Jump Dip Push Workout

Hi everyone,

Today I did a great little workout that only has four exercises and lasts only 10 minutes, but is guaranteed to work all of your major muscle groups and push your endurance past your previous limits!  This is a hight intensity interval training workout and you will need to set your Gymboss Interval Timer for 20 rounds of 2 intervals of 10 seconds and 20 seconds.  Push yourself to your highest intensity!  You can achieve unbelievable results with HIIT if you push yourself to your max and really give all you have.  And make sure to write down your reps for each round so you can compare them to mine.  A little competition makes everything more fun. ;) 

Enjoy your workout!

Monica


The Jump~Dip~Push Workout
Set your timer for 20 rounds of 10/20 intervals.  Rest for 10 seconds, then do each exercise for 20 seconds at your highest intensity.  Push yourself--it's only 10 minutes!  You will do each exercise 5 times.

Frog Jump
Start in a deep squat position.  Push your butt back and do NOT let your knees go past your toes!  Now power through your legs and jump as high as you can.  Land as softly as possible to reduce strain on your joints.  Repeat as fast as you can while maintaining proper form.

High Knees
Stand tall, roll your shoulders back behind and away from your ears, tilt pelvis forward and keep your core tight.  You can place your hands on your hips, behind your head, out to your side, or clasped in front of you--whatever is most comfortable for you.  Contract your abs and pull your right knee up as high as you can.  Switch legs.  Do this as fast as you can while maintaining proper form.

Tricep Dip
Stand in the middle of your dip bar and place your hands on the bars at your side.  If you are a beginner, lift one foot off the floor.  If you are more advanced, lift both legs up off floor.  Keeping your elbows as close to your sides as possible, lower your body until your upper arm is parallel to the floor, pause for a moment and then lift yourself back up so your arms are straght.

Push Up

Get into the plank position.  Keep your back straight, place your hands directly below your shoulders, keep your core tight and your hips lifted.  If you are a beginner, you may place your knees on the floor.  Now lower your body so that your upper arms are parallel to the floor.  Don't worry if you can't go all the way down.  Do your best and go as low as you can.  Raise yourself back up to the starting position.  Do this exercise as fast as you can while maintaining proper form.

Monica's Scores:

Frog Jump: 13, 14, 14, 12, 11

High Knees: 43, 41, 40, 33, 41

Tricep Dip: 7, 6, 5, 6, 5

Push Up: 10, 12, 10, 10, 10

Click Here to buy your dip station.

 

Bodyrock.tv's Hot Warrior Workout

Hey everyone,

Well, if you have been following my blog, then you know I had a re-injury a couple of weeks ago.  I have had two re-injuries now since my car accident back in December.  I guess this can be a lesson to really be careful and listen to your body, especially after you experience trauma.  The hardest part is getting back into my routine since being off of it for two weeks.  I have gone on a couple of walks during this time, but I definitely feel a dramatic difference in my strength since two weeks ago.  I can also tell a difference in my muscle tone.  But as my boyfriend so kindly reminded me, as fast as you can lose your endurance, strength and muscle tone, you can regain it just as quickly!  So in the next couple of weeks I will really be focusing my energies on being consistent with my workouts and regaining my strength! 

Here are my scores for the Hot Warrior Workout.  Try it, because I KNOW you can beat me today!  I'm pretty disappointed with my scores, but I know I can make my comeback now that my injury has healed.

Maybe today I need to tell myself: Be Strong, Be Powerful, and Be Focused!

Monica

Forward/Backward Lunge (I did mine with two dumbells because I don't have a sandbag)

   Left: 8.5, 10, 9

   Right: 11, 7.5, 6

Core Splits: 18, 15, 13

Dynamo Push-Up: 13, 8, 16 (for the last round I switched to push-ups on my knees)

Sleeping Crab

   Left: 9, 10, 9

   Right: 10, 11, 9



Two Mile Walk with Lola

Hey everyone,

Today was the first beautiful day we have had here in Washington State in a long time.  The sun was out, and no winter coat was required.  Everyone was outside today, whether it was down by the water or out on the trails.  I decided to explore a little today and find a new trail.  I stumbled upon one that was tucked away between a few different neighborhoods.  It was pretty cool.  It was flat pavement and actually ran parallel to the freeway.  So it wasn't especially beautiful, but it was definitely different than most trails I walk.  Lola and I had a great time and enjoyed the fresh air and the sun on our faces.  The trail had distance markers, so we walked to the 1 mile marker and walked back.  I'm still taking it easy with the workouts.  I have had two re-injuries since my car accident from trying to push too hard, so I'm going to listen to my body and take it easy. 

Listen to Your Body

I took a few pictures of our walk, and am including them below so you can see where we went today!  I hope you are all staying focused on your goals and making your workouts a priority.  Consistency is key!

Take care,

Monica

Our Trail

Princess Lola



Quick 'n Easy Beef Stirfry

Hi everyone!

My boyfriend and I made a delicious and nutritious beef stirfry tonight for dinner.  It was so easy to make and tasted so so good!  The one essential piece of equipment you need is a rice cooker.  We love our rice cooker!  Rice cooking in the bottom, veggies steaming on the top and cook your meat separately to get a yummy meal.  All we did was buy stirfry-ready beef and marinade it in Yoshida's Gourmet Sauce, then cooked it in a saute pan.  I bought a bag of prepared stirfry veggies in the produce section and steamed them in the top compartment of the rice cooker.  Put it all together and use a little sauce of your choice for an easy, healthy weeknight meal. 

Hope you enjoy!

Monica


Quick 'n Easy Beef Stirfry

Ingredients:
2 cups of Jasmine rice
1 medium sized bag of ready-to-use stirfry veggies (from the produce section)
1 1-2 lb. package of stirfry beef
3 T. Yoshida's Gourmet Sauce

Method:

1. Marinade the beef in the Yoshida's for 30 minutes.
2. Prepare rice in rice cooker according to the package's directions.
3. After about 10 minutes, add vegetables to top compartemnt of rice cooker to steam.
4. While the rice and vegetables are cooking, saute the beef in a saute pan until cooked through.
5. When the rice is done, scoop about a cup onto a plate, and top with veggies and beef.  You may add a little bit of a sauce of your choice for added flavor.

Today's Workout: Sexy Dance Off + Zuzana's 4 Minutes from Hell

Hi guys!

Well, my back is still a little iffy, so I'm not going to push TOO hard.  Today, I did Julianne Hough's Cardio Ballroom Workout followed by Zuzana's 4 Minute Workout (from Hell).  The Cardio Ballroom is great for my back with all of the twisting and backbending.  It always makes my back feel healthy and pain-free afterwards. 

This workout is what helped me lose my first 30 pounds.  On those days I was lacking motivation, I would want to do this workout because it is so fun!  I have always loved to dance though, so for those of you who like to move your hips, this workout is for you!  And speaking of moving my hips, this workout is what loosened my hips up.  Forty pounds ago, my hips were stiff.  I hadn't really moved them in a while, hadn't been active, so it was awkward for me at first, even though I had always danced in my past. 

If you don't use it, you lose it....so move it!

If it feels awkward, THAT'S OK!  Keep doing it and I promise you it will start to feel good.  When I first started, I could only get through the first two segments of the video.  Now the entire DVD is a breeze.  Just push through, do your best, stop if you really need to, and try to do better tomorrow. 

All you can do is your best!

I followed Cardio Ballroom with Zuzana's 4 Minute Workout.  For only being four minutes long, this workout was so much harder than Cardio Ballroom.  I fell on the ground when I was done!  Focus on your form, even though it is easy to neglect when you are moving so fast. 

Make form a priority!

My scores for the 4 Minute Workout were:

Blaster Push Up: 5-4-4-4-3-4

Jumper: 4-3-4-4-4-3

See if you can beat me!  Some of you probably can, but I pushed myself to my own limit and my legs were killing me by the end!  Let me know how you do!

Take care everyone and

Be Strong~Be Powerful~Be Focused!

Monica



Food Journal: Day Seven (The Last Day!)

Hi everyone,

Today is the last day of my food journal experiment!  What an eye opening experience!  I really do think that everyone should do a photo food journal for a week.  There is something about (1) the act of consciously taking a photo of everything you eat and (2) seeing a visual of your diet that serve to make you so much more self-aware.  What is it a very wise man once said about an unexamined life not worth living??  If I had to grade my eating habits in the past week, I would give myself a B.  I think I do alright.  I don't eat too much and keep my portions small.  I try to get f & v's in when I can, but a busy lifestyle and probably a lack of planning hold me back.  The good news is that I only need to tweak a few things about my diet to bring myself back up to an A.  I definitely need to include even more f & v's, and eat less sugar.  Sure, I eat fewer sweets than I did when I was overweight, but these sweets that I eat every night are processed foods full of chemicals and artificial everything.  I try to eat granola bars and dried cranberries, but I am still vulnerable to the Red Vines, Starbursts, pizza and creamy pastas.  I will be more concious of these tendencies in the future and try to change my habits a little bit at a time, day by day.  I will definitley be hunting for healthy alternatives to my favorites, so look forward to yummy recipes coming soon! 

Also, my back is finally feeling better!  The muscles don't hurt anymore!  I still want to take it nice 'n easy, so expect light to moderate workouts from me for a second, but I want to be back to my healthy active energetic self very very soon!

Take care of yourselves,

Monica

My only day off during the week, I actually was able to leisurely drink my coffee at home instead of taking it on the run.  Ahhhh....to relax :)

I scrambled up two eggs for breakfast.  I whip the eggs with a dollup of soy milk and mozzarella cheese for a protein boost.  I find that when I eat eggs for breakfast, I feel energized and don't get hungry for hours!

And my boyfriend whipped up another amazing smoothie, same recipe.  What a sweetie.

I went out to dinner at the restaurant I work at and started the meal with bruschetta--tomatoes, basil, and gorgonzola cheese tossed in balsamic vinegar on toasted focaccia bread.  Yummy yummy yummy.

I had a small salad before the pizza came.  Anytime I eat carbs, complex or simple, I make sure to eat a salad to aid in digestion.  This is a practice commonly followed in Germany that can benefit all of us (I'm not positive, but I want to say that much of Europe follows this practice).  A little side note: In Germany they usually have the salad at the end of the meal, contrary to here in America where we usually eat it before.  There is an argument for both methods.  The German method is supposed to be better for digestion and is supposed to make you feel less bloated.

My favorite pizza-that I have been eating all week.  I started with two slices but..

....ended up leaving a little bit behind.

And then reheated one more slice later in the evening.

I had my standard oats 'n dark chocolate granola bar in the evening.  I'm really trying to be more conscious of eating sweets in the evening.  I honestly didn't realize how much I was eating until I kept this photo food journal.  But if I have gotten into this great of shape while still satisfying my munchies, then imagine how my health will improve by tweaking this little habit!  Always try to be better than you were yesterday, last week and last month.  Baby steps and moderation are key.

Food Journal: Day Six

Hi everyone,

Well, I'm pretty happy with how I ate today!  I managed to get quite a few more fruits and veggies into my diet today.  I can always tell a difference in how I feel when I eat more fresh fruits and vegetables.  F & V's are living energy.  They get their energy from the highest energy source, the sun, and are passing that energy on to us.  They store the vitamins, nutrients and minerals that keep our bodies in optimum condition.  It's kind of like growing a plant.  Will just the sun and water keep the plant alive?  Yes.  But when you add nutrients and fertilizers, or give the plant supplemental lighting, the plant will thrive.  That's what f & v's do for the human body, they keep us in optimum condition and help us thrive.  Start exploring all of the many f & v's out there.  You'll be surprised at how many you haven't tried and how delicious they are!  Eating them raw will be to your advantage, but if you must cook or steam them do so only slightly so that they hold their nutritional value.  I will be highlighting my favorite f & v's in the future and how to best prepare them.  Until then, I hope this food journal can offer some guidance.

Be Strong~Be Powerful~Be Focused

Monica

I actually had to run out of the house this morning without eating anything because I had an appointment in town.  But as soon as I was done with my appointment, I headed straight to my favorite Greek spot for a lamb gyro on a whole wheat pita with brown rice, tzaziki sauce, feta cheese, tomatoes, cucumbers and onions.  

And I couldn't resist a cup of coffee with peppermint mocha creamer when I got home. :)

My boyfriend made me a smoothie that had banana, orange, strawberries, vanilla yogurt, ground flax, apple juice and ice.  Smoothies are a great way of getting in your full load of fresh fruits and vegges throughout the day!

Later at the shop, I had a Healthy Choice Fresh Mixer--Roasted Red Pepper Penne.  Not great but not bad.  You know how I feel about these things.

My boyfriend and I split my leftovers from last night.  The salad was too wilted to eat, but the Penne Massimo was amazing, even reheated.  I'm starting to see a pattern with all of my pasta meals...look forward to healthy pasta recipes in the near future!

 I definitely needed a big green salad to help me digest the pasta I just ate all afternoon, so I made a large green leaf lettuce salad topped with carrots, tomatoes, hardboiled egg, raw natural almonds, dried cranberries, croutons and lightly tossed with Caesar dressing.

I finished the half a package of Red Vines from the night before and...

...ate another oats 'n dark chocolate granola bar.  Not too bad with the sweets tonight, even though I could probably stand to cut down a little...

Walk with Lola

Hi everyone,

Well, even with my back injury, I'm trying to be as active as possible, while still getting the rest I need.  Not being able to move how I want to is driving me bonkers.  To counteract the feeling of crawling out of my skin, I decided to take one of my dogs, Lola, on a walk in the woods behind our house.  We walked for a good 20 minutes.  The path has a nice steep hill, even though I felt like a grandma on my way down, a little nervous I might jolt my back and hurt myself.  Lola and I had a great time though.  We went at dusk, so the sky was turning all kinds of fantastic colors and the air was nice and crisp.  Nothing like fresh air to lift your spirits!  I hope this is a nice little reminder that even if one part of your body is injured, it doesn't mean that you can't do anything active.  You can always do something.

Hope you enjoy the pictures!

Take care,

Monica

Lola giving me kisses. :)

The most brilliant blue sky

Our path

Food Journal: Day Five

Hi everyone!

Well today I had a relatively light eating day.  I strongly believe that instead of counting calories, we really just need to listen to our bodies.  We need to listen to our bodies tell us what and how much to eat.  On some days, I eat a little more, and on other days I eat a little less.  Overall I eat what I need.  I always stop eating right when I'm starting to feel satisfied.  My personal rule is to eat until I'm 80% full.  I had one person I told this to ask me, "What does 80% full feel like?  Either you're hungry or you're full right?"  Well, to me this sounds like a person who is eating too fast.  Take your time when you eat.  Notice how you feel throughout the meal, how your stomach stops growling and starts to slowly settle.  Notice how your mood lifts just a little and how you feel more energy.  Listen to your body.  Your body will tell you what you need.  You will probably be surprised how little you need.

Be Strong~Be Powerful~Be Focused
Monica

I had my standard coffee and oatmeal, but added dried cranberries to my oatmeal to spice it up a little.  Ooh, I'm living on the edge!

I had a hard-boiled egg and an apple for a snack at the shop later. 

Protein + Carbs = An Energizing Satisfying Snack

String Cheese: A quick source of protein and low in fat.

We went out to dinner tonight to one of my favorite Italian joints-amazing food, and the kind of ambience that makes you half-expect to see a mob boss at the next table.  Before dinner, I had a few slices of the French baguette dipped in infused oil, and I drank two glasses of pinot grigio throughout dinner.  I ordered the Insalata Spinace and the Penne Massimo and only ate about 1/3 of each.  They were both incredible-orgasms in your mouth! 

The Insalata Spinaci is a bed of spinach topped with carrots, mushrooms, bacon, hard-boiled egg and topped with a poppy seed dressing.

The Penne Massimo was a tomato-alfredo sauce with sundried tomatoes, italian sausage and basil over penne.  To die for. 

 

I told you I didn't eat all of it!  I boxed up the leftovers for later!

And for the evening sweet tooth, I indulged in 1 1/2 small packages of Red Vines.  Hey, at least it was the small package. ;-)

(Could not get this photo to rotate for the life of me, sorry!)

Before and After

Hey everyone,

I've hesitated to post before and after pictures of myself because, frankly, it's embarrassing.  I'm embarrassed that I ever let my body reach 174 lbs., that I let it get soft and mushy, that I used to barely be able to climb a hill without running out of breath.  I'm embarrassed that I lacked self-control and will power to the point of eating multiple packages of sweets a night.  I'm embarrassed that I stopped taking care of myself. 

On the flip side, I'm incredibly proud of my transformation.  I had stopped believing in myself and by keeping this promise to myself, the promise to take care of my body, I regained confidence in myself.  Not only do I enjoy the view in the mirror now, but by regularly exercising, I have transformed my emotional well-being as well.  The mind-body connection is real and by taking care of your body you will build a stronger mind.  

I finally decided to post this because I am experiencing an injury right now.  I overdid my first workout on my new dip bar, then worked a busy night at the restaurant.  I carry my serving tray with my left hand and as a result I strained my teres major and lats on the left side.  I'm in a lot of pain and can't work out.  It's driving me bonkers not to be able to be active, but I know my body needs rest.  I am looking at my before and afters to remind myself that I need to be active as soon as possible because it is definitely worth it to keep focused and disciplined.  You have to keep yourself motivated even during the slumps, like an injury.  You must always find ways to inspire yourself.  Even during this injury, I will still be as active as possible, which means walking.  Walking may be a lower intensity exercise, but it is incredibly beneficial to us.  Our bodies were made to walk.  Walking aids digestion, raises our heart rate, and calms the mind.  

I hope you all find a way to inspire yourselves today.

All the best,
Monica  

Food Journal: Day Four

Hi everyone,

Here is today's food journal.  This journal is proving to be very helpful.  I'm starting to recognize patterns in my behavior.  There are good things about the way I eat, like how I eat oatmeal in the morning and keep my portions small.  There are also things that could improve, like I need many more fruits and veggies in my diet.  I had thought I was eating more fruits and vegetables than I do.  On some days I do eat plenty of them, but it isn't consistent enough to be considered a good habit.  I think it's a good idea for anyone to track what they're eating for a week or so.  One of my favorite sayings is

Failure finds success in adjustment.

Sometimes all it takes is a tweak here and a tweak there to turn a failure into success.  This week has been an eye opener for me because even though I eat better than I used to, 40 lbs. ago, I can see there is room for improvement.  I know that if I were to include better foods in my diet, I would feel even better.  This is something I will be working on. 

I hope this is helpful!

Monica 

I was running late and needed something quick, so I had some organic maple and brown sugar instant oatmeal and a cup of coffee with peppermint mocha creamer.

 

I had a protein shake a little later at the shop to tide me over for a little while. 

I finally managed to get my hands on some fruit and ate an apple and an oats 'n honey granola bar.  The carbs from this little snack kept me going a while longer.

Oops!  I forgot to take a picture!  I had some takout from a restaurant in the evening: a small side Caesar salad and two chicken egg rolls with a little teriyaki for dipping.

A little later I had a Healthy Choice Fresh Mixer, the Zesty Marinara Rotini.  Now I'll be honest.  These aren't really that good.  That being said, they're not bad and they are a "healthy" option with their whole wheat pasta and low calories.  However, what I would like to do is start making big batches of homemade healthy pasta and storing them in tupperwares to go. 
 

When my sweet tooth took hold, I first intended only to eat this much candy...

...and ended up eating this much more. :)

Before bed, my tummy was a little grumbly and I hate going to bed on an empty stomach.  So I had a childhood favorite, a banana sandwich.  Toasted whole grain bread with Land O Lakes Light Canola Oil Butter and a smushed up banana.  Yummy.

And like every other night this week, I had to have an oats 'n dark chocolate granola bar.

Food Journal: Day Three

Hi everyone,

Here is the third day of my week-long food journal.  I managed to get a good variety of food into my diet today which is a great goal to strive for.  You want to include as many colors in your diet as possible.  It is also important to include lean protein and fiber, which I managed to include today. Today is a great food day in my opinion. 

Take care,

Monica

I started the day with coffee and peppermint creamer and a bowl of organic brown sugar and maple  instant oatmeal.  Oatmeal is a great source of fiber!

For lunch I had a gyro at my favorite Greek place.  Gyros were one of my secrets during my weight loss.  They are healthy quick meals that you can take to go if you need to.  I have mine on a whole wheat pita and they are stuffed with lamb, brown rice, feta cheese, onions, cucumbers, tomatoes, and tzaziki sauce which is made from Greek yogurt which is full of health benefits. 

I had a big salad for an early dinner.  I made it with green leaf lettuce, hard-boiled egg, tomatoes, carrots, raw natural almonds, dried cranberries, mozzarella cheese and topped it with Lite Northern Italian dressing.  This salad is very filling and packed full of nutrients and vitamins.

I made some delicious pasta later in the evening for my boyfriend and I.  It is made with multi-grain noodles, a tomato-based sauce, and is full of sauteed onions and garlic.  I can't tell you anymore about this secret recipe...top secret. :)

And once again, my candy choice of the week, a Starburst and...

...an oats 'n dark chocolate granola bar.  Again.  ;)