Trying new things.

FOOD:

breakfast:
f.f. greek yogurt w/ peaches- 2
kashi cereal- 1

snack:
cantaloupe- 1
baby carrots- 0
PB2- 1

lunch:
leftover teriyaki pork/shrimp/veggies/couscous- 9

snack:
lightfull smoothie- 1

dinner:
two 98% f.f. hot dogs- 2
corn tortillas- 1
f.f. cheese- 1
green beans- 1
sour cream- 1
wine- 2

post-dinner:
sliced strawberries/peaches- 1

total points used: 24/24 (Wendie Plan)
activity points: Biggest Loser Boot Camp, all three levels- 3
WAPs: 8/35 remaining

Dinner was good last night; looking forward to leftovers for lunch. Since we're going to quiz tonight, I'll probably end up having something quick for dinner. I'm thinking hot dogs and some sort of side veggie.

Also, because I'm getting desperate to see some changes on the scale, I've decided to finally put some changes into action that I've been pondering over the past couple of weeks. I'm going to try ('try' is the key word here, people) to cut back on my Splenda intake. I'm not a complete maniac when it comes to using it (I think?), but sometimes it seems like I add several small amounts to various things over the course of a week. I always add it to my PB2, greek yogurt, cottage cheese and oatmeal. Well, starting today, I'm going to stop adding it to those things since I eat them all pretty regularly throughout the week.

This morning, I didn't add it to my PB2 or yogurt. Definitely an adjustment taste-wise, but I think it's for the best. Now, I'm not promising to eliminate it completely, because I know there are few things I eat/drink that already have some sort of artificial sweetener mixed in. Also, when it comes to certain recipes, I'd rather swap out sugar for Splenda if I can. And since I don't make very many recipes like that to begin with, I think that should be ok.

I just want to rely more on natural sweetness from things like fruits and grains when I can. We'll see how it goes.

I'm also going to keep watching my sodium breakdown each day (via The Daily Plate) and try to make changes where I can. Most days, even if I have a frozen entree, I still stay within my recommended daily intake, but it wouldn't hurt to cut back a little more. After last week's weird gain and accompanying bloat, I feel like I'm retaining a lot more water than I should be, even with all of the exercise I do.


EXERCISE:

This morning, I did all three levels on my new Biggest Loser Boot Camp DVD. From a 'boot camp' perspective, I was really disappointed. After doing all 3 workouts (which is considered advanced), I only burned 290 calories. I had to jog in place for a bit, just so I could burn an even 300. There wasn't nearly as much cardio throughout all three levels, like I was expecting. My heart rate stayed pretty low, overall.

However, from a strength building/resistance standpoint, it's definitely a great option. LOTS of moves with weights. Also lots of squats and lunges. It was just nice to do some stuff that was different from the No More Trouble Zones DVD. And the pace is a little more manageable too. I mean, there aren't any breaks but you don't feel like you're going to die either.

It was nice to use my old resistance bands too (which I just found in a box last week after missing them for like, 3 years, haha). Mixing things up is important to me.

Overall, it's a decent workout. I did sweat a lot, but again, it's not really designed to be a big calorie burner, even if you do all three levels (which takes about an hour, including warm-up/cool-down). I'm going to continue to keep it in my routine though, because I don't dread the strength building moves so much. They were actually kind of fun, and I NEED fun when it comes to doing anything with weights and resistance. And seeing Ali Vincent in all three levels is great motivation. She's in such great shape, it's ridiculous.