Ten-Week Testing

Well, friends, my first ten weeks with Farrell's is finito.  But, my lifestyle change is just getting started.

Beaverdale Farrell's: 5 a.m.

Overall, I am quite pleased with my results.  Here are the numbers for the entire ten weeks:

• Weight: lost 13 pounds
• Body fat: lost 2.6 percent (although I strongly disagree with the method of measurement for this one)
• Chest: lost 2.75 inches
• Waist: lost 5.75 inches
• Arm: lost 0.5 inches (and the muscle definition is awesome)
• Thigh: lost 1.75 inches
• Hips: lost 3.5 inches

I lost a total of 14.25 inches.  Unfortunately, only 2.75 of those were in the last five weeks.

Let me repeat: I am overall happy with the results.

But, I'm not going to lie: I was quite bummed at first.  I mean, how did I lose eleven-and-a-half inches the first five weeks and then not even three the last five weeks, especially when I was doing more than what was "required" of me?  I was doing everything absolutely perfectly, not cheating at all on my nutrition plan, and adding running to the mix.  What the heck else could I have done?!

So yes, I was initially disappointed.  However, a few things happened that altered my perspective.

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First, after my testing was done (more on that in a second), I was visibly upset, and my coach could see that.  Later in the day, he texted me to ask how I was doing.  When I said that I was fine and returned the question to him, he said that he was bummed because he knows how hard I tried and how disappointed I was.  He then told me that I was his mission for the year-long challenge and that I have come a long way and look pretty darn good.

Me and my coaches

Second, we received our before/after photos last night.  (I was really, really hesitant on showing you these.  I mean, I am not at all happy with my after photo.  In fact, several of us were talking about how we should really consider our after photo our beginning photo, as we are seriously considering this a lifestyle change, not just a ten-week experiment.)

Clearly I won the how-much-body-oil-can-one-girl-use contest. 

But I digress.

After sharing photos around the table, one of my teammates said, "You know, I would love to have my after photo look like your before photo.  And I would die to look like your after photo.  You look great."  That really put my glumness in perspective and made me appreciate what a change I made in my own body.

Me and The Boy

Finally, I talked to the Nutrition God (aka my brother) today about how to adjust my macros to take into account my extra workouts.  (One thing my coach and I worried about was that I wasn't getting enough calories -- specifically carbs and proteins -- to make up for the running that I was doing, especially since Farrell's only takes into consideration their workouts when assessing the amount of food we should be eating.)  When I told him how bummed I was about the lack of progress the second five weeks, he said that that was exactly how it should have been: I no longer have as much to lose as I did the first five weeks.  He then equated it to The Biggest Loser: the contestants lose 12 pounds a week because they weigh 400 pounds.  I cannot lose 12 pounds a week, nor can I expect to lose a bazillion inches in five weeks.  He said as long as I continue doing what I'm doing -- eating healthfully and conscientiously and working out like a madwoman -- I will continue seeing results, albeit not as quickly as I did initially.

He then warned me to not get discouraged about these lack of results because then I will want to quit, and that is not okay.

Lindsay and I being goofballs.

So, there you have it: my ten-week results.

As I have said repeatedly, though, this is not just a temporary thing.  Rather, it is a lifestyle change.  In order to ensure it is a forever thing, I emptied my bank account into the Farrell's cash register and signed up for a year of kickboxing, resistance training, and nutrition guidance.  And, I was asked to become a coach.

Starting June 8th, I will be helping a group of athletes who are brand new to the Extreme Body Shaping program.  And I couldn't be more excited.

Stay tuned for a Dam to Dam recap tomorrow!

Peace out, yo.  :)

Sunflower Seed-Crusted Tilapia

It's been a while since I've shared a recipe on the blog.  I've made some really delicious meals lately, but  for some reason I cannot remember to photograph the process.  Today, though, I remembered.  You're welcome.

On the menu this evening was a recipe inspired by Cooking Light: Sunflower Seed-Crusted Tilapia.  When I was searching for a fish recipe for the tilapia we had in our freezer, I came across the five-ingredient seafood section of Cooking Light's website.  This particular recipe looked like it was super easy and would take no time at all, and due to my laziness crazy-busy schedule, I deemed it perfect for a Thursday night.

(Truth be told, this particular dish has been on the menu the last three weeks.  It has just gotten put on the back burner when we've gone out to dinner or been in the mood for something else.  Now, though, I think it'll be moved to part of the rotation.  It's yummy.)

Here's what you'll need:

Ingredients:

• Two filets of fish (Cooking Light called for orange roughy, but I used tilapia since a.) I couldn't find OR and b.) we had some in the freezer)
• Lemon zest
• Black pepper
• Egg whites
• Italian-seasoned panko
• Sunflower seed kernels

First, whisk the egg whites, black pepper, and lemon zest together in a bowl that will eventually be big enough to hold the fish.

Then, mix the panko and the sunflower seeds on a medium-sized plate or in a shallow dish.

Then, dredge the fish in the egg-white mixture and cover with the dry rub.  Place the fish filets on a wire rack for ten minutes (and cut up the Brussels sprouts for your side dish).

Coat a baking sheet (that has been warming up in the preheating oven) with cooking spray (and line with foil if you're lazy and hate doing dishes) and plop the fish on there to cook for ten minutes.

Let cool so that you don't burn the roof of your mouth when you're shoving the food in as fast as possible and enjoy!

Like I said, we loved this dish and will likely be making it again in the very near future.  Hope you like it, too!

You Are Beautiful

Let's talk self-esteem and body image today, shall we?

Sorry for the vulgarity (not really)
And sorry for the lack of source citation -- I pulled this off of a friend's Facebook page.

I've been thinking a lot about this lately for a couple of reasons.  First, this is something that I have thought about pretty much every day since all of the boys liked my best friend in third grade and not me.  And second, Farrell's 10-week testing is coming up this week, and if I win the grand prize, my before and after photos will be plastered in the gym and online and, quite possibly, in the store-front window.

Obviously I'm not too excited that my before picture will be broadcast for everyone to see, but I'm not yet fully satisfied with what my "after" photo will look like.  I mean, I still have a lot of work to do!

(Side note: I'm obviously going to post my before/after photos here, which I totally understand is public territory.  The gym, however, is located in the neighborhood in which I teach, and y'all, 15-year-olds can be mean!)

Also, while I lost eight pounds and over 11 inches in the first five weeks of Farrell's, I don't feel like I've made drastic improvements these past five weeks.  I have felt especially icky the last few days, which is weird because I've been doing everything right -- and more.

See why we're talking about self-esteem and body image today?  Clearly, despite all of the work I've been doing, I still have some issues.

As I'm brainstorming the content of this post, I am quickly realizing that it could be pages upon pages upon pages long.  I mean, I could talk about the recent controversy with Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries, I could talk about the blogger who deemed the NBA cheerleader too chunky to cheer, I could talk about the incessant chatter about women's weights during the 2012 Olympics, I could talk about the fat-shaming that is plaguing our nation, or I could talk about the fat talk that occurs far too often.

And obviously, I could go on and on and on and on and on.

But I'm not going to talk about those things.  Instead, I'm going to talk about my favorite topic: me.  :)

I have never been a stick-thin girl; I've always been athletically-built, and even when I'm not in the tippest-toppest shape, it doesn't take too long for me to start toning up and developing those hidden muscles.  While I've had a fairly flat stomach for most of my life (until I hit 29, um what?!), but my thighs have always been a lot sturdier than I would like.

And, I feel like I weigh way more than I should, I feel like I'm a way bigger pant-size than I should be, and I feel like I look way larger than I actually (probably) do.

But I have felt that way my whole life.  I felt that way when I weighed 150 pounds, and I felt that same way when I weighed 190 pounds.  That is just the way my brain has been programmed by Vogue, Victoria's Secret, and Gossip Girl.

Something that The Boy said the other night has really stuck with me.  Essentially, he told me that I was so super sexy and that he thought I was just so darn beautiful.  (Aw, so sweet.  I'm a lucky girl, I know.)  But then he said, "I just wish you would see it, too.  I just wish you would believe me."

Don't get me wrong: I am not constantly self-deprecating.  I know that I am getting fitter by the day, and I know my tummy, arms, and legs are getting pretty darn toned.  (And I know that The Boy would love me regardless of what I looked like.)  And here's the deal: I do believe him.  I do believe that he thinks I'm sexy and beautiful, and at times even I think I'm not too shabby.  Apparently, though, I still exude the lack of confidence that has followed me since, oh, forever.

I guess some things just take time to change.  I'm trying.

I do need to note, however: I'm not working out like a crazy woman and eating über-healthfully because I want to be a size zero.  (That's never going to happen, nor would I want it to.  I like my curves!)  In fact, I could not care less if I stay the exact same size I am now forever, as long as I get more toned (which, I guess, would make me go down a size or two).  Rather, I am exercising and eating well because it makes me feel good.  I like being able to see my muscle definition.  I like feeling sore after a long run.  I like the rush of endorphins while I'm kickboxing.

I am being mindful of my fitness and my nutrition because that is who I am.  If I don't workout and don't eat well, I am not the Emily that everyone knows and loves.  It's not okay.

In fact, while The Boy is supportive of Farrell's and doesn't mind eating the healthy food that I cook, he says that the only reason he likes me doing the program is because he notices how different I am, how happy I am.

I apologize for the completely discombobulated post.  I feel like it made no sense and didn't really get anywhere, but here's the (lost in the post) moral of the story: let's figure out a way to get our society to stop caring so darn much about the number on the scale, the number on the dress, and to start caring more about people.

Have a very Happy Hump Day, and just remember:

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Peace out, yo.

What are your tips to a positive self-image?

Addictions

My name is Emily, and I am an addict.

No, no, no, an illicit drug isn't my choice, nor is alcohol or even caffeine.  (Speaking of, I splurged on a light latte while running errands yesterday and a glass of red wine last night.  That's the first time in seriously two weeks that I've had either of those things!)

Back back to the point: I am not addicted to drugs, alcohol, or caffeine.  No, I am addicted to different things entirely.

Let's explore, shall we?

Sunflower Butter

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Ladies and gentleman, this isn't just an "I-love-sunflower-butter" kind of an addiction.  This is a jar-a-week kind of an addiction.  Seriously.  I gob it on my oatmeal, I scoop it up with my apples, and I just straight-up eat it by the spoonful.  I could give or take peanut butter, and I don't really care for almond butter, but y'all, I cannot get enough of this stuff.

I do, however, try to limit myself to two tablespoons per day.  After all, it has 200 calories per two tablespoons, so I don't want to overindulge too much.

I know it's expensive (what vice isn't?) at $5-6 per jar, but give it a try.  I promise you won't regret it.

My Camelback BPA-Free eddy Water Bottle

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This is pretty much the only water bottle I use.  I cart it everywhere with me: the gym, school, the mall, Spanish class, the grocery store, the bowling alley, etc.  For some reason this particular water bottle makes it so much easier for me to drink gallons of agua a day.  I think it might be the "straw" feature.  The Boy absolutely hates this, as he says it feels like he's drinking out of a baby bottle, but I love it: the water doesn't splash in my face, I don't risk getting a Kool-Aid mustache, and it doesn't make gross slurping noises when I'm guzzling the entire bottle at once.

I use this so much that I'm tempted to buy a second one just so that I can be certain one is clean at all times.  Since, let's be real: I don't wash this one nearly enough.

Hey, it's good for the immune system, right?

Crystal Light and Mio

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I have no problem chugging water, but plain ol' water gets a little old when it's the absolute only thing that you drink every. single. day.  So, I have recently started adding in a little sumpin' sumpin'.  I started with Crystal Light because it's The Familiar.  But, I quickly realized that as fast as I go through it, it's not the most cost-effective option.

I quickly realized that I could get more bang for my buck with MiO.  So, I bought a little egg of it and pretty much cart it with me everywhere.  It'd be nice if I could figure out a way to just attach it to that aforementioned handy-dandy water bottle.

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And yes, I realize that both of these delicious delicacies contain artificial sweeteners and that there are plenty of articles stating that they're going to give me cancer, but I'm going to go ahead and drink it regardless.  I'm pretty darn healthy otherwise.

Orange Leaf

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The first thing I'm going to do when I'm done with Dam to Dam on Saturday (since this will also be after my Farrell's picture and 10-week testing) is go to Orange Leaf and scarf down the biggest tub of frozen yogurt and cookie dough crumbles that I can manage.

This is seriously my kryptonite.  I have always been an ice cream lover, but a frozen yogurt company that allows you to get as much as you want of whatever flavor you want and then top it with whatever deliciousness you want?  I DIE.

I would probably eat this every day if I could.

And The Boy is the same, sadly enough.  We have been known to get off the couch, put on real clothes, and drive to Orange Leaf at 9:30 at night.  We have no shame.

Candy Crush Saga

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I cannot believe how much I am absolutely addicted to this damn game.  Seriously.  It's pathetic.

My students even know how crazy I am about Candy Crush Saga.  One of my little girls even made me read an article about CCS addiction.  (Of course I cannot find this article for you now, but just Google "Candy Crush Saga addiction" and find pages upon pages upon pages of articles.  At least I'm not alone, right?)

Y'all, it's bad.  I am fairly stubborn in that I don't pay for apps, but I will gladly give Candy Crush Saga 99 cents every time I finish an episode, simply because I need for the game to continue.  I haven't yet paid for additional lives, but I have figured out that the lives on my various devices don't synch, so I can play five times on my phone, five times on my iPad, and five times on my computer before I am completely out of lives.  I told you: pa-thet-ic.

My advice to you?  Don't start.  Don't. do. it.  STAY AWAY!

Or...don't.  It's pretty darn entertaining.

What are your "must-have" products?  Food that you can't live without?  App that totally wastes every second of your day?  DO SHARE!

A Girlfriend Run

I love random days off in the middle of the school year.  I especially love when my non-teacher friends also have those days off of work.

Today, two of my bestest girlfriends and I took advantage of our rare time off and hooked up for a nice jaunt around the 'hood.

AM, BFF, and me (cheesin' it up, obv)

We headed out on a five-mile route that the kiddos and I were supposed to run on Saturday.  However, due to the raging storms that have been hovering around Des Moines this entire weekend, the Saturday run did not happen.  And, interestingly enough, this run was questionable as well do to incessant thundering and sporadic showers all morning.

Luckily, we were able to find an hour of storm-free time to get our run on.

We met at the school and headed out toward Drake University, hurdling puddles and branches the entire way.  In the middle of the city, we passed a lovely babbling brook:

I'm not sure if this brook is always babbling, but it sure was after our inch of rain last night.

We continued east to the campus where we found some mild storm carnage on the grassy knolls:

Oh, Drake, how I have missed you.

It was actually nice being back on campus, as I haven't wandered that way in quite a while.  And after spending five and a half years there (for my bachelors degrees as well as my masters), it was nice to be back.

We were going so fast that the picture blurred.  My apologies.  :)

We didn't run down the painted street, but we still got a nice (albeit wet) view of what the students did over Relays.  Ah, vodka-filled memories.

And we continued further east toward Sheslow Auditorium and the back of Old Main, my favorite building on campus...

...and the sun dial, which is absolutely gorgeous when the sun is shining and the tulips are in bloom.

Once we turned south and got to Kingman, we headed back west to our starting point, but first we had to hurdle some downed trees (and some flattened opossum and squirrels):

We rounded out 4.8 miles in just over an hour.  While it's certainly not our fastest time in the books, we got out there and did it, and we had a blast doing so.  (And considering I got my butt whooped at Farrell's this morning, I'm okay with this time.)

I can't wait to suffer through 12.4 miles of Dam to Dam with these girls next weekend!

Wish us luck!

But for now, since there's yet another lull in the crazy weather, I'm off to grill some burgers with The Boy.

I hope y'all had a lovely, relaxing weekend!  See ya tomorrow!

Bargain Buys

I have been all about the deals lately.  Yesterday, I got eight pairs of Victoria's Secret undies for a total of $16.  Right?!  And, I bought The Boy a nice polo and me a summer purse from Express for a total of $54.  (I thought that one was going to be cheaper, but they wouldn't take my coupon on top of the 40% off.  Bummer.)  Today, I went to Old Navy and bought a pair of workout pants, two swimsuit tops, one swimsuit bottom, and a pair of flip-flops for $45 (and $22 of that was for the workout pants).  Shut up!

So yes: I am all about the deals.  (And yes: I am done shopping for quite a while!)

Before we get on to the real post, though, those swimsuits from Old Navy?  They're bikinis.  Normally, trying on swimsuits would be a hellish experience for me, as I generally critique every flaw I find with myself, especially when they're all exposed while wearing two pieces of tiny fabric in front of glaring fluorescent lights.  However, this time was different.  BOTH bikinis look pretty darn good on me, which means that something's working!

Back to the beginning: I have been all about the deals lately.

Every week when I go grocery shopping, I make it a goal to do it as cheaply as possible.  I try to beat the prior week's total, and lately, I've been succeeding.  It's actually kind of ridiculous how competitive (and excited!) I get regarding this weekly adventure.

This week's grand total -- for six "meals" each day for two people -- was a whopping $65.  (The total bill was actually $73.09, but four dollars of that was for a cat toy, and $3 was for hairspray.)

Did you read that correctly?  Sixty-five dollars for a week's worth of groceries for two people.

Here's our dinner plan for the week:

DINNER

Short rib Ragu + polenta + kale salad

Burgers w/ Blue Cheese Mayo and Sherry Vidalia Onions + veggies

TJ’s Vera Cruz fish + sweet potato + veggies

Honey-lime chicken kebabs w/ mango slices + veggies

Sunflower seed-crusted tilapia+ sweet potato + veggie

Fazoli’s (carb load for Dam to Dam)

I must 'fess up to a couple of things before continuing, though:

• Tonight's dinner (short rib Ragu and polenta) is provided by BFF.  Our contribution is bread and cheese, which we still have to purchase.
• I already have Tuesday's dinner (the fish from Trader Joe's) and the tilapia for Thursday's dinner since both are frozen and in the freezer to have for busy nights.
• I still have to buy the chicken for Wednesday's dinner.
• Friday's dinner is courtesy of Fazoli's since I have, oddly enough, found that to be the best pre-race food in the universe.

So, I guess you can tack on an extra $10 for bread and cheese, an extra $6 for the chicken, and an extra $7 for Fazoli's.  But still: I did a pretty darn good job this week.

Here's the loot:

Fridge food includes Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Breeze, blue cheese crumbles, eggs, string cheese, Laughing Cow cheese, half a pound of turkey, and a pound of ground sirloin.

Pantry food includes Ryvita sesame crackers, whole wheat hamburger buns, generic water flavorer, thyme, sunflower butter, and Justin's chocolate hazelnut butter.

Produce includes green apples, tomatoes, mangoes, limes, Brussels sprouts, and arugula.

The string cheese, eggs, sunflower butter, and Ryvita crackers will likely last well into next week, so that's a nice way to save money as well.

I am pretty pleased with all of my money-saving lately.  Woot woot.

How much do you budget for groceries per week?  What are your stellar money-saving ideas?  Fill me in, yo!

Have a fabulous rest of your weekend!

Daily Dining

I haven't posted lately about absolutely everything that I eat every day for a couple of reasons.  First, it's pretty boring: I find something I like, and I eat it non-stop for several days.  Second, I am usually a.) in a hurry, b.) super hungry, or c.) surrounded by 14-year-olds when mealtime rolls around, so therefore taking photos is not at the top of my list.

Lucky for you, however, I made it happen yesterday.

So, here goes:

After getting home from a tough day of strength-training at Farrell's, I took a shower and whipped up my most favorite breakfast: Dessert Oats.

I know it doesn't look pretty, but trust me: this breakfast is delish.  The sunflower butter makes the whole thing sooooooo creamy.

At school, I chugged down two huge water bottles of water + Mio, my new favorite invention, and immediately had to pee every 30 minutes for the rest of the day.

Side note: when your classroom is at the opposite end of the school from the restroom and you constantly have 25 ninth graders harassing you at any given moment, going potty is quite the feat.  I swear, my bladder is made of steel.

For my morning snack, I had one of my two usuals:

One apple, two pieces of string cheese, and 1/8 cup of wasabi peas.  I have found that I have to have an apple each and every day.  And, I have to have that apple around three hours after breakfast.  If I don't, I am super cranky.  The cheese adds the necessary protein, and the wasabi peas adds the extra carbs/protein that I didn't get from the other two.  Plus, they are nice to munch on throughout the morning because they take forever to eat due to the wasabi.

After teaching another block-and-a-half and chugging even more water, it was time for lunch.  Normally, I bring leftovers.  But due to my echocardiogram and The Boy running random errands, we were not in the mood to cook on Wednesday and instead grabbed some grub at one of our neighborhood restaurants.  So, I was left to freezer food:

I microwaved an Amy's Texas Veggie Burger and topped it with a slice of sharp cheddar cheese, which totally hit the spot (and gave me the extra protein I needed to round out the meal).  I sided the burger patty with some baby carrots and half a serving of Garden Vegetable Wheat Thins (Fiber Select).  My grocery store didn't have my normal Multigrain Wheat Thins for some reason, so I opted for these, and they are pretty darn good!

After school, I "ran" a couple of miles with the kids.  I put "ran" in quotation marks because I did a pretty darn good job for the first mile, but then I hung back with a student who was struggling for the remainder, and we ended up (not by my choice) mostly just moseying our way back to the starting point.  While it wasn't the workout I was necessarily hoping for, I know that it was good for this particular student, and I know that she will do much better next time.

After the run, I inhaled half of my afternoon snack:

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A Peanut Honey Pretzel Luna bar.  It was really, really good.  I'm digging Luna bars right now because the carb to protein ratio is pretty close to what I need for each meal.  (I am also supposed to accompany this with a piece of string cheese, but since I was pretty close to dinner, I left that part out of the snack today.)

The Boy and I were lazy again for dinner, so we opted for an easy, new-to-us frozen meal:

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Tortilla-crusted tilapia from Sea Cuisine, that I sided with roasted Brussels sprouts and The Boy sided with white rice.  (I apologize for the product photo, but I completely spaced on taking a picture until my plate was pretty much licked clean.)  Okay, y'all: this fish was good.  The topping was super crunchy, and the fish was perfect.  Put it in the oven frozen for 26 minutes, and you're good to go!  I seriously recommend this meal.

For my before-bed snack, I had my usual: a protein shake.

I put a heaping scoop of Arbonne protein powder (vanilla) into about two cups of Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Breeze, and it is soooooooo good.

I also cheated a smidge, y'all.  Oops.

The Boy made a late-night run to the grocery store to return some Red Box movies and picked us up some ice cream.  So...I had a small scoop of Light Caramel Pecan deliciousness.

Here were my totals for the day:

• Calories: 1,737
• Carbs: 187 grams
• Protein: 86 grams
• Fat: 75 grams

Percentage-wise, I was at 42% carbohydrates, 38% fats, and 20% proteins.  While I would like the fats to be a lower percentage, most of them came from healthy fats, so I'm fairly okay with that.

What does your daily meal plan look like?  How often do you "cheat"?