I'M BACK!!

Well if you haven't noticed I have not blogged in forever. Not only that my last month has been terrible. It started with doing my workouts but slacking on what I was eating. I was getting very lazy with my nutrition and thought I workout so hard I can eat this crappy food if I want to. Then I complety fell off the wagon not only did I fall off I ran in the opposite direction screaming! I ate everything I could eat. If it was UNhealthy I would eat it. I stopped working out completely for 2 weeks. What was supposed to be my last 2 weeks of p90x was instead 2 weeks of me sabotaging my hard work and being guilt ridden b/c of it. One day my husband came to me and said "Charity what are you doing?", "You are determined to not be successful with your health goals." And that is when I realized that he was right. I could no longer see myself getting past a certain weight, I didn't deserve or could never attain the body that I want to have.
I decided that playing the victim was no longer acceptable. The next day I got up and did plyo and every single one of my muscles KILLED from my butt down. But I felt good! This week I started full force again and I am going to finish my last two weeks. So instead of finishing p90x in 90 days I will finish it in 104 days. No biggie.
We have a saying in our family that we use with our girls. Whenever they fall weather its off the bed, down the stairs, off the park whatever, we ask them " why do we fall" and they respond " so we can get back up"
I fell and I am back up ready to fight for what I want. I have aprox 1 1/2 weeks left till my first round of p90x is done! Round 2 starts on June 9th! This time I will finish 90 days in 90 days! Anybody else ready to BRING IT and start June 9th with me??

What I have been eating

So I have decided to go back to the phase 1 diet of P90X. Currently I am on phase 2 but I feel like phase 1 will be better for me right now.
What they suggest to eat is
5 servings of protein
2 servings of veggie
1 serving of fruit
2 servings of dairy
1 serving of healthy fat
1 serving of carbs
1 snack (100 cal)
1 condiment fat free 2 tbsp
1 recovery drink
1 bar (I never eat this)

So what I have had today so far is
protein shake with water and 1 tsp of Matcha
Banana
1 cup of whole grain cereal with 1/2cup of milk
3 oz of chicken breast, 1 red bell pepper and 1.5oz of low fat mozza cheese, 1 tbsp of teriyaki sauce
1 protein shake with 1 cup of milk and 1 tsp of Matcha

So what I have left is 2 proteins, 1 veggie, 1/2 cup of dairy, 1 healthy fat

Not to bad. Any ideas for dinner???

Its all part of the Journey...

I am very dissapointed in myself.... My eating has not been great this entire month. I have given myself permission to have bites here and there of little things through out the day and then I went away for the weekend to scrapbook and for some reason eating and scrapbooking goes hand in hand for me so I of course ate way to much. Although I did workout and did kenpo in canmore so I was happy about that. Then it was Marias bday and there was cake and pizza and more cake. I feel like I kinda justify that since I am working out so hard I can have a spoonful of natural peanut butter 3, 4, 5 times a day. Plus its natural so its good for you... Well 1 tablespoon has 100 calories in it!!! That is 300-500 EXTRA calories a day!!! Just in peanut butter! Not worth it but for some reason I keep doing it.
Then today I was so depressed and upset that I am not controlling my eating as good as I would like that I ate a TON of pita bites chips from Costco and then decided that we may as well go out for burgers and ice cream for dinner.
Anyways I am once again recommitting! I need to really focus on being in control of my eating and choices. Time goes by way too fast and I am wasting it. I work out so hard every single day that it is kinda a slap in the face to not eat as healthy as possible. So I WILL be blogging everyday what I am eating. It will be boring and repetitive but I need to do it and I feel that will help me to be accountable and really get focused here.
I am although VERY proud of how AMAZING I am doing with my workouts. Since I started P90X I have not missed one workout! Not one!!! My weight and reps have all gone up and my push ups are so much better. I can even throw some mens push ups in there and if I do say so my self my arms are looking pretty dang good!!!
The first 46 days of p90x have been great, but the next 44 days are going to be unbelievable!! Day 47 starts bright and early in the morning and I am ready to BRING IT!!!

I have had a hard time lately finding time to post. I really need to put it back into my daily routine. It helps me to not only be accountable but to get everything clear in my head by putting it into my blog posts. Anyways P90X is so amazing I am LOVING it!! As I said before I took my day 1 pics that were absolutely disgusting to me. Then I took my 30 day pics and the first thing I noticed was that I was not grossed out anymore. I looked better. Then this weekend Naomi asked to see my pics and so I put them side by side on my computer and even I was SHOCKED with the difference I saw. I could not believe my body shape had changed sooo much in 30 days. I will post them on here one day but I don't feel that I am ready to put them out onto the Internet yet... but it was very powerful to not only see the pics but to see them side by side.
I have some workouts that I feel I am excelling at and my form is getting better and better and my weight I am lifting is getting heavier and everything is going well. Then there is Yoga and Pull ups.... UGH! The stretching part of yoga I not only find boring and to slow for me it gives me headaches and my lower back has ZERO flexibility in it. I dread doing yoga. Its the only workout that I don't look forward to. This morning I skipped through the first 45 mins of stretching and only did the last 45 mins of balancing. I know its not the right attitude to have and next weeks yoga I am going to BRING IT and get it done!!
Pull Ups. One of thee hardest exercises I have done. Well I cant even do it on my own I have to use a chair which frustrates me. I just feel like I could be doing them so much better and I cant seem to be able to get there. I know with time it will come but I just want to be able to do ONE pull up without a chair!!
I don't mean to be negative but this is where I am at today and tomorrow will be a whole new day. I will keep getting up and pushing play, doing my best and forgetting the rest!

P90X DAY 30!!

Yesterday was my day 30 and I was getting a little nervous the night before to take measurements and do my weigh in. I felt like I really needed to see good numbers because I have worked so hard and I needed my numbers to reflect that. So after 30 days of P90X I have

1. LOST 8.8Ibs
2. LOST 11 inches
3. LOST 1.58% in body fat
4. LOST 8 beats per min in my resting heart rate

So not only I am totally excited with my results I was able to do not only mens pushups yesterday but mens pushups with a clap in between AND mens pushup doing a side arm raise after!! You have to understand that I could not even do one mens push up on day one and could barely do a womens push up correctly!! And now I am doing multiple mens push ups!!
I cant wait to see what the next 30 days will hold for me!!

Your Closer Than You Think

So as you know by my last post I have had a hard time wrapping my head around me getting fit this last weekend. Even yesterday I was struggling to say the least. I felt like I was resisting everything. Today though I woke up and said enough is enough there is not time to "kinda" do it. I need to JUST DO IT! So I got up had my shake and did my workout which was Core Synergistics. It was an awesome workout. I LOVED it! When my workout was done the words popped up "You are closer than you think" I thought of the time when Mitz and I were either dating or first married and we went on this hike and I was DYING it was sooooo hard for me it came to a point were I told Mitz to go on ahead I will just lay here on the rock and wait for him. I seriously thought that I could not go one more step. Finally he convinced me to keep on going and I litterly walked a few more steps went around the corner and the hike was done and we were at our destination. It was beautiful and peaceful and I was so close to just giving up and not benefiting from all the hard work it took me to get there. This is how I felt this last weekend was for me. I have been doing great and working sooo hard and I was willing to throw it all away and not receive all of the benefits that are waiting for me and that I am so close to having!
This is day 23 and I am completely motivated once again to BRING IT!

Yoga, Chocolate and a little bit of weight loss

I didn't post at all last week and it REALLY made a difference I feel in my accountability last week. I had an okay week for eating, not perfect but not terrible. Lots of room for improvement. Then the weekend hit and my eating healthy went right out the door. I took my girls to the movie on Saturday and ate half of their popcorn, drank orange pop and ate chocolate. I couldnt stop. Then on the way home I stopped and bought MORE chocolate and my day was turning worse and worse and when mitz came home from football that night I made him go buy me MORE chocolate before he came home. Then yesterday I found that Mitz had hidden some chocolate in the fridge for himself and I ate most of that as well. I dont know what got into to me. Today was weigh in and I only lost .2Ibs.. At least I had a weight loss after all of that.
Another thing I have been struggling with is Yoga. Sometimes I feel like its pointless and stupid. I know it must not be or else it wouldn't be part of P90X but its how I feel. When I do yoga my arms sometimes feel numb, tingly and cold inside. Sometimes I have to hold my head when I come out of different poses because it will start hurting so bad and when I do upward dog my lower back hurts sooo bad. I think my back must be really tight but its very painful. I am sure I have terrible circulation, and I have no idea how to relax my mind. It goes 24 hrs a day awake or not. So if there is anyone that is reading this that does yoga are these things normal and will it go away??
I am so excited to be starting my 4th week of p90X!!! I am very happy with my results to date I just need to buckle down and get back on track with nutrition. I have not missed one workout and I am very proud of that!

Cottage Cheese Pancakes

I cant believe I have not put this recipe on here yet. This is one of our FAVES!! I make it every Sunday for breakfast and my girls LOVE them, my husband LOVES them and I swear they are better then regular pancakes. I double the recipe for my family.

Ingredients
Dry
1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1tsp baking powder
2TBSP maple sugar flakes ( I couldn't find flakes, I use maple sugar)
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp sea salt

Wet
8 egg whites
1 cup fat free cottage cheese
1 cup fat free plain yogurt
Cooking spray

Prep
1. Combine first five ingredients in a medium bowl. Make a well in the center

2. Combine eggs, cottage cheese and yogurt in small bowl. Pour into well. Stir until just moistened.

3. Heat a non stick pan and spay with cooking spray. Heat should be medium high. Use 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake. Cook until lightly browned on both sides, keep warm in oven until all the batter has been used.

4. Serve with fruit. I put frozen blueberries and strawberries and put them in a sauce pan heat and mash and a tiny bit of water. You will get a nice thick fruit sauce!

Nutritional Info
Calories 81
Calories from fat 2
Protein 7g
Carbs 12g
Dietary fiber 1g
Fat 0.3
Sodium: 112mg

Day 12 Kenpo

I LOVE KENPO! Besides being a great workout. It is a great stress reliever also. I dont know if its because he is constantly telling you to hit, kick, knee, claw, slice, stab ect (I'm sure you get the picture) somebody but I find it pretty interesting the amount of people that will pop into my head as a I am doing the workout! And it makes my workout so much better!! lol I find it very therapeutic I guess.
I never ended up doing my workout this morning which was fine. I really needed to sleep in this morning. And when I say sleep in I mean I was able to sleep till 7 am which is 2 hours more and it was great!! My momma was here so we hung out and I did my workout tonight. 2 weeks in and not one day missed. I am pretty proud of myself. Tomorrow I rest and then its weigh in!!

Day 11 legs and back & ab ripper x

Not a great work out today... I woke up late which I have not done yet. That is something that I can not do. I usually have my alarm go off at 5 or 530 depending on if I have an hour or an hour and half work out. Today was an hour and half, my alarm went off and I woke up at 612. My workout didnt start till 630 all my kids woke up and were running all around me. Ana and Danea wanted to play train in boxes in front of me and Zoe did not want to get ready for school so it was a little chaotic and very hard to get my head into the workout. It is still done and my quads are destroyed. They KILL me!!!

Day 9 P90X

The craziest thing keeps on happening to me. I wake up at night just to make sure I have not slept in and missed my workout! Its sooo annoying! I woke up last night at 1230am thinking it was time to get up and workout and then again at 330am! Ughhh... Eventually 5am was here and I did my shoulders and arms today! My weight I am lifting went up by 5Ibs and I had a great work out. I am seeing some definition in my arms and its only day 9!!

You can do anything for 30 seconds!

Normally what I do when I weigh in i will have a cheat meal or something. Yesterday I went back and forth all day wondering if I should have something or not. My body did not want anything at all but my mind kept on telling me that I should. So finally I decided that I would have a small piece of turtle cheesecake and get on with my week of clean eating. I ate about 3/4 of it and decided it was not good and I didn't even want it. I normally have no issues getting up at 5 or 530 in the morning for my workout. I even look forward to it. Well this morning I felt drugged! Literally. I couldnt open my eyes, I felt like throwing up, I felt dehydrated (I drink TONS of water) in fact at 730am 2 hours later I was still trying to get out of bed! I know this is ALL because of the cheesecake that I ate. I looked at the nutrition label this mornig it had in 160g cheesecake
530 calories
37 g fat
19 g saturated fat
1 g trans fat
31 g sugar
No wonder I felt so gross. This food is poison for our bodies. For years I have felt tired in the morning, I always thought I needed more sleep. What I actually needed was more nutrition. Now that my body is not used to eating this I can sure feel the difference.
So I ended up having to do my workout at 9 after Zoe went to school. Today was plyometrics which I am loving! One thing P90X says is "You can do anything for 30 secs!" Which is true! Plyometrics is lots of different exercises that are 30 secs each. It is super duper hard but so rewarding! Workout done for the day and I am feeling GREAT again!
I am so glad that I had this experience with the cheesecake. Once again another reason why I never want to go back to that lifestyle.

Day 8 Weigh in Day!!

I had no time yesterday to blog so this is a day late but I am sooo excited with the results after one week of P90X. I got up at 5am to weigh in and take measurements with Mitz before my workout and it took a while for it to click in how good my results were. I think I was tired and grumpy so I was not excited at all. After my workout it finally sunk in that I lost 5Ibs and 4.5 inches!!!! In one week!!! Jeans that were a bit to tight are now a little to lose. I feel better and I am already noticing a change in my body!! I upped my weight by 5Ibs and did more pushups then I did last time. I felt stronger in my pullups! Sometimes I cant believe I can actually do this workout but I CAN AND I AM!!

Kenpo X Day 6

I have made it through my first week of P90x!! 11 weeks left!! Everyday has been challenging and Everyday I have felt great! I have followed the nutrition plan pretty close to perfect everyday. Next week I would like to see me up some of my weights and be able to do ALL the ab/core exercises
Kenpo was lots of fun today. Great workout but I am looking forward to my day of rest tomorrow and weigh in on Monday!!!

What is P90X?

P90x for me so far has been awesome! NOTHING else EVER in my life has got me out of bed at 5 am to workout 5 days in a row. No matter what! I have had 2 nights this week where Danea decides to wake up for hours for some reason and I have still gotten up. I cant wait to do my workout!
Watch this video on what P90X is all about

Legs Back and Ab Ripper X Day 5

I went into today thinking you cant get a very good leg workout at home. Was I wrong!!! When its all squats, lunges, wall squats and more squats you can get an amazing workout. At one point I was sure I was going to throw up. I feel like my pullups are coming along, I still have to do them assisted with a chair but I did a total of 143 PULLUPS!! Not to shabby if I say so myself! Then we moved on to AB RIPPER X! It really is as brutal as it sounds. Today was my third time doing the Ab ripper x and some exercises I was not able to do on day 1 and 2 I could do today! In total I did about 275 ab/core exercises. Not a bad way to start a Friday morning!

Matcha

Very interesting. What do you guys think? This info was found at http://www.matchasource.com/matcha-tea-for-weight-loss-s/77.htm
Health Benefits of Matcha

The health benefits of matcha tea exceed those of green tea because when you drink matcha you ingest the whole leaf, not just the brewed water.

One glass of matcha is the equivalent of 10 glasses of green tea in terms of its nutritional value and antioxidant content.

For maximum nutritional benefit, matcha tea is unparalleled.

Matcha Health: Metabolism and Fat Oxidation

There are two ways to lose weight -- either reduce energy intake, or increase energy expenditure.

A study featured in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition claims that matcha green tea produces a significant increase in energy expenditure (a measure of metabolism) in individuals, combined with a significant effect on fat oxidation. While some of the effects were originally attributed to the caffeine content of green tea, the researchers discovered that matcha green tea effect on energy and weight loss go beyond those that would be caused by the caffeine.

In fact, they found that consuming matcha green tea can increase thermogenesis (the body's own rate of burning calories) from a normal 8%-10% of daily energy expenditure, to between 35% and 43% of daily energy expediture.

Consuming matcha green tea can increase thermogenesis (the body's own rate of burning calories) from a normal 8%-10% of daily energy expenditure, to between 35% and 43% of daily energy expediture.

Of critical importance is the fact that none of the research subjects reported any side effects, and no significant differences in heart rates were noticed.

In this respect, matcha green tea is different from some of the prescription drugs for obesity, and herbal products like ephedra, which can raise heart rates and blood pressure, and are not recommended for many individuals.

Matcha Tea – A Nutritious Beverage

• Rich in Antioxidants and Chlorophyll
• Contains Catechins Only Found in Green Tea
  
• Naturally Mood Enhancing
  
• Zero on the Glycemic Index - will not raise insulin levels
• Sugar-free, High in Fiber

Matcha Tea – For Antioxidant Protection
Exponentially Higher in Antioxidants than Blueberries and Spinach

Green teas contain a high amount of antioxidants, chemically compounds known to forestall aging. Antioxidants are found in many fruits and vegetables – even chocolate. A testing method known as ORAC – short for oxygen radical absorbance capacity, evaluates the antioxidant levels found in food. According to research done by Tufts University, the ORAC capacity of matcha green tea is exponentially higher than other foods known for their high antioxidants levels such as blueberries and spinach.

The ORAC rating of matcha is 1300 units/g, compared to 105 units/g for pomegranates and 91 units/g for wild blueberries.

Read more about antioxidant protection in matcha tea.

Matcha Tea - For Renown Cancer Fighting Catechin EGCg
Renown Cancer Fighting Catechins are Only Found In Green Tea

Not all antioxidants are created equal. Antioxidants are found in many foods including fruits and vegetables. There are many types of antioxidants, however, the class known as catechins are only found in green tea, and these maybe the most potent of all. And of the catechins, EGCg (epicgallocatechin gallate) is the catechin with broadest and most potent cancer-fighting properties. Sixty percent of the catechin content of matcha tea is EGCg.

One gram of matcha contains 105 mg of total catechin content, or roughly 61% EGCg.

Read more about cancer-fighting EGCg.

Matcha Tea – For Cleansing the Body of Toxins
Rich in Chlorophyll, A Renowned Detoxifying Agent

Chlorophyll, the pigment which gives leaves their green color, helps to remove heavy metals and chemical toxins from the body. Because matcha powdered tea is fully ingested when consumed, unlike tea leaves which are infused then discarded, and because matcha is shade grown, a process which increases the chlorophyll content in the leaves, matcha tea is a chlorophyll rich food.

Read more about detox powers of matcha tea.

Matcha Tea – For Naturally Mood Enhancing Amino Acids
Theanine Improves Mood and Concentration

Matcha contains L-theanine, an amino acid known to relax the mind. For this reason, matcha is also known as a mood enhancer. Buddhist monks drank matcha to assist in meditation, as matcha’s amino acids, combined with caffeine, offer a sustained calm alertness over time. Amino acids are also what gives matcha is distinctive taste. They contribute to what is known as the fifth taste, or umami, characterized by a rich creamy mouth feel. Kama matcha, our ceremony grade tea, made from the youngest, tenderest leaves, contains the highest levels of amino acids. The delicate flavor profiles of Kama Matcha and Morning Matcha are best observed when prepared in the traditional style, with a bamboo whisk and whisked in a matcha bowl.

Read more about mood enhancing amino acids in matcha tea.

Matcha Tea – Suited for Meditative Practice
Create Your Own Ceremony and Relieve Stress

The Japanese Tea Ceremony known as Chanoyu is a highly ritualized practice of drinking matcha tea. The Zen monks were the first to introduce matcha to Japan, and their influence is seen throughout the ceremony. Most notably is the emphasis on a calm mind, serene settings and awareness of nature. Drinking tea alone will not convert you a Zen monk, but adding a tea ritual to your day, however you choose to create it, will increase the possibilities for calm and serene experiences in your life. For inspiration we recommend the Tea Ceremony by Sen’o Tanaka with detailed descriptions of Chanoyu rituals, artifacts and philosophy.

Still Have Questions?
Ask Us Your Matcha Health Questions

Email us your health related questions at info@matchasource.com. Remember we're not scientists - but we do want to know what's important to you and will make every effort to connect you with accurate information.

DISCLAIMER. Green tea, famous for its health benefits, is the frequent subject of many articles in the press and media. We are not recommending green tea as a cure or remedy for any health ailments. Please consult your physician for any medical problems you may be experiencing. We seek to source current and accurate information for your general knowledge. If you know of any additional informative resources, please contact us at info@matchasource.com.

Day 3

I completely forgot to post yesterday for my day 3. I had to do shoulders and arms. The biggest problem I had was trying to figure out how much weight I should be lifting. I REALLY want defined arms. It has always been one of my goals. So I was getting a little frustrated having to keep on stopping to change weights. I felt like I was wasting time.
The workout was great. I dont think there is a part of my body that can now move easily. EVERYTHING is in pain and it takes me a long time to move around. It will be great when I wake up one day to no more stiffness... or at least not as bad.

p90x Day 4

Today was YOGA! I have never done yoga before and I LOVED it! I woke up this morning feel tired, incredibly sore and tight muscles and a headache. After the yoga I now feel soo much better, no more tightness and my headache is gone.
There were a few things that I could not do at all. Crane being one of them. Hopefully I can work up to that by the end of 90 days. There were also things that I surprised myself in being able to get my body into certain positions I would never thought were possible. So all in all it was great. So far Plyometrics and Yoga are my favorites.

P90X Day 2

"Thats a scream you would give if you were to meet a crocodile" said zoe to me as she layed on the couch critiquing me and telling me how easy all the exercises were.
Today was Plyometrics and it was hard and one thing I really need to work on is jumping. For some reason I cant get both my knees up in the air at the same time. Zoe told me "it is okay if you are not as good as they are as long as you are trying your best.
Once again I was teary eyed at the end of the workout not because it was too hard but because I finished it!! I think these early mornings are making me emotional. LOL
Anyways my Chest, back , arms, abs and shoulders are sooo stiff from yesterday and now I get to add my legs into the mix. Mitz told me that I should of taken more vitamin C & E yesterday then I would not of been so stiff. I definitely will not be forgetting today!
Everybody have a great day!