Insanity is Insane - but I like it!

With all the working out, I have almost no time to do anything else.  I'm wiped out at the end of the day, but I'm feeling good and stronger at the same time.  Does that make any sense?  So with that, I'm just gonna post the F&F and say goodnight!

Oh but first I have to mention that Insanity is awesome!!!  It's been awhile since I've been able to get my heart rate up where it needs to be to get a good aerobic workout and this does it!  


FITNESS 

Walked 30 minutes (10616 steps total today)

Resistance tube workout <<< Click for details

Squat challenge day 15 (125 Squats)

Insanity Day 3 

FOOD

B:  Honey Nut Cheerios w/fruit & 2% milk

S:  Quaker Choc. Chip bar

L:  Ham Sandwich w/Pringles (hoping for a new microwave at work tomorrow)

D:  Taco Pasta Salad (recipe here)

And the pic of the day is this little guy I saw in the road on the way home from work today…

Fitness Magazine DietBet Challenge Day 1

Today begins my other DietBet Challenge.  (It's not too late to start!  Just click HERE)

My official weigh-in & post Universal mini-vacation weight is >>>> 2.6 pounds down!  YAY!! I lost weight AT AN AMUSEMENT PARK?!??!  Can you believe it?  That's just crazy.  But I'm very happy about it.  SCORE!  

So, yesterday was day one of Insanity - the fit test.  I cannot believe a fit test kicked my butt like that!  I did learn a valuable lesson though - one hour is NOT a sufficient amount of time to wait after dinner before doing Insanity.  I had to stop most of the exercises short so I wouldn't lose my dinner.  Tonight, I'll be doing it BEFORE dinner!  Oh and it's a good idea to turn off the ceiling fan as well - just saying'… ouch!

There I was leaving work today and for some reason I start wondering when the Turtle Krawl 5K is this month.  Uh, it's THIS coming Saturday!  YIKES!!  After doing 15+ miles this weekend, I'm thinking a 5K will be very nice.  I might even try to run a little here and there.  I'll fill you all in on how it goes next week.

And here's how it all turned out today...

FITNESS

Walked 30 minutes (9376 steps total today)

100 100-ups (great for a desk job!)

Squat Challenge Day 14 (up to 105 squats so far - goal is 200)

Treadmill 30 minutes 

Insanity Day 2 (BEFORE dinner this time!)

FOOD

B: Cheerios w/2% milk & banana

L: Southwest Salad Kit

D: Lean Cuisine Fettucine Alfredo w/ broccoli 

S: Homemade Trailmix

S: Quaker Oatmeal Bar

The Universe has been Rocked!

We had a great time Rockin' the Universe this weekend.  We saw some amazing bands and I got in lots of steps.  Total steps were Friday – 18,127 (7.02 miles), Saturday – 17,043 (6.52 miles) and Sunday 10,015 (3.83 miles).  That’s over 15 miles of walking!!   How was the nutrition you might ask?  Well, my food choices weren't always stellar, but I didn't eat near what I normally would at an amusement park. 

Newsboys

Third Day

Family Force 5

TobyMac

Me and the HE

Gringotts and the Dragon

Hogwarts Castle

The park was pretty sweet and the new Harry Potter rides were lots of fun.  I must say technology has done a lot for the amusement park industry because the new 3D motion ride/roller coasters were outstanding!  Of course, I love a good ol' fashion roller coaster too!!  I thought it was kinda cool to ride the Hogwarts Express - "Anything from the trolley dears?"  Awesome.  One of the rides kept breaking down and we weren't sure we'd be able to go on it before we left, but eventually it worked out.  Lots of fun walking through Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade - tried my first Butterbeer (liquid crack is all I can say).  I also enjoyed revisiting the attractions that were there last time I went 10 years ago - Spiderman, Transformers, Twister, etc.  I'm looking forward to going again sometime in the fall when it's not so hot.

But now we're back to reality and today went pretty well considering I was gone all weekend.  This means I didn’t shop until tonight, which meant dinner out.  I also had lunch from Subway today.  That wasn’t planned, but the microwave at work broke, so had to think fast.  I’m hoping all the working out today offset the unplanned calories.  Speaking of calories, here is the menu plan for the week…

Breakfast Choices:

Honey Nut Cheerios w/fruit & 2% milk

OR

Chobani Greek Yogurt w/mini dark choc chips & almond slivers

Lunch Choices:

Leftovers

OR

Salad Kit

OR

Lean Cuisine meal

Dinners:

Chicken & Black Bean Burrito Bowl (tried this last week and it was soooo good, I'm having it again this week)

Taco Pasta Salad

Salad topped w/chicken

Skillet Tostadas

Chicken & Brown Rice w/Broccoli

Subway (Eat Fresh!)

Snack Choices:

Apple w/cheddar slices

Grapes

Nutrigrain bar

And finally, in other news today…

FITNESS

Walk 30 minutes (10,617 steps total today)

Resistance Tube Workout

Squat Challenge Day 13

Insanity Day 1 (Lesson learned don’t do this after eating dinner!)

FOOD

Breakfast:

Chobani Greek Yogurt w/almond slivers & mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Lunch:

Subway Sweet Onion Chicken Teriyaki on flatbread

Dinner:

Chic-fil-A spicy chicken sandwich w/side salad

Snacks:

Homemade Trailmix

I'm off to Rock the Universe!

Heading to the land of theme parks this weekend to Rock the Universe at Universal Studios.  I have no idea how to eat well at these places as I can't really plan much other than water and snacks.  I won't know what food choices I have until it's time to eat.  I've scoped out a few of the more healthy choices, but who knows if we'll be close to it when we're hungry?

One things is for sure, I'll probably get a bunch of steps in!

Anyway, I'm just stopping by to say I won't be stopping by for a few days, but I'll be back soon to tell ya all about it!!

Oh great, this again?

Thought anymore about joining a DietBet with me?  Yes, I'm gonna keep this up for a couple more days!  Here are those links - check them out!!  More people mean more cold hard cash!

"Get Pumped and Lose Big with Bruce" $30 Bet / 28 Days to Go / Open to Everyone!  (It's not too late to join!) The pot is currently $54,330 and growing by the minute.

"Lose Weight, Win Money with FITNESS Magazine!" $30 Bet / Sep 09-Oct 06 / Open to everyone!
Pot is currently $28,230 and doesn't start til next week!!

Have you seen "Extreme Makeover - Weightloss Edition"?  I love that show!  Basically, Chris Powell coaches/trains super overweight people to lose weight.  Each episode comprises one year in the life of his client.  You see where they start and end in one episode.  Unlike BL, you don't have to keep watching the entire season to see what happens.  Here's Bruce's episode  <<<<< that link will only work as long as ABC keeps it posted, so check it out quick!  But if you subscribe to Hulu, it's there too.    His story is Season 4 Episode 4.  He is by far one of the most positive individuals I've seen on the show.  It shows in the comments he makes on DietBet too.  This is gonna be fun, so check it out!

Here's what's up today...

Had a slight incline going on and burned more calories than usual

FITNESS
Walk 30 minutes  (1.5 miles)
Full Body Resistance Tube workout
Squat Challenge Day 9

FOOD
Breakfast:
Kashi Go Lean Crunch w/ Almond milk

Lunch:
Subway 6" Italian BMT on Italian Herbs & Cheddar w/lite mayo & sriracha

Dinner:
Chicken & Black Bean Burrito Bowl

Snacks:
Skipped 'em all :(



Happy Humpday everyone!!

This Week's Menu

Yes, I did it.  I joined the "Get Pumped and Lose Big with Bruce" DietBet challenge.  It starts tomorrow, so you still have time if you want to join.  Just sayin'… the pot is up to almost $30,000.  

So, just click right up there ^^^^^ or over here if you want check it out >>>>>>>> "Get Pumped and Lose Big with Bruce"  <<<<<<<<

In an effort to win this challenge, I've come up with a menu in advance.   

Breakfast:

Kashi Go Lean Crunch (Honey Almond Flax) w/Silk Almond Milk (Vanilla Unsweetened)

OR

Chobani Greek Yogurt w/mini dark choc chips & almond slivers

Lunch:

Leftovers from night before

OR

Salad Kit

Dinners:

-Turkey burger on whole wheat bun, sweet potato fries, salad

-Chicken & Black Bean Burrito Bowl

-Taco Turkey Rice

-Grilled Chicken w/Salad

-Chicken Enchilada Casserole

-Subway (eat fresh!)

Snack Choices:

Apple w/string cheese

Homemade Trailmix

Reese’s Protein Shake

Grapes

As for today's activities…

FITNESS

30 minute walk

FOOD

Breakfast:

Kashi Go Lean w/Vanilla Almond Milk

Lunch:

Leftover Pizza from this weekend (yuck! threw half away!!)

Dinner:

Subway - 6" Sweet Onion Chicken Teriyaki on flatbread

Snack:

Mini-rice cakes (caramel)

Nutrigrain Bar

And now, it's time for me to hit the hay.  I've been struggling to stay awake all day!  But I will leave you with a pic of what I found at the store Saturday!

I have my own brand - how cool is that?
Ok, so it's not mine, but it has my name on it!

2-Week Workout plan & Additional DietBet

First off - the good news - I lost 2 pounds!!!  YAY!

I'm also considering and most likely will join an additional Diet Bet that starts 3 Sep.  It's hosted by Bruce Pitcher, who lost an AMAZING amount of weight on Extreme Makeover Weightloss Edition.  The pot is almost $30,000 right now, so I'm looking forward to it.  Besides, there's only a week overlap between the two challenges, so it'll keep me on my toes.  Hey and everyone is invited!!  So, what are you waiting for?!?!?  Check it out… Get Pumped and Lose Big with Bruce

Today, I drew up a two week plan for workouts.  I haven't really been planning those lately, instead, I've just focused on getting in at least 30 minutes of walking or some type of cardio.  With the Diet Bet challenge approaching, I figured I need a plan.  So… here it is.

Sep 1-6

MONDAY

walk 30 minutes

resistance tube workout

squat challenge day 7

TUESDAY

bike, treadmill or row for 30 minutes

walk 30 minutes

squat challenge day 8 - rest

WEDNESDAY

walk 30 minutes

resistance tube workout

squat challenge day 9

THURSDAY

elliptical, bike or row for 30 minutes

walk 30 minutes

squat challenge day 10

FRIDAY

walk @ UNIVERSAL!!!

squat challenge day 11

SATURDAY

walk @ UNIVERSAL!!

squat challenge day 12 - rest

Sep 8-13

MONDAY

walk 30 minutes and get 8K steps

resistance tube workout

squat challenge day 14

Insanity Day 1

TUESDAY

bike, treadmill or row for 30 minutes

walk 30 minutes and get 8K steps

squat challenge day 15

Insanity Day 2

WEDNESDAY

walk 30 minutes and get 8K steps

resistance tube workout

squat challenge day 16 - rest

Insanity Day 3

THURSDAY

elliptical, bike or row for 30 minutes

walk 30 minutes and get 8K steps

squat challenge day 17

Insanity Day 4

FRIDAY

walk 30 minutes

Full body strength training

Insanity Day 5

squat challenge day 18

SATURDAY

Walk or ride bike at beach - 30 minutes

Insanity Day 6

squat challenge day 19

What do you think?  Too ambitious?  Too lax?  Well, I'm hoping it's just right.  

But of course, as SOON as I finish making this plan and stand back to admire my work, here comes the monkey wrench.  What this plan doesn't show is 'when' I was planning on doing all that stuff.  It was supposed to be scattered throughout the day, and on Tuesday mornings, I usually can go to work late and get the workout in early, but I just found out I have to go in to work early tomorrow - Uggh!  Well, looks like I'll be scheduling it later in the day - 12-hr shifts just don't leave much time to work with, ya know?  Anyway, I won't let that derail me though.  I'll just press on and do the best I can with what I have.

What do I have though is this plan all laid out in a not-so-fancy Excel spreadsheet so it looks more like a calendar - I just can't get the formatting with this blog tool.  But, hey, if you'd like a copy in excel - completely editable for your own workout plans, just leave a comment or email and I'll hook you up.    

That brings me to today…

FITNESS

walked 30 minutes

resistance tube workout

squat challenge day 7

FOOD

Breakfast:
Honey Nut Cheerios w/2% milk plus fresh blackberries

Lunch:

Lean Cuisine Orange Chicken

Dinner:

Wendy's burger, fries & tea with a leftover b-day cupcake and a couple tablespoons of ice cream.  (womp womp whooommp)

Snacks:

Handful of Planters peanuts

Quaker's Chewy Granola bar

Not to worry though!! We are almost out of b-day cupcakes!  Did I mention it's also my daughter's b-day (the big 18!).  We bought 4 vanilla and 4 chocolate cupcakes to avoid the extreme cake leftovers. Only three left and I'm hoping the kids will polish them off while I'm at work tomorrow.  With all the birthdays this weekend, neither grocery shopping and nor meal planning happened.  Sooooo, guess what I'm doing after work tomorrow (after my work out of course)?  

Finally, here's a pic from this Saturday at the beach.  It was a bit overcast, so we just walked for about 30 minutes…

Have a great week!