Insanity & Food Choices

I completed my first Insanity Fit Test three days ago. My results:
Switch Kicks: 39
Power Jacks: 31
Power Knees: 75
Power Jumps: 14
Globe Jumps: 6
Suicide Jumps: 3 (my weak point because I keep injuring my right toe)
Push-Up Jacks: 5
Low Plank Obliques: 26

This was actually my second Insanity Fit Test, but it's the first one of the new Insanity cycle that I re-started. I stared insanity about 3.5 weeks ago, but my Orthopedic Surgeon told me that I had to stop for a few weeks because I injured my wrist. I got through five workouts and I was almost done with the first week when I had to stop, so it was pretty frustrating.

So far, I've gotten through three workouts: the Fit Test, Plyometric Cardio Circuit, and Cardio Power and Resistance. So far, so good! It only takes me 5-10 minutes to fully recover after each workout, and I'm pushing as hard as I can.
Week one of the first time that I started the workout was different though. My fiancé barfed all over my patio, and it took me a good thirty minutes to recover each day. It was absolutely terrible, but I have made TONS of progress with my cardio level!

I am not following the Insanity Nutrition Plan. I am following Weight Watchers to boost my weight-loss rate because I have gained five pounds since I ordered my wedding dress; however I have lost two of them already, so now I only need to lose three more pounds to get where I need to be for my first dress fitting! Hopefully I can lose about 25 more pounds and still fit in my dress (it's a corset back), but it's going to be risky, and I'm going to need an excellent seamstress to do my alterations.


This is my post-workout meal: 1 cup of seedless grapes and 1 sliced orange. I also eat a stick of cheese with my post-workout meal in an effort to get all of my dairy products for the day because I don't drink milk by itself. The grapes and orange are 0 Points Plus, and the cheese stick is 2 Points Plus.
Cheese Stick: Sargento Double Cheddar, Natural White & Cheddar, Mild Cheddar Cheese Stick

Also, something else that I thought was pretty cool is that a Tall, Lite Blended (Non-Fat) Mocha Frappuccino with no Whip Cream from Starbucks is only 3 Points Plus! I can't live without my coffee, so I drink one for breakfast almost every day. I know that I'll eventually have to cut out the fraps, but I'm not willing to give them up just yet when they're only worth 3 points!




I'll share one more tip with you guys since it's football season! This is my new favorite Saturday night BBQ dinner. I actually had two hot dogs, but I ate one before I remembered to take a picture of it :)
The traditional football/hotdog BBQ dinner induces a hotdog, bun, BBQ dressing, and either potato salad or baked beans. Do yourself a favor and cut out the potato salad/baked beans! Replace it with a Salad to cut out TONS of unnecessary Points.
My Salad recipe: Baby Spinach Leaves, Broccoli, sliced Baby Tomatoes, 1 Bell-Pepper, and Shredded Cheese. Ranch Dressing is optional (You can use a lighter dressing to cut out some Points, but I can't stand the taste of Lite Ranch Dressing).
I replaced my normal Cheese Dogs with Oscar Meyer 98% Fat Free Wieners, and my normal Bunny Hot Dog Buns with Holsum Lite Wheat Hot Dog Buns (80 calories each). I topped the hot dog with Sweet Baby Ray's Honey BBQ Sauce, and the entire meal (two hot dogs and a salad with Ranch Dressing) was only 9 Points Plus! If you're still not full when you finish the meal, you can have as much Salad as you want (without dressing) for 0 Points Plus.

I still have not received my Pampered Chef kitchen supplies, so I will update and review them whenever I get the order in.

Frustrated!

I have been off of my Weight Watchers diet for about a month now, and I have already gained 6 pounds back. Talk about a rude awakening.

On the positive side, it's better to catch the problem while it's 6 pounds than having to start from 20 pounds again. I'm pretty sure that a combination of Weight Watchers and the Insanity work out can knock those 6 pounds out within a week or two, but it's still frustrating having to re-lose them.

I purchased a few small things from a Pampered Chef party that I attended to speed up the pace of cooking healthier meals. I got the chip maker, the small pot, the vegetable and apple slicers, a knife set, the chili lime rub, the manual food processor, and a few other cool things that will make life a lot easier for me in the kitchen! I will definitely be updating (sooner rather than later) to let you guys know whether spending the extra money on Pampered Chef products helped or not.

I am looking forward to knocking out these extra pounds, plus more. Here's to hoping that I will have lost a few pounds in a few days!

Feeling Better

Today, I felt a LOT better than I have in the past few months. I am now following the Weight Watcher's Point's Plus system, and I am enjoying eating dairy and starch again in moderate portions. Even the IV bruise on my hand is getting better and is not as sore as it has been for the past few days.

I am blogging because I have finally broken the 20 pound marker! The Wii Fit weighed me in at -1 pound today after I ate lunch, and I was extremely excited. I was so excited that I went to Hobby Lobby for their 40% off of Fall Decor sale and decorated my home to celebrate! I'm going to look great walking across stage in December for my College graduation, and walking down the Isle at my wedding in June!

I'll be doing a lot of important walking this year, and I want to look my best ;) 24 more pounds to go until I reach my goal!

A Change of Diet

Hi everyone!

Some of you may have noticed that I changed the name of the blog. This is because I am no longer on the Ideal Protein diet! I have started Weight Watchers because it is a healthier choice for my personal conditions. As you know from pervious blog entries, I have been having some major hydration issues with the IP diet. It got so bad that I went into my local after hours clinic on Saturday night because I was so dizzy that I couldn't walk. I received 2 bags of IV fluids along with other medications before they would let me go home.

Getting off of the IP diet was not a difficult decision for me to make. While my health was getting better, it was suffering at the same time. My blood pressure was around 140/80 before starting IP. When I was in a lot of pain at the after hours clinic on Saturday, it was 133/80. When I was feeling better and not in as much pain, my blood pressure was 127/73! What a HUGE difference 20 pounds can make! I no longer fear having a sudden heart attack from being overweight! Although I am loving the blood pressure results that IP is yielding, I can't go to the after hours clinic to receive IV fluids every time I start feeling bad. Now that I am about half way to my weight loss goal, I am in a position where I can start losing weight a little slower. I validated this by trying on wedding dresses with my mom all day on Sunday :) with only 25 more pounds to lose, I didn't look too shabby in a white dress!

I am still a little frustrated because I have not been able to pass the 20 pound marker yet, but on the bright side, I am maintaining my weight while transitioning into a new diet program. I am already starting to feel better (more energetic and hydrated), and I have the energy to complete my daily tasks.

Just because IP wasn't right for me doesn't mean that it won't be right for you; however, if it isn't right for you, it's important to recognize the symptoms of incompatibility between your body and the diet. Writing down how I felt a few times per week really helped me make that important decision to switch to Weight Watchers. I am not giving up my weight loss goal, I'm just changing my strategy! I'll still be blogging about my weight loss and the up's and down's of my experience on this blog, so stay tuned!

A Bad Weekend

This weekend was a TERRIBLE weekend for my diet. I cheated for the very first time, and to make things worse, I cheated three days in a row--Saturday, Sunday, and Monday (although in my opinion they were acceptable reasons to cheat).

Saturday:

I went to a cousin's wedding on Saturday. Instead of eating at the reception, I stayed an hour-and-a-half, then left to eat at Outback so I could make an appropriate food selection for dinner. During the wait for my meal, my future sister-in-law spilled her coke all over me... and that was when I lost it. I was freezing cold and upset, so my fiancé, future sis-in-law, and I shared a Chocolate Thunder from Down Under at Outback. It was delicious!

Sunday:

Sunday was the Baton Rouge Bridal Show. I had been planning this cheat day ever since I found out about the bridal show. I wanted to sample the wedding cakes since they would all be in one place (which was probably a lot easier than driving around Baton Rouge for a day sampling wedding cakes in the spring). I have definitely found my cake bakery!

Monday:

Monday night was the American Idol Live Tour in Lafayette. I did great all day long, then ate two McDonald's ranch snack wraps for dinner with a coke. I was an hour-and-a-half away from home, and I was starving. Besides, I didn't stray THAT much from the diet (except for the tortilla and coke). 

I have been back on IP with no cheating since Tuesday, so I should be back into full-ketosis by Saturday since it takes 4-5 days for your body to make the transition. 

Dehydration

Drinking the required 64 ounces of water daily is becoming a severe issue for me on IP. I feel my body becoming more dehydrated with every day that passes. I'm able to drink less water daily, and I find myself forcing a large amount of water at night. It is already 5:13pm, and I have only drank 8 ounces of water today. Tonight is going to be miserable.

I spent the night at the local pet hospital because my 3 year old yorkie ate a few onions last night. My fiancé and I went out to eat at Longhorns for the first time since I started IP to celebrate my loss of 20 pounds (yay!). While we were gone, he snuck some onions out of a bowl of salad that I accidentally left on the couch. Since onions cause hemolysis in dogs, I had to rush him to the emergency room (for the third time in four days). I treated myself to one Starbuck's coffee so that I didn't fall asleep at the wheel on the way home because we were there literally all night long waiting on my dog to vomit. Coffee is allowed while on IP; however, you must replace the creamer with skim milk and you're only allowed three splendas per day. I ordered a tall, plain iced coffee with non-fat milk and two splendas. I also ordered another coffee this morning to help me deal with all of the stress that finals week is bringing.

The problem with drinking coffee while on IP is that for every coffee that you drink, you must drink an equal amount of water. It was worth drinking the coffee earlier, but now I'm going to be forcing a ton of water down my throat before I go to bed. I guess that everyone has their own issues with their diets, and I am very fortunate that water is my only problem right now on IP. 

Compliments

My 8am class got out an hour early today, so I went to get a hair cut. My hair dresser immediately commented on how much weight I have lost and how great my skin looked when she saw me! That was a very significant moment for me because other people besides my close friends and family are starting to notice my hard work. I'm so happy that IP is doing exactly what it's supposed to do. I'm starting to feel like it's well worth the money; however, I still can't wait to sink my teeth into a Chick-Fil-A chicken salad sandwich in phase 4 of the diet. I find that the cravings for my long awaited chicken salad sandwich and a Starbuck's white chocolate mocha frappuccino are becoming increasingly more intense as I approach phase 2 of IP. I also can not wait until I'm allowed to exercise again because I have decided to buy an elliptical for my home.

On another note, here is a picture of my engagement ring: