Sunday, August 24, 2014

{Girlytech reviews} 21 Day Fix

Starting: 164 lbs, 185.5 inches, 39% fat.

Ending: 158.6 lbs, 176.5 inches, 37.9% fat.

I lost a lot from my chest unfortunately,  but also a bit from everywhere else too. John has commented on the fact that my backside seems higher and tighter - never a bad thing. My mindset on food has definitely changed as well. Will I be able to maintain this? I don't know. I had absolutely zero support start to finish, so it was very hard to stick to it, and as you know I didn't always. If I could actually get DH on board I would absolutely do it again. As time went on the food definitely got better as I started experimenting with flavors and types of food.

The workouts are something I plan on keeping up with. They're not horrible, and I can see results. This is where the biggest difference came from for sure. I already ate fairly well and less than this plan had me do, but workouts were few and far between. I think this is a sustainable plan as when I get stronger I'll be able to use more weight, less modifications,  etc.

Well, I'm sort of body conscious (read a lot) but I'm going to share these anyway....close my eyes and take solace in the fact that pretty much no one reads this.

As numbers indicate,  I didn't lose a whole lot. But hey, five pounds is five pounds and nine inches is nothing to scoff at. I'm going to let myself go a little tomorrow and then reign it in still. I still have 13.6 lbs to go, but I think this fix got me on the right track to getting there. Would it be worth it for someone to buy? Maybe. One thing I struggled with was the measuring, the containers seem like they'd fit food a lot better than a cup. I did see results,  but mostly from the 3 day fix portion. I would highly recommend this plan to someone who eats a lot of processed food, has trouble with overeating, or has a significant amount of weight to lose.

Friday, August 22, 2014

{Girlytech on} having a two year old

Yesterday, August 22nd, 2014, my little turned two. Two! I can hardly believe it. It feels like just yesterday I was running to the hospital from my doctor's appointment in a panic to get induced. Yet, that was also a life time ago. I can barely remember that life without my sweet son in it. I pondered a lot after I got pregnant and then we both lost our jobs whether it was all worth it. I can answer now fairly certainly that yes, yes it was. It is. We struggle without that extra money, sure. But the money doesn't matter when you have a little boy crawl into your lap and wrap his arm around your neck. The only thing that has been a struggle has been our marriage. With the increased financial burden, the loss of ... certain marital activities, and the diminishing freedom that comes with having a child, the increase of strife and tension has also gone up dramatically. Especially since John, while now being Oliver's friend, still has a long way to go to parenthood.

I watched a video the other day about the taboos of parenthood, and a lot of it rang true. I figured I'd take a second to comment on those as well.

Taboo 1: You can't talk about how you didn't love your child from the very first moment.

I have to agree that this isn't the case. I didn't feel that oh my goodness love until several months later. I felt attachment and protection to him, absolutely, but I think I do fall more and more in love with Oliver every day. I hear people say all the time how they loved their child before they were born, or got smacked over the head with a bucket of overwhelming love. That just wasn't the case for me, it took me a while to get to know him in order to feel that love. And for John, I don't even think he's there even yet, affection yes, but not love.

Taboo 2: You can't talk about how lonely being a parent can be.

I know a lot of people whose relatives either offer to come stay with the new mom, or are there to help them out. This taboo isn't really for these people, but for those of us who didn't have that happen. I felt not only abandoned by community and family, but also didn't have a spouse who was willing to help. So here I was, with this teeny tiny baby, all by myself. This loneliness was amplified when I had to go back to work when Oliver was only four weeks old. No one does this. Most day care providers refuse to take a child under six weeks. It wasn't until this point that I really realized how separate from my family I am. I know that my parents ( grandparents whatever you want to call them) are there for me if shit hits the fan, but that's kind of it. I don't get invited to family vacations like my sisters do, I don't get invited to dinner or to have coffee. Oliver doesn't get invited to go and hang out with his family, no one volunteers to watch him, with the exception of one of my sisters a few times when he was sub a year old. I saw all these coworkers whose parents watched their kids during the day as they were retired, or a SAHM sister, etc. and I just didn't/don't have any of that. In addition, I didn't/don't have a spouse who is a parent. I am the one getting up with Oliver, I am the one changing the diapers, making his food, bathing him, reading to him, putting him to bed. It is still incredibly isolating and lonely. I just expected family to step up, I expected John to step up. Now that they haven't, I'm kind of over the day to day of it, but this doesn't reduce the loneliness.

Taboo 3: You can't talk about your miscarriage.

Luckily, I don't have any experience with this. I know that it happens a lot, 20% of the time. I have heard a lot of stories of people's miscarriages personally, so I'm not sure that this is accurate within my social construct. I think a lot of that probably has to do with a more generational thing.

Taboo 4: You can't say that your average happiness has declined since having a child.

I think that most people do though, yeah? Again this might be a generational or social group thing as well. I feel like most people and parents I encounter know and understand that being a parent is hard, it is work. It is a labor of love, that instead of earning you money costs you money, and in exuberant amounts. With just the child care costs from two months we could take a Jamaican vacation. And I have cheap child care compared to a lot of people. Now add on food, clothing, diapers, wipes, etc. etc. and you've got a black hole in your bank account. Sure, happiness isn't just related to money, but that is a huge part of it. The strain of being a mother alone in the world also definitely decreases overall happiness. However, as the video stated overall happiness is just a piece of the puzzle. Because my joy level? My highest highs? Out of this world, and like nothing someone without a child can understand. That break your heart make you cry happiness that comes from just the smallest of gestures. A giggle, a stroke of your hair, a new word or sentence. I cannot even imagine the joy of him writing his name for the first time, or riding a bike, or going to school. He is still so small and yet has brought me insurmountable happy moments.

My Oliver is laid back, he's easy going, and he's smart and curious and fun. He really is everything I imagined having a kid would be. Sure, he's puke all over everything at 2 am too, but if that's the price to pay, I'm gladly paying it. While I want him to have siblings, I'm personally hesitant due to not wanting a more difficult child. That's kind of selfish, but hey. Also, we wouldn't do that unless our financial situation changes dramatically, so for the foreseeable future our lovely Ol is an only child. Stubborn and hesitant to share, but ours all the same. I wouldn't have it any other way.

{Girlytech reviews} 3 Day Fix

Starting measurements (though technically I took these on day 1 so not sure if they 100% count):

Hips: 40
Stomach: 37
Waist: 31
Chest: 39.5

Weight: 161
Fat %: 35.4

I'm a little (lot) disappointed in those numbers to begin with but....

Ending measurements:

Hips: 39
Stomach: 36
Waist: 30.5
Chest: 39

Weight:158.6
Fat %: 37.9

Thoughts during the program:

Day 1: So it turns out that I messed up making the hard-boiled eggs and they were still pretty much raw. So, that's a thing. I cracked one on my desk and ended up with raw yolk on my pants, and chair, and floor...not pretty. I'm happy I re-read the program before I started because I thought it was one tablespoon of coconut oil instead of a teaspoon, which would have been gross for one, and an extra 320 calories per day. Which would have put it somewhere in the 1800 range, way too high for my purposes. My first tsp I ended up mixing with hot water because it just wouldn't melt in the microwave while I was reboiling the eggs, I wouldn't recommend it. It's not too bad just straight up though. Food seemed like too much, like always... I really struggled to even do the workouts at all, and started to fall asleep during the rests,  but I got through both of them.

Day 2: I managed to resist temptation today! Went to a friend's business launch party and stuck to the veggie platter, no dip.

Day 3: That whole drinking coconut oil thing didn't work,  so I mixed it into the food - much better. I'm kind of over the monotony but hey, I'm done!

Overall: I'm surprised I was able to lose that many inches! I think my scale is full of lies on the fat percentage bit, it varies so much day to day. I think that this would be a plan to use to try and squeeze into a dress, etc. Though I don't think you could keep it up for more than three days because it is bor-ing.

{Girlytech does} 21 Day Fix Days 19-21

The 3 day fix starts now! Each day is going to be the same minus workouts so I figured I'd combine them, so you can see what I'll be doing, and then do a separate entry on my thoughts. This is a quick slim fix, simple foods, lots of protein. The guide & all the Beachbody coaches I've come across have heavily, heavily stressed that you shouldn't do this for more than the three days. Though the reasoning on that I imagine is due to balance not caloric intake, as this will have me slated for about 1500 calories a day depending on the type of veggies. I'm actually thinking I won't be able to eat that much food, we'll see.

I bought 1 lb of turkey (which will get separated into 4 portions), and 1.44 lbs (what the butcher threw up there) of tilapia, and I'll just use the chicken I have left from a previous purchase, buying more if needed. This will have my fish being 3.84 oz per serving; it's probably for the best that the fish is lower in size anyway because it's rolled in tortilla chips which...kind of is breaking the rules since it'll add sodium.

Beverages: 128 oz (gallon) per day. This is going to be the biggest challenge I think.

Meal 1: 1/2 cup plain oatmeal, 1 packet stevia. Egg whites, 1 tsp coconut oil (melted & taken like a shot)

I couldn't find anywhere that specifies how many egg whites. I'm guessing this means they're looking for 3/4 of a cup, 1 red. Since 1/4 cup of the egg white liquid stuff is listed as equaling 1 egg's worth, I'm going to eat 3 egg whites. Hard-boiled and just tossing the yolk (or getting someone else to eat it).

Meal 2: 3/4 cup chicken, 1/2 cup yams

Meal 3: 1 serving fish, 1 cup veggies

Meal 4: 3/4 cup chicken, 1 cup veggies, 1 tsp coconut oil

Meal 5: 1 serving fish, 1 cup veggies, 1 tsp coconut oil

Meal 6:  1 serving turkey, 1 cup veggies, 1 tsp coconut oil

Friday Workouts: Cardio, Upper
Saturday Workouts: Dirty 30, Pilates
Sunday Workouts: Yoga

{Girlytech does} 21 Day Fix - Day 18

Well, here we are. The last day of the normal fix. It was almost a disastrous one too, because I forgot to pack my lunch before I went to bed. I made a salad so fast on my way out the door, I think I'm getting pro at this. I'm feeling okay today, besides being exhausted (stayed up too late watching a movie), and my ankles are pretty sore. I must have done one of the exercises last night improperly.

Breakfast: Slim Rite shake
1 red, 1 yellow

Snack: Apple w/ peanut butter
1 purple, 2 tsp.

Lunch: 1 cup spinach, 1/2 cup romaine, 1/2 cup cucumber, 6 slices lunch meat, 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar/olive oil. For making this as fast as humanly possible, it turned out okay. Luckily balsamic has all the flavor.
2 green, 1 red, 1 orange

Dinner: 1/2 potato, 1 cup carrots, cheese, 8 oz. lean steak
1 yellow, 1 green, 1 blue, 2 red

Snack: 1/2 banana
1 purple

Workouts: Total Body Cardio & 10 min. abs. I noticed that the workouts still get me to the exhausted can't go anymore place, but my recovery time seems to be much increased. I am also significantly more flexible, at least in my legs.

Day 18 down, normal Fix down, 3 Day Fix to go!

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

{Girlytech does} 21 Day Fix - Day 17

I can taste the end of the program, I've got my shopping list ready for the 3 day fix, which doesn't sound like a lot of fun since I'm not really into meat/fish. Nothing but oats, yams, meat, veggies, and coconut oil for three days, and double workouts continue. We'll cover that when we get to it. In the meantime....Day 17!

Breakfast: Slim Rite shake
1 red, 1 yellow

Snack: Apple w/ peanut butter
1 purple, 2 tsp.

Lunch: 3/4 chicken, 1 cup broccoli, 1/2 baked potato
1 red, 1 green, 1 yellow

Dinner: 1/2 cup spinach, 1/2 cup romaine, 1/2 cup cucumber, 1/2 cup peppers,  1 can tuna, 1/3 cup cheese, 2 Tbsp dressing.
2 green, 1 red, 1 blue, 1 orange

Snack: 6 slices turkey, 1/2 frozen banana
1 red, 1 purple.

Workout 1: Lower fix. I am feeling it today! My main issue was a balance one today,  felt kind of wobbly.

Workout 2: 10 minute Abs. Uhm, ow. This isn't a normal do a move, rest, repeat. It's do crunches for 10 minutes straight. So, I imagine tomorrow will be fun.

Day 17 down, 4 to go! Tomorrow is the last normal fix day, let's go!

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

{Girlytech does} 21 Day Fix - Day 16

Breakfast: Slim Rite shake
1 red, 1 yellow

Snack: Apple w/ peanut butter
1 purple, 2 tsp.

Lunch: 1 cup spinach, .5 cup romaine, .5 cup peppers, 3/4 cup taco seasoned chicken, 2 Tbsp dressing.
2 green, 1 red, 1 orange

Snack: Fruit tart. Not approved, but better than chocolate cake?
Let's call it 1/2 purple, 1 yellow

Workout 1: Cardio. Beat from yesterday but powered through.

Dinner: 1.5 cups chicken, 1 cup broccoli, cheddar cheese
2 red, 1 green, 1 blue

Snack: 1/2 apple
1/2 purple

Workout 2: Upper. I did a real push-up! So... this is a victory for me. I almost did two! Two workouts a day is seriously no joke. Final push!

Day 16 down, 5 to go!

{Girlytech does } 21 Day Fix - Day 15

Breakfast: 3/4 cups non fat plain yogurt, 1/2 cup Grape Nuts. I used to eat this all the time, but it seemed really heavy to me today. Really good to keep you full a long time with all the fiber/protein though.
1 red, 1 yellow

I was so full from breakfast I didn't have a snack. I'm also off work for the day which always lowers my appetite anyway.

Lunch: 1/2 cup spinach, 1/2 cup romaine,  1/2 cup cucumber, 1/4 cup carrot, 1/4 cup peppers, 1 can tuna, 2 Tbsp homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette.
2 green, 1 red, 1 orange.

Snack: Apple & peanut butter
1 purple, 2 tsp.

Dinner: 3/4 cup chicken (chili powder & garlic), 1/3 cup cheese, lemon & lime juice, 1 cup romaine. 1 tortilla baked into crisps seasoned with lime juice and red pepper flakes.
1 red, 1 blue, 1 green, 1 yellow.

Workout #1: Full body cardio. This hit me super hard tonight in my legs and shoulders and.... everywhere! There's no way I'm jumping straight into Pilates after that. Let's take a break...

Snack: 1/2 frozen banana. 3/4 plain nonfat yogurt with cinnamon.

A snack and an episode of Sopranos and I'm back to it. 

Workout: Pilates. I can feel that I'm a little bit stronger in my arms, I'm able to hold the plank for some of the exercise instead of not even trying. Whew! I'm crazy for this, but I'm in the home stretch.

One day at a time, one pound at a time.

Day 15 down, 6 to go!

Sunday, August 17, 2014

{Girlytech does } 21 Day Fix - Day 14

Today was Oliver's second birthday party! I'll have more mom stuff to post on his actual birthday, I'm sure. We had a nice party, he loved the heck out of everything he got and had fun playing with his friends. I made super awesome cakes and we had some pizza. So... not really on the plan today.

Breakfast: Slim rite shake. (190 calories)

Lunch: 2 pieces pepperoni pizza. (750 calories)

Snack: birthday cake! 410 calories

Dinner: French dip, fries, cornbread. (1660 calories). Holy crap I did not expect that. I thought the meal would be half that number!

Workout: Dirty 30. Woo! Again, had to modify plank after a little bit, and side plank from the get go. I'm still pretty convinced that it takes a special kind of biology to do a side plank, and I happen to lack those genes.

Workout: Yoga. Mmm, that feels good. I definitely noticed increased flexibility over last week. Such a relaxing workout and perfect end to the week. Namaste.

14 down. 7 to go.

{Girlytech does } 21 Day Fix - Day 13

The challenge of the day is a company party. Let's see how we do....

Breakfast: Slim rite shake. (190 calories)

Lunch 1 apple + about half an apple Ollie didn't finish. (105 calories) With some peanut butter, 2 Tbsp. (180 calories)

Snack: 2 skirt steak sliders, 1 piece onion and corn mini pizza. (370 calories)

Dinner: ~1 cup green beans (30 calories), ~1/2 cup corn salad (200 calories), ~4 oz pork tenderloin (160 calories).

Drinks: I guess I could just not drink, eh? I think I've drank more on this 21 day fix 2 weeks than I did in the two months prior, haha. Anyway.... 3 vodka crans (600 calories) and 1 red wine (120 calories). I didn't think the vodka crans would be more than 100 calories a piece. Guess I should have stuck with wine!

Total: 1,955. 455 too high. My on the spot guesstimates were not as accurate as I thought they would be. I don't expect Sunday to be any better either.

Friday, August 15, 2014

{Girlytech does} 21 Day Fix - Day 12

So close to that half way point! I feel kind of bummed that Pilates didn't go well for me last night, but I'm looking forward to the rest of the week.

Breakfast: Slim Rite shake.
1 red. 1 yellow.

Lunch: So... I made a salad and took it to work with me. Then the husband was in town and he asked me to lunch so I went... and then the pretzel burger looked so good, so I got a chicken one. And ate some of hubby's fries. Let's go with best guesstimates on this...
2 red, 2 yellow, 1/2 green. 1 blue. 1 orange. (and a pretty big helping of fat!) Nothing to see here....

Snack: 1/2 banana.
1 purple.

Dinner: 2 eggs scrambled with 1 cup peppers and 1.5 cups spinach.
1 red, 2.5 green.

Workout: Cardio. Kicked my ass, again. I'd rather weight train than cardio any day. That feeling like your heart and lungs are going to simultaneously implode and explode is just not my thing. Yet I do it, because burning calories is what it's all about. Plus, at some point I really would like to be able to run a 5k all the way through... like I used to do... for fun.

Today was kind of bumpy, but I'm mostly hanging in there. I already know this weekend is messed up. I want to lose weight, I want to be fit, but I also don't want to miss out on all the great things in life because it doesn't fit in my container.

Day 12 down, 9 to go. (9?!)

Thursday, August 14, 2014

{Girlytech Does} 21 Day Fix - Day 11

The carbs are definitely the hardest part of this diet. Only two servings a day is not a lot, at all. Aren't grains the bottom of the pyramid? I wanted to have some grape nuts in my yogurt this morning, but that would mean only having one piece of bread for my sandwich, so I went with skipping the cereal addition. Which means less protein and fiber for me. Eh, I'll probably be fine but that's the hardest part of this thing for sure, I want 1-2 servings of yellow per meal not a day!

Breakfast: 3/4 cup plain yogurt w/ cinnamon.
1 red

Snack: Apple w/ PB
1 purple, 2 tsp.

Lunch: Turkey sandwich. 2 pieces bread, 6 slices turkey, 1/2 cup carrots, 1/2 cup cucumber, mustard.
2 yellow, 1 red, 1 green.

Dinner: 1 cup romaine lettuce. 1 cup mix cucumbers, carrots, and peppers. 6 slices turkey. 2 Tbsp Balsamic Vinaigrette. 1/3 cup cheese. 
2 green. 1 red. 1 orange. 1 blue.

Workout: Pilates. I just wasn't feeling this tonight, not sure why. It seemed like every time I figured the pose out they were moving to next thing. I had a lot less trouble my first time through. 

Snack: This is pretty much my favorite, if you couldn't twll. 3/4 cup nonfat plain yogurt, 1/2 frozen banana, dash of vanilla, dash of cinnamon. 
1 red, 1 purple

11 days down, 10 to go! 

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

{Girlytech does} 21 Day Fix - Day 10

At the half way point. If I can lose another 3 lbs and 7% fat I would be pretty happy. My goal weight is between 142-149 lbs and I want to get down to 24% body fat, so that means ~14 lbs and 8% is still needed, but I don't expect that to all come off in the next week and a half. I'm feeling pretty good about everything though, and I am starting to not crave stuff as much as I was. Finding alternatives (like air popped popcorn with cheddar instead of potato chips) has been helpful for sure.

Breakfast: Slime Rite shake
1 red. 1 yellow

Snack: Apple w/ PB
1 purple. 2 tsp.

Lunch: Salad of champions! 1 cup romaine, 1/2 cup carrots, 1/4 cup cucumber, 1/4 cup peppers, handful of green onions. 1 can tuna. 2 Tbsp Balsamic Vinaigrette.
2 green, 1 red, 1 orange.

Dinner: Roast beef sandwich. Bread, 12 slices roast beef, 1/2 cup spinach, 1/2 cup cucumbers, cheddar.
2 yellow, 2 red, 1 green, 1 blue

I totally forgot that my breakfast drink counts as a yellow when I made that. I really need to use that app I mentioned and stop counting in my head.

Workout : lower body. Hey guys, let's do some squats! Finished the whole thing no modifications, though I had to take some stuff really slow.

Snack: frozen 1/2 banana, glass of wine. I'm writing this at the end of the day and drank that not knowing I already messed up on the yellows. *sigh*
1 purple, 1 yellow.

10 down, 11 to go!

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

{Girlytech does} 21 Day Fix - Day 9

I can walk this morning, that's weird. I guess that means I'm stronger than I was a week ago, or that I'm going to be dead tomorrow. Feeling re-energized and ready to keep pushing through!

Breakfast: 1 small apple dipped in 3/4 cup plain yogurt mixed with 2 tsp. peanut butter.
1 purple, 1 red, 2 tsps.

Lunch: 1 cup salad mix, 1 cup carrots, 1 can tuna, 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinaigrette, mustard.
2 green, 1 red, 1 orange.

Dinner: So much deliciousness! 3 slices turkey, 1 egg, 1 cup peppers scrambled together.  1 cup popcorn with cheddar.
1 red. 1 green. 1 blue. 2 yellow.

Workout: Upper body. The total body yesterday was easier than I remember, and this one was harder. That makes sense though as I used more weight during the workout. My shoulders are pretty dead, but dare I say I'm kind of loving it?

Snack: 1/2 banana, frozen. 3/4 cup plain yogurt
1 purple, 1 red

 I was curious and so did a weight/fat measurement. Down to 161 and 32% fat. 3 lbs and 7% fat down.  Great day today! *pats on back* 

9 down 12 to go, almost half way there.

Monday, August 11, 2014

{Girlytech does} 21 Day Fix - Day 8

The start of week two! This is the point when I start a new program that I've either messed up once so I give up on the whole thing, or it doesn't seem to be sustainable. This time I'm really buckling down to keep things going. Yes, there have some days or items not approved that I've partook in, but for the sake of fun & good times, and I'm okay with that. The weekends are going to be much harder to stay strict on than during the week, and I'm aware of this. Really my only goals on the weekend are to keep portion control and how hard I've worked through the week in mind. Two days of bingeing can definitely undo five days of a strict regime. That being said it's back to the week, here we go!

With everyone but me bailing on the group I got together, having something less strict for me might be better, and allow me to modify as needed day to day. I'm going to start using this app to help keep track of things. Super simple.

Breakfast: 2 hardboiled eggs, piece of bread w/ mustard & pepper.
1 red, 1 yellow.

Snack: 1 apple with peanut butter.
1 purple, 2 tsp.

Lunch:
3/4 cup beans, 1 cup broccoli, 1/2 cup rice, 1/3 cup cheese.
1 red, 1 green, 1 yellow, 1 blue.

Dinner: 3/4 cup beans, 2 cups spinach. 2 Tbsp dressing.
1 red, 2 green, 1 orange.

Workout: Total body cardio. This workout guys, seriously. I did the whole thing with weights this time, but I did "cheat" and lengthen a couple of the breaks until my heart stopped hurting. Hot dog!

Snack: 3/4 cup plain yogurt with cinnamon.
1 red.

I had to look at the food list to see what I could use to fill that red. I'm pretty burnt out on chicken, beans, and eggs.

8 days down, 13 to go!

{ Girlytech does } 21 Day Fix - Day 7

Hung over, let's do this!

Breakfast : 1/2 cup cereal with 1 cup milk.
2 yellows.

Lunch: turkey and cheese sandwich with cucumbers, mustard, avocado. Side of fruit.
2 red. 2 blue. 2 yellow. 1 purple.

I totally thought avocado was a tsp. Woops. If I had known we were doing sandwiches I would have done breakfast differently. Oh well, it was still a healthy lunch!

Snack: Sherbert.
Not fix approved. But I did go for dairy free so that counts for something, right? Had a good time hanging out with framily and letting Ollie play with his house sister.

Workout (doing double for missing yesterday): Dirty 30. Why do these people think that someone using this system can do a pushup or side plank? Seriously. Besides those modifications (I don't think I'll ever be able to do a side plank) I feel like I rocked it!

Dinner: 2 cups salad, 1.5 cups chicken, dressing. 1/2 banana. I wasn't able to finish the salad, too full. Since I only ate half: 1 green, 1 red. 1/2 orange. 1 purple.

Workout #2: Yoga. The perfect workout to have when doubling up. While some moves were challenging, it was mostly a great stretch and way  to calm down and end the day.

Week 1 stats: lost 2 lbs and 1 inch. Not the best of results, but if I only lose 6 lbs and 3 inches, I think I'd be relatively happy with that. I was already eating pretty well so the main thing I'm going to be gaining is strength from the work outs. Personally I don't feel like someone who eats well and portioned will see too much results weight loss wise with the food portion of the plan. However, if you're used to eating a lot of processed food or you are an over-eater, than this is definitely a good start. I also didn't follow the plan 100% and when I strayed it was pretty extreme so I think that had something to do with less-than-dramatic results as well.

7 days down, 14 to go.

Sunday, August 10, 2014

{Girlytech does } 21 Day Fix - Day 6

Well, day 6 was... different that I'd hoped it would be. It was a great day socially, but an awful one dietary wise (and financially).

Breakfast: 2 eggs cooked in olive oil, 1 piece whole grain toast.

1 red, 1 yellow, 2 tsps.

The rest of the day.... was a lot of wine, and some hard alcohol. And not terribly much food. Started out at the Bite of Oregon with a wine slushy, then a pint of raspberry mead (which was amazing). Had a couple bites of "alligator" -which was totally chicken because I've had alligator several times before... that was not it.  Then had a marionberry vodka lemonade (oh my goodness good).

Then we went to Montage but they were closed so we went to Father's Place to wait, and I had a long island. At Montage  I had 2 more glasses of wine, chicken fried steak, collard greens, mashed potatoes and corn bread with a side salad with honey vinaigrette.

Then we drove back to Hillsboro to pick up the kiddo and take him hime. (And by we I mean John & Syn drove, obviously)

Next we were off to Albertsons for a wine trip and some snacks which we took to a house party. Met some awesome people. Had some ice tea and then... two or three glasses of wine. Some popcorn and gluten free apple something.

After that, we went to Pit Stop for some karaoke. I had a couple bites of pulled pork and a few fries off John's plate.

So, way over a calorie limit for sure. I was drunk for like 10+ hours. To be fair though, the only drink I actually ordered was the wine slushy, and then I did pour some wine at the house party. John kept ordering things he didn't like and I can't just let them go to waste. Oh well, haha.

If we're counting containers day 6 equals: 3 reds, 2 greens, 1 purple, 11 yellows, 2 tsp.

Missing 1 red, 1 green, 1 purple, 1 orange & I blue. And over by 9 yellows. Needless to say this morning I'm not feeling the greatest. I never get the opportunity to go and explore the world anymore though, so I'm not going to regret it. I danced the whole drive back from the city, I laughed and talked and had a pretty fabulous night. Just one I won't be repeating any time soon. We did miss our photo shoot though which I'm pretty upset about. John wasn't feeling it. Oh well maybe I'll convince another photographer to do professional shots with editing for free...

Workout : I didn't do a 21 day fix workout since I was gone all day, but we walked about 4 miles all said and done, which isn't too shabby.

Friday, August 8, 2014

{Girlytech does} 21 Day Fix - Day 5

The first thing I noticed upon jumping out of bed this morning is that... I was able to jump out of bed! My quads are still slightly sore but somehow that over bearing 'I don't know how I'm going to go about my day' feeling was gone. Thank goodness for small miracles. I am so happy it's Friday, though I'm a little concerned about the weekend's prospects for sticking to the diet, I know I can worst case calorie count and keep up my exercise and all will not be lost. I'm 20% done with the program, but I am hoping to make this a longer-lasting style of self. Here are today's details:

Breakfast: Slim rite shake. 24 oz water.
1 red. 1 yellow.

Snack: 1 apple w/ peanut butter. 24 oz water.
1 purple. 2 tsp.

Lunch: 1.5 cups chicken, 2 cups broccoli, 2 Tbsp dressing. 24 oz water.
2 red. 2 green. 1 orange.

Dinner: 4 oz ground meat w/ 1/3 cup cheese on whole wheat bun with mustard and mixed greens. Side of broccoli. 12 oz water.

1 red, 1 yellow, 1 green, 1 blue.

Snack: 1/2 banana. Sliced it and popped it in the freezer.

Workout: Cardio. Ugh, bane of my existence. I had to switch to modified on a lot of these, especially the bonus round torture. This is the area (besides upper body strength) that needs the most work.

5 down, 16 to go. Hey, 16 doesn't seem like that scary of a number!

Thursday, August 7, 2014

{Girlytech does} 21 Day Fix - Day 4

Guess what? Yep! I can't walk. Not very well anyway, and it was a bit of a struggle carrying the LO down the stairs. Kind of over the cheat yesterday, just going to pretend it didn't happen and carry on. One day this weekend I'm going to calorie count over plan anyway, or keep tallies of everything and label into colors, because Bite of Oregon is happening. I won tickets and am super excited because 1) I never win anything and 2) It'll give John and I a chance to hang out together by ourselves when it's still light outside. Yay!

Breakfast: Two hard-boiled eggs chopped up with some mustard and pepper. 24 oz water.
1 red.

Lunch: 1.5 cup chicken, 2 cups steamed carrots, 2 Tbsp dressing. 24 oz water.
2 red, 2 green, 1 orange.

Dinner: 1/2 baked potato topped with 3/4 cup chicken, 1 cup broccoli, 1/3 cup cheese. 16 oz water.
1 yellow, 1 red, 1 green, 1 blue

Snack: 1 cup watermelon. 24 oz water.

Workout : Pilates. I enjoyed this workout. It was hard at points and had my booty burning but it had a much more relaxed feel to it. Which was the point since it's designed to be an active recovery day.

Already this is starting to feel like a habit, hopefully I can keep it up.

Day 4 done, 17 to go!

{Girlytech Does} 21 Day Fix - Day 3

Well, this morning my water cup feels a lot heavier than normal, so I'm guessing that arm workout worked! The main issue I'm having is left over from Monday's total body, my quads are killing me. Like, it takes all my effort to just walk up some stairs and walking on flat ground still hurts. Sitting and standing up? Forget about it! Tonight is lower fix workout day, pain is just weakness leaving the body, right?

Breakfast & Snack: Same as day 1 (shake, apple, peanut butter)
1 red, 1 yellow, 1 purple, 2 tsps. 4 cups water.

Lunch: 2 cups broccoli, 1.5 cup chicken, 2 Tbsp dressing.
2 green, 2 red, 1 orange. 4 cups water

I actually gobbled this up pretty quickly as opposed to the other lunches where I was struggling. Super delicious & simple, though not the prettiest of foods.

Non sequitur: Why won't Costco gas take my money?! I've been two times, and I guess I've got the memo now, but I tried once with my Amex Serve that they don't take because it's pre-paid, and today they wouldn't take my money because they don't take cash. Who doesn't take cash? Seriously. 

Anyway, dinner was pretty blah. 1 cup broccoli, 3/4 cup beans, 1/3 cup shredded cheese, sprinkle of green onions. 
1 green, 1 red, 1 yellow, 1 blue. 2 cups water w/ splash of juice.
And the bad part... I cheated. Yup, cheated on myself and this plan. I went out to have one drink, and that turned into fries...but I did get to spend some one on one time that's been severely lacking with the husband, so at least there's that.

I did do the workout though quads be damned. Lower fix! I pretty much had to mind over matter this 100%. Because of the cheat I felt like I had to work harder, to prove to myself that I'm not a quitter. So I didn't do any modifications until I physically was unable to stand. I probably won't be able to walk tomorrow. 

Day 3 down. 18 to go!

Tuesday, August 5, 2014

{Girlytech does} 21 Day Fix - Day 2

When I woke up this morning I was pretty sore from last night's work out. Normal me would say that means I skip tonight's. But...normal me also would have had that cupcake yesterday, or added double the cheese to dinner last night. Normal me also can't fit into her skinny jeans or wear a two-piece bathing suit. I'm kind of done with normal me. I'm driving hard into the phrase "If you cheat, you're only cheating yourself." If I give up on this program, or if I skip a workout, or add an extra serving of food, or eat something not "approved" - it doesn't affect anyone else, it causes no one harm...except me. I used to run a mile as a warm up to work out...now the mile is the workout. I have no unrealistic expectations of getting back down to the 135 I was in high school, because I don't have time for the 5+ day a week, 2+ hour varsity lacrosse practice routines. All I want is to live a long and healthy life and be someone my son wants to emulate, and I'm hoping that can start now.

mmmm eggs
Breakfast: 2 eggs, 1 piece whole grain bread. 2 cups water.

1 red, 1 yellow.

Because I have no time for breakfast prior to leaving the house, everything must be grab and go. So I grabbed two eggs and a piece of bread and thought...uh, this is going to be a boring breakfast. However, once I got to the office I put together this little number. Which is super simple, but was delicious. Coated the bread in mustard, chopped up the eggs, and added some pepper. From boring to delicious in less than 5 minutes. Bam!

Snack: 1 apple w/ peanut butter. 2 cups water.

1 purple, 2 tsp.

Lunch: 1.5 cups beans, 1 cup lettuce, 1 cup salsa, 2 Tbsp. dressing. 6 cups water.

2 red, 2 green, 1 orange

This looked a lot better before I mixed it up, but oh well. It was still pretty tasty. Though, word to the wise - using salsa as salad dressing is great (I've done it plenty before) but, make sure it's mild! When I got this jar it was the only all natural salsa for a reasonable price, but they only had medium or mango. Guess I've learned my lesson because their medium is hot!

Once again though, I am stuffed to the brim and wondering how on earth I'm going to lose weight when I'm eating so damn much. My normal pre-21 day fix diet was 1 shake (190), an apple (~100), frozen lunch (200-300), dinner (500-1000). Obviously on the days where we had fast food my calorie consumption was pretty high, but on an average day I was eating about 1300 calories. Though a main portion of this plan is that you're constantly eating a lot so your body never goes into starvation mode which will make you gain weight even if you don't eat a lot. Maybe that's where I was at?

Dinner: 1 cup raw spinach, cooked with some garlic, 1/2 potato, 3/4 cup chicken, 1/3 cup cheese. Nom nom nom! 2 cups water with a splash of juice.

Snack: 1 cup watermelon. 

Workout: Upper fix. Not the worst, though after yesterday my abs and legs were dying. Lower fix tomorrow will be interesting. 

2 days down, 19 to go!



Monday, August 4, 2014

{Girlytech does} 21 Day Fix - Day 1

I am in the lowest level calorie bracket (168 lbs or less), so I get 3 greens (veggies), 2 purples (fruit), 4 reds (protein), 2 yellow (grains/milk/cheat), 1 blue (approved dairy, nuts), 1 orange (fats, dressings), 2 tsp (fats, nut/seed butters). Also I am supposed to drink 1/2 my weight in oz in water (164/2 = 82 = ~10 cups)

1 green/1 purple = 1 cup. 1 red = 3/4 cup. 1 yellow = 1/2 cup. 1 blue = 1/3 cup. 1 orange = 2 Tbsp.

Breakfast: 1 breakfast shake. 1 glass (2 cups) water.

Tally: 1 red, 1 yellow (since I'm using milk based protein)

Snack: Apple + 2 tsp. Peanut Butter. 1 glass (2 cups) water.

Tally: 1 purple. 2 tsp.

Lunch
Lunch: 1.5 cups chicken, 2 cups carrots & celery, 2 Tbsp. creamy herb dressing. 1 glass (2 cups) water

Tally: 2 red, 2 green, 1 orange

I'm pretty sure I measured the chicken heavy handed when I was packing it up last night. Even so, I was only able to eat maybe half of it. I finished most of the veggies minus a couple carrot sticks which I'll add to dinner. I guess I can have the chicken if I get hungry later, but after that meal I'm thinking diet is not the correct word for this plan!

Dinner


Dinner: 1 cup broccoli, 3/4 cup chicken, 1/3 cup shredded cheddar, 1/2 cup rice. 1 glass (2 cups) water with a splash of juice.

Tally: 1 green, 1 red, 1 blue, 1 yellow. 

Simple, but I found it super delicious. 

Snack: 1/2 banana. 1 glass (2 cups) water.

Tally: 1 purple

I did super well on my plan today and stuck to the meals I outlined. I never once felt hungry, and often felt stuffed to the brim. I'm not sure how I'm supposed to lose weight eating so damn much, but we'll see. I even managed to turn down birthday cupcakes at the office. Look at them! It took much willpower. 


Evil Cupcakes

The workout: Total body cardio. At first I was thinking I was in for some smooth sailing. But about half way through I definitely needed to switch to modified version. I feel like I still got a good workout in though, heart rate definitely got elevated and I feel like I will be sore tomorrow. An interesting thing about this plan is back to back workouts for 3 weeks with no rest day, I'm curious to see how that pans out.

Day 1: Done! 20 to go.

Sunday, August 3, 2014

{Girlytech does} 21 Day Fix

Day 0:
A bit about the program: I tend to keep an ear to the ground when it comes to tasty food, and after seeing quite a few recipes pop up #21dayfix I decided to investigate. It all makes sense really. Measured portions, eating the right amount of each food group per day, and exercising 30 minutes a day. It's everything you've ever heard about balanced nutrition and exercise in a color coded, no brainer method. Of course, I don't have $70 to spend on some Tupperware and DVDs, so I scoured the internet...and like anticipated, it's all pretty much there. So I gathered my resources, made a couple menu plans, and tried to get some community support.

I convinced my roommates to do this with me. It turns out four people eat a lot of food. Somehow I got stuck with doing all the shopping, and cooking, and a lot of the prep - I guess that's what I get for having such a great idea. I kind of got in the zone though, it wasn't too bad, and luckily one of my roommates helped with some of the chopping. Well, now we have two fridges full of food and it will hopefully make the rest of the week a lot easier for cooking. We also have one of my friends/former coworkers joining in the mix.

My initial measurements:
weight: 164 lbs.
fat%: 39
total inches: 185.5 (hips, fullest middle, waist, under bust, bust)

My goal weight is 145, but I'm pretty much happy with everything except for my stomach measurement and endurance level. I'm hoping that by eating good foods, and making myself exercise I can create a happier & healthier me. I've started down this road before, a lot of times, and I'm really working to make this one stick. I figure with other people to hold accountable, I'll be holding myself accountable too. If you're interested in joining us, I made a Facebook Support Group of sorts. I'll be posting what I ate for the day, how I'm feeling, etc. in blog posts as well.

Here goes!

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

It has been a very long time since I've posted anything on here. Life has been more crazy than I could have ever expected, and not in a good way. I am dealing with so many things on a financial and emotional level that it is hard to keep my head on straight.

I am thoroughly enjoying being a mom, and since my last post my son has crossed the year and year point five milestones. He is currently 85th percentile for height, 50th for weight, doing really well and breaking all the lady's hearts. I found an amazing care provider in an old high school friend Meaghen who has helped give Oliver a place to explore and play. He is smart, quick to learn new things - even more than we give him credit for. His vocabulary grows daily and he's started repeating the end of sentences out loud. I guess it's time to watch my language! He's running around, getting into things, and generally being a pretty awesome little guy.

Johnathan's health is failing, and has been getting worse since his hospital trip in November. He's kept me in the dark about a lot of what's going on with him, and the rest he hasn't publically announced, but it's not looking great. I've lost my mind and broke down crying, but I think for the most part we don't have a set prognosis so I can be mostly in denial about everything. Of course, the reason we don't have anything concrete is because he went over his coverage amount on his insurance; and will need to pay everything out of pocket (which we can't do), or wait until next year. Hopefully he'll be making an employer transition and will be able to purchase something plan-wise that will cover better for him. He needs a switch anyway, especially since he hasn't got paid since November due to other issues.

With Johnathan not having any income since November, and the health issues, it's been a very rough several months. I am so immensely grateful to Chue for paying our rent when we've needed him to, being such a good friend, and uncle to Ollie. We've formed a pretty awesome, albeit unconventional family. I'm pretty sure they could write a sitcom about it, if there was a bit more comedy instead of tragedy. My father loaned Johnathan the money to file bankruptcy, and if we could ever come up with the filing fee to finish that up, perhaps he'd get to see a paycheck again - though his employer is taking whatever's left to pay for the insurance overages.

If adversity breeds strength we'll be hulks by the time this dark patch is behind us. It's been a shit storm of financial stress, health issues, family issues, and darkness for almost half a year. There've been suicide attempts, negative account balances, and loans which just aren't going to be paid off any time soon. Worst case I guess this lasts another 13 months until John gets his trust fund. Best case we can get through it quicker and be on our feet for the next step of life at that point. Whatever the case may be, I couldn't have better people beside me when my world's falling apart. Though, maybe in the next life I'll opt for richer cohorts.

That's a bit it for now, I'll plan on writing updates more frequently. There's something cathartic about pouring it out there. And hey, John and I will be together five years this Saturday, and that's something to write about.

-Steph