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Today was Plyometric Cardio Circuit.  I did not work out last night as I wanted to due to exhaustion.  I’m still pretty tired from the birthday festivities, and the work I did beforehand, but was able to make it through the workout at a modified pace this morning.  I still can’t do Level 1 drills, which are going down, doing four push-ups, running your feet up to your abs while in the pushup position, jumping up, and doing it over again.  Plus there were a lot of people in my living room, so trying to do the exercises that require more room is a bit challenging.  I AM, however, able to do more pushups than I was a week ago.  And I’m down to 133 lbs.

Tomorrow is Cardio Recovery, so I’m hoping to make up one of the workouts I missed on Saturday (Plyo), Monday (Power and Resistance) and Tuesday (Pure Cardio).  Two in one day is usually not a good idea, but I have catching up to do and it’s Recovery, so a much lighter workout.

This recipe is for Greek Quinoa Salad, or My Big Fat Greek Salad as Rebekah named it, and which stuck because well, it’s just more fun to say….

Cal:400, Fat:18g, Sod:225mg, Fiber:6g, Sugar:3g, Protein:13g

INGREDIENTS:3c water or vegetable broth, 1 1/2 c quinoa, 1/2c kalamata olives, 1/3 c each fresh chopped parsley and cilantro, 1/2 red onion, chopped, 1c cherry tomatoes sliced in half, 1/2c chopped artichoke hearts, 1/2c feta cheese cubed (if you use crumbled, top the salad with it at the end rather than mixing it in), salt and pepper to taste.

DIRECTIONS: Cook quinoa according to pkg directions, allow to cool. Toss all ingredients with quinoa.  Top with dressing (you can make a simple vinaigrette with olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, a little lemon and dijon mustard).

NOTES: I doubled this recipe to make sure there was enough and to have some left over. I use red quinoa because it packs a bigger nutritional punch overall than brown quinoa.  I tried making a dressing, but it just didn’t taste right (I think there’s something wrong with the vinegar, so I threw it out) so I used some of the artichoke marinade which worked fine.  Use fresh herbs whenever you can, it makes a HUGE difference.  I didn’t add salt because there was already enough between the cheese, olives and artichoke hearts.  I used salt-free garlic and herb seasoning for more flavor without adding salt or fat.  I’m a pine-nut nut, so I really wanted them for this, but since Trader Joe’s is STILL out of them I settled for pepitas.  They worked in a pinch when I didn’t have time to go all over Fremont looking for pine nuts.  All in all, my older kids, my husband and I LOVED it, my younger kids will need more time.

Today was Cardio Recovery with my friend Anne and her kids.  It’s deceiving because there are no aerobics, but believe me, you are working.  It’s lots of stretching and yoga and pilates types of exercises.  I only did part of it though because I kept getting interrupted by things that I had to address and couldn’t ignore  Oh well, I can do it again later today…..

I’ve been wanting to have less meat in the house, but have yet to find a store-bought veggie burger that isn’t loaded with soy protein (trying to avoid soy), sodium and all kinds of other things that outweigh the benefit of having a burger made of veggies.  Homemade black bean burgers seemed a good fit because I could control the ingredients and get a better quality protein, so that was dinner for day 3.  This recipe and nutrition info is for the burger only (I got 9 burgers out of this):

cal:200, fat: 12g,  protein: 7g, carb:15g, fiber:5g, sod:400mg

3 cans black beans, rinsed and drained (I used lower sodium.  If I had dry beans handy I would have made my own, not  canned)

1 cup bread crumbs (I make my own)

1 egg white

I eyeballed the following: olive oil, minced garlic, lime zest and juice, chili powder (you can use whatever seasoning you want, I just thought a southwest flavor would go well with the black beans)

Preheat olive oil in a pan to medium heat.  In a food processor, combine black beans, olive oil and garlic, pulse till it’s a thick paste.  Put in bowl, add bread crumbs, lime and chili powder and combine till ingredients are mixed thoroughly. Form patties and cook till sides begin to turn brown, about 5 min, flip and cook for another 3-5.

I topped them with a little jack cheese and made a chili-lime mayo with chili powder, more lime, 1/4 c light mayo and 1/2 c light sour cream because my kids don’t like the bread dry.  We cut up avocado, tomato, red onion and lettuce as additional toppings.

This was a recipe I wasn’t sure would fly, but it turned out pretty well.

Let me just start off by saying that when doing Insanity or any intense workout program, it’s not recommended to do two workouts within twelve hours.  I didn’t get a lot of sleep last night, which I knew was coming.  Cardio Power and Resistance already being the toughest workout for me is even tougher when you worked out the night before and have had very little rest.

I do know, that day 3, like day 2, was better than last time.  I’m down to 135 lbs. from 136 on Monday (remember I had GAINED from Monday to Tuesday, but really watched my eating and drank more water), I was able to push harder, my form was better, my speed was faster.  Till I got to the last three minutes.  By this time my clothes were drenched with sweat, but my heart rate got too high and I was dizzy.  It’s dangerous to just stop without cooling down, so I skipped through the last couple of sets and went to the stretches.  During the cooldown, my heart rate began to decrease remarkably faster than when I did it the last time, so I know I’m in better condition.  I just tried push too hard today, but I don’t plan on working out again till tomorrow morning when it’s Cardio Recovery time.

A note about my motivation:  I’m happy to be paying attention again and committing to getting healthier.  My motivation is my family.  My husband is a huge inspiration.  He was prediabetic and about to go on blood pressure meds a year ago.  Now his numbers are normal.  My family has a tendency towards heart disease and diabetes.  Sometimes genetics play into heart disease, but type 2 diabetes is completely a lifestyle disease and can be reversed through diet and exercise before the damaging effects of it take hold.  I don’t even want there to be a hint of those diseases in my life.  I want to set a good example for my kids.  I want to be around for them and future generations as long as I can and have the energy to keep up with them. But mostly I want to be a good-looking, energy-filled babe for my husband.

Here’s what we had for dinner last night (recipe courtesy of Cooking Light):

Lemony Orzo-Veggie Salad with Chicken

yield 4 servings, serving size is 1 1/4 c.  cal:275, fat 9.7 (3.8 sat), protein 18g, carb 28g, fiber 2g, chol 41mg, sod 338mg

*NOTES:  I added more veggies than this called for.  If you’re vegetarian, you can omit the chicken and replace with beans of some type.  This would be good with some toasted pine nuts (I always get mine from Trader Joe’s, but there’s some kind of federal inspection problem so I had to do without them. ).  Goat cheese, in my opinion, is an acquired taste and kids may not like it.  Feta, even though it’s higher in salt, would work in its place.  I may try, instead of orzo next time, red quinoa which is much better nutritionally.

INGREDIENTS:3/4 c. uncooked orzo, 1/4 tsp lemon zest, 3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice, 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 1/2 tsp kosher salt (I omitted this, as we’re watching sodium), 1/2 tsp minced garlic,1/4 tsp honey (agave is a good low-glycemic alternative), 1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper, 1 c. shredded skinless, boneless rotisserie chicken breast (loaded with salt, so I used our own plain chicken breast), 1/2 c. diced cucumber, 1/2 c. chopped red bellpepper, 1/3 c. sliced green onions, 1 Tbsp fresh dill, 1/2 c. crumbled goat cheese

DIRECTIONS:Cook orzo (no salt or fat in the water), drain and rinse with cold water, place in large bowl to cool completely.  While orzo is cooking, combine lemon zest and juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, and honey, whisk well and pour over orzo.  Add chicken, veggies and dill, toss to combine, sprinkle with goat cheese.

So trying to add Insanity, or any workout program, to an already insanely busy school schedule was probably not such a good idea.  I decided to start over.  My fit test results are not in neat table form because I don’t do all that fancy code-writin’, but I happen to know a GREAT PHP developer who might be able to help me.  I can refer him if you need one too.  But I digress….

For each exercise you have one minute to do as many as you can.  Here are my results: switch kicks (2 kicks=1 rep) 53, power jacks 34, power knees 69, power jumps 20, globe jumps (4 jumps=1 rep), suicide jumps 7, push-up jacks 8, low plank oblique (2 kicks, for lack of a better word=1 rep) 30

Now, against my better judgment because I’d rather just give you the end result, I will tell you my starting weight in the interest of hopefully inspiring someone to get healthier and going on the 9-week Insanity journey with me.  I currently weigh 136 lbs.  I’m 5′6″ so it’s totally with the healthy range for me, but I definitely felt better when I was hovering between 120 and 125 (high school, pre-pregnancy and after 5th child weight).  We went to Disneyland in Sept ‘06, and then I stopped paying attention.  Christmas came around, and after what I hoped was no-calorie fudge and red velvet cake, I was shocked to find out that I had gained 10 lbs in 3 months.  So, with my calorie-and-fat-and-sodium free glass of water, here’s a toast to paying attention again- to getting more defined, to eating better, and to better overall health.

Day 6 is a repeat of Plyo Cardio Circuit.  I woke up with too little sleep and not enough water, again, which affected my workout.  I was dragging again.  I was also feeling discouraged by the scale.  Not that there’s a lot to lose, 10-15 lbs or so, but I feel it and want it GONE! Still, I did it, not to the best of my ability, but I did it.  I like this one because you use all of the muscle groups in one session.  What am I saying?  ALL the sessions are like that.  The exercises change, though, so you work the muscles in different ways.  That brings me up to today, which is Day 7.  Rest day.  A REAL rest day.  And a day that I’m starting to see real results.  Two pounds lighter than when I started a week ago.  Enough said.  See you tomorrow for day 8, Cardio Power and Resistance.  Time to pack on the protein.

Here’s the recipe for what we had for lunch:

5 lbs potatoes, sliced (peels on or off, your choice)

2 or 3 leeks, sliced and rinsed well (they grow in sandy soil so they’re really dirty)

4 tbsp olive oil (or butter)

4 tbsp flour (I use unbleached)

2 quarts low-sodium organic stock (chicken or vegetable)

2-3 cups milk (if you’re avoiding dairy, use cashews ground in a blender or VitaMix with water, garlic, dill, lemon, salt and pepper to a paste to add creaminess and protein.  I use the cashew mixture for a veggie dip as well.)

salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil, add leeks and sautee, then add flour, sautee till flour is cooked, 2-3 min.  Add stock and potatoes, bring to a boil till potatoes are tender (about 20-30 minutes), then add milk or cashew paste to desired creaminess.

Made it for lunch for 6 people, no leftovers.  Good sign.

So I didn’t work out on Friday, what SHOULD have been day 3.  I felt like I had a cold coming on, so thought rest would help everyone better than killing myself.  The next day (yesterday) I woke up feeling refreshed after having gotten good sleep and making sure I was hydrated. Robert took the kids out to breakfast and my friend Anne came over.  The timing worked out well since it was just the two of us.  While I like the kids exercising with us, this particular workout would have resulted in at least a couple of injured kids.  We needed room for this one.

It was Cardio Power and Resistance.  Lots of squat jump exercises that employ the core.  Different variations of push-up exercises and tricep dips.  I couldn’t keep up with the people in the video (THEY couldn’t keep up with Shaun T.), BUT I was able to keep moving without stopping, until water breaks.  Rest+enough water= more stamina.

Now that I’ve started exercising, I’m noticing that my cravings are much more intense.  Not good, but I guess that’s normal if I’m using more energy.  I gained half a pound yesterday, despite us also going out shopping a walking around a lot.  I noticed yesterday that I wasn’t wiped out after being out with my family for six hours.  I haven’t been able to say that for a long time, since I was diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome in 2007. Robert did say from his experience that the first few days he gained as a result from increased hunger, but that as his body adjusted things became more balanced.  I hope that’s the case with me as well.  I’m keeping track of my intake: calories, fat, sodium, fiber, sugar and protein.  It shows me where I’m doing well and where I need to watch more carefully, and helps me stay at a calorie count that will allow me to lose.

Tonight, Anne will be coming over to do Cardio Recovery with me.  The word “recovery” in Insanity language means only a little sweat is dripping instead of a lot, because you’re not jumping around.  At least we get a break.

Today was a challenge.  I was having a hard time waking up, but my husband was diligent and I was up.  I checked my phone, and thankfully saw that my friend Anne was on her way.  Oh, good, accountability, which I need right now with everything else our family has going on.  She got here, I got my water and we, with the kids, began plyometric cardio circuit.  Not at the Shaun T. and kids’ pace, but at the haven’t-done-nearly-enough-yet-to-be-in-that-kind-of-shape pace.  Then I stopped.  And began again.  And felt nauseous and sat down.  And began again.  Towards the end, I got a bit of a second wind even though my legs felt like jello, and we completed it.

My legs are in pain, and I know it will spread to the rest of my body by tomorrow morning.  Will that stop me from doing day 3?  No.  If I can push through the next couple of days and allow my body to condition itself, the pain will subside.  Then I can push harder till I get sore again.

Two things I was reminded of today:

1. If you’re working out first thing in the morning, make sure you drink a lot of water the night before. I started dehydrated today, which I think contributed to my unsusual exercise fatigue and muscle soreness before the workout was done

2. The benefits of exercise so outweigh the difficulty of beginning a program.  I’m only on day 2, and although I’m sore, my energy level seems to have improved already.  Keep going!

As far as my diet, it wasn’t the greatest today, mainly because we were out of the house for six hours.  The content wasn’t bad, but I don’t think I ate enough today.  Tonight I hope to make up for it with the salad I created.  My husband and I were also trying to think of ways for him to add more calories and protein without adding sugar and sodium, and not get bored with the same stuff all the time, hopefully this will help.  For family of four or so, the amounts should do it.  Our amounts were much larger, as we have seven, but it feels like at least ten….

2 c lettuce (I used romaine)

1 c cashews

2 c grilled meat (I used boneless skinless chicken breast)

1/2 c mint, rough chopped

1/2 c fresh basil, rough chopped

1 cucumber, peeled and julienned

1 c bean sprouts

rice noodles (either leave them soft or fry them,we left them soft to reduce the fat), you could also use chow mein noodles

For time’s sake today, I grabbed a bottle of Spicy Peanut Vinaigrette from Trader Joe’s, but I’ve also made this Asian dressing with success:

peanut oil, ginger, red pepper flakes, diced onions and a bit of sugar (now I use agave nectar because it’s low-glycemic), all to taste and drizzle over salad.

So my husband and daughter started the Insanity workout which means that we started eating a bit differently. We had a diet setback triggered by the holidays, but seem to be getting back on track.  I’ve also been working hard to make sure that we are buying quality foods, as organic and as artificial-stuff free as possible.  Trader Joe’s, the farmer’s market and Azure Standard has helped in this area.  If Whole Foods was closer, we’d be there a lot too.

Anyway, Rebekah came up with doing a burger salad, I compiled the ingredients (more recipes to come), and all the kids loved helping with this one.  We decided on mushroom swiss but you can vary this a million different ways.  Have fun!

Mushroom Swiss Burger Salad with Bacon Dijon Dressing:

dark leafy greens, 2 lbs lean ground beef (96/4), egg white, Mrs Dash steak seasoning, 1 cup shredded cheese, 2 pkgs mushrooms, tomatoes, scallions, 1 c red wine vinegar, 3 tbsp dijon mustard, agave nectar to taste and 1/2 pkg bacon.

salad: mix meat, egg white and  seasoning together, form tiny patties and cook till done. let cool.  sautee mushrooms in a bit of ghee, olive or coconut oil, let cool.  toss greens, burger bits, mushrooms and cheese together.  the scallions and tomatoes are optional.

dressing: crisp bacon, let cool. mix red wine vinegar and 3 tbsp of dijon mustard.  add agave nectar to taste.  add bacon bits to dressing. you may need to doctor the amounts according to your taste buds

approx. nutrition per 2 cup serving w/2 tbsp dressing: cal 350, fat 10g, sodium 300mg, sugar 10g, fiber 5g, protein 48g

NOTES: I use certified organic produce.  I use crimini mushrooms for their hearty flavor, but use your preference. I use agave in place of sugar.  It’s low-glycemic but you need to use less of it.  You could also use stevia.  I use bacon that has no nitrates or nitrites, which I get at Trader Joe’s but any preservative-free will do.  Ghee is clarified butter.  I try to use organic, grass-fed beef when we can.  I’m finding that I’m sensitive to dairy products, so I use raw, aged cheese as it’s more easily digested.  You can use any dressing you like, but I thought the bacon and dijon would complement this salad well plus it has no oil in it.