Push-Ups

This is Day 11 of the pull-ups/push-ups challenge.  So, I can do 10 pushups in a row baby!  Can't tell me nothing.

I'm on my way to 25 in a row push-ups!  By summer I will have arms and shoulders like one of my favorite fitness inspirations:

Photo by Reuters/Landov

That's the plan at least.  My shoulders are soft and round now and nowhere near the shapeliness they had when I was in my early 20s.  I could do up to 30 back then (in sets of 10) and I could do pull-ups.  I am getting better and better with the pull-ups.  My husband has put the bar up higher and I can actually hold myself within an inch of the bar for six seconds now.  I do 3 reps of those.

My middle is whittling away.  I won't do any more measurements until February 24, 2014.  Hopefully I will see some inch difference.  I feel the difference already.  The weather has been cold but I cannot let that deter me from my fitness goals.

The hubs has a pretty good collection of resistance bands that I want to use eventually.  I am overall happy with my progress...the thing is my waist is pretty much where I want it to be (give or take an inch or so) while everything else (muffintop) isn't moving as fast.  I think the Russian Twists would help especially using the resistance bands.


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So digging back through my archives I came across this little ditty from 2010.

  Yes, this is me.  I weighed about 135 pounds, which in my opinion is way too small for me.  Look at my clavicle sticking out! I don't want to be this small again.  Anyway, that isn't why I posted this.  See the top I'm wearing?  That is the Blissful top from The Happy Hooker (2006).  I made some changes to the pattern...I connected the back so this is a full shirt.  I made it from Bernat Satin Sport yarn and was really really proud of myself.  I couldn't fit into that thing for anything these days but that is besides the point.  I am making it again!  This time I decided to use Pink Bamboo thread yarn (size 10) which makes for a lot of modifications.  It's just really beautiful and something I want to aim to wear come summer when I hit the beach.

Graze Box Review

Maybe you've seen the Facebook ad for them, popping up in your feed incessantly because one of your friends liked the page.  Maybe you looked at the NatureBox and the all-seeing Google and Facebook collaborated and popped like searches in your feed.  Maybe you've never heard of Graze at all.  Well, now you're in luck.  I have heard of Graze and have received my (free!) box in the mail yesterday.

 Here is the Graze box.  It fits in the mail box...fairly smallish.  I placed the CD there for a comparison.  Well I received an interesting assortment. I will review them all individually.

Dark Rocky Road
Ingredients: 

pecan

dark chocolate buttons (cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter, soy lecithin, natural vanilla) 50% Cacao

cranberries (cranberries, sugar, sunflower oil)

My Thoughts:  I'm not a dark chocolate fan so that aside, these were really good.  I'd recommend them, even if I only ate the cranberry and pecans.  The inner packaging says they have a best by date of April 1, 2014.  It isn't more or less good than the nut mixes I buy locally especially since I take care to avoid dark chocolate.  Like I said I would recommend them but for my money I would have to take a pass.

Chili and Lime Pistachios
Ingredients:
pistachios, salt, natural chili and lime flavors

My Thoughts:  LOVE THEM!  These are absolutely delicious!  The chili and lime compliment the flavor of the pistachios perfectly.  I would have been happy with an entire box filled with them.  It is going to be hard to go back to Wonderful's plain salted pistachios (I can't find the cracked pepper ones anymore).  I HIGHLY recommend these.

Bonnie Wee Oatbakes
Ingredients:

cheese and chive oatbakes (55%) (oatmeal (64%) , cheese powder (8%) (suitable for vegetarians), olive oil, salt, chives (contains gluten)

red onion marmalade (45%):  (red onions (52%), white wine vinegar, muscovado sugar, sugar, balsamic vinegar, black pepper)

My Thoughts: Disgusting!  Okay, that's being a bit overly critical.  They weren't that bad.  I did somewhat like the red onion marmalade.  I absolutely abhorred the cheese and chive oatbakes.  They were bland with little flavor.  The best part about eating them was the red onion marmalade.  After one, I was satisfied not to try any more.  I don't think I would recommend this.  One of my coworker's loved it while everyone else agreed with me, so I would have to say it is an acquired taste.  

Summer Berry Flapjack

Ingredients:

rolled oats (41%)

margarine (vegetable oils, water, salt)

demerera sugar

golden syrup

infused cranberries (11%) (sugar, cranberries, natural strawberry flavor, natural raspberry flavor, citric acid, sunflower oil, elderberry juice concentrate)

cranberries (sugar, cranberries, sunflower oil) (contains gluten)  

My Thoughts:  Delicious!  Unfortunately they had a no-no ingredient of mine that I didn't realize until after I partook in one of them:  margarine.  I avoid vegetable oil mixtures like the plague and was disappointed that they couldn't find another type of oil (olive, coconut, sunflower, etc) to cook with.  After reading that ingredient I couldn't bring myself to eat more.  If you aren't particular about eating margarine, then I would highly recommend them because they are absolutely divine!

Now here is the big question.  Would I order these again?  Since we are able to go on the site and pick and choose what we like or don't like and trash the things we never want to receive again, I would say yes, I would order again with a box tailored to my own preferences.  The only thing I absolutely didn't like was the oatbakes.  Everything else was pretty damn good. 

Beware!  SHAMELESS PLUG 

If you would like to try a Graze box for FREE....By all means go HERE and enter friendcode:  VD7QTMDCP.

It's free so you have nothing to lose!  My advice is to go through, look at the ingredients and pick and choose what you wouldn't mind receiving prior to having the box shipped.  You can't decide exactly what you want in it but you can come very close to getting what you want.

Fitness Progress (Woo-Hoo!)

My last update regarding my weight was January 6th.  These were my stats:

Height: 5'3
Weight: 159.9 lbs
Body Fat Percentage: no idea
Muscle Percentage: no idea
BMI: 28.3
Waist (at belly button): 32 in. (down from 34.5)
Waist (bellow belly button, aka, my pooch): 34 inches (down from 35.7)
Hips: 42.5 in.
Chest: 35 in.
Thighs: 24 in.
Arms: 11.5 in.

Now it's January 20th.  It's been about 3 weeks or so since I've been on the intermittent fasting "diet."  I hesitate to call it a diet...it has become something I would like to be a lifestyle change for me.  I eat within an 8 hour period during the day and fast for 16 hours.  It's been called many names but I settled on intermittent fasting.

I've lost 6 pounds since starting.  I've also become a pescetarian so I do not know the effect that change had but I still eat quite a bit of calories...I don't believe I'm operating at a deficit.  Anywho, here are my stats now:


Height: 5'3
Weight: 154.0 lbs
Body Fat Percentage: no idea
Muscle Percentage: no idea
BMI: 27.3
Waist (at belly button): 31 in. (down from 32)
Waist (bellow belly button, aka, my pooch): 34 inches (down from 35.7)
Hips: 42 in (down from 42.5)
Chest: 35 in.
Thighs: no idea (will post later)
Arms: no idea (will post later)

I can see a difference in myself.  I feel lighter.  I lost two pounds in just the past week.  I don't want to lose too much.  In my younger years gaining weight was extremely difficult for me.  I don't want to be too skinny and I would like my weight loss to stop preferably around 150.  I'll take 145 but only if I am very toned.  My love handles are shrinking!  I can actually see the difference and feel it.  My size twelve pants are loose but aren't falling off of me (yet).  I'd be satisfied in a size 10...8 is pushing it and heaven help me if I get any smaller than that.  One should have meat on his/her bones.  My pooch won't budge...It looks toner due to the shrinking obliques though.  I shall see how this develops.

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I need to get disciplined enough to do 100 squats a day for 30 days.  I want to tighten up the glutes...they also work the abs as well.  Well a quick google search bought up this 30 Day Squat Challenge.  Tomorrow is day 1 for me.  Wish me luck!

http://www.thehealthycollective.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/30-day-squat-challenge.jpg

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On the Give It 100 challenge...This is day 4 and I can do 3 man push-ups.  I haven't been able to practice the pull-up as I've gone twice without the hubby to the gym.  I can't move that big bar on the squat machine, and I don't really want to ask any of the guys in there.  Don't want them getting any ideas.  I want phenomenal shoulders so I have to get those push-ups in gear.  My goal is at least 10 by the end of the month.  If I can do more, that's great!  baby steps.  I am going to practice every day until 3 becomes easier.  Then I'll had more.  Three is killing me right now (lol).  

 Hubby has these Perfect Push-Up exercise aids laying around.  He had me try them...THESE ARE TOUGH!  

Here is what I've discovered.  After attempting to do two on these, doing them on the floor is much easier.   

I'll probably use these to help with my planks though...baby steps.

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 This is a craft blog and I haven't written anything about crafting lately, have I?  Well I've still been at it, mostly drawing, but I'm getting some crochet work done.  I finished a pink baby blanket.  I am working on a white shrug for the summer out of crochet thread that is taking awhile only because I work on it every now and then.  It is in modules so I am connecting them as I go along.  I honestly can't wait for it to be done and hopefully my arms will be just right for it.  Pictures are forthcoming (I promise!).  


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Best quote I've heard all week:  Treat your body like a temple, not a trash can.  Amen to that! 

Super Easy Kale Chips Recipe

Look at me, a regular blogger these days!  Well that's only because I have a lot to say and time to say it, which was sorely lacking last year.

First things first.  Last night I decided to try my hand at kale chips and a smoked salmon quiche. I pretty much did the same thing I did with the last quiche only with better evaporated milk (Carnation, not store brand).  I bought a smoked salmon fillet that was ready to eat...it tastes delicious either way and I was really proud/happy with the results.  The kale chips came out fantastically.  Here's all I used:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Wash the kale and dry thoroughly with paper towels.  Separate the leaves from the thick stem...trash the stem.  Place leaves in a big bowl (not pictured) and spray them liberally with the Pam Olive Oil cooking spray.  Massage them to make sure that the oil gets over every leaf.

Then shake as much of the seasonings on it that you can stand.  Beware, that creole seasoning has a real kick to it.  If you are watching your sodium intake, take it easy. 

Spread the kale out on your baking pan (I used a 16" round pizza pan, not pictured), making sure none of the leaves touch.  Bake for 10 minutes. 

Now here is what I learned from this experience.
1.   Kale chips are good.
2.   Kids love them.
3.   The raw kale tastes great with this olive oil/seasoning combination too.
4.   They do burn easy.  They are supposed to retain their green appearance.  I went overboard a few times
      and turned my dark green kale to olive green (which is burnt) but they still taste darn good. 
5.   They are very fragile.
6.    Did I mention kids love them?  Finally had to put my foot down on the fifth batch which I intended to
       take to work.

In a nutshell, Kale chips are really yummy.  I admit I was dubious when I saw them in the local natural food market last year.  I couldn't imagine them being tasty.  Now that I have tried them I can honestly say I am hooked. and I am too pleased I didn't have to shell out $7.99 - $9.99 a bag.  Kale costs $1.19 a bunch in these parts.  I also have a kale plant (and several broccoli plants) growing on my deck. 

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I discovered a website called www.giveit100.com.  Apparently, you make 10 second video clips of you practicing something every day for 100 days.  I chose to do this with my newest aspiration:  learning how to do a pull-up.  Laugh if you must, but I don't feel in the least bit bad I can't do one.  Apparently I am in good company, as 55% of the women in the Marines can't do the required three.  So my goal is to be able to do at least three (preferably more) within 100 days.  I added push-ups for good measure.  First Lady Michelle Obama can really go at those.  Maybe, just maybe, I'll have arms as enviable as hers if I master those too.  I know she can do at least 25...she challenged Jimmy Fallon and Ellen.  Well they challenged her and they both lost miserably.  I will update with my progress daily.  It will be every other day...I did pull-ups today so push-ups tomorrow.

My hubby has me doing them differently to start.  I lay down on the floor at the bar assist machine (that's not the name of it "officially" but it is the machine that helps you do your squat that you can adjust.  I lay down on the floor and attempt to pull myself up.  I do the motion twice and hold for three seconds on the last before slowly lowering myself to the floor.  I did eight reps today.  Those are TOUGH.  I know in another 99 days I'll be laughing at my weakness but for right now I am hurting.

Pescetarian for the New Year!

I decided to go pescetarian for the new year.  What's a pescetarian?  A vegetarian that also eats fish.  It's not too complicated.  I still eat eggs even though I don't eat chicken and I absolutely love cheese and still add milk/cream to my recipes...becoming vegan will be difficult so I'm taking baby steps.  I went vegan all at once back in 2012 and got sick, sick, SICK.  Seriously, I ended up with bronchitis which even with medicine, hardly cleared up until I started eating meat again.  I tried again...got bronchitis again.  Apparently my body was detoxing in overdrive because of my sudden switch so I'm going easy on myself this go around.

I discovered black bean burgers at Buffalo Wild Wings and they became an instant favorite.  Then disaster hit!  I ended up getting food poisoning at a local grocery store's deli (national chain that shall remain nameless).  I should have known better but I've had their tuna subs before.  This go around was probably as typical as you're going to get I suppose.  After almost 24 hours of waves of nausea not to mention the whole, "I can't keep water down" shtick, I went to the doctor who confirmed that I had gastroenteritis most likely caused by food poisoning and gave me some anti-nausea medicine, the kind that dissolve on your tongue as I couldn't drink water.  It worked.  I was finally able to eat, albeit it was cream of shrimp soup followed by two oranges.  I felt like I could fly over the moon after the oranges which let me know my blood sugar was especially low.  Today is the first day I could see my veins since last Thursday so I am confident I am sufficiently hydrated.

The good news is I lost some weight!  Prior to this I was trying out the whole eating within an 8 hour period, fasting 16 hours thing...almost two weeks and I lost 2 pounds.  Then the food poisoning.  I lost an additional two pounds.  I'm sitting at 156 even now.  I figure I will probably gain the last two pounds back but so far despite being back on my eating schedule, I seem to be holding steady.  My waist at the belly button went down 1 whole inch (31 now, woohoo!).  Yes I am celebrating a bit.  I am back to where I was (weight-wise) in May 2013.  My doctor was impressed with my weight loss from December 18th (when I went for the chest wall inflammation).  I lost six pounds according to her scale.

Well, what have I been doing lately?  I got back to the gym for the first time today!  I've been doing small workouts at home but it felt good to work up a sweat at the gym.  My husband wouldn't let me dive right in so we did some modified strength training to accommodate my inflammation issues and worked on stretching more.  He's also showing me the proper way to run by showing my the technique and form.  Apparently I'm a natural.

I've also been cooking.  Now generally I don't like to cook.  I do like to eat and I love good and beautiful food.  I'm also an artist so I should be able to do a little something but I like to keep things simple.  Steam, foil bake, boil...anything that doesn't fit within those confines remains uncooked.  Well becoming a pescetarian challenged my limited abilities.  First off, developing a love affair with black bean burgers meant shelling out $7.99 + tax to Buffalo Wild Wings ($3.73 with the $5 off survey coupon).  That just seems so fiscally irresponsible I just had to find a recipe.

The Homemade Black Bean Veggie Burger from Allrecipes.com is great easy and tastes DIVINE!  In my opinion when it is done fresh...not when it is reheated in a microwave as I am forced to do at work. 

So I am good for the week on that.  The recipe made five huge patties.  I bought some chipotle cheddar cheese (yes I know, terrible but I don't care...) to eat with them.

My Quiche...isn't it lovely?

Then I decided to make a quiche.  I LOVE QUICHE.  Emphasis on L-O-V-E.  The thing is I had never made it before.  This go around it was About.com to the rescue.  I was struggling with the whole "crust" thing when I noticed the low-carb option in google for a Crustless Quiche.  I bought some evaporated milk and a deep dish 9" pie pan along with some other niceties that I won't have to buy again for awhile and made a broccoli, spinach and cheese quiche.  I threw some diced onions and green peppers and blue cheese in for good measure.  I followed the recipe to the letter.  The results were simply divine.  The kids weren't thrilled and hubby didn't try it but who cares?  More for me.  Since quiche tastes good cold as well I don't have to do the whole "microwaving" thing.  I absolutely abhor microwaves but that's a post for another day.

What's my next recipe?  I'm thinking Kale chips :-). Or Zesty Kale Chips...  Oh and a Crustless Smoked Salmon Quiche...

Last thing...I can see my results!

August versus January

 The left picture was August 24, 2013.  The right picture was January 13, 2014.  I started working out in October.  That's roughly four months, 9 pounds and several inches.  Can you see the difference?  Even my face lost weight.  There's the case of the disappearing boobage but I guess that can't be helped as long as it is taking belly fat with it.  Now I need to work on muscle definition.

Remember back in October when I said I needed help giving up Zaxby's?  I haven't had Zaxby's in months!

New Year, Time to Rev it Up!

So, for January 2014, here are my stats:

Height: 5'3
Weight: 159.9 lbs
Body Fat Percentage: no idea
Muscle Percentage: no idea
BMI: 28.3
Waist (at belly button): 32 in. (down from 34.5)
Waist (bellow belly button, aka, my pooch): 34 inches (down from 35.7)
Hips: 42.5 in.
Chest: 35 in.
Thighs: 24 in.
Arms: 11.5 in.

Obviously this is not my ideal but it is better than weighing 167 pounds at my heaviest.  I have to step it up.  I suffered from some chest wall inflammation just a few weeks ago and have recently finished my course of anti-inflammatory meds and will be going back to the doctor soon.  In the meantime I have been ordered to take it easy with the weight training and cardio.  I feel so much better now but will obey until I get the official okay.

My goal weight I have readjusted once again for 150 lbs...I'd take 152 or 153 though.  My goal waist would be what it was prior to having children 28 inches but I know that isn't realistic.  I'd take 30 at the waist and 32 at the pooch.  Hips can stay where they are.  I like hips.  Chest can stay where it is although I know it will shrink (sigh). 

Since my exercise has been restricted I have done other things in the meantime. My goal was to have my legs back.  I kind of let myself go in that I gained weight, developed cankles, and was unhappy with my tree trunk legs in sandals.  To add to the misery I developed Baker's cysts on the back of both of my knees.  I missed my svelt and lithe dancer legs of my youth.  Well now I have them back!  Well almost.  I still have the Baker's cysts which kind of spoil my overall look but from what I have read since mine aren't painful (any more) they would probably just go away on their own over time.


Well, how did I do it?  I used the Awesome Legs Workout on the T-Tapp website!  1 week, every day.  It works!  I didn't even notice until I looked last night.  I had ankles! And that beautiful line up my calf.  I tried on some heels and swooned.  Just gorgeous.  Now how vain am I?  I love beautiful legs, what can I say.  I don't know if I lost any inches but let's just say my thighs don't converse any more.  I lost my favorite pair of jeans to their heated conversations.


That is all for now.  I guess in all the hoopla of fitness and contemplating, my crafting has been abandoned somewhat.  Well not to worry, I am still very much crafting.  I am currently working on a motif bolero and some ACEO cats.  I draw a bit too.  I have gallery work and my more commercial work (to fund my gallery work.  Here are some of my kitties I sell on Ebay from time to time.

Emma

Fox

In Her Sights

Lost In Thought

Sweet Girl

Wide Eyed Wonder

Lounging Around