Results - 1/9

Love this photo!

It was a good day despite the fact that we cannot seem to off the flu bug or whatever has hit our home. My baby girl is better which is the best news but as for my husband and I, we are trying like crazy to return to normal.

My fitness was nonexistent today. I did 2 pull ups. I was trying to just do something but after the two,  I was dead tired and done for the day.

Here are my results from today -

M1 - Eggs, ground chicken and avocado
M2 - Red bell pepper and cashews with cheese along with Kefir mixed with pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, brazil nuts, almonds, peanuts, cashews, flaxseeds and chia seeds
M3 - Whey Protein shake made with water with flax and chia seeds
M4 - Chicken over mixed greens
M5 - Body by Vi shake with VM Green and Healthforce Earth with milk and raspberries

Monthly totals -
Weight loss - 0/5 lbs
Pull ups - 6/100
Push ups - 20/1,000

Results - 1/8

I will be an overcomer this month. This month may be a difficult one but, I WILL press on.....

I have to say that I am proud I at least tried to do something today, even though it was not much of a workout, I did something while sick and with my hurt knee. My appointment went well today. The news was not what I was wanting to hear but there is nothing I can do about it. He said that it seems as if the back of my knee and the top part of my calf is in some kind of a spasm. He thinks it was caused by the long flight from the US and my knee getting stiff and inflamed. He said I have so many things going on with my knee that there is just too much inflammation and pressure inside that it has caused the back to spasm thus producing the pain and immobility that I am experiencing. Fun times....

Anyways,  I have to give it another 4 - 6 days and if there is no improvement, he is sending me to a specialist.  Every time I wish my knee trouble would just go away, I am reminded I need to be thankful I even have a knee and the ability to walk. It changes how I view the struggle. You become grateful, very grateful for what you do have.

Today was good. I met my goals and even though it is only day 2, I am proud I am sticking with my current plan.  Not much to report as my workouts are non-exsistent right now until my knee is better but to stay accountable, here are my daily results.

My weigh in is tomorrow and I will be honest, I am NOT looking forward to it. Maybe if the scale is up it will all be from the inflammation of my knee....just kidding. The truth is it will be up because of the many lattes, breads and Indian food I ate while on vacation. Plain and simple. What you eat, leads to results either good or bad and there is a time you have to face the facts and deal with it. Tomorrow morning we will see just how much I will have to deal with.

Results - 1/8

M1 - Ground beef and tomato mixture from yesterday with Romaine lettuce
M2 - Chicken with eggs and Avocado
M3 - Bell pepper and peanut butter
M4 - Chicken, avocado, fresh spinach, red onion mixed with salsa and greek yogurt
M5 - ON Whey shake with milk, fresh spinach, strawberries and a mix of ground flaxseeds, almonds, walnuts, brazil nuts and Co Q10.

In between I drank lots of water with ACV, coffee, a few cashews and I ate a small amount of dark chocolate. For my greens mix I drank Pukka Clean Greens.

Fitness results - hardly anything but at least with all that is going on I made an effort.

Pull ups - 4 reps, unassisted and I did not make it all the way to the bar but I tried my best. It felt as if I was holding steady at some points but I was trying and that is what counts.

Push ups - 20 military reps. Like I said, hardly anything but proud I just did it.

My monthly goals seem a million miles away, but I am just going to keep pressing on and looking ahead. Do what I can each day and then at the end of the day, I can rest knowing I gave this my all. It is hard reading this blog and seeing how far I have let myself go but it is reality and I have to take full responsibility and change course. Day by day....

Monthly totals -
Weight loss - 0/5 lbs
Push ups - 20/1,000
Pull ups - 4/100

Note to self. Forget trying to find the perfect moment. Just start.

Those of you following me on FB know the craziness that has been going on since we arrived back in Norway.  If you are not aware, I will keep it brief. We are all sick and are struggling with jet lag. There you have it! I have been waiting to post my 2013 goals until the perfect moment, one in which we are settled, unpacked and feeling better. As of now, I do not know when that will be so I am just going to go for it and post a few goals I want to reach this month. NOT this year, but this month. I need to start somewhere, and so I am choosing to just post my goals one month at a time for now. This of course may change but right now I just need to be reaching for something, anything, in order to get back on schedule and feel as if I am striving for a dream once again.

Ever since the marathon my motivation has vanished. My weight has increased, my body feels sluggish and tired and I feel far from the girl I was this time last year.  It happens. We slip up, we let things slide and that is ok at times but now it is time to get back to a set program. What that program will be, I am not yet sure. Here is why. As of this morning my knee has decided to once again take center stage and I am hurting quite a bit and we do not know why. It is the back of my knee, towards my calf where I had my injury last spring. I am a bit discouraged as all of this is coming just 56 days before my HM but I have an appointment tomorrow morning to see what is going on. I have faith that all will be ok but for now, I cannot run or do any high impact activity. After all, I am just trying to make it up and down the stairs right now. One thing I CAN control at this time is my diet. So for the rest of the month, or until we know what is going on with my knee, that will be where my goals are focused.

It is simple, straight forward and for some, it may be a surprise. I am going to give Paleo another go. To be fair, I have never fully taken the Paleo plunge, and this time around I will be keeping a few things that are considered non Paleo until I get a handle on the rest of it.

Confession, I have a thing for oats. Oatmeal, oatbran....all of it. I love it. I love beans, but they do not love me. And so, for this month, I am going wheat free and I am dropping beans. Now, I will still allow quinoa and brown rice as both are gluten free but a departure from a true Paleo lifestyle as well as skim milk and greek yogurt, two more No No's when it comes to Paleo. I know this, but bear with me while I take this first but important step in finding out what is right for me.  The KEY for me is dropping these carbs....oats more in particular, that is my focus right now and for me a big deal.

I plan on writing more about my findings, both good and bad and I hope to report back that the month was a success. I know I am not starting on Jan 1st, but there is no better time to start a goal than the present moment. I plan on making a daily log or daily results blog to briefly list my meals for the day along with my workouts.

My weight loss goal for Jan is to lose 5 lbs.

January Goals - Nutrition

1. Remove gluten sources from our diet - oats, pasta, oat bran etc....
2. No beans of any kind
3. Increase healthy fats - avocado, coconut oil, almonds etc...
4. Bread make with almond flour ( homemade ) is ok but nothing else.
5. Take VM Green and Sun Warrior Greens daily

January Goals - Fitness.....more to follow after doctors apt for my knee

1. Push ups - 1,000 military reps
2. Pull ups - 100 reps - negative, assisted etc...

So here are my results for today - 1/7

M1 - Ground beef with onions, small amount of pesto, tomatoes and  fresh spinach
M2 - 2 eggs with chicken and avocado
M3 - About Time protein shake with milk
M4 - more of M1 with romaine lettuce and about 1 tbsp of greek yogurt with hot sauce

In between meals lots of water, tea and coffee with milk and a about 1 tbsp or more of natural PB by itself......,mercy me was I craving some bread but I stayed away. Good Jen....