Pleasantly surprised

Quick overview of today then I will get into why yesterday I had an excellent surprise.

Today starts week 2 of P90X. Today I do chest, back and abs again. Lots of pull ups and push ups. No problem- I got this.

This morning I head to the gym for CXWorx. 30 minutes, hard "core" workout. Yeah!

Ok so onto my surprise from yesterday-

I went to Meijer yesterday with my grocery list of Clean Eating foods as well as a list of other things I needed to get like toilet paper, milk etc. The basics.

Meijer was having a pretty good special on different berries- strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, etc. and I had a "duh" though- why dont I buy a bunch of these berries while they are on sale and then freeze them? That way I have them for my daily smoothie and it is cheaper than buying the already frozen ones. So I bought two pints of strawberries, two packs of blackberries and two packs of blueberries.

I also picked up sweet potatoes, cans of chick peas, garlic, fresh and frozen spinach, brown rice, flaxseed, celery, fresh mushrooms, no sugar added natural peanut butter, almond butter, 3 mangos, canned organic tomatoes, REAL maple sugar, coconut oil, quinoa, 3 pears, canned diced tomatoes, a sea salt grinder, two loaves of all natural whole wheat bread (I knew all the ingredients listed so it was a good choice and on sale!), two boxes of waffles for the kids, 2 containers of blue almond milk (natural, not sweetened), 2 boxes of gallon storage bags, two 12 packs of toilet paper, two gallons of milk, 1 lb of bulk almonds- natural, non salted, steel rolled oats, oat bran, 2 bags of popcorn chicken for the kids, 5.5 lbs of bananas, cans of sweet peas, cans of corn (both peas and corn are no salt added), a bunch of kale, romaine lettuce, whole wheat pastry flour, brown rice spaghetti, two bottles of wine, and a copy of the Clean Eating magazine.

As I gazed at all this in my cart, I thought "oh man, this grocery bill is going to be pushing $250-$300". Things like the real maple syrup and the strange things to me like quinoa I thought were going to drive up the price (oh and the wine too!)

I was very surprised when my grocery bill was only $170. I saved $23.13 with in store savings, but I had no coupons for anything I bought.

As I left the store with a full cart, I began to realize that not only is Clean Eating good for you, but it may end up being less expensive too! Things like quinoa, rolled oats, whole wheat pastry flour, oat bran, sea salt, and coconut oil are things that you will have for a while and wont have to be purchased every shopping trip and will therefore cut down on the grocery bill.

If I can buy my proteins like chicken, roasts, etc on sale, that will be a great savings and a way to stock my freezer.

Last night, I decided to use my kale and make kale chips. I used sea salt and a little garlic salt on them. They were awesome! I have a picture of some above that I got off the web. They were like thin little chips. Landry and I polished off the whole batch. A very pleasant surprise indeed! These would be a great thing to eat while watching a movie- and they are guilt free!

Tip of the day:

Kale superfacts from WebMD:

Move over Popeye and make room for the "queen of greens," kale. Gaining in popularity, kale is an amazing vegetable being recognized for its exceptional nutrient richness, health benefits, and delicious flavor.

Eating a variety of natural, unprocessed vegetables can do wonders for your health, but choosing super-nutritious kale on a regular basis may provide significant health benefits, including cancer protection and lowered cholesterol.

Kale, also known as borecole, is one of the healthiest vegetables on the planet. A leafy green, kale is available in curly, ornamental, or dinosaur varieties. It belongs to the Brassica family that includes cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage, collards, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts.

Kale is a Nutritional Powerhouse

One cup of kale contains 36 calories, 5 grams of fiber, and 15% of the daily requirement of calcium and vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), 40% of magnesium, 180% of vitamin A, 200% of vitamin C, and 1,020% of vitamin K. It is also a good source of minerals copper, potassium, iron, manganese, and phosphorus.

Kale’s health benefits are primarily linked to the high concentration and excellent source of antioxidant vitamins A, C, and K -- and sulphur-containing phytonutrients.

Carotenoids and flavonoids are the specific types of antioxidants associated with many of the anti-cancer health benefits. Kale is also rich in the eye-health promoting lutein and zeaxanthin compounds.

Beyond antioxidants, the fiber content of cruciferous kale binds bile acids and helps lower blood cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart disease, especially when kale is cooked instead of raw.

*I know this is a lot of big words, but know that Kale is good for you! Try making these chips and working them into your snack routine.

Kale Chips:

Ingredients

• 1 Bunch Kale
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• Sea Salt
• Any spice, I used garlic salt
  

Instructions

Preheat Oven to 350
Rinse and Dry Kale leaves
Remove leafy part from stem and rip into bite size pieces.
Put leaves in ziploc bag, put in olive oil and seasoning and shake to coat.
Arrange on cookie sheet in a single layer.
Bake 15-20 minutes. Done when edges are brown.

Cooking Time: 15-20 minutes

Clean Eating

Clean Eating- a phrase I have not heard before until my personal training session with Eric Friday night.

He said a way for me to reduce my stomach is to eat as cleanly as possible (along with working out).

So I hit the web yesterday to find out exactly what Clean Eating was.

My first impression was that it was basically not eating anything processed, but after further "research", I found out it is a little more than that.

Depending on what "diet" you follow, depends on exactly what you allow into yourself to eat. For example, one website doesn't recommend anything whole wheat- like pasta or bread. That same website also says no orange juice or soy or margarine (only real butter- see below for the link to their site).

Tosca Reno's website allows whole grain bread, fat free soy milk, and olive oil based margarine. Because I feel that her "diet" will be a little easier to incorporate, hers is what I will be mostly referencing here.

Also for those interested in eating clean, I will be adding links to interesting websites that have clean eating recipes and info. I will also include a grocery list for eating clean.

So what is Eating Clean exactly?

According to Tosca Reno and her "Eat Clean Diet", it is treating your body right.

"Eating the way nature intended. You eat the foods our bodies evolved to function best on, and that makes you feel – and look – fantastic. When you Eat Clean you eat more often. You will eat lean protein, complex carbs, and healthy fats. These practices keep your blood-sugar levels stable and keep you satisfied. The best part is that if you need to lose weight it will happen almost without you having to try. And yes, you can have a treat now and again.

Best of all, Eating Clean keeps you feeling great and full of energy. In fact, you can forget all about the days when “dieting” meant feelings of hunger, lethargy or deprivation.

Eating Clean is not a fad; it’s a way of life. When you Eat Clean your body will react by losing weight if you need to lose, maintaining a healthy weight if that’s where you are, and even gaining weight if you are too skinny. But regardless of whether you want to lose, maintain or gain, you will feel better than you ever have before." (http://www.eatcleandiet.com/what_is_the_eat-clean_diet.aspx)

I found a grocery list from her website- here is the link: Grocery List

It is pretty basic. Eat fruits and veggies, whole grain breads, chicken breast, pork and beef tenderloin, salmon, bison (yes bison), lean ground turkey, firm and silken tofu, eggs, skim milk, brown rice, wheat germ, well you get the picture. Check out the grocery list for yourself.

The other website that I mentioned above (the one that said no orange juice) talks about different foods that cause an insulin spike in your diet. They claim that food like orange juice and white rice and other foods cause a quick spike in insulin. When your insulin spikes, it sends your body into fat storing mode. Very interesting stuff. They even have a little video you can watch that goes through their views. I recommend watching it just for further understanding of Eating Clean.

Eating clean provides a steady level of insulin and as a result, causes your body to burn fat efficiently. And one of the biggest places affected by insulin and body fat is (Ding!) your stomach area!

So, while I can't see myself completely going to an Eat-Clean Diet all the time, if I can cut out the majority of processed foods, this should be pretty easy to do MOST of the time. This isn't a starvation diet. You eat 5-6 times a day.

It also isn't a 5 food diet (meaning you can only eat 5 things)- the grocery list is quite extensive as I mentioned before. It is all about reading labels when you grocery shop and cut out as much sugar and fake food as possible. Basically if you can't pronounce the ingredient, you shouldn't eat it.

I was surprised when I looked as some low cal, low sodium soup I just bought and the ingredient label says it has sug in it! Really? Sugar in soup??? Now I know what to start looking for when I go shopping. Canned food that contains only a couple ingredients, low sodium, no sugar...and incorporate a lot more grains into the diet.

The recipes I found look pretty yummy. The picture above is from Tosca Reno's website. It is for Crispy Chicken bites and I will be making these for the family this week. See my tip for the recipe.

Here is a list of some other websites I found interesting:

Joy of Clean Eating

Tosca Reno's Blog

Clean Eating Pantry

6 tips for getting started

Tip of the Day is the recipe for them:

YIELD: 6 servings (20 to 25 nuggets)
PREPARATION TIME: 15 minutes
COOKING TIME: 10-15 minutes

---

Details

Fast-food nuggets have nothing on these delicious morsels. The crispy almond-based coating and yummy honey-mustard sauce will make this quick dish a family favorite in no time. For more kid-friendly, Tosca-approved meal ideas, pick up your copy of The Eat-Clean Diet® for Family and Kids.

Ingredients

• 3 x 6-oz / 170-g boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• ¼ cup / 60 ml oat bran
• ¼ cup / 60 ml wheat germ
• 1 Tbsp / 15 ml coarsely ground flaxseed
• ¼ cup / 60 ml coarsely ground almonds
• ½ tsp / 2.5 ml sea salt
• ½ tsp / 2.5 ml white pepper
• Pinch garlic powder
• ½ cup / 120 ml water or low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 large egg white, lightly beaten

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400°F / 232°C. Prepare baking sheet by lining with parchment paper or coating lightly with extra virgin olive oil.
2. Cut chicken breasts into nugget-sized pieces, about 1½ inches square. Set aside.
3. Next, combine all dry ingredients in a large container with a tightly fitting lid. Shake well. This is your coating mixture.
4. Combine water and egg in a medium bowl. Dip each piece in the water-egg white mixture. Then dip each piece in the coating mixture. Make sure each piece is well coated.
5. Place on the baking sheet. When all of your chicken has been coated and your baking sheet is full, place in the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden.

Clean-Eating Honey Mustard Sauce

Ingredients

• 1½ tsp / 7.5 ml honey
• 1 Tbsp / 15 ml Dijon mustard

Preparation

1. Mix well.

Tosca's Tip

Use the almond coating on larger strips of chicken breast to make chicken tenders for the adults!

New Goal and Reward

I am a force to be reckoned with!

Yesterday I completed all that I outlined in my blog and I lived through it!
Better yet, I am really not that sore today.
Even better yet, just between Zumba, CXWorx and my personal training session, I burned a total of 1625 calories!

Eric (my personal trainer) worked me very hard and didn't let up even though I had worked out for 1.5 hrs already. AND he didn't let up on my legs or abs even though I did P90X earlier that day. I like that!

He gave me some great exercises and showed me a full body workout that I could do in 30 minutes. The key to losing the stomach he told me was to do the moves fast but make sure you keep your form. I also learned how to use some new equipment that I haven't used before- kettlebells, the bar for doing push-ups, and the stability ball for planks. He also said that he was impressed with me to which I responded "you say that to everyone". And he responded "I don't say that to everyone". Then he added more weight to my leg press...LOL. 50 more lbs of weight. In total, I did 185lb leg presses. He also told me that he thinks I am very strong already, we just need to get the extra fat and skin off!

We talked afterwards about him being my personal trainer. While I would LOVE it, I really can't afford it right now. I think Eric would be great at helping my shed the extra skin that I have. He himself has been there and done that.

He did mention to me that they are going to be adding more Les Mills RPM classes in February and that he will be teaching them. He is trying to get Powerhouse to add evening classes and one on Saturday. Right now, Powerhouse only offers one RPM class and it is at 6:30 in the morning. That is just not possible for me with having the kids. They are still asleep at that hour. Eric told me RPM will definitely help to tone my stomach. I am in! Sign me up! And as a bonus, it's kinda like having him as a personal trainer for an hour, but for free! Hopefully Powerhouse will rework the schedule so that I can be there for those classes. So come February, my weekly workout schedule will be changing.

A couple days ago my tip of the day was about having small goals and then rewarding yourself as you hit them. After pondering the personal training session all night long, I decided that I would set a goal for myself.

If I complete the P90X program (which puts me at the beginning of April), I will go ahead and buy (12) 30 minute personal training sessions for myself with Eric. If I meet with him 2 times a week, that will get me to the middle of May- just a couple weeks shy of my personal deadline to see how fit I can get by June. One of the nice things is that Powerhouse sometimes offers 10% off on personal training sessions so I will be watching out for those as the months progress.

So if anyone wants to contribute to my Personal Trainer fund, let me know. HA! Knowing that I have 3 months also lets me save up some money- hopefully the mom to mom sale that I am going to in a couple weeks is successful!

Today I completed P90X Kenpo. It is like martial arts and kickboxing. I loved it. Some of the moves were a bit complicated and I needed to watch them for a couple times before understanding how to do it, but I got a good burn and sweat on. For the hour, I burned 499 calories. This includes a little bit of ab exercises I completed on my own after I was done with the dvd. I tried to do Kenpo probably close to a year ago and the dvd I borrowed kept freezing in the machine which frustrated me. I ended up quitting. Not so this time. The time FLYS by during this workout. It is one of the most enjoyable ones in the P90X series.

Tip of the day time! This comes once again out of the Weight Watchers Magazine.

Variety Show!

If you always Eat:

Grapefruit, give Ugli Fruit a try- Looks aren't everything. This citrus hybrid may have a bumpy exterior, but inside it is sweet and juicy. Peel and eat like an orange. Find it in the produce section of your supermarket thru spring. Points Plus value: 0

Canned Tuna, give Canned Salmon a try- Like its convenient packed in water cousin, this
fish is high in protein and healthy omega-3s. Use it as you would tuna- straight from the can tossed with crunch salad greens or mixed with low fat mayo and tucked in a whole grain pita. Per serving 1/2 cup Points Plus Value: 4

Low-fat Plain greek yogurt, give Lebni a try- Also known as Greek sour cream, its consistency is thinner than most yogurts. Use a dollop to add creaminess to your soups, or drizzle it to cool off a three alarm dish like chili. You can buy Lebni at most high end grocers or specialty markets. Per serving: 2 TBSP Points Plus Value: 2

Couscous, give Farro a try- When its could outside, this hearty grain satisfies with a robust nutty flavor. It is also a good source of fiber and protein. Add cooked farro to vegetable soup 10 minutes before serving or top it with roasted root veggies. Per serving: 1/2 cup
Points Plus Value: 3

Broccoli, give Broccolini a try- A more tender, scaled down version of broccoli, these slender stalks are a great side dish when steamed and served with a squeeze of fresh lemon, or sauteed with a touch of olive oil and garlic. Per serving: 1/2 cup Points Plus Value: 0

I am a gym rat (and proud of it!)

I finally got my new heart rate monitor yesterday that I ordered from Dicks Sporting Goods. It is a Polar FT4. Very easy to use and works with the equipment at the gym and I couldn't wait to put it to use last night!

I started it while I walked on the treadmill on the Fat Burn mode and kept it going thru Body Pump and thru CX. In total, during those three workouts, I burned 1202 calories!

I am hooked on using this!

This morning I got up, ate a few cocoa almonds to get the metabolism going, filled a large glass with my sassy water and headed to the basement for P90X legs, back and abs workout with my heart monitor on and ready.

This workout was pretty good...It didn't really work my inner and outer thighs like I thought it would though. We did a lot of lunges of all different types that are good for the quads and butt which of course is something else I want to work on. It also helps with balance.

The entire workout was 1 hr, 19 minutes and during that time I burned 550 calories. What a great way to start the day!

Which leads me to my picture that I uploaded above. Tonight I head out for the gym- again. I realized I have become a gym rat. Just when I think "oh I only need to go a couple days a week", I find myself adding more classes and more days. I love finally doing something for myself. Putting myself first and making myself healthier- which I guess is a bonus for my family too. It means I will be around longer and more active with them.

Anyways- back to the gym tonight. On my schedule is walking for about 45 minutes as a warm up, zumba for an hour, CX for 30 minutes then I have my free personal training session. I saw Eric last night and told him what I had in store for myself in way of exercise and he said because I was working my legs this morning, he would stay away from them tonight. I told him fine as long as he shows me workouts for them.

All this leads me back to my monitor. I cant wait to see how many calories are burned tonight! I totally recommend getting some sort of heart rate monitor if you are looking to lose weight. It helps to keep you in the "burn zone" and beeps at you if you fall out of the zone. I wish I would have gotten one long ago! It is a great motivation to see how much I can burn in a day.

Last night I mentioned on my Facebook Page about the workouts that I did yesterday, how many calories I burned, and what I had in store today. Someone asked how many hours I work out...as I added it all up with warm ups included, it totals about 14 hours a week! Someone else then asked if that was even healthy.

SO I want to go back to my tip that I posted yesterday about putting the different types of exercise on your calendar in different colors. You can see that I dont do the same type of workout all day long or all in a row.

http://www.arthritis.org/types-exercise.php is the website I went to to get the top three types of exercises that I will use for my color categories.

1. Flexibility (Range of motion, stretching) I.e Yoga
2.Strengthening has two different types: Isometric (I think of core work when I think of this) This is things that strengthen without moving the joints (like planks) Isotonic strengthens by moving the joint ie weight lifting
3. Cardiovascular ie. aerobics

Ok here is my weekly schedule and times:
Monday:
9:30am warm up on treadmill
10am is CX30
8pm is P90X chest, back and ab ripper

Tuesday:
9am: P90X Plyometrics
5:00pm Warmup on treadmill
5:30pm CX30
6:30pm Body Flow

Wednesday:
8pm: P90X Shoulders, Arms and Abs

Thursday:
9am: P90X yoga (90 minutes)
6:00pm warm up on treadmill
6:30pm Body Pump
7:30pm CX30

Friday:
9am: P90X legs, back and abs
5:00pm warmup on treadmill
5:30pm Zumba
6:30pm CX30
7:30pm 30 minute personal training session- this is the exception for this week because I only get one free and I just cant afford to have a personal trainer right now. Usually I try not to do the same type of strength training twice in one day but I am going to take advantage of this opportunity!

Saturday:
P90X Kenpo (kick boxing) I would say this is both cardio and strength which is why I show two colors.

This is my schedule for the next three weeks. It is very intense but I am not working two body parts with isotonic strength training two days in a row.

Arthritis.org recommends 15 minutes of flexibility training a day, strength training every other day (I just switch body parts), and cardio 3-4 times a week. So really, if you look at my schedule, I am pretty much on target and not overdoing it. I debated on how to classify CX core workout. I really think it is almost a category of its own, but really it does strengthen your body which is why I classified it as I did.

Now onto the fun part.

Tip of the day:

Is dried fruit really a healthy snack?

Dried fruit is a great tasting snack. It may be tempting to indulge excessively, since it also has nutritional value.

But partakers should be aware of the calories in dried fruit. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the caloric content of fruit that has been dehydrated is approximately twice that of the fresh version.

This value is not the rule for every fruit; some fruits, such as dried blueberries, contain nearly triple the calories.

There are several reasons for the increased calories in dried fruit. A dried apricot, for example, is a fraction of the size of the original, fresh apricot.

It is deceptively inviting to eat a handful of dried apricot and believe that it is a healthy snack.

It might be surprising to learn that a handful of dried apricots is equivalent to eating three or four whole, fresh apricots.

The handful of dried apricots is also less filling due to the lack of water content.As for calories, one cup of fresh apricot halves has approximately 74 calories. A cup of dried apricot halves contains more than four times that amount, 313 calories.

However, if you compare them, the caloric totals even out. One raw apricot has 16.8 calories, and two dried halves equal the exact same amount of calories. The serving size may be different, but the number of calories remains the same.

This does not apply to some fruits, such as cranberries, which are sprayed with sugar solutions before drying. Without that added sugar, the dried cranberries would be just as tart as the fresh variety.

Unfortunately, dried fruits lose some of their nutritional value during the drying process. This is mainly due to the heat.

Dry heat is necessary for the dehydrations process, whether it is allowing the natural forces of the sun and wind to dehydrate the fruit, or using commercial grade ovens.

Vitamin C deteriorates when exposed to the drying warmth of a dehydrator or the sun. Fruits rich in vitamin C retain only a fraction, if any, of the original amount after being dried.

Other nutrients also suffer from the heat. The apricot, for example, loses calcium and potassium in the drying process. A fresh, raw apricot has 90.6 mg of potassium. That same apricot, after being dried, only has 40.7 mg of potassium.

Getting five servings of fresh fruits and vegetables each day is important for optimum health. The National Cancer Institute says one-fourth a cup of dried fruit is equivalent to one of the five servings.

As a snack, dried fruit is vastly superior to junk foods, such as potato chips, pretzels, candy bars, and other unhealthy indulgences people reach for when they are hungry between meals.

Dried fruit contains no fat, cholesterol, or sodium. It also helps to sweeten bland food without adding refined sugars.

Above information sourced from: http://www.lifescript.com/diet-fitness/articles/i/is_dried_fruit_really_a_healthy_snack.aspx

*I personally will eat a couple dried apricots or some dried cranberries everyday but I dont have huge portions. I feel that some dried fruit like the cranberries or dried pineapple have way to much sugar. A healthier option for a snack (I feel) would be to eat cocoa covered almonds. They are filling and provide you with good protein and monounsaturated fat. They help build muscle and fight cravings. They also help fight obesity, muscle loss, heart disease, wrinkles, cancer and high blood pressure!

Pushing it...

I thought that this fact was interesting when I came across it...then I thought about all that I am doing.

I will be very interested to retake my fitness assessment in June to see if that fact is true!

Let me do a quick recap about what my program was yesterday and then I will get into what the plan is for today.

Yesterday was a nice break in the workout schedule. The only thing that I had to do was P90X Shoulders and Arms and Abs. This has been by far my favorite exercise routine for the P90X circuit so far. I LOVE working my arms. I LOVE building the "guns".

I did notice the other night in Body Flow however that my triceps are in big need of some help. Last night was a great way to get that started. We went in three sets...one exercise was for the shoulders, one for the biceps and one for the triceps. Then we repeated the three exercises we just did...afterwards moving onto three new exercises- one for the shoulders, one for the biceps and one for the triceps. Lather, rinse, repeat thru the dvd.

One thing I noticed is that I need to up my bicep weight. I was using 10lbs for each arm and I could do way more than the recommended 15 reps. I guess all the Body Pump work is paying off! I thought 10lbs would be a stretch!

I am a bit sore today but I know that I need to up my weight. That will be the goal for next Wed when I repeat the arms workout.

Onto my schedule for today.

This morning I got up and did P90X yoga. It was an excellent workout and is about 90 minutes. The beginning of the dvd is hard- not because of the moves but because most of the time your head is down by your feet and if you don't know or aren't familiar with the yoga moves, you can get kinda lost because you can't see the tv. Once you get into the groove, many of the moves repeat...cobra, upward dog, downward dog, runners stance, etc. The second half of the dvd all deals with balance. LOVED it though I laughed at trying to do the "crane". Nice thing is that they say if you can't do it (meaning the Crane- and I dont know many who can) you can just go to Childs Pose. Also if you stumble you just get right back in and keep working on it.

Tonight I have Les Mills Body Pump and then CX30 afterwards. I am going to try to up my weight in Pump by 1 lb for each body part. If you arent familiar with Body Pump, instead of doing reps like in normal weight lifting, you do a routine for an entire song. It is very intense and you feel the burn! I will probably do a little jogging before hand on the treadmill as a warm up.

Also just a reminder to any of those that are new to my blog, I have incorporated a few things into my diet to see if it helps with weight loss and toning besides just exercise.

I am on day 3 of 4 of the Flat Belly Sassy Water cleanse (you can find the recipe for it on a previous entry of mine). I am feeling great from it! Nice thing I find about it is that it ensures that I drink enough water during the day. Usually I am done with 2 L of sassy water by about 2pm. After that I just drink plain water. I am definitely hydrated!

I also incorporate one smoothie into my diet a day. It consists of 1 banana, frozen fruit (I like mixed berries or mangos and peaches), a big handful of fresh spinach and water. Blend it all up and then I stir in a spoonful of flax seed oil. Yummy and filling. I usually have that in the morning and it is a great way to sneak the greens into your diet. My youngest son loves them too!

Finally I am taking HealtheTrim. An all natural supplement that helps boost your metabolism. It is one of the things that I started taking to help me lose weight. Do I think that I could have lost 100lbs without it? Yes. Do I think I would have lost 100lbs in 9 months without it? Nope. No way. It helped me to change my diet- you can't have caffeine or artificial sweetener while taking it. It also helped suppress hunger. And for whatever reason, being on it cut out cravings for junk food. I don't know if that was because of the pills or because I finally had committed to a change, but hey, I will take it! I also won a contest on their site- You can see my testimonial on www.healthytrim.com.

Now however, I dont think that I need to rely on it anymore. I plan on using up the pills that I have and ween myself off of them. If I can't keep the weight off with all that I am doing then all this is for not. This "diet" isn't just temporary anymore- it has become a way of life and a lifestyle change.

I was upstairs this morning freshening up after yoga, and it looks like my excess belly skin is already starting to tighten. It doesn't look like I have as much skin fold hanging down as I used to when I stand sideways. This could be a trick with my eyes though and proof will be in the pudding when I get my 30 day pictures done at the end of the month. I really wish I would have gotten a close up of my stomach area to have as a guideline before I started, but I will make sure I do it the end of the month. I don't know that I should post them online- they aren't very pretty. HA! But it is keeping me motivated to keep on pushing on to get the best results I can get!

Tomorrow is going to be my most challenging workout day yet. Morning consists of P90X legs, back and abs. Evening is my zumba class followed by CX30 followed by my free 30 minute session with my personal trainer, Eric. Whew! I may not be able to walk on Saturday!

Stay tuned to see how it goes!
I really hope this blog inspires people that anything is possible with a hard work!

If anyone ever has any questions about anything I have done, be it my initial weight loss or what I am doing now, I am always willing to talk about it! Just let me know!

Tip of the day- comes from Weight Watchers Magazine:

Secret weapon- After exercising, write the type of workout you have just completed on your calendar with colored pencils- like cardio in blue or strength training in orange. It helps to track your progress and will help inspire you to push yourself. Plus if you have a few colorless days in a row on your calendar, its your signal to schedule a workout so you can write it down. (Tip from Renee R. of Ann Arbor, Michigan).

What Inspires You?

A quick review of my workout yesterday before I get into my subject today.

I touched on my morning workout in yesterdays blog- P90X Plyometrics. Good workout. Not for the faint of heart or weak of knees.

Last night I went to the gym to do CX30 and Body Flow. I always like to warm up on the treadmill prior to working out. I had no intention of running at all- I just wanted to do a nice brisk walk. But its a funny thing- once you start running for workouts, walking just seems too slow. So I upped my speed and ran at 5mph which is pretty slow for me. I didnt want to kill myself before my classes.

CX was great. I have been noticing a huge improvement in my core. The sit ups are getting easier. Last night was the first time I was able to do side planks with both legs out. Granted, I couldn't raise my upper leg, but that will come. And I sweated a ton. Way more than normal. I don't know if it was from the sweaty humidity from the zumba class before us or not, but it felt good.

Body Flow was great. I left feeling very stretched and refreshed and calm.

Aaron texted me after he completed Plyometrics with a "Holy $h*#"! Ha. Today he said his arms are still sore from Monday but it is working into a full body ache.

Todays workout seems like a recovery day compared to yesterday. The only thing on the schedule is P90X's shoulders, arms and abs. When I told Aaron that we had more arm work in store (and probably more push ups) he responded with an UGH! Ha! I'm having fun with the work outs though. It is nice for something different.

Onto the main subject of today's post- What inspires you??

Its something different for everyone and it could be multiple things. Also, what inspires you may evolve as you and your body change.

For me, one thing that is inspiring is The Biggest Loser. I love that show! It inspires me to hear their stories and see their transformations. I used to watch it years ago when it first started. I was curious about it and yes it did inspire me. But not enough to take action with my own health. I stopped watching it about season 3 or so...and didnt start watching it again until I started to overhaul myself. Now I don't miss an episode. I have my DVR set to tape it every week. It is also a great thing to watch as you run on the treadmill or do the elliptical. Usually the show is 2 hours long and if you cover your read out on your machine, before you know it you have an hour of a workout done.

Another thing that inspires me (and its kinda silly) are the infomercials for zumba and P90X. The zumba infomercial is what got me off the couch and moving. And it was a huge part in my weight loss. Right now, I go online and look at the before and after pictures for P90X. I hope to have just a part of the toning that these people have from it!

Currently the thing that inspires me most is swimsuit season. I want to have a rocking body to be able to wear my bikini and wear it proudly. That is why I started on this whole journey I am doing right now.

So what I am asking from my readers (if I have any) is to post under comments what inspires you. It could be fitting into clothes that are currently too tight. It could be a person. It could be an event you are going to like a Reunion. It could be a tv show. It could be wanting to run your first 5k.

Lets put it out there. I find that when you see it in writing, it makes it more tangible and not only that, you will now have people that will help support you with your goals.

Tip of the day:
Instead of making one big goal (like "I want to lose 100lbs), focus on smaller more obtainable goals and reward yourself as you reach them. For example: I will lose 15lbs and when I do, I will buy that purse that I saw. It will help you to keep motivated to get that reward! Once you reach that one, set another one. Before you know it, you will be down that 100lbs you originally wanted to lose!

My mantra

This is my mantra for P90X.

This is the attitude I had going into last nights workout for back, shoulders and abs.

This is the attitude I had going into today's Plyometrics. Especially after hearing that today's workout was the hardest one.

Guess what? I survived. I was a little sore today from last nights workout but not bad. Aaron however was more sore than me. But he doesn't work out like I do.

I decided that I would give Plyometrics a go this morning and if I still felt good afterwards, I would hit the gym tonight to do CX30 and Body Flow.

Guess where I am going tonight? That's right- the gym.

Was it a tough workout? You bet your butt. I couldn't jump as high or move as fast during some of the moves as the instructors. My shirt got soaked. But I didn't give up. I just kept going. Giving up is no longer an option for me. It just isn't in the vocabulary anymore.

For those of you just starting to lose weight, P90X Plyometrics is not for you. It is a high impact workout. I couldn't have done this workout 100 lbs ago or probably even before I started running. My knees would have just given out.

However- I really do like this program so far. If you decide to try it, just remember that the more weight you lose and the more experience you gain, the more advanced your moves will become.

I'm looking forward to hearing Aarons experience with Plyometrics tonight. I need to trust him to complete the hardest workout on his own and believe he won't give up after 5 minutes. But if he does, he is just setting the bar to go further next time. Everything is baby steps. If you can only do 20 minutes, push for 25 next time. The key isn't to kill yourself. It is to make yourself stronger, leaner and healthy.

I went ahead and mapped out the P90X weeks on my calendar. I plan on doing the Flat Tummy Sassy Water cleanse weeks 1, 5 and 9 too. According to my calendar, we should be done with the program by the beginning of April. Just in time for Aarons birthday and for Easter. I cant think of a better way to celebrate!

Tip of the day:
I found this in the Weight Watchers magazine that my mother in law passed to me. It is full of a ton of great tips that I will be passing onto you. Today's has to do with getting exercise at home.

Q. I don't have a lot of money to spend on fitness. Can I still get in shape?

A. Absolutely! Sure, you can have a $100 a month gym membership, but if you don't use it, you're not going to magically get in shape. That's why I'm a fan of low-cost ideas that you can do in your own home. Try working little bits of activity into things your already doing; for example, count how many jumping jacks you can do during the first commercial break of a tv show. At the next break, try to beat your record. Keep this up until the end of the show and you will have completed a mini workout without even realizing it.

Instead of a zumba class try dancing to the dishes. Put on some upbeat tunes while you're loading the dishwasher, or move and groove to the beat as you wash and dry- you will be amazed at how energized you will feel afterwards.

Want stronger arms? Stand a little more than arm's length from a wall with feet shoulder width apart, back straight; lean forward and place hands on the wall. Bend arms slowly, keeping feet in place, until chin touches the wall; then just as slowly, straighten arms back to starting position. Do 10 reps.