Well, that's it. I'm so sweaty right now I'm thinking I need to clean this keyboard when I'm done. was not feeling so great this morning. In addition to the usual sixth-day-overworkedness, my lower back was sore yesterday and it felt very stiff when I woke up this morning.
I spent some extra time before Plyometric Cardio Circuit stretching my back and it did help. Plyo Cardio Circuit is my favorite, but I still had a hard time getting going with it. Still, I was absolutely determined to put everything into it and do the best I've done yet, and I know I did. I did not take any extra rest until the in-outs in the second round of the last circuit. Then I had to take about 15 seconds and the rest of the floor rounds didn't quite match the participants' speed, but I still stuck with it and in the "bonus" round right at the end I worked so hard I'm surprised I didn't throw up or pass out. I'm going to miss this one! Still can't "conquer it" completely, but I'm close. I know the participants had been through the full two months of Insanity at least once before filming this. I think I'm sufficiently trained to handle month 2. I have seriously considered repeating month 1 after the recovery week, but I'm going to keep going.
I did not think I was going to make it this far. I'm astounded I've finished month 1. I thought when I started that at almost 34 years old with touchy knees and lower back, a hatred of cardio, and a proclivity for doing things my own way at least to some degree, something would derail me. But I've not only finished month 1 exactly as written, but I've far exceeded my own expectations.
Insanity is addictive. In addition to being much smarter now about my body and my joints, I've found pushing through this has done so much for my outlook, my drive, and my confidence. And the great thing is it's all laid out for you. You get the schedule, and you get the motivation. You get the big scary man yelling at you for 40 minutes to try harder. Insanity demands every ounce of your attention and despite how hard it is, time flies.
Time to bask for the rest of the day and through tomorrow.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Day 26: PURE CARDIO and CARDIO ABS
Glad to cross this one off one last time. I ate way, way too much yesterday and slept in this morning, so I was feeling lazy Saturday all over the place. But once again, the warmup was no indicator of anything, as I felt bleh during the first round of it and by the middle of the second, I was loosened up and pouring it on. You just have to get started. I really wanted to nail this one as another personal best because as much as I hate it, I think it's probably the most beneficial to your performance of all the month 1 routines. I was able to get through all of the power jacks but had to skip the first 15 seconds of the level 2 drills. Then, I had to take another 20-second rest toward the end of the frog jumps. There -- now when you do this one, see if you can beat me!
I do the drills a bit slower than they do, too -- consider doing ALL the reps in the drill rather than try to match their speed. What I mean is, do 8 slowly before you move on to the floor sprints; don't bang out 3 to their 8 and move on with them. I've seen better performance increase by doing it this way the last couple of weeks.
That middle section is a bear, and if you can get to the end of the frog jumps, the rest is cake by comparison. In Cardio Abs, I usually need to take a brief rest once during the double leg lifts. I do like Cardio Abs and will miss it.
One more day of month 1, and it's my favorite tomorrow, the Plyo Cardio Circuit.
I do the drills a bit slower than they do, too -- consider doing ALL the reps in the drill rather than try to match their speed. What I mean is, do 8 slowly before you move on to the floor sprints; don't bang out 3 to their 8 and move on with them. I've seen better performance increase by doing it this way the last couple of weeks.
That middle section is a bear, and if you can get to the end of the frog jumps, the rest is cake by comparison. In Cardio Abs, I usually need to take a brief rest once during the double leg lifts. I do like Cardio Abs and will miss it.
One more day of month 1, and it's my favorite tomorrow, the Plyo Cardio Circuit.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Day 25: CARDIO RECOVERY (and first vinyasa practice)
And today marks my very last turn with Cardio Recovery. I won't miss it (unlike Cardio Power and Resistance, which I realized yesterday I'm also done with for good) and can't see working it into future rotations, but it's still a good and short routine and a mini-break I've been glad to see each week. It's also short enough to let me tack on yoga afterward. Up until now it's always been very therapeutic and mellow, but today for the first time in nearly a month, I did a shortened version of my regular style of advanced vinyasa (flow/power), as I was already warm and loosened up from Cardio Recovery.
On the plus side ... This also marked my first time upside-down in a month, and I was pleased to see that my headstands and forearm stands, as well as arm balances, were strong and steady; the core work has been very beneficial. My standing postures and balances were also strong, as Insanity has done wonders for my legs. I had forgotten how much a yoga practice can get your heart thumping, and it felt great.
On the downside, my hips have definitely tightened up despite my best efforts. My lower back also feels tighter and not as strong. Insanity doesn't strengthen the lower back as much as yoga does, so I'll need to work on this as my low back is a definite weak point anyway. I also felt a little overworked just going into it. I don't know why, but the fourth week of Insanity is hitting me hard -- last week felt easier. I perform better in the routines and I'm not tired (as in sleepy), but the muscles feel creaky and bits of soreness have returned. I think recovery week is needed, although I'm still on the fence about how to go about it. Despite my temptations I have done Insanity exactly as prescribed, and I hate to depart from that now. However, the idea of doing Core Cardio and Balance six days in a row next week doesn't sound that appealing.
On the plus side ... This also marked my first time upside-down in a month, and I was pleased to see that my headstands and forearm stands, as well as arm balances, were strong and steady; the core work has been very beneficial. My standing postures and balances were also strong, as Insanity has done wonders for my legs. I had forgotten how much a yoga practice can get your heart thumping, and it felt great.
On the downside, my hips have definitely tightened up despite my best efforts. My lower back also feels tighter and not as strong. Insanity doesn't strengthen the lower back as much as yoga does, so I'll need to work on this as my low back is a definite weak point anyway. I also felt a little overworked just going into it. I don't know why, but the fourth week of Insanity is hitting me hard -- last week felt easier. I perform better in the routines and I'm not tired (as in sleepy), but the muscles feel creaky and bits of soreness have returned. I think recovery week is needed, although I'm still on the fence about how to go about it. Despite my temptations I have done Insanity exactly as prescribed, and I hate to depart from that now. However, the idea of doing Core Cardio and Balance six days in a row next week doesn't sound that appealing.
My Butt
Ha! I so wanted to write that. It seems like we give a lot of attention to Insanity results in the abs and upper body... most of the photos you see are from the waist up, probably because that's easier to photograph. But last night I was standing in the kitchen and my 9-year-old son was pretending to drum on my butt and he said, "Mom, your butt doesn't move!"
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Insanity and Your Joints: The Big, Long Story
The following comes from not just my experience with teaching yoga and with anatomy but also from many mistakes made over the years. I've been through many sports injuries and helped many students through them, and unfortunately have learned many things the hard way. As I like to say, I know the surefire ways to fail.
If you're starting Insanity, pay close attention to the Digging Deeper section of the DVD. Form should always come first, but to do that, first you have to understand exactly what the form should be and why, and Beach Body only barely touches on that.
Insanity is loaded with plyometrics (jumps). Each time you land, the shock of that landing is ideally absorbed by a) the floor; b) your shoes; c) your feet; d) your ankles; e) your knees; f) your hips; and g) your lower back. In other words, most of the compressive force you generate with the jump goes right back into your body. To avoid damaging yourself, you want to spread the force out as evenly as possible.
SURFACE AND SHOES
I stupidly practiced high-impact aerobics in my early 20s on a concrete floor overlayed with industrial carpet. This type of floor absorbs no shock, and it's no surprise I had terrible knee trouble and quickly. I have witnessed these same injuries in many yoga students over the years. The surface you're practicing on is vital (as is the type of shoes you wear). Even if you have a less-hard floor, it's a good idea to use a plyo-friendly mat too. I use the black mat by Manduka and highly recommend it. It also has a lifetime warranty (of which I'm sure Insanity is a very good test). Your shoes will also lose shock absorbency over time, so make sure your crosstrainers still have good life. Runners are known to replace their shoes every six months.
LANDING and CENTER OF GRAVITY
When you land on the ball of your feet first, you help distribute the shock more effectively throughout your feet and ankles as well as your legs -- there are more joints that can "give" -- if you strike heel first, the shock goes directly into your knees and to a greater degree. It's vital to land ball-first, and to do that you need to have your core engaged to keep your weight more forward. This is what Shaun means when he talks about keeping your core tight and your weight forward. When you let your belly go, you tend to lean backward a little to keep your balance, and you're more likely to land the same way, striking on the heel and sending shockwaves directly up. In the same vein, keep your knee over the ankle when squatting, as Dig Deeper indicates. Jutting the knees out over the toes puts stress on the knees.
KNEES AND ELBOWS UNLOCKED
Shaun notes throughout to keep your knees soft. This allows some give in the joints when you land. You can probably see where I'm going with this... locking a joint prevents soft tissue from absorbing shock and leads to bone-on-bone pressure, and when you apply force to that, you have instant injury. Equally important is to protect your elbows by keeping them very slightly unlocked anytime you're in the plank position.
WOMEN AND HIPS
Men have a very fixed, stable pelvis with femurs (upper thigh) extending straight down to the knee joint with no angle. This means that when men run, the downward force is evenly distributed. Women, however, have a wider pelvis and this means that there is an angle from our hip to knee joint. Right out of the starting gate, we're at a disadvantage with unequal pressure on the knees. Unfortunately, this just means we need to be extra cautious.
BODYWEIGHT
When you walk, you put four times your bodyweight in pressure on your knees. When you run, this becomes tenfold. This is why the supposed ideal weight for runners is 100 pounds for the first 5 feet and 5 pounds for each additional inch. That's really light, but not as far as your knees are concerned. If you're overweight and you're jumping, you're placing a huge burden on knees that are already bearing tremendous force. So if you're only 20 pounds overweight, you're putting 200 EXTRA pounds of pressure on each knee during, say, log jumps. Now consider how many times you strike down over the course of a 40-minute workout.
This is where a little bit of what ails you can be the cure. Plyometrics can help strengthen your knees when done correctly and wisely. Strengthening the muscles and supporting structures in and around the knee joint will allow you to endure more compression over time, but be careful -- if you're completely out of shape, be aware that your joints probably have very little protection around them and injury becomes likely. Knee injuries take a long time to heal, and knees are unfortunately a weak point in human anatomy in the first place, even without other strikes against them.
JOINT HEALTH and FLEXIBILITY TRAINING
Finally, with all the compression on your joints, it's vital to lengthen everything back out to bring everything back into alignment and allow healthy fluid exchange. Never skip the stretching, and ideally, stretch more. When you bend forward to stretch your hamstrings, make the back as long as possible (most people round the back to allow them to reach farther, but they put a lot of stress on their spinal discs). Just soften your knees to the point that you can make your back long. With straight legs, tight hamstrings will pull on your low back and force it to round. Also know that tightness in one area will be felt two joints away. If your hips are tight, they will pull on your knees. An imbalance in flexibility between the quads and hamstrings will pull your back out of alignment. This topic is complicated, but can be summed up this way: stretch. A lot. Do it while your muscles are warm, and never skip it or consider it wasted workout time.
SUMMARY
In summary, pay close attention to proper form at all times. Don't try to match the participants' speed and never take your mind off what you're doing, even for a second. All it takes is one tiny misstep. Pay attention to your choice of shoes and flooring, and seriously reconsider taking on Insanity if you're very out of shape. However, if you understand the mechanics of your joints before starting, you can head off a lot of problems. Even though I'm 10+ years older now than I was when I first abused my knees, I am now practicing Insanity pain-free. If you have any questions, please post and I'll do my best to answer. Good luck with this program and thanks for following me!
If you're starting Insanity, pay close attention to the Digging Deeper section of the DVD. Form should always come first, but to do that, first you have to understand exactly what the form should be and why, and Beach Body only barely touches on that.
Insanity is loaded with plyometrics (jumps). Each time you land, the shock of that landing is ideally absorbed by a) the floor; b) your shoes; c) your feet; d) your ankles; e) your knees; f) your hips; and g) your lower back. In other words, most of the compressive force you generate with the jump goes right back into your body. To avoid damaging yourself, you want to spread the force out as evenly as possible.
SURFACE AND SHOES
I stupidly practiced high-impact aerobics in my early 20s on a concrete floor overlayed with industrial carpet. This type of floor absorbs no shock, and it's no surprise I had terrible knee trouble and quickly. I have witnessed these same injuries in many yoga students over the years. The surface you're practicing on is vital (as is the type of shoes you wear). Even if you have a less-hard floor, it's a good idea to use a plyo-friendly mat too. I use the black mat by Manduka and highly recommend it. It also has a lifetime warranty (of which I'm sure Insanity is a very good test). Your shoes will also lose shock absorbency over time, so make sure your crosstrainers still have good life. Runners are known to replace their shoes every six months.
LANDING and CENTER OF GRAVITY
When you land on the ball of your feet first, you help distribute the shock more effectively throughout your feet and ankles as well as your legs -- there are more joints that can "give" -- if you strike heel first, the shock goes directly into your knees and to a greater degree. It's vital to land ball-first, and to do that you need to have your core engaged to keep your weight more forward. This is what Shaun means when he talks about keeping your core tight and your weight forward. When you let your belly go, you tend to lean backward a little to keep your balance, and you're more likely to land the same way, striking on the heel and sending shockwaves directly up. In the same vein, keep your knee over the ankle when squatting, as Dig Deeper indicates. Jutting the knees out over the toes puts stress on the knees.
KNEES AND ELBOWS UNLOCKED
Shaun notes throughout to keep your knees soft. This allows some give in the joints when you land. You can probably see where I'm going with this... locking a joint prevents soft tissue from absorbing shock and leads to bone-on-bone pressure, and when you apply force to that, you have instant injury. Equally important is to protect your elbows by keeping them very slightly unlocked anytime you're in the plank position.
WOMEN AND HIPS
Men have a very fixed, stable pelvis with femurs (upper thigh) extending straight down to the knee joint with no angle. This means that when men run, the downward force is evenly distributed. Women, however, have a wider pelvis and this means that there is an angle from our hip to knee joint. Right out of the starting gate, we're at a disadvantage with unequal pressure on the knees. Unfortunately, this just means we need to be extra cautious.
BODYWEIGHT
When you walk, you put four times your bodyweight in pressure on your knees. When you run, this becomes tenfold. This is why the supposed ideal weight for runners is 100 pounds for the first 5 feet and 5 pounds for each additional inch. That's really light, but not as far as your knees are concerned. If you're overweight and you're jumping, you're placing a huge burden on knees that are already bearing tremendous force. So if you're only 20 pounds overweight, you're putting 200 EXTRA pounds of pressure on each knee during, say, log jumps. Now consider how many times you strike down over the course of a 40-minute workout.
This is where a little bit of what ails you can be the cure. Plyometrics can help strengthen your knees when done correctly and wisely. Strengthening the muscles and supporting structures in and around the knee joint will allow you to endure more compression over time, but be careful -- if you're completely out of shape, be aware that your joints probably have very little protection around them and injury becomes likely. Knee injuries take a long time to heal, and knees are unfortunately a weak point in human anatomy in the first place, even without other strikes against them.
JOINT HEALTH and FLEXIBILITY TRAINING
Finally, with all the compression on your joints, it's vital to lengthen everything back out to bring everything back into alignment and allow healthy fluid exchange. Never skip the stretching, and ideally, stretch more. When you bend forward to stretch your hamstrings, make the back as long as possible (most people round the back to allow them to reach farther, but they put a lot of stress on their spinal discs). Just soften your knees to the point that you can make your back long. With straight legs, tight hamstrings will pull on your low back and force it to round. Also know that tightness in one area will be felt two joints away. If your hips are tight, they will pull on your knees. An imbalance in flexibility between the quads and hamstrings will pull your back out of alignment. This topic is complicated, but can be summed up this way: stretch. A lot. Do it while your muscles are warm, and never skip it or consider it wasted workout time.
SUMMARY
In summary, pay close attention to proper form at all times. Don't try to match the participants' speed and never take your mind off what you're doing, even for a second. All it takes is one tiny misstep. Pay attention to your choice of shoes and flooring, and seriously reconsider taking on Insanity if you're very out of shape. However, if you understand the mechanics of your joints before starting, you can head off a lot of problems. Even though I'm 10+ years older now than I was when I first abused my knees, I am now practicing Insanity pain-free. If you have any questions, please post and I'll do my best to answer. Good luck with this program and thanks for following me!
Recipes: Smoothies That Actually Taste Great
I find Beach Body's recipes, including the smoothies, to be rather unpalatable. A little flavor goes a long way to being satisifed with your meals, and a lot of spices have health benefits as well for few-to-no calories. If you're one of the Insane who is trying to gain weight (my recipes are definitely slanted for those trying to cut calories a bit), just add the full scoop of protein powder, more peanut butter, 2% milk, honey, etc. It's really easy to make my recipes more caloric.
KEY-LIME PIE PROTEIN SMOOTHIE
1 cup light vanilla soymilk or skim milk
1/2 scoop vanilla whey protein powder
2 TBSP crushed pineapple in juice
1 TBSP lime juice
1/2 cup frozen tropical fruit (suggestions: mango, peaches, papaya, pineapple, melon)
Dash of vanilla extract
Stevia drops to taste (I use about 10, as I like it sweet) or other sweetener
A few ice cubes
Optional but highly recommended: 1/2 TBSP instant vanilla pudding mix, regular or sugar-free. It makes them thicker and more flavorful.
Blend and enjoy! This has about 225 calories and 20 grams protein.
"THE ELVIS" PROTEIN SMOOTHIE
1 cup light vanilla soymilk or skim milk
1 1/2 to 2 TBSP peanut butter
1/2 large banana
1/2 scoop vanilla whey protein powder
Dash of vanilla
Stevia or other sweetener to taste
5-8 ice cubes
1/2 TBSP instant vanilla or banana pudding mix, regular or s/f
Blend. By the way, for another 5 calories, you can top these with fat-free Reddi Wip, which is made from skim milk. This one has 275-325 calories and 22-25 grams protein.
KEY-LIME PIE PROTEIN SMOOTHIE
1 cup light vanilla soymilk or skim milk
1/2 scoop vanilla whey protein powder
2 TBSP crushed pineapple in juice
1 TBSP lime juice
1/2 cup frozen tropical fruit (suggestions: mango, peaches, papaya, pineapple, melon)
Dash of vanilla extract
Stevia drops to taste (I use about 10, as I like it sweet) or other sweetener
A few ice cubes
Optional but highly recommended: 1/2 TBSP instant vanilla pudding mix, regular or sugar-free. It makes them thicker and more flavorful.
Blend and enjoy! This has about 225 calories and 20 grams protein.
"THE ELVIS" PROTEIN SMOOTHIE
1 cup light vanilla soymilk or skim milk
1 1/2 to 2 TBSP peanut butter
1/2 large banana
1/2 scoop vanilla whey protein powder
Dash of vanilla
Stevia or other sweetener to taste
5-8 ice cubes
1/2 TBSP instant vanilla or banana pudding mix, regular or s/f
Blend. By the way, for another 5 calories, you can top these with fat-free Reddi Wip, which is made from skim milk. This one has 275-325 calories and 22-25 grams protein.
Day 24: PLYO CARDIO CIRCUIT
I'm actually starting today's entry before the workout, because I am having that much trouble getting myself started. I felt tired and crabby last night, and I've been sleeping fitfully the last couple of nights. Last night I had nightmares about month 2! I also woke up sore this morning from Cardio Power and Resistance, which surprised me. I think finally being able to do most of the resistance exercises was like another shock to the body. My chest and shoulders are sore today, and so are my quads. I think a person could just keep repeating month 1 and still improve continually. I can't do any of these month 1 cardio routines without resting, slowing down, or in some other way not matching the participants. And that's good; I think it would be pointless to do something you can already do perfectly (something I tell my yoga students a lot and now have to take to heart even more). OK, back soon.
Gack. I think that like everything else in this magically sequenced program, the recovery week probably comes at just the right time. True to form, the warmup was hard and I kept thinking, "Maybe this will be the day I have to just stop and turn it off." But I still was able to push by the end of the second round of the warmup, and I think I even hit a personal best for this routine in general. I often take an extra 10-15 seconds of rest before the last round of each circuit, and on this one I forced myself not to take it at the end of round 2, last circuit. Still had to slow down some of the floor exercises a bit, but overall, I'm really happy I was able to overcome my munge. I know I have to be able to do that now to survive next month.
I'm looking forward to recovery day tomorrow even though I don't care for the routine, and I know that my joints need the yoga I'm going to tack on afterward. My knees and hips felt just the slightest bit grouchy today, so I was especially careful to land ball-of-foot first, keep the knees soft, core in, and not lean back. I'm going to write a whole post soon on joint health and form above and beyond what they tell you in this program, so stay tuned!
Gack. I think that like everything else in this magically sequenced program, the recovery week probably comes at just the right time. True to form, the warmup was hard and I kept thinking, "Maybe this will be the day I have to just stop and turn it off." But I still was able to push by the end of the second round of the warmup, and I think I even hit a personal best for this routine in general. I often take an extra 10-15 seconds of rest before the last round of each circuit, and on this one I forced myself not to take it at the end of round 2, last circuit. Still had to slow down some of the floor exercises a bit, but overall, I'm really happy I was able to overcome my munge. I know I have to be able to do that now to survive next month.
I'm looking forward to recovery day tomorrow even though I don't care for the routine, and I know that my joints need the yoga I'm going to tack on afterward. My knees and hips felt just the slightest bit grouchy today, so I was especially careful to land ball-of-foot first, keep the knees soft, core in, and not lean back. I'm going to write a whole post soon on joint health and form above and beyond what they tell you in this program, so stay tuned!
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Recipes: Insanely Fast Huevos Rancheros, Berry Oatmeal Sundae
Here are two delicious Insanity-friendly recipes I've made in the last couple of days.
INSANELY FAST HUEVOS (EGGS) RANCHEROS
This is so fast, high in protein and fiber, vegetarian, and delicious. It's perfect for one of your Insanity meal blocks. We had this for dinner last night and the kids gave it four big thumbs up. If you need more calories, jazz it up with some fresh guacamole, more eggs, sliced avocado, or roasted sunflower seeds.
1 15-oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 15-oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained
2+ TBSP fresh chopped cilantro (I usually double it, because I love cilantro)
1 4.5-oz. can of mild chopped green chiles
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
2+ TBSP chopped green onions
6 small corn tortillas
6 eggs
3/4 cup reduced-fat shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese
In a 350-degree oven, toast tortillas on a sprayed baking pan for about 5 minutes per side until crisp. Set aside. Combine first eight ingredients in a large nonstick skillet, stir well, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Carefully break each egg on top of the mixture, evenly spaced. Cover and simmer until eggs are nearly set. Sprinkle with green onions and cheese and turn the heat off.
Top each crisped tortilla with one egg and bean/veggie mixture and eat like a pizza! As written, this has about 300 calories and 22 g protein per serving (makes 6).
INSANELY FAST HUEVOS (EGGS) RANCHEROS
This is so fast, high in protein and fiber, vegetarian, and delicious. It's perfect for one of your Insanity meal blocks. We had this for dinner last night and the kids gave it four big thumbs up. If you need more calories, jazz it up with some fresh guacamole, more eggs, sliced avocado, or roasted sunflower seeds.
1 15-oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 15-oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained
2+ TBSP fresh chopped cilantro (I usually double it, because I love cilantro)
1 4.5-oz. can of mild chopped green chiles
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
2+ TBSP chopped green onions
6 small corn tortillas
6 eggs
3/4 cup reduced-fat shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese
In a 350-degree oven, toast tortillas on a sprayed baking pan for about 5 minutes per side until crisp. Set aside. Combine first eight ingredients in a large nonstick skillet, stir well, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Carefully break each egg on top of the mixture, evenly spaced. Cover and simmer until eggs are nearly set. Sprinkle with green onions and cheese and turn the heat off.
Top each crisped tortilla with one egg and bean/veggie mixture and eat like a pizza! As written, this has about 300 calories and 22 g protein per serving (makes 6).
BERRY OATMEAL SUNDAE with ALMONDS 
This is so tasty, and makes a great healthy snack. It's also a good way to satisfy a sweet craving without blowing it. For more calories, just double it as this makes a fairly small bowl.
1/4 cup rolled oats
1 TBSP berry fruit preserves (any flavor)
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1 packet stevia
Dash of salt
1/2 cup fresh berries or frozen and thawed
1/4 cup vanilla frozen yogurt or light ice cream
1 TBSP honey-roasted or glazed sliced almonds
Mix oats with 1/2 cup water and microwave about 90 seconds until done. Stir in preserves, cinnamon, salt, and stevia. Place the scoop of frozen yogurt in the center, and it will start melting down into the oatmeal. Distribute the berries around the ice cream, and sprinkle the top with sliced almonds. Makes 1 bowl. About 200 calories. (This is adapted from a Hungry Girl recipe.)
Coming up tomorrow... protein smoothie recipes that actually taste good!
This is so tasty, and makes a great healthy snack. It's also a good way to satisfy a sweet craving without blowing it. For more calories, just double it as this makes a fairly small bowl.
1/4 cup rolled oats
1 TBSP berry fruit preserves (any flavor)
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1 packet stevia
Dash of salt
1/2 cup fresh berries or frozen and thawed
1/4 cup vanilla frozen yogurt or light ice cream
1 TBSP honey-roasted or glazed sliced almonds
Mix oats with 1/2 cup water and microwave about 90 seconds until done. Stir in preserves, cinnamon, salt, and stevia. Place the scoop of frozen yogurt in the center, and it will start melting down into the oatmeal. Distribute the berries around the ice cream, and sprinkle the top with sliced almonds. Makes 1 bowl. About 200 calories. (This is adapted from a Hungry Girl recipe.)
Coming up tomorrow... protein smoothie recipes that actually taste good!
Day 23: CARDIO POWER AND RESISTANCE
I notice an interesting pattern. First, I always feel kind of heavy and lethargic during the warmup, but by the third cycle, my energy kicks in. The second thing is, I found myself wondering today, "I'm almost done with month 1... isn't this supposed to get easier by now?" And then I realized, it never gets easier, and if it does, you're not working hard enough. You just push harder. It's just as hard four weeks in as it was the first week, but I'm amazed at how much more I can do/how fast/how high. I did ALL the moving pushups today. I did almost all of the globe jumps, and while I used to just touch my knees on the way down, I now touch the floor. Globe jumps used to be one of the toughest for me and now I'd say they're in the middle. Maybe I'll survive month 2 after all.
I also have continued to watch my heart rate, and get this -- at the end of the warmup today, it was at 200! The end of the stretch found me at 144, and the very end of the last circuit clocked in at 188. So there you go, guys. The warmup is not just a warmup. It's not only a full-on circuit, but it's without breaks.
I can tell I've made even more progress with measurements and my scale weight is also down since I posted my third week progress photo. Can't wait to give a full month-end report later this week. Also, I have more Insanity-friendly recipes to post later today.
Oh, one last thing. I've mentioned stevia several times as my sweetener of choice, a natural sugar substitute. I noticed in the Insanity nutrition guide today that it actually advocates using stevia as a sweetener! I missed this before and I'm pleased to read it, as using it was one way in which I thought I was departing from the nutrition guide. I much prefer it to Splenda and use Splenda as seldom as I possibly can. I'm actually following the nutrition guide more than I expected. Other than not using their uber-bland recipes, I'm following all of their suggestions, including eating five times a day -- and I'm gradually making the calories more equal at each mini-meal. I can see that's about to become even more important.
I also have continued to watch my heart rate, and get this -- at the end of the warmup today, it was at 200! The end of the stretch found me at 144, and the very end of the last circuit clocked in at 188. So there you go, guys. The warmup is not just a warmup. It's not only a full-on circuit, but it's without breaks.
I can tell I've made even more progress with measurements and my scale weight is also down since I posted my third week progress photo. Can't wait to give a full month-end report later this week. Also, I have more Insanity-friendly recipes to post later today.
Oh, one last thing. I've mentioned stevia several times as my sweetener of choice, a natural sugar substitute. I noticed in the Insanity nutrition guide today that it actually advocates using stevia as a sweetener! I missed this before and I'm pleased to read it, as using it was one way in which I thought I was departing from the nutrition guide. I much prefer it to Splenda and use Splenda as seldom as I possibly can. I'm actually following the nutrition guide more than I expected. Other than not using their uber-bland recipes, I'm following all of their suggestions, including eating five times a day -- and I'm gradually making the calories more equal at each mini-meal. I can see that's about to become even more important.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Recipes: "This Bread is Bananas, Yo" and Mashed Cauliflower
A couple of recipes from dinner last night. I had grilled teriyaki king salmon with mashed cauliflower and healthy banana bread. Enjoy!
This is so delicious, whole-grain, and only about 160 calories for a big, thick slice. You get plenty of fiber and 5 grams of protein to boot. My husband was totally fooled by this. He said, "This is really fantastic banana bread!" Then he was really surprised to hear how healthified it was (and how awful the usual stuff is for you).
"THIS BREAD IS BANANAS, YO"
1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup organic sugar
1/2 cup Splenda
1/2 tsp salt
3 medium or 2 large bananas, mashed
1/2 cup applesauce (or sub part of this with baby food bananas... no joke!)
1/2 cup Egg Beaters, or 2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla (if you have banana extract, throw in some of that, too)
Preheat oven to 350. Mix all the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients in separate bowls. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and gently fold in, just until combined. Spoon batter into a lightly sprayed bread loaf pan (medium) and bake for about 50 minutes, until a knife inserted into the center of loaf comes out clean. Let cool before slicing into eight thick pieces.
Calories: 160 Fat: 0.5 g Fiber: 6 g Protein: 5 g
MASHED "POTATOES"
Doesn't sound appealing? My kids actually prefer this to mashed potatoes, and they beg me to make it. It tastes almost identical and is a great way to get a big dose of cruciferous veggies without a load of starch. It has about 50 calories per cup. Trust me. Give it a try!
4 cups cauliflower florets
1/8 cup to 1/4 cup milk or fat-free half-and-half
1/2 tsp salt or to taste
A few dashes of black pepper
Fresh or dried chives
1 tsp butter
Steam the cauliflower until tender and then puree with the milk, butter, and spices. Start with just a little milk and see how much you need to get mashed potato consistency. Dig in!
This is so delicious, whole-grain, and only about 160 calories for a big, thick slice. You get plenty of fiber and 5 grams of protein to boot. My husband was totally fooled by this. He said, "This is really fantastic banana bread!" Then he was really surprised to hear how healthified it was (and how awful the usual stuff is for you).
"THIS BREAD IS BANANAS, YO"
1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup organic sugar
1/2 cup Splenda
1/2 tsp salt
3 medium or 2 large bananas, mashed
1/2 cup applesauce (or sub part of this with baby food bananas... no joke!)
1/2 cup Egg Beaters, or 2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla (if you have banana extract, throw in some of that, too)
Preheat oven to 350. Mix all the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients in separate bowls. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and gently fold in, just until combined. Spoon batter into a lightly sprayed bread loaf pan (medium) and bake for about 50 minutes, until a knife inserted into the center of loaf comes out clean. Let cool before slicing into eight thick pieces.
Calories: 160 Fat: 0.5 g Fiber: 6 g Protein: 5 g
MASHED "POTATOES"
Doesn't sound appealing? My kids actually prefer this to mashed potatoes, and they beg me to make it. It tastes almost identical and is a great way to get a big dose of cruciferous veggies without a load of starch. It has about 50 calories per cup. Trust me. Give it a try!
4 cups cauliflower florets
1/8 cup to 1/4 cup milk or fat-free half-and-half
1/2 tsp salt or to taste
A few dashes of black pepper
Fresh or dried chives
1 tsp butter
Steam the cauliflower until tender and then puree with the milk, butter, and spices. Start with just a little milk and see how much you need to get mashed potato consistency. Dig in!
Day 22: PURE CARDIO and CARDIO ABS
I was so happy to cross this one off the list. I really don't like Pure Cardio in so many ways, but grudgingly acknowledge it's vital to performing better on the next fit test, because some of the fit test exercises only appear in this routine. I do enjoy Cardio Abs and went right into it with no break, but those tuck jumps and wide tuck jumps are so hard after Pure Cardio. Cardio Abs is definitely getting easier, too, and the only exercise I still crap out on is the double leg lifts. Yoga gave me a huge head start on all the core exercises and everything that starts in plank, though. I'm actually much stronger in my upper body than my lower body because I'm used to arm balances and inversions, so Insanity has produced the biggest change in the strength of my legs and in my cardio endurance. The latter has always been my biggest hurdle. So to speak.
I'm starting to really look forward to my recovery drink, like a sugary reward. I put a skull and crossbones on the bottle so the kids won't drink it! A couple of recipes are coming later today.
I'm starting to really look forward to my recovery drink, like a sugary reward. I put a skull and crossbones on the bottle so the kids won't drink it! A couple of recipes are coming later today.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Maximum Heart Rate
The comment about my high heart rate made me begin to wonder about it, too. I'm not using a heart rate monitor and never have; I've always used the talk test and have figured that when my body gives out, I can't breathe, or I want to puke, then that's the limit. But I've been taking my heart rate for the last couple of workouts during the water breaks out of curiosity, and was surprised to find myself reaching nearly 190. Even during the stretch yesterday in the cardio circuit, I was still at 157 bpm at the end of seven minutes.
My resting heart rate has gone from 60 to about 56 in the last three weeks. Because my resting heart rate is low, I assume I am not overtraining. (One of the signs of overtraining is an elevated resting heart rate.) I still wanted to look into what's safe, though, especially considering my medical history.
If you use the typical maximum heart rate equation you always hear about (220 minus age), my absolute maximum would be 187. Therefore, for me, 85% of maximum that denotes the anaerobic threshold would be 159. There is a lot of conflicting information out there about all of this, and it's hard to know whom to believe. Although there are lots of sources that would support the above (that I should stay below 159), there are just as many that say that equation is not applicable to everyone and that it's not even physically possible to reach your maximum heart rate, so there's nothing to worry about.
I e-mailed my boss, the owner of the fitness center where I teach. He's a chiropractic physician and a professional bodybuilder (and a yogi), and I have always considered him the final word on fitness matters. I then walked around with phantom heart pains until I got his response! Good news:
"... HIIT (high-intensity interval training) is cutting-edge aerobic technology. The program you are on is only one of a multitude of ways to do it, but it's obviously working well for you. The formula you mention for estimating maximum heart rate is just that. Your real maximum heart rate is really what you can bring it up to. Therefore, it's impossible for you to have exceeded it. For a healthy person, the higher you can raise your heart rate, the better -- and that's why HIIT improves our aerobic conditioning so well. Keep up the good work and don't listen to any well-meaning critics."
I haven't had any critics, but I guess that means to avoid the same sorts of "experts" who told me not to lift more than 25 pounds while I was pregnant. It seems logical that our bodies would have their own built-in "stoppers," and I'm sure cavemen weren't running around worried about their heart rates while hunting. So, bring on Pure Cardio tomorrow! It's a good thing today is a rest day. I was up most of the night with a child with a screaming, thrashing ear infection whose ear drum ruptured overnight. He and I are both pretty physically worthless today, poor kid.
My resting heart rate has gone from 60 to about 56 in the last three weeks. Because my resting heart rate is low, I assume I am not overtraining. (One of the signs of overtraining is an elevated resting heart rate.) I still wanted to look into what's safe, though, especially considering my medical history.
If you use the typical maximum heart rate equation you always hear about (220 minus age), my absolute maximum would be 187. Therefore, for me, 85% of maximum that denotes the anaerobic threshold would be 159. There is a lot of conflicting information out there about all of this, and it's hard to know whom to believe. Although there are lots of sources that would support the above (that I should stay below 159), there are just as many that say that equation is not applicable to everyone and that it's not even physically possible to reach your maximum heart rate, so there's nothing to worry about.
I e-mailed my boss, the owner of the fitness center where I teach. He's a chiropractic physician and a professional bodybuilder (and a yogi), and I have always considered him the final word on fitness matters. I then walked around with phantom heart pains until I got his response! Good news:
"... HIIT (high-intensity interval training) is cutting-edge aerobic technology. The program you are on is only one of a multitude of ways to do it, but it's obviously working well for you. The formula you mention for estimating maximum heart rate is just that. Your real maximum heart rate is really what you can bring it up to. Therefore, it's impossible for you to have exceeded it. For a healthy person, the higher you can raise your heart rate, the better -- and that's why HIIT improves our aerobic conditioning so well. Keep up the good work and don't listen to any well-meaning critics."
I haven't had any critics, but I guess that means to avoid the same sorts of "experts" who told me not to lift more than 25 pounds while I was pregnant. It seems logical that our bodies would have their own built-in "stoppers," and I'm sure cavemen weren't running around worried about their heart rates while hunting. So, bring on Pure Cardio tomorrow! It's a good thing today is a rest day. I was up most of the night with a child with a screaming, thrashing ear infection whose ear drum ruptured overnight. He and I are both pretty physically worthless today, poor kid.
Day 21: REST DAY
For the record, I rested. I have lots of say about heart rate, though, in the upcoming post. Side note, though... I am STARVING. Insanity decreased my appetite for quite awhile but it seems to be back with a vengeance. And strangely enough, I've been eating more lately, anyway. I think I've probably been eating about 1,900 calories. And, I think it's too much. My formerly loosening pants have tightened back up a bit over the last couple of days. Not sure what to make of it all.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Recipe: Chai Oatmeal
A few days ago I posted about the fitness benefits of Indian spices according to none other than Beach Body. Some people don't like Indian food but almost everybody loves chai, so here's a great anti-inflammatory, thermogenic breakfast idea for you!
CHAI OATMEAL
1/3 cup oats (adjust depending on your needs... oatmeal-to-liquid ratio is 1:2)*
1/3 cup skim milk or vanilla almond/soy milk
1/3 cup water
1/4 tsp of each of these: cinnamon, coriander, cardamom, allspice
Generous pinch of each of these: turmeric, nutmeg, black pepper
1-2 TBSP sliced almonds (honey-roasted or glazed are great)
Stevia or agave to taste
Microwave everything for a couple of minutes until done and sprinkle with almonds.
*Sometimes I like to use 1/4 cup oats and 1/4 cup regular Fiber One cereal.
CHAI OATMEAL
1/3 cup oats (adjust depending on your needs... oatmeal-to-liquid ratio is 1:2)*
1/3 cup skim milk or vanilla almond/soy milk
1/3 cup water
1/4 tsp of each of these: cinnamon, coriander, cardamom, allspice
Generous pinch of each of these: turmeric, nutmeg, black pepper
1-2 TBSP sliced almonds (honey-roasted or glazed are great)
Stevia or agave to taste
Microwave everything for a couple of minutes until done and sprinkle with almonds.
*Sometimes I like to use 1/4 cup oats and 1/4 cup regular Fiber One cereal.
Day 20: PLYO CARDIO CIRCUIT
I FEEL LIKE A MILLION BUCKS!! My joints and muscles feel great. Week three is done. One more week of the month 1 rotation! I'm going to miss them. I have really gotten to like these (well, at least the cardio circuit and power/resistance). I love the length, the sequencing, everything. When I'm done with Insanity, I can't wait to come up with my own Insanity and yoga rotation, including the extra routines (Upper Body Weights, et al.).
I can see keeping up with this style of intense workout, even though I've been strictly a yogi for years. I'm smarter about it now than in my fateful early 20s as far as my joint health goes, and I'm so enjoying the sheer athletic performance and sense of accomplishment from doing something so tough. If nothing else, my standards of what constitutes an intense workout have definitely changed.
Day six of each week is always tough, although I felt less worn out today than usual. Still, this one was extremely hard and I found myself wondering why I have always considered it the easiest of the month one routines (besides Cardio Recovery). It most certainly is not, and in looking around the Web a bit I've seen that people with calorimeters report burning a lot more calories with this one than with Cardio Power and Resistance. I still seem to be taking breaks at the same spots and of the same length, but I did notice my speed is much faster and my knees much higher. I would love to be able to compare my form and power now to what it was three weeks ago. So I'm trying not to get hung up on the necessary breaks and modifications. I ordered a nice heart rate monitor for myself, as well. Another observation on the cardio circuit: my heart rate stays in the high aerobic zone even through the stretching. It was about 157 at the end of the stretch today. I took my pulse rate a few times during the water breaks, too, and it seems to hover in the 170s. At one point today, it was 188!
Scale weight is the other thing I'm trying not to get hung up on. While I dropped a few pounds quickly the first couple of weeks, I'm now only about a pound or two below where I started. However, the clothes are telling a different story. I would imagine all that lower-body muscle you have to put on to get through the plyos is heavy indeed.
No crazy cooking today, although I did create a great breakfast granola using the low-cal granola recipe I posted the other day but adding an extra 1/4 cup of high-protein, high-fiber cereal to it (Kashi) and an extra 1/2 TBSP of Cary's syrup. With the milk this gives you about 13 grams of protein and 250 calories. For lunch I had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, a light cheese stick, and baby carrots.
Ah, rest day, here I come. I love the week's end because I polish off my recovery drink, wash all the bottles, wash my mat, wash all my clothes, and put them away. It makes it feel like even more of a success.
I can see keeping up with this style of intense workout, even though I've been strictly a yogi for years. I'm smarter about it now than in my fateful early 20s as far as my joint health goes, and I'm so enjoying the sheer athletic performance and sense of accomplishment from doing something so tough. If nothing else, my standards of what constitutes an intense workout have definitely changed.
Day six of each week is always tough, although I felt less worn out today than usual. Still, this one was extremely hard and I found myself wondering why I have always considered it the easiest of the month one routines (besides Cardio Recovery). It most certainly is not, and in looking around the Web a bit I've seen that people with calorimeters report burning a lot more calories with this one than with Cardio Power and Resistance. I still seem to be taking breaks at the same spots and of the same length, but I did notice my speed is much faster and my knees much higher. I would love to be able to compare my form and power now to what it was three weeks ago. So I'm trying not to get hung up on the necessary breaks and modifications. I ordered a nice heart rate monitor for myself, as well. Another observation on the cardio circuit: my heart rate stays in the high aerobic zone even through the stretching. It was about 157 at the end of the stretch today. I took my pulse rate a few times during the water breaks, too, and it seems to hover in the 170s. At one point today, it was 188!
Scale weight is the other thing I'm trying not to get hung up on. While I dropped a few pounds quickly the first couple of weeks, I'm now only about a pound or two below where I started. However, the clothes are telling a different story. I would imagine all that lower-body muscle you have to put on to get through the plyos is heavy indeed.
No crazy cooking today, although I did create a great breakfast granola using the low-cal granola recipe I posted the other day but adding an extra 1/4 cup of high-protein, high-fiber cereal to it (Kashi) and an extra 1/2 TBSP of Cary's syrup. With the milk this gives you about 13 grams of protein and 250 calories. For lunch I had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, a light cheese stick, and baby carrots.
Ah, rest day, here I come. I love the week's end because I polish off my recovery drink, wash all the bottles, wash my mat, wash all my clothes, and put them away. It makes it feel like even more of a success.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Day 19: CARDIO POWER AND RESISTANCE
Day 19! One more day and I'll be on to week four. It's passed really quickly and dare I say I'm really enjoying it? I was actually looking forward to this one today, and despite feeling lethargic during the warmup, I ended up doing better than I have in the past with this one, completing more repetitions and resting much less. Typically I feel near death midway through the last circuit, and this time I was still going strong. I think the yoga I added yesterday probably helped my performance today, too. So that's my encouragement for the day for you -- just because you're feeling tired during the warmup doesn't mean you're not going to rise to the occasion once you're warm and stretched. Keep going! Here's another motivating idea. Go to YouTube before your workout and enter, say, "Insanity Day 19," and you'll get video diaries by people at your exact spot.
I should add that while having company last night, the bottle of red wine broke out. I am not a drinker and haven't had a sip since I began Insanity -- I'm also supposed to keep it to a very occasional glass because of the medication I'm taking. But last night I had a very generous glass-and-a-half of red wine with dinner. I was careful to drink several glasses of water before I went to bed and was concerned about how it would affect the workout today, but it was fine. I'm certainly not recommending it, but am relieved it wasn't a big deal.
I should add that while having company last night, the bottle of red wine broke out. I am not a drinker and haven't had a sip since I began Insanity -- I'm also supposed to keep it to a very occasional glass because of the medication I'm taking. But last night I had a very generous glass-and-a-half of red wine with dinner. I was careful to drink several glasses of water before I went to bed and was concerned about how it would affect the workout today, but it was fine. I'm certainly not recommending it, but am relieved it wasn't a big deal.
Indian Food Burns Fat, And Does Other Things Too
Team BeachBody says so. So bring on the curries. I found this on their site:
"Curry powder: This complex spice mixture, which contains such ingredients as turmeric, ginger, cumin, and coriander, was created as a shortcut for preparing Indian food. While each of the spices can provide a small metabolic boost on its own, they may burn fat even better when used together. Turmeric itself has a variety of healthful properties, and shows promise as a potent anti-inflammatory agent that can help relieve joint pain and post-exercise muscle soreness.
Hot sauce/red pepper: The active ingredient in hot peppers, capsaicin, creates thermogenesis; that is, it temporarily turns up your body's thermostat. Studies have shown that people who eat pepper-laced food get a small metabolic boost, and burn more fat, for up to half an hour afterward. Hot food also makes you feel full more quickly, so you're likely to eat less.
Cinnamon: This common spice has been found in several studies to help improve insulin sensitivity and regulate blood sugar, so it helps prevent the spikes and dips that can cause food cravings. This effect may be due to healthful antioxidant chemicals known as polyphenols."
This supports what I know through study of ayurveda, or Indian holistic medicine. Spicy food is rajasic, or excites the nervous system (not great for meditation, but good for revving yourself up physically). Vinegar is also in that category. Also, I have used turmeric before for its anti-inflammatory properties but never made the connection between that and recovery from intense sport drills.
"Curry powder: This complex spice mixture, which contains such ingredients as turmeric, ginger, cumin, and coriander, was created as a shortcut for preparing Indian food. While each of the spices can provide a small metabolic boost on its own, they may burn fat even better when used together. Turmeric itself has a variety of healthful properties, and shows promise as a potent anti-inflammatory agent that can help relieve joint pain and post-exercise muscle soreness.
Hot sauce/red pepper: The active ingredient in hot peppers, capsaicin, creates thermogenesis; that is, it temporarily turns up your body's thermostat. Studies have shown that people who eat pepper-laced food get a small metabolic boost, and burn more fat, for up to half an hour afterward. Hot food also makes you feel full more quickly, so you're likely to eat less.
Cinnamon: This common spice has been found in several studies to help improve insulin sensitivity and regulate blood sugar, so it helps prevent the spikes and dips that can cause food cravings. This effect may be due to healthful antioxidant chemicals known as polyphenols."
This supports what I know through study of ayurveda, or Indian holistic medicine. Spicy food is rajasic, or excites the nervous system (not great for meditation, but good for revving yourself up physically). Vinegar is also in that category. Also, I have used turmeric before for its anti-inflammatory properties but never made the connection between that and recovery from intense sport drills.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Day 18: CARDIO RECOVERY (Recipe: Low-Cal Granola)
I'll keep doing these as written. But I added about 35 minutes of yoga afterward and it was probably the most enjoyable yoga in recent memory. I did Eoin Finn's "Shoulder High" routine from his Power Yoga for Happiness 2 set. I highly recommend Eoin and anything he has done. Specifically, my shoulders, hips, and lower back were in desperate need of some decompression and this was perfect.
"Gym-style" exercise, especially something along the lines of Insanity, creates huge compressive forces in your lower back and joints in general, and it becomes even more important to bring space back in. I have noticed that by the end of each week, I start feeling a little overworked and tight in spots. Also, while Insanity has been great for lengthening hamstrings, some hip angles, and inner thigh; I find that my shoulders, outer hips, and lower back have lost flexibility. I'm going to add in this yoga routine after Cardio Power and Resistance tomorrow, too (since it's only 38 minutes) and see how it affects the way I feel by the end of the week.
I'm trying to clean the diet back up, and I'm having my cousin over for healthy pad thai tonight (Cooking Light has a great vegetarian version) and coconut green beans. Great day so far... pumpkin oatmeal for breakfast. For lunch, I had a green monster as written below but with a full scoop of protein powder and with white peaches and honeydew added, sockeye salmon salad on a Oroweat sandwich thin, and a bowl of low-calorie granola as written below with almond milk. This is an excellent snack or a great part of one of your mini-meals:
BOWL OF AWESOME LOW-CAL GRANOLA
(makes one serving)
1/2 cup whole-grain puffed cereal (like brown rice or kamut)
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup chopped freeze-dried apples*
Dash cinnamon
1 1/2 TBSP light or sugar-free pancake syrup
Almond milk or skim milk (optional)
Preheat oven to 300. Mix the cereal, oats, cinnamon, and syrup together and blend well. Spread the mixture onto a sprayed baking sheet and bake for about 15-20 minutes until crisp. Stir in freeze-dried apples. Eat plain or serve with your favorite milk. Not counting the milk:
165-175 calories, 1.5 g fat, 4 g fiber, 5 g protein
*Freeze-dried fruit and regular dried fruit are very different. Look for the airy, crispy kind.
"Gym-style" exercise, especially something along the lines of Insanity, creates huge compressive forces in your lower back and joints in general, and it becomes even more important to bring space back in. I have noticed that by the end of each week, I start feeling a little overworked and tight in spots. Also, while Insanity has been great for lengthening hamstrings, some hip angles, and inner thigh; I find that my shoulders, outer hips, and lower back have lost flexibility. I'm going to add in this yoga routine after Cardio Power and Resistance tomorrow, too (since it's only 38 minutes) and see how it affects the way I feel by the end of the week.
I'm trying to clean the diet back up, and I'm having my cousin over for healthy pad thai tonight (Cooking Light has a great vegetarian version) and coconut green beans. Great day so far... pumpkin oatmeal for breakfast. For lunch, I had a green monster as written below but with a full scoop of protein powder and with white peaches and honeydew added, sockeye salmon salad on a Oroweat sandwich thin, and a bowl of low-calorie granola as written below with almond milk. This is an excellent snack or a great part of one of your mini-meals:
BOWL OF AWESOME LOW-CAL GRANOLA
(makes one serving)
1/2 cup whole-grain puffed cereal (like brown rice or kamut)
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup chopped freeze-dried apples*
Dash cinnamon
1 1/2 TBSP light or sugar-free pancake syrup
Almond milk or skim milk (optional)
Preheat oven to 300. Mix the cereal, oats, cinnamon, and syrup together and blend well. Spread the mixture onto a sprayed baking sheet and bake for about 15-20 minutes until crisp. Stir in freeze-dried apples. Eat plain or serve with your favorite milk. Not counting the milk:
165-175 calories, 1.5 g fat, 4 g fiber, 5 g protein
*Freeze-dried fruit and regular dried fruit are very different. Look for the airy, crispy kind.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Day 17: PURE CARDIO/CARDIO ABS
Bad start today. Last night found me on the couch again with potato chips, Red Hots, and a bronzed poolboy. Or at least two out of three. Baffling self-sabotage after my great fit test results and belly photos from yesterday that show actual progress. Then I couldn't sleep well. I woke up this morning with extremely sore hamstrings from who-knows-what. I carried my six-year-old son up the stairs this morning and my legs literally felt so weak I started getting this giddy feeling and had to sit down. I don't know what brought that on. As I started Pure Cardio, I thought I truly was not going to make it through as I felt that giddy feeling in my legs again during the first few minutes of the warmup.
But then the Insanity magic happened somehow. First of all, when he said to "act like you're holding potato chips between your fingers," I felt a little surge of amusing guilt. And then all my motivating factors kicked in. It went better than I expected and I even made it a little farther into the 15-minute hell-block before taking a rest (to the end of the power jacks). I still need at least three 30-second rests during Pure Cardio and a few modifications, but today I am happy just to have gotten through it. I also went directly into Cardio Abs without a break. I knew that tomorrow would be a recovery day, so I wanted to make the most of my time.
The participants help a lot. There's my disdain for Tanya, who I think is actually an android with nonmoving parts (sorry, Tanya. I'm sure you're a very nice person but please understand that to make it through this, I need to dislike you a little). I really like Anna because she has my body type: short and stocky. I also like Shanita because she's a powerhouse but seems to be having a truly authentic experience. She rests, she says she wants to leave, and overall comes across as very human. Find someone you identify with somehow and strive to match him or her! New recipe below...
But then the Insanity magic happened somehow. First of all, when he said to "act like you're holding potato chips between your fingers," I felt a little surge of amusing guilt. And then all my motivating factors kicked in. It went better than I expected and I even made it a little farther into the 15-minute hell-block before taking a rest (to the end of the power jacks). I still need at least three 30-second rests during Pure Cardio and a few modifications, but today I am happy just to have gotten through it. I also went directly into Cardio Abs without a break. I knew that tomorrow would be a recovery day, so I wanted to make the most of my time.
The participants help a lot. There's my disdain for Tanya, who I think is actually an android with nonmoving parts (sorry, Tanya. I'm sure you're a very nice person but please understand that to make it through this, I need to dislike you a little). I really like Anna because she has my body type: short and stocky. I also like Shanita because she's a powerhouse but seems to be having a truly authentic experience. She rests, she says she wants to leave, and overall comes across as very human. Find someone you identify with somehow and strive to match him or her! New recipe below...
Recipe: Single Crispy White Pizza
1 large whole-grain tortilla*
1/3 cup lowfat ricotta cheese
1/4 cup chopped or thinly sliced onion
2 TBSP grated parmesan
About 6 fresh basil leaves
3 thinly sliced cherry tomatoes
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8+ tsp salt
Black pepper
Optional: Extra lowfat mozzarella or Italian blend cheese
Preheat oven to 375. Place tortilla on a sprayed baking sheet and bake about 5 minutes each side until slightly crisped. In a small bowl, mix ricotta, parmesan, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Saute the onions in a sprayed nonstick skillet until lightly browned and stir into cheese mixture. Spread onto the tortilla and top with the tomato slices, basil leaves, and optional extra cheese. Lightly sprinkle the top with more salt, and return to the oven for about 5 minutes.
Calories: 225 (without extra cheese) Protein: 20-30 grams. (Fat and fiber vary depending on what you use.)
*I like La Tortilla Factory 100-calorie large tortillas. They taste great like a regular tortilla. Some high-fiber/low-carb tortillas are really awful, but I highly recommend these. This is adapted from an original Hungry Girl recipe.
1/3 cup lowfat ricotta cheese
1/4 cup chopped or thinly sliced onion
2 TBSP grated parmesan
About 6 fresh basil leaves
3 thinly sliced cherry tomatoes
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8+ tsp salt
Black pepper
Optional: Extra lowfat mozzarella or Italian blend cheese
Preheat oven to 375. Place tortilla on a sprayed baking sheet and bake about 5 minutes each side until slightly crisped. In a small bowl, mix ricotta, parmesan, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Saute the onions in a sprayed nonstick skillet until lightly browned and stir into cheese mixture. Spread onto the tortilla and top with the tomato slices, basil leaves, and optional extra cheese. Lightly sprinkle the top with more salt, and return to the oven for about 5 minutes.
Calories: 225 (without extra cheese) Protein: 20-30 grams. (Fat and fiber vary depending on what you use.)
*I like La Tortilla Factory 100-calorie large tortillas. They taste great like a regular tortilla. Some high-fiber/low-carb tortillas are really awful, but I highly recommend these. This is adapted from an original Hungry Girl recipe.
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