My 90 Days | 2021 Edition

[alishamcs]

Day 12/90: The Madness Continues

I’ve been so busy and overwhelmed lately. The stuff going on in the world doesn’t help, but my plate with work, grad school, and the drama related to both is a bit much. I skipped lunch today - not intentionally, just because I was so busy - and I can’t let that be a habit.

Historically, I’m a big stress eater. Rough day? Treat myself to a big cheeseburger or a bowl full of Mac and cheese. Glass of wine. Better order take-out to make me feel better.

On the rare occasion, I lose my appetite. I can only remember this happening once and it was after the first time I had my heart broken in love. I lost 10 lbs. and it took weeks before my appetite came back.

It’s not that I don’t have an appetite, but it’s not as top-of-mind with everything else going on. Not to take away credit from my commitment and focus, but I must admit that the stress is, well, helpful. In the best and worst ways possible.

I haven’t posted for a few days, but I’ve been really good. No cheating. Today was the most that I strayed from the basic meal plan and there is no guilt at all! I know that I have control over what I’m doing and we made a thoughtful takeout choice to ensure adherence. But, safe to say we will probably eat in for the next while.

Breakfast: 1/2 c egg whites, 1/2 c edamame, 1/2 c frozen spinach, 1/2 red pepper, 4 T salsa, coffee

Snack: 1 apple, 10 dry roasted almonds

Snack 2: protein drink (post-workout)

Dinner: Takeout tempura sushi roll, small spinach salad with balsamic vinegar

Snack 3: some spiced pecans, about 5 pretzel crisps with hummus

[alishamcs]

Day 7/90: End of Week 1!

It’s Sunday night and I’m about to head up to bed. I am really proud of myself — I’ve stuck to the routine and already feel some benefits. I’m way less bloated than usual and that’s a wonderful feeling! I’ve been surprised at how content I’ve been, as I anticipated much more hunger. (I am sure the busy work week and national events helped my mind to be focused elsewhere...ugh.) The hardest part was fitting in the various workouts throughout my busy day. Also, I didn’t really want to do them. My big goal for next week is to prioritize them more.

I know the hardest days are yet to come, but for now, we celebrate small victories. Week 1 down! I forgot to weight myself today, so will try and remember to do that tomorrow morning so I can start to chart my progress.

Breakfast: 1/4 cup steel cut oats, 1/4 cup egg whites, 1 tsp maple syrup, cinnamon, 1/2 banana, blueberries, coffee

Lunch: 6 oz. rotisserie chicken, 1 cup steamed broccoli, 1/3 cup sliced sweet peppers, 1/4 cup of roasted chickpeas. Served with Everything but the Elote seasoning and Sriracha

Snack: chocolate protein drink and full disclosure, I did steal some bites of my daughter’s macaroni & cheese

Dinner: 4 oz. salmon burger wrapped in romaine lettuce, 1 Roma tomato, 1/2 avocado, asparagus

Good night!

[alishamcs]

Day 5/90: Happy Friday!

Another busy day, which throws off the full routine, but I seem to manage. I’m surprised by how low my hunger has been and - good news - my workout felt the best yet today! In general, the runs and workouts haven’t felt too great. I know that as I get stronger, they will continue to feel better.

I did a 30-minute job with my dog and a 15-minute HIIT workout. I think it is pretty unrealistic that I’ll get to a 15-minute core workout now that it’s nearly 6pm on a Friday evening.

Food diary

Breakfast: 1/2 cup oatmeal with 1/2 cup of egg whites, cinnamon, Himalayan pink salt, 1/2 banana, blueberries, and coffee

Post-workout snack: protein drink

Lunch: 6 oz. turkey meatloaf leftovers, broccoli, and 1/2 cup of black beans that I seasoned with Everything but the Elote seasoning from Trader Joe’s

Dinner: 6 oz. rotisserie chicken, 1/2 cup black beans, 1/2 avocado, 2 cups of romaine lettuce, salsa as dressing

[alishamcs]

Day 4/90: Work interference

My work schedule today was bananas, so snacks, water, and some workouts I had planned for myself took a backseat. I still got *enough* water and did 60-minutes of walking (I calendared a walk with a colleague), but didn’t get to the Pilates I had planned. But that’s ok! Some days will be busy and I’m glad I got a lengthier walk in. My schedule is clearer tomorrow, so I’ll pick everything back up with renewed focus.

Breakfast: egg whites with red pepper, edamame, onion, spinach, and salsa. Coffee of course!

Lunch: marinated chicken, broccoli, diced sweet potato

Snack: protein shake

Dinner: Turkey meatloaf, green beans, rice mixed with black beans and salsa

Snack 2: cottage cheese swirled with sugar-free home and sprinkled with sunflower seeds

[alishamcs]

Day 3/90: Anarchy in DC

Well, today started off smoothly. I got most of my workout done in the morning, but I still need to squeeze in a 15-minute ab routine. It was a busy workday, but that wasn’t the only reason my mind was extra occupied. Today, political extremists stormed the Capitol building on Washington, D.C. I am horrified and deeply saddened by what I’m reading on the news. Something amazing happened in Georgia today, but it is definitely overshadowed by this disgusting display of anarchy, fueled by conspiracy and hate.

The anxiety and knot in my stomach has helped stave off hunger. I wouldn’t recommend it, though.

Breakfast: macronutrient drink; oatmeal with egg whites, banana, blueberries, cinnamon, and Himalayan pink salt. Coffee, too!

Post-workout snack: protein drink

Lunch: marinated chicken; chopped romaine; tomato; edamame; 1/2 an avocado; 2 Tbsp of balsamic vinegar. YES, vinegar, not vinaigrette. I learned that those extra calories are killers. I used high-quality vinegar and it was pretty delicious.

Dinner: turkey meatloaf (recipe from Skinny Taste) and ketchup; black beans with salsa; asparagus; sweet peppers

I probably will have another snack later tonight, likely cottage cheese swirled with sugar-free jam and sprinkled with sunflower seeds. But we’ll see how it goes.

Let’s hope for a better day tomorrow.

[alishamcs]

Day 2/90

The very mild headache of yesterday persisted and was a bit worse today, enough worse that I bit the bullet and took some pain meds. Being busy with work helps keep my mind off food, as does the constant focus on dowing water. I was hungrier today than yesterday and I anticipate I’ll be hungrier tomorrow as my body continues to adjust and detox. By dinner time, I was starved.

When logging food into my tracking app, I’m adding the cooking oil (which I haven’t done in past) and it is eye-opening. I need to invest in a nonstick pan or find better ways to cook without oil, at least for now. It’s throwing off my daily counts.

I did get 60-minutes of exercise and downed all my vitamins.

Breakfast: macronutrients alkaline drink; egg whites with red bell pepper, mushroom, spinach, and salsa. Seasoned with Everything but the Elote.

Post-workout snack: protein drink

Lunch: marinated chicken; small sweet potato; roasted broccoli

Snack: apple and 10 almonds

Dinner: salmon; asparagus; black beans with salsa

I’ll probably skip the final snack tonight due to all the extra calories that oil has added. Bummer.

[alishamcs]

Day 1/90

Hey, it’s almost 4:00 pm and the day has gone pretty well! Here’s the log so far:

1 glass of macronutrient green alkaline water after rising.

Breakfast: 1/2 cup of steel-cut oats cooked with 1/2 cup of egg whites. Added 1/2 sliced banana and a handful of blueberries. Sprinkled with cinnamon. Of course, coffee on the side. Took a multivitamin and DHEA 7 keto.

Snack #1: honey crisp apple and 10 dry roasted almonds.

Lunch: 2 cups of mixed greens, 1/2 avocado, 1 Roma tomato, 1/2 cup of edamame, and approximately 6 oz. of marinated chicken. Mixed with 2 Tbsp. Homemade balsamic vinaigrette.

Snack #2: protein drink. Downed it with the final DHEA 7 keto dose and an iron pill.

I haven’t eaten dinner or my final snack, but the plan is:

Dinner: Approximately 6 oz. marinated chicken, 1/2 sweet potato, and broccoli.

Snack #3: 1/2 cup of lowfat cottage cheese swirled with a spoon of sugar-free jam, sprinkled with sunflower seeds.

I managed to check off 60-minutes of exercise, too!

- 45 minutes of Blogilates Pilates workouts from YouTube

- 15 minute jog with the dog

I must admit that my heart rate seems bit high - I wonder if that’s more related to the DHEA 7 keto or the fact that I worked out? Either way, I am not loving the elevated heart rate (especially since I am trying to sit and relax right now). We’ll see how tomorrow goes and if I need to not take it.

1 day down, 89 to go!

[alishamcs]

The day before: A familiarity with shortcomings

I’m doing my best to prepare so I kick off this 90-day journey tooled for success. I went to the grocery store and just finished cooking up some marinated chicken breasts that will hopefully last a good chunk of the week. I’ve reviewed the Blogilates meal plan and poked around in my 90-day journal. I’ve thought ahead about my workouts for this week, particularly tomorrow’s. I am ready to feel cleansed, renewed. I know I’ll be hungry and may even experience headaches the first couple of days. I know that I’m strong and committed, and yet...I am no stranger to falling short.

I have a hard time staying focused on long-term goals. I am a do-it-quick type of gal and accustomed to treating myself after completed small, often silly milestones. I excel in coming up with excuses to quit midway. I have a hard time being accountable to myself. And since I struggle with vulnerability, I often don’t let others in to help me along the way.

It would be really, really nice to achieve this goal, and hopefully reap the benefits, too.

My husband is aware of my plan. I don’t know if he believes I’ll stick with it. He, too, has witnessed my many fits and starts with fitness regimens in past. One difference if that this time, he’s sitting co-captain and trying to get a bit healthier, too. Maybe having an accountability partner will help my success. ?

[alishamcs]

Crafting a fitness regimen

Before the state had to take more severe measures to curb Covid, I was going to Orangtheory Fitness (OTF). I knew going would be a risk during the current pandemic, but I also knew I needed to get in shape and wouldn’t do it “on my own.” I was pretty pleased with the measures they said they’d take to comply with health guidelines so that we could minimize the risk of illness as much as possible. Intense workouts in a mask is not fun, especially in the beginning, but frankly you get used to it. Class size is smaller and class attendees are spread apart. 

I really like OTF. It’s not cheap, but it’s one of the only workouts I can stick to. I genuinely look forward to classes — the music, the balance of routine but constantly mixing things up, the group mentality while still being super independent and hyper-focused on my personal performance. I love that I watch my physical output on a screen and can SEE my progress as well as feel it. And the best part? You’re in and out in an hour. I am a sucker for quick workouts.

In my state, OTF and other fitness centers have been closed for months. I have no idea when they’ll reopen. Since the center closed, I’ve not done much in terms of sweating or working out my body. With this 90-day journey, that must change as I have a goal of 60-minute workouts 5-6 days per week. That’s even more than when I was doing OTF! But I figure they’ll be lower impact so I can push myself in a different way, and hopefully at the end of 12-weeks, working out will be a happy and a part of my day that I not only look forward to, but know that I *need* to be a fit individual. So, how can I replicate OTF at home with minimal equipment?

To try and make the daily hour as quick as possible, I’ll need to mix it up. The Blogilates site recommends doing an hour of various workout videos, but that seems like a lot.... I might try it a few times, but I need to improvise. I used to be a runner and like the idea of getting back into it, perhaps eventually training for a race. Even though it’s winter and wet and gross outside, I can force myself to suck it up and get some fresh air. (Heck, I can even take my dog with me!) What if I do this...?

- Stretch / warm-up

- 30-minute run or bike ride 

- 30-minutes of strength (rotating focus)

- Stretch / cool-down 

[alishamcs]

Blogilates Meal Plan

WELCOME Welcome POPsters! On the following sheets you will find your meal plan for Mon, Wed, Fri, and Sun followed my your meal plan for Tues, Thurs, and Sat. There is a regular plan and a vegetarian plan with suggestions for you vegans. We are on this plan for 90 days. I've given you some room...

Here’s the free meal plan on the Blogilates site that will serve as a jumping off point for my 90-day journey. I think eating only chicken and eggs for 90-days is pretty unrealistic, but I’d like to closely adhere to this for the first 4-weeks to establish a good foundation for cleaner eating and understanding portion sizes. Hopefully a couple weeks in, my appetite and cravings will have adjusted a bit.

[alishamcs]

Prep: My 90-Day Journey

In two days, I'll begin a journey toward what I hope will result in a healthier, happier me. Until then, it's a lot of mental and physical preparation to make this launch as successful as possible.

You see, I'm the heaviest I've ever been in my life. In the past year and a half, I had a baby, juggled full-time work and graduate school, and struggled with the adjustments necessary to manage all those areas of my life and more. (Oh, and did I mention the pandemic? 😬) Healthy diet and exercise were low on the totem pole. Much of the time, I felt like I was just trying to survive while keeping my little one healthy and strong, too. I never lost 10 lbs. of baby weight (I gained more, but was able to lose the rest) and have tacked on some more during lockdown. But beyond the added weight, my body looks and feWal different after the pregnancy. There are the obvious post-baby things - and that's all fine and well - but I lost a lot of muscle and endurance due to lack of physical movement during pregnancy and that has been perhaps the hardest part of getting back on the boat.

While cliche, the new year really does present a wonderful opportunity for reflection and improvement. I've enjoyed the past couple holiday months indulging in my favorite foods and alcohol. My body feels it; my husband and I have a sort of "holiday hangover" from everything and we're looking forward to making some changes.

This evening or tomorrow, I'll hit the grocery store to get my final items for meal prep. I still need to decide on my weekday workouts. Once I do, I'll log them into my #Blogilates 90 Day Journal. Hopefully this helps keep me focused and on-track. I took a recommendation from the journal to start this tumblr so hopefully I keep up with it and post photos as continued personal motivation.

Preparation mode engaged! Let's go!