I wanted to give you all an update on my Insanity workouts. I stopped doing them.
Here is why:
I visited my nutritionist yesterday and we were surprised that my body fat% went up a little and my diet and activity had not changed at all. I mentioned to her that I was doing Insanity and she is pretty certain that is the problem. The exercise is a very high intensity workout. It was causing my heart rate to rise above my target level for an extended period of time. This was causing my cortisol levels to rise (same thing that happens when you are stressed) and I got reverse results from the workout.
This workout is great for athletes and people who are in outstanding shape. I will get there one day and will tackle this workout!
Until then, back to P90X\P90X2 and running\elliptical.
It’s tax season, which means that I am very busy at work. My 9th tax season to be exact – but who’s counting! 🙂
Exercise is always a challenge for me during this time of year. A number of tax seasons have passed in which I have put my health at the bottom of my priority list. Not going to happen this year!
I have been looking for a workout that is efficient and has a mix of cardio and resistance training so that I don’t have to do 2 workouts a day (cardio in the morning, weights in the evening).
I think I found it!
Yesterday was my first day – let’s just say that I understand why it is called INSANITY. Wow.
Each workout is 40 minutes long so there is really no excuse for talking myself out of it. It is a 60 day program which means that I should be finished on April 12. Right before the filing deadline!
This is my accountability post. Anyone want to try this with me?
Here’s to a happy and healthy tax season for all of my tax friends.
Oh, and don’t forget to eat clean. It will allow you to move mountains! 🙂
Love,
Lindsey
Have you ever used this stuff?
It is almost too good to be true, right? It tastes exactly like butter and has no fat and no calories. How can that be?
Let’s look a little more closely at this label. Two of the ingredients are sweet cream buttermilk and soybean oil. The last time I checked, these two things were loaded with fat.
Did you notice that the serving size is one spray? Who uses one spray? I need at least 20 sprays to even taste it on my food! These people have made the serving size so small that the spray appears to be fat free. The truth is that it is loaded with fat. You are better off buying a tub of low fat margarine or Smart Balance and using a teaspoon if you want a butter flavor.
You can also use Molly McButter. It truly has no fat and very little calories.
Love,
Lindsey
Tired of egg whites? I am!
This is what I am eating for breakfast these days. One cup of cereal, one cup of Mootopia milk, and a little artificial sweetener. Mootopia milk can be found at H-E-B. It has less sugar and more protein than skim milk.
I attended a Leadership training a few months ago and speaker started the session by asking each person the following question – “Are you thriving or surviving?”
On that day, my answer was that I was thriving. Life was good. I was thriving at work, thriving as a mom\wife, and in general, excelling at everything. Over the next few months, things changed. Due to a series of events that were out of my control, I spiraled into survival mode. I could barely keep my head above water at work, my family was upset with me because I was not giving them enough attention, my body fat % went up, and I lost my drive to help others succeed. It sucked.
So, it was time to make some changes. I missed the old Lindsey. Here are some things that helped me to get out of the “funk”:
1. Talk about it – I have a bad habit of holding everything in. Talking things through always makes me feel better and helps me to put things in perspective. Thanks to everyone who has listened to me over the past few months.
2. Take care of yourself – I decreased the frequency of my workouts in order to save time and focus on my job and family. Not a good idea. As I began to get back on track with my workouts, I had more energy to put towards the things that I am passionate about (family, job, nutrition).
3. Get organized – My house was a mess which was causing additional stress to my already stressful day. Life is much easier when you are organized.
4. Pray – “If He gets you to it, He will get you through it”.
5. Make your bed – This sounds funny, I know. When I was growing up, my dad never let me leave the house in the mornings before I made my bed. I continued this habit throughout my life. Recently, I stopped making the bed in the morning an effort to save time. There is something about making my bed that helps to get my day off to a good start.
6. Read books – Someone, somewhere, has probably experienced what you are going through. Make a trip to Barnes and Nobles. I love that place.
7. Drink water – I always have more energy when I stay hydrated. It also speeds up the weight loss process. Score!
Life is not always perfect. I find it helpful to have an action plan in place to help make things better when life gets out of control.
Are you thriving or surviving? I pray that each of you can find balance in your life and have a thriving 2013.
“In order to succeed you must fail, so that you know what not to do the next time.” – Anthony J. D’Angelo
Love,
Lindsey
I love this for so many reasons.
If you work with me, you know that I used to be the queen of Lean Cuisines. I ate one for lunch just about every day that I did not have lunch plans.
My reasoning – quick, convenient, portion sizes measured, good balance of protein, veggie, and carbohydrate.
WRONG.
Today I measured the portion sizes of a Lean Cuisine just out of curiosity.
Chicken – 2 oz
Rice – less than half a cup
Vegetables – less than half a cup
This explains why I was STARVING every day when I got home from work and would eat anything in sight.
My typical day was as follows – little or no breakfast, Lean Cuisine for lunch, and whatever I could get my hands on when I got home. For some reason I thought that not eating much during the day would help me to look thinner in my work clothes. WRONG AGAIN.
Also, this small container has 600 mg of sodium!! Holy smokes!
Now I cook all of my food, eat bigger portions, and I am leaner than I was when I was eating less food. I am not hungry at all when I get home from work, which prevents me from making bad choices and overeating.
Today’s portions are almost double the size of a Lean Cuisine portion and I eat 6-7 meals a day, instead of 3.
Hard to believe, right? Abs are made in the kitchen! Now get to cooking!
Love,
Lindsey
Turkey burgers – Mix in Lipton soup mix (mushroom onion flavor), worcestershire sauce, egg whites. Cook in grill pan on stove.
Sweet potato fries – Spray pan with fat free butter spray. Season with garlic powder, salt, and Molly McButter. Bake at 375 until done.
Grilled chicken – Marinate in Mrs. Dash Teriyaki marinade. Cook in grill pan on stove.
Turkey meatballs – Mix in taco seasoning and egg whites. Bake at 325 for 25 minutes.
Squash – sauteed with onions, bell peppers, and garlic.
YUM!
Question of the day: Can you please provide me with a sample diet? What does your typical day look like?
I eat 6-7 meals a day (every 2.5 – 3 hours). Each meal consists of a lean protein, a complex carbohydrate, and a veggie when possible.
LEAN PROTEINS:
- extra lean ground turkey (Jennie O brand)
- chicken
- shrimp
- crab meat
- tilapia
- egg whites – my favorite!
COMPLEX CARBOHYDRATES:
- oatmeal
- grits
- brown rice
- corn tortillas
- whole wheat bread
- whole wheat pasta
- yams
- potatoes
- low sodium rice cakes
VEGGIES:
- squash
- broccoli
- cauliflower
- salad with fat free dressing
- spinach
- green beans
- asparagus
- Any veggie will do. Just make sure that you don’t eat too many of the starchy veggies (peas, corn, etc.). These would be considered a complex carbohydrate.
HEALTHY FATS: I try to have 2 of these a day. Very important that you don’t overeat because you will store it as fat.
- Olive oil – 1 tablespoon
- Almonds, cashews, or walnuts – 8-10
- Natural Peanut Butter – 1 tablespoon
Here is my typical day:
I always start the day off with a cup or two of coffee with Splenda and fat free creamer (before cardio)
Breakfast – scrambled egg whites and oatmeal – My favorite meal of the day!
Mid-morning – scrambled egg whites and grits\oats or Jamie Eason protein bar (see Sugar post)
Lunch – turkey, chicken, or fish and rice, yams, or potatoes (from The Healthy Chef cookbook) – http://www.eatingmanagement.net/products
Mid-afternoon – scrambled egg whites and grits\oats or Jamie Eason protein bar
Dinner – turkey, chicken, or fish and rice, yams, or potatoes
Night (before weights) – scrambled egg whites and oatmeal
Before bed (after weights) – Labrada Lean Body for Her shake in the blender
I season my egg whites with onion powder, garlic powder, and fat free butter spray.
I add cinnamon, Molly McButter, and Splenda to my oatmeal and I put fat free butter spray on my grits.
You don’t have to eat egg whites 4 times a day. I just do this because I like egg whites and they are easy to transport to work in a Thermos. There are lots of options for mini-meals in The Healthy Chef cookbook.
Some of my favorites from The Healthy Chef cookbook – sloppy joes, turkey tacos, chili, crab cakes, mustard chicken, balsamic chicken, turkey burgers, turkey meatloaf, spaghetti and meatballs, chili rice, mushroom rice, sweet potato fries, creamy mashed potatoes, oven baked french fries
PORTION SIZES – this will be different for everyone because everyone’s body reacts differently to food. I hired a nutritionist to help me with my portion sizes. If you are not going to hire a nutritionist, I recommend the following portions:
Protein -handful size
Complex carbohydrate – fist size
Veggie – two handfuls
Fats – small palm size
SUGAR – try to stay under 40 grams a day
ALCOHOL – I get this question a lot. I like to have a drink or 2 on the weekends. I will have a glass of wine with dinner or Diet Sunkist and vodka (my favorite drink) on Friday or Saturday evening. Most Mexican restaurants make a skinny margarita which is AWESOME! When I do have a drink with dinner, I just don’t eat a carbohydrate with the meal. I limit myself to a 2 drink maximum. If I have more than 2, I usually wear it! I would consider alcohol my “cheat meal”.
I hope you find this helpful. Please send me an email or message me on Facebook if you have any questions.
Enjoy!
Love,
Lindsey
My maid said something to me this week that really surprised me – “Thank you for being so nice.”
I looked at her funny when she said it because I do not remember going out of my way to do nice things for her. On my way to work, I started thinking about what I did that was so “nice”. I tell her thank you sometimes, I leave leftovers for her to take to her kids, and when she does a really good job at something, I let her know.
I have also noticed that she has been doing extra things around my house that I didn’t ask her to do – organizing my closets and my kid’s dresser drawers (could be a small hint, not sure). 🙂
Coincidence? Probably not.
Everyone needs a pat on the back sometimes. Think about how good it feels when someone thanks you for something or tells you that you did a good job. Don’t you feel motivated to keep doing good things when that happens?
Just a little food for thought. Have a great weekend!
Love,
Lindsey
I know you are thinking that a clean diet sounds bland and boring. It is not!
You can make your food taste good by using The Healthy Chef cookbook (link below). The Beyond Diet book explains clean eating in detail and it also gives you a sample meal plan. If you have children, I suggest purchasing the Kidtrition Kafe Cookbook.
http://www.eatingmanagement.net/products
Portion sizes will be different for everyone. My nutritionist does phone consultations and she can determine how much you should eat at each meal based on your lifestyle, body type, etc. Give her a call – she rocks!
http://www.eatingmanagement.net/kim_porterfield_cn
Packing meals for the day was a new concept for me and took some getting used to. Here are a few things that have helped me:
1- I found a thermos at Target that keeps food warm for 8 hours. I heat up all of my food in the morning and put it in a Thermos so it is ready to go when it is time to eat. I carry 3 of them with me to work.
2- It can be hard to remember to eat every 3 hours. At first, I set a timer on my phone so that I would remember. After a few weeks of eating frequently, I was able to feel my blood sugar dropping at about the 2.5 hour mark. I get the shakes now if it has been longer than 3 hours and I can’t think straight. It is crazy.
3- Jamie Eason’s protein bars or Labrada Lean Body for Her shakes are good things to carry with you if you are on the go and don’t want to bring a meal.
4- Cooking – who has time to cook enough food to eat 7 meals a day, right? I designate 2 days a week to cooking (usually Sunday and Wednesday). I cook enough food to on those days to have leftovers. My husband likes to grill on the weekends so I just add lots of stuff to the grill.
5- Eating out – I do it. My job requires that I go out to lunch with colleagues, clients, etc. I usually go with a grilled chicken salad with FF dressing (just make sure that the dressing isn’t loaded with sugar). If I go to a Mexican restaurant, I get chicken or shrimp fajitas with corn tortillas (salsa only for topping). You can get a lean protein and a veggie at most restaurants. If you are really trying to be good, you should get your protein cooked with no oil or butter. I don’t like to cause a scene when I am on a business lunch, so I don’t do that. Tell the waiter that you have a food allergy if you really don’t want it on there. That will make him get it right!
Best of luck!
“If you really want to do something, you will find a way. If you don’t, you will find an excuse.”
Love,
Lindsey
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