Hows and Whats: No S and BodyPump at home!

Well, if you've read this blog with any sort of consistency, you've probably gathered that I have a bit of diet and exercise ADD. I can't let it bother me too much though, because I'm still in the ongoing phase of figuring out what works best for me, with regards to eating, working out and managing my weight. That said, let's see what I've been up to this month, shall we?

How I'm currently eating:

The No S Diet. I know, sounds like a fad, right? Those were my thoughts initially, until I scrolled through the website and saw how unbelievably simple it was: No Snacks, No Seconds and No Sweets, except on days that start with S. Three meals a day, five days a week. You can also make exception days as needed, for holidays and special occasions, so no need to ever feel guilty. And "No Sweets" is not to be confused with "No Sugar." It's not quite that strict, it's just a way of keeping consumption of Twinkies and the like down to a minimum.

I actually tried No S a while back, sometime in February/March and initially had good results. But once the numbers on the scale stopped moving, I panicked, stopped watching my diet altogether (this was around the same time we bought our house and moved), and eventually went back to what was familiar (calorie counting).

As you'll probably remember from my last post, I jumped on the SparkPeople wagon as part of returning to calorie counting. Well, once again, the numbers started to make me anxious, I would overeat, then overexercise and/or skip meals to try and keep my calories balanced. This was not fun, at all.

So far, No-S has made the most sense and has required the least amount of work and stress. I don't do well with Intuitive Eating; it sounds great on paper, but once I put it into practice, I find myself snacking more, thinking about food constantly and justifying not-so-healthy foods more often than I normally would. With No S, I have just the right amount of discipline and don't have to stress as much about indulging on the weekends, which is when I tend to crave treats anyway. It allows me to work with my desire to indulge, instead of constantly working against it.

I re-started No S at the beginning of this month, and so far, I'm doing well. And to prevent a relapse like last time, I'm reminding myself to have much more patience. The weight will come off slower than it would otherwise with excessive precise restriction, but I'll be more likely to keep the loss off.

It's been quite a relief; this is the closest I've felt to being a "normal" eater. I'm still eating healthy, balanced meals during the week and with each "free" weekend, I'm enjoying treats, but noticing I can be satisfied with less and less, as each weekend goes by. Some things just aren't as appealing as they once were, which leaves more room for better quality meals and desserts. But if I happen to cave into a slice of grocery-store birthday cake, it's still no big whoop.

I know it probably just sounds like another one of my phases, but I'm continuing to give it a genuine effort, as I'd like to finally settle into a way of eating that helps me achieve weight-loss (without hating myself) and can be maintained for the rest of my life.

I'm still using SparkPeople for support and to track my days of sticking with No-S. There's even a No-S Spark Team for additional discussion and encouragement.

If it's something you think you might be interested in, just reading the information on the website should be enough. I borrowed the book from the library and while it was a good read, it just went into more detail about the developing history of the snack industry (how we got fatter as they got richer), the effects of excessive sugar on the body (which, we can agree isn't good for anyone), and how seconds jack up our portion control and mess with our hunger/fullness cues. There's also a discussion board on the website, should you have any additional questions.

SO. That's where I'm at with eating. And it feels pretty damn good. But what makes me feel even better?

What I'm Currently Loving:

Les Mills Pump at-home workout system. Oh. My. God. In a word, obsessed. I tried a BodyPump class in-person ages ago and loved it, but the class schedule never worked for me, so it remained unrequited love... Until now!

When I heard there would be a BodyPump at-home system, I was skeptical. Will it be as challenging as the class? How broke will it make me? Will I get sick of it?

So far, YES, it is as challenging as the class! And as with any weight-training workout, you just need to continue to add weight to your bar to increase your fitness level. Great instructors with near-perfect cueing and the beat-driven music makes it easier to keep your reps consistent. Most challenging tracks for me so far? During the Pump & Shred disc, the lunges are pretty rough, as is the chest track. After doing what feels like a million chest presses, Joel makes you jump to the floor and bust out push-ups; ultimate muscle burnout!

Next, the cost. Always an area of concern, especially when considering big packaged deals from Beachbody. Luckily, you can try it for a trial period at a discounted price. Since I already own the smaller type of barbell that's used in the workouts, I just needed the DVDs, so off to eBay I went. I would definitely look into eBay as an option first and do some comparison shopping for the barbell; you might be able to save quite a bit of cash. It ended up being more than I usually spend on workout DVDs (I think my eBay deal came out to about $20/disc), but I was in a fitness rut and desperate to try something new that I could actually grow to love. And I definitely love it something fierce!

I've been doing 3-4 of the DVDs for about 3 weeks now and haven't gotten sick of it at all. I just love the pace and the challenge so much that I have to force myself to take rest or cross-training days! So far, my favorite disc is Pump & Shred. It's 45 minutes and leaves my muscles shaking and dripping with sweat every time. Pump & Burn is my next favorite, as it's about 30 minutes long and perfect for mornings where I'm short on time, but still want a challenge.

Results so far? I'm down almost 3% body fat! And I was able to increase my weight load this morning, so I know I'm getting stronger, which is awesome. My upper body is finally making progress! I can't say enough about how great I think this system is; to find something that gives awesome results AND is actually kinda fun is, well, pretty damn rare for me.

I'd like to do more of a detailed review, but a) I haven't tried all of the discs yet and b) Fit Bottomed Girls already did a pretty good job of hashing out the details.

All in all, I can say that July is shaping up to be one of the better months I've experienced in a while, in terms of eating habits and exercise. I'm much more at ease with food, thanks to No S and my body is loving the Pump workouts. Feeling both lean and strong at the same time is the ultimate confidence boost.

I plan to check in again within the next few weeks to follow up on my progress, both with No S and Pump. I also have the Insanity Workout System on order (thanks again, eBay!), so I'm looking forward to sharing that experience as well.

Hope everyone's summer is going well!

Wordless Post.

Running back to where I used to be.

It became evident to me this week that my running has taken the backseat for far too long now. How did I know? Because I felt like this during my 3 mile run yesterday:


I haven't been running much at all the past couple of months and when I do, my attempts have been no more than 1-2 miles at a time, usually as a warm-up to another activity. That's better than nothing I suppose, but last year, I could bust out 4 or 5 miles at a time without feeling like I wanted to pass out and lie on the floor indefinitely (which is more or less what I ended up doing yesterday, post-3 miles).

It got me thinking about how I ran 10K on my birthday in March and how well I did at my first 5K race in April. Since then, my speed and endurance have gone to crap (by my own personal standards), but I'm ready to get back in the game.

I found an 8-week 10K training plan that looks like it'll guide me at just the right pace. I also found a 13-week plan, but I think the 8-week version is a better fit for me and my current fitness routine. I changed the start of the week to Sunday, making my rest day Thursday. I already tend to rest on Thursdays anyway and I figured it was best to make slight customizations where necessary, so I'm more likely to follow through and meet my goal.

Initially, my goal is primarily distance. Yes, down the road, I'd love to get back to running miles in the 9-minute range, but I've noticed that getting too caught up in speed sometimes sabotages my efforts and I give up all together. When I think back to the days when I first started running, distance always led to better speed eventually.

I don't have any specific plans for my cross-training; I'll just do whatever I feel like at the moment. Today, I did the Biggest Loser Last Chance Workout for a good mix of cardio and strength. I also foresee more Jari Love DVDs in the future as well, especially since I broke down and bought a 55 lbs. aerobic weight set:

I don't see myself going to the late-evening BodyPump class any time soon (even though I loved the preview class), but I've found that some of my Jari Love DVDs are the next best thing (particularly, Slim & Lean). She also uses this type of barbell, so it's perfect for taking my strength training to a new level.

Originally, I ordered the set on Friday and canceled it just a few minutes later, thinking I should wait. But after working out over the weekend, I found that my current variety of dumbbell weights are becoming easier to use. And my standard barbell set is too large, heavy and bulky for high-rep workouts, so yesterday, I went back to the site and re-ordered the 55 lbs set. It's a damn good price with cheap shipping and I'll obviously get a lot of use out of it, so no buyer's remorse for me. It's supposed to be delivered on Thursday, just in time for my weekend cross training! Pretty excited to do BodyPump-esque workouts in my living room. I also came across a couple of other Jari Love DVDs on Amazon where people said they make good BP alternatives, so I added them to my wish list. Hope to buy them both over the next few months. My wage decrease goes into effect this month, so I gotta be extra careful with my spending these days!

Oh sweet, delicious, 3 day weekend

Today is going to drag, I know it. But, I have Monday off, so no real complaints. Moving right along to food:



Threw together a quick veggie & shrimp stir fry. In the mix:

• zucchini
• carrot
• red bell pepper
• onion
• minced garlic
• minced ginger
• mushrooms
• salt/pepper
• drizzle of Famous Dave's Sweet 'n' Zesty BBQ sauce
• splash of teriyaki sauce

The BBQ sauce was a great addition; it brought out the sweetness of the carrot, bell pepper and shrimp.

Since I didn't want to wait for rice to cook, I figured it was a good opportunity to finally try the Savory Oats recipe I came across a few days ago on Cheap Healthy Good.



Not bad! I have to admit though, even after using soy sauce, I still found myself sprinkling on a little bit more salt because the flavor just seemed off. This is definitely a dish that I want to experiment with more in the future. I'm thinking a version with garlic, ginger and teriyaki might turn out better. It's so much faster (and more fool-proof) than rice or noodles, so I'd like to keep it in rotation.

As for fitness, I've been mixing things up and went back to an old favorite site of mine, Gym Junkies, for some inspiration. I pulled up a basic beginner's weight lifting program and went from there. Since I'm not quite a beginner anymore, I did add weights to all of the moves immediately. Oh, man. I was feeling it pretty bad this week. I even ended up skipping Zumba yesterday because the soreness was just a bit too much. I'm feeling good though. Hard to complain when my butt's getting tighter and my arms are more defined! I do need to get a pull up bar soon though. It's been on my list for over a year now because I keep finding routines that require pull ups and it's hard to find a suitable substitute. Luckily, there are a few different models out there and none of them are too expensive, so we'll see.

On the off-days of that program, I've been doing 2-3 mile runs with either sprints or incline intervals. Spin class tomorrow, and probably Monday too, since I have the day off.

That's about it. Tomorrow will be busy with spin, house cleaning and a party at my cousin's house. Then on Sunday, we're having a get together at our place. So glad I have Monday to relax and recuperate. Hope everyone enjoys the weekend!

BODYPUMP!

This morning, I got pumped...



...For BODYPUMP!
I'm a dork, I know this. Am I in love? Totally. Am I already sore and busted less than 2 hours later? Sigh. Unbelievably so. Tomorrow is gonna suck, haha. My arms and shoulders seem to be suffering the most, but I can also feel it in my back, calves and butt as well. Mission accomplished!

So, it's 60 minutes long and the basic breakdown goes like this:

• Warm-up
• Legs/Squats
• Chest
• Back/Gluteals/Hamstrings
• Triceps and Biceps
• Legs/Lunges
• Shoulders/Arms
• Abs
• Cooldown/stretch

Each track is about 5 minutes long and you take regular breaks in between to stretch and change out your weights. My favorites were the squat, back/gluteal/hamstring and bicep tracks. The back track is where we got to do deadlifts, rows and a clean & press. I kinda knew what a clean & press was via Jari Love DVDs, but it's a bit different with a barbell and it took me several tries before I could get the hang of it. Once I did though, it was a pretty fun move.

Triceps weren't my favorite, but they never are because my elbows always flare like a mo' fo'. In fact, there were a bunch of personal trainers walking around to check everyone's form and of course, dude came up to me and told me to bring my elbows in. I said, "Yeah, I know; my elbows flare like crazy." He agreed and said that was one of the hardest muscles to train.

Hands-down toughest track? Lunges. Holy burnout, Batman. I wanted to push hard and not stop (especially since a body-builder chick came by and started praising me on my form), but I had to flat out stop and just stand up straight a few times. I couldn't tell if it was the extra weight from the barbell, the high number of reps or the half-lunge pulsing moves that did me in... I'm gonna guess it was all of the above. The backs of my legs, my quads and butt cheeks were on fire.

The abs track wasn't too bad since it was mostly various crunches, but there was some plank work that I ended up doing on my knees a few times.

I of course was sweating like crazy, but felt pretty bad-ass when it was over. I officially need to start improving my upper body strength and my core. Those were the areas I struggled the most.

So that was BodyPump. The only downside? It's not (as of yet) going to be offered on the weekends. I guess this was just a "preview" session. So, so bummed. And according to the schedule, they're not bringing it back until after July 5th and the only night I'll be able to go is Thursdays at 6:30pm, after the 5:30pm Zumba class I usually go to. BUH! I'm definitely not doing both back-to-back and I loathe the idea of waiting that late in the evening to workout, but that may be my only option if I want to stick with it. I'm sure they'll add more classes later, but in the meantime, it's going to be pretty limited. Oh well. I'm just glad I finally got to experience it and see what all the hype was about. I'm officially a fan!

If you have a chance to check out a class near you, please do! It's pretty much the ultimate strength workout and I can't wait until I start seeing the results. Might just have to look into investing in a small barbell so I can get my fix at home, in between classes, heh.

Phases and Crazes.

Just a quick check-in posts of sorts. Sadly (or happily?), I don't have much to report this week. I was out of town over Mother's Day weekend and seem to have hit the ground running this week with miscellaneous chores, errands, exercise and of course, work.

I'm almost done with French Women Don't Get Fat and will be sharing my highlighted notes hopefully later this week. I know, I can sense some eye-rolls out there in cyberspace, but as I stated before, it was just one of those books that made me oh-so-curious, not necessarily some new fad I was looking to throw my life into. I know it has probably been cast into that typical-trendy-bullshit-diet category, but after reading the majority of it, I feel comfortable saying that it's not. That doesn't mean I haven't come across parts that made me say "Psh!" out loud, but I have enjoyed it for the most part. Anywho, details to come soon!

I'm going through another strength training phase. After trying to add more running into my routine the last couple of weeks (and more cardio overall), I was honestly disappointed with my appearance and general heavy feeling, even though it seemed like I sweated like crazy every day and managed a stable diet most days. The past few days I've focused a bit more on weights and resistance and hey, guess what? I'm back to toning up and feeling like a fit bad-ass again.

I know balancing both types of exercise is important, but some weeks I'm just more motivated to do one or the other (and more times than not, that motivation goes to cardio). I went to spin class this morning (and signed up for another class on Saturday because I'm a sadist), but plan on mixing up some Jari Love and Jackie Warner DVDs in between. Might throw in a day of yoga or a custom at-home lifting circuit somewhere too. I've got the weight set at home, begging me to do some squats, lunges, shoulder presses, deadlifts and more.

While I know that I benefit from all types of exercise, I think my body type benefits from strength training the most. I've always leaned toward cardio year after year, week after week, day after day, but I need to work at adjusting that ratio and try keeping strength at the top of the list. My body speaks for itself when I stick to lifting on a regular basis.

I've read in a few different articles that weight and resistance training boosts self-image and y'know what? It's true. That's not to suggest that I don't feel good about myself when I run or spin or stair climb, but there's something about lifting weights and/or working with my own body weight that causes me to be a bit more aware of what's going on with these muscles of mine. I certainly can't speak for others, but I require significantly more concentration when I strength train because I'm paranoid about my form and preventing injuries. And when I manage to perform [heavy] reps successfully, well, I don't know... I just feel like this:



On the inside, anyway. Heh. Notice I didn't throw a picture of The Incredible Hulk up there; although I sometimes push strength training to the side, I'm glad I no longer believe the myth that lifting makes women bulky. Because it totally doesn't (unless you get testosterone injections and live off of a steady diet of steak, eggs and tuna). I certainly feel buff 'n' tough afterward, but I also feel incredibly lean and sexy. And that's not so bad, eh?

That's all I have time for today, but fret not; I have some new recipes floating around in my head that I wanna try this week, so I'll definitely be sharing those, along with pics. Hope everyone's having a great week!

Custom Circuit #1

The night before last, I started thinking about putting together my own strength/cardio routine, so I grabbed a pen and paper and gave it a shot. Completed it yesterday morning. This is what I came up with:

*5-10 min warm-up run on treadmill
*dumbbell squats x 10-12
*50 (or more) jumping jacks
*deadlifts x 10-15
*box jumps x 10
*shoulder press w/ dumbbells x 10-12
*burpees x 20
*push-ups x 10
*50 (or more) jumping jacks
*deadlifts x 10-15
*5-10 min. close out run on treadmill

It was pretty good. Took me 33 minutes to complete and my heart rate was all over the place, mostly high, which was nice to see. Think I need to increase my weight for deadlifts though.

I forgot to mention that we have a treadmill at home these days. Our housemate bought a used one off of a friend for like, $5, so I've been using it. It's old and basic, but still in good shape, so it's been a treat having it around. Especially this morning; I set my alarm for 4:50 am so I could go to the gym, but apparently forgot to turn on the switch (duuhhh moment of the week), so I didn't actually wake up until closer to 5:30. I didn't have time to commute to/from the gym at that point, but I still had time to work out, so I ended up running on the treadmill for 40 minutes. Hooray for back-up at home!

Pushing the limits.

Decided to change things up this morning with a sample fat-loss workout from Joel Marion's site (same guy who designed the CYWT program.)

I actually bookmarked it a while back, but avoided it because, well, it just looked too damn intimidating, haha.

Well, this morning I grew a pair and decided to give it a shot. I told myself to just go at my own pace, but also not be afraid to test my limits. Here's a quick breakdown:

-5 min. warm-up of running in place (butt-kicks, high-knees), mixed with some quick stretching.
-Did the circuit as listed, with the exception of lat pulldowns and push-ups.*
-Took a 2 min. break.
-Repeated the circuit once more.

*Since I was at home and don't have a lat bar, I used a resistance band and a door attachment to mimic it as best as I could. As for the push-ups, I did my own wussy version off of my weight bench because, yes, despite all the weight I've lost and all of the fitness training I've done, I still can't do full-out push-ups, let alone the ones that entail elevating my feet. Definitely something I'll forever be working toward.

The whole session, including the warm-up, 2 min. break and repeated circuit, took me about 33 minutes and burned a little over 300 cals. Plenty of sweat ensued.

I survived! And it wasn't terrible, but it was still an ass-kicker. The "OMG, I'm going to die!" moment came during the second round of mountain climbers. I was certain my hips were going to pop off like a Barbie doll's. But, at the same time, I was proud of myself for pushing through the burn because I could have just as easily given up. It was one of those rare moments where I was conscious of the fact that I was sort of feeding off of my own adrenaline in order to reach a specific goal. I dunno if that makes sense or not, but it was just a cool feeling to have during a moment of self-inflicted torture, heh.

There are also adjustments to be made for next time, between the amount of weight used during some of the moves, and, of course, my form. It was my first time performing a dumbbell snatch. I watched some videos beforehand, but I still think my timing of the jump was off a bit.

Anywho, even though it was tough, it went by suuuuper fast and I felt awesome afterward (once I was able to breathe again, of course). It was a great combination of strength training and cardio and I'm totally looking forward to doing it again.

Checking in.

Helllooo out there. I haven't fallen off the face of the earth, but still felt I should post a brief update.

Things are going well. I'm still following the CYWT plan. Feeling great, still eating my usual favorite healthy foods and, duh, enjoying the day of food-freedom each week. Physically, I'm looking better too. My arms, abs and chest (gasp! tee-hee) are all toning up nicely.

Still not ready to post weigh-ins yet though, and for a couple of reasons: A) I want to wait until I've been on the plan longer to make better sense of my overall progress and B) I'm FINALLY reaching a point where I just don't give a shit about numbers anymore. I've reached a size that I'm happy with, so as long as I'm feeling awesome AND looking awesome in my size 8's, I can't really be bothered with the scale too much. It made me crazy for a lot of months (moving from weekly to daily weigh-ins sure as hell didn't help) and that craziness went on to have negative effects on my diet and workout routines (i.e., over-exercising to make up for overeating).

I think I've finally reached a new level of balance this week. Feels like it, anyway. I've only been working out 3-4 days a week (instead of the usual 6-7) and since I've pretty much done away with counting Weight Watchers points since Thanksgiving (and of course following the CYWT program instead), I'm much more conscious of my food choices and feel like I'm finally treating myself better, instead of feeling like I was constantly being watched by the All Powerful WW Points Gods.

Don't get me wrong- following WW and losing all that weight was awesome, but it feels liberating to eat more mindfully as opposed to constantly asking myself "do I have enough points left to eat this?" It was making me insane during those last 20 pounds to goal and as I tried to move into maintenance.

I'm still tracking everything on The Daily Plate though, just for sanity checks and to see my macronutrient breakdown, which is something that I kinda need to monitor throughout CYWT. And I'm cool with that.

Anywho. I'm finally killing my anxiety toward food and finally starting to see what this maintenance thing is all about. It's sucking a lot less these days, actually. I've fully acknowledged and made peace with how I need to eat and exercise for the rest of my life. I think I used to have a general idea, but hadn't yet fully grasped the concept until now.

Speaking of exercise, I've been doing a mix of sprint intervals at the gym (alternating between the treadmill, bike, elliptical, stairmaster and sometimes, rowing machine), Tae Bo (with Body Bands) and I've re-kindled my love affair with lifting this week. I'm not gonna lie- I'm loving my arms these days. I mean, I'm feeling some serious toning all around, but my arms totally turn me on, haha. Shoulder presses & deadlifts FTW.

I think that covers everything for now. I'm not even fretting over the holidays and the clichéd weight gain. So far, I'm making December my bitch, thanks to the Holiday Calendar Joel made for the CYWT program. I know, I keep plugging it over and over, but it really has made things so much more relaxed and fool-proof for me. Definitely a change I needed to try. Hooray for progress! Hope everyone is doing well.

Weigh-In Day.

Today's weight: 151.8. A gain of 0.8 pounds. Since last week showed me a loss of 5.8 pounds, a gain was expected. But... I must be honest... After having my first perfect week in several weeks (no binging, consistent exercise, TONS of fruit & veggies), seeing a gain was a tad bit irritating. I was hoping I would've at least stayed the same. Oh well. It is what it is.

I took the day off from work today. Slept in a little and then did levels 2 & 3 of the 30 Day Shred DVD back to back, followed by a weight routine with bench presses (30 pounds) and deadlifts (50 pounds). I'm starting to dig deadlifts now that I increased the weight. I can feel my abs, legs, arms and chest all working all at once. It's really easy to talk myself out of lifting, but once I actually do it, I start to enjoy it because I'm more in tune with my muscles and can literally feel myself getting stronger. Feels pretty bad-ass.

That's about it, really. Not much else to report. Hopefully I'll have a more exciting post next week. Have a great weekend!

Good Ol' Crazy Eyes.

So I laughed quite a bit at Biggest Loser last night. Couldn't help it- things got that ridiculous. And there are more people that I'm irritated with and ready to see go home. Liz, especially. Why that woman couldn't shut the fuck up that whole episode, I don't know. She kept saying she would kill herself at the gym and I kinda wished she had. And Dina really disappointed me with the whole "I can't jump on the platform!" nonsense. Ugh. People's reasons for doing things or not doing things on that show are so weak & misguided sometimes, it makes me stabby. But I guess that's the point of the show; to help people work through those issues and get stronger. Some of them will see through their own bullshit eventually. I'd be lying if I said I didn't have those same excuses back in the day. Anywho.

FOOD:

breakfast:
sun-dried tomato chicken sausage- 2
egg beaters- 1
spinach- 0

snack:
9 almonds- 1
apple- 1
carrot/cucumber- 0
hummus- 1

lunch:
ronzoni pasta- 3
tofu- 3
broccoli- 0
PB2 sauce- 1

snack:
lightfull smoothie- 1

dinner:
chicken- 2
low carb tortilla- 1
tomato- 0
wing sauce- 0
f.f. ranch- 1

post-dinner:
yoplait delight- 2
vitatop- 1
s.f. pudding- 1

total points used: 22/22
activity points: 23 min. weight lifting routine- 2
WAPs: 9/35 remaining

Quiz tonight, so I already have quick/easy dinner planned.

EXERCISE:

Lifting day!

Today's routine:
-5 min. warm-up (jump rope, jumping jacks, high knees, butt-kicks)
-4 sets of 12 squats (jump rope in between sets)
-4 sets of 12 bench presses (burpees in between sets)

Still at 30 lbs. I think it'll be a while before I can take on much more than that, haha.

Zzzz.

(***If you're new to the blog, feel free to read my introductory posts and my Not-so-secret-Secret to Weight Loss.)

Dinner last night was awesome. Cooked chicken breasts in a skillet with my favorite rotisserie seasoning, then tossed them in some buffalo wing sauce. Served with mashed cauliflower and grilled zucchini & tomatoes. Quick, healthy, filling and delicious. Yes, it IS possible.

FOOD:

breakfast:
f.f. cottage cheese w/ pumpkin- 2
kashi waffle- 1
coffee & 1/4 c. almond milk- 0

snack:
9 almonds- 1
apple- 1
carrots/cucumber- 0
hummus- 1

lunch:
healthy choice chicken pesto- 6

snack:
protein powder- 1

dinner:
tuna w/ 1 tbsp. BBQ sauce- 2
brussels sprouts w/ 1 tbsp. dried cranberries- 1
olive oil- 1
raspberry fudge holey donut- 5

total points used: 22/22
activity points: 20 min lifting routine- 1.5
WAPs: 20/35 remaining

Pumpkin and cottage cheese was awesome! Added some splenda and cinnamon. Super filling (especially with the waffle) and felt like I was starting the day with dessert. Mmm.

Going to quiz tonight, so I'm planning on just wingin' it for dinner. Plenty of frozen veggies, veggie burgers, canned beans, canned veggies and tuna for me to work with.

EXERCISE:

Did my first lifting session with the new set this morning. Barbell (which hardly weighs anything) plus 30 lbs.

Today's routine:
-5 min. warm-up (jump rope, jumping jacks, high knees, butt-kicks)
-1 set 12 squats, no barbell
-3 sets 12 squats, with barbell
-4 sets of 12 bench presses

Need to work on my form still, especially with the bench press. Seems easy enough, but I'm still getting used to my new bench and figuring out which adjustments to make for the best fit.

Started to do yoga afterward, but said "fuck this" after about 20 seconds into the warm-up. Since I haven't taken a whole day off from working out the past few weeks, I figured at the very least, I needed a "lazy" workout day where I kept things under 30 minutes. Yes, it's an excuse and yes I probably could have benefited from the yoga, but whatever.

Lastly, my guns are starting to look/feel loaded. I'm kinda falling in love with them now. Thank you, weight training! Haha.

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Also did a body fat percentage measurement this morning. First week, I was at 20.9% (approximately). Second week, no change. Third week, I didn't bother measuring since I was on my period. This week: 19%. Not bad! I have noticed some visual changes the past couple of weeks, especially in my upper body, so I was hoping that would translate into an overall fat loss.

Presents for me.

So, I didn't really reward myself for hitting goal last week because I'm frugal (and broke) most of the time.

But after mulling over some ideas over the weekend, I decided to bite the bullet, bust out the damn credit card (shh!) and do a round of purchases for myself. I of course made sure it was all stuff that a) I've been looking at purchasing for at least 3 months or more (give or take), b) I could afford and pay off eventually (duh), c) would benefit from and d) made me feel special (yes, material goods should not be the source of such a feeling, but hey, guess what? sometimes they are).

That said, I will start with the most frivolous purchase of all, Chewy Chocolate Cheek Cookies. Yes, I totally ordered overpriced cookies over the Internet. BUT- I've been looking at them ever since I saw how they were made on Road Tasted With the Neely's on Food Network, which was quite some time ago. I've been to the website sooo many times since then, but told myself no, because I didn't need them and I didn't need to spend the money.

Well, I changed my mind. I mean, look at them:



Another major selling point: They're listed as being only 2 points a piece. The bakery itself is owned by a couple of health-conscious gals, so the cookies are actually pretty healthy (for a cookie, anyway). I just figured "what the hell?" and a few clicks later, finally gave in. Pretty sure being on my period didn't help, haha.

Next, I ordered some PB2 and Biggest Loser Protein Powder, both in bulk. I didn't feel so bad about spending money on these because they're both things that I consume on a regular basis (though I went through Netrition for the PB2 and eBay for the protein powder to save a little extra money).

Then, it was over to Amazon for some new resistance bands. I've been meaning to get these so I can finally use my door anchor strap. My current resistance cord doesn't work with it, so I've yet to actually get any use out of it. So, again, another planned purchase.

And last but not least, I busted out the Sears card and ordered me a new Weider 110 Weight Set:



and a bench with accompanying rack:



Luckily I was able to do ship-to-store on both of them (freight charges on those types of things are terrifying), so I can pick them up anytime today or later in the week! And yes, I tried looking at Craigslist and Freecycle, but no dice. That, or people were charging way too much for used equipment that was definitely past its prime.

Also got some lifting gloves. I noticed I needed those a.s.a.p. after doing some of the Gym Junkie routines with my dumbbells.

Yes, it was a lot of money to spend at once, but I managed to justify each purchase pretty well, for the most part. Aside from the cookies, everything else is going to help me increase and maintain my level of health and fitness. And that's not so wrong, is it? I know I'll probably have a change of heart next month when the bill arrives, but for now, I'm pretty pleased (and excited!). I can't wait to try the new weight set. Who would've thought that I'd come to appreciate the beauty in such equipment?