Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Day 52 - What motivates you?

Ohmygosh! I was just looking at some fb pics that I was tagged in from last summer and they make me wanna head straight home and run a few miles. Goodness man! When did all that extra weight creep up?! Thankfully, I've lost some since then, but I really need to make sure that I don't allow it to casually come back ever again.

Sometimes pretty pics from glossies motivate me. Other times, as in this case, it's horrid pics of myself. How about you? What motivates you to keep your exercise pace up?

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Days 56, 55, 54 & 53 - Musical Interlude

So, yeah...I know I owe you pics of this weekend's cookfest; but I was so busy cooking that I forgot to take them (and pics of leftovers don't look as appetizing). I made jerk chicken, chopped chicken breast (for salad), brown rice and mixed veggies (broccoli, pop chow and carrots). And I'll have you know that my mixed veggies were a big hit - lol! :p We didn't have any fish this weekend - gotta mix it up once in awhile...

While I was igling (i.e., being idle) on YouTube this morning I came across the video below. I thought it was pretty funny. Who knew DJ Bambino was becoming the Weird Al Yankovic of Jamaica? ;D Anyway...since it's food related, I thought I'd share.

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Days 59 & 58 - Walk-a-thon

My body is still thirsting for rest so I haven't been getting up pre-crack-of-dawn. I have been doing a lot of walking though...so I still get some cardio in - even if it's not as vigorous as I'd like it to be. I've been keeping up with my healthy eating habits so I'm not too worried.

Speaking of thirst...One thing I do need to be better at is drinking more water. I've been trying to help my GI tract out with digestion, so I've been drinking less water at mealtimes. Problem is, I usually do most of my drinking before, during and after I eat, so I'm kind of lazy about drinking in between. As a result, I've been a little dehydrated lately. Gotta work on that.

Matter of fact, I'm going to grab a nice, cool glass right now!

xo

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Day 60 - Sleeping Beauty

So apparently my body needed more than one day of rest.

I couldn't get up for love nor money this morning - lol - and I went to bed @9pm last night! I was really drained. I feel a bit more energized today. Will try again to get up and do yoga tomorrow morn, but I'll see how it goes...Very important to listen to your body.

Anyhoo...Been on this detox cleanse for 17 days now. Been doing mostly really well - lol.

I won't front though...trying to figure out what to eat can be very frustrating. It's not so bad when I'm at home, or when I bring lunch from home, because we're stocked and prepared with healthy goodies. But it gets tricky (and pricey) when I forget to bring my lunch.

I've also never been one to keep a set routine for very long. Just the thought of drinking that cleansing mix twice a day has already gotten tiresome to me. I keep reminding myself what I'm doing it for (cleaning up my lifestyle from inside out) and keep trekking at a steady pace, so-to-speak.

Still, I've made it through 40 days of exercise and healthy eating thus far. (And 45 days without cheese if you're keeping tabs - Lord knows I am!:) Am I where I want to be yet? No. But I am certainly still on the right path.

Monday, March 21, 2011

Days 64, 63, 62 & 61 - Walking Weekend

I got a really good, hardcore workout in on Friday.

I started with Level 3 of 30 Day Shred, and then headed to the park to do a 4 mile run/walk. It was my first time running on an outside trail in a long while so I didn't know how I was going to manage (I tend to get shin splints - prob because of my flat feet), but I did pretty well. Ran a very good portion of the way; and, even when I slowed down to walk, I didn't slow down too much.

Later that day, I unintentionally got even more aerobics in...I ended up walking 3 more miles around Manhattan. And on Saturday morning, I walked for 2 miles in the Bronx. All this at a good pace with a hefty bag on my shoulder. Needless to say, I was DONE by Saturday afternoon. I used Sunday as a day of rest (exercise-wise anyway).

The burn felt really good at the time, but oh-so-wrong afterwards. Talk about shin splints! My legs didn't want to move! Between all the running/walking and the Level 3 exercises (I didn't realize Jillian was getting me to work those inner thighs so much), it was an effort just to move my feet.

But I started feeling better yesterday evening. I was up and at it again, bright and early this morning - well, actually, it wasn't bright yet - it was still pre-dawn. :-/

In a way, the burn still feels good because I know my body's changing; but I'm very aware that I shouldn't be overdoing it. Level 3 is so intense that I think I will have to do it every other day to give my muscles time to repair (unlike in Levels 1 & 2 when I was able to do it every day).

I will be putting those "off" days to good use however...Since 30 Day Shred is mostly focused on anaerobic, strength-building exercises, I'll do some yoga or cardio in between. I'll probably do yoga tomorrow, because my body feels like it could use a really good stretch right about now. I'm sure I'll be doing cardio most of the other days though. I'll keep you posted...

Oh...E made another scrumptious dinner last night. On the menu: steamed fish (red snapper and porgy) with shredded carrots and pumpkin, and sides of asparagus and callaloo. As always, we made a lot so that it will last us for the week. No "food" this time; but I did put two American sweet potatoes in the oven to bake. We didn't eat them yesterday, but at least they're baked and can be warmed quickly during the week.

Here's a picture of the fish. Am thinking about the left-overs right about now. Lunchtime is calling me! :)

E's Steamed Fish

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Days 67, 66 & 65 - Steady Breathing

Level 3 of 30 Day Shred is intense!!

Jillian gets down and dirty right away, starting out with a more intense warm up, then heading straight into plank moves for strength. In fact, a lot of the strength training in this level involve planks. And, this time around, some of the cardio involves weights. It's a challenge, but feels good. And yes, I broke a sweat early on and kept on sweating the whole way through. But it was manageable. Partly because I built up stamina in Levels 1 & 2, and partly because I was keeping a steady, focused pace - particularly during the cardio intervals.

The other day I learned that, when you are doing a cardio workout, you do not want to get to the point of panting. You should be able to hold a conversation while you're working out. Sounds crazy right? We tend to think in terms of "no pain, no gain" but truth is, if you're working beyond a certain capacity, you stop burning fat and start burning sugar - not what you need for weight loss.

Here's the basic breakdown of how it works:

AEROBIC
Aerobic exercise requires oxygen. While you're breathing steadily, your lungs fill with air, filters out the oxygen, deposits the oxygen in the blood and then sends it straight to your heart. Your heart then pumps the oxygen back out, sending it to the rest of your body - including your muscles.

Your muscles use fat and carbohydrates as fuel to function. But too much of anything is a bad thing. So when you have excess fat built up (i.e., are overweight) and need to burn it off, you can turn to aerobic exercise because, as the heart pumps oxygen into your muscles, the oxygen will actually aid in burning off fat and carbohydrates - so you're burning off fuel and losing weight.

Thing is, fat is dense and requires lots of oxygen to burn it off. But, the more you do aerobic exercises (e.g., cardio), the better your body becomes at using oxygen to burn fat...So that's why they say you should be able to hold a conversation...It's not so much that you should be blabbing during a workout, but that you should be keeping a steady pace and breathing evenly so that your muscles get as much oxygen as possible to generate fat-burning energy. And you should be able to sustain aerobic activity for more than a few minutes.

ANAEROBIC
On the flip side, anaerobic exercise requires no oxygen. It is more intense so you will start to pant and get out of breath - which is why anaerobic exercises are pretty short and/or are done in sets. With this type of exercise, your muscles do not need loads of oxygen to complete the task.

Because anaerobic exercises are so intense, your system basically cannot produce the large amounts of oxygen your body is begging for. So, instead of using oxygen, your muscles turn to sugar (i.e., glucose, fructose, sucrose) and start burning that to function. That is why you don't burn fat through anaerobic exercise (e.g., strength training) - not enough oxygen.

And, in case you were wondering, the reason anaerobic exercises don't last very long is because burning sugar causes a byproduct, lactic acid, to build up in your system. The more lactic acid in your system, the more fatigued your muscles will be, so they won't be able to perform as long.

Ok, so that was a WHOLE lot of information - lol. But here's the thing -- you need both aerobic (cardio) and anaerobic (strength) exercise to be truly fit.

Doing aerobics will:
1. burn excess fat (key to weight loss)
2. tone up body all over
3. strengthen cardiovascular system (good for overall health)
4. boost your mood

Doing anaerobics will:
1. strengthen muscles (good for revving your metabolism which is also key for weight loss)
2. strengthen bones
3. lower blood sugar levels
4. increase overall strength and stamina

All this being said, I've completely reinforced my theory on why I haven't lost as much weight as I thought I would have by now...Jillian primarily uses anaerobic exercises in 30 Day Shred - strength training. I need to add aerobic cardio to burn fat. So I'm gonna start running tomorrow.

Oh, and by the way, I've lost 5lbs so far. Not bad for 5 weeks. Haven't measured myself in a bit, but my clothes are much looser on me than before. And a few people have even noticed that I've lost weight. That's always a nice feeling...It's one thing when you can feel a difference in your own body, but another when other people start to see it too. :)

Monday, March 14, 2011

Days 70, 69 & 68 - Healthy Groceries

Hi friends! Hope you all had a nice weekend. We had some pretty nice weather here in New York.

Did some healthy grocery shopping and a lot of cooking on Saturday. E made steamed fish (grunt porgies). He usually makes it with butter, but since we're detoxing, using butter is a no-no. So he tried making it with just a tip of olive oil, and it came out really well. He steamed it down with callaloo and made another pot with corn-on-the-cob and "food" (food is a Jamaican term that can include any combination of boiled dumpling, Jamaican sweet potato, cassava, yam, green banana and Irish potato --only the last 3 items were in our pot-- other islands use the term "ground provisions") for our side dish. As my cousin would say, it was slammin'!! :)

Although I can eat food during my detox, I'm still mindful of losing weight, so I definitely did not take a large portion of the starchy stuff - just a small piece of yam and a small piece of green banana.

Aside from walking 20/30 minutes each day, I didn't really get much exercise in last week. But I still managed to lose another pound - thanks to my new, healthier diet. :) And, while I'm only detoxing for a month, this new lifestyle of cutting back on processed foods is permanent. It'll be difficult (especially when I go out to eat), but my body will thank me for it.

I was determined to complete all 10 sessions of Level 2, and this morning I pushed myself to get up early and do just that. I thought the workout would be brutal after having slacked off for so many days; but I got through it just fine. It felt good. I'll start Level 3 tomorrow. That post should be interesting! :D

Friday, March 11, 2011

Day 71 - Praying for Tsunami Victims

This afternoon was a beautiful. A complete contrast to what went on on the other side of the country and in Japan earlier. My heart goes out to Japan and those affected on the west coast and Hawaii...to the families who lost their loved ones...for all the damages.

All these natural disasters that have seemingly been taking place back-to-back are reminders that tomorrow is not promised. We take so much for granted...life...shelter...food...each other...Nothing is promised. I am truly grateful for everyone in my life and all that I have been blessed with.

I hope you all take a moment out of your day to send prayers or warm thoughts to everyone affected by the tsunami. And remember to tell all the special people in your life that you love them. And take more time out to stop and smell the roses.

Peace.

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Days 74, 73 & 72 - Bloat-be-Gone, Detox and a Recipe

I'm finally starting to feel a little better. Haven't quite gotten my energy back, but I'm not feeling as disheartened. Plus, the bloat has gone down so that makes me happy. :)

I actually randomly came across a really good article about bloating yesterday. It breaks down gas on a scientific level (but still keeps it as an easy read), listing the common culprits, how they affect your body, and how you can avoid them.

It's funny because, when I saw the lists I thought, "So if all of these things cause bloating, what's left that I can eat??" Clearly others were thinking the same thing, because people left similar comments on the page. A Calorie Count Registered Dietitian remarked that the key points in the article are that "everyone digests food a little differently" and "intolerances are dose dependent." So you really have to listen to your body and pay attention to what affects you and how it affects you.

It's good to know the common culprits. Now I can pay attention to how things other than fiber, beans, gum and soda affect me.

In other news, E and I have both decided to completely change the way we eat. We're not getting enough nutrition by what we're doing now. Which is why we've been using NuSpecies supplements for a few months...But we thought it would be a good idea to go in for a consultation to see what they'd suggest to meet our specific needs. We had a very informative conversation with one of the consultants and now we've begun a month-long, detoxifying cleanse.

E doesn't need to lose any weight, but we could both stand to be/eat healthier. The human body is directly affected by the things that are put into it. So it makes sense to cleanse the system of self-imposed toxins (e.g., processed foods).

So far, we've been incorporating a LOT more fruits, vegetables and nuts into our diet. No red meat. No "fast" or fried foods. We're still eating chicken and fish, but only minimally - and only baked, grilled or steamed.

As backed up as my digestive tract tends to be, I know it can surely use the cleansing!

Last night we made a non-fry, stir fry. That is to say, there was no actual frying involved - i.e. no butter or oil used. Instead, we prepared the veggies with seasoned water, heated the water in a non-stick skillet, and then stirred in the veggies. The heart of the meal was pop chow (that's bok choy for you non-Jamaicans:) and portobello mushrooms. It was really easy to make. With prep time it took only about 20 minutes. Here's the recipe I made up on-the-spot:


Inga's Non-Fry Stir Fry - Pop Chow & Mushrooms

for "seasoned water":
water
sea salt
onion powder
garlic powder
ground black pepper
oregano
3 stalks thyme
2 pinches ground pimento seeds

for main dish:
1 small onion
2 stalks escallion
2 medium tomatoes
1 clove garlic
1/4 sweet pepper
1 head pop chow
1 pkg portobello mushrooms

directions:
  1. Wash and chop all veggies. Set aside.
  2. Add just enough water to cover the bottom of large skillet. (Veggies will spring their own, natural water once added, so you don't want to start off w/too much water.) Heat over high flame.
  3. Add sea salt, onion and garlic powders, ground pepper, and oregano to taste. Add thyme (rub leaves off stalk and into water - you can include stalk if you'd like) and pinches of ground pimento. Stir water to season thoroughly.
  4. If you like pepper, you can add a sliver of Jamaican scotch bonnet pepper to the water. Stir for a nice flavor. (N.B., Although the pepper itself is hot, most of the peppery flavor comes from the seeds. For those who have never had it before, scotch bonnet is VERY hot - one of the hottest peppers - so if you're not a big fan of this type of spiciness, skip this step!! If you can manage the heat, or are adventurous, keep the scotch bonnet in for only a few minutes - just enough to add a nice flavor. Obviously, the longer you keep it in, the more peppery your dish will be.)
  5. Add onion, escallion, tomatoes, garlic and sweet pepper. Stir and let simmer for approx 2 mins.
  6. If you haven't done so already, remove scotch bonnet. (If you're a pepper pot like me, leave it in.)
  7. Add pop chow. (It'll seem like a lot, but pop chow shrinks the same way cabbage does.) Mix thoroughly w/veggies that are already in skillet.
  8. Add mushrooms. Mix thoroughly.
  9. At this point you'll want to re-season for optimal flavor. Repeat step 3 to taste. (Be sure to sample the food before adding extras. You don't want to ruin it by adding too much.) Stir thoroughly.
  10. Cover. Reduce heat to medium flame. Let simmer for approx 7-10 mins. 
  11. Remove cover. Stir. (Mushrooms should have changed from white to brown. Pop chow should be soft.) Serve hot.
Makes 4-6 servings.

If you try the recipe, let me know how you like it. Bon appetit!

non-fry stir fry

Monday, March 7, 2011

Day 75 - Potty Dance

Lots of veggies today. And I'm back on the oatmeal, so I've been drinking plenty of water. Needless to say, I used the bathroom 5 times before 10am. And I'm still bloated. This should be interesting...

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Days 78, 77 & 76 - Can we say, frustrated??

The past week was very frustrating for me. You can probably tell by the scarcity of posts. Aside from not feeling that great and not being able to work out as hard/much as I wanted because I wasn't feeling that great, I've been frustrated by my progress.

I've dropped 3lbs (prob just water weight) and an inch here and there; but I certainly haven't lost as much as I expected to after almost a month. I know you're probably thinking I'm being hasty but, in the past, I've done cardio and started slimming down in as little as 3 days. And that is what I think my problem is - not enough cardio!

Jillian pushes you hard in the workouts, but they're largely strength building-focused. I need cardio to burn fat. Three, two-minute intervals of cardio is just not enough.

Don't get me wrong, strength training is very important! So, while I'm not giving up on 30 Day Shred, I plan to start hitting the gym again and get 30-40 mins of cardio in. I think that's the only way I'll see the results I'm looking for.

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Days 82 & 81 - I've hit a wall...and it hit me back

I've been going, going, going...pushing, pushing, pushing; but today I hit a wall.

I haven't been feeling that great for the past couple days, but was still trying to keep up with my daily routine. This morning I woke up and just couldn't. So I gave myself a day of rest. My body needed it. I'll try to pick up where I left off tomorrow. I have three more days left to complete Level 2 and I plan to finish them.

I'm gonna get to bed early tonight to give myself a fighting chance.