Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Supplemented...

I wanted to post about a change in my workout/diet. I mentioned at the beginning of this journey that I wanted to loose weight without the help of supplements. And up until yesterday, that was my absolute plan. I figured that, with the right diet and plenty of exercise, I would not need it. However, after a phone conversation with my trainer, who happens to be my brother, my opinions changed.  


He asked me how my work-outs were going, and not wanting to lie to him, I told him that I was struggling. I no longer had the same motivation that I had at the beginning of this process and I knew that my workouts were losing intensity. At this point, he recommended that I add a pre-workout supplement into the mix. I was hesitant, but after 2 weeks with really no results, I was beginning to feel like I was in over my head. I honestly no longer had the energy to work out properly. 


My bother assured me that, with the help of a good pre-workout supplement, I would be able to make it over this hump in my training. So I headed down to the local GNC store, and with the help of the employees, and a few phone calls to my brother, I landed on the Jack 3d Pre-Exercise Supplement.

Now.. I was a little intimidated by this product. Was I gonna get super buff like a dude? Was I going to pass out from my heart beating too fast? was it not going to work at all? I was not sure. On the label it says,under the BLACK BOX WARNING:

This product may produce an intense sensation of
focus, energy, & awareness. In addition, its key 
ingredients may allow for workout domination in
conjunction with proper training and diet. Use
with caution under strict dosing protocols. 



So... I would up not taking it the day I got it. I decided to wait until today when my mind was clear and I was ready for it. And let me just say... I don't think I have ever had a better workout. I don't know if any of you have seen that movie Limitless with Bradley Cooper, but I honestly felt like I was on that. I never felt jittery, but I did feel like I had the energy and strength to boost my workout up a few notches. I was able to double my work out time, and push myself farther than I thought possible. I have to admit, I'm sold. 

Now... I am in no way telling anyone that they should use supplements or am I endorsing this product in any way. I just wanted to let the readers (and I know I have at least 1 dedicated reader  ♥) what I was doing and I wanted to be honest about it.  I do feel that this was the boost I needed to get me to where I want to go. 

I will continue to update any and all changes to my work-out routine and if you have any questions about products, diet, or my work out plan, please let me know.  And I want to end this with a quick shout out to my friends and family who are supporting me on my journey to internal satisfaction. Love you guys!



Me and my Trainer/ Baby Brother/ Hero

Friday, March 23, 2012

This week...

Since I've been super busy, I wanted to make a quick post that covered my entire last week. I have to say that I did not experienced the results that I anticipated. But to be fair, I did not work as diligently as weeks prior. I'm not going to be a myself up about this because it's natural for anyone to have a bad week, but I am happy to see that the numbers are still going in the right direction. 




I was super charged up after my week 2 results left much to be desired, but after a few days, I felt burned out. I mentioned that I would be continuing my No/Low carb diet for another week, and I'm happy to say that I did. Now that's its over, I cant imagining going back to the way I use to eat. I still plan to avoid the major Carb players, breads, Pasta, et cetera, but I'm not going to be as strict on other foods. I wanted to upload a picture of one of my favorite dishes that has recently been added to the menu. 

Grilled Chicken w/ No-Pasta Pasta
I sauteed onions, red pepper, large leafs of spinach 
mushrooms, stewed tomatoes and seasoned to taste. 


I love this meal because I feel like I'm eating spaghetti. I like 
to slice the peppers into long strips to give me even more of 
the pasta feel. And You can even opt to add a little Parmesan 
cheese on top. But not too much :)


Now for my weigh in. On Wednesday, I think I was too bummed to post the results, but I need to put it out there anyway. Although mid-week, I saw that I got down to 144.4, By the time I reached weigh in day, I was back to 145.7. Still technically lower than last week, but I was hoping for more. I'm not going to get discouraged because I till have a month and a half to reach my goal of 134.


I just did my weekly measurements. And as with my weigh in, the results were not fabulous, but still heading in the right direction.




Bust.....                               34 (Down 0")
Belly Button....                   31 (Down 2")
Waist....                        27 (Down .5")
Hips....                     37 (Down 0")
Right Thigh.... 22.5 (Down .5")
Left Thigh....  22.25 (Down .25")
Right Arm....             11 (Down 0")
Left Arm....                    10.5 (Down 0")

This week I need to focus on my upper and lower body. I have been focusing on my Abs, and happy to see that my mid suction had gone down, but I want the rest of my body to get with the program. I will post next week at the latest with my results. And... because it's Friday, I'll end this with my progress photo. 



Friday, March 16, 2012

Measurements are in...

Happy Friday!

I am coming to you from a state of exhaustion, so this post will be a little short. I have been in the process of redecorating a room for a dear friend of mine, and it is taking up a lot of my time. But, I still managed to get my workout in and I have still been on track as far as my diet goes.

In my last post, I mentioned that I was feeling pretty bummed over my 1.1 pound weight loss last week. I think I am finally past that let down because, as mentioned in that post, today I would be updating my measurements. And I am SO HAPPY to say that I have indeed lost some inches. :)

                       DAY 1          DAY 8         DIFFERENCE
 Bust                   35"                 34"                      -1"
Waist                 28"                 27.5"                  -.5"
Belly Button     34"                 33"                     -1"
Hips                  38.5"              37"                     -1.5"
R. Thigh            23.75"            22.75"                -1"
L. Thigh            23.5"              22.5"                  -1"
R. Arm              11.75"            11"                     -.75"
l. Arm               11.25"            10.5"                  -.75"     


Total inches lost: 7.5" 

I have to say, that's not bad for a week :)      

And of course I did not forget. I promised that I would upload a progress photo along with my measurements. Just keep in mind that this photo was taken right after a work out, so I'm looking a little busted. :)


Thats all for now folks. XOXO

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Only 1 pound? Seriously...

Today is Wednesday, and as promised, I am updating the results of my weekly weigh in.

My starting weight............  152. 2  
Last week I weighed in at... 147.3
This week I weighed in at... 146.2

That's a difference of 1.1 pounds. I did not hit my goal of losing 3 pounds this week. I have to admit, I was a little bummed when I saw the number on the scale. But I had to keep in mind the following;

     1. I just started a new work out program.
         I have felt my body getting stronger, and I know that muscle weighs
         more than fat.

     2. The is week 2 of my weight loss journey.
         The first week of my diet, my body went into schlock and was shedding
         a lot of excess water.

     3. I'm still headed in the right direction.
         It's natural to get discouraged when the number on the scale does not
         reflect the work you've done.

The key is, not to let it get you off track. I knew from the beginning that I was not going to lose this weight, in a safe way, and keep it off by only committing to 2 weeks worth of work. If anything, I have a better idea of what it will take to get the weight off.

So here is my plan for this week. I am sticking to my No/Low Carb diet for at least another week and I am upping the intensity of my workouts by adding 1 pound wrist weights. Also, my workout plan will be increasing my routines from 1 to 2 workouts on most days.

I have to say, I am looking forward to Friday, my measurements day.  I have a feeling that what I did not see on the scale will more than be made up for in inches. And because I had a low number on the scale this week, I am upping next weeks goal to 4 pounds. I know it seems drastic, but I think my body is up for it.

Wish me luck!

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Yummy...

       As mentioned in my previous post, I have changed the direction of my blog for a while to focus on reaching external satisfaction. Meaning, I will be focusing on hitting a weight loss goal that has seemed to elude me for the last decade. I'm happy to say that things have been going pretty well and I wanted to give an update on my progress thus far. I have been doing the Beach Body work-out program "Hip Hop Abs". 






I chose to do this one because...
      
      1. I had it already
      2. It seemed low impact (No/Low Carb diet produces less energy)
      3. It seemed fun. 


I am currently on day 5 and so far it's going well. I felt a slight lack of energy in the first few days, but now my energy level is beginning to pick up. The 3rd day of my work-out left me feeling really lean. I almost did not recognize myself in the mirror. Today, however, I am feeling a little more bloated, but I will be updating my measurements on Fridays, so we will know then exactly how much progress I've made. 


My weekly weigh in is tomorrow, and I will be sure to also post whether or not I hit my goal of losing 3 pounds this week. I did meet my goal last week primarily as a result of my diet, which brings me to my main reason behind this post. I wanted to  post a few pictures to highlight my diet and some of my favorite meals. Please keep in mind that I am not a nutritionist, chef, or food stylist. I am just letting you know what I have been eating and how it is working out for me. 


As of May 1st, I have been on a No/Low Carb diet. I am allowed to have the following foods:


Meats
Seafood
Eggs
Cheese (Although I am Lactose intolerant, so that limits me a bit more)
Fresh Fruits and Vegetables. (Thank God)




Here are a few of the meals I came up with. 
(Not all of these meals were made the same day) 


Hearty Breakfast. 
Usually I just have fruit, but I had a long day ahead 
of me and wanted  a filling breakfast. 
 2 egg scramble w/ vegetables
Peppers, onions, mushrooms, and seasoned to taste. 
Grapefruit and 2 pieces of turkey bacon on the side. 

Lunch option
I loved this meal. I really cant get enough avocado. 
Sometimes I eat a 1/2 avocado as a snack. 
Grilled Chicken and Spinach Salad w/ Avocado
Dressing was made with 2 tbsp Apple cider vinegar,
2 tbsp olive oil, diced apple, onion, and a bit of mustard.

Dinner Time
Any time you can add in more greens, the better. It's amazing the 
different ways to prepare the same thing and get a new result. 
Grilled Tilapia w/ stemmed Spinach and fresh pineapple
Kept it simple with the flavors. Only Salt and pepper 
to taste and the pineapple was the perfect side. 

Snack Attack
Again, I usually eat fruit for a snack, but on 
this day, I really wanted a high protein treat. 
Deviled Eggs with a crisp side of turkey bacon
Made with finely diced vegetables. Also, I really miss 
crispy foods. Thats why I made the bacon. :)

The Best Dessert 
I would be lost without Jello. I have such a 
sweet tooth and besides fresh fruit, this is all I get. 
Sugar Free Strawberry Jello w/ Fresh Strawberries
The whole bowl is only 40 cal w/o fruit. 
You can also add homemade whipped cream. 

So that's a look into what I have been eating. I hope it helps. Like I said, I am not a professional in any way. Just a regular girl trying to lose weight the old fashioned way. I will be sure to update more meal photos next week. And please stay tuned for progress photos and more updates on my weight loss :)

Friday, March 9, 2012

It's on...

So obviously it has been a while since I have updated a post. But I promise you that it's because I have been super busy living a unbelievably fabulous life. My 28th year thus far has been full of surprises. I have had the opportunity to meet some wonderful people, work some awesome jobs, and to travel. But as my 28th your is winding down, I wanted to make sure that I enter my 29th year at the top of my game. 


Time to be honest here. Although I have been super busy, I have still been neglecting one major part of my life. Fitness. I know... this is turning into one of those lame workout blogs. I assure you that its not. I just decided to take a little time to focus on my health and I feel that writing everything down will help to keep me accountable. 


And since I have taken some time to STOP focusing on my love life, I instead want to focus on myself. And since this blog is about seeking internal satisfaction, then this too is fitting. 


So I recently spent some time in California with my family. It was great to be back and to visit with all of my loved ones, both related and not. While I was there, the topic of person weight came up a lot. A few members of my family have decided to under go weight loss surgery. Let me preface this by saying that I have absolutely no judgement for their decision. In fact, I support it very much because I know that there was a lot of research and pre work that went into these life changing decisions. However, I wont name names, out of respect for their privacy.


I only bring that up to say this, I don't want to go home a year from now and find out that they have worked their way into a fit life and I am still left saying how I wish I would have done something about my weight. It's selfish, I know. But I'm looking at it more from a place of inspiration. I am inspired  by my family to finally make a difference and get off this last 15 pounds. 


Again, I know. 15 pound is not that much. But for the last 10 years, it has been the difference from me putting myself out there and standing in the shadows. I'm really tired of it. So I'm doing something about it. My Birthday is on May 13th. It is now March 9th. My goal is to drop this weight and keep if off for good and to finally be in the best shape of my life. 


Also, to put a little more pressure on the situation, on May 2nd, I will be taking a once in a lifetime, 3 week trip to London. While there, I want to celebrate my new found confidence and take a million pictures. lol. I know it's silly, but I am really into getting my picture taken and I want to finally get those nude shots that I've always wanted. :)


So, just to let you in on what I've been doing... for the last week I have been eating absolutely NO carbs. I am pretty excited with my results. In one week, I went from 152.2 to 147.3. Happy to be back in the 140's, but I am not done. This week, to rev up my weight loss, I have added Hip Hop Abs into my workout. I have committed to doing the 1 month program. (Working out 6 days a week) and continuing my My Carb diet for the next 2 weeks while adding in supplements during the final 2 weeks. 


Today, day one of my workout, my inches are: 


(Height 5,5")
Bust = 35"
Waist = 28"
Belly Button = 34
Hips = 38.5
Right Thigh = 23.75
Left Thigh = 23.5
Right Arm= 11.75
Left Arm 11.25


This month, I will update my measurements every friday, update my weight every Wednesday (Already my set weigh in day), and try to add as many pictures of my progress, meals, and just because's :)


So, if you are at all interested in this, please stay tuned. 


Thanks for reading!
Love, 
Me


P.S. My before picture... No Judgements! lol