30 June 2008
Weigh in results? I Don't KNOW!
I thought I'd find out about the contest winners today, but it looks like they're not announcing them until WEDNESDAY... d'oh!
food hangover
First of all, Dan wants me to keep the other blog open so that he can show people pictures at work and stuff, so http://www.carmineanddan.blogspot.com/ WILL remain available, and you can continue to observe our life together in NYC. BUT, for all your mindless entertainment needs and to connect with me, keep reading this blog!
Now, let me start by saying it’s good to EAT again! I really appreciate the flavors of food more than I ever had! On Saturday, Dan and I got turkey sandwiches from the deli all the way out in Queens (we were picking up our car) and I was like, “this sandwich is REALLY good! We need to come back to this place!” Dan just laughed and said, “They’re not that great- you just haven’t had bread in 5 months!”
Friday night we celebrated by getting SUSHI- I ate 10 pieces of assorted sushi (eel, salmon, yellowtail, tuna) AND I ate TWO servings of spicy tuna rolls! It was a memorable moment, for sure! The next morning, my hands and feet were swollen like sausages because my body freaked out from all the salt, but it was WORTH IT!
Saturday we had a wedding in Staten Island (read more about that on my other blog) and Sunday we had brunch with Dan’s friend, Carol, who was in town from L.A. Carol brought a friend with her, Murphy, who is visiting NYC for the first time from Amsterdam. He is a model, and he’s here for some photo shoots. He was SO nice, and he said that his country loves Canadians. We were instant friends after THAT comment! :)
Sunday night was “family night” at our apartment- a bunch of friends come over on Sundays to hang out, play games or just talk. Kathryn brought a HUGE box of napoleans, cheesecakes, éclairs, and a huge strawberry cream cake, so it was GAME OVER for me! The sugar made me feel so sick, though, and this morning I swear it’s like having a junk food hangover. Ughh! All I want is water and fruit and healthy food! Back to the gym tonight! I had my weekend of pleasure, and that was enough to last me a LONG time. I can’t even THINK about eating junk food…blugggh!
Now, let me start by saying it’s good to EAT again! I really appreciate the flavors of food more than I ever had! On Saturday, Dan and I got turkey sandwiches from the deli all the way out in Queens (we were picking up our car) and I was like, “this sandwich is REALLY good! We need to come back to this place!” Dan just laughed and said, “They’re not that great- you just haven’t had bread in 5 months!”
Friday night we celebrated by getting SUSHI- I ate 10 pieces of assorted sushi (eel, salmon, yellowtail, tuna) AND I ate TWO servings of spicy tuna rolls! It was a memorable moment, for sure! The next morning, my hands and feet were swollen like sausages because my body freaked out from all the salt, but it was WORTH IT!
Saturday we had a wedding in Staten Island (read more about that on my other blog) and Sunday we had brunch with Dan’s friend, Carol, who was in town from L.A. Carol brought a friend with her, Murphy, who is visiting NYC for the first time from Amsterdam. He is a model, and he’s here for some photo shoots. He was SO nice, and he said that his country loves Canadians. We were instant friends after THAT comment! :)
Sunday night was “family night” at our apartment- a bunch of friends come over on Sundays to hang out, play games or just talk. Kathryn brought a HUGE box of napoleans, cheesecakes, éclairs, and a huge strawberry cream cake, so it was GAME OVER for me! The sugar made me feel so sick, though, and this morning I swear it’s like having a junk food hangover. Ughh! All I want is water and fruit and healthy food! Back to the gym tonight! I had my weekend of pleasure, and that was enough to last me a LONG time. I can’t even THINK about eating junk food…blugggh!
27 June 2008
Weight-ing it out...
I got up early this morning to make it to the gym at 8am for my weigh in. The winner won’t be announced until Monday, because contestants have until the end of the day today to get weighed but I’m very proud to say that I lost 11.7% !!! Speaking in lbs, this is about 24.6 lbs, over 8 weeks. The last week, with this asparagus dehydration thing, I lost 9lbs in 9 days!
I was pretty shaky this morning, on my way to the gym I felt pretty lightheaded from being so dehydrated. After my weigh in, I drank water, and then I felt way better. What was my first meal? You guessed it: an APPLE. And it was everything I’d hoped it would be!
Today I’ve eaten a yogurt for breakfast, cottage cheese for lunch, and I am drinking a protein shake now to get me through to dinner. Oh yeah, baby- I’ve already made plans of what my “celebration meal” would be: SUSHI! I’ve been dreaming of sushi for so long, and I’m saving up my calories so that I can eat mountains of it tonight!
It’s funny, cause people have commented that I’ve only really craved HEALTHY food- I guess now I realize that all that junk food might taste good, but it’s not really what your body craves and needs.
So, I’m going to take a break from blogging about diets and food and working out, because there’s a lot more to life than that, but I’ll keep you updated on how my workouts (and new attempts at spinning and yoga classes!) are turning out.
PS- THANK you for your comments and support!
I was pretty shaky this morning, on my way to the gym I felt pretty lightheaded from being so dehydrated. After my weigh in, I drank water, and then I felt way better. What was my first meal? You guessed it: an APPLE. And it was everything I’d hoped it would be!
Today I’ve eaten a yogurt for breakfast, cottage cheese for lunch, and I am drinking a protein shake now to get me through to dinner. Oh yeah, baby- I’ve already made plans of what my “celebration meal” would be: SUSHI! I’ve been dreaming of sushi for so long, and I’m saving up my calories so that I can eat mountains of it tonight!
It’s funny, cause people have commented that I’ve only really craved HEALTHY food- I guess now I realize that all that junk food might taste good, but it’s not really what your body craves and needs.
So, I’m going to take a break from blogging about diets and food and working out, because there’s a lot more to life than that, but I’ll keep you updated on how my workouts (and new attempts at spinning and yoga classes!) are turning out.
PS- THANK you for your comments and support!
Fashion Junkee
Great website with bargain priced items inspired by what the celebs wear! Hmm... I'll be spending a lot of time on this site today!
Fashion Junkee
Fashion Junkee
26 June 2008
the WEIGHting game
Hello and welcome to another day of my torture. This is it- the home stretch... I CAN DO THIS! It's definitely the darkest before sunrise: this is the hardest day yet. Yesterday's workout was fueled only by my brain, and my iron will to get through it without A) passing out and B) throwing up. I succeeded in avoiding both (YES!) We started off with 5 minutes on the stairMONSTER, and after that, I high-fived my trainer and said, "whew! That was a great workout! Ok, see ya tomorrow!" He was like, "ha ha- that was just the warm up, now lets go to the weights!"
We did lower weights with high reps (I told him maybe we should switch to lifting juice boxes at one point) I was honestly THAT weak! It's funny, because you realize that when bodybuilders and even fitness models in magazines are photographed looking so ripped, they're actually at their WEAKEST, physically. Today, I'm allowed 2 cups of water (or any liquid, for that matter) for the whole DAY! Yeah, it really sucks. I woke up in the middle of the night because I was so thirsty! And doing an intense workout with no water is NOT fun!
Today I'm eating 6 small meals of asparagus and beef, every 3 hours. There ARE 2 bonuses today: 1) I DON'T have to do cardio OR weights, and 2)I get to drink 1/2 glass of red wine tonight before bed. This is yet ANOTHER way to dehydrate your body even further, because red wine dehydrates you (and will probably make me drunk on 2 sips because I haven't had a single drink since I started training back in January!) This, my friends, is true discipline.
I find myself craving ONE thing in particular, and it's so bad that I can't get it out of my head for a single second: an APPLE. The shiny glistening skin of a cold, crisp apple, and the way it snaps under your teeth when you bite in. The juices fill your mouth and roll down your chin, and the combination of sweet and tart makes your tastebuds dance with excitement for each coming bite. I can't WAIT to eat an apple! I haven't had FRUIT, let alone apples, in over a month!
I am a CHAMPION, a WARRIOR! YES! And you know what? I'm really REALLY proud of myself! I don't know what my goals were, starting out back in January. I wanted to feel good and look good, and learn how to make my body perform at the maximum level. Looking back on what I WAS, and what I am now, it's really overwhelming to see the difference. Even just MENTALLY, I'm so much stronger. I've learned that whether you think you'll fail or you think you'll succeed, you're right either way. If I tell myself I can't lift a heavy weight, or do a certain exercise... then my body responds to that negative self-talk, and I really CAN'T!
I remember when I first started working with my trainer, and I would start to get this anxious feeling in my stomach as the clock got closer and closer to 6pm. I was nervous that I would fail, or nervous that he would push me too hard. I used to dread the first 5 minutes on the stairmaster (not even the stair MONSTER... just the basic stair master!) because I would be SO exhausted and gasping for air just to get through that 5 minute warm up!
If I would have given up back then, I would never be where I am today. I had to WANT it more than I wanted a Chipotle burrito, or an extra hour of tv, or a bag of skittles.
Now, I realize, and I am constantly grateful, that I had the opportunity to get in serious shape like this with a trainer, and a top of the line gym. I often think about how things would be so different if I had a job that required late hours, or kids to take care of. Dan very generously allowed me to spend about a grand a month on this, which could have been money that we spent on BOTH of us, not just me. That's how much HE believed in me too.
But, you can equip yourself with a personal chef, trainer, gym, masseuse, any of that stuff and if you still don't initiate that MENTAL part, then you'll fail miserably. In the end, YOU decide what goes into your body, and what you choose to do with your body to promote LIFE and living to the fullest. When I'm running, I focus on the feeling of power and strength in my legs, and how grateful I am that God has given me that strength. Our bodies are perfectly designed to move, lift, squat, and push through more than we usually give ourselves credit for. I think about my life 50 years from now, and how I'm sure I'll never say, "man, I wish I hadn't spent so much time strengthening my body and taking care of my health. I should have watched more tv!" LOL
I'd love to hear from my readers, and hear more about what motivates YOU and what your goals are for your health!
We did lower weights with high reps (I told him maybe we should switch to lifting juice boxes at one point) I was honestly THAT weak! It's funny, because you realize that when bodybuilders and even fitness models in magazines are photographed looking so ripped, they're actually at their WEAKEST, physically. Today, I'm allowed 2 cups of water (or any liquid, for that matter) for the whole DAY! Yeah, it really sucks. I woke up in the middle of the night because I was so thirsty! And doing an intense workout with no water is NOT fun!
Today I'm eating 6 small meals of asparagus and beef, every 3 hours. There ARE 2 bonuses today: 1) I DON'T have to do cardio OR weights, and 2)I get to drink 1/2 glass of red wine tonight before bed. This is yet ANOTHER way to dehydrate your body even further, because red wine dehydrates you (and will probably make me drunk on 2 sips because I haven't had a single drink since I started training back in January!) This, my friends, is true discipline.
I find myself craving ONE thing in particular, and it's so bad that I can't get it out of my head for a single second: an APPLE. The shiny glistening skin of a cold, crisp apple, and the way it snaps under your teeth when you bite in. The juices fill your mouth and roll down your chin, and the combination of sweet and tart makes your tastebuds dance with excitement for each coming bite. I can't WAIT to eat an apple! I haven't had FRUIT, let alone apples, in over a month!
I am a CHAMPION, a WARRIOR! YES! And you know what? I'm really REALLY proud of myself! I don't know what my goals were, starting out back in January. I wanted to feel good and look good, and learn how to make my body perform at the maximum level. Looking back on what I WAS, and what I am now, it's really overwhelming to see the difference. Even just MENTALLY, I'm so much stronger. I've learned that whether you think you'll fail or you think you'll succeed, you're right either way. If I tell myself I can't lift a heavy weight, or do a certain exercise... then my body responds to that negative self-talk, and I really CAN'T!
I remember when I first started working with my trainer, and I would start to get this anxious feeling in my stomach as the clock got closer and closer to 6pm. I was nervous that I would fail, or nervous that he would push me too hard. I used to dread the first 5 minutes on the stairmaster (not even the stair MONSTER... just the basic stair master!) because I would be SO exhausted and gasping for air just to get through that 5 minute warm up!
If I would have given up back then, I would never be where I am today. I had to WANT it more than I wanted a Chipotle burrito, or an extra hour of tv, or a bag of skittles.
Now, I realize, and I am constantly grateful, that I had the opportunity to get in serious shape like this with a trainer, and a top of the line gym. I often think about how things would be so different if I had a job that required late hours, or kids to take care of. Dan very generously allowed me to spend about a grand a month on this, which could have been money that we spent on BOTH of us, not just me. That's how much HE believed in me too.
But, you can equip yourself with a personal chef, trainer, gym, masseuse, any of that stuff and if you still don't initiate that MENTAL part, then you'll fail miserably. In the end, YOU decide what goes into your body, and what you choose to do with your body to promote LIFE and living to the fullest. When I'm running, I focus on the feeling of power and strength in my legs, and how grateful I am that God has given me that strength. Our bodies are perfectly designed to move, lift, squat, and push through more than we usually give ourselves credit for. I think about my life 50 years from now, and how I'm sure I'll never say, "man, I wish I hadn't spent so much time strengthening my body and taking care of my health. I should have watched more tv!" LOL
I'd love to hear from my readers, and hear more about what motivates YOU and what your goals are for your health!
In case you missed it...
I've had a few people ask me again why I'm punishing my body like this: I signed up for a fitness competition, and the category I'm competing in is highest % body weight loss. It's an 8 week challenge, and it ends TOMORROW!
25 June 2008
Share everything time!
If you had to be named after one of the 50 states, which would you choose?
My answer would be Rhode Island. LOL naw, just kidding! I think I’d pick Nevada. It sounds like it could be a name…kinda. You could call me Neve, like Neve Campbell.
My answer would be Rhode Island. LOL naw, just kidding! I think I’d pick Nevada. It sounds like it could be a name…kinda. You could call me Neve, like Neve Campbell.
Day 8 of 9... the finish line is in sight!
I had my LAST meal of chicken and asparagus about an hour ago! I was taking deep breaths to get through it, I gotta admit! Now I’m on to ground beef and asparagus to the finish line! Woo hoo! I’ve never been so excited to eat beef and asparagus in my LIFE! There’s just something so nauseating about steamed plain chicken breast to me now- it’s revolting. It will be a LONG time until I can eat it again!
And the water reduction? Omg, it’s getting rough! I’m down to ½ gallon today, which INCLUDES all the water I can use for my shakes. ½ a gallon is 4 x 16 oz glasses (picture a red Solo plastic cup, times 4.) If I deduct the water needed for my 3 daily shakes, that gives me about 1 plastic cup of water to last me through the whole day. Oh, and did I mention that I have another 60 minute TRAINING session tonight with my trainer?! I have a feeling that it’s going to be a lot like the “last chance workouts” on The Biggest Loser. Oh NO! Tomorrow, I’m down to ¼ gallon, or 2 cups of water for the DAY. I’ll just be eating beef and asparagus every 3 hours, starting at 8am.
All I have to say is, I’D BETTER FREAKIN WIN! I told my trainer yesterday that there better not be some huge 500 lb fat guy that strolls in and loses like 90lbs! Right now I’m down 22lbs, which is a 12.5% loss. If I can drop another couple pounds in water weight between now and Friday morning, when I weigh in, then I’ll be MONEY!
Oh and did I mention that yesterday after my afternoon training session, he told me to come BACK after work for another 60 minutes of cardio?! Yeah, so I worked out with the trainer from 2-3, doing weights with sprints up and down the stairs in-between sets, and then went back at 6pm for 60 more minutes on the stairMONSTER! One of the other trainers saw me when I was leaving around 7:30, and he said “Are you STILL HERE?!!” He thought I’d been working out since 2pm! Obviously, I must have looked absolutely wrecked.
Please, let me say it again- this is a TERRIBLE diet, and don’t do it! It’s really really REALLY hard on your body, and working out this hard would throw most people into a coma if you weren’t prepared for it. I’m taking a break from training sessions for the summer, and I want to try some new stuff: spinning, kickboxing, and yoga. Has anyone else had success with spinning or any other classes? I’m curious to know what I’m in for…
And the water reduction? Omg, it’s getting rough! I’m down to ½ gallon today, which INCLUDES all the water I can use for my shakes. ½ a gallon is 4 x 16 oz glasses (picture a red Solo plastic cup, times 4.) If I deduct the water needed for my 3 daily shakes, that gives me about 1 plastic cup of water to last me through the whole day. Oh, and did I mention that I have another 60 minute TRAINING session tonight with my trainer?! I have a feeling that it’s going to be a lot like the “last chance workouts” on The Biggest Loser. Oh NO! Tomorrow, I’m down to ¼ gallon, or 2 cups of water for the DAY. I’ll just be eating beef and asparagus every 3 hours, starting at 8am.
All I have to say is, I’D BETTER FREAKIN WIN! I told my trainer yesterday that there better not be some huge 500 lb fat guy that strolls in and loses like 90lbs! Right now I’m down 22lbs, which is a 12.5% loss. If I can drop another couple pounds in water weight between now and Friday morning, when I weigh in, then I’ll be MONEY!
Oh and did I mention that yesterday after my afternoon training session, he told me to come BACK after work for another 60 minutes of cardio?! Yeah, so I worked out with the trainer from 2-3, doing weights with sprints up and down the stairs in-between sets, and then went back at 6pm for 60 more minutes on the stairMONSTER! One of the other trainers saw me when I was leaving around 7:30, and he said “Are you STILL HERE?!!” He thought I’d been working out since 2pm! Obviously, I must have looked absolutely wrecked.
Please, let me say it again- this is a TERRIBLE diet, and don’t do it! It’s really really REALLY hard on your body, and working out this hard would throw most people into a coma if you weren’t prepared for it. I’m taking a break from training sessions for the summer, and I want to try some new stuff: spinning, kickboxing, and yoga. Has anyone else had success with spinning or any other classes? I’m curious to know what I’m in for…
$5K? Done!
Did you know that the naked cowboy claims to make $5,000 an HOUR! For those of you who don’t know the naked cowboy, it’s basically this dude who wears a cowboy hat, cowboy boots and plays the guitar wearing just his tighty-whities. Geez, for $5,000 maybe the public would like a naked cowGIRL? Hmmm…I may have to think about that!
24 June 2008
Day 7 of 9- the end is in sight
Goodbye, sweet potato. You were a true friend; sweet, tender, and potatoey. You made me so happy! I hope I will see you again someday. Farewell.
That’s right, no more sweet potato! I’m also down to 1 gallon of water a day, which seems like a lot, but I’m sipping every drop like it’s my last! It’s really NOT that much water, when you’re used to drinking 2 gallons PLUS shakes. I got to eat beef last night, and it was a truly meaningful moment in my existence. I put the beef AND the asparagus together, so the asparagus got some beefy flavor, and I devoured it blissfully.
Today I also started the diuretics, to flush out all the water weight. The biggest change I’ve seen in this is that my fingers are getting wrinkly, like I’ve been in the bathtub for too long. Dan pointed out that you can see the little bones in the tops of my feet and toes, which NEVER happens because my feet are always swollen, especially after workouts or walking a lot in this heat. A sure sign of dehydration! (sweet!) How sick and twisted is it that I’m actually dehydrating my body? Can you believe this is really what Hollywood actresses and models do before events and photo shoots? It’s insane! Now I know their SECRET!
So, I’m getting ready to go meet my trainer at 2pm this afternoon for another session of torture. Last night, the workout was so difficult I was getting giddy! I literally was like, loopy and giggling for no reason! My trainer was loving it, because he said that this is what happens when you start de-carbing and dehydrating before a bodybuilding competition- and he was laughing at my exhaustion. Nice, right? He worked me SO hard yesterday, it wasn’t even funny. It took me probably an extra 15 minutes to get home because I was walking at the pace of an 80 year old. I had to do the stairs like I was a toddler- take one step while holding onto the rail with BOTH hands, then feet together. Then the next step, and so on! I wish you guys could have seen me!
The next workout and the next 2 days are going to be murder- yesterday, I was still getting my carbs from sweet potatoes, and NOT taking the pills, and drinking 2 gallons! Today it’s going to be rough, and tomorrow- yeah, well let’s not even think about that right now. I asked my trainer if they would be able to deduct the weight of my wheelchair and IV unit when I get weighed in on Friday. He laughed. (I was serious!)
I will post my before and after pictures on Thursday night, when I finally get a day off to “rest” before the weigh in Friday! This gonna be SICK!! This is like the ULTIMATE swimsuit diet!
That’s right, no more sweet potato! I’m also down to 1 gallon of water a day, which seems like a lot, but I’m sipping every drop like it’s my last! It’s really NOT that much water, when you’re used to drinking 2 gallons PLUS shakes. I got to eat beef last night, and it was a truly meaningful moment in my existence. I put the beef AND the asparagus together, so the asparagus got some beefy flavor, and I devoured it blissfully.
Today I also started the diuretics, to flush out all the water weight. The biggest change I’ve seen in this is that my fingers are getting wrinkly, like I’ve been in the bathtub for too long. Dan pointed out that you can see the little bones in the tops of my feet and toes, which NEVER happens because my feet are always swollen, especially after workouts or walking a lot in this heat. A sure sign of dehydration! (sweet!) How sick and twisted is it that I’m actually dehydrating my body? Can you believe this is really what Hollywood actresses and models do before events and photo shoots? It’s insane! Now I know their SECRET!
So, I’m getting ready to go meet my trainer at 2pm this afternoon for another session of torture. Last night, the workout was so difficult I was getting giddy! I literally was like, loopy and giggling for no reason! My trainer was loving it, because he said that this is what happens when you start de-carbing and dehydrating before a bodybuilding competition- and he was laughing at my exhaustion. Nice, right? He worked me SO hard yesterday, it wasn’t even funny. It took me probably an extra 15 minutes to get home because I was walking at the pace of an 80 year old. I had to do the stairs like I was a toddler- take one step while holding onto the rail with BOTH hands, then feet together. Then the next step, and so on! I wish you guys could have seen me!
The next workout and the next 2 days are going to be murder- yesterday, I was still getting my carbs from sweet potatoes, and NOT taking the pills, and drinking 2 gallons! Today it’s going to be rough, and tomorrow- yeah, well let’s not even think about that right now. I asked my trainer if they would be able to deduct the weight of my wheelchair and IV unit when I get weighed in on Friday. He laughed. (I was serious!)
I will post my before and after pictures on Thursday night, when I finally get a day off to “rest” before the weigh in Friday! This gonna be SICK!! This is like the ULTIMATE swimsuit diet!
Share everything time!
Question for today: What’s the longest you’ve gone without sleep?
Hmmm… I bet any of you readers that have infants are going to beat me on this one!
The longest I’ve gone without sleep was probably when I auditioned for American Idol, Season 2 in Nashville. Yeah, that’s right- season 2! The one that Reuben won? ( What happened to THAT guy, anyway?!)
So yeah, I drove to Nashville with a folding canvas sports chair and an umbrella, and took my spot in line for an audition for 2 days. And it rained. A LOT. I got there on a Wednesday night, around 9pm, and the auditions weren’t until Friday afternoon! Needless to say, I didn’t get any sleep, sitting outside in a wet chair with a box of granola bars and minimal water ( cause you had to find someone to hold your place if you had to go to the bathroom!)
Hmmm… I bet any of you readers that have infants are going to beat me on this one!
The longest I’ve gone without sleep was probably when I auditioned for American Idol, Season 2 in Nashville. Yeah, that’s right- season 2! The one that Reuben won? ( What happened to THAT guy, anyway?!)
So yeah, I drove to Nashville with a folding canvas sports chair and an umbrella, and took my spot in line for an audition for 2 days. And it rained. A LOT. I got there on a Wednesday night, around 9pm, and the auditions weren’t until Friday afternoon! Needless to say, I didn’t get any sleep, sitting outside in a wet chair with a box of granola bars and minimal water ( cause you had to find someone to hold your place if you had to go to the bathroom!)
23 June 2008
Day 6... ugh!
Day 6 of my 9 day regime: Ok, by now you can probably imagine that I’m pretty FREAKIN sick of chicken and asparagus. And sweet potatoes, even. I just finished eating my second meal of chicken and asparagus and sweet potato, and I had to drink a LOT of water to get it down. My strategy is to pack my mouth full with as much chicken and asparagus as possible, and then try to swallow it down fast. Then, I take a huge drink of water from my gallon jug that I keep on my desk. I can usually finish it about 3 mouthfuls this way (not including the sweet potato.)
Today, I start dehydrating and totally cutting the carbs back: only 1 serving of sweet potato, the whole day, and only 1.5 gallons of water. Tonight, I’m SO excited to introduce BEEF into my diet- oh yeah! Anything to break up the monotony of chicken and asparagus 6 times a day! So I get to eat beef in my last meal of the day! The protein shakes are keeping me from going mental- I picked up muscle milk in STRAWBERRY flavor yesterday, which is YUMMY and it’s the highlight of my whole day, even if it is chalky and mixed just with water.
The energy is definitely drained, and it will be getting worse as I slash my carbs even more. I took vitamin B12 and Ginseng this morning, in addition to my usual multi vitamin, because I could barely roll out of bed, and since milk’s not allowed, I can’t have my coffee. I kind of over-did it at the gym on Saturday, because I felt pretty dizzy and a little nauseous after my workout. I did 90 minutes of cardio, instead of 60 like I’m supposed to- but it’s because “millionaire matchmaker” was on tv, and I wanted to see how the date turned out! Sunday was better- I did 60 minutes on the stair machine and burned 515 calories! That’s a LOT! Isn’t it disappointing when you’re on the treadmill or something for like 15 minutes, and you look down and see you haven’t even worked off that banana you had earlier?!
So, I’m dreading my workout today: I’m doing 3 days in a row with my trainer. Tonight at 6pm, tomorrow at 2pm and Wednesday at 6 again. Thank goodness he said Thursday I’m OFF, and get to rest. By that point, I’ll be comatose anyway. Friday I have to weigh in early in the morning, and then I’ll have to be careful what I eat the rest of the day, because I’m thinking it will probably make me throw up. Soup is probably a good idea.
So, here’s the stats, folks: in 5 days, I’ve lost almost 7lbs. This week will be the biggest loss though, since I’m starting to flush all that water out. I’m noticing the most in my face- I’m kinda looking skeletal. If I wasn’t pale to begin with, people would think I’d just come off a bad flu virus! Take a look at the picture taken June 12 (6 days before I started this) and the picture I just took with my iPhone.
No, I don’t look very happy to be eating asparagus…AGAIN!
Today, I start dehydrating and totally cutting the carbs back: only 1 serving of sweet potato, the whole day, and only 1.5 gallons of water. Tonight, I’m SO excited to introduce BEEF into my diet- oh yeah! Anything to break up the monotony of chicken and asparagus 6 times a day! So I get to eat beef in my last meal of the day! The protein shakes are keeping me from going mental- I picked up muscle milk in STRAWBERRY flavor yesterday, which is YUMMY and it’s the highlight of my whole day, even if it is chalky and mixed just with water.
The energy is definitely drained, and it will be getting worse as I slash my carbs even more. I took vitamin B12 and Ginseng this morning, in addition to my usual multi vitamin, because I could barely roll out of bed, and since milk’s not allowed, I can’t have my coffee. I kind of over-did it at the gym on Saturday, because I felt pretty dizzy and a little nauseous after my workout. I did 90 minutes of cardio, instead of 60 like I’m supposed to- but it’s because “millionaire matchmaker” was on tv, and I wanted to see how the date turned out! Sunday was better- I did 60 minutes on the stair machine and burned 515 calories! That’s a LOT! Isn’t it disappointing when you’re on the treadmill or something for like 15 minutes, and you look down and see you haven’t even worked off that banana you had earlier?!
So, I’m dreading my workout today: I’m doing 3 days in a row with my trainer. Tonight at 6pm, tomorrow at 2pm and Wednesday at 6 again. Thank goodness he said Thursday I’m OFF, and get to rest. By that point, I’ll be comatose anyway. Friday I have to weigh in early in the morning, and then I’ll have to be careful what I eat the rest of the day, because I’m thinking it will probably make me throw up. Soup is probably a good idea.
So, here’s the stats, folks: in 5 days, I’ve lost almost 7lbs. This week will be the biggest loss though, since I’m starting to flush all that water out. I’m noticing the most in my face- I’m kinda looking skeletal. If I wasn’t pale to begin with, people would think I’d just come off a bad flu virus! Take a look at the picture taken June 12 (6 days before I started this) and the picture I just took with my iPhone.
No, I don’t look very happy to be eating asparagus…AGAIN!
20 June 2008
Share everything time!
Today’s Question: If you could live in any home on a television series, what would you choose and why?
This is a tough question: aren’t tv homes always the coolest? Being an official New Yorker now, I’d have to say I’d choose Monica and Rachel’s apartment on Friends. Obviously, that apartment is outrageously huge for Manhattan. Plus, they have an OUTDOOR space which is virtually impossible to find as well. There’s an actual KITCHEN in the apartment (which, if you’ve seen pictures of our kitchen posted, you’ll understand that New York City apartments just DON’T have kitchens! They just DON’T, it’s as easy as that! Our bathroom is bigger than our kitchen, and our bathroom doesn’t even have a vanity or countertop; just a pedestal sink!
Somewhere along the way, the writers decided that this was completely unreasonable for a coffee shop waitress and a chef to be able to afford the rent on this GI-normous place. In fact, their address is supposedly, 88 Bedford St, which has a tax value of (get ready) $5.5 MILLION! That’s a LOT of lattes to be able to afford that place! So instead, the writers wrote in that she illegally sublets it from her grandmother. Ok, right.
But what a SWEET place in NYC!
This is a tough question: aren’t tv homes always the coolest? Being an official New Yorker now, I’d have to say I’d choose Monica and Rachel’s apartment on Friends. Obviously, that apartment is outrageously huge for Manhattan. Plus, they have an OUTDOOR space which is virtually impossible to find as well. There’s an actual KITCHEN in the apartment (which, if you’ve seen pictures of our kitchen posted, you’ll understand that New York City apartments just DON’T have kitchens! They just DON’T, it’s as easy as that! Our bathroom is bigger than our kitchen, and our bathroom doesn’t even have a vanity or countertop; just a pedestal sink!
Somewhere along the way, the writers decided that this was completely unreasonable for a coffee shop waitress and a chef to be able to afford the rent on this GI-normous place. In fact, their address is supposedly, 88 Bedford St, which has a tax value of (get ready) $5.5 MILLION! That’s a LOT of lattes to be able to afford that place! So instead, the writers wrote in that she illegally sublets it from her grandmother. Ok, right.
But what a SWEET place in NYC!
Buckley's
Ok, so here’s an update to my last post: I wanted to find out what exactly IS in Buckley’s cough syrup, and I did some research. Turns out that there are a combination of natural ingredients that together, have an effect similar to CODINE! The ingredients include pine needle oil, camphor (which can be used as an embalming fluid!), menthol and Canada balsam tree. So yeah, that’s why it tastes awful. If you can imagine eating vicks vapo rub and pitch from a tree, that would be similar to what it tastes like. BUT, it works!
It tastes awful. And it works.
There is a cough syrup sold in Canada called "Buckley's" , and their advertising slogan has always been "It tastes awful. And it works." The syrup is literally made of pine needles and a bunch of other crap, and it's the most disgusting formula EVER. But, guess what? It WORKS! If you're sick enough to take Buckley's, then you're desperate to get better fast, and I promise, you immediately start to feel better. I'm not sure what other voodoo medicine is in it, but it's effects are magical.
So this brings me to my asparagus diet- yup, it works. And YES, it's awful. But the good news is- when I weighed myself the next morning, I had already lost 2.8lbs. IN ONE DAY! I remember when my trainer was doing this diet to get ready for his bodybuilding competition, he would tell me that eating that 4oz Of sweet potatoes was the highlight of his day. (By the way, do you have any idea how much 4oz of sweet potatoes is? It’s like barely a ¼ cup. The way I measure is that I eat the canned sweet potatoes, and there are 16 oz in a can, so 1 serving is a QUARTER of a small can!) I save it for last, and imagine that it’s my “dessert” and I savor every bite slowly. Yes, I do realize how pathetic this sounds.
And YES, Jared- the asparagus is nauseating. I asked if I could substitute the asparagus for spinach or broccoli or something, and before I even got it out, my trainer cut me off with “NO! Absolutely NOT!” Apparently, asparagus the strongest vegetable diuretic, and you need to eat so much of it to flush out the 2 gallons of water that you’re drinking every day. In his words, “You can smell that it’s working!” (one of the unfortunate side effects!) :)
I am allowed to add crystal lite sugar free flavoring to my water, so I’m drinking the raspberry flavor. I take a mouthful of asparagus, and then try to wash out the taste with my raspberry water. It’s very sad.
Cardio is getting harder, too- since I’m depleting my carbs. The carbs are your energy that you need to power you through your workouts, so my trainer has warned me that it gets even worse next week when I have to cut out the sweet potato altogether. Then I will be exhausted. Last night, my legs were still wrecked from training on Wednesday night, when he had me to walking lunges with 2-25lb dumbbells in each hand 100x each leg! Ummm.. yeah, he’s a little crazy, I agree. The walking lunges have the WORST aftermath of any exercise I know of. When you’re doing them, you actually feel it more in your arms, from having to hold those weights. But the next day, without fail, I can barely get out of bed. Without FAIL, every time! Plus, I did 135lb squats AND deadlifts on Monday night, and for some stupid reason, now he’s now making me do 12 reps instead of 10, and 4 sets instead of 3! AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So, yeah it was all I could do to get motivated for my cardio last night- but I got on the stair machine, and did 60 minutes. I had a hard time walking back to the locker room, I’m not gonna lie. My trainer's right- you have to be a little bit crazy to be in shape like this. It gets inside your head, and it really makes you INSANE!
So this brings me to my asparagus diet- yup, it works. And YES, it's awful. But the good news is- when I weighed myself the next morning, I had already lost 2.8lbs. IN ONE DAY! I remember when my trainer was doing this diet to get ready for his bodybuilding competition, he would tell me that eating that 4oz Of sweet potatoes was the highlight of his day. (By the way, do you have any idea how much 4oz of sweet potatoes is? It’s like barely a ¼ cup. The way I measure is that I eat the canned sweet potatoes, and there are 16 oz in a can, so 1 serving is a QUARTER of a small can!) I save it for last, and imagine that it’s my “dessert” and I savor every bite slowly. Yes, I do realize how pathetic this sounds.
And YES, Jared- the asparagus is nauseating. I asked if I could substitute the asparagus for spinach or broccoli or something, and before I even got it out, my trainer cut me off with “NO! Absolutely NOT!” Apparently, asparagus the strongest vegetable diuretic, and you need to eat so much of it to flush out the 2 gallons of water that you’re drinking every day. In his words, “You can smell that it’s working!” (one of the unfortunate side effects!) :)
I am allowed to add crystal lite sugar free flavoring to my water, so I’m drinking the raspberry flavor. I take a mouthful of asparagus, and then try to wash out the taste with my raspberry water. It’s very sad.
Cardio is getting harder, too- since I’m depleting my carbs. The carbs are your energy that you need to power you through your workouts, so my trainer has warned me that it gets even worse next week when I have to cut out the sweet potato altogether. Then I will be exhausted. Last night, my legs were still wrecked from training on Wednesday night, when he had me to walking lunges with 2-25lb dumbbells in each hand 100x each leg! Ummm.. yeah, he’s a little crazy, I agree. The walking lunges have the WORST aftermath of any exercise I know of. When you’re doing them, you actually feel it more in your arms, from having to hold those weights. But the next day, without fail, I can barely get out of bed. Without FAIL, every time! Plus, I did 135lb squats AND deadlifts on Monday night, and for some stupid reason, now he’s now making me do 12 reps instead of 10, and 4 sets instead of 3! AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So, yeah it was all I could do to get motivated for my cardio last night- but I got on the stair machine, and did 60 minutes. I had a hard time walking back to the locker room, I’m not gonna lie. My trainer's right- you have to be a little bit crazy to be in shape like this. It gets inside your head, and it really makes you INSANE!
19 June 2008
Important News Report:
News reports have filtered out early this morning that US forces have swooped on an Iraqi Primary School and detained teacher Mohammed Al-Hazar. Sources indicate that, when arrested, Al-Hazar was in possession of a ruler, a protractor, a set square and a calculator.
US President George W Bush argued that this was clear and overwhelming evidence that Iraq indeed possessed weapons of maths instruction.
US President George W Bush argued that this was clear and overwhelming evidence that Iraq indeed possessed weapons of maths instruction.
Share everything time!
I enjoy reading blogs, as well as writing and journaling, and one of the most enjoyable parts of blog-surfing is when I find new stuff added all the time. So, to keep my blog interesting, I’m going to start posting a “Share everything” blog, where I will ask a random question and answer it for myself. Hopefully you’ll get to know me a bit better by my answers, and HOPEFULLY, some of you lazy arses will actually POST A COMMENT and answer the question yourself! (Get the hint?)
So, without further a due, let’s get started with my first SHARE EVERYTHING question:
“WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE DR. SEUSS BOOK?”
My family wasn’t really a Dr. Seuss family- we didn’t have the whole collection on the bookshelf like a lot of kids did. In fact, in my memory, we never actually owned ANY of the Dr. Seuss books. My Dr. Seuss knowledge came from reading the books in school and babysitting. Honestly, the pictures are quite frightening, and I often wondered how little kids wouldn't be SCARED by the illustrations. Let's be honest, the characters are all freaks!
In any case, my favorite Dr. Seuss book would have to be “One fish two fish red fish blue fish.” My favorite part is “I like to box a gox in my socks.” That still makes me laugh!
Ok, answer time- what’s YOUR favorite Dr. Seuss book?
So, without further a due, let’s get started with my first SHARE EVERYTHING question:
“WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE DR. SEUSS BOOK?”
My family wasn’t really a Dr. Seuss family- we didn’t have the whole collection on the bookshelf like a lot of kids did. In fact, in my memory, we never actually owned ANY of the Dr. Seuss books. My Dr. Seuss knowledge came from reading the books in school and babysitting. Honestly, the pictures are quite frightening, and I often wondered how little kids wouldn't be SCARED by the illustrations. Let's be honest, the characters are all freaks!
In any case, my favorite Dr. Seuss book would have to be “One fish two fish red fish blue fish.” My favorite part is “I like to box a gox in my socks.” That still makes me laugh!
Ok, answer time- what’s YOUR favorite Dr. Seuss book?
18 June 2008
In the words of my trainer: "This Sucks!"
Here were are, folks- 10 days out from my final weigh in. It's time for the down and dirty diet to begin! I put out a warning to my husband, my friends and my coworkers that I'm going to get pretty grumpy- especially by day 9 I'm sure. This competition is no joke! I'm upping my cardio to 60 minutes a DAY, including training days. Plus, I'm upping my water to 2 gallons a day (ouch!) I'm so fiercely comitted, though that I'm actually kinda EXCITED to do this (is that insane?) It's a competition, and I HATE losing!!
I just finished meal 2 of my 6 meals a day. I thought I'd post the "menu" that my trainer wrote out for me for the next 10 days of torture. He also informed me that our workouts will be INSANE circuit training, starting TONIGHT!
Wednesday, June 18- Monday, June 23
#1 8am: ½ c. plain oatmeal made with water
1 scoop protein powder with water
#2 11am: 6oz chicken, 5 stalks raw asparagus and 4oz sweet potato
#3 2pm: Repeat meal #2
#4 5pm: 2 scoops protein powder with water
6pm: Workout
#5 7pm: 2 scoop protein powder with water, 8g flax oil
#6 8pm: 8oz chicken, 5 stalks asparagus
Monday, June 23
Eliminate 4oz sweet potato in meal #3
Meal #6 will be 6oz 93% lean ground beef
Tuesday, June 24
Eliminate the other sweet potato
Reduce water to 1 gallon/day
Wednesday, June 25
Food is same as Tuesday
Reduce water to ½ gallon/day
Thursday, June 26
Replace all chicken with lean ground beef
No oatmeal: replace w/6 oz lean ground beef and asparagus
Reduce water to ¼ gallon (this sucks!)
No flax oil with shakes
Friday, June 27
Weigh in!
So, anybody else wanna join me? It's INSANE, right? Yeah, the worst part so far has been eating 5 stalks of raw asparagus. It's not even like the cottage cheese that I had before where I could just swallow it down. This I have to CHEW- and chew alot!
No cheating either- I can't use salt or butter or oil or anything on my food!
I just finished meal 2 of my 6 meals a day. I thought I'd post the "menu" that my trainer wrote out for me for the next 10 days of torture. He also informed me that our workouts will be INSANE circuit training, starting TONIGHT!
Wednesday, June 18- Monday, June 23
#1 8am: ½ c. plain oatmeal made with water
1 scoop protein powder with water
#2 11am: 6oz chicken, 5 stalks raw asparagus and 4oz sweet potato
#3 2pm: Repeat meal #2
#4 5pm: 2 scoops protein powder with water
6pm: Workout
#5 7pm: 2 scoop protein powder with water, 8g flax oil
#6 8pm: 8oz chicken, 5 stalks asparagus
Monday, June 23
Eliminate 4oz sweet potato in meal #3
Meal #6 will be 6oz 93% lean ground beef
Tuesday, June 24
Eliminate the other sweet potato
Reduce water to 1 gallon/day
Wednesday, June 25
Food is same as Tuesday
Reduce water to ½ gallon/day
Thursday, June 26
Replace all chicken with lean ground beef
No oatmeal: replace w/6 oz lean ground beef and asparagus
Reduce water to ¼ gallon (this sucks!)
No flax oil with shakes
Friday, June 27
Weigh in!
So, anybody else wanna join me? It's INSANE, right? Yeah, the worst part so far has been eating 5 stalks of raw asparagus. It's not even like the cottage cheese that I had before where I could just swallow it down. This I have to CHEW- and chew alot!
No cheating either- I can't use salt or butter or oil or anything on my food!
17 June 2008
16 June 2008
It's veggie time!
Confession time: I had ice cream yesterday! (It was DELICIOUS!) Friday night, we were in NJ; I sang with a band called the Lifters for a private party in Hopewell. My brother, Nolan and Dan came out to the gig too! We played from 7-10:30, then we went to TGIFriday’s for food. I got soft fish tacos, NO sauce on them. Instead, I dipped them in salsa to save some calories. We spent the night in Philly at a hotel and took the jetta for inspection Saturday morning. What is it about a car dealership that makes it so hard to resist getting a new car? We only have 10 months left on our lease, so Dan would’ve killed me if I came back with a new car (and a new contract!) We were going to buy out the car at the end of the lease, but we’ve decided that we just don’t need a car anymore, and it’s a burden to have a vehicle in NYC. We rent a monthly parking $pot in Queens, and if you include insurance, car payment, GA$, inspections, and maintenance/oil changes, we’re paying about $800 just to drive it once or twice a month. We may as well just go without a car and if we need to drive somewhere, we’ll just rent a vehicle.
I ate pretty well the rest of the weekend- weekends away are always a challenge, because you’re not in a kitchen, preparing the meals for yourself. I just can’t get all my WATER in on the weekends! During the week, I try to drink at least a gallon of water a day, but on the weekends if I’m traveling, forget it! Saturday afternoon I was at the hair salon, getting my hair dyed RED! (oh yeah, and I LOVE it!) so Dan brought me a protein bar, and then we ate at (Gulp!) Pizza hut with Dan’s parents for dinner. I ordered thin crust pizza with pineapple, and only had 2 slices- it’s been so long since I ate pizza! No regrets!
Yesterday, for father’s day we went to Red Lobster. I had grilled haddock and broccoli. So even though I didn’t eat THAT bad this weekend, I gotta get back on my hard core regime TODAY! The weigh in is just 2 weeks away, so it’s down to the real deal now. I had oatmeal for breakfast, cottage cheese for a snack, and I’m eating a salad for lunch. Then I’ll have a banana before my workout tonight. Starting on Wednesday, I’ll be carb cutting back to just basically chicken and asparagus, and 2 gallons of water a day until my weigh in on the 27th! This is CRAZY!
I ate pretty well the rest of the weekend- weekends away are always a challenge, because you’re not in a kitchen, preparing the meals for yourself. I just can’t get all my WATER in on the weekends! During the week, I try to drink at least a gallon of water a day, but on the weekends if I’m traveling, forget it! Saturday afternoon I was at the hair salon, getting my hair dyed RED! (oh yeah, and I LOVE it!) so Dan brought me a protein bar, and then we ate at (Gulp!) Pizza hut with Dan’s parents for dinner. I ordered thin crust pizza with pineapple, and only had 2 slices- it’s been so long since I ate pizza! No regrets!
Yesterday, for father’s day we went to Red Lobster. I had grilled haddock and broccoli. So even though I didn’t eat THAT bad this weekend, I gotta get back on my hard core regime TODAY! The weigh in is just 2 weeks away, so it’s down to the real deal now. I had oatmeal for breakfast, cottage cheese for a snack, and I’m eating a salad for lunch. Then I’ll have a banana before my workout tonight. Starting on Wednesday, I’ll be carb cutting back to just basically chicken and asparagus, and 2 gallons of water a day until my weigh in on the 27th! This is CRAZY!
Instant oatmeal soup
This morning, I put too much water in my instant oatmeal, and it turned into mushy oatmeal soup. Blecchh. I'm eating my watery oatmeal right now, which has now turned luke-warm. Double Blecch!
13 June 2008
Caught on camera!
I was waiting for the subway after work and managed to snap a picture on my iPhone of this little nasty guy... a RAT! I think I said before how there's an inner struggle of wanting to watch the rat run around on the tracks, or look away because it's so creepy. I don't know if I want to SEE the rat, and know that it's there and be able to avoid it, or just LOOK AWAY and shudder. Usually, I watch because if it starts scurring in my direction, I get the CRAP outta there! Did you know they can JUMP up out of the track on onto the platform? Yeah, I would be in cardiac arrest if that happened. AGGHHHHH!!!!!
12 June 2008
Superman sucks
So, no I didn’t get pictures yet- last night I had another torture training session that was basically a test to see how far he can push me before I collapse in pain and exhaustion. FUN FUN! We did upper body work and abs last night, and seriously, I could barely lift my arms to shampoo my hair in the shower afterwards. It’s really not that it’s a lot of repetitions; I do about 15…20…25 reps of each exercise, but it’s HEAVY! I do bicep curls with 25lb dumbbells in each hand, while I look around and see all the other girls doing the little 5 or 8 pound hand weights. Actually, I guess 25 reps IS a lot! Then, he had me sprinting up the stairMONSTER for 3 minutes in between reps, or doing 90 second planks and 90 second “superman.” A “superman” is when you lay face down on your stomach, extend your legs and arms straight and lift them up as high as you can off the floor, like you’re flying like superman. Sounds easy? Try it! It’s easy for about 10 seconds… then it really starts to suck.
Anyway, we’re coming into the home stretch, and I only have 2 more weeks till final weigh in!
I’ll try to post pictures after my workout tonight- last night we went out for a friend’s birthday at pier 17, in the south sea port. Cool place! I’d never been down there before, and I took pictures last night to post for you to see. Look for them on my other blog- www.carmineanddan.blogspot.com. I try to keep this blog as more of a personal diary/humor blog and the other one is public for pictures, stories, etc.
Ok, I’ll check in with you soon! Layta, playas
Anyway, we’re coming into the home stretch, and I only have 2 more weeks till final weigh in!
I’ll try to post pictures after my workout tonight- last night we went out for a friend’s birthday at pier 17, in the south sea port. Cool place! I’d never been down there before, and I took pictures last night to post for you to see. Look for them on my other blog- www.carmineanddan.blogspot.com. I try to keep this blog as more of a personal diary/humor blog and the other one is public for pictures, stories, etc.
Ok, I’ll check in with you soon! Layta, playas
10 June 2008
Gets your whites whiter!
Three cheers for Amazon!
I got my camera battery charger delivered from Amazon.com, so I will be able to resuscitate my camera back to life tonight. I will take my OWN bodybuilding pictures- although I'm warning you now, my skin color is a stark contrast from the orange oompa loompa ladies that you saw in my previous post.
My friend Cari, who reads (and COMMENTS, thank you very MUCH!) this blog, was having a conversation about how there should be a different name for MY race, which is clearly different than "white." White people aren't WHITE, but I actually am pretty close. Cari said we should call me "CAR-casion" and I suggested "Cauc-ASHEN."
Anyway, I'm done work in about 20 minutes, and I'm off to the gym with Dan and Elizabeth for cardio day. I gave them both guest passes for a week. Dan now wishes he had joined MY gym, Equinox, but he's in a year contract with crunch, so it'd be dumb to pay TWO gym memberships (especially when Equinox is $175/month!)
Gotta head straight home after my workout because I'm having groceries delivered (freshdirect.com is the greatest idea EVER!) at 8!
I got my camera battery charger delivered from Amazon.com, so I will be able to resuscitate my camera back to life tonight. I will take my OWN bodybuilding pictures- although I'm warning you now, my skin color is a stark contrast from the orange oompa loompa ladies that you saw in my previous post.
My friend Cari, who reads (and COMMENTS, thank you very MUCH!) this blog, was having a conversation about how there should be a different name for MY race, which is clearly different than "white." White people aren't WHITE, but I actually am pretty close. Cari said we should call me "CAR-casion" and I suggested "Cauc-ASHEN."
Anyway, I'm done work in about 20 minutes, and I'm off to the gym with Dan and Elizabeth for cardio day. I gave them both guest passes for a week. Dan now wishes he had joined MY gym, Equinox, but he's in a year contract with crunch, so it'd be dumb to pay TWO gym memberships (especially when Equinox is $175/month!)
Gotta head straight home after my workout because I'm having groceries delivered (freshdirect.com is the greatest idea EVER!) at 8!
09 June 2008
Let's get PUMPED!
Saturday night I entered a brave new world- a world of orange tans and speedos. A world of gigantic monsters and women that look like men. Yes, I went to a bodybuilding competition.
As far as bodybuilding competitions go, I'm in the novice category. That's to say, the closest I've ever come to bodybuilding is standing next to "muscle fitness" magazine in the checkout line of the pharmacy. BUT... my trainer has been working out and starving himself and dehydrating and tanning for MONTHS so I said I'd go and support him while he poses in his water panties.
Elizabeth, Dan and I went to the show in TriBeca: there were so many women there that looked like Chyna the wrestler, it was scary! All their boyfriends were short little muscle-y guys too, about 2 feet shorter than the "chicks" (and I use that word loosely) in their plastic clear platform shoes and lycra mini dresses. Again- it was all so very odd.
We really had FUN though, although Elizabeth pointed out that the competition would be even better enjoyed if she was drinking heavily. Then, Jay Cutler, who is 3 time Mr. Olympia came out as a "guest poser." This man was a monster! His legs are 31 inches each! That's like a PERSON on each leg! Unreal!
This guy (above) was 58 years old!! Can you believe it? Why don't they have female bodybuilders that are 58 years old?And finally... (drumroll please) here's my trainer at the competition. Freakin' SICK, right?!
You know, I would've competed too but you know..uh... I'm just not very tan. Yeah... that's right...sure.
You know, I would've competed too but you know..uh... I'm just not very tan. Yeah... that's right...sure.06 June 2008
05 June 2008
Add this to my favorite things list!!!
I can't get ENOUGH of these yummy snacks! They were voted "best snack" in my Shape magazine last month, so when I saw them at the supermarket, I decided to give them a try. Since I'm cutting out simple carbs, white flour, sugar, all that stuff for my workouts, the sweet potatoes are EXACTLY the type of complex carbs I need for my cardio workouts.
I was simply not PREPARED for how DELICIOUS these Dr. Praeger sweet potato bites are!!! If I had kids, this is what I would be feeding them! Even if you say you don't LIKE SWEET POTATOES, and I know some of you are huge skeptics of healthy and organic food- you WILL be surprised at how good they are!! I'm eating them right now, and I just HAD to blog about it!
You can buy them in the freezer section- and they are a PERFECT nighttime snack, or even a small dinner! They have the combination of sweet and savory, and they're organic and just plain GOOD! Try 'em and let me know what you think! I'm hooked on Dr. Praeger! I've also tried the veggie balls and they're amazing too!
Stupid battery charger...
I know everyone's wanting me to take pictures to show you my progress at the gym, but AGAIN, I can't find the blasted battery charger for my camera! I thought a rechargable camera was a good idea, but that's only a good idea if you can keep track of the charger. I haven't been able to find it since the Diesel 60 minute party, and before THAT, I had lost it for months too!
I ordered another charger on amazon.com today, so when it arrives I'll charge up my battery and flex my muscles for some pictures! :) This Saturday night, my trainer is in a bodybuilding competition, and me Dan and Elizabeth are going. I'm especially excited to see the freak show...I mean WOMEN'S bodybuilding portion of the competition. It will either INspire, or DE-spire, me I think. (Shouldn't DE-spire be a word? I think so!)
I'm bringing my FLIP camera to take some videos, and I'll post on this blog!
I ordered another charger on amazon.com today, so when it arrives I'll charge up my battery and flex my muscles for some pictures! :) This Saturday night, my trainer is in a bodybuilding competition, and me Dan and Elizabeth are going. I'm especially excited to see the freak show...I mean WOMEN'S bodybuilding portion of the competition. It will either INspire, or DE-spire, me I think. (Shouldn't DE-spire be a word? I think so!)
I'm bringing my FLIP camera to take some videos, and I'll post on this blog!
04 June 2008
Tore UP!
Hi Guys!
So, here’s some more on my sis Edella and Jen’s visit, with PICTURES that Edella emailed me. When they arrived Thursday night, we went straight to Senor Swanky’s, a Mexican place known for their margaritas. Happy hour STARTS at 10pm, how cool is that? The margaritas are 2 for 1 from 10pm till close. I know- great deal, right? Here’s a picture of my sister, Edella on the left and her best friend Jen on the right:
Dan, Dave, Jason and Kathryn were already 3 or 4 drinks in by the time we arrived. I ordered my glass of water and salad with no dressing (lucky me!) and watched the hilarity ensue.
It was FLEET WEEK in NYC, which means all the sailors in the Navy are in town (actually, I still don’t know really why…) and they were all putting the moves on the girls at the bar. One chick seemed to be especially popular, although we all couldn’t understand what the appeal was. She wasn’t exactly the most attractive young lady and as Jason put it, this girl was “Tore up from the FLOOR up!”
I had some fun at this poor guy’s expense, and convinced him it would be HILARIOUS to put these tomatoes on his eyes. We were all laughing… AT him!
So, here’s some more on my sis Edella and Jen’s visit, with PICTURES that Edella emailed me. When they arrived Thursday night, we went straight to Senor Swanky’s, a Mexican place known for their margaritas. Happy hour STARTS at 10pm, how cool is that? The margaritas are 2 for 1 from 10pm till close. I know- great deal, right? Here’s a picture of my sister, Edella on the left and her best friend Jen on the right:
Dan, Dave, Jason and Kathryn were already 3 or 4 drinks in by the time we arrived. I ordered my glass of water and salad with no dressing (lucky me!) and watched the hilarity ensue.
It was FLEET WEEK in NYC, which means all the sailors in the Navy are in town (actually, I still don’t know really why…) and they were all putting the moves on the girls at the bar. One chick seemed to be especially popular, although we all couldn’t understand what the appeal was. She wasn’t exactly the most attractive young lady and as Jason put it, this girl was “Tore up from the FLOOR up!”
I had some fun at this poor guy’s expense, and convinced him it would be HILARIOUS to put these tomatoes on his eyes. We were all laughing… AT him!
02 June 2008
Roll out the barrel...
Dan and I have a new favorite musician: this old guy! He performs down in the subways, and he moves around to different stations so we never catch him at the same spot. He plays polka music with an organ sound, and he usually has these little dolls set up ALL OVER the place that dance around to the music. It's that combination of creepy and kooky that make it so enjoyable to watch! This guy must be like 100 years old- honestly, I don't know how he does it. I bet he makes a killing, though because EVERYONE gives him a dollar when they walk by. He's just so darn cute! Yey, give it up for the old man with the organ!
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