Back At It...

So, I haven't posted in awhile. Or worked out in awhile. But who's counting? I decided that what better day to start again than yestersay. It was rainy outside and I had no plans on a Friday night. Boring, I know.

The hardest thing for me is motivation. I think it's that way for many of us struggling to get in shape or eat healthy. Once we actually start our work out, we push hard and we feel great afterwards (minus the sweat dripping down our face!). It's that initial step of getting off our butt and taking that first step, or jog, or pushup.

Reality is I wanted to sit on the couch and watch TV all evening, which I did do for a bit, but I finally forced myself to get up and change. Once in my workout gear, the motivation set in and I was ready to conquer today's workout - My Body Rocks (bodyrock.tv)!

Well, I didn't quite conquer it, but at least I did it! I started with four minutes of jumping rope to warm-up and then started the work-out. Here are my scores:

Prisoner Squat Jump & Knee Touch:  28, 22, 16
Mountain Climbers & Squat Press: 3.5, 3, 3
Squat & Front Raise: Modified to use sand bag 1st round, no equipment 2nd & 3rd - 20, 17, 17
Under Toe Touch: 4, 4, 4

I did have to take a break for about a minute between the 1st and 2nd round. This was a tough one, especially if you haven't done a workout in several weeks. But, I did finish which is the important thing!

Bodyrock.Tv 30 Day Challenge: Fit Test #2

Going Strong!! So I missed my workout on Wednesday, picked back up on Thursday, and skipped again on Friday. Who wants to workout on a Friday anyway? I would much rather go out with friends and have a few adult beverages. Which is exactly what I did!

Although I was hurting the next day (and I don't mean sore muscles), I pushed myself to get in a workout. I had finally gotten to the second Fit Test of the 30 Day Challenge. Knowing that I was probably dehydrated from drinking the night before, I was a bit worried I wouldn't score well compared to my original scores. However, I can proudly say that my scores absolutely improved!

Fit Test #2:
Squat Jumps: 30 (5 over original test)
Push-ups: 15 (3 over original test)
Burpees: 10 (3 over original test)
High Knees: 112 (36 over original test)
Switch Lunges: 30 (16 over original test and no modifications)
Tuck Jumps: 12 (4 over original)
Straight Abs: 9 (no modifications)

And to celebrate my achievement, I went out and gorged myself! Ok, so it wasn't really to celebrate, but it was date night with the hubby and I did gorge myself. And to add a bit of Fashion & Beauty to this post, here was my outfit for the night.

Eight Little Naked Nuggets

So, I skipped a workout tonight. I got home late from work and was starving. And, I'm extremely sore from the past couple of days, so a rest day will probably be good for me. Hoping to make up the workout this weekend. :)

I did, however, try the new grilled chicken nuggets at Chick-fil-a today. Now, Chick-fil-a (or chick-a-lay as my 4 year old would say) is my all time favorite fast food restaurant... Well, it's a toss-up between McD's and CFA, but still a fave.

Anyway, my typical order is the #5 eight count with large fries and a large diet coke, ez ice. Oh how I love my CFA nuggets! Tender, juicy, and oh so tasty.Yum!! However, since I'm on a semi-sorta health kick, I decided to try the grilled chicken nuggets today.

I was't sure what to expect... Well, I guess I was expecting them to at least come in the same box as the breaded nuggets. When I reached my hand into my to go bag, I felt a plastic bowl. Huh? They must have gotten my order wrong. As I pulled the plastic container out of the bag, there they were. Eight little naked nuggets laying in the bowl. They looked so sad and so... so bland. 

I decided to give them a shot because: a) I had already bought them, b) I was super hungry, and c) did I mention I am on a health kick? :) 

Overall, I was not that impressed with the flavor. The seasoning was a bit overwhelming, and the chicken tasted processed. Plus, they got cold super fast. Nothing like eating cold chicken. But, I was so hungry I ate all eight nuggets plus half of my large fries (which I LOVE by the way!).

So, overall, I would give the grilled chicken nuggets a C-. They just don't compare to the regular nuggets. If you're trying to eat healthy, I would highly suggest going for one of the chicken wraps instead. :)

I still haven't been able to give up the fries yet. Fries are my downfall, and I seriously could eat them everyday if I could. As it stands now, I probably eat fries at least three times a week. Yes, I know, awful! 

Have you tried the grilled chicken nuggets yet? If so, let me know your thoughts.

BodyRock.Tv 30 Day Challenge: Day 8

Feeling great!! I can definitely tell I'm getting stronger and more fit...all in just one week! Yesterday's workout "Wild Ones" was awesome. Pretty basic, but a killer nonetheless. I was amazed I was actually able to get through most of the workout without any modifications (including the 3 Tier Pushups).

Now if only I could get my tush to look like that, lol!

I warmed up with four minutes of jumping rope. My scores for the workout were: 

Clean & Press: 8, 8 

Squat Leaps: 25, 18

3 Tier Push-ups: 8, 9

Reverse Pull-ups: 13, 14

Squat & Press: 11, 15

Switch Lunges: 29, 25

I then did Sean's Weighted Workout. It was brutal! I could only make it through 2 rounds instead of the actual 3. I didn't have to modify any of the exercises, so GO ME!! My time was 18 minutes 22 sec (2 rounds). 

I did manage to somewhat healthy yesterday, too! 

Breakfast: Diet Coke

Snack: None
Lunch: 1/2 Waldorf Chicken Salad from CPK and 1 slice of Roasted Spinach CPK Pizza, iced tea

Snack: Kashi Roasted Almond Crunchy Granola Bar
Dinner: Fish Tacos with avocado. Yum!

Dessert: 1 Hershey Special Dark Chocolate Nugget :)

My Brows on a Budget.... e.l.f. Brow Kit

I envy all of you ladies that have beautiful eyebrows. You know, the ones that are full, perfectly shaped, and require minimal maintenance. I used to have these brows back in the day. I can remember on my wedding day, my make-up artist telling me how beautiful my brows were. Oh, those were the days....

Fast forward eight years and my brows are now a MESS... A special shout out to my lovely friend who I like to refer to as "anxiety". Thanks to him, my brows are way over plucked and super sparse in areas. Not only do I pluck with a tweezer, but when I get super stressed I pull the hairs out with my fingers. I know, it's insane. So, because of this, eyebrow powder/pencils are my best friend. I never leave the house without filling in my brows. Even when I did have nice looking brows, I still used eyebrow powder to give me that polished look. It truly makes a difference!!

My go to eyebrow powders are Smashbox in Brunette and Anastasia in Brunette. If I had to choose between the two, Smashbox wins by a small margin. Both have lasting power, but Smashbox tends to stay the best in my city's outrageous humidity.

I was using the Anastasia powder (in Ebony this time) which tends to be dark on me, but that was a good thing because my hair WAS dark. But after getting my hair cut and colored for the New Year, my hair is now much lighter. I continued to wear the Anastasia powder for a few days, but I noticed something was off. I couldn't put my finger on it. At first I thought it was my new hair color that I didn't like, but then I realized my brows were way too dark for the new color. I needed to add some warmth to my brows.

Since it was the beginning of the year, and one of my resolutions was to spend less money, I decided to try a drugstore brand. While in Target a couple of weeks ago, I noticed that e.l.f. had a new brow kit for $3. Yes, only $3! Who can pass up a deal like that, and the colors matched what I was looking for. I had never tried e.l.f. brand cosmetics before, but figured I could stand to lose 3 bucks if it didn't work out.

The darker brown is the "gel" which is more of a wax. I use my Anastasia brow brush to apply the wax where my brows are sparse to even out the color. I also apply a small amount over my entire brow to help keep the hairs in place. Then I apply the lighter color to my entire brow to add a bit of warmth so they better match my hair color.

For $3, I would definitely recommend this product. The gel and powder were easy to apply. It lasts throughout the day. And most important, it does I what originally bought it for - to match the color of my brows to my hair.

If you've tried e.l.f. cosmetics, let me know your thoughts. Were you happy with the quality? What e.l.f. products do you use? Also, do you have any other recommendations for not too expensive brow products?

BodyRock.Tv 30 Day Challenge: Day 7

One week down, woohoo!!

After a night off playing Bingo, I got back to work. Day 7's workout was the Domino Workout. 

My Scores:

Box Jump 1/2 Burpee: 5, 5 (I spent more time trying to avoid my dog laying in my jumping path, lol)

Lunge Swing: 31, 20 (Modified - no sandbag)

3 Point Jumps R/L Knee to Elbow: 4, 5 (These were killer, had to modify to girl push-ups)

Side Leap: 20, 25 (Modified - No sandbag)

Tricep Dip Knee Tuck Dip Station: 7, 11 (Modified - utilized feet on tricep dips)

Walking Pike Push Ups: 4, 5

Food Log:

Breakfast: Diet Coke

Snack: None
Lunch: McDonald's Chicken McNuggets Meal

Snack: Handful of goldfish

Dinner: Broccoli Cheese Soup with 5 saltine crackers

Dessert: Two pieces of Dark Chocolate Nuggets


And, to make things more interesting, here are progress pics after week one...

Not a huge difference, but I have noticed a bit more definition in my arms/shoulders and abs. Just today, a co-worker asked if I had lost weight, so something must be working. Since starting the 30 Day Challenge I have been sleeping better and seem to have more energy during the day. Positive results. I know that once I get my diet in check, my progress pics should show more "progress". :)

Have a great weekend everyone!!

BodyRock.Tv 30 Day Challenge: Day 6

I'm a couple of days behind in the 30 Day Challenge, but trying to catch up. I completed Day 6 on Tuesday and then took a break yesterday to go play Bingo (yes, Bingo) with some of the girls. I didn't realize how serious the game of Bingo can be! It was a lot of fun though; especially while drinking adult beverages! And if you're wondering, no I didn't win. But I will be back!!

So, on to the workout. Day 6 was the Turn Me On Workout. It was brutal as usual. The tuck jumps kick my butt every time, and this workout was FULL of them. My legs are still pretty sore.

My scores were:

Press Up Burpee Tuck Jump Straight Punches: 2, 2, 2

Press Up Burpee Tuck Jump Hook Punches: 2, 2, 2

Press Up Burpee Tuck Jump Straight/Hook Punches: 2, 2, 2

Mid Abs/ Bag Touch: 16, 18, 16

There was an additional workout for Day 6 as well. It was a weighted workout from BodyRock host Sean (who, by the way, has an amazing body!). 

My time for the weighted workout was: 

I have no idea. I forgot to time myself, lol!  I did have to modify most of the exercises. Definitely beyond my capability at this point. I gave it a good try though!

Food for the Day 01/10:

Breakfast: Diet Coke

Snack: None

Lunch: Pappadeaux fried shrimp and fries (ate about a quarter of the dish), iced tea with sweet & lo, 2 slices of french bread

Snack: Hot Chocolate

Dinner: Bertolli's Vodka Pasta family style meal

Food for the Day 01/11:

Breakfast: Diet Coke (notice a trend)

Snack: None

Lunch: Grilled Chicken skewers, rice, 1 chocolate chip cookie, iced tea

Snack: None

Dinner: Jimmy John's turkey sandwich, 1 bag of cheetos, 3 Corona beers

My diet is still not looking anywhere close to good. My goal for this weekend is to put together a meal plan for next week and go grocery shopping. Hopefully, next week will look better!!