Have You Gained Weight? The Test

How The Test Came To Be...

About a month before the marathon I realized I was gaining some weight, and no it wasn't just muscle. I was consuming more carbs and probably overcompensating after runs while not being very active otherwise.. definitely a recipe for weight gain. However, I wasn't going to start cutting calories before the big day so I figured once the marathon was over I'd get back on track with food/calories/activity outside scheduled runs. Well.... I haven't :/ I've been working out moderately (and actually had an awesome interval work out yesterday that I should write about) but the eating... the eating has been not so good. If you can't tell look at that piece of pizza form the Best Way to Reheat Pizza post. Stuffed pizza! That's basically two pieces of pizza in one. But anyway, the eating has been off track and I need to get back on track and there will be more posts about that later but this post is about... 

How to be 100% honest with yourself that you've gained weight...

Now you may weigh yourself daily like I do but there are a million things that can affect that. Like yesterday morning I stepped on the scale and then just before my shower I did it again and was 2 pounds lighter. Not only had I splurged on 3-7 Snickerdoodles nor did I do anything remotely active yesterday... I have only had one cup of water. So no, I didn't lose weight in 6 hours, I was just dehydrated.

I've also posted a bunch about the importance of before and after pictures.... You can find those posts here: Motivating yourself again and again, Before and After (1st Challenge), Before and After (2nd Challenge) But I haven't been doing anything lately that warranted a before or after pic so I didn't have any recents and I already knew I wasn't doing as good as I had been in my old after pictures so I didn't feel the need to compare. 

As mentioned I had just showered so it was time to put some pants on. Even though I'm still job hunting/sitting on the couch I figured it was time for real, non-pajama pants. Lucky me all my clothes are clean since I have lots of time for laundry. Put on the first pair of jeans... a little tighter than usual and not coming up quite as high on my hips/waist as I'd like. So I give that little pull and squat maneuver and they rip. They ripped! That soft, worn patch where my legs rub (which is 100% ok by me. I'm not going for the thigh gap and have read that in some people it's physically impossible to get based on their build without being severely malnourished) had enough tension and just tore. 

So on to the next pair of washed jeans... which actually already had a rip in them already (yes that same spot where my thighs rub) but it was from camping and trying to climb into a truck that about 5 feet off the ground and these jeans were pretty old, so I don't feel bad about that. These jeans usually are loose after 30 minutes of wearing them and are my favorite so despite the tear I wanted to wear them around the house. So on they go, tighter again than usual but that tear had some lower butt/upper thigh sticking out of it, not cute at all. I wasn't going to wait for that 30 minutes for them to loosen up while my back side bulged out of the tear. 

Onto a third pair of pants that I know will fit. I got the message and my wake up call. So that is...

The Test

1. Wash all your jeans 
2. Dry them on high or medium in the dryer
3. Try putting them on. Especially the ones that you know how they typically fit you straight out of the dryer.
4. Take note. If they still fit ok and you don't have to do too many squat and pull manuevers then you're probably doing ok. Slide right on? You may have lost weight. Tear some while doing the pull and squat or are way too tight/unflattering now? Well maybe it's time for some changes.

So there you have it, an easy way to have an honest discussion with yourself about your weight without pictures, the scale, or measurements. I know a lot of people who judge their weight loss or gain based on how their clothes fit but if all your jeans loosen up after one wear and you rarely wash them (because seriously jeans rarely get washed)  you may be fooling yourself. If you go through these steps you might have that same realization I had. I had been slacking and I didn't feel good about it. 

So What Now?

I'm probably about where I was in the very first before picture, nothing outside of my normal 10 pound fluctuations but it is time to get motivated. I need to get back on track. I will get back on track. For me it's not about being skinny. I want to be fit, I want my clothes to fit (maybe a size or two down), and I want to feel healthy and good about my body inside and out. So what now? I'm taking my own advice and getting motivated. So I will start here: Motivating yourself again and again. Then I will update the blog with the next journey and process. 

For anyone new to the blog... This is not a blog of someone who has it down yet. I am still struggling with living a healthy life and I don't think I will ever be someone who loves working out or is the poster child of healthy living. But I'm doing my best and my blog was started to share that journey and to have a positive outlet for my thoughts and feelings regarding my struggles and successes. 

*Also please note that this is meant to be light hearted and judging weight by how your clothes fit isn't some new crazy test that I invited, I know that :)

2nd BodyRock Challenge Completed

Ok so I'm a little behind on this post but I finished my second BodyRock 30 Day Challenge. I realized I definitely wasn't as motivated as I was the first time. Although I definitely saw results in term of muscle tone I failed to really change my eating habits. Looking at the results from this challenge in comparison to the last is a real reminder of that saying that goes something like this...

Abs are made in the gym (or living room if you do BodyRock) and revealed in the kitchen.

So I promised I would post before and after pictures. There is not a huge difference but I can see subtle changes. I look at myself everyday so I'm not surprised if others don't notice. I do feel happier and stronger though. I did not enjoy losing all my muscle and having to start over again.

If you want to see the results from my First 30 Day BodyRock Challenge Before and After Picture click here. 30 Day Challenge before and after pictures. There was definitely a bigger difference as I focused on eating as well as working out and I think I was a bit more diligent with the workouts the first time around.

From now on I think I will be staying away from 30 Day Challenges. I get a little burnt out by the end of them and rather than sticking with it I take a break. I am going to focus on running again more with just a few days of the HIIT style workouts

Another 30 Day BodyRock Challenge

Ok so as mentioned in the most recent post I am doing another 30 Day Challenge! I have decided to search the archives of BodyRock.tv and have started the February 2012 30 Day Challenge. The first day is a fit test and you can find the workout and calendar for Day 1 Here.

It really is so sad how much of my strength and stamina I lost since the last challenge I did. But hey, at least I'm starting again and not being defeated. My Fit Test results are as follows and I will be excited to see the improvement when I fit test again at the end of the 30 days.

• Squat Jumps: 26
• Push Ups: 5 regular, 14 on my knees
• Burpees: 10
• High Knees: 78 (last 20 or so were at a slower stepping pace rather than running)
• Switch Lunges: 25 (lunges, not jumping when switching)
• Tuck Jumps: 44 (did the modification they suggested rather than jumps)
• Tricep Dips: 18
• Straight Abs: 13 (feet elevated, elbows to knees)

So here it goes today is Day 3 and I have yet to work out but I will. I am also planning on running today. In other big news...  I signed up for a lottery to run in the Chicago Marathon in October 2013. There were issues with registering and they had to do a lottery for the last 15,000 spots available. So if I get chosen then I may very well begin training for my first FULL MARATHON! Very scary and exciting idea. We shall see what happens.

I'm Back!

I am officially back to it! March is the beginning to the next chapter of This is My Edible Life. It took me a month from moving in to get to this point but it is ok, better late than never. Saturday I went for a 3 mile run (woot woot, so happy, seeing that it had been months since running) and I started a BodyRock 30 Day Challenge. I like the idea of the 30 Day Challenges as it keeps me on a schedule and I feel more accountable. As much as I love(d) BodyRock I think I liked their old format more than their new one. Props to them for growing and expanding but I think I am going to try something either from their archives after this challenge or a different work out site. You can still find anything I did or do that is related to BodyRock underneath the tab above. Anything workout related will be under exercise (so if it's BodyRock it will be in both places). I will make another post dedicated to this 30 Day Challenge so if you want to follow along or start it with me you can.

Getting Motivated Again

So how have I motivated myself to get going again? I followed some of my own tips: Getting motivated again and again. On Saturday before my run I did these:

• Spent some time on Pinterest in the health and fitness section looking at quotes, work outs, and pictures of extremely fit women--jealousy is pretty powerful haha.
• Wrote on my mirror that "I will work out today" just a little reminder that I need to do something each day and to feel proud when I work out and then see it later. I get to say "yup, I did"
• Took some Day 1 pictures. I will post them once I'm done with this 30 Day Challenge so I can do before/after.
• I also though about why I had been motivated before and why I was feeling stuck and came to some of the realizations below...

Some Realizations

So it had definitely been awhile since blogging, cooking, and working out and came to a few realizations in the time being. I realized that my mood had really changed as a result of my lack of activity and (way) less than perfect eating habits. I just felt more... blah. It's weird because I rarely worked out before starting this blog, then started working out consistently, and then kinda lost steam which was when I noticed how good I had felt before. I had more energy, even being at a heavier weight I felt more confident on the days I worked out, my mood was better, and I had more energy.

Another thing I realized after yesterday's work out was how much I missed feeling strong. I had totally lost my stamina and strength I had gained from the first 30 Day Challenge and continued BodyRocking. I felt pathetic hardly being able to do the exercises but rather than letting it deter me I am motivated to get that strength back and maintain it. I like knowing I can carry something heavy, kick ass, or be active at the drop of a hat if needed. Time to get that all back!

Lastly, and it kind of goes with the first one, is that I am caring (a little) less about the weight on the scale. I know muscle weighs more than fat and everything shouldn't be measured by the numbers on the scale. However, I have always been someone who weighs myself everyday. I think since I have been taking pictures of my progress it's easier to see the changes and differences. Right now I'm about 139 without the added muscle and I'm seeing a big difference from the 139 (about) I was after the 30 Day Challenge. I really think taking measurement or pictures is a better way to track progress. If you aren't working out and just changing eating habits then the pounds is a pretty good indicator but if you have started a work out regimen especially something intense like cross-fit, bodyrock, etc. then there are much better ways to see improvement.

Getting Back on Track

Ok. It has taken me a couple days to write this post and come to accept that the week of traveling and visiting family bucked me off the wagon. It is no one's fault but my own, I accept that. I am happy to say I did manage a run while I was visiting home but afterward the food and laziness took over.  I gained 2 pounds (way better than the usual 8 or so of the holidays so that's a positive I guess). I have fallen but I will get back up! I am starting fresh tomorrow morning... I know I know, I should start today/right now... but tomorrow is a new day and a fresh start. No waiting around until Monday and if I put this out there to the world then I better follow through.

My new perspective on this is that there will be set backs along the way, they are not failures. Failure would be to let it derail good intentions so much so that I'd be are back at square one, no longer motivated, and feeling ashamed and regretting what I could have accomplished. In the past I would have continued to eat crap and stop working out for another few months. Not this time. Even though I gained 2 pounds that's still less than where I started. I still have a lot of the muscle and strength from BodyRocking. If I can get motivated again now I will just continue my journey to a healthier, fitter, leaner appearance and life with just a few minor hiccups here and there. I have been going through my list of re-motivating techniques here and will update the blog soon with some new recipes and other stuff.

Found this today (11/30, after my work out woot woot) and thought it was very fitting!

Getting Motivated... again and again

I think one of the most difficult things with eating healthy, working out, and making changes is staying motivated. It's pretty easy to get motivated the for that first trip to the gym, first day of eating healthy, going on that first run, or cutting out that first unhealthy food. And often it's easy enough to do for a few days. However, it's maintaining that schedule or habit for days, weeks, months that is the most difficult.

There are plenty of things that can happen to derail someone from their best intentions. I've had my own hang ups so far. I've had physically and emotionally difficult days where the last thing I wanted to do was work out or just didn't care about what I ate. I have been far from perfect on my journey but I am still seeing progress and don't want to give up. I've been able to maintain pretty good eating habits and have been working out but I feel like I'm losing steam. So I've been trying to think of a list of things to do in order to stay motivated or find that extra push.

The following list is in no particular order. These are things that I have done, will be doing soon, or things that I think would work for people even if I haven't done them personally.

The List

• Do it everyday. When it comes to working out it is good to give your body a break but I've found that when I give myself a day or two off  it makes that Monday work out difficult; not physically but mentally getting myself to actually do it. Even if you need a break from your normal work outs (muscle repair, sore joints, etc.) take some time, even if it's 10 min, to purposefully do something active. Take a walk, lift some weights, do yoga. Just do something and make it purposeful. It will make it easier to do your normal routine the following days because you are still in the mind set of taking time out of your day for exercise.

• If you leave notes for yourself, set goals, or write on your mirror change it up occasionally. If you see the same post-it note or motivational image every day after awhile it loses it's meaning and you may not even notice it. Every few weeks, or as soon as you realize you are ignoring it, change it! Find a new inspirational quote, image, goal and put it somewhere different.

• Find what it was that motivated you the first time. No matter what it was whether it was a picture, a blog, something traumatic or exciting happening, a quote, anything... revisit it. It may have been sometime since reading/seeing/living whatever it was that worked for you. Re-examine that inspiration and think about how motivated you were the first time. Consider if what you're currently doing is still getting you to where you want to be. If it's not consider what change you need to make.

• Anyone who has read this blog knows I love Pinterest. I find a lot of inspiration from the Health and Fitness section. There are great quotes, blogs, work outs, and recipes to give you that little nudge of inspiration. I have also realized that when I am feeling guilty about not eating right or exercising I will avoid looking at it. So now I know if I'm feeling that way that is the time I need it the most. I need that little kick on the pants to get back on track.

• I know this is a tried and true tip but it's because it often works. Find a buddy. I don't like to work out with other people that much but I do find it more motivating if I have a friend that is trying the same work outs/challenges/eating habits that I am. You can share tips, recipes, and keep each other motivated. It's my hopes some people will comment on my blog and let me know if they are trying anything that I am. We can be each other's buddies if you need one. If you or an old buddy starts to slip make a new pact or find someone who wants to start a new challenge with you

• Get a personal trainer. I do not have the means but if I did, I would have one. It's like the tip above, you just have a professional buddy at least for the work out part. I would love to have someone there to push me that much harder every time I work out. Also if you are a beginner it can be a good way to learn the basics. Even if you just have one session (sometimes places will give one free session with a gym membership) you can learn what kind of moves to do to target areas, how to use equipment, and it will help you feel a little more comfortable maneuvering the gym.

• Set new goals. You may start working out or eating healthy without ever setting goals. Maybe somewhere in the back of your mind there was an ultimate goal but whether you are just getting started or need another push take the time to sit down and write out your goals. Try making daily goals, weekly, monthly, and long term goals. It may include how many minutes you will exercise each day, how much weight you want to lose each week, a 30 Day challenge you want to complete, or just broad goals like living a healthy lifestyle, living a long active life. It can be anything. And if you fall short of a goal, its ok! Readdress it , set a new one, or set the same one and figure out what you will do differently.

• Keep track of your progress. Take pictures, take measurements, keep a journal of how you feel. One way or another track your progress. I never took before and after pictures in the past, always meant to but never got around to it. This time it's made such a difference. Sometimes you don't realize how far you've come when you see yourself in the mirror every day. Take those pictures or measurements and if you are feeling yourself lose that motivation look at what progress you've made and think of how good it feels to win even those small battles.

• If anyone else has tips or tricks please feel free to share!

New Challenge Week 2

Well I think BodyRock and some of their hosts are going through some transitions. I think because I started it with a certain host and a certain way I am missing that style and motivation. What should be week 2 of their new challenge that started Oct. 15 kind of falls apart and it a bunch of other hosts, doesn't address it being a challenge, and if you read the posts there is some drama happening behind the scenes. I skipped ahead to the Nov. 1 works out because it seems more organized and it's with Lisa again. I miss the old her but I still like her form and motivation. Starting November 1 the work outs are not in real time anymore but they do have great beginner modifications. I am starting there for week 2 and going forward. We shall see how it goes. If it's anything like the past couple weeks there will be more changes. My goal is to just do BodyRock work outs Mon-Fri and if I have to skip around then I guess I will.

New BodyRock Challenge

October/November 30 Day Challenge

Alright so after healing my foot and then taking a week off from bodyrock (eeek I know... more on that later) I have started a new 30 Day Challenge. This one is set up a bit differently than the May 30 Day Challenge. There will be instructed/real time work outs, usually 12 min, and then a bonus work out (3 min) Monday through Friday each week. My goal is to do another 30 Day Challenge following these work outs that started on Oct. 15. I will do the Monday through Friday and I also will begin running again this week. I started my new 30 days yesterday (10/29). I also plan on adding in extra sets here and there or some extra free weight work outs because I want to push myself a little more this time around and this challenge doesn't have the specific sculpt work outs like the May Challenge did.

If you want to do this with me Day 1 begins here! at BodyRock.tv

Apparently all the Monday through Friday videos are with Lisa-Marie who is my personal favorite so that has given me more motivation to keep doing it. Also these are in real time. If it works for you awesome. I typically watch the video first to see how to do the moves then try to start my interval timer the same time she starts and mute it so I can listen to my music/own interval timer. It's nice to have her video on mute though while I'm going so I can look back at the computer if I forget the next move.

Some tips if you don't have equipment that they use:

Instead of a sandbag you can use pretty much anything... I use a tent bag with the tent and everything in it plus I put a 10lb weight in it. You can use a backpack with some heavy books, free weights, pillow cases with some stuff in it and tied off, a gallon of water, anything! Depending on the work out and how they are using it you can use a variety of things.

Find a way that you can add a little resistance or just do the work out without equipment. It's still a good workout typically. If they are doing squats with the bag up on their shoulders just do the squats, if they are using the balance ball or ugi ball to elevate their arms or legs for push ups, just do the push ups without it. If you focus on doing the exercise with proper form and can get a few extra reps in it will still kick your butt usually.

For the dip station I have used two sturdy chairs. Other people have used couches, counters, etc. If you don't have anything do a variation. Maybe do a triceps dip with just one chair and then add an extra move.

If something requires a pull up bar... I do a different work out. I can't hang from anything in my house, if I tried just hanging from the door frame it would break. I don't have stairs or anything. If you have something use it and if not try to do a different work out that is focusing on some of the same muscles. One example is when they do knee raised from the pull up bar I will do crunches or tuck abs but holding a weight above my head, straight arms, and slighly above the ground.

If you don't have weights or are just starting out find something. At the beginning I only had 10lb weights so that was too much for a lot of reps. I took two cans of food (heavier things like chili), stacked them, and taped them together.

Lastly, the interval timer. If you are doing it with the video in real time you don't need your own. If you want one to set your own I use the iphone app pictured below. It's free but a little tricky. Set the high to 50 and the low to 10 but don't add a rest and then set it to repeat for however many minutes you are doing the work out. It will ding at the end of your 50 seconds and then again at the end of your 10 seconds (rest time). If you type interval timer into your app search it will look like this....

30 Day BodyRock Challenge Completed!

Woot woot! I have officially finished the BodyRock.tv May 30 Day Challenge!

I stuck with the schedule, despite some confusion around week 4 with what work outs to do (see week 4 update for clarification). I have seen some real changes in my body, strength, and fitness level. I have been doing BodyRock workouts on some the active rest days and have been adding extra sets to my work outs to make them longer and have transitions from doing all my push ups from my knees to doing quite a few with proper form. I love BodyRock and feel like this is something I can really stick with. I have really changed my eating habits as well and the combo has been awesome. I am eating fairly low carb but lots of veggies. I have cut out most refined/white carbs but still try to get some whole wheat/grains in each day. I try to have protein in each of my meals and I am using portion control. See some of the foods I've been making lately under the recipe tab above!

Here is my 30 Day Before and After Picture.....

I can't wait to see Day 60 :) I plan to do one of the older 30 Day challenges next and incorporate running. I ran a 1/2 marathon in April and have probably ran about 15 miles total since then so I need to get back on the road. I will post the new schedule and links for which one I choose.

Want to start BodyRocking??

Here is the link to Day 1 of the May 30 Day Challenge
The easiest way to find the next workout is to click the link at the bottom of the previous day. So at the end of the post for Day one (right before people's comments) will be a link for Week 1- Day 2. I just go to my history from the day before and then click the link for the next. They are in the process of re-doing the site so there is some organization issues but if you're willing to be patient and look around a bit you can find the work outs, calendar, and lots of helpful tips! You don't have to have the equipment. I don't and I have been able to do most things. I've used a tent bag with canned food in it as the sand bag, I use chairs as a dip station, I don't have a pull up bar so I just do a different work out during that 50 seconds. It's really easy to modify the work out to fit what you have and your fitness level. I have quite a few posts about BodyRock so check out the tab above for more info.

Counting Calories

I've read numerous times that some of the most successful people when it comes to losing weight count calories/keep a food journal. I had gone back and forth with weight watchers for a couple years and could never quite stick with it so I thought there was no point. However about a week ago I thought I would give calorie counting a try as a way to stay on top of eating healthy and not let a little snack here or there undo my whole day without me realizing it. I decided to download Calorie Counter- FREE but Everyday Health, Inc.

There are plenty of other apps out there to choose from and I could pay a couple dollars and not have to look at adds but it really doesn't bother me. You are able to add food either by typing in a name and the calories (or all the nutrition info if you'd like), you can look up recipes, scan barcodes to add a food (it doesn't recognize everything), look up food by typing in the name (ex: Cracker Barrel Sharp Cheddar 2%), and so on.... The app is also nice because you type in some basic info and it helps you set the number of calories you should consume each day depending on how much weight you want to lose per week as well as a healthy goal weight based on BMI. It considers your level of activity so if you are pretty active daily or lead a fairly sedentary lifestyle it will take this into consideration. You can also add in exercise or activity to see how many calories you'd burned.

As you add your food in for each day it will keep track of the totals based on how much fat, protein, carb, sugar, etc. you should consume in a day. So although I am mainly counting calories and trying to go low carb I have realized I need to watch my sugar intake and increase my fiber.

So far this has been working really well. It's easy enough to look up food or at least find something similar if they don't have the exact brand of what you are searching for. I have my phone with me pretty much all the time so it's convenient enough to add throughout the day and not have to write things down to look up later. I feel like this suits me much better than weight watchers. Although it works great for some people it doesn't work for me. On weight watchers my two glasses of wine a night would take up a huge portion of my points (almost 1/3 of my daily points) but if I'm just looking at calories it's only 250 calories for two 5oz glasses so it doesn't use up as large of a percentage of my daily allowance.

Week 4 BodyRock Confusion and Challenges

Confusing Week 4/Week 5 

First off let me say with the change in the calendar (both of which are posted in earlier posts) things get a little confusing at Week 4. If you are doing the 30 Day Challenge and get to the next work out by clicking the link at the bottom of the previous day then there are multiple links/posts between Week 3 Day 5 and Week 4 Day 1. I've realized these are technically Week 4 and then when you get back to what actually says "Week 4 Day ..." that would be the fifth and final few days of the 30 Day Challenge.

So not realizing this I did the Couplet Workout on Week 4 Day 1 and then skipped ahead past the bodyrock lite work outs and unlabeled ones so I got to the ones that said "Week 4..." and now I'm out of the scheduled workouts with a week left of my 30 Days. I'm annoyed but if you look at the dates you can see what work out were supposed to be on which days if you correlated it with May. I'm irritated but just going to go some repeat work outs or random ones from the website until I'm done.

Don't get frustrated. Even though the Couplet isn't technically one of the labeled days it was an AMAZING workout, so intense and 20 minutes long (you can make it 30 if you do it 3 times through) but it felt really good and I was able to just keep pushing. Then the sculpt that went with it was great and the flow was nice because it was more fluid than some of the other ones.

If you want to do the couplet workout (technically week 4 of 30 days) here is the link:   http://www.bodyrock.tv/2012/05/21/couplet-workout-body-heat-workout-new-warm-up-flow/

If you want to find the 5th Week but labeled  Week 4 Day 1 without clicking through everything here is the link:  http://www.bodyrock.tv/2012/05/28/week-4-day-1-show-your-skin-bodyrock-burn-sculpt-flow-workout/

Update/Challenges 
So I'm on Week 4 Day 4 and things are going well. I am seeing more muscle and definition and the fat layer covering that is slowly getting smaller. I had a it of a set back this weekend/monday. I didn't eat healthy Sunday and then Monday we had a potluck and at the end I crashed an burned and ate way too much cheese and desserts. I felt bad both inside and out. I felt gross and bloated but also felt bad and it put me in a bummed mood. I was feeling a little defeated because I had been doing so well with the 30 Day Challenge and was just disappointed in myself and willpower. I felt like saying screw it and not working out but instead I just forced myself to do it and because of the confusion on bodyrock.tv I did the couplet workout which as I said turned out to be awesome. That made me feel better cause I knew I burned some serious calories but it also helped me refocus. We can't be perfect all the time but I know I will be so much happier if I just get back on the horse and back on track rather than giving up and saying screw it. If I said screw it and stopped trying, working out at diligently , and eating as healthy in one month I would be so upset with myself. I'm opting to feel awesome in a month rather than guilty and frustrated, and I am in control of that. I am trying to use this as a reminder when I want to eat the world and sweets and a million pieces of cheese... remember how I felt when I did that. I didn't feel good physically or mentally. I can have things in moderation and sweets here and there but it needs to be balanced. If I can keep this in my mind when I am at places with lots of good food (my weakness is cocktail parties and such... love those finger foods and appetizers) and can use will power I will feel good at the end of the day because I know my body will feel healthy but I will also be happy rather than guilty and disappointed .

To wrap it up I am still on my way and staying focused. I am loving BodyRock and look forward to doing another 30 Day Challenge after this one.

Week 3 BodyRock 30 Day Challenge Update

Alright so I've been doing the 30 Day BodyRock Challenge and I'm still going strong. I have added a new tab/category that will make it easier to find anything specifically BodyRock related and I will post updates and some hints or tips I've found along the way.

I'm on Week 3 and that includes another fit test. Yesterday was Fit and Flow Test #2 So exactly two weeks from when I've started and I will say it went better. Although my numbers were not amazingly better I found feel that my form was better and it just felt good.

Fit Test:

• Squats:  23, 19, 20
• Pushups: 6 real 19 on knees, 5 real 18 on knees, 17 on knees
• Dips:  19, 19, 20 (soooo much better)
• Crunch: 21, 22, 20

Flow test went well and I am feeling more flexible although it's hard to measure.

So I have seen some improvement with the fit test which is exciting especially in my upper body. I have also been losing weight and seeing slight changes in my body in the mirror as well so I am stoked and that much more motivated to continue. I will post before and after photos at Day 30 and although it may not be a huge difference in a couple months it will be awesome! As another one of those famous Pinterest/Motivation quotes go....

Today's work out included a lot of equipment so just a reminder to always watch the tutorial video if they post one to see way to modify it for what equipment you have/your personal fitness level. I am going to post something (tomorrow hopefully) with pictures of all my make shift equipment so if anyone else needs ideas they will be here. I was also so unmotivated to work out today since it was a very long day of class and traffic but I just made myself do it. I love having the 30 Day challenge and need to find a way to hold myself this accountable and stay this motivated once it's over... maybe just do it again? Or just say 5 days a week I have to do the daily video? We shall see. If anyone is reading this... are you doing this too? ideas? hello?

3 Day Diet Completed and 30 Day Challenge Update

Alright so this morning I woke up and weighed myself just to see how realistic the 3 Day Military Diet really was and... I lost 3 pounds. So this diet is definitely far from a miracle diet, which I had doubted but was curious to see the results. I followed everything strictly to the diet except I had coffee (with a little tiny splash of fat free milk) each morning. I highly doubt this made the difference of 7 pounds. However, this does say you can lose UP TO 10 pounds in 3 days. Although it's probably unlikely it may be possible. I don't have a ton of weight to lose so maybe if I was much heavier I would have lost more. I do have to say I really liked eating real ice cream guilt free the past three nights as it was part of the diet. I think the point is healthy portions and everything in moderation. The diet for the tree days was around 800-1100 calories each day. If I were doing that daily it's perfectly acceptable to work in some ice cream.

I am taking this as a good jumping off point for continued healthy eating. Even though I am not on the diet I had a hard boiled egg and half a banana for breakfast. For lunch I had a good sized slice of cheddar cheese, 4 pieces of turkey meat and carrots, I really enjoyed it too! I rarely buy full-fat dairy products so that is a treat, like I said, everything in moderation

As for the BodyRock.tv 30 Day Challenge, it is going great! The work outs are a really doable amount of time and they give you tips on how to modify it if you're not quite at the level yet at which they are doing them. I just got done with Day 4! The next two days are active rest days so I plan to work in some running (it's been awhile), cleaning up around the house, and other things to stay active. Please let me know if you decide to do this too and keep me updated on how you're doing and what you think. I have been finding different ways to do the exercises that require their equipment by using things around the house. I needed a small weight but only had 10 lb hand weights so I taped two cans together! They worked perfectly for the exercises that called for multiple reps with a lighter weight and for a work out today where they used their equalizer bar to balance when doing squats!

30 Day BodyRock Challenge

Alright so I know exercise is an extremely important part of weight loss and a healthy lifestyle. I run occasionally and will go back and forth to having a regular routine and then sitting on the couch for weeks at a time. I have decided that along with using the 3 Day Diet to kick start my healthy lifestyle changes I would also find some sort of exercise regimen to compliment that.

I have decided to do the the BodyRock.tv  May 2012 30 Day Challenge

Everything can be found here

3 Day Diet Revisited

So if anyone has been following I was going to do the 3 Day Military Diet (Aug 28 post) but due to dinner plans with the boss and me being embarrassed to be like "no sorry I can't eat anything here on this nice dinner you're paying for" I didn't exactly follow it. I still lost a few pounds but nothing major.

Tomorrow I am going for attempt number two. I didn't have a problem sticking with the diet in terms of doing the breakfast and lunch so I don't think it will be bad for the 3 whole days. For a recap the diet is below. By googling 3 Day Diet I have found slight variations here and there as to what days you're allowed to have coffee or different vegetable for dinner.... Basically it's just a low calorie diet but apparently the chemical breakdown of these specific ingredients help loose more weight than usual. We shall see. You are also "allowed" to do this then eat normal/healthy for 4 days and do it again to keep losing weight until you have achieved your goal. We'll see, I'm more just giving it a shot and then will continue to eat healthy afterward.

Tonight I will go and get what I need from the store and also something to make a tasty, but healthy, dinner for tonight and then I will post pictures and the recipe. I am thinking some kind of stuffed bell pepper. mmmm :)

** Please consult your NP or Dr. before beginning any kind of weight loss/diet/exercise regimen**

"DAY 1:

Breakfast--1/2 Grapefruit, 1 Slice Toast, 2 Tablespoons of Peanut Butter, and Coffee or Tea

Lunch--1/2 Cup of Tuna, 1 Slice of Toast, and Coffee or Tea

Dinner--2 Slices of any type meat (About 3 ounces) 1 Cup of Green Beans, 1/2 Banana, 1 Small Apple, and 1 Cup of Vanilla Ice Cream (YUM)!!!

Tip to Try: Warm the apple and/or banana and eat them over the ice cream. Delicious!

DAY 2:

Breakfast--1 egg, 1 Slice of Toast, and 1/2 Banana

Lunch--1 Cup of Cottage Cheese (Or 1 Slice of Cheddar Cheese, 1 Hard Boiled Egg, and 5 Saltine Crackers

Dinner--2 Hot Dogs, (no buns), 1 Cup of Broccoli, 1/2 Cup of Carrots, 1/2 Banana, and 1/2 Cup of Vanilla Ice Cream

DAY 3:

Breakfast--5 Saltine Crackers, 1 Slice of Cheddar Cheese, and 1 Small Apple

Lunch-1 Hard-Boiled Egg, and 1 Slice of Toast

Dinner--1 Cup of Tuna, 1/2 of a Banana, and 1 Cup of Vanilla Ice Cream

This diet works on chemical breakdown and is proven. Do not vary or substitute any of the above foods. salt and pepper may be used, but do not use any other seasoning. diet is to be used three days at a time.

In three days you should lose 10 pounds. After three days of dieting, you can eat your normal foods, but do not over do it. After four days of normal eating, you may start back on the three day diet. You can lose up to 40 pounds in a month if this diet is followed precisely.

This is a safe diet.

REMEMBER: Do not eat/snack between any of the meals!

NOTE: Coffee or tea for the first two meals of Day 1 only. Water only from then on. Water intake is unlimited."