Insanity: The End

http://www.beachbody.com/product/fitness_programs/insanity.do

Por fin!!! I finally completed the Insanity program  (applause)yes, yes, thank you very much, thank you , thank you . This past month was tough mhen! As you probably know or have heard, the workouts are longerrrrrr in the second month – I mean 59 minutes of pure hardwork – during some workouts I felt I was having an outer body experience, it was that intense. The workouts of  Month 2 week 4 were the most difficult for me to get through, partly because my knee started to act up but more so because my motivation just took a nose dive forsome reason. I ended up switching the workouts around a bit – the day my when myknee hurt,  I did Core Cardio Balance instead of Max Plyo , that way I still got my work out in but gave my knee a break.(I also took a day off at one point but then made it up by doing 2 workout in 1 day) – no I am not crazy, I just wanted to be done with this program. I did the first in the wee hours of the morning (couldn’t go to sleep so I figured I might as well get a workout in and the other I did after work). Now that it’s over, I must say it’s kind of bittersweet. But it is fulfilling to know that I kicked butt Shaun T style :).Would I do it again? most def! In fact, I plan to incorporate the Cardio Abs and the Core Cardio Balance into my weekly routine. I was beginning to give up hope on my post pregnancy body but insanity revived my vision to be a fit mom (sounds so cliché and informercially – eek –but it’s true)

Bye Bye Bo Bo

BYE BYE BO BO YUM YUM IS A BIG GIRL NOW

My Yummers is officially 15 months!!! YAY this marks a lot of milestones, in our family, the end to the reign of the almighty binkie (dramatic music).  We initially took  it away when she was 11 going on 12 months, but later re-introduced it when she got sick (is’nt crazy how getting sick can halt a lot of progress?). Anyway, her dad decided that at 15 months she would stop the binkie  - cold turkey (more dramatic music). One of the major reasons we decided to do this now, is because it was beginning to interfere with her eating patterns.  She would literally have a bite and stick the paci back in her mouth. 

We (my mom) officially took it away March 30^th and I must say, the first couple days were something hellish. Oh boy did she cry,  she cried so hard, we almost relented. Then night 2 came and the same thing all over again. It’s been 5 days since and she still gets a little restless at bedtime, but it’s a far cry – literally, from the gut wrenching wails of the first night.

Moms out there trying to stop their little ones from taking the binkie, I encourage you to press on. The first couple nights are the hardest. There are advantages to giving the binkie but the cons far outweigh the pros . Here are some things you should consider if you’re conflicted about introducing it or trying to take it away.

-        Impedes speech development

-        Impedes the development of tongue & lip muscles

-        Causes the tongue to push forward between with teeth , which could result in a lisp!

Besides, if you’re honest with yourself, you’ll admit that the bo bo is more for you than it is for them.

Bo Bo got kicked to the curb - mommy does the happy dance :) 

Brunch in The Bronx

Since La Reina Cubana was visiting NY for the weekend I decided to have everyone over for brunch in the Boogie Down. The picture quality is poor but you get the gist.

Yogurt Parfait: Plain Yogurt with mangoes, cubed strawberries and some honey and oats granola

Pancake Skewers: Inspired by Pinterest I just had to recreate this. I put a thin layer of Nutella on the pancakes. RO loved these. (Blasted picture quality) grrrr

Spread: Smoked Salmon, Procuitto, Smoked Mozzarella, Baked Potatoes, Scrambled Eggs, LRC brought in Tomato hummus with bacon bits from Zimmerman's
Bacon: I glazed the bacon with some maple syrup before throwing it in the oven - twas a hit!!

Washed down with mimosas made with Prosecco by La Marca 

And we all got personalized matching make-up purses thanks to darling RO. Now its official!!!! best friends forever. haha 

Insanity: Month 2 Week 2

On Day 51 I must have landed improperly during the Max Interval Plyo because, my right knee started to bother me. Over the following few days, I took Cod Liver oil, some anti-inflamatory pills and have been doing modifications for the circuits that require any major jumping.

Diet: Let me put this way, if this was a class, I would have been put back a year. I have royally sucked at eating clean. So I have logged my diet consistently since beginning Month 2. I tried the no/low carb thing for a week then I switched to a no-sugar routine the next week. One thing I learned from being committed to MyFitnessPal, is that my calorie intake is not the problem, I am in fact not using up my calorie allowance for the day. However, on the sugar front, I seem to be going waaaaaaaaay above my goal. Ok take for example March 18

	Total	Goal	Left Over
Total Fat	24	51	27
Sodium	1296	2500	1204
Carbs	125	208	83
Fiber	5	17	12
Sugar	83	30	-53
Protein	61	57	-4

Simplicity....

You may have heard of the radio station K-Love, a Christian contemporary station, if you're in NYC its on the 96.7FM dial.  I have been glued to this station ever since The Hubs introduced me to it a couple years back. So, on my way to work when I’m not yip yapping with aroundthegirl.net  , Im listening to the uplifting voice of Casting Crowns remind me to Praise Him In The Storm.  or Laura Story of his Blessings (i cry every time I listen to this song.. everrray time). I digress.

 Anyway, while listening to the station the other morning, Amy – one of the hosts was talking about her son’s 4^th birthday party and how one of the moms had lingered the entire party . At the end of the party, she called Amy aside and thanked her for having a “Simple” party. The lady and her son attended a party the weekend prior where there was an indoor petting zoo. Ludicrous Right? Imagine a goat or lama in the living room crapping everywhere??? Cringe!  

This begs to the question, Who are these “kids parties” really for? Granted, today’s child has a very active social life with  calendars booked 2-3 months in advance. At the same time, we parents also tend to get caught up in the hype of keeping up or trying to out-do the Joneses.

Soooooo, since we did not have a party when Yum Yum turned 1. We have been planning a summer party. And like many moms I’ve been going overboard and over budget, I in fact was going to get a petting zoo!!! hahaha. After that segment, I’ve had to stop and ask myself, will Yum Yum who will be 16months at the time of the party care about a petting zoo and all the other over the top things I have planned? Will the other 16-24 month old toddlers care ?  ….  it’s a No on all accounts. Therefore, there shall be no petting zoo or any other unnecessary “thing”. So as I seat here and restart her party planning  list. One word is more resounding than ever … Simplicity.

Simplicity as in the old pill bottle filled with pennies that Yum Yum would rather play with instead of the rattle that clinks and lights up. 

INSANITY PROGRAM AFTER MONTH 1

I had been contemplating a second round of the insanity program since I completed only 45 days in Round 1, shortly after the little lady was born last year. So, the last week in January after much mental motivation and watching videos of TiffanyDarlyn's transformation (one of my fave Youtube Gurus who is now pregnant), I began Insanity Round 2.

It has been 6 arduous and mentally challenging weeks since Day 1. And I have to say, I am not very pleased with my results. I was hoping that by now my 6-pack would be breaking through and I would have a semblance of Mrs. Obama’s guns – Wrong!!!

By the end of recovery week, with neither pounds nor inches lost, I was disappointed and ready to nose dive into a bucket of Oreo Cookies ice cream. But then, after my temporary insanity (pun intended) dissipated, I remembered that  I still have 4 weeks left to make a difference. I decided to evaluate the reason for the lack of changes (although I did feel stronger)

-          I exercised religiously every day at 5 or 5:30a

-          I had a salad everyday to make sure I got my vegetables in

-          I tried not to eat late at night 

So what the heck was the problem!!!

PROBLEM: I did not give up my sweets, white carbs and did not count my calories, so I was easily going over my daily calorie allowance which was somewhere around 1500 (according to MyFitnessPal). I felt since I was doing such a rigorous program a few desserts here and there shouldn't impede my progress - well...news flash on that one.

SOLUTION: Document my journey publicly every week. The rationale being that  the possibility of public failure might motivate me enough to put the damn chocolate down. So here goes the plan

-          Breakfast: Oatmeal or Herbal Life

-          Lunch: Baked Tilapia on a bed of spinach 

-          Dinner: 2 hard boiled eggs

-          Snack: Greek Yogurt (pref Chobani to satisfy the sugar cravings)

I estimate this to be somewhere around 1200 calories a day which is pretty low but I plan to give myself reasonable allowances here and there.

I will post pictures post pictures on Day 60...