HOLY! A brief update. Happy New Year!

Last post, September 18th. WHAT?? I thought it had been a while since I posted but its literally been MONTHS!! So I guess I should do a bit of an update.

Round 1
I finished Round 1 of ChaLean Extreme. The first 90 days I didn't see weight loss. I admit I was disappointed. But I know that in just 90 days doing just weight resistance is not the best way to lose weigh and I have more then a few pounds to lose! I did notice that I was stronger and more flexible. My yoga has improved greatly. It is all incorporated! :o) I took a 1 1/2 week break. I did some cardio and yoga but no ChaLean Extreme. I even worked out while I was in Las Vegas.

Round 2.
I finished week seven with full/heaviest weights. YAY!! Uh oh. My shoulder..... The pain was so bad that I even went to the doctor. UGH!!!! She was nice but she said I strained my shoulder. *sigh* Good news!! I guess.. Under her recommendation I dropped all the weights to half of what I had left off at for week seven. AND I decided that no cardio and yoga instead. Seemed like it would work. I thought it would work. I stopped after eight weeks. It was not feeling like it was not healing. I did get a new workout from Christmas (thanks, Heather!) called Jackie Warner Extreme Time Saver Trainer. WOW. I would do that DVD one day and the next was yoga. NOW! I am doing the Kurt Johnsen 30 DAY Yoga Challenge! Yoga for 30 days in a row. I have completed DAY ONE!! My arms are sore... :o)

Kinect.
Holy!! We got the Kinect for XBox360 for Christmas. Sweaty and floppy-that was Chris & me!! We both drank a whole water bottle and can only play for an HOUR! I know!! This is the new age of gaming! WE LOVE IT!! We got the car game and that makes you hop and flop around too!

Food.
Food is my downfall. Snacking is my issue. A new goal for the NEW year.... Chew my food completely and enjoy the taste. Today instead of dipping crackers into hummus I dipped more veg! YUM!! Working on portion control. More Shakeology! Well more consistent Shakeology!

Well that is all for now!
Chao
USMCdaffy

The Fair! Shakeology and Coaching

I made it through the Fair. Yes I brought my own food and no I didn't eat clean the entire time! I did watch what I ate and picked the best of what was available. I did drink TONS of water!! I also worked out EVERY day! YES! I didn't skip not once and I really wanted to sleep in. Its one of my favorite things to do! But I DID get up EARLY and worked out even when I was tired and didn't want to get up! I think that I am more changed then I thought. For the BETTER!!

So I FINALLY got my Shakeology! I got the Greenberry because I just could not see myself drinking a chocolate drink EVERY day. I am not into chocolate that much. I do LOVE fruit smoothies. I could drink them every day. What?! I AM!! LOL!!!!! At first I thought that I should make a drink from a recipe. And the first day I did. But then I started thinking. What if I just tossed in a cup of fruit and a 1/2 cup of fruit juice with 1/2 cup of water and just blended? Nothing fancy. Nothing to look up. Just the basics. It was delicious. And simple. And perfect. I find that frozen fruit works the best because it makes it really thick drink and no need for ice. I do want to get a set of chocolate packets to change it up from time to time. I have heard they are coming out with vanilla. Hmmmm... I like vanilla better then chocolate so this is really great for me. YAY Shakeology!

Ok. I decided. I am signing up to be a coach at Beachbody.com! I am doing it October 1st! I am just been thinking about it. And thinking about it. And more thinking about it. This is my nitch. My friend D. told me ( a VERY long time ago) that I should get into fitness or nutrition. She could see that it is my passion. She saw it before I saw it myself. I LIKE to help people. I did have some reservations about it because I am NOT at my idea weight. My Coach Brenda (go girl!) said that she is not at her ideal weight but sometimes not being at your ideal is more motivating to people then a fit person! I never thought about it like that. Super fit people can be VERY intimidating! Plus I get the 25% discount on ALL products! WOOT WOOT! I have already been welcomed by Brenda's trainer Francee. Everyone is SO nice! There is TONS of training. This stuff sells itself anyway. Its gonna be good. I feel.

Things are good. I feel good too. And posting my workouts everyday is certainly keeping me accountable. It feels great! Eight hour shifts certainly help! ;o)

Ciao

USMCdaffy

PHASE II today! Goal #2. Starving!!

ChaLEAN Extreme Update...
I finished Phase I of ChaLEAN Extreme. YAY me!! I don't think that there have been any changes other then I am starting to feel stronger and I could do almost all of the burpees (which I HATE!) and I am getting better with my form. I don't see a drop in weight in my face. I did notice that in other before and after pics from other people that day 30 picture does not have that much change and even in day 60 picture there was not that much change BUT on day 90 there was a HUGE change! So I am not discouraged that my pants are not just dropping off me! LOL It will come if I keep going plus it has only been 30 days. That is such a short time. I officially started Phase II TODAY. It was not as hard as I thought. It was hard. Have not doubt about it. BUT I had previewed it and already had an idea how heavy of a weight I was going to use to start. Its only 28 minutes after the warm up. AND my son did the workout with me, just CE!!

Goal #2-Add Cardio
Ok for Phase I I did very little cardio because I was just learning the program and I was not very strong plus my nervous-ness of the knee issues. So my Goal #2 was add as much cardio as I can in Phase II. Today I did the first day-Push Circuit #1 and added Fat Blaster/Turbo Jam. It was tough but not so tough that I could not finish. I did mainly low impact because of the Push Circuit and because the steps of this workout are not easy. The camera is not always on Chalene so I have to watch others at a weird angle at times. It was fun because she makes it FUN but I need some serious practice. I also found on her website www.turbokick.com that she has other cardio sessions on YouTube (which I joined today!) So I am trying to have a variety of cardio to use. Tomorrow is rest and then on to more Phase II! I feel very good about this and myself. I am proud that I am committed to this now. This is different then other other times. I can FEEL it!

Starving!
I don't really like food because it has been the bane of my existance for some time (10 years anyway). I am desperate for vatiety and overwhelmed with the choices. I feel so unorganized with food planning. To add to this I have been getting hungrier. Granted I was warned by Chalene and her crew but I could actually HEAR my stomach after my workout! What the??? I only had a bite before I worked out and definately drank my water. I did have a good breakfast after my workout. I only have a couple of bites before hand because I don't want a full stomach to work out with. I think that this is where the Shakeology will help me. I just want something I can zip together and just drink.

Tomorrow back to work!!
Ciao!
USMCdaffy

It works!! Shakeology and temptation

ChaLEAN Extreme Update...
I am now on week three of ChaLEAN Extreme/Burn Circuit (first 30 days). I only missed one work out BUT I did a THREE mile hike (I am sure it was for GOATS) I KNOW it was call Iron Goat Trail but I didn't know it meant literally. More on that later...Anyway, I can feel myself getting stronger. I can go lower in my squats and lunges. My knees are feeling good and I don't have to take tylenol every day anymore. I only needed to ice once. I took a bike ride today and although it was short I could make it up the hill without a struggle AND I was hardly sweating. In terms of progress-that is LOTS of progress. In terms of a workout it was LIGHT but it is a REST day. Which by the way I have come to hate! I feel like I am wasting my time NOT doing something. And nowadays I am always thinking of new ways to workout/exercise/get out and more around. Progress!!

THE HIKE
Oh. I wanted to do a hike. A simple, easy hike. Ok. It looked okay to start. It said it was wheelchair access. SWEET! It was me, my son, and my BFF who was in town to visit. It started because of Michael (friend/co-worker). He went to Mazama with his family on a hike and it looked FUN! So I got this book called "Off The Beaten Patch-Washington". My hike was in it and it was very close to where we were staying! YAY! What happened was we actually took the wrong path. It was HARD. It was LONG. But we FINISHED!! That was cool. I felt good about the whole thing (other then the initial shock of our situation!) but I am SURE it was FOR goats!! http://www.irongoat.org I forgot my phone so D. took all the pics. Once she gets back to the boat she is going to send them over.

Shakeology
I got my samples of Shakeology from my coach Brenda from Beachbody.com. She is AMAZING! Back to the samples! They are delicious. I tried the chololate one and the greenberry one. They are expensive but I think it is worth it. I am going to ramp up my workouts next month so I am going to need that extra fuel (so to speak). I really want this to work. I have been working on my diet-ok-my lifestyle change. (If you call it a diet YOU will fail!)I have NOT been to a vending machine since my last traumatic incident previously blogged! I have been preparing my work food on my days off and that also helps with stress too. I have been making better choices too. Today instead of eating regular tacos at Taco Bell I ate the cantina tacos which are like carne asada tacos. I also stopped when I was full NOT stuffed. I have been working on my water drinking at home.

Progress! YEAH ME!

Ciao
USMCdaffy

ChaLEAN Extreme! Blood Sugar and Shakelogy

Today was the first day of ChaLEAN Extreme (aka CE)! It was not as difficult as I thought it would be but that is not exactly what I mean. Difficult as in unable to walk after the work out because of the intensity. The idea behind CE is that muscle burns fat and that lifting weights will not bulk you up. The best part is that you don't have to watch every second like when it is cardio. Chalene wants you to choose the right weight for you. Form is very important and the reps are sllooowwwww. I am unsure about what lb of weight I need to use right now but she recommends 5-12 lbs for newbies. Chalene also says that you underestimate how much weight you can lift. It is sooooo true! Once I started the first CD I was able to figure out that I could do more weight! I already enjoy it! LOL I can already tell that it is worth the money it cost. Plus I LOVE Chalene because she is such a motivator! She also has a motivational CD that came with the workouts so I am going to listen to it hopefully this week. Tomorrow is a rest day but I might try to squeeze some yoga in there to stretch out some muscles!

I feel I am progressing with my food. I have had some slip ups along the way but eating every three hours is working. As a matter of fact it makes me feel worse if I don't eat like that because my blood sugar does drop! On Monday we had a meeting so there were two dispatchers from another agency that were coming in to take over while we were gone. That meant that they came like four hours before the meeting to get some background on how we do things. All dispatch centers are not the same. The two that came to replace us is a very very small center. So it makes me nervous to leave my station, my people, my stuff but I am also nervous for them and HOPE I remembered all the basic info that they needed!! It turned out fine but while all that is going on I didn't eat. By 5pm and getting ready to leave for the meeting I am STARVING and shaky. So my blood sugar was low low low! I am scrambling to find something with sugar in it to eat. Lets see some crackers, two red vines, and the rest of my Starbucks coffee (fat free, not sugar free).I made it through the meeting which was TWO hours. I had even planned that I would be at work longer that day but time disappears very fast in the dispatch center. Feeling like that is horrible because I have to struggle to get my blood sugar back up to where it is supposed to be! I think that the three hour diet is PERFECT for me. I am going to be concentrating on that way of eating. it has been working so far.

Shakeology. I want to try it but it is on the pricey side. I am worry about the taste. I already make my own smoothies with protein mix and I love them. Shakeology is the same idea but it is crammed full of nutrients among other things. Lots of people drink them but it is a commitment. I am considering buying into it! I want a sample so I can tast it before I make my FULL commitment!

Ciao
USMCdaffy

Yoga with some love

Yoga Chat...
I have not been doing my yoga because I am focusing on trying to get back into cardio. Fortunately my knee still appears to be healed. So far, so good. As a matter of fact I was more sore from yoga then the cardio I have been doing. The cardio has been 20 minutes at the most and yoga is about 45 minutes (if I cut out the commercials). Every inch of me gets a work out with yoga even if I choose a specific workout plan directed at a specific issue. Today I was able to work through my soreness and do 45 minutes of cardio. My knees did not collapse and I didn't have a heart attack!! LOL It was fun and it did not seem like 45 minutes. I have been working with my TurboJam DVDs. It is the most intense cardio I own right now. I have not tried my pilates as of yet but tomorrow might be a good day to try it out.

Love in Dispatch?
There are many times in dispatch on 911 there is a lot of screaming. Some times it is for urgency and other times it is out of anger. Most people in their frantic state yell to get their point across. This is useless most of the time because the louder the caller the more difficulty to understand what is being said. Yet in the midst of this there are the callers that are calm and listen. They are not as common as the others but they are there. Those are the calls that can be the toughest because I feel like I am evesdropping on them. Caller with husband having a stroke. She was terrified but calm. Part of the EMD (emergency medical dispatch) is telling the caller to reassure the patient that help is on the way etc... This the evesdropping. It like listening to someone's feelings of their loved one. Even though she was terrified she was able to keep herself together and keep talking to him, reassuring him that help was coming and she was going to stay by his side and take care of him. For people waiting for help, the waiting feels so much longer. The whole time waiting she would go back and forth gathering things and talking to me on the phone while talking to her husband. Once the ambulance got there she started crying but I think it is from relief. I will probably never find out the end result of what happened to him but it calls like these that make me rethink there is love out there. That there is hope and people can be there for each other. I think that these calls come when we (as dispatchers) start doubting if we make a difference or we start to give up on humans. Because many times in many days I have doubts there are people out there that love each other when many calls it doesn't feel like ANYONE loves each other anymore. Perhaps the wife and her husband will have a happy ending. I hope so.

Ciao
USMCdaffy

Vending Machine Part II, plus a little training.

I know vending machines are bad. I know that I should not be visiting a vending machine (of ANY kind...) no matter what. But there are circumstances that are necessary and if you have some kind of control of yourself it should be fine once and awhile. I am not going to say that the vending machine was out to get me (weirdo...) but I do think that it is a SIGN of sorts if you have a mortifying incident at a (you guessed it!!) vending machine.

I can say with COMPLETE confidence that ONCE and for ALL I am CURED of any visitation between me and (any) vending machines. Now don't get me wrong. There are some vending machines that are filled with more nutritional items to purchase or they are filled partially with items you may have forgotten on a trip. But the candy/naughty ones and I are OVER. Once you hear it you will understand.

I was at training all week. The last night there we have a large banquet. There is a cash bar but I don't normally drink and yes I did have one the night before. One cosmopolitan cocktail with friends for networking purposes ONLY!! So at the banquet my boss leads L (co-worker also attending the conference) and myself to the bar. I decline and he insists. L is allergic to alcohol so she gets a soda (nothing wrong with drinking or not drinking whatever the reason). I order ONE cranberry and vodka. They are in low ball glasses so they are small. I put my money down and he says he is buying. Ok. That is nice. I promise I will get to the vending machine incident... Fast forward two and half hours plus three additional cape cods (cranberry & vodka). After the banquet I feel fine because it was a very LONG banquet with awards and speeches. I go up to the bar in the hotel to meet M. She is a dispatcher too and SHE has LOST 58 pounds. She looks great!! I am slightly jealous but I am happy for her! It's just another motivation for me anyway. I have two more drinks. Turns out one vendor a night during training pays for drinks for EVERYONE in 9-1-1 ALL night. Two more is quite enough. I had a great night and I go back to my room. Gee. I am hungry.

I am hungry! Crap!! Now I absolutely cannot drive anywhere and there is no where near any place to eat PLUS it is after midnite. Ok. I am going to go down to the vending machine. *sigh* I am just going to get a bag of chips. I am SURE there is something somewhat acceptable to eat so I can sleep. I am on floor six and the vending machine is floor one. I go down to the first floor. I get one bag of sun chips. I say to myself, I should get one more because if I don't eat it tonight I can eat them on the way home. I put my money in for bag number two. The bag. Is. Stuck. NO NO NO NO!! So think okay if I buy one more it will push it out and I will addional bag but I can take it home. I put the third set of money in. The SECOND bag is ALSO stuck. NOOOOOOOOOOOOO. I have to to the lobby (floor #2) and tell the front desk who as to get on the portable radio and call the maintenance person to meet me down on the first floor. She and I are looking at each other and there is no way that she or we can shake this out. So back up to the lobby to get my $1.60. Really? I took my chips and my $1.60 and go back to my room to eat my snack alone.

NO MORE VENDING MACHINES. EVER. I WILL EAT THE TWO YEAR OLD CAN OF BEANS AT WORK BEFORE I GO BACK TO ANY VENDING MACHINE...

There are times that there is just a sign of what you should have done. I probably should have gotten my snack before the banquet. This was my sign. My resolve to be finished with the vending machines as a whole is now stronger then ever... Aside from that I had lots of fun and did a bunch of networking! Training was great and I brought a lot of ideas back to work!

Ciao
USMCdaffy