21 Day Fix ... day 10

I can't believe I'm half way through this thing....

3 weeks goes by really fast.

& as Ricky asked me, "What happens after you get done with the 21 days?"... I'm sure I'll continue on.  I see where people do 'another round' over & over to get where they want to be.

I really do have a goal in mind that I know isn't going to be accomplished in 3 weeks. It's going to take some time.  & I may not stick with this the whole time, but I will for awhile.  Just to learn these healthy eating habits better - to get them engrained in me.

Someone asked me the other day if I miss things, & the truth, I'm finding I'm doing ok with that.

I'm a bread person. I always said I could do away with ALL other food groups, but give me carbs & I'm good.

(Can I just say, I accidentally wrote "give me crabs"... haha... fixed that quick)

But we were out at dinner last weekend & they brought bread to the table. I did good - didn't want to devour it.  I've had crackers in front of me - I haven't touched them. I haven't had pasta in 2 weeks.  I haven't even had a slice of bread since I started.  Look at me.  Who am I?

I'm surviving.

I keep telling my co-worker its about learning new things about food.

Like before, I usually grab a hand full of nuts & think nothing of eating them.  Now, I fill up this itty bitty cup of nuts, which is 2TSP size - about 11 nuts... & its really OK & enough for me.  I would have never known this before I started this plan.

& one note of progress.... I did the Lower Body Fix last night. Almost cried thinking about doing it.  It hurt so bad last week & I didn't want to re-live that... but I made it through & while sore most of the night, I did wake up this morning & I'm OK.  I'm a tad sore - as I should be - but I'm not crying with each step.  PROGRESS!

Here was my food for the day

Breakfast - 2 eggs on a wheat tortilla & yellow peppers

Snack #1 - cottage cheese + stevia + cinnamon - (This really was a filling snack. I need to do this more often)

Lunch - Subway with the hubs - a veggie patty salad with only veggies, a splash of honey mustard.

Snack #2 - Shakeology + small banana (Before work out)
2 TSP of nuts (after workout)

Dinner - Tilapia with brown rice & broccoli with cheese.  (Thank you Lord I get that one blue cup a day)

Snack #3 - 16 dark chocolate chips

REMAINING:  1 green - 3 purple (dang! missed out on some good fruits) - 1 Red - 1 Yellow - 4 Tsp

I was so in check for the day on calories / fat / carbs/ protein / fiber / sugar... perfect actually

I'm loving learning all of this...

Pressing On to day 11

Need some veggie help....

Day 9 of 21 Day fix done...

Really all my typical foods.

Though I did do something new for lunch - I added cucumbers on my tuna wrap.  it was delish!

The only downfall - cucumbers are the only foods that KILL me... I am a heartburn mess after eating cucumbers.

Someone once told me its because of the seeds & they apparently sell seedless cucumbers.  That freaks me out.  Modified foods just ain't right....

But I added the cucumbers to try & get in more veggies.

I am allowed 6 containers of veggies a day.

I am so ashamed to say, I'm doing good to get in MAYBE 2 a day... TWO!  What the hey?!?!?

And those days are usually spinach in a smoothie - or broccoli. 

I was eating carrots there for the first few days but I'm afraid of eating carrots every day. I've heard of people turning orange from too many ... I'm not even joking.  If anyone is going to turn orange, it will be me.

Plus, I just can't tolerate carrots every day.

So I guess I'm going to head onto Pinterest today for some good veggie ideas....

but help a girl out - what veggies do you like.  What veggies do you snack on? 

I really need some tips on this....

21 Day fix / my worst feeling day... my legs are crying... & my first weigh in

Yesterday just was a bad day for me on the 21 Day Fix. 
Not because I ate wrong... I just didn't eat enough, or at the right times.

I'm a week & 1 day in this thing.

Again, I think its because I wasn't prepared.  I'm finding with this, you GOTTA be planning on what you're going to have for meals & snacks.  No more grabbing & going.

& maybe there's where my problem has been for all this time. I'm just used to grabbing & eating - not giving much thought to it.

But I spent most of the day yesterday hungry & just not feeling good.

I had my usual eggs for breakfast & apples & PB for snack & I did good through lunch. 

Usual tuna & red peppers on a wheat sandwich thins with some grapes...

& then by 3:00, my stomach was hungry & grumbling.

I tried my trick of drinking water... nothing was easing it.

I usually get home & drink a protein shake at 4:30 but I had to go to the grocery.  By the time I got in there & out & had to deal with traffic getting home, it was almost 5:45.  I didn't want to make a protein shake because it was too close to dinner time at that point.

& then I worked out.

OH MY LAAWWWWDDDDDDDDD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I did the Total Body Circuit.

let's just say I pretty much thought at the end, my legs would no longer function. This thing called "Surrenders" where you kneel down & get back up for a minute... on each leg... I'm not made for this.

I honestly was scared at the end how badly I felt.  I got on the Beachbody website to see if I was alone & I did see some other questions about how hard it felt to people, even those who normally work out (me raising my hand in agreement) but apparently, this is normal once you start this program.  I'm so anxious to see how I feel getting a little bit more of these workout in my life.

But I did that work out with no food - still hungry for 3 hours... & I think it all just hit me running on empty.  I felt dizzy. I had a headache. I felt nauseated. I thought I was going to pass out. It was almost like my words weren't coming out of my mouth right.

That kinda freaked me out.

I ended up making Ricky a dinner for him... poor guy can't eat my stuff because he NEEDS weight so badly...as badly as I need to loose it.

I really should change my blog to be referenced to Jack Spratt story.  I know the story says he eats no fat, she eats no lean... for us, its He can get no fat.. his wife can get no lean.  That's us.

But I had some lentils & brown rice & then had so many containers left for the day that I splurged... & by splurged, I had a legit 21 Day Fix desert.

I had Greek Yogurt, with 1 tsp honey, 1 tsp PB & 1 tsp Dark chocolate chips.  It was delicious!!!!  & only used 1 Red / 2 tsp / 1 Yellow

& then I took all my food I got at the grocery & prepped it up.  Cut, chopped.  Ready to grab & go if need be.

I will say, I didn't realize until after I cup up my apples how fast they turn brown. I have cut up apples I got from the store that lasted until the next week.  My fresh apples were brown before I got them in the fridge. Dang it.  Are they still safe to eat?  I gotta go to Google & see....

& then yep... today was the big weigh in day.  Got on the scale & see I lost 2.5 lbs for the week.  I was hoping for 4 but that's OK.  I can tell the difference in my body & I don't want to measure till the end.  & at least it wasn't a gain. ... or the same!!!!  It's something.

So today, Day 9, I keep Pressing On!!!

21 Day Fix.. my first weekend

My first weekend on the 21 Day Fix.

I was actually really nervous because I was afraid I would eat all day long ... or want to snack...

actually, it was quite the opposite.

I didn't nearly eat enough.  Like hardly enough at all...

I was starving... for the first time... & just off my game.

I think it's because I had the same foods I ate all week for lunch in the house & I wanted something different.  But didn't even know what it could be.  And I didn't want to derail myself, so I really ended up just not eating.

Look at my calorie count from Sunday.

That's not good. 

Though I did make one meal for Sunday night - lentils with spinach & mushrooms.  That's what boosted that fiber count to the moon... & what has me scared to death my stomach may explode today.

We did eat out on Saturday & I feel like I did really good. I had a veggie burger, took the top off of the bun.  Had a half of a sweet potato - Ricky took the other half & ate it.  I even ordered a side of broccoli because I am struggling so badly on eating veggies.

I did make a new snack this weekend of a half wheat English muffin, PB & banana.  that was yummy.

1 yellow - 2 tsp - 1 purple

& I did have like ALL my containers left last night - since I basically only ate one meal the entire day - so I had a orange container of dark chocolate chips. It was HEAVEN!  my first chocolate I had in a week. 

I didn't know I could go a week without chocolate.

So I learned I need to go into the weekends even MORE prepared then my week days. 

I'm learning.

I did the Cardio Fix on Saturday & man... more stupid leg work. My quads are dying.  Hopefully its fat that is dying & muscle that is building, but its miserable.  It was my highest calorie burn for these workouts though.

Hello sweaty me with no make up & crazy hair

Sunday, I left my house at 9am & didn't get home until after 6pm, so needless to say, I did no Yoga Fix for the day.  I figured walking for a photo session & not eating all day covers any weight gain anyways....

tomorrow is my weigh day.  I'm nervous. If the scale says I haven't lost anything - I may cry.  Seriously.  Tune in tomorrow....

Day 5 on 21 Day Fix... dehydration truth

Day 5... I made it through the first work week.  Successful too!

Breakfast was the norm of 2 eggs. I skipped the spinach.  & I'm not sure if that made a difference but I was really REALLY hungry by 9am

I ended up making my first snack a little earlier & eating it at 9:45.  The bad thing, I forgot my peanut butter - so it was just apples.  Maybe that was the difference not having any protein because by 10:30 my stomach was a rumbling bunch of sounds.  I wasn't sure how I was going to make it to lunch & I didnt want to eat any of my lunch early & then continue the hunger fest.

But then I realized I hadn't had any water for the day.  Just sparkling water & coffee.  I went & filled up my water bottle & drank a full glass & my hunger totally eased up.  I guess its true when they say that dehydration reflects like hunger.  I ended up making it to 12:00 before the belly rumbles started again... which made me last until lunch time at 1:00pm

Lunch (1:00pm)

1 Orange - 1 Purple - 1 Green - 1 Red (with free food / cinnamon & Stevia)

I ended up putting some Braggs vinaigrette in the Orange cup to use for my carrots. I didnt even eat half of it, but mercy, I'll never do that again. It leaked everywhere & I had garlic-y oil on everything I owned.  Quite miserable.

Snack (4:45pm)

We had a youth event that was going to last till midnight so I made sure to get in a protein powder with COFFEE ... I never drink coffee this late but I NEEDED to drink it that late.  It totally worked.

It gave me a spring in my step too.  We played dodge ball with the kids & I was the only one left on the team ... & dodged balls for up to 5 minutes... they finally said, If you can hit one person, you win.
I WON!!!!!!!!!!!! .... I felt like an Olympic champion.  I also felt like I was going to die of exhaustion :)  I'm too old for some of these youth things.  But it keeps me young.

I had to run home in the middle of the event - worked out perfectly - because I needed to feed the dogs & they were all eating pizza. I didn't want to be around that & ran home & got a bag of grapes.  That's the good thing about meal prepping... you can grab & go if you need to. I needed to.

& that was the last thing I had all night.

I had no supper.  I was starving. But it was after midnight when we got home & then I was like, would that food be on today's count or tomorrow's... & then was so tired I could care less... off to bed I went...

So another successful day

I missed the workout - but playing dodge ball, I think counts.

Pressing on!

21 Day Fix .. Day 4... I still can't walk

Happy Friday! 

Yahoo....  made it through the week back at work. 

I was so busy catching up on everything, the week flew by. No complaints.

Actually I have one complaint... my stupid eye... it has been twitching every since Saturday... when I realized I had to come back to work.  I think the stress did me in... & now, I guess the stress is sticking with me because my eye has been twitching all week. Feeling gooky too. Probably a bit of stress / allergies / dry eye... a perfect combo of irritating.

So Day 4 was a good day... probably not my best.  I still kept it in check, but I'll explain.

Breakfast 6:15 - usual - egg sandwich.  I gotta find a way to not make my eggs stick.  I don't know if its my pan or what.

Snack #1 10:30 ... I know this is longer then you're supposed to go. I think on this plan, they want you eating every 2 hours, but really I'm not that hungry until around 10. Well, I'm actually hungry around 9 but I end up getting busy at work & ending up being able to snack around 10-10:30 ....

Anyways - I had apples & PB again.

Lunch 1:30pm - here's where it was weird for me.  I had to run to the grocery by my work to get some sparkling seltzer water. My grocery hates me & stopped carrying it I guess. Cant find it anymore.  I picked up a tuna packet, had 10 wheat crackers & got a Greek Yogurt with honey.  The sugar at the end of my day reflects having this honey.  At least it wasn't extreme... but I can see why not meal planning & being prepared causes glitches.

Snack #2 4:45 - Chocolate vegan Shakeology & banana

I have usually been afraid of using protein shakes for 'snacks' & not a meal, but I'm really liking the benefit & finding its not driving my calories crazy overboard.

__________

Did the Pilates Fix for the workout... I was thrilled it wasn't legs. I had been limping all day after Lower Fix the day before. Like seriously was moaning going up & down steps at work.  I reached out to a fellow 21DF-er & asked if she was that sore the first time she did the workout - she said she couldn't even DO steps the next day. I felt better knowing that.  

The messed up thing... they add in legs in the Pilates workout. I did that crazy laugh/cry thing again ... if my legs don't even up looking like Angelina Jolie at the end of this, I'm going to be mad....

I'll wear this dress every day... even to work

__________

Dinner 7:00 I ended up having tilapia with seasonings on it, with broccoli & brown rice.  It was DELISH!  Ricky even said that it tasted better then any restaurant he's been at.  YES! 

1 Green / 1 Blue / 1 Red / 1 Yellow

I had my blue left over (Blue is my favorite) & used it for cheese over my broccoli. It felt like a cheat... but so legit on this plan.

Snack #3 8:00 - Grapes

I still had 4 ... FOUR... greens left, 1 red, left over for the day.  I totally could have made a pumpkin desert I found on Instagram... but just left it.  It's nice to know I still have the OPTION to eat.

Here' s my nutrition for the day...

OVER in Protein!... what?!?! Never happened before!
Dang you honey yogurt for that sugar!

I'll take it.

I'm going to confess. I think the weekend is going to be the hardest.  All the food in the house just waiting to be eaten?  I will need to keep myself busy, do something to keep my mind off of it.  At least I'm going to be basically out all day on Sunday...

we'll see how it goes.

Happy weekend everyone!!!

My first day eating out... laughing in pain... & Day 3 of my 21 Day Fix



It was National Running Day yesterday...

 

& I didn't run.

 

I think that's the first time that happened in a few years.  I actually was OK missing it.  Mainly because I couldn't basically move my legs in a normal way after working out with the 21 Day fix Lower Fix...

 

OH MY GOSH...

 

I know my body needs to get some muscle - to tone up... I never realized how much my body cries when it gets pushed to new limits.  But I did the full work out.

 

At one point, I literally started giggling like I was out of my mind because my butt kept cramping up when we had to do round 2 of an exercise.  Laughter is better then crying right?  ... who am I kidding, I may have shed a few tears while laughing.

 

 

So yeah, I'm on Day 3 of the 21 Day Fix.  Still really no complaints.

 

& yesterday was exciting for me... I ATE OUT!  Met Ricky for lunch, who said he wasn't sure I was coming because he didn't know how I was going to eat there.  OK... if a change in lifestyle has me never able to eat out, I'll just give up on everything... I refuse to not be able to live life... its just making smart choices in every day situations - right? So I went to Subway.  The easiest place to start, I think.

 

I just ordered a chopped salad - which you can tell every Subway employee rolls their eyes & hates when someone orders these.  The extra bowl they have to clean up afterwards. I don't blame them.

 

Every Subway employee ever making a salad

 

But they know me from our Wednesday lunches & know I always get a veggie patty so the lady asked me, "Do you want a veggie patty on it?".... these people get me.

 

So I got it with a veggie patty, tomato, cucumbers & peppers.  She asked me like 5 times, "You really don't want cheese?"... I do... but no.

 

& I asked for half spinach & she didn't hear me & didn't do it. Dang it. Next time I'll be louder about it.

 

I forgot to bring my own vinaigrette from home & got theirs, but literally just a drizzle ... & I ended up getting apples, which in hindsight, I wish I would have put ON the salad... but for my first time eating out, I think it was a success.

 

But here's more what my day looked like for Day 3

 

 

Breakfast - another egg wrap with spinach

Snack 1 - My mom taught me this trick when she was on Weight Watchers.  Take cottage cheese, put cinnamon on it (Free food) & one pack of Stevia (Free food)... its like a dessert.  YUMMM!!!!!!

Lunch - Subway

& I didn't eat all of the lettuc

Snack 2 - Vegan Strawberry Shakeology.  I will say, the strawberry is MUCH MUCH better then the chocolate vegan.  I'm so glad I have these sample packs so I can see which one I like.

Dinner - left overs from last night. I was going to make dinner but Ricky literally ate a WHOLE CARTON of ice cream sitting in traffic on the way home.  Needless to say, he was sick to his stomach & didn't want dinner so I just used everything from the day before - sweet potato, a veggie patty & broccoli/cauliflower.  Better the second time around.  I had my blue container left for the day so used it for feta cheese & put on my veggie burger & veggies. YES!

Snack 3 - grapes

Another day full of great healthy food... & another day spot on in the nutrition.

It's so exciting to me to see the end day results now.

Pressing On to Day 4

Do you like Subway Salads?

 

Do you love or hate leg day?

Did you run for National Running Day?

21 Day Fix ... Day 2

 

The reason I'm posting another day... & probably a few days... is because I know when I started looking at this plan, I was really intrigued at finding posts on what people really ate in life.  So I think this may help someone... hopefully....

Day 2 was just as good as the first...

Still learning from it & seeing what real sizes of portions should be... & more important, finding that it really is enough!

So let's look closer at Day 2...

(6:15am) Breakfast

1 Red - 1 yellow - 1 green

I had such a hard time getting in all my vegetables on Day 1, I added in spinach with my eggs for breakfast.  I will say, for the most part, I'm surprised how much food the containers can hold.  EXCEPT for this - I was expecting it to hold more spinach then it did.  To make a salad, its going to take MANY containers of spinach or greens.

Snack 1 (10:15am)

1 Purple - 2 tsps.

These are just easy to take to work & eat at my desk. I would love to have a protein shake at this time but no easy way to make one at work.  I don't feel like just shaking makes them as good as blending & I'm not toting a blender back & forth to work.


Lunch (1:00pm)

1 Blue - 1 Red - 1 Green - 1 Yellow

I remembered to take a pic!  I used tuna on a wheat tortilla & added peppers to it & used the hummus as a sauce on it - DELISH!!!! ... I had enough hummus left for some extra peppers. 

Snack #2 (4:30pm)

1 red - 1 purple (used 1/2 banana)

Walked in the door & made a protein shake.  For someone who has always struggled to get in enough protein in a day, this has been really interesting to me on getting in lots of protein.  I'm anxious to see how my body feels after a few days of it.

I got in the workout today.  Upper Body Fix...

....even make your arms feel like they can't lift a thing!

OH MY GOSH... I thought, how hard can it be for my arms?  By the end, I had to go down to lighter weights & my arms felt like spaghetti... I haven't had my arms drained that badly in a long time. 

(6:30pm) Supper time

I wanted to make a real meal today... & at first I thought, oh no, this isn't going to be enough.  I was a tad disappointed in the sweet potato & putting it in the yellow & how much it really was.  It was basically half of a medium size sweet potato.  Good side of that, I have the other side already packed up for a warm up snack tomorrow

Used a veggie burger for my protein & some veggies.
.... & in the end, I was very well content.   Not stuffed - but I can stay I was full.  It was a good feeling.

(7:45pm) Snack #3 - Grapes

Finished off the night with trying to get in more of my containers... fruit for dessert took one more of my purples...

& in the end, I was still left with 2 reds, 3 greens & 1 purple left... & 4 teaspoons.  I could have a whole other meal basically....

I have to say, logging my food, I'm loving seeing how spot on the nutrition is...

I just can't get over 91 grams of protein... I'm usually struggling to get in 50 a day.  This is fantastic!!!!

Today will be exciting for me to see what its like eating out.  Wednesdays are the hubs & I "date lunch" where I meet him at Subway.  I've got my containers with me... I'll be the weirdo in the corner tearing my food apart to measure things.  We'll see how it works.

Here's to another day!

21 Day Fix ... Day 1

I survived day 1 of the 21 day fix...

actually was excited to see how the food worked in the containers - what 'real' portion sizes looked like.  & honestly, I was surprised at how much food was involved.  Especially because when I first pulled out those containers from the box, I was like, "Great, I'm going to wither away from starvation"  How deceiving these little things can be...

So here's a look into my day 1... & know that while I am a photographer, I'm not a food photographer & I'm taking these with my phone... so don't be looking for beautifully plated food items.  I'm all about paper plates people!  #redneck

(6:15am) Breakfast is probably going to be repeat thing for me on most days, just because it's filling, quick to make & will hold me over for a good part of the morning.

I had 2 eggs & a wheat tortilla.  Hot sauce is a free food so I'm all about covering my eggs with it since I can't have cheese.

I'm so glad that 2 eggs counts as ONE protein.  Needless to say,  I went to Sam's club & bought a carton of 36 eggs.  Not even joking.

(10:15 am) Snack #1 was apples & peanut butter.

I actually used most of my teaspoons for the day for the peanut butter... & I'm good with that.  I ended up not using them all at the end of the day anyways.  It was a good snack that held me over till lunch.


Lunch - I forgot to take a picture...

I had a tuna packet... yes, I'm taking a step to turn pescetarian... I'm introducing some seafood in my life.  I can promise you, I'll NEVER eat anything that breaths fresh air though ... I literally get nauseated thinking of that... but seafood, I think I can do... if I don't think about it...

so yeah, I had tuna & 2 hard boiled eggs - actually cut up the eggs in my tuna & put on another wheat tortilla.  I was actually full from that.  I also had carrot sticks.

I will say, I have been afraid for lunch. 

I'm so used to driving out to every fast food place for lunch every day.  Subway is like my best friend.  They KNOW me at Subway.  Taco Bell is another one.  (Bean tacos - mmmmm......)  To have to get food ready & prepared to take to lunch, this is a new thing for me...

I had to stop at the grocery to pick up a few things ... cough... few things. HA.
Still cost me $105.00

But got home & only had 35 minutes before I had to head out to my twin nieces graduation from elementary school...

yippee for them!

But no time for cooking. 

So I just made a Shakeology with a banana.

6:15pm

I bought the sampler packs they had to try them out. I'm SOOOOOO glad I did because I tried the vegan chocolate.  I'm still gagging thinking about it.  It was AWFUL. Now I have tried the regular chocolate & remember liking it - I'll be trying it again from my sampler pack... but the vegan?  Oh mercy -NO!!!!!

by the time I got home, got my food prepped for lunch for Day 2, I was actually still hungry & had LOTS of container boxes to check off my list ... but didn't want to cook

So I ended up just using the rest of my yellow containers for wheat crackers & my blue container of the day for hummus.

8:30pm

Now, here's an example of what I'm talking about - that little blue container, I almost cried thinking, that's all the hummus I get for the day?  But it was like a 3 big scoops of hummus in there.  It was A LOT!  Made me happy to know I can still get a good dose in a day.

At the end of the day, I still had FIVE green containers left (I can tell I'm going to need to up my veggie intake)... 2 purple containers (fruits) & 2 red's (protein)... where I also need to up my game... & I still had my Orange & 3 more teaspoons.

See?  Lots of food still available for me...

The only downfall?  It was day 1 & I didn't have time to get in my workout... but I never sat down until 9:30pm anyways - so its OK.  Its not like I was just sitting around being lazy.

I'll be back at it tonight.

So day 1 is in the records... & I loved it.  Excited for Day 2 & all the food options.  I'll be actually making dinner tonight...using up those spare containers!

Here we go!!!

How the Month Went... May 2015 edition

Miles Walked 21.57 miles

 

Finished Les Mills 9 week Program

 

MADE MONTH STRAIGHT - over 10,000 steps!!!

May... gone...

Before I get started... can I mention all that yellow - On EVERY STINKIN' DAY!?!?!

I did a challenge to get in 10,000 steps a day.  I try every day to get my step count up but some days, I just don't make it... I made a POINT to get it ... EVERY DAY...

& I DID IT!!!!

I still can't believe it.

I'm glad to see I can do it.

Now, it did take a toll on my shins - a lot of barefoot walking in random places will probably do that.  I could feel the work in my quads.  But it had to be good for me over all. 

If anything, it was good for my pride.  I'll give that much.

May finished me up with Les Mills... left me depressed.

Had me walking some more.  I haven't ran in awhile.  My back & knee has been doing decent - I've been afraid to jinx it so just sticking with walking. I haven't minded.  I may keep it up... may start the C25K again ....

Look at the name of the song...
yeah baby... PRESS ON!!!

but June holds the start of the 21 Day Fix... my food changes started today. I don't want to call it a diet.  Food changes sounds easier to deal with... & the workouts start tonight. I'm kinda afraid truth be told. I hear its tough. 

But I'm tougher :)

Did you accomplish anything great in May?

 

What was your fitness highlight of the month?