READER SPOTLIGHT! (Take 2)

Since our last reader spotlight seemed to go over well, I thought we'd do another!

But first, a small excerpt from the life of Amanda, in the times of a brutal workout:

I HURT.

Gee- that was fun, huh!?

Now on to Jazmine Chilo!

Jazzy is a senior from Washington. She is my most adorable cousin, and she makes Seattle worth visiting. If you're ever in the area, be sure to stop by and say "Hi-oh!"

We asked Jazz everything from what she does for a workout, who she works out with, what her favorite healthy food is, and what her demise is.

"For fun, I play just dance on the Wii, or do Wii Fit with my mom. After school, I go to the local gym and stay on the elliptical for an hour. I usually burn around 700 calories just doing that alone. This works best for my schedule because I know in advance how long it's going to take me, and can slip it into anytime of the day if something comes up after school. Any type of cardio is the best way to burn calories. If I can't go on the elliptical, then I run. That's second best for me."

According to Jazmine, she goes to McDonald's "at least three times a week," french fries and McDoubles being her favorites. She says she is "obsessed!!" As for healthy foods, she enjoys apples, steamed broccoli, and almonds, which she says is something she can snack on all day long.

Jazmine's fitness goal is "to stop going to McDonalds so often, and get back down to 140-145. Before I left for Iowa for the summer, I got a partial tear in my Achilles tendon." This injury caused Jazmine to be unable to work out for about 2 months, which caused her to gain 20 pounds. "I've lost 10 pof those pounds so far, so I'm halfway there!"

"Telling my family and friends that I'm trying to lose weight has helped a lot," insists Jazmine. "My mama encourages me to keep working out every day and buys me healthier foods and won't take me out to eat as much. Making the people around me aware that I'm trying to stay healthy is helpful because then they erase the temptations, like eating out or midnight snacks."

So what is Jazmine's advice?

DRINK WATER!!!

"I lost more weight drinking water and cleaning out my system constantly than I did with just working out and counting juice and soda calories. It also helps you feel more full, so you eat less." She also says that family coming around for the holidays makes it easier, since Wii Fit games and Just Dance "are the best to play with cousins, aunts, and uncles."

Jazmine says her lifesaving app is "Lose It! Its free in the app store in iTunes, and it helps you count calories, depending on how much weight you want to lose a week." She also says that if you think your tendons, ligaments, or muscles are damaged, then STOP WORKING OUT and let your body recover. "Its cool to be tough, but if you really damage yourself like I did, then it sets you back more than anything."

One final note?

"Most importantly, set realistic goals, and realize that if you want weight loss to be long term, you can't go on a temporary diet, you need to make healthy lifestyle changes." 

Jazmine showed a lot of personal strength sharing all of that with us, and I'd like to extend a giant 'THANK YOU!!!" from myself and the rest of my readers! She had some great insight and I can't wait to learn more about how her weight loss goals are going after the Christmas holiday!

Until then, happy weight loss!

Gettin' BUFF

A muscle is like a car. If you want it to run well early in the morning, you have to warm it up. -Florence Griffith Joyner

Well hello, ladies and guys! Sorry about the hiatus, I took a little break from my blog to keep focused on school.

This is me- back in the groove.

I'm starting a new workout system this week. Its a 3 week program, packed with lots of fat burning, fast cardio, stress busting, quick circuits, and SKINNY STRETCHES!!!

It looks a little like this:

8 minute Fat Burner- 12 Lunges per leg, 20 push ups, 10 Lunge Jumps per leg, 20 squats, 20 Tricep Dips, 20 Pushup Jumps

Fast Fitness Cardio- 3 Minutes Brisk Walking, 2 Minutes Moderate Jogging, 1 Minute Sprint (All repeated 4 times) Finished with 6 minutes of walking

Quick Circuit- 12 squats, 12 Push-ups, 12 squat Jumps, 12 push-up Jumps, 12 forward lunges, 12 tricep dips, 12 lunge jumps, 2 min. Star Jumps

Skinny Stretches- Butt Stretch and Hamstring Stretch

Stress Busting Moves- 10 Breathing Squats, 20 Energy Pushes, 15 Leg Tucks

Week One:

8 Minute Fat Burner- 3 times per week

Fast Fitness Cardio- 2 times per week

Skinny Stretches- Every day

Week Two:

8 Minute Fat Burner- 3 times per week

Fast Fitness Cardio- 2 times per week

Skinny Stretches- Every day

Stress Busting Moves- Before Bed

Week Three:

8 Minute Fat Burner- 3 times per week

Fast Fitness Cardio- 2 times per week (morning)

Quick Circuit- 2 times per week, nights of days you do Fast Fitness Cardio

Skinny Stretches- Every day

Stress Busting Moves- Before Bed

I am so excited to have you all peering in on my weight-loss journey, and I hope you're all still getting some motivation from my ramblings. Keep up the great workouts, ladies!

And remember- if YOU are feeling up to having a reader spot light done on you, please let me know! I'd love to let you share your story with the other readers for some peer inspiration!

Reader Spotlight: Beth Siegl

This week, I realized that I lost another 1.2 pounds!!!


But enough about me- This week is all about Beth Siegl, the adorable Psychology major from Cedar Falls. When I asked her to be the main topic of my Reader Spotlight special, she was so excited to be a part of this!


What's your favorite way to burn off those calories? What workout works best for your schedule? In your opinion, what is the fastest way to burn calories?
I really need to switch things up because I get bored SO easily. but Jillian Michaels knows how to kick a girls ass... i'm becoming a collector of her dvd's. 
I've also been finding it so much easier to run lately. I started out by setting simple goals like.. half a mile. and pretty soon it was easy to push myself up. According to sources (like my best friend who's always been a cross country runner with an amazing body) running is the easiest way to go.


What's the food you CANNOT say no to? What is your favorite healthy food?
My weakness? chocolate. anything chocolate covered, or with a hint of chocolate....
My favorite health food..... yogurt. Dr. Oz said he eats a bowl of cereal and a yogurt for breakfast everyday, so i started and I'm in love with it now. 


What's your fitness goal?
My fitness goal is to stay between 110-115. and to continue to be able to run, and stretch my limits farther (I'm at 3 miles now)


Who are the people/person that help you work toward your goal?
I've tried a lot of different things and it seems like the bottom line is that I have to motivate myself. This changes on the day. Sometimes I make myself look at pictures of girls I wish I looked like, and sometimes its a pep-talk. But the bottom line is, it's super easy to talk myself out of working out, or out of pushing myself, So I make a conscious effort to be into it.


How do you plan on staying focused as we enter the holiday season? What advice do you have for all the other ladies (and maybe gents) trying to lose weight?I'm hoping (key word hope) to be able to stay motivated, maybe work out a little more than usual, and try to keep my eating down. but I guess for me the bottom line is (and this is also advice) that I'm working out specifically to improve my body, but also because it's good for me, and for a million other reasons. I do my very best to love myself (even if its not all of me) no matter what. So I guess for the holidays, i'm going to do my darndest but not sweat it too much if i end up over eating, It just means i should add an extra work out 

And that's all about Beth and her dieting! I really hope she inspired you with your dieting like she's helped me out. Happy dieting and remember- over eating on Thanksgiving happens. You don't need to punish yourself, just remember that you'll need to put in a little extra work the week after. :)

Thick??

136.4

I have officially lost 3 pounds! Only 6 more to go!!!

This is a good feeling to have- especially after being called "Thick" by an African American gentleman on the street this past Saturday. (First, let me just say... Who walks past a perfect stranger and says "Damn, girl. You THICK."??? Apparently this man...)

Back to my accomplishment...

I attribute my success to smaller portions at smaller intervals. (Haven't we all heard this?)

After my terrible weekend of tailgating, I knew that I had to make up for it. I have decided to cut out all alcohol for awhile. Who needs all of that extra sugar and those nasty calories?

AND......

We have a new Partner in Dieting!!!

Say "Hello" to Mel! Mel is a student at ISU and is one heck of a dancer. She lives with her roommate, Jaymie, and their two cats. (Two cats that are quite skittish...) Let's give some encouragement to our newest blog follower!!

6 POUNDS LEFT. Wish me luck, ladies!!

Tailgating is my Demise...

This weekend was a whole lot of hot dogs, fried chicken, pizza, Dairy Queen, McDonald's, and plain old junk food.

Tailgating, why do you hate me so??

This past week, I was doing pretty decent. I was eating somewhat healthy, or at least not crappy, and I was moving around a bit more.

Then came the weekend....

It started out alright, when I went to walk the Race for the Cure with the lovely Anna Kurns.... We bailed at the 1 mile mark. Hangovers and a lack of water make for a terrible start to working out.

This is where it gets ugly. 

For breakfast, I had powdered doughnuts and a WHOLE LOT of water. Then, we went to our friend John's parents' tailgate. They had gourmet hot dogs (delish) and the most incredible cake I have ever tasted. Then we walked over to the Kurns' tailgate and had fried chicken and cookies... and a big bowl of candy. After tailgating, we went home to sleep. (Great way to burn calories, right??) For dinner, we went to Dairy Queen where I had a corn dog and a chocolate shake.

For breakfast the next morning, I had 1 and 1/2 McDonald's breakfast sandwiches. For lunch I had pizza. For dinner I had a leg of fried chicken from KFC.

In short.......

IT WAS A TERRIBLE WEEKEND FOR DIETING.

I am not near a scale, so I can't weigh myself today, thank goodness. (Its probably for the best... I'll weigh myself at the end of the week this week.)

Maybe we should have a salad this week.......

Small Triumph

139.4

I lost .4 lbs! Insignificant? You may think so, but its .4 lbs closer to 130 than I was last week!!

I received a text from my cousin, Aly, today telling me her weight (which I will not disclose on here), which reassured me that I wasn't alone in the weight loss journey.

From here on out, I will post my weight every Monday. (A little thing Aly suggested) That way, I'm held accountable for what I'm failing to do, or I can share my little triumphs with all of you!

Please keep the feedback coming- its helping more than you all know!!

"Make the decision, then do something- no matter how small- toward accomplishing what you want."

A Lady Doesn't Reveal Her Weight

139.8.

That is my current weight. I have been fluctuating back and froth between 135 and 140. Obviously, I am at the peak of that fluctuation at the moment, and I'll be damned if I'm going to let myself go over that 140 mark.

I weighed myself yesterday (and again about 30 seconds ago) "just to see."

I am so unhappy with my weight.

Right now is the time to do something about it. I can go for a jog, I can cut back the junk in my diet, but I can't seem to figure out how to motivate myself.

Enter all of you.

I need all of your help to keep me on track, and I will do the same for you.

As we approach the dreaded season of eating fatty foods and sweets "just because," we are all going to need to have a network of people who are going through similar struggles.

So here is my new resolution: I will lose 9.8 pounds. I will keep those 9.8 pounds off. I refuse to let food ruin my 20's by letting it take over my body and hijack my weight.

Any and all support any of you are willing to give will be returned 10 fold!

I know I can count on you ladies!! Happy start of this Dreaded Season of Food!! ;)

My Lungs.... I Think They've Burst.

"Make the most of yourself, for that is all there is of you."- Ralph Waldo Emerson

I went for a run today. I started out this morning ready to go. I got into my yoga pants, my sports bra, my Cyclones t-shirt and hoodie- laced up my tennis shoes and grabbed a water bottle. I was prepared.

Well, I was prepared in the sense that I had everything I needed on my body. What I was not prepared for was the cold wind this morning.

Nor was I prepared for how out of shape I am.

I ran hard for the first half. I pushed myself as hard as I could, feeling the cold air fill my lungs in a way that made them feel on fire. This is the point where I started on a brisk walk. This lasted about a minute, and I was off running again. About 3 minutes later, I was out of breath again.

GIVE. ME. A. BREAK.

I have never felt so down on myself. However, I quickly realized that I was becoming absolutely frozen and needed to make it home. At this point I was kicking myself for going so far in the first place. I trudged at first, then I got my act together.

I kicked it into high gear. I powered through and every time I thought about taking a break, I reminded myself just how cold I was. My ears felt like they were bleeding. I had a massive cramp. My lungs were still on fire.

I was definitely feeling how out of shape I am.

However, I made it home. Granted, I could barely breathe, but I still felt amazing. I collapsed in the grass, sucked down some water, and very nearly vomited. Gross? Yes. But that is just a sign that I was pushing myself very hard.

So, this is me sharing my gross experience with all of you ladies. I'm really hoping you can find some inspiration through my totally embarrassing experience. Let me know how all of your workout endeavors are coming along! And remember- Halloween is just around the corner!!!

"You have to do what others won't to achieve what others don't."

Work not to look good, but to make others look bad.

I don't know who said that... But I liked it.

My workout today was a so-so experience. I could feel my muscles working the whole time which felt great, but I felt like punching Rebekkah in the mouth every time she opened her mouth to say how great she felt.

Skank.

Here is how I looked after my brutal workout today:

I smiled because I was SO HAPPY that I was done.

This is a short one today, so I'm going to give you a piece of advice and call it a night:

If you're going to buy a workout DVD, get the Insanity system. Its 10 times better and the guy lets you know that he's human by reminding you that he is in pain also and that it SUCKS to work out. Why sugar coat it?

"How am I to know what I can achieve if I quit?"

Stick with it, ladies!

Who Says Alcohol and Workouts Don't Mix??

People say that losing weight is no walk in the park.  When I hear that I think, yeah, that's the problem.  ~Chris Adams

Hellooooo ladies!!!

I'm sure by now you have done 3 things:

1. Laughed at my quote. I mean, come on- it makes a whole lot of sense, right!?

2. Counted how many "o"s I deemed necessary for the word Hello... and if you haven't you're tempted to, now. (there's 5)

3. Wondered what the heck I'm talking about in my title... and you no doubt think I'm a giant alcoholic.

Well, girls- The answer is "No, I am not an alcoholic, I just have no weights!!"

Here is me after my workout, bearing all of my workout essentials:

  That's right- The Firm with this Rebekkah chick, and 2 bottles of Cruzan Rum!

First off, let me just say that Rebekkah is a giant skank. I don't know about any of you, but when I work out I want to know that the person on the video is in as much pain as I am. THis lady, on the other hand, is Little Miss Happy-Go-Lucky. It's enough to make you sick. That, and she has a way of putting way too much emphasis on her "R"s, which I find crazy annoying.

Second, go ahead and sue me for not owning a proper pair of weights. The closest thing I could nab was two empty bottles of Cruzan; The only pair of anything I own besides socks... and I guess heels... At any rate, they worked out GREAT!!!

The moral of my workout-tale is this: It doesn't matter if you're using something completely unorthodox to workout with. The important thing is that you are taking charge of your body and WORKING OUT!!

That, my dears, is pretty damn impressive in and of itself. If any one wants to give you crap about it, just sock 'em in the mouth with your impressive new guns. :)

It's not who you are that holds you back, it’s who you think you’re not. -Anonymous

I have been gone from my blog for far too long!!

SO much has happened since I last made contact with all of you ladies. I've lost 5 lbs. this summer (Woot woot!!) This brings me even CLOSER to my goal of 125 lbs.

Quite honestly, I don't know how I've accomplished this..

I haven't been working out religiously (or at all, actually), and I haven't been eating the greatest. However, I could attribute this to the fact that I hardly eat anymore. With all of the running around and stress from school and work, I haven't had much time to get food into my mouth!

Am I saying this is healthy? Hell. No. I need to be getting some fruits and veggies in me PRONTO.

However, I find it a small blessing that when I'm stressed or upset that I CANNOT eat. I know a lot of people use that as a coping mechanism. Well, apparently my body has the exact opposite response. GOOD.

I am very interested in hearing how everyone is doing this summer!!

Are you working out daily? Weekly? Monthly??

Are you slacking like I am?

Are you eating healthy? Are you binging more often?

Let me know how your fitness goals are coming along! I'm dying to hear from you all!!

For now I'll leave you with a quote from Samuel Johnson:

"Clear your mind of CAN'T"

 

Back on the Saddle Again

So, its been awhile since my last blog! My apologies!!

"If it is important to you, you will find a way. If not, you'll find an excuse."

I just worked out and thought- Hey, I haven't blogged in awhile.. maybe I should do that! I did some ab and leg work today and let me tell you I feel like death. I did tons of one legged lunges, floor squats, worked on my rear delts, and TONS of crunches; both reverse and regular. (I then noticed a big, hairy spider scurrying very quickly towards me. There is currently a chair flipped over and 3 pairs of shoes scattered around where I tried to kill it by the way.)

Anyway- After all of the muscle strengthening and "cardio" of killing the spider, I am beat. My muscles feel completely worn out, but that is a feeling that I LOVE.

I know this post was super short, but there's not much to tell! I hope you're all finding your summer bodies closer to your dream bodies than when you first started working out! Keep up the good work, ladies!!

"It's a lifestyle - train like there's no finish line."

Go Visit Maddie!

Okay- so since I've been posting a lot about eating healthy, I've also noticed that I am terrible at it. I eat corn dogs, and rice krispie treats, and spaghetti (all the time), and a million other treats that are horrible for me.

Enter Maddie Essig.

Maddie is a friend of mine originally from Mitchell, South Dakota. She goes to school back in my home town now and has the cutest personality ever. But more importantly, Maddie knows all about how hard it can be to eat healthy- especially in college- and she has some tricks for everyone to try!

At the risk of loosing any readers I do have, I'm inviting you all to start checking out Maddie's blog, www.theeatingeffort.com. Right now she's in the middle of a series called "College Eats". You'll have to read her blog for all of the information, but its basically giving you an idea of a grocery list, how to do your shopping, what cooking tools are a must have, and what your healthiest options are. For instance, she gives you the pros and cons of buying organic, and tells you which groceries should be bought organic, and which groceries are OK if they're just grown normally. I encourage all of you to go check it out- the worst that will happen is you'll know a little more about eating healthy!

Good luck meeting those summer goals, ladies!

Breaking News!!!

I officially hate dieting.

Its okay to say it out loud. Everyone hates dieting. I was in the car with Will, complaining about dieting and not getting to eat doughnuts and snickers ice cream and all of the junk food I love so much, when he pointed it out to me. All he had to say was "No one likes dieting. Do you think any one wakes up and goes 'Yes! I get to start dieting today!'"

He hit the nail right on the head. No one enjoys having to cut back on all of the fatty, delicious foods. And I think we should all admit that. Let me be the first to say it out loud-

I miss doughnuts!!

I miss the chocolate glaze and I miss the colorful little sprinkles on top! I would seriously go postal and kick some major butt for a doughnut at this point.

But I'm also discovering some healthier snacks. (Thank goodness) Like this one: just a sliced up green bell pepper. (or a red one) It's crisp, it's crunchy, it's delicious- and it's good for you! Also: KIWIS!!! Yum. Seriously.

If any of you need to just get it out, let me know what you miss eating the most- and then tell me your favorite healthy snack! I promise- knowing someone else is suffering right along side you is going to help!!

Keep up the good work, ladies!

Who wears short shorts!?!

Not this girl... yet. I still don't have the thighs to pull those off- not that ANYONE should wear those things.

TEENY-TINY!!!

Anywho- I just worked out and I look LOVELY. Wanna see?

Oh who is that b-e-a-utiful lady!?

Yup- its me. Right after my workout. I think the fact that I was still able to move after is a good sign that my workout has plateaued.... Have no fear, however.

I have a NEW workout DVD!! Its called The FIRM: Dance. And its the same b**** from The FIRM Bootcamp video: Alison Davis. That woman can burn in hell.

This blog post had a point I swear....

Want some more inspiration!? Here it is ladies!

Do you really need that burger,

That diet Coke or fries?

Because amidst the salt and calories

Is a fatty pack of lies.

Chocolate will not comfort you,

It'll only bring you down.

But fruits and veggies will always be true

And won't fool you around.

Sitting down to watch T.V.

Will only end in fat,

But getting up and working out

Will be sure to get rid of that.

So what do you think you're doing?

Why are you still here?

Go out and be the best you can be

Because, darling

THIS IS OUR YEAR.

(From Myskinnysecret.tumblr.com)

Fatty

IT'S EASTER!!!! Who wants to get fat!?

....Can I vote "no"? Its all about portions today, ladies. For example- I had a thin slice of strawberry cake (to DIE for by the way), the smallest brownie slice known to man, and a medium portion of rice and corn mixed together all delicious-like. (I'm Asian. We do weird things with our food.)

Anyway- the moral of the story is that you can go ahead and eat that cake, or deviled egg, or hell- eat your whole basket of candy if you want. Just remember to COUNT YOUR CALORIES. or remember to work all of those calories off. The more you eat today, the harder you'll have to work tomorrow to burn off all of those sugary, nasty calories.

Also- if anyone has any ideas for workouts, words of inspiration for others, or just want to give your two cents, please share your comments either here on the blog or on my facebook page. Thanks for reading, ladies! You all are what keeps me working out!

Keep up the healthy habits!!!

New Post

I was going for an original title...

I just finished The Ninety Nine AGAIN. I'm not gonna lie- I'm growing less and less impressed myself as it is becoming easier the more I do it. Time to search for a newer, more demanding workout to mix it up a little bit. If you have any ideas, throw 'em my way!!

But until then, I have another tidbit of inspiration for you all:

No more "I'll do it tomorrow" unless it's "I'll do it tomorrow, too."

No more "One more won't hurt," unless you're talking about sets or miles.

No giving up unless it's bad habits.

No more avoiding situations because "I don't like the way I look" unless it's because you're sweaty from busting your ass at the gym.

No more "buts..." unless it's "But I want to run more!!"

No more "I can't" unless it's "I can't because I'm working out."

No more "It's too hard" unless you're talking about your abs.

No more "I'm too tired" only "I'm tired of being unhealthy."

YOU CAN DO IT.

I believe in you, ladies! Don't stop working!!!

Attempt No. 2

Today was my second attempt at The Ninety Nine!!

Last time I did this, some of you asked how long it took, so I documented my times for each individual event. I started at 5:26, ended at 6:10 without the run. With the run, I ended at 6:17. I know, a little short of 11 minutes, but I have NO stamina.

The 99's took me about 8 minutes.

88's were about 7.

77's about 6.

66's about 5.

55's about 4.

44's about 3.

33's about 2.

and 22's about 1 1/2. (notice a trend?)

Along with my progress reports, I've been finding some other tidbits of information I'm going to start sharing with everyone. The first was the inspirational message yesterday. Again- I'm making printed copies of it to have around the house so I can see it every day. If any of you would like a copy please let me know and I'll get it to you somehow.

Today, I found a few ways to ignite your calorie burn during your workout. These include:

Swinging your arms 90 degrees

Quench with cool water

Listen to Music (This helps prolong your workout)

Put on some weight (Gain muscle to lose fat)

Don't skip stretching

Head OUTSIDE

Break up your sets. You need to keep your muscles guessing.

Run on an incline

Cut workouts in half. Take a small break, just remember to keep moving.

Log at least 12 minutes of continuous exercise

And remember to keep thinking positive, ladies! Even if you're the slowest one out there, you're still lapping anyone sitting on the couch!!!

Some Inspirational Words

Hey Ladies! So, I found this on imgfave.com and thought I'd share it with all of you. I'm typing it up and printing it out so I can put it on the fridge and the mirror- places where I'll see it several times a day. If any of you want copies let me know!! and Enjoy!


      Hey, guess what? You're going to be skinny this summer. Maybe not as skinny as you'd like, but you'll look better than you do now. You might not reach your goal weight, but you'll be damn near close, and look amazing. Do you know why? Because you worked for it. You worked for that amazing body and those tiny thighs. Those naturally skinny girls who eat a grocery store and lose weight? They can't honestly call themselves strong because they didn't work for their body. But us, we did. We are working our asses off because we're going to look incredible. And not for anybody else, but for ourselves. We all have our own ways, but we're all going to reach our goal weights. We're going to put that food down when we don't really need it. We're going to drink a gallon of water every day because we know the wonders it can do. We are going to make sure not to miss a day of working out if it isn't necessary, because this is important to us.

This is what we believe in.

We believe in thin.

RESULTS!!

Oops! I completely forgot to blog my results yesterday!

I completed The Ninety Nine!!!

Well, everything except the run...
So- I did 484 of EVERYTHING

For those of you scratching your noggins, this means I did:

484 Jumping Jacks

484 Crunches

a 484 second wall sit

484 Leg Lifts

and 44 Push Ups

I didn't do the run since it was a torrential downpour outside, but I did manage to do everything else! (And here I was, thinking I'd crap out on number 77) :)

Here's the low down- the first 99 of everything SUCKED. 99 jumping jacks, eh- okay. 99 crunches, OUCH. 99 second wall sit, Holy Crap! I thought I was gonna die!! 99 Leg lifts, make it stop! 9 push ups, eh- deal.

It honestly started getting easier as the numbers went down. HOWEVER, every time I got to number 40 in the jumping jacks I started cramping up. It. was. murder. But I swear every time it started, I just thought "You better knock it off, cramp. I will kill you." and it shirked away :) How's that for the power of thinking? I encourage all of you to try it! Its really a rush to know that you've finished it almost entirely. (Damn that run!!)

I plan on redoing this challenge until I finish the run. How long will this take me? Only time will tell!! Wish me luck!! And good luck working out, ladies!!

Lord Have Mercy

Tomorrow, I embark on The Ninety Nine. A.K.A. "If I finish this alive I must be invincible".

For those of you wondering, The Ninety Nine consists of the following:

99 Jumping Jacks

99 Crunches

99 second Wall Sit

99 Leg Lifts

9 Push Ups

Then you get to do 88, 77, 66, 55, 44, 33, 22

And finally: an 11 minute run.

Will I live? Ugh. Probably not. But wish me luck anyway!!

Walking is Better Than Nothing :)

All truly great thoughts are conceived while walking- Friedrich Nietzsche

 So while this whole foot thing is being bothersome, I've taken to walking. Today, I walked in Ames with Will's sister, Megan. We walked about 2 1/4 miles and just chatted. I don't know if any of you have ever just walked and talked to someone for a long amount of time, but it really lets you just think things out loud (if you walk with the right person, that is.)

So, as we're walking and talking, I noticed just how many people were out and about, and how much money I was wasting on my gym membership. Today I am dropping my membership at Ames Racquet and Fitness center.

I am NOT recommending that everyone go drop their fitness membership.

All I'm saying is that I never go anymore. All I do is walk outside and since its so much nicer, I can do this more often and for longer periods of time. (Plus, I can get a little bit of a tan!!) :)

Lets face it- if I don't keep working out by either walking or SOMETHING I will stop working out all together. I hope all of you are sticking with it as well.

Bikini season is just around the corner!! 

(and now you're allowed to hate me!) :)

Injury Report?

 I don't think I have the mileage on me to really complain of any injuries yet.- Shannon Miller

So, that might not be the case for me... As many of you know, I did not go to basic training last summer because of a foot injury. Surprise!! Guess who came back to visit?! That's right- that little piece of bone floating around in the tissue in my foot. Due to this new development, working out has become pretty close to impossible. I'm still trying to truck through Insanity- and I made it about a quarter of the way through the workout today. I spent majority of it crying.

However, I don't want to let this discourage myself or others from continuing the Battle of the Bulge. While I'll be refraining from the activities that will provoke my injury further, I still plan on sticking with my workout as much as possible. I encourage all of you to do the same- working out but staying safe!!

For now, I get to suck it up, put on the comfiest pair of dress shoes I own (I think they call that an oxymoron...) and go to hell for the next 6 hours! (AKA JC Penney)

Until next time- Keep it up ladies!

Spring Break Blues

A lot of people are afraid of heights. Not me, I'm afraid of widths. -Steven Wright

So, it's official. Spring Break is over. This means no more warm weather, no pool time fun, no random poolside margaritas, and no more slacking off on my workouts.
Today, I went back to my Insanity videos. OUCH. (well, really yesterday.. but that was a disaster. So moving forward :)) My shins felt like they were cracking apart. My ankles felt like they couldn't bear weight- especially on stairs. 21 years old and my body's already starting to fail me. But, as Steven Wright said, I'm not afraid of heights- I'm afraid of widths. A.K.A. packing on those pounds again.

I may have reached my goal and been somewhat swim suit ready, but now there's a new goal- pack on the muscle. While I am content where I'm at right now, I refuse to sit idly by and let my body go back to waste. Its time to firm up my abs, arms, and thighs.... and I guess my big ol' booty wouldn't hurt, either. I hope all of you are keeping up on all of your fitness habits as well.

Remember ladies- no pain, no gain!!!

Week 3 Insanity Fit Test- This is a short one.

Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will. -Mahatma Gandhi

Two weeks ago, I began Insanity. I did a fit test, the results of which I will post shortly. Today, I repeated the fit test to see the results of my 2 weeks of workouts.

                               Week 1               Week 2
Switch Kicks               60                         90
Power Jacks                47                         56
Power Knees               98                        113
Power Jumps               19                         40
Globe Jumps                6                           10
Suicide Jumps              15                         16
Push Up Jacks             20                         27
Low Plank Obliques     25                         29

Success!! I'm making progress! I'll admit- I could be doing better on the Suicide Jumps, but if you were doing this too you'd understand just how hard all of this junk is- especially when you're racing against Will.

I hope all of you are getting the results you want, too! Sorry about the short post :) I'm all about my free time on Spring Break right now!!

Happy sweating!

Cookies are the devil.

Spring Break has officially begun... and how am I spending it so far? Well, Will and I have ventured to Sioux City to spend some time with my mom on her birthday. Tomorrow, we're heading for Earlham to visit HIS mom for HER birthday..... Good thing I get great gas mileage, right?? (Yeah, right- with my gas guzzling midget truck.)

So, here I sit, feeling like a bum for not working out today after having Chinese on Saturday, followed by mashed potatoes and pork chops for dinner, followed by a hot dog- and having Minerva's for Brunch this morning, and spaghetti for dinner tonight... and now I'm making cookies for spring break. I'll tell you what- changing venues of your workout is hard work. Not to mention that going to visit family is like inviting the fat to just settle in on your tummy again. "Cookies? Sure, why not...... Donuts? Mmmmmm. Sounds yummy!...... MORE Chinese food? How could I pass up that face!?" And now I have these endless rows of cookies just staring me down.

I see you, you dirty little buttery, sugary little cavity creeps. (80's reference anyone??)

HELP. I'm stuck in a downward spiral calorie wise and I need a hand!!

Can your muscles vomit?.....

“Motivation is what gets you started, habit is what keeps you going” – Jim Ryun

Megan would like me to also point out the quote "My muscles are having a seizure." :)

Last week, if you had told me that my face would be slimmer, my pouch on my belly would be smaller, and I would be a ball of energy all the time, I would call you a lying whore and probably sock you in the nose.

Thankfully, none of you said that to me, so I didn't have to go through the awkwardness of punching one of my dear friends in the face!!

Today, I had Will's sister, Megan, working out with me! We both feel like death. Our Cardio Circuit segment was anything but candy apples and fudge. In fact, it was more like getting punched in the gut and kicked in the ear while face planting it on concrete. (Don't ask how I know what that feels like.)

On the plus side, I worked way harder today than I did yesterday. I had a long chat with Will about how I was disappointed in myself for not being Bikini Body ready for spring break yet, and decided that I'd just have to step it up a couple notches. To make a long story short- I'm tired, but I feel AMAZING after that workout- and I kind of can't wait for Ash Wednesday mass tonight!

Until Tomorrow-

Bob Barker reminding you: help control the pet population. Have your pet spayed or neutered.

Well this is new...

“Leave all the afternoon for exercise and recreation, which are as necessary as reading. I will rather say more necessary because health is worth more than learning.” ~ Thomas Jefferson

Well said, Tom. Now if only my teachers felt the same way...

Today, while doing "Pure Cardio," something new happened- I coughed up blood. Something tells me this is not what I'm supposed to be doing. I'm hoping it was just my insane amount of coughing and not the fact that my workout today was brutal.

I've also noticed that I'm eating fewer and fewer calories each day. My amount to lose weight at a steady, healthy rate is 1440 calories per day. To lose weight at an extreme rate, I'm supposed to eat just barely 1100. Last night, upon tallying up my calories for the day, I realized that by the time I had eaten dinner, I had only eaten about 800. Needless to say, I found it completely within reason to eat half a candy bar. (It was only 100 calories, so why not?) But I was still under my daily amount of calories- even for losing weight FAST. THIS WAS NOT A HEALTHY CHOICE. I don't think that anyone should be doing that. Today, I fully intend on eating the required amount of calories. So, at least 1100, at most 1440. That's a small window- but I think I'll make it.

As for the rest of you, I hope your dieting and your exercise is treating you well- and a little tip: don't tell yourself that you can't have chocolate or little sweets. We all need one thing that we can have just a little piece of, within healthy means. So go ahead and eat that Reese's- just only have one and make sure you're not going past your daily allotment of calories. (You know who you are) ;)

Until next time....
Stay classy!

No one said it'd be easy...

"To lengthen thy life, lessen thy meals." ~ Benjamin Franklin

Easier said than done, Benny boy. I regret to say that I have taken a tumble off of the dieting wagon, but I'd say I'm recovering quite well. Last night, the family that I occasionally babysit for needed an extra pair of hands. Since I was going to be getting paid, I jumped at the chance to help out. (That and these girls are adorable and I've missed them!) However, this family has LOTS of junk food around. Namely Girl Scout cookies.
Oh, Girl Scouts. How I hate those little bitches. All they do is make me fat.
Needless to say, I caved at the sight of those delicious little Thin Mints, only to feel guilty about 5 seconds after it entered my mouth. Then, much to my surprise (and agony), I was given not only $40 for watching the girls, but also a box of the Lemon cookies- my personal favorite. (For those of you joining me on Spring Break, congrats. We're going to be enjoying some Girl Scout Cookies!!)

So today, I have been thoroughly punished by Sean T with yet another brutal work out. I didn't cry, which makes me sort of mad at myself. I feel like I could have pushed myself a little harder but I whimped out and became a slacker. I cannot even convey how pissed at myself I am right now. But, life will go on and Sean T will be even harder on me tomorrow. Hey- its all for the bikini, right? And I'll be damned if I'm wearing a one piece on Spring Break.

Happy dieting, everyone! Keep up the good work! And please feel free to share your progress as well!!

 Those who think they have not time for bodily exercise will sooner or later have to find time for illness.  ~Edward Stanley

I'm feeling a little more philosophical today. I just finished the "Plyometrics Cardio Circuit" disc- I'm still shaking, and I cried for, oh, about 10 minutes of it. The only thoughts that were creeping into my mind were: a) "I can't do this. I can't breathe. I'm going to puke and Will's going to see it!" which was quickly followed by b) "You know what- forget this crap. I'm going to prove that I'm friggin' bad ass and that I can do this. Bring. It. On."


Wanna see how shitty I looked after?

I have no shame. I will gladly let everyone see how much I suffer- it'll make looking good feel that much better :)


I don't have much to say today other than this: You're going to hate working out, and if you work out hard enough you are going to cry- and you're going to make noises that you never knew you had the talent of making. But I can promise you that if you can just suck it up and focus on why you're working out in the first place, be it to lose some unwanted pounds, firm up those abs, or just so you can be a little healthier, you'll pull through, and you will be even more beautiful than you already are.


I believe in you, ladies. (and boys if there are any) :) If you're working on your fitness right along side me, keep it up! You're going to look fabulous!

Is this Hell?

Nope- it is not Hell. Its just another day of Insanity with Sean T.

Today, Will and I both did different segments of the Insanity work out. I have just finished mine, "Total Cardio/Cardio Abs."

That's right- still smiling. Mainly because I have lots of water, you know, to make up for the liquid I lost while sweating like a maniac.

Will made a very good point while lecturing me to "Keep moving" and to "get my knees up". It was this "You want that beach body, right?"

Umm... How do you say "hell yes" in boy speak?

I'd post my "before" picture (me in my bikini) but I'm scared that I'll lose all three of my readers.

-_- 

So for now, you'll just get me right after the workouts. I really think that if you have the resources to buy this set of discs, you should totally go for it. Whether its pooling money together with friends or what have you, I think its worth it. I feel phenomenal after these workouts- like I've actually accomplished something today :)

I also feel like I've picked the right way to do this- with someone else. Being held accountable for my workouts and for my dieting decisions has been a God send. Especially when (sorry boy readers) I'm on my period. Today alone I had the desire to crash my truck into Wendy's for some chicken nuggets and a chocolate shake thing, which was quickly followed by my "need" to purchase as much chocolate as humanly possible. Much to my satisfaction (as well as my car's), I was able to curb those urges.

If you guys have any suggestions as to what might take the edge off chocolate wise, PLEASE let me know, because honestly I'd swear off television for a month for a bite of a Snickers :)

Until next time, wish me luck and thanks for reading!

Insanity- Day 2

Day 2 of Insanity is here.

I've just finished my second workout- although yesterday's was just called a "Fitness Test." Fitness test my ass. That sucked. It was one minute drills during which I had to see how many of each drill I could perform. This is something I'll have to do every 2 weeks, mind you.

Here were my results:
     Switch kicks- 60
     Power Jacks- 47
     Power Knees- 98 (woot woot!!)
     Power Jumps- 19
     Globe Jumps- 6
     Suicide Jumps- 15
     Push Up Jacks- 20
     Low Plank Obliques- 25

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know- I could have done better. But apparently, I am WAY out of shape, even with going to the gym to ride the bike. YOU try it. Guarantee it'll whoop your ass.

Today, it was Circuit Training. Thanks to Mr. Adam Kickbush down at Nutrishop, I got a free sample of the White Tea Blossom pre-workout. Let me just say, it tasted PHENOMENAL. I would drink that at all hours of the day if I could- and if I didn't have to pay for it :) Lets just say, I'll be purchasing some of THAT. I had a huge burst of energy and powered through that workout a whole lot better than if I had just used straight water. At least, that's how I feel.

The guy on this video (Sean T I think?) is insane- but he knows how to keep you moving. I swear to God- every time I felt like I couldn't move another muscle, he'd yell out "Don't sacrifice form- if you're tired take a break or go slower" and any time I took too long of a break, he would yell "Don't stop moving. Keep going- let's go." I swear it was like he was watching me. Creeper.

Here's me post workout:

I know, I know. I'm a sexy beast.
Of course, you can't see how drenched in sweat I was. AND I spared you all of seeing me at my complete worst and took out the lime green headband :)

But for now, I'm gonna drink some post-workout, have a kiwi, and rest my tired little bones.

Until next time- Tootles!

INSANITY!!

Spring break is only a couple weeks away. Time to slim down. FAST.

Enter Insanity. This is a high intensity workout requiring that I eat only the required amount of calories every day and that I only eat healthy foods. I.E. Egg whites, fruit, salad-dressing-free salad, and grilled chicken. On the list today? Craisins. YUM. I don't know if they're the healthiest due to the amount of sugar inside, but its definitely a HEALTHY sugar.

Today I'll start the workout. (Lord, please save me.) And tonight I'll be making my first purchase from Nutrishop. (Gotta get me some Whey Protein from Mr. Kickbush.)

But before all that, I got me a haircut :) Already feeling like a million bucks!

My neck.. My back...

My neck... my back.... my thighs and well.... lets just not go there...

Have you ever heard of Alison Davis?? Well, she's a bitch. Sure, she can make you work your butt off (literally) but I have never hated someone so much in my life.
Alison Davis has this little treat of a workout video called The Firm: Bootcamp Maximum Calorie Burn. Last night, Will's sister, Megan, and I decided it would be SO MUCH FUN to stay home and workout rather than go to the gym. "How bad could it be?"
We. are. idiots.
Its a 52 minute video. We start with a warm up. Not bad.
We go into plyometrics. Eh- could be better, but I'm still moving.
We move into Cardio. Holy Shit. Having trouble breathing. But, we keep going.
Plyometrics 2. I feel like death. We pause the video. Talk it out. Do we continue? Whats the worst that could happen?
CHAPTER 2: HOLY SHIT, I PEED.
Cardio 2: "Holy shit, I peed!" Those are the words I hear as I'm reaching for my water. I freak out- whip around- and there's Megan, standing next to a mess of wet on the carpet.... a mess of WATER.
We're both dying at this point. Do we keep going?? Hell Yes. We're no quitters.
Grand finale: COOL DOWN! We made it. We're beasts. Hold your applause- we're not worthy.. or we are :)

Unfortunately, I can barely move today. My bum feels like I'm a frat boy that got whelped by my brothers. Now who's ready for round 2??

Its been awhile..

Wondering about my progress since November?


 Well, for anyone who has actually been reading my blog, sorry I left you hanging for so long.

Since November, I kind of fell off the counting calories wagon. But not to worry, I haven't given up completely. I started to eat a little healthier. Difficult? A little. When you're on a tight budget, its a little harder to buy healthy food, since its not always the cheapest.

So, I've been eating A LOT of frozen chicken breast with rice. My favorite taste so far has been my chicken adobo. 2 boneless chicken breasts (sans fat) with soy sauce and vinegar cooking 4 hours in the slow cooker? Mmmmm. It literally falls apart- and since its boneless, its a whole lot less of a mess. Paired up with rice, its just like I'm back at home.
                    Another favorite is 2 boneless chicken breasts cooked in lemon pepper marinade- again on rice.

In the past two weeks, I have lost 5 pounds. Sure, its not a huge feat, but its a start!