Day 56, Max Plyo

      You know how everybody goes through those stints where nothing seems to be going their way? I’m having one of those stretches… court is always awful no matter what it’s involving but when it is because of custody issues it turns the thing into a horrific experience… my baby’s life, happiness and future is on the line. Just walking into the courthouse is enough to make me ill. Two things happen when I get anxious: First I have a nervous stomach, whenever something extremely stressful approaches my bowels kick into overdrive… I’m not kidding I lose 5 lbs. every time we have a court date (quickly gained back by emotional eating.) Second and slightly stranger is my teeth ache, down to the roots my whole mouth is consumed by the odd feeling and I’m sure I look like a freak constantly opening and stretching my mouth while waiting on the bench. Lucky me, I’ll have to go back in less than 30 days to repeat the whole process. Whoo.
A couple days ago my mode of transportation decided to go on strike; I guess it wants to get washed more often or some such thing. I have a 1994 Ford Taurus that we usually refer to not so lovingly as, “The Boat.” The boat was the only thing I could afford at the time when I was desperately needing a car. Well, I was on my way back from getting gas on my lunch break when I came to a stop sign. Thankfully I was doing a California rolling stop and began turning right when I pressed down on the gas pedal and it went completely to the floor. Throttle cable snapped. The car was still running fine and I was able to coast to the side of the road where I could put it in park and kind of stare down into the gauges on the dashboard wondering what else could possible go wrong but wasn’t brave enough to say it out loud in case something else did indeed go wrong.
One of my dear co-worker friends eyeballed me as I came up the stairs after my little lunch time adventure. We’ve worked together for enough years that she can see past the fake grimace/smile I have plastered for everyone’s benefit and shortly after comes into my office holding a box of half empty chocolates that she’s been hoarding and slowly eating for a couple weeks (she possess some strange thing called self-control.)  At once I love her and hate her all at the same time. I love that she knows me so well as to bring me a chocolate offering to soothe my troubles without trying to pat my back in some awkward, everything will be okay, gesture and yet I hate her because I know I’m going to eat the rest of that freaking box before the afternoon is over.
My fiancé thinks that I’m being tested; by God or Karma I’m not sure which but whoever’s doing it has a really twisted sense of humor.Honestly, I feel like such a slacker and in truth I am… I’ve let personal issues interfere with my working out and I really shouldn’t have. I’ve been looking at it like these issues have drained me of all energy and will power needed to exercise but in reality it’s the exercising that gives me energy, releases endorphins to help me not feel so depressed over my situation. Today I got up out of bed when I was supposed to, strapped on my heart rate monitor and did my workout… only cut short slightly by the Little Monster’s wake up wail of, “Mommmmmaaaaa!!!”  Tomorrow will be better… if I can just have a slightly better day than the last then I’ll be moving in the right direction.

Day 55, Core Cardio and Balance

               Today’s word: FRUSTRATION! I was so proud of myself yesterday for crawling out of bed and popping in the most hated DVD of the whole program: Max Cardio and Cardio Abs. So freaking proud for pulling through and not wussing out to get an extra hour of sleep in my nice comfortable bed. Yet when I got up this morning to look to see what workout was next that pride turned into an internal wailing scream. What do you mean I did the wrong workout yesterday?? I did Cardio when I didn’t have to? Did someone swap out my schedule, this is really not funny! I know that the cardio helps me but really did I have to do that? I’m completely disgusted with myself for being a sleep zombie and for not waking up enough to actually look before I took a big ol' leap. So this morning I did the workout I was supposed to do yesterday: Core Cardio and Balance. There was a little more burning hatred than normal for our blonde, sweat proof Ariel but she’s a tough chick, I’m sure she can handle a few glares and sneers aimed at her.

Day 54, Max Interval Circuit

          Well, as it turns out taking a couple days break during Insanity did not kill me. It tried, but I'm not quite ready to quit yet, not when I'm so close to the end. Today it was almost like I hadn't taken a break... almost... probably could have done without that Cherry Coke the afternoon before though. I needed a pick me up after a lunch time nap but it was a major drag me down this morning. Almost as bad as eating a couple doughnuts in terms of sugar content; temporarily satisfying but in the end completely not worth it. I burned quite a few calories during the whole ordeal but not quite enough to break that 400 mark I've set for myself. Tomorrow's another day, another workout... and this one will be soda free.
         

Okay so...

           Okay I swear I haven't given up on Insanity, not when I'm so close to finishing. But I have been a slacker that last few days... having a migraine tends to do that to a person. Today I finally feel whole again so starting back up tomorrow I'm going to back to kicking butt at Insanity... or having it kick my butt, either way you look at it that's accurate.

Day 53, Max Recovery

I love recovery. A blissful midweek break to an otherwise rigorous and sweaty regimen.

Day 52, Max Cardio and Cardio Abs

               Did you know it's extremely difficult to type while holding a crying two year old in your lap? Seriously. Almost as hard holding a bouncing and singing two year old in your lap once you figure out you can have youtube videos playing on one side of the screen while typing on the other. A little more pleasant on the ear drums though... thank you Gigglebellies. 

              Poor little monster had his two year check up today and got his booster shots on top of that. It's not been the best of days for him but he seemed to perk up when mommy got to come home with him early. Even more so when we stopped by the store on the way home to get ice cream sandwiches. Yeah I know, but show me one mother that doesn't feel sorry for their kid after getting shots.

            Workout this morning was awful... I think I've mentioned before my dislike of cardio... but with talking to my fiance this afternoon I realized something: cardio isn't near as dreadful as it used to be. When I started Insanity I had a horrible time even trying to get off the couch after I collapsed at the end of the workout. Now even after Max Cardio I'm wiped out but in a good way. I don't feel sick and I can immediately go upstairs to get in the shower, it's awesome. Who knows, maybe one day I'll find myself running a marathon, ha.

Day 51, Max Interval Plyo

               It’s day 51 of the Insanity program and I still have yet to learn how to “Land Softly.” How the heck do you land softly? Unless you’re a built like a fitness robot or a waif I’m afraid landing softly is one of those fitness myths they tell you in order to keep you feeling inferior. Hard to believe I’ve almost completed the program without knowing this most coveted secret but I have. My feet aren’t happy with me some days but I’m managing to push my way through.

                The little monster woke up early again this morning. We’re getting pretty good at this system now: bean bag chair, blanket, sippey cup, DVD player. He stays mostly content with the animation but this morning I had 20 minutes left of the workout when he decided he was hungry. That cut the exercising to an abrupt end. Almost a year ago he started learning sign language so he could communicate before he started talking so now he combines the two and makes the sign for eat while patting me with the other hand and saying, “Momma, eat… momma, eat… momma, eat!” Not something you can ignore.

Despite not finishing the full workoutI burned 300+ calories and tonight after we get home I’ll be popping in Cardio Abs to make up the difference. Why not complete the Plyo DVD? Because I don’t want to have to jump into the middle of something without warming up and you can bet I won’t be completely redoing the DVD tonight. Cardio Abs makes more sense, it’s about the same time and has its own warm up included.

Day 50, Max Interval Circuit

              I rocked this workout! I don’t know what is going on inside of my head or with my body but my calorie burn is at an all-time high. I’m so freaking excited about it, 481 calories burnt doing the Max Interval Circuit! I didn’t have the time to do the fit test this morning, Mondays are such hard days, but hopefully an opportunity presents itself to do the Fit Test this evening. I’d like to gauge to see how much I have improved since the last one. I should probably weigh myself too… when your weekends involve cake you tend to shy away from the scale. I’ve been getting a lot of crap about my lack of weigh ins though so tomorrow morning it has to happen. I know how I feel and how my shape is changing but I don’t know how it’s going to reflect on the scale. I hope it’s feeling nice; scales don’t have a history of tipping in my favor. Hah, that was lame… I knew it and I couldn’t help it.

                I absolutely love the energy I’ve been having lately. Before committing myself to becoming healthier I never knew what an immense difference exercising made to one’s energy level. Obviously I knew it did a little bit but never to this extent. I don’t immediately collapse on the couch when I get home anymore. The little monster and I have intense play sessions involving lots of running, chasing, tossing, wrestling, etc. and mommy doesn’t feel like she’s going to die afterwards anymore. I love feeling like this and I sincerely hope that things are just going to get better from here.

Day 49, Core Cardio and Balance

               This was the one that almost got away. Because of our camp out went a little late the night before we didn’t exactly wake up early. We got ready, went to church and then that the sisters came over for Sunday dinner. After dining on a delicious dinner of pizza (with wheat flour crust) a good portion of the afternoon/evening was spent on the front porch. The kids got to play on their little tricycles and push cars while the adults lounged in the shade or played ball. It was perfectly relaxing and wonderful to be able to spend that time with family.

                I spent at least an hour on the swing reading a magazine. I found a really great recipe that I can’t wait to try. I’ve been looking for healthy desserts that I won’t feel so guilty about indulging in and I think I found one, they’re called Monkey Bites. It’s simple and looks delicious. I will be trying this out soon. You slice bananas and then freeze them. Once they’re frozen you make little sandwiches out of them using peanut butter and then freeze again. After they’re set up you dip your little sandwiches in melted chocolate, top with sea salt or a peanut and let the chocolate set up. Sounds good right? We’re sneaking in healthy with the banana and peanut butter, cleverly hiding it under the guise of chocolate. Make that dark chocolate and we’ve got a triple whammy of healthy goodness.

                Probably around 8pm I realized I had to get off my butt right at that very minute or I was never going to get this workout completed. The little monster still had to do his bath and his bed time routine and we were already going to be behind as is. So while the rest of my family relaxed on the front porch I donned my heart rate monitor, sports bra and tennis shoes and retreated to the upstairs where I could exercise in peace. I hadn’t even gotten through the warm up before I was drenched in sweat. Oh yeah, that’s why we do the workouts in the morning, because it’s at least 20 degrees cooler than the afternoon!

                I persevered and learned yet another lesson. Do the workouts in the morning or suffer through the heat in the afternoon because either way I have to do it… all that changes is the comfort level from morning to evening. Don’t be lazy; it’s not worth the extra half hour of sleep to sweat from every pore in the afternoon.

Day 48, Rest

                Saturday’s really screw me up. In the Insanity program your 7^th day is supposed to be your rest day… but that never seems to work out for me. I’m either working half a day at work or busy catching up on all the things I let go during the week. Either way it shakes out I never seem to be able to actually get my workout done in the morning. By the evening I’m just too wiped out to even pretend to try and get my tennis shoes on.

                So Saturday is my new rest day and I didn’t get to do one dang restful thing. There was a nice highlight to the day though:my brother and I arranged for a backyard camping trip for the little monster. We set up a couple tents, got a fire going in the fire pit and had a wonderful evening of smores and bug spray. The little monster was so excited he couldn’t contain himself and ran around in the grass the whole time with a huge grin. At night he had his little flashlight and shone it all over the roof of our tent. Just seeing the joy on his face the entire evening lit my heart up with an inner light. I know he won’t remember this when he gets older but I certainly will.

Day 47, Max Cardio and Cardio Abs

                Ah Cardio, my eternal enemy… we meet again. Really there’s not much to report other than it kicked my butt for the, I don’t even know how many times, in a row.  The little monster woke up about an hour ahead of schedule so he got to watch Mommy do Insanity for the first time. I set him up nicely in his bean bag chair with a blanket, portable DVD player playing Cars and a sippy cup. I could hear him a few times laugh at me while I exercised but for the most part he was engrossed in his movie. Lightning McQueen and Buzz Lightyear are at the top of his favorite things right now.

                Once again, due to time constraints I had to break up the workout into two parts. I did the Max Cardio this morning and after the little monster goes to bed I will do the Cardio Abs. I am liking the Cardio Abs… while I still have quite a gut I’m positively convinced there are abs developing underneath it all. Now the only thing to do is burn away all the fat hiding them and I’m golden.

Day 46, Max Cardio Recovery

                I am so grateful for recovery. I’ll tell you something though; it’s not near as easy as you think. Recovery still pushes your body, still develops the muscles but doesn’t get your heart racing. You still sweat like crazy and you still have to be careful and execute the exercises correctly. I apparently did not do that today. My back is stiff as anything and just leaning forward is a chore. It’s not in pain thankfully, just really sore. My mom says I need to ice it but how do you go about icing your entire back?

                What I really need is one night of solid, blissfully uninterrupted sleep to help my body repair and recharge. I have been doing everything that I need to ensure I have successful workouts but the sleep still fights me. 

Day 45, Max Interval Plyo

               Another day above the 400 calorie mark! 421 of those suckers blasted today! I’m pretty proud of myself and I really hope this new Tortoise/Hare philosophy works out for me. I feel just as sore as when I first started the Insanity program and I’m taking it as a good sign. It’s impossible to pull a convenient muscle though; whatever you pull it’s always irritating and inconvenient. Somehow I managed to pull the muscles along my ribs on both sides just under my arm pits. Every upper body movement is strained because of that… putting on deodorant was a little embarrassing and I was the only one in the bathroom.

                I did notice something new today. The stairs no longer thwart me. Not that they really gave me much trouble to begin with but now I can literally run up the stairs and not be puffing by the time I reach the top. I take a little inner pride and pleasure at running up and down the stairs on those mornings when I forget to plug my brain in and things are scattered all over the house. It’s a small thing but I count it as a victory nonetheless.

                

Day 44, Max Interval Circuit

            New calorie record today: 448! I rocked it today; besides the recovery DVD this is my favorite workout! Today I’m not quite sure what happened but something just clicked in my head towards the end of the DVD. There have been a few exercises that I do modified versions of, the ones he jumps and spins on for example. Those make me dizzy as heck. So instead of doing two on each side before spinning I do four. It gives my head a chance to settle before the next leap. Other certain exercises I can’t jump the same as Shaun T. with for fear of falling flat on my face. Well today, I went for it. Instead of doing one leg at a time for switch kicks, I actually jumped into the switch kicks. My heart rate shot up for another record and I could feel how much energy I was burning off.

I used to get to the point in cardio where I could feel my heart beat in my neck and it would pound so hard I felt like it was cutting off my air. That was usually when I’d quit and let my heart rate slow back down. Today I didn’t even get to that point… my cardio must have been improving by massive leaps and bounds without me noticing because I went for it and I felt great right up until my calf muscle had a mini spasm and I decided it might be good for me to slow down a little bit. While it seems my heart may be ready for full blast Insanity certain muscle groups may not be yet.

Still, an extremely good sign that my body can do more than I get it credit for. I’m going to push myself more little by little and see just how well I can do. It makes sense to me now when I see other people burning 800+ calories in one Insanity workout. They’re obviously throwing themselves wholeheartedly into it unlike me who always holds back a little reserve in order to avoid injury and make sure there’s enough fuel left for the entire workout. I’ve been running like the tortoise instead of the hare and while the hare eventually is the loser in the story I bet he was in way better shape than the tortoise. Maybe I can find a strange balance between the two… like the Jackalope is half jack rabbit and half antelope I need to become like a Torthare, half hare and half tortoise. Strange, yes, I know, but with any luck it'll work.

Day 43, Max Cardio Conditioning

I can’t believe my little monster is two!! I’m having faux panic attacks every time I think about it. His birthday party yesterday was a complete success. He had a blast, got some really neat presents and loved his cake. It took me forever to make and by the end I was just so exhausted I didn’t put in near the detail I wanted too but it was all right because it turned out that everyone loved the cake; it is entirely gone! Well, except the Lightning McQueen Rice Krispy sculpture, it’s still around. The little monster and his uncle will slowly eat it down to nothing this week I’m sure.

                My goal for the day was to only eat one piece of cake and guess what? I accomplished it!! Due largely in part that my cake was devoured within 10 minutes but still, only had 1 piece of cake! It counts as an accomplishment!

                The workout went pretty much as all of the cardio intense workouts go... it was an awful torture but after I finished I felt better for it. A total of 348 calories were burnt and I know the potential for more is there, if I could just push myself through the blocks I have created in my head. I took a lot of breathers in during the workout to get my heart rate back to a reasonable pace so I could continue on. It always makes me feel better that the people on the TV, as buff and beautiful as they are take a bunch of breaks too. They’re meant to inspire but I still get that little sick voice in the back of my head when I see them fail that taunts, “Ha, ha! You can’t do it either!”

Day 42, Max Interval Plyo

                Seriously felt the burn on this workout. It was pretty brutal. To the point I had to lie on the floor in front of the TV and watch the fan spin above my head for a few minutes while I caught my breath. This is not an easy workout by any means and I probably didn’t make things any easier on myself by sampling all of what I baked for the little monster’s birthday party. You know how most people have an angel and a devil on each shoulder? I have Angel Food Cake and Devil’s Food Cake. Yeah they’re both cake but I’m a baker, there’s always cake where I’m around.

                What people don’t often realize that while Angel Food Cake tastes delicious with strawberries and whipped cream it’s actually considered a “Healthy” dessert. Made with egg whites it has the benefit of being lower in calories, cholesterol and fat. The perfect treat for when dieters are having a sweet craving… it’s the one that guides me towards healthy alternatives to what I would normally eat.

                Now on the other shoulder is my Devil’s Food Cake. It makes me eat terribly delicious things that affect my work out and make me sluggish for days.The temptation of yesterday was awful. To my credit, I did not eat tons of the cake, frosting or fondant but I did sample throughout the day to make sure everything was the way it should be. Possibly could have played a role in my exercise torture… possibly…

Day 41, Rest

               Yeah, I know it's not supposed to be my rest day until tomorrow. Today was such a full day I decided to take it early and do my workout tomorrow. What sucks is that it doesn't feel restful at all. I've been cleaning and baking all day, mostly baking. My little monster has his racetrack cake ready, Lightning McQueen is carved out of rice krispy treats and the Mater cupcakes are done and in the fridge. All that needs to be done before his party tomorrow is decorate Lightning McQueen in marshmallow fondant and getting a couple finger foods ready for the kids.
              I cannot believe my little boy is going to be 2 already. I keep looking at him and wondering, okay weren't we just celebrating your first birthday? Weren't we just bringing you home from the hospital? Didn't I just find out I was pregnant? I've noticed that time goes by a hundred times faster when you have children. I barely kept track of my age before he was born and now I don't think of time as I'm X-number of years old... it's, Holy Cow! The little monster is two!! I'm using my son to date myself. It's a happy but bittersweet time. I asked him if he wanted to stay Mommy's baby forever. He laughed at me... and so it begins.

Day 40, Max Interval Circuit

             Wow, I found another Insanity workout besides the recovery DVD that I actually halfway like. Only half way though because there is still some crazy cardio involved. I burned 338 calories and the majority of the workout was categorized as fat burning. Rock on.
             Today I feel just as stiff and sore as I did when I first started Insanity. My back muscles are tight, my shoulders are sore and the top of my calves are still a little tense. But I feel good despite all of that. I'm still doing this, I'm still committed. I'd kill for a back rub but I know it's a good hurt. It's a discomfort that gives hints to the future I'm going to have if I hold to this program... and by that I mean back muscles, not chronic back pain. Hopefully a relief from the chronic back pain.
             I have another temptation coming up. The little monster is going to turn 2 on Monday so we are having his birthday party on Sunday. I plan on making a Lightning McQueen cake and Mater cupcakes tomorrow in preparation. Yeah, I've been watching Cake Boss. The amount of sugar that is going to go into making these 2 projects is staggering and I haven't even measured it all out, just eyeballed it because I'm afraid it's going to freak me out if I do. I am going to have to make sure I watch myself like a hawk, not fall off the wagon like last time. I'm going to limit myself to either one cupcake or one normal sized piece of cake. Not a, oh there's one whole side of cake left, piece.

Day 39, Max Cardio Recovery

                I have a new favorite video for my Month 2 Insanity workouts. Not that big of a surprise really, anything that gives me a break from the Insane cardio is a godsend in my book. This Max Recovery is pretty intense considering it is a recovery. No jumping or quick moving so I can keep up with the people on the TV (Finally!) and get the most out of this particular DVD. I am definitely feeling the soreness in my abs today, my shoulders, and the muscles just above my knees. Pure willpower is what has to power these workouts.

                According to my HRM I burned less than 300 calories doing this workout but I know that is not accurate. The heart rate monitor goes off of what else, my heart rate. Since this was a cardio recovery, my heart rate did not shoot up like it does in other Insanity workouts. Yet there are still plenty of calories being burnt by the holding of the poses and slow but controlled exercises.

Day 38, Max Cardio Conditioning

                I’m starting an “I Hate Cardio” club. We’re going to have t-shirts, wrist bands and bumper stickers. It’s going to be awesome. All proceeds will go towards buying cake and oxygen tanks.

                Seriously though, I really hate cardio and the Max Cardio is twice as bad as the Pure Cardio. I can’t breathe, I can’t move, I can’t do anything and I hate it. I’m sure it’s helping me, slowly building up my endurance and fitness level without me noticing but from a participants point of view it’s just torturing myself, makes me feel a little sick in the head. The Pure Cardio of last month was somewhere around 27 minutes long... this one is 45. There was seriously a point in time where I was ready to give up. All I could do was stay on my hands and knees and gasp for breath, I missed at least 2 exercises in a set like that just trying to catch my breathe. It sucked. I sincerely hope that there will come a time in the future that this becomes easier for me.

Day 37, Max Interval Plyo

            Another day, another hour long workout. 328 calories for a 45 minute workout. I had to skip the last 15 minutes again because of time constraints. It's an easy choice when confronted with the decision of finishing my workout or getting to work on time. Yet I know I can have both. Tomorrow I vow to actually get out of bed when the alarm goes off... not 15, 20 or even 30 minutes after. Anyone with children understands the challenges that face Mr. Sandman. If it's not one thing it's another. Yesterday the little monster ate way too much fruit and developed a bad diaper rash because he was constantly stinking up his shorts. He understandably doesn't sleep very well like that and as such Mommy doesn't either.
             I now know why we did Core Cardio and Balance for a week. You use your core in every single exercise and it pushes your balance to the limit. I thought I was pretty well balanced, first from yoga and then from Month 1 Insanity exercises but I was wrong. There are these one exercises where you balance on one leg, the other bent up at the knee. Then you raise your hands over your head, lean forward to touch the floor with your opposite leg still in the air and from there jump straight in the air and land on that same leg that you balanced on to begin with. Then you do it again, again and again. My balance is so pathetic that after each jump I had to stop, put my other foot down just so I wouldn't fall on my face, and center myself so I could do another.
            Today my abs are still tender and also my shoulders have the after burn going on. There are quite a bit of jumping, balance and strength workouts in this DVD. On the plus side though, I didn't feel like giving up halfway through. I believe I have finally pushed through the sugar block I built up this weekend and I'm grateful. Nothing worse than doing an intense workout when you're not at your peak.

Day 36, Max Interval Circuit and Fit Test

             I think I was right to fear Month 2. It's pretty crazy. There are elements of month 1 all over it but with a twist. Instead of regular high knees, you do high knees with your arms out in a T shape. Instead of regular jabs you do high-low jabs. And their ab work is intense. It's also a lot longer than I expected. The whole first month has workouts that are 35 to 40 minutes long. This one was 60 minutes long, not including the fit test. Unfortunately Mondays happen to be my worst days to work out, even on the shorter workouts. I have to be into work early so I abandoned the workout with 15 minutes to go in order to get the little monster and I ready to leave. I'll have to finish that and the fit test tonight. Even with me not finishing the complete workout or the fit test I burned over 350 calories. All right month two, let's kick my butt into oblivion!
       

Day 35, Core Cardio and Balance

                If I could sum up today's workout in one word it would be, "Ugh." I curse sugar and the sweet lies it tells me. I knew I shouldn't have eaten that much cake yesterday. It's like every bite I take gravity increases just that much more on my body. I hate sugar, hate it hate it hate it... and yet love it so freaking much. It's sick, I know.

               Needless to say that today's workout was torture. And it's my last day until the dreaded Month 2. Every time I think about Month 2 I just regret that cake all the much more. It was so good but I am paying for my indulgence. We're going back to our healthy menu planning and executing. I just hope tomorrow my sugar hangover will be over and I can totally commit myself to doing, achieving and rocking this workout. Wish me luck, I have a feeling I will need it.

Day 34, Rest

                   Okay yes, Day 34 is supposed to be my last day of Core Cardio and Balance but life didn't quite allow for that to happen today. I spent most of Friday afternoon and well into the evening baking the cake for my sister's baby shower. By 06:00 am the next morning I was up with the little monster and then worked from 8:00 until noon. The baby shower started at 3 pm and lasted for a couple of hours. I was so completely wiped out I didn't even have the willpower to put on my shoes and sports bra, much less press play on Insanity. I also ate an obscene amount of cake...

Day 33, Core Cardio and Balance

                Well it finally happened. I couldn’t finish my workout. My mind was too busy, my body was too tired and I was an absolute mess. I made it about 20 minutes before my limbs quit obeying my commands and I collapsed on the couch. I wasn’t out of breath, I wasn’t sore of tired… I was just mentally fried. Stupid personal issues.

                I feel like crap for giving up and I’m going to make it up tonight by either finishing the DVD or doing Cardio Abs. It’s funny too because I’d been complaining the first few days about how badly my muscles were hurting… it’s not so today. I feel fine, I’m just so scatter brained that I can’t concentrate on anything. It’s crazy how many factors go into having a good workout. You have to sleep, you have to eat right, you can’t overindulge on sugar, and you have to make sure your brain isn’t overflowing to the point of eking out of your ears.

The Ultimate Test:

                Tomorrow I have a major test ahead of me: one of my sister’s baby shower. And I’m in charge of making the cake. My creation will be chocolate, 2 layered, frosted with buttercream and decorated with marshmallow fondant. It will be blue and white with green ribbon and contain an incredible amount of sugar. The ultimate test of will to see if I can get through baking the entire thing without eating any of it. I honestly don’t know if I can do it or not… maybe if I get one of those no-bark muzzles they make for dogs… but I’m sure not even that would stop me.

Day 32, Core Cardio and Balance

               Oh man does sleep make a world of difference. My muscles had a chance to repair themselves last night and I actually didn't limp down the stairs to do my workout this morning. There was no cringing to reach across my desk at work and the little monster and I were able to have a wrestling match. I feel halfway human again! Still a very slow moving human but human nonetheless! I only burned 270 calories doing my workout this morning but I was moving at about 50% of the speed the people on the screen were... I may have gotten one good night of sleep but it seems I need more than that... hoping we can go 2 for 2 tonight. I really need to get back in the groove of things before we hit the dreaded second month of Insanity.


Turkey BLT

I'm a big fan of BLT's. I literally drool when I see one, it's a major weakness. I'm in luck because Insanity's nutrition guide includes one I can make for under 300 calories and it also has 13 grams of protein.

Ingredients and Directions:
Make a sandwich out of 2 slices of whole wheat bread, 3 slices of turkey bacon, sliced tomato and lettuce to taste. Serve with 1 fresh pair.

Day 31, Core Cardio and Balance

            I now know how zombies feel when they try to work out… you know if zombies actually worked out. I bet if they did they’d be able to manage more than that pathetic shuffle they have going on, humanity would be completely screwed if the undead ever got a hold of Insanity. Could you imagine a Shaun T zombie chasing after you?

I barely got any rest last night and I could probably easily pass for one of the walking dead this morning, my brain feels upside down. All of my energy is gone and this morning’s workout was laughable. I’m usually a little bit slower than the people on the DVD but today was really bad. I was so sluggish and it made the workout seem twice as long as it normally does. This feels just as bad if not worse than when I overload on sugar and then try to work out.

This evening I have plans to run the little monster around until he drops and have us both in bed by 9pm. I’ve got to get some rest; this regimen is just too intense to do without the proper rest and fuel.

Day 30, Core Cardio and Balance

                Ouch, my abs, err… well, still flab wannabe abs… They’re so sore, my back is sore, my thighs are sore. I sound like the puppy off 101 Dalmatians, “And my nose is cold and my tail is cold and my ears are cold…”

                I am so stiff today, working the same muscle groups 2 days in a row definitely are working the core because I feel the ache throughout the entire day. It’s like no matter how much I stretch things out over the course of the day there’s always more stiffness somewhere. And the really scary part about is that I have 4 more days to go. I know I’ll either have real abs by the time this is done or uncontrollable stomach muscle spasms due to overdoing it, too early to tell which yet. Tonight I am going to need a long, uninterrupted night of restful sleep so my body can repair everything I’ve been putting it through. I’m going to need some serious energy and motivation for the morning to come. 

Day 29, Core Cardio and Balance

                 Wow, something new! After a month of getting drilled by the regular workouts we have finally moved on! My body was so seriously confused this morning. Instead of doing the regular warm up Shaun T. mixed up the routine and threw me off. Fortunately he spent more time during this workout showing you what you were going to do before you actually jump into it and that helped a lot. According to my heart rate monitor this workout burned 363 calories. I’ve been seeing a lot of other people on Myfitnesspal.com burning a much higher rate of calories than I am. I haven’t figured out why yet… is it because my heart rate monitor is off? Or maybe theirs is? Are they fluffing their numbers to look good? Or is it simply because they started this thing in better shape and they’re able to throw themselves into it more? Anyone’s guess is as good as mine at this point. It’d be cool if I could burn 800+ calories during a workout too though.

                This workout reminded me in a way of the Pure Cardio DVD excepting some major differences. You get one water break after you start the main workout but he alternates exercises. You go from extreme cardio to slower moves designed to target specific muscle groups. The heart rate drops so you feel like you’re getting a rest without ever actually resting. It was nice and intense all at the same time. My thighs ache and my abs are sore. My shoulders were weak this morning but they seem to have recovered. Thighs and Abs are both asking me if we’re really going to do the same exact thing tomorrow. They just about cry when I break the news to them that this is the only workout we’re doing for the entire week.

I Miss Cereal:

                I miss cereal. Unfortunately it has the same effect as Chinese food on me. I feel stuffed for the first half hour but 2 hours down the road I’m starving again. It became a snack more than anything but still I miss it. There are alternatives to the no-fill cereal though. I have yet to try them but the next shopping trip I will be. The brand I keep seeing most often is the KashiGoLean cereal. Insanity’s nutrition guide has a cereal bowl as one of their meals:

Ingredients:

1 Cup high-protein whole-grain cereal

1 TBSP flaxseeds

2/3 Cup skim, almond, rice or soy milk

½ Cup bananas, sliced.

Directions:

Really? Do we really need these? If anyone does they need more help than I am equipped to provide at this point. Anyhow, this particular cereal bowl if made with KashiGoLean or Hi-Lo contains 299 calories and 22 grams of protein, more than enough to keep one feeling full. 

Day 28, Rest

               I wish rest days were more restful. I’m freaking exhausted despite not working out. I was able to do some yoga and loved the stretch… funny thing is that now yoga seems almost too slow to me. I’m ready to move onto the next pose before they’ve even finished with the first. I’m going to have to relearn patience; Insanity seems to have pounded that out of me.

Day 27, Plyometric Cardio Workout

           Plyometric Cardio Circuit today, and I think I did pretty good. I got through my warm up and was going through the stretches before I remembered that I hadn't put on my heart rate monitor. That warranted a quick run up the stairs to strap it on and then back downstairs to continue the workout. Even with the warm up not on the record I burned close to 400 calories. My heart rate shot up like it's never done before and while I felt absolutely exhausted, I still felt good. I'm actually really enjoying exercising now and how it makes me feel afterwards... you know, after I get past the sweating like crazy, I can't breathe part of it.
          Tomorrow is the rest day and I am very grateful. I am doing nothing more strenuous than yoga tomorrow and hope to get plenty of down time to let my body recover and build up what it needs to get ready for Month 2.

Day 26, Pure Cardio and Cardio Abs

              My abs think they’re on strike. They don’t want to do another thing for at least the next 24 hours. Unfortunately for them there is still one more workout to go before a rest day. This morning I reversed the workout. My fiancé tried doing the Cardio Abs DVD first and then Pure Cardio afterwards and he said it was MUCH easier. He was right. You’re still a little tired for the second DVD whichever way you do it but Cardio Abs doesn't completely sap your energy out like Pure Cardio does. I was able to put the most I could into both workouts and definitely felt a good burn for it.

             I'm closing in on the end of my first month doing Insanity and I have to say, I'm very nervous for what's going to be coming in month two. I've heard so many people say how they all quit during the second month, it's so hard, that month one is nothing compared to month two. I'm a little intimidated, again, by the program. Yet intimidation isn't going to stop me from going for it. Every day I will still wake up at an obscenely early time, pull on my shoes and line myself up in front of the TV. I will sweat, I will curse, and I will question my state of mind but I will do it. Stubbornness has gotten me this far, I'm going to be relying on it to get me through the rest. 

            All I can say is thank goodness there's a week in between of month one and two where we do nothing but the Core Cardio and Balance. If I have time I plan on slipping in a Cardio Abs or some yoga here and there... just to help my body get a little more prepared for what's to come.

                

Protein Omelet:

             Another new recipe and even though this one has egg whites in it, it also has a whole egg, giving it the yummy eggy flavor without the eggy calories. It tastes delicious and packs 298 calories in with 21 grams of protein.

Ingredients:

1 whole egg

3 egg whites

2 oz. deli-style turkey breast, sliced

1/2 Cup sliced mushrooms and onions

1 slice whole-grain bread

1 Cup melon

Directions:

             In a non-stick skillet coated with cooking spray, make an omelet with egg and egg whites and fill with turkey, mushrooms and onions. Serve omelet with 1 slice of whole wheat toast and melon.

Day 25, Cardio Recovery

                The time has come again for my favorite DVD of the Insanity program. Every time I do this workout I’m able to throw myself in it just that much more. I hold the poses longer (even though they still burn!) and keep myself better balanced. My thighs were on fire this morning and I keep having to remind myself to breathe while stretching and holding poses. While I’m not physically out of breath there’s still a lot that gets taken out of me to complete the exercises. After the workout I kick off my shoes and sit on the floor while I drink a glass of water. I tell myself I need to rehydrate, even though I didn’t do any intense cardio, but really, it’s just to give my legs enough time to recover before I try to climb the stairs to get in the shower.

                My handy new heart rate monitor told me I burned less than 300 calories doing this DVD but I’m not discouraged by that number. I realize the heart rate monitor calculates calorie burn by my heart rate so it can’t catch all the little calories I’ve burned away by holding a squat or lunge pose for what seems millennia in my mind. I spent 30 minutes of the 35 minute workout burning fat and 5 minute improving fitness. Not bad for a recovery workout.

Just Try It:

                Tonight on the dinner menu are Turkey Burgers. I imagine many more than half of the people who read this cringe but I’m not kidding, these ones are tasty! Before Insanity I had never even gotten near a turkey burger, much preferring beef to anything else but with a new workout regime comes a new diet to support it so I gave it a try. I’ve heard so many people tell me turkey burgers are bland, they’re dry, they smell funny but this recipe handles all three of those complaints. These burgers had great taste, made the house smell great and they were actually so moist the first time I made them that I had to add a little bit of oatmeal the second time to hold them together better. Just try it; you can’t say you don’t like it if you don’t try it.

                This recipe has 301 calories with 25 grams of protein.

Ingredients:

4 oz. lean ground turkey

2 TBSP salsa

2 TBSP red onion, chopped

1 whole-grain hamburger bun or English muffin

Green beans, steamed (they mean steamed with water, not butter!)

Directions:

                Combine turkey, salsa and onion. Form into a burger and grill or broil until cooked through. Serve on bun or English muffin with green beans on the side.

Day 24, Plyometric Cardio Workout

            The differences I am noticing from this program are incredible to me. Not only do I have wrist bones again, my ankles bones are coming back too. I actually have cute ankles, a far cry from my pregnant cankle days. My calves are shaping up (thank you butt kicks) and there’s more definition in my neck and shoulder area. I’m not dropping a crazy amount of weight at once but these physical changes are marvelous to me and well worth it. It’s like I’m gaining my figure back from the outside moving in; starting in the extremities and slowly closing in on the bigger midsection problem area. I know that area will take longer but these smaller changes are plenty to keep me motivated about what I am doing… I’m feeling pretty good about myself.

When I started this program I could barely do a push up. Seriously. My own version of push ups were the girly ones with your knees on the floor and even there I couldn’t do much. This Plyometric Cardio workout requires a lot of moves in the push up position and I shocked myself at how many I was actually able to do. The differences I see in myself between today and day 1 of the program are like night and day.

                It’s not just a physical overhaul I’m experiencing either. There are some happy mental and emotional changes going on as well. I have noticed I am less prone to sulking. Things that would have annoyed the heck out of me before I’m able to just shrug off. Don’t get me wrong I still have a temper, but it’s easier for me to keep a more positive attitude on life and not let that temper get the best of me. I know why I feel like this too. Exercising releases endorphins, the happy chemical in people’s bodies that makes the world a rosy hue. The more I have been exercising the better I have been feeling throughout the day. Now, tanning also releases endorphins but I run a high risk for skin cancer (yay, genetics) so a ghostly white I will stay but hopefully I’ll soon be the fittest ghost this side of life has ever seen.

Day 23, Cardio Power and Resistance

               My new heart rate monitor is a fun toy. I must have checked it 20 times during my workout this morning. It was so interesting to see how high my heart rate was getting and how many calories I was actually burning. According to it I burned 363 calories doing my Cardio Power and Resistance DVD.  Surprisingly, it’s in the range of what I thought I was burning. I expected somewhere between 300 and 400 calories… now with the Pure Cardio DVD I’m expecting somewhere between 400 and 500 calories. We’ll see. During today’s work out 28 minutes of were spent building fitness while 12 minutes were spent burning fat. Not bad.           

Protein Pizza Muffin:

                I have something else new I am going to add into my menu. It’s the protein pizza muffin from the Insanity nutritional guide. I’m very excited about this because we have a little toaster oven at work that will help make me the perfect hot lunch without ever having to leave the office.

Ingredients:

1 whole grain English muffin

¼ Cup tomato sauce

¼ Cup mozzarella cheese, part-skim

2 oz grilled chicken breast, sliced

1 Cup broccoli, steamed.

Directions:

Top English muffin with tomato sauce, cheese and chicken breast. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes and serve with 1 Cup steamed broccoli. 

Day 22, Pure Cardio and Cardio Abs

            I do not know why I am having such a difficult time these past couple days. This morning it was extremely difficult to get out of bed, difficult to find my workout clothes in the dark, difficult to find a hair tie ANYWHERE in the house... really Life? Even my shoelaces have to be difficult today? The workout went in much of the same mode. A couple days ago I pulled a muscle in my back and while I was hoping the rest day would go a long ways towards helping, it just hasn't quite let go yet. I was mostly doing all right until we went to the up and down drills. Anything that had me jumping down then jumping back up made my back scream in pain. It's actually kind of funny because before Insanity I was not active by any means. I had to ask my fiance what to do for a pulled muscle because I was so inexperienced I didn't have a clue. My first reaction was to put ice on it, like I do the knots but apparently that's the opposite of what needs to be done. So in the middle of July my poor back is going to get heat and as much rest as I can give it.
          Since today was Monday that meant I had to be to work a half hour early, not really a great day to pull off two workouts... especially when one gets out of bed a little late. I finished my Pure Cardio this morning and am going to finish out the day by doing Cardio Abs after I put the little monster to sleep. Not ideal but we'll make it work.
          Ending on a positive note here, my Polar FT7 arrived n the mail today. I've already set it up and it is primed and ready to go for tomorrow morning's workout. I can't wait to see how many calories I am burning with Insanity... I just really hope it isn't massively lower than what I think it is.

Day 21, Rest

          Finally my rest day is here and it was just as nice as I imagined it to be. The little monster let me sleep in to around 06:30, we had a nice filling breakfast of veggie omelets and the day was spent with family. I've gotten all the laundry caught up so no more stinky workout clothes. The little monster was happy because he was able to spend time outside in the sun. On the whole it was a very nice day.
          I did have a minor disagreement with the Wii Fit this morning though. According to that horrible piece of equipment I have lost .7 lbs in a week. I know it's just a number but to me it's a slightly frustrating number. I feel like I have worked so hard and followed the program to the letter and for that not to reflect on the scale is disappointing. I expected more, especially after so many people have commented on the changes they can see in me. Now, I'm trying very hard not to let it get to me because I do know that the weight loss will come in time if I am faithful to what I am doing. It's just that nagging little voice in the back of my brain that says, "Ah man... I was hoping for 3 lbs." Just need to remind the little voice that this is NOT the Biggest Loser and I'm not going to see 15+ lbs lost in a week.
         For dinner tonight we had that low calorie Chinese dinner I looked up yesterday and let me tell you it was tasty! A lot of people have this mindset that when you say something is low calorie it either means it does not fill you up or it doesn't taste good. Let me tell you how big of a misconception that is. That chicken tonight was delicious! It really did taste like a homemade version of something you would find in a Chinese restaurant. There were no leftovers and that is a great compliment to the food.

Speedy Delivery:

          I checked on the status of my new Polar FT7 this afternoon and it's already in Idaho! I show it shipped on Friday so it went from Kentucky to Idaho in 2 days. Way to go US Postal Service! With any luck this will be delivered tomorrow by the time I get home from work so I can use it for my Tuesday morning workout. Provided this gadget works as promised I will be able to tell exactly how many calories I am burning per Insanity workout.

Day 20, Plyometric Cardio Circuit

                Today was kind of a rough day again. This time it was less physical and more mental trouble. There was some strange stuff going on upstairs. It distracted me all morning until I got to my workout and then I kicked some serious butt. I was so focused on my troubles that I flew threw the DVD and while I knew I was doing it, it was almost like an out of body experience. I powered through the whole warm up without taking a breather. Not so much for the main workout but I have done more than I have ever done before. My calves, thighs and arms were really feeling the burn.

                I’m sure I’ll feel the after affects of it in the morning but for right now, I feel pretty proud of myself. I have to find a way to channel that amazing focus I had this morning so I can bring it out without being ah, mentally disturbed. Tomorrow is the rest day (finally!) and I plan on doing yoga for both body and mind stress relief.

Sweet, Sticky and Spicy Chicken:

                As good as the food I’ve been eating from the nutrition guide is, I am missing Chinese food. I did a quick google search of less than 300 calorie chicken meals and came upon this gem. I’m thinking I will try it tomorrow night for family dinner.

The Recipe:

1 TBSP brown sugar

2 TBSP honey

¼ Cup soy sauce (going to use reduced sodium soy sauce)

2 tsp chopped fresh ginger root (okay, so I have dried)

2 tsp chopped garlic

2 TBSP hot sauce

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into ½ inch strips

1 TBSP vegetable oil

Instructions:

Mix together brown sugar, honey, soy sauce, ginger root, garlic and hot sauce in a bowl. Salt and pepper the chicken to taste. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken strips and brown on both sides, about 1 minute per side. Pour sauce over chicken. Simmer uncovered until the sauce thickens, about 8 to 10 minutes.

                Now this recipe makes 4 servings and each serving has 232 calories and almost 23 grams of protein. Pair it with some rice (we always use brown rice) and some steamed vegetables and you’ve got a nice quick and healthy yet tasty Chinese dinner. Just think, you could have gotten the same thing at some take out place and it would have been at least double the calories. The food would probably be cold by the time the delivery guy got to your house and then you’d have to tip.

Day 19, Cardio Power and Resistance

                Today was one of my hardest workouts yet. It wasn’t because I overindulged in sugar the day before or pushed myself so hard that every muscle cried out for relief. It was for the pure and simple reason that I barely got any rest but I’m sure dehydration probably played a large role as well. Yesterday we spent the morning outside weeding the garden and cleaning up the place a bit. After the little monster’s morning nap we went to a parade and a car show. There was a lot of walking and hot sun involved. Even with sunscreen I’ve turned a nice tinge of pink today.  As a family we went to the park to watch the city’s fireworks display and afterwards stayed up till around midnight lighting off fireworks. I was already exhausted when I got up this morning and it just made the workout a brutal punishment for staying up past bedtime.

                My upper thighs ache. My back feels tight no matter how much I stretch. My upper arms feel weak and useless. I wish I could have just climbed back into bed after my shower this morning. Unfortunately I’m a working woman and so I end up at the office, practically slumped over my desk, all energy sapped away. I could really use that rest day right about now but I still have one more workout to get through before I am due. We’re going to make sure we drink lots of fluids today and get to bed early. I don’t know if I could handle 2 days in a row like this, my body just might go on strike.

                On the plus side my family members have been commenting on how different I look, that I look like I’ve lost more weight than I tell them I actually have. This is a huge confidence boost and just renews my commitment to see this through to the end, to see how far I can really take myself towards my goal of being active and healthy… and fitting into my black pencil skirt.

Verdict:

                Yesterday I bit the bullet and finally tried the Proatmeal recipe from the nutrition guide. Really, it wasn’t as gross as I imagined it in my mind. I cooked the oatmeal with water, added my protein powder (all we have is chocolate) and milk then mixed it well before adding my walnuts and cherries. It actually was not half bad! It reminded me of those oatmeal and chocolate no bake cookies; it was like having dessert for breakfast… minus the obscene amount of sugar.

                Yes, I did get a disgusted look at the breakfast table but I didn’t see how it was any different than those kids who eat the sugar frosted dipped in chocolate cereals. At least mine was healthy! And it stayed with me for hours, I didn’t feel the need to eat again until nearly lunch… and for someone who has gotten used to five meals a day and is ready to eat second breakfast by 10:00 that is huge. I am looking forward to eventually getting different flavors of protein powder and seeing what other flavor combinations I can come up with. Vanilla and blueberry sounds pretty good to me.

Day 18, Cardio Recovery

            I had the fortune this morning for both of my parents to join me for the Cardio Recovery workout. They’re both in far better shape than I am and breezed through the exercises but it was really nice to have some company. It was pretty entertaining to see my dad wobble a little bit due to lack of balance. He says since his really bad concussion a few years ago he’s pretty much had zero balance. I laugh a little bit, I’m sure that’s what it is Dad.

It’s been a wonderful day filled with parades, car shows, hot dogs, watermelon and fireworks. We’ve spent a majority of our time outside. I’ve gotten some sun, enjoyed the company of my family and did not overeat. It’s going to be a late night and I am just praying that I will have the energy and the will power to get myself out of bed in the morning.

Happy Independence Day

Day 17, Pure Cardio and Cardio Abs

               Man today was rough! I already struggle with the Pure Cardio DVD and today was no exception. I understand the logic behind going 20 minutes straight in order to build cardio power but even a 30 second break would be nice every now and again! After Pure Cardio I sat down in front of the powerful floor fan and tried to find my second wind to take on Cardio Abs. A few sips of water, watched their little plug on Shakeology and once my heart rate reached a normal rhythm again it was time to move on to Cardio Abs.

                Honestly, I don’t know how people can do both DVDs in one go. Personally, I was exhausted from Pure Cardio and I know for a fact I did not do the best I could do on Cardio Abs just because I was so wiped out. I think next time I do this I will have to do one DVD in the morning and the other after work so I for sure give it my all. On the plus side though, I experienced no paralyzing muscle cramps. My core definitely feels worked over. I can feel it just sitting still and it makes me smile. I’m on the journey to turn AB in to ABS… or at least not FLAB.

                I had a funny little revelation today. I leaned forward on my desk while listening to hold music, yuck, when I noticed my arms were starting to shape up; they’re actually starting to gain definition! I knew I had mommy strong arms from always lifting the little monster but when it’s all one size (round) you can’t exactly see it… today I could see the smallest little dips on either side of my biceps. May not seem all that great for some but I’m sure happy about it!

Proatmeal:

               

                Tomorrow I am going to try a new breakfast. Even though I have easy access to all of the ingredients I’ve been hesitant to try it… protein powder doesn’t have the best tasting reputation on the block. It’s time I quit being a wuss and try it. One can only eat so many omelets and peanut butter toasts before they start craving something new. 

The Recipe:

2/3 Cup cooked oatmeal, prepared with water

1 scoop of protein powder

½ Cup of fresh or frozen berries

1 ½ TBSP chopped walnuts

Splash (1/4 Cup) of skim, almond, rice or soy milk.

               This should provide me with a kick start to the morning. It has 307 calories and 26 grams of protein.

Day 16, Plyometric Cardio Workout

                Today is a good day. I experienced the wonder of getting a full night of sleep, woke up on time, did my workout, made a stellar breakfast, had an easy daycare transition and made it to work early. Very rarely do I get days that flow that easily. I’ve ridden the positive wave this entire day. I enjoyed not feeling sore from my workout. A coworker told me she could really see the results of my workouts now. I had an extra bounce in my step. I didn’t even grimace at the massive pile of paperwork on my desk, knowing that I could get through it.

                The workout today went much of the same way. I had a little issue with my muscles not wanting to obey me during the warm up but once they figured out who was boss we did a great job… until the very last set. My arms shook from all of those last exercises. When I started this I could barely do a push up and I went from that to Insanity, go figure. I think after I finish this program I’m going to challenge my brother to an arm wrestling contest… just to see how it goes.

I am extremely grateful I am doing my workouts in the morning. Yes, I physically groan when I set the alarm for 04:30 but after the first couple days it became easier and easier to actually wake up in the morning and not take 15+ minutes getting out of bed. It is so much cooler in the morning. Yesterday we reached a high of 108 degrees. Today is supposed to be 106. I cannot imagine trying to work out in the afternoons with this heat. As it is now I can barely drag myself from the car to the air conditioned house. The little monster just doesn’t understand why we can’t be outside if the sun’s shining, I haven’t figured out how to explain the heat wave to him. I tell him it’s HOT but he just laughs and I can see him thinking, “Yeah right Mom, the only HOT I know about is in the kitchen!”

HRM:

                I do not have a heart rate monitor. Most people I talk to that has done Insanity or other workout programs has one… I feel a little left out and I am extremely curious to see just how many calories I burn per workout. I am after a good quality heart rate monitor that is accurate, tough and useful. Yet I do not want to break the bank on this; I don’t have the funds available to just drop $100+ on say the Jawbone Up (cool as it is.) I just can’t justify spending that much money on something like this.

                It’s taken a lot of research, prowling a lot of online stores and reading a ton of reviews to finally narrow it down to what I am looking for. In everything I read the most accurate monitors also have a chest strap to more accurately get readout of heart rate, calories burned, and all that fun stuff. The best two I have found within my price range are the Polar FT4 and the Polar FT7. The FT4 seems easy to use, durable and a reasonable price. The FT7 is also easy to use, durable and has a few more interesting gadgets than the FT4. It can tell the difference in between your workouts, if you’re working on fitness or if you’re actually burning fat. It also stores up to 99 workouts, allowing you to see your highest heart rate, the most calories you’ve burned and the totals.

                Both seemed interesting and I was sure I could get along with both models… what it really came down to was the money. I found on Amazon that I could buy the FT7 for $8.00 more than the FT4. I’m such a sucker for a deal. It’s on order and I am hoping by Monday I will be able to finally see just how many calories this Insanity workout is burning for me.

Day 15, Fit Test #2

            I don’t know about anyone else, but these fit tests feel harder to me than the actual workouts. Despite the complete exhaustion I feel I am very proud to say that I have improved my scores over Fit Test #1. Not by gigantic leaps and bounds, on a few exercises I only beat my score by a couple extra but still, I’m getting better.

Fit Test#1 Results:                                                           Fit Test#2 Results:

Swich Kicks: 42                                                                Swich Kicks: 48

Power Jacks: 40                                                               Power Jacks: 40

Power Knees: 52                                                              Power Knees: 70

Power Jumps: 20                                                              Power Jumps: 22

Globe Jumps: 7                                                                Globe Jumps: 9

Suicide Jumps: 8                                                              Suicide Jumps: 15

Push-Up Jacks: 8                                                              Push-Up Jacks: 15

Lower Plank Oblique: 18                                                  Lower Plank Oblique: 21

Day 14, Rest

               My body is getting the day of rest it has been asking for. No cardio overload today, no rivers of sweat, no full body soreness… it’s twisted but I kind of miss it. Of course, I don’t miss it during the workouts, I’m in survival mode then, but I feel so good about myself for the rest of the day after I exercise and it provides me the focus I need to stick to my nutrition plan. I’m actually missing working out; I have never had that feeling before.

                This morning I weighed myself, hoping to see some great results. According to the Wii Fit I have lost 1.8 lbs between last Sunday and today. Not what I was expecting but I’ll take a loss over a gain any day in this situation. I may not be dropping serious weight in a hurry but I do know my body is reshaping itself. It’s the strangest thing; I can see my wrist bones again. I didn’t realize I couldn’t before, obviously they were still there, just rounder than they should have been, camouflaged with the rest of my forearm… but now they’re more prominent like they’re supposed to be. I had to laugh at myself when I noticed that and wondered what else I was going to notice in the future.

                My silly sister read my post when I mentioned her and sent me this to help prove her avocado theory. I don’t care if they really are that good for me; I still don't have a taste for them and I am not going to eat one every single day.

                Tomorrow is going to be my second fit test. I really hope I can improve from my first round. How embarrassing would it be to actually come in below that?

Day 13, Pure Cardio and Cardio Abs

                I am back to kicking butt again today. Whatever it was that was bogging me down yesterday seems to have vanished and I am grateful. In my opinion this is the hardest DVD of them all but I tackled it like a champ. I kept up better than I ever have and only took minimal breaks. I felt like Wonder Woman’s distant cousin by marriage. My body is letting me know it isn’t exactly pleased with being pushed so hard as there is some soreness going on today. I’d really love a full body massage but will have to make do with some serious stretching and a couple ice packs. During the whole workout my calves felt on fire yet surprisingly, during the rest of the day I feel fine, really worked over but fine. One of two things must be happening: I either am in too much pain to recognize hurt anymore or my body is finally getting used to these punishing workouts and adapting to them. I’m really hoping it’s the latter.

                Now since today was not only Pure Cardio but Cardio Abs as well I was in for an added “treat.” The Cardio Abs is around 16 minutes long and holy cow, that was intense… I was doing really well considering I had just finished the Pure Cardio DVD. There were only 7 minutes left to go and it hit me, an extremely painful muscle contraction right below my sports bra along my rib cage. I couldn’t move, I could barely breathe and I just had to sit there taking shallow breathes until I could ease myself back to lie down on the floor. I’ve had these before; they’re like when you get cramps in your calves only worse because you start to panic thinking you’re going to die due to lack of oxygen. It took a few minutes and then I distinctly felt the muscle release and slide back into place; it was very perturbing.

                I took a few deep breaths and continued on with the workout. It didn’t take 30 seconds before the second muscle spasm hit in the exact same place, this time more intense, like I had a rock thrown at my chest and it decided to stick around just under the skin. I had to spend even more time lying prone on the floor hoping it would give up and just leave me alone. It was then I called it quits. Knowing your limits and all that jazz.

                Tonight after the little monster goes to bed I will try the Cardio Abs one more time. My muscles won’t be warmed up like they were this morning but I’m hoping to avoid any further muscle spasms… they’re not so much fun…

TIP: STRETCH THE CRAMP: No one really knows what causes muscle cramps… most say dehydration, some say lack of electrolytes, others say just plain old fatigue… whatever the cause the only thing to really do for them is continue to breathe and slowly stretch or massage it out. Curling into a ball is the first instinct but it’s not really going to help the pain. You could feel the aftereffects of a cramp even the next day so be nice to it.

Citrus Baked Chicken with Honey Glazed Carrots:

                Wanted to share one of the meal 5 recipes from the Nutrition Guide. I use more paprika than it calls for but I’ve loved it and the little monster is a big fan of it too. The chicken turns out juicy and flavorful and the carrots add a nice sweet softness to the dish. This meal is 297 calories with 24 grams of protein. If you need more add ½ Cup of cooked brown rice as a side. It will add 100 calories.

Ingredients:

4 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast

½ TBSP olive oil

2 TBSP lemon juice

½ tsp paprika

Sea salt and pepper

1 Cup carrots, sliced and cooked

2 tsp honey

               

                Place chicken breast in an ovenproof dish and top with olive oil, lemon juice, paprika, sea salt and pepper. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes, or until cooked through. Serve chicken breast with cooked carrots glazed with honey.