on the tilapia!!!
Weight Watchers vanilla yogurt [1 pt] & silk light chocolate milk [2 pts] - This was the first time I have ever had soy milk. I bought it because it was practically free with triple coupons at Harris Teeter. I was very pleasantly surprised.
cantaloupe & cottage cheese

80 ounces of water and three mugs of coffee.

Tomorrow's workout - Stage 1B5

NROL4W - Stage 1 - Saturday - Tabata Sprints

I only ran sprints today - 78 calories.

I thought, after the fact, that I should change the weight in m heart rate monitor settings. It was accurate for the last time I cared, but not so much anymore. I got on the scale today. 137. That's back up to where I was after Christmas. I am out of control. Last night, I ate over a quart of ice cream. I hated myself and at the same time, just didn't care.

Before lunch, we rode our bikes to the park and played tennis. That was fun. After dinner, I went out for another bike ride, this time by myself. I only went a short distance (just over 3 miles in 25 minutes) but I wore my heart rate monitor (157 calories). I have a hard time getting my heart rate up without killing my legs. And of course, I'm still "learning" how to ride a bike. I went out with my freaking helmet on backwards tonight, for crying out loud! I'm still very wobbly, but I'm glad my neighborhood isn't all that busy. There are a few bike lanes around but I still get nervous. I'm going to try to go out first thing in the morning for another few miles. I'll shoot for 5. It would be nice if I could do it every day, but I don't have time to lift AND bike in the morning, especially when I don't know whether or not I'll be called in to work at the last minute. I'm hoping, once school is out for summer, there will be a lot of time for biking. My son is just so slow LOL