So what's the new game plan?

WEIGHT & MEASUREMENTS

Take on Day 1, Day 10, Day 20 and Day 30

EXERCISE

Morning Exercise: Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred – 20 mins

Midday Movement: Walking & Stretching – 10 mins

Evening Exercise: Yoga or Core Toning – 15 mins

FOOD

*Drink cup of hot lemon water before consuming anything else (flushes out the liver – can use ½ real lemon or a couple splashes of lemon juice, to taste -- doesn't have to be every morning)

*Breakfast w/in one hour of waking up

*Small, healthy meals approx. every 3 hours (drink 20 mins before eating)

*Drink as much water as body can tolerate per day (as tolerance increases, add another glass…continue increasing in this way – goal is to build up to drinking half your weight in water per day, in ounces – e.g. @ 130lbs, you’d drink 65oz. per day)

*Can flavor water w/splash of lemon or other 100% fruit juice for excitement (no Crystal Light or other processed goods)

*Lean meat – no skin

*Love brown (sugar, flour, rice)

*Healthy carbs – brown rice, whole-wheat pasta, steel cut oatmeal

*Aim for 2-3 servings fruits each day

*Aim for 2-3 servings veggies each day

*Only 1 handful of unflavored, whole roasted nuts per day (too much can raise cholesterol)

*Increase fiber gradually to avoid bloating/constipation (start out every other day)

*Aim for 8hrs of sleep each night

*No alcohol

*No fried food

*No unhealthy snacks

*No juice or soda (except for occasional 100% cranberry juice)

*Cut back on/Gradually eliminate adding sugar to tea or coffee

*Limit/Eliminate processed foods (i.e., prepare fresh as much as you can)
*Follow 7 days a week (no "cheat" days)

Sample Schedule w/Meal Ideas

4:40am   - wake up/exercise -20 mins 30 Day Shred

5:40am   - breakfast -cup hot lemon water (no sugar) options: -steel cut oatmeal, ½ grapefruit -scrambled eggs w/turkey bacon -spinach omelette

9:00am   - mid-morning snack -water options: -apple and yogurt -hard boiled egg -mixed fruit

12:00pm  - lunch -10 mins walk/stretch -water w/splash of lemon  (or other flavor) options: -grilled chicken, brown rice w/ grilled broccoli and cauliflower -sushi -turkey sandwich on whole wheat w/lettuce, tomato, avocado and honey mustard

3:00pm   - late afternoon snack -water options: -nuts w/craisins -pita chips w/hummus -orange and grapes

7:00pm   - dinner -water w/splash of cranberry juice options: -salmon and asparagus -grilled chicken salad w/mesclun lettuce, walnuts, granny smith apple, feta cheese, raisins and fat free raspberry vinaigrette -stir fry veggies and whole wheat pasta

9:30pm   - yoga/abs/bed -15 mins abs/stretch

Days 7 through 1 & beyond - Ultimate Cliff Hanger

Sooooo...Um, yeah. It's been a minute. A very hot minute!

I'm so sorry for leaving you hanging with my progress, but life just got completely hectic. So hectic that I haven't even exercised consistently for the past 2+ months. Now that's not to say that I haven't exercised at all. I have - just not as much as I would've liked. Not being lazy or anything, but I really have been that busy and that drained from being so busy.

But I'm trying to manage things better. Because, if I don't take care of myself...well...you know the drill.

So what have I been doing since I last wrote? Well, I've been walking to and fro the office (instead of taking the bus from the train) to maintain some kind of physical activity. And, when I've been able, I turn to Cardio Core Express for a quick cardio boost. I've also been doing a pretty good job of maintaining a healthy diet. So all has not been completely lost!

Oh, and I did finally try 6 Week 6 Pack. I was majorly disappointed! Not because it was a wack workout, but because it was a strength training workout. I thought it was a cardio workout that focused on the abs (similar to Cardio Core Express), but I was wrong. It's a core strengthening workout that incorporates some cardio - but not enough to get my heart pumping in the way that I wanted.

The verdict: 6 Week 6 Pack is a great core workout (trust - I felt it the next day!), and I will go back to it once I get closer to my target weight. But, for now, I'm shelving it to continue focusing on shedding lbs/burning fat.

And now, the news you've been waiting for: Since I began this self-challenge, I have lost a total of 13lbs.

I'm actually amazed that, after not working out consistently for so long, I've managed to maintain the weight loss. But that's the power of healthy eating for ya! I feel so much better when I put good food into my system. And so sluggish when I eat unhealthy things. I've fallen off a bit on eating as much veggies as I was before, and drinking enough water has always been a challenge, but I'm a work in progress. :)

I haven't re-taken my measurements recently, so I can't update you on those numbers, but I can give you two funny, if not slightly embarrassing stories (well one is anyway).

So I was going to a sound clash with E one night, but was running late. The weather had suddenly become blazing hot so jeans were not an option. As I was getting ready, I decided to put on a trusty outfit because I knew it fit well and looked good - no preening in the mirror or multiple outfit changes necessary. E had already gone outside so I put it on, hopped in the passenger seat and did my makeup as we drove along. We got to the venue and I had to go to the bathroom. When I got in there I was horrified! I saw myself in the mirror and my clothes looked super baggy, like they were about to fall right off of me. In my rush to get out the door I never paused long enough to notice that I looked like a motherless child - lmao!

In one sense, I was pleasantly stunned to see that I had made so much progress and hadn't even realized it. It actually felt good to know that what had once been a curve-hugging outfit was now completely loose. But then I still had to make it through the night, and I felt really sloppy. So I found a spot (E was the emcee for the night so he was up on stage while I was in the crowd) and kept miself steady fi di night! LOL!! I enjoyed myself just the same (who cares - it was dark!), but made a serious mental note to never run out the house without giving myself a once-over in the mirror again - lol.

The other story is not embarrassing really, but it does show that it hasn't completely sunk in that I've lost this weight...I went to this clothing store (you know the one ladies, where everything is super cute, runs super small, and the sizes don't go past a certain number) to browse around. To my surprise/delight I found several items in my size. I went to the dressing room to try them on, not expecting much (remem, most everything there runs small), but to my surprise everything was actually a bit too big on me. I needed a smaller size. Well that made my day! So now I just have to make sure I keep it up.

As a matter of fact, I'm starting 30 Day Shred all over again. And I'm doing it with my bestie. She had started a while back, but fell off so now we're doing it together. Starting tomorrow Monday.

I never did finish Level 3 so I'm hoping to get through all 30 days this time. And, although I complained about wanting a higher level of cardio, I can't front - I had great results using Shred. I felt healthy and toned.

So I'm gonna start going to bed early again to get enough rest and have enough energy to wake up pre-dawn. :) Either way, I'm enjoying the season!