6 Week Body Make Over Day 5 4.29.11

TGIF! Can I get an AMEN?!

Amen!

One more day to go and I will have completed the 6 day mini makeover of the 6 Week Body Make Over Program.  And THEN I begin the actual 6 week make over program.

I've learned a lot in this short time.  I'm excited to become the lean and healthy person I've always wanted to be.  Someone whose diet is nutritionally excellent.  Someone whose diet nourishes her body in all the right ways.  Someone whose diet keeps her fit, strong and able-bodied, able-minded and abled in spirit.



 

Most importantly, someone whose diet helps her keep the promise of honoring the body God has given her. : )

Read these quotes.  They truly touched me and I hope they do the same for you.  If you're reading this and are lacking the motivation to get started on whatever program you choose.  Just do it.  I stumbled into this and am starting to pick up the pace.  Just put one foot in front of the other and before you know it, you'll begin seeing progress too. And  that progress will motivate you to keep on.

TTFN

-My

6 Week Body Make Over Day 4 4.28.11

Had Surgery Today!

I had something called DeQuervain and it has been hurting for a while.  So I'm very glad to have gotten this surgery.  A bit painful afterwards but not too bad.  A few main things to note:

Couldn't eat or drink anything until after surgery.  ~ate around 12 but managed to eat on plan except for the part where I woke up to my hubby trying to force feed me graham crackers as I tried to mumble...this is NOT on my plan! lol 

I was still in a drug induced state at that point.
I didn't eat as many meals as I intended b/c I was straight up exhausted by the time I came home.

Next point is, as a result of having surgery and being put under....they had to weigh me.  To my surprise, I have lost 5lbs as of today!  I felt fantastic! I felt skinnier!  5lbs from Monday to Thursday feels amazing! 

I'm so excited  to see what Saturday holds.

TTFN

-My

6 Week Body Make Over Day 3 4.27.11

Wow!  It's amazing how beneficial a little preparation can be.  I've been eating some VERY bland food these last two days b/c I've been short on time or some would say, planned poorly.  But TODAY, I had enough time this morning to cook turkey breasts instead of my usual egg whites for breakfast.  I looked up this recipe on how to season/flavor turkey breasts.  I DO declare, it was rocking!!! Yum Yum Yum!  I wasn't sure how I was going to survive without using oil but I turned it on med high and kept using water to prevent it from sticking.   Each patty weighs approximately 3 oz and will be used for my breakfast and MMS (mid morning snack).

I used
1/4c of white wine (cooking wine)
1/4c of lemon juice
Sprinkled a little garlic on top

And

BAM!


You got a one juicy turkey breast. Perhaps, my taste buds have been deprived and that's why this turkey is the crown champion to me today.

I don't know but it's so darn good. I'm toot-tooting my own horn today.

You can't see it but I'm doing the cabbage patch over here.

Woo hoo!

Things to note:

I really have to be strict about eating on schedule. I got a glimpse of where my taste buds will lead me if I don't and it could be disastrous.

Last night, as I was prepping my aforementioned crock pot sensation, pineapple chicken,  I couldn't help myself.  I was picking up discarded pineapple and eating bits of it....I know I was only supposed to have berries that night but I couldn't stop myself.

Confession #2, before I could even eat my dinn, I grabbed a banana and sprinkled cinnamon on it bite for bite.   Let me tell you,  it was wonderful! Wonderful I tell you!  It tasted like a Krispy Kreme donut to me! No lie.  It was amazing.  You have to get a banana that is at perfect ripeness and maybe even a little soft.  I will do it again in the near future...probably when I start the regular 6wbm program instead of this 6 day accelerated cycle.

Knowing all of my off plan behavior from yesterday helped me steer clear of the scale.  I'm always tempted to weigh myself but I've resolved to hold out to Saturday, maybe even Sunday AM.

6 Week Body Make Over Day 2 4.26.11

My dog ate it....quite literally.  He ate it!

My breakfast that is!  I was running late this morning and hurriedly packing my meals, (which by the way is the exact same blandness of yesterday due to me not prepping the night before).
No worries, the lecture of proper planning is still echoing in my head! I could have thought of unique or creative ways to season my tuna, greens and maybe even switch up the veggies but alas, would've, could've and should've... Anyway, I got up early this morning (not early enough apparently b/c I was still late to work) and prepped an 'on plan' recipe for Crock Pot Chicken Soup.  It felt really good to see all these fresh and wholesome things and know that it would soon feed and most importantly, nourish my family.
This will serve as our lunch and dinner starting tonight or tomorrow.  And to get ahead of the curve this time around, I'm going to make another crock pot sensation tonight.  That should keep us going and give a little variety.  I'm really loving this whole crock pot concept.  One more thing I would love to add to my kitchen is a juicer---a really good juicer.  I just get dreamy at the idea of endless possibilities and ways to POWER nourish my body!  Just how much goodness can I blend up to get one potent fountain of youth drink? 

I think every kitchen should have a crock pot, vacuum sealer and a really, really good juicer!  Those are the keys items that help with meal prep, time and healthy eating.   I probably could use something that purees things well too...who knows, a juicer may do that for me too.  Oh, and a rice cooker!  A good rice cooker.  Mine doesn't work very well, so I'm definitely on the lookout for a new one.

Ok now, to get back to my dog, my loving friend and one who helps me get through the mundane things in life by always being by my side...which I now realize is just to be there in case I drop food or thoughtlessly place something within his reach.

He joined me at O'dark 30 this morning as I prepared dinner and my meals for the day.  But eventually fell asleep watching me.  I have a make shift lunch bag which really is a grocery tote that I placed on the floor as I carted completed dishes to it...get where this is going?  I had made turkey bacon and wrapped it in a sandwich bag and I'm sure you can guess what happened from there.

Bottom line,  I got one disappointed puppy who wasn't able to finish his act of banditry.  He pretended to be sleep and waited for the right moment to strike.  He took it, carried it off to his room, UNwrapped the bacon and was happily munching away until I caught him and cut his revelry short.
I took it away and put it on the counter but since it has dog slobber on it. I know I'll give it to him later...but for now...NO SOUP for you Oscar!!

How did I do today?  So glad you asked.  I didn't really experience the hunger pangs I did yesterday and I also haven't had much cravings....except for the moment I was in the cafeteria and saw freshly baked cookies.  But even that wasn't hard.  Very surprising.  Also, I know I shouldn't have and I won't do this going forward, but I was curious how I did day 1 of the program and reweighed myself only to find, I lost 2lbs!!!  Woooooooooooo! Go me! I'll let that be my motivation for the balance of the week.  My next weigh in will be Saturday.  That will complete wk 1 of the accelerated fat loss program.  Next week, I move on to the official 6 week body make over program.

6 Week Body Make Over Day 1 4.25.11

Lessons I learned today:

1.  Be flexible!  Mix around the food menu based on your schedule & your needs.  It's ok to vary meal times.  Meaning, they don't all have to  be 3hrs apart.  And  they don't all have to be 2hrs apart. You can mix and match those, again, based on your schedule/needs.  But try not to go past 3hrs.
2.  I DO have at least an iota of will power b/c I did not stray from my 'on plan' foods today!  Woo hooo!
3.  Eating every 2-3hrs really helps to quell the voices in my head calling for popcorn, chocolate and pastry delights.  I've noticed the cravings subside when I have food in my belly.  Which is good b/c my cravings can be disastrous.
4.  Water helps keep the belly full too and wards off those hunger pangs.
5.   And most importantly, PLANNING is EVERYTHING!

A few things of note:

I know today, I barely made it through, stumbling along the way but I could NOT wait one more day to start.  I just couldn't bear it. I HAD to start.  I couldn't wait for things to be perfect before I began this program.
       -No I didn't have all the ingredients I needed to make the meals I scouted out
       -No, I hadn't even put ANY meals together before this morning

But I still did it!

As you can see from the picture, I have the very basic stuff in its rawest form; tuna, strawberries, broccoli, rice (cooked in the microwave while I packed the other food) and egg whites.  Nothing seasoned, nothing special but that's a consequence I had to pay for my poor planning.  I think that's a lesson in itself.  Things don't have to be perfect before you dive into something you really want.  And I'll use this menu for the next time I'm in a pinch.  So kudos to me for starting!  (Oh, I had already eaten my strawberries and eggwhites before I thought it might be a good idea to take a picture.)

I was hungry this morning in between meals.  And during that time, my mind was racing and shooting me images of biscuits and other pastry goodness.  I have to come up with some affirmations or mantras I can say to myself when the water and the frequent meals just isn't deterring me from my precious Ritter Sports Chocolate and Almond bar...emmm.

I almost pitched a fit during my mid afternoon snack which will now be called (MAS) b/c I was eating plain tuna and REALLY wanted some flavor to go along with it.  Garnish is free in the cafeteria of my job so I was delighted when I saw relish packets.  My glee was short lived when I read the label to find all the GUNK they add to relish just to make it relish!
Really?!
Is all this necessary?
Phosphate something....sorbate something, xanthium...dextrose..you name it, it was in there!  Geeze, can a sista just get relish, please?  So I moved on to the mustard packets and BAM, same thing! Ugh.

All I could hear was Michael Thurmond's voice in the back ground saying, 'all these things jam up your metabolic process Myette...STAY AWAY from them.'   And I did but I silently vowed to make my own relish for such occasions as these.

So how did I do today....well I had to switch a few meals around so that my meal with a carb was before my run, today.  I'm super proud of myself for hydrating.  It's 4pm now and I've already drank 32 oz of water.  I will definitely try to get more in before my 6pm run.   I'm hoping to kick butt today. No tapping out due to dehydration this time around!


Quick synopsis of my meals today:
 ~7ish   Pre-breakfast  two slices of turkey bacon
9am    Breakfast egg whites & ½ c strawberries
12pm  M.M.S.  chicken & 1c broccoli
3pm    Lunch    tuna & 1c broccoli
5pm    M.A.S.  turkey bacon, rice & 1c broccoli  (don't need heavy chicken on my tummy before my 6pm run)
8pm  Dinner   chicken & 1c broccoli & rice

Let's get this party started My!

 Wow, I am absolutely amazed at the fact that I'm in serious need of motivation to even get started!  I plan to start the 6 week body makeover by Michael Thurmond but coupled with the fatigue I'm experiencing due to one insomniac spouse,

I'm overwhelmed with a feeling of dread.  This dread, I suppose, is linked to the notion that there's no going back to the food which once comforted me, so I'm finding myself binging on all my favorites.

As if having one last go at EVERYTHING I love will suffice for the rest of my life.  

Funny thing is, is having a  taste of all these sugary confections of goodness only makes you want more.  Mentally, physically and chemically dependent on all things chocolate, I am.  Uggggh!.

  

Anyway, in doing all of this, I'm also using my hubby as the reason I haven't begun the program.  I want him  to the do the program along with me and have been waiting for him to make some time to review all the literature, body profiling etc that comes along with the program but truthfully, though I love him and want him to be healthy I've come to some cold hard facts:

 1-I  can't make him do it 

2-How can I help someone if I can't help myself 

and 

3-leading by example is the best way to accomplish things sometimes.

So that's what I resolve to do.  By Sunday, April 17, I will have put my package together, bought the groceries and begun prepping meals in accordance with the SWBM program.  BAM! And  there it is.  I've put it out there.  

I do have a positive note to celebrate.   

I've consistently been running with this wonderful group called Fit-Tastic in Raleigh.  The best running group and coaches a girl could ask for.  ; )  

Now, if I could get both my exercise consistent and my eating CLEAN and above reproach.....whoa now! I'd be on FIRE!  So here's to no looking back!

Cheers!

-My

My 1st Blog!

Who I am: I'm new to the blogging world. I'm 28 yrs old, African American, wife, friend and sister to you through Christ. 

What I hope to accomplish: 
I hope to be a source of inspiration to others. I hope the things I learn along the way and each success I achieve will be a source of encouragement to everyone who enters this site. 


Why blog? 
I never realized there was a void of black, female bloggers out there who are focused on health, nutrition and fitness until I tried searching for it myself. So here's to filling the void! Cheers! 


Why blog about health? 
I know there are many health related blogs out there but each journey is unique.  I'm unique.  I've had quite a few health issues in my young life and I'm quite ready to nip them in the bud. I have quite a few goals in mind as well, namely prepping my body for a baby!  Sooo, I'd say it's the PERFECT time to kick start my journey to excellent health. God help me to honor the precious gifts you've blessed me with. 


Full disclosure: Yes, this will be a blog about weight loss, food, exercise, nutrition, different eating and exercise programs and quite possibly many random things along the way...like this one, Oscar the Boston, my favorite running partner.   Bear with me, as this IS a document of my journey after all. ; )