What I am not willing to do.

I always learn things from my experience.  And over the past four weeks I have learned that these behaviors or things do not support my quest towards physical fitness.  

What I don't do:

Skip yoga.

Go too low on my carbs.  This lead to inappropriate food choices that back fired and resulted in a net weight gain of one pound.

Tell myself, No you can't ever have that!

Eat simple carbs.  This tends to make me hungry, irritable, and put on weight.

Use caffiene.  This gives me headaches and upsets my blood sugar.

Eat HFCS.  I know that people say if you control your portions that you can have this food stuff, the problem is that for my brain, it seems to disconnect that vital message from the stomach telling my brain that I have had enough.  I avoid this to avoid that over stuffed feeling.

Sweetened nuts/peanut butter lead to excessive eating and do not satisfy my hunger.

Eat hydrogenated oils.  This induces insulin resistance.  Over all, a bad idea.

Weigh in once a week.  I need more feed back because I waisted a week with a plan that didn't work and was really bummed out about it.

I tend to gain weight when I eat white foods, corn chips, potato chips, buttery crackers, biscuits, peanut butter cookies, and ice cream.  I only eat these foods when I want to feel hungry more, unsatisfied and I want to put on body fat.

I don't over train.  This just makes my life painful.  Ouchie!!!

Rest days are key.

Milk chocolate.  I mean seriously, why mess around with kid candy?  Go for the real stuff, the dark chocolate is for us grown up girls.

I highly suggest keeping a journal and tracking how foods and behaviors effect how you feel over time.  This is golden information.  Once you know what is going on with your mind, your body and your metabolism you then have the ability to make an informed choice.  There is nothing wrong with choosing a food for the sheer pleasure of it.  But, don't pick chips because you are hungry.  They won't satisfy you.  You will still be hungry 160 calories and about 20 grams of carbs later.  Pick something to solve the desire in you.  Is it a need for food?  Fill that with vegetables, protein and good fats.  Is it a need for entertainment?  Is it a need for comfort?  What would (as Sandra says) satisfy that?

What am I willing to do?

I just listened to Sandra Ahten's latest podcast on The Reasonable Diet.  I always enjoy her podcast and I thought now would be a good time to review and revive some ideas I have had while listening to her and reading her blog.  One of the questions she asks is, what are you willing to do? Here is my answer:

1. Plan my daily menu/workout.

2. Carry printouts of local restaurants nutrition facts in my car with my printed out directions. (I have a binder for this.)

3. Journal my food and workouts.

4. Workout 5 to 6 times a week, for about 60 minutes in my THR , Circuit workouts 2x a week.

5. Practice yoga three nights a week.

6. Drink water

7. Take my supplements on time every day.

8. Weigh in once a day.  No less, no more.

9. Eat at least 35 grams of protein three times a day.

10. Cycle my calories by 500 to 800 calories every other day.

Keep my carbs complex.  Use organic dairy (better lipid profile.)  Use olive oil, unsweetened peanut butter, dark chocolate, and coconut oil.  

11. Control my carbohydrate intake.

12. Cook and carry my meals as much as is possible.

13. Bake my own bread.

14. Save treats for my treat day.

15. I ask myself the following questions when considering what I want to eat:

Is the 7 minutes of pleasure going to out last my displeasure if I eat this?

What will happen if I choose this fuel versus another fuel?

Can I satisfy my need for comfort or pleasure in another way? (that is a Sandra Ahten idea btw.)

I heart Cathe Friedrich

193.6 Did the basic step workout this morning and had fun as usual then stretch max 2.  I think I need to re-inflate my ball a bit.

IOWL 3 homework

194.6 Not too bad.  

My iPod Shuffle inscription is "rapid breath of fire."  

Good news!

My toe does not appear to be broken!  I think I just sprained it.  Today I was able to do a Cathe workout!  Woo Hoo!  Its been over a week since I had a cardio workout.  I've had one injury after another and now I'm ready to just hunker down and workout, work on my job, and study like a nut!  So I am changing this week's rotation yet again.  I felt so good this morning I did the dishes, moved the laundry, and cleaned the downstairs bathroom as well as seeing to it my brother had both his am and noon medication/meals.  Two weeks ago I sliced open my middle finger on my right hand.  I also gouged out a piece of my right toe with a ladder in the garage.  Over a week ago I injured my right shoulder/neck over stretching it severely then last Thursday I smashed my foot into a flat of sodas (not mine) and thought I had rebroken a toe that has been broken a couple of times before.  I almost went to get an x-ray but thought better of it when I realized I already knew what they were going to say.  So, this morning when I woke up and could workout I was over joyed.  Not to mention surprised as I could do the whole workout easily and was not working as hard at it as I was over a week ago now.  

The new rotation is just based on Cathe Friedrich's beginner's rotation, but since I don't have all the dvd's she uses I have modified it.  The DVD that came with my personal step (Pink for Breast cancer research.) is a little different than the Basic Step DVD.  It has 3 workouts but not the Body Fusion sculpting or the Total Body Sculpting.  I have many other workout tapes that cover similar aspects so I'm substituting those. Please visit her website for the Official beginner's Rotation.  Also, I'm not doing upper body because of the neck injury.  And for the same reason I am adding more stretching.  I'm also giving myself some walking to get back outside as well.  Btw, you could sub any lower body toning/strength workout for the Legs tape which is a tad esoteric and dated but its what I've got.  

Week 1, 2, 3

Monday: Basic Step, Esquire Dynamite Legs, Stretch Max 1

Tuesday: Off

Wednesday: Basic Step, Stretch Max 2

Thursday: Kathy Smith Cardio Timesaver (both 20 minute sections plus cool down.)

Friday: Basic Step, Abs of Steel, Stretch Max 3,

Saturday: 2 mile walk.  Yoga (upper/lower body work)

Sunday: Off

My body Fusion workout has both upper/lower body strength/toning work it so I won't be having that be separate later in the week.

Week 4, 5, 6 

Monday: Body Fusion  Stretch Max 2

Tuesday: Abs of Steel, 3 mile walk (Either outside or Leslie Sansone)

Wednesday: Body Fusion Stretch Max 2

Thursday: Off

Friday: 3 mile walk.  Stretch Max 1

Saturday: Firm Cardio resistance band DVD.  It came with the band.  

Sunday: Yoga 

I'm not planning any further than that.  If I can get it in the morning that is best but if it must be after work so be it.  

:)  Happy slimming!

The broken toe rotation

196.6 I do have a Schwinn Aerodyne stationary bicycle at my disposal.  I had forgotten about that.  I can use that without shoes and I only use the pad of my foot.  That is cardio!!!  Wooo hoo!  And I can do stuff barefoot so I'm going to try using my Hula tape.  I don't know that I even want to have it x-rayed because I would have to pay for the pictures and I know how to treat it anyway as I have broken toes before.  I think this is a respectable rotation.  I'm staying on induction for a while.  I think that is smart under the circumstances.

So my new rotation until yee old toe has healed:

Monday: Bicycle 40 minutes, Abs of Steel, Kathy Smith cool down off Timesaver Cardio

Tuesday: Hula, Stretch Max

Wednesday: Bicycle 40 minutes, Kathy Smith cool down

Thursday: Hula, Stretch Max

Friday: Bicycle 40 minutes, Abs of Steel, Kathy Smith cool down

Sat/Sun: Off.  

Well. . . Crack-A-Toe-A

Ouch!  The little tip of my index toe in the right foot may be broken.  I've broken my toes several times.  This is tough, I can't just tape it, its the Tip!  And workouts?  I hope its just a sprain.  Sigh.  So what causes that many injuries?  Carelessness? Stress?  I know I can live with this but I don't know if I will stay sane.  Sigh.  I hope I continue to lose weight with my diet and that low impact walking and breathing exercises/stretching are still ok.  I guess I need stiff shoes.  Target?  I saw something stiff there.  I don't know.  I used to have a little bootie but I got rid of it.

My intent?  Lose weight.  Be sane.  Find work.  Be calm.  Effective.  Smart.  Kind.  An all around good scout.