0 Week 5 - Finding Positivity in Your Plateau

This week was a hard one. I lent my juicer to a couple friends to help encourage them to try juicing.  I MISSED IT SO MUCH.  Who'd a thunk?  I missed the energy from drinking juice. I missed not having to meal plan or think of snacks that are healthy.  It was easy to juice, grab a jar for a snack and go!
But even without my juice this week, I rocked 5 workout days this week.  I learned about HIITs (High Intensity Interval Training) and implemented that on the stationary bike. It really did cut cardio in half!  I even did more miles on the bike with HIITs than walking treadmill for 45 minutes.

Every Saturday is my weigh-in day before I go to training. I do my normal routine, bathroom, don't eat or drink and weigh....

When you hit your plateau...

Yeah I hated my scale. Yeah, I hated myself for a minutes. No, I didn't replace the scale. I did rage face like that though! I had hit the same weight 3 weeks in a row. I know you're saying "well at least you didn't gain!" and you're right. I kept telling myself and considering I was PMSing (sorry guys) and girls you know you want to EAT ALL THE FOODZ when it comes to that week. Valentine's day brought cakes and chocolate pushed my way..I politely turned it down. I survived another week but it made me realize that I have hit a plateau since I started this whole thing (for real) 5 weeks ago.  My trainer friend encouraged me and we had an awesome workout Saturday.  Then he went the extra mile and sent me 3 workouts I can use when I go to the gym for the week!  This is really good because when I get to the gym, I need focus, a checklist. I will have to push myself more to get over the hump.

Since I was having a hard time this week really staying positive, I thought today would be a good day to reflect on my Achievement list!
This made me feel tons better!! I added one to this list that wasn't originally on there only because I thought it would be more of a long term goal.

 January 10th through February 15th:

• Achievement Unlocked! "5 Dailies Complete!" Complete 5 days of isometric exercises every morning before work.
• Achievement Unlocked! "Sugar Overload No Mo'!" No soda for 1 month.
• Achievement Unlocked! "Juiced!" Buy a juicer!
• Achievement Unlocked! "3 Day Reboot" Complete a 3 day juice fast.
• Achievement Unlocked! "Drink Apple juice cause OJ will kill y...nevermind" Complete a 5 day juice fast.
• Achievement Unlocked! "Better get a belt!" Drop one pant size!

I can't even believe I have completed all of this in just over a month.  The before me...wouldn't think twice of even thinking up some of these. Another part of me would have made the list but it would just lay there an collect dust.  I am happy for change :) 

Since I have completed several of the achievements from the previous list, I decided to add to the list:

•  Complete the Xbox Fitness Achievement "That was my Everest":  Jumped, climbed and squatted the height of Mt. Everest (8,848 m). 
• Lose my first 10 pounds since January 10th.  (3lbs shy!!) 
• Earn 25 Starts on Xbox Fitness: The workout stars are awarded based on your cumulative fitness points (FP) for the session. To acquire this achievement, you simply need to have 25 workout stars. It's like leveling up when you do a workout. 
• Run, Bike, Walk - Perform 16 miles in one week of cardio. 
• Buy a bike, ride a greenway.
• Do a (regular) push up.
• Do a pull up. 
• Drop 2 pant sizes.
• Complete first cosplay for myself.

That last one is weird to some of you that read this maybe?  Cosplay is "Costume Play".  To me, it's an amazing art form of costuming using many materials to recreate a character from a game, movie - whatever - using yourself as the canvas.  I follow several of professionals (yes they do this for a LIVING) and I decided that since I am on this lifestyle change of healthiness...why not really go for it.  Most things I would love to costume as.. I would never feel comfortable in.  I decided that while I may not be "skinny mini" I am going to do my best to complete a costume for DragonCon in Atlanta Labor Day weekend. :) 

I am so very excited for this. My friends and I have brainstormed things we might like to do. We may even be doing a group costume. Not sure. If money allows me to complete 2 - I will do it!  But I wanted to do something that I would feel comfortable in. Something that I can pull off since I am a curvy girl, I can rock it out just like anyone else. I want to do this for me..to have fun..because I have never done it before..

This is not my artwork - I do not own the rights to this image.

Meet the barbarian female from Diablo 3!  Now mind you, I don't know if I will do this exact gear set. I definitely won't be baring all on the thighs and stomach haha!  But I want to tailor it around me.  And if you know me, I feel like I "fit" her.  Plus I can make a huge axe or sword (*drool*).  I love the fur, the armor, the spikes RAWR!  So, that will be an adventure as I start buying supplies next week.  I will probably post progress on facebook.  I can't wait!! 

As always - thanks for the read. I appreciate you all. I am by no means the pro blogger and my stuff might be a bit boring but I do it for me. :) 

Until next week.... GAME ON!

1 Juice Fast Complete - Construct More Additional Pylons!!

Juice Fast Summary

5.5 days

Weight Lost: 2 lbs

Total Weight lost since 01/18/2013: 7 lbs

Inches: ?

Pant size lost: 1

Well as you know I just completed my juice fast in 5.5 days. I was going to try to take it to Friday but Thursday night I did some running around after work. I went to the gym, had to pick up Joe and had to get his mom fast food.  And though I could have chain scarfed some fried food in the parking lot...I withheld. I finally had to just go and get food. I was starved. I opted for Blue Coast Burrito and got  a yummy salad. I hate half and I was content once again. The hangry gods were calm and so was I. :)

Saturday was tough as I craved salty foods and had somewhat of a headache. I think it was my toughest day just because I waited longer to start my training and I hadn't got to drink anything other than water until 1 pm that day.  Once I had gotten enough juice and my headache went away, it was tolerable.  The one thing I learned, preparation is key. I found that 4 juices (16oz servings) were plenty to get through the day and I didn't suffer hunger. I had minor headache for 3 days but nothing a bit of excedrine didn't relieve a half hour.  I made sure to drink plenty of water and threw in hot tea just to give a different flavor in my regimine.  While I did not lose alot of pounds, I did drop down to the next pant size and let me tell you I have never done a happy dance in the fitting room EVER until yesterday when I went shopping! Lost some inches!  It is exciting that jeans that are brand new that I bought 2 years ago can now fit properly! 

I find it interesting that I am missing my fast right now. I need to construct more additional pylons!! (Pylons are energy sources in StarCraft II). While I was doing it, I didn't have to do any meal planning. I juiced the night before and it was done!  I had pre-planned dinners with my family. They ate what was in the fridge mostly. I cooked one night (another thing I miss was not having to cook) to make it less tempting to cave in.

Tips:

• Store juice in glass containers and make sure its filled to the brim to make sure there is no air in the jar(I used mason jars).
• Keep yourself orgnized to keep from being overwhelmed. Have jars ready to pour.  Have a prep area for produce (I put my cutting board by my juicer for less mess).
• Juice leafy greens with harder produce such as apples, pears or cucumbers to max their juice yield.  You can pack them into the denser fruit or veggie as well. If you have a variable speed unit, juice leafy greens on slowest setting.
• There are literally a ton of juice recipes online. Stick to a couple different ones that integrates 3-5 ingredients.  I share mine below. Keep reading!!

I did take a progression pic here:

"Week 4" is actually supposed to say "Week 3" 

Some changes in my face. I am happy that I am for once not bored with this. Every week I learn new things about nutrition and exercise.   I would typically try the gym or try to eat healthy for a few days and I was back to my old ways.

As promised, here a just a few of my fave juices that kept me going during my fast:

Emerald Protein Punch:

• 7-8 Leaves of kale
• 1 Cucumber
• 3 Pears (Bartlett or Anjou are my faves)
• 2 Medium Red Apples

I alternated each ingredient to help mix the juice. I put half the cucumber in and packed the kale behind it to help max the kale's juice yield.  My juicer is 1 speed so be sure to push leafy greens through slowly.

According to http://juicerecipes.com/build/ a site I use to give me an idea of what is going into my juice. With this blend this will give you approximately 11% protein (this makes about 2 - 16 oz servings) and also gives:

• Vitamin A 111% (essential for cell growth)
• Vitamin C 299% (boosts immunity)
• Iron 56% (transports oxygen throughout the body)
• Zinc 17% (Cold prevention!)
• Vitamin K 1196% (“Wolverine” vitamin - helps our body heal open wounds etc)

Now these are estimates and based on values pre-juiced but a juicer can extract 75-90% of the nutrients from a fruit.  Juicing allows us to intake more than just 1 piece of fruit.  So while these are estimates, you’re pulling the nutrients straight from the source and ingesting them as a juice will only provide your body the mega-vitamin it needs.  This is my favorite green juice. It masks the kale bitterness well, it’s sweet but not overwhelming and the cucumber gives it a melon-y flavor.

I love juice in the morning. It is a great wake me up and it is filling.  I used to take a cup of orange juice every morning but since I was staying away of store juices, I made this little gem.  I must say, I like it way better than any store bought juice :)

Sunrise Breakfast

• 6 Medium or large carrots
• 3 Small oranges (or 1 large)
• 2 Medium red apples

This juice is sweet and the carrots make it rich and gives it a nice texture.  It’s a great breakfast or dessert juice. I would typically drink this in the morning or in the evening after a green juice.  If you’re craving something sweet, this will help tremendously!

Fighting food urges, one TV show at a time...

So over the weekend of my juice I had to find things to keep me busy.  I watched alot of netflix and on demand.  I found that they put the past episodes of season 15 Biggest Loser on On Demand and I watched an episode that was in the middle of the season.  I caught myself saying "oh noo..." when one of the girls only lost 3 lbs and the man lost 13.. wait..thats what I have been losing..why is 3 lbs in a week bad? Shows such as this really do skew the ideal weight to lose in a weekly basis. Not to mention I am sure they do nothing but gym several hours a day. This particular episode had the loser team of the challenge work at diner as well as maintain their gym/training. DUM DUM DUUUUIMMMMM. So what? They should be learning how to balance healthy living with their daily lives. I was curious how many people gained the weight back once they return home.

The season finale aired and shock doesn't describe how i felt about this…

Rachel was the winner of this season's Biggest Loser. I know this story has been circulated so much and I wont be on it long.  I didn't watch the finale but pics are sad. My question (and maybe I don't know much about the show) is why wasn't there a physician or trainer for them to check in with?   Overall, I hope the media about this and and societal ignorance doesn't cause negative reaction for Rachel. I wish nothing but the best for her!

There is another show on A&E called Heavy. They go to a retreat and they start with implementing activities everyday. They sit them down at each lunch and teach them about the foods they eat. Then after a determined amount of time, they let them free. Back to home and everyday life. But this time they go back with knowledge and tools to benefit their weight loss. They are given a membership at a gym with a trainer. They can even call the resort staff for guidance. If the staff feel that the person is straying away, they bring them back to the resort and complete the time with them at the persons side.  They even have access to a counselor to help cope with emotions that may cause them to turn to food. They actually deal with the problem. Now I am sure that both shows tend to have their amount of scripting. But at least Heavy seems realistic.  I hope it's realistic anyway, it's very motivating!

Anyway that was my week end review!  I feel so great after my juice fast! I have more energy and will be planning other juice fasts in the future.  I can’t wait to continue on and share more of my epic journey. :)

2 Week 3 - Let the Fasting Begin!!

Well week 3 has come to a close.  Today I had a good workout..considering I got dizzy and almost passed out. I was bummed out I didn't finish the full hour (even though I think I was shy like 10 min or so).  I had a later appointment and I dont eat before I go in to keep from getting sick.  I screwed up my breathing on one exercise..and before I knew it..I was seeing those bright white and black spots >.<.
Overall, I enjoyed my workout because I felts like I worked my muscles well.

So today was the beginning of my juice fast. I've done surprisingly well on day one. Maybe its the "newness" of it?  I had about 4 juices today (16 oz each). I made 6 and I got one at The Urban Juicer which was sooo good. It had pineapple, apple, coconut water and mint.  I was inspired and I ran to the Turnip Truck (another local Nashville place - local grocery) and bought some fresh mint leaves.  I added it to my apple, carrot, cucumber.  It's so good! Gives it a hint of mint.
When I started "coming out" about my fast, strangely, many of my friends and coworkers were concerned about the possibility of..*ahem* bathroom issues.  I had 4 people one morning tell me that I would be running to relieve myself.  Thanks..I think...for the warning?  So to those people, I made you a nice thank you card...

Front of Card

Inside Card

I thought it was a nice thing to do since I had so many people concerned about my poo.  One of my bff's, Candy, helped me come up with the creative thank you note.  I couldn't have done it without her. I can't wait to print these!! Candy and I even discussed business cards to carry with me so I can pass them out to anyone who might question my bowels.

Moving on :)

Day one out of five.  Wednesday seems so far away but I know its not.  The hardest part about today, I was CRAVING salt. I just wanted to open a bag of crackers, salt and vinegar chips, sunflower seeds, anything within reach and eat it!  I didn't though.  I just found something to occupy my time and keep my mind off of it (yay Netflix!).   My plan is to weigh in on Thursday morning once my fast is complete (I normally weigh Saturday mornings) and see what the total weight lost was from the 5 days.
So far on my journey, I have lost 6 lbs (3 lbs each week 1 and 2 but maintained weight on week 3)!  Which to me I only have to lose 15 pounds to get to the next milestone. I will share weights and what not later. Owning a weight is one thing..sharing it to others..its scary.

So this week was unreasonably cold out (2 degrees one night!) so I didn't go to the gym.  AT ALL.  Bad excuse I know. I did however get in a couple of Xbox One Fitness workouts in this week.  They vary greatly. They have cardio, weights, PX90, Insanity and Jillian Michaels *shivers* (she scares me).  I did a few of the cardio sessions and they kicked my butt.  Mind you, the Xbox Fitness uses the Kinect to see you.  It can tell your form showing a mini view on the right so you can see it as well.  As you progress through the workout, you can see yourself moving and dancing like a fool.  Now this contraption (the Kinect) can tell what parts you are working most by causing that area to glow on your mini me reflection.  The instructor will break down a move and have you follow along.  It will tell you "Great Job!" or "Work your shoulders more!" or "Try to keep up!".  Come to think of it...xbox fitness is bossy!

See what I mean?!  Ok, not really THAT bossy. But it knows pretty well if you're not keeping a decent form or not keeping up.  Not saying you can't totally cheat the system but come on, you're only cheating yourself!  Xbox Fitness is free for one year (per terms upon signing up) with your Xbox Gold Membership.

 "Optimize every workout with immediate feedback on your form, power and heart rate with the all new Kinect, featuring Muscle Mapping, Power Gauge, and Pulse." - www.xbox.com 

Information from Xbox website 

Each workout has specific achievements, records, goals etc to meet. Gives you a little bit of motivation knowing that you are working toward something.  So if you have an Xbox One, I encourage you to try it out. It's free with your membership.  Most of the work outs are only 10 minutes! 10 minutes and back to Call of Duty!

Well that is all I have for now.  Please follow! Share! I hope that I can inspire one person just as my friend inspired me.  Happy weekend!

GLHF (Good luck, Have fun)