HAL wants ABS

How it all shook down....

Sun, 01 Jul 2012 09:23:26 -0400

O.k so the 90 day challenge really ended for me around day 74. Two things contributed to this 1) my internet was down for 3 days (and it is a pain to blog from my phone-and then I just got lazy) and 2) I re-injured my shoulder (bad enough that it required an ER visit and 6 intravenous doses of morphine to manage).

So here is where I ended up:

I have not been remeasured but I can tell you my pants are sliding down and baggy in the hiney. I have lost 7 pounds (I only count weight loss if I weigh the same thing for over week and the scale has stayed on the number). I have not been this weight since before my second child. I do not have abs-my midsection continues to be a problem area for me…I did run a 5k woo-hoo and hope to continue with running (in small doses) in my workout. I need to work on the water intake still (although between the juicing and green tea I do think I achieve my fluid intake requirements-it’s just not straight water…). I have cut my coffee intake to 2 cups a day (I thought that would be hard but it wasn’t).

Things I have learned: 1) a calorie is not a calorie-I don’t care what they say. A nutritionally dense calorie (like from the fresh juices I make with the juicer or the smoothies with the vitamix) makes a difference in your health and appearance…so while I do believe you should keep track of calories (and myfitnesspal app was a HUGE help with this), eat fresh and don’t obsess! 2) Crossfit rocks! It was so helpful to workout (HARD!) in a group setting that was supportive and really (REALLY!) pushed me to my limits. Having several friends in the crossfit program/blogging helped as well. I loved reading/watching what they were eating and doing out of crossfit to achieve their goals.

So I will continue my pursuit of abs while I rehabilitate my shoulder (no upper body workouts allowed for now) through diet (which I believe plays more of a role than exercise for this one part of your body) and lower body workouts.

My favorite summer salad, watermelon feta

Tue, 05 Jun 2012 05:59:40 -0400

My favorite summer salad, watermelon feta

For some reason no results pic but my time was 15:18. My ball...

Tue, 05 Jun 2012 05:55:31 -0400

For some reason no results pic but my time was 15:18. My ball and weights were too light because so many people there this am. Now I know to grab my set up early…

Photo

Tue, 05 Jun 2012 05:53:05 -0400

Chicken lettuce wraps (another WS sauce) not bad Nutritionally...

Tue, 05 Jun 2012 05:52:30 -0400

Chicken lettuce wraps (another WS sauce) not bad Nutritionally but the sodium is a little higher than I would like (25%?)

Breakfast

Tue, 05 Jun 2012 05:49:44 -0400

Breakfast

B4 Whitten WOD

Tue, 05 Jun 2012 05:48:58 -0400

B4 Whitten WOD

Because I don’t have a CF notebook I keep my results here

Tue, 05 Jun 2012 05:48:13 -0400

Because I don’t have a CF notebook I keep my results here

Love Hero WODs

Tue, 05 Jun 2012 05:47:04 -0400

Love Hero WODs

Made sloppy joes with ground turkey. Used rainbow slaw mix for...

Tue, 05 Jun 2012 05:46:08 -0400

Made sloppy joes with ground turkey. Used rainbow slaw mix for the coleslaw. Nutritional info on myfitnesspal

justeatyourveggies: Slimtastic Smoothies: 20 nutritious and...

Mon, 04 Jun 2012 16:39:02 -0400

justeatyourveggies:

Slimtastic Smoothies: 20 nutritious and delicious smoothie recipes

Banana: Blend 2 bananas with 1/2 cup fat-free Greek yogurt, 1/2 cup skim milk, 2 teaspoons honey, 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1 cup ice.

Strawberry Shortcake: blend cups strawberries, 1 cup crumbled pound cake, 1-1/2 cups skim milk, 1-1/2 cups ice, and splenda or stevia no calorie sweetener to taste.

Raspberry Orange:Blend 1 cup orange juice, 1 cup raspberries, 1/2 cup plain yogurt, 1 cup of ice and splenda or stevia no calorie sweetener to taste.

Honeydew-Almond: Blend 2 cups chopped honeydew melon, 1 cup almond milk, 1 cup ice, and honey to taste.

Strawberry-Kiwi: Blend 1 cup strawberries, 2 peeled kiwis, 2 tablespoons sugar and 2 cups ice.

Cherry-Vanilla: Blend 1 1/2 cups frozen pitted cherries, 1 1/4 cups milk, 3 tablespoons sugar, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1/4 teaspoon almond extract, a pinch of salt and 1 cup ice.

Grape: Blend 2 cups seedless red grapes with 1 cup concord grape juice and 1 1/2 cups ice.

Blueberry-Banana: Blend 1 banana, 1 cup blueberries, 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk, 1 tablespoon each honey and lime juice, 1/4 teaspoon almond extract and 1 cup ice.

Creamsicle: Blend 3/4 cup frozen orange or orange-tangerine concentrate with 1/2 cup cold water and 1 cup each vanilla ice cream and ice.

Spiced Pumpkin: Blend 1/2 cup each pumpkin puree and silken tofu, 3 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 cup milk, 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, a pinch of salt and 1 cup ice.

Black Raspberry–Vanilla: Blend 1 pint blackberries, 1/2 cup raspberries, 1 cup vanilla yogurt and 1 tablespoon honey.

Banana PB&J: Blend 1 frozen banana with 1 cup soy milk, 1/4 cup each creamy peanut butter and wheat germ, and 2 tablespoons seedless strawberry or raspberry jelly.

Vietnamese Coffee: Blend 1/2 cup chilled espresso or strong coffee, 1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk and 1 1/2 cups ice. Top with chocolate shavings and/or chocolate syrup.

Pineapple-Mango: Blend 1 cup each chopped pineapple and mango, 1 cup coconut water, a dash of ground allspice and 1 cup ice. Sprinkle with toasted coconut.

Chocolate-Banana: Blend 1 banana, 1 cup chocolate ice cream, 1/2 cup milk, a pinch of salt and 1/2 cup ice.

Peanut Butter–Apple: Blend 1 chopped peeled apple, 3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter, 2 tablespoons flax seeds, 1 1/2 cups each soy milk and ice, and honey to taste.

Veggie: Blend 1 1/4 cups tomato juice, 1/4 cup carrot juice, 1/2 peeled cucumber, 1/2 celery stalk, 1/4 cup each parsley and spinach, and 1/2 cup ice.

Lemon–Poppy Seed: Blend 2 teaspoons poppy seeds, the zest and juice of 1/2 lemon, 1 cup plain yogurt, 1/3 cup sugar and 1/2 cup each milk and ice.

Strawberry-Maple: Blend 2 cups strawberries, 1 1/2 cups milk, 1/4 cup each maple syrup and wheat germ, a dash of ground cinnamon and 1 1/2 cups ice.

Apple-Spinach: Blend 2 cups spinach, 1 chopped peeled apple, 1/2 cup silken tofu, 1/4 cup each soy milk and orange juice, 1 tablespoon each wheat germ, honey and lemon juice, and 1 cup ice.

Find more here…

Day 60...where I originally planned on checking out

Wed, 30 May 2012 21:50:21 -0400

When this 90 day challenge business began, I thought I would not do it because I felt that I really only had 60 days to commit to it. As you can see from me recent lack of posts I started to struggle in the late 40’s, and on, to blog daily (although I have been faithful about tracking my calories-I have only missed 2 of 60 days). But I thought to myself “better to commit to 90 days and even if I can only see 60 days through I will be better for it”…and I was right. So today, day 60, I have nice shapely arms and legs and I have lost 5 pounds (yes my counter says 7, but remember I started 2 lbs heavier than usual). I have been working out 3-4 times a week, I have run a 5K and I have been tracking my calories daily. Unfortunately I do not have abs…but I have not given up. The month of June is crazy busy for me, but I will squeeze in every last gym day I can (usually I take June-August off from working out). I will continue to monitor my calories (although with summer time the cocktail factor weighs in, which I find directly ties to the bloat factor).

Here is what I know…you can achieve anything you want, if you are willing to do the necessary work. I am just not sure I am committed enough to having abs that I am willing to make the needed sacrifices to have them (no drinking, no sugar, no carbs, etc..). But darn it I still want them! Remember you can always see exactly what I am eating on myfitnesspal.com link and I am open to your suggestions ~HAL

Photo

Wed, 30 May 2012 21:29:17 -0400

WS chicken fricassee with brown rice and brussel sprouts

Wed, 30 May 2012 21:26:46 -0400

WS chicken fricassee with brown rice and brussel sprouts

Lunch on Tuesday at Lulu’s in Bellaire. Warm Brie salad.

Wed, 30 May 2012 21:25:18 -0400

Lunch on Tuesday at Lulu’s in Bellaire. Warm Brie salad.

(for breakfast) Vitamix smoothies: bananas, mango, pineapple,...

Sat, 26 May 2012 08:56:57 -0400

(for breakfast) Vitamix smoothies: bananas, mango, pineapple, coconut milk and chia seeds.

MyFitnessPal...Food and exercise journal-if you are wondering EXACTLY what I am eating

Thu, 24 May 2012 17:08:28 -0400

MyFitnessPal...Food and exercise journal-if you are wondering EXACTLY what I am eating

I was a bit slow today :(

Thu, 24 May 2012 17:07:47 -0400

I was a bit slow today :(

HARD!

Thu, 24 May 2012 17:06:33 -0400

HARD!

My arms are still sore from Tues and Wed

Thu, 24 May 2012 17:05:53 -0400

My arms are still sore from Tues and Wed