Early Bird Challenge: Day 10

EXERCISE
PBS (morning)
20 minute walk with puppy (after dinner)
DD (evening)

SKIN CARE
Brush AM: yes

HEALTH
Oil Pulling: 15 minutes
Water (8 glasses, 8 ounces each): 1.5 liters

FOOD
7:50am: iced coffee with cream/sugar (organic)
8:20am: 2 scrambled eggs with romaine lettuce
12:40pm: leftover quiche (the last of it), red potatoes and green peas, medium chocolate cover strawberry latte (from Bay Coast)
6:00pm: large carrot
7:15pm: Slow Cooker Marmalade Curry Chicken with brown rice and steamed broccoli

JOURNAL
This early bird routine is difficult with the time change. I keep waking up at 6am, then going back to sleep until 7:30am. I should just GET UP when I wake up and start my day.

Last night was a great workout. I'm pretty sore today, so taking it easy.

Early Bird Challenge: Day 9

EXERCISE
PBS (morning)
MX1 (through Gymnastic Stretch: about 30 minutes)

SKIN CARE
Brush AM: yes

SUPPLEMENTS/HEALTH
Alfalfa (6 caps): 3
B12 Plus (6 sprays): 3
Oil Pulling: 15 minutes
Pyruvyl Glycine (12 sprays): 4
Water (8 glasses, 8 ounces each): 1.5 liter

FOOD
7:50am: Kashi Vive Cereal with 1% organic milk and 4 fresh strawberries, organic coffee with organic cream/sugar
12:20pm: Wolfgang Puck Organic Chicken With White & Wild Rice
2:50pm: medium organic golden delicious apple with raw almonds
6:45pm: leftover quiche, red potatoes and green peas

JOURNAL
Tonight's workout was tough. I really need these moves: Lunges, Balance Sequence, Thread the Needle and Gymnastic Stretch (plus all the in between stretches). I have to say that I felt a lot better after this workout.

Early Bird Challenge: Day 8

EXERCISE
PBS (morning)
BW (evening)

SKIN CARE
Brush AM: yes

SUPPLEMENTS/HEALTH
Alfalfa (6 caps): 3
Oil Pulling: 10 minutes
Water (8 glasses, 8 ounces each): 1.5 liter

FOOD
7:50am: organic coffee with cream/sugar
9:00pm: Spiru-tein vanilla shake with fresh strawberries, organic 1% milk and water
1:00pm: slice of homemade quiche (eggs, feta, onion, green pepper, spinach, Cabot seriously sharp cheddar, pie crust), salad (romaine, spinach, carrot, cucumber, cherry tomatoes)
5:00pm: medium organic golden delicious apple with raw almonds
6:30pm: grilled cheese (2 slices Arnold's Soft Oatmeal bread, Cabot seriously sharp cheddar, butter) and Campbell's V8 Tomato Herb Soup

JOURNAL
I completely forgot about the time change! I was an hour late to work this morning. Thought I was on time (all my clocks were wrong) until I got a text from Jen asking where I was. *shakes head* So I was a bit rushed this morning... woke up at 8:15, NOT 7:15. Did oil pulling, drank a big glass of water, did PBS, made coffee, made breakfast to-go and lunch, fed the pup, body brushed, got dressed and put on a little make up... out the door. I was at the office by 10:02am. I will be setting all the clocks tonight so this doesn't happen again.

Early Bird Challenge: Day 5

EXERCISE

BW (morning)

SUPPLEMENTS/HEALTH
Alfalfa (6 caps): 3
B12 Plus (6 sprays): yes
Oil Pulling (15-20 mins): 10 minutes
Pyruvyl Glycine (12 sprays): 8
Water (8 glasses, 8 ounces each): 1 liter, 23 oz

FOOD
7:50am: organic coffee with organic cream/sugar
9:00am: Otis Spunkmeyer Banana Nut muffin (2oz, calories 210, fat 90), 1/2 banana
12:15am: 1/2 banana
12:50pm: rotisserie chicken, salad (green leaf lettuce, red onion, cherry tomatoes, black and green olives)
4:05pm: raw almonds
5:30pm: Kashi TLC Honey Almond Flax bar, Vitamin Water Muti-V (10 calories per serving)
7:30pm: portobello burger (mushroom grilled, lettuce, mayo, seriously sharp cheddar, Marty roll), sauteed asparagus and onion, mashed sweet potatoes with butter and maple syrup
****

JOURNAL
Really didn't feel up to moving this morning. But I put on my workout shoes and pressed play.

After my measurement wake up call I need to add in more cardio and body sculpting moves to burn off these inches fast. It's starting to feel like spring here and I want to buy a new bathing suit and head to the beach.

Plans with the girls to go out to lunch at Frenchy's on Clearwater Beach tomorrow and I can't wait! I haven't been there in forever and their grouper is to die for.

My dinner was SO good. I threw the mushrooms on the George Foreman with some red wine, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder and a little salt for about 10 minutes or less. They turned out amazing! We ate a completely vegetarian dinner and loved it.

I skipped brushing this morning due to time constraints and totally forgot about it this evening.

Early Bird Challenge: Day 4

EXERCISE
BW 10 reps (morning)

SKIN CARE
Brush AM: yes

SUPPLEMENTS/HEALTH
Alfalfa (6 caps): 3
B12 Plus (6 sprays): 3
Oil Pulling (15-20 mins): 10 minutes
Pyruvyl Glycine (12 sprays): 4
Water (8 glasses, 8 ounces each): 46oz

FOOD
7:50am: Spiru-tein vanilla shake with 1/2 banana, frozen blueberries, 1 kiwi, 1% organic milk and water
12:00pm: Thai Spice - beef fried rice (steamed jasmine rice stir-fried with beef, egg, broccoli, carrots, onions and scallions.), Bay Coast - medium peanut caramel iced latte
7:45pm: leftover turkey chili (same as yesterday)
**

JOURNAL
Oil pulling this morning was not fun. It makes your body release mucus and it was really coming out today (throat and nose). I couldn't handle more than 10 minutes.

OMG, I'm so full from lunch and latte.

Day 4 down. Yay me!

Night Owl/Early Bird Cute Stuff

I stumbled upon these adorable plates today! Fits with my challenge and they are just too cute.

• Night Owl plate/cup set
• Early Bird plate/cup set

Love them!

Early Bird Challenge: Day 3

EXERCISE
BW 10 reps (morning)

SKIN CARE
Brush AM: yes

SUPPLEMENTS/HEALTH
Alfalfa (6 caps): 3
B12 Plus (6 sprays): 3
Oil Pulling (15-20 mins): 10 minutes
Pyruvyl Glycine (12 sprays): 4
Water (2 liters): 1.5 liters

FOOD
7:50am: Kashi Vive Cereal with 1% organic milk, 1/2 banana
8:45am: organic coffee and cream
2:05pm: Chick-fil-A - Spicy chicken sandwich on wheat with mayo, medium waffle fries, medium lemonade, side salad
7:45pm: homemade turkey chili (ground turkey, seasoning, onion, green pepper, garlic, organic crushed tomatoes, organic dark red kidney beans) with lowfat sour cream, seriously sharp cheddar and saltine crackers (about 10)
*
JOURNAL
I'm starting to get used to this morning routine.

Sorry, no photo of lunch since my camera battery is dead. Normally don't eat fast food, but I was starving and Chick-fil-A was all I could think of. Should have gone with Thai take-out. Now that I ate over 1,000 calories for lunch, dinner needs to be light.

Early Bird Challenge: Day 2

EXERCISE
BW (morning)

SKIN CARE
Brush AM: yes

SUPPLEMENTS/HEALTH
Alfalfa (6 caps): 3
B12 Plus (6 sprays): yes
Pyruvyl Glycine (12 sprays): 8
Water (8 glasses, 8 ounces each): 1.5 liter

FOOD
7:50am: Spiru-tein vanilla shake with whole banana, Emergen-C packet, 1% organic milk, ice cubes
9:00am: coffee with cream/sugar (not half as good as I make at home, but left my travel mug at work!)
1:00pm: Chicken Panang Curry with brown rice (leftovers) and salad (green leaf lettuce, spinach, feta, cherry tomatoes, baby carrots, green onion)
7:00pm: rotisserie chicken and salad
9:10pm: green tea, English muffin with butter and honey
**

JOURNAL

New blog feature: photos of my meals! Click on the linked food items for photos.

(My camera battery just died, so more photos coming soon!)

Early Bird Challenge: Day 1

EXERCISE
BW (morning)

SKIN CARE
Brush AM: yes

SUPPLEMENTS
Alfalfa (6 caps): 3
Water (8 glasses, 8 ounces each): yes

FOOD
7:50am: Kashi Vive Cereal with 1% organic milk, 1/2 banana
9:00am: organic coffee with organic cream/sugar
1:40pm: Sam Seltzer's Steakhouse - 10oz Bistro Steak (medium, wishing I ate A-1 sauce), small sweet potato with butter and brown sugar (actually tastes salty to me), ceasar salad with a little dressing, Starbucks grande nonfat vanilla latte (had to stop since the drive-thru was right there)
6:00pm: Thai Restaurant - chicken panang curry with brown rice, vegetable soup, glass of pino noir
**

JOURNAL
I did it! I worked out in the morning on a weekday. Yay for me! I'm taking on this challenge and will attempt at least Basic Workout each morning this week.

I haven't had steak in ages! This was a pretty decent lunch for $8. (Will be eating from home for the rest of the week though.)

We (meaning the T-Tapp Staff) were supposed to go to Taco Night at Poblano's (79 cent tacos, $1 beers, $2 margaritas), but it was so packed that we ended up going to a little Thai place around the corner. It was pretty good food!

By the time I got home I was exhausted.

Transforming: Night Owl to Early Bird

Yesterday on Kashi.com they emailed me about a challenge that they're doing to start morning exercise:

If you’re normally a nighttime workout maven, consider switching to morning or midday workouts as the days shorten. Why? Not only can it provide a physical boost as you try something a little different physiologically, it can also help keep things fresh psychologically. Plus, studies show people who exercise earlier tend to stick to their routine better (common sense during those cold, dark, short winter days, don’t you think?). Today, challenge yourself to get your workout done early.

Sometimes it’s nearly impossible to get motivated to exercise after a long day of work. That’s why exercising in the morning is such a good idea. When you get moving early, you set the pace for the rest of your day. This month, challenge yourself to workout in the morning at least a few times a week.

I'm more of a night owl than a early bird (in fact, could not get to sleep last night for the life of me and really feeling it today). We have the "Daybreak Divas" here in Florida and I've honestly never been able to roll myself out of bed at 5am to make it to the class by 6am. Even thought it would great for my body and start my day off right, waking up early has never been easy for me.

So I want to try to take on this challenge. Wake up at 7am and do at least Basic Plus Tempo (maybe some additional moves) and work my way up to doing a full 45-60 minutes of T-Tapp. It would be nice to take the pup for a walk before work too.

I've also been really craving more stretching. I might try doing the Warm Up Stretches or getting a yoga DVD from the library. Any suggestions on a good beginner yoga DVD?