"Eat Clean. Train Dirty"

This statement has definately been me this past week.

EAT CLEAN* Originally going into this challenge I thought my life in the kitchen was going to be reduced to bland boring food, and for those that know me this was actually going to be the hardest thing to do for 60 days. I love the kitchen, I love to cook and I love making other people happy thru food. However over the past week I have found some really great marinades and dressings that were not only dairy, sugar, and gluten free but were low in sodium, the brand was Drews and  can be found at Sprouts. I also realized how easy it is to toss a few spices in a bit of red wine vinegar and splash of oil and voila dressing! There have been a few food revelations for me this week making the kitchen enjoyable again. So I thought I would share...

Spring and summer veggies are the best and some of my fave hot day foods it turns out are super easy to make even on a diet. First off I made myself a chilled cucumber salad... you know diced cucumber red onion, and tomatoes and as I have to have protien with EVERYTHING I added in some cold grilled chicken I already had measured out previously. For the dressing I used 1T of e.v.o.o (extra virgin olive oil) and red wine vinegar with a dash of garlic powder with parsley and pepper with a splash of lemon juice. So yummy and refreshing after being outside with the horses or a seond time when I packed it for an after gym snack. I also redisovered spaghetti squash this week. Its been years since Ive eaten it and it was something I had never cooked. Yet so easy, (if you have a very sharp very large knife). I cut my squash in half and baked it rind up on a foil covered cookie sheet at 375 for 45 min without any seasoning or e.v.o.o. Alone it was delicious add to it some homemade sauce and ground turkey... yummo! And usually I dont even like spaghetti. Im sure this next one, which I will include the full recipe for, is the best yet. For those of you that read this and or are doing the challenge this is a must try...

http://www.skinnytaste.com/2012/02/cilantro-lime-tilapia-tacos.html

This brought new life to tilapia!

TRAIN DIRTY* First things first Im pretty sure Im already a gym addict and were only 14days in. Not only am I feeling stronger and more confident in my bootcamp classes at http://www.hardcorefitnessinc.com/ but Ive found a new love for the treadmill and even dare I say running, thanks to CardioTread at http://cardiogirl.com/ Cory the owner at Cardiogirl has been super supportive of my efforts with this challenge and always present for motivation and his signature triple high5! Between these two gyms its made a 3 a day workout schedule easy to maintain and fun. Yes I said 3 a day! My routine now consists of an hour long bootcamp session at 8am follwed by 30 to 40 min of low imapct cardio then its off for a full day of work only to return for a final round of low impact cardio for another 30 to 45 min. Bootcamp sessions range from single muscle group work to full body the toughest of which was last mon. Our workout consisted of ten strength training moves in reps of 75 (most of which were done with weights) were talking

bicep curls*shoulder press* sqauts* leg lifts* sit ups... just to name a few.  My cardio rounds are a rotation of 3 machines...treadmill, elliptical and the amt (my fave). This weekend at home I also mapped out a 3 mile loop from my house around the park and back. I also like to count our stairs, all 39 of them that lead to the horse stalls as a good mini workout. With that said Im sure you can see where the dirty comes in... Im a sweaty stinky mess for a good portion of my day esp. the two this week that I forgot deodorant. Oops! Now I have an extra one in the car just to be safe.

As for the fruits of my labor this week, yes I am already seeing results and so are others...My waist is already trimmer and so are my wrists. I know you are thinking well thats a little silly but when youre working this hard EVERY INCH COUNTS!

XOXO

look out weekend....

 

Week 1 COMPLETE! I am hoping that was the hard part... My first week came with plenty of ups & downs. From kids home sick from school, making 3 a day workouts difficult, to a total meltdown over food cunsumption on day 4 (6 meals a day can be a little daunting in the begining). Not to mention my 3 day weekend in Palm Springs with my favorite girlfriends, surrounded by sweet and salty snacks as well as an abundance of beer and mixed drinks. I wont lie though there was a bit of trail mix that did find its way to my tummy. But here I am. I made it.

The diet itself however was less difficult to follow than I had expected. The diet being very cut and dry has been easy to maintain and has never left me wanting for more. Although fish at 9:30am is not exactly my idea of a tastey breakfast or post workout treat. I have also eaten more eggwhites than most people consume in months. & do not even get me started on how much water I have been drinking...With that said going in to week 2 I am down almost 7lbs and not only do I feel energized but confident I will conquer the next 7 weeks.

Below is a sample of some of the meals I eat throughout the day...

Thank you to my amazing JUGS this weekend. You really helped keep me on track even with all the temptaion at The Hen House. I love you all and you each inspire me in your own way! I am truly blessed.

Ready...for anything

Tomorrow will mark day 1 of the Slim for Summer Body Transformation Challenge, my food is weighed and measured, packed and ready to go. My emotions are varied as I embark on this journey to a healthier more fit lifestyle, they range from nervous and anxious to excitement. The guidelines set in front of me are strict and to the "T". No cheating no excuses! One thing that I know will get me through to tomorrow... I am ready!
I am ready to make the neccessary changes in my dietary habits as well as my physical appearance to make me feel better, look better and live an all together more balanced happy life. I am ready to push myself beyond what I think my limits are. Ready to embrace the fact that where I am right now is not where I have to stay. And ready to let go of my past failures and turn them into positive building blocks of the habits I will not revert back to for instant gratification.

XOXO

The FIRST last time...

We've all said it, most of us on more than one occasion, "This is my last meal" or " This is my last day as a quote on quote Fat Kid" or the one we all hear most often "My diet starts tomorrow".

About a week ago I decided this coming sunday the 13th of May would be the FIRST last time I so much as utter any of the previous phrases. I've joined a body transforamtion challenge thru my gym Hardcore Fitness Inc. (http://www.hardcorefitnessinc.com/) Ive been a member here for almost a year and though I have seen results they have not been on par with what I had expected, however the only person that I can blame is myself! Im looking back going wow look at what I could have done if I had only put my all in to it and put forth the effort in myself that I deserve. So instead of beating myself up for what I didnt do it's time to kick my ass doing what I need to do. It's time to make a difference in my own life! Now don't get me wrong that $15000 carrot dangling on the rope at the finish is a pretty great motivational tool, but I have to do this for me, for the right reasons... for my health and my happiness inside and out. The idea of finally loving my body and being happy with my physical appearance is what will help get me out of bed earlier than I prefer and in to the gym.

I've decided however that I can't do it alone. I need support and some major cheering on the sidelines from friends and family. That is why Im creating this blog to share my journey and to keep my progress on track & maybe even inspire others. From this moment on I never want to look back and say "I should have started that yesterday" instead I want to be able to say " look how far Ive come".

So please help support me. Follow my journey and don't hesitate to send words of wisdom and encouragement along the way.

xoxo Jamie