Workout & Free Day for Me!

This week has been my favorite (and sorest!) week of working out with Amy. I am on Phase 3 and so I do varying activities for multiple muscles at once. My favorite new exercise is Kick-Boxing. I only did the punching part, but it was a GREAT way to release some tension!

Today is my free day and I am going to the Barnstormer's game tonight to cheer on some of our patients as they crush their opponents. We are going out to dinner before the game, so I am planning on have fajitas AND chips & salsa. And probably an adult drink at the game. (I can't go to a live sports event and drink water...) 

I've already got my jog in for the morning and I am up to 16 1/2 minutes of non-stop jogging. If I could run only downhill, I'd be set. I am very proud of myself for working really hard on my at-home workouts. I wouldn't have to go running--anything that is cardio counts, but I am super motivated right now to jog/run. And I like looking at how people have done their landscaping because I can get some good (or bad) ideas that way. 

My Goal---MEDITATION. MEDITATION. MEDITATION.

What to Eat

One of the things that has been beneficial to me in the recent days is meal planning "on the spot". I know that isn't what is suggested, but I've found that if I have a kitchen full of healthy choices, it's pretty easy to put a meal for myself together. (Feeding the men in this house is another story!)

My secret: I base my meal around whatever sounds best at the time. (As long as it is 8WW approved.) For example, we got some awesome strawberries this week so I started with those in mind knowing they would be a majority of my carb allotment for the meal. Then I picked the protein and finally made sure that the fat was in the meal somewhere. Putting fat into a meal isn't very hard for me!

So, for "strawberry" craving, my meal consisted of strawberries, grilled chicken, green beans, and a few peas. It was a satisfying meal that kept me full for quite awhile. 

I've also been craving something sweet for breakfast. I found some cinnamon raisin english muffins at Trader Joe's which have been great with a VERY little smear of butter. Throw in an egg or cheese stick and I'm set for the morning. I also like the Steelcut Oatmeal with Brown Sugar in the Trader Joe's freezer section. They claim there is brown sugar in it but I am not sure. It's very yummy though and I haven't been able to eat an entire serving yet. It's very filling.

Finding what sounds good at the time has been a good way for me to feel healthy and satisfied at the same time. It's also why I don't keep chocolate chip cookies in the house, too!

The Nyberg Jump Test

This is not Wes. :)

Wes has done 8WW twice and has lost about 50 pounds and lots of inches off his waist. He did this while I was pregnant with a 10.5lb baby. He was constantly telling me how much weight he was losing. While I was always happy for him, it also made me cry knowing that I was getting bigger and bigger each week. 

This led us to my self-created "Jump Test". It's a simple test. All you have to do is jump once while wearing any pair of pants that is fully fastened without a belt. If you jump and they fall down, you aren't allowed to wear them anymore. (This was after I saw Wes wearing a size 38 pant with a 32 waist. Major fashion crisis at our house!)

I am happy to say that I failed my first jump test yesterday with a pair of post-baby pants. They fell off after I jumped (and wiggled just a little bit). They are history.

That brings me to my Tuesday-Weigh-Day. I was down another 4 pounds this morning making it 11 pounds total! That will keep me working hard this week!

Week 3 Blues

I've been told by quite a few 8WW alumni that it is normal to feel a little defeated in Week 3. The scale didn't show any weight loss this week and I am finding it harder each day to use motivation to turn down yummy food (like birthday cake--again). Tomorrow, Sunday, is my free day and I'm looking forward to some good food but I also know that two Easter meals will be very hard to eat just a little of the foods that aren't so healthy for me. I keep thinking that I feel thinner and that is my motivation for now.

I went jogging today and that felt good. This is the first time in my life that I am enjoying running. I was also losing motivation to actually leave the house to exercise as my muscles are just plain tired and achy. Today I ran 45 seconds longer than yesterday. We live in a very hilly neighborhood so it's pretty easy to increase/decrease my heart rate as needed. Wes also told me that I should stop and do push ups or sit ups when my heart rate gets low. Ummm...no. I am already beeping by our neighbors and I don't want them to have another reason to stop and stare! 

I ditched my cardio canine companion yesterday and today. He seemed pretty comfy in his dog-sofa so I let him be. Wish me luck to find some inner-motivation during Easter Eating (or passing the casseroles on past me) tomorrow!

For Ladies Only...

Alright ladies--let's talk bras. Some women don't need to worry about the type of sports bra they wear while working out. I am not one of those women. I have literally told Amy, "I will NOT be jumping in the gym today without my Big Bertha on!" 

I am sure there are many good sports bras out on the market today, but the one I like is made by Enell. I bought it at the Women's Expo last fall from an Essential Bodywear representative. (Her voice mail tells you to have an "uplifting day"!) When the rep was telling me how to put it on, she used the words "scoop" and "vest" if that gives you any idea how awkward my Big Bertha is. I think it was around $75. Big Bertha is what I've named my bra--I don't think it would be wise marketing to advertise something called a Big Bertha for women.

Enell Bras for Well-Endowed Women

That's about all for Friday. And gentlemen that I know are reading this...buy one for your girlfriend or wife TODAY. She will thank you!!!!

Awkward Workout

First thing--Happy Birthday to my awesome 8WW workout partner, Jennifer! Keep up the awesome work lady! 

I am writing today's blog just so I can remember this event for the rest of my life (or as long as this blog is around). I've mentioned that I traveled last weekend to Cedar Rapids and stayed in a hotel with a fitness center. I don't think I explained how awkward of an experience it was, though. 

So it's about 8:45 on a Saturday night in Iowa City. It seems funny that not too long ago we spent Saturday nights doing just the opposite of working out--going out on the town and eating cheap, greasy college pizza. Anyway, I got to the hotel fitness center and was about 8 minutes into my workout when 5 kids entered the room. They weren't speaking English so it's hard to know what they were saying, but I knew by the way they were staring at me in the mirror that I was their subject of attention. They were laughing and pointing at my shoes (which are quite bright) and at my red face. It was pretty awkward but I made it through the workout. 

Then I decided to get changed and sit in the hot tub for awhile. About 48 seconds into my relaxing soak, I was joined by approximately 200 middle school girls who were all super skinny and LOUD. It seems that they were trying to figure out which of the middle school boys in the pool should be their next boyfriends. I always find these conversations interesting given my previous life as a pre-adolescent teacher. I made it for 10 minutes in the hot tub before returning to my room.  

Since I try to post something that will be beneficial to other 8WW participants, I thought I would post what I bought for groceries today. Maybe something will sound good or trigger an idea for you!

Trader Joe's

• 96% Lean Hamburger (only 5g of fat per quarter pounder)
• Precooked Chicken Patties
• Chicken Tenders (for our boys when we have a salad for dinner--they don't like lettuce yet but hopefully soon!) Also, these are not for 8WW.
• Two large packages of cherry tomatoes--this is my "snack". I eat LOTS of tomatoes.
• Teriyaki Beef Jerky
• Low Fat String Cheese
• 97% Fat Free Hot Dogs by Hebrew National (I can't remember the last time I bought hot dogs...)
• MahiMahi
• Frozen Steelcut Oatmeal
• Cinamon Raisin English Muffins

I should also note that we do eat lots of organic fruit and vegetables, but we get them delivered each week from Prudent Produce in Ankeny.

Are Hospitals Healthy?

I've been spending a lot of time in one of our local hospitals recently.  This has got me thinking about health care in America.

It seems interesting to me that the place whose primary goal is to return people to health is so backwards on healthy living. For example, if someone is on a restricted carbohydrate diet, they must order off a low carb menu. I know what you're thinking--gross. You are probably imagining meat and bland veggies--wrong. This menu includes pancakes with syrup and macaroni and cheese. Not very "low carb"!! And while I am talking about healthy hospitals, we even have one that has a McDONALD's in it!! 

Today is my massage day and I couldn't be more excited. Our Licensed Massage Therapist, Vanessa, is the perfect type of massage therapist for me. She is equal parts of relaxing and getting the tension out. Last week I am pretty sure that I fell asleep and started snoring. She said that I didn't snore, but she had a really big smile as she said it. Either way, I am looking forward to my massage tonight!

One last thought: Yesterday my goddaughter, who is 4, came into the office to get adjusted. She was watching me workout at 3:30. When her mom tried to call me later at 6:00, she said "Mom--you can't call Katie. She's doing her workout." Most of the time our workouts go really fast, but sometimes it seems like I am doing bicep curls on the Bosu Ball for hours like my goddaughter thought!

Traveling Tales

I've a had a very busy weekend since my last blog. I traveled to Cedar Rapids on Saturday for a two-day training for my Doula Certification that I working towards. (It was the most AMAZING workshop learning more about babies, birth, and working with families!) Here’s how being on 8 Weeks to Wellness and traveling worked for me. 

This was the first time that I ever booked a hotel based on whether it had a fitness center of not. I stayed at Country Inn and Suites in Coralville and really enjoyed my stay. I did my workout on Saturday night in the hotel using their elliptical machine and resistance bands. They had a very nice room with a TV and mirrors for working out. I used my “free day” on Sunday for breakfast. I enjoyed a breakfast burrito and fruit. And since I am being honest with myself—and you—I also had a few potatoes. It was nice to have a warm breakfast to start my day! 

I also went shopping Saturday night and had a good time trying on shirts. I was thrilled to try on one-size-smaller than normal shirts and that was great motivation for me to keep going.

Here are the hardest parts:

1)     Passing up snacks during class, although one lady brought dehydrated kale chips that were pretty amazing!

2)     Going out to lunch with the other class participants, asking to see the nutrition menu, and ordering soup and steamed veggies while they were eating pasta.

3) Walking past Whitey’s Ice Cream Shop and not getting anything. (Whitey’s is an eastern-Iowa favorite. This was a HUGE temptation.)

4)     MOTIVATION to stick with 8WW…I really wanted a soda in the car, something to munch on during class, and a good dinner Saturday night, which I did not have. It was so hard to find workout motivation, too.

It was well worth the time I spent researching hotels and the area before I left. It made it much easier to find things that worked for 8WW, but I still had to be ready for the unexpected! 

And since it’s Tuesday, I should give you my depressing weight report. I didn’t lose any more pounds this past week. I know why—We’ve had increased family stress and I didn’t meditate, my meals came at weird times of the days (& nights), and I was definitely out of my routine. My goal for this week to get back on track is to meditate more and try to cook more at home. I definitely think that will make a difference. Be sure to watch for my upcoming blog about hospitals!

Carb Counting College

If someone offered a degree in professional label reading, I would easily be the President of that college. For years I've watched the ingredient list to make sure that I didn't serve anything that Wes was allergic to. (He won't let me forget the ONE time I accidentally made Campbell's chicken noodle soup with egg noodles...). I also read labels to make sure that the items don't contain any High Fructose Corn Syrup, Hydrogenated Oils, Sodium Nitrites, or Artificial Sweeteners. 

As if that wasn't enough...

I now read the fats, carbohydrates, and proteins to make sure I am still within my 8WW limits. It has become a game to see how I can get a grain and fruit in the same meal but I usually give up quickly. I think one of the main courses in my Label Reading College would be the math course of carbohydrates. It's nice that you can subtract the fiber from the total carbs to lower your net carbs into a reasonable level, but keep in mind that you can only do that math if it is the right time of day for that carb, AND there needs to be at least 4 grams of fiber in your carb choice. 

If you suggest that I could use a calculator to do all of the math, you are incorrect. After my workouts with Amy this week, I can barely press the keys of the computer to type this, let alone push any calculator buttons repeatedly all. I've been reassured that my level of discomfort is good and that it means my body is burning fat. I sure hope so!

Carpet Cleaner and Chiropractic

Many people are surprised to find out that I don't use Wes as my primary chiropractor. I tried really hard to be a good patient, but it is my own fault that I'm not. I think I like to "critique" his adjustments too much, which is just plain ridiculous since I don't know much about the art of adjusting. 

Wes and I see the necessity of keeping our nervous systems healthy as the foundation of wellness living. I know that my successes in Week 1 were based on my healthy nervous system working at it's peak performance. To do this, we both go to Dr. Lance (or Dr. Yance as Ben calls him). 

I look forward to my visits with Dr. Lance for many reasons. First and foremost, I like knowing how my nervous system and spine are working or if I have interference for some reason. I believe the last time I was really out of alignment wasn't because I rolled out of bed the wrong way or got in to a car accident, but because I had used carpet cleaner that really irritated my nostrils and the rest of my body. The toxic smells really bothered me and that led to my need for an adjustment. Secondly, I am always inspired to live healthier when I am around Dr. Lance. I love that chiropractors like to educate their patients and not just "treat" the patient quickly and Dr. Lance does this so well.

I think the best part of chiropractic as part of the 8 Weeks to Wellness program is that participants are enabling their bodies to allow the healthy changes to occur. AND if they are suffering from some kind of pain or prior condition, Dr. Wes and Amy work very hard to adjust that area and make modifications in the gym. It's a win-win for you mentally & physically!

Week 1 Weigh In

I apologize for not getting this posted yesterday. I spent last evening doing my other passion, which was being a Doula for a fantastic mom-to-be. 

Ok...Week 1 was officially done and I had my weigh in at the office yesterday. While I don't necessarily have a weight loss goal and my main goal is to lose body fat and inches, my weight is definitely an indicator of both right now. 

In Week 1, I lost SEVEN (7!) pounds and I am thrilled! I am now down to Will's pre-baby weight. I know this week won't be as dramatic since I am eating a more balanced diet, but I  am still hoping to lose 1-2 pounds a week for the remainder of the program.

Week 2 is going great so far. I enjoyed some strawberries for dinner, Kashi Go Lean for breakfast, and a quick bite of a banana at breakfast (along with other things). It's so nice to be able to eat the foods my family is eating as well. It was hard to cook and prepare dinners last week where my guys got to eat something, and I had to say no.  In addition to eating a better variety of foods, my workouts with Amy got tougher as well. I know they are getting more challenging when I can no longer sing along to the music in the gym. I'm secretly wondering if that's how she knows to push me harder, or if that's her way of getting me to stop singing out loud!

I ate a salad at Palmer's Deli yesterday and had them check their dressings. As far as the label goes, the No-Fat Italian also had carbs within the limit--just watch your toppings. No croutons, roll, or Nieman Marcus cookie either! 

Two More Food Ideas

This is short post today. Two more food ideas that I found VERY yummy!

Marinated Chicken

I didn't measure anything exactly, but here's my best guess...

1/4c dijon mustard

4Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

1 Tbsp Garlic (fresh, minced, whatever)

2 Tbsp Lemon Juice

1-2lbs chicken breasts

Put all items in a bag, mix together, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. 

Jason's Deli

While there are many options at Jason's Deli, I enjoyed the Southwestern Chicken Chili. VERY good! Too bad I had to skip the ice cream, though!

I Ate an Ostrich! (Or Part of Him)

We are blessed to have so many friends and family in the Des Moines area.  This also means that any given weekend, we are attending birthday parties, family events, sporting events, or just hanging out at someone's house. 

We had three birthday parties this weekend alone, and it made for some interesting dinner choices. Here's where we went and what I ordered that was "8WW approved":

Fuddrucker's

Ostrich burger (no bun) with a small spoonful of guacamole. 

This was pretty much the only option at Fuddruckers and it took me a very long time online to find their nutrition info.

**This was VERY tasty and super healthy (according the wonderful websites I found. It had 4.5 grams of fat and tasted just like a hamburger.) Fuddruckers also has a condiment bar where I passed up the vat of cheese I could literally pump onto my plate ,and opted for lettuce, salsa, tomatoes, and a few pickles. Did you know that one small hamburger at Fuddruckers has OVER 30 GRAMS OF FAT??!?! 

Arby's

Roasted Chicken Salad with Light Italian--no bacon or cheese

**This was probably my favorite meal this weekend because of the dressing and because I ate with my goddaughter, Aubrey. It was a pretty large chopped salad with tomatoes & onions, and the dressing only has 1 gram of fat and 2 carbs. It is Marzetti's Light Italian and the only way to buy it is in bulk pouches from a food distributor. SO good though!

Old Chicago

I literally couldn't find any option from their nutrition menu online that could work with 8WW. I supposed I could have ordered a plain salad and brought my own dressing, but that sounded really boring. Did you know that some salads have OVER 1,000 CALORIES there?!?! And that two slices of deep dish pizza has OVER 80 GRAMS OF FAT?!?!  Some entrees had OVER 100 GRAMS OF FAT!!!!

So... we changed locations to 

Okoboji Sports Bar & Grill

Grilled Tilapia with steamed brocolli & a small side salad with Hidden Valley Light Ranch

This was a great dinner, too, for both the food and family. I felt full and healthy at the same time. I couldn't eat all of my fish because it was a little to salty for my taste, but a good meal. I liked that they printed the nutrition info in the menu so I was able to maximize my protein and fat that way.

Pancheros

(See the nutrition menu in our office)

Pancheros emailed me their nutrition information which they don't publish online or in their restaurants, but they really should. There are LOTS of healthy options with all of their fresh ingredients and great Mexican flavor.

My Heart Beeps

Part of the requirements for participating in the 8WW program is using a heart rate monitor during workouts. I just got mine this morning and WOW! It really made a difference. 

I was walking/jogging with Barkley this week and thought I was getting a pretty good workout. I was wrong. Amy gave me my list of "target heart rates" for various parts of my workout so I know how hard I should be working. It turns out that I have to jog to get my heart rate up high enough to be burning fat.

What I most surprised was how much further I could run while doing an 8WW-style cardio workout. If I just set out jogging from my house, I would be keeled over & panting like a dog two blocks away. With this workout, I ran at least DOUBLE what I normally can and it felt great! The only down-side is that the monitor beeps loudly whenever it gets too high, which makes the neighbors laugh as I come beeping down the street. Oh well! I won't leave home without it again!

My Dream About the Butter Cow

I am a farmer's daughter and grew up going to the Iowa State Fair. (If you haven't attending this event before then you definitely should. It's on the Top 100 Things to Do Before You Die list from some national magazine.)  I love going to the fair to see the baby cows, watch a horse show, show the animals to my kids, and listen to live music. The "locals" love to watch all the people that attend the fair just for the food and to see the famous butter cow. If you are unaware of the food choices at the fair, just imagine anything fattening you could put on a stick--everything from a pork chop to a deep fat fried Twinkie on a stick!

Last night I dreamed that I was at the fair for the food. I consumed Jr. Donuts, chocolate chip cookies from the Varied Industries building, and Dip-n-Dots. This is a big change from my normal pork burger and watermelon meal. I guess this is what carb deprivation does to people--makes them hallucinate about their most fattening food cravings! 

Today has been tough. I am tired and my muscles are a little achy. BUT I am sticking with the program and can't wait to have some fruit next week! Then it should be much easier (and MUCH tastier!) than this week. 

Now, if I only had some funnel-cake-on-a-stick...

Favorite Food Finds for Week 1

Four days down on Week 1! Here a few things that have helped me survive the first week so far. 

Ultrameal Shakes: Use the Blender Ball that comes with your bag! Add a few ice cubes and dilute it down with 10 ounces of water instead of 8 and it's actually quite tasty!

As far as food goes, veggies are pretty low on my list of "likes" but I still enjoy them daily. I usually like them loaded with cheese, but that is definitely not 8WW approved! Here's what I found to make them a little more tolerable this week.

Balsamic Veggies

Sliced or chopped vegetables (I used zucchini, summer squash, snow peas, & green pepper)

1 Tbsp (or less) of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (a quick spin around the pan)

1/4 cup water

2 Tsp (or more) of a seasoning salt

1 Tbsp of balsamic vinegar

Cover and cook over medium low heat until vegetables are done.Drain the liquid and enjoy the vegetables!

Mexican Vegetables

Sliced or chopped vegetables (red pepper, green pepper, onions, zucchini, summer squash)

1 Tbsp of Southwestern Seasoning (We used Pampered Chef)

1 Tbsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/4 cup of salsa

Cover and cook over medium-low heat until vegetables are done. 

Green Beans: One way our family likes green beans is cooked down in vinegar. It gives them a little kick. Use fresh, frozen, or canned (if you must) green beans and cook them in about 1/4 of vinegar without a lid until they are done and the vinegar is gone.

Cheese Sticks: I am a VERY picky cheese stick eater. I like Kraft Cheese Sticks but they have 6 grams of fat in them. Today I found Trader Joe's Light Cheese sticks with only 2.5 grams of fat and the same amount of protein. AND I love them! (I've secretly hidden them in the frig where Ben & Wes won't find them!)

Fish: My favorite fish so far is the brand Henry & Lisa's Natural Seafood which I found in the Target frozen food section. (In the back by the healthy frozen food.) We tried the Wild S. American Mahimahi with a Caribbean Marinade. This was wonderful! It only has 1 gram of fat per serving (two servings per box) and lots of flavor.  I marinaded it for about an hour and then broiled it. So good! 

Tomatoes: I think I've eaten tomatoes at every single meal this week. (No joke!) I like the small cherry tomatoes the best and I picked up a big box of them at Trader Joe's today. Good for snacking on while I'm cooking dinner. 

Eggs: I've eaten them hardboiled, in the egg/sausage muffins from the manual, and scrambled without milk. If you chop up a hardboiled egg, add some mustard and a little pickle juice, it almost tastes like egg salad.

Cadio Companion

Today's biggest challenge was motivating myself to do 20-30 minutes of cardio. I purposely got dressed in my workout clothes so I would be more likely to get the exercising done for the day. It was a beautiful Iowa day with a pretty strong breeze, so it made sense for me to take our dog for a walk/jog.

Our 110 pound labradoodle, Barkley, has three speeds--Fast, Faster, and Off. Today's cardio consisted of Barkley walking so fast that I was practically jogging followed by me jogging and Barkley taking off in a sprint. We had to look silly because we didn't have any sort of pace for awhile. Combine that with his two favorite sports of worm hunting and goose chasing, and we had quite a workout!

Barkley After Swimming in the Pond Last Fall

Barkley's OFF Speed

Today's Highlights

• Accomplishing my workout!
• Not having to cook dinner (Panchero's salad with lettuce, grilled chicken, a little cheese, and salsa=YUM!)
• The Best--My ONE HOUR MASSAGE with Vanessa! I feel so relaxed! This is by far my favorite part of 8WW!

Today's Not as Great Highlights

• I am craving fruit. Actually, craving is an understatement. Our organic delivery brought the best looking apples, pears, bananas, and raspberries this week. (I snuck the raspberries into the freezer for next week, though!)
• I am getting pretty tired. I feel like I am losing energy but I've been told this will come back soon.

Teacher Jiggle

Did you ever have a teacher whose arms jiggled as they wrote on the chalkboard? That was one of my biggest fears when I was teaching! I taught 5th grade for the last 8 years and am now staying at home with our boys 5 days a week, and working at the office 2 days. (If you know of a good way to do three full time jobs in two office days, let me know!) 

I can safely say that after working my upper body so hard today with Amy that I should never have to worry about "teacher jiggle" again. It felt so good to be moving my muscles today (it's been a few months since I've worked out). One of my favorite parts about working out at Waukee Wellness is that I am not intimidated by the equipment at all. When I've worked out at the Y or Anytime Fitness, I am always too embarrassed to try the machines because I don't want to look like an idiot. Now that I know how the machines work, I will have more confidence in working out on my "off" days.

I am only a little bit sore tonight. Nothing a cup of hot tea and a hot shower can't fix! 

Lastly, my favorite food of today was my hard-boiled eggs. They are somewhat tasty, especially with mustard, but I loved that we dyed them first for our Easter Eggs. Just adding a little fun to an otherwise "boring" food! (Make sure you remember to buy WHITE eggs and not the organic brown ones like we did the first time!)

First Day Thoughts

The first day of 8 Weeks to Wellness was pretty good! I think the best part was my lunch. I haven't had fish in a really long time due to pregnancy and breastfeeding, so it was a great way to start the program. (Ask me 8 weeks if I still like fish. Ha!) For lunch, I combined a packet of white albacore tuna with chopped tomato and DILL pickle relish. Don't use sweet pickle relish as it is sweetened with sugar! I had some green beans and a cheese stick on the side (which I had to share with Will).

My Happy Breakfast

I made sausage egg muffins from the manual and they were really quite good. I left out the veggies and cheese but ate a tomato on the side.  I am so glad I like tomatoes!  Don't use the paper liners as it suggests. I think I lost half of the muffin to the wrapper and that is saddening. I also think I used a lot less meat than I was supposed to. I made 12 muffins instead of 6 large ones so I ate two. In the eyes of Ben (who's 4), I actually ate more since there were two. What ever works! 

As far as the Ultrameal Shakes go...the verdict is still out. The 2nd one was much better than the first, but I definitely have some tweaking to do. I am drinking the chocolate whey kind.