8 Week Progress Report

It has now been just over 8 weeks since I started my journey (and this blog)! Here is an update as to where things stand in terms of reaching the 11 goals I set for myself and the progress I have made since my last update.

Goal #1 – My Pre-pregnancy Body Back – So, I’ve pretty much reached this goal. I am back to my pre pregnancy weight, and fit into my ‘goal jeans’, although not quite the way I want. The muffin top HAS GOT TO GO!!

This week marked the mid-point of the Skinny Jeans Challenge which meant measurement time!

I am actually really pleased with my progress so far…I’ve lost a total of 10.4 inches! CRAZY!! I still want to improve on my percent body fat – I’m down almost 5%, but would like to bring it down by about another 2.5%.

Goal #2 – Run a Two Hour Half Marathon – Well, the Half Marathon is only 19 days away and I’m definitely NOT PREPARED!

I’ve still only ran outside 2 times – one fast 5K (which went surprisingly well), and a 16K run a couple of weeks ago with my sister.

Here’s how my training schedule looked over the past 5 or so weeks.

BodyAttack has taken over my life! I have missed so many runs to get to Attack classes, it’s crazy! I’ve missed a total of 10 runs in the last 5 weeks – 1 hill workout, 3 fartlek workouts, 2 regular runs, and 3 long runs! BRUTAL!

I seriously doubt I will meet my goal of a sub-two hour half. I’m disappointed, but still hoping for a good run.

I guess we will see how things look after my 18K this weekend!

Goal #3 – Improve my Upper Body Strength – I was actually doing well with is goal since starting The 100 Push-Up Challenge last month – that was until I got sick. Since then, I have done NOTHING, and as a result, I am STILL struggling through the Upper Body Conditioning track in Attack 😦 My plan is to start the challenge again…tonight! Anyone want to do it with me and help me stay on track? Please?

Goal #4 – Try Hot Yoga – Still haven’t made it to a hot yoga class, and its not looking like I will be heading there any time soon. Until I get my Attack Certification Video done, I need to go to another Attack class Thursday evenings.

I hope to get my video in by mid-June, so hopefully I will be able to get to a class soon after that.

Goal #5 – Eat Clean – this is yet another goal that has been shoved aside since becoming sick and getting super busy.

I definitely need to get back in track, and fast!

My plan is to check out the latest issue of Clean Eating Magazine over the next few days, and set out next weeks meal plan. After that, I will hit the grocery store and get at it! I still want to aim for at least 2, but hopefully 3 clean meals a week.

Goal #6 – Limit the Amount of Junk Food I Eat – I’m actually not doing too bad at this one, considering I really haven’t been eating clean, I’m not exactly sure what I’ve been eating! My plan of not bringing it into the house is working, and I’m going to continue to keep it that way.

Goal #7 – Limit my Chai Lattes to one a Week – FAIL! HUGE! I’ve actually already had 2 this week! Chai latte is what seems gets me through the day! Although I did choose a Chocolate Banana Smoothie over the latte today:) Might have to stick with it, it’s higher in protein and fibre…sugar too, but I still think it’s the better choice. Agree?

Goal #8 – De-Clutter – Again, this one has been neglected since getting so busy. I did paint my sons room immediately after my last progress report, but unfortunately, it’s not quit finished 😦 I know, I’m brutal!

So, I still need to:

1. Finish painting my son’s room.
2. Clean out the kids toys.
3. Sort through my clothes.
4. Go through our deep freeze and actually see what we have in there!

Goal #9 – Read More – since my last update, I have finished The Help and The Lucky One.

Up next…the Shades of Grey Trilogy… Apparently everybody I know is or has read it. Not sure what to expect…besides turning 50 shades of red!!! Have you read the trilogy?

Goal #10 – Save Money – I am actually doing quite well with this one! Sticking to a bit of a budget has been easier than I thought it would be!

Goal # 11 – Make time for Scrapbooking – Unfortunately this too has been put on the back burner since becoming so busy. Now that the warm weather is coming, I have no idea when I will get back at it. Hopefully I will make it to a Friday night crop sometime soon!

Overall, I am not quite where I was hoping to be at this point. I need to get back into my running and start eating clean again! Really, I need to manage my time better and make healthy living a priority.

How is your journey going?
Do you have any super easy Clean Eating recipes you can share to help me get back on track?

Fun Friday!

Happy Friday everyone!

Originally Friday was a rest day for me in my training schedule, but not anymore (will write more about that soon)… Friday’s are now Skinny Jeans Challenge workouts with my personal trainer Kari. Today’s workout was great! It’s crazy how hard I work and how much I sweat in just 30 minutes!

Today we did another circuit style workout…a quick 2 minute warm-up and then right at it! 30 second bursts of 4 different exercises with no rest between exercises. Once all 4 exercises were done it was time for a quick water break, and I mean quick…only 1 minute! Back to it with a second and third set of those same exercises, with drink breaks between each set. After that we switched up the exercises and did it two more times. Crazy fast, crazy intense, crazy effective! I loved it!

Home from the gym to have some lunch – leftover Eat Clean Spinach and Turkey Sausage Pizza (see Hill Training and Eat Clean Pizza post for recipe) – put my daughter down for her nap, and spent some quality time working on getting my son to take a bottle…..SUCCESS!!!

My daughter Ryan is home with me in Thursdays and Fridays and we usually try to bake something at least one of those two days. So, after nap time it was time to make a yummy treat – Chocolate Chip Granola Bars. I followed a recipe that my friend Meagan posted on her blog Megified (you should check it out, she ‘cleans’ up some of your favorite recipes).

With our ingredients all set out, we were ready to go!

Add some ingredients and stir it up…

Almost done…

Pat it into the pan, and put it in the oven.

Taaadaaa

Yummy Chocolate Chip Granola Bars.

And not to bad for you either… 1/16 of the recipe is:

258 calories, 7 grams of fat, 46 grams of carbs, and 4 grams of protein.

Great for after a workout, or anytime! I might even have one mid-run tomorrow as I tackle another 7 miles 🙂

Skinny Jeans Challenge – Day 1

Today marks the beginning of the Skinny Jeans Challenge at my local gym.

The Skinny Jeans Challenge is a 14 week program involving pre and post challenge assessments (weight, measurements, strength, flexibility, and endurance tests), 2 personal training sessions a week, a challenge success journal, weekly weigh-ins, weekly healthy recipes, motivational emails, and 24 hour email support from the trainer.

At the end of the 14 weeks, prizes will be awarded for highest percentage of weight loss, highest percentage of inches lost, largest percentage of increase in number of push-ups completed, largest increase in percentage of length of plank time completed, and most number of workouts. I have no idea what the prizes are, but I LOOOOOVE prizes!

Before we started today’s workout, I had baseline measurements taken. Despite being only 5 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight, I am so far off in terms of body composition it’s scary! Having my measurements taken was a real eye opener, and definitely serves as a motivator for me to start eating healthier!

I’ve never done personal training before, and I’d have to say it was awesome! Today’s workout was fun and challenging. I can honestly say that if I did that same workout in my own, I would have definitely slacked off, maybe even quit before finishing. Kari (the personal trainer) is super motivating and made sure everyone (there were 5 of us) had a great workout despite varying levels of fitness.

Another part of the Challenge is keeping a food and exercise journal. Writing down what you eat definitely makes you more aware and accountable, but having to show your journal to someone else, wow, holy motivator! I definitely thought about what I put in my mouth today, and I actually sat down and planned healthy meals for the whole week. Tonight’s dinner- pork tenderloin, asparagus and sweet potatoes, and let me tell you, it was super yummy! Looking forward to leftovers for lunch tomorrow….that’s if my husband doesn’t get to it first!

So, ya, that’s the Skinny Jeans Challenge. I’m very much looking forward to Friday’s workout and a week of healthy eating! Stay tuned for weekly updates!