Day 5, 6, and 7....the Cleanse is over!

Yes...the cleanse is over. Yesterday was my last day and I couldn't be any happier. In fact, as soon as I finish typing this post I am making me a big delicious bowl of oatmeal with blueberries. I never thought  I would miss oatmeal this much. So a couple of things have happened since I started the cleanse. I have eliminated a fair amount of internal debris and I know this because the cleanse did everything it was supposed to do on a daily basis (wink, wink). I have flatter abdominals, I feel lighter, and I weight less. As for having more energy, that's a negative. I think when you have an infant the energy thing is futile. I honestly don't think my energy stores will replenish until all three of my sons are in college. During this cleanse I had to contest with another sort of monkey wrench which is a lack of energy to work out. The last day I officially worked out was on Saturday, day 3 of the cleanse. This week, I have gone 4 days without doing much more than a little weight lifting. on Day 5 and 6 I was really zapped for energy because of the constant running around trying to get things done around my house as I catered to Jonathan while trying to avoid the kitchen. All and all the cleanse did work out well. My main meals over days 5, 6 and 7 were grapefruits for breakfast, a  mid morning snack of walnuts and almonds (always one ounce), and salad greens for lunch and dinner. I did throw in a bit of grilled chicken on day 5 but not on day 6 or 7. My body really needed the protein as that was the day I did some weight lifting.

So where do I go from here? Now the diet plan comes back into the mix. I don't want to use the word diet as a negative here because it's rather positive. The word diet often implies restriction but that is not the case, nothing  for me is restricted, I mean no one is holding me hostage here. Some things I am choosing not eat, well a lot of things...and that is what a diet should be, a choice to refrain not restrict. With that being said, I have been keeping artificial and granulated  sugars at bay for the last seven days and I don't necessarily want to go back to them by having diet sodas, candy, or even things like pop tarts. It's important to choose carbohydrates that are without artificial sweeteners and/or granulated sugars (refined sugar) which are things like whole grains. So what would be best are things like brown rice, whole wheat pasta, a slice or two of whole bread maybe once a week. Proteins for me will be things like egg whites, grilled chicken, fish about three times a week and occasionally some turkey products like lunch meat (lunch meat is processed and heavy on the sodium so use sparingly). Fats should be unsaturated to low saturation so that means olive oil or safflower oil based dressings and maybe an ounce or two of cheese every so often. This means things like pizza can be consumed in small portions maybe once every two weeks. Oh yeah and the fruits and vegetables carbs are a must have. I should return back to 4-5 days of exercise with a menu plan like this. Now if everything goes well I should make my weight goal or come close to it by mid to late April!  Coming up I have a couple of special events that I have to watch out for. My niece and nephew (Ish family) and my son Elias all have birthday parties coming soon so there will be cake. I will give myself permission to have a piece at each event and to let that be my one dessert all week as I exercise my way towards that day. That's the only way to avoid guilt while you are on a diet...plan ahead and give yourself permission to indulge or eat what you like, but again it must be measured as to not over indulge. Well with thoughts of cake fresh in my mind, that oatmeal is now calling my name. I'm going to go tear it down. Be well to whomever is reading....

The Weight in: Cleansing Day 3 and 4 and a Heart Filled Box of Love!

I weighed in yesterday at 156lbs! Whoo hoo!!! Man... looking at that scale felt good! Although some weight loss is to be expected during a cleanse the number still impressed me. I am happy to get out of that 160-165lb zone. Yes! I feel lighter and I am finding out that I am also having a fresher outlook period. I actually feel a little sexier. In fact, get ready for a little TMI (too much information) I felt so sexy that I went into the back of my pantie drawer and pulled out the thongs that had been lying there awaiting my return. That was just the start, I next went into my closet to try on a pair of jeans. I have jeans in three sizes like most people do. I have the size 8 pairs usually reserved for when I have gained more than 10 lbs, I have the size 6 jeans that are more true to my weight size and then I have size 4's when I'm on my Betheny Frankel "skinny girl" thing. I went for the size 8's. I tentatively pulled them out from their personal storage area towards the back of the closet. I noticed that the they were slightly out of style because I haven't worn a size 8 in a few years now. The style was of the low rider era, the brand was DKNY's... circa 2005. That was the year when all the rage was wearing low cut jeans with  embroidered designs on the back pockets, you know the kind that 7 of all Mankind first made famous? I remember this because I wasn't about to pay $150 for a pair of designer jeans by them. However when all of the other jean designers jumped on board to emulate their style I ran out and picked these up. Anyway, as I digress... I put the jeans on the floor to begin to pull them up. I got to my knees and I noticed I was able to keep going. As I got towards my thighs I had to do the hip dance, you know the one where you begin to bounce from one leg to the other as you hike your hips from side to side. I got them up over my hips and then zipped them up. They fit! Yes!!! Now mind you they still showed a bit of abdominal spillage (aka muffin top) along with an embarrassing showcasing of that thong I had just put on,  but they fit! Yes...that was a good moment.

Anyway, day 3 and day 4 of the cleanse (Saturday and Sunday) did not go without their own challenges. On Saturday night Ish and I decided to take the kids out for dinner. He picked out some seafood Chinese buffet restaurant because we had the kids and it's more affordable. I was really annoyed at first because you can really "go to town" at a buffet, but then again I was kind of okay with it because I am not a big buffet eater. To play it safe, I decided that I would have my older son make me a salad so I wouldn't be tempted by viewing the smorgasbord of food. My teenager (who still remains nameless due to him feeling embarrassed about me blogging about him) made me a healthy salad but he poured some caesar dressing on it and threw on some grilled chicken. I said "Hey (as if mad) I didn't ask for the dressing or chicken and now I have to eat it or it's wasteful!"  So I ate the salad with the dressing and grilled chicken and all... knowing it was against the cleanse rules. I didn't think it would matter much as it was lean protein and a small amount of dressing at that. Plus, the next day when I weighted in at 156 lbs I felt great!

Onto Sunday.  I had forgotten that during this cleanse I would be committing to it right smack dab in the middle of my favorite junk food holiday...Valentines day! It's my favorite junk food holiday because I have a guilty pleasure in regards towards eating cheap Valentine's day assorted chocolates. You know the kind that are either cremes or truffle filled? My favorite cheap chocolates by far are the Russell Stover variety. I probably like these because I remember my Mom getting a box of these as a kid. She would always give me and my sisters a few pieces from out the box. I remember looking at that cheap red heart shaped box thinking how I wish I had the whole thing. So, in order to prevent Ish from buying me a box of chocolates I decided to beat him to the punch and buy him a box. Huh??? ....Let me explain. Now, I normally buy my boys candy as a love token for them on V-day, but I rarely ever buy Ish something like chocolates. However, I thought this would help me to vicariously live though him by watching him eat the chocolates thus preventing me from consuming them myself.  Brilliant... I know! So, I went into the local CVS to peruse the aisles. I immediately got the boys their heart shaped plastic containers filled with skittles. That was a no brainier. Than I got a little brown love bear for Jonathan because he can't have candy yet. Next was an aisle filled with every foiled, satin, and cellophane wrapped heart shaped box of chocolates you could dream of. Ish and I both like dark chocolates so I knew not to get those, I knew to get something I wouldn't eat like white chocolates or cherry cordials. I decided to get him a medium box of Russell Stovers Private Reserve chocolates because the box was a little more "manly" looking. I made my purchase and then made my way home. I gave the kids their candy and little Jonathan his bear and then gave Ish his chocolates. He said..."Why'd you get me these?" "It's my job to get you some." I said " Yeah I know but I am on a cleanse and I don't want to mess up". He said "Okay" and then went back to the computer. I started shuffling around him for a bit and then I said..."You're not going to open them?" He was like, "Yeah but not right now." I said  "Okay".  Awww ...man, since then I have been eye balling that heart box filled with love ever since. This will power thing is a mother sucker! Although it's Valentines day and I love those cheap chocolates, I think I love the fact that I am loving my new 156 lb size, chocolate thong wearing ass even more. Happy Valentine's Day!

The Workout Report: Spinning my heart out!

Last night I was supposed to work out with RD at her house. We were supposed to do a few Jillian Michaels DVD's for the fun of it, but at the last minute RD had to cancel to take care of some business. So, what's a girl to do when she does not feel like being in charge of  her own gym workout?  She takes a class! I looked at my watch and I noticed I could still make it to the last class of the night at Bally's. The last class was reaction cycling (aka.. spinning). Now I love spinning because it is a great lower body muscle enhancing workout and an endurance workout all in one. It really gets the whole body moving and you can become totally consumed in the process. I offer spin at my fitness boutique in Germantown as well, (there weren't any spin classes last night though...Tuesday is yoga) and the instructor that teaches it is amazing! Not to say that last night's instructor at Bally's wasn't good but she is no Alana. Alana teaches the spin classes at The Well Loft (my fitness studio) and she is awesome! She really gets the class excited. She keeps the momentum going by empowering you to move faster, slower, harder and better. Her voice is commanding without being over bearing and she really supports all efforts and all levels. She also keeps you safe, which is big!

Alana an awesome indoor cycling instructor!

Now, I notice when I speak to people about doing spin classes that I either get two reactions. They either say...I love spin...or it's too hard ( in a whiny baby voice)! Now, I would understand if someone said I don't like to spin but to say it's "too hard" is such a freakin' cop out! All exercise is hard ...that's why they call it a work out....hello!!!! It's just that when it comes to a spin class the challenge is that you are moving at a pace that the instructor dictates without little to no deviations. The bike is designed to keep you in the proper form and you have to have certain degrees of tension to ride against or you won't be able to to do some of the commands like standing or hovering. To not have the proper tension resistance it would be noticeable, unsafe and plain out weird feeling. What I am referring to is if you were standing up on the bike riding and the tension was at a low level you would be falling into the pedals without getting a good burn to the thighs (quadriceps) and your legs would buckle which is unsafe and not correct. This is why people say it's too hard because they have to work at a high level. However, if they just relax into the work, embrace the discomfort and listen to the instructor (even take a brief rest) they will experience an amazing workout that will deliver them outstanding results and a great pair of legs to boot! Then what was once hard will become easier!

Oh Nah Nah...What's my name?

Okay after a previous week of nutritional dieting, extensive work outs, a major snow storm, and a few baby issues (Jonathan is a bit colicky) I had to weigh in. I was a bit nervous stepping on the scale because although I worked out extensively on three days, I was supposed to do five, my schedule however got side tracked with the snow storm. Another concern was that my nutritional intake wasn't the best either. After being snowbound in the house wanting to eat every second I just knew that it was going to be a major factor too. So, I step on the scale with my teenage son as my witness. I placed the dial on 150 and then I pushed the lever over to the right 14 spaces and it falls right down to the bottom. My heart leaped because that meant I had to go left which means I had lost weight...but how much? I pushed the lever to 13...still room to go..12..I could go more..I ended up balancing on 10!!! Yes I weight 160 lbs. That is a 4 pound drop from last week! Awesome. I was dancing around my fitness studio singing my favorite song of the moment.... Oooh Nah Nah What's My Name... when my 14 year old says to me...chill Mom you're not fat but you ain't no Rihanna either! Freakin' kids...I could be Rihanna right?

Ain't nothing but the dog in em!

Last night's workout for the most part went well. To take a look at the leg and ab exercises RD and I performed please reference the following blog post ( click here ). We also incorporated a shoulder routine that I have a short story about. You'll find the description of the shoulder workout after the story below.

The workout for the most part went okay except for this one little man that grated on my nerves. Let me start from the very beginning so that you have the full story. Last night I drove up to Planet Fitness to once again workout with RD. On the way into the gym I noticed a cool breeze blowing down my shirt. I felt my chest area and low and behold I did not have a bra on, not a sports bra, or even a regular bra. Now mind you I wasn't aware that I was bra less up until that point. I actually worked at my fitness studio for two hours, did a yoga class, talked to my clients and everything without a bra on and I didn't notice it. I decided to let RD know I was at the gym and then I'd figure out what I was going to do by asking her opinion. I told RD I was bra less and she immediately started laughing. Inside I was wondering if she thought I did this on purpose for the blogs sake...I swear I didn't. This was just so random! she asked what I was planning to do. Only because we are on a mission of fitness, I decided to stay. I would walk the tread mill without any uphill climbs just to make sure "the girls" wouldn't be bouncing all around. This might be the perfect time to also describe what sort of shirt I was wearing as it does matter as this story unfolds. I had on a short black fitted T shirt, with a grey tank top underneath that reached past the length of the fitted T. Being as though I had the tank on underneath I thought I was at least a little bit secure. Anyway, as my endurance workout came to a close RD and I went about our strength training routine. RD and I workout in what I call the "Dog Pound". You guys know what the dog pound is right? It's that area in any co-ed fitness center that ladies seldom venture into and men rarely want us in unless we either have hair on our chest or a doo rag on our head. I have always worked out in the dog pound (or as I also refer to it... the jail yard) for a couple of reasons.

1) This area has the barbell equipment that will allow you to place barbell plates on a weighted bar. You can use this in quite the same way free weights can be used only allowing the user greater weight bearing capacity.

2) This area also has strength training machines usually with out the nautilus attachment cables like the machines on the main fitness floor. The jail yard machines offer less assistance and greater resistance which requires you to do more work.

3) I love working out with the guys because they usually know how to "get it in" with reps and sets they way I like too.

To continue on with my story, RD and I proceed to the jail yard area of Planet Fitness to work on our shoulders. Keep in mind at this point "the girls" had got their sweat on and my headlights were now showing through the shirt. In one of my earlier blogs I mentioned having tear drop boobies (courtesy of Dr. Solomon) which may have looked tempting to the salivating man/dogs that were throwing their "literal" weight around. This one little pit bull of a man/dog got bold and decided to approach RD and me with what he felt was some helpful advice. He came up along side me (as we were working a front deltoid raise) and said "May I offer you a suggestion"...now, because I am polite and I kind of guessed what was coming...I said yes. He says, "You are not supposed to swing, (bark) when you lift those weights hon, (bark, bark), and if you have to swing (bark), you may want to lift a lighter weight, something you can handle (pant, pant)."  I simply said "uh huh" and turned away. I'm pretty sure he felt all proud of himself being that he came to the rescue of these helpless ladies that had somehow found thier way into the wrong part of the gym. He probably barked to his other man/dog friends that we didn't know what we were doing and that he had to show us the proper way to lift weights. First let me clarify that I nor RD were swinging the weights with what he was trying to say our low backs. To be perfectly clear we were getting a slight ab contraction by tightening our abdominal muscles each time we lifted the weights. This stabilizes your body and protects your low back at the same time. Also, the little bit of momentum that we were using was not because we could not lift the 5lb dumbbells we were holding,  it was because of the pulling in of the abdominals with each lift. This can cause you to rock ever so slightly back. Needless to say as a professional I was livid and as a woman/fitness enthusiast I was disgusted. I asked RD if she thought he would have given us his friendly advice if we were a couple of guys. She of course said "definitely not". Then I thought about my wet t shirt, my exposed headlights, and my rather long, freshly extended ponytail and said to myself it wasn't nothing but the dog in 'em chasing the cat at the dog pound.

The little pit bull of a man/dog that tried to help me and RD.

Our shoulder circuit (DB= dumbbell)
5 lb DB's

Front shoulder raise 10 reps, 5 sets
30 sec rest in between sets

Lateral raise with bent arms 10 reps, 5 sets
30 sec rest in between sets

Overhead Shoulder press
10 reps, 5 sets
30 sec rest in between sets

Burn out set (super set no rest)
10 bicep curls
10 shoulder press with back squeeze
10 lateral raises (straight arms)
10 front raises

The Weigh In - Day 1, Week 1

Today is actually Day 2, I originally planned to write this blog yesterday but I had laptop issues and I didn't feel like using my iphone to do it either. Okay, so yesterday (Sunday) was my official kick off  day for the B.A.B.E program. RD has chosen to be my Babe buddy and work along side of me for as long as it takes for us to shed our extra weight. RD met me at my fitness studio ( shameless plug ~ http://www.thewellloft.com/) around 2:30 pm so we could weigh each other in and take our measurements. We also took full body before pictures at a snapping point of a 360 degree turn around.

The B.A.B.E program follows a calorie counting nutritional plan of whole foods (divided in specific parts of carbs, healthy fats, and lean protein) and an exercise plan of 5-6 weekly workouts incorporating a total fitness regimen of utilizing strength, endurance and flexibility training.

The following are my beginning stats (Sunday, 1/23/11)

Height -  5.5'
Weight - 164 lbs  (goal weight 135-140)
Chest -   36
Waist -   28
Hips -    44  freaking inches!!!
Thigh -   22
Arm -    11.5
Body Fat - 34.%
BMI -    27.3

Okay here is the formula for me to determine my daily calorie intake for me to lose weight.
Based on my weight 164 x 10 = 1,640 (resting metabolic rate)x 1.8 (activity level) = 2,952 - 1000 = 1,800
This tells me I can eat between 1,500-1,800 calories a day and lose 2 lbs a week.
RD's calculations based on her numbers is in the same range.

Our plan is to weigh in every Sunday at 3:00pm. We will take our body measurements again after 4 weeks. If successful we should be dropping between 8-10 lbs by 2/20.

164 lbs

Bust 36 inches

Hips 44 inches (egads!)

Waist 28 inches



Taking before pictures...ugly but priceless!



Motherhood is a gift.

Jennifer Hudson

Motherhood is a gift...oh yes it is! It is a gift of bodily destruction and emotional mayhem. In fact I received a different gift each time I gave birth. Let me run down my gift list. The first gift I received was 14 years ago from my first born A.R. (I'm using his initials to spare him the embarrassment of Mom-teenager association) his gift was just what a 23 year old first time mother would want. A set of saggy deflated boobs! I knew with my teabag titties  (as my friend Robin would refer to them) that I would be destined to a life of push up bras and chicken cutlet looking replacement prostheses. Feeling like I was having a mid life crisis, I made a decision do what any American 23 year old woman that is totally immersed in her body would do, I went under the knife. I traded in my less than A size tea bags titties for a pair of full C size teardrop boobies (that's what they actually called my implants teardrop's). Thinking I had permanently dodged a body bullet I thought it was safe enough to enter into mommy hood again. 5 1/2 years later I gave birth to my darling middle child Elias Lewis. At 10 lbs 5 ounces at birth Elias Lewis gave me the instant gift of abdominal stretchmarks. Ahhh...what thoughtfulness on his behalf. Another gift for me to treasure and again show off! I left the hospital with my stomach looking like a road map of peaks and valleys made up of loose skin and underlying muscle indentations. The fix so I thought, in this situation would be to buy and use a host of body butters. I tried cocoa butter, shea butter, almond butter and I hate to admit even a little crisco. Nothing worked to eliminate these ugly tiger stripes however, over time they did diminish and at 28 years old I felt like I was already ancient enough to not care as much. I figured I keep these battle scars and live a life of one piece swim suits with the occasional tankini (thank God for tankini's).  On to present day, which is eight years later to the birth of my sweet Jonathan. My gratis gift baby or so I thought. I never thought I would have to incur anymore body inflictions but I did. Little Jonathan Xavier gave me my greatest mommy body gift so far. I am now the proud recipient of wider hips. Yay me!!!  I already had wide enough hips to begin with...do I really need more to contend with? I guess so because now 2 months later I am still wearing my maternity jeans! I can't fit into my size 6 skinny jeans, boot cut jeans or even my old reliable jeggings! So now the reasonble fix would be to buy a new pair of jeans in a different size right? Heck no! I'm embarrassed to admit but I don't want to buy double the size I was before the baby. I feel it would be some sort of commitment to buy a pair of size 12 jeans. No offense to all you size twelver's out there but I have a closet full of size six's that miss my body and my body misses them! I just secretly hope we can one day build a relationship again (sigh). All of this wondering just leaves me with one thought... When did I trade places with Jennifer Hudson?

Piece of Pizza or Peace of Mind? (pt. I)

Last night I received the following text message from my husband and baby Daddy, Ish. The text message simply asked "Do you wanna pick up something to eat or do you want me to order something?" This message was sent to me at 7:41 pm. However, by the time I finished teaching my last class and then wrapping up a client personal training session it was 8:45pm. I noticed the time and then I panicked! I knew since I did not respond to his text that Ish got take out. I also knew I would be going home hungry after my workout. Not good, so off to the gym I went arriving about 9:00pm. My gym partner in crime I'll call her "R.D." met me in the lobby and we proceeded to make a lose plan of attack. I told her we should both do endurance training for 40 minutes and then meet by the free weights for strength training. We did that and by the time we wrapped up everything with an awesome ab burn and stretch it was 11:00pm and I was starving! At home, I knew there could possibly be a smorgasbord of fast food awaiting my arrival. Could Ish have ordered a greasy quart of Chinese rice, or maybe some cheese whiz cheese steaks, could it possibly be Popeye's or KFC, both of which are two of his favorite "restaurants" (as he calls them). Whatever it was I was going to be ready. I planned to go home and march right upstairs without even a glance towards the kitchen. Yeah that's it... that'll work.  I  arrived home after my two hour workout with R.D. and there it was... a 16' pepperoni pizza innocently sitting there on the dining room table. It looked like it had made itself at home waiting for me, on the table without any regard for me having to lose 20 lbs by the end of March.  Now I don't normally eat cold pizza or even pepperoni pizza for that matter it was just the notion of it being available for immediate consumption that was watering my palate. I mean it was cold for goodness sake why would I want cold pizza??? There was however a solution for that...the toaster oven! The toaster oven is quick and it heats things up crisp. Plus, no one would know...not even R.D. I don't have to tell her. In fact, I just worked out for two hours and I'm officially starting  my nutritional plan next Sunday AND this is just a prep week. This could be my last slice of pizza for awhile. I had to think quick for I had a decision to make... should I choose a piece of pizza or a peace of mind??? End of Part I...


A picture of last night's culprit

 

Competing Against Me

Okay so I decided to enter in a Ms. Figure competition. A Ms. Figure competition is a smaller version of a womens bodybuilding competition. I hired a competition fitness trainer who trains in Delaware and I begin my program today. Of course I want to blog it and video blog it too! The program involves a restricted eating plan to burn fat as well as a five day a week lifting routine. Based upon my evaluation I need to increase the width of my back, and calves. I currently have 18% percent body fat ( I personally think it's closer to 19 or 20%) and I weight 135 lbs.

The diet: I have to eat 10 egg whites a day, two bowls of oatmeal, grilled chicken, flank steak, romaine lettuce, cucumbers, sweet potatos, brown rice, bananas and apples. So it's heavy on the fiber and protein, lean on the carbs and fats. I will also be drinking two muscle milk shakes a day.

The workout: Involves mostly chest and back (for now) to develop these areas a bit more.

The competition: is on Oct 3rd, 2009

I feel like this will be more of a competition against myself than anyone else. As I will have to rely on heavy will power with the diet as I am such a foodie. I love sweets and salty snacks

Well wish me luck and now off to the gym!

Taking a Bite out of the Big Apple!

Taking a Bite out of the Big Apple!

Okay so here's the deal I am 35 years young/old, I recently got laid off from a job that I loved (Wellness Director), and I am without any income (including unemployment; I didn't qualify for it). Although I think I am an awesome fitness trainer I don't have as much business as I would like (darn economy!) So now I am biting the big apple or at least trying to. I am trying to get signed to a New York modeling/talent agency to do commercials and small acting parts. I have always had an acting bug and I actually spent a few years reaching for the stars in my early 20's. Now I am trying to mix fitness and acting. I have my second go-see tomorrow. Hey maybe it will be my lucky break and I'll get discovered! Maybe I'll get cast on the next infomercial for the latest abdominal fat blasting product, or maybe I'll be in the next Bally's fitness commerical dancing around in tight short shorts, or maybe just maybe I'll be cast as the next Jillian Michaels in a Biggest Loser type show!

Who knows? The sky is truly the limit!

I'll keep you posted BTW, email me if you are hiring!!!!