This is a test – hopefully it works so then I can blog from work :P

 

BFL Day#4 and Day#5

O.M.G.

I'm starting to get the hang of it, but it's still challenging to find the right portions and percentages to make sure I'm following the program correctly (Aiming for a 40% protein/40% carb/20% fat ratio). I still seem to be finding way too much fat in my diet somehow and I'm not even adding anything full fat!!

Thursday I did my first LBWO (Lower Body workout) and totally killed it on the dumbell lunges and squats. I am serious, they are a serious workout!! It's been over 30 degrees here (finally Summer has arrived) and the gym, while cool to start with got overheated. I found myself with a sharp pain in my head after doing sets and had to rest inbetween as I found myself getting a bit lightheaded. I had eaten about an hour before so I knew I had enough energy and was keeping myself hydrated while working out. I kinda rushed through the Abs and cooldown stretches in the end because I was trying to make it to the 6:30 THUMP class right after.

If you don't know what THUMP is - it stands for THUMPing your ASS!! Actually, it's a high intensity cardio boxing class and man did it kick my butt. I was gone after - probably not the best idea to do it right after a weights session but I felt so good after, even in my sweat drenched t-shirt. I wanted to try it out because it's one of the classes on a regular basis during the week and I was hoping to see if I could incorporate it into my exercise routine. I was exhausted after and conked out - couldn't really be fucked making dinner so I bought some chicken schnitzel (I had a can of tuna and beans in the car after my workout as well) and had that with some salad. Didn't have my last meal but wasn't hungry anyways. I definitely ate way too much on Thursday - need to reduce my portion sizes.

Food for Thursday:

Thursday, 6th January 2011

Daily Summary

Food Energy In: 2029 cals Exercise Energy Out: 105 mins, -913 cals Net Energy: 1116 cals Net Energy Budget: 1300 cals End Result: 184 Calories Under

Total Fat 69.1g / 27g Over Total Protein 149.8g / 120g Over Total Carb. 162.6g / 120g Over Glasses of Fluid: 0 Under Steps: 0 Under

Breakfast

Item	Calories	Fat	Protein	Carb.
30 g of Carman's: Brans & Oats: Premium Traditional Oats	115	2.6	3.2	18.3
2 2/3 fl.oz of Coles: Milk, fresh: Coles, Lite	36	1.1	2.6	3.9
1 serving (25g) of Vital Strength: Protein Drinks: Define, Womens High Protein, Average All Flavours, dry	93	1	19.5	1.1
1/2 medium,170g with skin, 16cm/6" (110g) of Fruit, fresh: Banana, raw, edible portion	50	0.1	0.9	10.9
1 serving, 10 raspberries (20g) of Fruit, fresh: Raspberries, raw, edible portion	11	0.1	0.2	1.5
1 teaspoon (5g) of Kraft: Peanut Butter: Nuts, Smooth Light	28	1.9	0.8	1.7
3 g of The Chia Company: Seeds: Chia Seed, Black	14	1	0.6	1.1
30 mL of Coffees: Black Coffee, brewed/percolated	0	0	0	0
30 mL of Coles: Milk, fresh: Coles, Lite	14	0.4	1	1.5
1/2 level teaspoon (4g) of CSR: Sugars: Raw	8	0	0	2
Total	368	8.1g	28.8g	42.1g

Lunch

Item	Calories	Fat	Protein	Carb.
100 g of Lamb: Loin Chop, lean only, grilled	219	11	29	0
90 g of Woolworths: Sausages: Sausages, Chicken, raw	144	8.7	10.9	5.4
1 slice of 700g loaf (37g) of Tip Top: Bread: 9 Grain, Original	92	1.9	4.5	13
10 g of Black Swan: Dips: Skinny, Roasted Capsicum	21	1.3	0.6	1.6
1 cup chopped (101g) of Vegetables, fresh: Celery, raw	15	0.1	0.6	1.2
1 cup, sliced (119g) of Vegetables, fresh: Cucumber, Green, common, raw, peeled	14	0.1	0.5	2.5
Total	505	23.1g	46g	23.7g

Dinner

Item	Calories	Fat	Protein	Carb.
1/2 schnitzel (180g) of Lenard's: Chicken Dishes: Crumbed, Schnitzel, Chicken, uncooked	207	6.3	13.4	22.6
1/2 serving (200g) of Ingham: Chicken Dishes: Crumbed, Breast Schnitzel, fresh	221	9.4	9.8	24
1 slice (21g) of Coon: Cheese: Slice, Light and Tasty	70	5	6.3	0.1
1 half cup (10g) of Vegetables, fresh: Lettuce, Rocket, Arugula, raw	3	0.1	0.3	0.4
3/4 medium whole (150g) of Vegetables, fresh: Tomato, ripe, raw	20	0.1	1.1	2.7
3/4 cup, pared, chopped (133g) of Vegetables, fresh: Cucumber, Green, common, raw, peeled	12	0.1	0.4	2.1
3/4 small (100g) of Vegetables, fresh: Carrots, raw	24	0.1	0.6	3.8
3/4 cup, chopped (120g) of Vegetables, fresh: Capsicum, Red, raw	23	0.2	1.4	3.2
1 small glass (120mL) of Wine: White, Dry (12% alc.)	84	0	0.2	0.6
Total	664	21.2g	33.5g	59.3g

Snack

Item	Calories	Fat	Protein	Carb.
1 tub (185g) of John West: Fish, packaged: Tuna & Beans, Capsicum, Sweet Corn, Red Kidney Beans & Chilli	285	13.5	23.7	13.3
3 from large egg (50g) (29g) of Eggs: Chicken Egg, white only, boiled or poached	43	0	10.1	0.3
1 muffin (67g) of Tip Top: English Muffins: Muffin, Multigrain	150	2.3	7.4	22.6
7 g of Black Swan: Dips: Skinny, Roasted Capsicum	14	0.9	0.4	1.1
Total	492	16.7g	41.5g	37.5g

Exercise

Item	Calories	Fat	Protein	Carb.
25 mins of Free Weights, vigorous	-169	-	-	-
20 mins of machine, vigorous	-135	-	-	-
60 mins of Boxing	-609	-	-	-
Total	-913	-	-	-

Macro breakdown for the day: 32% of the calories are from fat, 33% from protein, 33% from carbs and 2% from alcohol.


Come Friday, I was so sore. To the point I was desperately wishing I had one of those handicap bars in the bathroom because it took me a good ten minutes to get on and off the toilet, I was that sore. I was not looking forward to doing my HIIT cardio in the morning because I was so exhausted and my legs hurt.

I thought I might mix it up a bit and do the Turbofire HIIT DVD class, but 5 minutes into it I couldn't go any further - all the jumps and high energy was too much. I hopped onto the bike instead and while it killed my quads, I was able to slowly increase to the intensity and get a fairly decent workout. Probably not as good as the one on Monday, but it was better than nothing right?

I also decided to be rather clever and defrost the chicken breasts around 3pm and keep them in the fridge. Come 8pm, they were still frozen and again I could not be fucked making dinner. So off we went to the Charcoal Chicken shop. Ohhh....it was pure torture becasue our normal meal from there includes their amazingly spiced chips and a packet of baklava to end the meal, but I had to tear myself away and got roasted free-range chicken and a mixture of Greek salad and Chargrilled vegetables. Evs bought the chips and they mocked me all the way home. :(

But I was ok, once I ate (ok I stole a chip or two!) and the salad was really good. I actually tend to only eat the chips and salad rather than the chicken, but it was good :)

An hour or so later I was a bit peckish, so after trawling the blftracker website, I found a recipe for a protein chocolate lava cake. I had all the ingredients and even though I had eaten my protein quota for the day, I had to try it :D It wasn't bad and all it needed was some whipped crea- NO! It was fine lol.

Food for Friday:

Friday, 7th January 2011

Daily Summary

Food Energy In: 1655 cals Exercise Energy Out: 20 mins, -225 cals Net Energy: 1430 cals Net Energy Budget: 1300 cals End Result: 130 Calories Over

Total Fat 55.9g / 27g Over Total Protein 144.9g / 120g Over Total Carb. 125.6g / 120g Over Glasses of Fluid: 0 Under Steps: 0 Under

Breakfast

Item	Calories	Fat	Protein	Carb.
2 2/3 fl.oz of Coles: Milk, fresh: Coles, Lite	36	1.1	2.6	3.9
30 g of Carman's: Brans & Oats: Premium Traditional Oats	115	2.6	3.2	18.3
1 serving (25g) of Vital Strength: Protein Drinks: Define, Womens High Protein, Average All Flavours, dry	93	1	19.5	1.1
5 g of The Chia Company: Seeds: Chia Seed, Black	23	1.7	1	1.9
1/2 medium,170g with skin, 16cm/6" (110g) of Fruit, fresh: Banana, raw, edible portion	50	0.1	0.9	10.9
2 teaspoon (5g) of Kraft: Peanut Butter: Nuts, Smooth Light	55	3.9	1.5	3.5
1 serving, 1/2 cup (75g) of Fruit, fresh: Blueberries, raw, edible portion	39	0.1	0.5	8.5
30 cup (250mL) of Coffees: Black Coffee, brewed/percolated	30	0	4.5	3
30 mL of Coles: Milk, fresh: Coles, Lite	14	0.4	1	1.5
Total	455	10.7g	34.7g	52.6g

Lunch

Item	Calories	Fat	Protein	Carb.
1 serving, 95g can drained (65g) of Greenseas: Fish, canned: Tuna, Chunks in Springwater, average all sizes, drained	73	0.7	16.4	0
50 g of Jalna: Yoghurt: Fat Free, Natural	27	0.1	2.7	3.7
1 portion (17.5g) of The Laughing Cow: Cheese Spread: The Laughing Cow, Cheese Spread Portions, Light	31	1.9	2.5	0.9
18 g of Sanitarium: Nuts: Almonds, blanched	110	10	3.7	0.7
1/2 medium w. skin & core 150g (138g) of Fruit, fresh: Apple w. skin, edible portion	34	0	0.2	7.3
30 g of Woolworths: Salads: Fresh, Baby Spinach, raw, no dressing	6	0.2	0.7	0.5
1 half cup (10g) of Vegetables, fresh: Lettuce, Rocket, Arugula, raw	3	0.1	0.3	0.4
90 g of Vegetables, fresh: Cucumber, Green, common, raw, peeled	11	0.1	0.4	1.9
3/4 medium whole (150g) of Vegetables, fresh: Tomato, ripe, raw	20	0.1	1.1	2.7
180 g of Edgell: Vegetables, canned: Beans, Four Mix, No Added Salt, drained	225	1.8	13.3	32.4
40 g of Fruit, fresh: Avocado, Hass, raw, edible portion	82	8.5	0.8	0.2
Total	620	23.4g	42g	50.6g

Dinner

Item	Calories	Fat	Protein	Carb.
1 leg quarter of Chicken Roasted or Rotisseried: Chicken (small), Leg Quarter, no skin w. bones, rotisseried	190	9	25	2
1/2 serving, 1/2 cup (120g) of Salads: Deli Style & Home Salads, Greek Salad	75	6.5	1.3	3
Total	265	15.5g	26.3g	5g

Snack

Item	Calories	Fat	Protein	Carb.
100 g of Weight Watchers: Cheese: Cottage	91	2.5	12.5	3.8
50 g of Jalna: Yoghurt: Low Fat, Greek	51	1.5	2.9	4.2
5 small strawberry, 15g (14.5g) of Fruit, fresh: Strawberries, raw, edible portion	16	0.1	1.2	2
5 small strawberry, 15g (14.5g) of Fruit, fresh: Strawberries, raw, edible portion	16	0.1	1.2	2
25 g of Nature's Way: Protein Drinks: Instant Natural Protein Powder, Average All Flavours	98	1	18.8	3.5
1 large egg white (33.4g) of Eggs: Chicken Egg, white only, raw, fresh	16	0	3.7	0.1
1 level tablespoon (8g) of Cocoa Powder: Cocoa Powder, dry	29	1.1	1.5	1.9
Total	315	6.3g	41.9g	17.4g

Exercise

Item	Calories	Fat	Protein	Carb.
20 mins of Spinning	-225	-	-	-
Total	-225	-

Macro breakdown for the day: 32% of the calories are from fat, 37% from protein, 32% from carbs and 0% from alcohol.

One more day and then a free day!! :D

BFL Day #2 and Day #3

Ugh. Already falling off the blogging bandwagon. Yesterday was flat out that I had no time at all to sit down and work out my meals and blog. Which also is due to the fact that I didn't eat very clean yesterday as well because of the lack of food choices while I was out and ended up having a more than 3 hour gap between meals which led me to eating a what I initially thought was a healthy burrito but nearly died when I googled the nutritional value and it was nearly 800 calories!! Lucky I only ate half of it and honestly that was enough to keep me going until dinner.

Note to self: Be more prepared when going out!

Tuesday I went to the gym and tried Zumba for the first time. Kinda....disappointed. I'm not sure what I was expecting but I spent the whole class feeling slightly ridiculous and more than a little uncoordinated. Didn't work up a sweat but I did have fun, especially when the instructor decided to deviate from the Latin songs and throw in a bit of Zorba's dance into the mix.

Despite it not feeling like a workout, I took it to be more of a warm up to my first weights for BFL. I was starting with Upper Body Workout (UBWO) and followed the BFL style pyamrid training. Let me tell you the next day I was so sore! I can up the weights for my chest and back but my arms and shoulders were definitely hitting 10's!

Food for Tuesday:

Tuesday, 4th January 2011

Daily Summary

Food Energy In: 2002 cals Exercise Energy Out: 120 mins, -710 cals Net Energy: 1292 cals Net Energy Budget: 1300 cals End Result: 8 Calories Under

Total Fat 60.3g / 27g Over Total Protein 137.4g / 120g Over Total Carb. 185.6g / 120g Over Glasses of Fluid: 0 Under Steps: 0 Under

Breakfast

Item	Calories	Fat	Protein	Carb.
1 serving, 1/2 cup (75g) of Fruit, fresh: Blueberries, raw, edible portion	39	0.1	0.5	8.5
1 teaspoon (0.5g) of Splenda: Sugar Substitutes: Granular	2	0	0	0.5
1 serving (45g) of Carman's: Brans & Oats: Premium Traditional Oats	172	3.8	4.7	27.5
1 large (50g with shell) (44g) of Eggs: Chicken Egg, whole, raw, fresh	71	5.3	5.9	0.1
1 teaspoon (0.5g) of Splenda: Sugar Substitutes: Granular	2	0	0	0.5
2 large egg white (33.4g) of Eggs: Chicken Egg, white only, raw, fresh	31	0	7.5	0.3
100 g of Weight Watchers: Cheese: Cottage	91	2.5	12.5	3.8
Total	409	11.7g	31.1g	41.1g

Lunch

Item	Calories	Fat	Protein	Carb.
1 tortilla (43g) of Diego's: Bread: Wrap, Reduced Carb	112	3.5	2.8	11.1
1 serving, 1/2 of 185g can drained (64g) of John West: Fish, canned: Tuna, Light in Springwater, drained	64	0.6	13.8	0.6
30 g of Fruit, fresh: Avocado, Hass, raw, edible portion	62	6.4	0.6	0.2
20 g of Woolworths: Salads: Fresh, Baby Spinach, raw, no dressing	4	0.1	0.5	0.3
1 portion (17.5g) of The Laughing Cow: Cheese Spread: The Laughing Cow, Cheese Spread Portions, Light	31	1.9	2.5	0.9
1 small bunch, 20 medium size, 120g (118g) of Fruit, fresh: Grapes, Green, average all types, raw, edible portion	80	0.1	0.7	18.3
Total	353	12.6g	20.8g	31.4g

Dinner

Item	Calories	Fat	Protein	Carb.
2 kebab (90g) of Steggles: Chicken Raw: Kebab, Satay, fresh, raw	270	12.4	31.5	7.9
1 serving, 1/2 cup (80g) of Rice: Rice, Brown, cooked	122	0.8	2.3	25.4
1/2 serving, 1/3 bag (50g) of Woolworths: Salads: Fresh, Baby Spinach, raw, no dressing	5	0.1	0.6	0.4
1/4 cup, pared, chopped (133g) of Vegetables, fresh: Cucumber, Green, common, raw, peeled	4	0	0.1	0.7
3/4 medium whole (150g) of Vegetables, fresh: Tomato, ripe, raw	20	0.1	1.1	2.7
1/4 cup, chopped (140g) of Vegetables, fresh: Carrots, raw	11	0	0.3	1.8
3/4 serving (30g) of Cheese: Feta, Reduced-Fat	52	3.3	5.8	0
3/4 tablespoon (20mL) of Paul Newman's Own: Salad Dressings: Light Honey Mustard	35	2.2	0.2	3.6
Total	520	19g	41.9g	42.5g

Snack

Item	Calories	Fat	Protein	Carb.
3/4 serving (100g) of Chicken Raw: Mince, raw	107	6.1	13.1	0
3/4 tablespoon (9.3g) of Vegetables, fresh: Capsicum, Red, raw	2	0	0.1	0.2
22 1/2 g of Vegetables, canned: Water Chestnuts, Asian, drained	8	0	0.2	1.5
2 1/4 piece (14g) of Vegetables, fresh: Mushrooms, Button / Common, raw	8	0.1	1	0.1
2 1/4 stick (7g) of Vegetables, fresh: Carrots, raw	5	0	0.1	0.8
3/4 tablespoon (20mL) of Chang's: Sauces: Soy, Light Style	7	0	0.5	1.1
3/4 tablespoon (17g) of Ayam: Sauces: Teriyaki	4	0.1	0.4	0.6
3/4 tablespoon (7.5g) of Vegetables, fresh: Celery, raw	1	0	0	0.1
62 g of Tip Top: Bread: 9 Grain, Original	154	3.1	7.5	21.8
1 serving (45g) of Carman's: Brans & Oats: Premium Traditional Oats	172	3.8	4.7	27.5
100 g of Weight Watchers: Cheese: Cottage	91	2.5	12.5	3.8
1 serving, 1/2 cup (75g) of Fruit, fresh: Blueberries, raw, edible portion	39	0.1	0.5	8.5
1/3 cup (250mL) of Coles: Milk, fresh: Coles, Lite	38	1.2	2.8	4.2
1 small glass (120mL) of Wine: White, Dry (12% alc.)	84	0	0.2	0.6
Total	720	17g	43.6g	70.6g

Exercise

Item	Calories	Fat	Protein	Carb.
30 mins of Free Weights, vigorous	-203	-	-	-
30 mins of machine, vigorous	-203	-	-	-
60 mins of Dancing	-304	-	-	-
Total	-710	-	-	-

Macro breakdown for Tuesday was 28% fat/29% protein/39% carbs/4% alcohol

Wednesday was even worse - I am looking after the little brother while he is on school holidays until I go back to work and decided to drive down to the other end of town to my old library to return some books, pay off my fines (again!) and see my sister. Somehow got roped into visiting her in-laws to try and help with a problem with their business which meant I ended up staying for 2 hours and missing lunch. I was starving by the time I finished up and managed to find a muesli bar in my bag that I shared with the little brother.

Food:

Wednesday, 5th January 2011

Daily Summary

Food Energy In: 1437 cals Exercise Energy Out: 20 mins, -225 cals Net Energy: 1212 cals Net Energy Budget: 1300 cals End Result: 88 Calories Under

Total Fat 31.3g / 27g Over Total Protein 91.6g / 120g Under Total Carb. 185.2g / 120g Over Glasses of Fluid: 0 Under Steps: 0 Under

Breakfast

Item	Calories	Fat	Protein	Carb.
30 g of Carman's: Brans & Oats: Premium Traditional Oats	115	2.6	3.2	18.3
1 serving (25g) of Vital Strength: Protein Drinks: Define, Womens High Protein, Average All Flavours, dry	93	1	19.5	1.1
1 serving, 10 raspberries (20g) of Fruit, fresh: Raspberries, raw, edible portion	11	0.1	0.2	1.5
5 g of The Chia Company: Seeds: Chia Seed, Black	23	1.7	1	1.9
1/2 medium,170g with skin, 16cm/6" (110g) of Fruit, fresh: Banana, raw, edible portion	50	0.1	0.9	10.9
2 teaspoon (5g) of Kraft: Peanut Butter: Nuts, Smooth Light	55	3.9	1.5	3.5
80 mL of Coles: Milk, fresh: Coles, Lite	37	1.1	2.6	4
Total	384	10.3g	29g	41.1g

Lunch

Item	Calories	Fat	Protein	Carb.
1/2 Salsa's Fajita Burrito	388	10.3	14.9	58.1
Total	388	10.3g	14.9g	58.1g

Dinner

Item	Calories	Fat	Protein	Carb.
77 g of Shellfish - Fresh: Prawn, shelled, raw	69	0.5	15.8	0
100 g of Rice: Rice, Brown, cooked	153	1	2.9	31.8
20 g of Woolworths: Salads: Fresh, Baby Spinach, raw, no dressing	4	0.1	0.5	0.3
50 g of Vegetables, fresh: Cucumber, Green, common, raw, peeled	6	0.1	0.2	1.1
1/2 medium whole (150g) of Vegetables, fresh: Tomato, ripe, raw	14	0.1	0.8	1.8
1/2 medium (140g) of Vegetables, fresh: Carrots, raw	22	0.1	0.6	3.5
1/2 serving (30g) of Cheese: Feta, Reduced-Fat	35	2.2	3.9	0
1/2 tablespoon (20mL) of Paul Newman's Own: Salad Dressings: Light Honey Mustard	23	1.5	0.1	2.4
Total	326	5.4g	24.7g	40.8g

Snack

Item	Calories	Fat	Protein	Carb.
1 bar (32g) of Be Natural: Bars: Trail Bars, 5 Whole Grains, Honey Nut	118	2.7	3.2	18.1
1 small container (220mL) of Coffee Shop: Caffe Latte, Skinny w. skim milk, no added sugar	70	0.2	7	10.1
100 g of Weight Watchers: Cheese: Cottage	91	2.5	12.5	3.8
1 cup, quartered or chopped (125g) of Fruit, fresh: Apple w. skin, edible portion	61	0	0.4	13.3
Total	340	5.4g	23.1g	45.3g

Exercise

Item	Calories	Fat	Protein	Carb.
20 mins of Spinning	-225	-	-	-
Total	-225	-	-	-

Breakdown: 20% fat/26% protein/ 53% carbs


I'm still too heavy on the fats and carbs and need to up my protein. It's actually such a struggle to find enough protein sources, but again it could be because I'm not really planning anything- just going with the flow this week to get a feel for it. I'm doing good on the water front judging by the amount of times I need to go to the bathroom lol.

I borrowed Tosca Reno's book "The Eat-Clean Diet" from the library and it actually made a lot of sense - most of it's principles are directly aligned with BFL, but BFL has the flexibility to relax once in a while. (i.e. the free days and having coffee/alcohol). There's a few ideas in there that I can use. I think honestly, I am struggling a bit with the food because I am thinking too much about it. When I start work next week, I'll have planned my meals and won't have a chance or choice to over analyse or change my meals.

Last night I kept dreaming of food and trying to see if it was a BFL approved meal or not!! Ok, obsessed much? Tomorrow is a brand new day and let's see if I can nail it this time.

BFL Day #1

The first day went by fairly uneventfully. I guess in part it has to do with the fact that I still have a few precious days of holidays before heading back into work next week so my sleeping schedule has been all over the place (I partly blame Evs for keeping me up at night. Haha. I just realised how that sounded. I was going to add by roping me into playing Lego Indiana Jones with him lol).

I've actually switched the days for exercises around starting off the program and my week with the cardio rather than the weights. This is mainly because I wrangled a group class timetable at the gym (the website is a bit shocking) and worked out my BFL exercises in with the classes that I want to do for the week.

So...HIIT.

HIIT stands for High Intensity Interval Training. I've read so much about how effective it is for fat blasting and the fact that you only need to do it for 20 mins (but giving it your all) is right up my alley. I'm still a lazy girl at heart (evidenced by the fact I woke up at 9:00 am this morning!) and HIIT is ideal.

We have this stationary bike sitting up in our spare room where most of the other things in the house that don't really belong anywhere have been relegated to and I decided to follow the BFL style HIIT workout on the bike. A few weeks earlier I had attempted to do a bit of a workout on the bike and was dying within minutes. AT THE LOWEST SETTING. My thighs were quivering and my legs shaking (and not in the good way) and my butt was sore. But - I had to try.

The workout went well - I still died and thus reached my level 10 (the highest RPE) and I felt rejuvenated after a quick shower. The rest of the day was spent meal planning, blog reading, shopping for said meal plan, playing a bit of tennis (I am so rusty!), taking the dogs for a walk (I had to run part way with Toby - our German Shorthaired Pointer - he has endless energy!) and playing computer games. All in all a good day.

Because I woke up so late, I only managed to fit in 5 meals instead of 6 and wasn't hungry at all. But for some reason I had a few hunger pangs before I went to bed but had a glass of water and it was all good. I also got in my 8 glasses of water - Go me!

Man...I'm wondering how boring I sound with all of this. Sigh. Well I'm not here to win any literary awards. Just want to get it all down....

Ok food - First Day's meals (I'm using Calorie King to track my intake of food/exercise/water):

Monday, 3rd January 2011

Daily Summary

Food Energy In: 1259 cals Exercise Energy Out: 70 mins, -478 cals Net Energy: 781 cals Net Energy Budget: 1300 cals End Result: 519 Calories Under

Total Fat 36.1g / 27g Over Total Protein 105.8g / 120g Under Total Carb. 114.7g / 120g Under Glasses of Fluid: 8 Steps: 0 Under

Breakfast

Item	Calories	Fat	Protein	Carb.
2 2/3 fl.oz of Coles: Milk, fresh: Coles, Lite	36	1.1	2.6	3.9
5 g of The Chia Company: Seeds: Chia Seed, Black	23	1.7	1	1.9
30 g of Carman's: Brans & Oats: Premium Traditional Oats	115	2.6	3.2	18.3
2 teaspoon (5g) of Kraft: Peanut Butter: Nuts, Smooth Light	55	3.9	1.5	3.5
1/2 medium,170g with skin, 16cm/6" (110g) of Fruit, fresh: Banana, raw, edible portion	50	0.1	0.9	10.9
1 serving, 10 raspberries (20g) of Fruit, fresh: Raspberries, raw, edible portion	11	0.1	0.2	1.5
1 serving (25g) of Vital Strength: Protein Drinks: Define, Womens High Protein, Average All Flavours, dry	93	1	19.5	1.1
Total	383	10.3g	29g	41g

Lunch

Item	Calories	Fat	Protein	Carb.
1 tortilla (43g) of Diego's: Bread: Wrap, Reduced Carb	112	3.5	2.8	11.1
1 serving, 1/2 of 185g can drained (64g) of John West: Fish, canned: Tuna, Light in Springwater, drained	64	0.6	13.8	0.6
1 portion (17.5g) of The Laughing Cow: Cheese Spread: The Laughing Cow, Cheese Spread Portions, Light	31	1.9	2.5	0.9
1 tablespoon, mashed (20g) of Fruit, fresh: Avocado, Hass, raw, edible portion	41	4.2	0.4	0.1
Total	248	10.3g	19.4g	12.8g

Dinner

Item	Calories	Fat	Protein	Carb.
1 serving (100g) of Chicken Raw: Mince, raw	143	8.1	17.4	0
1 tablespoon (9.3g) of Vegetables, fresh: Capsicum, Red, raw	2	0	0.1	0.3
1 tablespoon (7.5g) of Vegetables, fresh: Celery, raw	1	0	0	0.1
3 stick (7g) of Vegetables, fresh: Carrots, raw	7	0	0.2	1.1
30 g of Vegetables, canned: Water Chestnuts, Asian, drained	10	0	0.3	2
3 piece (14g) of Vegetables, fresh: Mushrooms, Button / Common, raw	11	0.1	1.4	0.1
1 tablespoon (20mL) of Chang's: Sauces: Soy, Light Style	9	0	0.6	1.5
1 tablespoon (17g) of Ayam: Sauces: Teriyaki	6	0.1	0.5	0.8
Total	188	8.4g	20.6g	5.9g

Snack

Item	Calories	Fat	Protein	Carb.
1/2 small container (220mL) of Coffee Shop: Caffe Latte, Skinny w. skim milk, no added sugar	35	0.1	3.5	5.1
1 serving of Green Monster #1	240	4.4	15.4	33.8
100 g of Weight Watchers: Cheese: Cottage	91	2.5	12.5	3.8
1/2 serving (200g) of Jalna: Yoghurt: Fat Free, Natural	53	0.1	5.3	7.4
1 level teaspoon (6g) of Capilano: Honey: Honey	20	0	0	5
Total	439	7.1g	36.8g	55.1g

Exercise

Item	Calories	Fat	Protein	Carb.
20 mins of Spinning	-225	-	-	-
30 mins of Walking 4 kph	-95	-	-	-
20 mins of Tennis, singles	-158	-	-	-
Total

I kinda estimated my exercise calories but not too fussed either way. Also reminds me, I need Evs to take some "Before" shots of me as well....sigh.

Body for Life - A new 2011

So another year, another resolution.

Somehow, like every year I managed to yo-yo in between losing the same 5 kilos - I'd start off the year at my heaviest weight - lose 5 kilos by the middle of the year and then like a miracle manage to pack it all in again by the end of the year. However, I could never get back to that elusive weight I was before I started to pack on the pounds like it was nobody's business.

So...I decided I was sick of it. I hate the feeling of being feeling heavy, sluggish and just.....fat. I look pregnant and keep scaring my mother lol (she really wants grandkids soon).

I needed to do something about it and if I was being totally honest with myself then I had to REALLY make the effort to stick with it. I like new things. I'm very enthusiastic about new things. So much that I pour my heart and soul into a new project, a new client or new THING...until I get bored and the next shiny, new thing comes along. So - you can say I am not a finisher.

BUT, a slight obsession with reading "Healthy Living" blogs (and I only put that in quotation marks because one person's idea of healthy coluld be vastly different to another, however, all of these blogs promote natural, healthy, active lifestyles which is what I keep coming back for. And the OMFG revelation that oatmeal is!!!) brought me to a blog where I saw the most amazing transformation.

She looked....amazing. Abs, toned arms, ABS (I have to mention them twice because Holy Mother, I don't think I can remember the last time I had a flat stomach - maybe when I was 12??) and a lean, toned physique.

Now, I have a predesposition to have anything go straight to my butt. That and my thighs. And I can't forget like many women before me and like my mother not-so-subtly says I have "childbearing hips". So what I am proposing is a complete restructure of my body.

I don't know if it can be done, but if there is anything that I have learnt is that I need to just stay active. I've done the research, I've read the magazines, the blogs and the articles and I think BFL will work for me.

For those who don't know what BFL is - here's a quick rundown (you can also go to the official link for more detailed info).

But basically - 6 small meals a day (a carb/protein combination) along with 6 days a week of exercise alternating between days of cardio (20 min HIIT work) and weights (alternate upper body and then lower body workouts).

And there's a FREE day once a week where all the rules are thrown out the window. :D

My challenges will be getting enough protein in my diet - I've bought some protein powder as a last resort kinda thing but I prefer to try and get my protein through whole foods. And as I am a vegetarian in my heart, I am going to try and limit my meat intake as much as I can (good luck with that though lol...mmmm chicken).

To help me, I joined the gym on a 3-month summer special they had and it allows me access to the gym, group classes (go Les Mills!!) and the pool/spa/sauna. Not a bad deal at all. I plan to do my cardio (HIIT) at home using the stationary bike we have and a TurboFire HIIT DVD that has already kicked my butt once or twice (seriously there is no way I am going to be able to be at the gym by 6am and I am ok with that). I am also going to try and do some of the extra classes at the gym - mainly things like Pilates and also try and run outside at least 2-3 times a week (I also have lofty ambitions of running a half-marathon later this year, but one step at a time).

I went today as well to get a bit of a feel of the place (since I had not been to this particular gym since I was at uni!) and get a health assessment. The gym looked ok, nothing fancy and full of hot, sweaty men hunched over the weights. Gross. But, I am just saying that because my last gym was a women's only one and we had a dedicated room for weights. For us WOMEN. Don't worry I'll learn to share :P

So...my health assessment. The fitness person (I really don't have any other name to call her because she was kinda useless) took my measurements and looked at me blankly when I joked that I had purged all my lunch just for her. Jeez. Seriously, just joking. And she then proceeded to still stare at me blankly when I tried to assure her that my open heart surgery would not affect me to doing cardio. And blankly again when I told her about BFL. She then told me she was leaving back for China in a month. Okkkk then....

Anyways, I thought since I will be baring my soul here hopefully only a daily basis, I'd scare most of you away with my starting measurements.

Weight: 60.4 kg (BUT, taken after lunch and with all my clothes on. No way was I getting nekkid there for her. I'm still in denial)

Height: 5'2.5" (155.5cm - I'm a shawty. Wait that's something different isn't it? Coz I always thought they were talking about me and other short people in hip hop songs - Go shawty, it's your birthday..)

BMI: 25.1 (Jeez...that kinda shocked me - one because I thought I was taller than I was and two...that's borderline overweight!!)

Body Fat %: 33.6% (Ok...scream in horror/laugh. I'm telling you half of that is my boobs and butt alone)


My aim is to lose 8-10 kilos in the 12 weeks and lose at least 8-10% of my body fat as well. I don't have massive expectations, because I honestly don't know what my body will do and is capable of. All I CAN do is try and follow the program as much as I can and hopefully the results will come....

So - I've started. January 3rd, 2011. Which means my 12 week challenge will finish at the end of March.

30 Day Shred - Level 1 - Day 1

I've been over indulging over the last couple of weeks - winter treats like melt-in-your-mouth Brie on crackers and toasted baguette, creme caramel and lots and lots of red wine.

Sigh. It kind of hit me when I tentatively weighed myself on the scales and it was almost back at 57 kilos again. I was so close!! Just a few weeks ago I was down to my lowest I had been since I got married (54.9kgs) and the end goal was in sight. I was feeling better in my clothes, felt a lot more confident and was...happy.

Now, the thought that I had made it that far made me lose my focus and my concentration and I let it slide. Winter blues, damn you. Add to that a dusty gym membership (that I finally cancelled!) and no motivation at all to move from the warmth of my home-made Snuggee on the couch, I was done.

But now, despite my time-of-the-month bloatiness and painful lower back symptoms, I am attempting to get back into shape.

Evs has been killing it on the fitness front. To the point where he has lost so much weight that my parents are genuinely concerned with his health (didn't they know that by marrying their daughter he was signing up for a lifetime of love-induced pining???). His motivation has been to attempt the half-marathon this October. Plus, I just realised that signing up for the 10km run for the Melbourne Marathon (which happens to be a day after Evs' birthday and was done purely as a misguided attempt to support him) means I actually have to go through with running 10 k's and hopefully finishing.

But he has hot abs now...not that he didn't have a hot body before, but dude, this guy is TONED :P *Droooool*

So....Jillian Michael's '30 Day Shred' is something I came across just recently and instantly piqued my interest. A workout DVD that will help you melt away the inches in only 20 minutes a day?? I was sold.

Went kind of going into it with a huge mountainful of salt, because I wasn't so convinced that 20 minutes would be enough to move that stubborn love handles that have so lovingly made my hips, thighs and ass their home, even it WAS Jillian Michaels. But the scary looking picture of her ripped and toned on the DVD cover made me determined to try it.

The 30 Day shred works like this - 10 days at 3 different Levels of workouts to make 30 days. You lose inches, you feel great and...you probably want to kill Jillian by the end of it.

So Day 1, Level 1 now complete.

I surprisingly built up a sweat, my arms felt like they were getting a good workout (yay to cans of chickpeas for weights!) and my legs felt like jelly after doing those torturous lunges with bicep curls. I have atrocious balance and even when I was Body Pumping on a regular basis, the lunges would always get to me. My calves are quite sore and my abs feel like they have been stretched.

It's an interesting concept, for each level is further broken down into 3 circuits with a few minutes each of strength, cardio and ab-work. I quite like it because it's short but intense, and for someone like me who has a notoriously short attention span - it kept me focused and interested.

The only thing will be I have to do this same Level 1 workout for the next 9 days, so THAT may get a bit boring but as long as I am working out, I think I can handle it for 20 minutes.

I am also simultaneously cutting back on my diet - reducing the carbs, reducing the portions and cutting down on the wine (*sob*).

7-Day Challenge - Completed!!

It’s over.

It’s finally OVER.

I bet you’re all eager to hear the results then hey??

In a minute.

Let’s go back a week when I decided to partake in this 7-day challenge and live like a Neanderthal by cutting out one of life’s precious gifts – carbs in the form of grains/rice/potatoes. To make life even more miserable I also had to cut out sugar, processed food, alcohol (*sob* this was like a knife wrenching in my heart) and make the commitment to workout everyday until my legs, arms and other appendages firmed up or fell off.

I decided I would chronicle my eating habits and thoughts as I went along, and was mildly alarmed to see that yeah, THAT kinda died after a day or so. I was still counting my calories through Calorie King which gave me this almost perverse sorta pleasure to see day after day that I was UNDER my recommended calorie intake.

With the no-carbs rule, I struggled like a bound-up Mummy with no room to move (or eat as it was in this case) with every food I could see suddenly sprouting the forbidden nutrients. I managed to limit my fruit intake (although I have to be honest – there WERE days when I had an extra piece of fruit.) and up my protein intake by scouring the seas and eating every fish I laid my eyes on. Ok so it wasn’t that bad, as I had fish maybe 2-3 times during that week, lamb once and then the rest were veggie meals. I discovered that daal was my friend and found a recipe that my DAD used to lovingly prepare a daal with green beans meal for me while the rest of the family stuffed themselves with Pav Bhaji.

I drank lots and lots of water and chewed through a packet of gum every couple of days to keep the hunger away. It worked. Most of the time. But instead of giving into my sugar cravings as 3pm came around I ate a handful of nuts. Don’t be dirty peoples – I mean ALMONDS.

Oh and I cheated.

Ahem.

Monday night – the night where I went out for dinner and to the Melbourne International Comedy Festival and laughed so hard that I almost peed my pants (saw Danny Bhoy if you are interested. Funny AND hot!! Plus he’s half Indian :P) – I was confronted with the plate of bruschetta in front of me.

And I had one. I started off by saying to myself that I’ll only eat the tomatoes on top of the crunchy bread…but then they were all gone and the piece of crusty, oil-drizzled, herb-infused bread invaded my senses (plus I was starving and the mains were taking ages!). So I ate it. And LOVED it :D

My workout routine stayed pretty much the same as it did before I started the challenge. I was at the gym three times a week doing high-intensity cardio classes or high-intensity strength training. The days I took off, I walked the dog for an average of 2.5km (~20mins to an hour all up) over a varied inclined route. For those days that Melbourne decided to bare her soul and let her tears fall (heavily with angry storms), I attempted to do some working out at home. But as we are being 100% honest here, it wasn’t much. The weekend was the hardest as the days were both packed with things to do that exercising seemed to be the last thing on my mind.

Now…fast-forward one week and with the added insight of my update post I can now give you the full picture.

Drum roll please….

Start Weight: 58.0kg
…
…
…

End Weight: 56.9kg!!!!

I lost 1.1 kilos in that one week. You have NO idea how triumphant that makes me feel! For months of trying to lose weight that has only slowly shifted two kilos over that time - to lose this much in a week is so, so encouraging.

As you may have read before – for the first time IN OVER A YEAR, I braved public scorn and ridicule and wore pants. No more hiding under skirts or dresses – I was HAPPY that I could venture out and look…decent. And all this happiness in just a one kilo loss!!

I FEEL better – not only because my body is now getting used to NOT eating carbs and exercising regularly, but because this small victory is all I needed to get motivated again.

I would like to just add the following advice:

• You CAN have carbs so you are NOT going to go hungry. When I say this I mean carbs in the form of beans (kidney beans, chickpeas) and lentils. Also with fruit which will also satisfy your sugar cravings.
• This IS a hard challenge to do if you are vegetarian or at least don’t know how to cook varied vegetarian foods. Because I found that most veg food contains the forbidden carbs in some form or another – potatoes/rice/grains. I found it a bit hard to think of stuff to eat that is filling and tasty (and not salads!!). HOWEVER, all is not lost – eat normally as you would WITHOUT the carbs. So make a veg subzi and just eat that with a daal. Make a salad and make it more filling by adding canned chickpeas to it. I am sure there are many, many resources available to help out.
• Be active everyday if you can. This challenge really does follow the most sensible way to lose weight – healthy food and regular exercise and it shows.
• PLAN your meals. It’s easy to get home and the added worry of having to think of food when you’re tired is annoying. Which means you might skip meals – DON’T!! Make more than normal so you can take it for lunch the next day!
• The 18-hour fast. I did it. It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be as it was basically was like a skipping one meal. Just be sure that it isn’t breakfast like me lol. I was STARVING by the time I had to finish. Have a big meal beforehand if you can. Also…I am still not 100% sure of the actual reasoning of doing the fast but that since I did on the last day of the challenge, I believe it was the thing that pushed over those last couple of hundred grams.

So all in all – it worked well for me. I think that I am going to continue on this plan but not be as strict with the carbs – in the sense I am going to look for carb alternatives but if there is no other choice then I am not going to feel guilty over it.

As you can see, I didn’t do this challenge perfectly but I did it in a way that I was happy. While the affects of this will vary from person to person I definitely think that is something worth doing – just as a challenge to see if you can do it. It’s only one week (granted the LONGEST week in my life :P).

The weight loss will be the benefit.

**Cross posted at FF