Day 22

I weighed in this morning before I had my second metabolic test and I lost 3 lbs. this last week.  So now I am 290 - 10 lbs. down in 3 weeks.  UGH!!!  I have to look at the positive, it is 3 lbs. and let me tell you, I worked my ass off to get those 3 lbs.  Honestly, I thought I would have lost more weight by now.  But my body is going to do what it's going to do.  I definitely have gained muscle over the last 3 weeks.  I can feel it, especially in my legs.  All that incline walking on the treadmill is helping that.

I am absolutely LOVING working out.  Especially with my trainer.  I work out by myself at times and it's just not the same.  Joe really pushes me to my limits, just like a trainer should.  I love that.  I amaze myself everyday at how much stronger I am and how much more I can endure.  For example, the 1st week, I could only do 5 minutes on the stair stepper at a time.  Now I bet I could last an hour on that thing.  I love it!

I have really been working on interval training with the treadmill too.  I definitely burn the most calories on the treadmill.  I don't know why, but I do.  I typically switch the incline every 2-3 minutes and I incorporate weight and bands into my treadmill workout.  It's GREAT!!!

Still, my favorite time everyday is when I go into my sanctuary (STEAM ROOM).  I love it in there.  The smell of eucalyptus is divine.  I only can last 10 minutes at a time, but let me tell you, those 10 minutes are heavenly.  I go in there and just give thanks for everything in my life and for my amazing body and what it is able to endure.

I had some MAJOR water retention issues this last week.  I think my body is finally figuring that all out too.  I am once again peeing my brains out.  PHEW!

Joe questioned me about what supplements I was taking.  Well, I'm not taking anything.  I didn't want to take anything that was off of The Fresh Diet.  So Joe convinced me that for my muscles to recover, I need to take some supplements.  So I purchased some MegaRed - Omega 3 - Krill oil.  It says to take 1 pill a day.  So I will begin that tomorrow.  I also purchased Liquid Life which is liquid vitamins, herbs & minerals.  I will be taking 1 ounce of that a day.  JOY!

I finished my taxes yesterday!  That has been the last HUGE task in my life.  I feel like a million pounds has been lifted off of my shoulders.  My husband is a computer consultant and so I have to go through every receipt and every invoice and this last year with Grandma Belle here I did nothing.  So I had an entire year to go through.  It was a PAIN, but it's done and at the CPA.

I was able to take time to go through some of Grandma Belle's things that we had brought here.  It brought back many wonderful memories of my past.  I found some amazing pictures and papers from the past.  I also filled up two garbage bags of junk.  It's so nice to get organized.  I really like a clean, organized house and I'm almost there.  I have been doing some DEEP cleaning out of everything.  Ridding my life of those things that just take up space that are meaningless to me.  It's a very rewarding thing for me to do.  Purge all the crap!

So today for exercise I had my metabolic test on the treadmill this morning for 20 minutes.  Then I went back to the club this afternoon to do cardio and then train with Joe.

Workout

• Treadmill - Interval Train and lift weights while walking. - 15 mins.
• Stair stepper - 30 floors - 32 steps a floor - I used to do 26 steps a floor.  I'm so happy I can endure this.  I could've gone longer, but Joe showed up to train me.

Training with Joe

• Seated Row - 40 lbs - 3 sets of 10, holding for count of 5 each pull - alternating with:
• Barbell Bicep Curl - 25 lbs. - 3 sets of 20
• 1/4 mile on the treadmill
• Sitting Cable One Arm Lat Pulldown. - 2 sets of 10 - 17 lbs - So for these I would sit on the exercise ball and reach up and grab the cable and pull down and rotate in as I came down.  I would switch arms after 10. - Alternating with:
• Ab cable "X" crunches - 2 sets of 20 each side7.5lbs.  - So for these I would sit down on the exercise ball and then roll down until my back was on the ball.  Then I would grab the cable with both hands - straight arms - over my head and bring my hands and crunch up and touch my left knee and then the other set the right knee.  All I can say is HELLO ABS!!!  I found some NEW muscle in my abs that I never knew existed.
• 1/4 mile on the treadmill
• Ab Cable Rotations with A exercise ball - 2 sets of 20 each side - 7.5 lbs.
• 1/4 mile on the treadmill

So for food today, I had the following:

• 8am - Hawaiian Pineapple stuffed whole wheat french toast with strawberries & blueberry cottage cheese.
• 11am - roasted tomato & mozzarella whole wheat bruschetta
• 12pm - Chicken Caesar Salad
• 3pm - chicken skewer with tequila lime glaze (spicy good)
• 6:30pm - lean turkey meatballs with fresh marinara sauce w sun-dried tomato couscous & sauteed baby bok-choy