Ten by 30: THE END

Welp, I'll be 30 in two days, folks.  It's been a marvelous year, and even though I didn't exactly accomplish everything I set out to do--I got a hell of a lot done, people.  I'm a die-hard goal setter, and as long as I have goals, I'll live an amazing life.  I love pushing myself to my limits (in a good way), and the experiences that come with that are... incomparable.  Here's a recap:



1)  Create--and regularly update--a blog.  Yeah, sure, I did that.  I may not have blogged every day or week, but I did serve up *almost* one entry per month.  That's good nuff for me.
2)  Be more social.  Definitely!  I embraced my awkwardness instead of allowing it to cripple me.  I went out more, had people over more, and even ran with a running group.   I also went on a couple of group trips.
3)  Paint more often.  Nope, not really.  But I managed to eek out a sketch or two.
4)  Do the Warrior Dash.  Totally!!!  I did the Dash in Maryland in May with my hubby and a few of his friends.  I had a blast and can't wait to sign up for next year!
5)  Train for and complete a 10K.  Sure did!  I trained for several weeks and ran the Run4Shelter Race in Chestertown, MD in September.  It was hard and I didn't run the entire time, but it was a great start for me.  Half-marathon, here I come!
6)  Wear a bikini.  Check!  I hired an amazing virtual trainer in April and lost 10 pounds over the course of a few months.  I certainly did sport my kini at the beach with my family this summer.  And halfway through Insanity, I wore it again in October during a trip to the lake. 
7) Design and construct a wearable garment from scratch.  Didn't get to that, but I definitely want to reach this goal next year.
8)  Sell stuff on Etsy.  No dice, but also planning this for next year.  I'm getting my ducks in a row as I type this.
9) Grow my biggest fro ever.  I'll say YES.  Because my fro is still on the grow, baby.  Every pic I take is the "biggest fro ever."  Can't wait to see how much bigger it is next year.
10)  Take a birthday trip.  The trip didn't happen this year, but I love to travel and plan to see many places before I die. :)

I don't really want to think about the things I didn't do.  Though I did try to make this blog into more than it was, I'm thrilled with everything I DID accomplish. 60% ain't bad at all!  I'll take it.  And I'm already setting goals for next year.  ;)

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Update: A Fro in Progress

Last update:  http://tenby30.blogspot.com/2012/08/a-fro-in-progress.html


Let's recap...

Baby Fro!!!  October 2010

January 2011

July 2011

July 2012



October 2012

 I know that last pic is kinda blurry.  *my bad*

But peep the progress!  With 3 weeks left until my birthday, I'm on my way to a fro of epic proportions!

Cue the Insanity...

After a weekend of running, relaxing, and Richmond, I am back on the grind today.  Oh yeah... I ran a 5K this weekend in Richmond, Virginia.  But not just any 5K.  It was "the happiest 5K on the planet":  The Color Run. 

I had a blast!  I had paint tossed at me at several points during the race.  I guess I shouldn't call it a race--there were no timing chips and I certainly didn't time myself.  I can't wait to do it again next year!

After my race, I was plum out of fitness goals.  This is not a good thing.  Without a goal, I become hapless and complacent, trudging through each day without purpose or any kind of caring.  So, I set another goal.

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And as long as I'm scaring the crap out of myself here, I thought about the one program I've always wanted to try, but assumed I didn't have the guts to complete:  Insanity.

Insanity is a 60-day conditioning program, full of high intensity cardio and resistance exercises.  I'm trying to make this lifelong fitness journey less about aesthetics and more about my total health.  But I'd be lying if I didn't admit that I'm secretly hoping Insanity will help me get ready for my birthday "freakum dress."   Just sayin...

I've heard that Insanity is tough, but I've seen people get ridiculous results from it.  So I'm giving it a whirl.  Why?  Just because right now I think I can't, and I really want to change my mind. But in order to do it, I have to start thinking that I can.  I can and I will.

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As far as my diet is concerned, of course I'll be keeping better track of it.  My primary concern is getting enough calories, so I will likely use My Fitness Pal to track my diet.  There is a handy dandy nutrition guide (with recipes) that comes along with the Insanity package, so I'll utilize that to plan my meals.  We're talking lots of lean protein, fruits, and veggies, and 5 meals a day.  I have a basic idea of how I want to structure my meals, so I'm excited to hit the grocery store and stock up!

I'll take before, 30-day, and 60-day progress pics.  I would take measurements, but I never seem to do those right. I will post before pics in the next post, along with my results from the Fit Test. 

Stay tuned!

ETA:  So I didn't post pics on the next post, but they are coming soon!

Did I mention I ran a 10K???

Run4Shelter 10k, Kent Narrows MD

On Saturday, September 8th, I left my house at O-Dark-Thirty in the morn to head across the Bay Bridge to the Run4Shelter in Kent Narrows, Maryland. The race event was held to benefit a local homeless shelter.

Armed with my iPod and water bottle in hand, I started out on a 10K course with high hopes of finishing what I started after the Warrior Dash in May.  I had been training like a beast, running twice a week until the end of July.  My resolve began to dissolve and all of a sudden I stopped caring.  I've been under a lot of stress lately, and have been struggling to manage it.  I know now that I can't let anything else bring me down but we all fall off the horse from time to time.

At the start, I was pumped.  I took off with a swarm of runners, across a bridge and onto a beautiful wooded trail.  There were runners of all ages, shapes, and sizes.  I even spotted a young girl with her father.  I later found out the girl was just ten years old!  I pictured myself as a ten year old girl... yeah I was amazed!

Anyway, I set a *really* modest goal of simply finishing the race.  Then I decided I would finish in under an hour and a half.  I knew it had been a couple of weeks since I had a really good run and that I would need to pace myself.  And pace myself, I did.  I made it past the halfway point before slowing down for my first walk break.  After a sip of Gatorade, I picked my pace back up and headed for the finish.  I ran and walked for a couple more miles after that first break.

Around Mile 5, an ambulance pulled up behind some of us, and I noticed a young lady curled up on the sidelines with an oxygen mask around her face.  I still don't know how she fared that day.  The last mile was sooooo long.  Even once I passed the 6 mile mark, with two-tenths of a mile to go, it seemed to stretch on forever.

Tears welled up in my eyes as I crossed the finish line.  I couldn't believe that *I* just finished a race, much less 6.2 miles.  I imagined me as the overweight, asthmatic little girl who always finished last in gym class.  I hated running and could not jog even a quarter of a mile without literally gasping for breath.  I watched for my time and didn't place among the first 217 runners.  I checked my time online a few days later, and discovered that I completed the race in 1 hour and 21 minutes.  My pace was slow and I did walk for about a mile or so, but I FINISHED what I started, and that counts as a VICTORY for me!

My next goal is to maintain my 10K and improve my speed.  Half-marathon training may be on the map sometime in the future, but I want to work on my pace first.  I joined a running group called BGR, and ran with them for the first time on this past Wednesday.

Since I traveled to the Run4Shelter all by my lonesome, I only have the 2 pictures I posted on this blog.  However, there are professional pictures from the race at the following link:

http://chessiephoto.com/f922952373

To view my photos, enter "rs49" in the search box at the top right.  I'm not sure how long these photos will be available, but I was not about to pay $53.85 to post them here.

Oh!!  But I also found this YouTube video clip of the 10K starting line.  See if you can find me (in the gray Warrior Dash T-shirt--the one with the horned helmet lol) at 0:26!

A Fro in Progress

I was born with a thick head of coily, kinky, curly, spongy hair.  For years I tried to impose gravity on my hair, when by nature it was designed to defy that very thing.  Instead of working with it and loving and appreciating the awesomely wild beast that is my fro, I worked hard to tame it.

I began a cycle of growing out and cutting my hair until I got fed up in April 2010 and quit using a chemical relaxer to straighten it.  So I grew out my hair for four months, and in September 2010, I cut it (ha!) into a baby fro.  I never really knew how to care for my natural hair properly.  I had chopped my hair off before with the intent of "going natural," but I always gave up and returned to relaxing my hair.  I didn't know there was a growing wealth of knowledge for women with my hair type who wanted to wear it the way it grew out of our heads.  Growing up, I didn't know very many women who wore their way like that... you know... nappy. 

So now that I've gotten to know my natural hair, I'm growing it all the way out into the biggest fro I can muster.  Peep the progress from July 2011 to July 2012:

Want to see what my hair looked like boy-short almost two years ago?  Click here for a throwback.

Or click here for video I made celebrating one whole year with all natural hair.

On to the Next! Updates and other foolishness...

Wow, how quickly two whole months go by!

After four months, I decided to take a break from virtual training to go my own way.  Fitness has become a top priority in my life ever since I set a goal of living a healthier, more active lifestyle.  However, I need to re-evaluate my goals.  I have been neglecting myself in a way I can't really explain.  I'll just say that my soul is sad.  I have not made time for hobbies that used to make me feel happy and productive, like I was tapping into who I was created to be.  Yeah, really. 

My sewing machine is no longer in commission.  While I'm saving for a brand new one, I turned my attention to my second-favorite hobby--painting.  I devised a plan to spend Friday nights with my paints, a glass of moscato, and some great tunes while I transfer my deepest dreams to canvas.  I set out to start this ritual last Friday night.  And then my son got sick.  And then he was up late with a tummy ache.  And I was up with him, trying to coax him to sleep.  And then I didn't really feel like painting anymore, or doing much of anything for that matter.

This happens all the time.  I come up with a plan and I get stoked.  And then stuff happens and my plans get derailed and I don't know how to feel the way I did before-- like conquering the world.

If you come across a remedy for this, fling it my way.  Please?  Thanks.

And then I hired a personal trainer...

By the time I finished my last workout program,  I was ready to try something new.  One of my friends on Facebook was friends with The Get in Shape Girl, and I admit--I did a little Facebook creeping to find out what she was all about.  I perused her website, which is an excellent resource for exercise tutorials and clean recipes.  I read her personal story, and how she struggled with her weight until she eventually did something about it.  She became a personal trainer, and a bikini competitior.  I was totally inspired by her story and was excited to discover that she offered virtual training.  I had always wanted to work with a trainer, but couldn't justify the expense.  I had no idea how much it would cost, so I decided not to entertain the idea at all.

One day, the GISG (as she will now and evermore be deemed as I do not feel like typing the whole name out) advertised a special on virtual training--just $30 a month, plus a free copy of her Bikini Competitors' Cookbook.  How could I resist such a deal?  I signed up that very same day.  She asked me questions about my workouts and diet, and checks in with me regularly.  I often feel like she is right here with me.  The workouts are challenging without consuming too much time, and I can do them at home or at the gym at work.  She even customized my routine so that I can train for the Warrior Dash (which is next weekend---eek!).  She's an awesome motivator, and I'm so glad I made the investment.  I have the accountability I need to keep me straight.  I'm eating cleaner and better than I ever have, and I'm confident that I will reach my goal.  Like, this year, finally.

In the past month, I've lost about 5 pounds.  I've gained much better eating habits.  I'm excited about working out again.  I'm ready to challenge myself, pushing to my limits.  In fact, the GISG just released a bikini workout plan that [I'm definitely going to grab, and] I'm sure will pair well with her cookbook.

Speaking of recipes, I'm working on some new stuff so stay tuned... :)

When you don't feel like doing ANYTHING...

Motivation, I think, is a myth.  Not just a myth, but a crutch that people rely on to propel themselves into the fantasyland of success that they have built up in their minds.  At the risk of sounding cynical, the other crutch may be inspiration, which is also somewhat emotional.



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Either you do something or you don't do it.  There is no "try."  I love that. I use that notion often to get my butt out of bed at 5:00 am to head to the gym before work.  I use it to push through each work day, and to catch up on that neverending pile of laundry/dishes/whatever.  We like to coddle ourselves and others around us in an imaginary hammock stretched between failure and success.  Failure is not a bad thing.  It is a simple fact that we somehow allow to change and define us.  What we do with failure is either positive or negative.  Failure itself rests on neutral ground.

My last blog was about goal setting.  I wanted to talk about motivation because, this week, my motivation has been very low.  Last week was pretty awesome, but this week sucks for some reason.  Maybe it's the cloudy weather we've had since the weekend.  Maybe I'm just generally feeling funky.  Sometimes I am hit by a wave of BLAH that renders me useless.  I decided to create a vision collage to remind me of all of the reasons why I am reaching for my goals.  Although inspiration alone won't make me do the work that is necessary to reach my goals, it does help me to focus on what needs to be done, rather than how I feel. 

My vision collage

So, if you don't really feel like doing something you probably *should* do... do it anyway.  Or if you don't do it, just don't wallow in guilt and beat yourself up.  Take a nap or go for a walk or chill out for a while [or go make a vision collage!!!], and start fresh. 

Reaching for the Stars: Why I'm in Love with Goal Setting

I have always loved stargazing.  There is nothing better to me than sitting underneath a blanket of stars.  Even better to catch a glimpse of a shooting star or rare comet.  I have loved astronomy since I was a small child.  For a week of my life, I seriously thought I wanted to be an astronaut.  But I kind of suck at science, and I hate math so…

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I grew up believing that I could be anything, and that the possibilities for my life were as endless as the starry universe.  All I ever wanted was to know my purpose, and to truly live my life, free as a bird, with no regrets.  To be honest, I often have no idea what I’m doing.  I still don’t have a solid grasp of what my purpose is.  I don’t even know if I think I have one purpose.  Maybe my purpose is an underlying thread that ties all of my experiences together.  Maybe my purpose is not what I do, but who I am/who I will become.  #deepthoughts

I love setting goals.  It makes life more exciting for me.  When I pinpoint a goal, I get giddy with excitement.  My imagination runs wild.  My heart races.  I start to focus instead of floating randomly through life, like a feather through the air.  It gives me a sense of purpose.  I immediately start researching and figuring out what I need to do to reach that goal.  I become obsessed and relentless until I reach it.  No matter what your goal is, the steps to reaching it are pretty much the same:

1)      Ask yourself:  Is this goal reasonable?  Like, seriously?  If it is, give yourself a deadline.

2)      Ask yourself if you are really willing to do what it takes.  The only thing stopping you is yourself.  That pretty much eliminates excuses.  You will always find a way to do what you truly want to do.  You can't always rely on inward motivation or outward inspiration.  Sometimes you are not going to feel like doing anything.  Stuff happens. The goal becomes bigger than yourself, and a consistent effort is what will produce results.

3)      Do some research.  Read stuff.  Ask people who have done what you are trying to do… how did they do it?

4)      Break it down into small steps so it’s not so overwhelming.  If your goal is a big one (like running a marathon or purchasing a house), set some mini, short term goals as stepping stones to the end result.

5)      Surround yourself with like minded, positive people.   Get yourself a support group.  There is power in numbers.

6)      Eliminate anything (or anyone) that is not helping you reach your goal.  If your goal is weight loss, get rid of the junk food in your house.  This also goes with #5—if there are people in your life who will not support you, cut waaaaaaaaay back on the time you spend with them.

7)      Get organized… okay, try to get organized.  Do your prep work.  Do your homework.  Work toward your goal a little bit each day/week.  Results come with consistent effort.

8)      Spend your time more wisely.  I am a die-hard procrastinator with a love/hate relationship with schedules.  I hate the monotony of following a routine week after week, but I need it so badly!  Haha!  I made a block schedule of my week in 30 minute increments so I could figure out where to fit in various activities (like my daily workouts). 

9)      Reward yourself for reaching your mini-goals.  This doesn’t have to be anything big and expensive.  Give yourself a pat on the back, or a sticker or something.  Enjoying the journey is just as important as the end result.

10)   Once you’ve reached your goal, set another one right away!  Rinse and repeat.  Don’t stop until you die.

So basically, if I didn't reach any of the goals on my 10 by 30 Bucket List, it's because I probably faltered on one of the above steps.  Or maybe I set too many goals at once.  That’s been known to happen… 

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2 Weeks Til the Warrior Dash!

I am officially freaking out.  Only two weeks left until I do the Warrior Dash in Maryland on Saturday, May 19th.  I am so excited!  I have been training for this my whole life... well, actually since January.  This may not really be a big deal, but it is to me, because I'm not typically the adventurous type.  I'm definitely not athletic, but I think this race will be fun.  I intend to try my best and have as much fun as I can. 

Which leads me to wonder... what am I going to wear?  Many who've done the Dash wear casual, typical workout clothes--nothing they would miss if their clothes were permanently grunged.  Those who are extra adventurous show up in costume. 

What do you think?  Should I wear the usual plain old tee and shorts, or should I go in costume? 

All about the Female Body Breakthrough

I admit, I've been hiding from everyone/the blog/my life.  Sometimes I feel like a multitasking ninja, managing family, work, fitness, recreation, whatever without breaking a sweat.  Occasionally, I freak out and let the madness consume me.  I get tired, become emotional, get stressed... and work myself into a funk.  And then, I'm paralyzed.  I usually snap out of it after a few nights of good sleep and get back on top.

So, I said I was going to dish on the workout program I've been doing for the past 9 weeks.  The Female Body Breakthrough is a 16-week strength training program, designed to help build muscle mass and lose fat in a reasonable amount of time.  I know a lot of women think that lifting heavy weights will make them beefy, but the truth is that we don't nearly as much testosterone as men do.  So, it's much harder for us to build significant muscle mass.  As you build muscle, your metabolism increases, allowing you to burn fat at a faster rate and burn more calories even when you're not doing anything at all. 

There are four 4-week phases, all with different workouts.  You can also improve your nutrition in four phases for optimal fat loss.  Basically there are 3 major components of fat loss, in order of priority:

1. Nutrition
2. Strength training
3. Cardio

The first phase (Base Phase) has you doing 2-3 strength workouts per week, and no cardio at all until the third week. You focus on cleaning up your eating by eliminating processed and fried foods from your diet. 

Each phase has two strength workouts (A & B) which are alternated each week. There is one day of rest or stretching between workouts, in order to give your body ample time to recover.  For example, if you do 3 strength workouts each week, your schedule looks like this:

	Day 1	Day 2	Day 3	Day 4	Day 5	Day 6	Day 7
WEEK 1	Workout A	stretch	Workout B	stretch	Workout A	REST	REST
WEEK 2	Workout B	stretch	Workout A	stretch	Workout B	REST	REST

In each following phase, the workouts change again.  You lift heavier weights for fewer reps, and do more challenging exercises. You gradually add 1-2 highly intense cardio interval workouts (HIIT or metabolic circuits as they are called in the book), and by the third phase, you can add 1 more day of cardio-of-choice.  By then, your workout schedule may look like this:

	Day 1	Day 2	Day 3	Day 4	Day 5	Day 6	Day 7
WEEK 1	Workout A	HIIT cardio	Workout B	Stretch	Workout A	HIIT cardio	Opt. cardio
WEEK 2	Workout B	HIIT	Workout A	Stretch	Workout B	HIIT	cardio

This may look like a lot of exercise, but each strength workout is really only 30-45 minutes long, maybe as long as an hour, depending on your pace.  The HIIT cardio takes only 20-30 minutes.  In the book, author Rachel Cosgrove recommends that you only do 30 minutes on your day of optional cardio.  At most, you may be working out up to 6 hours each week.  Considering that there are 168 hours in a week, that's really not a lot of time at all.

I highly recommend this book for anyone looking to "tone up" or build strength.  I'm sure you'll get excellent results with consistency and patience.  To be honest, I've struggled with my nutrition.  In the book, Rachel has you eating clean and not counting calories until the final four weeks.  For me, counting calories is much easier.  When I can see the numbers, it motivates me to up my protein intake.  I know what to eat to manipulate the numbers, so I trick myself into eating more veggies, less starchy carbs, etc.  I don't eat a lot of processed food, but I do have a tendency to eat too much food, period.  Especially carbs.  Carbs are not forbidden, but you must eat the right kind of carbs (complex, full of fiber--sweet potatoes, green veggies, fruits) at the right times (in the morning or before and after a workout).  I still struggle with carb timing, but I am giving myself time to improve.

My results so far have not been dramatic, and I know it is because of my eating habits. But I am figuring out what works best for me, and sticking with that.  Consistency is what will lead to success.

Life is Short: Eat pancakes!

I love pancakes, y'all.  I pretty much love all traditional, high-carb, sugary breakfast foods.  I've made the switch to high protein breakfasts featuring oatmeal, egg whites, and the like.  I quickly get bored with eggs and oatmeal, so I went on a hunt for high-protein versions of my favorite breakfast foods. 

I soon discovered... protein pancakes.  I didn't know that protein pancakes could taste so good.  When I first made this, I was expecting heavy, gritty bricks.  Instead, I ended up with a stack of buttery, light, fluffy cakes that rival the ones at my favorite local diner.  This recipe (adapted from this one) is my favorite by far.  And the best part is, they are all natural.

Pancakes (now, with Protein)
Servings:  1, makes 3 to 4 pancakes
Prep time:  5 min
Cooking time:  5 min

Ingredients:
1/2 c old fashioned oats
1/2 c low fat or fat free cottage cheese (if you're watching sodium, use reduced sodium or no salt added)
1/2 c egg whites (or egg beaters)
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
dash of salt (optional)
water (optional)

Mix everything together in a blender or food processor.  I used my Ninja blender.  Funny story:  One time the Hubs was unloading the dishwasher, and the Ninja blades were in there.  He didn't see them and cut his hand pretty bad.  For at least a week after that, he told everyone he was attacked by a Ninja.

Anyway, we're mixing.. for about a minute.  Let the batter rest for 2 minutes. If your batter is a little too thick, add a bit of water until you get the consistency you want.  You will probably also end up with more pancakes. :) 

Spray nonstick spray on and heat up your griddle or pan on medium heat (300 degrees on an electric griddle).  Pour the batter from the blender into rounds on the pan/griddle.  When the edges start to bubble a little, flip and continue to cook for another minute or two.

Add your choice of fruit, some light butter, and a drizzle of syrup (I use sugar-free cuz I be lame). Double or triple the recipe and freeze these bad boys.  Just make sure to thaw them out before you are ready to eat them.

Nutritional Info (per serving)

Calories:  326

Total Fat:  5.5g

Saturated Fat:  2g

Sodium:  290 mg (with no-salt cottage cheese)

Total Carbs:  34.5g

Dietary Fiber:  4g

Sugars:  6.5g

Protein:  32g

Percentage of Calories

Protein:  39%

Carbs:  42%

Fat:  14%

***Please note that nutritional info is estimated, and varies based on the ingredients you use.***

BANANA BREAD!!

I love bread.  I love bananas.  Banana bread is my boo.  I found a great recipe here and tweaked it a bit because I didn't have dates, and I wanted to use up a gigundo container of greek yogurt before it spoiled.  This bread is moist, dense, and downright delish.

So... moist... *drool*

Banana Bread
Serves:  1 (if you're greedy like me)
Prep time: 
Cooking time:  45-50 minutes

Ingredients:
3-4 ripe bananas, mashed (or 2 cups worth)
1 c oat flour
1 c whole wheat pastry flour (you could just pick one type of flour and use 2 cups;  I used what I had)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla or almond extract
1 egg
1 egg white
1/2 c plain nonfat greek yogurt
1/2 c unsweetened applesauce
1/2 c honey
(optional:  chopped nuts, raisins, dates, chocolate chips, ground flax meal, or whatever you like)

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour a loaf pan or square baking dish

In a medium sized bowl, beat the egg, egg white, applesauce, honey, and vanilla until very well mixed.  Add bananas and combine thoroughly.  Set the mixture aside.

In a separate, larger bowl, mix your dry ingredients (flour, baking powder and soda, and salt).  Add in the wet stuff and stir until just moistened (don't over mix).  If you are adding stuff like nuts or chocolate chips, fold that mess in now.  Don't forget, cuz you'll be mad. 

Bake for 45-50 minutes in loaf pan, or 35-45 minutes in a square, shallow dish.  Do the toothpick test-- if it comes out of the center clean, you're good to go!  Let it cool for 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack (or whatever you've got).  Once completely cool, wrap that bad boy up tight and stash it in the fridge.  Enjoy!

I called it "banana cake" so my kids would eat it.. but they're funny like that :)

Random Thursday: Does this butt make my jeans look small???

Oh.
Em.
Goodness gracious, sweet Baby Jesus. 

That is what ran through my brain as I tried to figure out WHYYYYY I could not get my jeans (the same size 10 skinnies that fit so great, a mere 3 weeks ago) up over my tail this morning.  The Hubs reassured me that I was looking "much better" than when I started this new workout program four weeks ago.  He observed that my waist looks smaller, and my booty is rounder.  Of course, he's got no complaints.  Who am I mad at???

Voice of Reason says:  Why you trippin?  You know you are sore as crap today.  Yesterday, you were whining that it hurt to sit down.  So there is quite possibly a whole lotta water being retained in your glutes and thighs, thanks to DOMS.  Or else you are building muscle, and it's probably pushing out the fat before burning that biznatch. And don't forget that your body composition is changing.  You are eating well, working out HARD and generally doing the gollygoshdarn thing.  Either way, there's no need to panic.  Chill out...

I'll admit it.  I was tempted, for a minute, to give up.  But that is sooo Old Me, and I'm trying to find a New Me.  So I'll just press on and see what happens. 


In other news, remember when everyone was cised over these friendship bracelets?

I remember making tons of these in middle school, and selling them for 50 cents a pop.

Target is charging $4.00 a pop.  Maybe I should start my bracelet business back up!  Whatchu think?

My First Shepherd's Pie

Tonight, I made a shepherd's pie for dinner.  I had never tasted it, and thought it would be a good hearty winter meal.  I slaved over my stove for all of 40 minutes or so.  My daughter asked for hot dogs for dinner, and I obliged since I knew it would take me a while to make the shepherd's pie.  My son fell asleep before dinner, so I let him sleep.  That thang was a holy terror from the time I picked him up from daycare, and I knew he was exhausted.  But I'm sure he'll like the pie tomorrow, because I dumped cheese all over it.  He loves him some cheese, my little mouse.  The hubs is working late tonight, so I ate shepherd's pie all by my lonesome.  That's okay, because I made a whole pan full, and we'll have leftovers tomorrow.

Since I'm timing my carbs and today was not a workout day, I topped off my shepherd's pie with mashed cauliflower in lieu of taters.  So, by default this is a low-carb recipe.  I have an aversion to anything labeled as "low-carb" but 'tis what it is.  It's also a great dinner for diabetics, and others who are watching (or should be watching) their blood sugar levels and/or waistlines.  I'm listing ingredients that I used, by the way.  My cooking style is primarily "semi-homemade" (ever watch Semi Homemade with Sandra Lee?  The blonde chick with the elaborate table decorations and themed cocktails? 




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THAT'S my style.  Keep it simple sweetie).  So while I would prefer to pick up a container of Trader Joe's "Mirepoix" soup starter, you may apply a li'l elbow grease and dice your own carrots, celery, and onions.  To each his/her own.   Tweak as desired.

This pic does it no justice

A Simple Shepherd's Pie
Serves 6
Prep time:  As long as it takes
Cooking time:  20 minutes in the oven

96% lean ground beef
1 tb olive oil
1 head fresh cauliflower (or 2 bags frozen)
1 container of Trader Joe's Mirepoix (or 1.5 cups diced carrots, onion, and celery)
1 tb minced garlic
1/2 c shredded cheese (I used a cheddar-jack blend)
4 tb butter
1/2 c chicken broth/stock
2 tb tomato sauce/paste
worcestershire sauce
cumin
chili powder
salt
pepper

Boil the cauliflower in a large pot until it's kinda mushy (the cauliflower, not the pot).  Drain off the water.  Add butter and chicken broth to cauliflower. Add a li'l salt and pepper.  Dump all that in a food processor, stand mixer, or blender.  Blend until smooth and creamy like mashed taters. 

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  Heat a large skillet to medium heat and heat olive oil.  Add the beef and cook until no longer pink.  Add veggies and garlic, cooking until translucent.  Add a li'l cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper.  Douse with a little bit of worcestershire sauce. Stir well.  Add tomato sauce or paste and stir until combined.  Remove from heat.

Grab a baking dish (whatever size you have--I used a 9 x 13), and spread the meat mixture across the bottom.  Gently spread cauliflower on top.  Bake uncovered for 15 minutes.  Add cheese and bake for 5 more minutes, or until melty.  The sides of the pan should be bubbly too.  Enjoy that mess!  If you're super healthy, whip up an extra side of veggies to go with it.  Overachiever.

Nutritional Info (per serving)

Calories:  222

Total Fat:  8g

Saturated Fat:  5g

Sodium:  332 mg

Total Carbs:  10g

Dietary Fiber:  4g

Sugars:  5g

Protein:  25g

Percentage of Calories

Protein:  44%

Carbs:  18%

Fat:  33%

***Please note that nutritional info is estimated, and varies based on the ingredients you use.***

What's new????

Guess what!  I added a few things to the blog, like:

• New tabs at the top of the page, "About Me" and "Contact Me."
• Follow me on Twitter @TenBy30.  I am fairly new to Twitter.  It's seriously like a whole new world to me.  Follow me and I'll follow you.
• Did you notice the Pinterest button at the tippy-top left?  If you Pinterest, hit me up!  I try to stay away because it's a gigundo time-suck (much like Facebook).  But there is SO much inspiration I can't resist!

And stay tuned for more great stuff, like:

• A tab at the top for Recipes, where I'll add links to some of my favorite recipes.
• More details on the workout program I've been doing (The Female Body Breakthrough).
• My latest adventures in bargain shopping.

FBB: 4-week Results!

So, I just finished the Base Phase of the Female Body Breakthrough.  Annnnd here are my results from the first 4 weeks:

Weight lost:  6 pounds

Chest:  -1 inch
Waist:  -0.5 inches
Hips:  nada (buildin up the booty, y'all)

Arms:  0
Thighs: + 1 inch??

Oh, and though I'm too shy to post progress pics just yet, I swear my tummy is much flatter.  I've got baby biceps trying to bust through my arm fat.  And, *drum roll please*......... I am now an early morning exerciser, y'all!  Say whaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?  Those are 3 words I would have NEVER used to describe myself four weeks ago.  I'm pretty freakin proud of myself!  I feel like I got a great start.  I cleaned up my eating tremendously, although I still allow for a "splurge meal" once or twice a week.  Don't worry, I imagine I will post my bikini progress at some point. ;) 

I am happy to have cardio back in my life--although, truth be told, the strength workouts provide plenty of cardio, as moving from circuit to circuit is great for getting that heart rate up.  I am now working out 4 times a week, which is totally manageable.  I do my strength workouts at the gym at work on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings.  On Saturday, I do my HIIT workout at home.  I am already excited to add in another HIIT workout at Week 9, but I'm only at Week 5 so I guess I need to slow my roll...  How bout, lemme figure out how to do some chin ups?  I was supposed to do like, 6 of them in today's workout.  But I got shy (as I was not alone in the gym) and wimped out by doing some lat pull-downs instead. Ha!

I haven't had my body fat professionally tested yet, which is something I really, REALLY need to do.  I don't go to a regular gym and I ain't gots a trainer, so I'll have to figure out how to get that done.

So, I started the next four-week phase, which means I'll be doing more intense exercises and lifting heavier for fewer reps in order to define my newfound muscles.  And it means learning how to do a motherlovin chin-up.  My focus will be on eating even cleaner,  timing my carbs around my workouts, and eating just 2 servings of fruit per day (as opposed to 3 or 4).  The nutrition aspect is always the hardest for me, since I luurrrrve food, like forreal.  Like, food is my BOO, y'all.  Deprivation is no bueno, and variety is key.  For instance, I had steak tacos for dinner on Friday.  I grilled some marinated sirloin.  Added some of my favorite veggies.  Instead of wrapping all that up in a low-carb tortilla (or 2), I cut the tortillas into quadrants, sprayed them, and baked them.  I topped the whole deal with cheese and... healthy NACHOS.  Twoulda been bangin, but apparently whole wheat low-carb tortillas get pretty chewy when baked.  Oh well--at least the flavors were still there *mwah*.  That reminds me, I am hoping to post some of the recipes I've tried along the way.  I've come across some good ones!  Except for this one...

This is a homemade chocolate peanut butter protein bar, believe it or not.  It definitely tasted much better than it looks...
So yeah, stay tuned. ;)