1. Day 2 of p90x was plyometrics- although my quads and hamstrings hate me today, I would do that workout any day over chest and back. I finally got my book back from a friend who was borrowing it, and after looking over the schedules, I think I may do the Lean option vs. the classic. Anyone with p90x experience have thoughts on the difference between the 2?
2. I'm debating on running this on 4th of July since I will be in town.... will be my very FIRST 10k Race
I'm kind of nervous because I don't know how to 'race' this distance, despite all the half marathons I've completed. Back in November my Turkey Trot 5 miler race was MISERABLE due to not pacing properly and going out too fast. Is there a proper way to even race a 10k??
3. Today we're celebrating 4th of July at work since many people will not be in tomorrow (I am not one of those people) Each team had to dress up in either Red, White, or Blue. Of course I'm on the team that gets to wear white....
Some people didn't follow directions... ahem B
Her excuse was she had a white under shirt on... where is your spirit?!?!
Anyone have any exciting 4th of July plans? Any races??
I finally did it! I officially began the first day of p90x!!!! (seriously I've had it since Easter, so this is finally a step in the right direction)
For those who are unaware of the layout of the program, the first day is back and chest, (aka pull up and push up hell) so I've been procrastinating getting a pull up bar because I have ZERO upper body strength. I put together and set up the bar last night, as well as mentally prepared myself by watching the workout in advance so I could see what I was in store for.
On a scale of 1-10, my confidence rose from a 0 to a 5 when they showed how you could use a chair to do a modified pull up / chin up!!
Heres my sweet set up for my pull up bar and chair combo... I practiced a bit last night and this morning so I'd be ready... (can you really ever be ready??)
So I wouldn't say that I was completely awful- definitely not good. My problem is I don't know if I'm doing a lot of the exercises properly... I mean the diver bomb push ups... I don't even know if one of mine are right. If you want some entertainment, watching me do these will surely make you feel better about your own abilities.
I'm proud to say I completed it- there were some modifications I needed to do for the push ups, and I had to stop my second round of decline push ups, but other than that, I'm not too sore (i might be singing a different tune tomorrow)
So I decided to take my 'before photos' so I can track every 30 days.
These first 2 are taken last week before my cleanse- I could tell I was bloated, but I had no idea until looking at todays photos.
So again these 2 photos are before the cleanse. And the rest were taken today, 6 days into cleansing and eating clean (zero dairy, sugar, and carbs outside of fruit)- I don't want skewed results, so I'm not flexing in any of the photos because I want to see how my muscles just naturally look
Now you can slowly see my abs without even flexing- hopefully they'll fullly come out of hibernation soon!
I love it when my butt hangs out....
My camera started fogging up so the rest are a little blurry because its my phone... might redo these tomorrow
Because you know... I always stand like this
I wish I could say its muscle, but my shoulder blades always have stuck out
So there you have my before p90x, and 30 days in I'll do an updated photo shoot- hopefully less but will be hanging out at that point.
So I know quite a few people are doing it, anyone else have great results with p90x?
So last week I had a post[HERE] about what food I bought while starting my cleanse. Randomly enough, no one commented directly on my blog, but I did get a surprising amount of responses via email and facebook, so I figured I would answer a lot of the similar questions I received.
How much did I spend?
Everything cost about a little over $60, however I want to preface this. I had a gift card I received from work to Whole Foods, so that is where I shopped. Everything in there is organic and was local, thus a higher price. After the gift card I only spent $37, so it was a good deal. You don't need to buy all organic, just certain items.
What items would you recommend buying organic?
This isn't something that I made up- but its called the "Dirty Dozen" because they have the highest pesticide loads. What this means is that if you are wanting to be healthy but can only afford to buy limited things organic- these are what you need to purchase (hence why I put in red to make you STOP before purchasing- cheesy I know) Something to look out for as well, is it JUST organic, or was in grown in a greenhouse- greenhouse = less chance of pesticides were if its just organic you can still have the chance of some getting carried in the rain.* and mom if you're reading this, my bell peppers are green house* In no certain order:
peaches
apples
bell peppers
celery
nectarines
strawberries
cherries
kale
lettuce
imported grapes
carrots
pears.
On the opposite side of the spectrum there are foods that are deemed the Clean 15 because these are the 15 least contaminated foods- perfect when you can't afford to buy organic- Here's the 'green light'
Onions
sweet corn
asparagus
sweet peas
cabbage
egglplant
broccoli
tomatoes
sweet potatoes
avocadoes
pineapples
mangoes
kiwi
papayas
watermelon
grapefruit
How long does the food last?
Depends on the food- Here's what I bought again- highlight in pinkish means I won't do again
3 red bell peppers (finished the first 2, onto the 3rd- if you don't eat them that often, I recommend getting a plastic pepper saver, thats what i do and it preserves the freshness and makes them last longer once you've cut them open.
onions- long shelf live, i do put them in a container once their cut open to preserve
rosemary- typically only lasts one week for me and then it dries out and loses its potency (for me)
broccoli- surprisingly it hasn't gone bad- i only use the heads, so I'm almost out. If you just like the floret part, I recommend saving money and buying the 'crown' as they are cheaper than having the whole stalk.
black berries- out of all the berries these will last the longest- i finished up the last batch today and there was only 2 bad ones
raspberries- honestly... i wouldn't waste your money on these. everytime I buy them it lasts about 1 day before it gets mushy and starts getting moldy. Very disappointed.
black berries- lasted a few days- a handful started to turn white, but unlike the raspberries, I was able to finish the container
peaches- still going strong as long as they don't bruise
pickling cucumbers- AWFUL. I don't know what is different from a regular vs 'pickling'- i just bought them bc they were smaller. After 2 days they got real soft and toooo watery. I will not buy again and stick to regular cucumbers.
garlic, black garlic, hummus, and dressing all keep until you are done (or if you wait a really long time, then yes they will go bad)
cage free eggs- almost done with them, good till expiration date
Spinach / spring mix- I normally buy just plain spinach and decided to mix it up. I find that spring mix gets mushy sooner than spinach, so I will just buy all spinach next time bc it lasts longer.
Now as far as where to go- you have to hunt down the deals. If anyone reading this has an Aldi near them- I highly recommend them for the non organic items- especially cheap cucumbers , broccoli, onions, and asparagus. If you don't then just compare prices. The best thing I can suggest is memorize the Dirty Dozen and Clean 15 list.
If ya'll have any other questions, please feel free to ask. Happy shopping and eating!
Today starts the 1st day of my 24 day challenge. In addition to taking the supplements- I will be cutting out:
alcohol (with the exception of my Louisville ladies are invading Nashville for a bachelorette party July 8-10 and since its past the first 10 days, I should be clear of the cleansing)
dairy (already know I can do this via lent)
Processed sugar, fruit doesn't count
Fried foods
Last night I decided to go to Whole foods to stock up for a few days:
What you see and why: (i've listed some highlights- there are much more benefits to these foods than what I list, but i'm doing the reason I like them )
** so I don't have to repeat it for each berry- I tell all my clients that Berries are a triple threat because they are:
Highest in antioxidants of all fruits (think ANTI-cancer here)
Most amount of fiber
Lowest on glycemic index (i.e. lowest in sugar)
3 red bell peppers- 1 of these is about 3x more vitamin C than oranges (and without the sugar)- high source of carotene and lycopene- I either add to salads, or cut into strips and dip in hummus
2 Red onions- high in chromium and B6 which helps improve cardiovascular health, known for reducing inflammation, and helps lower your blood sugar glucose level. - I generally chop them up and add to salads
Rosemary- we all know the calming effects, however it also has anti-cancer and anti-tumor properties due to high antioxidant levels- I use it to season meats and pasta dishes.
3 heads of broccoli- great source of calcium, vitamin c, iron, and folic acid. I would also like to point out that vitamin c helps your body absorb MORE iron, so on paper it looks like spinach is higher in iron, but you actually get more iron from broccoli. (as a side note, spinach does contain oxalic acid, which inhibits your body's absorption of iron, sooooooo Popeye had it all wrong... can you tell I LOVE nutrition hehe)
Blackberries-extremely HIGH in antioxidants- mainly anthocyanins. and polyphenols. Most are familiar with polyphenols, however I get a lot of ?s about anthocyanins- lot of benefits, but mainly great for your retinas, reduce inflammation, great for digestive health, and for those who know loved ones with cancer, it helps reduce tumor growth! - I do a little in morning w/ breakfast, and a dessert after meals.
Blueberries- helps improve memory, prevents constipation, promotes urinary tract health, reduces belly fat, helps vision.- I do a little in morning w/ breakfast, and a dessert after meals.
Asparagus- helps body excrete excess salts (and makes your pee smell WONDERFUL), good source of fiber, folate, vitamins A, C, E and K, as well as chromium, a trace mineral that enhances the ability of insulin to transport glucose from the bloodstream into cells. Also high in glutathione, which helps break down different carcinogens in your body and free radicals! - I either eat raw with hummus, or lightly sautee with garlic, olive oil, and pepper.
5 peaches- Good source of carotene, lycopene, potassium (without the high sugar of bananas), lutein, and flavonoids. I generally don't eat peaches bc I normally stick to berries, but I figured it would be a great snack on a hot summer day.
Raspberries- high in ellagic acid, B vitamins (mainly riboflavin, niacin, folate), magnesium, potassium, and copper. Bad side of raspberries is they get smooshed so easily. Like blueberries and blackberries, I add them to bfast or when I want something sweet.
5 Pickling cucumbers- high in silica (helps promote strength of our connective tissue), good source of A, C, folic acid, and fiber. I cut them up and dip with hummus
Black garlic- to be honest I'm still learning about black garlic- the grocer asked me why I was buying all the produce and I told him I was doing a cleanse and since I'm a nutritionist I was trying to buy an array of items to get different nutrients. He gave me a free bag to test out and get back with him on what I think--- review to come later
Cage Free Eggs- quick easy source of a COMPLETE protein. Most people cut out the yolk for the fat, HOWEVER the yolk still contains some of the protein, all the vitamin D and the choline- there are very few foods you get choline from, and considering it helps regulate the brain, nervous system, and cardiovascular system, make sure you DON'T ONLY eat the Egg whites, you're cutting out the reason why its so good for you. Generally I eat for bfast or hardboil and add to lunch
2 different types of dressings- balsamic and roasted garlic- both were vinagrettes and low in cal and fat. Obviously this i use for my salad
Garlic- anit-fungal and anti-microbial. Have to use in moderation though because too much can cause irritation to your digestive tract
Hummus- contains olive oil (EFAS or omegas), chickpeas (little bit of protein) and tahini- (bvitamins, calcium, vitamin E, EFAS) plus its tasty and low cal. I bought roasted garlic and roasted red pepper to have for veggie dip
Spinach & Spring mix- vitamin k, calcium, iron, anti-inflammatory, nutrient dense food (as a side note, Kale is the #1 most nutrient dense food, but its too bitter for salads for me, so I bypassed it and will later get it and add to smoothies) This is use as my salad base.
So there you have it, a quick nutrition breakdown from yours truly. Now whats in store for todays meal
Breakfast was 3 eggs- I did 2 egg whites and 1 whole egg- didn't satisfy me as much so tomorrow I will switch to 2 eggs + 1 egg white. I also had a handful of blueberries.
For my snacks and lunch at work I have the following:
Sauteed chicken with garlic and rosemary, cut up asparagus + cucumbers to dip in hummus, mixture of blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries, cut up bell pepers, onions, and broccoli to add to the salad mix. I also Have one of the protein meal replacement shakes that I will do for a snack as well.
Happy eating everyone!!
** As you can see from above list of whats in foods- I have a HUGE passion for knowing whats in foods and why its healthy for you. If you have any questions or are wanting to know more about a particular type of food, I'd be happy to help in anyway I can **
Monday I signed a lease for an apartment with one of my current housemates Adam. With that came a huge weight lifted off my shoulders- no more drama, no more getting woke up at 4am when people come home drunk, and no more watching every word I say to make sure it can be twisted and used against me!!
I picked up the apartment keys last night and am slowly moving in all week with the big move this saturday. Cheesy as this sounds, this new start has also jump started my motivation for getting back on track with my running and fitness!
I was going stir crazy not having another half marathon planned till August 14- the Rock n Roll Chicago, so after my mom asked if I wanted to do something with her for my birthday, July 16, I started searching for potential destinations to get a race. After searching around on Half Marathon Guide, my go-to for finding almost all my races, I found one that works perfectly! Presque Isle 1/2 in Erie, Pa. The website is not exciting, but the course map looks like there will be majority of the race running along water which means less humidity. Pennsylvania is a state that B has and I don't, so its great that I can get this out of the way and we can get closer to having the same amount done (she has Nevada completed and I have Indiana)
In light of having a race actually scheduled in July I decided to get back on a more regular routine with running / working out. I went to the gym after work, did weights for 30 min (haven't done that in over 2 months) and did a fast 2 miles on the TM in 15:23!
I believe on Monday I will be starting up p90x. My lovely co-worker Ronnie found a pull up bar for $6 and grabbed it for me, so now I have everything I need--- as an added bonus, the roommie Adam does p90x so I we can be eachother's accountability partners (which I'll need when I can barely move)
Lastly tomorrow I'm starting the 24 day challenge...
I had one of my City of Fort Lauderdale members do this and have great results in terms of lowering BF%, losing weight, and having a ton of energy.When we had our first conversation together, he asked if I would be willing to check out all the ingredients to make sure everything was safe and if there was anything to be cautious about. Everything checked out and I gave him the green light. To be honest I forgot about him and his success until the other day on facebook one of my co-workers had posted his before and after photos of doing the same thing. After already knowing about r it I figured I'd give it a whirl to shed the excess "beer happy" weight haha.
In all seriousness, my body is fine and I'm happy with how everything is 'put together', but in order to get faster, I would like to be a little more lean and I'm willing to see if this helps. I will post progress when I'm complete!
Do you all do anything to get a little edge or jump start on your weight loss or fitness journey??
I went on a run Friday night, and although it was nice to get out and do a little over 4 miles- it was hard because I was sans my Nathan Hydration belt , my ipod shuffle (used my phone instead), and my spi belt. I was in a time crunch to beat the darkness falling, so I was unable to look for the above said items.
Needless to say I was desperately thirsty, sweating profusely (keep a bandana in my spi belt), and annoyed because I don't have a play list on my phone for workout songs, which translates to having too many UNmotivating songs during my run.
Woke up today and told myself I would go for a run so my 'lazy sunday' didn't feel so lazy. I decided to devote a little time to trying to find any of these items and after 30 minutes failed majorly...
Why you may ask??
Because I just LOVE to move every 2 months and I'm in the process of moving in a week and my room is a disaster zone
I slightly made my bed just for the photo haha
I'm disgusted with how I don't know where so many things are, and how there is zero organization to my mess- who knows what else may potentially be 'missing' until I need it. I put the photos up so that I would be motivated to make headway on it for my day off monday.
As for the run- still sucked it up, waterless, sweat ragless, and using my phone on my arm for music. It got so hot today that I had to stop at 1.5 mile mark to walk for a few minutes so my sweating could calm down. In the end I decided it was best just to turn around a make it slightly over a 3 mile run.
I can't use weather as an excuse to NOT run- I live in Tennessee- it gets hot and humid here. I need to adapt better so when I do travel for races, I have an advantage.
How do ya'll deal with heat when running?!?!
Do you go indoors? Wake up early? (running at night is still just as hot so that doesn't work here)
Everything happened yesterday, only had time to write it today.
1. One of the great benefits of living in Nashville, is that Dave Ramsey lives here and his Financial Peace University is taught about 1 mile down the road from where I work. I just so happen to work at the headquarters branch of my company, so we're well known in the Franklin / Nashville area, so Dave offered our employees the opportunity to do his Financial Peace course online... for FREE! Its a 12 week course and I just finished the 4th week- Dumping Debt where it talks about getting rid of items that cause debt (aka credit cards)
Yesterday I decided to cut one up- so liberating!
That's Rick my facilitator- hes easy on the eyes
The other two random things dont' necessarily have to do with me, but I wanted to share since I'm indirectly affected: When it comes to friends, I generally get along with everybody, however there are very few (i'm talking I can count on 1 hand) that I'm super close to and trust with all my secrets. Right now in my life there are only 3 people who know pretty much everything about me:
RJ
Grew up together, up until this past fall, has been chasing me to date him since age 14, both live in Nashville now.
Jenna
Met shortly after college, worked together, lived with eachother for a few years- literally been to hell and back with one another.
Stephen
Upon moving to Nashville- first real friend I made. (aside from RJ being here) He is my go to about all my problems, and always willing to dish out advice and drown sorrows in a good beer.
so they mean the world to me and I share in their joys / sorrows and they do the same for me.
2.) 2 weeks ago I found out via facebook (not even a phone call) that RJ proposed to his gf of 8 months. I get a text yesterday from him asking my new address to send a wedding invite because they're already planning everything (that was FAST)
3.) May 21 I went to Jenna's baby shower and she informed me she decided to just get married the following week at the court house before her fiance (now husband) leaves for Marines- so in 3 weeks time not only did she get married, but yesterday she had an emergency c section (not due till July 12) and she had a baby boy.
If you're still actually reading this post you may think- "whats your point?"
My point is that I can deal with seeing every day on facebook that one of 'my friends' is engaged, recently married, or had a baby.... its a whole different story when its the ones that mean the most to you in life. I can't help but feel a little 'inadequate' because I'm nowhere near starting that "next chapter".
I actually changed my status yesterday morning to something of the effect of "feeling a little behind in this thing called life..."
I realized it may sound borderline depressed, so I deleted it, but my brother saw it in time to write on my wall...
You've accomlished SOOOOOOO much in life and done things many people haven't even dreamed. Keep your chin up and big smile
I realized he's right, I've had some awesome experiences in the last 5 years. While others have been settling down, I've been "finding myself" and having fun. Everyone always wants what they don't have, thats just human nature- since I don't have the stability of starting a family... or having anyone to start a family with, I yearn for it at times. Running fills that void for me most times, and since my running has been slacking I get to experience the side effects.
Today marks a new day- no more pity party for Lisa.
Remind myself - Good things come to those who wait .... I have GREAT things coming my way :)
Lately all my travels have involved venturing to a race to check another state off my list. I finally took a mini vacay sans my running shoes this past week to Bonnaroo Music Festival to camp out, listen to music, and make some memories for 5 days.
Since I haven't ran in over a week, I have nothing to report, so you can hear about my last week.
If you've not yet experienced an outdoor multiple day music festival expect the following things:
Outdoors all day, no shade, forgetting to consistently reapply sunscreen = sunburn (my lips got real bad and swelled up and are now in their peeling stage- gross)
eating very little- at the campsite i had pringles, pb & j sandwiches, cookies, pineapple, water and beer... seriously that was it. In the concert grounds I mainly had bratwurst, lemonade, beer, water.
wearing a bathing suit 24/7 as your bra and or shirt and underwear.
DUST everywhere- got so bad the last day, I looked like a bandit.
Not showering- you get very creative with what to do with you hair.... we did braids.
along with no showers, baby wipes become your best friend- wiping off the dust, cleaning dirt under finger nails, looking civilized.
20 hour days- sun wakes you up at 5:30am, 7am if you're lucky. Get back to campsite and in bed ranging from 2-4am.
Lots of drugs available. No I didn't use any, but you can turn to the person next to you and basically get whatever it is you want, or just make a sign and someone else will come to you...
side note- i found this on the ground... I just used it as a prop for this photo.
CROWDS of people... EVERYWHERE. 80,000 this time around
music music music galore! if you honestly love good music, you will have a blast. 3 of my favorite performances... of course there were more, but these were my top
Arcade Fire- put on an amazing energetic show
Mumford and Sons- one of my fave bands going into the festival so I was stoked to be able to see them
Kopecky Family Band- new find. Luckily they live in Nashville. Had the opportunity to speak with them after the show and got a heads up when they play next at one of our local bars. Nice folks!!!
The opportunity to see famous people! We got to speak with Zach Braff and my friend Ash got her individual photo with him. Our group photo hasn't been posted yet by the girl who took it, so this will have to do...
Ashley and Zach
Everyone is friendly (depending on the type of music festival, this one was mainly hippies, so peace and love) made some random friends along the way...
Kenny was from Canada and one of the concert photographers. He joined us for Mumford and Sons
Jen (next to me) is also from Canada- her friends ditched her so she joined us and offered up her vodka and pot to watch Arcade Fire
Don't remember where the guys were from, but they gave us necklaces, water, and drums!
naked painted bodies- no I didn't take any photos.
tons of artistic vendors- bought some glasses, earrings, and a ring
depending on who you go with, will depend on your experience. This year I went with a great group of ladies and I had way more fun as opposed to the following year. All in all, had a blast.
watching Band of Skulls w/ the ladies- the blurry is actually dust
Watching She is We- me, Danah, Katie, Ashley
Getting ready to enter into Bonnaroo
outside our campground. Me, Danah, Katie, Ashley
cleaned up a little bit and ready to head back out for round 2 on 1st day
It's getting HOT! Watching Matt and Kim (great show)
Lately my blog has been race reports from the weekend, with maybe one post in between the reports. Since I have no races scheduled (yet) till August, I PROMISE to be better about posting.
1. Thanks for everyone's kind words on my MIA post about making changes- in the end I need to focus on ME!
2. I did indeed find a new place to move and will hopefully be in my new digs by July 1- super excited because they have 2 pools- one of my favorite warm weather past time = a pool + book or good conversation + adult beverage... so much so, I noticed a pattern with some of my photos (in order of recent to oldest)
Drinks in hot tub at resort in Disney World
B and I getting ready to head to pool in Disney World
Cabrewing last summer in Louisville
Laying out in parents pool last 4th of July
drinks @ pool in Costa Rica 2 years ago
Cheers from Costa Rica
Cabrewing 3 years ago
3. I finally hit 300 miles the other day for the entire year. Its crazy to me how January I ran 105 miles alone, and then February and March I was out of commission (except races) due to injury. I'm FAR from my goal to run 1000 miles in 2011, but I think I can get there if I just get my butt in gear and go to the gym when its too hot to run outside.
4. Tomorrow is my last day of work for the week- I love 3 day weeks- because I'm leaving for Bonnaroo Music Fest tomorrow evening, and won't be back till Monday morning. Nothing like little showering, blazing heat, good bands, scarce food, drugs everywhere (i don't use, promise), hippies, etc. I went last year and decided to go this year only because there were no other summer concerts I could attend- Excited to see Mumford and Sons, Black Keys, Girl Talk (my go to running music), Florence and the Machine, Arcade Fire, Eminem etc. Here are some photos from last year...
The infamous Arch into one of Bonnaroo's entrance
Me and Tiffany, one of my campmates (I promise my stomach is better this year)
This year I'll take much more exciting photos. I won't have blog access for a week, so everyone enjoy themselves and I look forward to catching up later on monday!
