Day 5: TIU 7 Day Slim Down

Aug2

Day 5: Well it was another tough day today. No headaches, so I’m pretty sure that yesterday’s was due to being up so early. The toughest part about this Slim Down is the discipline to eat pretty much the same thing the whole time. When I do it again, I will plan my meals out ahead of time so I can get some variety. I am the type of person that can’t eat the same thing over and over.

I am frustrated that I can’t have the things I want.  Yes, it would be easy to just quit, but I don’t want to. I want to do the whole 7 days so I am staying focused. But I’m not happy about it. lol.

Today’s food was pretty much the same as yesterdays – probably why I wasn’t too thrilled. Slim Down Scramble with no sea salt wasn’t as good for me.  I have come to love grapefruit though. I look forward to it :-) Lunch didn’t go too well. I had Tofu with spinach, green beans, and cucumbers. I am definitely over the lunch time salads. I couldn’t eat it all. I added some extra greens to my dinner – Chicken seasoned with Balsamic Vinegar (No Salt).

I was up at 6a for my bootycall – much better than 4a :-) Did a fast pace 40 min walk. Then, I walked my son to school, walked home and walked to pick him. Did I mention that there is big hill that we have to walk up and down both ways to get to his school??  I am really proud of my boy for walking to and from school today. He was pretty tired on the way home – and so was I. For snack time, I made him a mini fruit salad.  It looked so good: strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and grapes. I wasn’t sure if it was ok for me to have some, so I stuck to having an apple.

For my second cardio session, I hit the gym for a 30 min HIIT workout on the Elliptical. My resting resistance was 5 and  8 for the working resistance. My total body workout was Lean Legs, Lean Abs, and Lean Arms Pyramids. I ended it with the new workout for the booty, lower abs, and love handles :

I did 3 sets with 10 reps of each exercise. My booty is definitely feeling it. I want to do it again tomorrow when I do my usual booty workout.

I love the pyramids. You work up to a high intensity – almost maxing out – then you come back and down. My whole body is sore :-)  Only  two more days to go. Hanging in there.

*My YouTube video above has all the links to Tone It Up :-)

Day 4: TIU 7 Day Slim Down

Aug1

Day 4 was tough.  In order to get my AM cardio in, I had to get up at 4a so I can get to the gym and back before my hubby went to work. If I hadn’t put the alarm on the other side of the room, I wouldn’t have gotten up. Needless to say, I had very little energy when I got to the gym.  I did the Weight Loss Program on the Elliptical for 30 min. Worked up a good sweat and felt awake by the end of it… but still tired. I got back and the hubby left for work.

Since today was also Gio’s first day of school as a first grader, I decided that I shouldn’t look like a hot,  sweaty mess when I dropped him off. So I showered and got ready, put makeup on and everything. I walked with both the boys to drop Gio off and walked back home with Seppe. I was very hungry when I got home and was very happy to make the Slim Down Scramble.

I wound up getting a head ache after breakfast. I think it’s a combination of lack of sleep and low blood sugar. This is the longest I’ve gone with so few carbs. I was happy when it was time for Meal 2 (Grapefruit of Stevia). I felt a lot better after having that snack. I also took a power nap and when I woke up my head ache was gone. It didn’t come back for the rest of the day. But I made sure that I kept myself hydrated and kept to my meal schedule.

Lunch was the same as yesterday except I used strawberries instead of Mangos. There is just something about summer time that makes me want to add fruit to all my salads.  Snack was a Slim Down Smoothie. Very yummy but I love the Protein Shake for the slim down so much more. Dinner was Salmon and Broccoli.

Today I worked out my abs. I did 3 different TIU Ab workouts from their YouTube Channel:

Flatten Abs with 5 Moves Full Body Workout –  

10 reps of each X 3 sets

Fitness Model Workout (for Abs) –

10-15 reps of each X 3 Sets (I held the plank position for 45 seconds each set and did the Side Plank Crunches)

Itty Bitty Bikini Workout – 

10 reps of each X 3 sets

For cardio I did my 3 mile run. It was at a slower pace because my legs were tired from the workouts above. I didn’t realize how tired they were until I got back from my run when they felt so weak. My abs are pretty sore too.

It felt harder to resist eating other foods today.  I miss my Larabars and Kind bars. And my Zico coconut water. I did take a piece of teriyaki chicken that the boys got to enjoy – I only had one piece though. I know that there are only a few more days left and I hope that I can stick to it.  It is definitely getting hard for me. Going to keep pushing myself though. At least I don’t have to be up at 4a tomorrow :-)

Day 3: TIU 7 Day Slim Down

Aug1

Day 3 was a day for improvising.  My husband’s schedule for work on Sundays leaves me with the boys pretty much all day. I did get in my 30 min bootycall – my usual 3 mile run.  What I was brainstorming on was how to fit in a my second cardio session and a workout with the boys.  I would have loved to go for a run with them while they rode their bikes, but my youngest doesn’t go very fast right now.  He is still getting use to riding his bigger bike.

My first thought was to turn on the OnDemand and do a few of the workouts.  There’s always something for cardio and total body workouts, and there’s so many to choose from. I figured I had my problem solved, but when I went to turn the tv on, it was blank.  My cable box acts up a lot and of course it had to act up when I needed to use it for something besides wasting brain cells.

So I pulled out the Your Shape and EA Active 2 for the Kinect. I use to work out with these two a lot, but for some reason just got bored.  For my cardio, I did the Your Shape for 40 min. There was a cardio routine and a cardio boxing routine that I did. For a total body workout, I put in EA Active 2. This can be really challenging if you use weights and do the moves correctly. I spent an hour doing the Total Body workout.  Gio joined in and did a pretty good job of keeping up. I know I wore him out which worked out because he has school in the morning.

Meals were pretty much the same as Day 2:

M1: Slim Down Pancake

M2: 1/2 Grapefruit with Stevia

M3: Salad: Spinach, Cucumbers, carrots, and Trader Joe’s Chili Lime Chicken Burger Patty. The Chicken Patty was all natural :-) And tasted pretty good.

M4: Veggies with Hummus. Not my favorite meal, but it wasn’t too bad. I ate mostly carrots and celery. I had a few pieces of broccoli too but I just don’t like broccoli raw. I need it at least steamed.

M5: Tofu with broccoli and green beans. Not my favorite way to have tofu but I ate it.

Dinner for Day 3

I realized today that the biggest challenge to the Slim Down is the mental toughness.  I had a lot of temptations around me with the boys eating cookies and Ben having popcorn.  It took a lot of will power and telling myself “not today.” It makes it seem like I’ll get to have some of that stuff one day soon. It also had me thinking of how to make healthy and yummy  versions of desserts. I am really proud of myself for not having any of it. You have to commit to the slim down, physically, mentally, and emotionally. No negativity and lots of motivation :-)

Day 2: TIU 7 Day Slim Down

Jul31

Last night I planned on going to bed at 10p, but somehow I got carried away with doing dishes, cleaning the living room, and checking bills that I didn’t get to bed until midnight :-( I still woke up early to do my bootycall run, and Yes, it was hard to get up and I felt sluggish on my run. I was able to pick up speed and got some energy after a few minutes. By the time I was done with my 3 miles, I was awake and ready for my day to start.

Breakfast was The Slim Down Pancake. I had to modify it because I didn’t have the Brown Rice Protein Powder. I used my Whey Protein Powder instead. I’m not sure if that’s ok or not, but it’s what I had. It wasn’t too bad. I managed to make it without it falling apart :-) I wasn’t sure if I was suppose to use syrup so I just sprinkled some stevia on top. It turned out to be a big pancake and I couldn’t finish it.

I went to the grocery store and picked up some grapefruit for my morning snacks. I’ve never really tried grapefruit before. My mother use to eat a lot when I was a kid and it never really appealed to me.  I sprinkled some stevia on top and really enjoyed it. My 5 yr old tried it out too and I had to fight him for the last piece. lol. Lunch and Dinner was the same as Yesterday.

My workout for today: 30 min HIIT on the Bike. So hard today. I think my legs were worn out from yesterday. I followed it with the Itty Bitty and Lean Abs Pyramid. My abs are definitely feeling it.

Check out my video for Day 2:

Day 1: TIU 7 Day Slim Down

Jul30

Whew!! I made it through the first day! It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. It’s probably because I was already eating and exercising pretty much the same way – granted not as intense. I was hesitant to start today. I kept wanting to putt off like I have been for the last couple weeks.  Thanks to the wonderful TIU community, I was motivated to Do It. and I’m glad.

Here are my Before Measurements and Pic:

Bust: 32in

Waist: 28in:-(

Hipes: 35in

Weight: 118 lbs (I’ve already lost 4 lbs just from following their tips before getting the Nutritional Plan)

I’m not so concerned with my legs. I’ve always liked having athletic legs. I just want them toned.  As you can see from the Before pic, my problem area is my tummy :-( That’s what happens when you spend two years being pregnant and 4 years Not exercising and eating right. I’m not too bad, but my body is Not where I would like it to be. I’m doing the Slim Down to help jump-start my fitness goals.

Day 1 Workouts:

3 mile BootyCall run

30 min HIIT on the Elliptical

Tone and Sculpt Combo Workout (3 Sets)

15 Leg Raises

15 Side Plank crunches

15 Tummy Tucks

15 Bicycle crunches

15 Waistline Toners

Check out my YouTube Video for Day 1:

Chunky Charm

Jun6

I’m not a big jewelry person. I find that it’s more of hassle, especially with the boys. But now that they are older and not hanging on me every minute of the day, I’ve started to wear jewelry more often. And I am loving Chunky Charm bracelets. I am obsessed with BubuChuloMua’s Xtraordinaire Fashion Jewelry!! If you love Statement pieces, you are going to love his jewelry.

You can find them and other Fabulous pieces on his blog: http://www.bubuchulomua.blogspot.com. The selection changes often so make sure to check his blog often. I have several pieces but my Favorite are these Chunky Charms:

They definitely add flair to any outfit and there really isn’t any point to adding much more. I have been wearing them every day.

Sea Life Charm Bracelet

With Matching Statement Necklace

Dressed Up

Hearts Charm

The Cute Clasp

My Favorite! Vintage Charm Bracelet

Even the Clasp looks like a Charm

Love it so much Got it in Black Too :-)

Movie Monday: Mini Reviews

Jun6

I’ve been busy with Life so I haven’t been blogging as much as I would like.  I’ve seen 3 new movies lately: “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides”, “The Hangover Part II”, and “X-Men: First Class.” I’m not going to give super long reviews on them but just some of my thoughts.

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Strangers Tides:  There is just something so irresistible about Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow – must be the whole “Good” Bad Guy thing. Geoffrey Rush is great as Barbosa. These two were the best characters – maybe because they were from the previous ones? Ian McShane as BlackBeard was ok. Penelope Cruz’s character, Angelica, was kinda forced but she provided eye candy for the guys. The only thing I really didn’t like was how long it was. There were some really slow parts that could have been cut out.  All in all it was entertaining.

The Hangover Part II: Ok… no it was not better than the first, BUT it was still pretty damn funny.  It pretty much follows the same story line as the first, just in a different setting – Thailand.  We all pretty much guessed that Zach Galifianakis’ character (Alan) drugs them again, but you don’t find out How until much later. I think this one had kind of a hidden message about standing up for yourself. Ed Helms’ character , Stu, has an over critical father in law that demeans him quite a bit. His crazy adventure in Bangkok gives him the back bone to stand up to his father in law in the end. Lots of laughs and craziness.

X-Men: First Class – I really liked the younger actors playing Magneto and Professor X (Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy). Definitely gives you lots of background. I’m not sure how closely it follows the comics. I liked seeing the different mutants like Havoc (Lucas Til), Mystic (Jennifer Lawrence), Azazel (Jason Flemyng), Beast (Nicholas Hoult), and Emma Frost (January Jones). All the young actors did a good job with their characters.  Wonder where they will go next with the X-Men series?

Movie Monday: “Thor” Movie Review

May23

We wanted to go see Thor closer to when it came out but couldn’t fit it into our busy schedule until last Friday. We took the boys after Gio got out of school. They had been waiting to see it as soon as they saw the first previews.

It wasn’t bad, but there was just something missing that could have made it great… I don’t know what it is though. Maybe because I watch too many Marvel comic cartoons and movies with the boys and expected more. It’s not that I didn’t enjoy it. I did. It was cute and funny – not really what I was expecting though. The boys liked it but not as much as I thought they would.  There was just some parts they could care less about.

Cast: Chris Hemsworth (Thor) – I had no problem with this guy playing Thor. Definitely awesome eye candy for us ladies, but I did have a problem with the facial hair.  Again, because of my boys, I’ve watched a lot of Marvel movies with Thor and I don’t remember him having facial hair.

Natalie Portman (Jane Foster) – Not her best role in my opinion. Didn’t find her all that believable.

Anthony Hopkins (Odin) – He’s a great actor and he did a good job.

Tom Hiddleston (Loki) – Another good casting choice. Did a good job of being the bad guy. He just had that “You can’t trust me” look. Idris Elba (Heimdall) – also great.

I also liked how Thor’s friends were cast: Josh Dallas (Fandral), Tadanobu Asano (Hogun) and Ray Stevenson (Volstagg). Did not like Jaimie Alexander (Sif’s) character. Don’t think it was the actress, just how they portrayed her.

I felt like the story telling was a little forced. But it was entertaining enough.

Life with a Controller

May21

I wanted to start a new series about  my Life with an ATCS – for those who don’t know: Air Traffic Control Specialist. Yes, that is their official job title. Most of us just call them Air Traffic Controllers. Some don’t even know what they do. They are NOT the ones on the runways with the lights guiding the planes!! lol. (Yes Ben gets that a lot.)

ATCS are the guys (and gals) that talk to the pilots while they are one runways and in the air. There are several types of controllers. The ones at the airports (like Ben), centers and ones in the TRACONS (Terminal Radar Approach Control which talk to pilots, centers, and towers). I think I’ll save details and specifics for a different post though. I’ve learned so much about Air Traffic, airports, towers, centers, etc.  from Ben and his job.

Everyone says Controllers have super stressful jobs and get criticized like crazy by the media. Life has certainly been interesting since Ben decided to become an ATCS. There is a lot that I’ve really enjoyed and there is a lot that I can’t stand but I’m not going to get into all of it right now.

I can honestly say that I wouldn’t want to be an ATCS. Not that I CAN’T do the job. It’s not in any way interesting to me and because of the people and the politics. You definitely have to be a Type A personality to survive – or a minority (more on that later). To be a GOOD controller you have to be good at multitasking, assertive, and confident at all times. Ben is exactly that. His job definitely has a big impact on our family. From the day to day and the “big” picture.

And  I’m gong to share how I deal with it.

Air Traffic Control Specialists (ATCS)

Your Baby Can Read Update

May20

I’ve been super busy lately, so I’m not sure exactly what week I’m on with the boys on their Your Baby Can Read. I think I’m on week 5 now. Before I continue with the update on how my boys are doing, I just wanted to point something out ——-> Popping this video on once in a while as background noise while your kids play with toys is not going to get you results. Also, you can NOT expect your child to miraculously start reading after doing the video for one week, a month, or a few months down the road. Every kid is different and  learns at different rates in different ways. My boys are prime examples.

With Gio, I have moved him up the different levels with his Your Child Can Read videos every two weeks. He’s older and could read a few words already.  He is learning phonics in school so it’s a little bit easier for him to pick up the words and learn them.  He is also a very quick learner.  Keeping him on a lower video for too long would only bore him and he needs the challenge.  He is on Level 3 now and will start Level 4 next week. I do show him the previous levels once a week just to help refresh his memory and to help keep it from being too boring for him. He can read quite a few words and can now read most of his own stories for story time. Now, these stories aren’t super complicated, but the fact that he can read them on his own with very little help from me, is great news for us.

Seppe, is the complete opposite. I am going at a slower pace for him.  He is still on Level 2. I show him Level 1 once a week. I combine the Level 1 and Level 2 books and flash cards and try to go over them once a day. Level 2 is a little bit longer than Level 1 so he is having difficulty sitting still for the entire time. Luckily this level has two songs that get him to stand up and dance that he really enjoys. He now knows almost all the words from level 1 and about 3 words from level 2. I can honestly say that he’s learned the new words more quickly. His progress isn’t as quick as Gio’s but for Seppe, it’s very big progress :-) I have to constantly remind myself that he is different from Gio and that I have to work hard to help him learn HIS way.

I’m not perfect. There are days when I don’t have them watch their videos – especially when we travel(something I have to work  on). I make it an effort to make it a part of our daily routine. The key is making sure that I am involved.  I can’t just put it on and walk away – especially for Seppe. I also make sure Ben is involved and helps when he is home. It really helps that we are working together to help give our boys the best.