Amanda - Phase 2 - Final Day

Over the last handful of weeks, I've lost an additional 2 pounds and 2 inches. My goal was 3, but I feel good about the 2, considering that I focused on incorporating different foods in my diet. I ate more beef, fish, pasta, and experimented with Kefir and Kombucha. The jury is still out on those 2 things as to whether or not I'll keep up with them. They take some work, so we'll see. I was also not as strict as I was during our initial 9 weeks. I had dessert a couple times, Thanksgiving was in there, and when my mom came down we had an evening out with a big dinner. It's a good sign that I was still able to lose a couple pounds through it all.

Considering Christmas is coming up, New Year's, and my trip to Nicaragua, this will be my last blog entry.

Jon Tuesday Week 6

I went to the gym this morning!  It was great to be back and feel like I'm back in the groove.  Nothing earth shattering to report, but I did get 2 miles in on the eliptical machine and some push-ups/sit-ups in so that was great. 

I ate well all day and am ready to keep the gym going!

Jon Week 6 Monday

It has been a bit of a hiatus.  Miscommunication and my attention to detail, or lack thereof has been the root!


So, quick update, I have finally rid myself of the cough, but still have a bit of congestion.  My motivation has been low the last several weeks, with being sick and the weather, however I feel as though I am about to turn the corner!  I am taking some good advice and "hopping on the bandwagon" of winter.  We'll see how that treats me.

I had a goal to lose 10 pounds by the end of the year when this second phase started.  I'm proud to report that even with my low motivation and lack of consistent workouts I have lost 7 pounds.  I have not eaten as solid as normal the last 4 or 5 days, but overall have eaten much better than I used to, so that's a positive sign.  For example, I had a few cookies today, but didn't let that derail the entire day like I may have in the past.  Instead, I ate a good dinner,  (chicken and veggies) and feel good about that.

So, cheers for the night and I will be back to the blogging routine!

Amanda - Phase 2, Week 6, Monday

I went to CF this  morning at 9:30:
Thruster
3-3-3-3-3

"Jackie"
1000 meter row
Thruster, 50 reps (45/35)
30 pull-ups

So, the last time we did Thrusters for our strength component was on July 30. At that time, I maxed out at 65# x 3. Today, I did 90# x 3, so I feel good about that.

As far as the WOD, here are my times for Jackie:
June 21 - 15:23 (I did 35# and used the green and purple bands for my pullups)
Aug 21 - 10:18 (I did 35# and used the green and purple bands for my pullups)
Dec 20 - 11:07 (I did 35# and used the blue band for my pullups)

I guess that's a decent progression. I'm not sure. I did my row in 4:20 and did my Thrusters in about 3:00, so I felt good about those times. I definitely had to take a lot of breaks during my pullups. Man, I wish I could get those down! I don't feel like I'm making much progress on them. I feel like they are something I would need to really diligently work on at least 4 days a week to make progress. I'm not sure.

My Kefir has been turning out pretty good, and I made cottage cheese yesterday. It was really easy. I just heated some milk (medium heat) on the stove and gradually poured in some kefir and gently stirred for about a minute. It was amazing. These huge curds started to develop and the milk turned to whey. I then let it sit for 2 minutes, removed the curds, and let them dry in a cheese cloth for about 15 minutes. I ate some while they were warm and they were SO good. I refrigerated the rest, and they were super good chilled as well. I didn't think I'd like them as well without the liquid stuff that cottage cheese normally sits in, but they were so much better. I think I'll make some today too!

Amanda - Phase 2, Week 5, Sunday

I went to that Aerial/Acrobat Conditioning class today. It was a lot of fun! It wasn't cardiovascular, for the most part, but we did a lot of stretching and things that required upper body work, like climbing the silks (basically a silky curtain) and working on the trapeze. I could see taking some type of series in the future.

I worked out 5 of 7 days this week and my meals were pretty good. I did eat a couple things that weren't very healthy for me like a fabulous grilled cheese sandwich and a piece of coconut cream pie, but I've been able to that and maintain my weight, which is a success!

Amanda - Phase 2, Week 5, Saturday

I didn't workout yesterday, but I did do my Gym workout this morning. I decided to do it in shorts. I hadn't done that for a while, and I did notice a difference in my legs. I was pleasantly surprised. I still have work to do, but I enjoyed seeing the improvement!

My meals have been going well, and I will post my results next week. They won't be real dramatic, but I have done well incorporating more variety in my diet at least.

Amanda - Phase 2 - Week 5, Thursday

I didn't work out yesterday, but I did bottle my Kombucha. I think I let it go a little too long, but I put a bit of sugar in it and some pineapple and ginger. I guess I'm supposed to let it sit in the bottle for a few days and then it should be ready. We will see, but I'm a bit skeptical. When I tasted it, I couldn't imagine drinking it. I did read a few places though that you might have to throw out your first batch. I have 2 other gallons 'in process'. One seems to be doing really well and the other one doesn't seem to be doing much at all. I put them on a heating pad, as the heat is supposed to expedite the process. Hopefully at least one of those batches turns out well.

I worked out this morning in the gym. The workout was good. I had good energy and for my last sprint, I ran a quarter mile at 10mph. I felt good about that. Usually I only run my last sprint for 75 seconds which works out to .18 mile. For some reason, I had extra stamina.