Day 4 of 1200 calorie diet

This is my own meal planned day and what I ate today then will finish off day with

Breakfast

1 cup Special K cereal

1/2 cup skim milk ( I use less not a milk fan)

3-4 slices strawberries or some sliced banana

Lunch

1 whole wheat pita

1/2 cup mixed salad

1 slice of turkey breast or chicken

1 apple

Snack

1 low calorie low fat snack bar I have chocolat brand I believe is how it is spelled got when I did Hcg diet has 35 calories and no sugar lots of flavors. You can find lots of selections at gnc or whole foods.

Dinner

1 serving grilled chicken breast

1/2 cup of grilled veggies like green or red peppers, onion and mushrooms.

I don't eat it but says you can have 1/2 cup brown rice I just eat the chicken and veggies. Only seasoning I use is black pepper and cayenne pepper or apple cider vinegar for dressing or to season chicken before cooking. All great to boost metabolism.

Then for dessert I am having 1/2 cup sliced strawberries dipped in non fat plain yogurt that I froze in freezer delicious. Enjoy and hope diet is helping everyone with ideas. I have been doing this for a few months on and off so now I can pretty much make it up as I go but wanted to share the sheet my trainer gave me and I have a good friend who is taking nutrition courses for her degree.

Also don't forget if you can't go to the gym or take work out classes try to walk for a half and to an hour a day. Just get your heart rate up. I even put music on when I clean and dance or do squats then lunges. Make chores your workout. I walk 2-3 miles alteast a day with half jogging the rest walking, some nights I carry 3lb each hand weights or medicine ball to workout my arms. I also will do lunges as I walk. Then every am I do 100 crunches, then different ab workouts and plank got one minute holding entire minute, 3-5 times after ab workout. Somedays I do insanity videos and then at least three days hit the gym for box fit class. Once I am 5 lbs from my goal weight will do weights daily. Right now most important thing is building core muscles and balancing. I use medicine balls to hold plank or my balance ball to practice balancing.

Enjoy and if anyone else is working out or dieting let me know I love to hear results. I started box fit in Oct the week of Halloween before that I dieted on and off then when I had money did workouts but usually just walked when convenient lost maybe 5-10 lbs but would gain back. Since joining gym and doing box fit from Oct-new year with a slight cut in calories went from 167 to 160. Then since new years cut down to 1200-1300 calories with lots of water, daily walks, and box fit went from 160-145. Goal is 130-135 I'm 5'7-5'8 so that us healthy. I was 117 two years ago and last year was 125 which is very thin for me will post photos below of thin me. I took before and after photos but won't post till done. Also been measuring cause I lose more inches then pounds it seems.

Off to post day 5.

Melissa

Dieting and Fitness over 30

I decided to blog again about dieting and fitness.  I posted a few blogs since October when I decided to join a boxing gym to get into better shape.  I have tried all different gyms, workouts, crossfit, diets, and trends.  I never battled with weight in my teens and twenties.  Even after I had my first daughter at 22 I dropped the weight quickly without dieting and little exercise.  I was always a size 0-3 until after the birth of my second daughter, I had her at 30.  I started exercising and dieting when she was 3 months old and it took me almost two years to get down to a size 0-1 again.  I cheated though after months of busting my butt I found these chinese diet pills.  I lost 23 lbs the first month, then started selling them and eventually lost over 50 lbs in a little under 3 months.  No exercise at all.  They were amazing but eventually after losing a ton of weight and making a lot of extra side money selling them, the FDA banned them in the US.  They became hard to find and also there were a lot of fakes out there that who knows what was in them lol.  I kept the weight off for over two years but last year I went thru a lot of life changes and battled with depression for a little while.  The medication along with quitting smoking caused me to put back on a lot of the weight.

I started to see all the changes people had told me about as we get older, and after we have kids.  Losing weight was not as easy, I realized there is no quick fix and if there is it is temporary, also possibly not vert healthy.  I also started to realize that I had a weird way of seeing myself, even when I was the smallest I ever was I would at that time think I was still over weight.  I could be a size 0 and think wow I need to work out I want to be tone, I still have a muffin top lol.  I laugh now cause I look at photos of myself from a year and a half ago and also look at my 13 year old who is wearing my jeans or clothes from then and think wow I was way too thin.  I am 5'7 and weighed around 116 that is not healthy at all.  I was a twig.  I wanted to gain a little weight back then cause I was starting to see that I was getting to small but when I got to the size I wanted to be things didn't stop.  

I started researching my height and what weight is considered healthy then realized that most of my life I have been under weight, more then I have been over weight.  That in fact I have never really been over weight, maybe a little but not seriously.  I also started to see that now that I have had two kids, and have hit 35 that things are changing big time.  My metabolism isn't what it use to be and my energy isn't either.  I love working out cause I sleep better, wake up easier and have way more energy.  Also I have realized that eating better makes my skin, hair, nails and everything look better.  I have been working out a lot.  I walk 2-3 miles a day, five times a week, take 3-4 boxing/kick boxing classes a week and also cut out or cut back on soda, carbs and don't eat any junk, except a splurge here and there on a weekend night.

I have recently decided to really start counting my calories.  I did the HCG diet last year in April when I wanted to lose a 15 pounds and that was total torture.  Needles, hormones and the lowest calorie intake I have ever had in my life.  I had zero energy, hormones were all over and it made me feel more depressed.  I quit that after a month and decided to start walking, later I did crossfit but decided I needed to lose weight first cause with that I was building muscle but not losing much weight.  I joined the boxing gym and that has changed how I feel about working out and dieting.  I did a 1300 calorie a day Monday-Saturday diet and allowed myself one cheat day for the passed two months, I have lost over 20 pounds, but want to lose 15 more.  The last 10-15 is the hardest.  I have increased my working out and walking, plus starting Monday I am going to go to 1100-1200 calories a day every day for 2 weeks to kick start and shock the body, while adding more walking, classes at the gym and I am looking into getting a personal trainer 3 days a week for 2 weeks to help me get down a good work out plan for the gym after my classes or on days I don't take a class.

I plan to share my diet plan with everyone.  I have a friend who is going to school to be a nutritionist and my other girlfriend I joined the gym with just started working out with one of the amazing trainers, she is also going to do the 1200 calorie meal plan that he has specialized for her.  I have cut down soda and am going to try to cut it out completely the next few weeks sticking to water, juice or lemonade.  I will be posting the meal plan Sunday night that you can also follow along with.  I already have been dieting and eating healthier, I shopped the passed four weeks buying a lot of chicken, salad stuff, vegetables, fruit, fish, whole wheat pitas, oatmeal and other healthy foods.  Along with adding a protein bar or shake before the gym to give me that added energy boost.  I downloaded a calorie counter for my Iphone and a pedometer for my walks or runs.  I will share the applications with anyone who has an IPhone they are great, the calorie counter has cool features that will add up calories, you can scan bar codes off items you purchase then enter servings and adds it for you, super cool apps.  Got to love the technology lol.

I would love to hear from anyone who is also dieting, working out or has any input on this topic.  I promise the diet plan I post will be easy to follow, I will be posting daily my meal diary and fitness diary, plus I will weigh in on Mondays along with taking measurements, cause sometimes the scale is not the best weigh to see how much it is working.  Inches tend to show more then pounds.  I will also take photos.  I have photos from my previous weight loss with my diet pills and those were the best motivation.  I hope to hear from others and help motivate others.  I want to be fit, healthy and feel great since I am getting older.  Trust me ladies you are not alone out there, we all battle with weight, dieting, body image and more.  No one is perfect, they just work really hard for it trust me.  Especially once we hit 30 and have had kids.

Till Sunday I will be sticking to my routine and eating 1300 calories a day till the weekend.  I will post the week meal plan Sunday night and then Monday morning weigh in then measure so I can post all those details.  Excited to share this last 15 pounds to my healthy weight and feeling great again=).

Melissa

Quick mani before gym and lucky day!

To start I won a Michael Kors jet set tote today. I was so excited entered the drawing almost two months ago when I got email to confirm prize thought it was a scam so gave po box address went to post office to mail some things and to my surprise there was a box! I would have never bought this bag myself. I like the all leather ones and so many I like this would have been on the bottom. I was happy it is not the canvas one cause I dot care for the canasta bags they tend to fade and stain easy. I am super happy it is valued at $198 and I wanted a brown bag since I just got a black python leather one.

I decided after trying the new nail colors to go with a quick mani before the gym today. I picked Zoya Aurora from the Ornate collection. What a gorgeous polish. All of the colors I have tried from this collection are gorgeous and even though they are packed with sparkle super easy to remove not like typical glitter polishes which I love but hate at the same time lol.

I was in a rush I leave in twenty for boxing class so I got dressed first except for my shoes. I applied one quick coat of Butter London Nail Foundation then two quick coats of the Zoya Aurora finished with quick dry Out the Door top coat. Nails are pretty much dry in less then a couple minutes which is a must for an always on the go mom.

This polish is so pretty pictures don't do it justice. I love purple and it is a perfect shade of purple filled with iridescent sparkles that remind me of a glitter ornament or glass ornament for the holidays. Put me in a festive mood for sure:). I will post more photos later when I have more time to snap some and also going to upload my camera shots of Christmas tree, decor and some nail polish swatches I been meaning to upload for awhile.

Have a great mid week and so happy the weekend is almost here:). Today makes three days in a row of gym I been going 3-5 days a week while I can but both daughters sports seasons start in the upcoming weeks so besides their practices I will have games also. I am planning on going to am classes and they have a morning boot camp class for two hours Monday Wednesday and Friday I have been dying to go to. For now meeting a good friend in the evenings for boxing, kickboxing and box fit classes. I'm down from a wearing a size 12-10 to a 5-7 in jeans and from a large top to medium and a few larges depends on top. Weight wise down 18 lbs from start almost six weeks ago next Monday will be six week mark. I see a huge change in my body from how defined it is, overall inches, my energy, self esteem and sleep is much easier. I love this gym and the classes highly recommend it over all other fads out there now. Swear by it, I get the best work out and I can kick some butt lol. That doesn't hurt any these days.

Off to work out enjoy photos below


Melissa

Above is a photo of the prize I won=).  I am very happy even though I would not have picked this myself but don't have.  Hubby got me the one I wanted already early Christmas gift cause Macy's had a sale.  I still love it and will be wearing it for sure.

Insanity workout

For all of you who read my blog often you know I was once into Crossfit and have since joined a kickboxing/boxing gym locally.  I love the workout and have seen some of the most amazing results in less then 5 weeks of going 3-4 days a week for one hour.  I have lost inches all over and am down 2-3 pant sizes. I love the work out, not only am I getting into the best shape yet I sleep better, have more energy, wake up feeling energetic, feel less body aches and have become all around better health wise.  I feel happy, healthy and look great.

I have a hectic schedule even though I am a stay at home mom cause my husband works a lot of hours and is not home much, so that leaves me with the bulk of not just cooking and cleaning, but running the kids to and from school, sports practices and events.  Some nights I just can't fit the gym in and have been looking for something other then my treadmill for a workout.  The treadmill is good but I have now gotten to where I want that amazing hard core workout I get at the gym.  I was contacted by someone from Beachbody.com and ended up checking into the site to see what it was all about.  They sell a lot of at home work outs like P90X and Insanity.  I am not big into DVD's and had P90X that I borrowed from a friend it wasn't for me, but the Insanity workout has a lot of the same things we do in our cardio and warm up then core training at the boxing/kickboxing classes.

I am going to look into getting this program to try for 60 days.  I think they have a 30 day free trial and if you don't like it or see results you can get a refund.  It is expensive but a 1/4 of what I paid to join the gym for 7 months.  I do like going to the gym and having that extra push so I don't give up or wimp out but now I am hooked on working out and like the way I feel.  I think this is great alternative for the nights or days I can't make it to the gym.  I will keep you posted if I end up getting this product then I will keep a log on my blog along with photos, measurements and videos.  I will also give you my review and honest truth on what I think of the product.

Check out their site here Beachbody They have a few different DVD programs to try and Insanity is just one of those.  Just from the workout I get at the gym I go to this is pretty close and it works amazing.  I am sweating within 3-5 minutes at the gym and that is warming up.  I always warm up on the treadmill or another cardio machine for 15 minutes and stretch before each class.  I think this is going to be an amazing investment for anyone looking to get into shape that doesn't have the spare time or money to join the gym.  Especially us stay at home mom's.  I know I am more determined then ever at 35 to get into the best shape ever.  I have always been skinny and small, gifted with fast metabolism but even after two kids being a size 2/3 my body was never as toned as before my second daughter except for when I worked out.

Stay posted I will have more to come on this=).  Thank you to Cara from Beachbody for contacting me so I would check this out, I hope to get to try this and have review for everyone soon.  Let me know if you are struggling to get back into shape and what you do for working out, products you have tried, what you like, what doesn't work for you etc.  Try kickboxing/boxing cardio it is amazing and life changing..

Melissa

So fall, Essie Decadent Dish

I picked up this color at kohl's the other day when I ran in to grab a jacket for a night out. I love dark colors and this one caught my eye. It is called Decadent Dish and is an amazing almost brown burgundy. At first thought may be similar to Oktoberfest OPI but this is darker less purple color.

Has a gorgeous shine and the color is perfect from fall. It is brown with burgundy shimmer took two coats but worth it for sure love it:). I applied a base coat of Sally Hansen maximum growth base cause since I started kickboxing and boxing my hands fake a beating punching and doing burpees or push ups with gloves and wraps on.

I have broken my nails a lot lately but I like them kind of short and they grow fast. The Sally Hansen formula works amazing for nurturing my nails and supporting strong growth as well as protecting against polish stain and makes a good neutral base:). Then came two coats of Essie Decadent Dish and followed with Out The Door top coat. I alternate monthly between out the door and Poshe top coat love them both.

Enjoy the photos and off to kick some butt at box fit class now been dropping weight so fast in a month my body is transforming so quick and I can kick some butt lol. Not just strong and can hold me own anymore I know some moves. Amazing classes. Have a good week and will have some more posts just finished a design project and a event:). Also check out some of my fall and Christmas wreaths as well as all occasion wreaths and much more decor to come. Xoxo

Meli~

Can't believe it

I am super happy today since starting kickboxing a month ago I really haven't weighed myself cause I like to see it in inches and clothes rather then on the scale. I go to the doctor this morning for my physical so I will see weight on her scale but I was wanting to wear a pair of skinny jeans I have in a size 5 I haven't fit in in over a year due to weight gain from medication I was taking that I have since stopped taking over the summer. They fit me and aren't even tight I am super happy and so glad I am finally getting my old body back. I was always super thin maybe a 0-3 my entire life even after one kid but the second one made life harder and turning thirty. When she was two I lost forty pounds and was back down to a size 1/2 and weighed 118 but then wanted to gain weight feeling I was too thin for my height which is 5'7 and age so I worked out and ate more got to perfect weight 124 and size 4/5. Then I had to take medicine for anxiety and depression for a year and started gaining weight. I tried dieting, crossfit and other workouts nothing worked. Dr said my thyroid was slowing down and I was worried weight would never come off but once I felt better I weaned off the medication fast and honestly feel better then I have in years.

Working out has changed how I feel and look. I love the boxing and kickboxing classes they are amazing. I am hooked and the jeans fitting this am motivated me even more:). I have run before only to stay the same size and tried all the fad diets to only lose a few pounds now eating healthy and hitting the gym 3-4 times a week alteast is showing me changes more then ever and im over the moon happy:).

Melissa

Boxing and kickboxing class

I signed up three weeks ago to start working out at a local gym. They have regular machines, weights but I signed up for the amazing classes. I have done the gym and crossfit but was looking for something with a mix of cardio and strengthening that was fun but worked out every inch of my body. I found it! Boxing/kickboxing class is amazing. They also have Mma and self defense along with boot camp classes that are similar to the crossfit workouts. I find that the boxing and kickboxing is similar to going to crossfit just with an amazing cardio warm up, full body workout punching and kicking then it is finished off with an amazing core/ab workout that I love then cool down.

I have never had more fun in a class, the hour flies by and in just three weeks of going 3-4 times a week I see amazing changes in my body that I never got with crossfit. Yes crossfit made me stronger and was for sure a amazing challenge but I actually gained weight I was building muscle but losing no fat. I am now eating healthy strictly fruit and veggies with protein. No bread, cheese or carbs. Drinking lots of water and loving my be work out. I'm already down 14 lbs and 2-3 sizes looking more tone and feeling more energetic and confident. I look forward to every class.

I can't wait to do a boot camp class they have them mon, wed and Friday am then Saturday morning also. The best part the gym opens at 5:30 am and is open till 10 pm so I have no excuse not to go also my kids can come if I have no sitter and they actually love it. My oldest has taken a couple classes and loves the machines. Haven't brought my little one cause I know she would want to participate and she is too small.

I'm so happy I have found something I love and happy to be getting into errrr shape. I always was thin of anything too thin before then gained weight after a hard rough patch after having my second child, a little post partum depression that I am happy has passed and I no longer take medicine but the medicine caused me to gain some weight and have been struggling to lose it for some time. Now that I have weaned off all my meds I am seeing big changes and all for the best:). I am happy, healthy and looking forward to a new year of promising things:). Anyways off to bed hope everyone has a great week and don't forget if you haven't already voted in the early voting don't forget to exercise our rights and participate tomorrow in voting, not happy with the choices but want to make sure I get my vote in either way. Have a good one xoxo

Meli

Fall boot finds from Marshall's!

Here are the boots I mentioned in yesterday's post about some awesome tall brown fall boots:). I went to Marshall's today and if on payday these babies are still there I may get both but alteast the heeled ones.

They were $79.99-$99.00 and they are amazing. Love them, even tried on some lower boots that I fell in love with and trying to stay away from black or ugg looking boots cause I have so many options already.

I also found this great white with black skull scarf on eBay for $5.00! I was hoping I would get one in my julep mystery box but that is another topic lol what a mess. I think they said they were sending me out a new box to replace the mess I received, I hope so or I will be canceling and done with Julep for awhile.

Enjoy my photos and love to hear comments on the boots and the scarf. Hope everyone is having a great start to their week:). I know I am and boxing tonight was exhilarating love it so much more the crossfit this is total body work out but fun and always different. I feel more sore all over then any workout and like I said they do boxing, kickboxing, cardio, abs, and all the squats, lunges and burpies etc like crossfit just feel like I am getting better cardio and fitness then it's fun always different not the same old wod routine. One of the trainers worked with Mariah Carey and J Lo he is amazing and knows his stuff but in my second week I am still so sore that everything aches but a good ache :)