An Extra Day to Make It Count

Happy Extra Day in February everyone! I know it's been awhile. I'm sorry if you were experiencing any symptoms of withdrawals (crying yourself to sleep, insomnia, depression, anxiety, etc). As it happens sometimes, life got busy. I recently got a new job (woot!) and am starting in a week and a half. I am so excited.

As for fitness, I am ashamed to admit that not much has been done on this front.  No excuses - just lazy. Last week we repeated week 3 of P90X since Jay felt that we kind of slacked the week before. This week is cardio - no weight lifting. So far, Jay and I have done some rock climbing at the gym and a few hundred jumping jacks, but that's about it. Womp, womp, womp. On a side note, I really enjoy rock climbing, despite the fact that I have only made it once to the top and it was on the easiest climb. I mean, kids age 5 (maybe even younger) were smoking me. It's a total body workout and I am sweating within seconds. It's a nice change from the norm - treadmill, stairmaster, elliptical (BORING!). I also ordered a jump rope through Amazon (I needed something else to bump up my order to $25 so I could avoid shipping costs). I should be getting it next week and I'm really excited. I forgot how much fun jump roping is. Now, if I could only get the hubs to love it as much as I do...

In my previous post, I mentioned that I bought the Body by Vi shakes. I got it in the mail and unofficially started this past Sunday. I saw unofficially because I have been having a hard time keeping to the 2 shakes a day they tell you to have. I told myself I would give it a couple of months and if I'm unsatisfied, I will stop. The powder is not so bad and the shakes I have been making taste pretty good. But the frozen fruit I buy for the shakes are costly. I am going to have to go to Costco soon and see if they sell what I'm looking for. I am hoping that I can really buckle down and "officially" start the shakes next week.

OK, that's it for me folks. Sorry for the shortness but again, not much to report. Le sigh. Today is an extra day to make it count! Happy Workout Everyone!

Motivation Proclamation

I think this is every woman's dream...and every man's dream for a woman :-)

UPDATE: Thanks to Katie, I just spent $113 for Body By Vi's Shape Kit. 2 shakes a day...hope this works! If you want to try it with me, go to https://bunnybenedicto.myvi.net/join/body.html?Market=USA to order from me :-)

If the title of this post made you think of the Good Charlotte song - brownie points for you! I promise this post won't be nearly as depressing as the song though. We are slightly more than half way through February and I have nothing to report. I have not lost or gained a pound or an inch since the beginning of the year. I know, I know, I really need to kick it up a notch. So this time, for real, I am going to be better about nutrition. I know it won't be easy, which sucks because I like things to come easy. Woe is me.

I have been hearing a lot about nutritional shakes like Shakeology or Body by Vi. While I am sure these will help you lose weight, I'm just not sure if I have the will power to drink shakes for 1-2 of my 3 meals a day (this does not include Scooby Snacks). I have tried Shakeology and the taste is pretty good but I'm not as full as they claim I should be when I drink it. Maybe I am an anomaly and I have more stomachs than the average human? Plus Shakeology costs $120 for a month's supply! Body by Vi costs almost double that! So I would need to spend an extra $120-240 a month on top of my normal grocery bills? Maybe I'll try it next month and see if it really makes a difference.

In addition to lacking will power, I think I lack tangible/visible motivation. I feel that they go hand in hand. So last night, I made this and posted it on my wall at work, since that's where I spend most of my days (not chillin out, maxin, relaxin all cool...)

This weekend I am buying this bathing suit in the size I want to be to help motivate me. There's a countdown to our Honeymoon so as of today I have 107 days to lose 5 inches around my waist. Definitely Doable. Just got to buckle down. So this Fantasy Friday, I am buying my "fantasy bathing suit" in hopes that by time June rolls around I will have the fantasy body to boot. Plus staring at her body will guilt me into putting down the doughnut, cupcake, pizza, candy, etc.

Happy Workout Everyone!

Mo Money Mo Problems

haha this is funny. I have spent all week trying to find the perfect location of my monitor since I sit right by the door to the office...

So today is kind of a big day. I am officially out of credit card debt! Woot! Now if only I had more money left over to celebrate and enjoy this new found financial freedom. Oh well. That's what Fantasy Friday is all about. I have been online "window" shopping all week long. This is what happens when work slows down. I should be busy in the next few weeks so I hope the constant desire to buy stuff I want but don't need wanes a bit.

All week I have been browsing for the perfect gym bag. As of right now, I don't NEED a bag as much as I did last month since the hubby and I have not been hitting the gym in the morning. Since we go after dinner, there is no need to bring a bag of clothes, makeup, and toiletries with me. I just get changed at home and shower when we get back home. But if and when we start doing our 6 AM workouts, I am going to need a bag - and one that will help keep me organized. And I think I have found THE ONE!

Isn't she beautiful? This is the Shuttle Bus Weekender Bag by Lug. It is perfect if you like a thousand pockets. And I do! I do! I do! It comes in a ton of colors and is water-repellent i.e. easy to keep clean. What I especially love is that it has a separate place for your shoes. See?

I love this! I currently have to put my shoes/flip flops in a plastic bag so that the dirty bottoms don't touch my clean clothes. I think I go through 3 bags a week - not very eco-friendly. The bag also features a hidden water bottle holder and a pocket just for your phone so it's easy to find. It's also great as a carry-on for any flight or an overnight bag for a quick weekend trip. It has gotten great reviews at every site I have seen them sold. My only issue is the price. It retails for $105...ouch, that hurts my wallet. I have found it on other sites as cheap as $83 but that is still pretty steep for a gym bag. So I made myself a deal. IF I can consistently hit the gym 3 times a week in the morning for an entire month, I will let myself get it. I better start saving my pennies...and hitting the sack before midnight. *YAWN*

Happy Workout Everyone!

Feeling Like a Criminal

OK folks. Let me be straight with you. This week has been bad. Actually, this week has not been bad - it has been terrible. OK, I am being (overly) dramatic. Nothing bad has actually happened in my life. It's just that I can feel myself lowly slipping into back into my bad habits.  I have just been eating TERRIBLY this week. 

*cue dream-like flash back*

It all started with Super Bowl Sunday. My entire family was over to celebrate Alyson's, my bro's girlfriend, birthday. She's a vegetarian so most of the food was sans meat, except for a couple of items since my nieces wouldn't have eaten the other stuff. Lunch was fine...but was very quickly followed by cupcakes. I L.O.V.E. cupcakes. I have a weakness for cupcakes. I would be happy to drown in a sea of cupcakes. My sister had bought a dozen cupcakes for the occasion and I had one-half of three different flavors (red velvet, lemon, and vanilla for those interested in knowing)...which equates to 1.5 full delicious, butter-filled, frosted cupcakes, or as I call them, gifts from Heaven. Then for dinner, I made crock-pot pulled pork sandwiches. Delicious, easy, and filling but hardly heart-healthy. Then Katie, the devil-woman with seriously adorable children LOL, left a carton of Heath Ice Cream in our freezer. Needless to say that the carton was finished in record time by myself and the hubby..

And the feeding frenzy has not stopped. I have had a doughnut, about 3 sodas, and a few pieces of chocolate this week, in addition to the two lunches I have had to buy. And it's only Thursday! Now, I know you could probably spit out all the reasons why this stuff is bad. Believe me, I tell myself all the reasons why I shouldn't have refined sugar, simple carbs, and tasteless junk. The fact that I continue to eat these things despite knowing I shouldn't makes it worse. BUT I know it's just a bad week - lots of stress I've been under - and that next week I will be back to my regular routine. 

On the up side, I have been consistently working out. Jay and I are on week 2 of P90X and the soreness I felt in week 1 has seriously lessened. Good and bad. No weight or inches have come off but no weight has come on either. Happy about the latter. But we haven't been working out in the morning so our workouts have been creeping into our regular sleeping time, which means less sleep for me. I'm hoping next week we can resume our 5 AM workouts so that I can get dinner on the table and sleep at a decent hour. We also need to figure out how to work more cardio into our workouts because right now I only get about 2 days a week of cardio. Yikes. OK, my pity party is over.

Happy Workout Folks!

This song plays in my head when I eat badly...Enjoy :-)

Gulp. Gulp. Gulp.

Water, Water, everywhere

Nor any drop to drink.

Can you tell me who wrote these famous words? If you said Foghorn Leghorn, you are wrong. That is the rooster from Looney Tunes. If you said, Samuel Coleridge, you are correct! 10 points for your house! (if you don't understand the Harry Potter reference please read the books!) Water is essential to all human life. While this varies depending on age, weight, height, and health, the rule of thumb is that humans cannot survive without water for more than 3 days. Yikes, better drink up!

Growing up, my dad always stressed the importance of drinking water. I used to not love water, I preferred its sugar counterparts, soda and juice. But as my soda intake soared, it really began to take a toll on my body. I gained weight, felt sluggish, and always had back pain. When I cut back on soda and started drinking more water, I started to feel immediately better. 

If you're not a water drinker, I implore you to become one. An easy way to ease into drinking more water is to add some flavor. Try drinking flavored water like Propel instead of soda. Or add flavor to your tap water with Mio. And if you really love fruit and have some on hand, you can always add slices of fresh fruit, like oranges or lemons or even cucumber, to liven things up. Also, I have heard that coconut water has a lot of added benefits. Personally, I can't really stand the taste but if you can, jump on that! To keep me on track, I drink from a cup or a water bottle that says how many oz it holds. I love my Camelbak water bottle. I have the 750 ml one. I fill it up all the way and try to drink at least 3 full bottles before I leave work. A good rule of thumb is to drink at least 8-8 oz glasses of water (which is 64 oz) OR half your weight. So if, for example, you weight 120 pounds, you should drink at least 60 oz of water (because 60 is half of 120 - there is your math lesson for today!). Note: while it's good to drink water, try not to drink it all at once. You'll feel sick if you don't pace yourself. Water intoxication is a real problem my friends. 

Word of warning though. You will spend A LOT of time in the bathroom. But that's good - you will be flushing out the toxins in your body. I know it's gross but if your pee is clear, you're in the clear :-)

While I'm sure this is refreshing, I suggest you drink it BEFORE you douse yourself with it :-)

Pack It In. Pack It Up.

Happy Friday Folks! I have been very consistent in my workouts this week and I am feeling it. I have been so sore since Monday but it's been a really good sore. Yesterday we did hot yoga (instead of YogaX) and it felt G-O-O-D to stretch everything out. Today will be legs, back, and abs. I am also planning on doing some cardio and hitting the hot tub at the gym to help with the soreness.

So...my office is moving to another one 5 or so miles away and today is our last day in our current office. Things are hectic and everything is packed up. I hate packing because it forces me to keep or throw random crap I seem to accumulate. So with everything packed up neatly in our moving crates, it made me think of what I want for this Fantasy Friday. 

A lunch box! But this is the ULTIMATE lunch box. In my effort to lose weight, I bring a lunch most days. It usually consists of leftovers from the previous night, a couple pieces of fruit, some string cheese, and a side salad. While this lunch box is $100...yes ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS...look what it can fit:

It can hold up to 5 meal containers, which is perfect since I normally bring two or three each day. It also has a place for my blender bottle and protein so that I don't have to worry about packing it separately. The ice packs will help keep everything cool to avoid spoiling. I especially like the separate compartment for my fruit. Sometimes, my fruit rolls around and gets squished by the Ziplock plastic containers. And squished fruit is gross! I don't normally pack silverware since my work provides plastic cutlery but I don't know if it will be the same in the new office so it's a nifty extra. I also don't take supplements, or enough to care about the supplements compartment but I guess it could come handy in the future. Maybe I can store my FRS Energy Chews in there? I have been wanting a lunch box for a while now because I'm tired of bringing my lunch in Target bags. But it's hard to find one that will fit everything perfectly. This may just be the lunch box for me! The company also sells a smaller version that carries only 3 meal containers for about $70. Maybe that one would make more sense? Either way, I think it's time to start saving for a "cool" lunchbox.

Happy Workout Everyone!

Jump! Jump!

Hi ladies and gents! I've lost my mojo. I was totally pumped to write this post this morning but the excitement has waned. Womp womp womp. But I'll persevere for your sake! Yesterday was Day 2 of P90X. Not many things fill me with dread more than the word "PLYOMETRICS". Plyometrics is more commonly known as jump training - probably because you're pretty much jumping in each move. Jay and I went to the gym at 8 last night and were happy to see one of the studio rooms was empty so we had a ton of (much needed) space. This is us pre-workout:

Aww, don't we look so happy? Those smiles quickly faded once we got through the first group (of 5). Each group consisted of 4 moves that had to be done for 30-60 seconds. We needed to do two sets of each. I know it doesn't sound like a lot but imagine jumping for a good hour straight...After the first group, my lungs were BURNING! It didn't help that I was still sore from Monday's workout. But we pushed through and finished the entire workout. Here we are post-workout:

Look at those forced smiles...and Jay's sweat made a heart. How disgustingly sweet. You can't tell from the pic but my face is beet red at this point. Here's a picture of my sweat:

Didn't want to see that? Oops, my bad. Well, it doesn't seem like that much sweat but my sports bra is the Bounty of sports bras. And most of my sweat gets stuck in my hair. OK, that was probably more than you needed to know about my sweat tendencies...

Today, every inch of me hurts. This morning the hubby and I got up, despite the fact that we went to sleep around midnight, at 5:30 to hit the gym. I am having dinner with my lovely friend Lizzy so a post-work workout was not in the cards We did Day 3 - Shoulders and Arms. I decided not to take pictures to spare your eyes because we were looking rough this morning. Dark circles, puffy eyes, and messy hair. Not a pretty picture. We were able to get the whole thing in a little over half an hour. Yay for being efficient! My calves are especially tight today so at lunch I decided to take a 2 mi walk around the office. This spring weather is making me long for summer. 

Oh, and the "time to look great in a bikini" countdown is on. Jay has booked our honeymoon trip for June to Turks and Caicos. Even more motivation to slim it down :-)

Happy Workout Folks!