21 Day Fix: Day 3

Today I feel:

I did NOT want to get out of bed this morning. And OMG when I DID gurllemmetellyou EVERYthing hurt. My shoulders, my thighs, my booty, my ABS oh god my poor abs. All I've been doing this morning is stretching. I honestly put 100% effort into the first 2 workouts and I can definitely feel it paying off. No pain no gain!

I'm going to share my lunch chicken wrap recipe with you because I think it was super delish today. I don't think I can get sick of wraps so I'm pretty happy that I found the low-cal tortillas and soft-wraps. Today's is a chicken, avocado, yellow pepper wrap with a dash of tapatio hot sauce. I put some rice and beans in John's wrap so he pretty much gets a burrito (lucky!).

Fiery Chicken Avocado Pepper Wrap

1 softwrap (make sure its the 100 cal ones) [1 yellow]

1/4 avocado [1 blue]

2 grilled chicken tenders [1 red]

3 strips yellow pepper [1/2 green]

hot sauce of your choice

(I'm having a side of sliced cucumbers as my other 1/2 green)

I finally got some energy after lunch and took my poor neglected puppy for a walk. She's been nudging me all morning to get out of the house. Turns out its a GORGEOUS day today so my mood is instantly lifted.

Tonight's workout (I know most people work out in the morning, but I'm weird like that) was Lower Fix. Prepare for squats and lunges!!! Also, prepare for me complaining about not being able to walk tomorrow! Happy Hump DAY!

21 Day Fix: Day 2

This morning I felt:

 I woke up at 6:30 (this is normal though, because my dog doesn't have snooze) I got a lot of things done around the house, I drank a lot of water, I had my Shakeology breakfast (blended with a serving of pineapple), and this had me going until about 11:30. I am feeling a little sore from yesterdays workout, but I really like that "achy-muscles" feeling because it makes me feel like I've done something.

 For lunch I had a turkey wrap with 1/3 avocado, onion, and tapatio hot sauce. I also had some baby carrots as a snack. My energy definitely came down after lunch, I think I just need to get better sleep. Also I haven't had as much caffeine as I usually have every day, so my body is definitely not used to that.

I can have coffee on the 21 Day Fix but, honestly, if I can't have cream and sugar it just tastes like poop in a cup to me.

Today's workout was Upper Fix, which is an upper body workout (duh). It killlled my shoulders. I was pretty proud of my solid 8 push-ups before I did the girly ones. I have a feeling tomorrow is going to be one of those cant-get-my-shirt-over-my-head kind of mornings. Can't wait!

I had a "book club" meeting tonight and the ladies were nice enough to make it a "healthy" snack meeting so people brought in veggies, hummus and such....yeah there were donuts (you know who you are!!!). Weird thing is, I didn't even care they were there! Didn't crave that sugar! So weird, since its just day 2 of clean eating.

I brought a quinoa salad. You can find the recipe on the FitGirlWannabe Facebook page!

21 Day Fix: Day 1

Today I feel:

This morning I drank a giant glass of water with a splash of organic apple cider vinegar and put on my sports bra and running shorts. I don't know about you guys, but this has always (never) worked to motivate me to work out.

I think its the "1st day" excitement. It happens with anything you start and then you begin to be less and less committed to it. The nice thing is, I'm blogging about it and I'm part of a challenge group....so I HAVE to do it! That accountability is seriously the best motivation right now.

For breakfast today I had a strawberry Shakeology shake with just water. For those of you who have never heard of it, its like a meal replacement with a bunch of "boosts". Gives you energy, makes you feel full, curbs sugar cravings. Super healthy stuff. Check THIS out for more info on Shakeology or if you wanna try it. Now, if you are not used to protein shakes and haven't tried other meal replacement shakes, it might taste weird to you. If you have, it will probably be the best tasting meal replacement you've tried.

All my food for the next 21 days will be portioned out according to the color-coded container system that the program uses.

Lunch is taco seasoned chicken breast with tomatoes and 1/4 avocado and red peppers wrapped in a tomato basil soft wrap . This will cost me 1 blue container (healthy fats), 1 red (protein), 1 green (veg) , 1 teaspoon (olive oil).

Dinner is beef stir-fry with mushrooms, onions and a side of  brown rice. 1.5 red (protein), 1 yellow (carb),

1 teaspoon (olive oil). For John I had to add on because he has more portions than I do.

I still have 1 purple (fruit), 1 green (veggies), and 1 orange (dressing) to work with. I'm thinking salad!

On this portion controlled meal plan all seasoning is "free", so I can spice everything up without having to count it.

As far as food goes, I wouldn't say I feel "full" but I don't feel "hungry" either. What surprised me was how much I walked over to the fridge, not even hungry, and then remembered that I can't just graze. It's amazing how much I would have eaten if I didn't plan it ahead of time. I can't wait to see my results after the first week of this meal plan.

Now, lets move on to the workouts. I've decided I am going to do the 21 Day Fix workouts AND lift at the gym. I want maximum results, which means maximum effort. Today's workout is the Total Body Cardio Fix which, despite being "cardio" does involve weights and is VERY challenging. It is a solid 30 minute workout without much room for taking breaks. I wasn't prepared to sweat so much.

I was going to post my "before" picture and measurements but I think I'll save it for the end of the week so you can actually see the difference.

If you want more info on the 21 Day Fix check out  THIS VIDEO. And PLEASE don't hesitate to join me on my journey. If you decide that you want to try the 21 Day Fix shoot me a message on the Facebook page and we can do it together!

"What's in the box!?"

My challenge came in! Here is everything that was in the box:

• 2 workout dvd's with eight 30-minute workouts and two 10-minute workouts. And a bonus 30 minute workout dvd that comes with getting the challenge pack
  
• a 21DayFix eating plan
• 7 color-coded portion containers (what I was most excited about!)
• a Shakeology protein shaker cup thingy
• month supply strawberry Shakeology (this stuff tastes like a smoothie)

.

There was also a little flyer in there that I'm pretty excited about. It tells you to take before and after pictures and send them in after completing the program to possibly win MONEY (or just a t-shirt for completing the program)! You know I'm on that like white on rice....and if I don't get money at least I get a free t-shirt out of it.

Banana for scale.

My first thought: these containers..are...tiny!

"What is this, tupperware for ants!?"

Each container is color coded so, for example, the green container is for vegetables, purple for fruit, red for protein, etc.

 Depending on your weight you get a certain amount of each container per day. For example, I get to refill my red container (protein) 4 times per day.

This means I can have however much protein like chicken, fish, lean beef that fits into the container or substitute with Shakeology or a protein shake (no milk).

I will explain the containers in detail in another post because I am going to confuse everyone. I do really like that the biggest containers are the fruits and vegetables because it's really going to make me fill up on the good stuff.

I got excited and watched a couple of the workouts and they are not your mama's cardio, I am definitely going to sweat. AND half of the videos focus on strength training with heavier weights, which I'm pumped about because I kind of figured this would be just cardio and I like to change it up. 

I will officially start the program either Sunday or Monday, depending on when we get our grocery shopping done. Now, time to get rid of all the booze! ;) 

"I'm crunching on my wooorkout balll, I never get those abs at alll!"

Today I was trying to find a pair of shoes I hid in our spare room back when our puppy wanted to eat the whole apartment. I noticed my "workout stash" in the corner. I'm pretty sure all of us have one; things we buy, use once, and then put in a corner somewhere. I have enough stuff for so many solid workouts, so WHY don't I use what I have?!

Other than laziness (guilty) I think it's simply the fact that I have to put the workout together myself. I bought all these things with the idea that they would aid me in getting into shape, not really thinking through HOW I would use them. I would roll out my mat with the intention of working out, so a couple dumbbell swings, crunches with my exercise ball, and then lay there just thinking of what I'm going to do next. It's pretty embarrassing, but that thing in the corner next to the exercise ball is supposed to be my sandbag...yeah there's no sand in it.

Not pictured: yoga mat, which I actually use!

Why is it so much easier for me to work out when there is someone there with you or talking at you in a video? I think working out in a group, or with a trainer (or your husband haha), or even doing a workout video, gives you that extra push to  challenge yourself because someone is "watching". Even if it's a dude telling you to "keep going" on the TV, someone who definitely isn't actually talking to you, it gives you that little bit of extra motivation.

This is why I think this challenge (which still hasn't got here btw...mail is reeeeally slow getting to Okinawa) is the perfect fit for me. My goal is to eventually make my own workout videos incorporating the equipment currently collecting dust in the spare room, but right now I need a little help being challenged and motivated. Anything that is competitive, whether it's with other people or myself, is going to keep me going!

What are some things that motivate you? Share it on the Facebook page!

"Dinna dinna dinna dinna, broccoli errywhere!"

I'm still patiently waiting for my 21 Day Fix to come in the mail. In the meantime, my amazing friends (Nicole, Liz) have been inspiring me to start trying out healthy recipes.

So today I went on a little fridge-revamp spree!!!

I decided to go to the grocery store closest to our apartment (off-base) called MaxValu. There are a lot of things that the commissary on base has that the Japanese grocery stores don't, but the fruits, veggies, and seafood are so much more fresh that it's worth it. I'll probably have to pick up some grains and seasoning on base but we are definitely set for the week with fruits, veggies, and meat.

Now, let me be clear, I'm NOT a bargain shopper. I aspire to be one, but I'm pretty bad at it. I look and grab...it's a problem, I know. Despite that, I think I didn't do so bad today!

This was all under 10,000 yen (roughly $100) and I splurged a little on fruit (which can be expensive here depending on the kind) and a few other things.

So this week will be healthy recipe testing week! I'm thinking since I haven't actually started the program yet and something I make tastes like poop we can still order a pizza (hahaha just kidddingggggg [maybe]).

On today's menu is baked salmon with a garlic Dijon sauce. I'm also going to throw some brown rice and basic blanched broccoli on the side for John, and a tomato and cucumber salad for me. John hates tomatoes and cucumbers, which is ridiculous, but I love him anyway. Keep in mind that the portion sizes here are probably a bit more than I'll be having on the 21 Day Fix.

Here's how it turned out:

Unfortunately I couldn't get a picture of John's broccoli (bummmmerrrr) because he had to run to work.

Here's the recipe for the salmon:

You will need:

2 salmon fillets

2 tsp Dijon mustard (5 calories per tsp)

a pinch of garlic flakes or powder

salt and pepper to taste

2 tsp extra virgin olive oil 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. I'm using a glass pan, and I greased the bottom with 1 tsp olive oil, using the other to rub down the fillets. Season one side with salt and pepper and flip. Put the mustard on the other side, then sprinkle the garlic powder over that as well as a bit more salt and pepper if you like. Bake for 15 minutes or until flaky.

(Fun fact, John took most of these pics and it would drive him pretty crazy to see that white space before the last pic.)

My cucumber tomato salad is literally chopped up cucumbers and tomatoes sprinkled with salt so that's pretty straightforward. You can also add a tsp of oil and splash of vinegar to dress it up.

Blanching broccoli is pretty easy. All you have to do is bring a pot of water (throw some salt in there too) to a boil. Have a bowl of cold water nearby.  Now put your fresh chopped up broccoli in the pot, and cook for 1-2 minutes. Take it out with a slotted spoon and put it directly into the cold water, then serve. It only needs to be in the cold water for a second so it stops the cooking process. This makes the broccoli tender but still crisp so its not flapping around all sad looking.

For the brown rice just follow the instructions on the back of the bag. My only tip is not to forget to season the water (I throw some garlic powder in there too, not sure how legit that is but it does give it a bit more flavor.)

And voila! Dinner is served.

Now all I have to do is not lose my mind waiting for my challenge pack to come in! I'm hardcore stalking USPS for my package. Patience is not one of my virtues.

My dog can't wait either!

About this blog (and ME!)

I'm really bad at introductions so I'll just jump right into it.

I used to be chubby/fat/overweight. I ate my way through college after being a skinny minny in High School. Instead of the freshman 15 I gained the freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior 35. Mind you, I'm 5 ft nothing so every pound shows. I ate simply because food is delicious, and didn't exercise because I didn't realize I was getting bigger. In my eyes I was still High School skinny minny.

It was after I graduated from University and started looking for work that I actually looked at several of my facebook pictures and realized I needed to actually work to be thin....DANGIT!

I needed some serious motivation. I needed my confidence back. So I decided to eat a little better (or at least a little less) and be a bit more active. 

What really got me motivated to get in shape was my decision to go teach in South Korea for a year (it ended up being two! but that's another story). I wanted to go in with a brand new start and be able to wear all the amazing clothes the South Koreans were wearing (they're a fashionable bunch).

So I got the job, booked my flight, and started doing Insanity and going to the little gym room in my apartment complex. 

The more weight I lost the more fun I began to have. I danced more, went out more, did my hair, dressed up. This is what I looked like when I got off the plane in South Korea.      
                                                   

I ate relatively well in Korea, and had to walk everywhere so it was easy to keep up an active lifestyle. I also revisited my Insanity workouts whenever I needed a little boost.

It was in Korea that I met the love of my life, my wonderful husband of 5 and a half months. While I was in South Korea as an English teacher, he was stationed there with the US Air Force. He is now stationed in Okinawa, Japan and I joined him right after my second contract in Korea was up. 

Now, let me tell you about Okinawa. It is the slow island life, completely different from Korea. One of my favorite things to do on the island is....EAT!!!!

This is probably my last, and favorite, pic where I was slim.

And then........

I got lazy. In the midst of job hunting, adjusting to a new lifestyle, and simply enjoying the first months of being married I got a little too used to eating the same portions as my husband.

So here I am now, with 15 extra pounds.

As you can see I'm not too mad about it. This is because I know I can do something about it! My husband has motivated me to start lifting heavy at the gym, which is making me feel strong and I can already see results. Now, I just need to shed some extra pounds so you can see all that hard work. 

That is where this blog comes in!

Sometime next week I will receive my super awesome 21 Day Fix Challenge!!! 

I'll be recording my progress on this program daily and explain how it works as I go along. I've always wanted to do something like this and blog about it because I think it will keep me accountable and on track.

I am especially excited because many people have had great results with this program and it teaches you how to portion out your food and make healthy food choices.

My next post will be a breakdown of the program, so stay tuned!

If you would like to join me in this challenge or learn more about it send me a message or CLICK HERE