Week 2: Jillian Gets Insane

The LONG 4th of July weekend is behind us now and the steady summer decline begins. Ever since I was in school, July 4th was always the peak of the summer season. Summer Vacations started in June and trips to the beach or Orlando followed soon after. 

This year for the 4th I spent a nice day running errands with my parents and then grilling pork chops on their deck. Other than the heat rash/allergy I've been dealing with all summer it was a good holiday. Friday Travis came over and made me a roasted chicken dinner with mashed sweet potatoes and baked onion rings. 

I admit that I ate clean about 70% of the time and did have some sweets. Buy I'm happy to say that I didn't stuff myself or go bat shit crazy with the holiday food. I enjoyed myself in moderation. 

This week begins week 2 of Ripped in 30 and I'm already feeling stronger. This week's workout is tough, complete with mountain climbers, which has always been my very least favorite exercise. But I'm getting up and doing it. This morning I even did part of week 1 as well to make the workout an full hour. And you know it wasn't that bad. So I might do that some days. 

I'm working out every day, Monday through Friday and resting Saturday and Sunday because I don't like to get up early when Travis is with me ;-)

So it's been so far so good!

Oh and chia seeds in oatmeal with Greek yogurt and berries (chilled overnight) is probably one of the most delicious things I've ever eaten! Recipe coming soon! When I can write a post on my actual computer instead of my iPhone.

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Happy Independence Day!

Day 4 of Ripped in 30 and an Egg White Delight from McDonalds for breakfast. Tonight it's grilling time!

Meanwhile here are some pics!

This drink tastes like wet ass FYI. For $6.00 at Starbucks it's a total waste and you're better off sucking on wet underwear.

This is a little pic from this morning after my workout. 

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My World As of July 3, 2013

This blog/personal journal started on July 1, 2010.

I didn't realize until today that it's the 3-year anniversary of Deedah's Cupcakes and Fitness. I was planning on looking back to a previous July entry to compare notes for this one, and saw that my Welcome post was posted on July 1st. This, for whatever reason, motivates me even more.

Well, it's been a crazy 3 years, and I can't say that I've been very successful in increasing my fitness, or even maintaining it. That's just me being honest. But although I might have failed in that regard, I have become stronger in heart and in mind. In 3 years I've strengthened my resolve to face the storms ahead, sometimes with nothing more than an inverted umbrella, a prayer, and a fortified heart.

When I started this blog, it was to document my training for the Disney Princess Half-Marathon (which I successfully completed). I took pictures of my food and logged my workouts. But I never really acquired a following, perhaps because I'm a midsized person working out and eating food, with no impressive amount of weight to lose, perhaps because I never stuck to a "real" diet and posted pictures of deep-fried chicken livers and cupcakes from time to time. So this blog has become somewhat of a personal diary documenting a mish mash of elements from my life, some mundane like eating gross egg white wraps and some worthy of a Lifetime movie adaptation. I went from being in a verbally and mentally abusive long-distance relationship (and YES you CAN be treated badly by someone from afar and that's a topic for another day when I'm feeling a little more emo) to finding the love of my life in a kind, gentle, fun, and generous man not 1 month after I got out of the farce of a relationship I was living with for 7 years.

The most important lesson I've learned since 2010 is that life is ever changing. Things can turn one way or another in a heartbeat like a tornado run amok, and there's no way to predict when or how or even if. As difficult as that is for most of us to deal with, the best way to survive is to surrender yourself to the current and let it sweep you along easily and calmly to wherever this river of life leads. You may go over the falls or you may find your way to a vast ocean of possibility and opportunity. Just enjoy the ride as best you can.

 

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Day 3: Why Do Whole Wheat Wraps From Home NEVER Taste As Good?

I mean really? I bought a bag of 100 calorie whole wheat tortillas so I can make egg white wraps for breakfast, mimicing those I LOVE from Cosi and other such cafes. What I ate this morning was egg whites microwaved in my awesome office egg cooker thing wrapped in a thin sheet of cardboard.

I'm not a bad cook, in fact I know what I'm doing. But this vexes me to no end. I seasoned the egg whites and even sprinkled in some grated sharp chedder. But the wrap! That wrap was gag inducing!

So I had a pretty nasty breakfast. Oh well. The wraps are OK when you make nut butter and sugar-free jam wraps. That's what I had for a little snack last night after I took my stupid pill (to make sure I don't barf in my sleep). Those are great, especially with a little 1% milk. I think the filling flavors need to overcome the wrap flavor, which nut butter and jam does. But egg whites are so bland that it's just a terrible mix. Back to oatmeal tomorrow. There's a baked oatmeal recipe from Pinterest I've been dying to try.

This morning I also did Day 3 of my Ripped in 30. Let me tell you how great it is to workout everyday, even if it's just 20 minutes for now. I feel energy again. I feel like my blood isn't stagnating and stewing with chunks of fat. I was so freaking out of it for a year (and some months). But I really want to be back to my athletic self. I felt pride in that. It made me happy to be strong. I don't know if I'll ever run a race again (I would LOVE to) because of my knee, but I would love to be light enough to make it a possibility. The weight gain is what I believe contributes to my knee issue.

For lunch I know I'm craving Corner Bakery Chili, hold the bread. I LOVE me some Corner Bakery. It's the yummiest place on Earth. The chocolate muffins (I will have those every now and then) are probably the best things I've ever eaten.

I have the usual fruit and some protein, like cashew butter and nuts, for snacks. For dinner I usually stick to some kind of protein and a nonbread side like sweet potatoes or fruit.

Yeah, I know I'm lacking in the veggie department, but when I grocery shop this weekend for next weeks' food I will pick up some things to blend in the morning. And when it finally stops raining around here I will trek over to the Whole Foods salad bar.

What I'm hoping is that I can "stack" my 20-minute workouts by next week, body permitting. Meaning, since it's week 2 with an all-new routine, I would like to first do the week 1 workout followed by week 2 or vice versa. Then the following week I will do week 2 with week 3, and so on. That way I'm getting about 45 minutes a day, including warmups and stretching.

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Day 2: Whoa I Made It to Day 2

I'm on a roll. A nice hearty whole wheat roll no bigger than my palm.

This morning I got up and did my Ripped in 30 and it felt really good. I recommend it. For some reason, I like it a lot better than the 30-Day Shred. Maybe it's the studio setting or the lighting. I don't know. But I really don't like the Shred. I do have her Shred It With Weights DVD too, as well as her kettle bell workout. But I actually want to complete this 4-week workout and see if I get any results out of it. I've never gone all the way through one of these so I kinda want to for laughs and giggles, especially since I started on the first of a month.

For breakfast I was feeling kinda hungry so I went to Cosi and got a spinach Florentine wrap with egg whites and no artichoke sauce on a whole wheat tortilla. Basically, it's egg whites, spinach, and a slice of Swiss cheese on an 8-inch tortilla. Not bad at all. Well, except for the cheese. But it was a single slice and I'm not going to freak out about a little flavor now and then. This is not an exercise is developing OCD with food. Since my boyfriend is a chef, it would dishonor him.

 For lunch I wasn't hungry, and I confess that I didn't eat my midmorning snack either. See, I started on Alyacen 1/35 (which is a generic of Ortho Novuum 1/35, which is a birth control pill) last month to help me with some symptoms of endometriosis and ovarian cysts and it's made my appetite a little wonky. I'd never taken BC pills before for fear of the side effects and now I know why I put it off for so long. Sometimes I just can't stomach the idea of eating ANYTHING. Some days are fine and some days I have this persistent low-grade queasiness. I hate it. I hate it that I have to take these and can't just be normal. But it is what it is.

Anyway, I did manage to shove some food down my throat in the form of strawberries, a small mango, and a hard-boiled egg. I was hungry, but I didn't want to eat anything because, well, I just didn't want to eat. It was one of those times when I wish I could just inject nutrients into myself so I could feel satisfied without the effort of tasting, chewing, and swallowing. But it was a good meal and included my carbs and protein.

I'm liking having my little workouts in the mornings. After work I don't have to worry about the gym or getting to the gym or the guilt of ultimately not going to the gym. I'm all done and I feel it in my gluts and delts!

You know what I do though to keep going? I visualize myself back in shape and with some new piece of clothing I would buy when I get back there. The worst thing about getting out of shape is not feeling happy to shop. I hate to buy clothes or go to the mall right now. And that's a bitch. I love fashion and I love the mall. But right now I feel like I don't deserve it. And that's the biggest bitch of all.

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July 1st Is a Monday and As Good a Day As Any to Get MyselfTogether

Well, here I am enjoying another fat summer. This is, like, the third summer in a row that I've been uncomfortably fat. Why can't I remember how much this sucks every year? I even worked out with a personal trainer all winter (taking a hiatus from her until I can take some of this weight off and get my cardio back on track) and did Zumba 3 to 4 days a week, but I ate like crap too, so it all went down the toilet. Really, nutrition is 80% of the game. You can workout all you want, but if you eat like crap it's pointless and the results are minimal.


Anyway, I think I've reached my limit of fatness this year and am finally, after many starts and stops, ready to get my shit together. I'm meeting a lot of new people (Travis's family and friends) and feel so self-conscious. That's not cool, and that's not me.

I know that eating clean and working out with weights was the only thing that was ever successful for me. It's a commitment to eat clean, buying the food and prepping. But I've been in the kitchen all weekend getting it done. I made some chicken breasts that I can eat in whole wheat wraps or make into salad. I have a ton of fresh fruits. I'm having a hard time getting the veggies in, so I might make green smoothies in the morning as a post workout stomach settler.


This morning I did the Ripped in 30 workout by Jillian Michaels. Man, is she annoying at 6 am! But it was only 20 minutes and it felt good to workout. I want to eventually workout more than just 20 minutes, but this is a start.


Anyway as for food today, I started the day off with some good ol' oats, mixed with water, with a banana and some cashew butter (which is NOT cheap by the way). I'm pretty broke these days because I no longer busting my ass working 21 jobs. It's nice to be less stressed, but I'm also much less able to throw money around. It's been interesting having no money I tell you what!

For the mid-morning snack, I've got some strawberries and my favorite tiny mangoes. And for lunch, I've got a piece of chicken in half a whole wheat tortilla with some broccoli slaw and mayo. Then for the afternoon snack I've got some walnuts and a peach.

Dinner, I'm not too sure of. My parents said they would grill some pork (oink, oink), and I have a small sweet potato to go with that. In the evening, I figure a medjool date with some cashew butter will suffice.


So here I am on the Tosca Reno train again. But honestly, that's that best way I ever did it where I didn't feel deprived or angry at the world. It just takes an adjustment period and motivation to change the kinds of foods your body wants. Measuring macronutrients and weight training I was in kick ass shape. Eat all (complex) carbs with a little protein and eat 6 times a day.


Here's to Day 1!

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The Big 3-5 in Less Than a Week Gratitude List

I have some thoughts about turning 35. Actually, wait, I don't have any real thoughts about turning 35 other than to be grateful to have come this far and to be so incredibly blessed.

To be honest, I originally came here today to bemoan my existence and its lack of progress in the past 20 or so years, but why should I? What terrible circumstances have I gotten into that I didn't eventually get out of? None. That's the answer. NONE. I have held my head high through some very stupid shit, especially lately. And if the worst is that I gained a little stress weight (which I fully intend to lose this year) then that's pretty damn swell.

So, in honor of the last 35 years, I bring you my gratitude list:

1. I'm grateful to wake up in the morning. Even when the chips are down, I'm very fortunate to wake up every morning with a chance at a new day. And whatever that day may bring, I know that I will be guided by the grace of God.

2. There's always a second chance right around every corner. I know it's sort of cliche, but doors shut and windows open all the time. Sometimes it's hard to see that when the cold, hard door slams in your face. But turn around and there's usually a window open wide. Or if it's not open, you can smash a chair through it and climb out with a few minor cuts and bruises.

3. I'm grateful for having enough money that my biggest stress is having to lay off the shopping until I get some bills paid in the next few months. Some people can't eat, get gas, or pay their bills. I can do all of that and all I have to do is reign in the frivolous spending and boredom shopping for a little while.

4. I'm grateful for my family and friends. I'm grateful that I had the wonderful childhood and adolescence that I had. I'm grateful for the sacrifices my parents made to give me that. You know your parents did a good job when you would give just about anything to relive it all over again.

5. I'm grateful to God for all the experiences I've had in the last 35 years, good and bad, because they built my character and strengthened my spirit.

6. Finally, I'm grateful to myself for hanging in there, with hope and faith, through good times and in bad, through the storms and calms. Thank you, Deedah.

Here's a beautiful song:

 

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