6 WEEKS OUT!!! Big Fat Update!

 
Hello, me again! So, here is my update from the past couple of days...

Wednesday I actually left work early. My visor had broken on my car and it was going to cost me $60 to replace. I talked to my guy at the dealership and he said to bring it in and maybe we could work something out. So after I left work I headed to the gym to finish up my cardio for the day (off day from training). Then I headed over to the dealership. He DID get me a deal, indeed! $16 instead of $60! Of course I did that right away. Then it was off to REI to pick up some inserts for my water bottle. Then it was to the grocery store. Then home finally around 5 or so. I ended up cooking from about 5 till 10. WHAT?!? How does that happen? I think I was a little inefficient about my time though. I know I could have done that better if I hadn't gotten so carried away with my zucchini chips! LOL! But you know how I love those. I made the following: 6 batches of zucchini loaves, dried rhubarb (recipe coming soon), Turkey Meatloaf, 2 batches of zucchini chips, Spicy Couscous Summer Salad, Spicy Shrimp, broiled tilapia, 2 Chocolate Protein Cakes, as well as dinner - Shrimp with diced spicy tomatoes. Yep, very busy in the kitchen indeed and enough food to last till tomorrow so yeah!

Thursday morning I was up at 4:30 so I could be at the gym by 5 at the latest. I got there and they opened up about 4:55am and in I went for my 30 minutes of cardio (treadmill 4.4 @ 12% incline). Then it was home for a quick shower and eat Meal 1 and then out the door at 6:24 to head to San Diego. Drive time? About 2 hours! Not bad actually and thankfully because coming home? Not QUITE the same story. Met up with Gina and practiced posing. Still have a problem with my back pose but it's improving. My new friend Nikee had her appointment with Gina right after me. It was great to see her again. She had 2 suits with her so I tried one of them on. It looked great - color and all and got me more excited for the competition. I'm contacting the owner to see if I can "rent" it. I should find out this week if I can or not. Keep your fingers crossed. It would be perfect for me! Gina's going to change up my training and mealplan again so I will see what that looks like tomorrow. So exciting! We also discussed my mental state a little which seems to be a problem. More on that later but to sum it up I really have an issue with being as "small" as I am right now. Not very comfortable with that.

From there it was off to the San Diego Hilton right next to the Convention Center. Really pretty and nice hotel. Got to see my friends and their kids. It was great. While we were hanging out by the pool, relaxing and chatting, there was a gathering on the bayside of the pool. We went to check it out and they were training a military dolphin! So cool! Well, military not so cool but the dolphin was awesome. If you know me at all, you know I think I'm a reincarnated dolphin. Hee hee...

I hung out with them for a while and then headed home. The parking in that area is ridiculous so even though I came into the lot at :29 after and left at :32 after I still got charged the extra hour for those THREE minutes! Ridiculous but oh well. They weren't trying to help me out at all. Such is life. Then I'm waiting at the light in from of the Convention Center and we aren't moving at all because there are a ton of pedestrians. While I'm sitting there a couple of bees show up on my rearview mirror.

This was just the beginning...BEFORE the mirror was covered!!!

Next thing I know my car is SWARMED by bees. Literally the whole rearview mirror was covered with bees and they were just sticking to my window. I was so freaked out! And I'm not even a girly girl that can't handle bees. I can but this was a little too freaky. And it was ONLY my car. Nobody else was having the bee swarm. Weird or what?

Made it back around 7:15pm (3 1/2 hours of driving). I was exhausted from the drive and lounging in the sun. But I ate my dinner and headed off to the gym to work my legs and then do my PM cardio. Got the legs done with a lot of struggling but did it and then onto the treadmill. I couldn't do it. I made it for 15 and had to call it quits. I got home, made my chocolate cake and as I was eating it at 9:45 decided that Friday I was just going to sleep in and just enjoy my morning. I could tell I needed to regroup and I did just that.

Friday I woke up at 6:15am. Such a luxury. I took a nice leisurely shower and then ate a nice leisurely breakfast, had time to write on Gina's forum and just regrouped. Had some desperately needed ME time! And DOWN time!! It was great. I went to work and worked all day. Came home at lunch and took a nap and realized how very tired I was. Packed my bag for the gym anyway. At the end of the workday I asked myself if I would be incredibly disappointed in myself if I didn't work out...would I feel guilty. The answer was a definitive NO. So I didn't work out yesterday at all. I came home, watched a movie and just relaxed. It was AWESOME and very rejuvenating. I got to bed early so this morning, how did I feel?

I FELT FANTASTIC this morning and my energy and mind has been great today. I am about to eat my 3rd meal and then head to the gym. I made a colossal failure recipe this morning for egg white frosting. I thought it would be perfect for my chocolate cakes but it was a huge flop. I was subbing Just Like Sugar for the sugar though and I just don't think you can do that. I'll try a different recipe again some other time and see what happens. Then I turned around and made a jicama crisp. It looks pretty good and tastes pretty good but not great. I'm going to have to find and buy rhubarb today and then I'm making THAT into a crisp! That will be divine since the jicama is just a little too crunchy for that. But the rhubarb won't be. Can't wait!!! Yummy, yummy. I'll post the recipe when I get it right.

Well, off to more food and the gym. Then I have to head out to the mall. I really need a couple of pieces of clothing that fit!!!!

Make it great! It's got to be first rate!!! - Why, yes, that IS a high school cheer!!!! LOL!!! But it's fitting for me and I like it for today.

OMG! I just found this quote and could it be more fitting for me?!? I mean "holding two opposed ideas in my mind"!!!! WOW!! Nailed it!! Thanks F. Scott!

The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function.~F. Scott Fitzgerald

Don't worry! I'm still here!!

I know you think I fell off the face of the earth but I've just been extremely busy and then was in San Diego yesterday so that's crazy-making!!! LOL!! I will give you all an update about that experience later today. Just wanted to let you all know that I'm still here, still plugging away and still as crazy as ever! Hope you all have a fantastic Friday!!! I'll post a nice catch-up post later today or definitely tomorrow!!! Until then...do something today that puts a smile on YOUR face!!!

"A smile confuses an approaching frown."  ~Author Unknown

Tuesday here we come!

So I was a little slow rolling out of bed this morning. I woke up about 20 minutes before my alarm was set to go off. I contemplated getting up and just getting to the gym vs. an extra 20 minutes of sleep. Which one do YOU think won? Well, neither actually...the extra THIRTY minutes of sleep won!!! LOL!! At any rate I was still to the gym at 5:45am and knocking out 20 minutes on the stepmill (level 10!), only to hop off there and knock out another 20 on the treadmill (4.6 @ 15 % incline)! So AM cardio behind me, I went home for some breakfast. Nothing exciting but I like it simple sometimes...rarely but sometimes!

So my cardio was increased this week, totaling 520 minutes!! Twice a day 7 days a week! Yep! And then training 5 days a week and skate or bike sprints 2 times a week as well. So, what kind of time are we spending working out? Let's just figure that out for a sec. Hmmm...about 14-15 hours a week! Wow! That's a lot. Add that to hours of cooking and eating, working full time, cleaning, laundry, drive time, the whole 9 yards...yep! I see why not many people do this even as a hobby! But I'm enjoying it. I must say. Didn't think I would ENJOY it but I am. So that's cool.

At the beginning of my prep I was doing 333 minutes...WHAT?!? I didn't even realize it had increased that much! Wow! 187 extra minutes in 9 weeks! That's kind of cuckoo! LOL!! Of course I was probably only eating about 6 dozen egg whites then...now it's anywhere from 10-14 a week! Oh my! How things change!


I ADDED A NEW PAGE!!! Check it out! It's a work in progress but I've been working on it so long and I just keep not putting up because it's not complete. It's kind of a fun page so I thought I'd share it with you.

Meals for the day:
1) Egg whites and oatmeal - plain and simple - but why is that so tasty sometimes?
2) Rhubarb protein muffins!
3) Crunch A Munch salad with shrimp and pork on the side
4) Zucchini loaf
Still to be eaten:
5) STEAK!!!!! with mushrooms!!! Oh, man...I can't WAIT!!
6) Salad with canned tuna soaked in balsamic vinegar - ever tried it? Tasty! I mean it ain't steak but hey! It's still pretty good!
7) Just guess...got it? Ding, ding, ding...that's right folks...Chocolate Protein Cake!!! I think I may be trying a little extra something with it but if I do, you'll be the first to know!

Tonight it's back, bis and abs! Then 40 more minutes of cardio. Woot woot!! Should be good though. My energy's pretty good today so I think I'm good to go!

I've been practicing my posing whenever I can. Often when I go to the bathroom at work I wash my hands then practice all my poses before heading back to work. Ha ha! One time I'm going to get caught and that will be awkward but so far so good...thank goodness for double doors to the bathroom!!! It feel more and more comfortable. And I always thought my stripper heels were comfortable but they're also getting more comfortable...hmmmm.....do I see a career change in the future?!? LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hope you're all having a bright and cheery day! Until tomorrow then, enjoy the rest of your day!

“There is one thing one has to have: either a soul that is cheerful by nature, or a soul made cheerful by work, love, art, and knowledge.” ~Friedrich Nietzsche (German classical Scholar, Philosopher and Critic of culture, 1844-1900)

Best Quote EVER!!

 

“How soon 'not now' becomes 'never'.” 

~Martin Luther 

 (German Priest and Scholar whose questioning of certain church practices led to the Protestant Reformation. 1483-1546)

 

Guess where I found my mojo!!!

At the beach!!!!!! That's right...who knew it was so close? LOL!

On Saturday after I went to the show I went and trained hams and glutes heavy and hard. Great workout! Then I just couldn't be indoors one more minute and I took my cardio outside. I did about 30 minutes of inline skating and then I pushed it and did about 25 minutes of skate sprinting uphill and against the wind. FANTASTIC!!!!!!! Very, very hard! Can we just say HELLO HAM-GLUTE TIE-IN?!? Yowza!!

That was it for me. I found my mojo right there at the beach, on my blades, my good ol' buddies! I've missed them so. I asked Gina about it and we've added that into my program so I can either do bike sprints or skate sprints! WAHOO!!!!! So, so happy about that. I love me some outdoors, ya know!!

Besides that I also get steak again this week...TWICE! Oh, yes, that's right. My body really did well with that so Gina put it in again. Soooo excited! So needless to say, it's going to be a great week.

Got up this morning and knocked out my 40 minutes AM fasted cardio. 10 treadmill 4.4 @ 15% incline, 20 stepmill - level 10, 10 treadmill 4.6-4.8 @ 15% incline. Came home and ate my oats with rhubarb - yum and my egg whites with eggs & lemon peel - addicted. My second meal was zucchini loaf and I'm headed into my 3rd meal now - Couscous and Mushroom Stuffed Ronde de Nice and pork. Yum! Better hurry and get to it since I'm very hungry today. Yep, I'd say that my metabolism is picking up. That's great! 


So, off to a very successful week. I get to meet with Gina this week as well as meet up with some friends from Dallas. Woot woot! It's going to be a very fine week indeed!!

Don’t let what you can’t do interfere with what you can do. ~Author Unknown

Never be satisfied with what you achieve, because it all pales in comparison with what you are capable of doing in the future. ~Rabbi Nochem Kaplan

Spicy Couscous Summer Salad

I made this last night and took it to the show with me to eat. It was really delicious. Nikee can vouch for me. I even let her taste some. Yes, I know, mighty kind of me!! ;-)

Spicy Couscous Summer Salad

 

1 cucumber, diced

1 shallot, finely minced

1 tomato, finely diced

1 jalapeño or serrano peppers (to taste), seeded if desired and finely chopped

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 

3/4 cup cooked brown rice couscous OR quinoa

Mix all together but the couscous. Season with sea salt if desired. Add couscous (or quinoa) and stir. Let it sit for at least an hour. Mine sat for a good 13 hours or so. I added broiled shrimp cut in small pieces. I didn't take a picture of that but I should have. DELISH!!!!!

Spicy Broiled Shrimp

1 pound raw shrimp, shelled and deveined

1-2 teaspoons paprika

1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon cayenne

2 cloves garlic, pressed

olive oil, optional

Mix paprika, cayenne and garlic together. If using olive oil add that and make a paste. Add shrimp and mix well. Broil for about 2 minutes per side. 

Posing practice...SO important!!

I'm at the LA Championships and let me just say how important it is to practice. This girl just was on stage and she had clearly done the work but also quite clearly had NO idea how to pose. Just bouncing around, couldn't hold a pose. Because of that she won't be first. But had she learned and/or practiced posing she would have easily taken that class.

More later!
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

Blase...word of the day...NOPE! Not anymore!!

What is up with this week?!? I just feel blase!!! That's all there is too it. Can't get my mojo back, feeling defeated and deflated. Flat, flat, flat!!! I don't know what's going on but to have this week follow last week (remember, the week with boundless energy?) is just NOT okay with me. I think I just need to rest, really rest, no blogging, no phone, no internet, no TV...just chill! I don't know what's up but I gotta get right! Truly...no joke!

A couple of things I was thinking about, well missing really. And this could be adding to my mental head space right now?!? Hmmm????
1) Sleeping in on Sunday morning
2) Eating ethnic food, particularly Asian, that I didn't make
3) Fruit...FRUIT...FRUITTTTTTTT!!!!
4) Cooking when I WANT to cook
5) Eating when I WANT to eat
6) Not being on a timed schedule for every single thing - not having to wake up by a certain time so I can get my cardio in and still make it to work kind of on time, not having to finish cooking so I can eat my last meal and get to bed at a decent time, etc.
7) My friends!!!!! Really miss that!! Just hanging and doing whatever

And now for the things I'm gaining/enjoying:
1) Really improved health
2) Improved mental state
3) INCREDIBLE sense of accomplishment
4) Having goals and meeting or exceeding them
5) Finding/creating new healthier recipes
6) AMAZING fitness network through Gina's site
7) Blogging about my experience
8) Making new friends
9) Constantly learning and growing
10) Learning what these words truly mean: dedication, determination, perseverance,  focus, growth

Okay, so I see I'm gaining more than I'm missing. So glad I just wrote those down. That helps me a lot! Hmph! Good for me. See? Changing your viewpoint is a very, very good thing. Apparently I do need some time to not only relax but sit back for a minute and take some time to reflect, relish my accomplishments! I've come a long way in a short amount of time and I need to pat myself on the back and enjoy my victories and accomplishments. Ooh, look, Gina's right..."Be in control, own your attitude!" Okay, another lesson learned. Aha, I should do a list of those lessons learned throughout this process. It would be LENGTHY for sure.

Here's wishing you all a fine Friday and so glad I have this place to set things straight in my head. Thanks for reading and to those of you that comment, for commenting as well!

If you don't like something change it; if you can't change it, change the way you think about it.  ~Mary Engelbreit

 

When You're Hot You're Hot...and When You're Not...

...well...let's just say you're not!!!!

So I got a chance to relax last night and got some fairly decent sleep. Last night I was getting called by the nut butters..."Hello....Erin...we're over here...don't you want to eat us?" Yeah, that lasted a little bit. I knew I needed to drink more water so I had an extra teaspoon of nut butter and then it was onto the water. I didn't totally derailed but I thought for a minute that I might just wake up with nut butter smeared all over my face! LOL!!!

At any rate, I woke up feeling pretty good and headed to the gym for my 35 minutes of cardio. I actually was walking 4.6 @ 15% incline for 10 minutes, then stepmill at level 10 with last 5 minutes at level 14, then back to walking 4.6-4.8 @ 15% incline. It was great and I felt great, to be honest. Some cardio workouts are just better than others. That being said, let's jump ahead to tonight's cardio workout. I STRUGGLED...really STRUGGLED to get through...how many minutes...not 35 like I was supposed to do...30?...yeah, that would have been good...25?...that too would have been good...NO! 20!!!!!!! UGH!!!!! Even the motivation of knowing that I was going to have to be open and honest blogging about it didn't help. I just couldn't do it. And then I decided to cut myself some slack. I've been going hard for 8 1/2 weeks straight and not ONCE have I not completed my prescribed cardio sessions so I decided that I need to be okay with this or I better just get back on that treadmill. So I'm okay with it. I'm not mad at myself or disappointed. Sometimes your body's talking really loudly and it really is your job to just listen. For whatever reason, this morning turned out to be a great workout but this afternoon was not.

I have a weird theory about this though. For some reason on my high carb days I seem to have low to no energy for my training and even less for my cardio. I find this fascinating since I used to do a much higher carb diet generally speaking and I had fantastic cardio workouts. But then again I wasn't training legs on the same day. I know a lot of people tend to get a pump on their high carb days. Those people ain't me! LOL!!!!! Who knows? All I know is that is done and we're just going to get some good rest and start again fresh and new in the morning. No harm, no foul!

My meals were quite yummy though!
1) Spelt flakes with protein powder "milk" made with my favorite tea!! and a splash of unsweetened vanilla Almond Breeze
2) Zucchini loaf
3) Brown rice with fish and some Crunch A Munch Salad and a PB lollipop
4) Rhubarb "frozen yogurt" topped with spelt flakes
5) Asian coleslaw with Barbecued Pork Chops and brown rice medley
6) 8 egg white pancake topped with cherry tomatoes and lemon zest - you know I'm addicted to this bright dish! - followed up with about 1 cup of stewed rhubarb - followed that up with 1 batch of microwave kale chips (just like my zucchini chips but made with kale and even faster to make - somebody stop me...I'm OUT OF CONTROL!!!!)
7) Will be chocolate protein cake, possibly topped with stewed rhubarb? We'll see!

Last night was not quite as relaxing as planned since I was bound and determined to find rhubarb. I NEEDED it for my yogurt! Had to have it! No joke! So I went to 2 stores and called 2 more and finally on my 3rd call I found it! Yeah! I was so happy I got right in my car and zipped out to get my rhubarb. Then I came home and threw it right into the crockpot. It was ready for me this morning when I returned from my cardio. So delish it is!! Love this stuff.

Tonight I'm off to make more zucchini loaves and possibly a rhubarb loaf. Not sure yet and totally making this up off the top of my head but I think it will work out just fine!

Hope you all had a splendid day! See you 'round these parts tomorra now, ya hear? Don't worry my mojo is coming back with me tomorrow but until then, I'm chillin'...wood spinnin'...that's cool cuz I'm Cadillac pimpin'...

"What is without periods of rest will not endure." ~Ovid 

Wednesday...and 2 more ways to get your veggies in!!

So last night was social night at the gym. You know the kind, where you go to the gym and everyone wants to talk to you on the same day! It was like a joke at one point. I had one bodybuilder guy (very nice guy) try to tell me how to walk on the treadmill (that I shouldn't hold on while I'm walking at 4.4 on 15% incline - LOL!!!). Another girl asking me for triceps exercises. Another guy wanting to know how many reps I'm doing on the assisted pull-up. Another guy asking if I like my shoes and he's thinking of buying some. My old man friend talking about the mystery of where all the light weight dumbbells were! No joke!! All of those in less than an hour. It was mildly annoying and then I just had to laugh because it really got so out of control. And YES I was wearing my headset. And yes, I had it on so loud that I had to tell one of those people that I couldn't hear them. Oy vey!!

Last night was a cooking kind of night for me. I need to stop doing that during the week because I always end up going to bed late that way. But at any rate, at least I'll really enjoy my food today!! Woohoo!

I did end up having my Cinnamon Danish with Caramel and Toasted Almonds last night. Ooh, so delicious!! So so so delicious!! That's the first time I had it again since I posted the recipe. But MAN, oh man, is it tasty? I think I had forgotten. Love it!

I also made Couscous and Mushroom Stuffed Ronde de Nice and Spiced Yellow Squash Soup. Yummy...can't wait for my meals today!!

Couscous and Mushroom Stuffed Ronde de Nice

1 cup cooked brown rice couscous (Lundberg brand)

1 - 1 1/2 cup finely chopped mushrooms

2 T shallots

2 garlic cloves

2 T parsley

salt and pepper

4 ronde de nice squash

1. Cut the tops off the squash. Scoop out insides with melon baller or just a spoon. Chop and reserve insides. Put in baking pan and spray insides and lids with olive oil spray. Place tops on squash and bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. Squash should be tender but still firm enough to hold shape.

2. While squash is cooking, saute shallots and garlic in  pan sprayed with olive oil spray for about 30 seconds. Add mushrooms and reserved squash pieces. Stir in parsley, salt and pepper to taste. Then add couscous and mix all together just till mixed.

3. Place mushroom couscous mixture in squash, packing in so most of it fits in the cavity with only a little spilling out. Put lid on or off to the side. Serve immediately. If serving later, reheat in microwave or in oven at 350 just till heated through.

I will be having this with my Barbecued Pork Chops. Yummy!

I love the brown rice couscous from Lundberg. It tastes quite awesome. You just want to be sure that it gets dry enough. That's the trick! It should fluff with a fork just like real couscous.

Spiced Yellow Squash Soup

2 pounds yellow squash, trimmed and roughly chopped

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

1/2 cup vegetable or chicken broth

1 1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes

1 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted and ground
1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds, toasted and ground
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Juice of 1 lime

1. Combine the squash, onion, broth, water, red pepper, cumin, coriander, and turmeric in a pot. Bring to a boil, then simmer, covered, until the squash is very tender, about 20 minutes.

2. Once the squash has cooled, purée it in a blender on high till smooth, about 1-2 minutes. Pass through a fine-mesh sieve. When completely cool, season to taste with the lime juice, salt and pepper. This recipe is meant to be served cold but you could also serve it hot.

Optional: dollop of yogurt or light sour cream, drizzle of olive oil or MimicCreme.

I will be having this with chicken in it. Can't wait.

So today it was up and at 'em...well, kinda anyway...hard getting out of bed since it was a nice temperature and I was pretty cozy in my comfy, comfy bed!! It was one of those mornings that I wish I drank coffee. But alas I don't. So off to the gym and cruised through my 35 minutes of cardio. 25 minutes incline treadmill 4.4 @ 12-15% incline then 10 minutes stepmill - level 10 and 5 minutes level 13. Quick stretch and I was out of there. I will do some rolling tonight after my afternoon cardio. No training today and it will be a night of rest and relaxation. No cooking, in other words. No blogging and no phone calls...just good ol' R&R. I should feel like a million bucks tomorrow then. There will be NO excuses for being tired.

My first 2 meals today are identical to yesterday's. But the rest of the meals will be slightly different. Here they are:

1) Egg whites with tomatoes and lemon zest; oatmeal with stewed rhubarb

2) Zucchini loaf

Still to be eaten:

3) Barbecued pork chop with couscous and mushroom stuffed ronde de nice - I'm excited

4) Zucchini loaf

5) Spiced Yellow Squash Soup with chicken - maybe some green beans or Crunch A Munch if I'm still hungry

6) Salad with tilapia

7) Chocolate Protein Cake

That's it for now. Just thought I could help some of you out with your meal plan for later today!  

I know this second quote is a little racy for my blog but I think it's hysterical and good for a laugh!! Enjoy!

“There is no sincerer love than the love of food.” ~George Bernard Shaw

“Food has replaced sex in my life, now I can't even get into my own pants” ~Anonymous

Monday is over...Tuesday is here!

Sounds like the beginning of a rhyme, which I was going to write, but can't really come up with anything!!

So, to continue on. Let's just go over yesterday's meals. Shall we?

Meal 1) Egg whites and oatmeal with stewed rhubarb (Ah, yes! I knew I forgot I had made something else Sunday!) Recipe below!
2) Zucchini loaf!
3) Crunch A Munch with Shrimp (forgot my rice so ate it at meal 5)
4) Kale chips and then Zucchini loaf (yes, again!)
5) Chicken and rice with chili garlic sauce and more Crunch A Munch on the side
6) Fish in Italian style tomato sauce & Zucchini Chips!!
7) Chocolate protein cake with Nuttzo

Yeah, it was a GREAT food day! I'm loving my mealplans. They are beyond tasty. Well, also because I make them that way. I'm not one to just eat the same. Variety is king!! Or should I say queen!!

Crockpot Stewed Rhubarb

7 stalks rhubarb

1/2 cup water

1-2 cinnamon stick

vanilla extract
stevia

Just Like Brown Sugar (or other brown sugar substitute)

Chop rhubarb into 1/4 - 1/2 inch pieces. Throw in crockpot with water, cinnamon stick and  stevia. Turn on low and leave it for at least 6 hours. I left mine for about 12 hours or so. I stirred and added more stevia a couple of times. Turn off crockpot and add Just Like Brown Sugar and vanilla to taste. Stir it up. 

I put this in the fridge in the morning. After my workout at night I ate a good cup of it since I opened it up to taste it and the flavor had improved even since then. Really, really good. I'm going to have to buy more rhubarb so I can make it again maybe tonight or tomorrow. 

So, on to Tuesday, I woke up on the right side of the bed seeing as how I got plenty of sleep for me and woke up feeling refreshed! Yeah! Did my 35 minutes fasted AM cardio all on the treadmill all on 4.4 @ 12% incline. Just in that kind of mood. Stretched after AND rolled on my balls like a good girl. Then it was home for some breakfast and shower.

Food today so far:
1) Egg whites with cherry tomatoes and lemon zest (yes, my new favorite) and oatmeal with rhubarb again!
2) zucchini loaf
3) Brown rice medley with some wild rice, chicken, green homemade tomatillo salsa, few pieces of Crunch A Munch
4) Zucchini loaf
Later today:
5) Barbecued pork chops (recipe below), green beans
6) Salad with Shrimp
7) Hmmm...cinnamon danish frankenfood? I think so! I'll let you know though.

Barbecued Pork Chops 

(Minus the Barbecue)

1 T Just Like Brown Sugar (or sugar substitute of your choice or even REAL brown sugar if you choose)

1/4 t sea salt

1 t paprika

1 t chili powder

3/4 t garlic powder

3/4 t ground cumin

1/4 t dry mustard

1/8 t ground allspice

1/8 t cayenne

4 (6-ounce) pork chops, trimmed

cooking spray

Combine first 9 ingredients. Rub over both sides of pork. Heat broiler. Place on foil-lined pan sprayed with cooking spray (or use the Reynolds Quick Release Non-Stick Foil). Broil 2 minutes then turn over and broil 2 minutes more. Keep cooking until cooked through. Mine took only 2 more minutes so 6 minutes total. 

I must get photos of my pork chops. They're so divine! Really hit the spot for someone like me that loves me some barbecue!!!! Mmmmm.....mmmmm! I need to make some coleslaw to go with this. That's a perfect combo.

That's it for now. Until tomorrow I think you are all significantly caught up on my life!!! Be happy and enjoy your happiness! It's a great day for that!!!

"Most people would rather be certain they're miserable, than risk being happy."  ~Robert Anthony

“Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence” ~Aristotle

Big Fat Catch Up Post!!

Whew! I really need to catch up. A big weekend and 2-3 days of NO blogging! You all must be missing me terribly!!! LOL!! Truly, how are you surviving? Okay, where to begin?

Let's just go in order so you don't miss anything. Saturday my energy was up when I wrote my post and then as the heat kicked in it dwindled down. But I did have a really great glute and ham workout. I was really strong that day and kept adding weight to everything. AWESOME!! Then I did my post-workout cardio and it was a done deal. Then I went home, ate again and then I was really beat! So it was naptime for me...aaahhhhhh...love my naps!! And then it was cleaning my house! Done and done!! Woohoo! So then I got to relax Saturday night.

Sunday I was up bright and early and to the gym at 6am for 45 minutes cardio, a fine mixture of incline treadmill, stepmill, and more incline treadmill. And hitting level 16 for about 5 minutes on the stepmill!! Woot woot!! Then it was home for more food and then off to the Beverly Hills Farmer's Market to pick up my FIRST CSA box from South Central Farmers Market and whatever else looked good. While they made finding the stand very hard since they had no banner up, I was happy with the box I got. Here's what was in the box. 3 kinds of kale - regular kale, dinosaur kale, red kale, 2 ears of corn, 1 cantaloupe, 1 small bunch of basil, 4 tomatoes, 3 yellow squash, 3 zucchini, 4 ronde de nice, and 3 patty pan squash. All this produce for the small price of....wait for it....yes! $15!!! What a bargain. And fresh and organic!! Woohoo! It is donation based and you can choose between $15, $20, $30 and $40.  

cantaloupe, red kale, kale, dinosaur kale, corn, cantaloupe, basil

tomatoes, yellow squash, zucchini, patty pan squash, ronde de nice, cucumbers (not pictured)

So what is with this CSA, you ask? Well, let me tell you. CSA stands for Consumer Supported Agriculture. Description from their site: Community supported agriculture (CSA) is a new idea in farming, one that has been gaining momentum since its introduction to the United States from Europe in the mid-1980s. The CSA concept originated in the 1960s in Switzerland and Japan, where consumers interested in safe food and farmers seeking stable markets for their crops joined together in economic partnerships. Today, CSA farms in the U.S., known as CSAs, currently number more than 400. Most are located near urban centers in New England, the Mid-Atlantic states, and the Great Lakes region, with growing numbers in other areas, including the West Coast.


I like the idea a lot. Please feel free to check out their site. You can plug in your zip code and find one near you. They have several different drop off locations and they may take a while to respond if you send an email but they will eventually give the info and help you out if you have questions. I'm impressed with the produce so far. I've eaten a tomato, zucchini and cucumber. Tonight I plan to make some stuffed squash with the ronde de nice. I think it will be VERY cute!! Because after all, cute food is where it's at!!!


Moving right along...let's see...made some food:
3 zucchini loaves
Shrimp - mix pressed garlic cloves, paprika, cayenne, sea salt together and stir shrimp in. Put on broiler pan and spray with olive oil spray. Broil 2 minutes then turn over and broil 1-2 minutes more. Yummy!

Mushroom and veggie saute
Crunch A Munch salad

Okay, now Monday, let's see. Woke up tired, tired, tired...guess that's what happens when you're still making Crunch A Munch at 10:15 at night!!! Ugh! At any rate, got up and got to the gym for my 35 minutes of cardio - 10 minutes incline treadmill, 15  minutes stepmill, 10 minutes incline treadmill, stretch and NO rolling. Went to work, home for lunch and nap, back to work, and then back to the gym for heavy shoulders and 35 more minutes of cardio - mostly incline treadmill...just didn't have it in me for the stepmill. The treadmill gave me that meditation time I needed too to sort out my night so I would find myself in bed by 9:30!! I was beat and knew I needed sleep. All my workouts suffered. It was a hard day for me workout wise! Yep! LESSON LEARNED: Get to sleep early on Sunday nights. I know this will definitely NOT be the last time I learn this lesson!!

Got home from the gym and ate my dinner lickety split! Then I made THESE fantastic microwave zucchini chips!!!!! WAHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! "I'm in love, I'm in love, and I don't care who knows it!!" Name that movie...Elf!!

Simple Microwave Zucchini Chips

These smell like potato chips while they're cooking and taste ridiculously good! Much better than when I make them in the oven!!

1 zucchini, sliced very thinly on a mandolin

sea salt

olive oil spray

Place sliced zucchini slices on parchment paper. If you don't have parchment paper, like I didn't, feel free to use a brown paper bag, cut to fit on microwave turntable. Microwave for 4-6 minutes. This will basically dehydrate the zucchini. Then I put them on a new drier piece of brown paper, lightly salted and sprayed with olive oil. Then I continued to microwave for about 4-6 more minutes. Remove paper from microwave and slowly peel chips from bag  and VOILA!! Chips!  I think it took a total of 30 seconds to eat these!

Here are a couple of photos from last week's menu:

Zucchini Pancakes made with quinoa flour, fish to stuff in pancakes, and dipping sauce - WOW!

 

HUGE salad - romaine, butterleaf, zucchini, orange pepper, red pepper, mushrooms, baby heirloom tomatoes, celery, jalapeno, and lemon zest!! SUCH a delicious salad!!

There's much more to add but I have to go eat!! I'll finish later...just you wait!!

8 WEEKS OUT!!!! Halfway there!!

Sleep=ENERGY!!

Yeah! I slept well last night. Having the AC in my room helped tremendously. I guess at some point it turns off by itself so I had to turn it back on and then went right back to sleep. Aaaahhh...I have a new respect for sleep! I really do.

So, here are some stats along this journey I've been doing. The dates are August 2009, May 2010 (15 weeks out) and today (8 weeks out).
Weight: 165, 139, 129
Body fat: 33%, 19.3%, 17.2%
Lean mass: 110, 112, 107

I personally don't like the low weight...more on this later. But I am glad that I haven't lost much lean mass. I don't really want that number to get much lower though. I want my muscle to stay!

Already up and at 'em at the gym with my 40 minutes of fasted cardio split between the treadmill (yeah! my blister's almost gone) and stepmill. It actually seemed very easy today. Hmmm...don't know why. I ate 2 meals already, just 5 to go. I wonder how sick of eggs I will be by the end of all this. Right now I just keep making the same thing - egg pancake, spread my oatmeal on top of it, sprinkle a little sea salt, fresh cherry tomatoes or mini heirloom, grated lemon zest. I like this combo, I really do. But at some point I might just crack!! Pun intended! LOL!!!

I wrote out my to-do list for today last night and I think I really better get started on that right about now. So until later, keep cool as a cucumber and enjoy your day and weekend!!

 I know this song is older but I heard it last night and I just love the lyrics. So true...the rest is still unwritten! Live your life with arms wide open!!!!



Lyrics:

I am unwritten, can't read my mind, I'm undefined
I'm just beginning, the pen's in my hand, ending unplanned

Staring at the blank page before you
Open up the dirty window
Let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find

Reaching for something in the distance
So close you can almost taste it
Release your inhibitions
Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
The rest is still unwritten

Oh, oh, oh

I break tradition, sometimes my tries, are outside the lines
We've been conditioned to not make mistakes, but I can't live that way

Staring at the blank page before you
Open up the dirty window
Let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find

Reaching for something in the distance
So close you can almost taste it
Release your inhibitions
Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins

Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
The rest is still unwritten

Staring at the blank page before you
Open up the dirty window
Let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find

Reaching for something in the distance
So close you can almost taste it
Release your inhibitions
Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins

Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
The rest is still unwritten
The rest is still unwritten
The rest is still unwritten

Oh, yeah, yeah

No sleep = NO ENERGY!!!

Okay, seriously, I don't think I slept last night at all. It was so hot and still. It was ridiculous. I was kind of angry in the middle of the night. And no, I didn't get over it!! LOL! So today I'm tired...zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.....oh! I'm awake...I'm awake!! Besides that I think I burned every single ounce of energy I had yesterday. Since I was on FIRE, remember? Yeah, today, not so much. I guess this is where you really have to dig your heels in and "get it done"!!! Believe me, I was so exhausted come morning that I just thought I would forget the workout all together. But I didn't. I hit the snooze...let's see...um....3 times! And then it was questionable once I stepped out of bed if I was really going to go. I had a short conversation with myself and decided I would be really disappointed in myself if I didn't go so I went. I got on the stepmill. I would have preferred the treadmill but I have a blister on my heel so that's NOT an option. :-( So I pushed myself and did level 9 for about 15 minutes then level 8 for about 8 then finished the last 7 or so minutes on level 12 with the help of my new-found friend MJ singing "Ease on Down the Road". I had to laugh at the dichotomy happening here. I mean, ease on down the road vs. struggle and act like you're not going to die if you take another step...see what I mean? It's something to laugh about, don't you think?

I finally feel like I'm almost waking up now. I think part of it is just being able to cool my body. That helps in making me feel more energetic. I just finished my second meal and the AC is kicking on here at work so I am feeling better. I will most definitely be taking a nap today!! No doubt about that!

I'll update you later or over the weekend. Just wanted to let you all know that there is a reason I really enjoyed my wave of energy yesterday because clearly it doesn't last forever!!

No day is so bad it can't be fixed with a nap.  ~Carrie Snow

If people were meant to pop out of bed, we'd all sleep in toasters.  ~Author unknown, attributed to Jim Davis

 

Ease on Down, Ease on Down the Road...

Okay, don't ask but for some reason in the past I downloaded this song sung by Michael Jackson in The Wiz. 
I had my music shuffling while I was on the stepmill this morning and this song came on and forget it! I was off and running (well almost anyway!) but yes, at LEVEL 14 on the STEPMILL!!!! NO, not for the whole 30 minutes but I was at 10 and 12 for about 20 minutes and at 14 for about 10 minutes!! WOOHOO!!! I'm so impressed with myself. I better calm down or I'm going to break my arm patting myself on the back! Yes, seeing progress every day and every week, sometimes literally every minute is a really awesome feeling. I encourage all of you to set a goal...A BIG GOAL...because the journey to that goal will amaze and fascinate you. How could it not? It's so fantastic!

The lyrics for that song are great and these are just a couple of the ones I particularly like:

'Cause there may be times
When you think you lost your mind
And the steps you're takin'
Leave you three, four steps behind
But the road you're walking
Might be long sometimes
You just keep on steppin'
And you'll be just fine, yeah

Don't you carry nothing that might be a load!!!!

Oh, there maybe times
When you wish you wasn't born
And you wake one morning
Just to find that your courage's gone
But just know that feeling
Only last a little while
You just stick with us
And we'll show you how to smile, yeah

So, 2 meals down already and AM fasted cardio done!!! F-A-N-T-A-S-T-I-C!!! Now just work, 5 more meals, leg training tonight (can I get a woot woot?) and then PM cardio and that will be it!  I'm still on FIRE and it's Thursday. Hey now!!

Here's wishing all of you a fantastic day and as MJ says in the song "just keep on keepin' on the road that you choose"!!! So, today choose your road, and walk it, walk it, walk it!! You'll be sooooo glad you did!

March on. Do not tarry. To go forward is to move toward perfection. March on, and fear not the thorns, or the sharp stones on life's path. ~Kahlil Gibran

Towering genius disdains a beaten path. It seeks regions hitherto unexplored. ~Abraham Lincoln

The difficulties you meet will resolve themselves as you advance. Proceed, and light will dawn, and shine with increasing clearness on your path. ~Jim Rohn 

 

Cinnamon Danish with Toasted Almonds & Caramel

Cinnamon Danish with Toasted Almonds and Caramel (A Frankenfood Concoction)

So this was spawned off of the Chocolate Protein Cake recipe and I have to say that I'm very pleased with the result. I know it's not totally carb free but 1 T coconut flour only has 30 calories, 1 gram fat, 4 g carbs, 1 grab protein.

3/4 scoop protein (I used Muscle Gauge Cinnamon Bun)
1 T coconut flour
1/4 t baking soda
1/8-1/4 t granulated stevia
2 egg whites
1 T applesauce
2-4 Capella drops (cinnamon danish swirl)
water
1 T sliced almonds, lightly toasted
1-2 T Walden Farms caramel dip

Mix all together in a mug and microwave for 1-2 minutes. Remove and run knife around edge of cake. Empty onto plate. Cut in half. Heat desired amount of caramel dip and spread on top of cake then sprinkle almonds over. Yummy!

Watch out! I'm on FIRE!!!!!

Who knows what it is but I woke up this morning before my alarm even after going to bed late and getting awakened by my neighbor TWICE in the night! And I wasn't even tired once I woke up. How about THAT?!? I think it's purely the excitement of my new meal plan!! LOL!! No really I think since I love food more than life itself that little excitement about a completely different meal plan is really working for me. It could be also because I took some time to regroup over the weekend. Who knows? Maybe I'm just happy and can't wait to start another day? Possible...indeed!

Great workout this morning, great workout tonight. Feeling good...NO...feeling great!! Yep! It's just so great to feel great!

Yes, through this prep I've had my ups and downs but I have to say that the ups happen much, much more than the downs. I can't even explain it. Quite honestly I just keep being surprised because I thought I was really going to struggle through it but it hasn't been that hard at all and I don't think I took into account the mental strength you get from accomplishing your daily goal, weekly goal and all the while on my way to my final goal. I don't think I realized what it would do for me mentally. Twice in the past couple of weeks people have said to me that I seem "so happy" and "just at peace". They're right. I am. I just keep proving to myself that anything is possible. That's all there is to it. Last week I thought I would really have a setback week because of my back but NO, I didn't. Not at all. And if anything I came back even stronger this week than I have been. CRAZY!!

It just makes me realize my potential and how much growing I can do in my lifetime and I think that ignites the spark that keeps me going each day at the gym, in the kitchen, getting to bed early. Of course all those things help. All this is made much easier with the help of all my dear friends and my online support network. Moral support is just as key as anything else in this endeavor.

So here are my meals for today:
1) 6 egg whites, 1/4 cup oatmeal
2) Chai protein muffins with Nuttzo!! - YUMMY!!!
3) Thai Shrimp Burger with Coleslaw - AGAIN YUMMY!!!
4) 8 egg whites, 1/4 cup oatmeal
5) STEAK salad with horseradish dressing - OMG! WAY YUMMY!
6) 7 egg whites, sugar snap peas
7) Chocolate protein cake OR may do a slight experiment to try to use my Walden Farms caramel sauce - I'll let you know

Workouts:
Fasted AM - 40 minutes total - I broke it up so 15 minutes treadmill 4.4-4.6 at 12-15 % incline, then 15 minutes stepmill Level 9 speed training, then 10 more minutes treadmill 4.6-4.8 at 15% incline
Heavy shoulder workout then more cardio - 30 minutes - 15 minutes stepmill (same as morning), 15 minutes treadmill 4.6-4.8 at 15 % incline

That's it for me. I'm going to make my final meal and head to bed. Night night.

"...happiness gives us the energy which is the basis of health." ~Henri-Frédéric Amiel (Swiss philosopher, poet, critic)

9 WEEKS OUT!!!! Week 8 of Contest Prep!!

Sorry I've been so out of touch. I think I was just a little overwhelmed. I went to San Diego Friday to meet with Gina and practice posing. I'm feeling much better about my posing. We decided that the best way for me to hit my poses best is to crack up and then strike the pose. Yeah, I don't think the judges and other girls on stage would care for that much, huh?

Gina is pleased with my progress. In fact, she added back in quite a bit of fat this week...including...are you ready for this...STEAK!!!! Oh, yes, that's right! I can't wait to eat it. Yum....yum....yum!!! I love my steak. It's going to be delectable. Can't wait. I actually cooked it tonight since it's going to be one of my meals I eat at work. I'm going to have it on salad with some yummy horseradish mustard dressing (oil free of course). Can't wait! Not only that but I also get to eat my Spelt Flakes this week! Again yum....yum...yum!!! Love those as well. And guess what else? That's right! NUTTZO!!!! I get to have that on my pancake or muffins!!! Again...what?....that's right...yum.....yum....yum!!!! It is going to be a FANTASTIC WEEK!!!! And it couldn't have come at a better time since this week is going to be a little crazy with work since my boss is just getting back in town and that always means an increase in patients and generally just more work. It will make the days go by super fast though so that's always good.

I keep forgetting to tell all of you. Guess how many dozen egg whites I ate last week?!? That's right! 9.8 DOZEN!!!! Let's call it 10. Okay, well, that was last week. And this week, you ask? Yep! Ready?! 12 DOZEN!!!! Well, not quite because it's just 140 eggs and not 144 but still it's quite a few I think. What do you think? It's a good thing I'm creative with my cooking and find all different kinds of things to put on top of my egg whites (like my bruschetta topping and tabouli). And in my egg whites (like zucchini and mushrooms). Different things to wrap them in (like seaweed and romaine leaves). And different sides to have with them (like oatmeal or brown rice). Yep, that pretty much makes it all palatable. I don't know how some people going through contest preps eat just plain ol' hard boiled egg whites. I would gag and certainly would be hating life if I ate my egg whites like that. Yuck!!!

So today I did a lot of cooking. It was awesome. I even made some Thai Shrimp Burgers for me and my friend. Delish!!! Oh, and I concocted a little celebratory drink for myself since I had "company" over. I made a "sparkling limeade" of sorts and then later made a "sparkling lemonade". They were both very tasty. I sweetened them with some stevia liquid and they were really delish! I've made this before and even put some Just Like Sugar on the rim of the glass. It's so great. And you really feel like you're having a "beverage". Next time I think I'll have to combine the lime and lemon and make "Mock 7up". Yep, that would be tasty. Ooh, I think I'm onto something!!! Especially for summer! Tasty, tasty!

I had great workouts all week and even yesterday with hams and glutes. Although later yesterday my back started hurting quite a bit. So I iced it and then I got my tennis ball out and gave it a little what for and it pretty much made the pain stop! I'm telling you, if you're athletic and get pains from different things, the roller and tennis ball are the ONLY way to go. For knee pain, roller on the IT band is imperative. And for low back pain of all sorts, usually tennis ball in the butt cheek is THE answer!!! Truly! It's amazing the difference that makes. I did take 2 ibuprofen last night only, none during the day. And today I haven't taken any so we'll see how I feel tomorrow. I'll keep you posted.

One more thing to note: I feel really great. Yes, overwhelmed a little just by my lack of time really. But as far as the eating and working out, that part just seems so simple. Again, not EASY per se but simple for sure! I'm just so pleased. I mean, at the end of this week I'll already be halfway through my prep! That's right! HALFWAY through!!! Wow! Time is just flying!!! Just moving! And I'm moving along right with it!!!

I need to get to bed but I will definitely be updating you more during the course of the week. Hope everyone had a splendid weekend and you have a fantastic week this week. It's going to be great! I just FEEL it!! ENJOY!! LIVE! LOVE!

 

“There are two ways to live: you can live as if nothing is a miracle; you can live as if everything is a miracle.” ~Albert Einstein

Every Day...and in Every Way...I'm Feeling Better and Better

Yes, I am still a Pink Panther fan! Miss good ol' Peter Sellers! And, yes, my post title is in honor of that. But also in honor of my bulging disc. I seem to be improving each day...lots of ice, heat, rolling on the ball but NOT directly on the lower back area where the pain is - just my hips, and ibuprofen and glutamine. I was taking 2 ibuprofen about every 4-5 hours and day before yesterday later in the day I took that down to 1. Yesterday  just 1 every 4-6 hours except 2 at bedtime. Today just 1 four times today and we'll see how we feel tomorrow. I'm NOT a big druggie...LOL!!! But I know from past experience that it's imperative to reduce swelling in the disc ASAP so that is why I have been "doping up", so to speak!

On to other things...WHAT IS UP WITH THE WEATHER?!? To be honest, I'm not complaining because any of you that know me know that I don't like it HOT...nope! I know it will eventually be but this dreary, gloomy, overcast, cool (only 60 degrees on my way to the gym), drizzling weather in JULY is just bizarre!!! And then what about the earthquake yesterday? Yes, I finally felt one of the gzillion earthquakes we've had recently. I don't know how long it lasted but it took me a long time to figure out it was an earthquake. My main clue was that I was dizzy reading my computer screen. My first thought was that I needed something to eat!!!! LOL!!! Too funny since I already eat 7 meals a day...I crack myself up!

Moving right along. Soon I will be posting progress pics. Still not quite ready for that. But I do have some stats for you...ah....lucky you! I used to wear around a size 12-14 as of late August 2009 and now early July 2010 (10 months later) apparently I wear a size 4!!! WHAT?!? I've NEVER worn a size 4. Crazy! I was shocked when I went to buy some pants...a NECESSITY and not a LUXURY! I have lost a total of 30 pounds or so but have managed to pretty much maintain the same amount of lean muscle mass through the entire weight loss so that basically means that all the weight I've lost is more or less fat. Yippee! That's good news to me. I don't have my measurements but I'll be posting those soon just so you can see. I think the most important thing is the way I feel - at peace for once in a long, long time!!! LONG time! I'm happier too, much happier. So, yes there are changes on the outside but WOW the changes on the inside are even more spectacular!! I'm grateful for this decision I made to do this each and every day. It has been an incredible journey so far. Gina kept saying I will not believe how much I will grow and learn through this journey and I truly had no idea what she meant but I feel it now. I feel AMAZING!

So much of this for me has to do with my food. Yes, everyone thinks that my food must be boring, eating the same thing day in and day out but it is not! Definitely not. I need a lot of variety. That's just the kind of creature I am so for me to eat the same thing day after day is just NOT going to happen. Yes, I may have egg whites fifty million times in a week but they never taste the same - one meal will be with salsa, one could be with bruschetta topping, one could be with my oil-free tabouli. So as you see variety is key in my food. Even my oatmeal that I normally eat with cinnamon and Just Like Sugar, sometimes I like to have that more "savory" and just put a little sea salt on. That's tasty too. I like using my cooking as my creative outlet too. So I love to find new recipes or come up with my own concoctions. It helps me relax and do something nice for myself. And it's FOOD! Need I say more.

Speaking of my food, guess how many dozen egg whites I'm eating this week?!? 9.8!! Yep, let's just call it 10, okay? That is CRAZY! No, I don't eat them all as egg whites alone, sometimes in my Chocolate Protein Cakes! But still that's a whole lot of egg whites!!

So what was up with me yesterday? When I say I was craving everything I've ever eaten, I pretty much mean it. Jack in the Box Oreo Shake? Check. Bigg Chill peanut butter frozen yogurt? Check. Pitfire Grill's mac and cheese? Check. See's Candies? Check. Fatburger french fries? Check!!! Yep, it was like that yesterday but guess what? I didn't have any of those fine items. Good job me! It just was funny though because that is pretty much my list of all things that I normally crave. I forgot to eat my 1/4 cup rice yesterday at Meal 5 so I seriously think it impacted my cravings or something. Or maybe I was just dehydrated! Who knows?

This morning I was up and at 'em and at the gym by 5:30. Walked on the treadmill for 20 minutes - 4.5 at 12% incline. Then did 10 minutes stepmill only on level 8. I have to take it a little easy because of my back and this was the first day I even did the stepmill only because doing steps with a bulging disc makes matters much worse. Tonight I'm training legs with NO deadlifts. We'll see how that goes. I will probably have to roll on my balls (LOL! just love to say that!!) for about an hour after to make sure there's no tightness in my legs or hips that will throw off my back alignment and make my disc "angry"!

Meals for today have been and will be:
1) Protein shake with Paradise Green tea, oatmeal
2) Oatmeal, egg whites with salsa - later steamed cauliflower (yes, metabolism is kicking in yesterday and today)
Planned for later:
3) Fish, beans and rice with some more salsa and probably some Crunch A Munch salad
4) Pork and brown rice and probably broccoli
5) Egg whites with bruschetta topping and brown rice medley
6) Shrimp with salad with my yummy dressing sans sesame oil (recipe below)


3 T rice vinegar
6 drops stevia
2 T lime juice
1/2 T grated frozen ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 t minced jalapeno
1 T sesame oil

That's about it. Long post!! Have a great day and catch up with you later today or after I return from meeting with my coach tomorrow!! Woohoo! Just a little over 10 weeks out now! Can you believe it?!? I can't!

 

Time = life; therefore, waste your time and waste your life, or master your time and master your life. ~Alan Lakein

Day of Gratitude and Positive Attitude

So, I can't let this whole bulging disc thing stop me. So I decided the best way to beat the pain is to be thankful for all I have that is going right. So here's my list so far today...and it's ONLY 10:00am!!

• Waking up in a most comfortable bed with a roof over my head
• Sleeping well through the night
• Means to pay for all the things that get me to the gym - gym membership, workout clothes, car, car insurance, gas, workout shoes, water bottle
• Having my physical health to knock out 40 minutes on the treadmill at 4.5-4.6 on 15% incline
• Friends and family and all of you for the support to continue on my journey
• FOOD!! - my ability to cook and cook well
• Breakfast...BREAKFAST...FOOD!! LOL!!
• My job and coworkers
• Life, joy, love, happiness
• Great new goal and journey and again the means to afford to reach my goal
• Gina's member website
• Oh, and WATER of course! Where would I be without that?

 That's it for now. I'm going to continue on with this mode of thinking all day and we'll see where I end up at the end of the day. I feel great so far...

   

“When you are grateful fear disappears and abundance appears” ~Anthony Robbins

Who me? Bulging disc?

Yep, it's true. It's back. Quite frustrating indeed!!! Unfortunately once you've hurt your back it has an increased risk of being hurt again. As in my case I assume. Since I've already hurt my back 2 or 3 times previously, it's increased my chances. I haven't hurt it for about 17 months though so that's good. All I can do, unfortunately, is dope up on Advil to reduce the swelling, ice it, drink tons of water, and take extra glutamine. Yes, I'm doing all those things. I may try a little heat later since I know that helps after a couple of days too and since I hurt it on Saturday, this will probably make it feel a little better.

I'm still on track so that's okay though. Hey! How cool is my coach? For the Fourth of July she actually let me have a moderate refuel meal. It was sooo great! I really enjoyed it and then it was right back on plan finishing out my meals last night and today was right back at it with my workouts and everything. There are some things I won't be able to do with my back and some things you don't even realize you're using your back for, as witnessed this afternoon at my workout. I just have to concentrate a little harder on tightening my core BEFORE I even BEGIN to lift any weight regardless of the exercise.

I'm keeping my chin up though and just plugging along through my training and cardio sessions. The cardio on the treadmill actually feels good. It feels better to be active than inactive when your nerve is being pinched by your bulging disc.  Wanna see a picture of how the nerve is being pinched?

Yep, that's cool looking, isn't it? LOL!! I still have my sense of humor so I think I'll make it through just fine. I don't think there will be a lot of stepmill going on this week and there will be no HIIT sessions so therefore, no sprinting. :-( And I was enjoying that too!!

Yesterday was a great day even though my back was hurt. I got up, ate Meal 1 and then headed to the gym for my cardio. Having completed that I came home and ate Meal 2 and then packed up and headed to the beach in the hopes that shortly after I arrived there the sun would shine. And guess what? It started shining right when I got there so that was perfect! I took 2 meals that I ate there and then I came home and had my refuel. So...the question might very well be, "So Erin, how did your pale little 'in-the-gym-all-the-time' skin like the sun?" And my answer would be, "Yep, I got a little sunburned." But honestly not too bad considering I was out at peak hours. I was proud of myself though since my goal was to get some more sun and make sure I relax more when I can so good job on both counts. I LOVE the sound of the ocean...so soothing. LOVE it!

Tomorrow it's back to work and the usual grind but only for 3 days because then it's off to San Diego to meet up with Gina. I hope she likes what she sees. I think she will. We get to work on my posing some more so that will be good. I'm feeling a little more confident with it but not 100% confident. I still think there's room for improvement. Again I can see why most girls mess up there. Again it's so much harder than it appears...truly! I'm good with the hooker heels! Practice ya know! ;-) Kidding of course!!!!! Walking in the heels is the easiest part for me though. It's just the little nuances that are so hard. Who knew?!? I surely didn't!!!

I'm going to go get a little bit of something done before tomorrow hits me with a big KABOOM!!! Until tomorrow then, I hope you all are well and happy and enjoyed your 4th!!


One of the girls on Gina's website posted this quote right before Lance took his big spill in the race in Spain and he must be right because look at him already up and running in the Tour de France. Yes, he got caught up in a crash today but from the sounds of it, so did everyone. Go Lance! You still rock!

“Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever.” ~Lance Armstrong

 And then there's this quote. I was looking for pain or injury but I really like this quote even though it's talking about emotional injury and not physical.

 “If the other person injures you, you may forget the injury; but if you injure him you will always remember” ~Kahlil Gibran

 

Have a PHENOMENAL Friday!!! Woah! My energy is off the HOOK!!!

I can't calm down today...I'm hyped up! Watch out world!! Seriously I don't even think my feet are touching the ground today. SO AWESOME!!! WOOOHOOOOOOO!!!!!

I have to say that this is the first time in my prep or since I've been working with Gina (so since January) that I've actually gotten that burst of energy I hear people talk about after their high carb day. But that is me today. Woah!  is all I can say. I had a hard time even stretching after my workout this morning because I felt like my energy was just bouncing all over my body, in my head and just all around me. CRAZY!! For me to not be able to calm down and enjoy my stretching is a very weird thing. Too bad I had to get to work or I could have done my bike sprints! Oh well. Maybe I'll do those later today, particularly if my energy keeps up like this.

The funny thing is that I didn't even sleep that well or that long last night and I was still wired! What a strange thing...hmmm...kinda makes one wonder! LOL!!

So, AM cardio done (4.7-4.8 on 15% incline for 20 minutes, stepmill on Level 12 for 10 minutes)! 2 meals already done and the day is just cruising along. I had 1/2 cup of oatmeal for breakfast with my protein shake mixed with my favorite Lupicia tea (Paradise Green) and then my 2nd meal was zucchini loaf...LOVE that! So, I only have 1 more workout and 5 more meals and then I'll call it a day!

This weekend I am going to get my work done on Saturday so that I can relax and do whatever on Sunday and Monday. Of course I will still be at the gym 2 times on both of those days but I will also make a point to relax, hopefully get a little sun at some point!! Yes, it's going to be a great weekend. What a start so far, huh? Maybe some of it has to do with the fact that I slept in about a half hour more this morning and so when I headed out to the gym, the sun was on the rise and there was NO marine layer to burn through so it was already sunny...maybe that's part of it anyway. Who knows?!? All I know is that I'm enjoying the energy and looking forward to my weekend and see how the rest of this really incredibly phenomenally fantastic day unfolds!!!

I'll keep you posted through the weekend, I think! But if I don't have a TERRIFIC FOURTH OF JULY!! Yeah for our independence! America ROCKS!!

All the breaks you need in life wait within your imagination. Imagination is the workshop of your mind, capable of turning mind energy into accomplishment and wealth. ~Napolean Hill