Stephanie Ann: Accept Yourself Fitness: Journal

Showing posts with label Journal. Show all posts

Tuesday, February 16, 2016

21DFX Week 1 Review and Falling Off the Wagon

Wow! One week done, two more weeks to go! I'm sure you have noticed that for each day I am posting a photo of my tracking journal which includes, when and what I ate (note the color coded container reference after each meal), and some notes on how I felt/what went well/etc throughout the day.

If you look at them you will notice that Monday (1) went well, Tuesday (2) went well, Wednesday (3) went well, Thursday (4) went well, and then came Friday. Not so well. I had run out of a lot of my prepped food, woke up late and sprinted out the door, and then traveled down to Boston and had my first eating out experience of my 21DFX Challenge.

Not my finest hour.

Oh MY! I gave into my somewhat constant DONUT craving (they were free for the taking at work... busted). It would have helped if I had brought prepped meals to work with me and hadn't been as hungry when I saw those free donuts but alas, I did not. And you know what? That is okay! I'm not perfect and it is NOT the end of the world that I ate a donut, and half a scone. I went out to eat in Boston and chose a relatively healthy meal of a grilled chicken sandwich with avocado, swiss cheese, and bacon along with a side of chips. What I didn't get while out to eat was a beer or soda or dessert so I'm counting my eating out experience as a win! After that I headed to the Big Air Competition at Fenway Park and froze my butt off watching some AMAZINGLY talented athletes fly through the air on skis!

Talk about inspiration and motivation!

Saturday morning it was back out to eat and needless to say, by this point I was barely holding onto the meal plan wagon. I went with an omelette rather than the waffle with chocolate chips. I may have spoiled myself but I knew that Sunday was Valentine's Day and I was going to spoil myself then with a little champagne and steak! I skipped my workout on Sunday due to having taught 6 hours of snowboarding lessons out in temperatures below 5 degrees F and I was exhausted! Needless to say, the steak, champagne, and chocolates enjoyed by all on V-Day were delicious.

Definitely off the wagon. Time to reset, reprep, and get back to work!

Why'd you fall off the wagon Mom???!!!?

Welcome Monday:

Got in two workouts, Dirty 30 and Yoga
Drank adequate amounts of water
Followed my meal plan
Went to bed on time

Just because I fell off the wagon didn't mean I could not chase it down, do some make-up work, and hop right back on!

☆ Stephanie Ann

Day 8 - 21 Day Fix Extreme

Day 8 - Tracking Journal Entry

Day 7 - 21 Day Fix Extreme

Day 7 - Tracking Journal Entry

Day 6 - 21 Day Fix Extreme

Day 6 - Tracking Journal Entry

Day 4 - 21 Day Fix Extreme

Day 4 - Tracking Journal Entry

Day 3 - 21 Day Fix Extreme

Day 3 - Tracking Journal Entry

Day 2 - 21 Day Fix Extreme

Day 2 - Tracking Journal Entry

Monday, February 15, 2016

Day 5 - 21 Day Fix Extreme

Day 5 - Tracking Journal Entry

Monday, February 8, 2016

Day One - 21 Day Fix Extreme

Tracking my meals and workouts with my journal.

The Food (80%)

The mantra from the fitness world is that your body is 80% what you eat and 20% how you workout. I think this statement is also true for the amount of prep that I put into what I am eating versus when I am going to exercise. Yesterday was food prep day, including a trip to the grocery store and what seemed like endless chopping. Needless to say, the Super Bowl, interrupted the prep session and I will be finishing it while I make dinner for myself tonight. For my first week on a meal plan, I am mainly following the female meal plan found here. I am making some substitutions based on what I like to eat and budget.

Look at all the veggies and fruit I get to eat this week!

My "Hot Cocoa" Alternative

After most of a day following the meal plan, I have found the hardest part has been my crazy SUGAR cravings. They have been super intense and are trying to trick my brain into thinking that my body is hungry when it isn't. Sugar is so so so unhealthy for you in the large amounts the average American consumes.

I started my day off with a Vegan Chocolate Shakeology mixed with water and ice. Having the shake with all of its nutrients is a vast improvement on my regular breakfast routine. I could still hear the baked goods calling my name though. To attempt to deal with the lack of sugar and sweets I will be drinking my chocolate shakes and the tea shown below along with eating delicious fruit!

Mmm, this tea is super tasty and has a hint of creaminess due to the coconut making it an awesome substitute for hot cocoa on a snow day or cold winter night. So far, so good with the meal plan!

Loving the lime green!

The Workout

Hello jello legs! Today's workout was the Plyo Fix Extreme which focuses primarily on the legs via explosive muscle movements, aka jumping. For my light weight I either used my 3 pound dumbbells or nothing at all. My heavier weights are 10 pound kettle bells. While the total workout is only half an hour long it is no joke and what you put into it you get out of it. I was definitely sweating by the end of it (WARMTH - Combating Excuse #3). I think the weights I chose were good for my starting point and I'm excited to see how this workout feels a week from now.

The Mission

I'm posting a "Way Before" photo and my current "Before" photo even though it is outside of my comfort zone. I'm trying to be open and honest about my journey and my current 'Before' photo is a large part of that. I miss being super fit and not having to worry about my fitness. Worrying and missing that hasn't helped me be the best me that I can be. I'm trying to ACCEPT where I am now and focus on forward progress rather than the past. My goal for the end of the 21 Day Fix Extreme Challenge is to have a figure somewhere between these two photos but more importantly to FEEL HEALTHIER and have MORE ENERGY! It is super easy to get caught up in the outward expectations when completing a fitness journey but the inward expectations are just as, if not more, important!

Left: Way Before (6 years ago), Right: Before (Current)

The Pups

Last but not least, I LOVE snuggle time with my two favorite pups!

Snug time last night after the Super Bowl!

☆ Stephanie Ann

Saturday, February 6, 2016

Tracking Apps and Old-Fashioned Pen and Paper

Accountability, accountability, accountability.

Old School

Keeping track of how you are doing can help make establishing a new habit that much easier and it holds you accountable to yourself. For a little reading on how/why this works check out this article by LifeHacker.com. For my first challenge, I plan on using a good old fashioned pen and paper tracking journal! Yes, I spent time today cutting and using glue sticks to create my own tracker and yes, I super enjoyed the prep session.

My Cheat Sheet for Container Food Choices

Along with what containers I have had and my workout of the day, I plan to track what specific foods I ate and how I felt throughout the day! Doing everything I can right now to make the meal plan portion of this challenge as easy as possible because it is the part that I am most nervous about. Being proactive versus reactive will also make it easier to establish a new habit.

New School

Not everyone wants to carry around a journal with them though. I like my journal because it gives me something very tangible with which I can track my progress. That being said there are some smart phone apps available specifically for the 21 Day Fix Extreme Program.

Through Google Play...

Through Apple....

I'm sure there are more apps than what I listed above. Like I said, I've never used any of these but would love to hear some reviews by anyone that has!

Happy Saturday!