HIIT workout for the week

This week is HIIT week... actually AMRAP week (As Many Rounds As Posssible). This also means trying out a different workout set to test myself for the week. Unfortunately I can only think of so many different exercises to piece together until I find myself bored with it. Thankfully I am subscribed to Zuzka Light on YouTube and her workouts kick your ass every freakin time! If you are interested in seeing this week's workout here is her breakdown of the workout. 

So this is how I normally record my cardio workouts. Writing it out so I know what I'm getting myself into.

The video says that you should get a hold of a 30lb dumbbell. However, I don't have that so that means I can't do the workout, right? WRONG. This is my go to option for weight: 20lb home made sandbag. 

Looks like just a plain duffel bag...

Instead I have 2x 10lb sandbags in here. The nice thing about this bag is the size and number of handles it has so that I can drag the bag where I need it during the exercise.

 Handy-dandy timer that my best friend bought for me 2 Christmas' ago :) Set at 12 min.

So, I don't know if I'm quite ready to film a cardio workout yet. I know some of you expressed to see me do it. To be honest I do this in my room. Not exactly the ideal place to film my workout. I'm thinking about doing this in the weight room with a tri-pod at some point this week. That's a little more ideal and you could probably see the moves better. Anywho, down below is the result of today's workout. Let's see how many rounds I can do tomorrow! Maybe Thursday I will film as I get used to this workout... We shall see. 

Here's a motivational picture for the week :) 

Keep going and don't give up! 

- Marie

Paleo Challenge: Complete! And a huge Thank YOU!

As of Monday Jonathan and I have completed the 30 days of Paleo. And you know what? We actually love it so much that we will continue to do it, however, we will be throwing in a cheat meal (not day) on a weekend day. So we've decided this weekend we're going to eat dim sum (YESSSSSS!!! I'm craving dumplings too :D :D ). At day 30 these are my results compared to day 1.

 

I know the poses aren't the same but the lighting from the window was better in these angles heh heh heh. Here are the results and I will resume to uploading monthly progress pictures as I did in the past. As I continue this lifestyle I am seeing more and more gains. My strength is stronger and my workouts are tough enough. Here are some other pics that I'd like to share with you, the calves which I have already posted on Facebook and my quads which I saved for this :) 

 

Anyway, enough about muscles ;) My last post elicited many responses from an unexpected audience: those of you whom I haven't spoken to or seen in such a long time. I am in awe at the outreach you all expressed, and I am extremely touched by your words. To have such support is.... amazing. That's an understatement because at this point words cannot fully express my gratitude for all of your words and support!!

And speaking of support, you have goals right? Whether it's to pass a test, or move out of your parents house, or just have a healthier lifestyle, you have goals. In order to be a couple steps closer to your goals must surround yourself with those who will push you, to motivate you, to support you, and, most of all, respect you. Tackling these goals are hard to do on your own. And you know what? There is nothing wrong with asking for or seeking help. And I don't mean surrounding yourself with those who will shove a shot glass or drink in your hand and tell you to down it so you can get piss drunk then do shit that you probably will forget/regret. These are the people that will tell you,  "You sure you wanna buy that purse? That's less money toward 'moving-out-fund.' " Or "No, you can't eat that because you promised yourself you wouldn't," or "Let's take a hike on a new trail, it would be nice to see different things." It's kind of like guilt tripping but beneficial for you than them. These are the people who are also willing to make a change with you and help you through it. I am incredibly fortunate to have Jonathan and the handful of you readers inspiring me to keep going and accepting change as well as challenges.

With that I vow to you, and myself, that I will stay consistent, I will continue to inspire, I will continue to be raw, I will continue to push myself, and I will continue to be strong.

Thank you, and don't give up!

Marie

Day 20 of Paleo

Day 20. Another progress shot. Well, I honestly don’t see a whole lot of improvement but I guess we’ll just have to compare it to the first day shall we?

Here’s Day 1 and Day 20 in the same poses:

What are your thoughts? There’s a hell of a lot of you looking/reading this so you better say something. Honest or not, something is appreciated.

I’m going to be ranting here a little bit. I’ve been lifting for a good 3 years now. I must say I’ve seen a lot of improvement and whatnot.  Just that doing this all natural is really difficult. Actually, extremely difficult. A lot of people rely on supplements to get the ideal physique they want, but I wonder how they would look without it (it would also take a huge dent out of my paycheck…). I mean I was taking whey protein but that's it. I know progress is progress is progress, but I don’t know how much I’m changing. For example, my ass grew so I don’t fit a size 6 or 8, I’m back up to size 10. Now, I might be losing some fat so I’m back to size 8. Having multiple pairs of jeans in multiple sizes is frustrating. I might as well stick to sweats (at least I can wear sweats at work). I’m trying so hard to be consistent but, shit, working out by myself kinda sucks sometimes. There are times when there might be one or 2 other people in the weight room at work but it’s hard for me to ask them to yell at me and push myself. Ugh. I am trying to shove things aside and let my body do the work (literally). But when my conscience comes butting in things go sour (especially when hormones go batshit crazy on me). I have to remind myself that I’m doing more work than I was the day before so it can’t be that bad. Right?

On another note I’m glad that I inspire others. It’s nice to know that I can provide some motivation. At the same time being motivated myself can get difficult. Might I add that being consistent takes a lot of motivation and energy (physically and mentally). And I really appreciate for those of you who are taking the time to read my stuff, thank you so much for your support!

So after this 30-day challenge, ending on Feb 4^th, I’ve decided to do a modified lifestyle to have one cheat meal over the weekends. This diet is a good test to control what and how much you eat. My monthly visitor is approaching and my appetite grew this week, I guess my hormones haven’t changed much either. Which also may be the cause of my grumpy rant this time around. Anyway, I’ve got a busy afternoon/evening ahead of me. Last thing: comment or tell me if any of you care that I should post a video of one of my workouts (HIIT or weightlifting). Thanks!

Good luck and don’t give up J (I should listen to myself sometimes... working on it)  

- Marie

What I Eat In A Day

I've received questions about what I eat during this challenge. As I said in my "30 days of Paleo" entry, I make sure to change it up so that I don't get bored and dread what to eat.  I know what I was getting myself into. After reading Robb Wolf's "The Paleo Solution" he does a tremendous job getting to the nitty gritty of how certain foods affect your body and what kind of damage that some foods can potentially do from the inside out (such as quinoa, may be really good for you but it's really not... well only a sliver of it is good for you). I wanted to show you all what I've been eating in a day to keep me sated and NOT starved.

Breakfast: Scrambled eggs w/ protein (chopped leftover burger, chicken, pork, handful of almonds etc)

Lunch: Spring mix salad w/ a plethora of fixings (sliced roasted beets, guacamole/avocado, boiled eggs, carrots, cucumbers, red bell pepper, some kind of protein, etc). I usually make my salads more and more interesting and colorful, might I add.

(Took this pic as I was eating it... I forgot to take it before I started eating. Whoopsies.) 

Snack: half an avocado (yummy good fats, good for skin and hair too!) and 2 boiled eggs.

Dinner: Sauteed kale and beet leaves, sauteed green beans with mushrooms, and grilled cod.

I don't weigh anything (maybe I should? buttttt I'm lazy...) The containers that I put my food in are actually a perfect size to hold whatever I'm going to eat. The portions are just right so when I finish my food I don't feel stuffed or gross after I eat. I'm very content and satisfied when I'm done eating.

Might I also add that all the veggies, (except for green beans), fruits, and eggs were purchased at the Alemany Farmers Market (Saturdays). This place is awesome except for people not realizing there is more parking in the back while they can afford to walk an extra 100 feet to the vendors. Perhaps the next entry will be on what Jon and I buy and how we spend a whole afternoon into the evening cooking, juicing, and preparing food for the week. Quite a system I tell ya.

I hope this helps those who are starting out and/or living a different kind of whole food lifestyle!

Hang in there! Stay strong, and take it a day at a time! <3

Day 10 of Progress

I've decided to snap photos of myself every 10 days throughout this lifestyle. Jonathan said he has last 5lbs since we started. I, for one, didn't weigh myself. My health and lifestyle isn't dictated by numbers, it's dictated by the way I feel, how my muscle tone is gradually emerging, and how my clothes fit. With that here is my picture from Day 1 (Sunday, 1/6/2013):

And Day 10, this morning (Tuesday, 1/15/2013) at 9am

Yeah, not a lot of changes, but it's very subtle. As the weeks progress we shall see how this lifestyle is helping me (or not?? who knows?)

I admit, I feel a little self-conscious putting these photos up every time... I do hope my transformation continues. To help with shedding more fat I am alternating my weeks of workout with lifting and HIIT. This week is HIIT. I haven't done these for a long time so I'm going to be "out of shape" for the first couple days. Next post will portray what I eat throughout one day to help others getting into this lifestyle too.

Work hard and don't give up! :)

30 Days of Paleo

I was going to upload this yesterday but I didn’t have enough time after I got off the train/forgot to do it. Anywho, yesterday was Day 5 of the Paleo 30 day challenge, so far so good, although cravings are hard to deter from. With the help of resources and Paleo friends Jonathan and I have been thinking and planning on what and where we can eat. We have decided to make Saturday as grocery days where we hit up the farmers market and Costco to purchase the things we need for the week. Then Sunday we spend half the day cooking up the veggies and meats to make our lives easier when planning our dinners and lunches. When we feel like eating out hot pot and Chipotle are ideal choices of eating oaut. Hot pot has no seasonings or greasy oils, just order as much meat and veggies while making sure the broth is plain. We’ve decided the clear broth as our weapon of choice. At Chipotle there has been a lot of praise (from Robb Wolf, and other hardcore Paleos) for their Paleo friendly menu.

Planning ahead of time is really key to this challenge (I sure as hell can’t afford to waste a lot of time in the morning). I work odd late hours along with my long commutes. So packing my meals the night before helps so much. I eat when I get on the train, then workout once I get to work.  I'll eat my dinner on the train ride home or in between basketball games. I can say that I do not feel starved without all the carbs. I have cut out whole wheat bread, brown rice, almond butter, dairy, salty foods, and dark chocolate. I will admit I have had some difficulty with cravings, yet Jonathan helps to remind me what we’re doing this for.

To be honest not having carbs is a little hard. I didn’t eat a lot of it, just a slice of toasted bread with almond butter in the morning and then brown rice at night. The killer is that I what I ate in between those times: snacking on unsalted pb filled nuggets and veggie root chips from Trader Joes, sweet potato chips, and the like. I mean, they don’t sound as bad is it could be (although those bag of veggie root chips can get pretty damn addicting), it’s just that these items were still processed. And I like feeling sated, and so does everyone else! How I’m managing my satiation is to eat my veggies first, from the least dense to most dense of veggies. I will always eat protein last. For example, tonight I ate sautéed kale first, then roasted Brussels sprouts, lastly, baked beef meatballs. I am also being conscious of chewing my food thoroughly and slowly. However, when it comes to my lunch it’s different… this past week has been a variety of salads. Always including some protein I make my salads more interesting each day just so I don’t get bored with it.

Is this lifestyle getting in the way of the quality of my workouts? I can’t say if it is, yet. I lifted yesterday and today, and I’m not dead from them. So I guess that’s a good sign. Now that I am starting a consistent workout schedule it’s hard to answer that question. Jonathan says he felt weak when he went back to lifting. I’ve decided to alternate my weeks with a week of lifting and the following week of HIIT workouts to improve my cardio and shed off some fat. After a 2 week vacay in Washington with family and Jonathan this is a great lifestyle to start off 2013 with.

Wait, what are your goals during this challenge?? Oh yeah… goals. Hmmm, my long term goal is to see what transformation I will see at Day 30 and compare it to Day 1. The other long term goal is, honestly, look good naked. Why? My readers, that’s a whole different issue. My short term goals are to maintain consistency with my workouts and food prep, remind myself to take everything a day at a time, and not give in!