Deciding to take a break

Well, actually, I'm not taking a "break" break :D I'm just taking a break until I officially start the Transformation Challenge with www.bodybuilding.com. It starts in two weeks (Jan 13) and I'm gonna actually restart Jamie Eason's 12 week trainer or I may try one of the other workout plans www.bodybuilding.com has available. However, I'll still be doing some cardio...jogging, zumba, or walking. And of course I'll be clean eating as well!

Clean eating is going pretty good but I'm still a little bored with my food. I wanna keep eating foods and recipes I've been eating before clean, but I know I gotta use "clean" foods! I made chicken, mixed veggies, and brown rice tonight for dinner. For breakfast tomorrow I'll have a "green smoothie"! So, like I said, overall, I'm doing pretty good, but I know I can do better...much better.

I'm still gonna keep posting each day of the clean eating, but, like I said, I'm taking a temporary break until Jan 13 to restart Jamie Eason's 12 week trainer or one of the other www.bodybuilding.com FREE workout plans!

Have a good night!

Day 13

I've been a clean eater now for 13 days woohoo!!! But I haven't noticed any changes with my weight or my body. I don't think I'm eating enough times throughout the day. And I also know I'm not drinking enough water either. So I know those are 2 things I'v gotta get together and do better with.

I like to start over at the beginning of the week. I'll revamp everything on Monday. I'm planning to drink 10 cups of water and eat more often starting today.

Breakfast today was scrambled eggs with chopped spinach, oatmeal, and bacon.

Finding My Way

I'm trying my best to get a grip on the positive aspect of following this program (Jamie Eason's LiveFit 12 week trainer), but I can't find the motivation I need! I'm one of those people who needs to see fast results but I know with weight loss, it's not gonna happen overnight! I'm heading into my 3rd week of the program and I'm losing my drive!! I know, not good...but I'm gonna get thru this and be an inspiration to someone who comes across my blog or even sees me at work or even in my family!

The main reason for my desire to lose weight is HEALTH!! Diabetes runs in my family and I don't ever want to develop it. I also have PCOS (mor info later) and it's another endocrine disorder similar to diabetes. So I'm already dealing with blood sugar issues but it's not as bad as diabetes. My goal is to stay positive and to find some motivation to get me thru these next 9 weeks.

Actually, I'm gonna start over fresh on January 13, 2014! I signed up for a challenge on www.bodybuilding.com, and I have 2 more weeks before it begins. I'm going to knock out these next 2 weeks to get my mind prepared for the upcoming challenge....cause if I can transform my body enough, I could possibly win $50,000...oh yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So I'll find the positive thoughts I need in order to move forward and get this weight off of me to be happy, healthy, and to be more confident!!! WOOHOO!!!!!

Day 12

I designated today as 1 of the 3 rest days that I'm scheduled to take during phase 1 of Jamie Eason's LiveFit trainer. I only took this as a rest day because I still have low energy and I can't get it together. I'm still eating pretty good with the clean eating, but the weight training...well, let's just say, it's a no go!!! I keep going thru bodybuilding.com forums to get some inspiration, but some of the transformations I've seen show women who are striving to be competitors, muscle building competitors. And I'm not sure if they started out on Jamie Eason's programs or their own workouts...I don't know! I also searched google for some inspiration...I found some, but shoot, I still don't feel motivated enough!! 

But anyhoo...

The chocolate protein bars from Jamie Eason at bodybuilding.com are pretty good!! I used some different ingredients, but they still turned out ok. I used almond flour instead of oat flour (only flour I could find in Walmart other than the "bad" flours lol) and I used chocolate protein powder instead of vanilla protein powder. Oh, and since I watched her video AFTER I made them, I should've used liquid egg whites for 3 eggs instead of 4 eggs. This made the bars bake up longer and they weren't as dense as they should have looked. So next time I'll use fresh egg whites from the whole egg instead. I also added pecans in mine just to give it a crunch like they were brownies. 

beginning of Jamie Eason's chocolate protein bars (altered, of course, lol!)

I let them bake for about 35 mins even though the recipe only said 20-30mins, but, like I said, since I had too many liquid egg whites, it made the batter a little more runny and I had to bake a little longer.

And after...Pretty good I must say!

Well once they came out, I had a piece with a glass of almond milk!! Very good and I'll definitely make again!

Day 11 LiveFit Trainer and clean eating

Pineapples, eggs and spinach, and bacon for breakfast!!

Day 11 >:D<
I'm not 100%, but I'm gonna say I'm about 95% clean eating for 11 days now!! But honestly, I'm getting a little bored with it (:| My biggest problem is finding enough variety for my meals and dedicating more time to meal prepping. I've been searching for some really simple clean recipes online, but it seems like the majority of the recipes are fancy and just too much for me to try :(( So, I'm gonna stick to the basics for now...chicken, turkey, fish, veggies, fruit, and water. I'm gonna find a way to add variety, especially throughout the week. On the weekends it shouldn't be too difficult, or I'll just make some meals on the weekend "cheat meals". :-*

The workout:  Legs/Calves
Another HORRIBLE day!!! I just don't understand what the heck is going on with me!!! :-/ I wish I knew, but I don't. I have nooooooo energy!!!! I hope I can get it together on Monday, but these next couple of days are rest days (LiveFit trainer) so I'll have plenty of time to get my act together and prepare myself for next week!!

Oh, btw, breakfast was not the only meal I ate today...it's just the only meal I posted :-O

Until tomorrow....

MERRY CHRISTMAS...and Happy Day 10

Well, Christmas 2013 has come and gone!!! I spent the day alone, by choice though! I spent Christmas Eve with my family and friends playing games and eating....of course. I brought my own food because I knew my family would be having all the good stuff to eat...sausage balls, pasta salad, pralines and almonds, you know, all the stuff I can't have now that I'm a clean eater!! But it's all good!!! 

Anyway, today I was dragin' the wagon and I didn't feel like doing my back/biceps workout...and I partially did it. I don't know what was going on with me today but I just couldn't get it together!! I had no energy and no motivation :( I'll get it together tomorrow and that's a promise!!!!

Well the good news is, I decided to enter a contest on www.bodybuilding.com. It's called bodybuilding.com $100,000 Transformation Challenge. It starts Jan. 13 and ends April 11! Shoot, if I can win $100,000, I'll definitely give it a try!! Even if I"m one of the 20 runner ups chosen, that's still a chance to win $1,000...I'll take it!! I'm excited and I'm really trying to make money my motivator...along with a new body and better health! I'll post a separate page about the challenge later, but for now, I'm gonna keep working out and eating clean on the LiveFit trainer so that I can get my butt ready for Jan. 13!! Can I get a woo woo?!?!?!?

I hope y'all had a Merry Christmas!! Take care!!

Until tomorrow...

Beginning of week 2 Day 8

Today was a good day!! I tried to increase my weight from last week (week 1), but the reps had my arms on fire!!!! Now, about an hour after my workout, my arms feel like jello...which I guess is a good thing :D

Again, I'm new to blogging and I don't wanna overwhelm myself, or anyone who reads my blog, so I don't have any pics to posts today, unfortunately! Actually, I haven't really had a chance to take pics of my food and my workouts, but I'm gonna try to do better tomorrow...well probably not tomorrow because it's Christmas Eve and I'll be heading to my sister's as soon as I get off work, so I'll be busy busy busy!
Christmas Day I'll be back home and I'm gonna do my Day 9 workout which will be back/biceps day! I'll get that workout in early so I can have the rest of Christmas Day to spend with my family!

The eating portion is still kind of a challenge for me. I'm so used to eating processed foods and not cooking that it's really been an adjustment. I've been sticking to chicken, turkey, and fish, along with veggies, brown rice, and sweet potatoes. But I think my body is getting a little bored (:|

Oh, and btw, I probably won't post any progress pics until I've hit the end of phase 1. So I have 2 more weeks to go for that, but after that I'll probably post so many that y'all will get tired of seein' 'em! :D

Anyway, I'm out...this is all for today!!

Until tomorrow....

Oh yeah, I made my own version of  Reese's peanut butter cups!1 I'm gonna make some more after Christmas! They are pretty darn good...more to come later :)

Partial Meal Prep

I only made enough meals for 2 days this week since I'll only be at work for 2 days. I know that I should've prepped for the rest of the week, but I was gonna be at home after Christmas and I didn't feel it necessary to prepare more than just a couple of meals. But Sunday I'll be ready to prep for the week next week!

LiveFit Week 1 Recap

B-)  (*)
Well, well, well....week 1 down...11 weeks left!!! \:D/

My week 1 review:

• Meal prepping is kind of a nuisance to me and I'll probably only do it for my breakfasts and lunches
• Brown rice IS NOT my friend...but I'll try to spice it up next week.
• My workouts were mainly at home. Will start in the gym and heavier weight in week 2
• Rest days are for the birds! 

Overall, so far, this may be the program for me. I've told a few close friends of my decision and I'm hoping they can help keep me encouraged so I can see some awesome results by week 6. I'd love to see my belly, or what I call my "hamburger bun" to go down by week 6 and to be just the bottom part of the bun by the end of the program. 

As far as clean eating, I've been wanting to do this for a long time anyway. A couple of years ago, I ordered the Eat Clean Recharged book by Tosca Reno and I subscribed to her online community at www.eatcleandiet.com. I would by Clean Eating magazines at Walmart until I ordered a yearly subscription. The only thing I didn't like about the magazine is that the recipes, in my opinion, are whack! Some of the foods I never, ever heard of before and I have noooooo interest in trying them. But I was able to find some quick and simple recipes that I would make from time to time to give me some type of variation in my meals. 

Clean eating is a healthy way to get my body in better health. I have menstrual irregularities and PCOS and insulin resistance (more on these issues to be posted at a later date). I've read many blogs and posts about how women "cleaned" up their eating and their PCOS and insulin resistance symptoms went away and they were able to lose weight, regulate their cycles, and get pregnant. Well, getting pregnant is on my list of what I want to accomplish, but being healthy is the #1 objective for me. If I could finally get off of the birth control pill, lose this weight from around by midsection, and get rid of the dark circles under my eyes, I'd be one happy camper! I know it'll take baby steps and I'm not gonna see results instantly. So patience is key!

So, going into week 2, I am more focused and more motivated to knock out the next 11 weeks! I'm praying I can stay focused and motivated and reach my goal. I don't want to go into another warm season hiding my body!!

Week 2.....BRING IT!!!! 

Final Rest Day

I think in time I'll finally get used to cooking my food and not going to Mcdonalds or Biscuitville for breakfast :D Well, I had an egg white, spinach, and tomato scramble, bacon, and oatmeal. Oh yeah, I also had a protein shake to wash all of this down #:-s ! It's a good flavor tho...I like it! but I've gotta start doing 2 scoops a day instead of just one. I normally do a scoop for breakfast, but a good friend of mine says, as a woman, and wanting to lose fat and gain muscle, I've gotta do 2 scoops a day. So I listened to her, and we're gonna try it out and see what pops off!

I decided not to do a full week's meal prep since I'll be with my family on Christmas Eve and day! But I'll be mindful of what i'm eating and make sure I stay away from the red velvet cake and biscuits!!

Overall...I'm feeling pretty darn good about LiveFit trainer 12 weeks even though this was just my first week and I'm heading into my second week tomorrow!! Lord, give me strength to deal with the holidays and to keep eating the right stuff! [-o<

Tomorrow is a new day!! Let's get this party started!!! \:D/

Rest Day 2

Good morning world!! :) This is killin' me!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't work out!!! Jamie Eason's LiveFit trainer week 1 phase 1 says to give yourself 3 days of rest smh!! I'm trying, but I feel like I'm being lazy even though I'm not..I'm just following the rules, right?!?! Hmmm...I said I would go for a 3 mile walk today, but I'm being a good girl and I won't!! This was my breakfast this morning....egg and spinach muffins!! I added some sausage in there too and some tomatoes! I'm trying to remember if I saw this on the LiveFit trainer site or on someone's blog...but it's clean and that's all that matters to me lol!!

Rest Day

Well, well, well, I think this is gonna drive me coo coo for the next 2 days. I made it thru the first 4 days of Jamie Eason's LiveFit trainer, and now I'm at the resting part of week one. I'm trying to be good, but I'm planning to go walk tomorrow anyway...what harm can it do, right? :-)

Day 4

Well, I made it thru my first official week of LiveFit trainer WooHoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My eating has been pretty on point for the majority of the week. I did have a pack oof Welch's Fruit Snacks on Tuesday and Olive Garden zuppa tuscana soup and salad for lunch on Wednesday, but other than that, I've been point on for the week. I'm trying to find some variety in my meals. Basically, the clean eating plan that Jamie Eason has really doesn't allow for bread, but, I'm trying to steer clear of bread anyway...so I'm gonna check into Whole Foods and Trader Joe's to find some clean desserts and snacks that I can have to knock out my sweet tooth...even though it hasn't been too terribly bad...not yet anyway lol!

I made some egg white muffins with spinach, sausage, and tomatoes tonight for breakfast tomorrow. They were pretty darn good!!!! And, I also made a clean chicken salad with Greek yogurt, pecans, cranberries, dijon mustard and gala apple!! Again...pretty darn good...just a little dry (I'll put a little more yogurt in next time). I ate it with some Wheat Thins, original. It looked like they were pretty clean because I could pronounce all of the ingredients and there were only about 6-7 ingredients.

So, overall, this has been an awesome start to the next 12 weeks with Jamie Eason's LiveFit trainer!! Now I've got 3 days to rest (yeah right lol!) and then I'm back at it on Monday...but I gotta step up my weights tho. I'm planning to get with my friend Joyce and use her gym at her apartment complex instead of buying a gym membership...for now! I'm gonna check her place out tomorrow to see if all the equipment is there to get thru, at least, the 1st phase which is 4 weeks. I hope it has enough equipment because I would really rather not spend $54 right now to get a gym membership. So, if I could save some money and workout somewhere for free...then shoot, I'll do it lol!

Well, I'm outta here! I'll be back tomorrow though because I'm trying my best to get the hang of this blogging thing lol!

Day 3

Good morning! I had to get up early this morning for work. We're having out Christmas lunch today and my boss is allowing us 2hrs. So I'm trying to leave right after so I only have to work 6hrs today woohoo!!

For breakfast this morning I'm having a soft boiled egg and a green smoothie. My green smoothie consists of spinach, mixed fruit, chocolate whey protein, flax seed and almond milk... Mmm mmm good!

OK let me get my day started!

Until later....

Well, it's later LOL!! Today's LiveFit workout was legs....whew!! I'm gonna be paying for this for a few days! But it's all good because I'll be having 3 days to rest after tomorrow ( I can't wait lol!! )

Today at work we had Christmas lunch at Olive Garden. I checked their menu last night and I couldn't find anything clean on their menu. So I opted for the zuppa tuscana and salad. I sholdn't really be focused on calories but I had 2 bowls of the soup and it's about 170cals/bowl. Then when I got home, I made a peanut butter wrap and then I chilled for a hot minute before I did my day's workout. For some reason after my workouts, I don't want anything to eat :-( I think that has something to do with my blood sugar levels. Even though I don't have diabetes, I do have insulin resistance which is affected by glucose and insulin not producing in my body the way it should. I'm trying to make sure I eat at least 1 hour before I workout no matter how ling the workout will be. Most of my workouts have been between 30mins to 45mins so far. I think once I increase my weight, it may take a little longer to get thru the workouts.

Now I'm having dinner....turkey burger without the bun and a baked sweet potato. I'm really digging baked sweet potatoes, but I think I'm gonna start adding pecans or walnuts to add some crunch and variety. I don't think I'll eat sweet potatoes every day, but I know they're a slow digesting food and my blood sugars should evenly stabilize...at least that's the plan. But I'm still dealing with "empty" feeling in my stomach. I'm not hungry, but my tummy feels like it wants to growl lol!! In the middle of the night, my tummy will make sounds lol and it wakes me up lol!! I guess I gotta increase my protein or eat more often. I mean, I don't think I'm burning that many calories for my tummy to feel so empty, but hey, who knows?!?!

Well, I'm outta here for hte night!! I'm about to go shower and catch up on Grey's Anatomy!!
Good night and I'll check in tomorrow.

Day #2

Well today was a good day!! (I'm still gettin' used to this whole "blogging" thing LOL!)! Clean eating is a challenge for me because I'm so used to eating 1 or 2 meals a day that are processed...even my snacks and breakfast. But this is a learning experience that I think will definitely be a health benefit in the long run (and I'll be lookin' sexy too ;-) ) I've been doing phase one of LiveFit trainer at home. I've got the "tools" I need and I'm able to get a nice sweat on while I'm doing the workout. I go slow (I've always been told that when doing weights, the movements should be slow and controlled). Even with a light weight, I get a very nice burn with 12 reps. The last few reps are a little tough, but that's just because my upper body is soooooo weak!! So I'm hoping, wishing, and praying these 12 weeks will be a challenge and I'll see some AWESOME results by the end of it all! I definitely think the clean eating will be a HUGE asset because I'll be getting the bad stuff outta my body and ultimately I'll be feeling healthier and looking healthier too!!

Again, I'm pretty new at blogging, and I'm trying to get in the habit of posting from my phone, especially my breakfasts and lunches. Also, once I start going to the gym, I'll be taking pictures from there too.!

Anyhoo, this was day #2 and I'm feeling good....and I hope and pray I can keep this momentum going!!

Until tomorrow...

Day 1

Today was ROUGH!!! :-o I planned all my meals for the week yesterday, and I already feel like I'm gonna get bored rather quickly. I'm trying not to, but it's hard!! However I did get in my week 1 day 1 workout in today....chest/triceps...and I must say my arms are weak and I'll be sore tomorrow!! Anyway, there's not much to say today...I'm new at this whole blogging thing...so I'll probably be increasing my posts as I go along...cause, hell, I've got a full 12 more weeks ahead!! :)

Trying Something New

Have you ever felt like you're at your wit's end and you don't know what else to do? When you've done all that you could in the past, but it just wasn't good enough? Well, today, that's where I am!! My issue is my weight and I don't want to be in the 190s anymore!

So I've decided to finally give Jamie Eason's LiveFit 12 Week Trainer a shot! I've tried almost everything else, but I haven't tried this! It's gonna be a hard battle, but I have EVERY intention on winning and finishing
strong!! ;)

I officially start tomorrow and I'm super excited!! :D I've already planned and packed my meals for the week. I think it might be a little hard for me to eat the same meals for lunch and dinner, but like I said, I'm gonna give it a try!!

I'll post some pictures tomorrow and get my week started off with a bang!!