Good Riddance to 2011

It's been a shit-tastic year and I'm glad to put it behind me. I'm hoping 2012 brings renewed motivation. I don't know how much I have gained in the last six months - it's at least 30 pounds. I'll have an official weigh in tomorrow. I'm scared to see what the scale says. I'm embarrassed and angry that I did this to myself after three and a half years of busting my ass and overcoming the minor setbacks. I deserve better than this. The only positive thing I can say is, at least I didn't start smoking again.

And as of tomorrow, there will be 69 days until the Spartan Sprint.

79 Days until the Spartan Sprint

Today was a 3x5 workout:

bench press - 80 lbs
deadlift - 100 lbs
bent over dumbbell row - 30 lbs
jackknife

My metabolic workout was burpees + swings (25 lbs). Started with 10 of each, then 9 of each, then 8 of each, all the way down to 1 of each. I did take short rests as needed. And for good measure, I threw on a tabata at the end, with my jump rope.

Food was, um, not good. I ate myself sick on chocolate. Again.

80 Days until the Spartan Sprint

Food was not all that great today and exercise was non-existent. I did go spend quite a bit of money on fitness stuff, though, so that has renewed my motivation a bit. I bought a speed rope and an agility/speed ladder, as well as a power training bag that goes up to 100 pounds (you put bags of sand in it - BodyrockTV uses them a lot). I also bought some fancy ear buds that are guaranteed to never fall out. I went for a very short run and they didn't move, so I'm hopeful they will hold true to their word. My cousin swears by them.

I ended up testing out the jump rope I bought and it's a bit too long for me. We adjusted the handles a bit but I still like my old jump rope better. I was going to return the new one and get my $10 back but my husband said he will use it. Yeah, right. The Spartan is in 80 days, pal - you better get jumping. I can't do a double under. I'm going to put that on my bucket list. I even jump roped with my new ear buds. Awesome. I hate cords though. I need an mp3 player implanted in my brain. Better yet, wireless, so I can access the entire internet in my head.

81 Days until the Spartan Sprint

This race is getting too close for comfort. And I need to sign up for the Frostbite 5K on January 14. Yuck.

82 Days until the Spartan Sprint

Food sucked today, and I'm so sore from Saturday's workout that I can barely move. I think I will go to bed. Or lie on the couch.

83 Days until the Spartan Sprint

No workout today. Food was better though. I didn't buy junk at the movies.

84 Days until the Spartan Sprint

Today's workout was 3x10. Yuck.

shoulder press - 15 lbs
squat - 75 lbs
suspended row
atomic push up

I followed up with dumbbell (25 lbs) swings - 12 swings (then rest for the remainder of the minute) for 10 minutes. These are much less taxing than the stupid burpees I did Tuesday. I also did today's Saturday Fitness Beatdown, which was max reps, Russian Twist with a weight. I used a ten pound plate. I don't know how many clean reps I did, and they use a multiplier for the women, so I won't know my official score for a couple days. I just wanted to do it. And I actually did it twice because the first time we recorded, I was recording to tape instead of memory stick and I had no way to transfer it to my laptop. My second attempt was better. Sebastian made five attempts! He kicked ass.

We won't talk about food.

85 Days until the Spartan Sprint

See yesterday's entry.

86 Days until the Spartan Sprint

Not only did I not work out, I also ate badly. I don't care.

87 Days until the Spartan Sprint

No workout today. I'm completely exhausted and my chest hurts from coughing. My appetite is coming back a bit though. I almost lost control. I brought home the cookie dough I bought and I really, really wanted to sit down with a tub and a spoon, but I didn't. I also didn't eat the two pounds of chocolate chips in my freezer. Unfortunately, I did eat a lot of carbs and cheese.

Food:
coffee w/ skim milk
hard boiled eggs & bread stick
turkey burger w/ cheese & cream of broccoli soup
string cheese
whole wheat pasta w/ homemade cheesy garlic bread, roast

88 Days until the Spartan Sprint

Today's workout was 3x5:

bench press - 80 lbs
deadlift - 115 lbs
bent over dumbbell row - 30 lbs
jackknife

I also did a ten minute metabolic workout from the New Rules of Lifting for Abs book. Today was burpees - 6 per minute (rest until the end of each minute) for 10 minutes. Why so few reps? you ask. Because my son decided I needed to add a little twist. When down in plank position, I have to bring my knees in then back out again, before completing the burpee. So it's like a squat thrust within a burpee. Sebastian calls them double burpees. Whatever. I call them brutal. I don't know if they would have been so bad if I were not so out of shape. I need to get back to where I was at the beginning of June. I hate myself for this horrible, horrible backslide. It's the worst I've had in almost five years. I never want to have to dig myself out of this bullshit again. This is hard.

Food:
coffee w/ skim milk
apple & cottage cheese
cheeseburger on whole grain bun w/ mixed vegetables & grapes
carrot sticks

This cold is kicking my appetite in the ass. When I recover, I will eat like a pig.

89 Days until the Spartan Sprint

Today was most definitely a rest day. I'm still sick and just going to work wore me out.

Food:
coffee/ skim milk, whole grain breadstick
baked potato, baby carrots & apple
carrot sticks

I wasn't that hungry today.

90 Days until the Spartan Sprint

I'm still sick but I can't afford to take any more days off, so it was back to the grind. I did a 3x5 workout today.

shoulder press - 25 lbs
squat - 115 lbs
suspended row
atomic push up

I think I need to change my suspended row to a negative chin up for the 3x5 days because the rows are too easy now. I also think I'm going to start adding some of the metabolic workouts from the New Rules of Lifting (for Women and for Abs) to the end of my strength training.

Food:
coffee w/ skim milk
tilapia & cheese w/ cauliflower & broccoli
carrot sticks
pork chops & brown rice w/ onions & green peppers - I probably ate more rice & vegetables than I should have but it was so damn good.
apple & string cheese

91 Days until the Spartan Sprint

Still sick. It really sucks. I didn't even get my Saturday Fitness Beatdown done.

92 Days until the Spartan Sprint

No workout. I was really sick. I ate whatever I could that didn't hurt to swallow.

93 Days until the Spartan Sprint

Today was the dreaded 3x10...

bench press - 75 lbs
deadlift - 85 lbs
bent over dumbbell row - 25 lbs
jackknife

The last thing I wanted to do when I got home from work was anything that required me to move. I hadn't been feeling well all day, I was cranky and tired. I managed to get myself into my workout clothes, and that helped a lot.

Food:
coffee w/ skim milk
protein shake
turkey salad w/ fat free Italian dressing & whole grain roll
grapes
Philly cheese steal w/ potatoes

94 Days until the Spartan Sprint

No workout today. I knew I would be pushing today's workout to tomorrow because of my cookie dough delivery. I suppose I could have done it, but I just didn't want to, so I went ahead and scheduled it for tomorrow. Food was decent. I'm completely exhausted.

95 Days until the Spartan Sprint

No workout today.

Food:
coffee w/ skim milk
apple & cottage cheese
(turkey) taco salad w/ refried beans & cheese
grilled cheese sandwich

96 Days until the Spartan Sprint

Today's workout was 3x5:

shoulder press - 25 lbs
squat - 115 lbs
suspended row
atomic push up

Food:
coffee w/ skim milk
vegetable soup
chocolate Shakeology
vegetable soup
apple & cottage cheese

I completely forgot to take my breakfast to work. I was going to take an apple & cottage cheese. I was okay until lunch, and I just had some vegetable soup. When I got home, the Shakeology my son won was waiting, so we tried that. It's really good. I don't know if I would pay for it, but it does taste good. I had more vegetable soup for dinner.

97 Days until the Spartan Sprint

No workout today. Food was so-so.

98 Days until the Spartan Sprint

Today's (well, yesterdays, which I did today) workout was 3x5. I do love it.

bench press - 80 lbs
deadlift - 110 lbs
bent over dumbbell row - 30 lbs
jackknife

Before this, we went to the Jingle Bell 5K - a charity walk/run. It was my son's first 5K. We walked most of it. I won for best costume in the adult female category. I wore a tree skirt & garland, as an afterthought. I needed to kill some time this morning so I stopped to buy those for my tree and decided to wear them as my costume. I was the only adult female who dressed up. The guy who won was also the only one who dressed up, too.

99 Days until the Spartan Sprint

I did not get my workout in today - I will tomorrow morning. Tomorrow is my son's first 5K. It's a charity event, and we're walking it. Well, he might run a bit and I will try to keep up. I plan on wearing jeans. We have a birthday party to go to immediately after it.

Food sucked. That is all.

100 Days until the Spartan Sprint

No workout today. I'm completely drained from some shit that's going on that I can't talk about. It sucks.

Food:
coffee w/ skim milk
apple
carrot sticks
turkey & stuffing
nuts

Not a stellar day.

101 Days until the Spartan Sprint

Today's workout was 3x10 - not my favorite range!

shoulder press - 15 lbs
squat - 75 lbs
suspended row
atomic push up

Food:
coffee w/ skim milk
turkey sunshine salad w/ fat free dressing
taco salad (w/ ground turkey)

102 Days until the Spartan Sprint

I skipped my workout and food was only so-so. I'm in a bit of a mini funk but I think I will be able to pull out of it quickly.

103 Days until the Spartan Sprint

Today's workout was 3x5

bench press - 70 lbs
deadlift - 100 lbs
bent over dumbbell row - 25 lbs
jackknife

Food:
coffee w/ creamer & mill
cheese pizza w/ cream of potato soup
cereal bar
cheese & nuts

Not a stellar food day but I did turn down a second cereal bar.

104 Days until the Spartan Sprint

I admit that I spent the entire day sitting on my ass. I drank coffee, I worked on my National Novel Writing Month book (50,000 words by 11:59 PM on Wednesday - I did 7700 words today and hit 50,008 at 7:20 PM today), I read on my Kindle, I did nothing physical except laundry and dishes. And those were just unloading the dishwasher. I feel no guilt whatsoever.

105 Days until the Spartan Sprint

I'd planned on doing the Saturday Fitness Beatdown but stuff came up. It's been a really lousy day and I need to go to bed and wait for this current stress to pass. It's not even something I brought on myself. It's something I have to help clean up though.

Food was so-so. I took Sebastian to the park. I need to go to bed.

106 Days until the Spartan Sprint

Today's workout was 3x5:

shoulder press - 25 lbs
squat - 115 lbs
suspended row
atomic push up

I did all my lifts in between cleaning sections of the weight room. I cleaned on my rest periods. I spent the entire day cleaning my house and was worried I'd be too tired for my workout, or run out of time. So I squeezed it in.

Food was pretty decent. I didn't eat anything horrible. I did go to McDonld's and get a small fry & bacon cheeseburger. That's not terrible. I skipped the ice cream. I had a homemade dinner of grilled steak & roasted potatoes with garlic and rosemary.

107 Days until the Spartan Sprint

Today was the first annual OBX GO FAR Turkey Trot 5K & Fun Run. I didn't run it. I was there as a volunteer. I did have to haul my ass all the way to the turn around point, which is not the halfway point. In fact, this turn around was not even a mile from the start line. Poor runners got there and were all like "YEAH, HALFWAY BABY!!!" I didn't have the heart to tell them that they were not even a third of the way there. I had a wonderful time though. I love GO FAR. I'm so glad I got involved. Though this was a fundraiser race and not one for the GO FAR kids, there were a few who did participate. I was so happy to see them, and their parents, out running today.

I was pretty good about food today. I did not cook a big Thanksgiving dinner. We were going to grill some steaks but we changed our minds and ended up going out to eat. I didn't stuff myself and I did not hit the dessert bar. I had a few bites of pumpkin pie, but that was it.

I even managed a short bike ride today. I feel good.

108 Days until the Spartan Sprint

Food wasn't stellar today. I'm not going to say much about it. I didn't gorge, but I could have made better choices.

All day long, I actually looked forward to my workout. I couldn't believe it. Today's lifts were all 3x10.

bench press - 65 lbs
deadlift - 80 lbs
bent over dumbbell row - 25 lbs
jackknife

Again, I love this workout! Even at 3x10. I am sure I will love it more on Monday when it's 3x5!

109 Days until the Spartan Sprint

I had some pepper slices and a banana after I blogged last night.

Today was cardio. I did HIIT 15 from Turbo Fire. I really like the short workouts. I didn't do it as high impact as I normally do because I didn't get a chance to wake up and gather my energy. I only burned 76 calories. Boo. I know I can go harder.

Food:
coffee w/ creamer & milk
apple & cottage cheese
cheese burger on whole wheat bun w/ sweet potato & mixed vegetables
banana & red pepper slices
veggie salad w/ avocado ranch dressing & cheese
nuts

110 Days until the Spartan Sprint

Okay, I greatly dislike lifting weights to videos so I've changed things around a bit. I'm lifting three days a week, with a new routine I found by my favorite person, "Built". It's very simple, and I'm going to keep the cardio (Turbo Fire & Turbo Jam) that I had planned.


shoulder press - 3x5x25 lbs
squat - 3x5x115 lbs
suspended row - 3x5
atomic push up - 3x5

I love, love, love this workout!!!

Food:
coffee w/ creamer & milk
apple & cottage cheese
homemade vegetable soup
vegetable soup w/ grilled cheese

It's the weekend!

My intention for Saturday was to get up early, do Turbo Jam Fat Blaster, then take my son to a museum in Virginia. I took my son to the museum...

Sunday I did my Saturday workout. I can really tell how out of shape I've gotten. I used to be able to do Fat Blaster with no problem. Today I had to do it low impact. It sucked. I burned 159 calories.

Food was not stellar. Damn, I need to buckle down. I don't know why I can't get back on track. I never should have let myself lose focus. It's been months. I need to something. GAH!

ChaLean Extreme Burn Circuit 3

Sumo Squat w/ Overhead Press - 15 lbs
Lunge w/ Calf Raise - 15 lbs
Squat w/ Lateral Raise - 10 lbs
Lunge w/ Frontal Press - 10 lbs
Squat w/ Calf Raise - 20 lbs
Sumo Squat w/ Deltoid Raise - 10 lbs
Squat w/ Double Overhead Press - 15 lbs
Extreme Overhead Press - 15 lbs
Lunge w/ Lateral Raise - 10 lbs
Extreme Lateral Raise - 10 lbs
Sumo Squat w/ Calf Raise - 20 lbs
Extreme Sumo Squat - 20 lbs

Bad food day. I hate working in a school cafeteria. I hate having no self control.

Turbo Fire Fire 30

I think this was my first time doing this one - I can't tell for sure. I was terribly slow and uncoordinated. I hate myself for taking so much time off working out. It made my diet spiral out of control. Anyway, I burned 179 calories.

I didn't do very well with food today. I'm glad I worked out in the morning because after the chaos that was the elementary school cafeteria's Thanksgiving dinner, I was too worn out to do anything when I got home.

ChaLean Extreme Burn Circuit 2

I had two mozzarella sticks after I blogged last night. I don't know why I did it. I was not hungry.

I am not a fan of the Burn Circuit. Including the upper body movement with the lower body movement hinders my lower body progress. I can squat and dead lift much more than I can curl and row.

Sumo Squat w/ Bicep Curl - 15 lbs
Lunge w/ One-Arm Triceps Extension - 10 lbs
Dead Lift w/ Row - 20 lbs
Sumo Squat w/ Overhead Triceps Extension - 20 lbs
Dead Lift w/ Reverse Grip Row - 20 lbs
Bowler’s Lunge w/ Single-Arm Row - 20 lbs
Bicep Curls w/ Abductor Balance - 10 lbs
Extreme Bicep Curls - 10 lbs
Forward-Lean Lunge w/ Dbl Row - 20 lbs
Extreme Double Row - 20 lbs
Triple Threat Push-Up
Extreme Pushups

I really, really dislike doing these kind of movements. My balance is horrible and I slide all over the floor and even out of my shoes. I have to find some weight lifting shoes.

Food:
coffee w/ creamer & milk
apple & yogurt
philly cheese steak on tortilla w/ onions & peppers
string cheese
turkey & cheese sandwich w/ mixed vegetables

Turbo Fire HIIT 15/Abs 10

I had an apple after I blogged last night.

Today I did a quick workout. I love HIIT 15 so much. It's short and ass-kicking. I only burned 111 calories but it totally drained me. Then I did Abs 10, which I hate. I hate any ab work that requires me to lie on my back on the floor. I doubt I will keep doing the ab workouts. I would much rather plank, jackknife, pike, and roll out.

Food:
coffee w/ creamer & milk
turkey breast & cheese on whole wheat bun w/ refried beans, salsa & cheese
sugar free Jell-o chocolate mousse
another round of turkey & refried beans

I got about 48 ounces of water.

ChaLean Extreme Burn Circuit 1

I'm shifting gears a bit. I"m still counting down to my Spartan Sprint, but I had to get with an actual program if I'm going to get back in shape. So I'm doing my own ChaLean Extreme/Turbo hybrid. I'm doing all the lifting from CLX, some of the Turbo Fire workouts and some Turbo Jam. I'm very happy with what I've put together.

Today was Burn Circuit 1. If you're not familiar with ChaLean Extreme, it's 9 exercises, each done 12 times in the Burn circuit. You're supposed to lift very slowly, as heavy as you can. There are also "extreme" exercises, which are 3 reps done super, super slowly. I always have a problem with the slow part.

Again, all of these are 1 set of 12 reps, except for the extreme exercises, which is 1 set of 3 reps.

Sumo Squat w/ Hip Lift - 25 lbs
Lunge w/ Posterior Fly - 15 lbs
Push-Up w/ Leg Lift
Dead Lift w/ Posterior Fly - 10 lbs
Lunge w/ Core Rotation - 25 lbs
Bench Press & Leg Lower - 25 lbs
Squat w/ Side Bend - 20 lbs
Extreme Squat - 20 lbs
Forward Lean Lunge w/ Dbl Arm Posterior Fly - 10 lbs
Extreme Fly - 10 lbs
Chest Fly w/ Hip Lift - 15 lbs
Extreme Pushups

It felt really, really good to do this workout. I can't wait for tomorrow's!

Food:
coffee w/ creamer & milk
vegetable soup
salad w/ red peppers slices & fat free dressing
omelet w/ salsa, cheese, onions, peppers & garlic

Spartan Sprint Countdown - Week 9 - Thursday - Weekend

Busy, busy weekend. Thursday was our final GO FAR session and my son had a sleepover. I spent most of Thursday night working on my NaNoWriMo stuff, and figuring out a workout schedule for the next 12 weeks. I am going to do a Turbo Fire ChaLean Extreme hybrid, but I didn't like any of the ones I found online so I made my own. I'm hoping to get back in the habit of working out first thing in the morning.

I haven't decided if I want to continue Weight Watchers and count points, or if I just want to count calories. Calories are a pain in the ass. Points are easy. I do know that I have to focus more on protein, no matter which way I go. I have looked over my blog a lot and it seems like I do best when my protein is higher. And by protein, I mean lean meats. I have a hard time getting enough protein on Meatless Mondays, while keeping the carbs in check. Even beans and whole grains make me hungry. I need my chicken and tuna.

Oh, and yeah, I completed my first 8K on Saturday. I knew going in that I would not be running the whole thing. My goal was to finish in under 75 minutes. I finished in 1:05:07 with a pace of 13:08 minute mile. Not nearly as good as my 9-10 minute miles for the 5Ks in April & May, but hell, I'm really out of shape now and 25 pounds heavier. I have a 5K in December. I won't be running that one because my son will be doing his first 5K, and I promised I'd stay with him. So I'll walk/job that one, and I'll try to find another 5K to squeeze in before the Spartan Sprint.

Spartan Sprint Countdown - Week 9 - Wednesday

I tried to be good with the food yesterday. I really think I'm going to have to go back to logging everything in SparkPeople. Ugh. I hate logging.

Food:

coffee w/ skim milk

apple & yogurt

turkey sunshine salad w/ fat free dressing

meatloaf & green beans

I'm tired and in a bad mood.

Spartan Sprint Countdown - Week 9 - Tuesday

Today was our mock race with the GO FAR kids. I think they are ready for Saturday. They are really excited.

Food:
coffee w/ skim milk
apple & yogurt
chicken nuggets, tater tots, coleslaw & baked beans - Ugh. I'm so mad at myself. Sometimes I hate my job.
salad w/ black beans & almonds - This was me redeeming myself. I also did NOT have the GO FAR snack, which was some peanut butter & jelly on a graham cracker sandwich.
tea

Crappy food day. I was planning on having a salad, then I ate that stupid nugget, then another, then another...

Spartan Sprint Countdown - Week 9 - Monday

I'm done pissing around. Shame is a powerful tool. I got on the scale yesterday. Midday. Fully clothed and hormonal. It wasn't pretty. I have gained 30 pounds since I finished Insanity at the beginning of June. Or hell, maybe it was the end of May. I don't really remember. I sent a text to my fitness friend so I would have someone to be accountable too. I was going to keep it between us. But I can't do that. It belongs in my blog, where I've bared my soul for four years.

My eating was out of control all summer. I didn't exercise. I continued to eat badly once school started and I only got a little bit of activity. I've noticed that Sebastian's behavior has gotten worse since school started and he's gained a little bit of weight, too. He had been slimming down in the spring. And then I fell apart, and I took him with me. I can't remember hating myself as much as I do now. I have to stop the junk, for myself and for him. It's just so, so, so fucking hard.

So here I am. I can't let this continue. My work pants are uncomfortable. I feel like crap. My 8K is Saturday. After that, I am back to training. I have one week to decide what I'm going to do. I need to pick a program. I'll have 17 weeks before the Spartan Sprint, so I can pick a 12-13 week program and still have room to do other stuff. I think I'm going to do the Turbo Fire/ChaLean Extreme hybrid.

Food:
coffee w/ skim milk
apple & yogurt
salad w/ black beans, corn & fat free dressing
omelet w/ onions, peppers & cheese
tea

I didn't get any water today. I need to work on that.

Spartan Sprint Countdown - Week 8 - Thursday - Weekend

I don't know how I lost track of my blogging but I did. I've been so busy with the PTO cookie dough fundraiser, NaNoWriMo, a last minute trip out of town. Food has been out of control. My Spartan Sprint is in 125ish days. I have not been on the scale. I'm too afraid to get on it. I don't know how to regain the control I had for 4 years. Sure, I had lapses now and then, but this has been going on for over four months. I think I need to go back to a high protein diet. That's what gave me the best results and kept my hunger and cravings under control.

Spartan Sprint Countdown - Week 8 - Wednesday

No workout today - for the next two weeks I am only doing my GO FAR stuff. I might try to squeeze in a Turbo Fire HIIT 15 here and there but it's not something I'm focusing on. I have another PTO fundraiser to deal with this weekend, my GO FAR race next weekend, and I'm doing that insane NaNoWriMo thing, trying to write a 50,000 page novel in 30 days. That's 1667 words per day. Ugh.

Okay, actually, I did get some exercise - shoveling rotten pumpkins. My pumpkin fair chairperson duties are officially over now.

Food:
coffee w/ cream
apple & cottage cheese
turkey sunshine salad w/ fat free dressing
beef, bean  & vegetable soup

Spartan Sprint Countdown - Week 8 - Tuesday

I forgot to mention yesterday that I was able to cross something fitness-related off my bucket list. After a few Saturday Fitness Beatdown attempts, I was determined to not come in last at some point. Well this weekends squat jumps did the trick. I came in 5th out of 8 LOL. My son came in 6th. It was his first try. I'm so proud of him.

I ran with my GO FAR kids today. I had the one-mile Fun Run group and they did really well. I'm looking forward to our race on November 12.

Food:
coffee w/ cream
mixed vegetables, oriental chicken salad
apple & cottage cheese
cheese burger w/ carrots
Cheerios & a small candy bar

I raided the Halloween bucket. I didn't eat too much though!

Spartan Sprint Countdown - Week 8 - Monday

No workout today but I was fairly good with food. I'm not feeling well and I have to take my kid trunk-or-treating, so I'm cutting this short, getting that done, and going to bed.

Spartan Sprint Countdown - Week 7 - Friday - Weekend

No workout Friday. On Saturday, I did the Saturday Fitness Beatdown - max squat reps in 2 minutes. [http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10150427316961368]. On Sunday, I just tried to stay awake all day. I imported recipes into my Living Cookbook software and it made me want to eat real food again, so I actually cooked - stew meat & roasted butternut squash.

Spartan Sprint Countdown - Week 7 - Thursday

No GO FAR today because it was a half day of school, and no school tomorrow. Food and exercise? Hahahahahahahahahaha!

Spartan Sprint Countdown - Week 7 - Wednesday

I started working out and on my second set of squats, I hurt my quad somehow. I didn't dare try to finish the workout, not with my 8K in just over two weeks.

Food sucked today. I cant get a handle on any of this. It's making me miserable.

Spartan Sprint Countdown - Week 7 - Tuesday

Go Far today. I'm exhausted and stressed. I don't even remember what I ate. I had to oversee a PTO function and now I'm going to bed.

Spartan Sprint Countdown - Week 7 - Monday

I managed to squeeze in a workout. I was going to shoot for three weight sessions this week but I'm only going to get two. Again.

squat 3x5x115 lbs
bench press 3x5x70 lbs
deadlift 1x5x125 lbs
supinated grip suspended row 3x12
jackknife 3x12

Food:
coffee w/ skim milk
vegetable soup w/ potatoes & bread stick - I probably should have skipped the bread.
vegetarian chili
apple & yogurt

Spartan Sprint Countdown - Week 6 - Friday - Weekend

Busy, busy, busy weekend! We went to the state fair on Saturday. Surprisingly, I didn't eat all that much junk. I walked around all damn day. I've been feeling kind of queasy since Thursday. I don't know what's up.

Back to it tomorrow...

Spartan Sprint Countdown - Week 6 - Thursday

I ran with my GO FAR kids today, then came home to lift weights.

squat 3x5x115 lbs
dumbbell shoulder press 3x5x30 lbs
power clean 5x3x70 lbs
pronated grip suspended row 3x12
plank 3x60 sec

Food:
coffee w/ skim milk
 apple & cottage cheese
turkey sunshine salad
cake & ice cream
pizza

Obviously, I'm not dieting...

Spartan Sprint Countdown - Week 6 - Wednesday

I woke up this morning planning to take a rest day, then changed my mind and decided I'd do Plyo X when I got home. I looked forward to it all day and by the time I got home, I wasn't in the mood for Plyo and wanted to Turbo instead. So I tried a Turbo Fire workout I hadn't done yet - Fire 45. I am not a huge fan of Turbo Fire just because the choreography is much faster than Turbo Jam. I'm sure I'll get the hang of it, but it's just frustrating the first few times. But, if I'm going to get my Turbo Kick certification, I need to start practicing.

Food:
coffee w/ skim milk
navy bean soup
turkey sunshine salad w/ fat free dressing
turkey burger w/ cheese on sandwich thin
Cheerios

Too heavy on the carbs today...

Spartan Sprint Countdown - Week 6 - Tuesday

We were a bit short handed at GO FAR today so we kept all of the kids in the gym and ran various sprints. They even wanted me to race them. I ran against some of the faster kids and beat all but one. But my 2nd and 3rd graders ran their asses off today. I'm so proud of them. I love this group of kids.

Food:
coffee w/ skim milk
chicken w/ cheese & potato
peanut butter sandwich
roast w/ carrots

Spartan Sprint Countdown - Week 6 - Monday

I wasn't going to work out today because I was called to sub in the after school program, and I had my errands to run after, and I didn't get home until much later than normal. I decided to go ahead and do it anyway. Yay me.

supinated-grip suspended row 3x12
squat 3x5x115 lbs
stability ball jackknife 3x12
deadlift 1x5x125 lbs
bench press 3x5x70 lbs

Food:
coffee w/ skim milk
apple, cream of potato soup
salad w/ fat free dressing, black beans, corn & cheese - I made this way too spicy and ended up eating less than half of it
eggs w/ sauteed onions & peppers
yogurt

Spartan Sprint Countdown - Week 5 - Friday - Weekend

Busy weekend, all fun stuff. Food was just okay. I did lots of walking on Saturday. I think I'm going to move up to 3 full-body workouts a week. I need to kick up the cardio, too. I have an 8K in less than a month and my Spartan Sprint is creeping up. I feel very out of shape.

Spartan Sprint Countdown - Week 5 - Thursday

I ran with my GO FAR kids for a warm up then came home and lifted weights.

squat 3x5x115 lbs
dumbbell shoulder press 3x5x25 lbs
power clean 5x3x65 lbs
pronated grip suspended row 3x12
plank 3x60 sec

Food sucked. That is all. Oh, I did drink lots of water today. Well, more than usual.

Spartan Sprint Countdown - Week 5 - Wednesday

Rest day. I did a little stretching for my sore legs but that's it.

Food:
coffee w/ skim milk
stuffed shells
peanuts
turkey sunshine salad

Not a stellar food day.

Spartan Sprint Countdown - Week 5 - Tuesday

I am so proud of my 2nd & 3rd grade GO FAR runners. They did such a great job today. We ran relays and the all gave 100% effort. It was so great. I was exhausted after trying to keep up with them! I wasn't planning on exercising at home, but I decided I needed something, so I did Turbo Fire HIIT 15. I have to say, I don't know how I survived Insanity with those cross-trainers I wore but I can't stand them now. I can't wait until payday so I can go buy some new running shoes. I need new running shoes for my 8K anyway, and I want a second pair for wearing at home for workouts. I am never getting cross-trainers again.

Food:
coffee w/ skim milk
apple, cottage cheese & turkey bacon
burger w/ cheese on whole wheat bun
burger w/ boiled potatoes & baked beans

Spartan Sprint Countdown - Week 5 - Monday

I actually lifted weights today. I've lost so much strength due to my break. It really sucks. I knew better. I don't know why I let things fall apart the way I did. There's no excuse, other than I was lazy and didn't care. Now, 20-25 pounds up and out of shape again, you better believe I fucking care.

Here's the workout. It's based on Mark Rippetoe's Starting Strength but I made a few modifications.

squat - 3x5x115 lbs - I could barely hit parallel with these. It really, really sucked.
suspended row (supinated grip) - 3x12 - These should have been chin ups, 3xMAX but since I can't do chin ups anymore....

barbell bench press - 3x5x65 lbs - I can go up to 70 lbs next time.
stability ball jackknife - 3x12 - This isn't in SS but I like them and need the core work

deadlift - 1x5x125 lbs - My deads need work.

Even with a quick warm up, this was a nice, short workout. Just the way I like them.

Food:
coffee w/ skim milk
salad w/ cheese, black beans, corn & fat free ranch dressing
apple & baked potato
scrambled eggs w/ sauteed onion, green pepper & cheese
apple

Spartan Sprint Countdown - Week 4 - Friday - Weekend

OMG, what freaking day is it? I have been so damn busy!!! Good busy, not annoying busy. I ate like crap all weekend but I was active and had a very long overdue, much needed girls night out with some ladies I adore and hope to have many more evenings with, even if they include alcohol and naughty foods! I am absolutely back on the wagon tomorrow, I promise.

Spartan Sprint Countdown - Week 4 - Thursday

GO FAR whooped my butt today. I'm exhausted. I ate too much ice cream. I must stop this crap.

Spartan Sprint Countdown - Week 4 - Wednesday

I wasn't going to work out today - I was not in the mood for strength training - but I decided pretty last minute to do some Turbo Jam. I did Cardio Party 2. I'm not all "wow, I feel so great and I'm so glad I worked out" but I'm at least glad I wasn't a lazy slug.

I've struggled with food today. I really need to go grocery shopping and have decent stuff handy.

Spartan Sprint Countdown - Week 4 - Tuesday

We had GO FAR today. Some of the kids don't like to run. Some of them don't even like to walk. I don't know why they are in the program. We're going to work on ways to motivate them. Sometimes the first session is rough for some kids, but if they return after doing the 5K or Fun Run, they are usually more involved. Right now, a lot of the kindergartners and first graders (okay, mainly the kindy kids) just do not want to do anything. So it's hard to try to accommodate everyone. Fortunately, we have a lot more adults involved this year. Last year, it was just two coaches and 60 kids. Now we have 6-8 coaches and about 50 kids. It's much more manageable. The entire group went to the beach, and I played Follow the Leader with my K-1 kids. They seemed to like that. There was a lot of chicken walking, marching, and silly running. Then we just let them run on the beach - they run to the pier and back. They did really well today.

Food:
hard boiled egg, coffee w/ skim milk
turkey & cheese sandwich on whole wheat bun w/ black beans, salsa & cheese
roasted pork tenderloin w/ potatoes, carrots & salad
ice cream & cookies (not a lot)

Spartan Sprint Countdown - Week 4 - Monday

Back on plan today, though I wasn't even all that hungry. I was busy, busy, busy though! I worked in the cafeteria then subbed on short notice in the after school program. I didn't even eat all my lunch because I wasn't feeling so great. Well, I felt okay - just queasy.

Today's workout was a quick session on the suspension trainer, everything 3x10 with 30 second rests in between circuits.

single-leg squat
suspended push up
suspended row
suspended plank (45 sec)

I was going to do a one-legged suspended burpee tabata but believe it or not, I didn't have 4 minutes to spare.

Food:
apple, coffee w/ skim milk
baked potato, part of a salad w/ lettuce, tomato, onions, corn & black beans w/ fat free dressing
onion omelet

I was really, really not hungry today. I got my oils in with my omelet but I only got one dairy serving.

Spartan Sprint Countdown - Week 3 - Wednesday - Weekend

The insanity of the last month is finally over!!! I'm exhausted and relieved and ready to start a new exercise routine tomorrow. I'm going to some suspension training 2-3 times a week and run with my elementary kids twice a week. Weekend are hopefully for biking if a) my son will get his ass on his bike and try or b) my husband is home to stay with him while I ride.

I had my first experience with a dunk tank yesterday at my school's pumpkin fair. It was so, so awesome. I loved it. It was a bit chilly out and I was warmer in the water than I was on the seat. But wow, it was the most fun I've had in a very long time. In the 30-40 minutes I was on deck, the kids probably dunked me 20 times. I hope we get a dunk tank next year. I am definitely getting in!!

Spartan Sprint Countdown - Week 3 - Tuesday

I had some yogurt & a banana after I blogged last night.

Another hectic day of pumpkin fair preparations. That wasn't so bad. GO FAR went well today. We actually had enough adults around to actually get the kids organized for a run right out of the gate. It was awesome.

Food:
banana, coffee w/ skim milk
roasted pork w/ beans & coleslaw
baked potato, meatballs & salad w/ light dressing
apple & cottage cheese

Spartan Sprint Countdown - Week 3 - Monday

Ok, this Primal challenge isn't working out for me and my Meatless Mondays. I'm trying to do to many things (Primal, Weight Watchers Simply Filling Technique, and Meatless Mondays), so I'm just going back to WW SFT and MM. But I'm going to try not to eat bread & pasta, even whole grain stuff because I have no portion control with those at all.

I got called into work early again and was non-stop go, with last minute preparations for the pumpkin fair and for GO FAR, which starts tomorrow. We have just over 40 kids, which is down a bit from the spring, and we have more coaches, so it should be much more manageable this year.

And for crying out loud, I am so sick of this damn rain!!! I can't get outside to do anything!

Food:
coffee w/ skim milk
apple
navy bean soup
salad w/ light ranch dressing, light cream of broccoli soup
apple & cottage cheese

Spartan Sprint Countdown - Week 2 - Friday & Weekend

What a long, exhausting weekend! I worked late Friday then had a bunch of running around to do. Saturday, I needed get my house clean enough that I could concentrate. A dirty house is distracting. It's been raining cats and dogs here for days and our roof started leaking again. Before that, I asked my husband to clean the refrigerator. While he was doing that, the tempered glass shelf he was cleaning shattered, so we had to run around and get that cleaned up, get the roof to stop leaking in the bedroom, all the while it's still pouring out. We came in from the rain, messed up my mostly clean house, so I had to do a lot of re-cleaning.

Food sucked but I really don't care. I just want to get through the next week without losing my mind. My give-a-crap will kick in after the pumpkin fair, but for now, the only thing that matters is surviving the week.

Spartan Sprint Countdown - Week 2 - Thursday

I didn't get much sleep last night and I think that's going to be the case for the next week. I woke up not feeling well. I was hungry, but the thought of eating made me gag.

Food:
coffee w/ skim milk
apple & cottage cheese
salad w/ roasted chicken breast & fat free dressing
green beans w/ olive oil & Sweet Heat Addiction
omelet w/ turkey sausage

I'm exhausted from trying to get our fundraiser stuff organized. 10 more days to get through.

Spartan Sprint Countdown - Week 2 - Wednesday

I had an apple and some almonds after I blogged last night. Probably ate too much. The good (?) news is, I'm out of almonds.

I managed to squeeze in a short workout today - HIIT 15 from Turbo Fire. It's probably the last formal exercise I will get until Monday. And really, depending on when all the pumpkins and straw is scheduled to be delivered, I may not get any formal exercise until after the Pumpkin Fair. I know it's important to try to get it in, but really, my priority is our fundraiser. I was an exercise machine for 4 years. Being active but not "working out" for a while isn't going to kill me. Plus, GO FAR starts Tuesday, so I will be getting out and running a bit with the kids. We only have 7 weeks to train for our 5K and Fun Run. Well, I'm doing the 8K, I hope. I don't plan to run the whole thing - a very brisk walk is my goal.

Food:
coffee w/ skim milk
apple & cottage cheese
turkey burger (no bun)
cheese omelet w/ onions & peppers

It was a pretty low carb day. I have to make sure I get some vegetables tomorrow.

Spartan Sprint Countdown - Week 2 - Tuesday

For a minute, I forgot what day it was. I can't wait until our big fall fundraiser is over and I can have my life back. Until the cookie dough fundraiser 2 weeks later. But then that's it. My main responsibilities will be over. Yay!

Food:
coffee w/ skim milk
apple & cottage cheese
turkey burger w/ cheese (no bun), watermelon
banana
stir fry chicken w/ avocado

I am no longer counting Weight Watchers weekly points. I am trying to stick to Power Foods as much as possible. I guess I'm doing a quasi-Primal/WW Simply Filling. I feel great, starting my second week. I'm energized, I don't feel bloated or sick, and I'm not as cranky as usual.

Spartan Sprint Countdown - Week 2 - Monday

I'm so proud of myself - I did not eat the mozzarella sticks at work today. I didn't get to make myself a salad and I was really hungry. I put some mozzarella sticks & broccoli on my tray. I ate the broccoli and tossed the sticks. I really wanted them though!

Today's workout was HIIT 20 from Turbo Fire. I am so out of shape. I need to get back into the exercise routine.

Food:
coffee w/ skim milk
apple & cottage cheese
broccoli & skim milk
hard boiled eggs w/ carrot sticks & pepper slices
cheese omelet w/ onion & red pepper

Another Meatless Monday in the books, and I didn't give into the Starch Monster.

Spartan Sprint Countdown - Week 1 - Weekend

I didn't even attempt today's Saturday Fitness Beatdown challenge:

- 20 Dive-bomber push-ups
- 20 Swing kicks (Each rep is when both legs have been kicked over the chair / stool)
- 20 Prison Cell Push-ups
- 20 Chair Dips
- 20 Diamond Grip Push-ups

Hell no. I can't even do 2 dive-bombers. I cleaned my house instead. Well, half of it. I did a lot of decluttering (preparing way, way, way in advance for our move out west) and got rid of half my kitchen cabinet contents. Who needs 60 drinking glasses and 30 coffee mugs.

Food was good this weekend - I stayed Primal. I wanted junk food in the worst way. Nuts saved me.

Spartan Sprint Countdown - Week 1 - Friday

Food:
apple, coffee w/ skim milk
green beans, turkey salad w/ fat free dressing
nuts & cheese
turkey omelet

I have 15 weekly points remaining. Let me just say that it was really freaking hard not to have any of the stuffing or chicken tenders or cookies or rolls or macaroni & cheese we served for lunch today!

Spartan Sprint Countdown - Week 1 - Thursday

I did really well with food today. I even managed to get through our PTO event without trying the brownies or cookies.

Food:
coffee w/ skim milk
apple & cottage cheese
roasted turkey breast & salad w/ fat free dressing
tilapia & broccoli w/ olive oil
mixed nuts & cheese

I have 25 weekly points, and I'm going to try to get a workout in tomorrow.

Spartan Sprint Countdown - Week 1 - Wednesday

No workout today, unless you count the lifting of 19 cases of water. I had to put them in my cart, put them in my car, put them on another cart, then put them away. I figured it would be easier to do that this afternoon while I had time, rather than rush in the morning before work and do it. Our elementary school's Back to School Night is tomorrow and the PTO (of which I am VP) is providing refreshments. So I took care of the water and made 108 brownies. And I didn't even lick the spoon, the bowl, or my fingers. I also did not sample the treats.

And I am very happy to report that I did not even nibble on the chicken tenders or curly fries at work today. I made myself a salad and choked on a damn piece of celery.

I desperately need time to get to the grocery store for a decent, portable breakfast because I don't know when I'm going to have to go to work early. I need some cottage cheese. I don't care for hard boiled eggs and I don't have time to cook them in the morning. This Primal Challenge is, well, challenging while trying to stick to Weight Watchers Power Foods. Not having grains and beans and starches and carbier fruits kind of bugs me but it's not really that bad. I just need to find my rhythm and get it all down. I need more protein and that's a matter of preparation. Once the Pumpkin Fair is over (October 1), I will be in a much better position to plan and prepare. Right now I'm just running around like a chicken with its head cut off.

Food:
coffee w/ skim milk
apple & skim milk
salad w/ fat free dressing
turkey burger w/ cheese, green beans w/ olive oil & Sweet Heat Addiction

I used 3 weekly points on non-Power Foods, leaving me 39.

Spartan Sprint Countdown - Week 1 - Tuesday

I wasn't going to do a workout today (I was going to lift tomorrow) but then the CrossFit WOD came in my email and I figured it would be nice and "easy" (in the uncomplicated sense) to do:

Overhead squat 1-1-1-1-1 reps
Front squat 1-1-1-1-1 reps
Back squat 1-1-1-1-1 reps

Trying to increase the weight with each rep. So it was my understanding that I do one rep as heavy as I can, rest, try to lift more on the next, rest, and so on. Or just lift as heavy as I can each time and if I can add weight, great, if not, fine.

Ultimately, I was only able to do 35 pounds for the overhead squats. I cannot do these at all. I am so unbalanced, and I had trouble with them when I was doing New Rules of Lifting for Abs. For the front squat, I did 45-50-55-60-65, and I could get down pretty far, almost ass-to-grass. For back squat, I did 125 and 130 for the rest. I could barely hit parallel. But I'm out of practice.

I've been making myself salads at work, just vegetables and sometimes fruit with it. Well, for the last two days, if that counts for anything. I have not had any BLTs (bites, licks, tastes) of anything. It killed me today to cut off some kid's pizza crust (stuffed!!) and not eat it. I also wanted some corn, which is a Power Food, but then I remembered that I'm doing the Primal Challenge and am grain-free for the month. So I stuck with my salad.

Food:
banana, coffee w/ skim milk
veggie salad w/ slivered almonds & fat free dressing
turkey burger w/ cheese & raw vegetables

I used 5 weekly points today on non-Power Foods, leaving me 42.

Spartan Sprint Countdown - Week 1 - Monday

180 days until the Spartan Sprint in Georgia!

On a whim, I agreed to do the 30 Day Primal Challenge with a few board friends of mine. That's friends from one of my message boards. They are not bored. It will be interesting to try this while still doing Weight Watchers (Simply Filling Technique) and Meatless Mondays.

Today's exercise was the Bodyrock TV Haters Workout. In the 10 minutes, I did 25 rounds. Sucky.

Food:
coffee w/ skim milk
apple & cottage cheese
salad w/ onion & green peppers, olive oil & mustard
scrambled eggs w/ cheese
skim milk, banana

I used 2 of my 49 weekly points on cheese, leaving 47 remaining.

Countdown to Spartan Race Countdown - Week 2 - Thursday & Weekend

Just a place holder. What a horrible, stressful, busy week.

On Saturday, I did my Saturday Fitness Beatdown challenge - this time it was 50 plyo burpees (almost with a push up at the bottom) for time. I made two attempts. The first try, I couldn't get a good form and rhythm down and only made it to 22 or 23 burpees. I was going to bag it, because it was really late at night by the time I started, but figured I'd better get my ass in gear, so I tried again and I completed the 50 that time.

Tomorrow kicks of my Countdown to Spartan Sprint - 180 Days!

Countdown to Spartan Race Countdown - Week 2 - Wednesday

I was just a hot mess today. My CrossFit email said the WOD was a rest day, so that's what I took! I was upset that I couldn't donate blood today (because of my tattoo - it turns out that New York is no longer a regulated state so I have to wait until June 2012 to donate again :( ) and I got Taco Bell for dinner. Then it was so hot, I needed ice cream.

Countdown to Spartan Race Countdown - Week 2 - Tuesday

Only 186 days until my Spartan Sprint! Woot!

Today I was going to do Turbo Jam Cardio Party 2 but I was running short on time, so I did HIIT 15 from Turbo Fire, followed by the Turbo Fire Stretch 10. Boy, you can tell it's been a while since I've exercised. I did talk my step-daughter into doing it with me. She's not really an exerciser but she gave a great effort. She's supposed to be doing the Spartan with us, so she has to start training, too.

Food:
coffee w/ skim milk
apple & cottage cheese
baked potato & coleslaw
carrot sticks
three bean salad w/ lettuce, tomato, carrots & cheese

I have 38 weekly points remaining. The coleslaw took 5 points and the cheese for my salad took 3. I also managed to get 60 ounces of water today. It was really hot at work.

Countdown to Spartan Race Countdown - Week 2 - Monday

Back on plan with food today, doing Weight Watchers Simply Filling Technique - Power Foods eaten to satisfaction, anything not on the list, draw from weekly points.

I'll be honest. I didn't want to eat healthy stuff today. I wanted junk food in the worst way. I also wanted meat, but it's Meatless Monday. I think I will keep doing Meatless Monday through the end of this year. Two years is enough of a challenge.

I wish I just automatically craved healthy foods. I remember, when I had my 2 month+ binge-free streak, I actually wanted fruit & cottage cheese instead of chocolate. I looked forward to salads & proteins. There was none of that today. Of course, I didn't expect it but it would have been nice. It was so difficult to get through the day.

Food:
coffee w/ skim milk
apple, scrambled eggs w/ cheese
carrot sticks & pepper slices
apple & cottage cheese
three-bean salad w/ olive oil & spices - This was so, so good - just pinto, black & garbanzo beans with salt, pepper, crushed red pepper and oil. De.Li.Cious! I wanted more, but only had one cup.
three-bean salad w/ cheese & spices - Okay, so I ended up having another cup a few hours later, with cheese instead of oil, because I needed half a dairy serving.

I have 46 weekly points remaining. The only thing that wasn't a power food was the cheese on my eggs & in my salad.

No formal exercise today. I took my son to the park.

Countdown to Spartan Race Countdown - Week 1 - Sunday

8 more days until the Spartan Race Countdown begins!

My upper body is a little sore from yesterday's Saturday Fitness Beatdown push ups. I can't wait to see the leaderboard - I hope I didn't come in last, as usual!

Tomorrow I begin Weight Watchers Simpy Filling Technique. If you're not familiar, you eat from the Power Foods list (to satisfaction, not fullness) and don't count daily points from those foods. If you eat anything that is not on the list, you can use your activity points and 49 weekly points. It's very simple, in theory. In application, it's difficult because you have to know your hunger cues and know when you're satisfied.

I've done SFT in the past, before Points+ came out. I can maintain well on it but I have a harder time losing. However, I am determined to make it work this time. I need to make it work.

Countdown to Spartan Race Countdown - Week 1 - Saturday

Just 9 more days until the Spartan Race Countdown begins!

I actually did today's Saturday Fitness Beatdown [http://www.facebook.com/pages/Saturday-Fitness-Beatdown/308885420625] - max frog push ups in 2 minutes. It's the first SFB I've done in quite a while, and definitely the most exercise I've done in a couple of weeks. You can definitely see where I've gained weight. Screw it - I'll get it off.

Countdown to Spartan Race Countdown - Week 1 - Friday

I think I'm going to get back on the wagon Monday. I am so swollen from the carbs and I have terrible heartburn and my skin has broken out. I can feel the water retention in my toes, my clothes are tight, and it's going to take me forever to shed this 50 pounds I gained. Okay, it was 22 or some shit like that, but it's bad, bad, bad. Today I almost went out and bought some fat clothes. Screw that.

Countdown to Spartan Race Countdown - Week 1 - Thursday

11 more days until I start my Spartan Race countdown. Woohoo!

Being back to work is exhausting. Being around cafeteria food sucks.

I think, when Labor Day is over and I return to Weight Watchers, I'm going to try the Simply Filling Technique again. I don't want to count points. I want to eat Power Foods to satisfaction. That's always been my goal. I want to lay off the processed stuff as much as possible.

I need to work on ways to not want the processed stuff, to resist the cravings. Moderation is so incredibly difficult for me. Restriction/abstinence is difficult for me.

I don't know. I just don't know.

Countdown to Spartan Race Countdown - Week 1 - Wednesday

Busy, busy day!!! School & work started up again and it was awesome. I had a ton of errands to run and stuff to take care of and now it's time for bed to do it all over tomorrow. Blogging will have to wait!

12 more days until the Countdown to Spartan Race begins!

Countdown to Spartan Race Countdown - Week 1 - Tuesday

13 days until I start my Spartan Race Countdown! After getting my son's bedroom cleaned yesterday, I tackled the kitchen today, after some time playing with him at the park. The weather is absolutely gorgeous, and the morning was nice and cool.

I didn't track points today. It was a crazy, hectic day. I can't wait until after Labor Day. We're going back to school tomorrow, finally, but it's going to take some time to get into the swing of things. I need to get back to the routine. This summer has been mentally draining.

Countdown to Spartan Race Countdown - Week 1 - Monday

There are 194 days until our Spartan Race in Georgia but I wanted to start an official countdown with 180 days to go, not something dumb like 194. So there will be 14 days in this countdown countdown. That will carry me through Hurricane Irene clean up, getting back to school & work, settling into our routine, and my father-in-law's Labor Day visit. I don't have any formal exercise planned for the next two weeks. I'm going to clean my yard, clean my house, try to get out into the community and help a bit. I am back to doing Weight Watchers, though. There's no excuse for the stupid choices I've been making lately. 150. That number sucks. I know I'm retaining tons of water because even my toes hurt. I'll weigh again in two weeks to get an official, detoxed weight.

Food:
coffee w/ skim milk [2]
melon & cottage cheese [5]
cheese & carrot sticks [4]
omelet w/ broccoli, spicy ranch sauce & toast [11]

I only got 22 of my daily points today, but I did eat a lot of melon and carrots. I have 49 weekly points remaining.

Nameless Challenge - Week 1 - Hurricane Irene

My entire week fell apart because of this storm that was supposed to hit us as a Category 4, if you listen to the media nuts. There was a lot of prepping, a lot of bad food, a lot of stress. I'm so swollen from retaining water from the sodium and crap carbs. I don't know when I'm going to get my shit together enough to get back on plan. I'm afraid to get on the scale. Everything is a mess. We, personally, did not sustain any damage from the hurricane, just lots of branches down in our yard. Well, you can read all about it on my other blog.

I hope to be back on plan tomorrow, with food an exercise. I really, really need to get back on the wagon. My pants don't fit and I feel like poo.

Nameless Challenge - Week 1 - Tuesday

Food:
coffee w/ skim milk [1]
apple & cottage cheese [5]
banana [0]
salad w/ olive oilve & salsa [3]
grapes & cheese [4]
beef fajitas w/ cheese [16]
carrot sticks [0]

I used all of my daily points and have 45 weekly points remaining.

Nameless Challenge - Week 1 - Monday

I can't even come up with a name for this block of time. There are 201 days until the Spartan Race, but it's too early to start a challenge for that. I was thinking more like at the 3-4 month mark, not 5 months.

I spent the morning doing some functional fitness - lifting and moving boxes, climbing ladders, squatting and scrubbing. Work prep is done, and I have tomorrow off. Yay!

Food:
coffee w/ skim milk [1]
apple & cottage cheese [5]
salad w/ cheese & dressing [7]
banana & celery sticks [0]
omelet w/ onions, broccoli & cheese [10]
oatmeal w/ peanut butter, nutella & banana [9]

I used all of my daily points and have 45 weekly points remaining.

New Rules of Lifting for Abs - Week 9 - Saturday & Sunday

front plank & pulldown 1x12 each side
side plank & row 1x12 each side
Swiss ball jackknife 1x12
cable kneeling cross-body lift 1x12 each side - I can't do this one because I don't have the equipment, but I'm going to keep writing it in

deadlift 1x6x100 lbs 1x4x105 lbs, 1x2x110 lbs, 1x6x105 lbs

barbell step up 4x8x105 lbs each side
one-arm dumbbell push press 4x8x25 lbs each side

dumbbell offload squat 2x8x20&30 lbs - switch sides on second set
(assisted) mixed grip chin up 2x8 - reverse grip on second set

metabolic workout: dumbbell swings (10-12 swings per minute for 12 minutes) - I did 12 swings per minute with a 30 pound bell.

Food sucked again, but I'm back on plan tomorrow, I promise. I've gained  ton of weight this summer. I braved the scale this morning, and I'm up 20 pounds since I stopped Insanity. THAT is insane. It's been a terrible, stressful, boring summer, and I clearly have to learn to manage my stress and boredom. I am so glad to be going back to work tomorrow. I don't know what I'm going to do for exercise but I know it will be something (I'm not blowing it off). I just want more flexibility and less pressure to complete a program or a rigid workout. September is going to be very busy for me and I just don't know if I will have the time to get in hour-long workouts. This way, if I only have 20 or 30 minutes, I can pop in some Turbo Fire HIIT workouts. Or if I do have an hour or two, I can go ride my bike, go for a walk with my son, or so some weight lifting. I am going to aim for at least one full-body workout (with weights) per week, and if I can squeeze in some bodyweight or suspension trainer circuits during the week, fantastic. I just don't want to have my workouts hanging over me all the time. I used to be able to get up at 5 AM and get all of that nonsense out of the way, but that no longer works for me. I don't want to have to go through the day knowing I still have to work out when I get home. Since I sometimes substitute in the after school program (and sometimes I never know until half hour before), I can't always depend on getting my workout done after work. And with the weather getting better, I want to spend more time outside with my son, not having to tell him, "Not now, I have to work out." I don't want structured exercise ruling my life anymore.

New Rules of Lifting for Abs - Week 9 - Friday

Back to work today. It was just training, nothing two exciting. Mostly, it was just 60 lunch ladies sitting around listening to a few speakers, watching a cheesy 25 year old movie on how to properly lift heavy things, and eating sub sandwiches. It felt good to be back in the building and I am finally looking forward to work officially starting on Monday.

Oh yeah, and I ate like crap all day.

New Rules of Lifting for Abs - Week 9 - Thursday

suspended fallout 1x12 each side
Swiss ball mountain climber 1x12 each side
cable half-kneeling chop 1x12 each side - I can't do this one because I don't have the equipment, but I'm going to keep writing it in

chin up 1x6, 1x4, 1x2, 1x6 - These were negatives, except for the set of 2, which was regular, unassisted chin ups.

dumbbell split squat 4x8x30 lbs each side
dumbbell two-point row 4x8x30 lbs each side

wide-grip deadlift w/ feet on weight plate 4x8x95 lbs
dumbbell alternating chest press on partial bench 4x8x30 lbs each side

metabolic workout: burpees (6-10 per minute for 12 minutes) - I did 10 burpees per minute.

I did my 4 strength training exercises as giant sets, instead of just doing the pairs.

I need to decide what I want to do about my workouts. I would not say that I'm hating NROL for Abs but it's definitely not happy with it. It takes me forever to get through the workouts. I can't concentrate on them and I let myself get easily side-tracked. I have done 6 "A" workouts and 5 "B" workouts as of today. The suggested number of workouts for each is 6-8. I decided before I started that I was going to do 8. I can cut 2 weeks off my total NROL time if I only do 6 workouts for Stages 2 & 3. As it is, I'm going to have to split my weights and metabolic workouts starting next week, since I go back to work tomorrow. And really, I'm just not in the right frame of mind for NROL. I need something less structured.

I would love to just cut NROL for Abs short and not even finish it out, but I've never quit a program that I've started, unless you count my second round of Body for Life, when I got the flu 7 weeks in. Or I can suck it up for 5 more weeks and just do the minimum number of workouts then move on. I'm leaning toward that option.

I'm also not sure I want to coach the Go Far running program at the elementary school this year. Well, I would like to, but I don't want to be a Head Coach. I just want to come when I can, rather than have to be there every single session because very few other parents volunteer. I would very likely attend every training session anyway, but I want to be part of the support team, not a team leader. I have enough shit that I absolutely must take responsibility for this fall with the PTO. I don't know if I can handle being a Head Coach on top of all that. I do want to run the Outer Banks 8K in November, which our Go Far kids would do (along with the Buccaneer 5K and the Fun Run) and my son wants to run the 5K (though I don't think he is ready because he won't train with Go Far - all he will do is piss and moan and cry). So I don't know. I'm so stressed and I really don't know how much I can handle. Go Far wouldn't start for a few weeks, probably even after my main PTO responsibilities end. I might be able to manage it. I don't know. I don't know anything anymore.

So what do I want to do when I am done with NROL for Abs? I need to start training for my Spartan Race in March. Man, I am regretting signing up for that thing, for many reasons I won't get into. I'm sure, once I do it, I won't regret it, but right now, and for the next six months, I will probably wish I hadn't jumped into the commitment. It's expensive and 8 hours from home and I'm not even sure if the whole family will be going, as planned. Regardless, I need to train for it. I think I'm just going to go with a mix of CrossFit and Bodyrock TV workouts, along with whatever WoDs the Spartan Race people mail out each day, as well as Mark Sisson's WoWs. I'm also going to throw some CrossFit Kids WoDs into the mix if I can get my kid to cooperate.

New Rules of Lifting for Abs - Week 9 - Wednesday

More bad eating, more sitting on my butt. I don't care.

New Rules of Lifting for Abs - Week 9 - Tuesday

front plank & pulldown 1x12 each side
side plank & row 1x12 each side
Swiss ball jackknife 1x12
cable kneeling cross-body lift 1x12 each side - I can't do this one because I don't have the equipment, but I'm going to keep writing it in

front squat 1x6x50 lbs 1x4x55 lbs, 1x2x60 lbs, 1x6x55 lbs - I was actually supposed to do shoulder presses and forgot and did front squats instead. I did front squats on Saturday. Now I have to remember to the shoulder presses in their place on Monday. Then the remainder of my Stage 2 workouts will look weird because I don't have to do front squats again. Grr. But yay, I don't have to do front squats again, at least not in Stage 2. I don't remember what's in Stage 3.

barbell step up 4x8x105 lbs each side
one-arm dumbbell push press 4x8x25 lbs each side

dumbbell offload squat 2x8x20&30 lbs - switch sides on second set
(assisted) mixed grip chin up 2x8 - reverse grip on second set

metabolic workout: dumbbell swings (10-12 swings per minute for 12 minutes) - I did 12 swings per minute with a 30 pound bell.

Honestly, I was just going to take a week off from working out. I'm not tracking food or points. I just can't. I don't have it in me to care one little bit. Ultimately, I decided not to take a break from NROL just because I want to get the whole thing over with and move on to something else.

New Rules of Lifting for Abs - Week 9 - Monday

I was selected as SparkPeople Motivator of the Day today. Again. I don't know what weird method they have for selecting their MoDs but this is the second time my name has shown up in the last year. I definitely don't feel like a good motivator or role model lately. I haven't been trying as hard as I should, or caring as much as I should, or hell, even pretending to care at the very least.

Another Meatless Monday, another uninspired and uncreative day of food. I really need to get back into trying new vegetarian dishes instead of eating rabbit food.

Food:
banana, coffee w/ skim milk [1]
cheese omelet w/ salsa [5]
cheese & carrot sticks [6]
breakfast quinoa w/ walnuts [17] - I wasn't crazy about this at all.

I used all of my daily points and have 49 weekly points remaining.

New Rules of Lifting for Abs - Week 8 - Saturday & Sunday

suspended fallout 1x12 each side
Swiss ball mountain climber 1x12 each side
cable half-kneeling chop 1x12 each side - I can't do this one because I don't have the equipment, but I'm going to keep writing it in

front squat 1x6x55 lbs 1x4x60 lbs, 1x2x65 lbs, 1x6x60 lbs

dumbbell split squat 4x8x30 lbs each side
dumbbell two-point row 4x8x30 lbs each side

wide-grip deadlift w/ feet on weight plate 4x8x90 lbs
dumbbell alternating chest press on partial bench 4x8x25 lbs each side

metabolic workout: burpees (6-10 per minute for 12 minutes) - I did 10 burpees per minute.

Crappy food weekend. I just want to give up. I've struggled for four years and I'm sick and fucking tired of it.

New Rules of Lifting for Abs - Week 8 - Friday

My son tricked me into eating some breakfast biscotti!! I was trying to explain to dip it in his coffee and he wanted me to show him, so I dipped it to take a nibble, then after I bit into it, he didn't want it. So I had to suck up the points rather than toss it in the trash. I hate wasting food, especially after seeing how much gets thrown away at work.

Food:
coffee w/ skim milk [2]
breakfast biscotti [5]
yogurt w/ cinnamon & apple, toast [8]
salad w/ turkey breast, olive oil & salsa [6]
pizza & wings [18] - I wanted this but I didn't want. I felt guilty but managed to stop with two slices. I did go for a third but put it back. I went to the refrigerator for not-so-healthy foods several times after eating the pizza, and I almost caved. But I went with carrot sticks & fruit instead.
apple & carrot sticks [0]

I used all of my daily points and have 31 weekly points remaining. No calorie info today because I was too lazy to add the pizza and wings to my nutrition tracker.

New Rules of Lifting for Abs - Week 8 - Thursday

I ended up having an apple after I posted my blog last night.

front plank & pulldown 1x12 each side
side plank & row 1x12 each side
Swiss ball jackknife 1x12
cable kneeling cross-body lift 1x12 each side - I can't do this one because I don't have the equipment, but I'm going to keep writing it in

deadlift 1x7x95 lbs 1x5x100 lbs, 1x5x105 lbs, 1x5x100 lbs

barbell step up 4x8x100 lbs each side
one-arm dumbbell push press 4x8x25 lbs each side

dumbbell offload squat 2x8x15&25 lbs - switch sides on second set
(assisted) mixed grip chin up 2x8 - reverse grip on second set

metabolic workout: dumbbell swings (10-12 swings per minute for 11 minutes) - I did 12 swings per minute with a 30 pound bell.

And I forgot to change my reps for my extra strength for this current rotation. At the start of "week 2" I should have dropped the extra exercise by 1 rep per set and increased the weight. Oops.

Food:
coffee w/ skim milk [2]
apple & cottage cheese [5]
salad w/ turkey breast, olive oil & salsa [6]
crab cake, carrot sticks & cheese [4]
pork chops w/ (no mayo) coleslaw [9]
yogurt w/ apple & cinnamon [4]

I used all of my daily points and have 40 weekly points remaining.

1570 calories
46 g fat
156 g carbs
28 g fiber
143 g protein

New Rules of Lifting for Abs - Week 8 - Wednesday

My upper back and shoulders are so sore! I wonder if it's from the negative chin ups yesterday! Probably.

Food:
coffee w/ skim milk [3]
cheese omelet w/ turkey bacon [9]
salad w/ crab meat & dressing [6]
breakfast biscotti [5] - I was testing a recipe. It's really good :(
stuffed cabbage [8]
yogurt w/ apple & cinnamon [4]

I used all of my daily points and have 41 weekly points remaining.

1487 calories
55 g fat
119 g carbs
16 g fiber
126 g protein

New Rules of Lifting for Abs - Week 8 - Tuesday

suspended fallout 1x12 each side
Swiss ball mountain climber 1x12 each side
cable half-kneeling chop 1x12 each side - I can't do this one because I don't have the equipment, but I'm going to keep writing it in

chin up 1x8, 1x6, 1x4, 1x8 - I did negatives instead of assisted chin ups.

dumbbell split squat 4x8x30 lbs each side
dumbbell two-point row 4x8x30 lbs each side

wide-grip deadlift w/ feet on weight plate 4x8x95 lbs
dumbbell alternating chest press on partial bench 4x8x25 lbs each side

metabolic workout: burpees (6-10 per minute for 11 minutes) - I did 10 burpees per minute.

Food:
coffee w/ 1% milk [3]
yogurt w/ apple & cinnamon [4]
salad w/ tuna, light dressing [5]
shrimp & whole wheat pasta w/ onions & olive oil [7]
shrimp & crab cakes [4]
apple [0]
peanut butter & nutella on sandwich thin [8]

I used all 29 of my daily points and have 47 weekly points remaining.

1529 calories
39 g fat
193 g carbs
32 g fiber
112 g protein

I struggled a lot with being hungry. I kept grabbing carrots. It's such a pain to grab a carrot, weigh it, run to Spark and log it in the tracker. I think I need to start making them in 4 ounce packs or something. But that would be a lot of pain in the ass prep. And I ate too many carbs again today.

New Rules of Lifting for Abs - Week 8 - Monday

I completely lost it last night. I shoveled whatever carbs and fat I could find into my mouth - sandwiches, cereal, candy bars that I specifically went out to buy. I didn't care. I still just don't care. I'm finding it hard to give a shit about anything these days.

I know I'm eating way too many carbs, especially on Meatless Mondays. I don't know why I keep doing Meatless Monday. I like the "challenge" of it, even though it's not much of a challenge anymore, after almost two years. I like the food I tend to focus on on Mondays - beans and quinoa and bulgur. I like oats. I like pasta and breads. I don't think I go overboard with them, but I probably eat too much of them for my body.

Today I measured, weighed and logged every little thing, including vegetables and fruit, into SparkPeople's nutrition tracker. For the record, I hate all that crap. I don't mind measuring my non-vegetable food, but logging it really is a pain in the ass, because Spark's web site hates me. It's slow as hell on my computer. Yes, I've cleared my cache and all that, and I'm using Chrome. But still, it takes forever to load. Or it will load and lock up. I really dislike that site sometimes. Great features but a pain to use.

Food:
coffee w/ skim milk [2]
yogurt w/ apple & cinnamon [4]
veggie salad w/ salsa & canola oil [2]
carrot sticks & red pepper slices [0]
Mexican bulgur skillet w/ cheese [7]
tea [0]
chocolate malted ricotta w/ banana & light whipped cream [7]
carrots [0]

So anyway, all that added up to 22 Weight Watchers PointsPlus. I get 29 per day. If you just throw all my totals (57 g protein, 203 g carbs, 34 g fiber, 34 g fat for 1317 calories) into the P+ calculator, it comes out to 32 points. Now, that's not technically how you calculate points - you're supposed to do it for individual foods/ingredients, then add together. Okay, let's do that. My veggie salad and salsa were both 0 points. My apple was 1.5 points. The carrots were 2 points. The banana was 3 points. That's another 6-7 points, which would give me 29 points for the day (if fruit & vegetables counted). I'm obviously over-thinking things but it's pretty clear how little I am going to have to eat in order to lose weight. And at this point, I am overweight. Again.

I wasn't really all that hungry today. I ate when I thought I should eat, and I definitely ate carrots when I wasn't hungry. I would have loved to eat for the sake of eating, though, if it had been unhealthy foods. There was no joy in any of my meals today.

New Rules of Lifting for Abs - Week 7 - Sunday

Down half a pound this week, and still up another half from my last "low" (which is was really 10 pound up from my actual low). I've been eating within my Weight Watchers ranges (including my weeklies). It's frustrating, to say the least. I've been on my weight loss journey for four years, and of that, two of the years I've been doing Weight Watchers. And I've actually gained 10 pounds in those two years. What the hell is wrong with me? Every time I fall off the wagon, even just a little, it gets harder and harder to lose weight. And I know I'm eating too many carbs, especially breads. I need to cut back on that. The reason I like Weight Watchers is that I don't have to give those up, in theory. In practice, though, I probably do. It's just that the mentality of "oh, I can't have that" makes me crazy and obsessive.

I think my biggest problem right now is stress. There is a lot going on in my life that I'm not sharing and it's really, really affecting me physically. So that could very well be my problem right now.

Food:
coffee w/ skim milk [2]
eggs w/ turkey bacon [7]
turkey breast w/ barbecue sauce, carrot sticks [5]
homemade chocolate pistachio biscotti [9]
chicken phyllo rolls w/ broccoli [14]

I used all of my daily points and have 14 weekly points going unused.

New Rules of Lifting for Abs - Week 7 - Saturday

I was up extremely late reading a book and I just did not want to work out today!! I wanted to sleep. I am happy to report, though, that while I was up reading, I started craving chocolate and did not have any.

front plank & pulldown 1x12 each side
side plank & row 1x12 each side
Swiss ball jackknife 1x12
cable kneeling cross-body lift 1x12 each side - I can't do this one because I don't have the equipment, but I'm going to keep writing it in

shoulder press 1x8x45 lbs 1x6x50 lbs, 1x4x55 lbs, 1x8x50 lbs

barbell step up 4x8x100 lbs each side
one-arm dumbbell push press 4x8x25 lbs each side

dumbbell offload squat 2x8x15&25 lbs - switch sides on second set
(assisted) mixed grip chin up 2x8 - reverse grip on second set

metabolic workout: dumbbell swings (10-12 swings per minute for 11 minutes) - I did 12 swings per minute with a 30 pound bell.

I dropped the weight on my push press because I was struggling with form last time. It was better this time. My left knee is still bothering me. Honestly, I can't even remember if I blogged about it at the beginning of the week.

Food:
coffee w/ skim milk [2]
apple & cottage cheese [5]
banana [0]
cheese omelet w/ bagel thin & butter [13]
venison tenderloin w/ glazed carrots [9]
chocolate pistachio biscotti [9]

I used all of my daily points and have 23 weekly points remaining. I did not get my oils in today.

New Rules of Lifting for Abs - Week 7 - Friday

I had a ham & cheese sandwich [7] after I posted my blog last night.

Food:
coffee w/ skim milk [1]
apple & cottage cheese [5]
turkey & avocado w/ salad vegetables & homemade dressing [11]
banana & cheese [4]
ham & olive oil on bagel thin [6]
oatmeal w/ banana, nutella & peanut butter [10]

I used all of my daily points and have 32 weekly points remaining.

New Rules of Lifting For Abs - Week 7 - Thursday

suspended fallout 1x12 each side
Swiss ball mountain climber 1x12 each side
cable half-kneeling chop 1x12 each side - I can't do this one because I don't have the equipment, but I'm going to keep writing it in

front squat 1x8x45 lbs 1x6x50 lbs, 1x4x55 lbs, 1x8x50 lbs

dumbbell split squat 4x8x30 lbs each side
dumbbell two-point row 4x8x30 lbs each side

wide-grip deadlift w/ feet on weight plate 4x8x90 lbs
dumbbell alternating chest press on partial bench 4x8x25 lbs each side

metabolic workout: burpees (6-10 per minute for 11 minutes) - I did 10 burpees per minute. That's 120 burpees for the mathematically challenged.

Food:
coffee w/ skim milk [2]
turkey breast, & pasta w/ green beans & olive oil [12]
basmati rice w/ pork & carrots [12]
apple & yogurt [4]
banana [0]

I used all of my daily points and have 47 weekly points remaining.

New Rules of Lifting for Abs - Week 7 - Wednesday

Happy Blogiversary!!! I started this blog 4 years ago today.

Today's workout was walking to the beach and playing there.

Food:
coffee w/ skim milk [1]
apple & yogurt [3]
ham & cheese sandwich & carrot sticks [8]
rosemary ranch chicken with caramelized onions [17]

I used all of my daily points and have 48 weekly points remaining. I really wanted some oatmeal with peanut butter but I just wasn't hungry.

New Rules of Lifting for Abs - Week 7 - Tuesday

My left knee started bothering me yesterday and I can't figure out why. I worked out with a knee brace today. It's just a sharp stabbing pain in the top/front of the knee cap when I bend & flex. Almost like a cramp in the knee.

I also switched to a barbell for my step ups. I only have a short step so I'm going to go even heavier next week to get a better workout with a shorter range of motion.

front plank & pulldown 1x12 each side
side plank & row 1x12 each side
Swiss ball jackknife 1x12
cable kneeling cross-body lift 1x12 each side - I can't do this one because I don't have the equipment, but I'm going to keep writing it in

deadlift 1x8x85 lbs 1x6x90 lbs, 1x4x95 lbs, 1x8x90 lbs

barbell step up 4x8x85 lbs each side
one-arm dumbbell push press 4x8x30 lbs each side

dumbbell offload squat 2x8x15&25 lbs - switch sides on second set
(assisted) mixed grip chin up 2x8 - reverse grip on second set

metabolic workout: dumbbell swings (10-12 swings per minute for 10 minutes) - I did 120 swings with a 30 pound bell.

Food:
coffee w/ skim milk [2]
eggs, turkey bacon & sandwich thin w/ homemade apple spread [11]
veggie salad w/ green beans, almonds & olive oil [7]
ham & cheese wrap [6]
apple & yogurt [3]

I used all of my daily points and have 44 weekly points remaining. We went to Chick-fil-A for dinner and I did not want a salad. I knew it would not satisfy me and I could not trust myself to eat a sandwich & fries, dipping so far into my weeklies so early in the week. So I didn't get anything and just made something when I got home. I'm not happy about that. I want to be able to eat fast food but I can't do moderation right now. I know, without any doubt, it would have screwed my whole week up. It sucks.

New Rules of Lifting for Abs - Week 7 - Monday

I've set a goal for myself - do at least 10 minutes of exercise AND clean something in my house, every day this month. Even if that exercise is just dancing, I need to be doing something. And I have to get my house cleaned. We go back to school/work at the end of the month.

Today's workout was the 25-minute Party Express from Rockin' Body. I decided to start wearing my heart rate monitor for cardio and metabolic workouts. My net burn was 128 calories. I was really uncoordinated, but it was my first time. The moves aren't really that complicated.

Food:
coffee w/ skim milk [2]
cheese omelet & banana [5]
three bean & quinoa salad w/ onion & peppers [8]
salad w/ avocado, almonds, cheese & light dressing [12]
apple & yogurt [4]

I used all of my daily points and have 48 weekly points remaining. Dinner was supposed to be something totally different and satisfying but something went wrong and I had to scramble for something meatless. Even at 12 points, it was not filling at all, and the rest of the evening was miserable. I didn't want to dip into my weeklies too much because we're going to my favorite restaurant, Chick-fil-A, tomorrow!

New Rules of Lifting for Abs - Week 6 - Sunday

I am up a pound this week. I wonder if I'm eating too much fruit.

Food:
coffee w/ skim milk [2]
cheese omelet w/ turkey bacon [9]
carrot sticks & pepper slices [0]
apple & cottage cheese [5]
venison burger w/ salad, cheese & homemade dressing [7] - I had to choose between a burger on a sandwich thin and two burgers (either would have been 6 points) and I'm glad I chose not to go with a burger on a sandwich thin because I would have wasted 3 points, as I was satisfied eating just one burger without bread (which would have just made me hungry).
oatmeal w/ banana, peanut butter & nutella [9]

I used all of my daily points did not go over my weeklies like I thought I would. It was hard, too.

New Rules of Lifting for Abs - Week 6 - Saturday

suspended fallout 1x12 each side
Swiss ball mountain climber 1x12 each side
cable half-kneeling chop 1x12 each side - I can't do this one because I don't have the equipment, but I'm going to keep writing it in

chin up 1x8, 1x6, 1x4, 1x8 - all assisted

dumbbell split squat 4x8x30 lbs each side
dumbbell two-point row 4x8x30 lbs each side

wide-grip deadlift w/ feet on weight plate 4x8x85 lbs
dumbbell alternating chest press on partial bench 4x8x25 lbs each side

metabolic workout: burpees (6-10 per minute for 10 minutes) - I got in 100 burpees. Next time, we do 11 minutes. Yay.

Food:
coffee w/ skim milk [1]
cheese omelet & toast w/ butter [8]
salad w/ light dressing, fruit & almonds [7]
cheese [4]
apple & pepper slices [0]
three bean & quinoa salad [9]
cheesecake pudding [2] - It's National Cheesecake Day!
oatmeal w/ banana, peanut butter & Nutella [9]

I used all of my daily points and have 3 weekly points remaining. Yes, 3 freaking points, with one day to go. I know technically, I have activity points but since it's so subjective, I can't confidently assign APs to my workouts. So that's just cushion.

New Rules of Lifting for Abs - Week 6 - Friday

I had a banana after I posted last night.

Today's workout was another short one - Mark, Move & Groove from Rockin' Body. Still fun!

I spent the day watching Day 1 of the CrossFit Games. It was incredibly inspiring! These men and women are in phenomenal shape. I know I will never make it as a competitor (though the old fogey Masters category is a possibility in 15-20 years) but it looks like "fun" in a twisted sort of way. I'll just wait and see how my March Spartan Race goes before I go getting all crazy.

Food:
coffee w/ skim milk [3]
scrambled eggs w/ onion, green pepper & cheese, sandwich thin w/ homemade apple spread [8]
salad w/ fruit, light dressing & almonds [7]
apple & yogurt [2]
three bean & quinoa salad w/ onions, green peppers & tomatoes [9]
apple [0]
oatmeal w/ peanut butter & nutella [8]

I used all of my daily points and have 14 weekly points remaining. I'm hungry, damn it.

New Rules of Lifting for Abs - Week 6 - Thursday

Of course, as soon as I posted last night that I wasn't hungry for anything, I wanted a peanut butter & nutella sandwich. I probably could have done without it but I will take the 8 point hit.

front plank & pulldown 1x12 each side
side plank & row 1x12 each side
Swiss ball jackknife 1x12
cable kneeling cross-body lift 1x12 each side - I can't do this one because I don't have the equipment, but I'm going to keep writing it in

shoulder press 1x8x45 lbs 1x6x50 lbs, 1x4x55 lbs, 1x8x50 lbs

dumbbell step up 4x8x30 lbs each side
one-arm dumbbell push press 4x8x30 lbs each side

dumbbell offload squat 2x8x10&20 lbs - switch sides on second set
(assisted) mixed grip chin up 2x8 - reverse grip on second set

metabolic workout: dumbbell swings (10-12 swings per minute for 10 minutes) - I did 12 swings per minute with a 20 pound dumbbell. I'd never done swings before. I really had to focus on using my hips to drive the movement and not my arms.

Food:
coffee w/ skim milk [3]
banana & cottage cheese [5]
salad w/ cheese, hard boiled egg & homemade dressing [9]
apple, ham & cheese roll up [6]
homemade beef stew [10]
cheese omelet w/ bagel thin [8]

I used all of my daily points and have 22 weekly points remaining. I think I'm going to have to start figuring activity points again because I am hungry! I'm not even craving bad food - just food!

New Rules of Lifting for Abs - Week 6 - Wednesday

I spent the entire morning and a good part of the afternoon moving furniture and dancing with the vacuum and mop. I had a blast. Then, I did the 15 minute beginner segment from Shaun T's Rockin' Body. My step-daughter did it with me and it was so much fun. I would have done the next segment if I'd had time.

Food:
coffee w/ skim milk [2]
hard boiled eggs & banana [4]
ham sandwich, salad w/ homemade dressing [9]
apple & yogurt [3]
carrot sticks [0]
mahi mahi w/ cheesy mixed vegetables [12]
banana [0]

I used all of my daily points and have 42 weekly points remaining. I kept hoping I'd find something else I wanted to eat but I just wasn't hungry after that banana. I wasn't all that hungry before the banana, and I probably shouldn't have eaten it.

New Rules of Lifting for Abs - Week 6 - Tuesday

suspended fallout 1x12
Swiss ball mountain climber 1x12 each side
cable half-kneeling chop 1x12 each side - I can't do this one because I don't have the equipment, but I'm going to keep writing it in

front squat 1x8x45 lbs 1x6x50 lbs, 1x4x55 lbs, 1x8x50 lbs - I really hate these. I tried two different grips. One hurts my wrists, the other hurts the front of my shoulders. I can't win. So I bitch and moan.

dumbbell split squat 4x8x30 lbs each side
dumbbell two-point row 4x8x25 lbs each side

wide-grip deadlift w/ feet on weight plate 4x8x85 lbs
dumbbell alternating chest press on partial bench 3x8x30 lbs, 1x8x25 lbs each side - I had a hard time getting into the right position and ulitimately had to drop the weight down a bit.

metabolic workout: burpees (6-10 per minute for 10 minutes) - I did not wear my heart rate monitor for this, even though there's a spot for it on my spreadsheet. I only used the HRM to figure Weight Watchers Activity Points, but since I don't seem to be burning jack shit no matter how hard I work out, I don't bother with APs any more. I did get 100 burpees though.

Food:
coffee w/ skim milk [1]
hard boiled eggs, bagel thin w/ butter [10]
banana [0]
ham salad w/ fat free dressing & olive oil [4]
apple & yogurt [3]
homemade turkey & cheese calzone [13]
apple, ham & cheese [4] - I was not hungry when I ate these. I should not have had them.

I used all of my daily points and have 43 weekly points remaining.

New Rules of Lifting for Abs - Week 6 - Monday

There are 160 days left in the year. Just sayin'.

I did mean to work out today - I was going to do Shaun T's Rockin' Body or the metabolic workout from tomorrow's workout (because I'll have to separate them once I go back to work anyway) but we just got so busy that I never got time. I will get all of my workout tomorrow and if it's raining, some Rockin' Body. Otherwise, we're hitting the pool. It's not big enough for real exercise but I'll do what I can.

Food:
coffee w/ skim milk [1]
hard boiled eggs & mandarin oranges [4]
banana & cottage cheese [5]
three bean & quinoa salad w/ onions, green peppers & tomatoes [8]
apple & yogurt [3]
carrot sticks [0]
cheese & tomato sandwich w/ light mayo & mustard [8]

I used all of my daily points and have 49 weekly points remaining.

New Rules of Lifting for Abs - Week 5 - Sunday

I'm feeling totally defeated. I'm only down 2 pounds so far this month. Yeah, healthy rate of loss, STFU. I don't want to hear it. I know how it goes and don't need anyone "teaching me a lesson" about it all. I feel hungry all the time and this week I tried using some of my weekly points every day. I'm not over-exercising and I'm certain I'm eating enough for my activity level. I'm really stressed about the upcoming school year - I don't really want to go back to work, and I'm dreading my duties as PTO Vice President. I'm not at all happy in my marriage and that is stressing me out, too.

Food:
coffee w/ skim milk [1]
turkey bacon, chocolate pancakes w/ light whipped cream [12]
turkey breast w/ mixed vegetables [5]
roast beef & cheese wrap [9]
cheese [2]

And then I ate a bunch of crap. I hate this fucking cycle.

New Rules of Lifting for Abs - Week 5 - Saturday

anti-rotation static hold - 2x30 sec each side I didn't do this one today because I was too lazy to load up a barbell to hold the squat rack in place so I wouldn't drag it across the room when I pulled on my resistance band.
elevated plank - 10x10 sec
elevated side plank - 5x10 sec each side

dumbbell single-leg Romanian deadlift 3x12x30 lbs each leg
dumbbell alternating shoulder press 3x12x20 lbs each arm

overhead squat - 3x12x25 lbs
cable kneeling pulldown - 3x12x60 lbs

Thankfully, this was the last Stage 1 workout. I hate 12 reps, have I mentioned?

Food:
coffee w/ skim milk [2]
apple & cottage cheese [5]
roast beef & cheese sandwich, green beans [10]
turkey curry wrap w/ carrot sticks [12]
cake & ice cream [7]
cheese [4]

I used all of my daily points and have 14 weekly points remaining.

New Rules of Lifting for Abs - Week 5 - Friday

It was two years ago today that I realized I am a binge eater and began taking steps to deal with it. If you've even half-assed followed my blog, you know I have made absolutely zero progress.

Food:
banana, coffee w/ skim milk [1]
egg salad sandwich [8]
cheese & cantaloupe [4]
carrot sticks [0]
crumb-coated chicken [5]
homemade roast beef & cheese sandwiches [12]
apple [0]
banana [0]

I used all of my daily points and have 25 weekly points remaining. I'm absolutely starving today. I am going to run out of weekly points :(

New Rules of Lifting for Abs - Week 5 - Thursday

plank - 2x90 sec
side plank - 2x45 sec, each side

split squat, front foot elevated - 3x12x30 lbs, each side
suspended row - 3x12

Romanian deadlift - 3x12x115 lbs
push up - 3x12

Food:
coffee w/ skim milk [2]
cantaloupe & cottage cheese [5]
cheese omelet, bagel thin w/ cream cheese [11]
cheese & carrot sticks [4]
cantaloupe [0]
turkey w/ green beans & homemade spicy sauce [7]
cake & ice cream [7]
egg salad sandwich [6]

I used all of my daily points and have 26 weekly points remaining. I was hungry all day and it was really hard not to eat more.

New Rules of Lifting for Abs - Week 5 - Wednesday

I had a banana after I posted my blog last night.

Food:
coffee w/ skim milk [1]
scrambled eggs w/ cheese, sandwich thin w/ homemade apple spread [8]
salad w/ turkey, cheese & homemade dressing [8]
banana & carrot sticks [0]
crumb-coated chicken w/ mixed vegetables [10]
cake & ice cream [7]
apple [0]

I used all of my daily points and have 39 weekly points remaining.

New Rules of Lifting for Abs - Week 5 - Tuesday

anti-rotation static hold - 2x30 sec each side
elevated plank - 10x10 sec
elevated side plank - 5x10 sec each side

dumbbell single-leg Romanian deadlift 3x12x30 lbs each leg
dumbbell alternating shoulder press 3x12x20 lbs each arm

overhead squat - 3x12x25 lbs
cable kneeling pulldown - 3x12x60 lbs

Food:
banana, coffee w/ skim milk [2]
eggs & turkey bacon, sandwich thin w/ homemade apple spread [12]
veggie salad w/ homemade dressing [1]
cheese [4]
turkey curry wrap [10]
banana, carrot sticks [0]

I used all of my daily points and have 44 weekly points remaining. I really wanted to eat more today. I did eat when I was hungry (and felt guilty) and ate carrot sticks when I wasn't sure I was hungry. Tomorrow is my son's birthday. I'm baking a cake that's going to be 4 points per serving without frosting. I plan on freezing half the cake and eating once piece. I hope like hell I can stick to just ONE piece.

New Rules of Lifting for Abs - Week 5 - Monday

No workout today. I'd planned on taking my son to the park first thing in the morning but he was a sleepyhead and didn't get up until it was too late to go before an appointment he had.

I got news this afternoon that I won a copy of Beachbody's Brazil Butt Lift, courtesy of Saturday Fitness Beatdown on Facebook. Every week, someone posts a 2-minute fitness challenge (usually a Beachbody exercise) and you're supposed to record it and upload it to the challenge page. Every submission gets an entry in the monthly drawing. My 2 entries this month won me the prize! Yay!

Food:
coffee w/ skim milk [2]
oatmeal w/ protein powder, Nutella & banana [7]
brown rice w/ mixed vegetables & cheese [11]
apple [0]
banana [0]
vegetable salad w/ fat free dressing & chow mein noodles [3]
scrambled eggs w/ cheese, sandwich thin w/ cream cheese [11]

I used all of my daily points and have 44 weekly points remaining. It's been a while since I've dipped into my weeklies on the first day of the week.

New Rules of Lifting for Abs - Week 4 - Sunday

plank - 2x90 sec
side plank - 2x45 sec, each side

split squat, front foot elevated - 3x12x30 lbs, each side
suspended row - 3x12

Romanian deadlift - 3x12x105 lbs
push up - 3x12

The workout sucked and I hated every second of it. At one point, I posted on my Facebook wall that I was out of gas and was going to go back to being fat and lazy. I'm not, of course, but I'm drowning in desperation. Food sucked yesterday and it sucked today and there is no longer any doubt in my mind that junk food makes me angry and depressed. I was a raging, emotional bitch today. I wish I could pig out on cheese & nuts instead of simple sugars and trans fats.

New Rules of Lifting for Abs - Week 4 - Saturday

Food:
coffee w/ skim milk [2]
hard boiled eggs, bagel thin w/ cream cheese [10]
banana [0]
ham salad w/ homemade dressing & almonds [10]
chocolate [10] - What a waste of points :( I'm mad at myself for eating it.
protein granola bar [4] - I was experimenting and tasted what I made. It needs work - mainly ditching the honey and using a different sweetener, whether it ends up being sugar or Splenda.
apple [0]

And then I lost control. I started eating the granola bars, because I knew no one else in the family would like them. Then we ordered pizza for my son's sleepover and I didn't even try to be good about it. Then it was just snack after snack. And it turns out, my husband LOVES the granola bars and my step-daughter likes them, as well. My son did not like them at all. So those stupid granola bars (but really the chocolate), set off this ridiculous spiral.

But I will be back on plan tomorrow, even without weekly points - I will try to stick to Power Foods. I have 4 Stage1 workouts left, and I want to get them all done in Week 5, so I will be lifting tomorrow. I'm quite sick of Stage 1 and I could go ahead and move to Stage 2, but I'm determined to do 8 of each workout.

New Rules of Lifting for Abs - Week 4 - Friday

anti-rotation static hold - 2x30 sec each side
elevated plank - 10x10 sec
elevated side plank - 5x10 sec each side

dumbbell single-leg Romanian deadlift 3x12x30 lbs each leg
dumbbell alternating shoulder press 3x12x20 lbs each arm

overhead squat - 3x12x25 lbs
cable kneeling pulldown - 3x12x55 lbs

Food:
coffee w/ skim milk [1]
protein-fortified French toast w/ light syrup & turkey bacon [11]
banana, salad w/ homemade dressing, ham & cheese sandwich [9]
carrot sticks & cheese [4]
tilapia w/ green beans & low fat hollandaise sauce [6]
apple [0]
cheese omelet & bagel thin w/ cream cheese [11]

I used all of my daily points and have 27weekly points remaining. Another hungry day. It drove me nuts.

New Rules of Lifting for Abs - Week 4 - Thursday

I took Sebastian to the park again, instead of working out. It was gorgeous weather!!

Food:
coffee w/ skim milk [2]
cheese omelet, bagel thin w/ cream cheese [11]
salad w/ tuna fish, homemade dressing, cheese & almonds [9]
carrot stick [0]
turkey sloppy joe on wheat bun [11]
banana [0]

I used all of my daily points and have 40 weekly points remaining. I was hungry today. I kept snacking on carrot sticks and hated it. I wanted food - good food. It sucked not being able to eat what I wanted.

New Rules of Lifting for Abs - Week 4 - Wednesday

plank - 2x90 sec
side plank - 2x45 sec, each side

split squat, front foot elevated - 3x12x30 lbs, each side
suspended row - 3x12

Romanian deadlift - 3x12x105 lbs
push up - 3x12

I increased the weight for the split squat and the deadlift. I still hate 12 rep sets.

Food:
banana, coffee w/ skim milk [1]
chicken breast w/ green beans & olive oil [6]
raw vegetables slices, egg salad on light English muffin [6]
cheese [2]
cheese & avocado omelet, bagel thin w/ light cream cheese [14]
apple & cottage cheese [5]

I'm having major problems with guilt and weekly point hoarding. I've been trying to wait as long as possible to eat, and then I don't want to eat more than I "have" to. I feel like I should be letting the points dictate my minimum and not my hunger. I'm still resenting that my husband gets to eat nuts and cheese to meet his daily points. I've barely touched my weekly points, and it's painful to dip into them. It's so stupid because I'll get to the weekend and panic with an overwhelming need to use up 30 points. I've considered spreading them out evenly over the week but that freaks me out because it feels like "too much" food. But I'm hungry and it's hard to find things that really satisfy me. What the hell is a serving of nuts (at 5 points) going to do for me? Jack shit. Some broccoli? Yeah, that's satisfying. I hate this whole situation. I hate being afraid to eat, I hate pigging out on junk, I hate that it causes so much distress. I'm cranky because I'm hungry and when I eat, I'm cranky because I'm overweight.  I can't win.

I used all of my daily points and have 44 weekly points remaining.