NROL4W - Stage 3 - Wednesday - Workout B1

Stage 3B

barbell Romanian dead lift w/ bent over row 1x6x65 lbs, 2x6x70 lbs

105 s rest

partial single leg squat 3x6 - I used my suspension trainer for this, to help me balance. Cheating, I guess but I need a reason to use it.

wide-grip lat pull down (assisted pull up) 3x6

105 s rest

back extension 3x6

YTWL shoulder matrix 1x6x3 lbs, 2x6x5 lbs - These suckers are hard.

105 s rest

(long arm) Swiss ball crunch 3x6

prone jackknife 3x6

Swiss ball side crunch 3x6 [per side]

105 s rest

Intervals: 3 min warm up, 1 min work/2 min recovery x 5, 2 min cool down [20 minutes total] - I did simulated jump roping with various foot movements for my work intervals and a light jog for my recovery intervals.


THIS WORKOUT ROCKS SO FREAKING HARD!! I loved it. It is probably the best workout I have ever done. It was challenging and I could feel ever muscle in my body working its ass off. There is usually something in every workout that I dislike, but this just rocked! I burned 143 calories with the intervals and I learned that I can jump rope much better without a jump rope. So, 2 activity points for the weights and 1 for the intervals. I've decided that all of my weight workouts are going to get 2 points, regardless of how long they take. Most of the time is rest anyway. I hate long rest periods.

Food:

apple & cottage cheese
chocolate milk [1 pt] - I drank this between my weight training and my intervals. I needed the pick me up.
salad w/ tuna fish, cucumbers, peppers, tomato, onion, cheese [1 pt] & vidalia onion dressing [1 pt] - I feel guilty using my points on cheese and this dressing. I did just use half a serving of dressing and bulked it up with a teaspoon of olive oil.
carrot sticks & a little pickle
beef stroganoff w/ whole wheat pasta, broccoli & cauliflower [3 pts for non-Core ingredients] - This was really, really good. But pasta does not fill me up at all. I was hungry 90 minutes later.
eggs & turkey, toast w/ Smart Balance [2 pts]

80 ounces of water and two coffees. 20 weekly and 7 activity points remaining.

Tomorrow's workout - Turbo Jam Cardio Party 2

NROL4W - Stage 3 - Tuesday - Tabata & Recharge

I got up too late to do sprints before it got too hot, so I did bench jumps in the house - 75 calories burned, 1 activity point. I followed that up with Recharge from ChaLean Extreme. I'm just not ready for PiYo.

Food:
scrambled eggs [1 pt for cream] w/ broccoli, avocado & salsa, toast w/ Smart Balance [2 pts]
salad w/ grilled chicken breast, avocado, & homemade honey mustard dressing
broiled salmon with rosemary, broccoli
carrot sticks, pepper slices & cheese [2 pts]

80 ounces of water and two coffees. 28 weekly and 4 activity points remaining.

Tomorrow's workout - Stage 3B.

NROL4W - Stage 3 - Monday - Workout A1

Stage 3A

one-arm dumbbell snatch 3x6x25 lbs

105 s rest

dumbbell single leg Romanian dead lift 3x6x30 lbs

barbell bent over row 3x6x65 lbs

105 s rest

dumbbell single arm overhead squat 3x6x10 & 20 lbs

dumbbell incline bench press 3x6x30 lbs

105 s rest

plank 3x90 s

reverse wood chop 3x6 - purple band

105 s rest

bodyweight matrix (24 squats, 12 lunges per leg, 12 lunge jumps per leg, 24 squat jumps) - 12:39, but I did a light jog at the end to give me an even 15 minutes, and 108 calories burned. The goal for the matrix is to do all the exercises as quickly as possible (in good form). You go through the matrix once, rest twice as long as it took you to do the exercises, then repeat the exercises. I hated resting that long (6:30) and I don't think I'm going to anymore. I think I will rest for an amount of time equal to the time it took me to go through the exercises once. 

2 points for the weights and 1 point for the matrix. This is some fun stuff.

Food:

yogurt w/ mudding mix & cereal

curried beans, toast w/ Smart Balance [2 pts], a few cherries
eggs & mandarin oranges, yellow pepper slices a little later
bulgur w/ broccoli, onions & garlic

80 ounces of water and one coffee. 33 weekly and 3 activity points remaining.

Tomorrow's workout - Tabata sprints & PiYo. Maybe on the PiYo. I previewed it earlier today and it's a little fast paced. I'll give it a go, though. Or I'll do Recharge from ChaLean Extreme.

DVD Winner and Break Week Ramblings

One thing I have learned during this horrible, horrible episode of binge eating is that no, I can't keep junk food in the house. I used to be able to but not any more. I've been in denial. I kept telling myself that it didn't matter if we had it in the house, I would go get something. But really, that's not the case 95% of the time. The things I ate this week, I ate because they were there. So no more. I won't be keeping ice cream and chips (not really a big trigger for me) and candy in the house. I do want to keep pretzels because my son likes them, and I don't think they are horrible. It's the sugar that gets me. I have to get rid of the Cheerios, too. I can't keep those in the house. Cheerios are a weakness.

I managed Meatless Monday just fine, and for the first time in 6 months, I was not starving all day. I know my fat was higher but even before that, I had no appetite. I had quite a bit of produce that I needed to eat (before we left for our trip) and I was just not hungry.

I've been doing some investigating into my blood glucose levels. So far, there's nothing alarming, but I have borderline high readings at times. I will continue to monitor this until my test strips are gone (I bought 100).

More investigating regarding rosacea. I've known forever that I have it. I have never been officially diagnosed because I'm not wasting money on a doctor just to tell me that. That also means I can't get prescription medicine, too. Anyway, I was reading up on it, regarding trigger foods. I have had the book, The Rosacea Diet by Barry something-or-other (I'm too lazy to go look) and it's a low carb diet. Not Atkins low but lower than I like. I do know of many low carbers whose skin does improve on Atkins. That aside, the list of possible trigger foods for rosacea makes me sad:

• dairy including yogurt, sour cream, cheese (except cottage cheese);
• alcohol including red wine, beer, vodka, gin, bourbon, and champagne;
• chocolate;
• soy sauce;
• yeast extract;
• eggplants, avocados, spinach;
• some beans and pods, including lima, navy or peas;
• citrus fruits, including tomatoes, bananas, red plums, raisins, or figs;
• spicy and temperature hot foods.

However, seeing chocolate on there might be more motivation for me to give it up. I know that my symptoms (mostly the cyst-like bumps) are worse the more junk I eat.

The rest of my break week was pretty terrible. I was constantly on the go, shopping and prepping for my step-daughter's graduation & party. I didn't get any decent exercise, unless one counts falling on my ass playing badminton exercise. I'm not talking about a slip. I'm talking full run, my feet fly out from under me because I was wearing flip flops on wet grass, feet to the sky, ass to grass fall. Thank goodness only the 3 boys playing the game with me saw what happened. I'm fine but it was enough to end the game for me. I ate terribly but I did pass on the many bags of chips my mother-in-law wanted to send home with me. "But they are made with whole grains. They are healthy!"

And now for the moment you've all been waiting for. Who won the Jillian Michaels Banish Fat Boost Metabolism. This lucky person commented on my Blogger post. Congratulations to Kate&Ro! Please contact me with your info.

NROL4W - Stage 2 - Friday - TRX Endurance Circuit

After I blogged last night, I had some pork rinds, pretzels, and grapes. Grapes are a Filling Food, and I probably ate 4 points worth of the other stuff. I am not happy about it. I didn't need to eat anything, but I was being nosy when I heard my husband laughing at the television, so I came out to see what he was watching. I ended up grabbing the crap off the shelf on my way through. Bah! I really wanted to eat a peanut butter and nutella sandwich, but I switched to grapes instead.

Today's workout was the TRX Endurance Circuit. Remember to "Like" TRX Suspension System on Facebook. On their TRX Fans Only tab, there is a video of the workout. It will be online free for the next week and a half.  Here is the summary, but you really need to watch the video to see how the moves are done.

Start with 1-2 complete circuits and add a third as your strength and conditioning improve. Begin each set in a challenging but manageable body angle. As you fatigue, change position to reduce resistance and keep going! Cardio intervals can include jump rope, burpees, rowing, running, etc. On an intensity scale of 1-10, perform the intervals at a level of 6-7.

kneeling rollout (facing away) [low handles] 20 reps

sprinters start (pause at top) [mid-level handles/45 deg] 20 reps per leg

single arm back row [high handles, looped together] 20 reps per arm

cardio intervals – 2 minutes: shadow jumping (basic bounce, side to side, forward & back, alternate foot)

T Y deltoid fly [mid-level handles] 20 reps

single leg squat with hop 20 reps per leg

chest press with leg abducted (raised) [high handles] 10 reps per leg

cardio intervals – 2 minutes: jumping jacks, side shuffle, forward/back lunge

reverse oblique crunch [low-ish handles] 20 reps

plank 30-60 seconds

hamstring curl 20 reps

cardio intervals – 2 minutes: squat jumps, cycle jumps (x country ski), mountain climbers, jumping jacks

I did 1 circuit because I was so uncoordinated with the moves and my feet kept slipping on my floor. It took about 25 minutes, with a short warm up.

I'll be back June 28. I desperately need a break from this.

Don't forget to leave a comment on my 1000th post dvd giveaway entry, for your chance to win Jillian Michaels' Banish Fat Boost Metabolism.

1000th Post - What have I learned? DVD GIVEAWAY!!!!

I started this blog on August 3, 2007 - almost 3 years ago. At the time, I'd been low carbing and I'd lost about 30 pounds. Today, I'm down about 30 more. That's 10 pounds a year. Not all that great, but I have learned quite a bit about myself in that time, especially regarding my eating patterns. That is the biggest struggle - the food. I know how to eat. I know how to exercise. And when I do it, I do great. But that damn binge monster gets me and sabotages everything. I know I've said before that I feel like I'm making progress, but I really don't. I feel as helpless as I did 2 years ago, when I first recognized the problem.

I think I need more support regarding my binge eating. I tried finding a local group for binge eaters, but all I found was a Weight Watchers group, and I am not interested in paying for Weight Watchers. I need something specifically related to over eating. The nearest OA chapter is 90 minutes away, and to be honest, I'm not sure I agree with the whole 12-step thing. I considered therapy but I have a feeling I'm going to need to save my therapy pennies for something else (which I'll touch on later in this post). I posted on one of my mommy boards about my binge eating, and there are quite a few of us in that sinking boat. So we started a private Facebook group to deal specifically with the binge eating. In just a few short days, it's been such a relief to find similarly-minded women and just talk about it without any other weight-related issues. I'm hoping to make some progress through this group. If anyone is interested in joining, please give me your email address (you can post it or email it to me at 22gnomes@ gmail.com) and I will send you an invitation to the group. Please be sure to give me the address that is associated with your Facebook account.

Random things I've learned in the last 3 years:

I need to wear my HRM like a man - above the nipples instead of below. When I wore it below the girls, the band of my bra would fold around it weird. I don't lose my signal from my chest strap if I wear it higher.

I make way too many excuses and try to justify all my negative behaviors.

I am never going to be a perfect dieter, so I am never going to have super low body fat. I cannot be that strict. Call it lack of desire, call it lack of will power, whatever. I'm not even going to attempt to drop to super low body fat, even as a challenge. I'll never win a fitness competition, and that is okay with me.

I really don't like junk food. It makes me feel ill. And yet, I can't not eat it. I'm just not there yet.

After years of resistance, Weight Watchers has saved my sanity. For years, I've been looking for a simple method for how to eat. It's easy to say, "Eat as naturally as possible, limit the junk" but not so hard to "limit" the bad stuff. Using the Simply Filling Technique, I have that guidance. Of course, I still binge, but my binges are not related in any way to the nutritional lifestyle I follow. And as I've mentioned before, I 100% support low carb programs like Atkins and South Beach (as long as they are properly followed), but Atkins especially is not for me. I eat a larger variety of foods now than I ever did. I don't believe carbs (such as rice, beans, potatoes, other grains) are bad for me. Those I can moderate. It's the sugar and such that I cannot. But finally, the way I want to eat is packaged in a way I can understand and implement with SFT. Eat as naturally as possible, limit the junk.

I don't like high-volume work. With the exception of Turbo Jam, I like to get my workouts done quickly. So I definitely see myself kicking up the intensity and shortening the workouts. Work smarter & harder, not longer.

I LOVE TO SHARE MY EXPERIENCE WITH OTHERS AND OFFER GUIDANCE. Yes, I'm shouting, because I really love to do it. Of course, I have no credentials, but I don't offer unhealthy advice. I know I am biased toward strength training and high intensity cardio, and at times it is difficult to remember that not everyone likes that stuff. Still, it makes me crazy to see so many people dropping calories super low, aiming for Biggest Loser rate weight loss, and doing cardio (or light weights) for an hour or two. Why not be efficient? Go hard & heavy, get it over with. Do you want to spend the rest of your life exercising for 2 hours a day and living on 1200 calories? I sure as hell don't.

So what's in store for the next 3 years? A friend asked me the other day if my food struggles are related to something else I am going through. Without getting into to much detail, I have been trying to find myself as a person and I don't feel like I'm getting anywhere with that. It never occurred to me that the two things would be related until she brought it up. So hopefully my food issues will work themselves out as I resolve that other issue.

I still want to add some muscle. If I ever get to a comfortable weight and gain confidence in my eating, I will train & eat for muscle growth. I know that fat gain will likely come with it, but if I can control my binges and gain by eating the right foods, I don't anticipate a problem cutting after the bulk.

I am going to get more involved in nutrition and fitness education. I would love to get certified somehow, and work with kids to help them develop and maintain healthy habits. Of course, this starts at home. My big goal for the summer is to introduce good nutrition to my son. He sees how I eat and exercise now, but he still asks for junk way too often, and I have to be a hard ass about it. I have no problem at all with treats for him - just not multiple times a day. I'd like to move more toward healthy things without the arguments and tears.

I want to earn my Platinum Award in the President's Challenge. I started April 14, 2007, just logging my daily activity. By June 2008, I earned my Bronze Award. I got my Silver in December, 2007 and my Gold in May 2008. I am 54% of the way to my Platinum. It is taking forever to get to Platinum because I don't spend as much time working out as I used to because of the whole, work smarter & harder not longer thing I've learned. Also, it just takes longer. You need need a bazillion points to get the Platinum. You have to purchase the awards (which I don't do) but the log is there with everything I've done since I started. It's cool to see. And when I get that last award, I will be proud of myself. Not that I'm not already...

I will, of course, continue this blog. It has saved me so many times. I like being able to reference things I've posted so others can read them. I like having a record of what I've eaten and what I've done in terms of exercise. I want to remember all of it, the good and the bad. Someday, I want to be able to look back and say, "Wow, look how far I've come!"

NOW FOR THE DVD GIVEAWAY.

This giveway is for Jillian Michaels Banish Fat Boost Metabolism, 50 minutes of cardio drills, circuit style. It's really the only Jillian dvd I love. With the exception of an ab segment, it reminds me a lot of Plyo X from P90X. So if you're interested in owning this workout, leave a comment on this post, telling me what you have learned in your own weight loss/fitness/health journey. I will draw one commenter (from all my blogs, names just all thrown in a hat) at random on June 28, so have your comments in before 8 AM (Eastern) on that day. I'll post reminders with all my blog entries until then.

NROL4W - Stage 2 - Thursday - Turbo Jam Fat Blaster

I was going to do Cardio Party 3 but my son insisted I do a shorter workout, so he could have the tv. When he realized Fat Blaster wasn't as short as the 20 Minute Workout, he cried and pitched a fit, resulting in the loss of tv for the entire day. So I should have just done CP3 anyway. I really pushed today, and burned 225 calories, 2 activity points.

Food:
eggs, light English muffin w/ jelly & cream cheese [3 pts]
chicken salad w/ salsa & light sour cream [1 pt], baked squash fries w/ honey mustard dressing
fish taco [1 pt for wrap], lentils w/ tomato & onion, milk
yogurt & pudding mix

80 ounces of water and 2 coffees. 13 weekly and 7 activity points remaining.

Tomorrow's workout - TRX Endurance Circuit. Remember to "Like" TRX Suspension Sytem on Facebook. On their TRX Fans Only tab, there is a video of the workout. It will be online free for the next week and a half. When I post tomorrow, I will outline the workout, but you really need to see the video, too.

NROL4W - Stage 2 - Wednesday - Workout B4

Stage 2B

wide grip dead lift from box 2x10x80 lbs

75 s rest

Bulgarian split squat 2x10x20 lbs [per leg]

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

75 s rest

reverse lunge from box w/ forward reach 2x10x20 lbs [per leg]

dumbbell prone Cuban snatch 2x10x15 lbs

75 s rest

(long arm) Swiss ball crunch 2x10

reverse crunch 2x10

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

75 s rest

prone cobra 2x90 s

2 activity points for this. I did bump my Cuban snatch up by 5 pounds and it was hard!!!

If you have a suspension trainer and are on Facebook, be sure to "Like" TRX Suspension Training. For the next two weeks, they are offering a free workout on the Fans Only tab. It's about 15 minutes long, and has 3 segments of suspension training and intervals. So be sure to check them out. I might try the workout Friday and again on Monday.

I went to give blood today and my iron was too low. Not by much, but it didn't come up enough after the second stick to donate. I will have to try again on Friday. It's so hard to find a place to give blood around here because, as far as I know, it's jut the blood mobile and I've never seen a schedule. I will have to ask when I go on Friday. I really want to start doing it again. And of course, I'm still holding onto hope that I can be a blood marrow donor. I was a fantastic match for someone last year, but they passed away before we could do anything other than 3 rounds of testing. It was looking so good, too. I was really upset about that.

Food:
chocolate milk [1 pt]
eggs & light English muffin w/ cream cheese & jelly [3 pts]
chicken salad w/ avocado, salsa & light sour cream [1 pt]
McDonald's ice cream cone [3 pts]
shredded barbecue beef on Flat Out bread [2 pts] & curried beans
yogurt & pudding mix

80 ounces of water and 1 coffee. 18 weekly and 5 activity points remaining.

Tomorrow's workout - Turbo, baby!!!

NROL4W - Stage 2 - Tuesday - Tabata

I had a heck of a time deciding what move to do for this. I ended up doing bench jumps. It wasn't as exhausting as sprinting, but it worked my body differently. Bench jumps give me a bit of a shoulder workout, because I have to hold on to the bench while I jump from side to side. I might as well have done plank jacks. Maybe next week. I burned 70 calories in the 10 minutes. Not bad for 4 minutes of work (all the rest was warm up & cool down) - that's why I love tabata protocol!! 1 activity point.

Food:
eggs, avocado, light English muffin w/ sugar free jam [1 pt]
grilled chicken & roasted squash & jicama w/ ketchup
yogurt w/ pudding mix & watermelon
raw vegetables
chicken breast w/ cream cheese [2 pts], roasted vegetables
apple & cottage cheese

80 ounces of water and 2 coffees. 26 weekly and 3 activity points.

Tomorrow's workout - Stage 2B - LAST STAGE 2 WORKOUT!

NROL4W - Stage 2 - Monday - Workout A4

Stage 2A

front squat/push press 2x10x50 lbs

75 s rest

(barbell) step up 2x10x65 lbs [per leg]

dumbbell one-point row 2x10x25 lbs [5 on left leg, 5 on right leg]

75 s rest

static lunge, rear foot elevated 2x10x25 lbs [per leg]

push up 2x10

75 s rest

plank 2x60 s

cable  horizontal wood chop 2x10 [per side] - thick, short, purple band

75 s rest

2 points for the workout. I'm glad to be done with 2A, even though there is worse to come.

Food:
apple & cottage cheese, chocolate milk [1 pt]
eggs & light English muffin w/ cream cheese [3 pts]
curried black beans & chickpeas w/ cheese [2 pts], mixed fruit
carrots & red pepper slices (I didn't measure or add the peppers to my nutrition tracker)
spicy black bean burgers w/ honey mustard, baked squash fries w/ ketchup
yogurt & pudding mix

I was totally unprepared to eat cheese & fruit at lunch. Fortunately, I knew the cheese was 2 points, but the fruit, even though a Filling Food, felt a bit out of control. I have been measuring and tracking all of my food, to get a feel for calories, and I couldn't do that with the fruit. As a result, I ended up taking second helpings of the beans and the fruit. I felt slightly out of control, even for "good" foods. Fortunately, it didn't derail the rest of my day. There were a few times I thought I might lose it, but I didn't. I wanted to just eat fruit and vegetables straight out of my refrigerator, but I am trying to have some self control, even with healthy foods.

80 ounces of water and 1 coffee. 29 weekly and 2 activity points remaining.

Tomorrow's workout - tabata something.

Spicy Black Bean Burgers - Recipe

15 oz can black beans (250 g cooked from dry)
1 cup cooked brown rice
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup egg substitute
1 T taco or chili seasoning
4 T salsa

1.  Mash beans. Add remaining ingredients. 


2. Let sit in fridge for 30 minutes (sometimes over night to firm up). 


3. Form into 8 patties. Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes a side.


Makes 4 (2 patty) servings, each with 159.7 calories, 0.8 g fat, 29.7 g carbs (6.8 g fiber), 8.6 g protein - 2 WW/Core friendly


OMG, these are so freaking awesome! I let them sit in the refrigerator overnight. They fall apart a bit, but they aren't super dry like other recipes I've tried. Definitely a keeper!!!

NROL4W - Stage 2 - Thursday through Sunday - Workout B3 & Intervals

I did not exercise Thursday or Friday. No real reason, other than being lazy. I wish my schedule for this month weren't so open, with my trip to New York coming up. There's a week and a half where I can't do NROL workouts (so I wouldn't be leaving mid-stage), so I'm trying to spread them out over that time.

Food sucked those days, too. Harcore suck. I'm up 13 pounds from my December low. I'm overweight again.  But I think I've figured out how to stay motivated. I want Turbo Fire. I can't have it until I reach my goal weight of 120 pounds. I got on the scale last night after eating miserable amounts of crappy food. I need to lose 20 pounds before I can buy Turbo Fire. I want Turbo Fire so badly, my whole body tenses when I think about it, like I'm about to spring into action. So there I go. I want Turbo Fire and I won't buy it until I lose 20 pounds.

So, onward...

Saturday's workout: Stage 2B

wide grip dead lift from box 2x10x70 lbs

75 s rest

Bulgarian split squat 2x10x20 lbs [per leg]

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

75 s rest

reverse lunge from box w/ forward reach 2x10x20 lbs [per leg]

dumbbell prone Cuban snatch 2x10x10 lbs

75 s rest

(long arm) Swiss ball crunch 2x10

reverse crunch 2x10

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

75 s rest

prone cobra 2x90 s

I was able to improve everything but the Cuban snatch, and I really should have bumped it up to 15 pounds but I was chicken. Bah! Next time.

I also went for a bike ride with my son, to the post office. I didn't count it as exercise because this kid pedals so slowly, I probably gained weight instead of burning calories.  

Saturday Food:
apple & cottage cheese
chicken salad w/ onion & honey mustard dressing
yogurt w/ pudding mix
goulash, roasted garlic slow cooker spoonbread

100 ounces of water.

On Sunday, I did my last Stage 2 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: bench jumps, shuffles, burpees, shuffles, bench jumps. I burned 145 calories. I think that's the best burn I've had for Intervals.

Sunday Food:
eggs & toast w/ butter [2 pts]
venison & broccoli
yogurt & pudding mix
carrot sticks
tilapia w/ honey mustard dressing & cheesy [3 pts] cauliflower
Cheerios [2 pts] w/ skim milk & banana - I really just wanted to start dumping cereal in a bowl, but I didn't. I measured it out. Then measured it out again. Then I stopped.

80 ounces of water and 1 coffee.

Tomorrow's workout - Stage 2A.

NROL4W - Stage 2 - Wednesday - Workout A3

Stage 2A

front squat/push press 2x10x45 lbs

75 s rest

(barbell) step up 2x10x60 lbs [per leg]

dumbbell one-point row 2x10x25 lbs [5 on left leg, 5 on right leg]

75 s rest

static lunge, rear foot elevated 2x10x25 lbs [per leg]

push up 2x10

75 s rest

plank 2x60 s

cable horizontal wood chop 2x10 [per side] - thick, short purple band

75 s rest

2 activity points. I was so shaky doing the static lunge & push up set. Holy cow.

Food:

eggs w/ toast & jelly [1 pt]

chicken breast w/ red pepper slices
yogurt w/ pudding mix, grapes

venison roast w/ roasted vegetables
apple & cottage cheese

80 ounces of water and 2 coffees. 18 weekly and 3 activity points remaining.

Tomorrow's workout - unknown - some kind of cardio intervals.

NROL4W - Stage 2 - Tuesday - Intervals

I did my intervals this morning, but my heart wasn't really in it. The headache I had yesterday was still lingering when I woke up. I was not in the mood for burrpees and globe jumps so I did bench jumps for the whole thing. It was a good enough workout - 125 calories burned (1 activity point).

Food:
banana
omelet w/ onion, green peppers, avocado & salsa
chicken breast w/ curried beans
yogurt w/ pudding mix
chicken salad w/ homemade honey mustard dressing
M&Ms [16 pts] - I hate myself. I was eating these stupid things (which I'd asked my husband to get rid of yesterday, because I couldn't bring myself to do it) and I felt so out of control, so depressed. I knew it was a turning point. I could either get rid of the damn things (we're taking 2-3 pounds of candy) and turn my shit around or keep eating and probably undo everything I've spent the last 3 1/2 years working for. I threw them out.

80 ounces of water and 2 coffees. 19 weekly and 1 activity point remaining.

Tomorrow's workout - Stage 2A.

NROL4W - Stage 2 - Monday - I Suck Day

I didn't work out this morning. I was supposed to do weights, then I changed my mind and planned to do intervals instead. Then I said, screw it. So I did nothing. I'm not happy about it but it is what it is. I was cranky and had a headache all day. And it did not help when a) one of the girls at work brought in donuts and b) the school served cake at lunch to celebrate the opening of the outdoor classroom. Those donuts and cake called my name all damn day. I didn't touch them.

Food:

eggs & banana

apple & cottage cheese

curried black beans & chick peas
yogurt w/ pudding mix

roasted vegetables w/ curried black beans & chick peas
plums & even more curried beans

80 ounces of water. 35 weekly points remaining.

Tomorrow's workout - intervals.

NROL4W - Stage 2 - Sunday - Rest Day

I was able to get out and play a little tennis, then hit the pool.

That's pretty much all I have to post.

Tomorrow's workout - Stage 2A.

NROL4W - Stage 2 - Saturday - Active Recovery

I went for a bike ride this morning. Just over 5 miles in just under 40 minutes. I burned 244 calories. I really need to practice biking. I'm really slow, but I enjoyed it.

The day started off well enough, but by pre-lunch, I thought I'd blown it. I ate a normal breakfast after my bike ride, drank my first 40 ounces of water, and went off to exchange a pair of shorts and look for a pool cover. It ended up being  a pain in the ass back and forth morning looking for the cover and some specific cleaner my husband wanted. By the time I finished all that, never even finding a pool cover, I was hungry and cranky and so was my son. He suggested Subway. I reluctantly agreed, then said screw it. I got a footlong Spicy Italian sub. I figured I'd eat half of it, and take the other half home for later. The stupid things was so darn good, I ate the entire 1200 calorie mistake right there, all before 11 AM. So I grumbled about that and told myself since I'd blown it, I was going home and having ice cream. Lots of ice cream.

Fortunately, by the time I got to the produce stand, I talked some sense into myself. I don't have any weekly or activity points left, so I was going to try to stick to filling foods, and mostly vegetables and fruit. That lasted all of 2 hours. Then I ate quite a bit of crap. Bad, bad crap.

I'm getting desperate. I cannot control this. It's not a boredom issue, though I do better during the week when I'm at work. And that scares the hell out of me because I only have 3 more days of work. Even if I'm busy, I'm thinking about food. I never should have bought that damn sub this morning. I knew it was a bad idea, but I was hungry. And I'd just eaten 2 hours before - protein and fat, so I should have been satisfied. But I rarely am.

I hate this. I keep telling myself,  "At least you don't give up." Because I don't. I stick with it, whatever this is. I'm still trying. And I keep telling myself, "You're very consistent about your workouts." Because I am. I am a freaking rockstar when it comes to exercise. But I can't do the thing that matters most - stick with a healthy diet to lose weight. I can give myself a B+ for effort but really, who am I kidding? I suck at this. I've made ZERO progress in two years. None, in 24+ months.

NROL4W - Stage 2 - Friday - Workout B2

Stage 2B

wide grip dead lift from box 2x10x65 lbs

75 s rest

Bulgarian split squat 2x10x15 lbs [per leg]

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

75 s rest

reverse lunge from box w/ forward reach 2x10x15 lbs [per leg]

dumbbell prone Cuban snatch 2x10x10 lbs

75 s rest

(long arm) Swiss ball crunch 2x10

reverse crunch 2x10

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

75 s rest

prone cobra 2x75 s

This workout makes me sweat. I know sweating is not really an indicator of calories burned or how hard you're working, but strength training rarely makes me sweat, and I'm dripping by the time I finish this! 2 activity points.

Food:

chocolate milk [1 pt]

eggs w/ turkey sausage [4 pts]

Mexican ground beef & bulgur skillet
ice cream & cone [4 pts]
round steak, carrot sticks & baked butternut squash
oatmeal granola, yogurt w/ chocolate pudding - Someone posted on a board about this. Mix 32 oz plain, nonfat yogurt with a small box of pudding mix. Let it set for a few hours. It's freaking delicious. And Core!!! And a trigger food for me, I think. But it finally makes nonfat yogurt taste good!! I've been eating it, but not really enjoying it. Until now.

80 ounces of water and 3 coffees. 14 weekly and 7 activity points remaining.

Tomorrow's workout - bike ride, and hopefully some tennis with Sebastian.

NROL4W - Stage 2 - Thursday - Rest Day

My leg wasn't feeling all that great, so I didn't do intervals. I'm kind of upset about it, but I'm glad I did them Tuesday. Technically, I haven't missed an interval workout.

Food:
eggs w/ turkey sausage [4 pts]
Mexican ground beef & bulgur skillet
roasted chick peas & avocado
chicken breast & carrots w/ honey mustard dressing
diet root beer float [3 pts]
apple & cottage cheese

80 ounces of water and 2 coffees. 23 weekly and 5 activity points remaining.

Tomorrow's workout - Stage 2B.

NROL4W - Stage 2 - Wednesday - Workout A2

Stage 2A

front squat/push press 2x10x45 lbs

75 s rest

(barbell) step up 2x10x50 lbs [per leg]

dumbbell one-point row 1x10x20 lbs, 1x10x25 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 horizontal wood chop 2x10 [per side]

75 s rest

2 activity points. For the woodchop,  I anchored my shortest, thickest resistance band to the squat rack. It worked pretty well, and I felt it in my core rather than my shoulders, like I did with the lying down alternative.

I pulled something right off the bat with my squats. It's not a horrible pain but it was bad enough that I couldn't do my lunges to parallel with my left leg, and I will probably have to take a rest day tomorrow.

Food:

mandarin oranges
eggs w/ turkey sausage [4 pts]

Mexican ground beef & bulgur
apple & cottage cheese

chicken & pasta w/ cheese & marinara sauce [1 pt for cheese] - Ugh, not filling at all. I was still starving after I ate it.
baby carrots
yogurt & oatmeal granola

80 ounces of water and 2 coffees. 30 weekly and 5 activity points remaining.

Tomorrow's workout - intervals, if my leg is better.

NROL4W - Stage 2 - Tuesday - Intervals

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).

I burned 129 calories today - 1 activity point. There were problems with my HRM. I think I need a new strap.

Food:
oatmeal & banana w/ cinnamon & Splenda
tuna fish w/ honey mustard dressing on cucumber slices
roasted chick peas w/ baby carrots
Mexican ground beef & bulgur skillet w/ broccoli - This was fabulous!!! I kept some aside to take for lunch tomorrow.
apple & cottage cheese
baked butternut squash chips w/ ketchup & mustard

80 ounces of water and 4 coffees. 35 weekly and 3 activity points remaining.

Tomorrow's workout - Stage 2A

Mexican Ground Beef Bulgur Skillet - Recipe

I was going to make this with quinoa but I was out of quinoa.

1 lb extra lean ground beef
1/2 c chopped onion
1 14 oz can of crushed tomatoes
1 cup bulgur (medium grind)
2 cups water or vegetable/chicken broth
1 1/2 tbs chili powder
1 tsp cumin

1. Boil 2 cups of water or stock/broth. Pour over bulgur and stir. Cover and let stand for 15 minutes. Drain excess water and fluff with fork.

2. Brown ground beef. Drain excess fat and set beef aside.

3. Cook onions until tender and add all of the ingredients to the pan. Simmer for 10 minutes or until warmed through.

Makes 6 servings, each with 289 calories, 13.2 g fat, 24.3 g carbs (5.6 g fiber), 18.2 g protein - 6 WW/Core friendly.

This was AMAZING!! I loved it, and will definitely be making it again and again.