I didn't stay true to the RevAbs workout schedule this week, but did manage to workout 6 days this week, and regardless of what workout I do, my end results are really what matters to me. Week 3 of my RevAbs workout and fitness journey started with the Total Strength and Mercy Abs workouts on Monday. I decided to use a resistance band instead of weights for the workout and boy were my arms sore the next day from the lunges with shoulder press. I found that with dumbbells, I was able to lift them overhead no problem, but the resistance bands were pretty difficult and really pushed my muscles to work hard to straighten my arms over my heads for the press.
Tuesday and Wednesday I decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather and took Ethan for an hour walk with the stroller both days. The trails surrounding our house has lots of hills and add to that the heavy stroller, it was a pretty good workout as we jogged and walked.
Thursday I did the Power Intervals workout and felt great with the cardio. Friday I took Ethan to the rec center for a swim. He loved the water. It was only his second time at the pool, but this time he had so much fun and splashed in the water and kicked around.
On Saturday, my husband and I spent the entire day at the dealership. Initially, we were just going to drop off my car, a Lexus IS250, for an oil change and to check out some of the used vehicles there not really expecting to buy a car that day. I had been leasing my car and still had 10 months left on the lease. We found a used 2002 Lexus RX300 that was in very good condition with low mileage. My husband's awesome negotiating skills got the sales rep to get us out of our lease and got us a great deal on the SUV. We were very excited to get a more practical vehicle for our family. The dealership was awesome and had great customer service. We were also in a hurry to get to church as I had to teach Sabbath school, so they went through all the paperwork as fast as they could and I made it in time to teach my class. Well, although it was a long day, Smitty and I knew that we had to work out. We both decided to do the P90X Chest and Biceps workout as I wanted some strength training and in particular to work on my arms. The workout was much needed. I can feel it even today. We finished the Chest and Biceps with Ab Ripper X.
Today, I spent the day relaxing with my son and also got some housework in. We then went to dinner with my husband's aunt and cousin. We came home around 8 and I had to put the baby to bed. I always get my workouts in late at night around 9 or 10, but I guess that just works with my schedule better. I almost didn't want to do my workout tonight and didn't feel like doing a DVD workout for the night so I improvised and created my own routine.
I did a 30 minute kickboxing workout. First, I warmed up with 2 minutes of continuous jump roping..great cardio!. Then I briefly stretched out (especially my already sore arms from yesterday's workout). I used my free standing kick bag for the workout and started with 10 reps each of the following:
#1 - Jab, right round house kick
#2 - Jab, cross, switch round house kick
#3 - Jab, cross, left hook punch, right round house kick
#4 - Jab, cross, left hook, right upper cut, switch round house kick
Then 10 right round house kicks, 10 left round house kicks
10 reps of the following:
Left hook, right upper cut
Right upper cut, left hook
Jab, cross, right knee
Jab, cross, switch knee
Jab, cross, right knee, right round house kick
Jab, cross, switch knee, left round house kick
10 left front kicks, 10 right front kicks
10 left side kicks, 10 right side kicks
25 jumping jacks
10 knuckle push ups
15 full sit ups
I repeated the circuit again a second time.
I finished the workout with punching drills:
30 seconds alternating punches in a sitting/horse stance
30 seconds left jab, 30 seconds right jab (with the last 10 sec punching as fast as possible)
The it was a cool down and stretch to finish the workout, which again took about 30 minutes total from start to finish.
About Me
- Mom Fit Coach
- I'm a Mom, Wife, Professional Martial Artist (I train and teach martial arts for a living), Personal Trainer and Beachbody Coach. I have been married for 5 years now and we love spending time as a family with our son. While life keeps me busy with my little guy, I'm even busier running my business as the Owner and Head Instructor at Tanny Academy of Martial Arts in Aurora, CO. I am also an Independent Beachbody Coach and 3rd degree black belt in ITF Taekwon-do. I love meeting new moms and sharing our experiences of motherhood together - from babies, to pregnancy, to work, to working out. I also love sharing my knowledge of martial arts and fitness with others and spreading the benefits of these wonderful programs to make a difference in our community and in people's lives.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Monday, March 15, 2010
Week 2 of RevAbs (restart)
I decided to restart Week 2 of my RevAbs workout last week due to all the interruptions I had. Also, I probably will be blogging my updates weekly instead of daily now.
Anyways, last week I got 5 of 6 workouts in.
Monday I started with Power Intervals and wasn't able to work out on Tuesday. Wednesday and Thursday I had actually tried out the new Tony Horton One On One workout I got in the mail - Cardio Intervals. It's a 40 minute cardio workout that includes 20 different exercises that are 30-60 seconds each. You repeat the circuit twice. It included moves from Tony Horton's P90X. It was a great cardio workout, you especially get more out of your workout if you truly push yourself.
Friday I did the Fire Up Your Abs workout.
Saturday we took our son swimming for the first time. I think he was taking everything in. He wasn't scared but I think because everything looked so new and strange he was just studying the place. We took him to the Trails Rec Center where they had fountains, a lazy river and a big slide. Of course we didn't take him down the slide, but we took him through the lazy river a few times. I got to swim a couple laps but that was the extent of my workout for the day.
On Sunday, I did the Power Intervals workout and half of the P90X Ab Ripper X workout.
Anyways, last week I got 5 of 6 workouts in.
Monday I started with Power Intervals and wasn't able to work out on Tuesday. Wednesday and Thursday I had actually tried out the new Tony Horton One On One workout I got in the mail - Cardio Intervals. It's a 40 minute cardio workout that includes 20 different exercises that are 30-60 seconds each. You repeat the circuit twice. It included moves from Tony Horton's P90X. It was a great cardio workout, you especially get more out of your workout if you truly push yourself.
Friday I did the Fire Up Your Abs workout.
Saturday we took our son swimming for the first time. I think he was taking everything in. He wasn't scared but I think because everything looked so new and strange he was just studying the place. We took him to the Trails Rec Center where they had fountains, a lazy river and a big slide. Of course we didn't take him down the slide, but we took him through the lazy river a few times. I got to swim a couple laps but that was the extent of my workout for the day.
On Sunday, I did the Power Intervals workout and half of the P90X Ab Ripper X workout.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Day 10 RevAbs
I got my husband to workout with me today. We did the Total Strength and Mercy Abs workouts. Feeling tired now, but really good. I'm glad that I got a workout in and even got to workout with my husband to keep me more motivated.
My pulled groin muscle is feeling much better today as are my knees (although I can still feel a bit of pain in my right one).
Food:
Sausage and biscuit for breakfast
Lunch - Grilled teriyaki salmon w/ side of macaroni and jasmine rice
Snack - potato chips
Dinner - Asian style noodle soup with ginger, garlic and chicken broth, bok choy and Hawaiian chicken meatballs.
Snack - Peanut butter granola bar
My pulled groin muscle is feeling much better today as are my knees (although I can still feel a bit of pain in my right one).
Food:
Sausage and biscuit for breakfast
Lunch - Grilled teriyaki salmon w/ side of macaroni and jasmine rice
Snack - potato chips
Dinner - Asian style noodle soup with ginger, garlic and chicken broth, bok choy and Hawaiian chicken meatballs.
Snack - Peanut butter granola bar
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Day 9 - RevAbs
So the last 4 days I unfortunately missed my RevAbs workout. I had a sick baby and wasn't feeling well myself. I did get a mini workout in on Sunday (did some jumping jacks - about 2 minutes continuous plus 25 push ups and 1 minute of sit ups/crunches). Monday I did some Tae Kwon Do training for about 30 minutes, but still, I feel bad for missing those workouts.
I also realized today that I had done the wrong workout on Day 8. Oops! Oh well, I just did that workout today since I did Day 9 workout last time. So today was Power Intervals again.
The Power Intervals routine is:
Lunges (with weights 2 sets of 8 reps per leg)
Cross-overs (jumping jacks with straight arms, crossing them in front, and crossing your feet)
Squat Thrusts (Burpy without the push up) and stand up and press arms up
Mercy (break)
Repeat cross-overs
Repeat Squat Thrusts
I always like this workout. It's great cardio and strength training, but I really need to do something about my knees..especially my right one. The jumping jacks sometimes really aggravate it and the lunges are sometimes painful. I am going to look up some exercises I can do to strengthen my knees (or the muscles that support it). Hopefully it'll get better.
Anyways, today I had for meals/snacks:
Breakfast - Bowl of Blueberry flavored oatmeal and water
Snack - mixed nuts and peanut butter granola bar
Lunch - chicken caesar salad
Snack - Egg sausage breakfast biscuit (the frozen kind)
Dinner - Pasta with 1/4 turkey stuffed green bell pepper, side of tofu and fried catfish fillet
I also realized today that I had done the wrong workout on Day 8. Oops! Oh well, I just did that workout today since I did Day 9 workout last time. So today was Power Intervals again.
The Power Intervals routine is:
Lunges (with weights 2 sets of 8 reps per leg)
Cross-overs (jumping jacks with straight arms, crossing them in front, and crossing your feet)
Squat Thrusts (Burpy without the push up) and stand up and press arms up
Mercy (break)
Repeat cross-overs
Repeat Squat Thrusts
I always like this workout. It's great cardio and strength training, but I really need to do something about my knees..especially my right one. The jumping jacks sometimes really aggravate it and the lunges are sometimes painful. I am going to look up some exercises I can do to strengthen my knees (or the muscles that support it). Hopefully it'll get better.
Anyways, today I had for meals/snacks:
Breakfast - Bowl of Blueberry flavored oatmeal and water
Snack - mixed nuts and peanut butter granola bar
Lunch - chicken caesar salad
Snack - Egg sausage breakfast biscuit (the frozen kind)
Dinner - Pasta with 1/4 turkey stuffed green bell pepper, side of tofu and fried catfish fillet
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Week 2 - Day 1 (Day 8) RevAbs
Yesterday was a day of rest, or as Brett Hoebel calls it, "Mercy" for RevAbs. I was going to start Week 2 yesterday since I already had taken a rest day during the weekend, but was so busy with work that I skipped the workout.
Anyways, so today I started Day 1 of Week 2 (Day 8 of 90). The workout was Fire Up Your Abs. Here's my RevAbs review of the Fire Up Your Abs workout as well as what I did today. I do admit, at one point today, I was debating skipping the workout as it was getting late, but my determination to reach my fitness goals kept me going and I'm really glad I did the workout.
I love how Brett demonstrates the moves and explains how to do it but also has one person for each workout do modifications of each exercise in case you are not able to do the exercise as is. I did have to the the modified versions for the jumping jacks and most of the striders today because my bad knee was acting up. I swear, one day I'll get knee surgery, but until then, all I can do is stretch and modify my exercises to not strain the knee so much.
My favorite exercise in the Fire Up Your Abs workout routine is
probably the Dumbbell Jack Knives. You lay on the ground flat on your back and extend one leg while bending the opposite knee. Holding one heavy dumbbell with both hands, exhale as you simultaneously lift the dumbbell and your straight leg (to about a 45 degree angle) and press lightly towards your shin, all while flexing and engaging your abs. As Brett says, half the effort is going up. The other half is on the way down.
I love all of the RevAbs abs workouts as Brett targets six different areas:
1) Upper Flexion
2) Lower Flexion
3)Side Flexion
4)Double Flexion
5)Twist
6)Extension.
The Fire Up Your Abs workout routines include:
Warm-up with marches (bringing knee up to chest), skips and then a jog. He also has you do jumping jacks and more skips and kicks to get your muscles ready for the workout.
The ab routine starts with the forearm plank for 1 minute, then he has you do the cobra to work your back muscles where you lift just your upper body off the floor and bend your elbows forming a "W". The third exercise is the dumbbell jack-knife, as described above. He finishes the ab routine with the side plank, having you hold on each side for 30 seconds.
Brett mixes in cardio with the striders. He has you do 2 sets with a 30 second "Mercy" break in between. For the striders you are in a lunge like position with your arms pumping in the opposite direction as you constantly switch your stance as if you are cross country skiing.
The second round is the same except he wants you to push harder. In the third round, the spice round, Brett gives you variations to make each exercise more challenging.
1) Plank - Lift 1 arm for 2 seconds and alternate, or you can just lift your elbow for 4 seconds. For a real challenge, you can do the windmill where you bring your entire arm out and sweep down to your legs like a windmill all while balancing and maintaining a straight body position and engaging (or firing as Brett calls it) your abs.
2) Cobra - Form a Y with your arms
3) Dumbbell Jack-knife - Switch Grip on dumbbells - cup the dumbbells with the back of your hand towards yourself.
4) Side Plank- stack your feet instead of the staggered stance
5) Striders are done with hammer fists to bring more power and tension to the move
Anyways, so today I started Day 1 of Week 2 (Day 8 of 90). The workout was Fire Up Your Abs. Here's my RevAbs review of the Fire Up Your Abs workout as well as what I did today. I do admit, at one point today, I was debating skipping the workout as it was getting late, but my determination to reach my fitness goals kept me going and I'm really glad I did the workout.
I love how Brett demonstrates the moves and explains how to do it but also has one person for each workout do modifications of each exercise in case you are not able to do the exercise as is. I did have to the the modified versions for the jumping jacks and most of the striders today because my bad knee was acting up. I swear, one day I'll get knee surgery, but until then, all I can do is stretch and modify my exercises to not strain the knee so much.
My favorite exercise in the Fire Up Your Abs workout routine is
probably the Dumbbell Jack Knives. You lay on the ground flat on your back and extend one leg while bending the opposite knee. Holding one heavy dumbbell with both hands, exhale as you simultaneously lift the dumbbell and your straight leg (to about a 45 degree angle) and press lightly towards your shin, all while flexing and engaging your abs. As Brett says, half the effort is going up. The other half is on the way down.I love all of the RevAbs abs workouts as Brett targets six different areas:
1) Upper Flexion
2) Lower Flexion
3)Side Flexion
4)Double Flexion
5)Twist
6)Extension.
The Fire Up Your Abs workout routines include:
Warm-up with marches (bringing knee up to chest), skips and then a jog. He also has you do jumping jacks and more skips and kicks to get your muscles ready for the workout.
The ab routine starts with the forearm plank for 1 minute, then he has you do the cobra to work your back muscles where you lift just your upper body off the floor and bend your elbows forming a "W". The third exercise is the dumbbell jack-knife, as described above. He finishes the ab routine with the side plank, having you hold on each side for 30 seconds.
Brett mixes in cardio with the striders. He has you do 2 sets with a 30 second "Mercy" break in between. For the striders you are in a lunge like position with your arms pumping in the opposite direction as you constantly switch your stance as if you are cross country skiing.
The second round is the same except he wants you to push harder. In the third round, the spice round, Brett gives you variations to make each exercise more challenging.
1) Plank - Lift 1 arm for 2 seconds and alternate, or you can just lift your elbow for 4 seconds. For a real challenge, you can do the windmill where you bring your entire arm out and sweep down to your legs like a windmill all while balancing and maintaining a straight body position and engaging (or firing as Brett calls it) your abs.
2) Cobra - Form a Y with your arms
3) Dumbbell Jack-knife - Switch Grip on dumbbells - cup the dumbbells with the back of your hand towards yourself.
4) Side Plank- stack your feet instead of the staggered stance
5) Striders are done with hammer fists to bring more power and tension to the move
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Day 6 - RevAbs
Tired but feeling good! I love the feeling after a great workout. You know that the pain and exhausion you feel is just temporary...it's all for the reward at the end.
Today's workout was again Power Intervals. 30 minutes of strength training, intervals, and cardio. I again used the 10 lb dumbbells..feeling everybit of it during the lunges, and especially during Spice Round with the added dumbbell press during the last 16 lunges. I did stick with it though and am proud of myself for making it through every single lunge with good form. :D
I stayed with Brett and his crew during the crossovers as well, but those darned squat thrusts always get me. Round 1 was fine. Round 2 was hell. I had to stop once or twice. During the Spice round I was able to go non stop but adding the "spice"? Forget it! I had just enough in me to stick through it to finish without stopping, but my legs were too sore to be able to add the drop.
Today's workout I really felt my muscles working though, especially during those crossovers. Looking at all the fit people with toned abs just makes me really want to stick to my workout and nutrition even more.
Food for today:
I started with an egg white breakfast burrito made with 2 egg whites, half a slice of swiss cheese, a tortilla wrap and 2 slices of turkey bacon with 3 slices of tomatoes.
I had a banana for a snack.
Lunch I had a small steak and asian stirfried noodles from last night.
I ate a small slice of swiss cream filled cake (I know, I know..my treat for the day).
Dinner I had a half cup of rice with a chicken drumstick (rotisserie style) and a bowl of salad with fat free ranch dressing.
I had a peanut butter granola bar for another snack.
Oh for drinks, I drank just water all day.
Today's workout was again Power Intervals. 30 minutes of strength training, intervals, and cardio. I again used the 10 lb dumbbells..feeling everybit of it during the lunges, and especially during Spice Round with the added dumbbell press during the last 16 lunges. I did stick with it though and am proud of myself for making it through every single lunge with good form. :D
I stayed with Brett and his crew during the crossovers as well, but those darned squat thrusts always get me. Round 1 was fine. Round 2 was hell. I had to stop once or twice. During the Spice round I was able to go non stop but adding the "spice"? Forget it! I had just enough in me to stick through it to finish without stopping, but my legs were too sore to be able to add the drop.
Today's workout I really felt my muscles working though, especially during those crossovers. Looking at all the fit people with toned abs just makes me really want to stick to my workout and nutrition even more.
Food for today:
I started with an egg white breakfast burrito made with 2 egg whites, half a slice of swiss cheese, a tortilla wrap and 2 slices of turkey bacon with 3 slices of tomatoes.
I had a banana for a snack.
Lunch I had a small steak and asian stirfried noodles from last night.
I ate a small slice of swiss cream filled cake (I know, I know..my treat for the day).
Dinner I had a half cup of rice with a chicken drumstick (rotisserie style) and a bowl of salad with fat free ranch dressing.
I had a peanut butter granola bar for another snack.
Oh for drinks, I drank just water all day.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Day 5 - RevAbs
This weekend was quite a crazy weekend that I ended up missing both workouts (I made up one today, but am still a day behind). Our baby caught a cold so was pretty cranky most of the weekend. Poor little guy still has a cough today. His congestion was pretty bad and I had tried to use the aspirator a few times, but must have irritated his little nose because it was a bit bloody. Anyways, I spent much of the weekend trying to comfort him.
We also had guests on Saturday and they ended up staying until 1:30 am and on Sunday, Valentine's Day and Chinese New Year, we met with our friends for some dim sum in the morning. (I didn't eat any of the fried ones and ate moderately cuz I know how fattening dim sum can be.) Afterwords, we went over to the Far East Center to watch the celebration - lion dances, martial arts demos and fireworks until about 2:30 pm. My family ended up not coming because of the snow. They will be here next weekend probably, as there is a smaller celebration next Saturday for people who missed this weekend's celebration.
When we got home, we were so dead tired from walking around in the cold all day (it was pretty cold), so we ended up taking a long 2 hour nap and then I hung out with Ethan while Smitty was sleeping still. After putting Ethan to bed, I finally made a small, simple meal for both of us for Valentine's Day. We watched part of a movie then went to bed.
Today, I woke up and said I needed to get back on track. So I picked back up with my workout routine.
Day 5 was Fire Up Your Abs. Even with the 2 day break this weekend, I felt great working out and was able to keep up with the whole workout today.
For my meals/snacks today:
I started with a bowl of cereal with soy milk.
Since it was President's Day today, my husband was able to work from home. We went to his cousin's house for their daughter's 4th birthday and had some good Indonesian food.
I had a banana for a snack and some almonds.
Dinner: I made some pan fried catfish on a bed of lettuce with fish sauce (for the dipping sauce). We also had a tiny portion of steamed jasmine rice and asian stirfry noodles.
We also had guests on Saturday and they ended up staying until 1:30 am and on Sunday, Valentine's Day and Chinese New Year, we met with our friends for some dim sum in the morning. (I didn't eat any of the fried ones and ate moderately cuz I know how fattening dim sum can be.) Afterwords, we went over to the Far East Center to watch the celebration - lion dances, martial arts demos and fireworks until about 2:30 pm. My family ended up not coming because of the snow. They will be here next weekend probably, as there is a smaller celebration next Saturday for people who missed this weekend's celebration.
When we got home, we were so dead tired from walking around in the cold all day (it was pretty cold), so we ended up taking a long 2 hour nap and then I hung out with Ethan while Smitty was sleeping still. After putting Ethan to bed, I finally made a small, simple meal for both of us for Valentine's Day. We watched part of a movie then went to bed.
Today, I woke up and said I needed to get back on track. So I picked back up with my workout routine.
Day 5 was Fire Up Your Abs. Even with the 2 day break this weekend, I felt great working out and was able to keep up with the whole workout today.
For my meals/snacks today:
I started with a bowl of cereal with soy milk.
Since it was President's Day today, my husband was able to work from home. We went to his cousin's house for their daughter's 4th birthday and had some good Indonesian food.
I had a banana for a snack and some almonds.
Dinner: I made some pan fried catfish on a bed of lettuce with fish sauce (for the dipping sauce). We also had a tiny portion of steamed jasmine rice and asian stirfry noodles.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Day 4 - RevAbs
So today, I got a little caught up in work. I was so busy during the morning that even baby Ethan entertained himself in the swing and fell asleep there for maybe 45 minutes (at least he got a little nap..my little guy.) I didn't get my workout in until 10 pm today, but better late than never. Day 4 was a repeat of Day 1's workout - Total Strength and Mercy Abs...as if my legs weren't burning enough from yesterday's workout. But it was great and I told myself I just gotta be disciplined enough to stick to the workouts for these next 90 days.
During the Total Strength workout, I decided to use weights today instead of the resistance bands like I did on Day 1. The weights definitely made the exercises more challenging, but what got me tonight was the Booty Bridge. I love em but I hate em. The spice round variation was truly challenging as Brett had me lift one leg up while still maintaining the strong bridge position.
I made it through Mercy Abs again and those V ups. On to Day 5 tomorrow. This weekend I may need an extra workout after all as it's Chinese/Vietnamese New Year's (and Valentine's Day) on Sunday and I'm supposed to eat Dim Sum with all my family Sunday morning. I hope this doesn't kill my nutrition plan, but I guess I'll just have to stay away from the fried, greasy stuff and limit what I eat.
Meals and Snacks:
Breakfast: As I mentioned earlier, today I had so much work that I unfortunately didn't have much time (or didn't make the time) for a good breakfast. I just grabbed a banana nut muffin to quickly munch on as I worked away.
I skipped my morning snack as I was still working down in the basement.
Lunch: I finally made it upstairs and made lunch. I was tired and didn't want to mess around with any new recipes so I just made another quick pita - turkey, swiss cheese and mushrooms.
Snack: Banana
Dinner: My hubby had bought some stuffed salmon yesterday from the grocery store, so for dinner I baked it in the oven. The salmon fillet was stuffed with ricotta cheese, feta and parsley. It was a bit higher in fat because of the cheese, but only had 180 calories. I decided to eat just half along with maybe 1/4 cup (maybe less) of steamed jasmine rice. I also made some Asian ground beef lettuce wraps.
I found a recipe online and decided to try it out:
I used Romaine Lettuce and 93% Lean ground beef
for the sauce:
1/4 onion chopped
1 clove garlic minced
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1 T soy sauce
1 T rice wine vinegar
Asian Chili Sauce
2 tsp Asian sesame oil
1 bunch green onions chopped
(there were a few other ingredients, but I didn't have them..it still turned out awesome)
During the Total Strength workout, I decided to use weights today instead of the resistance bands like I did on Day 1. The weights definitely made the exercises more challenging, but what got me tonight was the Booty Bridge. I love em but I hate em. The spice round variation was truly challenging as Brett had me lift one leg up while still maintaining the strong bridge position.
I made it through Mercy Abs again and those V ups. On to Day 5 tomorrow. This weekend I may need an extra workout after all as it's Chinese/Vietnamese New Year's (and Valentine's Day) on Sunday and I'm supposed to eat Dim Sum with all my family Sunday morning. I hope this doesn't kill my nutrition plan, but I guess I'll just have to stay away from the fried, greasy stuff and limit what I eat.
Meals and Snacks:
Breakfast: As I mentioned earlier, today I had so much work that I unfortunately didn't have much time (or didn't make the time) for a good breakfast. I just grabbed a banana nut muffin to quickly munch on as I worked away.
I skipped my morning snack as I was still working down in the basement.
Lunch: I finally made it upstairs and made lunch. I was tired and didn't want to mess around with any new recipes so I just made another quick pita - turkey, swiss cheese and mushrooms.
Snack: Banana
Dinner: My hubby had bought some stuffed salmon yesterday from the grocery store, so for dinner I baked it in the oven. The salmon fillet was stuffed with ricotta cheese, feta and parsley. It was a bit higher in fat because of the cheese, but only had 180 calories. I decided to eat just half along with maybe 1/4 cup (maybe less) of steamed jasmine rice. I also made some Asian ground beef lettuce wraps.
I found a recipe online and decided to try it out:
I used Romaine Lettuce and 93% Lean ground beef
for the sauce:
1/4 onion chopped
1 clove garlic minced
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1 T soy sauce
1 T rice wine vinegar
Asian Chili Sauce
2 tsp Asian sesame oil
1 bunch green onions chopped
(there were a few other ingredients, but I didn't have them..it still turned out awesome)
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Day 3 - RevAbs
My legs and arms are really starting to feel the burn from today's workout! So Day 3 was Power Intervals. When I saw that it was just 30 minutes I was thinking to myself..maybe I'll fit in another cardio workout today. Sure..yeah right!
Brett had me doing lunges, crossovers and squat thrusts. I used 10 lb weights for the lunges today (so 20 lbs total) so my shoulders and legs were screaming for mercy. I can still feel it now. In the spice round, I had debated pausing it and going downstairs to grab the 5s, but then I said, hey, I'm here to lose weight and get fit, so I just gotta stick it out! The crossovers was a variation of the regular jumping jack where you cross your feet and arms. I think the cardio in this workout had my heart racing (I think I'm going to dig out my heart rate monitor to see where my "zone" is.) Anyways, the squat thrusts were pretty challenging. At first they seem easy, but at the end, I was struggling to finish.
After the workout though, I felt great. I'm really excited about the RevAbs workout program so far and can't wait to see what's next.
Meals and Snacks for today:
So I did some research last night about nutrition and breastfeeding. Per KellyMom, a well known and trusted site of resource for Breastfeeding mothers, I am supposed to eat 1800-2200 calories per day (to maintain my milk supply), possibly more as my activity level has increased with RevAbs. I know at times I just don't eat enough as I feel hungry a lot (especially at night). KellyMom states that breastfeeding mothers are supposed to just listen to their bodies and eat to appetite (not to when they're full though). I am still getting the hang of the whole nutrition thing and hope that by eating more healthy meals and snacks and exercising, I can reach my fitness goals.
Breakfast: I made one of the recommended breakfasts from the RevAbs
Nutrition Guide - the breakfast omelet made with 1 egg, 2 egg whites, 1/2 cup steamed broccoli and 1/2 cup mushrooms. The recommended sides were 3 strips of turkey bacon (yes, the bacon was a bit crispy, but still good) and 3 slices of tomatoes. I was really happy that I actually had all the ingredients. It was pretty good and no salt or seasoning was required for the omelet as the turkey bacon was already a bit salted. It was perfect.
Snack: Banana
Lunch: I made a small salad with cucumbers, baby carrots, chopped tomatoes and lightly pan fried tofu. I didn't use any salad dressing. I also had a small (not the restaurant size, but much smaller) bowl of Pho..didn't want to waste my leftovers from a few nights ago.
Snack: Apple slices with peanut butter on half a tortilla
Dinner: For dinner I ate another salad with romaine lettuce, mushrooms and grilled teriyaki pollock fish. I also had a small bowl of egg noodle soup with napa cabbage, tofu and beef meatballs (made with 93% lean beef).
Evening snack: As I was hungry again after dinner, deciding to trust my body today, I made myself another pita with turkey, swiss cheese and mushrooms.
Brett had me doing lunges, crossovers and squat thrusts. I used 10 lb weights for the lunges today (so 20 lbs total) so my shoulders and legs were screaming for mercy. I can still feel it now. In the spice round, I had debated pausing it and going downstairs to grab the 5s, but then I said, hey, I'm here to lose weight and get fit, so I just gotta stick it out! The crossovers was a variation of the regular jumping jack where you cross your feet and arms. I think the cardio in this workout had my heart racing (I think I'm going to dig out my heart rate monitor to see where my "zone" is.) Anyways, the squat thrusts were pretty challenging. At first they seem easy, but at the end, I was struggling to finish.
After the workout though, I felt great. I'm really excited about the RevAbs workout program so far and can't wait to see what's next.
Meals and Snacks for today:
So I did some research last night about nutrition and breastfeeding. Per KellyMom, a well known and trusted site of resource for Breastfeeding mothers, I am supposed to eat 1800-2200 calories per day (to maintain my milk supply), possibly more as my activity level has increased with RevAbs. I know at times I just don't eat enough as I feel hungry a lot (especially at night). KellyMom states that breastfeeding mothers are supposed to just listen to their bodies and eat to appetite (not to when they're full though). I am still getting the hang of the whole nutrition thing and hope that by eating more healthy meals and snacks and exercising, I can reach my fitness goals.
Breakfast: I made one of the recommended breakfasts from the RevAbs
Nutrition Guide - the breakfast omelet made with 1 egg, 2 egg whites, 1/2 cup steamed broccoli and 1/2 cup mushrooms. The recommended sides were 3 strips of turkey bacon (yes, the bacon was a bit crispy, but still good) and 3 slices of tomatoes. I was really happy that I actually had all the ingredients. It was pretty good and no salt or seasoning was required for the omelet as the turkey bacon was already a bit salted. It was perfect.
Snack: BananaLunch: I made a small salad with cucumbers, baby carrots, chopped tomatoes and lightly pan fried tofu. I didn't use any salad dressing. I also had a small (not the restaurant size, but much smaller) bowl of Pho..didn't want to waste my leftovers from a few nights ago.
Snack: Apple slices with peanut butter on half a tortilla
Dinner: For dinner I ate another salad with romaine lettuce, mushrooms and grilled teriyaki pollock fish. I also had a small bowl of egg noodle soup with napa cabbage, tofu and beef meatballs (made with 93% lean beef).Evening snack: As I was hungry again after dinner, deciding to trust my body today, I made myself another pita with turkey, swiss cheese and mushrooms.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Day 2 - RevAbs
I did my 2nd RevAbs workout today - Fire Up Your Abs. I really loved Brett's fun and energetic attitude as well as how he had me "firing up" my abs for each exercise - even during the cardio. Although the workout was just 40 minutes long including the warm up and cool down, I was sweating. Again as expected, Round One has you thinking it's going to be easy, but then comes Round Two and you start to sweat and feel the burn.
He gives you...
...Mercy!
But only for 30 seconds, because then you know what's next - the Spice Round! In the Spice Round he always gives you a variation of each drill to make them more challenging. I think my favorite exercise in this workout was the Dumbbell Jacks.
Again, I'm looking forward to tomorrow's workout - Day 3, here I come!
Today's meals/snacks:
Breakfast: Bowl of Granola Banana Nut cereal with 1.5% Milk
Lunch: Half the portion of Pad Thai with Grilled Chicken at Noodles & Company
Snack: Peach yogurt with granola
Dinner: Finished the remaining portion from my Pad Thai lunch plus a toasted turkey and swiss cheese pita with mushrooms and green bell peppers. (The pita was absolutely delicious..I think Pitas are my favorite meal right now).
Snack: Apple and Banana nut muffin
Note: While I am trying to eat healthier, I have to remember that since I am still breastfeeding, I need to take in 300-500 more calories per day..but of course that doesn't mean "empty calories." I still need to eat healthy but make sure that I eat enough to provide all the necessary vitamins and nutrients for my little guy.
He gives you...
...Mercy!
But only for 30 seconds, because then you know what's next - the Spice Round! In the Spice Round he always gives you a variation of each drill to make them more challenging. I think my favorite exercise in this workout was the Dumbbell Jacks.
Again, I'm looking forward to tomorrow's workout - Day 3, here I come!
Today's meals/snacks:
Breakfast: Bowl of Granola Banana Nut cereal with 1.5% Milk
Lunch: Half the portion of Pad Thai with Grilled Chicken at Noodles & Company
Snack: Peach yogurt with granola
Dinner: Finished the remaining portion from my Pad Thai lunch plus a toasted turkey and swiss cheese pita with mushrooms and green bell peppers. (The pita was absolutely delicious..I think Pitas are my favorite meal right now).
Snack: Apple and Banana nut muffin
Note: While I am trying to eat healthier, I have to remember that since I am still breastfeeding, I need to take in 300-500 more calories per day..but of course that doesn't mean "empty calories." I still need to eat healthy but make sure that I eat enough to provide all the necessary vitamins and nutrients for my little guy.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
My Measurement Tracker
Scary as it is, I believe that posting my before picture and initial fitness measurements will keep me motivated to get myself in gear and continue to do the workouts and to eat healthy so I will reach my fitness goals.
So without further ado, here are my measurements:
Day 1 of my Fitness Journey: (Before starting RevAbs program)
Height - 5' 3" (not that this will change)
Start Weight - 126 lb
Body Fat - 21% (which is considered ideal, but still, I'd like to look leaner)
Chest - 36"
Right Upper Arm - 10 1/4" (Flexed 11 1/4")
Left Upper Arm - 10 1/4" (Flexed 11")
Waist - 32 1/2"
Hips - 36"
Right Thigh - 22"
Left Thigh - 22"
Before Pictures:
So without further ado, here are my measurements:
Day 1 of my Fitness Journey: (Before starting RevAbs program)
Height - 5' 3" (not that this will change)
Start Weight - 126 lb
Body Fat - 21% (which is considered ideal, but still, I'd like to look leaner)
Chest - 36"
Right Upper Arm - 10 1/4" (Flexed 11 1/4")
Left Upper Arm - 10 1/4" (Flexed 11")
Waist - 32 1/2"
Hips - 36"
Right Thigh - 22"
Left Thigh - 22"
Before Pictures:
Day 1 - RevAbs
Today I started my first workout in the 90-day RevAbs program by Brett Hoebel. The first workout was Total Strength (45 minutes) and Mercy Abs (15 minutes). I really loved Brett's approach to the workouts. He always has 3 rounds for each workout. The first being the starter round to get you going and used to the drills and exercises. Then in the second round, you're able to push a little harder. The third round is called the spice round! This is where he gives you a variation for each exercise and expects you to give it your all. The drills seemed easy at first, especially in the first round, but by round three, I 
was sweating and my muscles were burning.The first workout, Total Strength, was great. It included lunges, squats, push
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ups, glutes and cardio drills. By round three, my muscles really were screaming for mercy. I decided to use a resistance band instead of weights for most of the workouts. On some of the drills, I used a medicine ball.The workout was followed by an abs routine - Mercy Abs. Again, there were 3 rounds. As expected, the Spice Round was the hardest and he introduced a variation of the V-up (V sit up) that I had never seen before.
I'm looking forward to Day 2!
BTW, here's a log of what I ate today:
Breakfast: Bowl of Cereal with 1.5% Milk
Lunch: Sweet sticky rice with Chinese sausage (small portion) and a medium bowl of Pho (Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup)
Snack: Small Muffin (blueberry)
Dinner: Asian Grilled Chicken and Eggplant stuffed pita
Snack: Apple and small muffin (blueberry)
Intro to my fitness journey and Fitness Goals
Last night before bed, I mentally went through my goals for 2010. One of them is to be in better shape than I've ever been in my life. The past 8 years of my life have always been centered on fitness and martial arts and I've never considered myself to ever be out of shape.
Some of my fitness accomplishments include earning my 1st and 2nd degree black belts in Tae Kwon Do. Just to give you some background on what we were required to pass in order to earn our Black Belts:
1st Degree Black Belt:
Fitness Test -
100 Push ups in 3 minutes or less
100 Sit ups in 3 minutes or less
3 mile run in 30 minutes or less
Sparring Test -
15 minutes of continuous sparring with 1, 2, 3 or 4 opponents
Curriculum Test -
Forms - Perform all 9 forms consecutively
Combinations - Demonstrate all techniques called out by instructor (3-4 minutes)
Step Defense - Demonstrate all belt levels with an attacker (partner)
Self Defense - Demonstrate all belt levels with an attacker (partner)
2nd Degree Black Belt:
Fitness Test -
125 Push ups in 4 minutes or less
125 Sit ups in 4 minutes or less
4 mile run in 40 minutes or less
Sparring Test -
22 minutes of continuous sparring with 1, 2, or 3 opponents
Curriculum Test -
Forms - Perform all 12 forms consecutively
Combinations - Demonstrate 5 required combination sets plus techniques (3-4 minutes)
Step Defense - Demonstrate all belt levels with an attacker (partner)
Self Defense - Demonstrate all belt levels with an attacker (partner)
I am not much of a runner, as I have a really bad knee (torn miniscus), but I do enjoy running. I was able to run the Boulder Bolder (my first 10K) in 2007 without stopping. In 2008 I hiked my first 14er, Mt. Shavano. I have taken many different kickboxing, cardio, weight training classes and also have trained in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Muay Thai.
So I have had my share of successes with my fitness journey. There are, however, some fitness goals that I have been working to attain and somehow have always been sidetracked like most people. After having a baby 7 months ago and becoming a stay at home mom with 2 home based businesses to run, sometimes fitting in workouts has been challenging. But I guess I do use that as an excuse much of the time, I admit. I do get my workouts in, but I am not as consistent as I should be.
My goal for 2010 is to be able to complete 2-3 of Beachbody's workout programs including P90X, RevAbs and possibly Insanity. I would also like to participate in the Boulder Bolder with my husband this year and be able to run the whole 10K in less than an hour. My ultimate goal is to lose about 10 lbs and 2-3 inches off my waist. I would absolutely love to have abs - I mean toned six-pack abs and a flat stomach along with defined arms.
I know that working out is only half of it. I have committed myself to eating healthier as well and trying to eat smaller meals and include more healthy snacks into my day.
I'm very excited for my fitness journey and to finally reach my goals!
Some of my fitness accomplishments include earning my 1st and 2nd degree black belts in Tae Kwon Do. Just to give you some background on what we were required to pass in order to earn our Black Belts:
1st Degree Black Belt:
Fitness Test -
100 Push ups in 3 minutes or less
100 Sit ups in 3 minutes or less
3 mile run in 30 minutes or less
Sparring Test -
15 minutes of continuous sparring with 1, 2, 3 or 4 opponents
Curriculum Test -
Forms - Perform all 9 forms consecutively
Combinations - Demonstrate all techniques called out by instructor (3-4 minutes)
Step Defense - Demonstrate all belt levels with an attacker (partner)
Self Defense - Demonstrate all belt levels with an attacker (partner)
2nd Degree Black Belt:
Fitness Test -
125 Push ups in 4 minutes or less
125 Sit ups in 4 minutes or less
4 mile run in 40 minutes or less
Sparring Test -
22 minutes of continuous sparring with 1, 2, or 3 opponents
Curriculum Test -
Forms - Perform all 12 forms consecutively
Combinations - Demonstrate 5 required combination sets plus techniques (3-4 minutes)
Step Defense - Demonstrate all belt levels with an attacker (partner)
Self Defense - Demonstrate all belt levels with an attacker (partner)
I am not much of a runner, as I have a really bad knee (torn miniscus), but I do enjoy running. I was able to run the Boulder Bolder (my first 10K) in 2007 without stopping. In 2008 I hiked my first 14er, Mt. Shavano. I have taken many different kickboxing, cardio, weight training classes and also have trained in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Muay Thai.
So I have had my share of successes with my fitness journey. There are, however, some fitness goals that I have been working to attain and somehow have always been sidetracked like most people. After having a baby 7 months ago and becoming a stay at home mom with 2 home based businesses to run, sometimes fitting in workouts has been challenging. But I guess I do use that as an excuse much of the time, I admit. I do get my workouts in, but I am not as consistent as I should be.
My goal for 2010 is to be able to complete 2-3 of Beachbody's workout programs including P90X, RevAbs and possibly Insanity. I would also like to participate in the Boulder Bolder with my husband this year and be able to run the whole 10K in less than an hour. My ultimate goal is to lose about 10 lbs and 2-3 inches off my waist. I would absolutely love to have abs - I mean toned six-pack abs and a flat stomach along with defined arms.
I know that working out is only half of it. I have committed myself to eating healthier as well and trying to eat smaller meals and include more healthy snacks into my day.
I'm very excited for my fitness journey and to finally reach my goals!
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