NROL4W - Stage 6 - Tuesday - Turbo Jam Fat Blaster

I ended up having more Core granola last night. I wasn't hungry. I shouldn't have eaten it. I should have gone to bed. I'm going to deduct 5 points from my weeklies to cover the extra oil servings.

Today, I did Turbo Jam Fat Blaster and burned 209 calories (2 activity points). I don't think I had my HRM strap in the right place because the reading seemed a lot lower than my heart rate felt. It was still an elevated heart rate, for sure, but I felt like I was working harder than it looked like.

Food:
eggs & mini bagel w/ avocado hummus
raw vegetables w/ avocado hummus
yogurt w/ Core granola & plum
banana
tuna stuffed cucumber [1 pt for light mayonnaise] - Again, I had something different on the menu and I didn't feel like eating it, though I made it for my husband and son.
Mexican ground turkey & bulgur skillet

80 ounces of water and two coffees. 30 weekly points remaining. I used both of my activity points.

Tomorrow's workout - Stage 6A

Days Binge Free: 65

NROL4W - Stage 6 - Monday - Workout B2

Stage 6B

reverse lunge, one dumbbell on shoulder 3x8x25 lbs

dumbbell two-point row 3x8x30 lbs

dumbbell push press 3x8x30 lbs

60 s rest

back extension 2x8

incline reverse crunch 2x8

60 s rest

I have a hard time getting the push press right. I don't think I'm going to be able to increase my weight for it. I know it's not a shoulder move and more of an explosive hip drive movement, but I can barely get my dumbbells into position. That is the problem. I can do the move itself once I get them up. The rest of the workout, I really like. 2 activity points for it.

Food:

eggs w/ mini bagel [1 pt] & avocado hummus
red pepper slices w/ avocado hummus, bulgur
apple & cottage cheese & sweet potato
bulgur & beans - I had vegetarian brown rice sushi on the menu but we had so many leftovers that I didn't bother with it, and I really just wasn't all that hungry.
yogurt & Core granola

80 ounces of water and four coffees. 35 weekly points remaining. I only used one of my activity points - the other goes to waste.

Tomorrow's workout - Turbo Jam Fat Blaster

Days Binge Free: 64

NROL4W - Stage 6 - Sunday - Rest Day

I slept in today, too lazy to get up and go for a bike ride. I'll be glad when it is cooler so I don't have to exercise outside before 7 AM.

Food:
eggs & avocado, mini bagel w/ Smart Balance [2 pts]
baked butternut squash, raw vegetables w/ avocado hummus, mayo-free hb egg
apple & cottage cheese
banana
Mexican ground turkey & bulgur skillet
Rice Krispies Treat [4 pts]

40 ounces of water and three coffees. I used all my weekly points. I don't think I had a very good week. I have learned, however, that I cannot buy grapes because I will eat them all. Filling Food or not, they lead to mindless eating, and that is something I am trying to avoid.

I have to really focus on Filling Foods in the coming week because my father-in-law will be here Friday morning. That means a night at the "big" seafood buffet and, weather permitting (Hurricane Earl may be close) we are going offshore fishing. I think I can handle the fishing, but I need to save all my weekly points for (probably) Saturday's dinner out.

Tomorrow's workout - Stage 6B

Days Binge Free: 63

NROL4W - Stage 6 - Saturday - Workout A2

Stage 6A

slow negative chin up 3x1 - 15 sec, 18 sec, 17 sec

60 s rest

underhand lat pull down (assisted chin up) 10x2 

60 s rest

barbell split squat 2x8x90 lbs

push up 2x8

60 s rest

2 activity points for this.

Food:
oatmeal & banana
sample of a new banana bread recipe - This is pretty good. Instead of milk, I used some of the liquid whey from homemade yogurt and half all purpose/half whole wheat flour. It's not as rich as regular banana bread but I think it hits the spot.
eggs w/ avocado on whole wheat mini bagel [1 pt]
raw vegetables w/ avocado hummus
chicken breast w/ brown rice & mixed vegetables
plum

40 ounces of water and two coffees. 6 weekly points remaining. GHGs met. I used both activity points I earned today.

Remind me not to be jealous of everyone taking HCG and losing like crazy. On the one hand, I think it's bullshit, and wonder how many will have gained weight back in a year. On the other hand, I'd love to drop 5-10 pounds in a week. I understand that the drops are supposed to release your fat and blah, blah, blah but it's so low calorie. And the gorging stuff? What the fuck does this diet actually teach people about eating? I haven't really looked at the maintenance portion of the diet so I don't know. Someone explained it as "You have to do a maintenance, then slowly add foods in to see what makes you gain and what doesn't. Of course, if a food makes you gain, then you just remove that food." I have no idea whether this is true or not, but my experience with weight is that there are normal fluctuations that don't have anything to do with food, per se. So, if someone weighs on Monday, eats decent food (lets say 1200-1500 calories of fruit, vegetables & lean protein, healthy fats), then weighs up half a pound on Tuesday, which food do they cut? Because you know they will think they need to cut something. The half pound gain couldn't possibly be related to anything else!! PANIC! PANIC!!!!!! Someone please tell me what maintenance is like, because I'm too lazy to read the document and try to retain any information.

Tomorrow's workout - nothing planned.

Days Binge Free: 62

NROL4W - Stage 6 - Friday - Rest Day

I ended up not going for a walk after all. I needed sleep, then I had to be to work early.

Food:
banana
salad w/ fat free dressing
cottage cheese & grapes
deviled egg (made with avocado instead of mayonnaise)
sloppy joes [2 pts for bun] w/ baked potato "fries"
yogurt & cereal

80 ounces of water and two coffees. 8 weekly points remaining. GHGs met, but I think I've been overeating this week, especially the starches and beans. I feel bloated and look 4-5 months pregnant. I think I need to re-evaluate my menu. I know I need more protein.

Tomorrow's workout - Stage 6A

Days Binge Free: 61

NROL4W - Stage 6 - Thursday - Workout B1

Stage 6B

reverse lunge, one dumbbell on shoulder 2x10x25 lbs

dumbbell two-point row 2x10x30 lbs

dumbbell push press 2x10x30 lbs

60 s rest

back extension 2x10

incline reverse crunch 2x10

60 s rest

2 points for this. I didn't love it but it was simple and short.

Food:

eggs w/ avocado on toasted Sandwich Thin [1 pt], plum

vegetarian chili & watermelon

apple & cottage cheese

bean burgers & tomato slices on Sandwich Thin [1 pt] w/ baked butternut squash fries & roasted chickpeas
cereal & milk

80 ounces of water and two coffees. 10 weekly points remaining. GHGs met, and I ate both of my APs.

Tomorrow's workout - A walk. I'm not sure how far or how intense, but I need something easy. My body hates me, and I'm not quite ready for a rest day.

Days Binge Free: 60

NROL4W - Stage 6 - Wednesday - Intervals

I ran this morning. Well, I ran a block, walked back, ran a block, walked back for about 25 minutes and burned 196 calories (2 activity points). I am sore. Really sore, and today was my first day back to work (school cafeteria) so when I got done, I just wanted to collapse.

Food:
eggs w/ avocado & peppers, toasted Sandwich Thin w/ sugar free jelly [1 pt]
vegetarian chili & banana
apple & cottage cheese, grapes
crumb-coated chicken [1 pt for coating] w/ roasted vegetables
yogurt & cereal

80 ounces of water and two coffees. 10 weekly points remaining. GHGs met, and I ate both APs I earned. I am eating way too much fruit.

Tomorrow's workout - Stage 6B

Days Binge Free: 59

NROL4W - Stage 6 - Tuesday - Workout A1

Stage 6A

slow negative chin up 3x1 - 15 sec, 16 sec, 12 sec

60 s rest

underhand lat pull down (assisted chin up) 10x2

60 s rest

barbell split squat 2x10x85 lbs

push up 2x10

60 s rest

2 activity points for this workout. I loved it, but I need some more traction under my feet for the split squats. I think I need new shoes, or I should put my workout mat together.

Food:

yogurt w/ cereal
lunch buffet [19 pts?] - To celebrate the last day of summer vacation, I took my son to his favorite restaurant. I didn't gorge myself, but I did sample the desserts. I tried to stick to Filling Foods otherwise, but you never really know how they are prepared. As always, I ate from the salad bar first. And bonus - we walked to the restaurant.

turkey stoganoff & mixed vegetables

80 ounces of water and three coffees 10 weekly points remaining. GHGs met. I used both activity points.

Tomorrow's workout - I'm going to run intervals outside.

Days Binge Free: 58

NROL4W - Stage 6 - Monday - Stretch

I had some peanut butter & nutella on a Sandwich Thin last night after I blogged. I don't know for sure how many points it was, but I had 12 to use, so I think I'm safe. I ate it slowly and enjoyed it. I wanted another but didn't have one.

I'd planned on doing some interval cardio today but I woke up so sore and stiff that I decided to spend some time stretching. So no activity points but I felt better.

Food:
apple & cottage cheese
hard boiled eggs w/ plum
baked butternut squash
yogurt & cereal w/ grapes - lots of grapes. I need to stop buying them.
applesauce muffin bite & nut free granola bar [6 pts] - I made these for my son's breakfasts this week and tried them. They are very good!

80 ounces of water and two coffees. 29 weekly points remaining. GHGs met. I know my menu sucked today. I was supposed to work, then I was just on call, then I wasn't needed at all, so I decided to go ahead and clean my house since I had the time, and then we had 2 different appointments to get to and it was just hectic so I just grabbed something when I could.

Tomorrow's workout - Stage 6A

Days Binge Free: 57

NROL4W - Stage 5 - Sunday - Workout B4

Stage 5B

barbell Romanian dead lift w/ bent over row 4x4x85 lbs
120 s rest

partial single leg squat 4x4
wide-grip lat pull down (assisted pull up) 4x4
120 s rest

back extension 4x4
YTWL shoulder matrix 4x4x7.5 lbs
120 s rest

(long arm) Swiss ball crunch 4x4
prone jackknife 4x4
Swiss ball side crunch 4x4 [per side]
120 s rest

prone cobra 4x120 s
120 s rest

Intervals: 3 min warm up, 1 min work/2 min recovery x 5, 2 min cool down [20 minutes total] - I ran today, outside in the ridiculous humidity, just to enjoy the thunder and lightning. I burned 148 calories.

2 points for weights, 1 for the intervals.

Food:
eggs w/ avocado, toasted Sandwich Thin [1 pt] w/ Smart Balance [1 pt]
yogurt & apple
whole wheat spaghetti w/ lean ground beef
almonds [4 pts]
hard boiled egg - I was waiting for dinner and it was taking forever.
lean pork w/ onion risotto [4 pts]
apple & cottage cheese

80 ounces of water and two coffees. 12 weekly points unused this week. GHGs met. I used all three activity points I earned. I am really proud of myself. I made a trip to Virginia to shop at Costo (I've started monthly meal planning and didn't stop to buy anything. I packed a lunch box and stuck to it. There were several times I wanted to just eat junk, or even eat something I didn't really need. But I didn't.

Tomorrow's workout - Intervals outside or Turbo Fire HIIT 15.

Days Binge Free: 56

NROL4W - Stage 5 - Saturday - Mark's WoW

Today I did a very quick workout - Mark Sisson's Workout of the Week. I did a quick two-minute warm up, then the 12 minute workout - 50 meter sprint, 10 jump squats, 10 push ups as many times as I could. I managed 6 or 7 rounds (I lost count) and burned 139 calories (1 activity point)

Food:
plum & yogurt
eggs w/ cheese [2 pts] & avocado on Sandwich Thin [1 pt]
chicken & black bean salad w/ salsa & yogurt - The homemade fat free yogurt makes an excellent sour cream substitute!
ice cream [4 pts]
homemade brown rice shrimp sushi

80 ounces of water and three coffees. 19 weekly points remaining. GHGs met. I ate the activity point I earned.

Tomorrow's workout - Stage 5B. I am going to be so glad to be done with this! I am very much looking forward to Stage 6.

Days Binge Free: 55

NROL4W - Stage 5 - Friday - Workout A4

After I blogged last night, I had an apple and cottage cheese. I was hungry. I didn't eat much though - just enough to get me to bed.

Stage 5A

one-arm dumbbell snatch 4x4 - This one was weird. I wanted to go up to 35 pounds. I couldn't do it for the left side for the first set (I used 30) but I could for the right. Second set, I could do 2 on the left side with 35 pounds, and had to help the other two reps up. Then on the third set, I managed to do all reps on both sides with 35 pounds. Then on the last set, I managed 3 on the left, and 4 on the right. I guess I'll take it.

120 s rest

dumbbell single-leg Romanian dead lift 4x4x35 lbs

barbell bent-over row 4x4x85 lbs

120 s rest

dumbbell single-arm overhead squat 4x4x15 & 30 lbs

dumbbell incline bench press 4x4x35 lbs - up from last time, yay!

120 s rest

plank 4x120 s

reverse wood chop 4x4 w/ thick purple band

120 s rest

bodyweight matrix (24 squats, 12 lunges per leg, 12 lunge jumps per leg, 24 squat jumps - rest for time x2, repeat) - My time was 7:19, and I burned 70 calories.

2 points for weights, none for the matrix. I made big improvements in two of the exercises today. I'm pretty happy with that!

Food:
yogurt & plum
eggs w/ tomato slices & avocado on toasted Sandwich Thin [1 pt], grapes
chicken breast w/ romaine, spinach, tomato, cucumber & light ranch [1 pt] w/ olive oil
broiled steak & vegetable tian [4 pts for cheese & extra oil] - This was a huge hit and I'll definitely be making it again.

I snacked on grapes a lot today. Just about every time I went into the kitchen, I grabbed a few. I know that, technically, I can and that "no one ever got fat eating fruit" but I'm not sure the behavior is all that healthy. It was still mindless eating. Even if it had been broccoli, it would still have bothered me. And the more grapes I ate, the hungrier I got. I should have had more protein today. That was definitely lacking.

80 ounces of water and three coffees 25 weekly points remaining. GHGs met. I ate both APs I earned.

Tomorrow's workout - Mark Sisson's Workout of the Week

Days Binge Free: 54

NROL4W - Stage 5 - Thursday - Turbo Jam Fat Blaster

I did Fat Blaster today, and burned 225 calories (2 activity points).

Food:
yogurt & cereal
eggs w/ tomato on toasted Sandwich Thin [1 pt]
salad w/ romaine, spinach, tomatoes, peppers, onion, cucumbers & hard boiled egg w/ homemade honey mustard dressing
plum & cottage cheese
black bean soup w/ cheese [1 pt] - I had something else planned with this and by the time I got home from my meeting, I could not remember what else I'd planned to eat.
banana & oatmeal

80 ounces of water and two coffees. 29 weekly points remaining. GHGs met. I ate both APs I earned.

Tomorrow's workout - Stage 5A, the last of that one. I can almost see the end!

Days Binge Free: 53

NROL4W - Stage 5 - Wednesday - Workout B3

Stage 5B

barbell Romanian dead lift w/ bent over row 4x4x85 lbs

120 s rest

partial single leg squat 4x4

wide-grip lat pull down (assisted pull up) 4x4

120 s rest

back extension 4x4

YTWL shoulder matrix 4x4x7.5 lbs

120 s rest

(long arm) Swiss ball crunch 4x4

prone jackknife 4x4

Swiss ball side crunch 4x4 [per side]

120 s rest

prone cobra 4x120 s

120 s rest

Intervals: 3 min warm up, 1 min work/2 min recovery x 5, 2 min cool down [20 minutes total] - I did cross body blocks from Turbo Jam for my work intervals and a light jog for my recovery intervals.  I burned 135 calories - 20 down from last time. I don't know what the deal is there.

2 activity points for weights, 1 for intervals.

Food:
plum & cottage cheese
grapes, eggs, toasted Sandwich Thin w/ Smart Balance [2 pts]
ice cream [4 pts] & banana
salad w/ romaine lettuce, spinach & tomato, w/ homemade honey mustard dressing
spicy black bean stuffed peppers w/ cheese [1 pt]

80 ounces of water and three coffees. 29 weekly points remaining. GHGs met. I used up all 3 of the APs I earned today.

Tomorrow's workout - Turbo Jam Fat Blaster

Days Binge Free: 52

NROL4W - Stage 5 - Tuesday - Bodyweight Complex

Today I tried this bodyweight complex. I did a 3 minute warm up, and jogged between rounds. I only made 3 rounds because a) the push ups were killing me, even on my knees, and b) my shorts were falling down. I only burned 60 calories, and I'm not going to take an activity point for it. I don't think I'll be doing this again. I like the groiners, but the push ups were just to much for me, especially right after mountain climbers.

Food:
banana & oatmeal
omelet w/ onion, peppers, tomato, avocado & cheese [1 pt], Sandwich Thin [1 pt] w/ sugar free jelly
apple & yogurt
whole wheat spaghetti & zucchini "noodles" w/ ground beef & (no sugar added) spaghetti sauce

60 ounces of water and three coffees. 33 weekly points remaining. GHGs met.

Tomorrow's workout - Stage 5B

Days Binge Free: 51

NROL4W - Stage 5 - Monday - Workout A3

Stage 5A

one-arm dumbbell snatch 4x4x30 lbs - I tried to do 35 lbs but it didn't feel comfortable, so I went back to 30 lbs and focused on getting some good, explosive power and depth behind each one.

120 s rest

dumbbell single-leg Romanian dead lift 4x4x35 lbs

barbell bent-over row 4x4x85 lbs

120 s rest

dumbbell single-arm overhead squat 4x4x15 & 30 lbs

dumbbell incline bench press 4x4x30 lbs

120 s rest

plank 4x120 s**

reverse wood chop 4x4 w/ thick purple band

120 s rest

bodyweight matrix (24 squats, 12 lunges per leg, 12 lunge jumps per leg, 24 squat jumps - rest for time x2, repeat) - My time was 7:32, and I burned 54 calories.

** I am actually going to change the plank around a bit. The stupid things take 16 minutes, with full rests (not counting the wood chops). That's a third of the time I spend working out - screw that. So what I'm going to do for the last 2 workouts is this little gem. I think it's a 3 minute test, so I will do it twice per workout, with a 3 minute rest in between. I'll move my reverse wood chops to an alternating set with the one-arm dumbbell snatch. Planks are fucking boring for me. I can't stand being bored when I work out.

2 activity points earned today. I won't take any for the matrix.

Food:
plum & cottage cheese
eggs w/ avocado, Sandwich Thin w/ sugar free jelly [1 pt]
spicy slow cooker black bean soup
romaine & spinach salad w/ avocado, onion, peppers, tomatoes, carrots, hard boiled egg & homemade honey mustard dressing
another bowl of soup
oatmeal w/ peanut butter [1 pt] - There was so little peanut butter in the jar, it was hardly worth the point!

80 ounces of water and four coffees. 35 weekly points remaining. GHGs met, and I used up both APs I earned today.

Tomorrow's workout - I'm going to try this bodyweight complex, until I can't do it any more. Maybe. Or Turbo Jam Fat Blaster.

Days Binge Free: 50

NROL4W - Stage 5 - Sunday - Turbo Jam Cardio Party 3

I wasn't going to do anything today, then I drank a lo-carb Monster energy drink. I did Turbo Jam Cardio Party 3 and burned 455 calories (4 activity points). I probably could have done a little better, but three-fourths of the way through, I got a little over-enthusiastic and rolled my ankle a bit. Not enough to really hurt, but enough to make me slow the hell down before I broke the damn thing.

I've changed my workout schedule for the rest of NROL. Instead of lifting MWF, I'm going to lift every other day until the end, and instead of doing Stage 7 twice, I'm just going to do it once. I want to be finished with this. I will still have 3 days a week for cardio & rest. I. Just. Want. To. Be. Done.

Food:
apple & cottage cheese
eggs w/ avocado, Sandwich Thin w/ sugar free jelly [1 pt]
yogurt & cereal
corn dog bites [14 pts] w/ baked butternut squash fries & homemade honey mustard - I probably only needed 1 hot dog instead of 2.
banana

40 ounces of water and two coffees. 4 activity points unused this week. GHGs met today. I feel like I overate this week. Next week, I'm going to be much more mindful of how much I'm eating. I'm also going to switch gears and eat my Activity Points first, and if I don't eat them the day I earn them, they are gone. You know...old skool WW!

Tomorrow's workout - Stage 5A.

Days Binge Free: 49

NROL4W - Stage 5 Saturday - Workout B2

Stage 5B

barbell Romanian dead lift w/ bent over row 4x4x80 lbs

120 s rest

partial single leg squat 4x4

wide-grip lat pull down (assisted pull up) 4x4

120 s rest

back extension 4x4

YTWL shoulder matrix 4x4x7.5 lbs

120 s rest

(long arm) Swiss ball crunch 4x4

prone jackknife 4x4

Swiss ball side crunch 4x4 [per side]

120 s rest

prone cobra 4x120 s

120 s rest

Intervals: 3 min warm up, 1 min work/2 min recovery x 5, 2 min cool down [20 minutes total] -  I alternated high knees and butt kicks for the work intervals, a light jog for recovery. I burned 155 calories.

2 points for weights, 1 for intervals. I felt a lot better after I worked out. I was really looking forward to the intervals, too. 

Food:

plum w/ almonds [4 pts]
cereal w/ skim milk & banana - I should have picked cottage cheese instead of cereal. Carbs are making me hungry.
eggs w/ cheese [2 pts] on toasted Sandwich Thin [1 pt]
pepper slices, carrot stick, grapes
chicken breast w/ roasted vegetables - I wasn't really that hungry. I ate the vegetables and half the chicken anyway. I should have waited :(
cottage cheese
oatmeal w/ Nutella [2 pts] - I never knew what to do with "empty" peanut butter & Nutella jars until Mama Pea put her oatmeal in them. 

60 ounces of water and four coffees. 7 weekly and 8 activity points remaining. I don't know why I'm craving starch and crap so much. Like yesterday, I'm not craving candy or chocolate crap, but definitely bread and cereal. And fruit. I would eat fruit all day. This is way more sugar/carbs than I like to ingest. I feel it too, all bloated and tired. I have to get a grip on this. I don't feel out of control in the binge sense; I just don't want to eat so many not-so-great carbs.

Tomorrow's workout - not sure yet.

Days Binge Free: 48

NROL4W - Stage 5 - Friday - Rest Day

I did not work out today. No reason, other than I didn't feel like it. These last 4 workouts for Stage 5 are going to be a pain. I'm itching to move on to something else. At least Stage 6 is new moves and a new format. I'll be glad to have NROL behind me all together. I was going to do Insanity next but I just can't stand another schedule. I want to be able to change my program whenever I feel like it, and try new exercises as I find them on the Web. I might incorporate Insanity (or Turbo Fire when I get it) into my week, but it's going to be a long time before I follow a pre-made program as written, whether it's a set of videos or a book.

Food:
yogurt & cereal
eggs & cheese [2 pts] w/ toasted Sandwich Thin & sugar free jelly [1 pt]
mixed fruit w/ cottage cheese
chicken breast & mixed vegetables
banana
oatmeal w/ apple

20 ounces of water and four coffees. I was not in a water mood. 16 weekly and 5 activity points remaining. GHGs - I'm slacking on the exercise. I was wicked hungry today and didn't eat enough protein. I was tired and cranky and just in a general funk. But I did not turn to junk food. I didn't even crave it. I ate the things I did crave, though!

Tomorrow's workout - Stage 5B, fo shiz.

Days Binge Free: 47

NROL4W - Stage 5 - Thursday - House Cleaning

I'm totally exhausted. I got 3 hours of sleep last night and got up for a meteor shower I couldn't see due to cloud cover. But because I drank coffee on my way to my favorite spot in the next town, I couldn't get back to sleep when I got home. By the time I was tired, my son was awake.

Food:
yogurt & cereal
banana, bite of peanut butter & nutella sandwich [1 pt]
eggs w/ cheese [2 pts] and toasted Sandwich Thin [1 pt]
quinoa & bulgur w/ pepper slices & homemade honey mustard dressing
plum & cottage cheese

60 ounces of water and four coffees. It might have been three coffees - I'm so tired I don't even remember. 19 weekly and 5 activity points remaining. All GHGs met.

Tomorrow's workout - Stage 5B.

Days Binge Free: 46

NROL4W - Stage 5 - Wednesday - Workout A2

Stage 5A

one-arm dumbbell snatch 4x4x30 lbs

120 s rest

dumbbell single-leg Romanian dead lift 4x4x30 lbs

barbell bent-over row 4x4x80 lbs

120 s rest

dumbbell single-arm overhead squat 4x4x12.5 & 22.5 lbs

dumbbell incline bench press 4x4x30 lbs

120 s rest

prone cobra 4x120 s

reverse wood chop 4x4 w/ thick purple band

120 s rest

bodyweight matrix (24 squats, 12 lunges per leg, 12 lunge jumps per leg, 24 squat jumps - rest for time x2, repeat) - My time was 7:54, and I burned 56 calories.

2 points for the weights. I'm not going to take any for the matrix.

Food:
eggs w/ cheese [2 pts] & toasted Sandwich Thin [1 pt], plum
vegetarian chili w/ pepper slices
yogurt
shredded chicken tacos [3 pts for Flat Out bread & cheese] w/ left over Tex Mex bean salsa
apple & cottage cheese

60 ounces of water and three coffees. 23 weekly and 5 activity points remaining. Met all my GHGs.

Tomorrow's workout - House cleaning. I absolutely must get ready for school/work and my father-in-law's visit. Plus, I am going to be dead-ass tired from getting up at 1 AM to check out the meteor shower. I hope my kid cooperates for a nap tomorrow afternoon.

Days Binge Free: 45

NROL4W - Stage 5 - Tuesday - Active Rest

We went to the playground this morning, nothing too strenuous. It was too hot to do anything. At least we walked there.

Food:
plum & cottage cheese
eggs w/ tomato, toasted Sandwich Thin w/ sugar free jelly [1 pt]
vegetarian chili
popcorn [1 pt for a little extra oil & parmesan cheese]
banana
country fried steak [3 pts], homemade Tex Mex corn & bean salsa
yogurt & cereal

80 ounces of water and two coffees. 29 weekly and 3 activity points remaining.

Tomorrow's workout - Stage 5A.

Days Binge Free: 44

Tex Mex Black Bean Salsa - Recipe

I found this in a magazine at the allergist's office and had to take a picture with my phone so I could try it out.

2 medium-sized Roma tomatoes, chopped
1/2 medium-sized red onion, chopped
3 scallions, chopped
1 15-oz can black beans, drained & rinsed
1 1/2 tbs taco seasoning
2 tbs sour cream or plain yogurt

1. Mix the tomatoes, onion, scallions, and beans in a bowl. Sprinkle the taco seasoning over the mix and toss gently.

2. Serve topped with sour cream or yogurt.

I made a big batch of this, but I didn't have scallions, so I used some red, yellow, and green peppers. I also included some pinto beans and corn kernels because I had some of that left over, and then I drizzled lime juice over the entire mix. Oh, and some cilantro.

It was good!

NROL4W - Stage 5 - Monday - Workout B1

I keep thinking about yesterday's dark chocolate indulgence, and how I really thought, before I had it, that if I gave in to my craving, I was going to lose control. I kept thinking, "Oh no, this is it, the end of my streak!" I tried to resist. I ate something less "junky" and protein-based. I still wanted the chocolate. It was almost 2 hours after the craving first hit that I told myself, "You know what? You can have that chocolate. Just count it, even if you go over your points. Recognize that you are in control of every bite and be happy." So I did. And it was totally awesome.

Stage 5B

barbell Romanian dead lift w/ bent over row 4x4x80 lbs

120 s rest

partial single leg squat 4x4 

wide-grip lat pull down (assisted pull up) 4x4

120-s rest

back extension 4x4

YTWL shoulder matrix 4x4x7.5 lbs

120 s rest

(long arm) Swiss ball crunch 4x4

prone jackknife 4x4

Swiss ball side crunch 4x4 [per side]

120 s rest

prone cobra 4x120 s
120 s rest

Intervals: 3 min warm up, 1 min work/2 min recovery x 5, 2 min cool down [20 minutes total] - I did high knees & butt kicks for my work intervals and a light jog for my recovery intervals. I burned 153 calories. I didn't get to work as hard as I would have liked. During my second work intervals, I started getting stitch in my side and it was slowing me down.

2 points for the weights, 1 for the intervals. I love this workout!

Food:

yogurt & cereal - I don't usually eat before my workouts when I'm able to exercise right away, but for some reason I was so nauseated this morning that I had to eat something. I normally get sick if I do eat! 

eggs w/ tomato, toasted Sandwich Thin w/ sugar free jelly [1 pt]
vegetarian chili w/ butternut squash fries
apple & cottage cheese

60 ounces of water and three coffees. 34 weekly and 3 activity points remaining. All GHGs met. I even got a little bonus activity in when we hit the pool.

Tomorrow's workout - I'm not sure. We're going to the playground early in the morning, so I'm sure we'll kick around the soccer ball. Then I'll probably come home and do some Cathe kickboxing, or maybe something on the Wii Fit. I'm not sure I want to do any real exercise.

Days Binge Free: 43

NROL4W - Stage 5 - Sunday - Rest Day

I didn't get out for a bike ride this morning. I spent most of the day standing at my laptop working on my recipe files. It made me hungry.

Food:
eggs w/ avocado, toasted Sandwich Thin w/ butter [2 pts] - I was going to have waffles or pancakes and sausage but didn't want to waste the few points I had left.
plum
chicken breast w/ mixed vegetables
grilled steak w/ sauteed onions & peppers - I was hungry again within an hour, and had a mad craving for dark chocolate. I had more steak & carrot sticks.
dark chocolate [5 pts] - The craving was just too much.
frozen banana w/ dark chocolate & almonds [7 pts]

Lots of coffees today. I actually went 5 points in the hole this week. It wasn't a binge. I was in total control and I made a conscious choice to eat the extra dark chocolate. I am not disappointed in myself. Quite the opposite, in fact. I feel good that I ate something I wanted without going overboard.

Tomorrow's workout - Stage 5B

Days Binge Free: 42

NROL4W - Stage 5 - Saturday - Workout A1

Stage 5A

one-arm dumbbell snatch 4x4x30 lbs
120 s rest

dumbbell single-leg Romanian dead lift 4x4x30 lbs
barbell bent-over row 4x4x80 lbs
120 s rest

dumbbell single-arm overhead squat 4x4x12.5 & 22.5 lbs
dumbbell incline bench press 1x4x35 lbs, 3x4x30 lbs - I am really disappointed that I couldn't do 35s for the whole thing.
120 s rest

plank 4x120 s
reverse wood chop 4x4 w/ thick purple band
120 s rest

bodyweight matrix (24 squats, 12 lunges per leg, 12 lunge jumps per leg, 24 squat jumps - rest for time x2, repeat) - My time was 9:23, and I burned 62 calories.

I sure do love this workout. 2 points for the weights, and I'm not going to take any for the matrix.

Food:
plum & cottage cheese
salad w/ homemade honey mustard dressing
fish taco [4 pts for Flat Out bread, extra oil & cheese]
yogurt & apple
eggs w/ avocado & cheese [2 pts], toasted Sandwich Thin w/ sugar free jelly [1 pt]

80 ounces of water and four coffees. 9 activity points remaining. Got the GHGs in. I've been craving fruit and dairy the last couple days. I don't know what the problem is.

Tomorrow's workout - hopefully a bike ride.

Days Binge Free: 41

NROL4W - Stage 4 - Friday - Cathe Kickboxing

After I blogged last night, I had a piece of dark chocolate with fat free whipped topping [2 pts].

I did the Cathe Friedrich kickboxing workout that is on my dvr. It was much more fun this second time around. I burned 297 calories (3 activity points).

Food:
plum & cottage cheese
eggs w/ onion, red peppers & garlic, toasted Sandwich Thin w/ sugar free jelly [1 pt]
chicken breast, romaine lettuce, carrots, peppers & homemade honey mustard dressing, baked zucchini chips
crumb-coated chicken thighs [1 pt for coating] w/ pasta, broccoli & cheese sauce [2 pts]
yogurt w/ cereal

80 ounces of water and three coffees. 4 weekly and 10 activity points remaining.

Tomorrow's workout - Stage 5A

Days Binge Free: 40

NROL4W - Stage 4 - Thursday - Workout B4

After I blogged last night, I had some almonds and dark chocolate [7 pts].

Stage 4B

wide grip dead lift off box 3x8x80 lbs
90 s rest

Bulgarian split squat 3x8x25 lbs
underhand lat pulldown (assisted chin up) 3x8 - 1 unassisted and 7 assisted per set
90 s rest

reverse lunge from box w/ forward reach 3x8x25 lbs
dumbbell prone Cuban snatch 3x8x10 lbs
90 s rest

(long arm) Swiss ball crunch 3x8
reverse crunch 3x8
Swiss ball side crunch 3x8
90 s rest

prone cobra 3x120 s
90 s rest

Intervals: Intervals: 3 min warm up, 1 min work/2 min recovery x 5, 2 min cool down - I did a light jog for my recovery intervals, and for my work intervals, high knees and butt kicks. I burned 148 calories.

I realized that in my last B workout, I did YTWL instead of prone cuban snatches! No wonder I was freaking dying!!! 2 points for weights and 1 for intervals.

Food:
yogurt & oatmeal w/ chocolate protein powder [1 pt]
eggs w/ avocado, toasted Sandwich Thin w/ sugar free jelly [1 pt]
banana
easy vegetarian chili w/ toasted Sandwich Thin & garlic butter [4 pts] - This was so good!!! I cannot say enough about it. It was fantastic. I just loved it! [http://bodyforbecky.blogspot.com/2010/08/easy-vegetarian-chili-recipe.html]
apple w/ cheese [4 pts] - Cheese is my miracle food. Whenever I eat it, I want nothing else after it.

80 ounces of water and three coffees. 10 weekly and 7 activity points remaining. GHGs accounted for.

Tomorrow's workout - Cathe Kickboxing. I keep forgetting that is on the dvr!

Days Binge Free: 39

Easy Vegetarian Chili - Recipe

Since going to a second meatless day this week, I decided to start out with something easy and just tweak it a bit. It calls for textured vegetable protein, a soy product used in place of meat.

1/2 c dried black beans

1/2 c dried pinto beans

1 14-oz can diced tomatoes

1 8-oz can tomato sauce

1/2 onion, diced

3 cloves roasted garlic, minced

1 bell pepper, diced 

2 tbsp olive oil

1/4 cup vegetable broth

2 tbsp chili powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

dash cayenne pepper

dash red pepper flakes 

1/2 cup TVP + 1/2 cup water

1. Cook the dried beans according to the directions on the package.

2. In a medium to large soup pot, sautee the onion, bell pepper and garlic in the olive oil. Add tomatoes, vegetable broth and chili powder and stir.

3. Reduce heat to medium low and add beans. Stir occasionally and cook for at least 20 minutes. Add TVP and water 10 minutes before done cooking. Of course, the longer you cook chili the better, but if you're pressed for time, 20 minutes is fine.

4. For a spicier chili, add extra cayenne and red pepper flakes. Makes 6 servings.

Per Living Cookbook, each serving has 289 calories, 7 g fat, 50 g carbs (15 g fiber), 14 g protein. 5.5 WW points/Core friendly.

I cannot tell you how delicious this dish is!!! My husband raved about it and didn't even notice that the "stuff" in it was not hamburger! 

NROL4W - Stage 4 - Wednesday - Beach Day

I know I had a workout scheduled, but we went to the beach early in the morning (before the blazing hot sun gets too intolerable for me) and that exhausted me completely. I'll do my last Stage 4 workout tomorrow.

Food:
plum & cottage cheese
eggs w/ avocado, toasted Sandwich Thin w/ sugar-free jelly [1 pt]
raw vegetables w/ homemade honey mustard dressing
taco salad [2 pts for shells] - I was just going to have tacos but I figured I would get more vegetables and less burger if I ate it in salad form, and I was right.
apple & yogurt

80 ounces of water and four coffees. 27 weekly and 4 activity points remaining. I got in my GHGs, too.

Tomorrow's workout - Stage 4B, I promise.

Days Binge Free: 38

NROL4W - Stage 4 - Tuesday - Turbo Jam Fat Blaster

Happy birthday, blog! It was 3 years ago today that I made my first post. I've come a long way, baby!

I did Turbo Jam Fat Blaster this morning. So much fun. I really gave it my all and burned 248 calories (2 activity points).

Food:
plum & cottage cheese
eggs w/ avocado, toasted Sandwich Thin w/ sugar free jelly [1pt]
chicken breast w/ romaine lettuce, red pepper slices and homemade honey mustard dressing
banana
grilled turkey patty w/ cheese [2 pts] on Flat Out bread [1 pt], red pepper slices

80 ounces of water and three coffees. 30 weekly and 4 activity points remaining. I got in all my GHGs.

Tomorrow's workout - Stage 4B, the last!! I won't miss Stage 4.

Days Binge Free: 37

NROL4W - Stage 4 - Monday - Workout A4

Stage 4A

front squat/push press 3x8x50 lbs

90 s rest

(barbell) step up 3x8x75 lbs

dumbbell one-point row 3x8x25 lbs

90 s rest

static lunge, rear foot elevated 3x8x25 lbs

push up 3x8

90 s rest

plank 3x120 s

cable wood chop 3x8 - purple band

90 s rest

Food:
plum & cottage cheese
eggs w/ avocado, toasted Sandwich Thin w/ sugar-free jelly [1 pt]
banana, red pepper slices w/ homemade honey mustard dressing
black bean & bulgur chili - I just threw this together, no recipe or anything, and OMG, it was so good! I definitely overate. In fact, in 3 hours, I ate the entire pan. I don't feel guilty but I am sad there won't be leftovers for lunch tomorrow.

80 ounces of water and four coffees. 34 weekly and 2 activity points remaining. I got in all my GHGs.

Tomorrow's workout - Turbo Jam Fat Blaster

Days Binge Free: 36

NROL4W - Stage 4 - Sunday - Rest Day

I did an official weigh in today (for HRM setting purposes) and I lost 3 pounds in July. I'll take it, even though my goal at this point is not not gain while I try to get a handle on the binges. I also pulled out my tape measure and Accu-Measure body fat calipers to note my waist, hip and body fat measurements. Those are the areas I will be looking for changes.

No bike ride today. It was raining, then I drove to Virginia to see Eclipse because, after only 5 weeks, my local theater decided to stop showing it, and I had to see it in theaters. Not download it, like everyone suggested. Actually IN theaters. There are certain movies series I always go see (Harry Potter, Twilight, Iron Man, Spider-Man) in the theater. Everything else, I can wait until the dvd/blu-ray comes out.

Food:
eggs w/ avocado, toasted Sandwich Thin w/ butter [2 pts]
almonds [4 pts] - This was my movie snack. No popcorn and sno-caps for me!
cantaloupe & cottage cheese - This had been sitting in my cooler with ice in it while I was watching my movie. When I got out, the cottage cheese was frozen and the cantaloupe was mush. It wasn't the greatest meal but I ate it so I wouldn't be tempted to go buy junk.
cereal w/ yogurt
grilled pork w/ mixed vegetables
pretzels [2 pts]
frozen banana treat w/ dark chocolate & fat free whipped topping [4 pts]

No water today, but I did get fluids in. I used all my points, and got in most of my GHGs (I missed my oils) - and actually yesterday, I was missing the exercise, but that's a "most days a week" requirement. For some reason I think of it as an "every day" requirement.

Tomorrow's workout - Stage 4A, last one!!

Days Binge Free: 35