getting lean and defined

I am back and ready to get back on track. I ate too much sugar( mostly dates and pure maple syrup), but my body does not do well with any type of sugar. So I am ready to start eating healthy again. On the plus side is I did way better with my eating than I did last year around Christmas.

I like the new book that I bought, but I am having a hard time wanting a smoothie for breakfast. I just feel better with my oatmeal, plus I think some of them have too much fruit and use dates, which really bother my body. I feel so much better and have more energy when I am eating more protein. But I do like a lot of her lunch and dinner recipes. I can't wait to try a few more this week.

I am doing circuits for a few weeks, so that I can shock my body a little.

Workout:

cirucit A: 4 sets

1. one arm db shoulder press- 8 reps ( 25 lbs.)

2. plate front raises- 10 reps( 10 lbs.)

3. stab. ball tucks-20 reps

4. spiderman pushups-10 reps

5. jump rope- 100 reps

Circuit B: 4 sets

1. curtsey lunge-10 reps each(15 lbs.)

2. bulgarian split squat-15 reps each

3. plank row-10 reps

4. single arm lateral raise-10 each side(15 lbs.)

5. jump rope-100 reps

circuit C: 4 sets

1. trx jump squat-15 reps

2. one arm upright row to oh press- 10 reps(15 lbs.)

3. squats-15 reps

4. mtn. climbers-15 each side

finshed off with 15 min. steady state cardio on elliptical. This was a killer workout

Food:

B: 1 c. cooked oatmeal with 1 scoop vanilla protein powder and 1 c. raspberries

L: 1/2 c. cooked tofu, bowl of veggie noodle soup

S: green smoothie

D: zuchinni/cabbage with asian sauce and 1/2c. edamme

S: 1/2 c. cooked oatmeal with chocolate protein powder

I had a great workout today. I just did 10 min. of 30 sec. hard and 30 easier on the stair stepper and then 30 min. of steady state cardio on the ellitpical.

Then I came home and did some kickboxing on our new punching bag. I love it. I did 20 min. on it and it kicked my butt. I love having the punching bag. It was a family gift for Christmas.

Food was not perfect yesterday. I was on the run last night and didn't eat like I should have. I ended up having leftover tofu and a few bites of soup and then took a rice cake with almond butter with me. For snack I had oatmeal with protein powder and then I had 2 slices of gluten free bread with peanut butter.

Today I am going to get groceries, so it should be better.

B: 1 c. cooked oatmeal with hemp seeds, pumpkin, stevia

L: leftover tofu, mixed with some leftover hashbrowns

S: green smoothie

D: black bean burgers and tahini roasted cauliflower

S: oatmeal with chocolate protein powder

Punching bag is an awesome gift! Get ready for some sore shoulders and traps!

Yes, I love having the punching bag. It is awesome!

I made this amazing roasted cauliflower last night. It came from the Six Weeks to Sexy Abs book. My kids loved it as well. We all had seconds. I felt good about my eating yesterday. I am starting today with the 6 weeks.

Todays workout: circuits

Circuit A: 4 sets

1. db bench press- 15-20 reps( 20,25,30,30)

2. stab. ball tuck to pushup-10 reps

3. stab. ball ab crunches-15 reps.

4. burpee-10 reps

Circuit B: 4 sets

1. incline db bench press- 15 reps( 15,20,25,25)

2. single leg v-ups-20 reps each

3. kb swings-15 reps

4. mtn. climbers- 30 reps each side

Circuit C:

1. military shoulder press- 12 reps( 40 lb. bar)

2. bench tricep dips- 12 reps.

3. db front raises- 12 reps( 10 lbs.)

4. cable woodchop- 15 reps each side( 40-50 lbs.)

Finished off with 4 sets of 60 sec. sprints on the bike and then 25 min. steady state cardio on the bike

Food for Today:

B: pear green smoothie

L: 2 homemade black bean burgers on lettuce, leftover roasted cauliflower

S: green smoothie or protein shake and an apple or cuties

D: cauliflower soup and cooked lima beans

S: oatmeal with protein powder

I don't know what my problem is. I think I may need to get my thyroid rechecked. I have been so so tired latley. I slept 9 hrs. the past few days and even when I wake up, I am still tired. I am tired pretty much all day. I am not normally this tired, which makes me think that my thyroid must be off.

I did have a good workout today though. I wanted to go to Body combat class, but slept past that. I like to workout at the gym, it is my get away, but I still wanted to do some kickboxing. So I put on my headphone to Bon Jovi and went to punching and kicking on my punching bag. It was a great workout. I did 45 min. It was awesome!

I am loving the food from Six Weeks to Sexy Abs. It is so good.I didn't get a chance to make that soup last night, so I just had a leftover black bean burger for dinner.

Food for today:

B: 1 c. cooked oatmeal with pumpkin, hemp seed, stevia

L: cauliflower soup, 1/2 c. edamme

S: green smoothie

D: mexican bowl( refried beans, rice, green beans, cheezy sauce, salsa , gucamole)- I am having people over and we are having nachos and tacos.

S: I don't know for sure- no sugar that is for sure- everyone else is having sundaes

have a great New Years!

I got up and got an eariler start today. My family and I watched, "That Sugar Film" the other night and I think it really motivated my family to eat healthier and to be healthier, which is a good thing. I learned some things from it as well. It was an amazing movie. So because of that movie, my daugther ( who is 18) wanted to come workout with me this morning,before she headed off to work. I think she will be sore tomorrow,but I gave her some modifications since she hasn't worked out in a while.

My husband entered a challenge to lose weight, which is good. I worry about his health sometimes. So to help him I am making sure he has some healthy alternatives to the junk food he normally eats. He ususally eats whatever I cook, but does like to go out to get fast food and sweets a lot.

Workout: circuits-4 sets

circuit A:

1. one arm db shoulder press-10 reps( 20 lbs.)

2. plate front raises-12 reps(10 lbs.)

3. stab. ball tucks-20 reps

4. spiderman pushups-10 reps

5. jump rope- 1min.

circuit B: 4 sets

1. db curstey lunges- 10 each side(15 lbs.)

2. bulgarian split squat- 15 each leg

3. plank rows- 10 reps

4. single arm lateral shoulder raise- 10 reps( 15 lbs.)

5. jump rope- 1 min.

Circuit C:-4 sets

1. trx jump squats- 15 reps

2. single arm upright row to OH press- 10 each arm( 15 lbs.)

3. squats- 12 reps.

4. mtn. climbers- 10 each side

Food for today:

preworkout: 1/2 banana

B: green smoothie

L: leftover tomato soup with roasted chickpeas, salad

S: fruit, protein shake

D: mauy thai zuchinni noodles with edamme

S: oatmeal with protein powder

I ate pretty good yesterday, but for some reason in the afternoon, I was starving. I ate my apple and protein shake and was still hungry, so hungry I was starting to get a headache, so I had some pumpkin oatmeal and I felt much better. I am really enjoying the food in " Six Weeks to Sexy Abs". This morning I made a blueberry protein smoothie that was amazing!

My husband has to lose 2 1/2 lbs. this week for his challenge, so hopefully this feeding him, will help him lose the weight he needs. I think it will, because he is used to going to the store and buying junk food or going to Mcdonalds to get some food. I have been trying to provide some good alternatives to his sweets that he is used to eating. Last night I made an apple crisp with protein powder in the crisp part.

I am struggling with what to eat for a snack in the afternoon. Too much fruit bothers me and I need something filling.

Workout: 10 min. HIIt training on stair stepper, then 30 min. steady state on stair stepper

Food:

B; blueberry protein smoothie

L: leftover zuchinni/veggies with 1/2 c. edamme with homemade asian sauce

S: maybe I will make some quinoa

D: spaghetti squash with marinara sauce and homemade black bean "meat" balls, salad

S: oatmeal with protein powder

Happy New Year! Pistachios are a great snack option. They have pretty good protein, and are the lowest calorie nut, if you're counting. I used to eat an Ezekiel and peanut butter sammich every day at 3pm - it was pretty much all I looked forward to on a daily basis.

I love pistachios. Thanks for the suggestions. When I was working with one of my trainers, one of my snacks was a gluten free english muffin with almond butter or peanut butter and jelly. That was one of my favorite snacks. I think I may try that again.

My daughter came and worked out with me again today. That is 3 days in a row. She is doing so good. My husband is doing good and is surprised he is not hungry and not going through bad sugar cravings. I have been good about providing good healthy alternatives for him.

Workout: circuits

Circuit A: 4 sets

1. db bench press-15-20 reps(20,25,30,30 lbs.)

2. pushups- 10 reps

3. stab. ball crunches- 15 reps

4. burpess- 10 reps.

circuit B: 4 sets

1. incline db bench press- 15 reps( 15,20,20,20,lbs.)

2. single leg v-ups- 20 on each leg

3. kb swings- 15 reps

4. mtns. climbers- 30 on each side

Circuit C; 4 sets

1. ez bar shoulder press- 12 reps( 40 lbs.)

2. tricep dips on bench- 12 reps

3. cable woodchoppers- 12 each side( 40 lbs.)

4. db front raises- 15 reps ( 10 lbs.)

5. bike sprint- 60 sec.

Food:

preworkout: 1/2 banana

B: orange protein smoothie( yum)

L: spaghetti squash with black bean " meat" balls and marinara sauce, salad

S: gluten free english muffin with almond butter and a little jelly

D: homemade broccoli soup, quinoa salad

S: oatmeal with protein powder

I realized since I am dealing with hashimotos, there are certain workout that kill my body. Ever since I have done those circuits I have been totally exhausted. The high intensity and the amount of cardio is just not good for me. They have been wiping me out. So I am changing up my workouts. I also noticed that I gained weight instead of losing weight. I also know I need to try to go off of soy for a while and see how I feel. It is funny how food really affects me as well.

Today I did some supersets and I didn't feel wiped out after my workout. I felt like I got a good workout, but I don't feel dead. I will see how I feel later today as well.

Workout: back/abs

Superset: 4 sets

1. pullups-( daughter holding my feet)-5- 6 reps

2. seated row- 10 reps- (70-80 lbs.)

Superset: 4 sets

1. lat pulldowns-15 reps( 70-80 lbs.)

2. straight arm lat pulldowns- 12 reps( 30-40 lbs.)

Superset: 4 sets

1. delt cable flies- 12 reps- 20 lbs.

2. single arm db rows- 20 reps( 15 lbs.)

Abs: 4 sets

roman chair- 20 reps

standing oblique crunch-20 reps each side( 25 lbs. plate)

superman lower back- 15 reps

Food:

preworkout: half banana

B: blueberry protein smoothie

L: leftover broccoli soup with 1/2 c. chickpeas

S: cooked quinoa and rice cake with almond butter

D: 2 bean chili and salad

S: pumpkin pie oatmeal with hemp seed

Looking at that circuit workout up there, I'd say that's a ton of volume. I bet you could do half of that and still make great progress, but that's just my opinion. (looks like that's precisely what you did today) The dedication is definitely there, that's for sure. I would work on increasing the weight. I think you're in the right rep range (10-12). Some people would say that there is an inverse relationship between resistance and reps, and I think that makes sense, at least to the extent one can accomplish a limited amount of reps at a certain weight until failure. But I'm sure there's an optimal range that permits both growth (higher resistance) as well as endurance (higher reps); perhaps even a point of diminishing returns? Just some thoughts.

Good job! I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's before I became Vegan. I find that eating a lot of processed and gluten products makes the symptoms worse, which is what is happening for me right now. It looks like overall you are doing good on your nutrition so hopefully that will help level it out.

Thanks esqinchi, I think I do better with higher weights and less reps and feel better physically. Thanks so much for the encouragement.

Thanks Vegan Amazon, it is good to have another vegan with hashimotos. It is really not good when I eat processed foods. I have been following Six Weeks To Sexy Abs by Ella Magers and I really like the recipes. I have modified it a little in the fact, I don't my best when I eat too much fruit or dates. But I love the recipes. It is just pure whole foods and great ways to make veggies.

I did lose 1.5 lbs. so far this week, which is better than nothing at all. I was down more than that before Christmas and then I gained 3 lbs. So now my weight is 164.5. Another plus side is that my husband made his weight loss goal this week. He lost 2 1/2 lbs. I think that is awesome.

Workout today: legs

1. squats with ez bar- 3x30( 30,40 lbs.)

2. glute kickbacks on machine - 4x15 ( 55-75 lbs.)

3. lying hamstring curl- 4x15 ( 55 lbs.)

4. leg extension- 4x15 ( 115-130 lbs.)

superset with walking lunges- 20 total

5. leg press- 4x15- 150-160 lbs.

6. seated calf raise- 4x20 ( 55 lbs.)

7. step ups- 5x15 each leg

Food:

B; 1 c. cooked oatmeal with protein powder and raspberries

L: homemade chili with a few rice crackers

S: green smoothie

D: homemade pizza with veggies, salad with beans

S: going to try Jacked on the Beanstalk recipe for chickpea blondies sounds really good

I want to try and post on the weekends, maybe it will keep me more accountable. Yesterday I didn't post. I did get my workout in. My youngest son had a basketball game at 8 am and then my 2 older sons had a game at 10 am. Luckily the games our at our local rec. center so I just did a cardio workout on the elliptical in between their games. I am afraid it will be that way the next few weeks on Saturdays.

Food yesterday wasn't perfect, because I just wasn't prepared with food for lunch. I did good at breakfast, then lunch I had some leftover fried rice and some rice crackers with peanut butter. Then I snacked on some yummy blondies that were posted on Jacked On the Beanstalk blog. The blondies had chickpeas, almond butter, pure maple syrup and protein powder. They were so yummy.

Today is a rest day

Food: ( Sundays are usually really weird for me)

B: 1 c. oatmeal with raspberries and protein powder

L: homemade creamy cannelli bean soup with a few rice crackers, a few ruffles potato chips

S: green smoothie

D: don't know yet

My son and I went to see a lady that we have been to before, but she does bioscans( I think that is the name). I had her test my son last time for food sensitivies and she was right on. She tested him again and found that he still had the same food sensitivies.

I had her test me today too. I had her test my thyroid and my other hormones. My thyroid was off and so was my adrenals, which explained my being tired so much especially with cardio. My progesterone was a little off, but not but and my testostorone was off a little too. She said I could help that my lifting weights, which I have been doing, but makes me think I need to go heavier and less reps.

I had her test my food sensitivies and I have problems with dairy, gluten, corn, and peanuts. Soy is questionable, but not horrible. I knew most of those, but wasn't sure on peanuts. I have been thinking I have a problem with them, now I know for sure. It was good find out.

Workout: shoulders/abs/HIIT

1. plate curl to oh shoulder press- 4x10 ( 25 lbs.)

2. seated lateral raise- 4x12( 15 lbs.)

3. db front raises lower slow for 4 counts( these were tough)- 5x10 ( 8 lbs.)

4. arnold press- 5x10

superset with seated delt raise- 5x10 (10-15 lbs.)

5. cable upright row- 4x10 ( 40 lbs.)

6. ab wheel- 4x10

7. roman chair obliques- 4x8 each side

8. ab crunches- 4x25

finished with 20 min. HIIt training on the elliptical

Food:

B: 1 c. cooked oatmeal with 1 c. raspberries, protein powder

L: leftover creamy white bean soup with a few rice cracker, 1 slice of gluten free bread with pb( before I officially found out I can't have pb)

S: green smoothie, handful of lentil chips

D: cauliflower fetticine alfredo with mung bean pasta, salad

S: pumpkin pie oamteal or oatmeal with choc. protein powder

That mung bean and edamme fetticine is so yummy and filling and has 25 grams of protein. I added some cooked peas to it.

The leg workout I did today was tough. It didn't look tough on paper, but I wil for sure be sore tomorrow.

Workout:

1. 25 jump squats

2. single leg barbell lunges- 12 on each side( 40 lb. bar)

superset with seated hamstring curl- 15 reps- 100 lbs.

3. cable kickbacks-15 on each leg( 50 lbs.)

4. lying hamstring curl- 10-12 reps( 55-60 lbs.)

5. calf raises on leg press machine-( 100 lbs.)

20 toes out

20 toes forward

20 toes in

20 toes forward

6. single leg back extension- 3x20

7. bulgarian split squat- 3x12 each leg( 10 lbs.)

8. step ups- 4x10 each leg first set with 10 lbs. db

Food:

B: 1 c. cooked oatmeal with 1 c. raspberries, vanilla protein powder

L; leftover mung bean and edamme fetticine afredo with 1 c. peas

S: green smoothie

D: cauliflower rice with black beans, green beans

S: pumpkin pie oatmeal

No more PB????

Nice work on legs up there. How did you like the split squats? Brutal, no? Tell us more about the mung bean pasta!

Here is the sight with the info. for the mung bean and edamme pasta.

http://www.explore-asian.com/products/edamame-and-organic-mung-bean-fettuccine-6-pack.html#.VpWlE7YrLcs

The split squats I just put one leg on a bench and step away from it and then lunge down with the other leg. It is kind of like a stationary lunge except the other leg is elevated on a bench. It is really tough. Right now all I can handle is 10 lbs. db in each hand, hopefully I can move up next week.

Have to try the pasta. I bought mine at our local health food store, but I thought I saw a sight for it on Walmart as well.

I didn't sleep good last night and am dragging today. This is the second night in a row that I haven't slept good. I just want to sleep. I used some magnesium spray, but it didn't seem to help. When I don't sleep good I get tempted to eat stuff I shouldn't. I just need to stay on track, because I know I feel better when I eat better.

I am so so sore from yesterdays leg and glute workout. I haven't been sore for quite a while. Good to mix it up. I was sore from Monday's workout as well.

I have a feeling I will be sore from todays workout as well.

Workout: back/bicep/HIIT

1. pullovers on bench- 4x15 ( 15,20,25,25 lbs.)

2. chin ups- 4xamrap( I was supposed to do 10 reps, but only completed 3-4 each set- but glad I am able to do them)

3. close grip seated row-4x15,12,10,8 (70,80,90,100 lbs.- 100 is the highest weight I have done on this)

superset with stab. ball back extensions- 4x20

4. preacher curls-4x12- slow release on 8 count( started out at 30 lbs., but dropped to 25- these were stinking tough)

5. straight arm rope pulldowns- 4x12 ( 50,60,70 70 lbs.)

6. alt. db bicep curls- 4x10 each arm( 10,15,20,25 lbs.)

7. db bicep curls amrap-20 lbs. did 12 reps( my biceps were shot)

15 min. HIIT on rower, 5 min. walking uphill on treadmill

Food:

B: 1 c. cooked oatmeal with 1 c raspberries and vanilla protein powder

L: green smoothie- spinach, vanilla protien powder, 1/4 c. cashews, cinnamon, nutmeg, ice

S: don't know for sure

D: planning on soup and quinoa side or caulifower rice with black beans and green beans

S: pumpkin pie oatmeal

Yesterdays eating was horrible. It ended up being such a crazy day. Between trying to go grocery shopping, helping kids with school, workout, and taking boys to different basketball practices, I just wasn't prepared for food.

I had the breakfast, a green smoothie for lunch( at noon), then by the time I ate again it was 6pm and I had to pick up and take kids to practices, so I had some handfuls of lentil chips, a green juice and a no cow bar. Then at 8 pm I had a rice cake with almond butter. Then I got home and was still hungry so at 9:30 pm I had pumpkin pie oatmeal and 3 pieces of gluten free toast.

Needless to say, today I am less busy so I will eat better today.

My workout today was a Body combat class. The lady there ran a weight loss challenge from November to Jan. 13 th. She measured and weighed me. I lost 2 lbs. and 1/2 an inch on my stomach. Not really the number I wanted, but then she reminded me that most people gain 5-10 lbs. during the holidays, so the fact that I lost weight is good. I am going to enter the next weight loss challenge. It starts Febuary and goes until April. I am really determined now more than ever to get to my goal by the end of April.

I plan on finishing this workout plan that I am on. I usually do the same workout for 4 weeks and then switch. I have been thinking lately that maybe I should be doing heavier lifts, since my testorone is lower than it should be. But then I wonder if I would still be able to lose the rest of this weight. I need to do some research.

Food:

B: 1 c. cooked oatmeal with pumpkin, 2 tbsp. hemp seed, pumpkin pie spice, stevia

L; homemade broccoli soup with 1/2 c. chickpeas

S: green smoothie

D: cauliflower rice with black beans, green beans

S: oatmeal with protein powder

I had such a bad night sleep last night. I woke up to go to the bathroom and couldn't shut my brain off. I finally fell asleep around 6 am and slept until 10 am. I am hoping to get a good night sleep tonight.

I am so glad it is Friday. It has been a crazy week.

Workout: chest/tricep/abs

1. bench press- 4x10 ( last set was 5 reps)-( 10,15,20,25 lbs. added to bar)

2. incline db bench press- 4x10 ( last two sets were 8 reps)- (15,25,30,30 lbs.)

3. pushups- 3x10 reps

4. skull crushers with ez bar- 4x15,12,10,8 ( 30,40,50,50 lbs.)

5. tricep dips on assisted machine- 4x10 ( 50,50,40, 40 lbs.)

6. single arm reverse grip tricep extensions with handle- 4x10 on each ( 30-40 lbs.)

7. roman chair straight leg- 5x20

8. decline abs- 3x15 reps

Food:

B: 1 c. cooked oatmeal with raspberries and 1 scoop vanilla protein powder

L: leftover homemade broccoli soup with 1/2 c. chickpeas, rice cake

S: green smoothie

D: veggie burger, roasted cauliflower

S: almond flour cacao nib cookies

Ya need to get that sleep sorted Kathy, itll mess with your gains and fat loss. Do you suffer with anxiety or depression?

I sometimes suffere anxiety and depression, but I think it is directly related to my thyroid levels( hashimotos)

I have been sleeping much better the past few nights. I got to bed late last night and slept until almost 11 am this morning. I must have been really tired. I never ever sleep that late, but it felt good. So because of that my meals have been off today.

I am excited, in a week or two, I will be working with my old trainer. I think I need the structure and the help. She does meal plans and workout plans. I like her because she does heavier lifting, which is what I like. And her workouts are challenging. I am going to start with 4 weeks and see how I do. When I was with her before, I didn't know I had hashimotos and was not knowing what was going on with my body. Now I know and she has worked with others with thyroid issues, so that is good.

Workout:

B: 1 c. cooked oatmeal with 1 scoop protein powder, 1 c. raspberries

L: bowl of homemade minestrone soup, 2 rice cakes with almond butter and protein shake

D: avacado pasta made with mung bean and edamme pasta, salad( avacado pasta is so yummy- Oh She Glows blog)

S: pumpkin oatmeal or oatmeal with chocolate protein powder

I realized I put workout and didn't post my workout

shoulders/abs/HIIT

1. plate curl to shoulder press- 4x10 ( 25 lbs.)

2. lateral raises- 4x12 ( 10 lbs.)

3. arnold press- 5x10 ( 15 lbs.)

superset- seated delt flies-5x10 (10-15 lbs.)

4. cable upright row- 4x10 ( 40-60 lbs.)

5. db front raises slow decline- 5x10 ( 8 lbs.)

6. ab wheel- 4x12

7. roman chair obliques- 4x10 each side

8. ab crunches- 4x25

20 min. HIIT on ellitptical

Tomorrow I am going to start decreasing reps and lift heavier

Well my son woke up with a stomach bug this morning. I am praying it doesn't go through the whole family and stays with him and that he recovers quickly. I am diffusing On Guard oil in my house and am ready to sterilize everything. I am not good with dealing with stomach bugs.

Workout: legs

1. hamstring curl- 4x6-8 reps( 115,130,130,130 lbs.)

superset with barbell lunges-4x12 each side( 50 lbs.)

2. cable glute kickbacks- 3x20 each leg( 50 lbs.)

3. lying hamstring curl- 4x6-8 reps( 60,70,75,70 lbs.)

4. calf raises on leg press maching-20 toes forward, 20 toes out,20 toes in, 20 toes forward(100lbs.)

5. bulgarian split squat-4x10 on each leg( 15-20 lbs. db)

6. step ups- 4x15 each leg

Food:

B: 1 c. cooked oatmeal with protein powder, 1 c. raspberries

L: leftover mung bean and edamme pasta with avacado sauce

S: green smoothie

D: leftover homemade minestrone soup, salad

S: oatmeal with chocolate protein powder