Calf Raises....FTW!

I added yet another check mark to my wall calendar knocking off tonight's Back and Leg workout. Having done really good with my workouts this week, I just about lost momentum tonight after I got home from work. My normal routine is as soon as I walk in the door, I change into my workout clothes, grab my cold bottle of water out of the fridge, and head downstairs to pop in that day's DVD. Today I got somewhat distracted and started dilly dallying after I got home. I was so hungry (I haven't been seeing much results on the scale lately, so I've decided to lower my calories, and focus on drinking more water.) so I ended up deciding in my head, that I was going to skip today's workout. Bad attitude, I know.

After sitting on my duff for a large portion of my evening, I made a salad the size of my car, with homemade vinaigrette. It was only about an hour or 2 after I'd eaten that I decided I should really do my workout. (At this point, I'd already put on my workout clothes once, and changed into sweats......once the sweats go on, there's NO changing back...!) I figured I'd give it my best, even though I knew my stomach was still grumbling away from the mass amounts of salad I'd just eaten. My goal: Just push play, Anna.

To psych myself up, I normally start off by listening to some fist-pumpingly good music, and then I head downstairs to try to kill a couple of chin ups as the intro to the DVD is starting. I am still at 2 full chin ups, but this time it was JUST about three. Definitely something I'm hoping to have under my belt by the end of next week. Baby steps.

Dang!! Those darn calf raises. It was at that point, where I felt like, "Whoa Anna....breathe...*urp*..." All was well though. No bucket necessary. Close call. I know for next time not to sit on my butt until I don't feel like doing my workout anymore. Just gotta get it over with.

Now I've had a hot shower, I'm back in the sweats, enjoying a hot cup of some sort of stomach soothing tea. And I am happy. This week was a good week. And I'm feeling it, not only physically, but mentally. Stoked for Kenpo tomorrow!

Super Food: Quinoa

Photo by me.

My latest love and discovery is Quinoa. I realise it's an "Ancient" grain, so it's not like it's a new thing by any means, but it's definitely making it's comeback, especially in the health world. This super food is a perfect substitute for any noodle or rice dish, and is a much healthier option as it is low-calorie, high protein. If cooked correctly (which it's very hard not to cook correctly, it's a lot more forgiving than rice.) its al dente texture compliments any dish. It's nutritional facts are my favourite part. For 1 cup of cooked quinoa (in water) it's only 120 calories, 1.9g of fat, 21g Carbohydrates, 7mg Sodium, yet about 4.5 g of protein. Pretty good for your "carb" side dish, right?

Last night I was craving Red Thai Curry, but the killer with my Thai curry dishes is always the rice noodles. So a light went on in my head, and decided to use some organic Quinoa instead. And what a surprise! I used to think that Quinoa was just a fad, but now I'm a total believer!

Other ideas for Quinoa:
-In your oatmeal in the morning.
-Serve cold with some raw veggies chopped into, herbs, a bit of vinaigrette and making into a salad.
-Serve as a "pilaf", and sautee some veggies, cook with white wine. Yum.
This post may make me sound crazy, or obsessed, but seeing as my life revolves around eating healthy as well as P90x these days, I figured it deserved a blog of its own. Plus, I love good food.

Thai Red Curry with Quinoa

2-3 chicken breasts, chopped in bite size pieces.
2 tbsp Olive Oil
½ Onion, Julienne
4-5 cloves Garlic, minced
2 stalks Celery, chopped
½ Red Bell Pepper, Julienne
5-6 Large Mushrooms, sliced
2 cups Cauliflower, sliced or florets
1 can Bamboo Shoots in water, drained
1 can Low-fat Coconut Milk
1 can Low-Sodium Chicken Stock
2 tbsp Red Thai Curry Paste
Season to Taste
Chopped Cilantro for garnish

Brown your chicken chunks in a bit of oil in a large pot, and set aside. Using the same pot, sautee your garlic and onions, then add celery, and other vegetables. Once onions have softened, add the rest of your ingredients and let simmer for about 25-30 minutes to blend flavours. You can also add 2-3 tbsp Flour or a bit of Corn Starch to thicken if it's too liquidy. Use some chopped cilantro for that extra flavour/colour to top off your dish.

Quinoa

½ Cup Quinoa, uncooked
1 cup water

In a sauce pan, bring Quinoa to a boil, and turn on low and cover for about 15 minutes. (Read the Quinoa label, it'll tell you how to do it.)

Chest, Shoulders and Triceps

I realise I haven't blogged for a week. Mostly because I've been trying to conjure up how to describe how I feel during CST day (Chest Shoulders and Triceps). Well, let's narrow it down to this. My entire upper body feels like jello by the time I'm not even halfway through, and then Tony insists I do One-Arm Pushups.

Like...seriously Tony.

Not to mention Pike Presses (basically a push up in downward dog while on your toes) or Clap Push-ups (I'm nowhere near Plyo Push-ups at this point.) When Laura, in the video, can rock out One Arm-Pushups, and I'm stuck there, falling flat on my face(thank goodness for my shag rug), that's when I'm like, "Ok Tony...let's BRING IT!!" And I get all fired up for maybe 2-3 more reps. That's what keeps me going.

This particular workout has been my most, umm..shall we say, vocal? It's probably a good thing I live alone, so no one has to hear my incessant grunting and moaning (and then laughing) for this entire DVD. Ab Ripper X is almost welcomed by the time I'm done with CST.

I just finished my workout for the day, my triceps are still twitching and shaking even while I type this. As weird as it feels, it's so satisfying. I feel I've been almost derailing in the last week or so with bad eating habits, and this week I need to make a comeback. Time to start bringing it again, Anna!

On a side note, I made these super delish Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins today, and used Splenda instead of sugar. I still used white flour, so I'll have to come up with a substitute for that. If anyone has suggestions, let me know! I figured Almond Flour might just be too dense.

Ok, time for a deliciously hot shower! Yessssss...!!

Phase II....starting now.

Recovery week did not go quite as I had hoped. I missed one day of Core because I literally thought I was going to upchuck, but tackled Yoga like nobody's business. Last night, my last day of Phase 1, I did Yoga.
I concentrated on Tony's words, advice, tips, for stronger form, and better balance in my poses. Comparing my strength to Yoga during Week 1, and Yoga Week 4....blows my mind. I have no problem with Side Plank or the crazy move in Warrior stance where you put one arm behind your back, and the other underneath your leg, and grab your hands behind you. (If you have a hard time picturing this, think of a very uncomfortable pretzel, and it's something like that.) That particular move on week one, I couldn't even barely grab my fingertips, but now my hand is there waiting for me every time! The Crane...well....yeah, still no dice there. Still something to strive for. Plough to Shoulder Stand...LOVE!!!! And my Downward Dogs.....are totally cover-worthy of Downward Dog Magazine!

I also took my Day 30 progress pics yesterday morning. I'm noticing results in my abs, arms, and shoulders the most. But also some changes in my legs. Still have a ways to go though. No, I will not be posting those suckers anytime soon.

Bring on Phase 2!

Day 25 and still hanging in there...

I'm quickly approaching the end of my first Recovery Week. When I was heading into it, the sound of "Recovery Week" sounded like a nice break, a breather from the wringer Tony has been putting me through for the last 3 weeks. So why am I still very sore? Yesterday evening I did Kenpo, which I normally find somewhat easy, so I kicked it up a notch, and started doing double time while Tony and the gang would start off slow, digging deeper into my horse stance, making my kicks as high as I could, making my form look right instead of like a girl....and I'm sore today.

I've also made a new accomplishment. Back before I started p90x, every time I'd head over to my parents' place, I'd try to do one chin up on their bar (Mom has been on p90x for like, ever.) Not a chance though. I'd maybe get 6/8 of the way up, but just could not get my chin up and over. The other night, after feeling completely jacked over an excellent day, I ran downstairs to my bar, and hammered out 2 full, straight arm, dead hang, chin ups. Only 3½ weeks into p90x, and i'm pumping out chin ups! My body has been surprising me with its potential and what it can really do.

My diet has been slipping, with having company stay with me over the last 4-5 days, but I'm still getting lots of protein, and trying to keep the carbs to a minimum. I'm going to try to stick to the high-protein diet as I head into Phase 2, because I've really liked the results it's given me up until this point. I've decided to add more fish to my diet as well, because I've mostly been relying on Cottage Cheese, Eggs, and red meats up until this point. Bring on the tuna and salmon!

Come at me, Fargo Relay!

Today was a huge milestone for me. A defining moment in my P90X journey.

This weekend I have company staying with me, and to be downstairs doing legs and/or Kenpo X...well, I didn't feel would be all that hospitable. Plus the weather outside is CRAZY warm (it was about -5ºC today..not typical for beginning of February in Winnipeg) so I really had a big desire to go for a run outside. I ended up taking Friday off of legs/back. I know, I know...it was my first skip day, but technically not, because instead of taking a break on Sunday, I'll fit in legs and back then. And as far as Kenpo today, it was too nice out to be cooped up in my basement, punching Tony in the face. So I bundled up, put my running shoes on, and plugged myself into my iPod (with a "New Running Playlist" added this morning.) So I was ready to go.

I haven't done a long run since last summer or fall. I would run at the gym to warm up, but that was only ever for about 20 mins tops (about 2 miles). So in my head as I left my house, I was aiming for at least 2 miles, non-stop. To my amazement, my legs have never felt stronger. I would burst up hills like it was hardly a hill at all. I did my first mile, and was completely in "the zone". If any of you have ever run before, you know all about said zone. It's that point where you feel like a machine, like nothing could stop you. So instead of doing the 2 mile loop, i headed into the nearby park, and did one lap of the park (about a mile and a half). Legs still feeling strong (thank you, Wall Squats!). Lungs also feeling good, but noticeably trying to keep up with my legs. I started to head back to my place, and in my head thinking, "Wow, Anna! I can't believe you just did that."

But it doesn't end here folks.

The hardest part was yet to come. As I started heading back, I could see my street, with the blue building at the end of it, but I started thinking, "No Anna...just run past it, you can keep going. You're feeling good, see how far you can go!" Then the other side of me saying, "Anna, no you should head back, and get dinner going. You know you can do it, so just pack it in now." And as Deadmau5 started pumping in my ears...that was the deciding factor. I kept running. I brought it!

I ended up running about 5.54 miles(according to Google Maps) at about a 10 min/mile pace. Something I haven't done in a year. For some of you, okay, maybe 5½ miles isn't a whole lot, but considering the lack of running I've been doing lately, this was big for me. I felt back on top of the game. I LOVE this feeling.  And I've signed up my family to run the Fargo Marathon Relay this coming May, so I decided I should probably be able to run 6.5 miles instead of finding out on Race Day. Confidence = Restored.

I'm not one of these "listen to my feet hitting the pavement and focus on being all Zen" type of runners(nothing wrong with that!). I'm more of a "Pump up some solid tunes, and I'll run forever" kind of runner. Thanks to Beyonce, Shakira, Yolanda Be Cool, Katy Perry, Adam Lambert, Deadmau5, and many others, they fueled me to the end. (I have awesome running music...if you want some suggestions, let me know, and I'll hook you up!)

Tomorrow evening I plan on fitting in my missed Legs/Back day. And Monday...Recovery Week starts!!

Go, Me!!! I'm LOVING this!!!!

Yogaaaa X ...ZZzzzzzZZZZzzzzz

This about sums up how I felt this morning during yoga. I'm running into some serious scheduling difficulties with getting workouts in (haven't missed one yet!), but because I'm so darned committed to this program, I'm starting to lose sleep, not eating enough, etc. It could very well be hormones too. I woke up this morning at 5:00am, all groggy-eyed, and tired (because of lack of sleep), and headed downstairs to do Yoga X before work. I won't have time for it tonight, so I had to fit it in somewhere.

Folks...I'm VERY inflexible as it is, never mind at 5:00 in the morning. My muscles and joints were cold in my basement, and although I felt by blood pumping and perspiration on my face, i just couldn't stretch as far as when I do it at 8:00pm. Maybe my heart just wasn't into it either, because I was still thinking about my deliciously warm bed upstairs. Lesson learned.

The good side is I'm done my workout for the day, and don't have to worry about it as soon as I get home from work tonight. I'm having company over, and I'm making Ground Turkey Tacos. I've even whipped up some fresh Guacamole for them as well.

I'm very much looking forward to my recovery week next week, and seeing what else Tony has up his sleeve. Then I'll be on to Phase 2! Seems like these last few weeks have just FLOWN by! Still bringin' it!