Day 42 P90X, Rest Day

Hubby has told me to stick to the Write What I Bite method. Apparently I am sneaking food.. Its not so much sneaking as it is mindless eating. Hubby watched me walk thru the kitchen, grab a slice of bread and eat it on the way to the girls room. Then on the way back I stopped once again in the kitchen looking for easy food (a spoon full off peanut butter). So, Hubby sweetly suggested I open my book once again and start writing down everything I eat. I was more embarrassed then mad... but I was glad that he had the guts to tell me I was messing up.

Today is a rest day. No exercise... which means I can focus a little more on food and water.

A couple of months ago I did a personal little challenge. I challenged myself to stick to my diet for 6 weeks. I ended up losing around 15 lbs. I think its time for that challenge again. I hate to use events as my goal dates.. but I seem to have a never ending supply of monthly gatherings that I would love to look good for! So, my challenge will be 10 weeks long. The ending date will be July 16th... our anniversary. Its also right in time for all the rodeos that go on around here. I wouldn't mind looking good in a pair of size 12 Wranglers this summer!! So.. I will start my first weigh in day next Thursday.

Today's Plan:

Stretch X (I have some really tight hamstrings)

Focus:
Write What I Bite! (NO MINDLESS EATING)

Day 41 P90X

I think I lost my mind. I worked out late last night, again. I did my P90X Legs & Back workout.. and then hopped on the treadmill for a smooth 1 mile run. My legs reached failure long before I finished my mile... and I'm pretty sure that the only thing that kept me going was the cool workout music I was listening to.

Today is going to be a beautiful day. I have seeds to plant... and lots of weeding to do. That should burn off a pound or two!

Today's Plan:

Kenpo X
walk,walk,walk

Focus:

water...

I haven't been to good at writing what I bite.. but I haven't strayed much from my old menus, so I think I am doing fine.

:)

Day 40 P90X

Well, I am 30... the birthday party, and the weekend, is over. Its time to get focused again.

Yesterday was a good day for both calories and exercise. I was very proud of myself actually! At 8 o'clock last night I remembered that it was my Yoga day and I had not done much of anything. So, I kicked Hubby out of the living room and I put in my Yoga X dvd. (It did Hubby some good.. he went and did his own workout on the bowflex!)

Today's Plan:

Legs & Back, Ab Ripper X
walk,walk,walk

Focus:
Water, WWIB

**NSV** I got a pair of Calvin Kline jeans for my birthday, size 14! There was some doubt that they would fit.. but they buttoned, zipped up and fit perfectly. Even, dare I say, a little bit loose?

YAHOOOOOOOOO!!!

Today we had family over to celebrate my birthday... it was a blast.



Hubby baked my birthday cake (chocolate cherry) and it surprised us all... DELICIOUS!! As you can tell, not much left.



My SIL and I... (I think I was a little tipsy from my ONE coconut rum and coke)



Granny had fun with the girls... or was it the other way around?



Hubby was succesful at putting on the best 30th birthday party... I LOVE YOU!!

Day 37 P90X, 30 Years Old!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!

I could not have asked to end my 20's better. Last nights test was a doozy. For two hours we were put through push-up, sit-ups, jumping kicks, hand techniques, seven forms, Staff forms, one-steps for hands and feet, Judo take-downs, grappling, Jui Jitsu.. and then in the last half hour we were put in the middle of a circle with two other opponents to sparr. I held my own... although they landed some pretty fierce punches and kicks too. One got me right under my ribs... it made it hard to breathe the last minute, but I made it! I am now a 2nd Degree Green belt!! I skipped 3 belts... I cant believe I learned (and remembered) everything I needed to!!

Hubby did great too and received his Orange belt!! YAY HUBBY!!!

We both chatted up a storm afterwards in the car and at home. The topic mainly being that he and I could have never survived that 3 months ago. That is no joke. The fact that I kept up with the 'big boys' and finished every thing asked of me.. well, I was pretty impressed with myself. It wasn't easy though. There were times when I was so exhausted I could barely keep moving. I had several times when I thought I was going to throw up, but managed to keep it down. Somewhere I gathered up the strength to throw men that were well over 200 lbs and over 6' tall. I wrestled them to the ground and got submissions... I got hit in the face, stomach and even kicked in the butt once... but never stopped.

Why are the tests so hard? You have to earn your belt. Just because you know it, doesn't mean you can DO IT. There was one exercise where everyone stood in a circle, with me in the middle. At random they were called out to attack me. I was not allowed to hit or kick... just take them down. They grabbed me on my wrists, shoulders and choke holds. Your mind is racing to remember what you were taught to do at that moment. You have to act fast, because on the street the man is not going to wait around to see what your going to do. One guy I had on the floor before I even knew what I was doing.

I feel like I have earned my way to 30. Today I am a better woman then I have ever been.I am sober, don't smoke and eat the healthiest food I can find. So, I have passed my test and made it to 30. I wonder what the 40 test will be like?


Today's Plan:

I am supposed to be doing Cardio X.. and while I still might.. I am going to give my body a rest and do Stretch X instead.

Focus:
Water, WWIB

Tomorrow we are having family over for a Birthday BBQ. I know there will be some of Hubby's yummy pork sandwiches.. and cake... so I better be really good today so I can eat up tomorrow!!

Day 36 P90X, Test Day

I hopped on the scale this morning to see what the damage was... 193... I LOST 2 lbs! What is strange is that my hands are swollen with water retention (I ate A LOT of salty food yesterday). I am drowning myself in water this morning because I cant stand the feeling. I am just wondering if I am going to see an even bigger weight loss tomorrow morning after getting rid of some of this water?

My juicing idea fell through yesterday. I did drink a lot of juiced apples, oranges, grapefruits... today I need to do the veggie part of that. I have a ton of carrots and celery that I need to get rid of. With all that juice, I'm not really sure how I am retaining water today. Must have been the beef stew and crackers that I indulged in for dinner.

Today is test day. Just thinking about it is making me nauseous. I know its going to be a killer workout...but I also know that I have to fight 3 people- AT THE SAME TIME.. that has me shaking a little. I am pretty sure I will have a nice array of bruises this time tomorrow.


Today's Plan:

Core Synergistics - 60 min
Tang Soo Do testing - 90 min

Focus:
WATER, WATER, WATER... WWIB

Day 35 P90X

A girl would be lost without her friends... thanks to all of you who left such awesome comments yesterday.

After 900+ calories of chocolate, Hubby came home last night. (not because I was dying here without him, but because they were done with the job) He arrived just in time for me to go to a Tang Soo Do class... and it was the best class I've ever been to. It could have been the screaming (of adults) or the dripping sweat that made it so great... but I think it was the fact that after having such a bad day (emotional and calorie wise) I was able to get my mind back on track and my muscles hurting again.

Claire reminded me of what I had written just days ago:

I don't dare give myself the comfort of thinking that I have mastered this way of life.. I know that I will have my bad days.. I know that there will be a day when working out will not look so tempting. I will remember the feeling I have right now.. .and hopefully this will carry me thru those bad days

Yesterday was definitely my bad day...and I think what made it so hard for me was the fact that I was thrown off my routine..(and not because of me).. I'm not sure why that affected my mood and my eating, but it hit me hard. I know its going to happen now and then...I just need to make sure that it doesn't last for more then one day!!

Like I've said before, tomorrow is my Tang Soo Do test. I don't know if any of you have ever taken a martial arts, but the tests are usually pretty brutal. They not only test your knowledge but your endurance. I'm excited and totally freaked out at the same time. My Sah Bum Nim (teacher in Korean) thinks I am ready.. and he would be the only one who would know!

Today I am Juice Feasting. I'm not sure if doing it for one day will actually do any good, but my body needs a good cleaning **cough**cuziateallthatchocolate**cough** and my body is craving it today. I also need to double up on water.. I am super dehydrated, I could feel it in class last night, and that is the last thing I need.

As for my 30th birthday... I have to realize that I have done a lot with my body since I started this journey. The numbers on the scale shouldn't have that much pull on me... and like Fatinah said :

you may be bouncing around on the pounds - but girl - you're nailing the inches.

.. I have lost a lot of inches!! So I'm not the tiny 170 I wanted to be on my birthday.. I AM in a size 14 (down from a 20) and looking HOT!

Today's Plan:

Stretch X
walk,walk,walk

Focus:
water, juicing

(the girls are still a little grabby, but we are meeting some friends at the park today and I am hoping to get some laps in after they get warn out from playing. Now why didn't I think of doing this yesterday????)

Day 34 P90X

I have been eating... a lot. I think it is due to being stressed. Hubby is out of town again. I thought I would do better with my eating, but am finding myself in the kitchen every hour looking through the cupboards (thank God there is nothing bad in there to eat). I have not exercised because I do not have the energy... the girls are constantly fighting with each other and they are tired of listening to me... so they don't. My youngest wont let go of me (really! she is constantly grabbing on to my pants) and when I do try to workout she cries. I am going crazy because I am so thrown off my routine that I could cry.

I am supposed to take my Green belt test in Tang Soo Do on Thursday night, but I have not had a chance to go over any of my forms.... I really just want to slam a chocolate cake in my face... speaking of cake. My birthday is on Friday. 30 years old. Its not the age that I am depressed about. Its the fact that I am no where near the weight I promised myself to be by now. My weight?? I have been bouncing between 195 and 197 for months now. MONTHS.

I just want to cry.

Today's Plan:

Kenpo X
walk,walk,walk

Focus:
exercise, water

Day 33 P90X... Exorcise or Exercise??

I got an email today politely telling me the errors of my ways. I have been spelling exorcise.. well.. just like that. Apparently the definition of exorcise is this:

1. to seek to expel (an evil spirit) by adjuration or religious or solemn ceremonies: to exorcise a demon.
2. to free (a person, place, etc.) of evil spirits or malignant influences

Of course the word that I have been meaning to use all this time is exercise:

1. bodily or mental exertion, esp. for the sake of training or improvement of health: Walking is good exercise.
2. something done or performed as a means of practice or training: exercises for the piano.
3. a putting into action, use, operation, or effect: the exercise of caution.

I thought it was funny, because to me both words sum up the hell I go through every day and I don't see much of a difference.. but for those who are being driven crazy by my terrible misspelling I will make sure to check twice!!

Today's Plan:

Legs & Back - 60 min
Ab Ripper - 20 min
walk, walk, walk

Focus:

WWIB, Water

I did not feel well yesterday so I made it a rest day.. I made up my Yoga class this morning and am feeling a tiny bit better but not %100. I decided that I will be doing a juicing day today... lots of fresh fruit and veggies all day in juice form. That should get me feeling better!! (Hubby is out of town all week again, so it should make it easy to stick to it)

Day 32 P90X

Every day that I wake up now I feel like I have accomplished something... I feel strong. My body feels like an engine that , after 5 million miles, has finally received a tune up. At the thought of the days workout ahead I get... giddy. My body welcomes the challenge... Better yet, my MIND welcomes the challenge. I no longer try to find an excuse to bow out of exorcise. Now I think of ways to challenge my body even more.

Food has finally become a fuel to me instead of a crutch. I look towards the healthy foods first when I am hungry.. and if I do glance at the junk food it has no pull on me.

I don't dare give myself the comfort of thinking that I have mastered this way of life.. I know that I will have my bad days.. I know that there will be a day when working out will not look so tempting. I will remember the feeling I have right now.. .and hopefully this will carry me thru those bad days.

Today's Plan:

Yoga X
walk, walk, walk

Focus: WWIB, water

NSV: I put on a pair of jeans yesterday that I used to stuff myself into back in the day. They fit perfectly. I even tucked in my shirt and wore a belt!

Day 31 P90X....

Slept in, running late, quick post!

Today's Plan:

Tang Soo Do - 90 min
Chest, Shoulders & Triceps - 60 min
Ab Ripper X - 20 min

Focus: WWIB, Water

Have a great weekend!

Day 30 P90X, Its All About Survival

The other night Hubby was watching one of his shows on T.V.. As I was leaving the room (to do a workout) I heard the guy in the show say:

"It wasn't for vanity, it was for survival."

That line stuck in my head the whole time I worked out. That sentence sums up my quest in all of this. I am and will fully enjoy the fact that my body is looking better every day, but in all reality I'm not doing it to look beautiful on the outside. I'm doing it to live longer and look beautiful on the inside. Hanlie wrote this, and I have to say that it is my goal too:

Someone asked me whether, with that level of health, one would just die of natural causes. Barring accidents, yes! But I am less concerned about how I’m going to die and more concerned with the quality of my life. I want to be robust and active, without degenerative diseases until the very end. How many people over sixty do you know who have no medical conditions, not even high blood pressure or elevated cholesterol? How many people in their 80’s and 90’s are still active and in possession of all their faculties?

I intend to be. You can too!

The only thing I could add is this. I know how I DON'T want to die... and right now I am changing that.... and winning.

Today's Plan:

Cardio X
Walk, Walk, Walk

Focus: WWIB, Water

Day 29 P90X

Yesterday I went to my Mom's house to visit. My Grandmother and Aunt live right down the street, so we stopped there first. They had just finished cleaning out their closets. Usually this didn't mean too much to me. My Aunt wears a Large and my Grandmother a petite Medium. For some reason they offered their clothes to me... could it be that I am finally looking smaller to everyone else?.... So I went thru them and took a huge pile of tops. I didn't want to come home with a bunch of shirts that didn't fit me so I tried them all on. Every single one of them fit! Even the mediums!! It was the best feeling. The fact that my arms fit in the sleeves of the mediums...I couldn't stop smiling.

My Grandmother was pretty proud of me.. so much so that she brought out a bag from Victoria Secrets. "I bought these bras a long time ago but they don't fit me right. Why don't you try them on". This statement blew me away. First of all, my Grandmother has always been a very petite woman and I have NEVER been! To think that her size would even wrap around me was crazy.. but I had to try. Are you ready for this? I now am the very proud owner of two beautiful size 38B bras from VS. I died when I looked in the mirror.

So, with a head (and closet) full of motivation to keep going, I am starting Day 29. Oh, and thanks to Randi.. this little picture comparison helped too.



Today's Plan:

Core Synergistics
Tang Soo Do
walk,walk,walk

Focus: WWIB, water

Day 28 P90X... Pics!

Yesterday was one of those days where you wish you had never gotten out of bed. From the first step of the day it was hectic. The girls were in a bad mood all day which meant that all they felt like doing was fighting with each other over petty things. Then Baby fell on a mirror and cut open her finger. With the amount of blood that was all over her, me and the floor I thought for sure she would need stitches.. but once I got her to calm down and stand still I was able to put some pressure on it and it eventually stopped gushing. A band aid was applied and all was well.

I must say that my calories were right on.. and I did my afternoon exorcise. So at least some things were ok.

Today is the end of the first month of P90X. I put on my workout clothes and got some quick pics.. see if you can tell any difference.

Before:



Now:



I see the biggest change in my back.. check it out.. NO BACK FAT!!!!

Before:


Now:


I wish I had been taking more pics of my shoulders, because that is were I am seeing a big change right now. Oh well. I am excited to see next months pics now..

Today's focus:

Stretch X

Focus:

water, WWIB, ****SMILE**** (at least I could LOOK like I'm having a good day!)

Day 27 P90X , The Dress

Only two more days until the end of my first month on P90X...that means pics are right around the corner too. I am hoping to see a BIG change.. I can tell you that even if my body isn't showing it, I am feeling it. I am more flexible, a lot stronger and I have that all around happy feeling.

Part of this whole journey is learning to love yourself. I used to actually feel guilty when I first started losing weight because I felt like I should love myself no matter how big I was.. .and just be happy like that. Part of that is true, you do have to learn to love yourself whatever size you are... but that carries on to getting healthy. I loved myself at 220 pounds.. but I love myself even more at 195! I love the new shape my body is taking. Even though it is at an awkward stage right now. My belly roll is deflated but still there... my chest is smaller but not quite where it should be. My shoulders are starting to get a nice roundness to them.. but its muscle not fat now!

There is a part of our brain that makes us think terrible thoughts about our bodies... that part of the brain is addicted to chocolate, cookies, bread and doughnuts so it wants you to stay depressed and fat. It wouldn't get its fix if you didn't.

A great friend sent this to me.. and I think every woman should read it!

The Dress written by Ancrene Wisse

Once upon a time, there was a leopard-print dress. And a girl who really wanted it.

I mean, it's a leopard-print dress. It's slit up to oh-my-god in the back. It's perfect 50's tramp gear. And I happen to be one of the few humans who can carry off cat-prints, with the long black hair and all. I reasoned to justbeast that I have a class and repression and respectability to spare, so I can wear something stupidly slutty and it still comes off as merely risque.

But I didn't buy it. I stroked it in the store and looked longingly over my shoulder at it. And I didn't buy it. And in a week, it was gone. Why, you ask?

Because there's a little voice inside me that belongs to a particularly insidious gnome, and that voice says: you are so fucking fat. You can't have that dress. You should be wearing a sack of shame and hiding yourself from human eyes. You look like a walking manatee. No one wants to see you in tramp gear, no one wants to see you at all. You're hideous, and you can't "get away" with that dress because your ass dishonors your slim and untroubled family line, not because it's slutty. Sluts are hot, after all. You're nothing.

I'm going to go out on a limb and bet some of you know that voice pretty well. It's a constant friend, no?

I haven't been talking about it, because the progress has been slow and therefore sometimes discouraging, but in the last year I've gone from a size 18 to a size 12. I've been working out every day, and I could safely bench press my college girlfriend. I'd like to be a size 10, and I'll get there. I will.I'm trying not to stress it. That should matter, right? The gnome should be a little mollified.

But it never is. Not even a little. That gnome has all the power of our collective culture behind it, all the power of every girl you thought was so much prettier than you, every boy whose eyes skated right over you like you didn't exist, the power of every family member who glared at you for taking an extra helping of turkey at holidays. It's ripped. And it never shuts up.

I spent years not buying myself new clothes because it was too depressing. I'll buy that when I lose some weight, I thought. And then I never did, whether I lost weight or not. It was easier to deny myself than to believe I was pretty enough to deserve a scrap of overpriced fabric. Than to stop thinking clothes were something I had to earn.

But you know, denying yourself and listening to the gnome has consequences. You sag in the shoulders, you don't look people in the eye. You don't feel sexy, and so--as if by gnomic magic--you aren't. You compare yourself endlessly, and you always come up short. Funny, that. The amount of mental energy it takes to convince yourself that you are the ugliest creature on earth is really astounding. Yet we do it, good little boys and girls, because the world tells us that to feel otherwise is to upset some basic natural balance where thin is virtue and fat is sin. Even a little fat. Even the smallest lump. Not only is it ugly--it means you're a bad person. It means no one could ever love you or desire you.

Look at that poison, man. It's black and it's horrible, isn't it? Like tar in the lungs, and we carry it around, doing penance for living.

So, there was this leopard-print dress. And I looked at its twin online for three ever-loving weeks, telling myself I couldn't have it, I didn't deserve it. Until I just broke down and bought it, and all the other clothes I'd been telling myself I couldn't have, promising myself to wear that leopard-print like a mantle of power, a techni-color dream dress.

And you know what? I look amazing in that dress. Because it isn't the dress, it's the girl inside it--and that girl, the very instant she stops listening to the gnome in her, walks tall and has a great rack, an ass that all three graces would envy, and a sweet, gentle slope to her tummy. She's got lioness-hair and the olive green eyes that Mary Sue writers give their fantasy characters. She walks regal, and she's smart as anything--she has worlds inside her and a big, warm belly laugh. Whatever else she is, she is a woman of appetite, and she is alive. Being a size 10 will make her neither more nor less those things.

And it was brutally hard for her to write that paragraph, brutally hard to say those good things. How smart and strong that gnome is!

No matter your size, if you think you're smoking hot, you are. If you own it, if you strut it. There is nothing sexier than confidence, on guys or girls. Nothing sexier than that glint that says they know they've got something worthwhile in them. It is not an easy glint to maintain, but it's worth, forgive the pun, its weight in hotness. There is nothing you're "not allowed" to wear. Nothing you can't get away with. Nothing forbidden.

Own the dress. Don't let it own you.

Today's Plan:

Yoga X
walk, walk, walk

Focus: WATER... my fingers are swollen so I know I have not had enough water lately.

Day 26 P90X, Monday....bleh

This weekend was crazy. We all spent it out in the field...breaking down an old chicken coop on the far end of the property and re-building it up by the pump house. The fact that we kept two whole walls in tact... and hubby and I could lift them onto the trailer and then off and stand them up where we wanted them...well, we were both talking about how neither one of us could have done that 6 months ago. The coop is almost done... all but one side wall that needs to be covered. Next weekend we will finish it and get up the fence for their run. We also got a ton of fence from our neighbor who replaced all of theirs with chain link.. so we are going to enclose the entire front 'area' so the girls can go out there and play and I don't have to worry about losing them in the 'great unknown'.... and so they will not find their way to the back of the property where there are some unknown dogs that belong to the unknown neighbor.

My workouts were short and far between. Mostly because I was exhausted from doing physical labor all day. 'Write What I Bite' is still in effect. I haven't gone over 1600 calories all weekend.. my daily calories should be between 1400 and 1660 according to Sparkpeople, because of all the workouts I do. I'll take that!

Hubby is out of town all week. It baffles me that people don't believe we are in a recession. I guess you can only see it if you live in a small town like ours where mom and pop stores are going out of business on every block, construction is at a stand still and wheat is MORE EXPENSIVE then gas (which is way over $3.5 now). Hay is $17 a bail when last year it was at $10... Hubby's work is always slow in the winter but by now they are usually working long days just to catch up with all the new work coming in... but there isn't any work coming in. It has gotten so bad that they are now working out of town.. and not just a little out of town. Hubby is working 7 hours away on the other side of the state. Just so you don't think he has some weird job that isn't needed daily.. he is an electrician.

I think we all need to start thinking about becoming a little more self reliant. I don't know what city living is like, but I'm sure the cost of food is sky rocketing there too. I have started some cucumber, tomato and pepper plants inside this spring. (inside because although we are hitting the 70's during the day we are still freezing at night) Hopefully by summer we will have some beautiful veggies to pick... and thanks to the cute chicks in the living room we will have fresh eggs too!!

Today's Plan:

Cardio X
walk,walk,walk

Focus: Water, WWIB

Day 23 P90X

Testing is coming up in Tang Soo Do. I am testing for my next 3 belts all together because of my black belt history. So I went to class last night thinking that it would be an easy class because our Master is out of town and we all needed to practice our forms. Instead, the highest black belt in the class was teaching.. and he put us through hell. The warm up had my abs screaming out in pain...then wall squats for 3 min at a time.. then bear crawls, push ups and running. This was just the warm up!!! Then we went up and down the gym doing jumping kicks, spinning kicks, any kicks that he could think of. THEN we did forms...8 of them, twice. Then we did our staff forms (a 6' pine staff) twice. Then we put on our pads and sparred. I have some nasty looking bruises and some sore muscles! BUT IT WAS AWESOME!! I had to go up to him after class and say THANK YOU... I probably dropped 5 lbs in that class alone.

On top of that I did my Yoga class in the morning. I think that helped me during class because I was already stretched out and loose. (I still hate yoga)

Yesterdays calories were 1520. It was fairly easy to stick to my plan. I think it helps me to have my food for the day already written out...

Today's Plan:

Core Synergistics
walk, walk, walk

Focus: WWIB, water...lots of water!!

Day 22 P90X

Yesterdays total calories, straight from SparkPeople, were 1,398. That included oatmeal, grapefruit, whey protein shake, broccoli, tuna fish, popcorn (100 cal pack), Zone bar , Blackeye peas and cornbread. I'd say that was a good day! The Zone bar was a quick save at the market when I had to pick up some milk. I figured it was the best choice... considering my sweet tooth.

I am going to raise my calories to about 1500 today because I have such a busy workout schedule. I have Yoga this morning and Tang Soo Do tonight... I'm going to need the energy!! (Hahahaha... 1500 compared to the 3200 I was eating before for 'energy') I think I will do well as long as I keep writing down what I eat. Yesterday I preplanned everything on SparkPeople...leaving a couple of hundred calories to spare for snacks (or slip ups).

I have a little over 2 weeks before my 30th birthday.. I would like to be at 189 by then. That would be an awesome present to myself!

Today's Plan:

Yoga X
Tang Soo Do
walk, walk, walk

Focus: WWIB = write what I bite

Day 21 P90X, Rest Day

If you didn't read last nights entry then you might want to scroll down and read that first!!


I've had my oatmeal this morning and will be having a grapefruit in a minute. I have figured that my calories should be between 1200 and 1500 a day... and if I do this right they will be. I am leaving out bread (for now), processed food and meat. With as much as I work out I need to vitalize my body with vitamins and minerals straight from their source! I will be including beans, legumes and other sources of protein (like whey protein shakes). I will also be drinking a couple of glasses of Soy Milk. I am pretty sure that my calorie intake will be over 1200 but I will be using SparkPeople just to make sure. Thanks for the worries!

Today is a rest day... which is good because I have a million things to do around here. (I still haven't built a chicken coop!) It is windy and the clouds look threatening... but hopefully it will blow over and leave me with a nice afternoon!!

Today's Plan:

X Stretch

Focus: logging everything I eat on SparkPeople...and portion control!

Almost Day 21 P90X.....

It is 8:33 pm... I just finished doing my Kempo workout. I am writing tonight because I feel like I need to put this down on paper (or computer screen) before I change my mind overnight! Not that I would... but I feel better writing what I am feeling right now while they are fresh in my mind.

I have been working my **ass** off for 3 weeks now and while I am seeing slight changes in my body I am not losing what I could be... and I know why. My diet is horrendous. I eat and eat and eat. Its all healthy food...I just eat 3000 calories of healthy food. So, after getting sick to my stomach after dinner tonight I realized that I am only hurting myself by eating like this.

Tomorrow I am sticking to a strict daily diet:

Breakfast: Oatmeal and one piece of fruit
Lunch : Salad with Tuna Fish
Snack: Fruit or Vegetable
Dinner: Salad with vegetable stir fry or fish

That's it. I will not stray from this diet for a week and see what my loss will be NEXT Wednesday.

Exorcise is important to losing weight... and it is usually the hardest part for people to do. For some reason its the easiest part for me. Food is my challenge. Time to concur it.

Day 20 P90X , Poop Report

Yesterday was a good day. I did all my scheduled workouts and belly dancing class. Food was on and water was over! I think I'm finally getting back on track mentally too.... and we all know that is the key to success.

Today I have to find a way to build 3 chicken coops (with runs) for 25 hens... I have at least another week before the chicks are big enough to leave their cozy little corner in our house... but I need to get going on them. I'm also going to try and use some of the wood that is lying in piles around our property. We'll see how creative I can be!

Today's Plan:

Kenpo X
walk, walk, walk

Focus: calories and water


The other day I did a post about Poo and was asked so many questions about it that I decided I had to answer them.. so here is part 2 of Poo.

The best place to find information on Poop was the interview between Oprah and Dr. Oz. Here is how he answered these questions:

1. How long does it take to digest food?

Have you ever wondered what happens to the food you eat? First, it passes through the esophagus. It moves by a wave of muscle contractions that squeeze the food down at about two inches per second. When the food reaches the stomach, it falls into a churning pool of digestive juices. In the stomach, the food is broken down into easily absorbable ingredients: proteins, sugars and fats.

Then greenish brown bile produced in the liver is added to help the breakdown of these fats. By the time the food leaves your stomach and passes into the small intestine, it's unrecognizable. The walls of our intestines absorb the nutrients into our blood and that's how we get the energy we all need to live.

How long does this vital process take? It depends on what you're eating, Dr. Oz says. "A steak dinner can take you two, maybe three days to get out of your intestine. What that means is the way you digest it is basically to rot it in your intestines. On the other hand, if you eat vegetables and fruits, they're out of your system in less than 12 hours."

What about chewing gum? Is it true that it takes seven years for it to digest? "No," Dr. Oz says. However, this little urban legend can be a good way to "get kids to stop chewing gum."

2. Why does poop smell?

You might want to light a match because Dr. Oz has something to tell you: The origin of poop's odor is sulfur, which smells like a rotten egg.

Many foods contain sulfur. "Eggs are one of them. Cheese—there's a reason they say, 'Don't cut the cheese,'" Dr. Oz says. Other sulfurous foods include meats and vegetables.

3. Why do I get diarrhea?

Here's the small and large story about the intestines: Serotonin is the natural chemical in the body that antidepressants affect. Though 5 percent of your body's serotonin is in your brain, 95 percent is in your intestines. "You have a second brain down there," Dr. Oz says. "There are 100 million nerves in that intestine tract. That's the same amount of nerves as you have in your spine."

If your intestines become confused, Dr. Oz says, one effect could be diarrhea, bloating and discomfort from inflammatory bowel disease, or IBS, a very common problem. If you have this problem for more than a day or so, "take chicken soup with some rice because it will help you reabsorb sugar and salt." If you get diarrhea chronically, Dr. Oz says the cause may be food allergies. Some common food allergies include milk products and wheat.

According to Dr. Oz, diarrhea is not necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes, it's just your body's way of protecting itself. "The immune system in your intestines is a very intricate one and it knows when food is not right for you," he says. "So it will tell your body, 'You know what? Get rid of that. We don't want this in us!'"

4. What causes burping and farting?

On a previous show, Dr. Oz explained that the average person—both men and women—passes gas 14 times a day. What's causing this phenomenal natural gas leak?

"Many of those bacteria that are on your side and protecting you normally will eat up the foods that you're eating and release their waste product: gas, which, by the way, is good for you. You want to have a regular amount of gas. The problem happens when you eat certain foods that give you more gas than you want."

Probably the most infamous gas-producing foods are beans, which, Dr. Oz explains, contain sugar. "In fact, sugars in general are the problem." Bacteria love simple sugars and simple carbohydrates because they're so easy to digest.

Dr. Oz says it's not just what you eat. It's also in the air you breathe. "Twenty percent of the gas comes from the air you take in your mouth," he says. "That comes because you're eating too quickly, you're drinking carbonated beverages, you're chewing gum, you're smoking cigarettes, you're sucking air into your body that gets into your intestines."

Think of your body as a refrigerator, Dr. Oz says. If you let food sit in there, it's going to smell after a while. In your body, sulfur-rich foods like eggs, meat, beer, beans and cauliflower are decomposed by bacteria to release hydrogen sulfide—a smell strong enough to flatten a bear. Avoiding these foods is the ideal solution, but when stinky gas persists, the best solutions are leafy green vegetables and probiotics, specifically lactobacilli GG. These can be found in some yogurts. The product Beano can sometimes work with beans, but soaking the beans ahead of time is useful as well.

Poop Color, Poop Shape, Poop Odor/smell-

Dr. Oz says that these indicate and ultimately give a clue to how well your body is functioning. You need 25 grams of fiber per day drink plenty of water to avoid problems like constipation.Taking Olive oil or flax seed oil (like lotions for the intestines) helps let the poop glide out.Drinking enough water helps flush out your system. Your urine should be "clear enough to read through".

Poops should have a curve to them, like an S shape or C shape. They should not be hard, pancake like, or pellets (constipation, need more fiber and water). They should not "plop" into the water but "dive like an Acapulco diver". Floating poops means they have too much fat in them, meaning you are eating lots of fatty foods.



WALK-ON!

Day 19 P90X

I will admit that I had a rough weekend. Food, water, exorcise and attitude were all off. I ate pizza, chocolate, ice cream... I missed my Sunday Yoga class... and worst of all, I didn't care. At least not until this morning. I had the morning guilt trip... and I hate that. There was a rock in the pit of my stomach and I just kept thinking WHY?? Why would I ruin a whole week of working hard with one day of pure stupidity?

Well, I cant go back in time and change what I did.. so I have to just forgive myself. Slap my hand and say 'NO'... and tell myself to never do that again! Today is a new day.. a fresh start. I made up my Yoga class first thing this morning. This afternoon I will do my Legs & Back routine and then go to Belly Dancing class. There will be no lack of exorcise today. What I need to focus on is my food. I had a Cliff bar this morning after Yoga class and four glasses of water. I need to drink 4 more glasses before lunch.. which will be a tuna salad. NOW.. if I can just keep myself out of the kitchen until then!

Today's Plan:

Yoga - done
Legs & Back
Ab Ripper X
Belly Dancing class
walk, walk, walk

Focus: ON EVERYTHING!!!!

Hanlie over at FertileHealthy sent me 5 questions to answer...here they are!


1. Does motherhood live up to the expectations you had before becoming
a mother?

To be honest, I never dreamed of becoming a mother. I was more interested in traveling, working, drinking, partying. Kids were never in my mind. It was when I suddenly found myself pregnant that I had to actually sit down and face it. I didn't get a chance to worry about being a mother too much while I was pregnant. I was trying to work things out with the Daddy... I suffered severe All-Day-Long sickness and also tried to hold down a job. When I was 5 months pregnant I moved in with Daddy. That is when I finally got the chance to soak it all in. I was happy, in love and it was all falling in place.

The whole 'motherhood' did not hit me until the morning that I gave birth to a beautiful little girl. That is when reality hit me square in the face and I fell head over heels in love with her. She was, and is, a blessing in my life. Everyday brings a new challenge, a new 'moment' where you just have to stop and say thank you!

Having two girls now is double the blessing... and double the trouble....but I wouldn't change a thing!


2. How romantic are you?

I have a favorite memory. To me it was the most romantic thing Hubby ever did. I was standing at the stove making dinner. The girls were running around the living room listening to the radio. An old country song came on and before I new what was going on Hubby had swung me around and started dancing with me. At this point he and I had been married for 2 years... AND I HAD NO IDEA HE COULD DANCE!!!! He twirled me and rocked me... and I was in love again!

3. What is your biggest dream for the future?

There are a million things that I could answer here...but the biggest would be to see my girls grow up into smart young women. The future is a scary place now...I fear for them and what they might have to face...I just pray that I will give them what they need to survive it!

4. If you could have any vacation, with cost and time not an issue,
what would it be?

Hubby and I never had a honeymoon... so I would want to take him (and the girls) to Ireland. Stay in a small cottage by the sea...and lay back and enjoy the beauty!

5. What makes you laugh out loud?

Life! Everyday I find a reason to just bust open and laugh. Usually its thanks to my girls... or my Hubby.. or a friend... Life is good, enjoy it!

Day 17 P90X

Yesterday was terrible as far as food, working out and water were concerned. Shoot, it was a terrible day period. BUT!!! I made up for it this morning. I didn't wake up and hop on the computer... I got up and did yesterdays workout and today's workout. I had a beautiful breakfast and snack... and 32 oz of water sitting in front of me.

I'm not sure what happened to me yesterday. I just wasn't motivated to do much. Worse, I ate whatever was in front of me at the time (or in arms reach). Once I started moving today, that feeling was gone. I am ready for a very long day of working outside. We have to rebuild our chicken coupe because we got CHICKS!!! 10 of them. They are Cochin chickens, which means they are friendly, loving chicks. They get to be between 9 and 11 lbs fully grown and they lay 2 eggs a week. We are getting 15 more chicks next weekend... but they will probably be Rhode Island Reds. They are better layers.. and that is why we are getting into chickens again...I refuse to pay $3.00 for a dozen eggs when not even 2 years ago they were .99 cents. So, we have agreed to give some to the rest of the family if we start getting too many... but it feels good to be self reliant! You know!

Here are some pics... the girls love them!




Today's Plan:

Cardio X -done
Shoulders & Arms - done
Ab Ripper X
walk, walk, walk

Focus: CALORIES and WATER

See you Monday!

Day 16 P90X, Poo!

I got in 7.5 miles yesterday thanks to Tang Soo Do class last night. We also worked on Staff forms, which meant swinging a 6' staff over my head and controlling it into downward blocks and attacks. My arms and back are feeling used and abused! The best thing is that I looked in the mirror before getting in the shower last night and noticed that my back has become so much flatter. There is very little 'back fat'.. compared to months ago when I had 2 or 3 rolls back there. I have a tattoo on my shoulder blade, or at least that's where it was when I first got it. As I gained weight it was moved higher up on my shoulder.... it has now settled back down to where it was meant to be! I'm telling you, little changes make the best motivation!

Today I am heading into town to go grocery shopping. I think it is funny that we live hundreds of miles away from the city yet we have no 'farmers markets'. I really wish we had one. I would love to have fresh fruits and veggies... and not have the temptation on every isle. My goal for today's shopping trip is to buy clean... in other words, nothing from the middle isles. I will stick to the outside isles that have the meat, bread, veggies and fruits. We need to focus on eating better in this house. We don't eat bad, but I would like to see us get away from spaghetti, mac n cheese (the kids eat it, I don't!), hot dogs and packaged food all together.


I was watching 'You Are What You Eat' on the BBC channel. This lady is hilarious... she even takes poo samples (and she is very honest about how they smell!). Anyway, she had the couple write down everything that they ate in one week. When she went to their house she placed all the food on their table. It was disgusting. It was mostly a mountain of french fries topped off with more fried 'stuff' and one lone peach sitting among the heap. It made me think about what I had eaten all week.... would there be a mountain of fruits and veggies on that table? Or would bread and sweets out number them? She has her own website where you can be a virtual client of hers... check it out here. One of the things that is mentioned on her website is that 57% of people fail to produce a poo everyday! Is this you?

Ok, enough dirty talk!

Today's Plan:

Cardio X
Walk, walk, walk

Focus: food, water, vitamins

See you tomorrow!

Day 15 P90X, 0 miles :)

I did it! Well, actually, I did nothing!! LOL Yesterday was an official rest day and it felt... to be honest it felt like I didn't accomplish as much as usual. I know it sounds weird, but my morning workouts get me going and I get all my housework done before lunch. Then the afternoon is spent doing stuff with the girls...and the afternoon winds down with yet another workout! Yesterday the house did not get completely clean, the laundry is still in the dryer and I did not get a good nights sleep last night. Hmmm, do you think I'm a work-out-a-holic? I do feel ready to go again today.. and that is a good thing.

Today is the start of week 3! I cant believe how fast this month is going. At the end of week 4 I will take another picture to put on the side lines... I am anxious to see the changes that P90X are doing.

0 miles yesterday... means I need to do some catch up walking! I'm not sure how, but I will think of something.

Today's Plan:

Core Synergistics
Tang Soo Do
Walk, Walk, Walk

Focus: Water, Calories

In other news:

If you have kids then you have seen the cartoon Lazy Town. I love this cartoon because it gets my kids up and moving and trying to dance along with Sportacus! I wanted to send out a big thank you to this man, who cares about getting our kids moving and eating right!!




Magnús Örn Scheving (pronounced skeev-ing) (born November 10, 1964) is a writer, producer, entrepreneur, comedian and a famous Icelandic athlete. He is best known as the creator and co-star of the children's television show LazyTown, in which he plays the superhero Sportacus.

Scheving was born in the capital Reykjavík, but grew up in the small town of Borgarnes. In 1992 he became the Icelandic Men's Individual Champion in Aerobic Gymnastics. In 1993, he became the Scandinavian champion, and was the European champion twice in 1994 and 1995. He was voted Athlete of the Year by Iceland in 1994.

He is the CEO, creator, and co-founder of LazyTown Entertainment. This company produces books, videos, games, and sporting goods to help promote fitness and a healthy lifestyle to children. He is also creator of the show LazyTown (Latibær in Iceland), where he plays Sportacus (Íþróttaálfurinn).

Day 14 P90X, 400th Post, REST DAY!

I only managed 4.5 miles yesterday. I either ate something bad yesterday or the flu has not completely left my body. I was nauseous for most of the evening.. so when it was time for me to hop on the treadmill I did not have too much energy. Funny though, I wanted to get in as many miles as I could last night.. so I RAN!! It felt great. My legs have gotten so much stronger over the past two weeks and my breathing was right on track. It was the best I've ever felt running... ever! I could have kept walking afterwards too, but Hubby was at Karate and the girls still needed bathing and put to bed. Oh well... life sometimes doesn't let you do what you want to, but sometimes you just need to go with the flow!

Today is rest day... and I need to enforce it! I need the rest, my muscles need to heal.. and I don't want to get burned out! I am interested to see what my weight is tomorrow morning. I have a feeling I'm going to drop like 5 lbs of water today!

OH.. and today is my 400th post. Good grief! The fact that I've had that much to say is a little surprising.. and the fact that it has taken me this long to figure out my body..well, that's not so surprising. I'm just glad I kept on blogging...and now it is really starting to pay off! I've made some wonderful friends and have learned some amazing things! Thank you to all my readers who have kept me motivated to keep going... you guys are the best support system ever!!

Today's Plan:

X Stretch

Focus: DON'T WORK OUT! Water, Calories and vitamins.

Day 13 P90X, CHOCOLATE!!!!

A couple of weeks ago I entered a Scavenger Hunt over at Marshy's blog to try and win a copy of DietGirls new book. I didn't win the book, but I did get runner-up! My prize arrived yesterday. A package of MallowPuffs, Arnott's Mint Slice Biscuits, a BAR of Whittaker's cashew nut chocolate and 4 CD's filled with workout music!! For reasons we all know I gave the MallowPuffs and Biscuits to the Hubby and Kids. The bar of chocolate is mine, ALL MINE, muahahahaha!! I am putting it away for a treat every now and then. (Unless I go crazy with it and then Hubby has full power to take it away!) The music came at the most perfect time! With all this walking I am listening to my IPod all the time... and the same music over and over again. Today I have all new music to 'walk' and roll to! THANK YOU MARSHY!!

I barely managed my 6 miles yesterday... the last 3 miles were slow and lacking *umph*.. but I was moving (not sitting on the couch watching TV and mindlessly eating) and that's what counts. My legs are sore today.. but I have noticed that they are slimming down. Some of my old pants are getting really loose in the thigh area... hopefully that will happen soon in the waist area!

I have been drinking Slim Fast for my breakfast lately... something I found out last night is not a good things when you are lactose intolerant! Doh! **sigh** now I have to find something else that is quick and easy and yummy to drink in the morning. (and is a meal replacement) Sometimes trying to eat healthy is a pain in the butt...no wonder we ended up eating what we did, it was easy to!

Today's Plan:

Kenpo X
walk, walk, walk

Focus: Water, Calories

Its time for spring cleaning...and that should burn about 5,000 calories!! LOL