Six Week Challenge: Results

So did 6 weeks of working out using the Workout 180 benefit me? Well Friday we measured and weighed in to see what physical results we had achieved...

According to the official weigh-in scale, I only lost 0.6 pounds. Since we weighed in the afternoon, with clothes on, I am taking this weigh-in with a grain of salt. According to my home scale, my morning weigh-in had me at 5 pounds lower than when we started this challenge.

As for the measuring, I have lost inches from the following places:
Abdomen: -1"
Arm: -1.25"
Buttocks/Hips: 0"
Calf: 0"
Forearm: -0.75"
Hips/Thighs: -0.5"
Mid-Thigh: -0.25"
Waist: -1.5"

Another way that I can tell that my body has changed is the way my pants fit. I don't think I am ready to go down a size, but my jeans are definitely roomier. I have also been able to tighten my belt a notch.

In terms of energy and how I feel, I really feel amazing. My energy is high. I don't hit that afternoon wall. And I feel strong during our actual workouts.

I am excited to continue the program for another 6 weeks. I am hoping for even better results at the end of the 12 weeks.

The Workout 180 is a great product. It is versatile and I have enjoyed using it. Personally I will probably never be good at being motivated to workout by myself, regardless of the products available to me. However having a great program to attend (at work no less and for free), I will gladly be the first to step up and say it is a great product. The trainer has been great and the group has been fun. I will miss it when we are finished.

Six Week Challenge: Day 36 & 37

Tuesday Workout(s):
Due to a last minute project, I missed the workout. Unfortunately I didn't get home until almost 9PM which meant a no go for Daniel and I to see a movie. Daniel wanted to know if this was Phase 2 of a diet for him (Phase 1 being the time I forgot to buy his cereal and didn't buy lunch meat for him for the week. Phase 2 being, not getting home at reasonable hours and him starving while he waited for me... he did eventually find a snack while he waited).

Meals For Tuesday:
Breakfast: Non-Fat Vanilla Yogurt with Granola and Coffee with Fat-Free Vanilla CoffeeMate
Snack: Missed my morning snack due to last-minute projects needing to get out the door by noon.
Lunch: Two slices of Turkey, one slice of Cheese, two slices of Tomato on two slices of Whole Wheat Toast and a Peach on the side
2:30 Snack: Ate part of my morning snack, a Blueberry Oatmeal Muffin
3:30 Snack: Grapes
4:30 Snack: Two low-fat Graham Crackers with 2 tbsp Peanut Butter
Dinner: Since I didn't leave work until 8:30, Daniel and I agreed that pizza and a movie from Blockbuster would be a good end to a long day. Beef Thin Crust Pizza and 10 oz of Sprite
Total Water: 96 oz
Total Calories According to Calorie Count: 2052

Wednesday Workout(s):
5:30: Tonight's 60-minute workout was a repeat of Week 2 - probably my least favorite week because of the pyramids. I can tell a huge difference, but just because I am in better shape did not make me like pyramids any more.

Meals For Wednesday:
Breakfast: Strawberry-Banana Smoothie and Coffee with Fat-Free Vanilla CoffeeMate
Snack: Oatmeal-Blueberry Muffin and Grapes
Lunch: Healthy Request Chicken Gumbo with 7 Multigrain Crackers
Snack: Two tbsp of Peanut Butter on two Low-Fat Honey Grahams and an Orange
Dinner: Salmon and Veggies
Total Water: 96 oz
Total Calories According to Calorie Count: 1508

Six Week Challenge: Day 38

Workout(s):
5:30 PM: 60-minute workout was the last of our six-week challenge. We did circuits. It is amazing how strong I feel. My energy is high. It is truly amazing. Tomorrow we weigh in and remeasure to see where we are at. We are actually continuing with an additional six weeks, but we will only meet 4 days a week. I will post off and on and share results at the end of the 12 weeks.

Meals:
Breakfast: Strawberry-Banana Smoothie and Coffee with Fat-Free Vanilla CoffeeMate
Snack: Oatmeal-Blueberry Muffin
Lunch: Tuna on two slices of Whole Wheat Bread, String Cheese and and Grapes
Snack: Two tbsp of Peanut Butter on two Low-Fat Honey Grahams and Blueberries
Post Workout Snack: Chocolate Milk
Dinner: Lean Meatballs with on two slices of Whole Wheat Toast
Total Water: 96 oz
Total Calories According to Calorie Count: 1661

Six Week Challenge: Day 34 & 35

Sunday Workout(s):
Day of Rest. I dutifully took a nap on the couch and tried to avoid the steamy humidity outside. I did go grocery shopping... does that count as "working out?"

Meals For Sunday:
Breakfast: Scrambled Egg Whites with Bell Pepper and Tomatoes on two slices of Whole Wheat Toast and Coffee with Fat-Free Vanilla CoffeeMate
Lunch: Three slices of Turkey Bacon, one slice of Turkey, one slice of Cheese, one slice of Tomato, one tsp of Miracle Whip on two slices of Whole Wheat Toast
Dinner: Rice, Chicken and Fajita Veggies from Chipotle
Total Water: 16 oz... I am soooo terrible about getting enough water on weekends.
Total Calories According to Calorie Count: 1596

Monday Workout(s):
5:30: Today marks the start of our last week of the program. We are actually going to continue for another six weeks, but I will not be posting as religiously... just occasional updates. Every day this week, we will we one work out from each of the previous five weeks. So tonight was a repeat of Week 1. It was amazing how big of a difference I felt doing tonight's workout. Even though it was hot, I was really able to push hard through the whole work out. I feel great and I really enjoyed it. Working out like this has been a great way to relieve work-related stress from the day.

Meals For Monday:
Breakfast: Strawberry-Banana Smoothie and Coffee with Fat-Free Vanilla CoffeeMate
Snack: Oatmeal-Blueberry Muffin
Lunch: Two slices of Turkey, one slice of Cheese and one slice of Tomato on two slices of Whole Wheat Toast with a Peach on the side
Snack: Two tbsp of Peanut Butter on two Low-Fat Honey Grahams, Blueberries
Dinner: Pork Chop marinated in Mustard and Maple Syrup and a Salad of Lettuce and Bell Pepper
Snack: Low-Fat, Sugar-Free Ice Cream Sandwich
Total Water: 104 oz
Total Calories According to Calorie Count: 1511

Return to Backpacking

  

To celebrate the long weekend, Daniel and I decided it was time for us to embark on an overnight backpacking trip, with Sophie in tow.

 

It has been about two years since we have managed to carve out time for such a trip. Over the past two years (since Daniel's chainsaw incident) we have actually tried to go on several different occasions, but something always prevented a trip.

 

After some last minute planning, we were able to get up to Carver's Gap for an overnight trip. We were not without our setbacks though...

 

  

On the front end everything seemed to go smoothly. We set up our tent in the living room, hoping that Sophie would not be afraid of such a thing. We have discovered that whatever we do or wherever we go, Soph is on board with trying. So she gladly hopped in the tent with us.

 

After packing all of our gear and checking our lists twice, we set out for an area north of Asheville. The route we took was longer than planned as we needed to stop and get a map, but eventually we made it to our trailhead.

Set Back #1:
For some reason our GPS took us a back way to Carver's Gap. As we drove down a winding country road, Daniel noticed a sign that said "Road Closed at Railroad Tracks." We were within 15 miles of our turn, so we prayed that the road closure would happen AFTER our turn.

  

We were literally counting down the miles (via the GPS) to said turn and anxiously waiting to the road closure. Sure enough, two more "Road Closed Signs" later the road closed 0.2 miles BEFORE our turn.

 

  

We briefly discussed how to proceed. Being so close to our turn and being on a country road through the mountains meant that to turn around probably meant a 1+ hour EXTRA drive. So we agreed to go forward past the road block in hopes that we could somehow get around it.

 

  

As we crossed the "closed" bridge, we noticed workers who were indeed working. Daniel rolled down the window to ask if there was a detour or if we could proceed. The worker looked at us and said "I won't tell anybody that I saw you." So we proceeded through the closed road.

Set Back #2:
We finally made it to Carver's Gap. It was 7:00 PM (later than we had intended) and 50 degrees with a strong wind. We discussed if we had warm enough clothes for the hike as we weren't expecting it to be so cold in July. We decided we would be fine, especially since we had our 0 degree sleeping bags.

 

  

As we pulled our backpacks out of the trunk, Daniel realized that he didn't have the lid to his pack. Uh-oh. We tried to remember what was in his lid: his hat, a headlamp and powerbars and maybe some other small items. We decided that we could make due with one headlamp and threw in some extra snacks into my pack. This also meant that my lid got the extra small items like the GPS and cell phone. I had a bandanna that I told Daniel he could use in lieu of his hat... this meant he got to sport a blue bandanna with white flowers instead of his beloved camouflaged hat.

 

   

We headed up Round Bald with a strong wind. I was thankful for a jacket. Sophie loved the open ridges that she could roam on. We hiked for about 2 hours, over Jane's Bald and on to Grassy Ridge where we decided to camp for the night.

 

Camping on a bald means you are exposed to the wind, but we managed to find a rhododendron bush to back our tent up to. Thankfully we still had light at 9 PM. We set up camp and then did a late night "dinner." We actually ate in Asheville but I was thankful to have hot beef stew after our cold two-hour climb over hills.
 

Sophie did great in the tent. She even slept all night with no barking. Sometime in the middle of the night, the wind stopped and it warmed up a bit. Soph woke up around 6:30 but let us sleep in til 7:30 at which point hikers with dogs came by and she went kind of crazy. We figured this was our "get up and break down camp" call.
 

  

We hit the trail by 9 and hiked down through the woods to the Stan Murray Shelter. Sophie did really well on the trail, unless with came across other hikers with dogs. I think this will just take time for her to adjust to.

 

After another half mile on the trail, we decided to head back because 1) hiking in the woods is not near as fun as hiking on the open balds (plus it is easier to control Sophie where we have more room to get off the trail) and 2) Daniel's feet were starting to bother him.

 

So we hiked out. Our mileage for our first return to backpacking trip was a little under 8 miles. The walk back across the ridges was beautiful. It was a good introduction for Sophie. hopefully we will have more trips to come.

 

I will admit that coming home a little early and getting to eat a yummy eat out meal and sleep in my own bed is nice.

Six Week Challenge: Day 32
Workout:
2 miles of backpacking, carrying a 40 lb pack over two balds, elevation gain 500 ft

Meals:
Breakfast: Frosted Mini-Wheats with 1% Milk and Coffee with Fat-Free Vanilla Coffeemate
Lunch: #1 from Chick-fil-a with a Dr. Pepper
Dinner: Joey Junior with water from Moes SouthWest Grill
Late Dinner: Mountain House Freeze Dried Beef Stew
Calories: 1,844

Six Week Challenge: Day 33
Workout:
6 miles of backpacking, carrying a 40 lb pack down through the woods, back up again and back over the previous two balds, elevation gain 1000 ft

Meals:
Breakfast: Power Bar
Snack: Trail Mix
Lunch: Tuna and Multigrain Crackers and half a serving of Trail Mix
Dinner: One half serving of Monterey Ranch Chicken Fajitas, half a bowl of Chips & Salsa and Dr. Pepper from On the Border
Calories: 1,690

Six Week Challenge: Day 31

Workout(s):
5:45 PM: 60-minute workout was a new rotation of circuits. It might be my favorite workout so far. We rotated through three six-minute stations twice. I started at the resistance station, followed by "get-ups" at the core station, and finally whole body resistance (squats, lunges, etc). I definitely feel better with each passing day and my energy is increasing by leaps and bounds.

Meals For Today:
Breakfast: Whole Wheat Chex with 1% mik and Iced Coffee with Fat-Free Vanilla CoffeeMate
Snack: Banana and a Blueberry-Oatmeal Muffin
Lunch: Grilled Chicken Salad with Sunflower Seeds and 1 tbsp of Ranch, no cheese and no croutons, 1 string cheese on the side
Snack: Orange and two slices of Whole-Wheat Bread with Peanut Butter
Dinner: Tilapia fried in EEOO and a side of steamed Green Beans
Total Water: 108 oz
Total Calories According to Calorie Count: 1660

Six Week Challenge: Day 30

Workout(s):
5:45 PM: 45-minute workout was a repeat of Monday. I was late due to a last-minute project so I missed the warm up. I must have been really tired from coming into work at 7 AM, because I was really low on energy tonight. It was also incredibly hot in the studio. Pacino did more dancing which is always worth a good laugh. I hope tomorrow's workout is better.

Meals For Today:
Breakfast: Berry Smoothie and Iced Coffee with Fat-Free Vanilla CoffeeMate
Snack: Banana and a Blueberry-Oatmeal Muffin
Lunch: Daniel went to a music festival in the mountains today with a friend, so I ran home to let Sophie out during lunch and made myself Scrambled Egg Whites on two Slices of Whole Wheat Bread with one Slice of Turkey Bacon and two Slices of Tomato and a side of Sugar Snap Peas
Snack: A Fuji Apple with 2 tbsps of Peanut Butter and a tsp of cinammon
Dinner: Salad with Grilled Chicken, Sunflower Seeds and 1 tbsp of Ranch (no cheese, no croutons)
Snack: Fat-Free, Sugar-Free Ice Cream Sandwich
Total Water: 108 oz
Total Calories According to Calorie Count: 1534

Six Week Challenge: Day 29

Workout(s):
6:45 AM: Walked Sophie 1.25 miles at the Greenway.

5:30 PM: 50-minute workout was a repeat of last Tues/Thurs. I had a really good workout tonight. My endurance and strength has definitely improved and I feel really great. I actually received three compliments tonight...

Compliment #1
Debbie (fellow challenger): "Have you lost weight? You look like you've lost weight."

Compliment #2
Chris & Jeff (co-workers/fellow challengers): "We were watching you tonight and you were a machine!"

Compliment #3
Tara & LaCinda (friends from Tuesday night Bible study): " You look great. Definitely not as tired as you did the first night you started the challenge."

Meals For Today:
Breakfast: Scrambled Egg Whites on 2 pieces of Toast with one slice of Tomato, 1/4 a Bell Pepper and one slice of Turkey Bacon. 4 oz of Orange Juice and Iced Coffee with Fat-Free Vanilla CoffeeMate
Snack: Watermelon
Lunch: Leftover Homemade Veggie Pizza
2:30 Snack: String Cheese, 7 Multi-Grain Crackers and one Banana
4:00 Snack: Pita Chips - I had to have a second snack because I was starving
6:45 Post Workout Snack: Chocolate Milk
Dinner: Salmon with Peppers and Sugar Snap Peas steamed with Olive Oil, White Wine, Lemon Juice and Salt and Pepper
Total Water: 104 oz
Total Calories According to Calorie Count: 1971

Six Week Challenge: Day 28

Workout(s):
50-minute workout was good, but boy was it hot. Here is my attempt to describe today's workout: All of the Workout 180's were set up in a circle around the perimeter of the room. Six 180s were lined up in the middle of the room. We started out with 6 people doing 15 repetitions of various exercises (plyometrics, resistance and core). Once you finished your 15 reps, you joined the outer circle and someone from the outer circle took your place. While in the outer circle you had to do cardio. It was a good workout. I definitely feel tired tonight.

Meals For Today:
Breakfast: Berry Smoothie and Iced Coffee with Fat-Free Vanilla CoffeeMate
Snack: Oatmeal-Blueberry Muffin
Lunch: Apple, Cranberry, Turkey and Feta Salad with a side of Cucumber and reduced-fat Cottage Cheese
Snack: One Banana, Toasted Slice of Whole Wheat Bread with a Tbsp of Crunchy Peanut Butter
Post-Workout Snack: Chocolate Milk
Dinner: Heated Wrap consisting of Flat Bread with reduced-fat Cottage Cheese, Baked Skinless Chicken Breast,Feta, Salt and Pepper
Total Water: 104 oz
Total Calories According to Calorie Count: 1501

Six Week Challenge: Day 27

Workout(s):
Sunday is my rest day, which is a good thing since the bee sting on my foot has swollen considerably and I am having trouble walking. Hope the swelling goes down by tomorrow. It has been nice to lay on the couch and watch movies and nap though.

Meals For Today:
Breakfast: Bowl of Cereal with Milk and Iced Coffee with Fat-Free Vanilla CoffeeMate
Lunch: Turkey Bacon, Smoked Turkey, Tomato and Lettuce Wrap and Watermelon on the side
Snack: Berry Smoothie
Dinner: Homemade Supreme Veggie Pizza
Snack: Non-Fat, Sugar-Free Ice Cream Sandwich
Total Water: 32 oz
Total Calories According to Calorie Count: 1452

Six Week Challenge: Day 26

Workout(s):

12:30 PM: We decided to head up to Linville Gorge to do a 5-mile hike to the Linville Falls. 

As we were loading the car and getting ready to leave, I stepped on a bee that got stuck between my sandle strap and my foot. Subsequently stinging the arch of my right foot. So instead of getting in the car, we came back inside where I immediately put ice on my foot and took a Benadryl. After some contemplating, I decided we should proceed with the trip.

Linville Gorge was beautiful. The temperature was perfect. The first part of the hike was pretty crowded - we went to three lookouts where we could view the Falls from above. Lots of people and lots of dog. Sophie still feels the need to "protect us" and she growls at all other dogs, regardless of their size.

The second half of the hike was down into the gorge. This part of the trail was less populated. At the bottom of the falls, we were able to wade in the water and even managed to get Sophie to swim for the first time - she didn't like it, but she did it. After a snack of an orange and half a Clif Bar, we headed back to the car.

The only negative of walking into a gorge is that you have to walk out. Which means the end of your hike is the more tiring.

 

Meals For Today:
Breakfast: Bowl of Cereal with Milk, Iced Coffee with Fat-Free Vanilla CoffeeMate and Watermelon
Lunch: We stopped at a Chik-fil-a in Morganton on the way to Linville Gorge. I opted for the Chicken-Strip Salad with no croutons, no cheese and minuscule amount of ranch dressing. Glass of water.
Snack: An Orange and half of a Pretzel Peanut Butter Clif Bar
Dinner: After our hike, we were too hungry to wait to get home to eat. Our initial choices of places to eat were Sonic, McDonald's, Wendy's and Taco Bell. Since we don't have a Sonic near us, we opted for that. We consulted our book Eat This Not That and decided to compromise. We picked a Sonic Burger with Mustard, Ketchup and Pickles and a Bacon Cheddar Toaster Burger. We each ate half of both burgers. It was delicious.
Total Water: 48 oz
Total Calories According to Calorie Count: 1463

Calories are low, even with the two fast food stops. Fat percentage was on the high side (38.6%), but it was worth it after our 5-mile hike.

Six Week Challenge: Day 25

Workout(s):
6:45 AM: We got up early Friday to walk Sophie at the Greenway. We got in the car, rolled down the windows so Soph could hang her head out, and started down the driveway. When the car started moving, there was a terrible noise, so Daniel stopped and got out to investigate. Turned out that we had a seriously flat tire on the front passenger side of the car. So we got back out of the car (which confused and probably disappointed Sophie) and I walk her in the neighborhood while Daniel changed the car tire. We walked about a mile. Afterward the three of us got in the hammock together and enjoyed the cool morning before the day got started.

5:30 PM: Last night's workout was the toughest yet. We rotated through 5 different 5-minute stations, twice. I started at the plyometrics station. We did a series of jumps on and off of the Workout 180 platform. Second station was cardio. This was an obstacle course that included doing the inch-worm the length of the room. For me, this did more to wear out my arms than it did to give me a cardio workout. Following this was core exercises. Then on to resistance and finally balance. I enjoyed the workout, but man it was tough.

Meals For Today:
Breakfast: Bowl of Cereal with Milk and Iced Coffee with Fat-Free Vanilla CoffeeMate
Snack: Watermelon
Lunch: I had to run a work errand during lunch, so I grabbed a Chicken-Strip Salad from Chick-Fil-A while I was out. No croutons. No cheese. And maybe a teaspoon of ranch dressing. Glass of water.
Snack: Pita Chips, a Banana and String Cheese
Dinner: A couple of slices of pizza from Wolfman chased down with a couple of glasses of water.
Total Water: 96 oz
Total Calories According to Calorie Count: 1639

So last week Anna challenged me to go 10 days eating cheat-free. Also eliminating as much fat from my diet as possible. I am all for doing this. Unfortunately, coming off of a trip with no time to plan meals or grocery shop made this week a poor week to start the challenge. Overall, I did pretty well. But starting today, for the next 10 days, I am going to take this challenge seriously and see what happens.

Six Week Challenge: Day 24

Workout(s):
5:30 PM: Tonight was a repeat of Tuesday's workout alternating 60 seconds of cardio with 60 second intervals of calisthenics. I enjoyed the work out and can definitely tell a difference in my energy level. The hardest part was being stiff from last night's resistance-only work out. When I got home tonight, I hopped in the tub and took a cold bath - hopefully this will relieve the soreness and stiffness that seems to exist from my waist to my knees. On a happy note, my knee pain has completely subsided.

I feel kind of bad... I have chosen sleep over getting up and walking Sophie with Daniel in the mornings. She doesn't need me to go, but it is nice to hang out with them before I go to work. Will have to try to get up in the morning.

Meals For Today:
Breakfast: Non Fat Vanilla Yogurt with Granola and Iced Coffee with Fat-Free Vanilla CoffeeMate
Snack: Watermelon
Lunch: Leftover Salmon, Jasmine Rice and Mixed Vegetables from BoneFish Grill
Snack: Pita Chips, a Banana and String Cheese (I am not one to play with my food, but I really enjoy eating string cheese by pulling it apart and eat one string at a time...)
Post Workout Snack: Chocolate Milk
Dinner: Eggs Baked in Tomatoes and Red Peppers
Total Water: 96 oz
Total Calories According to Calorie Count: 1818

Six Week Challenge: Day 23

Workout(s):
5:30 PM: Tonight was 60 minutes of resistance training. It was a good workout and I am definitely feeling all of my muscles now that the work out is over. I hope I sleep off some of the muscle pain.

Meals For Today:
Breakfast: Non Fat Vanilla Yogurt with Granola and Iced Coffee with Fat-Free Vanilla CoffeeMate
Snack: Cherries
Lunch: Tuna on Whole Wheat Tortilla, Fruit Cup and a Luna Bar
Snack: Pita Chips and an Orange
Dinner: Celebrated that Daniel is now a professional engineer by eating at Bonefish Grill. I had Bread, Grilled Salmon with Lemon Butter Sauce and Steamed Broccoli and Steamed Vegetables.
Total Water: 120 oz
Total Calories According to Calorie Count: 2376

Six Week Challenge: Day 22

Workout(s):
5:30 PM: I was a little nervous about tonight's work out since I basically skipped for 4 days while traveling. Thankfully it didn't kill me, but it was definitely a tough 60 minutes. New format this week. Tonight was alternating 60 seconds of cardio with 60 second intervals of calisthenics. I have to say that tonight's work out is my favorite so far. It was a lot of fun and I worked my butt off. I am looking forward to tomorrow.

Meals For Today:
Breakfast: Non Fat Vanilla Yogurt with Granola and Iced Coffee with Fat-Free Vanilla CoffeeMate
Snack: Cherries
Lunch: Leftover Penne with Chicken and Asparagus
Snack: Homemade Hummus and Pita Chips, Sugar Snap Peas
Post Workout Snack: Chocolate Milk and Apple Slices
Dinner: Rice, Chicken and Fajita Veggies from Chipotle
Total Water: 96 oz
Total Calories According to Calorie Count: 1871

Six Week Challenge: Days 18, 19, 20 & 21

Travel Weekend makes for poor eating and little exercise...

Friday Workout(s):
Skipped due to traveling.

Friday Meals:
Breakfast: Bran Muffin (mom's recipe) and Coffee with Fat-Free Vanilla CoffeeMate
Snack: Cherries
Lunch: Leftover Supreme Veggie Pizza with Mozzarella and Feta
Snack: Homemade Hummus with Pita Chips and an Orange
Dinner: Chicken Selects from McDonald's
Total Water: 50 oz
Total Calories According to Calorie Count: 1931

I have a hard time drinking enough water on weekends and/or when traveling. This weekend has been no exception. Food on Friday was not too bad, even with a quick stop at Mickey D's.

Saturday Workout(s):
2:30 PM: Tread water at the pool for 20 minutes. I always forget how hot/humid it is in Tennessee. I showed my family the Workout 180. But got derailed from actually doing the workout. Who wants to work out when there is a 2-week-old you could be holding?

Saturday Meals:
Breakfast: We spent Friday night in Nashville at Daniel's Grandmothers. She got up and made us a 6 o'clock breakfast of eggs, bacon, sausage, biscuits with gravy, fruit and coffee with cream and sugar. I sampled everything and didn't overeat. It was really good.
Snack: Tall Iced Coffee with Milk and Vanilla from Starbucks
Lunch: Turkey sandwiches, Chips and Dr. Pepper
Dinner: Homemade mashed potatoes with gravy, carrots, baked chicken and a salad with a little ranch dressing
Total Water: 32 oz
Total Calories According to Calorie Count: 2619

Ate fairly well for being on the road, just high calories and no real workout to offset it. Feeling lethargic - possibly due to traveling or the heat and humidity.

Sunday Workout(s):
Excuses. Excuses... Skipped - too hot and too humid and I am too tired and too dehydrated.

Sunday Meals:
Breakfast: Two glazed donuts and a coffee with cream and sugar
Lunch: Chef Salad with chips
Dinner: Hot dog and potato salad
Snack: Made my dad a Banana, Strawberry and Vanilla Pudding Pie for Father's Day
Total Water: 32 oz
Total Calories According to Calorie Count: 2264

Should have skipped the donuts, or at least limited myself to one. For being a travel weekend, I don't think I have ate that terribly. Should have made time for exercising, but have been out of sorts due to the hotter weather and just plain tired for travelling and staying up late/getting up early. Have had a good visit. We miss Sophie - hope she did ok at the Animal Hospital she has been boarding at here in Memphis. Have had a great visit with my family. Nice to be with Dad on Father's Day. My niece is adorable. Glad to have this time with her.

Monday Workout(s):
7:30 AM: Picked up Sophie from the Animal Hospital and took her to walk 2 miles at Shelby Farms. Sophie loved it. Tics loved Sophie. I did not love the humidity/heat in the early morning.

Monday Meals:
Breakfast: One of mom's Homemade Banana Muffins and a glass of Milk, one serving of leftover Strawberry, Banana, Pudding Pie.
Lunch: Steak and Feta Salad at Demos in Lebanon with Water and Dr. Pepper
Snack: Half a Twix
Dinner: Quarter Pounder with no cheese from McDonalds, half a Small French Fries and a large Sweet Tea
Total Water: 16 oz
Total Calories According to Calorie Count: 2148

Six Week Challenge: Day 17

Workout(s):
Went into work early this morning (had a Friday deadline, that ended up getting pushed back a week). By default, I missed out on Sophie's morning walk.

5:30 PM: 60 minute workout following the 10-20-20-10 routine again. Today was a good workout. Didn't kill me, but a good challenge none-the-less. I requested some ab work (and so did one other person) so Anna treated us to some good core work at the end. Knees are good tonight.

Meals For Today:
Breakfast: Non Fat Vanilla Yogurt with Cranberry-Orange Multi-Grain Snack Mix and Coffee with Fat-Free Vanilla CoffeeMate
Snack: Cherries
Lunch: Leftover Penne with Chicken and Asparagus
Snack: Bran Muffin (mom's recipe) and a Banana
Dinner: Supreme Veggie Pizza with Mozarella and Feta
Snack: Breyers Heart Smart Double Churn Vanilla Ice Cream
Total Water: 120 oz
Total Calories According to Calorie Count: 1900

After talking with Anna today, I am working on increasing my caloric intake to help increase my metabolic rate. Starting next week I am going to do a 10-day food challenge (at Anna's prompting) to see if my hunger increases and to focus on eating completely nutritious food (no cheats). I am also working to add in calcium.

Six Week Challenge: Day 16

Workout(s):
Had a doctor's appointment this morning, so I skipped out on walking Sophie. Instead I dropped Daniel and Sophie off at the Greenway on my way to the doctor. My doctor was not concerned about my knee pain (at this point). She thinks the pain is from overuse. She told me to listen to my body and continue to use ice post workout.

5:30 PM: 60 minute workout following the 10-20-20-10 routine again. Each day has become easier. My knees didn't hurt tonight, so that is a good thing. I am feeling stronger and definitely have more energy during the actual workout.

Meals For Today:
Breakfast: Bran Muffin (mom's recipe) and Coffee with Fat-Free Vanilla CoffeeMate
Snack: Cherries and Cranberry-Orange Multi-Grain Snack Mix
Lunch: Leftover Spinach Pasta Salad
Snack: Hummus with Pita Chips and a Banana
Dinner: Penne with Chicken and Asparagus
Total Water: 88 oz
Total Calories According to Calorie Count: 1944

Daniel offered to do fast food tonight because we were both feeling tired, but I decided that cooking doesn't take that long and it wouldn't be worth it because 1) we already have spent the money on groceries, 2) I do feel worse when I eat out and 3) we will be travelling all weekend and eating out plenty. So no Chick-fil-a or Dominos Pizza as a middle of the week pick-me-up for the Moore household.  

 

Calories are high tonight because of the Spinach Pasta Salad - it is full of the good fats such as olive oil and olive. I don't feel too bad since those are considered healthy fats. Most days have been aiming at the 1400-1700 calorie mark and have done pretty good (over all) with this goal. I have continued to struggle with getting my proteins to be 30% of my diet and fat at 20% (they have been the other way around). Today I checked out the book Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidebook from the library. I am hoping it will give me some incite into getting my fat and protein portions corrected.

 

 

Six Week Challenge: Day 15

Workout(s):
6:45 AM: Walked Sophie 1.5 miles on the Greenway.

5:30 PM : 60 minute workout - continued with the 10-20-20-10 workout. Ice packs last night must have helped tremendously because I was able to do most of the cardio at the right intensity. By the end of the workout, my knee was not loving me. I have ice on it again tonight. I am going to the doctor tomorrow morning for a *final follow up visit for my blood clot and I am going to ask her about my knee...

Meals For Today:
Breakfast: Bran Muffin (mom's recipe) and Coffee with Fat-Free Vanilla CoffeeMate
Snack: Strawberries
Lunch: Spinach Pasta Salad
Snack: Cranberry-Orange Multi-Grain Snack Mix and a Banana
Dinner: Italian Fish and Veggies
Total Water: 96 oz
Total Calories According to Calorie Count: 1501

Six Week Challenge: Day 13 & 14

Sunday Workout(s):
Sunday is the rest day so I stuck with walking Sophie.
9:30 AM: Went for a 1.5-mile walk on the greenway.
7:00 PM: Went on a 0.5-mile walk in our neighborhood.

Meals For Sunday:
I am not going to lie, I was feeling sorry for myself because Daniel is off having a good time in Texas and I am home alone. My response was to treat myself to a #1 from McDonalds. I know I could have settled for just a burger and maybe a small fries, but I went all out and got a Big Mac AND fries AND a Dr. Pepper. And it was GOOD. But it did not make me feel any better, or miss Daniel any less.
Breakfast: Cascadian Farms Honey Clusters Cereal and Coffee with Fat-Free Vanilla CoffeeMate
Lunch: Aforementioned #1 combo from Mickey D's
Dinner: Dinner wasn't much better, but it was gooooood. One serving of fat-free, Double Churn Vanilla ice cream with a serving of Cranberry-Orange Multi-Grain Snack Mix. Maybe not the healthiest day, but I did enjoy it.
Total Water: 32 oz
Total Calories According to Calorie Count: 1556.

My caloric intake was in a decent range, but the healthiness of Sunday's food was not so great.

Today's Workout(s):
Didn't sleep that great last night - maybe due to my crappy nutrition yesterday. Slept in and only had time to walk Sophie about 0.25 miles in our neighborhood, for which I felt TERRIBLE. I ran home at lunch to play with her to make up for not having time to walk this morning.

5:30 PM : 60 minute workout - we are now doing a 10-minute warm up followed by 20 minutes of steady cardio, 20 minutes of resistance training on an unstable platform and a 10 minute cool down. I had a tough time with the cardio because my knee was hurting and I really couldn't handle the impact of the exercises. Also got a cramped calf at the end of cardio - possibly due to my high sodium intake yesterday (thank you Big Mac and Fries). I REALLY LIKED the resistance coupled with the unstable platform. I felt like i had a good session with that. I didn't care for tonight's music set, but Pacino danced for us, which made it worth it.

7:15 PM Came home and had a pretty wild dog. Opted to take Sophie on a 1.5 mile walk at the Greenway to make up for missing her walk this morning.

Meals For Today:
Breakfast: Cranberry-Orange Multi-Grain Snack Mix and Coffee with Fat-Free Vanilla CoffeeMate
Snack: Cherries
Lunch: Spinach Pasta Salad
Snack: Hummus with pita chips, Sugar Snap Peas
Dinner: Spanish Halibut
Total Water: 96 oz
Total Calories According to Calorie Count: 1485