New Directions

No, not the boy band that makes your ears bleed. A NEW DIRECTION for my blog space!

 

It has been an entire year since I used this blog for anything, so I am doing an overhaul.

Coming soon I will give you an up close and personal diary of my craft explosion!! 

I Said What?

Last night I was having a conversation with my health coach and we talked about setting goals. Obviously as evidenced by the sporadic postings on this blog I need a little motivation in this department. It started out innocently enough, but by the end I had agreed to the goal of running a 5K this fall. Yes, this fall. In 7 months. No big deal, right? Allow me to acquaint you with my history of running:

 

Oh, was that section left blank? Exactly! In school we had to run the mile in P.E. every year and I dreaded it. I probably never even made it once around the track without stopping, but every year I seemed to finish it. That's something, I guess. In my late 20's I spent about a month trying to become a runner, but again I gave up. Although, unfortunately not before I bought some questionable "running" clothes. An off the shoulder t-shirt with a silver unicorn on the front? Yeah, that never made anyone faster...unless they were running AWAY from it!

Once I accepted the reality of this commitment I began to visualize what my training would look like......and then I got bored and started planning what music I would listen to instead. (FYI, there is a lot of Ke$ha, I am disappointed in myself.) But seriously, music is going to be key to the success of this situation. And also my friends, who have already started committing to helping me on this journey. I am excited, and terrified, but mostly excited. I am also going to try to continue to keep this blog updated even if I am the only person who reads it. So, let the games begin! After all, who knows what could happen?                   

Hardships

There are things I'll never understand, like maternity photography or how to cook quinoa, but none so mystifying to me as why I never want to go to the gym. I want to be healthy and I want to lose weight, but I never get home from work and think, YESSSS, time for a workout. Or have my alarm go off at 5am and think, oh good, I was so sick of sleeping. About 50% of the time I make the right choice and drag my butt down there, but how can I make that 100%, or let's face it 75% would be better than good, right? Once I am there I enjoy my workout and never regret having done it, but it is that 10 minutes between walking in the door (or in some cases waking up) and getting my clothes on where I tend to talk myself out of it. I have tried bribery like $4 People magazines that I can only read at the gym, or super mega playlists to help get me pumped, but in the end escaping my own lazy is often hard to do. Since I have never been one to accept my faults (or even admit to them..let's be honest) I will continue to work on these things and hopefully reach a point where whether by force of habit or actual enjoyment I am dedicating myself to 4-5 workouts a week. If you have any ideas, short of George Clooney running in front of me as my proverbial carrot, please share in the comments!

Here We Are Again

Ugh, this place is getting all too familiar. Why haven't I kept up with my blogging? Where am I in my progress? Today I am kicking myself in the ass and (hopefully) jump starting some progress on my goals. Since this didn't pan out I think it might be time to try a new approach:

Laziness Sets In

I don't know if it was the beautiful weather, or the close proximity to Thanksgiving, but I was LAZY this weekend! I planned to hit the gym at least once, enjoy an end of Autumn walk and cook some healthy and delicious meals, but instead I did none of the above! Grrrrr. I even ate some pizza on Saturday while I watched Nebraska kick the Gophers butts. This means that today I must get back on the straight and narrow. Today I am leaning on my Isagenix Facebook group to keep me from continuing down the wrong path! I used to think having a support group, or posting on a message board was lame, but honestly I have gotten so much motivation already today that I will now eat my words. After all, words are calorie free!
Coming soon: Healthy Thanksgiving post!

Lunch...it's not for everyone

Here is a picture of my lunch today:

Delicious and nutritious, but how do I get used to not having actual food to chew on? Admittedly, the excitement of mixing up my breakfast and lunch every day in my Magic Bullet is kind of entertaining and I am glad to be using it for something other than margaritas, but sometimes when the shake is gone I am left wondering where the food is. I have realized lately that I often think I need food, but when I stop to ask myself if I am actually hungry the answer is most commonly "no."
I am going to keep with it and come Monday we'll see how my first week's progress pans out!

Success

I have to toot my own horn for just one second because I actually got up early and worked out before work today! I even fended off the guy who kept bending over in front of me and then looking back to see if I was watching him.

First Day

Today is my first day on the Isagenix program and I am cranky, hungry and caffeine deprived! Just being honest. I am crossing my fingers that this is all because I am getting used to a new program and in a few days my body will be adjusted. It takes a while to rid my body of all of the delicious preservatives and junk I have built up and this is my body's way of punishing me--I am certain! Here is the lowdown so far:

In the morning I drink this juice called Ionix Supreme. It is basically liquid vitamins and packed full of nutrients--so good for my body. It does, however, taste terrible. There is no identified "flavor" but it is something like a Flintstone vitamin dunked in prune juice with a burning aftertaste of hangover vomit. I have been assured that I will get used to it, so I am holding out hope that it begins to taste like a pizza dipped in beer with a beajoulais-village aftertaste.
On the bright side, I get to treat myself to two shakes for breakfast and lunch and they taste amazing! Well, the vanilla one is amazing...the chocolate needed to be stirred a little more, so I am calling it operator error.
I also tried an oatmeal, cranberry "cookie" type thing that was pretty decent. It had all the taste of something decadent, but that suspect texture that most fiber filled healthy foods do. I have eaten worse (see Ionix Supreme) though, so I was pretty pleased overall.

I was also given a great website http://busygirlhealthylife.com/
to find great recipes for my non liquid meal. I can't wait to try a few of them, so stay tuned for my trials and errors!!

Quick and Easy

Perfect way to get off of the couch during commercials! I am going to try to do this 3 days a week when I am catching up on my TV shows. You can do it too!

Getting Past Bad Decisions

So, you ate a cupcake for breakfast......what happens now? Admittedly this is the exact situation I found myself in this morning. Sometimes we make bad choices, but it is important that those choices do not lead us on a slippery slope down a highway of guilt. Luckily I had committed to doing the Buddy Walk for Down Syndrome this morning, so I took my cupcake eating ass and got some exercise. Also in my favor is that the one mile walk was actually three! I am not deluded enough to think that it negated my pumpkin cupcake with cream cheese frosting, but it was a step in the right direction.

Delicious discovery this week: Trader Joe's turkey corn dogs. At least two nights a week I am on the go from 7am-9pm and I need something quick to keep me going. These are perfect, only have 80 calories and taste great microwaved.

Weight Loss to date 10 pounds!

Let's keep on trucking.

The First Line of Defense

As my dad always reminds me, calories in, calories out. I have been dealing with a number of foot/knee issues lately and haven't been able to enjoy my regular workout schedule. This, however, shouldn't stop me from being able to lose weight and enjoy a healthy lifestyle. When it is hard to get to the gym, or injury makes it unwise there is still the matter of making healthy eating choices on your side.
Today I want to talk about substitution. I have tried many alternatives to the food I love so much like turkey bacon and Greek yogurt, but I always go back to my old standby because IMO the alternatives leave something to be desired. I have been busy Pinning a lot of recipes on Pinterest to keep me excited about cooking healthy and avoiding restaurants and fast food, but have only tested a few so far. I have learned that while I don't care for turkey bacon, turkey sausage is rather tasty and makes a nice breakfast sandwich when I need a little extra. I have also found that adding a tablespoon of slivered almonds to a serving of plain oatmeal not only makes it taste better, but it keeps me fuller longer. Lastly, I have found many successes with substituting mashed, whipped and crushed cauliflower for a lot of the carbohydrate choices I am trying to avoid (mashed potatoes anyone...). I was skeptical when I started collecting recipes, but I have tried a few and they did not disappoint. My favorite being the Weight Watchers Cauliflower Poppers Recipe:
 
http://www.weightwatchers.com/food/rcp/RecipePage.aspx?recipeId=99541

Enjoy!
Later this week I will share some of the other recipe ideas I have collected and my experiences with using Pinterest as a weight loss helper!

Weight Loss to date = 6 pounds

Criminal

I've been a BAD, BAD girl. It has been nearly a year since my last post and I have completely fallen off the wagon. There is, however, good news....I am ready to start over on my weight loss journey and hopefully this time I will suck less at it. So, let's reset the counter back:

Day 1:
Pounds Lost: 0
Motivation Tank: Full
Tonight's Activity: Yoga
Soundtrack: Eye of the Tiger





  
I hope to have bi-weekly updates with what I am doing, what I am cooking and, of course, what I am listening to while I whittle my way back down to fighting weight. As always, watch for tips, tricks and plenty of sarcasm.

Send me your recipes, motivation, and kicks in the ass!                                                                                                                                                                         

The Benchmarks of Success

Hello dear friends.  I am back on the wagon.
In my years of attempting to lose weight I have used many different benchmarks to measure my success.  The numbers on the scale, the size of my pants, the fact that said pants are no longer leaving permanent stitch marks on my skin...all useful tools to determine my success.  This week I reached a major milestone.  I can officially paint my toenails without shortness of breath or suffocation.  Ladies (and maybe some men) you know what I am talking about.  You can no longer go on flaunting the two specks of polish that remain on your toes, yet you can't afford to schlep to the nail salon, so it is time for an at home job.  You try to put your foot up on the toilet, then the side of the bathtub, maybe you sit down and try to put your feet up on the coffee table but the angle never changes.  In addition to the loss of flexibility you are prone to as you get on in years, there is more around the middle and in that scrunched up position, lurched over your toes you can kiss easy breathing good-bye. Tonight I got ready, picked out my color (Kinky in Helsinki if you must know) and took a deep breath.  Instead of spending 10 minutes on various angles, moving my elbow back and forth around my knee I just jumped right in there and got the job done.  Now I can spend the rest of my evening admiring my lovely toes.  So you see, just when you get to the point of frustration with watching what you are eating and trying to exercise, another thing comes along to help keep you on track.  When you are struggling just think about how far you've come and what you are enjoying now.  Hopefully it will help to keep you motivated. 

Where Have You Been

I know I have been neglecting this blog, but I aim to return to the world of blogging!  While I haven't been back I have still been trucking away on my goals and to date I have lost 26 pounds since I started this whole adventure. 
Becky Day 1:

Becky Today
I am almost down to one chin and feeling great!  I hope to keep up the progress.  Look for more exciting updates in the week to come. 

Setting Goals and Following Through

Everyone who has ever tried to lose weight or get healthy can tell you that the hardest part of starting something new isn't found when setting the goal, rather it is in the follow through.  Admittedly this is where I tend to do most of my failing, but not this time.  It is much harder for me to fail this time around because I have a trainer and a doctor watching my back and I feel like I am changing my life for the better.  It has been slow going for the last few weeks, but I am still making progress.  I am now down 18 pounds from when I first began keeping track and I hope to continue.  It isn't so much the decrease in weight that has me excited, but the increase in muscle that my doctor is measuring.  I can't believe how much different I feel and how I want to make better choices.  This doesn't mean that I don't occasionally treat myself, but now when I have a piece of pizza I exercise a little longer, or I eat a smaller dinner and I appreciate the give and take of a healthier diet. 

This week we fine tuned my caloric intake and workout routine and according to the math I might be able to ring in the new year by hitting my weight loss goal!!  This will require hard work and determination, but I am confident that I can keep on keeping on.  Also, I teamed up with my mom in her Biggest Loser contest at work and I really want us to win.  So, keep your fingers crossed and hopefully we can all hit our healthy goals this year together. 
Best Food of the Week:
Brussels Sprouts!! I got 4 recipe ideas from Cooking Light and I have devoured two of them this week already.  Hit me up if you want the recipes!
Worst Food of the Week:
Boca Southwest "burgers" I think there was actual fiberfill in the center and it marked the first time I had spit something out rather than swallow it.  This really says a lot seeing as I swallowed that curdled protein shake a few months ago!
Best Exercise of the Week:
While I am awaiting the grand opening of my new gym I have written a few cardio workouts for myself and they have kicked my butt!  I even did one with my friend Peggy last weekend and she loved it.  I guess I am becoming a novice personal trainer too.  Ha ha.
Best Workout Jam of the Week:
This week I have been shaking my groove thang to The Reality Bites Soundtrack....brings back memories
Becky This Week:  Here is some lovely photo action of me on the boat last weekend

MIA

Hello Faithful Blog Readers,
I am sorry that I have been MIA for a few weeks now, but I promise next week I will be back with a BANG!
I hope you are all experiencing fitness success.
The last few weeks have been very busy with work and travels that took me out of town as well as my fantastic high school reunion.
The last two weeks of weigh in's have offered some small setbacks, due largely in part to beer, wine and cheese it consumption, coupled with my gym relocating and being closed for renovation, but I am back on track.  I hope to have excellent news for you next week.  In the meantime here are some picks for you:
Best Food of the Week:
watermelon..I just can't get enough of it.  Also, cherries bring up a close second, yum!
Worst Food of the Week:
Trader Joe's pre marinated chicken pieces.  Peggy warned me, but I didn't listen!  Skip these for sure.
Best Exercise of the Week:
This week I had a great old school workout with my friend Mary.  I just did some treadmill on an incline, tossed in a bit of elliptical and topped it off with some weights.
Best Workout Jam of the Week:
Lately I have been on this huge George Michael/WHAM! fix.  Good stuff!
Becky This Week:

The Devil and the Wii Fit Board

I learned two VERY important things this week:

Mauri Windsor is the devil
AND
The Wii Fit board gets really slippery in 90 degree weather

But....allow me to start at the beginning.  Late last week I found out that my gym will be relocating to Blaine and in the meantime they will be closed to get everything ready for the grand reopening.  Since I couldn't live without my gym, I don't want to join a new one for the next 4 weeks so I must come up with a game plan to keep my workouts going. So loyal readers, I am making a pledge to myself to keep working out in the meantime.  How will I do this you ask?  By dusting off the unused exercise equipment and mountains of exercise videos that I have amassed over the years.  This week I have made two attempts that lead to the two very important things I learned this week. 
Mauri Windsor is the devil.  A few years ago I was home sick one day and got sucked in by the Windsor Pilates infomercial. When I first got it I did it with regularity, but it has been years since I cleared the dust on the cover.  Tuesday night I decided to slap it in and do some Pilates.  The first exercise is the 300 where your body is in a pike position and you wave your arms up and down.  Despite the fact that I was suffocating with my body in that awkward position  it felt good to wave my arms around like a human powered fan.  The next few exercises went on without incident until I got to the seal.  What was supposed to feel like a massage to my spine when I rolled up to clap my feet together actually felt like an amazing combination of muscle pulls throughout my torso and into my legs.  Perhaps I need a softer mat?  Dripping in sweat and utterly defeated I only made it through 25 minutes of the 40 minute video.  I might go back this weekend, but I think I need a breather. Let's just say it was WAY better than the Denise Austin Pilates where she talks like she is pinching her nostrils together, but still a challenge. 
The Wii Fit board gets really slippery in 90 degree weather. I have been continuing my use of the Wii Fit as there are many great exercises disguised as games that can be done.  I will admit that I have to resist the urge to punch the TV when the little scale thing makes the UUMPH sound, but I try not to let it get to me.  Frankly, that little animated scale could lose a few pounds itself!  Bastard! On Wednesday night (Admittedly after dinner and a Budweiser Tall Boy at the Larson's)  I was getting up some really good momentum with the Wii Fit Golds Gym game that I rented.  After about 15 minutes in my 90 degree apartment I had worked up a really good sweat doing some cardio boxing when I clumsily stepped back on the board and then slid sideways.  I eventually caught myself, but not before smashing into my coffee table and spilling a GIANT glass of water all over my couch.  I may have also yelled something to the effect of "Dammit Gold's Gym guy...look what you made me do!"  My neighbors are currently trying to get out of their leases. 
All and all I am still making progress.  Next week I am going to try to do a makeshift Bikram yoga session in my apartment which just means I am going to do a Yoga video with the air conditioning off.  I also have this Biggest Loser video workout that I bought a few months ago because it was only $5, but I have never taken the plastic off.  Stay tuned for my recap. 

Best Food of the Week:
turkey tenderloin wrapped in bacon courtesy of my mom
Worst Food of the Week:
I have honestly not eaten anything bad this week, but I ate a bunch of bad for me Cheese Its when I was camping. 
Best Exercise of the Week:
I really like the Wii Fit Gold's Gym Cardio Boxing, so I think I might try to find a used copy on Amazon.  Best Workout Jam of the Week:
This week I have been enjoying some Florence + The Machine to get me going
Becky This Week:

 Here I am with all of my new tricks! 

Iron Chef Minneapolis

Hello readers!  I know that I am late AGAIN with this posting, but I was dealing with a little sickness setback and didn't have anything good to share...until yesterday!!
On Tuesday I got up and made myself a cup of tea which was about the only thing I could swallow.  After the kettle began to whistle I turned the knob on the stove, but the flame did not turn off.  For about a minute I just stared at the burner with my mouth agape, but then my senses kicked in.  Since my parents didn't raise a sissy I got out my tools (pink handled OF COURSE) and tried to get the knob to turn.  After a good 5 minutes it was evident that something beyond my capabilities was wrong and I called it in.  After the lady told me that she had never, in all of her years, heard of that happening (yes because that is helpful) she dispatched someone to fix it.  I would also like to point out for all of you who have never seen it that my oven is a 30 year old grease bomb and occasional fire hazard.  Just my luck---they couldn't fix it, so on Thursday they brought me a shiny new oven!!  It is a thing of beauty and I can't wait to cook up a storm when the temperature dips below 100 degrees again!  So, in honor of that, here is one of the first things I am going to cook courtesy of Cooking Light Magazine:
Broiled Tenderloin Steaks with Ginger-Hoisin Glaze:
1 1/2 TBSP hoisin sauce
1 1/2 TSP grated peeled ginger
1 1/2 TSP honey
1 1/2 teaspoons lower-sodium soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon chili garlic sauce ( I like the one with the rooster on it from the Asian aisle of the grocery store)
4 beef tenderloin steaks about 1 inch thick
1/8 tsp salt

Directions:
1. Preheat broiler (or if you are fancy you can grill these too)
2. Combine hoisin sauce, ginger, honey, soy sauce and chili garlic sauce in a small bowl and stir with a whisk or fork.
3. Place the steaks on a foil lined broiler pan coated with cooking spray; sprinkle with salt. Broil steaks 5 inches from heat for 2 minutes and turn over. Broil 2 minutes, turn steaks over. Brush steaks with half of hoisin mixture and broil for 1 minute.  Turn steaks over and brush with remaining sauce.  Broil 2 more minutes or until your desired degree of doneness. 
Calories 194
Fat 7.8 g ,but only 2.7 of saturated fat
Sodium 278mg

So far I am down 15 pounds and I just can't believe it!! 

Send me some of your favorite recipes so I can keep my new oven in business!!
Best Food of the Week:
See the above Steaks...YUM
Worst Food of the Week:
Archer Farms Red Pepper Humus.  Stick with the kind that has the Greek Name...way better
Best Exercise of the Week:
I find that laughing hysterically has been a great ab workout this week, but due to the congestion I haven't been working out very hard.  I tried to do some planks last night, but I gave up after a few minutes. 
Best Workout Jam of the Week:
I have been having kind of a country week this week, so let me recommend Gunpowder and Lead by Miranda Lambert!  Great tough girl song.
I am awfully sweaty and unattractive this week, so let me instead show you my new beautiful oven:

Good Luck my friends and keep on keepin' on!  Make sure to add t a little fruit to that giant plate of meat and beans you will consume on this great holiday weekend and you'll be in good shape. 

Here, Try This

I know I am late with my usual posting, but in case you haven't heard George Clooney is back on the market and I had A LOT of web stalking to do.....or something like that.  :)  If only that is what kept me from all of you!

Luckily I waited until today to update because I have the best story to entertain you.  On Monday when I went to visit my nutritionist she encouraged me to try some of the supplements that they have for sale.  Because we are finding that I have a lot of trouble staying hydrated despite the fact that I feel like I am always doing one of two things:
A. drinking tons of water and
B. going to the bathroom
she suggested that I try an electrolyte powder that I can mix with water and drink daily.  In case anyone cares it is called Rehydrate and it is made by Advocare.  I chose the fruit punch flavor over the gag worthy citrus flavor and began drinking it on Monday.  I won't know until next week if it is working, but I'll give you an update.  Overall it tastes like watered down, sugar-free Kool Aid, but it is refreshing enough.  The only downside is the inevitable settling on the bottom of the bottle or glass that makes the last sip pretty sketchy.

The second suggestion they made was for something else made by Advocare called Spark.  After I gave up coffee (for the most part) and processed carbohydrates I found that I have much less energy than usual.  I am told that this will go away, but my body just has to get used to it.  In order to assist me with both of my issues (coffee withdrawal and fatigue) they gave me a sample packet of Spark in a "the first one is free" manner.  I felt I had to voice my concerns before I committed to it completely.  I am a very "excitable" person, so an excess of caffeine is not generally something that the people who have to put up with me encourage me to participate in.  Both the doc and her husband assured me that this would give me a great push to help with my work out, so I believed them.  Below is the account of my experience with Spark:
3pm fill up water bottle and add fancy packet of magic powder a.k.a. Spark
3-3:15 commence drinking of said beverage
3:16 insist to everyone around me that it isn't working
3:22 insides are going crazy and frankly only staying inside because of thick coating of skin
4pm arrival at gym/change/wrap hands/put gloves on/tell instructor that you may need an ambulance shortly because you took something that makes you feel "funny."
4:30 begin warm up
4:35 feeling like Rocky with my lightening fast combinations
4:45 almost hyperventilate whilst trying to do alternating punching and running sprints
4:50 contemplate laying flat on the floor in front of the fan while begging one of the 16 year old hockey players to give me "hits" from my inhaler, but power through
5:10 ARE YOU KIDDING ME
5:11spark has completely worn off and I am struggling to function
5:20 doing some kind of sit up type exercise and subsequently wishing I'd just pass out
5:30 workout is over...that was great
5:31 anyone got another packet of that Spark???

So, thus ends my experiment with the exercise crack.  I think I'll just stick to regular water.
On to the good stuff:
Best Food of the Week:
Sushi---all kinds.  I love it when I can indulge in a food that is delicious and I don't even have to feel bad because it is completely within the rules!
Worst Food of the Week:
Vanilla Greek Yogurt--I had to employ a method of getting the spoon so far back in my mouth that I could just swallow without it touching my tongue just to get it down.  Had I not needed the protein, and had it not cost 1.50, I would have tossed it. 
Best Exercise of the Week:
Since standing as still as you can in front of a fan is not technically an exercise (I learned that one tonight) might I recommend Zumba for the Wii Fit.  It is super fun and you don't have to be embarrassed if you don't have very good dancing skills because you are all alone in your living room. Or, if you don't have a Wii Fit you should channel Circa 1984 David Lee Roth in the "Jump" video and do a series of awesomely 80's high kicks.  If it isn't enough of a challenge try doing it while holding a bottle of Captain Morgan.
Best Workout Jam of the Week:
This week I am paying homage to Blink 182....most specifically the song "Rock Show" because it always makes me want to jump up and down.  I must also give special props to the band Blur and Song 2 as it has been gracing my iPod a lot lately.
Becky Today (on Spark):

When It All Goes Wrong

The older I get the more I learn about myself, and the more I learn the more I realize that I am a stress eater. When everything goes wrong all I want to do is order some take out from Big Bowl, close the blinds and watch a 30 Rock marathon on Netflix. For the last few weeks I have been going along on a straight trajectory and then on Friday, BAM, stress tornado. Between some unfortunate car issues and a really busy job I wanted to stop at every restaurant from work to my apartment and then wash it all down with one of those Hostess cupcakes that has the little white swirlies on the top. But in weight loss THIS is where the heavy lifting comes in. I have to work to retrain myself to avoid what I have always done—thus the reason I am trying to lose weight—and do something different. I’d like to tell you that I am the kind of person who could funnel it all into cooking a brilliant and healthy meal for myself, but that would be a lie. When the busyness sets in the best way to stay on the up and up is to be prepared. Here are some of the things in my food survival kit:

Packets of Lemon Pepper tuna—I eat these straight out of the bag and they are tasty and filling. It gives you some great (although not necessarily great smelling) protein to keep you going.

Trident Bubble Gum—very useful on the days where you eat Lemon Pepper Tuna for lunch!

Luna Bars—I only eat these on workout days because they are kind of a treat AND a lifesaver when you need some protein, but they aren’t necessarily super nutritious. My favorites are the Nuts Over Chocolate and the Peanut Butter Cookie.

String Cheese—I eat this snack once a day to keep me going and it also helps distract me because it is like a game and a snack!

Pistachios---I like to buy the Wonderful brand ones in the black and green bag to support my cousin Addy (he sells them), but sometimes I cheat and buy the Roundy’s ones if they are on sale-- which they are this week. They are kind of expensive, but when you need a good, filling snack they do the trick. They also distract you much like the string cheese because it takes a while to get them open. (I think this is my second pistachio mention, so I must really love them.) As a side note don’t try to open the barely cracked ones with your teeth because it only ends in a bloody tongue or a chipped tooth. Take it from someone who knows.

Protein Powder—Mix with milk and I have a breakfast on the go for those days that I can’t seem to drag myself out of bed. If I have a little extra time I’ll add it to the Magic bullet with some banana, strawberries, blueberries and ice and make something that I call Steroid Ice Cream.

As of today I am down 10.5 pounds and feeling good! I hope I can keep it up and I hope all of you who are trying hard can keep it up to! On to the good stuff:

Best Food of the Week:
It isn’t so much a food, but a lifesaver. Crystal Light Peach Iced Tea is so delicious!! I also saw an advertisement for Crystal Light Margaritas, but I have yet to see them.

Worst Food of the Week:
Kohlrabi—perhaps it is just a matter of knowing how to cook it, but the German turnip did me wrong.

Best Exercise of the Week:
Mule kicks. Get down on all 4’s with your palms flat. Press one leg up into the air as high as you can with your foot flat and then bring it down to parallel, but don’t touch the ground. Do this 10 times and on the tenth time hold for 5-10 seconds. Repeat 3 times on each side. (Don’t hate me)

Best Workout Jam of the Week:
Maybe I am just systematically working my way through the catalogs of all of the judges on The Voice, but I have been listening to Cee Lo Green’s newest CD and it is great!

Becky Today:
BUMMER!! I can’t find the cord that connects my camera to my computer, so this week I don’t have a photo.  I will do a mini weekend update with a photo. 

In the meantime….what is in YOUR food survival kit?