1st Training Session - Pics!

Qamara - Workout #1 - doing body rows (works the same muscles as pull-ups when you aren't strong enough to do a pull-up yet). Qamara was WAY better at them that I was, but I am better at burpees. Andrea's comments: "Enjoy being stronger now, because she is going to quickly overtake you" Yeah, I know.

Kyle during Workout #1 - he was the last one to finish. But that's ok because he's sweet and nice and not super competitive. Although, I bet he gets more competitive as this goes on. He HATES waiter's walk. After the first workout, he told Andrea he wasn't hurting that much...hahaha Kyle, let's see how much you have to lift this week....

Me almost at the end of Workout #1 - at this point, I can't feel my fingers or wrists and I'm just hoping I don't drop the 60 lbs of dumbbells in my hands....because I'm totally numb. After dropping those weights, doing 5 burpees almost felt good...I felt so light!

Finally, note the stop sign in the back of this picture. Kyle & Adam (not pictured here) both slammed their barbell into it a bunch of times. In weeks to come, this stop sign may be obliterated.

That's all for now....until next week's pictures!

Day 19 - A great start!

Weight: ?? I'm at the shore!!!
Workout: Already completed for the day!
Diet: Will do very well today
Mood: About to get my study on for one of the last tests I will be taking...well, this year.

This AM's workout:
400 m dash
10 burpees

3 rounds of this for time

Completed in 11:30 at fairly high intensity (plus, it was HOT out) and got quite a few strange looks from the neighbors. That's ok.

I'm also proud of the fact that I packed all Zone appropriate meal fixings and have started off the day well with an egg white omelette w/ colby jack cheese and chicken sausage....delicious and very appropriate. I'm having an orange too for the carb and used a bit of olive oil to cook the sausage and eggs. I've also already had two bottles of water today...go me!

I also want to give a shoutout to my excellent behavior at Buddakan on Thursday night. For anyone who has ever been...heck, for anyone who has looked at the menu, you know there are a lot of delicious and very tempting options on there. I also need to thank Kyle for helping me to stay strong when we considered getting the ribs (dipped in hoisin sauce...hello pure sugar..).

We ended up having the most appropriate menu, consisting of:
Tuna tartare (which I ate without the pita crisps)
Seared scallops (where I avoided the rice noodles & pineapple)
Kyle had the filet which was fantastic
I had the sea bass served with haricot verts - a GREAT zone meal
And I only had one (ok maybe two) very small bites of the chocolate dessert and let Kyle eat the entire thing
And a glass of wine that Kyle had most of.

Yay!

I also have to confess that yesterday was not a good day at all. It was an incredibly busy and stressful day at work and therefore....
breakfast = did not have
snack = did not have
lunch = 2 slices of deli meat & a string cheese
snack = string cheese
dinner (eaten at 9PM) - salad w/ bacon & blue cheese (this was actually really zone friendly except I added more dressing than allowed...but it was a rough day), chicken tenders, and a glass of wine.

Not the worst day - I mean, I wanted to stop at the Asian buffet where I would have cheerfully consumed 3000 calories of refined sugars....but luckily I decided against it and Kyle knows not to get excited about actually doing these things.

Kyle is being the most supportive, wonderful man right now about all of this. Particularly because he doesn't understand this specific obsession of mine (how could he - he eats whatever he wants and doesn't gain a lb!!) but because he does it in a way that is supportive but not judgmental when I try to fall off the wagon. Then I feel guilty and I make the right choices.

I also have funny pics from last week's workout that I am going to post as well.

Ta-ta for now!

Day 16 - My first deadlift

Weight: -2 lbs
Exercise: Moderate/Strenuous
Diet: Gorged on way too much fat (i.e. sat around eating nuts all day)
Mood: HUNGRY!!!!!

Today was our first coaching session with Andrea and it was awesome. All of us had a great time, got our butts kicked, and got a great workout out of it.

I did my first deadlift!!!! Only 70 lbs....but hopefully I can do more soon.

We did 3 sets of 5 reps with that working weight.

Then two sets of 5 of body rows (similar to pull-ups, but you can leverage some of your body weight to help you)

Then the first workout!!! We did 3 rounds for time of a farmer's walk (using 60 lbs weight) then 5 burpees.

I beat everyone, my time was 5:11. I was very psyched - Andrea's right when she says I like to compete. I think I'd probably do better in a class situation too, but I'm not into this enough (yet) to start getting up at 5 in the morning!

Tomorrow is going to be a tough day for food since we are going out to Buddakan on a date. Check out the amazingness of this restaurant here: http://www.buddakan.com/

Andrea is sending me more pics of everyone and I will post additional ones throughout the week that are funny.

Day 15 - Chocolate Peanut Butter Dessert

Sinful, delicious and oh so Zone friendly!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Melt

1 no sugar added fudgsicle pop
1 tsp peanut butter (or a bit more if you are ok with additional fat due to workouts/Crossfit)

Slightly melt fudgsicle in microwave so stick can be removed. Mix with 1 tsp of peanut butter. Top with sugar-free Cool Whip if desired.

Protein: 0 blocks
Carbs: 1 block
Fat: 2 blocks

Great snack, paired with some protein. Really takes the edge off chocolate cravings and the peanut butter adds richness and depth of flavor. Sounds simple, but really, really, good!!!

Day 15 - Ranch Chicken Salad

Ranch Chicken Salad

Easy to make - great dish to bring to a party that you can make ahead of time. Nice to serve with some fresh fruit on a lettuce leaf. Brings a little something extra to a traditional chicken salad recipe.

1 rotisserie chicken (the ones sold for $5.00 at the supermarket)
1 cup of celery, finely chopped
1/4 cup Almond Accents (original toasted flavor, slivered, in the bag)
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup light mayonnaise
1/4 cup light ranch dressing

Cut white meat from chicken into small diced pieces, until you have about 2.5-3 cups. Use dark meat if necessary and desired. Add rest of ingredients and mix well. Allow to set and chill for at least one hour before serving. Portion into 4 servings.

Per serving Zone counts:
Protein: 4 blocks
Carbs: 0.25 blocks carbs
Fats: you're going to be over on fats again, but if exercising, not as big of a deal

Day 15 - Spinach Strawberry Salad & Zone

I'm interested in becoming even more transparent and accountable so I will be posting daily/weekly fluctuations in weight and measurements. Don't get all excited....I'm still going to be slighly mysterious (after all, I am a girl!!!), but in order to view changes....it's important to track them. In addition, tomorrow starts our personal sessions with Andrea and the start of Qamara's blog as well, which will be linked to mine shortly. Finally, we will be posting both videos and pictures of us training on a weekly basis so we'll either be embarrassed or proud...whatever the case may be.

I'm counting measurements and weight from a starting in the Zone process, which will include adjectives about the day as well. It will be in the following format:

Weight: 0 lbs (baseline)
Measurements: TBD
Workout: None
Diet: Excellent
Mood: slightly hungry, motivated, excited

Next, a fantastic summer recipe that I could eat every day! Perfect for strawberry season right now and you could replace the berries in this with any other kind of berry or fruit for a bit of sweetness.

Spinach Strawberry Salad

6 cups washed baby spinach (0.3 block carbs)
2 cups quartered fresh strawberries (2 blocks carbs)
1/4 cup pecan pieces (10 blocks fat - you can decrease if you are worried about fats)
3 oz feta cheese, crumbled (2 blocks protein)

Dressing (will make enough for two salads or cut in half for just one)
1/3 cup raspberry vinegar (or any fruit vinegar)
1/2 cup Splenda (or other sugar substitute) (jury is out on if this is ok with Zone, but in moderation, probably fine)
1/4 cup olive oil (again, you are over on fats, but if exercising correctly and in moderation, a non-issue)
1 tsp dry mustard

Mix all salad ingredients together and toss with dressing right before serving. You can toast the pecan pieces in a skillet briefly for a nuttier flavor. The dressing really makes this salad - try it with other greens as well!

If split into two portions (dressing = 4 portions), while considerably over on fat content (which you can decrease by adjusting nuts and olive oil portions), this is about a 1 protein 1 carb - so perfect for a snack or for a filling part of a meal.

Day 14 - The Zone & a Renewed Focus

In place of a workout today, I took the time to do some well-needed reading and education on a nutritional topic. I read Barry Sears' Enter the Zone and Mastering the Zone. I really appreciate what he is trying to do and it is easy to see why so many athletes and "normal" people have reaped the benefits of his trials and work. I thought it would be important to summarize some of the findings and items that were of significant interest to me. From this point in the journey forward, I will be making more of a concerted effort to not only limit refined sugars and "bad" carbohydrates, but to also employ the ratio method of protein: carbs: fat that he suggests for the maximum health benefits.

The most interesting fact about the Zone is that it is not meant to be a "diet" or "weight-loss" book or program. The weight-loss that accompanies it is merely a byproduct of the true benefits (health, mental focus, emotional stability) that occur when your body chemistry is aligned and positioned to help you succeed in the best way possible.

Some things to note from this reading that I found most interesting:

Diabetic subjects following the Zone methodology compared to the recommended ADA diet showed the following results after an 8-week study:

1. Higher percentage of weight loss for Zone subjects
2. HgbA1c, typically thought of as the most accurate measurement of diabetic blood sugar control was down 3% for ADA users, compared to 12% (!!!!!) for Zone users
3. Triglycerides, a measurement included in heart disease and vascular disease risk, were down 25% in Zone users, but were actually UP 20% in ADA diet
4. Both diastolic & systolic blood pressure readings dropped for Zone users, but only the systolic dropped for ADA users - their diastolic reading was actually increased.

To keep the interest going, they studied the Zone users for another 8 weeks and they found that H1C levels dropped another 9% to just over 20% from original levels, triglycerides were down over 35% from original levels, diastolic/systolic bp readings had dropped over 10% from original levels, and total cholesterol levels were down approximately 10%.

I am not a type II diabetic, nor do I want to become one....I find it intriguing that a combination of food - or as Dr. Sears likes to note, treating food like a drug - where you need a certain dosage at certain times throughout the day can show these results.

Beyond health benefits, the books discuss the following - in that, if you keep yourself in the Zone, you will:

• think better, because in the Zone you are maintaining stable blood sugar levels
• perform better, because being in the Zone allows you to increase oxygen transfer to your muscle cells
• look better, because in the Zone you are shedding excess body fat at the fastest possible rate

I find it interesting (particularly for myself who has read a number of diet books, methodologies, etc) that for 220 pages, he discusses the science, evolution, and health studies behind this type of a plan. He doesn't do the usual diet mumbo-jumbo about helping the reader create a diet plan and put together shopping lists and recipes and then talk about a healthy exercise plan...and of course, the requisite chapter on mental health and reduction of stress.

I highly recommend both books - Enter the Zone is more for nerds like me who love to understand the science and biochemistry behind it all and Mastering the Zone is more of a condensed version to help people get started right away without most of the science.

I will be adding more interesting links and Zone-friendly recipes as I find them.

Day 10 - Chicken w/ Citrus Herb Cream Sauce

Yum! This recipe was actually better the next day once the herbs & spinach had a chance to meld together more. I would actually consider making this ahead and serving it the next day as it was a lot better in my opinion.

Chicken w/ Citrus Herb Cream Sauce - a perfect dish for spring/summer!!

4 chicken breasts (skin on if enjoyed)
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt & pepper
1/4 cup fresh-squeezed orange juice (about 1 LARGE orange hand squeezed)
1/2 tsp grated orange zest
1/4 cup extra-dry vermouth

1/2 cup half & half

Herb mixture:
1 tbsp chopped garlic
2 cups finely chopped baby spinach
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
2 tbsp fresh tarragon
1 tsp grated orange zest
2 tbsp fresh squeezed orange juice (about half an orange, hand-squeezed)
1 tbsp dijon mustard

Preheat oven to 425. In medium-large skillet, put 1 tbsp of olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper and place in heated skillet, skin-side down. Get a nice golden brown sear on the skin (about 2 minutes), then turn chicken, and place skillet in oven. Let cook for 15-20 min or until juices run clear.

Stir herb mixture ingredients together and set aside.

In skillet, place again over medium-high heat. Add orange juice, vermouth, and orange zest. Reduce until slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Add half and half slowly and bring to a boil. Stir in herb mixture. Reduce until slightly thickened.

Yum!

Day 10 - Oops!

So, I've been slightly delinquent the last few days, but I actually have been doing a good job. I skipped my workout on Weds, but had an awesome food day. I made (with my sous chef, Qamara) a chicken dish with fresh citrus herb sauce. Amazing! I will post the recipe in another entry. This dish does take slightly more effort, but it is worth it.

For workouts, today I did Bad Luck 13 and I did 3 rounds. After further review, Andrea mentioned that I might not be ready for 5 rounds...and that would be correct. It took me 10:45 to do 3 rounds of thruster x 13 (30lb), kb swings x 13 (25lb), and 5 burpees. I am pretty pleased with the fact that I did complete 39 30 lb thrusters, 39 25 lb kettlebell swings, and well....15 burpees sounds like none, but they suck more than anything I've ever done.

Tomorrow, I am going on my first trip of the summer - 4 beautiful days at Long Beach Island, NJ!!!! I'm going with my lovely friend Rachael and she is very much into working out, so we'll probably go for some runs, walks, and even some swimming if the weather is nice! I might even throw some burpees in there to make it tougher. It will be more of a free-for-all, but that's all you can expect on a holiday weekend.

The good news is that I am attempting to be food responsible. I put together a delicious menu for the weekend including:

• Mexican taco salad w/ avocado-ranch dressing
• Spinach strawberry salad with feta & pine nuts
• Home-made hamburger patties
• Hot dogs - we have to have them!
• Veggie Scramble (see previous recipe)
• Arugula salad (see previous recipe)
• Chicken salad - i'm trying out a new recipe and will post if good
• Turkey, cheese & scallion roll-ups
• Fresh mozzarella, tomato, & basil salad

And of course, a bunch of fresh fruit & veggies!

Rachael (who is Ms. Dessert herself) will be bringing her personal favorites of which I will try my hardest not to indulge!!!!

And of course, we'll add some wine, vodka w/ club soda, and Coke Zero to the list....good for the beach and chick flick DVDs.

I'm very excited, if you can't tell.

I'll post the chicken and herb recipe next, but I'm signing off until Sunday or Monday!

Enjoy the holiday weekend, everyone!!!!

Day 8 - Workout Update

2 min of pushups = me falling apart after 10. So, I decided to start with sit-ups instead.

2 min of situps = 43

2 min of kettlebell swings with 25 lb weight = 33

2 min of squats = 43

2 min of burpees = 7 in 35 seconds and then I quit.

I thought these were pretty dismal results, but then I talked to Andrea about it and she said that for where I am at right now, she wouldn't expect me to have the strength to do the straight 2 min of pushups and then to do burpees last would really screw things up. Well, yes, it did!

The diet has been going well - today consisted of almond-crusted grilled chicken with a light helping of lettuce with ranch dressing, steamed broccoli, a tomato and fresh mozzarella salad and a nice chicken dish I made - chicken with citrus herb sauce. Very good and healthy - it's pan seared chicken with fresh spinach, thyme, and tarragon, dressed with light cream, orange zest, and fresh squeezed orange juice. Cooked in a vermouth sauce....yummy! I may post the recipe at some point.

Workout for tomorrow is the Bad Luck 13. 5 rounds for the best time possible of the following...

30 lb thruster x 13
25 lb kettlebell swing x 13
Burpee x 5

Andrea thinks it will take me 17 minutes....so keep your fingers crossed that I can beat that!!!!

Thruster video - he's doing a bit more than 30 lbs, but 30 lbs is pretty good for me!
http://media.crossfit.com/cf-video/Barbell_Thruster.wmv

Kettlebell Swing video - http://media.crossfit.com/cf-video/CrossFit_KBSwings.wmv

And the dreaded burpee....http://media.crossfit.com/cf-video/CrossFit_Burpees.wmv

Let's see what happens!!!!!

Day 7 - Renegade Row

Renegade Rows are brutal in a weird way....only because I am soft. I did 50 (L side + R side = 1) in 7:45. The hardest part was how much my hands hurt from the dumbbell grips. I did two and winced in pain (yep I know I'm a softie...but I have no calluses yet!). So I covered the grips with washcloths and that helped a lot. Not enough, but a lot. My legs and stomach didn't start shaking until #45 and my arms started giving out at the very end at #48.

So, 50. I'm pretty happy with that.

Tomorrow's workout is super hard, but it really gets your blood pumping....in 8 minutes!

2 min of pushups - as many as you can
2 min of full situps - as many as you can
2 min of squats - as many as you can
2 min of burpees - as many as you can....ah yes, the dreaded burpee is back.

Tonight, I'm going to dinner with Kyle and another friend at Continental Midtown. Totally delicious tapas and martini bar....so the food challenges continue! Will report back on my behavior (whether good or bad) this evening.

www.starr-restaurants.com

Day 6 - Arugula Salad w/ Lemon-Shallot Vinaigrette

Lazy, lazy day of rest. I am not at all looking forward to my workout tomorrow. But, before we get there, check out this very easy and delicious salad recipe.



4-6 cups arugula (use one bag or a regular size container) or mixed greens work well if you can't get arugula
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 a shallot, thinly chopped
1/2 - 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
Shredded parmesan cheese (Not the grated kind that comes in the canister, but fresh shredded parm cheese)


To make dressing, mix lemon juice, shallot, olive oil together and season with kosher salt. You can use 1/2 to 1 tbsp of olive oil depending on preference. Mix dressing with washed arugula and then sprinkle liberally with shredded parmesan cheese. Let sit for a few minutes to soak up dressing and meld flavors. Serve at room temperature or on chilled plates.


Easy salad for every day and really great flavors! This is also a great salad for lunches


Health benefits:

• Arugula as a green leafy vegetable contains Vitamin A, C, folic acid, and calcium, among others. Most importantly, it contains glucosinolates, which are anticancer compounds and antioxidants.


• Shallots are in the same family as onions, garlic, and leeks. However, they are noted for having even heftier health benefits than some of their cousins. In particular, shallots contain flavenoids, which are antibacterial in nature. They are known to reduce the likelihood of developing cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. In addition, they also help the liver to eliminate toxins from the body and process alcohol....so have some shallots with that glass of wine! Finally, shallots have saponins, which have been proven to eliminate cancerous cells in the body.

If you aren't familiar with shallots, buy some at the local produce market and start using them to replace some of your dishes with onions or garlic. They are very flavorful and add increased benefits to your diet!

Now, for the dreaded workout for tomorrow.....

Renegade Row using 15 lb dumbbells - 50 on each side (L & R = 1 pushup) for time. Basically, a Renegade Row is to be in a high pushup position balancing with your hands on two dumbbells. You push into one dumbbell while pulling the other up to your chest. It's an exercise for back/arms/core. Check out a video of someone doing them here....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2veldVGfrPI

Day 6 - Refrigerator Breakfast Scramble

Eggs are one of the best ways to get started in the morning. I used to have a two egg omelette every morning, but recently, I've been running out of time! So, being as how today is Sunday, Kyle and I were able to enjoy a fantastic breakfast scramble. I call this the refrigerator breakfast scramble because you can really put anything you have in the refrigerator in this dish and it will taste delicious. Nothing novel or exciting in this recipe, but good old-fashioned flavors.

Refrigerator Breakfast Scramble

1/4 cup small chopped broccoli
1/4 cup diced onion
1/4 cup diced roma tomato
1/4 cup chopped ham (I use lunchmeat)
1/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Extra-virgin olive oil
Salt & Pepper
4-6 eggs (depending on how much "stuff" you like in your scramble)

Heat a saute pan over medium heat. While pan is heating, chop broccoli and onion. Place broccoli and onion in saute pan and drizzle with olive oil. While broccoli and onion are cooking, chop tomato and ham. Let broccoli and onion cook until broccoli turns a bright green and onion is becoming translucent. Add diced tomato and ham and cook for another 2 minutes. In a separate bowl, beat eggs together with salt & pepper. If you want a "fluffier" egg, add a bit of milk, sour cream, or cream. Pour egg over mixture and season with salt and pepper. Let bubble in pan and then flip in various sections (not all at once like an omelette). Cook until runniness of egg is gone. After egg is cooked and while in pan, top with shredded cheddar cheese and stir so cheese melts. Serve immediately!

Health benefits:

• Eggs are low calorie and high protein. They get a bad rap for having a high cholesterol level, but studies show that most people can process the cholesterol in eggs without having it affect their cholesterol level. If you're worried, you could always use egg whites or egg substitute in this recipe. A great way to reduce the level of cholesterol is to use 1/2 regular eggs and 1/2 egg whites or substitute. This keeps the taste level high. One large egg has 6 grams of protein, plus riboflavin, vitamin E, folate, B vitamins, and iron. It's an especially good food for non-meat eaters as you can replace a high level of iron and protein that you miss from not eating meat with eggs.
• When you're thinking about health in food, pay attention to color. The bright colors in food that you eat usually signify a wide range of vitamins and minerals. This dish is perfect for great eating with the bright green broccoli, red tomatoes, yellow eggs, and white onions.

Other options for this omelette include mushrooms (add at tomato step), zucchini, carrot, bell peppers, and anything else you have on hand. For cooking, just remember to add the "crunchier" veggies first, as softer veggies will overcook if you add them all at the same time.

Day 5 - Roasted Asparagus

Here's a great vegetable side we had tonight!

Roasted Asparagus

Preheat oven to 400. Take 1 lb bunch of asparagus and bend each stalk so that the bitter ends are discarded. Place a piece of tinfoil in a baking pan and place asparagus on tinfoil. Drizzle olive oil on asparagus and rub so that stalks are covered with light oil coating. Sprinkle kosher salt over dish. Roast for 7 min for thin stalks, perhaps 10 for thicker stalks. Do not overcook or asparagus will be stringy - you still want it to have some crunch. Also good with a sprinkle of shredded parmesan cheese over top once you serve it.

Perfect for this time of year when asparagus is in season and so fresh!

We also had a raspberry shallot chicken that was nothing to write home about and a basic tomato and fresh mozzarella salad.

Day 5 - Rest Day

Today is a rest day. Well deserved, although rest didn't exactly occur. I did quite a bit of walking today - some in heels (which I get more credit for) and some in flip-flops. Overall, a totally awesome day of light exercise.

Rest days are supposed to include an exercise of self-actualization and to think about something significant. Rest day #1 for me was comprised of art appreciation, a delicious brunch with the sweater-set crowd, and a few hours of retail therapy. Followed by a good read of James Patterson's most recent book. A totally satisfying day on all accounts, particularly because of the new Coach sunglasses coming my way in a few short days.

Brunch was honestly fabulous - who knew healthy food could taste so fantastic? If anyone is looking for some fabulous foods to serve at brunch, take note of the below....

• Seared Ahi with sesame soy sauce & horseradish cream sauce
• Microgreens with sliced strawberries, pine nuts, sliced figs, and balsamic vinaigrette
• Cheese tray with goat cheese, gruyere, and parmesan cheese
• Roasted vegetable salad with asparagus, mushrooms, and eggplant
• Poached chicken with a citrus glaze, accompanied by porcini aioli
• Fresh sliced tomatoes, cucumbers, and red onion with chopped herbs
• Mixed greens with blackberries

Above were the dishes I ate, if you don't mind carbs...consider the below:

• Sliced fingerling potatoes with sausage, capers, in a dijon mustard sauce
• Tabouleh salad

Delicious!

We're trying some new recipes for dinner....if appropriate, I'll post them later.

Day 4 - Workout

3 rounds of 10 x clean & jerk (30 lbs weight) + 400 m run.

Based on the streets of Philly over which I have no control, I upped it to a 500 m run.

Did 3 rounds in 11:26. Was gasping for breath at the end.

Saddest part is that the run was the hardest part....and that's supposed to be the easiest based on my current level of fitness.

Funny workout story of the day - A tricked out car with all windows tinted - in my opinion, a bit over the top for a '95 Honda, but what do I know....pulled into the alley where I was doing my reps. Then proceeded to watch me with the engine running for the rest of the workout. Then pulled a 5th grade flirting move where they moved one of my weights while I was running so I had to find it when I got back....luckily, that only cost me 10 seconds which I subtracted. Note to self: get much stronger and use bigger weights that any douchebag like Mr. Honda '95 can't pick them up.

Weigh-in's this week have been depressing (I know, Andrea, I'm not supposed to be on the scale)...I'm up 3 lbs since Monday. Not sure that I care since my clothes are actually a bit looser and definitely not uncomfortable. This weekend, we'll take measurements and pictures so there is a better starting zone.

I'm not sure if I'm self-actualized enough to post them....but we'll see.

Happy Friday!

Day 3 - Pork Chops with Lemon-Garlic Sauce

Delicious!!!! A very healthy recipe - you can use either bone-in chops or cutlets. We used the bone-in for a bit more flavor and they are less expensive. You could substitute chicken, veal, or turkey cutlets instead as well.

Pork Chops with Lemon-Garlic Sauce

Sauce:
1 head garlic
2/3 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp kosher salt

Pork:
4 pork chops (we used 4-6 oz bone-in)
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 lemon, very thinly sliced in full circles

Preheat oven to 375. Wrap garlic in foil and let it roast until tender. Garlic head will feel slightly soft when ready (approximately 45 min). When cool enough to handle, cut off top of bulb, squeeze out garlic pulp into small bowl and mash until smooth.

Preheat oven to broil (high). Sprinkle pork with 1/4 tsp kosher salt and brush with mustard. Top each piece with 3 lemon slices. Broil pork approximately 4 inches from heat until cooked through. It was about 10-15 min for bone-in - probably 5-10 for cutlets.

While meat is broiling, heat a small saucepan and whisk chicken broth and lemon juice into cornstarch. Whisk in 1/4 tsp salt and roasted garlic mash. Bring to a boil over medium heat and boil until sauce is lightly thickened, about 1 minute. Spoon sauce over meat when ready.

This is a great recipe - I would give it a rating of "dish I could eat once every two weeks".

Health benefits include:
Garlic - known for having a sulfur compound that protects blood vessels against the accumulation of fatty plaque
Low Calorie - approximately 160 calories per serving
Only 1 gram of saturated fat per serving and no grams of transfat

People tend to have an incorrect view of pork. Pork cutlets have changed so much since our parents ate them and now the basic nutritional view on pork is that it has the same health benefits as chicken....I like to think of it as "the other white meat" even though its technically not. Pork can be a great addition to your diet and routine, especially if you are dieting and think that you can only have chicken and turkey....here's another option!

The only carbohydrate this dish contains that is not great for your blood sugar levels is the cornstarch and you can omit it fully if you like. It's only added to thicken the sauce - if you aren't watching carbs, the original recipe calls for 2 tsps. I cut it down to 1 and you don't need anymore than that.

If carbs are not an issue for you, another great idea is to roast garlic as described in this recipe and spread the garlic mash over whole-wheat or whole-grain bread as a flavorful substitute for butter.

Enjoy!

Day 3 - Lazy & Pain

Waking up this morning was not pleasant. I've never had so many muscle aches on my body...to the point where I am trying not to sneeze or cough because it hurts really bad. Push jerks apparently work quite a few muscles in your body!

So, there was no workout today as I will be doing the clean and jerks with 400 m run tomorrow morning.

I'm just exhausted....

Food so far has been pretty good....some ham and cheese, peanuts, apple slices, egg drop soup w/o cornstarch....and my one downfall of the day, one small triangle of scallion pancake. Dinner will be pork with a garlic lemon glaze and I'll post the recipe later if it's any good. Ta-ta for now.

Day 2 - Utter temptation....

So, in lieu of attending our bowling banquet, Kyle and I decided to take the Phillies tickets offered to me by my boss and attend the baseball game instead. I don't really like the Phillies, but I REALLY like sitting in my company's suite! Good times. Of course, I agree to go before I think about what a baseball game really means....oh yes....food that I want everywhere and the most delicious scents in the world. Yikes.

I almost caved when I saw the nachos stand....for anyone that knows me well, this is not at all a surprise....but luckily their deluxe nachos were chicken nachos and I hate chicken nachos. Narrow escape.

I also typically make Kyle walk around the ENTIRE ballpark so I can see each of my food options and select the one that I want the best, for fear of seeing something later in the evening that we did not pass and being disappointed. Did I mention I am an average-size woman with an obese person's mind????? This time, I was still wearing my work clothes and a pencil skirt and 3.5 inch heels changed my mind about doing the typical walk around. Saved by a narrow margin again.

I selected the healthiest thing that I could based on my diet and went with the chicken fingers and fries. I told Kyle he would have to eat the fries...but really I shared them with him. Rats. I also had a bite of his hot dog including the bun....not so good. But, on the positive front, when he asked me if I wanted more food later I said no, I even said no to a panini....if you have a high metabolism and live in Philly, do NOT MISS the paninis at Old Nelson at 20th and Chestnut. Walk, no...RUN to get there. But I digress.

Wait, I have to digress further. My dad, otherwise known as DR, just called to see how my birthday was and to tell me about this party he is going to tomorrow night. The naughty schoolgirl party. Basically, someone he knows on another golf league has a party in his basement with a 5 piece band and all the women dress like naughty schoolgirls and all the men dress like principals, janitors, or just derelicts. There is a pole set up in the middle of the room and there are paddles available and girls go over to the pole to get spanked for being naughty. My dad thinks they hire "outside" assistance for the girls...if you catch my drift. Is it just me, or do other people get the sense that retirement is just like going back to the frat house on a Friday night???

Anyways.....I was very angelic with the rest of my food today - some dry roasted peanuts, some grilled chicken, some spinach salad, and now finishing off the day with some egg drop soup (no crunchy noodles, very light cornstarch).

I'd grade the fitness portion of the day to be a B+ and the food portion of the day to be a C+.

The workout for tomorrow (or possibly Friday depending on my pain level when I wake up tomorrow..) is as follows:

5 x Clean & Push Jerk (25 lb dumbbells in each hand for total of 50 lbs weight) OR 10 x Clean & Push Jerk (15 lb dumbbells in each hand for a total of 30 lbs weight)

400 m Run

This series x 3-5 rounds not to exceed 15 minutes.

PS for those of you who are asking for video coverage of my pain....you may have your wish soon as Andrea does have the capability to tape this horror. In the meantime, check out http://www.crossfit.com/ as they have each of the movements I list here as part of their demo videos so you can see what the movement looks like. Also, look tomorrow for the first recipe posting if dinner is good...Pork/Chicken with Roasted Lemon Garlic....

Day 2 - Workout Complete!

YES! 19 rounds in 5 minutes....almost to Andrea's goal for me!!!!!! I felt slightly sick, but the biggest problem I faced was having my muscles waver and shake. Good start to a good morning.

And yes, Mom, you'll be proud...I'm eating breakfast this morning. A delicious snack of thin sliced ham and horseradish cheddar.....whew, my sinuses are certainly clear. More later....I'm facing temptation tonight with our bowling banquet (yes, you read correctly....our bowling banquet). So, wish me luck that I don't cave under pressure and succumb to the sugary carbs just waiting to get me.

Day 1 - Part II

My current trainer/motivator, Andrea, told me today she was surprised at how weak I was at getting through the first workout. Personally, I wouldn't be that surprised if I were her....after all, for the past five months, I haven't picked up one weight, haven't done one burpee or one sit-up, and haven't timed any workout except to keep pace per mile.

It's amazing to me because people think that because I ran a half marathon and have been running approximately 15-20 miles per week that I am "in-shape". I am going to be the first one to tell you that running for distance does not really get you fit. The interesting thing is that I should have known this. I knew quite a few people who ran marathons over the past three years and they are not people that I look at and say, "Wow, they are in great shape." I THINK they are in great shape because let's face it, they run marathons....but the people that I know are in ok shape....certainly not people that I aspire to look like. Clearly, I'm not saying this is true for the competitive marathon runners...but for your average marathon runner just looking to finish....in my experience, they've looked ok.

My small confession is that I am in worse shape now for high intensity workouts as well as high weights than I was a year ago. But...did you know that I'm in great shape because I can run 5+ miles on any given day????? Oh, the irony of it......

Regardless, I am excited for my workout tomorrow even though I'm worried my body is going to give out on me. Last time I did this workout, I gave myself a concussion so let's hope for the best. Although, last time, I thought I could push press a 25 lb dumbbell in each hand and sadly, that was not the case. 50 lbs of weight was a bit much for me after the 10th set.....

The rest of today's nutrition included some high-fat proteins to get me going for tomorrow, including 2 pieces of sausage and a salad with blue cheese & bacon. And a couple of handfuls of dry-roasted peanuts throughout the day and one seedless navel orange.

Day 1 is almost done and tomorrow we have the following workout planned.....

"Colleen and Jerk"
As many rounds as possible in 5 minutes of:

15lbs Dumbbell

Squat Clean x 1Jerk x 3

Andrea says that the monsters in Johnny Pain's class (see his blog under my favorite links) do 40 rounds in 7 minutes with heavier weights. Her goal for me is 20 rounds. My goal for me is 10.

Keep your fingers crossed for me.

PS for those of you who think that this is easy, don't bet on it. That's what I thought...until I actually tried one of these workouts. Five minutes is an eternity when you are moving this fast and pushing the weight constantly.

Day 1

Knowing that I am fit enough to run 5 miles without a problem right now, I've turned my initial attention to training with high intensity with shorter workouts. This uses some of the philosophies of CrossFit, which if you haven't heard of, is an absolutely amazing way to train for strength and fitness. Check out their main website here:

www.crossfit.com

To start with, please keep in mind that I have already been personally trained by one of the Crossfit affiliate trainers and this is NOT an endorsement to go out and try any of these workouts on your own. It could be hazardous to your health....

The morning of Day 1 - the alarm goes off at 6:00AM. I manage to reprogram it so it goes off again at 6:20 AM...at which point, I manage to hit the snooze button. So at 6:30...I FINALLY get out of bed....clearly starting off great.

I also got a nice surprise when I went into the living room...Scooter, best mouser ever, killed a mouse and of course, we are out of paper towels.

So, when I finally got started this morning, I did a burpee ladder. This requires swings of a 25 lb dumbbell, alternating with burpees. Burpees, in my opinion, were developed by Satan. Everyone I know who played team sports, including Kyle, seems to be expert at them, but I can tell you, we NEVER did burpees in ballet class....so I'm trying to get used to them.

Today's workout:

10 Swings - 1 burpee
9 Swings - 2 burpees
8 swings - 3 burpees
7 swings - 4 burpees
6 Swings - 5 burpees
5 swings - 6 burpees
4 swings - 7 burpees
3 swings - 8 burpees
2 swings - 9 burpees
1 swing - 10 burpees

As I'm writing this, I've realized that I did the workout backwards...i.e. 1 swing, 10 burpees was my first round....no wonder things went badly for me....you do this as fast as you can.

After my 5th round, I puked. Clearly not in shape to complete this. Trying to continue = dry heaves. I'm somewhat of a failure and it was only 6:45 AM.

I've also had a bad day nutrition-wise. Instead of eating a good breakfast, I had a cup of green tea at 10AM and nothing else to eat until noon. At which point, I had a spinach salad with provolone cheese & dijon dressing. If you haven't had the salad kit, Meditteranean Supreme, I highly recommend it. Go to your local supermarket and pick one up (thank you Qamara for introducing me to this delight!). I also had some ham and cheese at 1PM. Water intake has not been good.

Basically, Day 1 has been crap so far, but let's see if it can get better.

Introduction

Yesterday morning, I awoke to the first day of my 28th year with a mixed attitude. I didn't feel the hope and excitement that I felt the morning of my 26th birthday or the premonition of hard times on the morning of my 27th year. Rather, it was a jittery fear of the unknown - not knowing exactly where I wanted this year to take me, but knowing I didn't want to stand still.

So, in the spirit of moving forward, I've taken one thing that I absolutely love, health & nutrition, and am publishing my own individual journey in hopes that it will keep me focused (after all, I'm now accountable to anyone reading this) and help others out there. Here's my own story of how I am going to continue to stay fit and healthy and I'll be posting recipes that are healthy and delicious, workouts and success stories, and anything else that is relevant to health and nutrition.

Here's to interesting happenings and better looking photos!