p90x3 Day 1: Total Synergistics with Cold Start

The day finally arrived!! Day 1 of p90x3!  Been waiting for this for about 6 weeks now.  It's been a full year since my last round of p90x and I have been really excited to see what x3 will do for me in terms of motivation with the shorter workouts, and how it will integrate with my swimming and triathlon training.

In December I was sick with what started first as a cold, progressed to sinusitis, then bronchitis and possibly influenza. I was out for 2-3 weeks with NO energy, not even the kind of energy when I've had a cold in the past but was still able to do stuff.  I was on the couch unable to get up sick for at least 5 days, then slowly energy returned, but during that time I really became deconditioned.

I swam only 5 days in December, taught several lessons and rode my bike about 5 times on the trainer for less than 30 minutes each.    The last 2-3 weeks my shoulders, low back and hips have been aching in a way then never have before.  I started to think (briefly) maybe I'm getting old...wondering if I'd be able to sustain swim volumes I have in the past...I got glimpses of me being an old, fat swim coach who couldn't swim anymore.

But then I reminded myself of all my over 45 friends who are fit and lean and healthy, and of all the accomplishment's I've had over the past year (new PRs in all swim distances, Open Water National Championship Racing -7th place age group), my fastest crossing of the Kealakekua Bay) and of how much progress I made last year in such a short time with p90x.  

I loved how I looked last March/April/May and even later in the year.  I did put some weight back on, not all of it, but I also stopped doing the additional training for the full body, and really slacked off on weight bearing activities also, like running and my running activation drills.

So....

That brings us to today's workout...Total Synergistics.

First let me say how much I have missed Tony!  I love working out with him and friends in my living room. Some people hate his banter, but not me.  He is motivating, funny and goofy enough to find entertainment in little things, "Oh Mississipi....", "I could store a rabbit under there", "Let me write that down. That was Hard!".   They sound goofy if you haven't heard them but it keeps me smiling which makes me want to PRESS PLAY.

So what about total synergistics?   Fun, fast workout. not a fast tempo, but the time goes quickly. I loved the variety. Almost all new moves, but all very functional.  I enjoy the new "salutations" named after different folks as well.

For the Half Moon Warrior Squat near the end, I did a nice modification that I"ll post a video of.  Dreya showed some modifications, but I feel he could have spent a little more time on them.

My shoulders were really tired just after the 2 minute warmup...and the arm circles keeping the hands "mostly " behind the shoulders showed me how tight my chest/ pecs have gotten from TOO MUCH computer work (like this typing) and not enough stretch or strengthening work.

I am so happy and so excited to be going down this path again.  Keep in touch for updates on weight, measurements AND photos as well. :)

Tilapia Fish Tacos with Jalepeno Slaw - A quick 90/10 Nutrition Idea

These 90/10 fish tacos took about 20 minutes to make from scratch and were as good as the 'original street taco' recipe we get from the local authentic Mexican taco stand on the NorthSide.  They were so good, even my boyfriend enjoyed them!

Tilapia Fish Tacos with Jalepeno-Lime Slaw

Slaw:

1/3 Head of Green cabbage, shredded

1 lime, juiced

1 small bunch of fresh cilantro, chopped

1/2 medium Jalepeno, diced

6 scallions, chopped

salt & pepper to taste

Fish: 

2 tilapia fillets, sautéed in olive oil, salt & pepper to taste

Wraps:

Choice of corn tortilla or rice paper wrap (highly recommended!)  

Directions:

I started with about 1/3 head of green cabbage and use this $20 mandoline/veggie slicer to make quick work of shredded cabbage.   Next I took a medium sized jalepeno, sliced it in half and scraped out the seeds.   I chopped it into small bits and tossed it into the cabbage. I rinsed off about 6 scallions, cut the roots off and sliced the whites, then added a small handful of fresh cilantro.  I used a nice heavy duty lemon/lime juicer to squeeze in the juice of a full lime, then added salt & pepper to taste. 

Next I sautéed 2 tilapia filets in a small amount of olive oil with salt, pepper and lemon juice until white all the way through and just browned on the top & bottom.  I separated the fish into flaky chunks then added a few tablespoons of fish on top of a corn tortilla as well as  rice paper wrap, and added the jalepeno-lime saw on top.   

This recipe was enough to make six small hand-tacos, and the rice paper fish tacos traveled really well to work in a tupperware container.  

Let me know how yours turn out!

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Get Ready for p90x3!

P90x3 went on sale today, and I'm going to order my copy tomorrow. This whole journey started with doing p90x and I love working out with Tony Horton.

I've put together a page that covers all the frequently asked questions regarding p90x3 but just post a comment if you have any additional questions.

I'm planning to start my next p90x3 group challenge on Jan 6th, 2013, so get your order placed, and guarantee that you can participate on time.

All orders placed through the links here will connect you with me as your personal beachbody coach and advisor, at no additional charge.

If you can't wait, just go ahead and place your order right now! 

Writing Down Your Goals! Reading Summary - Power of Habit

I am loving my new reading habit! Today's "Power of Habit" reading was about willpower! Fun to read about habits and willpower while forming a new habit. It's making it easy for that 15 minutes of reading to be the first thing I do. 

This chapter started by discussing the idea of delayed gratification, and how children who displayed the ability to wait 15 minutes to earn an extra marshmallow scored higher on their SAT exams years later. Many studies of willpower have since followed.

One that I find fascinating was a study that looked at recovery activities for elderly people that had joint replacement surgeries. They recruited a bunch of folks averaging 68 years of age, and gave them a book of guidelines for rehab with 13 blank pages in the back, one for each week's goals. Half the participants were instructed to write out their goals for each week. The other half were given no specific instructions. The ones that wrote out their goals for each week started walking twice as fast as the others!

But even more interesting is that the ones that did the best created a written plan for "inflection points", those points they knew would be the most difficult and the easiest time to give up. Like that first step was so painful, it would be easy to just sit back down. One man specifically wrote that he would take 2 steps before he stopped so it would be harder to sit back down.

One man made an afternoon routine of walking to the bus stop to greet his wife as she returned from work...that 3:30 walk was the longest and hardest of his day but it had the biggest reward, "Hi Honey, welcome back!".

Companies like Starbucks also have robust employee training systems in place where they give workbooks with blank pages to their employees so that they can write down a plan to deal with "an angry customer", " a wrong order", "a long line", and they give them coping strategies to help formulate their response (like the LATTE plan). Then the manager will role play scenarios with the new employee. In this way, even new employees with little professional experience become well trained in setting aside personal difficulties of the day and experts in customer service.

Good stuff. I know that I have things I'd like to have more willpower with. One of my groups that I am involved in right now involves creating a "vision board" for 1 and 5 years down the line. I came up with a list of my 1 year beachbody coach goals and wrote those down. Based on today's reading...I'll be much more likely to achieve them! : )

Les Mills Combat Hybrid Schedule with HIIT Plyo (Post workout Smoothie too)

Today was my fourth Les Mills Combat workout and the first one I was able to do all the way through!

I did what's listed as the 4th workout in the Les Mills "Combat Warrior" schedule, the easiest of the 3 schedules that comes with the program.   Don't get intimidated though by the title "Combat Warrior"!  It's actually got several rest days and many days the workout suggested is only 30 minutes long, so really no excuse not to do it!



It's one of the reasons I chose to do Les Mills combat right now because it's so easy to fit it in with other obligations.   In this short video, I talk about the schedule I'm doing and how I modified it for my triathlon "off-season" training blocks where I want to primarily improve my running.

The plyo, leg work is very helpful for improving running economy among other things.

I find it VERY challenge right now so I just modify according to the video and if I don't feel it's safe for me to continue some of the plyo or go quite as deep in the moves, I just march or jog in place.

Aftwards I REALLY look forward to some kind of a post-workout shake since I want to hydrate and refuel and don't feel like "fixing" a meal...I need something quick and easy and good for me.  Guess what I use?  Shakeology!   Right now I'm enjoying the vanilla Shakeology and adding various things to see what I like the most.

Try this recipe:
Ginger & Spinach Shakeology, Post-Workout Smoothie
1 scoop Vanilla Shakeology
1 large handful of fresh baby spinach leaves
1 small handful of strawberries
1 tbs of flax seed
12-16 oz of filtered water, to suit your desired thickness.

Check out the video to see my reaction to how it tastes (and what I did after I turned the camera off! )

Les Mills Combat Day 2 plus Vanilla Shakeology recipe (VIDEO)

So just 2 days ago I picked up Les Mills Combat for the first time. I was really attracted to Les Mills Combat because it looked like it was fast moving, required some co-ordination and I really wanted to learn more about some martial arts type of stuff.

The introductory video, "The Basics" covered a TON of stuff, about 5 different fighting arts and really basic punches, kicks and stances. I can't wait to get more into them.   Even after doing the 30 minute First combat video that same day, I could definitely feel my gluts, abs and balance being worked out.

The kicks are going to be really challenging for me as I have neglected doing much pure leg work...so single legged balance and stance will be a great way to get stronger I hope.

Today I did the 2nd workout, the 30 minute HIIT.  There was not a lot of martial arts in it...hmmm...maybe none, but it was a really good basic video that worked lower body ,upper body and core with whatever level of intensity I could muster.  It is also a really easy video to do modifications with, so my knees were happy.

Afterwards I was so excited to whip up a vanilla shakeology post workout drink that I made a video for it!  Check out the video below, and leave a comment here or on youtube if you have any questions.

Just serve fresh eggs, OK?

OK, so maybe some folks think I"m a bit over the top with my nutrition posts or food pics or whatever...people are free to eat whatever they would like to eat.  However as I learn more and more about what good nutrition is and what it can do for my health, I find that I have a hard time NOT putting effort into eating whole, fresh (organic when possible) greens & fruits with nuts.  

Sure I have cravings at times for a milkshake or a bag of salty chips...and I will enjoy those on occasion.  But here's what I'm noticing.  With every "healthy" meal that I make and eat, the ingredients taste better and better. Sweet Kale or Spinach? Tomato slices that taste like candy? You bet.

Today I went to a favorite restaurant as I had been having a craving for some plain old eggs.  From my first bite I tasted... cardboard.   The whole grain toast and whole fat butter that came with it were yummy...but the eggs clearly did not taste like eggs.   I've tasted eggs that were delicious before, and obviously powdered eggs that tasted like nothing...but I could not imagine that the kitchen I ordered from did not use fresh eggs...so I asked.     They are eggs from a carton, "pre-cracked".  

Clearly they had lost much of their own flavor and picked up the flavor of the packaging box.   is this really a good trade off?  how did the chemical structure of the eggs change while they were sitting in that box with all their other egg brothers & sisters?

The more I cook at home with whole fresh ingredients...even if the meal itself is a disaster, at least I know what each ingredient is, where it comes from and how it was prepared.

Lesson learned...if I'm eating eggs, I want to crack the egg myself from a fresh farm supply.

What kinds of things do you prefer to fix at home rather than a restaurant?

What is 90/10 Nutrition about?

OK, folks, here's the deal. I have had a lot of friends ask me what "90/10" is about. It's nothing mysterious, it's not a "diet" and it doesn't cost you any money. 

What it IS: 
- a new way to think about eating, a simple list of nutritiously dense foods that will satisfy your body's needs
-a way to reduce cravings without going crazy, a way to lose weight SAFELY because it helps you get what your body needs and avoid the stuff it doesn't need
-a highly adaptable way of eating to suit your personal preferences (vegan, gluten free, paleo, low-carb etc) 

What it is NOT: 
-a restrictive "diet" (there is a huge list of whole foods to choose from!)
-a moralistic approach to how you eat (ie vegan, paleo, etc)
-a supplement program
-a short term solution to your weight
-"all about the shake"

How it WORKS: You have 3 lists of food options. 
The RED list: one list is primarily sugar based and sugar derived high caloric, low nutrition. This is a short list. The problem is that most foods we buy in a box contains one of these handful of ingredients, so knowing them helps you make better food choices. Eliminate these RED foods from your intake for even just 1 week and see how you feel 

The YELLOW list: These are your treats. Every day you can have up to 10% of your caloric needs from yummy treats that include ingredients on the yellow list. 

The GREEN list: This is the longest list of all of them. The Green foods are highly nutritious options, and include foods that have FAT, PROTEIN and CARBS. The are listed in each category to help you mix and match and create a balanced meal plan. Eat 90% of your daily calories from this list and you'll learn that this is how the magic happens. 

If you want to adapt the 90/10 Food lists for your dietary preferences all you have to do is shift food items downward (ie from green to yellow or from yellow to red). No foods get shifted upwards. The food lists are based on nutritional profile and caloric density. Give your body the micro and macronutrients it needs adn the calories take care of themselves as long as the foods are from the green, or sometimes the yellow lists. 

All of this information is FREE and I WANT you to use it, take it and run with it to get healthier by losing weight, getting micronutrients you need, gain more energy for your training, work and everyday life and just FEEL BETTER! 

http://www.9010Nutrition.com/

Insanity Day #2 Plyo Cardio Circuit

Wow.  So the warmup kicked my butt, the stretching felt good but was a slight challenge and round #1 of high intensity cardio finished me off! 

This is going to be rough but fun. I'm looking forward to it.  All those people on the video? Surely I am just as good of an athlete as they are.  Hoping this helps me to "rewind the clock" a bit.  Getting those big muscle groups active and moving and supporting my body in all the activities I want to do and keep on doing...

Something I posted on facebook: 
I do have to say that all this plyo is NOT something to jump into (haha) without strong legs already...it can seriously and quickly mess up your knees, your back or both. I am making heavy modifications to the moves where I need to based on what I know about my body and how it responds.

YOu don't have to leave the floor to do plyo, you can just do the up & down movements but not so explosive you leave the floor. Leaving the ground is actually the easy part...it's the landing...how you land specifically that can cause injury or damage.

So anyway, if you're thinking about it, be strong to start with (like a round of power 90 or p90x or good old fashioned body weight lower leg work for several weeks to months first), OR know the modifications you can make.

Bring it!  Or rather, Dig Deeper!!

Insanity fit Test - Day 1

So I decided to give Insanity a try. I've done 3 rounds of p90x over the past 4 years with good results each time. (If you don't see many posts here about my most recent round, it's because I posted a lot of it on my facebook challenge group rather than here...slowly working to get posts over here as well).

I am 44  1/2 years old and have lost about 10 lbs since January of this year ... 4 months ago.  at times it was down to probabaly 15 lbs total fat loss but since finishing p90x and taking 2 trips some of that crept back on. But overall I feel great , I am moving better and still feel stronger.

Nevertheless, while at one point in my life I was a "power based" athlete having played a lot of soccer & volleyball, over the past 3-4 years I've been spending a lot of time swimming and not as much time doing body wieght supported land based activities.

I want to get stronger in my core, my gluts, my quads and knees so that I can function better all around.

Today I took the Insanity Fit Test - Day 1 of Insanity and here are my results:

1 Swithc Jacks 65
2 Power Jacks 40
3 Power Knees 82
4 Power Jumps 22
5 Globe Jumps 5
6 Suicide Jumps 10
7 Push up Jacks 15
8 Low Plank Oblique 21

Wow.  The first 2 exericises I was thinking to myself, "I'm in awesome shape from p90x". Then the cumulative fatigue hit me!!   THe final 5 exercises I took plent of breaks and I think the suicide jumps I just gave up after 10.  Not saying that I didn't dig deep...but that's what I had!!

Looking forward to how this all plays out over hte next 2 months!  It's different and I think it will be really really good for me.

What to do after p90x? What to do after Power 90?

So you're nearing the finish line of power 90 or p90x, congratulations for sticking through it all the way!  What happens next depends on what your goals are.

So what do you do after finishing p90x?
There's no problem continuing with P90X the same way you've been going at it. With the training block system you aren't likely to plateau for some time yet. Or you can step up to P90X2®—another 90-day program that builds on Muscle Confusion and introduces some of the latest thinking in sports science.

 http://www.TeamBeachbody.com/workout-routines/p90x2

If you're happy with your results and would like to back off, try this:

Each week do the Yoga X routine at least once. Also do Plyometrics, Core Synergistics, or Kenpo X once or twice a week. To maintain your muscle mass, you can do just the first round of the resistance programs, since you get 80% of the benefit in a resistance workout during the first set. This rate isn't enough for you to make big gains, but it's enough to maintain your muscle mass for quite some time. This also cuts the time of your resistance workouts to less than 30 minutes.

You can also just logically substitute non-P90X activities where it makes sense, e.g., instead of Plyo/Cardio X/Kenpo, play tennis, hike, or go for a run. Many people experiment with different schedules/combos and settle into whatever works best for them depending on their individual goals.




What do you do after finishing Power 90?

If you want to take it to the next level, take the P90X Fit Test and see if you're ready to Bring It!® with Tony. Or if you're feeling short on time, Tony's 10-Minute Trainer® (http://TeamBeachbody.com/shop/-/shopping/10MinTrainer?referringRepId=206726) can be a great option. If you're not ready to move on yet, try another round of Power 90 or go into maintenance mode with Power Half Hour and Power 90 Master Series (http://TeamBeachbody.com/shop/-/shopping/Power90MS?referringRepId=206726). Just keep moving!

Chicken Piccata coated in Flax Meal

Chicken Piccata coated in Flax Meal

This recipe submitted by Leslie Rogers. 

Ingredients

4 sliced thin thicken breasts
2/3 cup of flax meal 

2-3 Tbs of Italian seasoning

1 egg white lightly beaten

S/P to taste

Glaze

1/2 cup low sodium/low fat chicken broth

1 lemon, juiced

Kale

Capers

Optional: Sliced Applies

Instructions

1) season chicken w/ salt and pepper, 

2) mix the Italian seasoning with the flax meal. 

3) Dredge chicken in egg white and then the flax meal/seasonings 

4) place in a pan with 1-2 tbs of olive oil heated on medium high. 

5) cook for a few minutes on each side until cooked, remove from pan.

6) Deglaze the pan with 1/2c of low sodium/fat chicken broth and juice of one lemon, add kale and capers and braise. Place chicken on top of the kale.

Add some sliced apple to this which adds a little sweetness.   

Turkey Meatloaf with Rosemary and Almond Meal

Turkey Meatloaf with Rosemary and Almond Meal

This is a really quick way to enjoy some lean ground turkey. I used the same recipe mix to cook the meat two different ways. The Turkey Meatballs are described here.

This was honestly one of the most flavorful, moist dishes I've ever prepared, even when eaten as leftovers one & two days later.  

Ingredients
16 oz of lean ground turkey
1 3.5 oz package of crumbled low fat feta cheese (optional: With tomato & basil seasoning)
1/2 cup of almond flour/almond meal
1/3 cup of egg whites
Far out Feather Dust** to taste (momsgourmet.net)

Directions
Mix the Turkey, feta cheese, almond meal and egg whites in a large mixing bowl.   Shake on the far out feather dust or other poultry seasoning to taste.  I used mabye 1/4 tsp. 

Press the turkey mixture into a small loaf pan with at least 1/4" to 1/2" space remaining at the top. I'm not quite sure why...but this recipe rises nicely!   Take a sprig of fresh rosemary and break off the smaller branches. press lightly into the top of the loaf.

Heat the oven to 325 degrees and bake for 45 minutes to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F.

Let cool and serve immediately sliced with your favorite greens on the side, or cover and place in the fridge for amazing lunch leftovers.

Additional ingredients used for the meatloaf (rosemary) and the meatballs (coconut oil)

Small Turkey Meatloaf pan before baking. Sprigs of Rosemary pressed into surface of loaf.

Cooked 45 minutes @ 325 F to internal temp of 160

Nutritional information for the almond meal

Low Fat Feta Cheese Nutritional Info

Turkey Meatballs in Coconut Oil

Turkey Meatballs grilled in Olive Oil

This is a really quick way to enjoy some lean ground turkey. I used the same recipe mix to cook the meat two different ways. For simplicity of each post I'll cover the Turkey Meatloaf in a 2nd post.

These were a cross between meatballs and burgers. The consistency of the ground turkey mixture was soft enough taht itwas easier to form balls and drop them in the pan. But as they cooked i worried that they wouldn't cook through so I flattened them a bit. No matter what you call them, this is still a GREAT way to enjoy some lean turkey meat.

(Gluten Free, Diary Free, Soy Free)

Ingredients
16 oz of lean ground turkey
1 3.5 oz package of crumbled feta cheese (optional: With tomato & basil)
1/2 cup of almond flour/almond meal
1/3 cup of egg whites
Far out Feather Dust** to taste (momsgourmet.net)
1 tablespoon Coconut Oil

Directions
Mix the Turkey, feta cheese, almond meal and egg whites in a large mixing bowl.   Shake on the far out feather dust or other poultry seasoning to taste.  I used mabye 1/4 tsp.

Melt the Coconut oil in a skillet and drop small spoonfuls of the turkey mixture into the skillet and saute for a few minutes turning once when browned.

Show here served with sliced cold kiwi slices. Cold cucumber slices would also make a great side serving.

** Far out feather dust contains chili, allspice, cinnamon, ginger, fennel, garlic and marjoram.

Parchment Baked Tilapia with Ginger, Carrots & Garlic

This was my first experience cooking with parchment paper, and it was fantastic!

Meets the 90/10 Nutrition Guidelines


Serves 2
Nutrition Information:

p90x Portions
1 Protein
1 Veggie
1/2 Fat

Ingredients: 
Tilapia Fillets (2)
Fresh Basil Leaves sliced lengthwise in 1/8" strips (10-20 leaves)
1 Clove minced Garlic
1/4 " minced ginger root
1/2 Cup shredded carrots
2 tsp Olive Oil
2 tsp White Wine or Cooking Wine
2 sheets of parchment paper
Cooking Spray


Instructions:
Preheat Oven to 450 degrees

Mince, grate and slice the carrots, basil, garlic and ginger and set aside

Prepare 2 sheets of parchment paper (nonbleached) with a light spray of olive oil

Lay each piece of thawed Tilapia in the middle of the parchment

Sprinkle the sliced basil leaves, ginger, garlic and shredded carrot over each piece

Drizzle 1 tsp each of olive oil and white wine over each piece

Fold parchment over the fish fillet and seal remaining three edges with small narrow folds or rolls.

Bake for 15 minutes until parchment is puffed up.  Slice open parchment to allow steam to escape and serve as is, or slide it out and serve on the plate with your sides.

Parchment Baked Tilapia with Basil, Ginger, Carrots & Garlic poached with white wine and Olive Oil

90/10 Traffic Light Food Zones Based on Michi's Ladder

**Thanks to Coach Ryan Chapman for organizing Michi's Ladder into a much simpler system to follow here ** 

Green Light Zone 90% of Calories from this Tier, no need to track them
Proteins	Carbohydrates	Fats
Beef, Lean cuts (between 10% and 20% fat) Cottage Cheese (F) Egg Whites Fish (Broiled, Steamed, Grilled) Fowl (skinless, dark meat) Fowl, Ground (between 10% and 20% fat) Lamb, lean Shakeology Yogurt (Greek or Regular, unsweetened) (F)	Apples Applesauce (raw, unsweetened) Artichokes Asparagus Bananas Beans (low sodium if canned) (P) Beets Berries (fresh) Bok Choy Bread products (100% Whole Wheat only, no HFCS) Broccoli Broths (low sodium only) Brussell Sprouts Cabbage Carrots Cauliflower Celery Citrus Fruits Coffee (Black) Corn CousCous (100% whole wheat) Cucumbers Dates Eggplant Figs Garlic (fresh, not powdered) Granola (raw, no sugar or preservatives) Grapes Greens, Leafy (all types) Herbs Hummus Kiwi Lentils (P) Lettuce Mangoes Melons Milk (fat free or whole raw) (P)(F) Muesli (raw, no sugar or preservatives) Mushrooms Nectarines, Peaches Oatmeal Onions Papaya Pasta (100% Whole Wheat) Pears Peas Peppers Pineapple Plantains Plums, Prunes Quinoa (P) Radishes Raisins Rice (Brown and Wild) Spelt Squash Stevia Sweet Potatoes, Yams Tea (unsweetened) Tomatoes Vegetable Juice Vinegar Water Yacon Syrup Zucchini	Almond Milk (unsweetened and unflavored) Avocados Butter, Unsalted Coconut Flaxseed Hempseed Nut Butters (raw, unsalted) (P) Nut Butters (roasted, unsalted) (P) Nuts (raw, unsalted) (P) Nuts (roasted, unsalted) (P) Olive Oil Olives Sunflower Seeds
Yellow Light Zone 10% of Calories for this tier...keep track of these only
Proteins	Carbohydrates	Fats
Beef, ground and cuts (greater than 20% fat) Beef, Lean cuts (between 10% and 20% fat) Canadian Bacon Fowl (skinless, dark meat) Fowl (with skin) Fowl, Ground (between 10% and 20% fat) Fowl, Ground (greater than 20% fat) Ham Hot Dogs (Turkey) Jerky (Turkey) Lamb, lean Pork (fatty cuts, pork chops, etc) Veal	Applesauce (big brand) Agave Nectar Broths Corn Tortillas and Tortilla Chips Crackers (whole grain only) Chili (not homemade, no sugar or lard added) Granola (not raw, no sugar added) Honey Jam or Marmalade (no sugar added) Lettuce (Iceberg) Maple Syrup (natural, no sugar added) Milk (1% or 2%) (P)(F) Muesli (big brand) Molasses Oatmeal (Flavored and sweetened) Pancakes (buckwheat or whole wheat, not 100%) Pickles Popcorn (plain) Potatoes (baked or boiled) Refried Beans (low-fat) Rice Cakes Rice Milk Rice (white) Sauerkraut Sugar alcohols (anything ending in -tol) Tortillas (whole wheat, not 100%) Wine Artificial Sweeteners (sucralose, aspartame, saccharine, etc) Bagels (Refined Flour) Beer Bread (Refined Flour) Chips (low-fat, baked) Coffee (sweetened and/or creamed, includes lattes, etc) Crackers (not whole grain) Graham Crackers Ice Cream (sugar or fat free) Jell-o Juice (from concentrate) Milk (whole, not raw) Muffins Nut Butters (big brand, not natural) Popcorn (with salt and butter) Pancakes Pasta Pretzels (not 100% whole wheat) Sauces (steak, BBQ, ketchup, etc) Sherbet Soup, Canned (creamy) Soy Sauce Yogurt (frozen)	Almond Milk (sweetened and/or flavored) Butter (salted) Canola Oil Mayonaise
Red Light Zone Just avoid these for 6 weeks..see how you feel!
Alcohol (hard liquor) Cake Candy Cereal (sugared) Chips (potato or corn) Milk Chocolate Cinnamon Roll Coffee (extremely sugared and full cream versions, mochas, lattes, etc) Cookies Creamed Veggies Creamer (non-dairy) Doughnuts Energy Drinks (sugared versions) Fast Food (unless you can verify all ingredients are from upper Tiers) Fried Foods of any kind (excludes items litghly sauteed in EVOO) Gravy High Fructose Corn Syrup Hot Dogs Hydrogenated Foods Ice Cream Juice (sugar added) Margarine Pastries Pies Pizza (restaurant) Salad Dressing (creamy, full fat) Sausage Soft Drinks, Diet Soft Drinks, Regular Sports Drinks and Sports Nutrition Products (unless you are seriously training and using them properly) Syrup Sugar Vegetable Oil (big brand)

5 Things to Do Before Your 90/10 Nutrition Challenge Starts

Doing these 5 things will help you succeed in your 90/10 Nutrition Challenge.

Tip 1)  Set a realistic goal and TELL someone about it.  You don't have to tell the whole world, but tell some one you trust outside of the challenge group.  Letting others know your goal makes it more real to you and improves your chances of success.

Tip 2) Clear your kitchen and Pantry of any RED ZONE foods!  Don't even let there be a temptation.  If you live with someone else, or even a whole family, make sure that they understand what you are doing and if possible, get rid of ALL the forbidden food sin the house. If this is not possible, designate a small cupboard or pantry area for those Red Zone foods that other people in your family will still eat.  When the family sees yoru results, everyone will be ready to ditch the bad stuff.

Tip 3)  Get your SPOUSE or SIGNIFICANT OTHER on board.  This is vital. Even if your spouse or significant other is not interested in following the challenge with you, they will most certainly want to support you in your effort to become healthier.  You may be surprised with how much they will go out of their way if they KNOW what you are trying to achieve. But they won't know unless you tell them.

Tip 4)  Take Photos and Measurements in the week before you start. YOu are about to start a great journey and you can't go back and take them again later!  You'll be really glad you have these in the future, even if you don't want to look at them now or show them to anyone.

This video will help with doing pics

This video will help with measurements

Tip 5) Plan your meals ahead of time, especially dinners which tend to be more involved.  Keep things simple if you like or go ahead and let your inner gourmet cook shine...just plan ahead.   Here is a blog post that describes how I plan my dinners in just 20 minutes a week.


Ready to get involved?
Step 1)  Read the main 90/10 Nutrition Challenge page here to get up to speed if you haven't read it yet.
Step 2)  Review the 7 Rules and make sure you are ready to commit!

In order to participate in my 90/10 Nutrition challenge group, simply click  HERE  to make me your coach.. If I am your coach, send me an email or message and let me know you want to participate in the challenge.  After you email me at coach@steelcityendurance.com, you will receive an email (within 24 hours) with final instructions for being added to the group and getting your Shakeology ordered.
 

7 Rules of the 90/10 Nutrition Challenge

Here are the 7 Rules of the 90/10 Nutrition Challenge

These rules are simple enough to be easy to follow, yet firm enough to guarantee success as long as you want to succeed!  Once you've decided to commit to the challenge you MUST take action in order to reach your goals. 

Rule 1) Commit to the first 2 weeks before deciding if you need to modify the rules or diet.  For many people, changing to the 90/10 nutrition will mean significant changes in the amount of refined carbohydrates and sugars that they eat.  This shift in energy use by your body can cause fatigue, headaches and a foggy feeling in some people.  Unless you already have a clean diet, it's almost a guarantee you'll feel tired and foggy the first 2-5 days.  You MUST decide ahead of time that you will push through this phase because the rewards are so great.  This is an unsolicited comment from a challenger on only day 8 of  Power 90 which basically follows the 90/10 plan:

I find myself not being as hungry as a used to and less food filling me up  - Patrick M.

The rewards are worth it so decide and commit to succeed.

Rule 2) You must eat 90% of your daily calories from the "Green Light Zone".   Eat from these food selections until about 80% full and then wait 15 minutes before finishing any remaining food.   You don't have to count and track this 90% closely...for some folks like me, it simply becomes too tedious. If your foods are all Green Light Foods then you'll be getting great nutrition & fiber as well.

Rule 3) You may eat 10% of your daily calories from the "Yellow Light" or Caution foods.   These foods are fine in moderation...so we carefully measure only these foods and STOP at 10%.  If your daily calorie goal is 2000 calories, then you'd limit yourself to just 200 calories from this group.  Remember, you don't HAVE to eat from this tier, but you may.  Just be sure you track this 10% closely.

Rule 4) All foods in the "Red Light" Zone are OFF LIMITS for the duration of this challenge.    Now I know that we are not perfect, I certainly am not. If you eat from this Zone during the challenge, it needs to be a conscious decision and an exception to your daily habits!  And you MUST fess up in the challenge group!!!  It's OK...just get it out of your system, we will still love you. :)

Rule 5) Drink your Shakeology every day!  You must be on Shakeology Home Direct with me as your coach.  Drinking your Shakeology every day is the best way to add fiber, antioxidants, probiotics and greens along with protein & carbs from plant sources!   Shakeology is a clean, Good to GO meal that is very versatile.  You can drink it first thing in the morning as is or with added fruit, yogurt or almond butter for example.  You can drink it pre workout, post workout or as a between meal snack.   If you're working 12 or even 16 hour shifts...this is a fantastic thing to have...it's really saved me during many a work day!

Rule 6)  Be active in the Facebook challenge group. Make quick daily posts, "like" others comments and in general get involved with the others int he group. We are all there to help and motivate each other and keep each other accountable.

Rule 7)  Plan to Succeed!!   Follow the Five Getting Started Tips (which will also be posted in the facebook group prior to day 1) to give yourself the best chance of success.



Want to get involved?  

First, Make me your Beachbody Coach by clicking HERE to set up a free account.   Check here for the next challenge group start, and then send me an email at coach AT steelcityendurance.com to let me know when you are ready to order your Shakelogy on home direct. I will walk you through the process.  Don't hesitate to ask me any questions or leave questions here in the comment section.

Too busy for Meal Plannign? Think again! 20 minutes on a Sunday afternoon.

This week I sat down for the first time in years and planned out a weeks menu of dinner or main course items.   Up to this point I don't plan too far ahead, and have been following the portion based approach to nutrition.  However  seeing my friend Ryan Chapman's blog photos of his weekly meal planning I was intrigued and actually a little bit jealous.

I've always told myself I don't have time to plan menus, shop & cook.   That was about 6 months ago I first saw Ryan's post about his weekly planning. This week Ryan challenged me to just sit down and try it...and see if it didn't save me time overall.  He said 15-20 minutes tops for the planning portion which is the most important part of the week.

He actually made it sound fun, so this is what I did.

1) I'd just bought a pretty new journal without knowing exactly how I'd use it.  It has a nice durable orange cover with an elastic band to keep it closed and fits nicely in my had when holding it open.  So I made it my nutrition journal!

2) I sat down with 3 cookbooks I've had for awhile, the p90x Nutrition Guide, The Eat Clean Diet by Tosca Reno, and The Vegetarian 5-Ingredient Gourmet.   If you do this, it can be any 2 or 3 cookbooks...just grab some and sit down with yoru journal!

3) Across 2 open pages of the journal I wrote the following columns. On the left hand side I wrote these headings:  Day, Page and Book.  On the right side of the double page I wrote these headings: Recipe and Nutrition. 

4) Down the left hand side I wrote the days of the week.  I only planned to plan for 3 or 4 nights so that I wouldn't end up with a long shopping list. I need to keep my shopping trips short & simple or else I get overwhelmed easily

5) I browsed through the books and picked out 5 different recipes that all sounded yummy & yet simple plus a few things I"ve wanted to try like cooking with parchment paper.  As I found a recipe, I wrote down the page number and the book, the name of the recipe and simple nutrition information in the form of Calories  grams or fats/protein/carbs.  (So a recipe might look like this:  221 cal  2g/11g/30g) 

6)  As I wrote down the name of each recipe I jotted down a shopping list on another page in the same book. 

The whole process took only about 15-20 minutes to do.  

So today I went to the store with the list and I couldn't believe it...shopping only took me about 20 minutes!   I was so impressed with how quickly I got in and out.  My list had exactly 20 items on it and I checked each one off as I found it, and only had to sub for one item...adn it was a sub for the better...fresh green chilis rather than canned.   






Stay tuned for details of my first yummy recipes from this adventure.  Parchment baked Tilapia, Green Chile-Cilantro Rice and Baby Mixed Greens salad with blueberries. 



 

Week 9 p90x Lean -Emerging Abs & Hipbones! Baggy Clothes to boot.

Yesterday was day 57/90 for me. This is the furthest I've ever made it in my p90x program. I've been light on the workouts during phase 2, but continuing with the nutrition I've continued to lose weight and bodyfat. 

Due to travel last week I didn't train as intensely as I wanted to, but did swim daily and ran once.   My calorie burn was definately down, and fearful of gaining back my total calories were probably pretty low...maybe 1200-1500?

Today I jumped back into Chest & Back for phase 3 and I was crushed. Bonked hard...most likely due to lack of stored glycogen from not eating a lot of excess calories.   I did my best and forget the rest and then ate an amazing meal that I'll post here soon.

Here's a picture I took this morning...this is the leanest I've been in several years. 

Today's weight 144.4 Waist 29" Hips 39" Body fat %age 29%!

The reason I took this photo today is because I'm finally seeing my hip bones emerging with some definition in my abdominal area.   You can even see my ribs in this picture!  p90x Lean works to cut body fat...but only if you follow the nutrition plan!

I like this photo a lot...you can see a small belly there, but the pants I'm wearing were too tight just 6 months ago and now they are actually baggy!  This shirt was a gift from one of my Ironman Athletes after he completed Ironman Arizona...and it's always been snug.  Today it feels great, and you can even see it's big on me in some areas.

I'm so pleased with how things are going so far...very proud of myself.     If I can do it, you can do it too.