P90X - Day 32

March 21, 2012

 

Workout:
     BACK & BICEPS… this one was a killer! SO much fun though! TONS of new moves, and TONS of curls!
     After having spent the last 36 hours almost, working on a baby quilt for a church activity, it was getting really late by the time the activity was over. I really did not want to do any workout let alone pump iron over my head and do pull-ups! I called my hubby and asked him if he was still wanting to go to the gym and he replied that he did not, I then promptly asked if he would come with me anyways and he says “I thought you didn’t want to go cause it’s so late” at which point I had an epiphany and I said “Honey, your right, I don’t want to go, but that is precisely why I need too. I don’t want to lose my initiative and I DO NOT WANT TO HAVE TO START THIS ALL OVER AGAIN! At this moment in time I am very proud of myself for powering through my sluggish desire!
     Earlier in the day I had popped in the workout DVD and had pre-viewed the new moves, so I took the record sheet that corresponds with the DVD with me to the gym and my hubby and I did the workout together. We only about did about 2/3rds of the moves but we put in a 45 minute circuit workout in the process, so I am pleased!

Diet:
     After my stress filled 36 hours , we ended up renting a movie and having an impromptu “date night” just the hubby and I after the gym. Unfortunately I did not say no to every thing I should have, but my calorie count is fine.

1 ½ c honey nut crunch cereal
1 c milk
2 c water
-----
Cheese stick
1 sm brownie
2 c water
-----
½ oz almonds
½ protein bar
2c water
-----
1 c Mexican cornbread casserole
1 tbsp. sour cream
1 tbsp green salsa
2 c water
-----
1 serv. Reeses pieces
1 serv. Charelston chews mini’s
3 c popcorn
-----
1735 cals


~Laura~

P90X - Day 31

March 20, 2012

Workout:
     PLYOMETRICS… (A.K.A. jump training) I actually like this workout, although my knees are beginning to bug me some during the 200 or so squats that we do during it, so I still have to modify the moves a little by not getting down as low or jumping as high. Today I promised myself I would “bring it” as Tony would say, so I did try to do more jumps than I have been in the past and I also stuck around for the bonus round (the last 5 minutes of the DVD). I am feeling really good physically, jumping is getting easier, jumping jacks, bending over, squatting, lunges and just overall endurance is increasing. I am very pleased with how my body feels and my hubby is loving my newfound energy! :-)

Diet:
     I make no excuses for my eating in the later half of my day. I let myself go too long between meals and I was STARVING, so I figured the 2 slices of pizza I stole from my friend "C's" kids (just kidding) would be a better choice than going without and letting my metobolism plumit or worse binge eat when I got home! So I choose the option I had and ate to make my body happy and drank lot more water!
1c Raisin Bran
¾c milk
2 c water
-----
Cheese stick
½ oz smoked almonds
2 c water
-----
Peanut butter & Jelly sandwich on whole wheat
1c milk
-----
Trail mix granola bar
Sour punch straws
2 c water
-----
2 slices med. Pizza
2 cinnastick
Diet dr. pepper
2 c water
-----
1 lg. brownie
Chicken breast
2 c water
-----
2104 cals


~Laura~

P90X - Day 30

March 19, 2012

Workout:
     Chest, Shoulder, Triceps… WOW! Day one of the new workouts and this workout is definitely a step up from last month’s schedule. I was finally starting to feel comfortable doing push-ups and the new style in this DVD are a whole new breed of AWSOME! I felt like a beginner all over again and the tender muscles I have now can bear testimony to that. :-)

Diet:

2 slices wheat toast
2 ½ scrambled eggs
1 tbsp freezer jam
6 oz. orange juice
2 c water
-----
V8 juice
2c water
-----
P90x recovery drink
Cheese stick
2 c water
-----
Fall Salad: (split for 2 meals)
Large green salad mix, chicken breast, red onions, dried cherries, cranberries, cheese, croutons and light garlic dijon dressing
Diet dr. pepper
2 c water
-----
Fall Salad: (split for 2 meals)
Large green salad mix, chicken breast, red onions, dried cherries, cranberries, cheese, croutons and light garlic Dijon dressing
-----
2 scoops light mint ice cream
2 gummi worms
-----
1810 cals


~Laura~

P90X - Day 29

March 18, 2012

Weigh-In:
     I AM SO EXCITED!  I put a lot of effort this week into making sure I drank LOTS of water and put extra energy into my workouts. I would say that this is working in my favor since at my weigh in today I weighed in at 222.0 lbs and have have lost ....4.0 lbs for this week! Today also marks 29 days on the P90X PROGRAM!!!!! Time for my check-in and measurements :-)

Measurements:
             DAY 1         DAY 29
Weight:  236.0           222.0 ..... -14.0 lbs

Waist:      46.5             41.0 ...... -5.5

Hips:        49.0             46.5 ...... -2.5

Bust:        46.5             45.5 ...... -1.25

Ribs:        40.0             39.25 ...... -.75

Rt Thigh:  29.5             28.25 ...... -1.25

Rt Bicep:  14.5              14.0 ...... -.50
-------------------------------
TOTAL INCHES LOST..... 11.75

 * I'm also down 1 pant size!!!

Workout:
     I LOVE my "day of rest!" Just about the time Sunday arrives I am feeling every bit like I need a break from my workouts. It's nice to take a break and just enjoy my day. It also really helps me to get recharged for starting over again on Monday :-)
     This week coming up is a little different because my workout schedule is going to completley change. I will have all new DVD's to do and also I'm going to try and make room in my life for the "doubles" schedule, which includes workouts 2 times a day! It's seems like a lot, but I am determined to make as much progress as possible in my 90 days :-)

Diet:
     Since today is my cheat day I enjoyed some candy while watching TV with my kids. I was good and stayed in my caloric goal range so I feel that it's not really "cheating" just a poor food choice.
     My plan this month is to stick to a stricter diet than I have been so far. I've been so focused on just staying in a lower caloric range and getting my workouts done that I have neglected to plan ahead better so that I can get the proper foods into me. So you should expect my food journals to look a bit different than they have so far and well see how my new eating plan treats me at the scale! :-)

1/2 oz Smoked almonds
2 c water
-----
peanut butter & jelly sandwich
1 oz kettle chips
fat free tapioca pudding
2 c water
-----
diet soda
5 gummy worms
4 starbursts
4 andies mints
1/6 of a large hershey's bar
2 c water
-----
v8 juice
p90x recovery drink
2 c water
-----
protein granola bar
2 c water
-----
v8 juice
2 c water
-----
1620 cals

~ Laura ~

P90X - Day 28

March 17, 2012

Workout:
     KENPO X - feels great everytime I do it and I have to say is probably my favorite workout for Cardio. I LOVE lifting weights, so I never seem to have a hard time motivating myself to do those workouts but I struggle with making the time for the cardio. Never a problem on KENPO X day!
     Also if you noticed my # of days on the program has changed slightly and that is because the official P90X program actually starts on the day prior to your workouts. Day 1 is the day to take photo's, starting measurements & weight and the fitness test. I began my count on the following day so that put my counts behind and I made that adjustment today... just an FYI in case you are following me REALLY closely! :-)

Diet:
     St. Paddy's Day! Now I may not drink but we enjoy our Irish holidays VERY MUCH! Any excuse to have corned beef and cabbage is a good excuse for me...Ha Ha Ha

1 c raisin bran
3/4 c milk
-----
trail mix bar
2 c water
-----
2 McDonalds cheeseburgers
1/3 sm shamrock shake
2 c water
-----
broccoli, snow peas, carrots
1 tbsp veggie dip
2 pinwheels
2 c water
-----
roasted potatoes
corned beef
cabbage
soda bread
diet soda
-----
1725 cals

~ Laura ~

P90X - Day 27

March 16, 2012

Workout:
     Core Synergistics was on the line-up for today... BUT after having a busy, busy, busy day with my needy little one who apparently needed to be held ALL day I was feeling like I would never get a moment by myself! After hours of holding him I was finally able to put him down, but ran out of time to get my hour long workout in before we had to leave for a good friends, SO I popped in one of my 30 minute Ab Core / Cardio from the old Power 90 set that I have. Of course 1/2 way through the baby starts crying, but I told him he just had to suck it up so mommy could get her workout done! :-)

Diet:
     I think I did great considering that we had that party tonight. Food choices were limited but I made sure to have a large glass of V8 juice before we arrived and that helped fill me up.

1 sm apple
v8 juice
-----
ritz crackers
salami
cheese
red bell pepper
2 c water
------
1/2 oz almonds
protein bar
2 c water
-----
v8 juice
1 1/2 oz chips
1/4 c salsa
7 layer bean dip
2 c water
-----
1/8 angel food cake
1/3 c strawberries
1 tbsp chocolate
2c water
-----
greek yogurt
1/3 c granola
2 c water
-----
2125 cals

~ Laura ~
~ Laura ~

P90X - Day 26

March 15, 2012

Workout:
     YOGA X…. still not sure I like this workout. I feel like a moron in half the moves because I stumble so much, but it does make my heart rate go WAY up and I am sweating like crazy!! I think I would enjoy this better with friends because we could laugh at each other while trying to do the poses properly :-)

Diet:
     It was a high carb day today, but after 1 ½ hours of YOGA X, I am certain my body needed the extra!

½ c honey nut cheerios
½ c milk
2 c water
-----
P90X recovery mix
2 c water
-----
V8 Juice
½ oz. almonds
-----
3 oz. Fast food –grilled Chicken Breast
½ apple
2 c water
-----
3 slices pepperoni pizza
3 pcs. Crazy bread
Garlic dipping sauce
Diet Dr. Pepper
-----
Fruit & Nut Bar
2 c water
-----
1980 cals


~Laura~



**P.S. You can follow my progress via your mobile phone or iPod using the MyFitnessPal app!
My user name is lauradale77

P90X - Day 25

March 14, 2012

Workout:

KENPO X today! Yay!
     I really like doing this workout. It’s fast paced and energizing. My heart rate gets up and I sweat like I mean it, but I don’t feel like an idiot doing the moves, like some of the other dvd’s I have to do. KENPO X is always a good day :-)
     This morning I was also able to make it to the gym today, so I did 30 minutes of interval training on the ARC trainer. Lots-o-calories-burned.
Diet:

Greek yogurt
1/3 c granola
2 c water
-----
Lg orange
2 c water
-----
3 oz chicken breast
5 slices salami
V8 juice
Cheese stick
-----
Protein granola bar
5 Sour balls
1 oz. kettle chips
-----
2 blueberry pancakes w/ butter & syrup
1 ½ Scrambled eggs
Turkey sausage
Chocolate milk
-----
½ oz Smoked almonds
Cheese stick
-----
1970 cals


~Laura~

P90X - Day 24

March 13, 2012

Workout:Core synergistics - This workout is pretty much plyo, arms, legs, cardio and ab ripper X all mixed into one dvd. I enjoyed it very much and didnt have to do too much adapting. I love the way I am feeling and my energy level is really high :-)

Diet:
Lg orange
Muscle milk light
2 c water
-----
¼ chocolate doughnut
½ oz almonds
2 c water
-----
Cheese stick
5 slices salami
2 c water
V8Juice
-----
1 c rice
8 oz tilapia
2 c water
-----
½ doughnut
3 kettle chips
4 oz sparkling juice
-----
1560 cals


~Laura~

Avocado, Caper, and Pickled-Onion ToastYield Serves 2

Ingredients

• 1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon capers, coarsely chopped
• 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
• kosher salt and ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1/2 avocado, pitted
• 2 slices whole-grain bread, toasted
• 1 ounce smoked trout or 1/2 soft-cooked egg, for topping (optional)

Directions

1. Combine the onion, lemon juice, capers, oil, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper in a bowl. Let stand until the onions soften slightly, about 10 minutes.

2. In another bowl, mash the lemon zest and avocado with 1/8 teaspoon salt.

3. Spread half of the avocado mixture on one slice of toast and top with half the onions. If desired, add either the smoked trout or the soft-cooked egg. Repeat with remaining ingredients, and serve immediately.

http://www.wholeliving.com/130866/avocado-caper-and-pickled-onion-toast?czone=eat-well/healthy-snacks-cnt/at-home&center=136761&gallery=136389&slide=130867

P90X - Day 23

March 12, 2012

Workout:

      The exercise schedule for this week has been mixed up a bit. According to Tony Horton by switching up your workouts occasionally it helps your body avoid plateaus and not get “bored.” Apparently our muscles actually have a type of memory and if you’re doing to same moves and workouts all the time it will actually impede your progress. So this week’s line-up looks like this:

• Monday - YOGA X
• Tuesday - Core Synergistic
• Wedsnesday - KENPO X
• Thursday - YOGA X
• Friday - Core Synergistic
• Saturday - KENPO X

My hubby was working from home today so I was able to make it for my Circuit class at the gym. 45 minutes of pushing, pulling, squatting, lunging and crunching. I really like this class because I am forced by the clock to get all my reps done in the 30 seconds allowed for each move

Diet:
     Did a little better today with my food, but I still let the chocolate cake call my name a little too loud and had a small piece. Lucky for me I don’t really care for store bought frosting so I always skip the edges that are covered in it. Here’s my food journal:

½ oz almonds
3 c water
-----
3 scrambled eggs
Lg orange
3 c water
-----
Slice chocolate cake
V8 juice
-----
½ oz almonds
3 c water
-----
1 c cooked beans
2 tbsp sour cream
¼ c cheese
4x4 pc cornbread
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp honey
2 c water
-----
Cheese stick
5 gummi worms
-----
1790 cals

~Laura~

Italian Grilled Stuffed Chicken


Serves 4

Ingredients

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 6 ounces each)
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• For the Stuffing
• 12 fresh basil leaves, plus more for garnish
• 2 beefsteak tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices

Directions

1. Butterfly chicken breasts: Put halves on a cutting board, smooth sides down, with the pointed ends facing you. Starting on one long side, cut breasts almost in half horizontally (stop about 1/2 inch before reaching the opposite side). Open cut breasts like a book. Sprinkle each piece all over with 1/8 teaspoon salt; season with pepper. Transfer to a plate, and coat both sides with garlic and oil. Let stand 30 minutes.

2. Heat a grill or grill pan until medium-hot. Place 3 basil leaves on the bottom half of each opened chicken breast; top each with 2 slices tomato. Fold over other half of chicken breast, and secure with two toothpicks or short skewers.

3. Grill chicken breasts, turning once, until golden brown on both sides and no longer pink in the center, about 15 minutes. Place on a clean serving platter; garnish with basil. If desired, remove toothpicks or skewers before serving.

* Before grilling, soak the toothpicks or skewers in water for 30 minutes to prevent them from burning. Butterflying the chicken -- splitting each piece in half and fanning it open like a book -- creates two layers. They make tasty "sandwiches" with tomato and basil.

http://www.wholeliving.com/133394/grilled-chicken-stuffed-basil-and-tomato

P90X - Day 22

March 11, 2012

Weigh-In:
     Today’s weigh-in was 226.0…. 2lbs lost! That means that in just 21 days I have lost 10lbs! This makes me very happy since I expected with my stress filled week that I would not make any change on the scale. This also gives me more enthusiasm to try extra hard this coming week to keep it off!

Workout:
     Since I had such sedentary days thurs-sat, I decided to participate in some “active-rest” activities today. Active Rest activities would be exercising in a low-impact manner. Some examples would be walking, light hiking, light biking, stretching/yoga anything that keeps you moving but is not making your heart or muscles workout.
     I popped in the STRETCH X dvd from my P90X collection and had a very peaceful time stretching & relaxing every muscle in my body!

Diet:
     Today is my extra high calorie day, but since I had one earlier this week I kept it in the low range of high calorie. It was my foster sons birthday today so we had party food. I did ok on cake but lost control on the butterfinger ice cream :-) Still a major improvement from all the previous birthdays where I had the HUGE piece of cake AND the 3 scoops of ice cream!
1c shredded wheat
¾ c milk
-----
10 slices salami
1 cheese stick
1 triscuit cracker
3 c water
-----
V8 juice
3 c water
-----
4 oz tilapia
1 c yellow rice
1 c caezar salad
2 slices irish soda bread
Butter
3 c water
-----
Diet dr pepper
Very small piece birthday cake
Sour straws
1 ½ scoops ice cream
-----
2192 cals

~Laura~

Creamy Taco Soup


Mix this lean muscle-building recipe into your menu a couple times a week and you should be on your way to reaching your goals in no time!
(SERVES 7)

3/4 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
1 15-oz can 50% less sodium white beans, rinsed and drained
1 15-oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 4-oz can diced green chills
1 15-oz can diced tomatoes
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 cup frozen or fresh corn
1 1/2 pounds shredded precooked chicken breast
2 tbsp fresh squeezed lime
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tbsp dried cilantro
2 tsp Mrs. Dash Fiesta Lime Seasoning Blend



1.  Place 1/2 cup broth and white beans in a blender and puree. Add yogurt and blend again. Pour liquid into slow cooker.

2.  Add remaining ingredients and stir well.

3.  Cover and cook on high for 2 hours or on low for 4-5 hours.

Note: Be sure to rinse and drain black beans and chicken well before adding to slow cooker.


Nutrition Facts (per serving): Calories 275, Fat 2 g, Saturated fat 1 g, Cholesterol 47 mg, Sodium 401 mg, Carbohydrates 36 g, Dietary Fiber 11 g, Sugars 7 g, Protein 32 g

http://www.muscleandfitnesshers.com/recipes/creamy-taco-soup

P90X - Day 21

March 10, 2012

Workout:
     Again no workout today. We were able to discharge our son to come home late this afternoon, so I spent the whole day playing nurse and getting all his new equipment set-up and new med schedule in order. I was also privileged to come home to an entire countertop COVERED in dirty dishes, kitchen table COVERED in take-out boxes, clothes, junk mail and trash from the car??? Ya gotta love being the Mom of teenage boys!

     I spent the evening cleaning up my house so I could actually do something in it. I definitely wasn’t being sedentary.

Diet:
     I did really well today with my food choices and the hospital offered a good selection of healthy breakfast/lunches today. Here’s my food journal:
1 ½ scrambled eggs
3 light sausage links
Greek yogurt
½ c granola
Light hot chocolate
3 c water
-----
3 c water
2 c crystal light
Fall Salad w/ Dijon dressing
-----
3 c water
Protein bar
¾ oz smoked almonds
-----
2 oz beef jerkey
3 c water
-----
1800 cals

~Laura~

P90X - Day 20

March 9, 2012

Workout:     I did not do a workout today. Now I could have left my son at the hospital and at least taken a walk around the block outside in the beautiful sunshine that we had today, but for those of you who are not as experienced as I in Hospital Healthcare let me enlighten you on why I do not leave my child without parental supervision. WARNING: I am now about to use my soap box!

    With the exception of an intensive care unit most pediatric wings have nurses with 3-6 patients each. The nurses are required by law to make rounds to each patient, but only chart vitals every 2-4 hours. If a nurse spends 5 minutes in a room, she then has 10 minutes of charting and that means that if she carries 6 patients she will only be able to check on your child every 1 hour and 15 minutes. If the nurse has meds, diaper changes, bathrooming, vomit clean-up, discharging or a doctor rounding she can spend up to 20 minutes with a patient and then have 10-30 minutes of charting. That means that you may not see your nurse for upwards of 2-3 hours! I have 13 years of experience as a parent of a chronically ill child. I have had days at the hospital where I have only seen my nurse 3 times in a 12 hour shift! This coupled with returning on almost every occasion of leaving my child for longer than 1 hour, only to have my child in some state of dishevelment or anxiety, such as; low oxygen sats, ventilator alarming, tubes disconnected, monitors, IV or Feed pumps alarming, high heart rate and tears from crying, sweaty, feverish, dirty diapered or otherwise, that I am now pretty much a permanent fixture in the room during a hospital stay. I know every nurse who reads this blog is going to be pissed about these statements, but every word is true. We have used 5 different hospitals in 3 different states in the US and every one has been the exact same. Too many patients and too little supervision.

     The moral of my story is this, don’t ever leave your child in the “capable” hands of your hospital staff if you are at all concerned about there illness/health problem worsening or having a serious complication where time is of the essence… they just are not equipped for it on a regular pediatric floor!

Whew - I’ll stop ranting now!!


Diet:
     I was pleasantly surprised to find that our hospital has improved the snacking selections in the cafeteria since we were there in November. MANY more healthy option were available than ever before and a lot of them high in protein! I did pretty good considering where I was, that is until my hubby with him to grab some fast food for himself for dinner and I could not resist a soft serve rootbeer float!


Greek yogurt
½ c granola
2 c fresh fruit
3 c water
-----
½ snack size hummus & pretzels
½ lg ham, turkey & cheese on Rye
V8 juice
3c water
-----
2 boiled eggs
V8 juice
2 c water
-----
4 oz salmon
1 c jasmine rice
Diet soda
-----
Fruit & Nut bar
½ sourdough roll
-----
½ sm fry
20 oz rootbeer float
-----
2190 cal


~Laura~

Jalapeno Poppers

Serves: 20

Makes: 40 poppers

Hands-on time: 45 minutes

Total time: 1 hour, 5 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

• 20 medium jalapeño peppers
• 1 cup spelt flour or whole-wheat flour
• 1 cup cornmeal, finely ground
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp chile powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin, ground
• 3/4 cup low-fat plain yogurt
• 1/4 cup egg whites
• 3 tbsp raw honey
• 1/3 cup cilantro sprigs, chopped
• 3 green onions, thinly sliced (about 1/3 cup)
• 1 1/4 cup shredded low-fat cheddar cheese, divided
• 1/3 cup low-fat sour cream (optional)
• 1/3 cup all-natural jarred salsa (optional)

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:

• Plastic gloves

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.

2. Wearing gloves, cut stem end off each jalapeño and discard. Cut peppers in half lengthwise and, using a small paring knife or a teaspoon, carefully cut or scoop out seeds and discard. Place peppers cut-side-up on a parchment-lined baking sheet; set aside. NOTE: Most of the heat in a jalapeño pepper is in the seeds. By removing the seeds, we’re left with a flavorful pepper with a great little kick. Always wear gloves when handling hot peppers.

3. In a medium-size bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, chile powder and cumin; set aside.

4. In a separate bowl, whisk together yogurt, egg whites and honey. Add yogurt mixture, plus cilantro, green onions and 1 cup cheese to dry ingredients and mix well until just combined.

5. With gloves, spoon about 2 tsp mixture into the center of each jalapeño half. Smooth tops of mixture and place jalapeños back onto baking sheet, filling-side-up.

6. Place tray into oven and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven, sprinkle stuffed jalapeños with remaining 1/4 cup cheese and continue to bake for 2 more minutes or until top is golden brown and cheese is melted. Let cool at room temperature for 5 minutes before serving. Arrange on a platter and serve immediately with sour cream and salsa for dipping, if desired.



Nutrients per 2 poppers (2 stuffed jalapeño halves):
Calories: 82, Total Fat: 1.5 g, Sat. Fat: 0.5 g, Carbs: 13 g, Fiber: 2 g, Sugars: 4 g, Protein: 4 g, Sodium: 171 mg, Cholesterol: 3.5 mg

http://www.cleaneatingmag.com/Recipes/Recipe/Cheddar-Cornbread-Jalapeno-Poppers.aspx

P90X - Day 19

March 8, 2012

Workout:
     Did I ever tell you all that my life is CRAZY????? Unlike most people I function on a much better level when the most stressed out! :-) No, seriously… LOL!

     My poor little boy started having some serious problems with getting enough oxygen. So tonight my hubby and I had to take him to the ER and get him admitted to the hospital for observation and treatment. Nothing extraordinary was happening; just a simple congested nasal passage from a double ear infection, but the poor guy couldn’t get in enough air to keep him in a healthy oxygen range and all of his brain damage keeps him from just mouth breathing as a reflex like a normal child would do. So needless to say my day was spent soothing, comforting and caring for my sick baby and my evening was spent sitting and waiting in the ER. (We finally got admitted and could go to sleep at 3 AM!)

     So as for my YOGA X workout, IT DIDN’T HAPPEN! Am I sad, yes but considering the circumstances I am sure you will forgive me. I'm starting to think that YOGA X day is jinxed!


Diet:
     My morning started off great but as the day wore on my resolve to keep the foods I chose healthy wavered. I wasn’t cooking lunch or dinner since I spent the day snuggling a sad, sick, whimpering baby and then we had to get going to the hospital. With that being said we ordered our usual go-to take out food PIZZA HUT! It would have been fine if we hadn’t gotten those stupid bread sticks! They killed me calorie wise (over 470 cals for those dumb things! Here’s my food journal.

3c water
Lg orange
1 scoop protein pwd
½ scoop alive
-----
.5 oz tootsie roll
1 boiled egg
½ lg bagel w/ lite cream cheese
2c water
-----
½ subway seafood w/2x meat (no mayo or cheese)
2 cinnamon bears
2 oz. Doritos
2c water
-----
3 slices Hawaiian pizza
2 bread sticks
2 cinastix
diet dr pepper
2c water
-----
2525 cals


~Laura~

Cheese-Stuffed Chicken


Ready in 35 minutes • Makes 1 serving

Ingredients:

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 4 oz skinless chicken breast
• 1 light Laughing Cow Swiss Cheese wedge
• 1/4 cup low-fat, low-sodium cottage cheese
• 1/3 cup diced tomato
• 2 tbsp fresh rosemary
• 2 tbsp oat bran
• 1 cup chopped broccoli
• 1 cup chopped cauliflower
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic fresh, chopped
• 1 4-oz sweet potato

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a large baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Split chicken breast in half and set on baking dish.

3. In a small mixing bowl, mash together the cheese wedge with cottage cheese. Add tomatoes and rosemary. Mix well.

4. Stuff the cheese mixture into one side of the chicken and use the other half breast to top it. Dust the top with oat bran.

5. In another bowl, toss together broccoli and cauliflower with oil and garlic. Place on the baking dish beside chicken.

6. Bake chicken and vegetables for about 25 to 30 minutes.

7. Meanwhile, wash and poke a few holes in the potato with a fork. Microwave for about 8 minutes (turning after 4 minutes).

8. Plate the chicken breast, vegetables and sweet potatoes. Serve.

Nutrients per serving:
Calories: 530, Total Fats: 19 g, Saturated Fats: 4 g, Trans Fat: 0 g, Cholesterol: 80 mg, Sodium: 490 mg, Total Carbohydrates: 52 g, Dietary Fiber: 13 g, Sugars: 12 g, Protein: 45g, Iron: 4 mg

http://oxygenmag.com/Nutrition/Articles/Cheese-Stuffed-Chicken.aspx

P90X - Day 18

March 7, 2012

Workout:
     This morning I started my day off at the gym. I did a whole 35 minute session on the ARC trainer elliptical machine on an interval setting. It was exhausting but I feel so good right now. The machine says I burned 450 calories!
     This afternoon was arms & shoulders. Today I moved out of the 5lb dumbbells for my triceps moves and into the 8lb ones - This is great, cause anything triceps is done with light weights and that means I am moving up in the world! I was also able to do 25 chair dips with 1 leg straight which is an improvement from my bent knees :-) The curls were super hard today because I choose to up my weights to 20 lbs! I'm feeling stronger every time I do my routines and it feels wonderful!

Diet:
     I made OK choices today. We had breakfast for dinner which destroyed my plan to only have protein prior to bed, but it was yummy and the extra carbs were probably needed since I did 2 workouts today. Here's my journal.

Sm. apple
2 c. water
-----
1 c cheerios
3/4c milk
-----
lg bagel
1 1/2 oz nuefetal cheese
2c water
-----
1 slice whole wheat bread
1 tbsp peanut butter
1 tbsp freezer jam
2c water
-----
1 1/2 scoops protein
1 scoop p90x recovery mix
1 c spinach
2 c water
-----
v8 juice
-----
1 pancake
butter & syrup
1 egg & 2 egg whites
2c water
-----
1790 cals


~Laura~

Baked Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal


Makes 1 serving • Ready in 35 minutes

1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
1 cup water
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
2 tbsp nonfat cottage cheese
1/4 tsp baking powder
Dash sea salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp allspice
1 piece crystallized ginger, crushed (optional; available in the spice section at supermarkets)


1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Combine all ingredients in an oven-proof bowl. Stir to mix thoroughly.

3. Place in oven and let bake for 30 minutes. Remove and serve.

Nutrients per serving:
Calories: 213, Total Fats: 3 g, Saturated Fat: 0.5 g, Trans Fat: 0 g, Cholesterol: 0 mg, Sodium: 103 mg, Total Carbohydrates: 38 g, Dietary Fiber: 6 g, Sugars: 9 g Protein: 9 g, Iron: 2 mg

http://www.oxygenmag.com/Health/Articles/Baked-Pumpkin-Spice-Oatmeal.aspx

P90X - Day 17

March 6, 2012

Workout:
     Today was Plyometrics day... unfortunatley I was unable to get this done prior to my kiddo's going to bed. Seeing as my workout room is also conected to their sleeping quarters I just couldn't figure what to do about it. THANKFULLY for me my hubby was willing to take me to the gym at 10:00pm to get in a long cardio workout :-) I did 15 minutes of intervals on the ARC trainer (burn those quads!) 15 minutes of intervals on the treadmill and 5 minutes on the rowing machine. I figure that all the quad, hamstring, calf and shin pain I am suffering should make up for my missed Plyometrics. I am just kidding btw. I'm not in pain, I'm just pleasantly aware of them at the moment!

Diet:
     Everything looks good today. I kept myself on a regular eating schedule, did not let myself get too hungry and took all my suppliments like I am suppose too.  Here's my journal.

1 c honey nut cheerios
3/4 c milk
-----
1 sm apple
2 c water
-----
3/4 lg everything bagel
1 chicken breast
20 oz diet soda
-----
1 chocolate chip cookie
-----
lg green salad
6 oz chicken breast
dried cherries
light ceasar dressing
2 oz sharp cheddar
croutons
2 c water
-----
1515 cals

~Laura~

Sweet & Sour Chicken


INGREDIENTS:

• 1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tbsp raw honey
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 1/4 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 4 breasts), chopped into 1-inch pieces
• 1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch chunks (about 1 cup)
• 1 medium green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch chunks (about 1 cup)
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped (about 3/4 cup)
• 1/2 fresh pineapple, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 1 3/4 cups)
• 12 sprigs fresh cilantro, chopped (about 1/4 cup)
• 1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice, optional

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, honey, garlic, ginger and pepper flakes. Place chicken in a large shallow dish. Pour soy sauce mixture over chicken, tossing gently. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 8 hours.

2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and marinade and sauté for 5 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Add bell peppers and onion and cook for 5 minutes or until vegetables are slightly tender. Add pineapple and cook for 2 more minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve immediately over rice for a complete meal, if desired.

Nutrients per serving (1 1/4 cups chicken mixture; not including rice): Calories: 161, Total Fat: 1.5 g, Sat. Fat 0.25 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 0.25 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5 g, Carbs: 17 g, Fiber: 2 g, Sugars: 13 g, Protein: 21 g, Sodium: 404 mg, Cholesterol: 48 mg

http://www.cleaneatingmag.com/Recipes/Recipe/Sweet-Sour-Chicken.aspx

P90X - Day 16
March 5, 2012

Workout:     On the schedule today was Shoulders & Back. I am actually starting to really like this day. Today I really noticed a difference in my ability to do more Reps on the pull-ups and push-ups. I was even able to do 1 REAL push-up! Now I am by no means looking like the people in the DVD but at least I am seeing some real improvement. I use some major assist but I am doing 12 pull-ups of each variety now and I was able to dig down deep and do 25 standard push-ups!!!! (on my knees of course :-)

Diet:
     Not so great on my food intake today and thats because I let myself go too long between lunch and dinner. NO No on my part! I just got super busy and let things get away from me until I was STARVING! So here's my journal:

1 med banana
1/2 c shredded mini wheat
2 c water
-----
cheese stick
-----
2 slices whole wheat bread
1 1/2 tbsp peanut butter
1 1/2 tbsp homemade freezer jelly
2 c water
-----
3 cinnamon bears
1/2 c 100% juice
-----
protein, p90x recovery and alive powder
1 c spinach
1 c water
-----
2 hotdogs w/ buns
1/2 c NASTY mac-n-cheese (can't believe I ate this it wasn't even good!)
1/2 c shepards pie
2 c water
diet soda
-----
6 vanilla wafers
-----
1840 cals

~Laura~

P90X - Day 15

March 4, 2012

Weigh-In:

     Today's weight was..... 228.0, YEAH even with my week of skipping workouts I was able to take off a little bit of weight. I'll take the additional 1.8 lbs that is gone!

Workout:
     AHHHHHH Sunday my day of rest! I so enjoy you :-) No workout for me today, just church and beautiful sunshine today!
Diet:
     Sunday is not only my day of rest, but also my weigh-In and diet "Cheat" day - now I assure you that I am not going to use it as an excuse to gorge, but I have read and most of my skinny friends attest to enjoying a built in "cheat" day in their schedules. It is suppose to make sticking to a regimented eating plan easier as well as trick your body out of the starvation mode it can get into from too many low-calorie days. Studies show that by upping your calories (just 200-300 cals) on a random day each week that you can actually drop weight more quickly and avoid plateaus, thus see better overall results. Here's my journal:

1 c. oatmeal w/flax
2 c water
-----
v8 juice
fruit & nut bar
-----
whole wheat bread
4 slices lean ham
Dijon mustard
2 slices low fat cheese
1/4 c sprouts
2 c water
-----
3 Cinnamon bears
-----
1 1/2 c Shepard's pie w/ cheese
2 c Caesar salad w/ croutons
diet Dr. Pepper
-----
1 scoop ice cream
2 c water
-----
1720 cals
2 c water


~Laura~

P90X - Day 14
March 3, 2012

Workout:
     Today's scheduled workout was KENPO X and I promise I didn't skip it because I was wimping out :-) A whole bunch of my couples friends all got together tonight and played 2 hours of VOLLEYBALL! YEAH! I absolutely love volleyball. I played in Junior high / High school and I miss it so much :-(
So whenever I get the chance to play I AM ON IT! We had so much fun and I was sweating like a pig so I know my heart rate was up there. I figured Volleyball would be a good enough substitute for Kenpo X since it requires speed and agility to do it well.

Diet:
     My food intake looks much more balanced today. I felt good and had lots of energy, so I must have chosen better. Here's the journal.

V-8 Juice
2 c water
-----
Protein granola bar
1 scoop recovery powder
2 c water
-----
1 slice 5 meat pizza (1/12 of large)
1 lg orange
-----
2 c water
1 c. spinach
recovery, protein & alive powder
-----
1/2 whole wheat ham & cheese
2 c water
-----
2 x 2 square no oil cake
3/4 c lightly sweetened strawberries
-----
1760 calories


~Laura~



P90X - Day 13

March 2, 2012

Workout:
     Today's workout was Legs & Back... Oh My Goodness! I am already sore! I struggle last time with finishing all the reps, so this week my focus was doing every rep for every exercise. I forfeited using any weight because I do not want to injure myself while gaining my strength. I did succeeded in my goal but my butt is gonna hurt tomorrow - Squats, lunges and calf raises will do it every time :-)


Diet:
     I ate a lot more carbs today but I was feeling a bit sluggish after my intense workout, so I figured it would do me some good to throw in a little sugar via my bread. Here's what it looked like:

V-8 juice
5 strawberries
-----
1/2 subway seafood sandwich (no mayo or cheese)
4 c. water
-----
1/2 subway seafood sandwich (no mayo or cheese)

2 c water
-----
V-8 juice
cheese stick
-----
2 slices 5meat pizza (1/12 of large)
1 slice pepperoni (1/12 of large)

1/4 pan cheesy bread
Diet Dr. pepper
2 c water
-----
2660 calories



~Laura~

P90X - Day 12

March 1, 2012

Workout:
     I got my lazy butt out of bed this morning and made it to my local gym for a raging session on my favorite elliptical machine. I set-up for a hill climb, turn on my heavy metal/ hard rock music and I kick it into high gear for 25-30 minutes. SWEAT pouring everywhere, heart pounding like crazy and I feel amazing when I am done! :-) I kinda chuckle at the other women there because it's like they are using the machines to take a Sunday stroll... what exactly is the point of going to the gym if your not going to sweat???
     Today had YOGA X on my schedule and if you recall I had a pretty traumatic Yoga session last time I did it, so today I waited until EVERYONE was in bed, popped in the video and just let myself be. I think once I am comfortable in my own body I could see how Yoga can be so soothing. The 1st half of the video is excruciating! All the poses are held for what seems like forever and your breathing heavy, sweating, tumbling, stumbling and falling. There is nothing peaceful about that! The second half of the video is balance poses and stretching and it is AMAZING! LOVE IT!

Diet:
     I did good today. Calorie count was great, but need to cut back some more on the processed stuff. Here's a glimpse of my diet.

1 c orange juice
4 c water
(early morning cardio session)
-----
1 scoop whey protein
1 serv. P90X Recovery Drink
1 scoop Alive multivitamin (super food) shake
1 c. spinach leaves
2 c water
-----
1 1/2 c. Louisiana Red Beans & Rice
2 c. water
-----
3/4 slice Costco supreme pizza
2 c light lemonade
-----
2 c buttered popcorn
1 oz. almonds
2 c water

Excuses, Excuses, Excuses..... Nope None Here!

     Did you miss me??? Can you believe that after all this talking about being motivated and focused, I just missed a WHOLE WEEK!! I would say that I am ashamed except for once in my life I'm not. Most of my problems with weight I feel have been the direct result of wallowing in my own ___________ (enter any of these emotions) - pity / grief / worry / shame / self loathing / anger / sadness.  Am I sad tht I managed to lose my focus so early on, YES. What I am going to do is NOT let it set me back from reaching my goals! My whole adult life up to this point has been setback after setback, NO MORE!

     Have you ever noticed that overweight/fat women tend to be very perky & bubbly??? That's because we use the food we gorge on to get a "high" during our personal pity parties and can thus go on about our day acting as if NOTHING is bothering us! I have always used food as a coping tool for my emotions. I am trying desperatley to change this behavior.

     So as to be accountable to you all I have not been totally off my game. I have worked out 2 out of the last 7 days at my gym and have overate 2 days. My weight today was the same as my last weigh in (... it was my cycle this week - go figure :-)) I have not been sedetary at all, as part of the reason for my loss of focus was how incredibly busy we have been! I went ahead and did my wednesday P90X shoulders & arms dvd today and will begin blogging my daily info starting tommorow. I am just going to consider this missed week a wash and begin my P90X countdown at Day 12.

~ Laura ~

P90X - Day 11

February 22, 2012

WORKOUT:
     Today was one of those days where I thought I was never going to get a chance to do my workout! It was a pretty high stress day emotionally. I had lots of foster-care drama today, TONS of phone calls to field, kiddos to console and amongst all this a tornado ran through my house and left me a HUGE MESS! It was literally so bad that I had to wash a load of clothes so my foster-daughter could go to school and do a load of dishes so we could all have eat a meal off of plates & use utensils!
     As my crazy day was winding down I was starting to come to terms with the fact that I just was not going to get my workout done today, I was feeling sorta okay with this cause food wise I had been awesome. Then I just said "SCREW IT" and when my hubby came home from his Wednesday night meeting at 9:30pm, I handed him the baby and a bowl of dinner and locked myself in my room for the next 60 minutes while I took care of myself :-)
     Shoulders & Arms was amazing. I lowered my reps and increased my weights today, because my main goal is to PUT ON SOME MUSCLE! I want my body to be a calorie burning machine and I want definition! I've been so long in this body with all of Gods beautiful creation covered in a THICK layer of fat that I want to make it into a work of art!

Curried Turkey Burger Sliders with Cucumber Yogurt

INGREDIENTS:


•1 egg white

•1/3 cup coarsely grated apple, left unpeeled

•1/4 cup minced or coarsely grated red onion

•3 tbsp ground flaxseed

•1 tbsp curry paste or powder

•2 tsp minced fresh ginger

•Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste

•2 tsp lemon juice, divided

•1 tsp ground coriander, divided

•1 lb lean ground turkey (or lean ground chicken)

•1/2 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt

•1/2 cup peeled and grated cucumber, drained

•Olive oil cooking spray

•8 oz whole-wheat naan bread (about 2 or 3 pieces), cut into 24 2-inch squares

INSTRUCTIONS:

1.In a large bowl, combine egg white, apple, onion, flaxseed, curry, ginger, salt, pepper, 1 tsp lemon juice and 1/2 tsp coriander. Mix in turkey and shape into 12 1/2-inch-thick mini burger patties.

2.In a small bowl, combine yogurt, cucumber, salt, pepper and remaining 1 tsp lemon juice and 1/2 tsp coriander. Set aside.

3.Heat a nonstick grill pan or large nonstick skillet on medium-high and mist with cooking spray. Cook patties, turning once, until meat is no longer pink in center, about 5 minutes. Top patties with cucumber yogurt, dividing evenly, and sandwich between 2 squares naan bread.

Nutrients per 3 sliders: Calories: 383, Total Fat: 9 g, Sat. Fat: 1 g, Carbs: 38 g, Fiber: 8 g, Sugars: 5 g, Protein: 39 g, Sodium: 455 mg, Cholesterol: 55 mg

Source:
http://www.cleaneatingmag.com/Recipes/Recipe/Curried-Turkey-Burger-Sliders-with-Cucumber-Yogurt.aspx

P90X - Day 10

February 21, 2012

WORKOUT:
     Today was "Lack of motivation day!" I am pretty certain I could have stayed in my jammies and watched TV for a week very easily today. It took me until about 2pm in order to even try and put in my Plyometrics DVD. I almost even had myself convinced that I would "just jump on the treadmill later" and then I remembered all of you. Oh yeah, I have people looking at my blog to see if I am actually going to finish this bad boy! OF COURSE I'm going to do my plyo video and of course I am going to stop eating those homemade cookies :-)
    
     Now just because I got the video in does not mean that I did not struggle to complete it. I was trying to talk myself into every way to skip something, but in the end reminded myself that something is always better than nothing! Today I had a pinch in my right glute and my left knee was hurting (this I discovered during the warm-up lunges) so modification was the name of the game. I tried to maintain the cardio speed to get the sweating/heart rate benefit and just kept the "jumping" to a light hop or pulse so as to not aggravate anything. Butt was a little tender afterwards and certain sitting positions were pinching a Little but nothing horrible. I will just baby it for a few days and it will probably go away soon.

EATING:
     Not so great on my eating today. Did fine for breakfast and snack and then the cookies got brought out :(
I think I ate 4-5 but either way I stuck to a large chicken salad w/light dressing for dinner, so I could keep my calories under control. Should wash out for today.

P90X - Day 9

February 20, 2012

     Today marks the beginning of week 2 of P90X. Back & Arms went much more smoothly today. I felt energetic and I focused a lot more on form vs. reps. The real kicker today was the Ab Ripper X though... I think I forgot to tell you about that? I am committed to doing the "doubles" workouts and that means more workouts! Everytime I have a weights day I also work my Abdominal muscles. Last week I was lucky to do 1/2 the moves and only 1/2 way. Today though I decided to just pause the DVD when needed, do the exersises more slowly, pace myself and do them ALL! I'm pretty certain to be sore tommorow, :-) But in a good way!

     My focus this week is on following the eating plan more closely. The Meal Plan consist of 3 different phases; Fat Shredder, Energy Booster and Endurance Maximizer. The changes in each plan is the variance of carbs vs. protein. All your food is to be as close to nature intended as possible, with only healthy fats for cooking (olive oil & avocados). Protein is your best friend in this eating plan, because you need it to build up the muscle in order to burn the fat off faster... think like "The Biggest Loser."

     Your caloric intake is based upon your weight and the added calories burned from working out. After calculations are done I was told I needed to each 3200 calories... um NOT! I would normally not argue with the program, (since apparently it's working for thousands of people) but I own a BodyBugg calorie burn monitor and I know that the estimates given for me are wrong, due to the fact that I sit around A LOT!

     My ACTUAL daily caloric burn is around 2000 calories without exercise (the book estimates 2600 for my basic before workouts!) and this is due to my sedentary lifestyle at present - just to explain, my son requires multiple g-tube feedings a day at a VERY slow rate and I usually hold him since he pukes less if I do. I can sit down up to 5-6 hours a day just feeding him!! Once I am up and about cleaning, cooking and moving regularly I will average about a 2800 calorie burn in 24 hours.  LONG STORY SHORT - I am aiming for between 2000-2200 cals. If I am feeling super tired or am not losing I will adjust accordingly.
* This is also what the program recommends doing.

I will be including lots of recipes and reviews from here on out, so enjoy!

~ Laura ~

Meatball Sub with Roasted Veggies & Tomato Sauce

INGREDIENTS:


•1 lb 95% lean ground beef

•1/4 cup rolled oats

•1 large egg white

•1 tbsp tomato paste

•1 tsp dried thyme

•1 tsp dried oregano, divided

•1/2 tsp ground black pepper

•2 cloves garlic, chopped, divided

•Olive oil cooking spray

•1/2 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips (4 oz)

•1/2 medium red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips (4 oz)

•1/2 medium yellow onion, cut into 1/4-inch-wide strips (3 oz)

•1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil

•1 cup fresh tomatoes, seeded, chopped and squeezed to release juices, seeds and juices discarded

•1 tsp dried basil

•14 oz whole-wheat baguette (18-inch long; widest baguette you can find)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1.Preheat oven to 400°F. In a large bowl, combine beef, oats, egg white, tomato paste, thyme, 1/2 tsp oregano, black pepper and 1 clove garlic. Line a sheet pan with nonstick foil and spray lightly with cooking spray. Form beef mixture into 1-inch balls, making about 50. Place balls on pan, not allowing them to touch. On another sheet pan, toss zucchini, bell pepper and onion with oil. Put both pans in oven and set timer for 5 minutes.

2.In a small bowl, stir together tomatoes, basil, remaining 1/2 tsp oregano and remaining 1 clove garlic. When timer goes off, remove meatballs from oven and pour tomato mixture over them. Use a metal spatula to turn meatballs to coat with tomato mixture. Place back in oven for another 10 minutes, again setting timer. When timer goes off again, remove meatballs and set aside. Stir vegetables, return to oven and roast for another 10 minutes.

3.Slice baguette into 4 sections, then slice each section in half horizontally so it opens like a book. Spread open each section and tear out a bit of bread from the middle to make room for the meatballs. Toast bread in toaster or under a hot broiler for 1 minute to crisp.

4.To assemble sandwiches, open up each piece of toasted bread, pile on a quarter of meatball mixture and top with a quarter of roasted vegetables. Close sandwich and serve with a fork for any stray meatballs and sauce.


Nutrients per sandwich: Calories: 452, Total Fat: 10 g, Sat. Fat: 3 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g, Carbs: 59 g, Fiber: 8 g, Sugars: 5 g, Protein: 25 g, Sodium: 552 mg, Cholesterol: 60 mg

Recipe from:
 http://www.cleaneatingmag.com/Recipes/Recipe/Meatball-Sub-with-Roasted-Veggies-Tomato-Sauce.aspx

P90X - Day 8

February 19, 2012

Weigh-In :
     Today is Sunday and it is my P90X rest day. The workouts are 6 days with 1 rest day per week, then you start your rotation again. Today concludes my first week of the workouts and also celebrates my longest run on the program ever!!!!

Today was also weigh-in day..... lost 6.2lbs!!!! I'm now 229.8lbs. WHOO HOO!  - I know mostly water weight, but I'm happy to get rid of some bloating!

My focus this week is on my Eating Plan. I know I have not spent any time explaining this and that is because I have been easing myself into these high protein meals and lowering my carbohydrate intake. Now that you have been introduced to the actual workouts, my post will consist of recipes, menu ideas, tweaks made to my workout routines to "bring it" even more and motivational information.

P90X - Day 7

February 18, 2012

I am the meanest mother on the planet. I have two very tall lanky strong sons. The problem is they like to sit around A LOT! So today I gave them an ultimatum... Kenpo X with Mom or do the dishes. They both just looked at me.

My sons are 19 & almost 15. They are in this beautiful stage in life where God grants them a thin muscular physique that they really didn't earn. Once the hormones level out and the metabolism of an adult kick in they will have to actually do something in order to maintain this blessing. I have some real concerns for their future if the habits that I have allowed to become normal in my home, is what they continue futhur into their adulthood. These boys have got to learn what it takes to have a healthy body, and who better to show them than their Mom.

I must say I was surprised by the child who chose do the workout and the one who did the dishes. Both my kids are what I call innately lazy. If they can avoid it, ignore it or pawn the work onto someone else they will! I think my oldest might be growing up, or he just really HATES doing dishes!

Admittedly I wasn't looking forward to jumping around, kicking and punching next to my 6' 0" 145 lb bean pole of a son, but I think I surprised him at how much I was able to do and well! The workout was exhausting! My arms and legs were wobbly and tired for quite a while afterwords, but it felt good and you know your heart was pounding, cause the sweat was pouring out in buckets!

P90X - Day 6

February 17, 2012

Legs & Back

Lunges, Lunges, Lunges!!! Oh my heavens, I am apparently very uncoordinated. During this routine I stumbled constantly. I tried my best but I'm pretty certain that I did the lunges incorrectly because my quads have not been very sore, now my butt on the other hand is tender!

I think my favorite parts of the workout is when you have to do pull-ups, because that means you get a break from the lunges :-) The absolute WORST part was the "sneaky lunges"!!! Lunges on your tip-toes for 1.5 minutes! NO BREAKS! I will be honest, this is the one move that i did not complete all the way. I think I got through about 20 of them and my calves were on fire! I thought I would get a charlie horse right then and there, so I took a break and promise I will do more next time.

~ Laura ~

P90X – Day 5

February 16, 2012



I think after today’s fiasco I deserve the biggest kudos for following through on my commitment to get thru all 90 days! I set out to do my workout at around 12:15. At 12:30 my son’s physical therapist shows up for his appointment (oops forgot!) I’m just getting warmed-up and my blood is pumping and I’m actually feeling energetic about today’s workout.

Hit the pause button…

- 1 hour of physical therapy

- Restart video and finish the warm-up again.

- Now my hubby comes in and he and his friend want a late lunch and apparently so do my teenagers  another hour goes by.

- Then its time to feed the poor starving little guy, who has a g-tube and major reflux so this takes another hour. (fortunately I can let lunch settle)

- Back to my video, do some warm-up stretches again and restart. The baby gets woken up about 30 minutes into it (timer reads 59 min left) and since he refluxes and aspirates I have to address him.

- As I’m fixing the baby my in-laws show up to visit, lucky for me they just want to play with the baby and do my dishes!!! 30 minutes later…

- Back to my video again… timer now reads 45 minutes left.

- Now it’s time to pick up our foster kiddo from the school bus.

Okay I had every excuse/hindrance to NOT workout. I caught myself mentally saying; that I would just skip the video and hit the treadmill “later” after things settled down, or go to the gym after the kids went to bed… These are legitimate alternatives except you don’t get to be my size by finishing what you start! For someone like me, later never comes! I PROMISED MYSELF I WILL FINISH THIS 90 DAY COMMITMENT.

SO…I invited the little kiddos to come YOGA X with me, this way they are occupied with laughing at me, the baby is being held by grandma and all individuals in the house above the age of 8 where on their own for the next 45 minutes!!!

Now to the real point of my post ;)


YOGA X….
Today I learned that there is probably nothing in this world that I would rather not do again than YOGA X! I hated it because it was HARD, time consuming and sweat was dripping from every pore. I had a difficult time emptying my mind (per the above reasons, lol) and I think this added to my dislike of the experience.
The video consist of:

20 minutes of warm-up stretches

30 minutes of the hardest downward / upward / plank / and warrior poses known to mankind

20 minutes of balance poses

20 minutes of the BEST stretching I’ve ever done.

I think that next week I will do this in the early AM when everyone is asleep, so I can just be in the moment without any demands on me. I’ll report back another review then!

~ Laura ~

P.S. I woke up SUPER sore today, but after finally completing the YOGA X I feel so much better! I can definitely see the benefit to all the stretching and pose holding.

Baked Coconut Shrimp with Pineapple Dipping Sauce

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon lime juice
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh jalapeno pepper
1/2 cup pineapple preserves
1 pound uncooked large shrimp peeled and deveined
2 egg whites
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
2 cups sweetened flaked coconut

Directions

1   Combine lime juice, jalapeno pepper, and pineapple preserves in a small bowl and mix well. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

2   Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

3   In a small bowl beat egg whites with a hand mixer until frothy.

4   Place cornstarch and coconut on two separate plates. Hold shrimp by the tail and dip and coat the shrimp with cornstarch. Next, dip the shrimp in the egg whites and finally in the coconut coating well.

5   Place shrimp on the cookie sheet and bake for 15-17 minutes or until coconut is a golden brown. Make sure to turn it once halfway through (around 8 minutes into cooking time) to make sure both sides brown.

6   Serve with pineapple dipping sauce

* to make this a meal, serve 1/4th of the shrimp over a large salad.
* recipe from http://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/2011/01/baked-coconut-shrimp.html

P90X - Day 4

February 15, 2012

     So I thought doing Plyometrics after lifting weights the previous day was rough. At least yesterday only my upper body was sore to start with, Today every muscle in my upper and lower body is yelling at me. I've downed Aleve, Ibuprofen and Tylenol just to dull the pain and then I am volunteering to do it all over again!!

     It is at this point that I am SO mad at myself for letting my fitness regimen slip, AGAIN! At least I have the knowledge and understanding that once my body is used to the work, the sharp muscle pain goes away and your just left with the dull ache/fatigue of a job well done. Having to go through all the initial pain of "working out" is definitely not my idea of a great time but its my own dang fault for letting my previous efforts go by the wayside and a good reminder of why I need to stay focused and committed.

     Today's workout was Shoulders & Arms... did you hear that.... SHOULDERS & ARMS! Didn't I just do chest & back, which by the way involved using just my sad wimpy arms to move my entire body weight up in the air and back down repeatedly??? Although I thought that today would be very painful, after a long warm-up and stretching and I jumped into the moves and I didn't feel any pain .....THAT, came later! :-)

     All my efforts today were dedicated to my friend "C". For those who read my blog and don't know me personally, she is an AMAZING athlete and even though is WAY OLDER than me (okay just a few months) her body has become her masterpiece. We lovingly call her our own personal Jillian Micheals because as sweet, caring and compassionate as she is, you get her in the gym and the gloves come off! Just for you "C" I completed every rep/set and did the max weight I could do. My poor little forearms and biceps are complaining but at least I know they are still there and didn't fall off like I imagined they would!

~ Laura ~

P90X - Day 3

February 14, 2012

     Today's workout was Plyometrics, also known as "jump training". Lets just say that if seeing your own before pictures is not enough to convince you that your should lose weight, this workout will! Jumping jacks, squats, lunges, knee lifts...etc. Doing all these things while every muscle in your upper body is screaming at you is hard enough but while also carrying around an extra 100 lbs is NOT FUN!! 

     Before I'd even put the DVD in the player I was already hearing myself make excuses why I was going to need to "hold back" some of my effort, make short cuts and take extra breaks. As the video was loading it dawned on me that I had to decide RIGHT NOW that I was going to do every excersize to the best of my ability or I was just quitting before I'd even gotten started. Isn't that how I had gotten this fat to begin with???
   So Plyo is done and my butt, quads and calves hurt all over but I DID EVERY EXCERSIZE! It was ugly and slow but I did not quit!!

~ Laura ~





P90X -Day 1 & 2

February 13, 2012

     As you may have seen in my previous post you will know that recently life has changed quite a bit for our family. What I have not yet mentioned is that our family life has changed in more ways than one. On June 1st, 2011... just 8 months ago we were blessed with a new little special needs baby. WAIT...before you have a pity party for me and my failure to reproduce properly, let me qualify this with the fact that we are foster/adopt parents and actually agreed to this new little bundle of challenges ;-) As crazy as raising ONE severly developmentally delayed and medically fragile child has been, we felt such a strong pull twords our little Aiden that we could not say no! Now life begins anew with struggling with the grief of losing our only daughter and dealing with Aidens physical / developmental / medical needs.

     I must say that after having your child pass away, you often find yourself in a state of reflecting. It's like new years resolutions on steriods! Often several times throughout my day I will begin to look at my life and start catagorizing. What things am I happy with, What things do I wish I had done different, What do I want to do with my life now, What would I like to change and HOW am I going to make that happen???? My health has become increasingly higher on the priority list and has risen to the top since Kya's passing and Aidens prognosis has worsened. It is time for me to take care of myself, so I can continue to care for my family and have the life that I will be happy with in the end...

     I purchased the P90X videos over 5 years ago and they have done nothing but collect dust. Originaly they were bought with my husband in mind, he had been resonably fit but was starting to develope a "Rootbeer Belly" and we thought that this would be perfect for him... NOT! From the very begining he complained that the videos were too long to fit into his busy schedule, the eating plan was too strict and my personal favorite was that he could never get that muscular because he is a natural bean pole :-) Five years later NOTHING has improved about our health as a matter of fact both of our waist sizes have continued to increase yearly. THIS HAS GOT TO CHANGE AND NOW!!!!

Measurements:

Weight:   236.0

Waist:     46.5

Hips:       49.0

Bust:       46.5

Ribs:       40

Upper Thigh:   29.5

Upper Bicep:   14.5

Before Photos:

     

     I have been on the weight loss roller coaster long enough that I know that this program will work if do what is required!  P90X only asks a few thing from you...

• Eat a "Clean Diet" - full of lean meats, whole grains, fruits and veggies
• Excersize 6 days a week - alternating muscle building with fat burning days.
• "BRING IT" - put forth ALL of your effort during each days workout. Often Tony says "do your best and forget the rest"

So here is my heart on my sleeve, the begining of the new me. Please feel free to check-up on me and send me a message if you think I'm slacking! I could use all the help I can get :-)

~Laura~

P.S. Todays workout was chest & back... UHG pull-up/push-up crazyness. I modified everything, but did as many reps as I could throughout. Definatley gonna be sore tommorow!

My Greatest Loss...

For 12 years my life has been.........complex.

With the birth of our beautiful daughter our family was blessed with one of life's most challenging children, but also the easiest you'll ever have. Every day has been filled with laughter, joy and unconditional love, but also an underlining loneliness. On a daily basis we never knew what GOD had planned for us that day, sometimes is was peaceful and serene but often it could be tumultuous, stressful and even heartbreaking.

She came to us in a package that was broken but she was perfect in every way and finally after 12 years of "complex", life became simple again. No more wondering, waiting and worrying... only faith that she is finally free!

February 1, 1999 - November 13, 2011