Livefit Phase 2

Monday starts Phase 2 of Jamie Eason's Livefit program and I'm not gonna lie, I'm kind of excited!  This last week has been kind of a mess.  I was away on a little vacation until Tuesday and when I got back I was behind on workouts and also completely unprepared with meals.  I combined Monday and Tuesdays workouts into Wednesday and then was so sore Thursday I just skipped it!  I was supposed to try to fit the last 3 days into today, but that didn't happen.  So, now I'm deciding whether I should do it all tomorrow or just skip it?!  I definitely don't want to push back the schedule, but I also feel guilty skipping.  But tomorrow I have a very busy day of studying planned.  Maybe I'll just wake up early and get it done in the morning.  I know, this is a real problem!
Anyway, Monday starts Phase 2 and I'm really hoping adding back in cardio will help me lose weight!  I have definitely noticed that I'm getting stronger, but I've only lost 1 pound (as of last Saturday) and that's not that uplifting.  Anyone else doing Livefit who didn't really lose any weight in the first phase?  A girl  can hope!
In an attempt to make my life easier this week.  I've already prepped my kale and sweet potatoes for the week.

I still need to do some more prep work for the week though.  And planning of specific meals.  I'm going to cut out carbs after like 4 pm.  This basically just means salads for dinner, which is fine, I do like my salads!

With the added cardio in Phase 2, I'm planning to lift in the AM before work and make my spin bike my cardio in the evening.  I'm not really a fan of my gym in the evenings, it's been packed lately, so I figured I'll switch to AM lifting and use what I have at my house in the evenings.  I might switch up the cardio once in awhile, but I own a Star trac spin bike, I should use it!  I'll also be using my new gymboss interval timer to make the most of my workouts!

Cute, right?!

Okay, off to bed.  I have a long day ahead of me tomorrow!  I'm finally finishing up my personal training course work!

Kale

I've tried to get into kale for awhile now, but it always seemed to just stay in my produce drawer until it went bad and then got thrown away.   I made it once I think and burned it.   But last week I gave it one more try and bought a blend from Whole Foods and sautéed some in garlic as soon as I got home.  And now I'm pretty much obsessed!  I've eaten it as a side!  Mixed in with my leftover mei fun noodles (amazing) and tonight with eggs on top! Which I've decided is going to be a regular breakfast for me. Bottom line, I'm now a serious fan of kale!

Let's talk about substitutions!

****Forgot to hit post on this last week. Yeah, I have it together.

I've been working out, even lifting weights, for a long time but there are some exercises I don't do.  And Jamie Eason's Livefit seems to have a lot of them!  Tonight, it was dead lifts (one legged isn't even a possibility), barbell lunges, and a bunch of chest flyes on a bench.  It's not so much that I can't do the flyes, it's just that lying back on the bench with my legs down hurts my lower back and the idea of putting my feet up and somehow staying on the bench and holding the weights just freaks me out.  I realize I'm crazy.  I think it mostly comes from my serious lack of balance.  So, I just skipped the dead lifts and lunges and did the flyes on the machine.  What can I do as a substitute?  Any ideas?  I'm trying to talk my husband into joining the gym so he can be there to initially assist me on the things that are totally awkward for me.  But. so far it's a no go.  We do have some weights in the basement though, I could do some of the things here.  Does anyone else just feel awkward about certain exercises at the gym?  I want to get better at the things that freak me out, but when the gym is packed and no one is really helpful (and no one seems to work there) it seems like it's going to take awhile.
In other news, lunch and dinner!

Black bean, red pepper, corn and avocado salad!  It was seriously delicious and I'll be eating more tomorrow.

Grilled steak, sauteed kale and roasted sweet potatoes.  Yum!

Yoga

As I get older I realize that my body is changing and not for the better.  I've never been what you'd call flexible, but it's definitely getting worse as my age creeps up.  Plus, that whole Cerebral Palsy thing isn't helping.  I know I've said it before, but I really need to start doing yoga on a regular basis.  I used to go to a studio once a week and that really did help, but I stopped going and that studio has since closed.  Causing me to lose the one yoga instructor I really liked!  Oh, Paris where are you?  The thing is, I'm already not flexible so I feel like I'm starting at a disadvantage.  But, I realize that if I had stuck with it so many years ago, I'd have a whole different body now.

So, because I'm doing so well with Jamie Eason's Livefit, I'm going to also try to add in some yoga.  I think I'll start with just 10 minutes before bed every night and work my way up from there.  You have to start somewhere, right? 

From Yoga traveler

Maybe one day I'll be able to do that!  Which would be amazing since I can currently barely reach past my shins!

Breakfast & Pickles

One of the hardest meals of my day is breakfast.  I'm really bad at waking up early in the morning (or even on time) so breakfast is taking a hit.  As in, I drank a protein shake this morning and ate a luna bar.  No egg whites in sight.  So, to remedy this I decided to make burritos to heat in the oven while I'm getting dressed in the morning.

Eggs whites, some whole eggs, a little mexican cheese blend and peppers on a whole wheat wrap from Trader Joe's!

And I'm also making pickles!  They'll be done next week.

Polyvore!

I've seen these postings on Pinterest for awhile and thought I'd try it.

Gym Attire

Gym attire by melinda-smith-flynn featuring cropped pants

American apparel hoodie
£40 - attitudeclothing.co.uk

Forever 21 crop top
$6.80 - forever21.com

Racerback tank
$28 - needsupply.com

Long hoody
$19 - tobi.com

Brunello Cucinelli oversized sweater
€299 - veryeickhoff.com

Cropped pants
£35 - spoiledbrat.co.uk

Nike sneaker
$85 - bloomingdales.com

Jack Spade canvas messenger bag
jackspade.com

Polar watch
$170 - saksfifthavenue.com

Week 3 of Livefit...Almost.

Week 2 of Livefit is coming to an end and I have to say, I can stand to do better next week!  My fitness was great, I upped weights on a lot of exercises, trying to push myself harder (and even worked out in the morning before work one day).  But, my diet was really not so good.  I wouldn't be surprised if I gained back the pound I lost last week.  I blame it on not being prepared for the week like I should have been, a health procedure that was painful and I ate cookies after, and going out to eat.  So, Week 3 starts tomorrow and I plan to be totally prepared.  I've found a bunch of salad recipes to make ahead, plus I'll be making the turkey muffins again and the pumpkin protein bars.

Salad ideas:

Chicken Salad with Olive Vinaigrette
Tabbouleh with Chicken and Red Pepper
Spelt with White Beans and Artichokes
Black Bean Salad with Corn, Red Peppers, Avocado and Lime-Cilantro Vinaigrette

I'm also making these fruit rollups for a healthy sweet and plus I just want to see if it works!

I'm not sure if I mentioned it before, but the Livefit 12 weeks will end the week of my 31st birthday and I really would love to start my 31st year about 20 lbs. lighter!  That's not going to happen if I keep repeating weeks like this one so, I need to stay on track.  No more eating out and my husband might have to move out for the next 10 weeks because he is a BAD eating influence!  He said he'd do this program with me, but that's a joke, he won't even stop eating crap in front of me and he forces me to eat at Applebees!  I kinda hate Applebees, I'm pretty sure all the food is heated in the microwave.  But anyway, no more eating out.

A little motivation:

Jamie Eason

I'd like to fit into these pants!

I'm on Day 6 of the Jamie Eason LiveFit challenge and it's time to talk about specific goals I have.  I have a few pairs of pants that I really want to wear, but I don't fit in.  

These are the jeans I was wearing the day I moved into my house.  I remember that by the end of the day they were literally falling down from all the sweating I did while moving stuff into the house on June 1 (gross, I know).  It has been over 5 years and I can't get these jeans past my thighs now.  I want them to fit again.

These are Michael Kors khakis I ordered from Hautelook awhile ago, I ordered them in the size I thought I was and yet they are too small.  This might be because I've been refusing to buy a bigger size for about a year now.  I have a number in my head that I refuse to go beyond because I'm afraid once I start, I won't stop.  I would like to wear these.  They were not cheap.

Now, some people like to tell me I've gained weight because I'm not 20 anymore, but that's just an excuse I think.  I mean, there are 30 year old women still wearing a size 4!  It's gotta be possible, right?  Throughout high school and even college, I was tiny and ate whatever I wanted.  Sure, I worked out, but that was just because I liked muscles, not to keep my waist small.  Then, once I started working at a desk full-time and especially when I turned 25, the weight started coming.  But, I thought I just had to workout a little and I'd be fine.  I didn't change my eating habits at all.  Big mistake.  I'm not obese, but I'm certainly not where I'd like to be as far as my body goes.  So it seems that I can no longer eat whatever I want and still look like I did at 20.  

I'm not gonna lie, I love food.  It pretty much is what my day revolves around.  So, I'm never going to be able to cut all those things I love out of my life for good, but I am trying to learn to limit it.  It's not that I don't like things that are good for you, I just also like things that are bad for you!  I pretty much love all food.  I like to eat.  BUT, I also like those size 4 jeans!  So it looks like I need to change the way I eat.  And so far, I'm doing a pretty good job.  I'm trying to keep it simple and doable, nothing too crazy.  I do like the plan that Jamie uses in LiveFit because it's sort of just an outline, it's not crazy specific.  I can handle that.

This is today's breakfast.  It's not super strict, but there's no pork roll or potatoes on that plate, so it's an improvement!  It's 2 egg whites and 2 whole eggs (I'm not afraid of the yolk) and half an Ezekial english muffin with Trader Joe's reduced sugar raspberry jam and a little butter.  I also had a cup of Jamaican coffee with cream and sugar.  I think once my half and half is gone, I just won't buy more.  I'll have to use almond milk or fat free milk or nothing.

It's definitely a process and I'm leaning into it.  I'm excited to see if I lost any weight when I weigh myself Monday morning!  Depending on that, I might get stricter on the diet.  Speaking of food, I need to go make a salad for lunch!  And look up some vegetarian recipes for the week.  I'm all for protein, but I also want to eat more vegetarian options and not just chicken, chicken, chicken, turkey, turkey, turkey!

Live Fit Day 3

Just a quick post.  Still on track.  Except I kinda skipped dinner last night.  My evening didn't really go as planned and I ended up not eating dinner.  I drank a decaf Americano (sp?) instead.  But, all my other meals/snacks were good!  And I got the workout in.  Leg curls and Barbell squats are kinda awkward, but I guess I'll get used to them!  Am I the only one who thinks the workouts are short?  I'm pretty much in and out of the gym in 30 minutes, is that wrong?  Maybe Jamie just doesn't want us spending our lives in the gym?  Whatever, if it gets me results, I'll do what she says!

My lunch

 You can't see it, but there's kale, spinach, and lettuce in there too!

Day 2 Live Fit

Okay, so it might be safe to say that I'll be updating everyday about the Jamie Eason Live Fit challenge because it keeps me accountable!

Today, was back and biceps.  Yesterday, was chest and triceps and I have to tell you that I was not expecting to even be sore today, let alone as sore as I was!  I can only imagine what tomorrow is going to be like!  The lifting isn't too difficult, most of the exercises I've done, but there are a few that are new to me.  Don't tell anyone, but I actually did the lat pulldown behind my head for the first set, yeah I'm that girl.  But, that was my only real snafu.

The food isn't so bad, I'm trying to keep it pretty doable, so today went like this:

Breakfast- 4 egg whites, 1 whole egg, half an Ezekial english muffin and like 4 strawberries.
10 am snack- protein shake with unsweetened almond milk.
Lunch- kale salad with cucumbers, baby sweet peppers, cherry tomatoes, carrots and grilled chicken.

Afternoon snack- a small piece of grilled chicken and a tiny jazz apple.
Dinner- some tuna protein pasta salad ala Julie's from GoLean, and a turkey muffin.  Instead of mustard and relish in the pasta salad, I went with a tablespoon of greek yogurt and Newman's Own light caesar dressing!  Oh, and red and yellow peppers chopped in the food processor.

Plus, water with lemon and some raspberry leaf tea to "nourish my uterus" we'll see how that goes!  Oh, and I must admit I had a cup of coffee after work with a splash of half and half and one sugar, I'm trying to ween myself off the sugar first, then hopefully the half and half as well.


I also made more grilled chicken for tomorrow!

In other news, we might be going to Vegas in April!  I'd say that's a pretty good motivator to get in bikini shape.

Day 1 of Live Fit Complete

I just got done uploading my before photos to www.bodybuilding.com (and I won't be showing them here until there are after photos).  They were awful and honestly, it's a wonder my husband is still married to me!  Why didn't anyone tell me how bad it is?!  Jeezzuss.
Today, was pretty much the worst day to start an exercise program, the gym was packed!  I probably won't make it tomorrow (since it's already almost midnight) but I'd like to start going in the AM before work to avoid the crowd.  Also because some of these workouts are new to me and require moving benches and stuff in the weight area and I'd like to not have 10 large men staring at me while I struggle.  I had to modify two of the exercises, but I think the result was the same.  The food part wasn't bad until my parents held me hostage at Ikea for 3 hours so I was starving and ate a grilled chicken salad at Chick fil a as soon as we left.  I figured it was better than the Ikea hotdogs!
I have salad prepared for lunch tomorrow with grilled chicken and I'll be eating eggs with half an Ezekial english muffin as my starch and some strawberries for breakfast.  A smaller piece of chicken for am snack and a protein shake for pm snack.  I plan to make the pumpkin protein bars, but I have to order the Xylitol first.
I'm excited to see what I can do with my body in 12 weeks!  I also plan to look at those before photos on my phone anytime I want to eat crap or not workout!  Ugh.

Best Body Ever

I've been going back and forth on starting the Jamie Eason Live Fit program for awhile now, I was supposed to start the week of Thanksgiving but then the kidney stone I've had since college decided it wanted out.  Then I needed time to recover and by that time it felt silly to start so close to Christmas when I knew I'd be baking (and eating) a ton.  Then Bodybuilding.com announced their $100k 12 week challenge transformation competition and that sounded like pretty good incentive!  Plus, I realized that if I started the program on Monday, Jan. 2, I'd finish the week of my 31st birthday!  It would be pretty cool to turn 31 with a new body.  I think I even talked my husband and sister into doing the program as well.  My husband saw a magazine with Jamie Eason on the cover and suddenly he was willing to do the program, I think he thinks she's going to come to our house and train him personally!

Here are a few things to help me on my journey to a better body.  My husband bought me a jacket to wear to the gym and put a new protein bar in my stocking, it's called Iron Girl, anyone tried it?  I haven't tried it yet.  My Momma bought me a Cuisinart immersion blender (in pink!) for smoothies.  And between the two bags that I bought and one a friend bought me, I have 3 bags of oat flour for Jamie's protein bars.  Plus, fitness magazines to give me tips and keep me motivated!