pics from phone

Just so you know, these aren't high quality pictures. I do have a super duper phone and the picture quality is actually quite nice but my skills using the phone to take pictures of myself are sub par. As well is my lighting choices. But I always seem to take my progress pics by my bedroom mirror so....it is what it is I guess.

Only working abs twice a week although they do get worked when I do other exercises, say squats for example. You need a strong core for stability when you do squats. However, I would like to get my lower abs to show. That is all a matter of losing the fat layer.

Notice I have a LOT less hair. I went in to get it lightened and trimmed but I came out with a whole new style. I was SO SICK of the same old hair. I have had long hair all my life with the exception of maybe 3 or 4 times that I've gotten sick of it enough to chop it off. This is the second shortest cut I've ever had and I love love love it. I can blow dry it and style it or I can run my fingers through it, shake my head around a little and let it air dry, either way it's cute.

I love having long hair. It makes me feel sexy. But guess what, that's only when I have time to actually DO something with it. So if I want to spend an hour on it then yes, it could be sexy. But what mom has an hour to kill on her hair every day?? I needed something to make my life easier, and this has. I feel free. Free from hair hassle. I can go to the gym and workout and not look like a complete mess. I can run to the store without having to fuss over putting it up so it looks half decent. It's just so much better.

AND my husband loves it. So win win.

Wishing I could get a good cap on my delts without having to "pose".

Sorry, Pink, I'm raisin' my booty not my glass. Too much alcohol will not help your body goals. No more flat as a pancake butt!! Skinny flat butts are as unattractive as fat butts imo! It's not where I want it to be yet, got a lot of heavy lifting to do! But it'll get there. It's already MUCH better than it was.

I've found so many killer routines I want to try out, I just can't stand it! The most recent ones are more circuit type, fast paced, plyo, sweat your butt off type of workouts but they look soooo fun! I'm thinking of doing them on my "off" days (Tues, Thurs) and hope that I'm not setting myself up for over training. I'm thinking it will burn crazy fat.

Oh, and I have to add that today at the gym, while I was doing overhead squats, I could see one of the trainers helping some guy do the same thing. Difference? I was using an Olympic bar (45lbs) plus 10lb weight plates and he was using a body bar. One of those soft black bars that you can't add weight to. Don't know what weight it was or anything, but he was struggling. [proud girl moment]

p.s. overhead squats are hard.

I am getting stronger

I AM getting stronger!

I haven't done hamstring curls in a while so I decided to add them to the end of my routine today (along with others, see below) and I thought that I would implement the "heavy is better for hamstring growth" thought. I put the peg in 50lbs and cranked them out! WOW! For me, I was pushing it to lift 40-45lbs with good form so I was totally stoked. I added weight up to 65lbs and that's where my form started to suffer.

Not only that, but I did that damn glute/ham raise machine again today and ROCKED it! I did 10 reps (I'm starting out slow) and it was a beautiful thing. I really struggle getting the machine how I want it though, too many levers and knobs and settings. I climb on and off that thing 10 times before it is situated how I want it. One guy on a treadmill watching me struggle said, "looks like more trouble than it's worth". I ignored him.

I also added band walking and curtsy lunges to the end. Working my saddlebags, oh yeah! I also wanted to squeeze in some step ups and leg press kickbacks for my glutes but my workout was getting on the long side and I still had sprints so I thought I better wrap it up. Although, I felt so good, I could easily have been there another hour just trying out different things. It was a great gym day.

I took some pictures today with my phone as I was getting dressed. Only because I had an "overfeed" day and had pizza last night and STILL had abs and a flat tummy this morning. Whoot! If I can remember, I'll post them later...or tomorrow...or never, who knows with me.

Have a great weekend!

Thursday

by WP Plugins Pro

by WP Plugins Pro

This week is going very smooth as far as diet and exercise. I started taking a product called Prograde Metabolism and I think it's helping immensely to control my appetite.

I had debated and gone around and around about whether or not to get it but after reading about it for the 100th time I decided it sounded too good not to give it a shot. Any help I can get to reach my body goals by summer. I will stop at nothing.

You are supposed to limit caffeine intake while on it because it can cause sleeplessness, nervousness, irritability and rapid heart rate. I didn't read this until after my first day taking it. I was drinking coffee as usual and I had quite an interesting evening/night. If you can imagine how I've been feeling the last month or so, dealing with pretty much all those symptoms anyway, it was just amplified and it wasn't pleasant. After reading the bottle, I decided to cut out coffee and tea while I'm on this stuff and since doing so I have felt great. I'm hoping to see some changes to my body within 6 weeks.
Fingers crossed.

Yesterday I had a morning appointment so I got to the gym later. And mom had a lunch date so she couldn't go. I didn't mind flying solo yesterday. I tried the glute/ham raise machine again. And after watching serveral videos on youtube, I think I was able to perform the exercise correctly. It is tough! And I think that reassured me that I was, in fact, doing it right. I found another really interesting way to do this exercise. People are so creative!

I want to try it this way next time.

If you are a sprinter or a runner, this is a good one to incorporate into your routine. Read on:

"Many athletes are what is called “quad dominant,” meaning that their glutes and hamstrings are too weak and inactivated to contribute their full share of strength to movements like sprinting and jumping. As a result, the smaller, weaker quads are forced to take over.

No muscles are more important to running and jumping than the glutes and hamstrings. Some experts estimate that for sprinting and jumping, 40% of the power comes from the glutes, and another 25% comes from the hamstrings.

The glute ham raise directly targets these muscles together with the important spinal erectors. Unlike the common hamstring curl and back extension, this exercise works the hamstrings from both ends – extension at the hip and knee.

Training with this exercise has been shown to dramatically improve speed. The NFL’s Adam Archuleta went from running a 4.85 sec to a 4.39 sec 40 yard dash in part by incorporating GHRs as part of his training program while in college.

For me, I have noticed a dramatic improvement in my sprinting speed since I started doing the GHR. Now I often feel like I am smoothly gliding along, my feet “clawing” at the ground like a cheetah!"

That was taken from http://homeworkoutblog.com/improvised-glute-ham-raise-run-faster-on-a-budget/

Now I'm not looking for speed necessarily, although I do incorporate sprints into my workouts because sprinters, in genera,l have some pretty rockin' hams. And that is what I want. Oh, and a lifted booty. *wink wink*

Anyway, I think these moves can't hurt!

Oh, and before I forget, I also read that since hamstrings are mostly fast twitch fibers, adding weight to the eccentric movement is great for development. But since this is a hard exercise to do on it's own, adding weight might prove to be impossible (at least for me). I'll give it a whirl.

Trouble sleeping again last night

Last night wasn't one of the better nights I've had in a while. I was very productive and energized yesterday all day so I felt that it would be one of those nights where my head would hit the pillow and I would be out like a light.

Not so. I was having a restless, nervous (not panicky), fidgety evening. It was made slightly worse by the fact that Eden had a friend over. Not that they were overly rowdy, just that it isn't the usual atmosphere and it makes it a higher tension situation for me. I was irritable, I was wandering, I tried sitting but my legs just bounced up and down so I got up to wander some more. Then I realized that I had been feeling so good lately I had sort of forgotten to take my pill.

It seems really sad to me that I am so far gone into this anxiety anymore that I can't be "normal" without medication! And, they want me off medication by summer, which scares me.

So, after I took Eden's friend home, I went upstairs to try and relax in the bath. Other than getting intruded on by my kids and my husband upwards of 5 times, it was pretty relaxing. Afterward I had planned on going straight to bed but when I looked at the clock and it said 9:00 and I was still wired, I decided to get on my laptop a little bit. This was probably mistake number one. No screen time an hour before bed. I know better. I had trouble falling asleep and woke up several times. I just couldn't settle down. Finally at around 4:00 I came downstairs and took 2 pills. Went back upstairs, counted back from 100, massaged my hands and was able to calm down after about 25 minutes.

Then, of course, the best sleep I get is the hour before the alarm goes off. Oh, I didn't want to get up. Then my mom called to say that since it was my "off" day at the gym she just wanted to stay home. Needless to say, I'm not going to Bodypump this morning. I was pretty excited about it too. I could still go, there's plenty of time to get there, but I think since I have been so go-go-go-go for many days it couldn't hurt me to spend a relaxing day at home, editing photos and finishing laundry. Maybe even a movie....or a nap? That sounds delicious!

Mondays are one of my favorite days

Ok, so I promised I'd try track sprints and let you know how it went. Well, I wasn't bothered by walkers because I was there late enough in the morning for that not to be an issue. But I was right about the shortness of the track being a bit of a pain. Turning those corners while sprinting is rough. On a full size track, it would be ideal to sprint the straight edges and walk the corners, but we have to work with what we have, right? Anyway, I gave it a try. And I kind of liked it. Because I worked myself to what I knew was my limit. I wasn't held back in anyway by the setting of a treadmill.

I did sprints after my full workout routine. I'm liking my new routine. It's tough, yet it doesn't feel like I'm taxing my nervous system EVERY time I workout. And that is nice. I did 115lb deadlifts. It's been a while since I've done heavier deadlifts so I was very surprised at this weight. Hopefully my form was correct. I tried really focusing on that because on that exercise, form is more important than amount of weight. Of course this is true with any exercise, but especially with the deadlift. I think you could really hurt your back if you aren't careful.

Tomorrow is an off day. I'm trying 3 full body days and one interval day so that leaves 3 rest days. I thought that it couldn't hurt to try Bodypump on at least one of those days. So tomorrow morning I might take the plunge. I'm not entirely sure I should since I hear you will be mega sore afterwards, and I don't want to be sore for my next lifting workout. But, you never know until you try, right?

Today was a great day again. Energy was through the roof. I keep feeling like I better slow down before I just completely crash but it hasn't happened yet so I'm just going to go with it. Must be all the veggies purifying my system. Here's how I would describe how I feel: you know when your coffee pot gets sort of yucky after a while and you have to run a few cycles of vinegar water through it to clean it up and get all the gunk out? That's sort of what I feel like. It seems as though my system was clogged with "gunk" and now I'm cleaned out and running smoother.

Kids are home and needing my attention so I'm off to be a mom. Boy these relaxing school days are short!

Whoo....

Where do I begin...

Had me a busy weekend. Took the kids bowling. Made a bunch of crafts for Chinese New Year. Played out in the snow (finally).

I think I slept 8+ hours on Saturday night. I was bouncing off the freaking walls all day today. FULL of energy. Oh yeah! This feels more like me! I had literally forgotten what it felt like to truly feel great. I had been feeling crappy for so long, and trying to struggle through it - not very successfully, that now, I really appreciate the true feeling of happiness I have again. And energy - gosh, it's amazing!

I wish everyone out there realized the importance of sleep. I always knew it was important, I've read about how it can affect every aspect of your life (training and fat loss included), but I don't think I could understand the real impact of it until I experienced a lack of sufficient sleep myself. There are folks that say they can function normally on 4-6 hours of sleep. But I think they are kidding themselves. I have to get up at about 6:45am to get the kids out the door for school on time. I could probably get up 15 minutes earlier just so it would be a bit more relaxed but the truth is, I like to stay in bed until the last possible moment. And if I don't wake up numerous times during the night or have trouble falling asleep, that should give me between 7-8 hours.

I am lucky that I can workout at virtually any time of the day. There is no need for me to get up ridiculously early to workout before work because my work isn't dictated by 8-5 hours. I can go to the gym when I want. Not only that but all of my kids are at school so even if I wanted to workout at home, I wouldn't have them to worry about. If there is one thing I can't stand, it's the kids coming downstairs wanting to bounce on the trampoline or dance while I'm working out. I will send them straight back upstairs every time. But even that brief moment is enough to throw everything off and leave me feeling irritated. I don't like being interrupted during a workout, especially if it's intense.

My last workout was hill sprints. I put my treadmill to the highest incline possible and did intervals. My working intervals only lasted 25 seconds at a time. I kid you not, my legs could not go another second on that incline. It was 25 seconds....every....time. I tried to keep my rest intervals to 1 minute or 1 minute 15 seconds at the most. And my sprint was at 8mph. On an incline, for me, that's pretty good. I have never experienced total muscular fatigue in my legs like that before. Amazing! Here's something strange to note, I have noticed that the gym's treadmills seem easier than mine at home. For instance, if I do intervals on the treadmill at the gym, 8mph seems like I'm jogging. I kid you not. It feels like a huge difference. Maybe it's just the atmosphere.

There is something to be said about the atmosphere of the gym. It makes me work twice as hard. It amps me up in a way my basement never could. I love that. I love the camaraderie there is with other gym goers. We're all there for the same reason. There's no competition, there's no pressure, yet I work harder. It's an amazing thing.

Last week, one of the things I did was walking lunges around the track. I think I did a hundred of them. It's a small track, it took me about halfway around it (I think). I saw a guy doing sprint intervals on the track last week. I don't know if I'd like that because there are always so many slow walkers on it for one thing, and for another, it's so small that you'd be turning every few seconds. But I would like to try it just because I know I'm not "sprinting" by definition on the treadmill. All out sprints mean you give it ALL you've got, as fast as you can. And that's what I need to be doing. I'll try that this week and let you know how it goes ;)

Before I go, I will leave you with this:

These are donuts I made today. Not your typical fatty fried unhealthy donuts. But lighter, raised donuts baked in the oven. No sugar. They were delicious! Even my husband couldn't keep his hands off them!

If you'd like the recipe, check out this blog for AMAZING recipes.

The blog is called The Bikini Baker and it's wonderful.

Ah ha!

I've got it! The secret to my success. And I've had it all along.

I remembered a book I bought eons ago by a man named Mike Geary. It's called "The Truth About 6 Pack Abs". I took it out yesterday to read from it again, not because I want a 6 pack. I'm lean enough to where I have visible abs (unless I eat too much pasta or something else that bloats me), but because I needed a fresh new look at my workouts.

I don't like having to sit down and meticulously plan every workout because it just takes up too much of my time. So I like to have an effective plan already laid out that I can follow. Boy had I forgotten about this gem!

The information in this book is so useful and everyone can benefit from it. I love his theory that you need shorter more intense workouts that work multiple muscle groups at a time versus the long slow going kind.

Now I may be a tad biased about this but I LOVE his philosophy on weight training versus long steady state cardio. I blatantly say on my blog side bar that I am anti long boring cardio and pro weights. And it's not because I can't handle it, but because I don't want to do it (been there, done that...yuk). I've educated myself enough to know it isn't the answer to fat loss and a lean sculpted body. Also, I have WAY too much to do every day, I don't have time to spin around in that hamster wheel. If you're cool with hopping on that elliptical or treadmill (or whatever your cardio machine of choice is) for an hour, then by all means, do it! It's still exercise! But if you aren't just in it for the exercise, or the mental therapy, or the me-time, or because you don't know what else to do with all that extra time you find you have, and you want to change your body, read on.

"Studies have shown that intense weight training workouts stressing large muscle groups result in increased RMR (resting metabolic rate) for up to 1-2 DAYS following the workout (potentially even greater than 48 hours), whereas a steady pace cardio workout only elevates your RMR for 1-2 HOURS following your workout."

Days vs. hours....hmmmm, that's a tough one, but I think I'll go with DAYS!

He goes on to say:

"To get the best results you should focus most of your time training with exercises that you can move greater amounts of weight for larger distances. This burns the most calories and works most of the muscle groups in your body all at once, creating a metabolic environment that stimulates change."

Who wants change? Ooooh, I do, I do!! Or are you satisfied with what you are doing now and how you look. You're hot enough, right? "uh huh, I workouuuuuut" - you're sexy and you know it.

"Weight training builds lean muscle mass and therefore increases your RMR. Excessive cardio training actually can cause a loss of lean muscle mass, therefore decreasing your RMR. And the lower your RMR, the harder it's going to be to lose any more body fat AND it's easier to store body fat if you  happen to overeat. The result is people who use primarily cardio-based workouts and also have a poor diet frequently acquire that "skinny-fat" appearance where they have very little muscle definition coupled with excess body fat."

Another misconception is that you need to workout for HOURS on end every day. It makes sense, right? The more I workout the more I lose. Wrong! Studies show that training sessions over an hour promote higher levels of cortisol which can lead to excessive muscle protein breakdown. It also increases free radical production in the body. EEK!

"Once again, many people falsely believe they must train for 2-3 hours each day in order to get lean. But there are very few people who can train this way without over-training and doing more harm than good. It's very hard for the body to fully recover once you've over-trained. Think of it as taking two steps back, but only one step forward."

Give your poor central nervous system a break, sheesh!

I workout. I workout long. I workout hard. Some days I workout twice. And coincidentally, I'm not as lean as I'd like to be. So do I think what he is saying makes sense? Absolutely! I'm living proof!

And of course there is a whole large section of the book that talks about your diet. Let's just put it this way: you're poor diet habits are most likely the sole reason you've never obtained you're goal body.

Yeah, yeah, I know. Who cares, right? I want to eat cake. And I'm gonna eat that cake, darn it! I don't care if I have to workout 3 hours a day and go nowhere with my body goals. I want cake!! People think I'm skinny enough. Oh wait, nevermind, I forgot I don't want to be skinny-fat.

Now that I have TONS of get-lean weapons from inside this awesome book, I'll be ready for summer. I started one of the workouts today. It was great. It was intense and short and I sweat and felt like I worked. And tomorrow, I plan on doing one of the "secret" workouts that will guarantee me a leaner body within weeks! That's the way, uh huh uh huh, I like it, uh huh uh huh!!

Are YOU ready to say good bye to skinny-fat or just fat? I know I am!

Click here if you want to change too.

Baby it's cold outside....

Yep, I'm still singing Christmas music. And baby, it IS cold outside!

The other day I said I was incorporating more supersets into my workouts.

What the heck is a superset? Let's go back a bit. You know what a rep is - it's the number of repetitions you perform an exercise. A set is how many cycles you will do those reps. (i.e. 12 reps of bicep curls for 3 sets means you will do 36 bicep curls total)

When you do a superset, you perform one exercise and immediately move on to the next exercise with no rest. (i.e. 12 bicep curls followed by 12 tricep kickbacks)

There are many reasons for working out in this manor. It is a good way to keep your workouts short and it will bump up the intensity of your workout, which means you  perform more work in less time.

There are 5 types of supersets:
1) Pre-exhaust - you perform an isolation movement first (i.e. leg extension), followed by a compound movement (i.e. squat).

And FYI - an isolation movement requires the use of only one muscle, whereas a compound movement uses multiple muscles. The leg extension will only use the quadricep and a squat will use the quads, glutes, hamstrings, abs, calves and lower back.

2) Post-exhaust - you would perform the compound movement first, then the isolation.

So what is the difference? When you've done all you can do with the quad on a leg extension, you can still work it further by squatting - because you are getting help from other muscle groups. (pre-exhaust)
When you start fresh with the compound move, you are able to lift more weight and when you are done, shred the fibers more with an isolation move. (post-exhaust)

Starting to make sense?

Another thing to keep in mind is whether to do same muscle group or antagonistic supersets. When you pair opposing muscle groups like biceps/triceps in the same superset, you are working one muscle group while the other is resting. This is good for developing muscle balance. When you superset with the same muscle group, you are really working the muscle hard by hitting it twice and getting a great pump, which is good for growth.

3) Compound supersets - for the crazy ;) These are very taxing on the nervous system and require lots of rest in between workouts.

4) Isolation supersets - these are for people who maybe just want to maintain their muscle by stimulating blood flow or for those looking to really define the muscle being worked.

5) Staggered supersets - you might be doing this and not even realize it. Say you are doing a squats. In between sets, instead of resting you would hit a completely unrelated muscle group and do a set of abs or calves. Then do the next set of squats, etc. This way, you are sneaking in some "extra" work, still while resting from the squat. It's called active rest.

So which type of superset should you choose? That depends on your goal.

There is SO MUCH information out there on how to workout that it's hard to know which is right for you. And if you are anything like me, you want to make sure you are doing what is appropriate for your goal because you don't want to be wasting your time doing things that aren't effective. But my problem is I over think everything. ESPECIALLY my workouts.

Really, I think that the basics should get you a healthy lean body. Getting what you desire out of your workouts really depends a lot on what you eat. Actually, what you eat is probably more important than how you train. I've read this again and again from real figure competitors who have the bodies that prove you have to be a clean eater if you're ever to see change. This I can attest to because I've been lifting weights for years, and in theory, should have a rock hard body to show for it. But I still carry that womanly layer of fat over my lower body because I could never stick consistently to a clean diet. It's very difficult and you have to be very committed for a long time. And if you aren't eating the right foods, you could be estrogen dominant and then it doesn't matter if you workout 4 hours a day, you still won't get the results you want.

Eliminating nasty stuff like artificial sweeteners, soda, and highly processed foods is not only good for your body aesthetically, but from a health standpoint as well. But you knew that already ;)

Hello Tuesday!

Just a super quick post before I am off to the grocery store.

All this juicing has me buying tons and tons of vegetables. I LOVE it! I feel better already. Like 110% better. Not sure if it's the medication, the micronutrients of all the vegetables getting into my system, or the fact that I'm SLEEPING AGAIN (thanks to a miracle called MidNite) or a combination of all three, but I'm so so so so so so so so SO grateful to be feeling like myself again. It has been a long time.

Had an easy day at the gym today. Did shoulders (supersets) and a 20 minute HIIT session on a 3% incline. 30 sec on/off sprinting.

Been reading a lot about different kinds of supersetting. I found out a lot of useful info I will share on my next post when I have more time. I used my new knowledge today!

Oh, and since my mom is getting up and down from the floor a lot easier these days, I had her help me try a glute/ham raise today. Oh mama are my hamstrings weak! I am DEFINITELY incorporating this exercise into my glute/ham day. I'm gonna build me some hammies if it kills me!

day - ?

I want to post something inspiring today. But I don't know what.

I'm fasting today. I actually welcomed fasting day with open arms this morning. I can hear my belly growling but it doesn't bother me. The one thing I dislike about this day is the insane amounts of BCAAs I have to swallow to protect my lean muscle during the fast. The pills are so big they look like they should be suppositories.

Right now, if I could do anything I wanted, I would have my husband sitting next to me, just talking to me. I need someone to talk to right now. Just one of those days.

Actually, I could use a nap too. I'm not sleeping well.

Did I tell you I bought a juicer? It works great and I love it. After my 25 days are up, I'm going to juice the toxins from my body and I'm going to feel great! What could be better for you than tons of vegetables in your body every day? Really.

Cheat day today

Got my naughty foods all bought and ready to go!

This morning, I had English Muffin bread. Do you know how long it's been since I've had that?? It used to be my bread of choice. That or potato bread. For obvious reasons, I eat bread VERY rarely. Even organic sprouted grain bread is only eaten about twice per week by me anymore. Anyway, I toasted it then put butter on it and waited for it to melt in......oh, yum!

Tonight for dinner, another Italian night (with the kiddos this time). And I've got a chocolate cake sitting in the refrigerator. My husband was kind of disappointed that he didn't get to eat any last night. "That's for tomorrow night, silly", I said. Oh yeah, your cheat day.

He wants to do a "cupcake wars" with the kids tonight since it's my cheat day. We are just taking those Food Network shows by storm, aren't we?

Yesterday I didn't workout at all (boo) but I am so sore all over that I really didn't mind skipping, even though I know I shouldn't right now. But the night before, I had a HIIT session and it was awful because my legs hurt so bad. Well, at least I know I had a good workout! But I really hate doing 6 sets. It's very taxing.

Oh, and I bought a new juicer. I LOVE it! I am going to eat veggies (and tons of them) daily. I have no excuse not to now!

Good news, everyone!

...my favorite quote from the Professor on Futurama. If you watch that show, you'll know he says that quite a lot.

The good news is that I've been panic attack free for quite a while now and I'm sleeping regularly (if you count sleeping until 4am regular) and my lab results showed that my thyroid is normal. My doctor was concerned my thyroid might be wacky since I'm "so thin" and have anxiety. But all is well. My meds seem to be doing their job and that's great news for me.

I'm nearing the end of the 2nd of 5 cycles on the Xtreme fat loss diet. Two more days until another cheat day! I have to say, I'm actually really REALLY liking this diet. I know it's extreme with the fasting days and shake only days but it's so manageable and of course I love have an entire day to pig out guilt free while LOSING INCHES! You heard me.

I am in shock at how quickly my bottom half has shrunk. This is only my 9th day and I am getting results. I have a pair of pants that were almost too tight on me in late August (around the time I went to New York) and they are BAGGY on me now! The butt sags, it's hideous. Jeans and pants that were tight in the butt and thighs over Christmas now fit comfortably. It's so exciting. If I continue at this rate, there will not be a dimple or a lump left on my body by day 25! (only 16 more days....scary)

I know it sounds ridiculous that as small as I am I still try to lose fat. But the thing is, my thighs are a bit lumpy and the ONLY way to get rid of it is to lose the fat that's there. A daunting and VERY difficult task. It's not that I want to get smaller, it's just that I'm trying to rid myself of the problem - which is lumpy fat. I may be small, you may not believe it's there, but it is. Eliminating the fat should smooth it out. Especially with weight training involved to add muscle. And if those two things don't work, I've probably got a saggy skin problem. At my age, skin elasticity isn't what it used to be and that means my problem may never go away. But for now, I'm going to treat it like it's just fat that needs to be lost. I've got to test all theories.

Anyway, I've got my next routine all lined up too. So when this is over, it's booty bootcamp! I'm going to focus on lifting my saggy rear end. I'll have four months, but I've found some good moves that ought to do the trick!

day 7 of 25

Yet another fast day behind me (thankfully). It was a lot harder fasting on a Sunday when everyone is home. Seeing people eating and smelling food cooking, knowing I couldn't eat it was a lot tougher than when I was home alone.

I did two of the 3 scheduled workouts for the fast day. Again, I couldn't muster the energy after an entire day without food, for a steady state run. I started out the day feeling really great. Full of energy. Not hungry at all. Rocked my first two workouts. But by 3:00 or so my energy started to dive. Plus, I'm not entirely used to my pills and they make me drowsy. I had to take a nap. It felt good.

Excited for tomorrow. Shake day! I'm going to eat a lot of extra veggies tomorrow. I did not do this last time. I'll be blending spinach into my shakes and eating lots of tomatoes. Those are my favorites.

I am excited for the end of this second cycle. That will REALLY be the test of how well this is working. I'm feeling so much smaller but I don't notice any fat vanishing yet. YET....

Cheat day - cycle 2 begins

I need something to do before my pills kick in and I get tired enough to fall asleep.

Today was CHEAT DAY!!

I was sooooo excited for the day. I wanted to sleep in since I didn't have to get up to get the kids ready for school. But I couldn't. I knew that there was carmel nut coffee cake on my kitchen counter waiting for me. And, bonus for me, my husband had gotten out of bed before me (first time for everything) and brewed a fresh pot of coffee. So I got up and had delicious coffee cake and coffee for breakfast. Yum!

Then for lunch I had chicken nuggets and fast food fries (made at home) dunked in ketchup and horseradish sauce. LOVE! I even poured myself a glass of coke. I thought since it was a cheat day I would have some. But one sip and YUK! How can anyone drink pop?? It's just so nasty. No wonder it pickles your liver. And on that note....did you know that if you drink pop every day eventually your liver will look like that of an alcoholic?  Ew. When your liver is all fatty and toxic due to soda consumption, what do you think is going to happen to your health over time? And consuming a lot of fructose, like consuming too much fat, contributes to weight gain. (preaching over with)

Then for coffee break I had a bunch of cookies.

And for the pièce de résistance, we had Italian night - my favorite! I cooked my rocking spaghetti (I even used white pasta) with puttenesca sauce, garlic breadsticks and garlic toast, an antipasto plate, lovely red wine served in my new silver decanter and even some Italian sparkling water. Oh, we had the ambiance, the music, it was wonderful. Too bad the older kids missed out. The only other thing that was missing was the tiramisu to finish it off. Although I was too full anyway. I love doing themed dinners. It turns something ordinary into something special. I will post pics later.

I love carb loading.

And so tomorrow is my next fast day. I did good overfeeding today so I'll be in super fat burn mode by tomorrow. Not only will I not be eating during super fat burning mode, but I will be performing 3 workouts to get a HUGE calorie deficit. I'm excited to see how much looser still my jeans are 3 days from now! I expect great things, my friends!!

Say my body burns 1600 calories a day just doing it's bodily functions. And I'm fasting so I am not ingesting a single calorie. And say I burn 1000 calories through exercise. I am in a 2600 calorie deficit in just one day. That's only 900 away from a pound gone. And I have the rest of the cycle to do that. Cake walk. That's why this stuff works!

Ok, I'm tired. Gotta get some Zzzzzzzzs because I have a lot of working out to do tomorrow. Nighty night.

Day 5 of 25

I'm sitting here in a pair of jeans that literally slide down every time I walk. They are saggy and unattractive on me but I'm wearing them as a reminder that I AM DOING THIS! Fast results - they are already happening and I'm on cloud 9.

FYI: these jeans were so tight I could barely zip them 2 years ago.

This program is not for everyone. If you aren't motivated (i.e. if you have nothing specific you need to lean out for) it will be tough to stick to. I'm motivated by the fact that it is possible to lose 25lbs in 25 days on this plan safely! And finally seeing the last of the fat disappearing in less than 1 month is my motivation. But it is not easy. There are difficult days and workouts (actually, I find the workouts a bit weird and don't like them but it's only 25 days, right?). But it cycles in days of 5. And every first day of the new cycle is a cheat day. That alone is worth it to me!

Tomorrow is my second cheat day and I've got my grocery list prepared for what I'm craving: tater tots, chocolate pie, potato chips, spaghetti and garlic toast, wine, and pizza. Mmmmm! Guilt free.

I went through my closet again this morning. Trying on stuff. Everything is already loose. Even skinny shorts I had this past summer but never wore because I felt like a stuffed sausage in them, fit me perfectly. My size 2 skinny jeans fit me comfortably. I'm really just in awe. Imagine what 20 more days will bring????!!!!! Ahhh......

I did a make up HIIT workout pre breakfast this morning because I didn't do it last night. I'm really feeling my break when it comes to cardio. I struggle. But it won't take long to get back into the groove. This afternoon I have another lactic acid workout planned and tonight some steady state cardio. Yes, that will be 3 workouts today. Like I said, this program isn't for the faint of heart.

Is it extreme? Hell yes. But when you want extreme results, you've got to be willing to put in extreme effort. I'm SO ready. I'm ready to put in the time. I'm ready to sacrifice. And I'm ready to finally see the body I've always wanted. This could be paradise.

Day 4 of 25

I made it through both the fast and shake days with flying colors. Whoot! This morning I was SO hungry though. I was shaking as I made my breakfast and I was so happy to be eating again after two days of not chewing food. I had eggs and toast and it was heavenly.

Today and tomorrow should be a piece of cake and then Saturday I get my 2nd cheat day. WHOOT! I'm already planning my all day cheat fest: potato chips, chocolate pie, wine, spaghetti are what I'm thinking will taste awesome.

Like I said, today and tomorrow seem easy compared to the last two days. And then my first cycle is over! I will have done it! And I can honestly believe that THIS IS IT! By the end of January I will look in the mirror in awe at the lack of jiggle. SOOOOOO excited. I'm dreaming of summer, walking around outside in my bikini, having child-like fun, running and playing and not a thought in  my mind about thigh jiggle. It's going to be so wonderful.

Weight after the holidays: 113lbs (eek)
Weight today: 109lbs

Fitting into new pants I bought before Christmas that were on the tight side. I bought them under the assumption that I was going to kick ASS this year. I wore them yesterday....comfortably. And that is after only 3 days. OH MAMA! I cannot tell you how badly I want the look into my future and see me at the end of January!

Day 3 of 25

I successfully completed my fast day! ALL day. And today, all I get are shakes so I'm still going to be pretty low calorie. I had a bit of a headache last night and was a little shakey this morning, but I feel pretty good now.

Yesterday I completed 2 of the 3 scheduled workouts. I did a lactic acid weight training session and an afternoon HIIT session but skipped the evening steady state run. According to the program, if you need to skip one, that was the one to skip. Frankly, I was amazed that I was able to push it like that for 2 workouts, plus get a lot of housework done on zero food.

I feel tiny today.

I went to see the doctor. He prescribed me some pills and I have to go see a counselor for my anxiety. If I keep waking up at night, I might have to go to a sleep clinic. Oh dear me. I hope it doesn't come to that. But I really need to start sleeping, I look so tired and run down. I swear I've aged 10 years in the past week. I'm anxious to see how these pills work.

He also sent me to the lab because he wanted to make sure I don't have a thyroid problem. He said he was a little concerned because my weight was so low. "Is this typical for you? Are you trying to be this thin?" I didn't admit to my slightly obsessive behavior about fitness and diet, but I did tell him that I was trying to gain muscle, it's just a lot harder than people realize. Seriously, I want to gain weight but that doesn't mean I'm going to stuff myself with junk food. That will make me gain weight alright, but I won't be any healthier. I'll just be clogging my arteries and setting myself up for diabetes. It's hard to gain weight by eating only healthy foods. I think it's harder than losing weight, to tell you the truth.

So anyway, I have yet one more person telling me that I'm too thin. Who knows, maybe the whole world thinks I'm crazy because here I am, thin enough to concern my doctor, and I'm on an extreme fat loss diet. I realize this does sound problematic. But no need for worry, I'm devoting January to thigh fat blasting and come February, I'll be back to trying to pack on some muscle.

Thank you dear friends for your thoughts and concerns. You have NO idea how comforting it is to know that you care. I thank God every day for you!

Day 2 of 25

Went to the gym today. As I was writing my workout for the day in my little book, I noticed that my last entry was December 19th. Seriously? Has it been that long since I've worked out??

Yes, it has.

I took a couple of weeks off. Much needed. It was never my intention to take last week off, but I couldn't really help it. My girls were also reminding me last night, as we got their backpacks ready for school again, of all the things I said we would do and didn't over the vacation. I felt so bad. I just tried to explain that panic disorder sort of took over my life the past week and I would much rather have done all those fun things I said we would do.

However, I'm slowly moving past that. Although I can feel that I am not 100% better from my last attack, I can at least function and do everyday chores again. As I said, I went to the gym. Did the required workout for Day 2 of the extreme 25 day diet. Oh, and I'm fasting today. It's 11:00am and so far it hasn't bothered me one bit. I'm going to keep myself busy today, that will help forgetting about my empty belly as well as keep me from thinking about anxiety.

Tomorrow I see the doctor and hopefully he will put me on some medicine that will help. It's been such a change for me to switch gears so drastically. Usually, I'm thinking about fitness and health 24/7 and over the past week, all I could think about was not having another panic attack. I didn't care what I ate (because I could barely eat anyway), I didn't care about exercise (because walking up the stairs took my breath away), I just cared about getting better. And I have slowly gotten better. But I still have a long way to go.

Happy New Year!

Today is day 1 of my next fitness/fat loss endeavor. You may remember me talking about the 25 day extreme fat loss plan before. Well, I am starting today. Actually, I wanted to start yesterday (since it was the 1st) but that was before I realized the family was all still home on vacation Monday (today). And since the second day on the plan is a fasting day, I didn't think it was such a good idea to be fasting today with everyone home.

Better for the last day of vacation to be an overfeed day, which is what day 1 is. Really, as if the last two weeks of overfeeding don't count. Seriously, I just sort of gave up on any sort of rules, rhyme or reason to my eating patterns lately. In a way it felt good, but I always long to be back to my regular routine.

I've had a rough couple of weeks. There have been things going on which have been difficult to deal with. And fitness has really taken the back seat as a result. But I am starting to see the light at the end of the dark tunnel and hopefully it's all behind me. I am looking forward to this new year. A year full of more great memories and goals reached. This may be my best year yet!