Food - August 23

Breakfast

Kashi Go Lean Cereal

Skim Milk

Large Banana

Snack

Protein Shake

Lunch

Egg Salad on Whole Wheat

Baby Carrots

Cantaloupe

Snack

Rice Pudding, 3 servings (SHAMEFUL!)

Pistachios, 1/2 cup

Dinner

IHOP

Danish Crepe with Strawberries and Cream Cheese

Eggs, 2

Bacon, 2 slices

Sausage, 1 slice

Snack

Raspberry Leaf Tea with raw sugar

Food - August 21

Breakfast

Greek yogurt with strawberry

Banana

Snack

Mounds bar

Lunch

Whole wheat tortilla with

zucchini, squash, onion, peppers, and avocado

Amy's Organic Lentil Soup

Snack

Rice Pudding, 2 containers

Dinner

Spinach & Cheese Calzones

Cantaloupe

Snack

Red Raspberry Leaf tea with raw sugar

Food - August 20

Breakfast

Kashi Go Lean cereal

Skim milk

Watermelon & cantaloupe

Snack

Greek yogurt with strawberry

Lunch

Whole wheat tortilla with

grilled zuchini, squash, onions, peppers, and avocado

Kozy Shack rice pudding

Kashi granola bar

Snack

Triscuits with hummus

String Cheese

Dinner

Salad with romaine, carrots, and red cabbage

drizzled with homemade French dressing

Whole wheat fettucine with homemade alfredo sauce

Homemade whole wheat baguette with butter

Snack

Red raspberry leaf tea with raw sugar

Food - August 13

I'm embarassed to even post this...

Breakfast - 400

Egg McMuffin (minus the ham) - 240

Hash Brown - 150

Sugarfree Red Bull - 10

Lunch

Deli Egg Salad Sandwich

Onion Rings, 1/2 regular order

Sugarfree Red Bull (10)

Dinner

Sauteed Broccoli

White Rice

Spring Roll, 2

Cheese Rangoon, 4? 5? 6?

Fortune Cookie

Red Raspberry Leaf Tea with 2 tsp Sugar (30)

I told you I was embarrassed, but if I only posted my good days, how would that help me?

Yeah, so, um, I obviously haven't made it to the grocery store yet.  But, on the plus side, I really limited my take-out caffeine consumption.  Usually, with that lunch, I would have a had a 32 oz Diet Coke.  I also would have had a 16 oz Diet Coke with breakfast and a 20 oz Diet Coke for dinner (in addition to my two Red Bulls.)  That's a gallon and a half of soda for the day and 550 mg caffeine.  Yikes!  I'm trying to keep my intake to less than 250 mg a day. 

At least I split the onion rings.

Food - August 12

Definitely not the best day eating wise.  I've noticed that when I start my day with caffeine, it sets me on a really bad cycle.  I'm much better if I get my Red Bull sometime between 10 and 2.  (Much later than 2 and it keeps me up at night.)  My caffeine jonesing aside, I really need to hit the grocery store.  I'm out of fruit and veggies, other than the two really scary kiwis rolling around in my crisper.  I didn't have any of my healthy and filling snacks in the house either, so I had to grab one of Jason's puddings because I was starving.  Yes, it's made from real ingredients (milk, sugar, chocolate and hazelnuts) but it's still junk food.  I'd much rather have some carrots with hummus or some nuts and fruit.  Go figure.  For lunch, I didn't have anything to pair with my soup and Kaelin ate about half of it.  Way too small to be a meal!  I was ravenous by 2.  By the time Jason made it home at 5, I could have eaten a horse (had the horse been made of soy.)  I had him stop by the drug store and pick me up some chocolate.  A thousand calories of chocolate.  Yikes!  My bad planning set me up for a bad dinner too -- fast food pizza.  I ate way too much and went to bed way too full.  Granted, my calories were reasonable (I need about 2500 to maintain weight) but it really wasn't a good way to spend 2300 calories. 

Breakfast (190)

Sugar-free Red Bull x 2 (20)

Kashi Go Lean Cereal, 1 cup (140)

Almond Milk, 1/2 cup (30)

Snack (110)

Hazelnut Chocolate Pudding (110)

Lunch (~200)

Black Bean Vegetable Soup, 1 1/2 cups (~200)

Snack (1030)

Russell Stover Assorted Chocolates, 4 pieces (280)

Lindt White Chocolate, 3.5 oz (750)

Dinner (720)

Little Caeser's Cheese Pizza, 3 slices (720)

Total ~ 2250

Food - August 11

You've probably noticed I haven't done in a "real" blog post in over a month.  Honestly, I haven't had much to blog about (plus, I was on vacation for two weeks of that without high speed internet).  I'm still running, but you can see that through my mydailymile widget.  I want to start P90X again (at least a couple of the discs), but Harper's crawling and required constant supervision.  By the time Jason gets home at night, I'm too tired.  Thank goodness he's off for the next 4 days then switches to swings (working 1:00 PM to 1:00 AM) so I'll be able to get some exercise in during the mornings.

Anyways, since I don't have much else to talk about and because I'm doing a 6 week challenge with the girls at Blog to Lose, I'm going to start photojournaling my food.  Usually, I'm all or nothing when it comes to tracking.  I'll either measure everything to the gram and have meticulous spreedsheets detailing calories, fat, calcium, etc. or I throw in the towel if I don't know the exact nutritional content of something.  I figure using photos might help me stay on track since I don't NEED exact details.  I can see it in the picture.  Please feel free to leave me some feedback or yell at me when I have a less than stellar day!

Breakfast (235)

1 c. Kashi Go Lean cereal (140)

1/2 c. Almond Milk (30)

Clementine (35)

1 c. Red Raspberry Leaf tea with 2 tsp sugar (30)

Morning Snack (140)

Greek Yogurt with Strawberry (130)

Sugar-free Red Bull (10)

Lunch (360)

Grilled Spinach and Brie on Whole Wheat with Onions (300)

Peach (60)

Afternoon Snack (270)

Cottage Cheese with Strawberry (140)

2 tbsp Sunflower Kernels (130)

Dinner (~500)

Cheese Tortillini with Homemade Cannellini Bean Sauce (~500)

Bedtime Snack (230)

Mounds (230)

Yes, I eat way too much at my desk.  I also justify eating a Mounds because coconut is a fruit and it has 3 grams of fiber.  Really, a Mounds bar is MUCH MUCH better than most other candy bars and it's dark chocolate too.  Dark chocolate is a health food!  And no HFCS!  Woo!  (See how I did that?)  I was a little light on the veggies yesterday with around 2 servings (spinach at lunch and peppers in the sauce at dinner.) 

Total of around 1735 calories, give or take.

Crispy Eggplant with Spicy Marinara and Feta

Ingredients
1 eggplant, about 1 lb, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
2 eggs
2 tbsp milk
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp ground red pepper
1 tsp dry basil
2 cups marinara
1 cup feta cheese

Directions
1.  Mix milk and eggs in a small bowl.  Mix wheat germ, parmesan cheese, basil, and pepper in a second bowl.
2.  Dip eggplant slices in egg mixture, then coat both sides in the wheat germ mixture. 
3.  Bake on a greased cookie sheet at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes.  Eggplant should be crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.
4.  Add red pepper to the marinara and warm over low medium heat.
5.  Top eggplant with marinara and feta cheese.

Makes 4 servings.

Mine actually looks like the picture in the book!

Recipe adapted from Better Homes and Gardens Vegetarian Cooking for Today (1993).

A Little Too Much Weekend Fun

I stepped on the scale this morning for my weekly weigh-in -- up 3 lbs.

Uh-oh.

"Whatever," I thought to myself.  There's no possible way that I gained 3 lbs over the week.  Sure, I did enjoy a few too many slices of flag cake and I had a couple of beers with dinner.  After the BBQ last night, I'm probably just retaining water. 

Then, I checked my food journal.  Oops.  My last entry was July 1st at lunch.  Why hadn't I been writing down what I was eating?  I started to rack my brain trying to remember my meals.  Let's see... there was the McDonalds on the way to the commissary.  And the huge hot fudge brownie ice cream sundae on Friday.  Saturday, Jason and I worked our way through a pint of Americone Dream while watching movies.  Oh, I forgot about the candy bar I had on the way home from the commissary.  And there were the several granola bars I had while researching an article for work. 

Maybe that 3 lbs isn't just water weight.

I still don't think I ate 10,000 extra calories over the last few days, but since I wasn't journaling, I'm really not sure.  I'm going to officially weigh-in tomorrow to give myself a chance to recover from last night's dinner.  I'll still probably be up, but it's nothing I can't deal with.  I'm going to be a little more vigilant and make sure that I'm recording what I eat.  I'm going to drink my water.  I'm going to follow my new running schedule.  I'm not going to think about how ecstatic I was last week when I was a mere 2 lbs from my pre-baby weight.

One bad weekend isn't going to derail my months of work.

P90X and Insanity... Now That's Insane!

I'm done with my first week of Insanity! 

I have to say that I'm impressed.  Insanity is definitely the best cardio workout I've had.  Of course, it's only cardio.  I was very disappointed with Cardio Power & Recovery.  It's supposed to be resistance training with your body weight, but other than push-ups and some tricep dips there really isn't anything that builds strength.  I threw in some P90X the other night just to get some upper body work in.

I was going to follow the Insanity program to the letter for the full 9 weeks just so I could see the results, but now that I've done all of the Month 1 workouts, I'm 100% sure that I'll lose strength.  I think I'm going to mix it up a little and add P90X and BBL into the schedule.  Of course, there are several hybrid programs out there, but I'm going to custom design one for myself, to fit my needs and my running schedule.  I'll post it when I get it done (or figure out how to add a calendar.)  I also have a group of friends starting their first round of P90X soon -- can't wait to see their results!

In other news... less than 2 weeks until my vacation!  I'm very happy to go back to Virginia if for no other reason than the awesome running trails.  My parents live less than a mile away from a Civil War battleground that's been revamped with running trails.  Some of them are dirt and through the forest.  Others are gravel across fields.  There's even two MASSIVE hills.  Hopefully, I'll get plenty of running time (you know, when I'm not submerged in their pool.)

Sadly, Hershey Park is on the schedule.  I'm not an amusement park sort of gal and I really don't want to gain back what little I've lost because of some stupid chocolate.  Don't forget the chocolate bar waiting for us that's bigger than Harper!

Okay, almost as big as Harper.

I Need New Tunes

I have a superfantastic running playlist.  It's been so superfantastic that I haven't updated my iPod in about a year and a half.  The thing is, my music interests and my running music interests don't really overlap.  I'm about a 75% rock/grunge/metal sort of gal while my running playlist is mostly pop and rap -- things that have a strong beat.  Since I don't listen to pop or rap on any sort of regular basis, I don't know what new and awesome songs have come out that should be on my playlist.

Jen's Running Mix
Let's Go -- Trick Daddy
Lose Yourself -- Eminem
Pump It -- Black Eyed Peas
Tainted Love -- Soft Cell
Nookie -- Limp Bizkit
Rollin' (Urban Assualt Vehicle) -- Limp Bizkit
Gimme More -- Britney Spears
One Step Closer -- Linkin Park
Somewhere I Belong -- Linkin Park
Bleed It Out -- Linkin Park
Click Click Boom -- Saliva
Ready to Go -- Republica
Stronger -- Kanye West
Jesus Walks -- Kanye West
Pain -- Jimmy Eat World
Over My Head -- Sum 41
Hip Hip Hooray -- Naughty by Nature
Awake -- Godsmack
I Stand Alone -- Godsmack
Sweet Home Alabama -- Lynard Skynard
4 Minutes -- Madonna (ft. Justin Timberlake)
SexyBack -- Justin Timberlake
Magic Carpet Ride -- The Crystal Method
Party Up -- DMX
Temperature -- Sean Paul
Beverly Hills -- Weezer
California Love -- Tupac (ft. Dr. Dre)
Fighter -- Christina Aguilera

So I need your help.  Give my music, um, interests... what should I add?  (I realize I'm severely lacking in Gaga, but like I said, I haven't updated in a year.)  I like motivating songs.  I like songs that make me want to dance.  I like songs that will take me from mile 20 to mile 26. 

Suggestions?

Goodbye, Charlotte

I'm sad.  I had originally planned to do a blog post about all the neat new fitness gear I want for Christmas, but I got some disturbing news and would like to share it.

I sat down at my computer this morning with my mocha cappucino and started my day with my 100% favorite blog -- The Great Fitness Experiment.  I only discovered this blog about a year ago.  At the time, I was pregnant and Charlotte was pregnant.  I loved how she continued to be the fitness badass she has always been, especially when it's so common for moms-to-be to plop there legs up and have another bon bon.  I read her entire blog that day like it was coated in crack.  I've mentioned it before on KUrunner, but for those of you who didn't take my advice and immediately rush over, you've missed out.

Charlotte is amazing (and she has awesome hair).  Of course, she doesn't think so, but what does she know?  Maybe it's because she grades the writing portion of the SATs, but her writing style is just wonderful.  She's written comic pieces about having too much soy before an exercise class and she's written tearjerkers about her struggles with addiction and abuse.  She's brutally honest and no topic is off-limits.  (Women, if there's anything you wanted to know about your period and exercise, she'll have the answer.)  Plus, she finds the most hilarious pictures. 

Anyways, I'm in mourning.  I've looked to Charlotte for inspiration this past year and she's never disappointed me.  I completely understand her reasoning for stopping her blog, but it still sucks.  Thankfully, someone is paying her to write The Great Fitness Experiment book, and I'm sure that I'll be the first in line to buy it.  She'll be keeping the webpage up, so if you haven't read GFE yet, I'd recommend going over and starting with post #1 (scroll to the bottom).

And I'll leave you with Charlotte teaching how to do a pull-up (and other naughty things with a training dummy.)

But I Like Being Able to Walk...

Yesterday was Day 1 of Insanity (just the fit test) and Brazil Butt Lift's High and Tight (seriously, I've never found a better butt workout). 

Of course, now I can't walk down the stairs.

This is either a good thing or a very, very bad thing.

My Shoes May be Trying to Kill Me

Hydration belts, identity bracelets, iPods, Garmins, sleeves -- just some of the gear a typical runner might use on a regular basis.  (Trust me, I've been begging for a Garmin since Christmas.)  But there's really only one piece of equipment that you need to run.

Shoes.

Okay, I know the barefoot running craze is hot right now.  However, I don't live on dirt roads in Kenya and I'm not entirely sure my tetanus shot is up to date.  I have to deal with rocks, melting asphalt, and gross stuff that people through on the road.  I could try to run in the grass, but that brings up the issue of dog poop.  I NEED shoes.

But shoes are bad.  The big argument is that we, as a species, have been running since the dawn of time without shiny new Nikes.  We managed to evolve without a pair of Saucony's on our neanderthalic feet.  New studies are even showing that running shoes are directly linked to knee, hip, and ankle injuries.  As someone who is ALWAYS plagued with running injuries from plantar fasciitis and shin splints to chrondromalacia, this really interests me. 

I regularly change my shoes every 300 - 400 miles.  Physical therapists have watch me run (I have a very slight overpronation but they recommend neutral shoes).  I get professionally fitted at a running store.  I tend to spend about $100 a pair for quality shoes.

And they're hurting me?

To be fair, I have completely sucky form.  Nobody ever taught me how to run.  Not in middle school during the hideous Presidential Fitness Test.  Not in high school while doing splits on the track.  Not in boot camp where running is a mode of transportation.  Like most untrained (or badly trained) runners, I'm a heel striker.  That means I land on my heel, roll my foot, and push off with my toes.  This puts a metric crapton of force on your heel that travels up your leg.  To combat this, companies started adding more and more cushioning to the heel of their shoes.  The heels on the shoes started getting bigger which has led to even more heel striking because the heel gets in the way. 

However, when you run barefoot you land on your midsole or your forefoot while your heel barely touches the ground.  The whole movement is much more efficient and easier on your joints.  Of course, that brings us back to the dog poo.

So what's a girl to do?

That girl could buy a pair of Newtons!

Apparently, these shoes are the bee's knees.  (Whatever that means.)  I have read review after review about these shoes and I am SOOOO excited to try them.  I'm nervous because they're pretty $$$, but the research seems pretty solid.  The shoe has a very small heel and lugs midfoot that force you to run with proper form.  Their website has a TON of information and videos so I'm not going to repeat it all here, but I think they are definitely worth a try.  If I don't like them, I'll go back to my old running shoes. 

Unfortunately, I can't buy them yet.  No store in South Carolina sells them so I was planning on buying them when I go on vacation in a few weeks.  You can buy them online, but I'm really nervous about getting a pair of shoes without being able to try them on.  Of course, while I was researching this article, I just discovered that the HOT PINK shoes that I'M IN LOVE WITH are being discontinued and if I don't buy one of the few remaining pairs on line, I'll either have to settle for bright yellow or neon orange. 

Aarrgghh!  I'm so confused now.  Should I order the pink ones without trying them on?  Would I look okay in yellow shoes?  Should I call the running store in Virginia and see if they have pink Newtons in my size?

TGIF!!!

Thank goodness it's Friday!

Well, it's Friday by Navy standards.  Jason has worked everyday for the past two weeks.  They call it "14 Days of Nuclear Power" because even though he technically had a day off, he worked until 1:00 AM and went back to work at 8:00 PM the next day.  So he's been on the boat for two straight weeks.  He has a test tonight, but then he's off for TWO WHOLE DAYS!!!  And next month when he has to work this crazy shift, I'll be on vacation lounging out by the pool.

Photo source: http://randomfunnypicture.com/funny-pictures-motivationals/motivational-submarine-races-not-spectator-sport/

 
I did happen to peek at the scale this morning.  Despite two weeks of eating like crap and not working out nearly enough, I have less than three pounds of baby weight left.  I'm so thrilled to be past the stupid plateau that I was stuck on for the past two months.  I might actually get back to my pre-Harper weight before I see my family in a few weeks.  Yay!

As far as yesterday's question about running goes, I'm just going to have to suck it up and run.  Honestly, it's not like I'm going to go do a 10 mile run in 90 degree weather.  I'm just running around the block.  Next week, Jason works at 8 AM, so I'll do my run before he goes to work.  That's 5 runs; completely no excuses. 

When Do You Run?

I'm struggling. I really am. I want to run; I really do. But I can't seem to find the time. It's not time in the usual sense. You know, the 'I don't have time to workout because ...' excuse.

Rather, I can't find the right time of day to run. Currently, Jason is undergoing some pretty intense Navy training and is working 12 hour days 7 days a week doing rotating shiftwork. Last week was awesome. He worked 12:30 PM to 12:30 AM which gave me plenty of time in the morning to run before he went to work. He even went with me a couple of times. (Note, we might want to invest in a jogging stroller.)

This week, he's working 8:30 PM to 8:30 AM. I had originally planned to run when he got home at 9:00. But I ran into two problems. First, the Navy has a warped sense of time. Several times this week, they wouldn't let the class leave on time because such and such happened or so and so was late. So they punish everyone with push-ups and making them stand at attention for an hour. Meanwhile, I'm sitting by the door in my running clothes wondering if he's in a ditch somewhere because he fell asleep at the wheel. By the time he gets home at 10:00, I've usually gotten wrapped up in something else and don't make it outside.

Or he does make it home at 9:00 and it's already 90 degrees and 125% humidity. I suppose the weather wouldn't be a big issue if I was used to running in it, but being a new (returning?) runner, my stamina is crap. Besides, it's going to get a lot hotter before it starts to cool off again and my runs are only going to get longer.

I suppose I could run at 7:00 PM before he goes to work, but usually it's hotter then than it is in the morning. Plus, by 7:00, I have to make dinner, do baths, etc. I *could* go to the gym when he gets home, but I really despise the treadmill and while it's great now and then, it shouldn't make up the bulk of training for anyone who does road races. I also can't afford a running stroller right now, although even if I could, I wouldn't use one. Strollers completely jack with your form.

So any thought? Should I just suck it up and run in the heat? Is there another answer I'm just not seeing?

Another Pointless Committee

Last month, Roni (of Roni's Weigh) did a completely awesome post about the obesity epidemic and what the Healthy Weight Committment Foundation aims to do about it. While Roni offered some great ideas of her own, the new organization was basically just rehashing the same old, same old -- exercise and eat right. Well, duh.

Anyways, I wanted to share my very long-winded comment to her here on KUrunner.

I agree that something needs to be done, but I very much disagree with their methods. Obesity is not as simple as calories in versus calories out. I think most Americans are already “conscious” that we need to eat better and exercise. Weight loss and health is so much more than that.

Why are we overweight in the first place? We know more about nutrition and exercise now than we did 100 years ago, even 50 years ago. But the numbers keep going up. Telling me that I need to eat X number of calories doesn’t change the fact that I want that candy bar.

We, as a society, is stressed to the limit. Moms are expected to be super; we are supposed to get up, make a healthy breakfast for the family, get the kids dressed, pack the husband’s lunch, drop the kids off at school and make it to work by 8:00 for a staff meeting. Then, we are supposed to workout during lunch while magically working on a presentation, pick the kids up and cart them off to soccer, dance and band. We go home and make a wonderful pasta primavera from scratch while entertaining three kids without resorting to TV or video games. Don’t forget the laundry that we have to do or the bathrooms we need to scrub. Then, we are expected to make time for the husband.

Yeah, right. No wonder that McDonald’s looks so tempting on the way home.

If HWCF wants change, maybe they should go after the source. Change the goverment that makes boxes of processed crap cheaper than fruits and vegetables. Go after the fast food restaurants that are on every corner where an extra value meal is cheaper than a pound of meat. I’m not saying that there isn’t personal responsibility involved, but it’s kind of unfair to the crack addict when society willingly puts a dealer on every street. (And yes, I believe that being obese is just as dangerous as being hooked on drugs.)

But telling us what we’ve already been told thousands of times before isn’t going to change anything.

But it gets better. This "health-minded" group is made up of CEOs from companies such as Coca-Cola, Nestle, Mars, Hershey, and Kraft. They are the same ones that make it cheaper to buy a 2 liter of soda than a bottle of juice. They are the ones that sell sugar, sugar, and more sugar to our kids. You think that dinosaur on the macaroni box is targeting adults?

Here's what they should be saying:

Eat less, but keep eating our neon orange processed macaroni. Watch your calories, but keep buying our high fructose corn syrup and aspartame laden sodas. Don't be fat kids, but make sure to save room for a candy bar later.

Anyways, if you're as pissed off as I am now, feel free to send them an email at info@healthyweightcommit.org telling them that if they really want to enact change, they should start with their own products.

Brazil Butt Lift

I am so BORED of P90X. Don't get me wrong, it's a great workout, but 90+ days of it gets really old even with 12 different DVDs. I love Tony Horton, but I can recite every single one of his jokes in my sleep. How do people do 2, 3, even more rounds?

Since P90X was always a little too light on cardio for someone needing to lose serious weight, Jason got me Insanity. It's VERY high intensity cardio featuring calisthenics to build muscle. Although, it is highly debated just how effective Insanity is. There are those who are diehard weightlifters who believe that unless you are throwing around dumbbells, you aren't going to gain muscle. Some people say that it's unrealistically intense and that even someone like Lance Armstrong would have problems keeping up. Others love it.

Anyways, the plan was to combine the P90X workouts I like with Insanity. But then, I saw Brazil Butt Lift.

I'll be honest here; I'm a fitness snob. I quietly mocked my mother every time she bought another contraption or workout video from an infomercial. AbRoller? She's got it. ThighMaster? Check. What about an Ab Lounger? Yep. She even spent the money on the electrocute yourself to better abs thing. I spent a couple days trying out her collection of Firm videos, and sure, they may be great for your average unfit, overweight housewife, but they did nothing for me -- the overweight housewife who runs half marathons. So, I was really skeptical when I saw Brazil Butt Lift on Beachbody's website.

Could the people who make P90X and Insanity really sell something so... easy looking? I mean it looks fun. People dancing around on the beach shaking their booty? Very carnival. The workout was made for Victoria's Secret angel, Alessandra Ambrosio and she does have an amazing ass. But then again, she's a supermodel with freak genes and already had a pretty decent backside before the program. Besides, she doesn't have any muscles. There's no way she could out bench me. Hell, she probably can't run more than 5 miles.

Of course, this discussion went on in my head otherwise Jason would probably be a little weirded out.

But I figure, there's a money back guarantee and I really do appreciate what P90X did for me. If people think Brazil Butt Lift works, I'll give it a shot. If I don't like it or if I feel like I'm losing too much fitness, I'll start Insanity.

BBL comes with a workout plan designed for your butt shape; mine is "too much." Day 1 was basics and Bum Bum (Brazilian slang for butt). Basics is just a tutorial about how to do the moves with proper form. Stuff like, put your foot here and your knee here and engage your core, etc. I even thought about skipping it. It's 10 minutes long and to quote a wise man, my biscuits were burning.

I hadn't even started the real workout yet.

Bum Bum is a combination of cardio while doing moves that target your tush. Instead of endless lunges like P90X, you did lunges as a part of a dance move. Squats, leg lifts... they were all there but as part of the cardio. Bum Bum is 30 mins long and I had to pause the disc twice.

How can I make it through 60 mins of Plyo X and then PAUSE a silly little cardio video?

I mean, I didn't even put on my heart rate monitor. Hell, I almost did it in my pajamas because I didn't think I would sweat. I definitely underestimated it.

There are 3 more workouts in the series, and I'm still skeptical that I'll maintain my upper body strength, but I'm going to give it a shot. If anything, I can substitute BBL in for some of the P90X workouts. But for the next few weeks, I want to see what Brazil Butt Lift can do for me.

Welcome to My New Home

KUrunner officially has it's one little slice of the internet!  Yes, I broke down and paid the $10 to have my own domain.  Plus, wordpress was really starting to irritate me.

Anywho, I'm still working out all the kinks and making the website pretty and all that jazz, so please bear with me over the next few days (weeks?).  If you have any suggestions or notice anything that's broken or messed up, just let me know!

Another Year Older

Note to Self...

Note to self… there is no way you’ll workout at 9:00 PM so stop planning on it. You’ll do your workout while Harper naps and Jason can do it when he gets home, even if it means you’ll be working out alone. Also, a 400 calorie coffee drink is not an appropriate substitute for a 10 calorie Red Bull.

Got a Little Depressed There...

While working on my P90X results post, I started thinking about how much further I have to go to get back to my goal. I don’t have a specific number in my head, but it’s at least another 40 lbs away.

And that’s really depressing.

I was so upset with myself when I gained 87 lbs in less than a year. (Okay, sure part of that was a baby, but still.) Then I lost it. Yay me! Then I gained it again. Un-freaking-believable.

So I leave you with the few pictures I have of me at a comfortable weight.

November 2002

March 2009

P90X Results and Review

Jason and I started P90X 12 weeks ago and the results are in!

… But before I get to the cold hard numbers, I want to begin by saying that we didn’t follow the program. Not 100% anyways. Hell, probably not even 50%. P90X requires 6 workouts a week and a low-carb nutrition program. I never had any intentions of going low-carb as I’m still breastfeeding. The workouts were fun (and HARD), and I looked forward to most of them, but life happened. I probably shouldn’t have started the program with a newborn who wasn’t sleeping more than a few hours at a time. There were a lot of workouts that I was just too tired to start and I’m sure I wasn’t “bringing it” the way Tony Horton would have wanted. Then, we had two deaths in the family — one being Jason’s dad. Needless to say, with the stress and time involved dealing with everything, pushing play wasn’t at the top of our list. Add to that a couple of trips out of state and Jason’s work schedule drastically shifting…

We definitely didn’t do P90X the way it was intended.
I still saw results, even with my half-hearted attempt and I still recommend everyone try it. In fact, my brother and a couple friends are going to be starting P90X while I’m going through Round 2. Yes, I’m doing it again and hopefully this time, I can do the program right. I got pretty decent results doing about half the workouts so I’m dying to see what happens if I follow it all the way. (Still breastfeeding, so still no low-carb though.) As for my thoughts on the actual workouts:

Chest & Back — Lots of push-ups and pull-ups. A little dull, but the basics work.

Plyometrics — I love plyo. It’s hard. You’ll hurt the next day. But it’s fun and I’m sure it’s the reason why I’m running faster even though I haven’t been running nearly as much as I used to.

Shoulders and Arms — My delts and triceps are my favorite parts to work and it was really similar to my arm workout prior to P90X so I may be a bit biased, but I enjoyed it. My problem was not having enough different weights. My 8s were too light and my 15s were too heavy for most of the exercises.

Yoga – Eh. I still don’t like it (and I really love my other yoga dvds) and it tends to be the first dvd that gets skipped during the week.

Legs and Back — Sneaky lunges! Love the calf workout.

Kenpo — It’s fun, but not much of a calorie burn. You really have to push yourself if you want to get your heart rate up.

Chest, Shoulders, & Triceps — Confession here… I’ve only done this workout once. It was HARD. Like, too hard for me to even do half the reps. So, I went back to the Phase 1 dics. Of course, Jason LOVED this workout.

Back & Biceps — Never did it. Again, Jason preferred it over Phase 1.

I did leave out AbRipperX and Core Synergistics because I like to pretend they don’t exist. You know, I hate it, but I love it sort of thing. Overall, it’s a great system although the Classic program is a bit light on cardio. Tony is funny although after 90 days, his “Tony-isms” start to get a little old. I still want to punch Dreya Weber in the face. Karen pot-stirrers are amazing.

Okay, now on to the results.

Jason’s lost almost 10 lbs and 3% bodyfat.

I’ve lost over 13 lbs and almost 3% bodyfat. I’m down 2.5 inches off my waist, 2.5 inches off my hips, and over an inch off of each thigh. I haven’t taken my official final fit test, but as of month 2, I’m jumping higher and squating longer. I’ve more than doubled my push-ups and more than tripled my ab strength. I also doubled my bicep curls. (Keep in mind that all of this is without doing P90X every day.)