Tuesday, May 31, 2011

T-minus ONE day to bootcamp- saying my final goodbyes!

Hello everyone!











Today is a sad day (at least for the fat girl in my head who’s about to be evicted), my last day to eat whatever sort of garbage I have been filling my body with for the past, ever. When I say "saying my goodbyes" it's to food, not life!






Today is my farewell to meat and junk, which may be for the better because recently I have developed Irritable Bowel. Lately when I drink coffee, eat meat (especially beef), or really spicy food, let’s just say I pay dearly for it later on. Hopefully this diet will not only help me lose weight but suffer less as well.






Tonight- cut up my bell peppers and onions for eggs tomorrow, make my green bean lunch, and make my gazpacho for snack (I work tomorrow so this all has to be done tonight so I can take it with). Dinner I think I’ll be able to make fresh, it’s grilled tofu and vegetables I think, and that won’t take too long. Lastly, I have to brew myself some iced tea. I have 2 water bottles at home, one for tea and one for water. The tea one has a wider mouth that I can just drop the tea bags in and let it cold brew.






I will be posting pics of the food I make, video may take time, I am having a little bit of technical difficulties with the camera. I will also be taking before pics (ghastly I swear) that I may or may not make fully public. Also, measurements and weight first thing tomorrow morning. Tomorrow has to be a night workout because I work, cardio tomorrow is only 10 minutes (following her “absolute beginner” cardio plan because I am a lot more out of shape than I realized, especially after yesterday’s badminton.) of step-touching.






Well, I hope your post-holiday weekend (for us Americans) gets off to a good start!

Monday, May 30, 2011

Memorial Day Fun!

Hi everyone!


Today was Memorial Day, meaning I had the day off and got to spend some time relaxing. It was REALLY hot and sunny out today, which I didn't care for, but a friend of mine really wanted to play badminton outside.  I made sure to wear my sunblock but the heat didn't do me well so I had to go back in 15 minutes later.  For dinner I had some hamburgers (enjoying my beef before I give it up!) 

Not much else to say today, hope all of you had a happy healthy safe holiday!

Sunday, May 29, 2011

Boot Camp T-minus 2 days, also blended and juiced today.

Hi everyone!

I finally got around to testing out my juicer and blender, and I am quite pleased.  I also have ALL of my food until next Sunday purchased. It's only 5 days worth but I think some of it will end up being frozen for later. 

I decided to try my hand at some strawberry lemonade, made from real lemons and real strawberries.

Step 1- lemonade!

For the lemon juice, I used the juicer.   One thing I will say about my juicer is that it's friggin LOUD. I mean LOUD. However, despite the loud, it made a good amount of juice out of my lemons REALLY fast.  As for wasted juice, I doubt there was any, as the pulp left over felt like slightly moistened soil/sawdust. got almost 1 cup (240 ml) of jucie from 5 lemons. I would do one thing differently and that would be to peel the lemons before juicing. I think  because I left the skin on it, it left a slight bitterness.  Also the juicer was easy to clean, I had it clean in 5 minutes maximum.

Step 2 - Berries!
After chopping up the strawberries and cutting off the leaves, the blender also made REALLY short work of them when it comes to pureeing. I finished the job by pouring the lemon juice, some sugar and some water in the blender and just had it gently stir.  :)

I also am all ready to start my bootcamp. Scared but excited! I work on the first day which is kind of a bummer but since I am just step touching cardio (and no work the next day) I think I'll be fine.  I also expect Lady Gaga to be making musical appearances as well.  I am loving her new CD. 

Have a happy Memorial Day, enjoy the food (it's only one meal!) and get back on track the next day!

Friday, May 27, 2011

Memorial Day Message from Tracy!

Hello everyone!


For my fellow American readers, this coming Monday is Memorial day, which usually means grilling time! But this post isn't about that. I would like to share with you Tracy's message for Memorial Day-


She addresses why she wants us to do 6 days a week. Also, this is from the Metamorphosis community forum, which not all of us have access to (unless you have the Metamorphosis set of your own)

Hi Everyone!
I hope you are all having an incredible week and welcome to all of the newcomers who have just joined the Meta Community this week! It’s so exciting for me to see the number of members increase each week and as always, please let me know any ways you would like to see this community improve and post any questions that you have. This week I am going to answer a question I received a few weeks ago that was posted to this site.
Most trainers say to take a day off between muscle workouts, why do you recommend six days in a row?
My method does not apply to this generic advice, particularly because in order to transform, you need to activate your muscles and keep them engaged daily. I am not creating the kind of joint stress or tear in the muscles that this advice may be referring to, the method is not a heavy body-building bulking workout. With my method, it is very important to move your body 6 days a week and keep your muscles active so that you can create long, lean muscles. We are balancing your muscles, waking up smaller accessory muscles, creating better skin tone, and building up endurance so your mood and energy are elevated and also consistent. We also need to be able to enjoy food for the health of our brain and bodies. The adage of “calories in, calories out” is a much more factual piece of advice and can help you realize the importance of daily exercise. In order to maintain a healthy weight and to not have to commit to a restrictive diet, we all have to not only exercise, but we need to exercise as regularly as possibly. You are how you move, just like you are how you eat! This is why I have spent over a decade creating this solution and have brought it all to you with Metamorphosis.
Have a great Memorial Day weekend! Keep sending me your success stories and pictures.
Love,
Tracy



She is basically explaining to us why we have to (or should) work out so often- most fitness trainers say work muscles every other day because in traditional fitness, you are tearing muscle and stressing joints so they need that day of rest. Tracy's method does not tear you up- if it did we would bulk a lot and be VERY sore ladies and gentlemen. Also, she confirms the reality that we do need to enjoy food but to keep our weight down (and mood stable) we need to move. It really is a fantasy that you can work out here and there, eat whatever and lose weight. Most of us aren't blessed with the luxury of a fast natural metabolism. Of course, to lose the weight we do need to restrict our diets a bit, but once we're in maintenance mode, we still have to keep up the workouts if we want to indulge. 

Also, for those who missed it- Tracy had an opportunity for fans in the LA area to come work out with her!


Also she is supposed to be on Access Hollywood tonight! 

I will post again soon, gearing up for the final days before bootcamp!

Thursday, May 26, 2011

New phone!!! Also t-minus 5 days til boot camp!


Hello everyone!!

 Last night I ended up getting a new toy: iPhone 4! And a pretty white one too.  Now that I have all these apps at my disposal, the next step is to pick some for my dieting endeavor.


I have downloaded the LoseIt! App and the Shopping List Free app.  Both apps are free, LoseIt! Helps keep track of calories, your weight, record what you eat.  Shopping List Free I got to help me make lists for my boot camp and after without carrying a paper list around.  I’m trying to make as much use of the phone’s features as I can.

What apps do you guys use- diet related and not, free and not free?

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Boot Camp T-minus 7 days.

Hello!
I can't believe I take the plunge into Tracy Anderson's boot camp in a week! I do have faith that I can do it, the blog of a friend of mine really inspired me. She did the boot camp despite life trying to get in her way.
Check her out at www.bombshelllolita.com
I actually got the idea from her blog to get the Mizuno Inspire shoes for my dance cardio. Great decision! If she was able to do it, I can too! 
I do admit, I am a little scared.  More like the fat girl who lives in my brain and took over is scared.  Lately i have gained even MORE weight from doing nothing and getting sucked into school.  I partially think my birth control MAY be to blame, but I don't really think so, as earlier in the year I was losing inches even without dieting.  I do notice that lately I have been VERY uncharacteristically indulging in sugary things, especially Coke. This has to stop. It's about to get a little personal here so bear with me.
I am afraid of the following things happening:

1. Afraid of having to get used to my new body when the time comes.
2. Afraid that people will treat me differently when I am smaller
3. FREEDOM from the prison that being obese has kept me in. Freedom of any kind is scary when you are  not used to it.
4. Afraid I will still find flaws in my body and continue to think that despite my efforts, I am still "fat" (this scares me the most) 
5. Afraid of adopting a new, healthy eating, active lifestyle
6. Afraid of falling off the wagon and losing all my efforts
7. Afraid that some of my friends will treat me differently when I lose weight.  I hear this happens a lot, actually.
8. Changing my entire eating habit, foods, exercise, etc. I will be giving myself a complete overhaul. 
I also need to make a last minute shopping list depending on when I actually go to the store. Hm. 
Also, if you aren't already, follow me on twitter @teenytinyquest!

Monday, May 23, 2011

Mat shopping and continuity questions!

Hello everyone!















Over the weekend I have been thinking about getting a new, cute mat to work out on. My current mat is 6 years old, has signs of wear, and it’s a bit thin for doing work on all fours.






Tracy sells a nice looking mat on her website for only $30, which is in my price range. I am also toying with the idea of getting this tank top.







On another note: I am planning on getting Omnicentric Continuity for when I finish up my round of metamorphosis. For those who don’t know, Continuty is a subscription service for when you are done with metamorphosis, again, tailored to your body type. It comes in 30 and 90 day sets, the bonus for the 90 days is free new cardio and free shipping! With 30 days no cardio and no free shipping.






Questions!






1. Those who have the mat: is it thicker than a normal Yoga mat?


2. Continuity: I hear there is a section with wrist weights for bonus arms. Does she specify what weights those wrist weights are?
3. How long are the continuity MS workouts?






That’s about it for now, off to work with me (boo!) but have a great day!

Friday, May 20, 2011

New Appliances! YAY!

Hello everyone!


Today was a horribly tiring day, I was asked to come in 4 hours early to work (more money yes, but tiring just the same) and work got totally insane especially toward the end of the day.

However, I came home to 2 new friends on the doorstep!  Mr. Blender and Mr. Juicer! I tiredly, yet excitedly carried them up to my apartment.   I only got so far as taking the two boxes out of the main shipping box because I have to make room on the counter to put them (Damn you, small kitchen!)   I also got myself a few more things for Boot Camp- an 8x8 baking pan for my lasagna (the only baking pan I had was a huge turkey/roast sized roaster) , some olive oil spray, and a couple of jars of organic pasta sauce. Couldn't find sugar-free pasta sauce, but this is at least organic and it was on sale too. Organic cane sugar was one of the last ingredients, (Compared to other brands when it was like, the second or third ingredient!) so I feel a little better about my choice.

I will take pretty pictures of my 2 new friends when I open them up and give them some nice counter space. 


I hope you all had a great Friday (Some of you might have gotten paid- Lucky ducks!) and have a great weekend!

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Some taste testing...

Hi everyone!

This morning, I decided to use up some of the spare mushrooms and eggs I have in the fridge.  I made a recipe from the book-  Mushroom Omelet roll up.

I have all of the ingredients except the spinach, but I already know that I like spinach.

The result: Deliciousness and fillingness! Also didn't leave me feeling heavy and weighed down.  Adding spinach probably would have made it even more filling, since it adds more fiber to it.

Second taste test: Neuro Sonic.

I tasted it, and to be honest, I am not in love with the taste. It has an odd tropical fruit taste that just didn't jive with me. If it tasted like the Neuro Bliss, I'd be all for it.  Did it give me any energy? Actually, yeah it kind of did.  I was feeling pretty run down when I drank it, then I felt like I got a gentle second wind.


Oh- came across these articles about Tracy, noticed they both mentioned 2 things I adore: Juicy Couture and Tracy Anderson!




I would love to have a Choose Tracy shirt. <3

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Excitement!

Hi everyone!


I just ordered my new blender, juicer, and steamer basket. (I noticed there's a lot of steaming going on in this diet plan) Should be here next week, very excited! 

Going to take a walk today if I have time (and if the weather permits, it's cold and rainy today), I still have a lot of cleaning at home to do, I am on day 2 of spring cleaning, and when I spring clean I get very detailed about it, cleaning out closets, moving furniture, the whole deal. Also I want a nice clean place to do my workouts, especially for cardio. Worrying about crashing into/tripping over things is something I don't need.

I am really excited about the new appliances and starting bootcamp and all that good stuff. After finding out each "serving size ____" recipe makes 2 portions, I have to adjust my shopping lists so that I just buy ingredients for one serving (except the lasagna). 

Another question for you fellow cooking lovers- chopping up bell peppers and onions, keeping them in a container in the fridge, how long do they usually last? Would a week be ok, since I am buying new every week?  A lot of the recipes call for small amounts of chopped peppers and onions, and for convenience's sake I thought about chopping a bunch of it, and measuring out what I need as I need it. 


Have a great Wednesday everyone!

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Neuro Bliss Review

Hello everyone!


At my local Korean market, I happened to come by some Neuro Sun, Sonic, and Bliss.  I noticed Tracy Anderson promotes this stuff, so I thought it would be interesting to try.

So far, I have tried the bliss. 

It's milky white, lightly carbonated and in a neat bottle. How does it taste?  It tastes citrusy, if you are in the US and have tried a soda called Squirt, it's like a milder version of that.  It claims that it's supposed to help with mood and memory. As for that claim, I really felt no different, but it tasted pretty good for 35 calories a bottle. 

Would I buy it again? Maybe, if it wasn't $2 a bottle. That's a bit expensive for what you get in my opinion, and from what I hear what they sweeten it with (crystallized fructose I believe) isn't all that great for you either.   Still have to try my Sonic and Sun!

Monday, May 16, 2011

Got my shopping lists at the ready

Hello!

I have my shopping lists at the ready, my cost per week will be about $35-40 dollars depending on the week. That is, unless I decide to do the following: substitute fruits.

What I mean by that is just substitute all of the breakfasts involving fruit (citrus salad, etc) with just having an orange. I am not really a fruit person but I do love me some oranges.  I notice a lot of it requires blueberries. And blueberries are pretty expensive. I'll still do the blueberry applesauce and maybe the blueberry smoothie, but the other stuff will just be replaced with an orange if it's a snack, an orange and 2 egg whites if it's a breakfast. I'm still going to do the kiwi desserts as well.

I have a question for you ladies who have done the book method- about the recipes. 

I notice some recipes say "makes one serving", others say "serving size _____".  On average, how many servings do those recipes make?  It does seem as if the Eggplant Lasagna makes enough so that you can have it at least 3 times (if you freeze it), but what about the soups and purees?  Just a question so I can plan better. 


That's it for now, hope you had a happy Monday and start your week off right!

Friday, May 13, 2011

Tracy Anderson 30 Day Method COMPLETE Vegetarian Ingredient List

Hi everyone!

Finals are done done DONESKI!  

Tonight- I go to my local fruit market (which I have never been to!) to go pricing! How am I doing this?  I went through and wrote down in painstaking detail every ingredient I will need during the 30 days. Not amounts, just the name of the ingredient.  

I will then go to the market and write down the unit prices (price per lb, each, etc) of each ingredient to help me plan better the costs, since I will only be buying what I need, using measurements and unit prices to approximate costs.


And if you want to follow the vegetarian plan, here is the excel sheet I made- for you to print out and use. 


I may or may not do the regular meal plan list also. Depends on  how much time but it's likely I will do so even though I am not following it.  Anything I can do that will help you guys is fine by me!

I will put up my prices and tentative cost per week soon! Off to work for now, I am actually excited to be going produce window shopping. 


Have a great Friday!

Thursday, May 12, 2011

Preparing for my pre-bootcamp routine

Hi everyone!


Today is the last day of finals for me (I know I tweeted that I wouldn't be posting for a while, but I found the time!) and that means I am going to be doing some pre-bootcamp stuff.  

After all this time sitting around in class, my legs need some serious loosening as does the rest of my body. So, I will be doing the following~

1. Stretch daily. It's depressing how stiff I have become! 
2. Nightly (or daily, whenever) walks for at least 30 minutes. I do start getting out of breath more easily and that's never good.
3. Be more mindful of my eating, instead of indiscriminately eating however much of whatever is in reach. Sure, I won't be really anal about it (yet) but if I can shed a few pounds before starting boot camp, all the better. 
4. Perhaps work in some Ballet Beautiful, the TA webisodes or the Mat workout to get myself a little stronger as well. 


I have come up with COMPLETE grocery lists for the Vegetarian plan. With amounts. Next step is working on making it more cost effective. Going to scope out a couple of fruit markets tomorrow evening and price some things. I'll list prices (ex: the fruit market vs. grocery delivery services like peapod, etc).  My goal is to make it as cost effective as I can without altering the original plan in any way.

I will also figure out a way to make these lists into PDF form (so you can print and take them with you to the store should you decide to do as I do) and downloadable. I still need to fine-tune the lists (I think I missed a couple of the spices the recipes call for) but they will be up soon.

Alright, off to take my Final FINAL!

Monday, May 9, 2011

First draft of the shopping list

Hi everyone!


I was looking through the foods listed for the first week, and I came up with a basic shopping list so you get the idea of what you'd need to buy on the vegetarian plan.  I may have missed an ingredient or two and I did not list amounts. I will make a better one later but here is the idea:

Eggs
onion
String beans
Spinach
Wax beans
Vegetable Broth (low sodium)
Bell Peppers
Cucumber
Apples
Chickpeas
tomatoes
cayenne pepper
Black pepper
garlic
tofu
Mushrooms
Oranges
Grapefruit
Broccoli
Sweet potatoes
Edamame
eggplant
organic sugar free spaghetti sauce
Part Skim Ricotta Cheese
Shredded mozzarella
Parmesan
Honeydew Melon
strawberries
escarole
carrot
celery
Spinach
semisweet chocolate chips
cooked chestnuts
unsweetened cocoa powder
dates
Pineapple (canned)
papaya
kiwi
Kale
Sugar snap peas
beets
Kefir
Banana
cannellini beans
Zucchini
turnips
parsnip
pearl onion


 I wrote an email to Tracy's people asking the following questions: 
1. Is it OK to repeat meals? I see some recipes and the amount made indicates there will be leftovers but that said meal is not repeated until much later (Such as the Eggplant Lasagna). I was wondering if it would technically be OK to have those leftovers as a meal the next day in place of what is prescribed, to avoid wasting food, etc.

2. The book says no diet soda, etc (totally understandable!) and on Metamorphosis (which I also have) Tracy says we can have drinks like Neuro, G2, etc.  Are these kinds of drinks OK on the 30 day method as well, like for a post workout drink?

3. Does the Metamorphosis meal plan have a vegetarian option as well? I do not particularly remember seeing one when I looked over my materials.

If #1 is OK, I will definitely be repeating meals to save money and time.  If #2 is ok, that's great too because propel zero helps me feel a little better after working out.  #3 I think I would have to just make book meals and alternate with the puree weeks. 


I sent the e-mail today, I hope I hear back soon!


Tomorrow is my first final exam of the semester... Wish me luck! 

Hope you had a great day!

Sunday, May 8, 2011

Rethinking again...

Hello everyone!


Well, I decided to try a day in the life on the Elimination diet from Dr. Junger.  I hate to say this and I hate to sound like a copout, but...  No bueno. I'm not even cleansing and I felt awful, headaches, had to sleep more, the whole deal.  I think I will put off the clean program until I slim down a little and get used to changing my food habits. I never was one to do well on anything cold turkey.


I also decided that since I am starting her 30 day method on June 1, I want to also follow her vegetarian meal plan.  Why vegetarian? 

1. I do notice that meat sometimes makes me feel icky and tired. 
2. Cost. I hear 1 week of the meat-included diet plan is about 100$ in groceries. The veg plan is at least half that if not less.  Also the vegetarian food looks easier to make and delicious.
3. In the past when I have tried more vegetarian options of food, (TMI alert) my bowels acted a lot better, no constipation or any of the stuff that normally happens to me. 


Also this week when I get paid, I am ordering a snazzy new juicer and a blender off of amazon!  They are both inexpensive models that got rave reviews from consumer reports (only better ones were the 200+ Brevilles and Vitamixes).

Juicer:


Blender:




Lastly, since I am totally inept at accurately measuring my body with a regular tape measure (because I can't seem to ever hold it straight), I am also going to pick up an Accumeasure Myotape-




I know a lot of people bash Tracy's diet, but I really want to "try it before I knock it". Also she does say you can eat more as in bigger portions if your body is telling you it's hungry. 

Ideally, I want to do what a friend of mine did when she did boot camp- daily videos and pictures of her foods.  I don't really see why I can't do that.

In preparation for the bootcamp, I will start walking almost every night for 30-60 mins depending on how I feel (tired, sick, etc) to start building up some stamina and maybe even shed a few pounds before starting. 


I hope you all had a great weekend!

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Countdown to Elimination- 10 days!

Hi everyone!


I took a quick walk this morning (no work today and no classes until the afternoon and I wasn't crazy tired), and then came online and went to go check out Tracy's YouTube channel.

There were two really informative little videos on her channel that I think I must have missed or something because I have never seen them and they are not really new either. 

The first one- Keeping motivated through your fitness (goes for all fitness programs, really.)



The next one- Which opened my eyes a bit about standing arms and abs- details on how to do the standing abs/unweighted arms more efficiently and effectively (also love Maria- she is a really good teacher in my opinion)




I am definitely going to put these into practice when I get back on the wagon on the 15th.  I hope they help you too! 


Have a great day and get your workout in!

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Countdown to Elimination- 11 Days

Hi everyone! 

Today was a very exhausting day. I don't even know how I am still awake to write this.  I had to go in to work early today (I normally sleep in on Wednesdays), surviving on nothing but an iced latte.  I did get to go home early, and decided to walk home. It took 35 minutes with me carrying a heavy messenger bag full of books, my purse, and other odds and ends. At least I got some movement in.

Later I had class, which is ending next week and it's kind of sad, to be honest.

Also, I found out a good friend of mine is considering weight loss surgery.  She is pretty overweight, my age, and does seem to watch her diet and has an active job as a nanny. I admit, I have even considered the surgery for myself.  What I did tell her is that I support her with whatever she decides, as long as it's for the right reasons, she is mentally ready for the massive changes she will have to make, and as long as she is well informed about 100% of everything. What are your opinions on it? (Please do not attack my friend, this is not about her, it is about the SURGERY!) I only worry about the risks, but again, if she really wants this, and the doctors say OK, then I will be there for her 100%.

 I also warned her about the loose skin she will have, and told her Tracy says in her book that she had a woman she was working with who also had said surgery and she helped her tuck most of it back in with exercise, so that piqued her interest as well.  In the end I just hope she comes out happy and healthy.

I am still getting hyped up to start my elimination. I might- MIGHT even start next week. 

Have a lovely evening!

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Countdown to Elimination- 12 days

Hi everyone!


As you can guess from the title, in 12 days I will begin the pre-cleanse phase of Dr. Junger's CLEAN program, the Elimination diet.  This is something you do before starting the cleanse (which you would be on for 1-3 weeks depending on how bad your habits were) to prepare your body for the cleansing process.


There is a very specific list of allowed foods, however most of them are easy to find and not expensive.


A shopping list of the allowed foods:



One discrepancy I did notice is that in the CLEAN book, he says 2-3 weeks pre-cleanse to go on the elimination diet, in the kit manual he says 3-5 days. To be safe I am going the 2 week route. (Actually it will be 2 and a half weeks between May 15 and June 1.)

Looking through the house, I noticed I do have a decent amount of basic food to start with- brown rice, chicken breasts, green beans, broccoli, etc. It's best to go organic if you can, but if you can't, at least eat the right kinds of foods.


I am both nervous/scared and excited to be starting. Scared because this is a huge change and change is always at least a little scary.  Excited because I am hoping this will give rise to a healthier thinner me. This will be my summer of transformation if all goes well.

Getting all planned up for Boot Camp and Meta round 2- Already have my boot camp calendar printed up and photocopied my Meta calendar again to start writing in the dates.

Monday, May 2, 2011

It's finals time, Black Swan and Ballet

Hello everyone!


It's finals week, and I admit I haven't been as consistent at the method as I wanted to be.  However, I have some good news at least.

I took another hop on the scale- 268.6 lb- a total now of 8.5 lb in the past couple of weeks. Smiles!

After May 11 or 12 (not sure which day my Chem final is on) NO MORE SCHOOL UNTIL JUNE! And after that all my classes will be at night so I can squeeze some time in during the day to work out. I'm working to eliminate as many excuses as I can. Also after this period is over I am going to hit the Junger Elimination diet and finally, finally start my cleanse and boot camp on June 1! 

Over the weekend I saw Black Swan, and that movie was very motivating to me, because of how hard Natalie trained for it.  The workout she did is also available to the rest of us:

www.balletbeautiful.com

I do want to give these workouts a try too, they are also not bulking.  An example of how the moves work:



Also I am going to force myself to make time tonight to do some cardio. 

Have a great Monday!