21 Day Food Rehab Restart - Day 8 (week 2):6/23/14

Breakfast
Bran cereal, strawberries,  skin milk

Snack
Nectarines

Lunch
Pasta with low fat cheese, peppers,  onions; turkey patty; chicken dumpsticks; 94% fat free popcorn; 2 bananas

Snack
Starbuck Protein Bistro Box

Dinner
Chicken with brown rice

21 Day Food Rehab Restart - week 1 completed

With week 1 under my belt, I feel I can go all the way.  But I have to admit it was not easy a times - craving chocolate,  crackers, and cookies; eating grilled chicken instead of fried chicken. But I am a few pounds lighter this week for my efforts.

21 Day Food Rehab Restart - Day 7 (6/23/14)

Breakfast
Bran cereal,  strawberries,  skim milk

Lunch
Lettuce, tomatoes,  colored peppers, purple onions,  cheese, salad dressing

Snack
94% fat free popcorn

Dinner
Grilled chicken

Snack
94% fat free popcorn

WORKOUT PLANNING - WEEK IN PREVIEW: 6/22/14 -6/2/14

SUNDAY, 6/22/14 - PM: Rest/off

MONDAY, 6/23/14 - AM: Core, stretch/yoga; PM: circuit training, walk/run (4 miles)

TUESDAY, 6/24/14 - AM: Knee therapy; PM: circuit training, HIIT*

WEDNESDAY, 6/25/14 - AM: Core, stretch/yoga; PM: BGR! Hump Day/hills workout

THURSDAY, 6/26/14 - AM: Knee therapy; PM: line dance lesson, circuit training, HIIT*

FRIDAY, 6/27/14 - AM: Core, stretch/yoga; circuit training

SATURDAY, 6/28/14 AM: Knee therapy, power walk (5 miles)

*High-intensity intermittent exercise

21 Day Food Rehab Restart - Day 6 (6/22/14)

Breakfast
2 scrambled eggs with low fat cheese, wheat toast with cheese,  banana

Lunch
Ground turkey taco meat, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, sour cream, taco sauce

Dinner
Veggie medley ( broccoli,  cauliflower,  celery,  carrots), broiled chicken breast (2 oz.), turkey burger, corn on the cob

Snack
94% fat free popcorn

Workout Week in Review (6/15/14 - 6/21/14)

06/15/14
Power walk -2.13 mi, 36:42 (pace - 17:13/mi), 236 cal

06/17/14
Cross Training (workout 1 of 2) - circuit training
Cycling (workout 2 of 2) - Cardio/HIIE* on stationary bike, 6.52 mi, 35:00 (11.2 mph), 397 cal

06/18/14
Running (hills workout) - 3.38 mi, 48:40 (pace - 14:23/mi), 623 cal

06/19/14
Cross Training/cardio - stationary bike, 30:00

06/21/14
Power walk - 4.25 mi, 1:40:00 (pace- 23:31/mi), 449 cal

TOTAL
Planned - 9 miles
Actual - 9.76 miles (1705 cal)

*HIIE - high-intensity intermittent exercise

15 in 15 - My Sojourn to Labor Day: Week 5

Last week was much better: lost about 3 lbs, worked out 5 of 7 days (power walking, cardio - stationary bike,  circuit training).

Plans for the upcoming week - continue with the 21-Day Restart diet and working @ least 4 days.

21 Day Food Rehab Restart - Day 5 (6/21/14)

Breakfast
Latte, omelet with cheese and bacon, 0-calorie sports drink

Lunch
Lima beans, grilled chicken,  cornbread, broccoli and cauliflower

Dinner
Bran cereal, skim milk

Snack
Movie theater popcorn - :(

21 Day Food Rehab Restart - Day 4 (6/20/14)

Breakfast

Bran cereal, skim milk, bananas

Lunch

Mixed salad greens, grilled chicken breast, low-fat cheese,  sugar free raspberry vinegareitte dressing

Snack

Almonds

Dinner

Lettuce, tomatoes,  low-fat cheese, sour cream,  ground turkey taco meat

21 Day Food Rehab Restart - Days 2 & 3 (6/18 & 6/19/14)

Day 2 meals (6/18/14)
Breakfast - bran cereal, skim milk, bananas, Splenda, coffee
Snack - mixed fruit salad (bananas, strawberries, kiwis, peaches)
Lunch - broiled chicken thigh, lima beans and black-eyed peas, summer squash with low-fat cheese 
Dinner - wild rice, summer squash with low-fat cheese 

Day 3 meals (6/19/14)
Breakfast - bran cereal, skim milk, bananas, Splenda, coffee
Snack - bananas (2)
Lunch - salad greens, reduced-fat cheese, grilled chicken breast, sugar-free raspberry vinaigrette dressing, rice, summer squash with low-fat cheese 
Snack - 94% fat-free popcorn
Dinner - wild rice, rutabaga, broiled chicken thigh

Really haven't missed the junk. 

I'm in it to win it!

Conquering those hills (6/18/14)

(Got behind on my posts)

Went out yesterday (6/18/14) with the local BGR group and had a great hill workout!
3.38 miles, 48:40 (pace - 14:24/mi)

Cardio pics (6/17/14)

At 30:00

After 5:00 cool-down (35:00)

Circuit/weight training + cardio

Hit the gym this evening after work for a circuit/weight training and cardio workout combo:

WORKOUT 1 - CIRCUIT/STRENGTH TRAINING
I found an article in an old edition of Fitness Magazine (Feb. 13) on a simple circuit routine using commonly found gym equipment (the article is also online on the Fitness Magazine website - Make the Most of the Weight Machines at Your Gym). The article states following the exercises in order and starting with 2 sets of 12 reps each. Since this was my 1st workout, I ended up not following the routine in order. Some machines were being used so I had skip them and come back to them later. I added a machine by mistake. And finally, I missed one machine altogether because I wasn't familiar with the layout in the gym and used a different machine only to find the machine I needed when I was leaving the workout area. I have the exercises listed in the order I did them (the order of the exercises as they are listed in the article is in parentheses):

Assisted Chin-up Machine - 180 # (2)

Pec Fly Machine - 20# (added in error)

Rotary Chess Press (in lieu of Incline Chest Press)  -40 # (1)

(Photo courtesy of American Council on Exercise website)

Cable Machine Overhead Tricep Extension - 30# (4)

Lateral Raise Machine (isometric) - 10# total/5# each side (3)

Cable Machine Bicep Curl - 30#  (5)

(Photo courtesy of Fitness Magazine website)

Leg Press Machine - 40# (6)

(Photo courtesy of American Council on Exercise website)

Prone Hamstring Curl Machine - 30# (7)

(Photo courtesy of American Council on Exercise website)

Cable Machine Standing Leg Lifts - 20#

(Photo courtesy of American Council on Exercise website)

Stability ball (with weight - FM calls for using a 5-lb plate weight; I used a 6-lb medicine ball)

WORKOUT 2 - HIGH-INTENSITY INTERMITTENT EXERCISE
Following the circuit training, I ended with cardio - high-intensity intermittent exercise on the exercise bike ('bike sprints') - 8 sec 'high' speed riding followed by 12 sec recovery for 30 min + 5-min cooldown (total 35:00, 6.52 cal, 172 cal)

21 Day Food Rehab Restart - Day 1 (6/17/14)

I found this posted on Facebook this week and decided to jump-start my eating habits by following these guidelines.  Also, after reading the post, I decided to visit the website (www.BlackWeightLossSuccess.com) to learn more about the challenge: June 2014 Portion Control Challenge.  Interestingly, many of the guidelines and principles discussed on the website are well-promoted by the medical community - keeping a food diary, reading food labels, set a daily calorie target, eating more, smaller meals, etc. This is a testament that there are affordable weight management options if you are willing to do the research,

As a general rule of thumb, it always a good idea to validate health information with reputable sources - your physician is always a good starting point.  

I posted this in my kitchen, even at work!  Sometimes the worst place for me to manage my eating is my office.  I'm engaging co-workers to help me stay on track.  The more people you are accountable to, the more likely you will be accountable.

Day 1 meals
Breakfast - bran cereal, skim milk, bananas, Splenda, coffee
Snack - banana
Lunch - salad greens, reduced-fat cheese, grilled chicken breast, sugar-free raspberry vinaigrette dressing
Snack - banana
Dinner - broiled chicken thigh, lima beans, summer squash with low-fat cheese 

Surprisingly I didn't feel deprived.  For the most part, I wasn't hungry.

On to Day 2!

Sunday evening power walk

Got in two miles this afternoon - didn't run/jog. 

Just walked.

2.13 mi, 36:42, 326 cal

WORKOUT PLANNING - WEEK IN PREVIEW: 6/15/14 -6/21/14

SUNDAY, 6/15/14 - PM: Walk/run (2 miles), exercise bike (30 min)
MONDAY, 6/16/14 - AM: Core, stretch/yoga; PM: circuit training, walk/run (3 miles)
TUESDAY, 6/17/14 - AM: Knee therapy; PM: circuit training, HIIT*
WEDNESDAY, 6/18/14 - AM: Core, stretch/yoga; PM: BGR! Hump Day/hills workout
THURSDAY, 6/19/14 - AM: Knee therapy; PM: line dance lesson, circuit training, HIIT*
FRIDAY, 6/20/14 - AM: Core, stretch/yoga; PM: circuit training, walk/run (4 miles)
SATURDAY, 6/21/14 AM: Knee therapy, exercise bike (30 min)


*High-intensity intermittent exercise

15 in 15 - My Sojourn to Labor Day: Week 4 (falling off the wagon)

Well, no excuses, no alibis - just no discipline.

Lost track (and focus) these past 3 weeks.

Time to get back on my game and back energized.

Goals for the week
* Back to journaling (Weight Watchers)
* Ride exercise bike 4 times this week at least 35 min.