I made it through my second week of
Jamie Eason's LiveFit Trainer! It was a rough one but I still feel pretty good about my progress. I
seriously fell off the diet.
Working out in the weight room is by far the easiest part. I have taken a little hit to my confidence as my workout buddy can consistently lift at least 5 lbs heavier than me-- with perfect form. That may be an exaggeration ;) but she does keep me on my toes! I have had the most difficulty targeting specific muscles, especially in my back. I think that is just one of those things that takes practice and feedback from good friends (another reason to have a workout buddy). One fun thing we are doing as a team is adding a little extra each day to our workouts. We have been mostly practicing our pull-ups, push-ups, and dips. My personal bests have been a set of 4-pull ups and a set of 6-dips. This week was the first time I have ever tried unassisted dips so that was pretty exciting to do 6. My goal is to be able to do 3 full sets of 10-12 of each. :) Someday!
I had intended to post about something
other than this training program this week, but honestly, I got pretty busy and this diet has been on my mind
constantly. You can see Jamie's exact diet listed
here. It is broken into 6 basic meals for the day, a few options, and a list of foods that are acceptable on this diet. This is pretty strict but in my personal opinion, it is worth it. Most women, even those who "eat healthy" don't eat enough/properly to support muscle growth and maintain muscle. Many people will see visible results without changing their diet simply because they are burning more calories than they were before, which is ok too if it meets your goals. I, however, felt like I reached a plateau and I feel like my diet was the biggest factor.
If you look at Jamie's meal plan, its not very detailed. She leaves a lot of room for personal preference. It looks boring-- if you aren't eating egg whites, you are probably eating 6oz lean mean w/ 1 starch and veggies, or maybe turkey meatballs... I decided to make myself "options" so I could plan ahead but still change it up every day. My workout buddy said she ate chili every single day at lunch for over 2 months! I love chili, but I couldn't do that. Here is what I came up with. **there are some things on my personal plan that don't necessarily align with Jamie's particular meal plan -- but they are considered healthy foods in moderation such as peanut butter, honey, and fruits with a high glycemic index--
BREAKFAST: 7am
Option 1: 5 egg whites (or 1 egg + 2 whites) w/tomato, spinach, peppers (or salsa)
and oatmeal (1 serving) w/ any combination of berries, banana, apple, cinnamon, flaxseed, or protein powder *
favorite meal to eat 1hr before my workout
Option 2: plain greek yogurt (1 serving) w/ berries +
homemade granola *
for when i am in a rush
Option 3: 1 english muffin (whole grain) w/ natural peanut butter + berries/banana
*for weekend mornings when I am craving sweets and comfort
Mid-Morning: 10am
Option 1: 4 homemade
protein squares *usually driving home right after my workout
Option 2: protein shake made with almond milk
*within 30 min post- workout
Option 3: 1 cup fat-free cottage cheese w/ berries, fruit, cinnamon, or protein powder
(also snack on sliced veggies w/
homemade hummus)
Lunch: 12-1pm
Option 1: Buffalo Chicken Salad (6oz grilled chicken over spinach, romaine, tomatoes, 1/4 serving cottage cheese, and cayenne pepper hot sauce) w/ 1 slice Ezekial bread
Option 2: 6ox grilled chicken, 1 sweet potato + a salad
*I like to cook chicken and sweet potato ahead of time so all i need to do is mix some chicken chunks into some mashed up sweet potatoes and microwave, I also add berries or apple to salads so I wont need to use any dressing.
Option 3: tuna wrap
*when we are getting low on fresh foods there is nothing wrong with a can of tuna, mix with plain yogurt or cottage cheese instead of mayo
Option 4: Leftovers! Whole wheat pasta? Brown rice? Yes, please. :)
Mid-Afternoon: 3pm
Option 1: 2
turkey meatballs w/ cayenne pepper sauce
Option 2: Plain greek yogurt w/ cinnamon + berries
*i add honey, even though it is high calorie, it is natural and healthy -- all depends on your goals
Option 3: 1/2 ezekial bread chicken pita w/veggies + plain yogurt or hummus
(also snack on sliced veggies w/
homemade hummus)
Dinner: 5-6pm
Option 1:
Natalie Hodson's 30-Minute Spaghetti w/ salad
Option 2:
Easy Salsa Chicken w/ salad
*we usually add some black beans or corn and some plain yogurt -great enchilada filling, for a more relaxed diet cream cheese makes it yummy
Option 3:
Taco Turkey Casserole w/fresh veggie toppings
*this recipe is on another woman's blog who also is into fitness, the whole entry is really good :)
Option 4:
3-Bean Turkey Chili w/ salad
*I don't actually use this recipe, I don't like sweetener in my chili, but still basically the same thing w/ different spices
Option 5: Grilled Chicken/Steak w/ steamed broccoli and brown rice
Option 6: Chicken + Veggie Kabobs over brown rice
Option 7:
Lean Meatloaf w/ steamed veggies or salad
*we actually like to use this more as a treat/ cheat meal with my own recipe, potatoes, and creamed corn --Kyle's favorite meal
Option 8:
Fish in Foil w/ asparagus
*I want to try this sooo bad but haven't yet!
Option 9:
Turkey Burgers w/salad
*i haven't actually tried this recipe, I usually use Jaime's turkey meatball recipe adjusted a bit to make southwest turkey burgers
Option 10: Baked Chicken w/ sweet potatoes or brown rice and steamed veggies
Evening: 8pm
Option 1: egg white + veggie omelet
*this is what i should eat
Option 2: 1 scrambled egg and turkey bacon
*this is what i actually eat
Option 3: Protein shake w/ almond milk
(Not actually sure how much the turkey bacon in the evening will affect my goals, but I am trying to make the healthiest choice possible at this hour when I usually crave a snack like chips or ice cream to de-stress. Many nights I actually fall asleep before this meal though.)
Having this plan really makes sticking to a diet soo much easier. As you can see, I'm definitely not starving myself. If anything, I haven't been hungry enough in the evening to even be in the mood to cook dinner.
Like I said before though, I crashed pretty hard this week. I hate excuses but I got my wisdom teeth out on Tuesday and haven't quite gotten back on track with eating clean. I have still eaten ok (minus the pint of ice cream I ate the night following the surgery) but I am ready to start fresh with this meal plan posted in the kitchen!
Just an important note, I tried to add a lot of variety to my "menu" to make sure I get everything my body needs but I am still keeping in mind Jamie's recommended supplements by taking a multi-vitamin, fish oil, and sometimes extra vitamin c and b vitamins. I also take branched chain amino-acids before my workout.
On another note, if my belly starts growing in these pictures we can all blame my husband. He is still trying to trick me into getting pregnant. :)
