Behind

I've gotten way behing in posting between the snow and a quick trip to San Diego.  Just for reference, I've done two more Define workouts (A at 3 sets, same weights and B at 2 sets, same weight).  Each of these sections of FBB workouts is supposed to be four weeks.  However, I think I'm going to stretch this to at least five weeks since the last two weeks I've only done two strength workouts.  That's fine - I'm still sticking with it!

Foiled by the snow

I'm just going to have to consider this week a wash as far as exercise goes.   Although, maybe I could do Friday and Sunday to get at least two weight training sessions in.  We down here in the ATL have been under house arrest because of the snow.  Oh well. 

One upside is that I made some awesome pasta over the weekend. 

I've had that quinoa pasta sitting in my pantry forever, so I decided to use it up.  I caramalized some onions in real butter, added the kale and sea salt, and then mixed it together with the pasta and a little glug of Amy's Roasted Garlic Olive Oil.  Sprinkled with feta and toasted pine nuts.  YUM.  I would totally make this again, but I think I'd use different pasta and add sun dried tomatoes.  I tried to to a calorie analysis on it, and it came out to approximately 400 calories.  Although I'm not sure if I got the pasta serving size correct - I'm terrible with ounces.  Add an orange and super yummy lunch.

My First Homemade Nutbutter

After having to comment on Matt's blog about my favorite nut butter, I decided that it was time to make homemade almond butter.  So I pulled out the food processor and we have this:

TA DA!  It's raw almond butter with just a smidge of olive oil in it.  When it finally came together, it was very thick.  I had wanted to avoid adding oil, but I knew I was keeping it in the fridge, so I considered it a necessity.  Besides, there's probably only a tablespoon, if that, in there.  Oh and I added a little sea salt too. 

Review:  it's pretty good, but I think I would much prefer it with roasted almonds.  I've got some walnuts leftover from Christmas in the fridge.  I think my next batch will be roasted walnut and almond butter. 
__
It's official.  The jacknife on the stability ball is my new favorite exercise.  My stomach is deliciously sore today. 

You know who loves Vibrams?

PRE-SCHOOLERS!  I usually work out at the office and go and pick up the kiddos in my workout attire. Everytime I go in there, the kids are fascinated by the shoes.  I had two kids crawling between my legs in the toddler room trying to get a look at them.  A kid in the preschool room was giving me the fifth degree - "what are those?  Why are you wearing them?"  I asked him, "do you like them?"  He cocked his head for a minute, and then smiled and said "yes."  So funny.

counting and juggling

I was really glad when I read Emily's post yesterday about calorie counting.  I've been debating about going back to it, but was starting to get the impression from the blogosphere that it was a bad thing.  But, like with almost everything else, it can be bad for some and good for some.  Duh. 
So, I've decided to go back to calorie counting.  I need to count.  I'm overweight.  But my goal is not to just keep my calories under a specific amount - the real goal is to keep them in a range while meeting my macro-nutrient(?) recommendations too - seeing that I get enough fiber and protein particularly.  I have no problem eating a whole avocado (only because no one else in my family will eat them and I can't bear to waste it), but realize when I do that I've really got to watch my calories (but have almost certainly met the fiber goal!).

So back to the counting and I'm glad.
__
This week has not been going well for working out.  I started the Define phase on Monday and I'm still sore.  So yay for that.  Tuesday I wanted to do a metobolic workout, but chose to skip it because of a weird work issue.  Then Wednesday my little boy was sick so I didn't get into the office until 1:30 and couldn't find the time after that. 

So I'm hoping today that I will be able to get in there.  Lesson learned:  pack enough clothes that you can make changes to your workout or locale if needed.  If I had had my running shoes with me on Tuesday, then I could have gone to the track for a HIIT workout.  But I only had my vibrams, so that was out.  Alternatively, if I had different clothes, I might have sucked it up and just used our gym. 
___
Also, I've been having some stomach issues for the last several weeks.  Upset stomach pretty much every day.  So I think I'm going to lay off the dairy for a week and see if that helps.  If not, time to go to the doctor. 
__
Today's workout:

1/5/2011	sets	reps	weight
rev wood chop	2	8 each side	60
prone jacknife	2	8
stepup	2	8 each leg	20lb dbs
t pushup	2	4 each side	0
single leg squat	2	8 each leg	0
alt lateral raise	2	8 each arm	10lb db
SHELC	2	8
inverted row	2	8

Me likey this workout.  The prone jacknife is a KILLER in the best possible way.  If you hold the plank position before bringing the knees back in it will make you oh so wobbly.  Love.  The single leg squat is so much harder than it looks.  The SHELC is not bad at all to me, so I added a little extra - I don't let my rear come back down and then afterward, I hold in the upright position for eight counts too.

First Define Workout A

It went pretty well.  I probably didn't push myself as hard as I could have.  The first week is learning the new exercises, right?  I'm not too sore, but I can certainly feel it in my back and butt. I'm still getting more sore so I'll have to update the soreness level tomorrow.

I was a little concerned about the chin up.  I didn't think we had a chin up bar in our gym and I knew there was no way I'd be able to do one unassisted.  And apparently that was one of the adds for the renovation, so now we have one.  And, just as importantly, we have those rubber bands to assist.  I'm also very thankful that I came in on an off day to attempt it the first time.  It wasn't pretty and would have been embarrassing in front of other people. 

Here's how it went:
 

1/3/2011	sets	reps	weight
Wood Chop	2	8 each side	60
plank	2	60-90 sec	60 sec
dumbell squat w/offset load	2	8 each side	30lb db
dumbell alt overhead press	2	8 each arm	15lb db
single leg bent knee deadlift	2	8 each leg	15lb db
chin up with band	2	8	6 3/4, 2 full
alternating lateral lunge	2	8 each leg	15lb db
two point dumbell row	2	8 each arm	25lb db

The chin up really was comical.  In the first set, I managed 6 of them coming up 3/4 of the way.  In the last set, I just wanted to do one full one, but I did two.  Hopefully this exercise will be a good indicator of how much I progress. 

New Year's Resolution: Change

I'm not usually big on New Year's resolutions, but I think it's a nice idea.  This year, I don't want to set goals as much as embrace the idea of being more pro-active in changing my life.  I'm going to focus less on results and more on the process. 
1.  Excercise more.  Not "lose weight," "wear a size 8," or "hit 140."  Yes, I would like to do all those things, but really, I just need to focus on the doing, not the goal.
2.  Let go of dinner.  Since Hubs will be doing his student teaching this spring, he'll be getting off work around 3.  So it makes sense for him to cook dinner.  Every night.  I do wish that he would cook a little healthier and with more vegetables, but I need to realize that this is something I need to just let go of.  It makes no sense for me to try and cook dinner or force him to cook dishes he doesn't like.  I can make a better effort to supplement his meals with more vegetables though.
3.  Bring nutritious, healthy lunches.  Here, I have almost complete control.  And with a little planning ahead, I can have really good lunches.  I just need to plan and cook ahead.  I think half veg, quarter protein, quarter whole grain is a good framework.
4.  Drink less or not at all.  Really, it does me no good.
5.  Go to church.  I would really like to have faith, but that's sort of an end goal thing too.  Right now all I'm challenging myself to just get my rear end in the door and take from it what I can and leave what I can't. 
6.  Be kinder.  To myself, to Hubs, the kids, everyone.  Only good can come from that.
7.  Put myself out there.  Ugh.  This is really going to be uncomfortable.  I never make the effort with other people, whether that be inviting new people to do stuff, or remembering birthdays.  This one might actually be better served it I put a specific goals here.  So, I will have a party or some other social function this year (yikes.  And kids birthday's don't count) and I will send birthday cards to all (my) family and friends. 

I wrote this list a couple of days ago, thinking I'd come up with more things.  But I realize now that seven is a pretty long list, especially since some of these are pretty large goals. 

But I'm happy to say that I'm already doing well on no. 7.  We were invited to a NYE party and had a great time.  And the next day, we ended up watching football with almost the same group.  So yay, we might actually have friends now. 

I'm going to try to write at the first of the month about how I'm doing on each of these goals.