MyFitnessPal = my fitness friend

Created by MyFitnessPal - Nutrition Facts For Foods

I started MyFitnessPal about a week ago and, even with its quirks, I really like it. Its format is very similar to LiveStrong (count calories and exercise), but is more of a community forum. The calorie counter is almost as nice as Daily Plate's, but the food selection is just not quite as good. MFP is all about people encouraging people. There are tons of blogs and an endless sea of advice.

You have your own news feed, kind of like Facebook, where people can comment on your progress and workouts. I think having people keep tabs on you keeps you motivated and is encouraging.

I only have a few friends on MFP by-choice - and only one is someone I met on site. The news feeds can get a little out of control and distracting with strangers, so having people I actually know on it is nice.

If anyone wants to be my "Pal", lemme know! :)

Good luck and stay healthy!

Me = Not Lame

This is why I am lame:
 So, I kinda let my diet fall by the wayside... weigh side... more like waist-side... I have eaten horribly for the past week or so... I still worked out a little, but I did not get hardcore into workout #3 of The Shred. I got a little sick, work started kicking my butt... Excuses, excuses...

This is why I am not lame:
No more excuses! I'm getting back into it. I have been using LiveStrong, but I think I may switch to MyFitnessPal just for a little bit of a change and kind of a 'reset'. I'll let you know which I like better.

As far as how I feel about The Shred:
Its pretty good. After about 2 1/2 weeks, I went for a run and ran 20 minutes straight without cramping up or anything. I even sprinted the last minute. Before the Shred, I was so out of shape I could barely run ten minutes without getting a stitch in my side.  I also noticed that my clothes fit better, and I felt better about myself. The number on the scale did not change much, despite counting calories. I got a little discouraged, but have found that this happens to several women regardless of the type of exercise and diet. The point is, don't let one measurement throw off your psyche. Stick to it and you will earn your results.

It does not have enough cardio for a sustainable workout routine though. The best workout for your heart is 30 minutes of sustained cardiovascular exercise (running, swimming, dancing) at least 3 times a week. You do not start burning fat until after 15-20 minutes of rigorous, sustained cardio. In the first ten minutes, you are burning calories/carbs, but your body's increased oxygen demand is what burns fat. The best way to track this is the keep up your target heart rate. Most exercise machines have heart rate monitors, or you can count your heart rate for 6 seconds and multiply by 10 (i.e. 12 beats in 6 seconds is 120 beats per minute). The Shred does, however, provide good strength training/circuit training to build up muscle to boost your metabolism even when at rest. 

The warms-ups in The Shred are pretty decent, especially in workout #2 &3. However, there is definitely not enough stretching at the end of the workouts - I think there is only 90 seconds dedicated to "cool down". No stretch should be held for less than 20-30 seconds!

So the best workout is really one of variety. Sustained cardio mixed with strength training. And don't forget to stretch!

Good luck ladies and gents.

Workout No. 2 = death

Seriously. The second work out is no joke. I was cruising through the first one by day ten, I thought I'd be totally fine with the second workout.

I am a sweaty mess. It was probably quite comical to watch me do all that. Maybe day 12 will be more successful.

Day 10 of The Shred

I think I may have injured a muscle in my thigh. It really only hurts when I do a low squat or lunge. I have tried to stretch it, but no full relief. Today I suppose I will rest from the Shred. I may do a little elliptical just to get my heart rate up, though.

I have really noticed a change in my body and my strength already. The number on the scale isn't changing much, but I feel good about myself, so I am not real disappointed. This has been about a healthy lifestyle for me and not really for getting a bangin' bod... but that would be nice too. ;)

I am also using www.livestrong.com to track my calories and workouts. It's a great tool because I can use the website or I can use the app on my phone. Super easy.

Shredding

Ok. So post holidays and after about 6 months of just being plain lazy, the hubbs and I decided we needed to make a change to not be so "fluffly". We decided to go veggie for a little while to explore new foods and sort of jump start a healthy lifestyle.

In addition, yesterday we started the Jillian Michaels 30-Day Shred Challenge. Its only 20 minutes a day. I can totally do that. We took some before pictures today, which I will reveal when I have after pictures... The "befores" are not pretty. The first level is really quad and hamstring intense with a little bit of arms and abs too. Today is day 2 and my tush hurts, for real. I'll have a bikini butt in to time.

Doing it with the hubbs makes things a lot easier. We can motivate each other, and the workout seems to go by quicker when someone is suffering with you.

Anniversary: The First of Many!

We had an awesome anniversary weekend. We got to spend time just the two of us all weekend long. We never get to do that because we are always hanging out with our families or friends or the Redskins (bye week!).

Friday night we went to La Paneterria in Bethesda. It was amazing. The best pesto I have ever had in my life. It was a cute little Italian hole in the wall restaurant.

 

We decided to do a night of "stay-cation." We rented a cute hotel room at The Henley Park Hotel. It has beautiful architecture and an old-timey feel. Even the elevators had nice tapestry! We grabbed some lunch at the Cozy Corner Cafe - I had a veggie pannini and a root beer made with cane sugar (not syrup). Yum! 

 

Saturday night we went to The Kennedy Center and saw Hair. It was a fun show. Sort of a 1970s music review with a little bit of plot mixed in. It was fun to get all dressed up and do something we hadn't done before. Prior to the show (for dinner, bomb diggity crabcakes) and afterwards (for dessert and drinks) we went to The Old Ebbitt Grill (an old stompin' ground of ours). It has a really nice atmosphere and the bar tenders are always nice. We usually sit at the oyster bar since its tucked away a little from the crowd.




Sunday we slept all stinkin' day. It was awesome and glorious. Nick woke up at 5:30p and I started to make us dinner. In a casserole dish, I baked rice, fish and veggies with a little Italian spice and chicken broth. It was literally that simple and yummy. We also opened a bottle of wine that we got at our wedding shower. Can you believe we held onto a bottle of wine for over a year? Yea, me either. It was delicious. We also cracked open the top tier of our wedding cake. Can you believe we didn't open some delicious cake for over a year? Yea, me either. The cake was actually awesome. I had kept it wrapped in cling wrap and then aluminum foil in our freezer.

 

Our gifts to each other: I got him a tie clip (he has actually been dying to have one) and a business card holder (a stretch on the "paper" anniversary). He got me some awesome drawing pencils and sketching paper. :)

Dreamt I was Pregnant... oh my.

Don't get me wrong. I'd be so very excited if I found out I was really pregnant. But its a scary scary thought. Life would be so different. I can barely take care of myself, my husband, and my apartment. To throw a baby in the mix would be crazy, right?

Well, in reality, probably not. Thank goodness God gives us 9 months to prepare for this life change.

Eventually, I will become pregnant (God willing). So maybe its time to start taking care of myself a little more.

Maybe some healthy habits are in store...