No Sugar?

CAROLINE,

how are you doing with no sugar? i've been trying to do it, but i fail every day and then start over. so far today, i've made it but the day is only halfway through. there was a neighborhood egg hunt yesterday and i was going to be good, but of course there was a really good cake there that i just couldn't pass up and ended up eating my own piece, and then finishing both boys' pieces for them. -sigh-

i'm trying to incorporate 5 small meals into my day instead of just breakfast, lunch, and dinner, because i do get really snacky after a couple hours of not eating. i think that's going to help me, if i can stay committed to it.

the boys have tons of candy from the egg hunt and i haven't eaten a single piece! so that's a start. i just know i'm really addicted so it'll take time. aside from the video you posted, one of my friends posted an article on facebook about how sugar can age you.

i'm realizing that i need to make a big change in my eating habits. i think, if i really can give up sugar, i'll look younger, feel younger, have more energy (won't feel like taking a nap halfway through the day), and be more fit. doesn't that sound great?

Food for thought...

One of my "ultra- health conscious" friends sent me this 60 minutes video about sugar (Is sugar toxic?) and I thought it was worth passing along.
After watching it, I got to thinking about how I felt a while back when I gave up eating added sugar (cookies, cake, candy, ice-cream...all the "no no" foods we know are bad for us). I remember how horrible I felt eating that first cookie after my 6 week "sugar fast"...I felt sick to my stomach, gross, and an hour or so later I felt tired and kind of "blah". I can tell that on days that I make poor choices and eat sugar...that feeling comes back.
After watching this video, it confirmed to me again how horrible sugar is for us. I mean, we've always known that-right? we know that a diet with too much sugar can lead to diabetes, obesity and heart disease...though most dr's have always linked eating too much sugar with excessive weight gain which THEN causes the heart disease. The research in this video directly links the sugar TO heart disease and says it has a direct effect on the causes of heart disease and even accelerates cancer. It goes as far as to call it poison for our bodies and groups it with alcohol and tobacco. WOW. extreme?...maybe a little, but not too far fetched according to these studies. Am I going to cut sugar out of my diet permanently and forever? probably not. BUT, I am publicly announcing on this bloggity blog (to help me be more accountable) that I am going to ,once again, go with out sugar for 6 weeks, just as a reminder to myself that it IS an addiction, one that I am capable of breaking and to help me feel better and less tired. A sort of lent sacrifice- if you will (I know that we are not Catholic, but I love the idea behind lent and us sacrificing something to remind us of what was sacrificed for us) After that, I'm just hoping to adopt better habits and not indulge in treats too often, or maybe not at all. Wish me luck this upcoming, candy-laden, sugar-fest, Easter weekend:)

a tip and a triumph

I have a hard time drinking enough water in a day. Which is kind of funny, because I only drink water. I don't drink soda or anything, but I just kind of forget to drink altogether and therefore end up dehydrated.

I started using this tip from Bodyrock, and it really works for me.

I use a dry erase marker to write on the glass, how many times I've filled it up. It motivates me to drink more, too, when my goal is at least 8 glasses and the cup still has a 4 on it. Then I know I really need to step it up. So every time I finish a glass of water, I fill it back up and change the number.

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Also, I just had to record my triumph for today! I did ten guy push-ups and felt like I could've kept going!! Up until now, I pretty much always do push-ups from my knees. It made me feel so proud and strong! Awesome. It's always good to see your hard work pay off. I've been bodyrocking for two full months now, and still LOVE-ING IT!!!

Sweatin' Like a Pro

This is what I looked like this morning, after my B.RUTAL workout.

MAN, bodyrocking is HARD, but oh so worth it.

BR: DAY 5 WEEK 4!!!!!

I finished the 30 day challenge!!

Okay, like i said, i don't know if anyone else can see a difference. you might all think I look exactly the same as before, but -I- can tell a difference and I'm loving it. I will continue to bodyrock and hopefully see more results. I'm sure I would have seen MORE results, had I continued to eat better but that is something I still need to work on. What can I say? I like food. A lot.

beginning weight: 123

ending weight: 120.8

BEFORE:

AFTER:

So, it's not very dramatic, but I definitely see more definition in my whole body. My arms are more toned (which I love love love!), my legs have always been a problem area and I'm starting to see a little bit of muscle there, and my stomach is even flatter. I'm really happy with the outcome. There's a new February Challenge, so I think I'll have to do that one next!

.....................................

Today marks one month since i started BodyRocking! I took the fit test again today, for the third time this month, to see what kind of improvement I've made over the past 30 days:

here are my results from all three times (first day, two weeks in, and today):

Squat Jump 27 33 46

Push-up 22 17 25

Burpees 17 20 20

High Knees 90 130 148

Switch Lunges 32 38 40

Tuck Jumps 24 27 31

Straight Abs 15 17 21

Day 4 Week 4!!

word of the day: ACHIEVED!

i'm so proud of what i've achieved this month! i kind of treated this as my LAST CHANCE WORKOUT, because it really is the last workout of the challenge. tomorrow is just a 7 minute fit test, to see how far i've come!

i set my interval timer to 10/30 and did this circuit only 1x through, doing as many of these exercises as i could in the 30 second time period. and i was able to do it full out without hurting. i guess yesterday's injury was just a fluke (thank goodness!)

this is actually the same workout we did last tuesday, so i put my previous scores in parentheses.

Workout Breakdown:

1 Push-up + Burpee + Tuck Jump 7 (6)

*High Knees Skip 77 (76)

Switch Lunge 25 (23)

*High Knees Skip 79 (72)

Press up with Spider Knee (on my knees) 11 (7)

*High Knees Skip 82 (86)

High Knees x 10 + Mountain Climbers x 10 4 (3)

*High Knees Skip 80 (60)

Side Burpee & Oblique Abs 7 (6)

*High Knees Skip 80 (80low)

Push-up + Side Plank Twist + Oblique Drop 7 (5)

*High Knees Skip 80 (75)

V Abs Left 19 (16)

*High Knees Skip 70 (76)

V Abs Right 20 (18)

*High Knees Skip 80 (66)

Hug Knees + Star Jack 19 (20)

*High Knees Skip 85 (74)

Single Toe Touch Abs 15 (10)

*High Knees Skip 83 (80)

Squat Jump 20 (20)

*High Knees Skip 80 (75)

1/2 Burpee + 1 Push-up 8 (8)

*High Knees Skip 90 (70)

I LOVE getting to see some improvement!! i feel like i was a lot more consistent this time around (my high knee skips stayed in the 70s or 80s and i kept my knees high)

Day 3 Week 4

i was excited for today because, instead of 12 minutes with lisa marie, and THEN an additional weight routine with sean, they mixed the two into one workout. so it was only 12 minutes, but you get your weights AND your cardio. NICE!

it was REALLY disappointing when i went to do the workout and somehow injured a muscle, so the whole workout was not done to my full potential. very frustrating.

word of the day: CAPABLE

Set your interval timer to 12 rounds of 10/50 and complete the following 6 exercises 2 times through. ( 3 times if you want to really push hard ;) ) brad wasn't home today, so no scores for him

Lisa-Marie’s 3 Exercises:

1. Push-up & Front Raise using 8 lb weights 6 5

2. Bag Drag using the Pink Sandbag (i did it without equipment) 8 7

3. Commando Push Up, Roll & Mountain Climbers 4 3

Seans 3 Exercises:

1. Shoulder Lift & Squat & One Leg Lift using the Pink Sandbag 7 (this is where i felt the pain in my inner thigh. i didn't lift a leg, just squatted) 8

2. Round the world using 8 lb weights 10 (could hardly do them) 16

3. Squat & Press using 8 lb weights (the first time through, i just did a press. i couldn't squat anymore) 20 16

and then the second time through everything, i was able to do everything (all of the squats). still not completely 100%, but better than the first round. i need to do some serious stretching and resting tonight. i'm bummed about this. i wanted to work SO HARD this week, since it's kind of my last chance before the end of the challenge. i HOPE i'll heal before friday! that's the fit test and i NEED to see some improvement or i'll be a little disappointed. : (

Day 2 Week 4

the countdown is officially on. only three days left!! i'm feeling so much better about my body. i feel more FIRM. it's a really good feeling. not to say i don't have jiggles, but i love what bodyrock is doing for me, after only 30 days!! i won't stop after these three days. if only i can figure out how to motivate myself to stick to the diet plan....

word of the day; CONQUER

Set your interval timer to 12 rounds of 10/50 and complete the following 4 exercises 3 times through. ( 4 times if you feel brave enough ;) )

1. Push-up + Clean & Press & Squat & Press – using 8 lb weights 6 7 6 (8 6 5)
2. Plyo-metric Jump & Press Up & Tuck Jump 8 6 9 (8 6 7)
3. Plank & Floor touch & Knee Tuck – Alternate Sides Using Table & Stability Ball (we ended up just doing it on the floor without equipment) 8 11 18 (16 16 20)
4. Reverse Pull Up’s 17 15 22 (25 22 22)

Day 1 Week 4

ONLY 4 DAYS TO GO!!!

word of the day: FEEL IT

Set your interval timer to 12 rounds of 10/50 and complete the following 4 exercises 3 times through. ( 4 times if you feel brave enough ;) ) brad's scores are in ( ):

1 Leg Push-Ups and Jump Over 10 9 9 (15 8 10)

Side Straddle Run’s & Burpee’s 12 13 12 (11 12 9)

Squat and Woodchop – Alternate Sides Using the big exercise ball 23 24 23 (22 27 30)

Plank Jumps using the core disc 38 47 38 (42 44 50)

Set your interval timer to 12 rounds of 10/50 and complete the following 4 exercises 3 times through. oh my goodness! brad and i BOTH were doing the easiest style of pushups by the third time through. this was killer. pushups are not a strength of mine. but i guess that's why i need to do them. i won't improve if i never try.

1. Elevated Push Up’s with spider knee 14 8 12 (21 18 16)

2. Star or Diamond Push Up 14 13 15 (21 15 17)

3. Explosive Push Ups using the core disc 8 10 10 (9 12 16)

4. Tricep Alternating Lunges using the Pink Sandbag (we just did dips on the side of a chair) 12:i wasted about ten seconds, trying to get situated correctly 20 25 (25 24 27)

Day 5 Week 3

oh my goodness! i'm so excited! i've completed three weeks and only have ONE LEFT. in the beginning, i thought this was a 6 week program (where they're only counting the days you actually work out), but they're counting by week, so the 30 days is counted over 4 weeks. makes sense now, and it's so nice that i have ONE week left, rather than 3! and i haven't missed ANY of the workouts.

i really wish i had been able to eat better. i started out really well. my downfall was when i got lazy and didn't write out a menu for the week. i need a menu because that makes me go grocery shopping and then i know i have everything i need to make my meals. otherwise, i don't make real meals and i start to snack. i'm not good at looking in the pantry and making something up.

don't laugh at me if i don't look any different after the 30 days. i FEEL better and i've lost a couple of pounds, but nothing substantial. i do feel like i'm more toned, but i'm not sure anyone else would notice. we'll see.

i'm planning to continue after the 30 days is up though, so hopefully i'll see more and more results month by month.

here's lisa-marie's timed workout:

Set your interval timer to a stopwatch. You will perform the following workout twice through.

25 Push Ups (girl style- oh my gosh. i'm so bad at push ups. it's so hard to do more than maybe 10, without losing the correct form)

100 High Knee Skips

25 Knee Tucks (i put my legs up on a chair and did sit ups)

100 High Knee Skips

25 Squats using 8 lb weights, held to my chest

100 High Knee Skips

25 Triceps on the edge of a chair

TIME: 13:25

Sean Workout in 3 Rounds. Set your interval timer for 10/50 (i used 8 lb. weights on all of these)

Wide Grip Pull Up/Bicep Curls using The PINK sandbag (i did 10 wide push ups, girl style, then 10 biceps curls- all of that equals one rep) 1 1 1

One Arm Row Right 37 33 34

One Arm Row Left 33 33 33

Reverse Grip Pull Up Using The Pink Equalizer (i did a row with weight in both hands, and lifted one leg behind me, each time i brought the weights down) 18 20 22