Plateaus and Coming to Terms With "Green" Smoothies

Since I haven't been consistent about working out and eating right (I have been okay with doing one or the other) I'm at my 150-ish plateau. I'm pretty happy that is my plateau number because it's the same plateau level I hit 9 years ago when I started getting serious about losing weight after having our first child.

So I'm going to have to put some more effort to lose the rest of this weight. That's okay, I knew I needed to do it; it's just making myself do what I know I need to do.



I mentioned trying Green detox smoothies a few months ago. Smoothies that were more vegetable and less fruit and more... well, green. This is pretty much how I looked each time I tried one:

I figured there had to be some better kind of compromise. Something where I wouldn't be drinking a beverage with more sugar than a 20 oz soda, but something I still could stomach where it didn't feel like drinking it was a part of penance I was required to do. So here's what I did:

Added one extra cup of berries.

Seriously, that was it and it made the smoothie SO much better, and it was only an additional 60 calories or so. Today I mixed it up and instead of one whole apple and one cup of blackberries, I did half an apple, 1/2 cup blueberries, 1/2 cup raspberries, 1/2 cup blackberries. I also included my 1 cup kale, 1 cup spinach, 1 cup cucumber, 1/2 cup celery, lemon juice, ginger, ground flax seed, ground cinnamon and ice water. The smoothie came in around 270 calories, but it's a huge smoothie. It could easily be split into two servings if someone wanted to do that. It also counts as 2 - 2 1/2 servings of vegetables and 2 servings of fruit so it's an easy way to get most of your daily fruits and veggies in (how much you need depends on your age, activity, calorie intake, etc.).

So I think I'm going to stick with my "compromise" green detox smoothies for the time being. Now I need to break through this plateau by being consistent with my eating and working out. :P

What Happens When You Can't Workout

Most personal trainer's will tell you you can't just eat your way to healthy, and you can't just workout your way to healthy. You have to eat right and exercise to get there. Which is all well and good, but what happens during those times when you can't do both?

Just do one. Seriously.

Over the weekend I had a monthly weigh-in for the 6-month dietbet I'm currently in. I woke up on Friday morning still 2 lbs over, but I had over 24 hours to eat less and sweat those two pounds off. Problem? I woke up with a really bad head cold that included a sore throat, aches and pains and a slight fever. Saturday morning? Same thing without the sore throat and I was 1 1/2 pounds over. Had I not been sick I probably would have worked out with trash bags on and long sleeves and pants to sweat out the last 1 1/2 pounds. 15 years ago I probably could have sucked it up and done that and be no worse for the wear. But, this is now now, not 15 years ago, so I decided I'd rather rest, and try to get better than push myself and possibly set myself back.



Even without working out, I am down another pound since Friday. I have counted every calorie, even over the weekend which is usually when I slack on my calorie counting. I was over on Saturday, but every other day I was on-target plus or minus 50 calories.

I've felt much better over the last two days so today's the first day I'm going to work out since before I got sick. I'm also easing back into it by doing pilates today. *note* That's "easing" not "easy", I'm not saying pilates is "easy". Old me would have decided to go for a 3-5 mile run to start back up again because pilates isn't a "real workout". It is a real workout, but my heart rate isn't at the same level as it is when I run, and that's a good thing and what I need right now.

Even if injury, illness, travel throws you off your routine still try to do what you can. If eating right is what you can do, continue to do that. If your food options are more limited but working out is an option, make sure you do that. Maintaining and not gaining weight when you're off your normal routine is still a victory when you're trying to lose weight.

Two Years Later and I'm Half-A-Pound Down, Whoo-Hoo!

As sarcastic as the title sounds; this is actually major progress ("Major Progress") for me.



This is a weight I reached last month right before I went on a two week trip, was home for a week, then was gone again for another five days. The positive thing is that I am back at the weight I started at and didn't just say "forget it" because I gained weight on the trips. Of course the point now is to keep going on this trajectory and not start creeping back up again. I entered another 4-week dietbet for April that ends the day before I fly out again. Unfortunately I don't think I'm going to make weight for my monthly check-in on the 6-month dietbet, I'd have to lose 3 lbs in 2 days, but at least I'm down a little from where I was for my final weigh-in last month.

That's the whole point of this, right? To know I'll occasionally have setbacks but to not let it discourage me and to work to get back to where I left off. If I'm being honest, this is how I'm going to have to live the rest of my life. That's why it's not a diet as in, I do this until I get to my desired weight and stop, it's a diet as in how I need to eat for the rest of my life. Throughout any point in my life there will be vacations and events where I'll relax and not watch what I eat; but that means when I get back I have to get right back to it and see how much weight I gained and make an effort to lose it again. It's not the end of the world to gain 2-3 pounds, but when I continually do it without making an effort to lose it again, that's how I end up where I'm at now.

So here's to April and my attempt to lose 5.5 lbs by the end of the month!

Tracking Calories Matters

A lot of times we come up with an incorrect hypothesis to why we're not losing weight. We see pet owners do this all the time. They tell us how this particular animal "only" eats a certain amounts of cups of their food a day (usually within the recommended amount). But what they're not counting is all the extra snack/treats the animal gets either by taking them from another animal in the house, food falling on the floor, from food handed to them from the table, food stolen from the counter, etc. etc.

The best way to avoid this is to count every single calorie you have. Whether in liquid or food form. This isn't always easy; since we sometimes have to guess portion sizes if we're away from home; but the more you measure out portions the better you'll be able to at least guess how much you're eating/drinking of something.

Even though I've counted calories off and on for years I still find a new smoking gun of some food that was "natural" so I underestimated how many calories was actually in it. Fruit's always a big one for people, large oranges come in at around 100 calories, and a large banana is approximately 120. For me, it was dates. Five dates come in at 330 calories. WHAT?!?! I could have had a candy bar and still eaten less calories.

Another common one people forget to add is the cream and/or sugar they add to their coffee. I've recently switched to milk which means I can have 4 tablespoons and come in at just 25 calories (I drink a bit of coffee in the morning). But 1 tablespoon of flavored creamer can vary from 30 to 35 calories. If I had 4 tablespoons of creamer that would be anywhere from 120 - 140 calories, just from creamer for my coffee. Honestly, I'd rather have an English Muffin for 120 calories than the creamer.

While we should strive to eat healthy for our overall health and to help lower our risk for disease; it looks like the biggest determination of whether or not you'll lose weight is to create a calorie deficit no matter what you're eating. I do remember starting to lose weight after having my first child and I was more concerned with sticking to my 1200 calories a day than eating a well-balanced diet. I was also working full time so convenience and time were huge factors for me as well. I did lose weight, and the thing I remember doing was sticking to 1200 calories a day. This man tried an experiment to create a caloric deficit eating primarily junk food to prove the point:



Again, I'm not recommending doing that because that's not healthy, but to show that more and more we're seeing that calorie deficit is the #1 factor in whether or not you will lose weight.

I also found this article online to be helpful. While at times this man can be a little harsh; he raises some good points of things we should at least look into first before we assume that we're not our own worst enemy.

http://www.aworkoutroutine.com/starvation-mode/

Why is a Naturally Green Beverage Stranger to Me Than an Artificially Green Beverage?

I have no problem drinking a beverage that looks like that one. However, when I make a drink that is green by nature it weirds me out.

I can eat food that's naturally green. I have no problem with spinach, broccoli, zucchini, cilantro, etc. But when I mix some of these ingredients and make a beverage out of them; the color is one more obsticle in trying to make myself drink it.

I tried a different green detox smoothie today. While it would be a stretch to say I liked it; I would say I didn't hate it and it was definitely better than the last one I tried. But, I still had issues with the color. So I took a page out of my parenting 101 book and put it in a dark-colored cup with a lid and a straw. Remember, mind games with yourself and doing what it takes to get the job done.

Here's the link to the recipe if anyone's interested in trying this one. I think the cinnamon is what made it more bearable for me. I also used spinach instead of kale because we don't have any kale.

http://skinnyms.com/cleanse-detox-smoothie/

Earndit, Bulu Boxes, and Credit Oh My!

This story begins with Jeanne telling me about different (free) fitness websites I could join. One of these is "Earndit". With Earndit you "earn" credits when you work out that can go towards discounts on a variety of fitness and nutrition items. If anyone is interested in joining; here's my referral link and we both get credit when you sign up:

http://earnd.it/19kC4ty

A lot of the rewards are discounts on items I'm not sure I would purchase if there wasn't a discount. However, one month was a credit towards a free Bulu Box sample. I figured, hey, free dummy, and signed up for it.



The problem with the Bulu Box is that you get single samples of products that, for the most part, would take more than one use to determine whether or not they work. The only samples I received that I would not need more than one use of were the energy gel and the hummus and crackers sample. One was a creatine powder sample, one was a daily gummy vitamin, another was a bag of tea that promoted "better sleep, digestion, and sinus health", and a liquid fish oil supplement. Well, maybe that last one I would only need one sample of; but the idea of it grosses me out a bit, even if it is "mango peach" flavored.

The biggest waste of money in this box is the sample "focused notecard". It's to encourage you to write down your goals, which is fine, but I don't need to pay $19 for a 21-day set for what essentially is a motivational index card when plain ones cost about $3.50 for a set of 500.

Now, Bulu Box is not a bad deal if these are products you normally buy. You get coupons for some in your monthly box and by reviewing the products you can get $5 off any full-size product you buy in their online store. Every month the store has certain products available for free shipping as well. But I can't see it having enough value for me to keep a monthly subscription.

Yes, Your Mentality Plays a Big Part in Weight Loss... or Why I Play Numbers Games With Myself

I just got back from a 2-week trip I took with my mom, where there were no scales and plenty of food to eat and less walking than I anticipated.

I have a little rule about weighing myself when I get back from a trip/vacation... I DON'T DO IT.

I will eventually, but not the day I get back or even the first day after I get back. I give myself a couple of days to eat and drink like I should be doing everyday FIRST, before I get back on the scale. I notice that if I get on the scale first thing and it's a huge jump I'm likely to be bummed and less likely to start eating right and working out again. But if I give myself a few days to get back on track first, then get on the scale, yes it may be up 2-3 pounds, but it's much less devastating to me mentally and I tend to stay motivated to keep working to lose the weight I gained back.

I understand this mental trick may not work for everyone (maybe you need the shock value of how much weight you gained as motivation), but it's what works for me.



Another trick I do is I will not update my "weight tracker" until I am below the number it is currently. So what is up there right now is probably NOT my current weight. If I haven't weighed myself or worked out in several months or longer; I absolutely will update it, but if I'm only a few days or weeks off-track, I know I can get myself back down to that number in another few days/weeks.

I am all for mental tricks and games that lead you down the path to success; but don't cheat yourself! If it doesn't help you achieve your goals, then you need to look at another strategy.

I Hate It When the "Experts" are Right...

I know we've seen a lot of dieting "fads" over the past several decades. It seems like each week there's a new fad everyone's into or trying. So anytime some "new" health information comes out, I always take it with a grain of salt since many things we used to "know" have since been proven to be incorrect (eggs are bad for you anyone?). I'm a firm believer in moderation in all things. I don't think it's necessary to have an entirely vegan diet to be healthy anymore than I believe it's necessary to cut out all carbs and go the Atkins route. The biggest problem I've noticed (usually when I leave the country) is a lot of our processed food has a lot of extra crap that we don't need in it.

For example, I have a huge sweet tooth, but I try to limit the amount of sweets I eat because I know they're not good for you. When I travel out of the country I notice I go through sugar withdrawal the first few days. I've realized it probably has more to do with the amount of processed sugar in our regular foods and less to do with the amount of "sweets" I normally eat.

I've had a few days over the last week where I really limited the amount of sugar I ate. I noticed at the end of these days I didn't crave dessert or sweets like I normally do. So sugar may not only be bad for us, but addictive too?!?!



Though again, I can't see cutting out something completely from my diet, I can see where monitoring the amount of sugar I eat could also lead me to crave it less, and then I'll eat it less, thus ending a vicious cycle.

Stupid experts.

Trying My First Detox Green Shake

So confession time (once again), I did not work out yesterday. My friend Nicole saw me at a dinner last night and asked me if I worked out, I was like, uhhhh....

This dinner was at a Mexican restaurant but I did not just eat chips mindlessly, I tried to keep a count and I think I kept it to two servings. I did have two margaritas (they were $1.99!), but I choose a salad with grilled shrimp for my dinner.

But despite not working out, when I weighed in this morning I was another pound down, whoo-hoo!

Which brings me to another confession. I used to joke I ran so I could eat what I wanted; and that was at least what I wanted to do. However, the majority of my weight loss over the past six weeks have been the result of my diet, not how much I'm working out. I'm beginning to realize that if I want to lose weight (and keep it off) just running or working out alone isn't going to do it. Now I'm not saying I'm never going to eat another hamburger or piece of pizza again, but I'm definitely going to have to be more deliberate about my food choices and when and how often I indulge in those kinds of foods. Sigh.

So, in the interest of "clean eating", I tried my first-ever Detox Green Smoothie. I will post the link to the recipe at the bottom. I had to cheat a little, I didn't have kale, and I didn't have a lemon so I used lemon juice instead. I also used only one celery stalk and about a third of a large cucumber.

This shake isn't awful, but it's not my favorite drink ever. To be honest I was a little concerned I'd feel like this after drinking it:



I don't feel like that, but I definitely prefer our homemade fruit smoothies. I can't see myself drinking these every day, but once in a while isn't outside the realm of possibility.

http://skinnyms.com/super-detox-green-smoothie

What I Need... Is a Good Montage

So I have been less than motivated over the past few weeks. My work-outs have been sporadic at best and I've been tracking what I eat maybe 60-70% of the time. I need something to get me motivated again; so I thought a motivational video would be just the thing:



What really has kicked me in the butt was my weigh-in this morning. I am down three pounds since the last time I blogged, which was almost four weeks ago. See, this is why I need you guys to keep me on track. I also won the first dietbet, I put in $25 and got back $38.85 (for those who don't feel like doing the math, that's a profit of $13.85). The next dietbet ends next week and I need to lose 1.5 lbs to win that one, and I need to lose 3 lbs in two weeks to win the first month of the 6-month dietbet. 1.5 lbs a week for two weeks is completely doable, but I need to stay on track to make it.

The positive thing for me is I'm still trending in the right direction, even if it is a little slower than I would have liked. Though I can't blame a stalled metabolism or anything else, it's simply I haven't been working out and some days I eat more than I should.

So my plan is to work out today. It's not supposed to get warmer than the low 40s (Farenheit, that's 4-6º Celsius for my Canadian and European friends ;) ) so I'm not going to run, but maybe I'll do a Jillian Michaels video. I'll see how much I can do of the "Banish Fat Boost Metabolism" video. The entire thing is about 50 minutes long and it's a good workout. Even if I only finish 30-40 minutes of it, it's still a butt-kicker.

So three pounds more to lose in two weeks. That's not my end-goal by a long shot but it seems to be a reasonable short-term goal. We'll see how I do. =)

If I was Going Somewhere, I was Running!

For my cardio yesterday I "ran" for 45 minutes. My pace was an 11:30 minute mile and I completed 3.9 miles. It was good to get running again; I felt a bit like this:



I was very sore and tired afterwards; but after I got up this morning I felt okay.

Today I'm going to do Day 8 of the Bikini Body Mommy challenge and an additional 35 minute jog as well. The Bikini Body Mommy challenge is 10 minutes of as many "Body Builders" as you can do. A "Body Builder" is:

Each Body Builder consists of these 8 steps:

1. Position dumbbells under shoulders in a plank position with toes parted wide.

2. Perform push up.

3. Row with right arm keeping elbow close to side.

4. Row with left arm keeping elbow close to side.

5. Contract your Abs and jump your feet in towards your hands so you land in a crouching position.

6. Stand up

7. Bicep curl

8. Shoulder press with BOTH arms over head.

This completes ONE repetition.

After #8, Return to the start (Plank Position) and repeat as many times as you can during the 10 minutes.



We'll see how much I feel like running after doing those for 10 minutes. =)

Skipped My Workout Yesterday... Bad Tiff! Bad!

My hamstrings have not been happy with me over the past five days. But no, I'm not seriously injured. =)

Confession time, I did not workout yesterday. Which means my rest day was now yesterday and not today. I also came to the realization that I have four days in a row where I will be going to events that are not going to be low-calorie friendly. I can make it a point to watch how much I eat, but I think I'm also going to need to put in some extra work-out time to make sure my weight doesn't start creeping back up after only one weekend.

The first thing I did when I started was cut back how much I ate. I actually did that for almost two weeks before I started working out again. The next change I will make is to what I eat. Not that I can never eat anything bad for me ever again, but right now I'm at the point where I'm not really eating that much healthy food, I'm eating mostly just less food. And I do eat healthy food some of the time, just not as often as I should. I need to reverse the trend and make healthy food my norm and the junk food the once-in-a-while, not the other way around.

Last night when I made dinner I did look up healthier options using what we already had at home. And I'm happy to report that even our 5 and 9-year-old ate their entire dinner. Here's what I made:

Skillet Salmon and Parmesan Potatoes

http://www.health.com/health/recipe/0,,10000001991051,00.html

Grilled Parmesan and Pepper Asparagus (I had to cook it in the oven but it still turned out great!)

http://www.katiescucina.com/2013/05/grilled-parmesan-and-pepper-asparagus

While starting out to lose weight, just eating less will work for a while. But if I really want to change my body, I'm going to have to make the switch to eating a healthier diet, not just one that is lower in calories. For me to do this and to stick with it; it's going to have to be a gradual change over time.

But that is a long-term goal. Today my goal is a cardio workout where I burn 400 calories. I'll let you know tomorrow how that works out for me. ;)

Working Out Right Before Bed = Bad Idea Jeans

I mentioned that yesterday I did my 12-minute workout at 11:30 at night. Less than an hour later I went to bed. To illustrate how that worked out for me; today I've mostly resembled Sheldon in this scene:



Note to self: Given the time I want to go to bed and the minimum amount of sleep I need to be a fully functioning adult the next day, I should probably complete any workout I intend to do before 8pm.

So much for that plan. I did today's workout at 10pm. I also didn't look at the YouTube video with the warm-up, cool down she suggested. Guess I'll save that for next week. My legs feel like jelly but I do have to admit the workout seems to be getting easier. That or I'm not trying as hard as I was on Day 2.

Tomorrow is the last workout before a full rest day and it's cardio day again. It's still pretty cold where we live so I'm going to do another indoor workout and go with the 20 minute High Intensity Interval Training again. I have the Jillian Michaels 30-Day Shred DVD so I will do one of those workouts. It's a 2 minute warm-up, three 6 minute interval circuits, then a 2-minute cool down. These workouts also require hand weights which I already own. Honestly I'm not sure where I'm at strength-wise so I'll probably use 5 lb weights this time around.

Looking forward to my first rest day on Thursday! =)

Exercise... Some Motivation Required

I waited until 11:30 pm to do my workout for the day. The workout probably took all of 12 minutes. But that's just what kind of day it was.



I did manage to do all 20 tricep dips the first set without a break. The second time around I only made it to 11.

Tomorrow we're supposed to do 3 sets of 8 exercises (like we did in day 2). Here's the workout:

1. ALTERNATING LUNGES 20 REPS / 10 PER SIDE / 10 SECOND REST
2. BURPEES 10 REPS / 10 SECONDS REST
3. PUSH UPS 20 REPS / 10 SECONDS REST
4. HIGH KNEES 30 SECONDS / 1 MINUTE REST
5. TRICEP DIPS 20 REPS / 10 SECONDS REST
6. SPEED SQUATS 20 REPS / 10 SECONDS REST
7. SQUAT JUMPS 20 REPS / 10 SECONDS REST
8. ELBOW PLANK 1 MINUTE HOLD / 2 MINUTE REST

She also gave us a reminder to stretch after workout out. I have a tendency to skip that part so I'm glad she included the reminder and a link to her stretching video:



Even though I'm sure I could stretch on my own; it'll be good to see a video so I don't forget something and to help me make sure I follow through.

I'm also planning on starting my workout before 11:30 at night. Hopefully I'll actually get this workout in before dinner.

You Dead? Yeh Man.

So in the interest of saving time I decided to do the High Intensity Interval Training today instead of a simpler 45-minute cardio exercise. I did four 6-minute circuits (plus the warm-up and cool down) of the Jillian Michaels "Banish Fat Boost Metabolism" DVD. For those doing the math, my total work-out time was 34 minutes today. How did I feel afterwards? A bit like this...



I'm glad I did it this morning so I'm done for the day; but I'm still feeling a little apprehensive that I'm only half-way through week 1.

So what's in store for tomorrow? This:

1. PUSH UPS 20 REPS/10 SECONDS REST
2. HIGH KNEES 30 SECONDS / 10 SECONDS REST
3. PUSHUPS 20 REPS / 10 SECONDS REST
4. HIGH KNEES 30 SECONDS / 1 MINUTE REST

5. ALTERNATING LUNGES 20 REPS (10 PER SIDE) / 10 SECONDS REST
6. TRICEP DIPS 20 REPS / 10 SECONDS REST
7. ALTERNATING LUNGES 20 REPS (10 PER SIDE) / 10 SECONDS REST
8. TRICEP DIPS 20 REPS / 1 MINUTE REST

9. SQUAT JUMPS 20 REPS / 10 SECONDS REST
10. ELBOW PLANK 30 SECOND HOLD / 10 SECONDS REST
11. SQUAT JUMPS 20 REPS / 10 SECONDS REST
12. ELBOW PLANK 30 SECOND HOLD / WORKOUT ... FINISHED

So only a 10-second rest after exercises 1-3, 5-7 and 9-11, but there's a one-minute rest after #4 and #8. And there is no repeating this series so once I finish #12 I'm done for the day. My nemesis Tricep Dips return, so far the most I've been able to do is 12 without stopping to take a break. Tomorrow my goal will be to complete 15 before stopping to rest.

For those interested in doing these, so far I have needed no gym equipment. The only thing I needed was a dining room chair. I'm working out on a carpeted area; but if you have hardwood or tile you'll probably need a mat too. The Jillian Michaels DVD also requires no equipment except the DVD, and it's one I know our local library carries or if you have Amazon Prime you can watch it on instant video for free. If you want to buy it, it costs about $10. No I don't get any money if you buy these things. :) I'm just telling everyone what I'm doing to try to help people who want to work out but may not have a lot of money to spend on gym equipment, membership, etc.

Three days to go in Week 1, first rest day is Thursday.

Oy vey.

Well... That Sucked

I just finished "Day 2" of the Bikini Body Mommy's challenge. To tell the truth, if I hadn't written in a blog yesterday that I was absolutely going to do this today I probably would have skipped it because we had so much going on. Do I feel great and accomplished because I finished Day 2? To be a little more accurate I feel like Sully in this video...



The worst part was? I had a longer than 2-minute break between the first and second rep because something came up at home. It was bad enough, I can't imagine how much worse it would have been had I only taken a two minute break.

I did finish every exercise without stopping with the exception of... tricep dips. Sigh. I really suck at these; and if I recall I didn't ever feel like they got easier with time.

My gluteus maximus is sore. Like I didn't want to sit down for the rest of the evening sore. Like I want to cry right now sore.

Tomorrow is cardio day. We have a choice between a 45-minute cardio session OR 20-minute HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) workout. I was originally going to go with the 20-minute HIIT, but given how my gluteus maximus feels I think a 45-minute jog might be easier.

For those who are wondering; you don't have to pay or even officially "sign up" to do this 90-day challenge. So for those interested you can go to the website. They're on Day 21, but I just started yesterday since we were on vacation when it officially started and then I was sick for over a week. You can go back to her earlier posts and find Day 1.

http://bikinibodymommy.com/category/90-day-challenge/

And Day 4 is not a rest day. There is no rest day until Day 7. So I have four more days to go before a day off.

This is not going to be easy...

A Lesson in Humility: Humility 101

I'm writing this immediately after my fit test on Friday. How do I feel? A bit like John Candy from this scene in "Splash":



Not only was it difficult physically; but I started feeling short of breath by the beginning of the second minute. Here's how the numbers broke down:

1. SPEED SQUATS - 24
2. HIGH KNEES - 68
3. PUSH UPS - 10 "real" then 12 "girl"
4. SQUAT JUMPS - 21
5. TRICEP DIPS (did I mention I hate these more than burpees?) - 11
6. BURPEES - 9
7. ALTERNATING LUNGES - 19
8. ELBOW PLANK - 1 minute

Today I have a very short window of time to complete today's workout or it won't get done. To say I'm not looking forward to it is an understatement. Day 2 we're supposed to do eight exercises, then repeat the set two more times (for a total of three times).

Here are the exercises:

1. Speed Squats – 20 reps, then 20 sec rest
2. Elbow Plank – 30 sec hold, then 10 sec rest
3. Push ups – 20 reps, then 10 sec rest
4. Burpees – 10 reps, then 10 sec rest
5. Alternating Lunges – 20 reps (10 per side), then 10 sec rest
6. Elbow Plank – 30 sec hold, then 10 sec rest
7. Tricep Dips – 20 reps, then 10 sec rest
8. Squat Jumps – 20 reps, then 2 MINUTE REST

As you can see, it's the same exercises from Day's 1 test minus the high knees and with an additional elbow blank; but we're just assigned a specific number then rest time. So if it takes us two minutes to do a exercise, we take two minutes, then rest. Then we get to do the whole thing over again. Twice.

Even if I don't post until the next day I'm going to try to write how my work-outs went right after I complete them so I don't start thinking "it wasn't so bad" by the next morning and am not as honest about how difficult the workouts are for me.

Seriously, my abs are already hurting just from the "test" today. I hate to see how I feel tomorrow. It reminds me of the cadre's shirts during basic training: "The easiest day was yesterday."

Until tomorrow then.

Bikini Body Mommy Challenge

So 18 months later and I haven't posted once and I'm farther away from my goal than when I started. So, time to start again. I have signed up for two dietbets. For those who don't know what those are, you bet money on yourself (usually $25) to lose weight in a specific period of time. There are 4% challenges to lose 4% of your body weight in 4 weeks and 10% challenges to lose 10% of your body weight in 6 months. I signed up for two 4% challenges, one currently going on, and another starting at the beginning of February.

I am also (as of today) starting the 90-day Bikini Body Mommy Challenge. Honestly, this will take me more than 90 days since I have a 2-week trip in the middle of the 90 days and I'm not sure I will have time to work out during it. So, my goal is to finish this around the beginning/middle of May.

I have taken videos and pictures but I'm not about to share them yet. I'm supposed to weigh-in and take measurements on Day 1, 15, 30, 45, and 90. I will update with my weight/inches lost and I will keep everyone updated with how the dietbets are going. The first day of the workout is a fitness test. We do each exercise for 50 seconds and then rest for 10 seconds in between each exercise. The goal is to complete as many reps as possible and to write down your score to compare where you are later in the challenge. Here are the exercises:

1. SPEED SQUATS
2. HIGH KNEES
3. PUSH UPS
4. SQUAT JUMPS
5. TRICEP DIPS
6. BURPEES
7. ALTERNATING LUNGES
8. ELBOW PLANK

I am also logging in what I'm eating and my workouts on myfitnesspal.com

So here we go. Starting over again to see if I can lose weight and complete a triathlon or half marathon in 2014. Let's Do This! =D