The morning has started out pretty well. Up at 6:20, finished a three mile run (just faster than an 11 minute per mile pace) around 7:45, spent 35-40 minutes in the pool swimming and doing some resistance work, took a shower, made eggs with a side of bacon and toast for the family, and am now trying to sit back and relax a bit in order to recover my strength.
I most likely won't work out again today and you don't really care about my diet, so I will sign off.
Until tomorrow...
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Friday, April 29, 2011
Day 25
The workout wagon strikes again. This time around I wanted to go low impact but still get my "burn" on. So I toughed out all 60 minutes of Pure Burn Super Strength. I know that I said I was going to cut back on the strength training and focus on cardio and weight loss, but doing the modified versions of the workouts in JM30DS just doesn't do it for me. I went with lower weights this time around in order to be able to push through the whole workout instead of burning out part way through. Now I just need to get a pair of 8 lbs dumbbells so I don't have to hold both a 5 lbs and 3 lbs dumbbell in each hand (which is quite awkward, by the way). It's in the May budget, so I'll be picking up a set within the next week. Also in the May budget is Bob Harper's Body Rev Cardio Conditioning, so I'll be able to jump up my cardio workout within the next week as well. Sounds like fun.
The plan for tomorrow is to run 3 hilly miles with Team His Strength. I hope that goes well.
Chocolate Cheerios with milk; carne asada tacos (wheat tortillas) with white rice, chips, and spicy salsa; iced coffee with a bit of non-fat milk; a post-workout protein shake; two slices of leftover Little Caesar's pizza; sliced fruit, a cream puff, a chocolate chip cookie, and one half of a mini lemon muffin; and just under one half of a dark chocolate cupcake. Now that I list it all out, I feel a bit guilty.
Until tomorrow...
The plan for tomorrow is to run 3 hilly miles with Team His Strength. I hope that goes well.
Chocolate Cheerios with milk; carne asada tacos (wheat tortillas) with white rice, chips, and spicy salsa; iced coffee with a bit of non-fat milk; a post-workout protein shake; two slices of leftover Little Caesar's pizza; sliced fruit, a cream puff, a chocolate chip cookie, and one half of a mini lemon muffin; and just under one half of a dark chocolate cupcake. Now that I list it all out, I feel a bit guilty.
Until tomorrow...
Day 24
Started out the day right with Ancient Grains and yogurt. Did lunch right with a Stouffer's Corner Bistro Three Cheese and Ham Stuffed Melt with Creamy Tomato Bisque Soup. Long name, but only 380 calories. Dinner wasn't quite as smooth, but only two slices of Little Caesar's cheese pizza and one piece of Crazy Bread isn't too bad.
I've gotten back on the workout train with a vengeance. JM30DS Levels 3 and 2...in that order. I'll be able to knock out all three levels consecutively in no time. That is, as long as the shin splints don't kill me first. They did act up a bit during the workout, especially during the squat jumps and rock star jumps.
Until tomorrow...
I've gotten back on the workout train with a vengeance. JM30DS Levels 3 and 2...in that order. I'll be able to knock out all three levels consecutively in no time. That is, as long as the shin splints don't kill me first. They did act up a bit during the workout, especially during the squat jumps and rock star jumps.
Until tomorrow...
Day 23
No workout today. Just too tired. And to make matters worse, I did a survey at Sprinkles Cupcakes in Beverly Hills. I must admit that those folks sure know how to make cupcakes. And I sure know how to nibble on them. Just nibble.
Until tomorrow...
Until tomorrow...
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Day 22
You might want to sit down for this. Look at the date of this post. Tuesday, April 26, 2011. That means I am writing this on...Day 22! Nick is back on track! Woo!
Today started out well with a bowl of cereal and coffee for breakfast, followed by a Flame Broiler mini combo bowl and unsweetened iced tea for lunch. Things got a bit dicey at dinner. We haven't gone grocery shopping in a while, so supplies are running low. Tess jokingly proposed Don Jose's, which got the idea stuck in my mind. So we ended up going to Don Jose's. Normally when we eat there I order an Ultimate Chimichanga (beef, chicken, pork, beans, and cheese, all wrapped in a huge tortilla and deep fried), a Seafood Chalupa Salad (greens, shrimp, hard boiled eggs, tomato, avocado, bacon, and dressing, all in a deep fried bowl-like shell), or a bit of both (Tess and I will order both and share). Common denominator: bad for you. I tried to go less unhealthy and ordered Carnitas and substituted black beans for refried beans. And I only ate half of it. I may have eaten a few more chips than I should have, but overall was impressed with my self control.
As for my workout, I switched back to JM30DS, just as I promised. Or stated...or proposed. Whatever. Anyway, I aimed to do all three workouts in order to kick things back into gear. Halfway through Level 2 (which I did first), I realized that all three levels were out of reach tonight. I pushed through Level 2 and was then able to finish out Level 1...barely. I'll try to knock out all three levels consecutively next week. Until then, I'll stick with two levels at one time. We'll see what happens tomorrow.
Until tomorrow...
Today started out well with a bowl of cereal and coffee for breakfast, followed by a Flame Broiler mini combo bowl and unsweetened iced tea for lunch. Things got a bit dicey at dinner. We haven't gone grocery shopping in a while, so supplies are running low. Tess jokingly proposed Don Jose's, which got the idea stuck in my mind. So we ended up going to Don Jose's. Normally when we eat there I order an Ultimate Chimichanga (beef, chicken, pork, beans, and cheese, all wrapped in a huge tortilla and deep fried), a Seafood Chalupa Salad (greens, shrimp, hard boiled eggs, tomato, avocado, bacon, and dressing, all in a deep fried bowl-like shell), or a bit of both (Tess and I will order both and share). Common denominator: bad for you. I tried to go less unhealthy and ordered Carnitas and substituted black beans for refried beans. And I only ate half of it. I may have eaten a few more chips than I should have, but overall was impressed with my self control.
As for my workout, I switched back to JM30DS, just as I promised. Or stated...or proposed. Whatever. Anyway, I aimed to do all three workouts in order to kick things back into gear. Halfway through Level 2 (which I did first), I realized that all three levels were out of reach tonight. I pushed through Level 2 and was then able to finish out Level 1...barely. I'll try to knock out all three levels consecutively next week. Until then, I'll stick with two levels at one time. We'll see what happens tomorrow.
Until tomorrow...
Monday, April 25, 2011
Day 21
Yeah, I know. The whole missing days at a time (nearly a week this time) gets old. I'll try to do better. Here's a quick rundown of my activities over the past week:
Day 16 - Pure Burn Super Strength - 60 min.
Day 17 - Rest (I got up at 3:30 that morning and put in a 10+ hour day)
Day 18 - Pure Burn Super Strength - 60 min.
Day 19 - No morning run, but I worked JM30DS Level 1 into the afternoon.
Day 20 - Again, no morning run, but did manage an evening Pure Burn Super Strength - 60 min.
And today is my rest day.
I'm not really in the mood to type much else today for one simple reason: over the past week, I lost only 1.1 pounds. I guess I just have to roll up my sleeves and try harder this week. I think I'll put Pure Burn Super Strength in the drawer for a while and go back to JM30DS, with which I appeared to have better results. Now all I have to worry about is shin splints.
I will also be getting Bob Harper's Body Rev Cardio Conditioning next week (made sure it was in the May budget), which might help me shed some fat quickly. That's what I want to focus on until I hit my target weight. Once I'm down to 185 lbs., I will switch gears back into muscle gain.
April 25, 2011: 194.5 lbs.
Until tomorrow...
Day 16 - Pure Burn Super Strength - 60 min.
Day 17 - Rest (I got up at 3:30 that morning and put in a 10+ hour day)
Day 18 - Pure Burn Super Strength - 60 min.
Day 19 - No morning run, but I worked JM30DS Level 1 into the afternoon.
Day 20 - Again, no morning run, but did manage an evening Pure Burn Super Strength - 60 min.
And today is my rest day.
I'm not really in the mood to type much else today for one simple reason: over the past week, I lost only 1.1 pounds. I guess I just have to roll up my sleeves and try harder this week. I think I'll put Pure Burn Super Strength in the drawer for a while and go back to JM30DS, with which I appeared to have better results. Now all I have to worry about is shin splints.
I will also be getting Bob Harper's Body Rev Cardio Conditioning next week (made sure it was in the May budget), which might help me shed some fat quickly. That's what I want to focus on until I hit my target weight. Once I'm down to 185 lbs., I will switch gears back into muscle gain.
April 25, 2011: 194.5 lbs.
Until tomorrow...
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Day 15
I think I have contracted some sort of stomach bug. It has not been pretty. That, combined with the facts that I had to get up one hour early this morning, I have to get up even earlier the next two mornings, and I am completely exhausted, led me to the decision to make today my recovery day. Hopefully this stomach thing will blow over by tomorrow and I'll be able to go at it as hard as ever.
Wheat toast with peanut butter, a banana, and a cup of coffee (I know, not the smartest move with a sensitive stomach) for breakfast.
Flame Broiler chicken veggie bowl for lunch.
Rice, beans, and veggie mix for dinner. I did cheat a bit and had a shake made of a banana, ice cream, and milk for dessert.
Until tomorrow...
Monday, April 18, 2011
Day 14
What I did over the past two weeks when I failed to make a daily post was to still make that day's post with the missed day's title on the following day. Well, I fell more than one day behind. In fact, I haven't posted since day 9. That's a pretty good gap. After a while, the thought of making up those missed posts was a bit overwhelming. So I have decided to change my approach: when I miss a post, I will make it up with a brief mention in the following day's post. Now I have to make up nearly a week of posts. Here it goes:
Day 10: I was still a bit sore and had to survey a construction jobsite starting at 11:00 p.m., so Jake came over and we did the Pure Burn Super Strength 20 minute beginner workout. Still got a decent burn. Diet: no idea, but I think it wasn't too bad.
Day 11: I didn't get home after the jobsite visit until nearly 3:00 a.m., so I slept in a bit and did Rodney Yee's a.m. workout, which really did help energize me after only a handful of hours of sleep. I don't think I did any other workouts because I was saving my energy for my 4 mile run the next day. Diet: again, no idea, but don't think it was too bad. Maybe had eggs, bacon, and toast for breakfast.
Day 12: Started the day with a Kirkland brand weight loss shake before making a short drive to Hart Park in Orange and taking a short run. By short, I mean 4 miles. And it was a full 4 miles. And I kept moving just about the entire time. I was running with a group of people and wanted to go a bit faster than they were, so I sped up a time or two and stopped to catch my breath until they caught up. But boy was it a good run! After that, I came home, made breakfast [eggs, beans (no more bacon), and dry toast], followed by the first 50 minutes of Pure Burn Super Strength, and then just about died. I was exhausted for the rest of the day. Diet: unknown.
Day 13: 3.5 mile run/walk with Jake. It was a pretty good workout, but was very hard on my legs following the 4 mile run the day before. Diet wasn't such a great thing. Eggs, bacon, and dry toast for breakfast was a good start, but then I hit a snag: potluck picnic. Some friends got together at a park and everyone brought food. That resulted in me eating two hot dogs, pasta salad, tortilla and potato chips, some dip, Caesar salad, brownies, and some Dr. Pepper. As a result, I skipped dinner and instead shared some popcorn with Tess and the girls. Plus a dark chocolate crisp and a few dark chocolate nibs from Trader Joe's.
Now for today. Well, as you should know, Mondays are my recovery days, which are coincidentally my weigh in days. We'll get to that later.
As for my diet, I went very light on breakfast because I was not feeling well. So it was one piece of dry toast. I made up for it at lunch by eating a Hungry Man turkey meal (520 calories) and toned it down again at dinner with a hot dog (wheat bun), veggies, and a few Cheetos.
Now for the meat and potatoes of this post: the weigh in. I now tip the scales at a lean(ish)...
Okay, I have to interrupt myself at this point. I typed all of the above before 8:00 just so I wouldn't have to try to cram it all in before going to bed and therefore skip posting at all. But around 7:45 I began to feel restless. I guess all this working out has conditioned me to do some sort of physical activity every day. I hadn't done anything other than walk a bit during the day, so I was craving some activity. So I decided to work out. After getting both girls to bed, I did the Pure Burn Super Strength workout...the whole 60 minute workout. So much for a recovery day. After my workout I had a protein shake. Now back to the main event:
...195.6 lbs. That is 2.4 lbs less than last week for a total of 4.6 lbs lost in two weeks. I have three weeks and 10.6 lbs left to hit my goal of 15 lbs in 5 weeks. It seems a bit out of reach right now, but I will keep on pushing through and see what happens in the end. After all, I didn't do a lot of working out this week and still managed to lose nearly 2.5 lbs, so averaging 3.5 lbs per week for the next 3 weeks seems doable.
I'll edit this post tomorrow and attach this week's photo. The photo has been taken, but the camera is in the other room and I have to get up in less than 6 hours, so I had better get to sleep.
Added April 25:
April 18, 2011: 195.6 pounds.
Until tomorrow...
Day 10: I was still a bit sore and had to survey a construction jobsite starting at 11:00 p.m., so Jake came over and we did the Pure Burn Super Strength 20 minute beginner workout. Still got a decent burn. Diet: no idea, but I think it wasn't too bad.
Day 11: I didn't get home after the jobsite visit until nearly 3:00 a.m., so I slept in a bit and did Rodney Yee's a.m. workout, which really did help energize me after only a handful of hours of sleep. I don't think I did any other workouts because I was saving my energy for my 4 mile run the next day. Diet: again, no idea, but don't think it was too bad. Maybe had eggs, bacon, and toast for breakfast.
Day 12: Started the day with a Kirkland brand weight loss shake before making a short drive to Hart Park in Orange and taking a short run. By short, I mean 4 miles. And it was a full 4 miles. And I kept moving just about the entire time. I was running with a group of people and wanted to go a bit faster than they were, so I sped up a time or two and stopped to catch my breath until they caught up. But boy was it a good run! After that, I came home, made breakfast [eggs, beans (no more bacon), and dry toast], followed by the first 50 minutes of Pure Burn Super Strength, and then just about died. I was exhausted for the rest of the day. Diet: unknown.
Day 13: 3.5 mile run/walk with Jake. It was a pretty good workout, but was very hard on my legs following the 4 mile run the day before. Diet wasn't such a great thing. Eggs, bacon, and dry toast for breakfast was a good start, but then I hit a snag: potluck picnic. Some friends got together at a park and everyone brought food. That resulted in me eating two hot dogs, pasta salad, tortilla and potato chips, some dip, Caesar salad, brownies, and some Dr. Pepper. As a result, I skipped dinner and instead shared some popcorn with Tess and the girls. Plus a dark chocolate crisp and a few dark chocolate nibs from Trader Joe's.
Now for today. Well, as you should know, Mondays are my recovery days, which are coincidentally my weigh in days. We'll get to that later.
As for my diet, I went very light on breakfast because I was not feeling well. So it was one piece of dry toast. I made up for it at lunch by eating a Hungry Man turkey meal (520 calories) and toned it down again at dinner with a hot dog (wheat bun), veggies, and a few Cheetos.
Now for the meat and potatoes of this post: the weigh in. I now tip the scales at a lean(ish)...
Okay, I have to interrupt myself at this point. I typed all of the above before 8:00 just so I wouldn't have to try to cram it all in before going to bed and therefore skip posting at all. But around 7:45 I began to feel restless. I guess all this working out has conditioned me to do some sort of physical activity every day. I hadn't done anything other than walk a bit during the day, so I was craving some activity. So I decided to work out. After getting both girls to bed, I did the Pure Burn Super Strength workout...the whole 60 minute workout. So much for a recovery day. After my workout I had a protein shake. Now back to the main event:
...195.6 lbs. That is 2.4 lbs less than last week for a total of 4.6 lbs lost in two weeks. I have three weeks and 10.6 lbs left to hit my goal of 15 lbs in 5 weeks. It seems a bit out of reach right now, but I will keep on pushing through and see what happens in the end. After all, I didn't do a lot of working out this week and still managed to lose nearly 2.5 lbs, so averaging 3.5 lbs per week for the next 3 weeks seems doable.
I'll edit this post tomorrow and attach this week's photo. The photo has been taken, but the camera is in the other room and I have to get up in less than 6 hours, so I had better get to sleep.
Added April 25:
April 18, 2011: 195.6 pounds.
Until tomorrow...
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Day 9
Bob Harper is a jerk! I know that sounds a bit harsh, but he beat the snot out of me yesterday! I haven't been this sore in a few months. Not since right after I started working out anyway. But I do have to admit that it is a good pain. I can feel that my body will be better for it. So, I guess what I'm saying is, "Thank you, Bob, for being a jerk!"
Today was a "lick my wounds" kind of day. So I went easy on the workout: a 40 minute instructional yoga routine from my new "Rodney Yee's Yoga for Beginners" DVD. It felt good and stretched me in most of the right places. I just wish it had hit my triceps a bit more because Bob sure focused on them yesterday. Shortly thereafter, Tess and I started watching The Biggest Loser and I felt a slight twinge of guilt. So I did my own cardio workout, running through the cardio routines from three levels of the Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred workout. I did each exercise for one minute and was able to recall 16 workouts (I may have missed a few but think I got all of the toughest ones anyway), so I had a 15-16 minute mid-intensity workout (I may have shaved a few seconds off of the jumping squats and rock star jumps but still did 30 reps of each).
The goal for tomorrow: tackle the Pure Burn Super Strength workout again, this time with my workout buddy, Jake. You might want to step back because the sweat sure will be flying!
Breakfast: Two eggs, two pieces of dry wheat toast, baked beans. Approx 500 calories (and loads of fiber!).
Lunch: Flame Broiler chicken veggie bowl with brown rice and no sauce. Approx 500 calories (decent amount of fiber).
Dinner: Stouffers lasagna, one quarter of a roll (it was a good sized roll), southwestern salad (God bless Costco). Approx 500 calories.
Post-workout snack: Banana and one dark chocolate crisp. Approx 150 calories.
Total: Approx 1,650 calories. Not bad...not bad at all.
Until tomorrow...
Today was a "lick my wounds" kind of day. So I went easy on the workout: a 40 minute instructional yoga routine from my new "Rodney Yee's Yoga for Beginners" DVD. It felt good and stretched me in most of the right places. I just wish it had hit my triceps a bit more because Bob sure focused on them yesterday. Shortly thereafter, Tess and I started watching The Biggest Loser and I felt a slight twinge of guilt. So I did my own cardio workout, running through the cardio routines from three levels of the Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred workout. I did each exercise for one minute and was able to recall 16 workouts (I may have missed a few but think I got all of the toughest ones anyway), so I had a 15-16 minute mid-intensity workout (I may have shaved a few seconds off of the jumping squats and rock star jumps but still did 30 reps of each).
The goal for tomorrow: tackle the Pure Burn Super Strength workout again, this time with my workout buddy, Jake. You might want to step back because the sweat sure will be flying!
Breakfast: Two eggs, two pieces of dry wheat toast, baked beans. Approx 500 calories (and loads of fiber!).
Lunch: Flame Broiler chicken veggie bowl with brown rice and no sauce. Approx 500 calories (decent amount of fiber).
Dinner: Stouffers lasagna, one quarter of a roll (it was a good sized roll), southwestern salad (God bless Costco). Approx 500 calories.
Post-workout snack: Banana and one dark chocolate crisp. Approx 150 calories.
Total: Approx 1,650 calories. Not bad...not bad at all.
Until tomorrow...
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Day 8
What a day! I stepped up my training and did Bob Harper's Pure Burn Super Strength DVD workout. It is a full hour (actually more than an hour with the warm up and stretching) of kick butt strength training. The moves are so dynamic, many combine upper and lower body strength, and you are going the whole time so you also get a good cardio burn. And boy are the moves tough! Sure, you get two water breaks, but the first is only 15 seconds long and the second isn't really a break because Bob keeps the on-screen workout buddies going so you feel like a slacker if you do take a break. I did have to rest and/or do the modified versions of the moves for the last 15-20 minutes because my muscles just wouldn't respond. I don't think I have ever sweat so much in my life. And now, nearly an hour after finishing, I can feel my muscle burning. They are quite literally hot to the touch. I can feel the heat radiating from the center of my biceps. I just hope I can move tomorrow morning. At least I don't have any appointments tomorrow, so all I have to do is walk from my front door to my car, from the car to my desk, and back again at the end of the day. Now that I've read what I just typed, I'm not sure I'll be able to do that.
And now I just realized that I do have an appointment tomorrow. So I will have to walk from my front door to my car, from my car to my desk, back to my car, into the training room, stand for 45-60 minutes (not including set up and tear down time) to make a presentation, walk back to my car, back to my desk, back to my car, and home again. Ouch. Let's hope I can at least do a minimal workout tomorrow night.
My diet went well. Ancient Grains and yogurt for breakfast, a single slice of veggie pizza for lunch, Flame Broiler chicken veggie bowl for dinner, a post-workout protein shake (water and powder, no fun stuff), and a small spoonful of ice cream. I think I might go grab something high in protein right now to finish off the night and help rebuild my muscles as I sleep the pain away.
Until tomorrow...
And now I just realized that I do have an appointment tomorrow. So I will have to walk from my front door to my car, from my car to my desk, back to my car, into the training room, stand for 45-60 minutes (not including set up and tear down time) to make a presentation, walk back to my car, back to my desk, back to my car, and home again. Ouch. Let's hope I can at least do a minimal workout tomorrow night.
My diet went well. Ancient Grains and yogurt for breakfast, a single slice of veggie pizza for lunch, Flame Broiler chicken veggie bowl for dinner, a post-workout protein shake (water and powder, no fun stuff), and a small spoonful of ice cream. I think I might go grab something high in protein right now to finish off the night and help rebuild my muscles as I sleep the pain away.
Until tomorrow...
Monday, April 11, 2011
Day 7
Day 7...my first weigh in...
I was anxious about today. And rightfully so. I just got off the Wii and my results...198 pounds. That's right, I lost two pounds. Some may find that something to be happy about, but me, I'm quite disappointed. Depressed even. This really sucks. I feel like I pushed myself so hard for five straight days and this is what I get. Two lousy pounds. I beat my body until I felt like passing out, passed up on treats, deserts, and eating out. And I only lost two pounds. I really thought I was going to get a much better number. Again, this sucks. How am I going to reach my goal of losing 15 pounds in 5 weeks, which requires an average weight loss of 3 pounds per week, when I can't even lose those 3 pounds in the first week, which should be my biggest weight loss week?
Also, I felt guilty about not working out yesterday, so I did some yoga today. I know I said it would be a few days until I got my workout DVDs, but they came today. I did a 40 minute instructional workout where multiple poses were explained, as were the common mistakes and how to correct them. There are also two regular workouts: a 20 minute morning routine and a 15 minute evening routine. I think I will start doing the morning one on a regular basis and throw the evening one in every so often after working out.
Not that it will do any good.
Food for the day. Breakfast: weight loss shake. Lunch: bag of popcorn (only 240 calories, remember?). Dinner: turkey pot roast, brown rice, and veggies. And a banana on the way to my book club meeting.
April 11, 2011: 198 pounds.
I was anxious about today. And rightfully so. I just got off the Wii and my results...198 pounds. That's right, I lost two pounds. Some may find that something to be happy about, but me, I'm quite disappointed. Depressed even. This really sucks. I feel like I pushed myself so hard for five straight days and this is what I get. Two lousy pounds. I beat my body until I felt like passing out, passed up on treats, deserts, and eating out. And I only lost two pounds. I really thought I was going to get a much better number. Again, this sucks. How am I going to reach my goal of losing 15 pounds in 5 weeks, which requires an average weight loss of 3 pounds per week, when I can't even lose those 3 pounds in the first week, which should be my biggest weight loss week?
Also, I felt guilty about not working out yesterday, so I did some yoga today. I know I said it would be a few days until I got my workout DVDs, but they came today. I did a 40 minute instructional workout where multiple poses were explained, as were the common mistakes and how to correct them. There are also two regular workouts: a 20 minute morning routine and a 15 minute evening routine. I think I will start doing the morning one on a regular basis and throw the evening one in every so often after working out.
Not that it will do any good.
Food for the day. Breakfast: weight loss shake. Lunch: bag of popcorn (only 240 calories, remember?). Dinner: turkey pot roast, brown rice, and veggies. And a banana on the way to my book club meeting.
April 11, 2011: 198 pounds.
Day 6
This is another late post. But it's okay because not much happened yesterday. A breakfast of two eggs, one piece of bacon, and two pieces of dry toast. Grilled hot dog, corn, squash, and baked beans for lunch. Chicken enchilada burrito (a burrito made with chicken enchilada filling but not covered in sauce) for dinner. I did splurge a bit for desert and had one dark chocolate crisp and a pretzel stick that was covered in caramel, nuts, and a bit of chocolate. The pretzel thing was a bit disappointing, so it was pretty much empty calories.
Now comes my shocking confession: I did not work out at all.
I know, I know. You can stop your booing. I just had no energy and wanted to spend time with my girls since Tess was gone for most of the weekend. But I do plan on doing a Wii Fit yoga workout tomorrow (today) in order to make up for it.
On a brighter note, I should be getting a new workout DVD and an instructional yoga DVD (no more Wii yoga) in the next few days. At that point, my gazelle intensity weight loss plans should be back on track.
Until tomorrow (today)...
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Day 5
They said it couldn't be done. Okay, they didn't really say anything, but here is a short text message conversation I had with Jake:
Nick: I'm thinking of going nuts tonight and trying for JM lvl 1 & 3. You in?
Jake: Yeah right!
Three hours and 22 minutes later...
Nick: Just finished level 1 AND 2!
Nick: Sorry, level 1 AND 3!!!
Jake: You are a beast!
Nick: I try.
Nick: Now I'm kind of glad we're not running tomorrow morning.
I plan on getting a LOT of sleep tonight in order to recoup. But I'm not sure I can get that much sleep in one night. Again, I am glad to have an excuse for skipping a run in the morning. The shin splints are another excuse... And then there's the fact that I just don't feel like getting up at 7:30 in the morning!
So it looks like I am closer than I though to completing all three workouts consecutively. I'll give it at least two more weeks before trying it.
One thing I love about the weekends (besides sleeping in) is breakfast. Those lazy mornings give me the time to make something other than cereal. However, with this whole weight loss quest and Tess being out of town, I couldn't justify pancakes or waffles. So today it was a simple meal of two eggs over easy (plus scrambled for the girls), two pieces of bacon (plus one each for the girls), a dry piece of wheat toast, and the one quarter of a tortilla that the girls didn't finish. I had my normal morning coffee before making breakfast and tried to make it less unhealthy by putting in only a splash of milk. Lunch was a peanut butter sandwich. Crunchy, of course. And dinner was a burrito made using the leftovers from a chicken and rice meal Tess made a few days ago. Another post-workout protein shake (protein powder, milk, peanut butter, and strawberry yogurt - no it didn't taste like a chocolate-peanut butter-strawberry sundae) rounds out my caloric intake for the day.
Actually, I'm going to grab just one Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Crisp before passing out on the couch. I think I've earned it.
Until tomorrow...
Nick: I'm thinking of going nuts tonight and trying for JM lvl 1 & 3. You in?
Jake: Yeah right!
Three hours and 22 minutes later...
Nick: Just finished level 1 AND 2!
Nick: Sorry, level 1 AND 3!!!
Jake: You are a beast!
Nick: I try.
Nick: Now I'm kind of glad we're not running tomorrow morning.
I plan on getting a LOT of sleep tonight in order to recoup. But I'm not sure I can get that much sleep in one night. Again, I am glad to have an excuse for skipping a run in the morning. The shin splints are another excuse... And then there's the fact that I just don't feel like getting up at 7:30 in the morning!
So it looks like I am closer than I though to completing all three workouts consecutively. I'll give it at least two more weeks before trying it.
One thing I love about the weekends (besides sleeping in) is breakfast. Those lazy mornings give me the time to make something other than cereal. However, with this whole weight loss quest and Tess being out of town, I couldn't justify pancakes or waffles. So today it was a simple meal of two eggs over easy (plus scrambled for the girls), two pieces of bacon (plus one each for the girls), a dry piece of wheat toast, and the one quarter of a tortilla that the girls didn't finish. I had my normal morning coffee before making breakfast and tried to make it less unhealthy by putting in only a splash of milk. Lunch was a peanut butter sandwich. Crunchy, of course. And dinner was a burrito made using the leftovers from a chicken and rice meal Tess made a few days ago. Another post-workout protein shake (protein powder, milk, peanut butter, and strawberry yogurt - no it didn't taste like a chocolate-peanut butter-strawberry sundae) rounds out my caloric intake for the day.
Actually, I'm going to grab just one Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Crisp before passing out on the couch. I think I've earned it.
Until tomorrow...
Day 4
(This one is a day late too. I'll try to work on that.)
I am turning into a lean, mean, workout machine!
I woke up a bit sore, but Jake came over to do some JM30DS in the evening and we completed both Levels 1 and 2. I guess you could say it was a two-one punch. The reason it isn't a one-two punch is that we first completed Level 2 with the idea that we would then see how tired we were and decide if we could add anything else. Well, at the end of L2, we felt pretty tired, but thought that we could push ourselves through at least the first circuit of L1. Turns out, with a few five second rests here and there, we were able to finish out the entire workout! Way to go, Nick and Jake!
Next goal: complete all three levels consecutively.
That might not happen for a while.
I never knew how filling the right type of cereal can be. Tess has said that she eats a bowl of her "Ancient Grains" cereal in the morning and is not hungry for most of the day, but I figured it was just related to the pregnancy. Well, I had a bowl of that cereal and substituted yogurt for milk in order to add in some fruity goodness without overdoing it on the dairy. I brought a weight loss shake and a banana to work with the intention of having both for a small lunch, but ended up only needing the shake because I just wasn't hungry! When dinner came around, I had some turkey pot roast (I know, weird concept, huh?) on one half of a roll (that has more than 300 calories per role!). I probably should have worked in some fruits or veggies, but didn't. I think I may have had some apple juice, though. And the banana comes back into play for my post-workout shake, which was protein powder, milk, peanut butter (not a whole lot because that stuff is packed with calories and fat!), and the banana. I threw some ice in at the top to make it nice and cold and then blended it all up in the Magic Bullet. Went down easy and hit the spot. Didn't even have any cravings for a sweet desert after that.
Until tomorrow...
I am turning into a lean, mean, workout machine!
I woke up a bit sore, but Jake came over to do some JM30DS in the evening and we completed both Levels 1 and 2. I guess you could say it was a two-one punch. The reason it isn't a one-two punch is that we first completed Level 2 with the idea that we would then see how tired we were and decide if we could add anything else. Well, at the end of L2, we felt pretty tired, but thought that we could push ourselves through at least the first circuit of L1. Turns out, with a few five second rests here and there, we were able to finish out the entire workout! Way to go, Nick and Jake!
Next goal: complete all three levels consecutively.
That might not happen for a while.
I never knew how filling the right type of cereal can be. Tess has said that she eats a bowl of her "Ancient Grains" cereal in the morning and is not hungry for most of the day, but I figured it was just related to the pregnancy. Well, I had a bowl of that cereal and substituted yogurt for milk in order to add in some fruity goodness without overdoing it on the dairy. I brought a weight loss shake and a banana to work with the intention of having both for a small lunch, but ended up only needing the shake because I just wasn't hungry! When dinner came around, I had some turkey pot roast (I know, weird concept, huh?) on one half of a roll (that has more than 300 calories per role!). I probably should have worked in some fruits or veggies, but didn't. I think I may have had some apple juice, though. And the banana comes back into play for my post-workout shake, which was protein powder, milk, peanut butter (not a whole lot because that stuff is packed with calories and fat!), and the banana. I threw some ice in at the top to make it nice and cold and then blended it all up in the Magic Bullet. Went down easy and hit the spot. Didn't even have any cravings for a sweet desert after that.
Until tomorrow...
Friday, April 8, 2011
Day 3
My Day 2 workout may have been overdoing it a bit. I was barely able to complete JM30DS L3 today (actually yesterday because I am getting around to writing this post a day late) because I was so sore. But I have no regrets, really. It was a tough workout that kicked my butt, which is what I need if I am going to hit my mark of losing 15 pounds in 5 weeks. That being said, I think I'll hold off on doing any multi-level workouts for another week or two.
Now I have to face the challenge of three days of working out without my wife to watch the kiddos while doing so. Most of my workouts are done in my living room with Emersyn (the one year old) trapped in her exersaucer while Anbo (the the three year old) tries to work out along side me, so they stay out of my hair for the most part. I just have to keep a closer eye on Anbo in order to make sure I don't step on her or smack her with an arm, leg, or weight while I flail around. And that means no Sunday morning run, cool down walks, or post-workout hot tub soaks. I guess (hope) I can survive a weekend without those luxuries.
And now for my daily blunder: lunch. I did good with breakast (weight loss shake, banana, and coffee), but underestimated the size of Albertos' burritos and got stuck eating a monster meal. But on the bright side, that burrito consisted of only a tortilla, at least 1.5 breasts of chicken, and some sauce, so it probably wasn't as bad as I initially thought. And to make up for it, I went light on dinner, which was a piece of steak and some yogurt, followed by a popcorn desert. Now, before you attack me about the evils of popcorn, you need to know that it was Orville Redenbacher's® Smart Pop!® 94% Fat Free Butter popcorn, which only has 120 calories and 2 grams of fat per serving, but packs in 4 grams of fiber in that amount. There are two servings per bag and Tess ate some as well, so I figure it only added about 180 calories and 3 grams of fat for the day while also contributing 6 grams of fiber. Way to go, Nick!
Until tomorrow...
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Day 2
I just completed what was probably the hardest workout of my adult life: Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred (JM30DS) Level 1 AND Level 2! That's about 45 minutes of non-stop strength, cardio, and ab training. I had to rest a few times during the Level 2 workout, but I usually made it up by pushing out a few more reps before jumping into the next exercise. My shirt was so soaked with sweat that I would have put Shawn T (from the Insanity workout system) to shame. If I hadn't been wiping the sweat off of my face every two minutes I could have done his homo erotic head flip sweat spray move (if you've seen the infomercial then you know what I'm talking about) halfway through the workout. Major kudos to me.
And yes, I know that I committed a cardinal blogger sin yesterday when I blogged about what I had for lunch. Well, get over it because its a part of my fitness journey and therefore belongs in my blog. Now for today's food diary:
Breakfast: small bowl of Chocolate Cheerios (they're just as healthy as Honey Nut Cheerios - read the nutrition info) and medium coffee with a good amount of milk.
Snacks: tangerines.
Lunch: BRC burrito and chicken leg (sans skin) at El Pollo Loco.
Dinner: two slices of black olive and onion pizza, one Buffalo wing (sans skin), two garlic knots, and some antipasto salad with minimal Italian dressing, all from Porky's Pizza. Major props for not eating more.
Post workout: Muscle Milk brand protein shake. I would say "(yum, chocolate)" but that would be a lie and I think Jesus wouldn't like that.
So, until tomorrow...
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Day 1
Day 1 was pretty sucessful. Breakfast consisted of coffee, a Kirkland Signature weight loss shake (yum...chocolate), and some tangerines (thanks Steven). I munched on some tangerines throughout the day, had a Lean Cuisine Cafe frozen meal for lunch (270 calories and pretty filling!), followed by a banana a bit later in the day for a natural sugar pick-me-up. And I think I deserve some major props for dinner. The menu consisted of well seasoned and just medium-well (my bad) grilled steaks, pan fried potato wedges, and southwestern salad. The props come in due to the fact that I didn't gorge myself.
Now for the workout! I am going to preface this section with the following statement: IT'S FREAKING HARDER THAN YOU THINK!
Drum roll, please...
...
...
...
...
I completed Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred Level 3.
Okay, stop laughing. Remember the preface. It really is hard. True, it is just Jillian Michaels and two women doing the workout, but those chicks are HARDCORE. And I use heavier weights than they do. So that makes me more hardcore. And tired.
It took me a few months to build up from Level 1 through Level 2 and finally to Level 3, but I've been knocking it out pretty well since. I can't quite say that applies to my workout buddy, Jake Long. Yeah, that's right, I just called you out, Jake. Get on it!
I plan on buying some additional workout DVDs to mix things up a bit and I'll try to make them more manly. Is Bob Harper manly enough? Well, we'll see because I plan on getting one of his DVDs later this week.
Until tomorrow...
Monday, April 4, 2011
Day 0
I have decided to chronicle my adventures in at-home fitness after a few months of working out. I have made some progress over those months, but still have a ways to go. The point of this blog is to track my progress as it relates to weight loss, workouts, and my diet. I figure it will go something like this: weigh ins and accompanying photos on Mondays (my recovery days), a brief description of my workouts Tuesdays through Sundays, and a basic daily diet diary.
In order to best gauge my progress, I guess I need to set a goal. Well, Wii Fit says I weight a portly 200 lbs. According to the all-knowing and scientifically infallible Wii Fit, that means I have a BMI of 27.99, which classifies me as overweight. I don't like that, but at least it's lower than the obese BMI of 30.43 I registered sometime in the past 900+ days (we've had the Wii Fit for a while, but I haven't really done much with it over the years). I'll shoot for 185 lbs. by May 9, which gives me a pace of three pounds of weight loss per week for five weeks. Sounds doable.
Now for the first photo:
April 4, 2011: 200 lbs.
In order to best gauge my progress, I guess I need to set a goal. Well, Wii Fit says I weight a portly 200 lbs. According to the all-knowing and scientifically infallible Wii Fit, that means I have a BMI of 27.99, which classifies me as overweight. I don't like that, but at least it's lower than the obese BMI of 30.43 I registered sometime in the past 900+ days (we've had the Wii Fit for a while, but I haven't really done much with it over the years). I'll shoot for 185 lbs. by May 9, which gives me a pace of three pounds of weight loss per week for five weeks. Sounds doable.
Now for the first photo:
April 4, 2011: 200 lbs.
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