ChaLean Extreme - Week 11 - Monday

Lean Circuit 3 - 1 set of 12 (or at least 10) to failure of the following:

squat w/ cross-body chop (+1 set of 3 squats, super slow) [20 lb dumbbell, a pair for the breakdown set]
reverse lunge w/ Arnold press(+1 set of 3 presses, super slow) [15 lb dumbbell]
chest fly w/ hip lift (+1 set of 3 hip lifts, super slow) [15 lb dumbbells]
kneeling overhead press w/ center crunch (+1 set of 3 presses, super slow) [15 lb dumbbells]
push up w/ side plank (+1 set of 3 push ups, super slow) [12 on toes, 3 breakdown on knees]
dead lift w/ frontal press (+1 set of 3 presses, super slow) [15 lb dumbbells]
traveling push ups (+1 set of 3 triceps push ups, super slow) [7 on toes, 3 on knees, 3 breakdown on knees]
chest fly w/ abduction (+1 set of 3 flies, super slow) [15 lb dumbbells]
Army crawl (+1 set of 3 planks w/ leg lifts per leg, super slow)

I managed to increase most of my weights this week!

And holy crap! My husband was looking at my dumbbells and told be that because one set of handles is solid and the other is hollow, the 10s and the 15s are probably about the same weight, once you factor in the weight of the handles. Sure enough, when we weighed them, the 10s weigh 14 pounds and the 15s weigh 16 pounds. So, I'm stronger than I think LOL

I wanted to do a little bit more exercise today, and didn't think I'd get a chance to walk, and I couldn't use the regular DVD player (because I absolutely had to listen to the radio this morning and I can't do both!), so I did my first Bodyweight 100. You may remember my obsession a few months ago with the Spartan 300 workouts, especially after Craig Ballantyne posted his video of the circuit. It's a workout the actors of the movie 300 did near the end of their training, and it's pretty hardcore. Anyway, I've decided that I will do one, eventually, but I'll have to build up to it. I spent days researching and making copies of the various versions, and today, I did my very first. It was just 100 reps:

5 bodyweight rows
15 bodyweight squats
5 pushups (on the toes)
50 jumping jacks
10 mountain climbers
5 lunges (per leg)
5 bodyweight rows

You do these with no rest in between exercises. I completed it in 2m47s. I probably could have done it quicker, but I had to keep checking my list to see what was next. I expect the time to get better once I memorize the list. I'm not going to bother logging these in my fitness tracker, but I'll make a note whenever I do one. I'm going to shoot for once a week. I really wanted to tack on a jump rope tabata but I couldn't concentrate on my timer and put 100% effort into it. Again, since I had to have the morning radio show on (it was Ass Masters day - all they do is fart to see who can go the longest - yes, I'm classy like that), I couldn't have my mp3 player (which has my tabata track) plugged in. Maybe Wednesday!

By the end of the day, my body felt like it smacked the pavement from 30 feet. I think I'm really going to ache tomorrow.

My schedule is wonky this week because my husband's truck is out of commission and I have to take him to work, so there's not time to workout before I take my son to school. The upside of that is that I can actually do a little extra with my workouts, and I really need to kick things up a notch because I would LOVE to lose the last 21 pounds before the wedding we're attending in September.

6:30 AM - coffee w/ half-and-half & Splenda

7:10 AM - apple & yogurt; I desperately need to go grocery shopping! I haven't been out of cottage cheese in the longest time.

9:45 AM - homemade protein granola bar; There was 1.5 bars left and I just finished the batch off. I was hungry!

12:15 PM - tomato, onion & green pepper omelet w/ turkey bacon and cheese sandwich; Yes, I made it a sandwich. And it was good.

2:30 PM - baby carrots & mozzarella string cheese

5:15 PM - roast & broccoli w/ sweet onion vinaigrette

7:45 PM - ice cream & almonds; I limited myself to 1 serving.

Calories - 1833
Carbs - 187 (30 fiber)
Protein - 114
Fat - 74
C/P/F Ratio - 40/24.4/35.7

ChaLean Extreme - Week 10 - Sunday

Weigh in day, and it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be - 136, so I'm down that pound I gained last week. Only 21 pounds to goal. But weight really isn't a good indicator. My husband told me the other day "You're wasting away." I am by no means skinny yet (I'm not even 5'2") but he's definitely noticed the loss. I did complain that I wasn't putting on any good muscle (which I know I can't do in a caloric deficit) but he scoffed. And the other day he was staring at me - it was hot and I'd taken my shirt off - and I asked what the hell he was looking at. He said he was looking at my abs. Dude must have some funky kind of fat x-ray vision because my abs are nowhere to be seen just yet. Well, my belly puffs out in the middle and cuts in on the sides, instead of just being completely Santa's bowl full of jelly, so there's something going on there. I think the best changes have been in my shoulders. Thank you, Chalene! All that shoulder work in ChaLean Extreme!

I went for a walk today - 5 miles in 1:17:37.

9:10 AM - turkey bacon, scrambled eggs w/ onion, green pepper, picante sauce & mozzarella cheese, coffee w/ half-and-half & Splenda

11:40 AM - the crust of my son's sandwich; This kid kills me! The bread is homemade. There's no crust on it. But he still won't eat the edges!! I didn't log it.

12:50 PM - grilled cheese & tomato sandwich w/ mustard, baby carrots

3:35 PM - homemade protein granola bar, apple, carrots

6:00 PM - homemade pizza; This was so good! I made a whole wheat (stuffed) crust and topped it with cheese, sauce, pepperoni, onions, green peppers, black olives & jalapenos. I stuck to one piece (1/6 of the pizza) and it was totally satisfying - much better than I remember any commercial pizza tasting.

8:15 PM - homemade protein granola bar

Calories - 1722
Carbs - 197 (30 fiber)
Protein - 93
Fat - 67
C/P/F Ratio - 44.7/21.2/34.1

ChaLean Extreme - Week 10 - Saturday

Fat burn Challenge & Recharge today. I was in no mood to do either, especially not the Recharge. I wanted to add on a Tae Bo video but my son has been a major brat lately and I just can't stand it anymore. I'm going to go crazy during the summer - I can barely handle Spring Break. I wish we could enroll him in some sort of summer program but I don't see that happening.

I was so hungry today and nothing sounded good. I expect no loss on the scale tomorrow.

9:10 AM - Total cereal w/ milk, granola bar

11:10 AM - turkey chili salad w/ mozzarella, coffee w/ half-and-half & Splenda

3:00 PM - turkey sandwich w/ mustard

6:30 PM - turkey chili, granola bar

8:00 PM - toast w/ margarine

Calories - 1972
Carbs - 222 (38 fiber)
Protein - 118
Fat - 73
C/P/F Ratio - 44/23.5/32.5

ChaLean Extreme - Week 10 - Friday

Lean Circuit 2 - 1 set of 12 (or at least 10) to failure of the following:

sumo squat w/ anterior deltoid lift (+1 set of 3 squats, super slow) [15 lb dumbbell, a pair for breakdown set]
double-arm row w/ single leg lift (+1 set of 3 rows, super slow) [15 lb dumbbells]
single hamstring curl w/ lateral raise (+1 set of 3 raises, super slow) [5 lb dumbbell, 10 for breakdown set]
runner's lunge w/ double-arm rows (+1 set of 3 rows, super slow) [15 lb dumbbells]
lateral raise w/ abduction (+1 set of 3 raises, super slow) [5 lb dumbbells]
plank w/ single-arm row (+1 set of 3 push ups, super slow) [15 lb dumbbell] - all on toes
reverse lunge w/ lateral raise (+1 set of 3 raises, super slow) [5 lb dumbbell]
posterior deltoid raise w/ leg lift (+1 set of 3 raises, super slow) [5 lb dumbbell]
squat w/ double-arm anterior deltoid lift (+1 set of 3 squats, super slow) [5 lb dumbbell, pair of 15 for breakdown set]

I don't like this circuit at all - all those stupid, weak little arm muscles. The whole 40 minutes today, I kept thinking to myself, "Two more weeks. Just. Two. More. Weeks." Of course, this means I need to work these muscles more. When I finish 30 Day Shred and I'm "designing" my own stuff again, I'll make sure to include some work for these weaklings.

I'm really hungry today, but feeling so bloated. I seriously feel like I've been stuffed into a sausage casing.

9:10 AM - apple & cottage cheese

10:35 AM - homemade granola bar

1:05 PM - turkey chili salad w/ mozzarella cheese, coffee w/ half-and-half & Splenda

4:15 PM - tuna salad w/ light balsamic dressing

6:15 PM - homemade granola bar

8:30 PM - scrambled eggs, ham, toast

Calories - 1776
Carbs - 172 (25 fiber)
Protein - 149
Fat - 61
C/P/F Ratio - 37.5/32.5/30

ChaLean Extreme - Week 10 - Thursday

Get Lean Intervals today. I was going to do a Tae Bo ab workout but we got up late (because I could not sleep last night!!!) and I had house cleaning to do now that my company is gone. I'll try to do it Saturday. My son was funny during my workout. He said, "Mommy, this is my favorite workout!" I should make his little butt get up and do it with me. I catch him doing the moves every so often - not during the workout, but during the day. I hope he'll do the Tae Bo Kicks (I think that's the name of the one for kids) with me when he gets a little older. Right now, he only has enough attention span for Transformers and Geo Trax.

Beachbody has a new workout coming out, called Insanity. Indeed. I must have it.

Oh, and more reasons to love Craig Ballantyne! Jon Le Tocq of Storm Force Fitness posted an interview with Craig and it's full of great fitness information!!

9:10 AM - Total cereal w/ 2% milk

10:30 AM - homemade granola bar

11:15 AM - coffee w/ half-and-half & Splenda

2:00 PM - asparagus & cheese omelet

3:45 PM - homemade granola bar

6:15 PM - turkey chili

8:30 PM - turkey sandwich w/ mustard

Calories - 1637
Carbs - 194 (30 fiber)
Protein - 104
Fat - 54
C/P/F Ratio - 46.2/24.7/29.1

Protein Granola Bar - Recipe

2 1/2 cups (200 g) rolled oats
3 scoops (100 g) vanilla protein powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup (122 g) unsweetened applesauce
3 Tbs (20 g) ground flax
1/4 cup (84 g) honey
1/3 cup (80 g) brown sugar

1/2 cup (56 g) almonds (chopped)
1/2 cup (80 g) dried fruit (chopped)
1/2 cup (68 g) shredded coconut

Mix the oats, protein powder, baking soda, extract, applesauce, flax, honey, and brown sugar in a bowl. Stir in almonds, dried fruit, and coconut. Spray a 9x13 inch cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray. Press mixture over cookie sheet evenly to the edges. Bake 18-20 minutes in a 325 degree oven. Let cool and cut into 12 bars. Store in air-tight container in refrigerator.

Calories - 216.8
Fat - 6.4 g
Carbs - 33.2 g (3.9 fiber)
Protein - 10.7 g



If you make this and are a member of SparkPeople.com, please rate my recipe there! Thanks!

ChaLean Extreme - Week 10 - Wednesday

Lean Circuit 1 - 1 set of 12 (or at least 10) to failure of the following:

single-leg calf raise w/ bicep curl (+1 set of 3 curls, super slow) [15 lb dumbbell]
triceps push ups (+1 set of 3 overhead triceps extensions, super slow) [15 lb dumbbell] - 3 on my toes, 9 on my knees
split-lunge w/ bicep curl (+1 set of 3 squats, super slow) [10 lb dumbbells, 15 for breakdown set]
double triceps kickback w/ stationary runner’s lunge (+1 set of 3 triceps dips, super slow)[10 lb dumbbells]
bicep/hamstring curls (+1 set of 3 squats, super slow) [10 lb dumbbell, 15 for breakdown set]
plank w/ single-arm triceps extension (+1 set of 3 triceps hovers, super slow) [8 lb dumbbell] - plank on my toes, hovers on my knees
reverse lunge w/ double arm bicep curl (+1 set of 3 squats, super slow) [10 lb dumbbells]
supine overhead triceps extensions (+1 set of 3 push ups, super slow) [15 lb dumbbell] - push ups on my toes
sumo squat calf raise w/ bicep curl (+1 set of 3 curls, super slow) [10 lb dumbbells]

My mother-in-law offered to cook dinner. Macaroni & cheese and hot dogs. No thanks. When I told her I don't eat those, she looked all sorts of pissed, but I really don't care. I get so sick of her telling me "Oh, you can have some." Or "Once in a while won't hurt." Or even worse, "When you get done losing the weight, you'll have to start eating normally again." Bite me. Yes, I can have macaroni and cheese or hot dogs, but on my terms, and not the least healthy versions I can possibly find. My son won't eat those things either. My husband, however, will eat anything, but he won't be home until late. So none of us are eating her dinner. And I don't feel bad about it. She wouldn't eat my homemade bread. She went out and bought Wonder Bread. They wouldn't eat the vegetable risotto I made, because they didn't recognize the word "risotto" (or because it had vegetables). I suppose I could be gracious and appreciate her offer to cook - and I do...I'm glad I don't have to cook for them tonight - but I don't really feel like compromising my own eating in my own house.

I'm also frustrated because I haven't been able to work out as much as I wanted to this week, and the way I'm used to. I usually work out in the living room but it would be rude to do that when my inlaws are sitting right there. It's bad enough they make comments and try to talk to me while I'm in the middle of a set. I just can't wait until they leave tomorrow. My mother-in-law wants to try ChaLean Extreme, but she's got excuses for why she can't do this move or that move. Instead, I talked her into doing some Biggest Loser stuff when she goes home. I think she trusts my recommendation but I doubt she will follow through. She's one of those people who just won't ever get it. But boy, she sure has plenty of comments on how you're doing stuff!

7:50 AM - apple & cottage cheese

10:00 AM - coffee w/ half-and-half & Splenda

1:00 PM - ham sandwich

1:50 PM - mandarin oranges

6:45 PM - protein granola bar; I was playing in the kitchen again, and I'm very happy with how these turned out. I will post the recipe soon!

7:20 PM - tuna salad w/ light balsamic dressing

9:00 PM - turkey sandwich w/ mustard

Calories - 1468
Carbs - 173 (21 fiber)
Protein - 125
Fat - 35
C/P/F Ratio - 45.9/33.2/20.9