W2 D1

Hello Everyone!!!

Sorry I kind of flaked yesterday...I was sooo tired that I just kinda had super and went to bed. My new job is really great, although I am sure it will get more challenging as I progress... as my responsibilities will increase...

My meals lately have been kinda lacking so to speak...No to say its not good, just not very creative.

Yesterday...I was late for my first day..*Sigh So really all I had for B-fast was the 1/2 protein bar and chocolate Almond milk.

Lunch was 2 Bean Burgers, raw veggies and some olives :) **Note I did not eat all my veggies and I had a chocolate soy bev. :)

Supper was: Yup More Bean burger on a flat bun, with a side of green beans and 4 perogies...YUM! Potato and onion! and I also had a couple of olives :)

I rocked Core Synergetics, Although I am still feeling pain in my left side, just above my hip bone...I just modified the exercises that caused the pain and continued on :)

Today, I kinda dragged a bit...But I At least rocked Cardio X...and only time the pain showed was during the Banana/superman part :)

Breakfast was a couple of blueberry muffins that I whipped up from a recipe form my Sister in law! YAY

Lunch was a sammy starting with a flat bun...then 3 thin slices of tofurky, sprouts, mashed avocado and hummus. On the side I had some raw veggies and 1/2 a pomello and a few table spoons of pomegranate seeds...**Note that I didn't finish all my veggies + fruit and I also had a Chocolate Soy Milk

Supper tonight was some crumbled Bean Burger (as these ones did not stick together too well...I think I needed to mash the beans better, so next time I will use the food processor) topped with Hot peppers and mustard, I also had 1/2 sweet potato and the rest of my lunch :) OOO I also had some pickles...I loves the sweet mix!!! but they Never put in enough cauliflower/onion! One day I will make my own!

W2 D1

Well...I didnt forget about you, I just wanted to spend the evening with M since its been almost a year since we were apart for the day! WOW

So I will so I will post todays pics tomorrow!

Thanks for understanding!

W1 D7

Well...I made it my first week!

Today was X Stretch, which was nice and relaxing...I also ran just over 5 K doing my best time yet! YAY

Recovery/protein are is still the same.

Breakfast was left over tofu, mushrooms green beans and raw veggies.

Supper was Pizza...Unfortunately I had company over and I forgot to take a pic :( but it consisted of a flat bun a small amount of pizza sauce, tofurky, mushrooms, black olives, tomato and pineapple. I also had some raw veggies from the tray pictured :)

Looking forward to tomorrow Core Syn! YAY!

Peace Out

W1 D6

Well...Rolled out of bed at 11:45am...I know I haven't slept in that much in a long time!! but obviously I needed the sleep! Once out of bed and moving I started Kenpo X WOW I am loving it! I am not sure about you, but I love it when I sweat buckets! and this video sure gets the sweat on!

After I had the usual Chocolate Almond silk recovery/1/2 Cliff builder bar

Well...I am trying to think about what I had for breakfast...and I think I was thrown off a bit from getting up so late as I don't think I had B-fast...No wonder I was so hungry at the Mall!!!

And therefore while I was at the mall I did stop and get some avocado rolls...I must say...WOW these were awesome! When I would order these from TE they would mostly be rice with a wee bit of avocado...BUT these ones were packed full of avocado and the rice was not too much! Which made these an awesome snack!

When I came home M was already started on my supper YAY what a great guy! I had green beans, Potatoes, cucumber, and sauteed tofu and mushrooms...YUM Very tasty! LOL I just noticed that I was so hungry that I ate the cucumber before I took the pic...

I worked on Next weeks Meal plan, which I have decided not to post it as it makes me feel obligated to follow it to a T...when I know things come up and sometimes I just don't feel like cooking what is on the schedule, so I will just continue to post pics and descriptions :)

Looking forward to tomorrows X Stretch and cleaning up the house! As I have company coming :) I am also going to make up some more of those Bean Burgers...but this time I am doubling the recipe (so I can make the burgers bigger :)) and using canned mixed beans instead of black beans! YAY for variety!

OOO I also got a recipe for Vegan Blueberry muffins from my sister in law, so I am thinking I will try them out as they would be great to bring to work for a snack!

Peace out

W1 D5

WOW what a day....As you can see it is late! and considering the lack of sleep I got last night I am surprised I am functional!

Anywhoo...I was up this morning and rearing to go...and if I say so myself I rocked Legs and Back today! I sure brought it! I think today I sweated more than any other day yet! On the downside I did not rock Ab ripper...I was good up until the Crossed leg/Wide Leg Sit-Up about half way through I started to get a stabbing pain just above my left hip bone, I pushed through to the fifer scissors, but the pain was still there, so I closed up shop and called it a day...My philosophy is that I would rather rest and avoid injury then push too hard and get injured! I am looking to forward Kenpo X...I will keep you posted on the discomfort!

Recovery Drink/protein Bar: Still rocking the Silk and Cliff bars :)

Breakfast was quick oats, topped with walnuts/ cranberries/ 1/2 banana/ pumpkin seeds/ flax seeds. There is also an orange in the pic, but once I was done my oatmeal I had to get ready for the big interview!

Lunch was super late, and I was Very hungry!! I had left over couscous, and 2 bean burger patties topped with banana peppers and avocado...Also had some raw veggies (mm is that my Orange I didn't get to this morning...)

Supper was late (due to lunch being late) Had a Portabella mushroom, and a sweet potato topped with some vegan becel with a side of cucumber :)

And I also finally ate that Orange...It was good, but lots of seeds!

OOOO and lets not forget that I did in fact get the job!!! YAY ME! So I will be reevaluating my menu as I will need to choose good portable foods for lunches and snacks..Also find some quick breakfasts!

Peace out

W1 D4

Hello Everyone!

Not too much happening today, At least I was aiming to sleep in a bit, but ending up getting up early anyway. So I pumped out the 90 mins of Yoga X!!! I love this yoga although there are around 4 or 5 moves that I cant do well...but I give it my all and know that I will get better! My fav is yoga belly....I actually like these exercises better than Ab Ripper! I Feel the Burn! YAY

I know it may be repetitious, but I find that easier the better, so I had the same recovery/ 1/2 protein bar directly after my workout.

Breakfast was also the same...Although I used my little magic bullet blender instead of the big one...Happy to inform that the little one does a great job and will be using it from now on :)

I did not follow the meal plan for lunch today, which I am ok with as it is only a guideline. I have leftovers from last night so more mushroom stroganoff :) YUM! today I topped it with fresh tomato and a wee bit of avocado.

Supper was pretty great too! AND I finally ate at a good supper time! (5:30) I prepared couscous and topped it with sauteed mushrooms and onions, Along with some raw veggies: Carrots, tomatoes and the white stuff is Kohlrabi...YUM! I also had the rest of the tofurkey, these easy little roll ups just have some mustard in them.

I see the kohlrabi is a bit washed out...I will try to remember to take the pics in the kitchen where the lighting is better :)

Since I had dinner early I also had a snack around 8, trail mix which was made up of some almonds, goji berries, raisins, pumpkin seeds and craisons YUM!

I am pretty tired and am looking to go to bed early tonight, as I am up early tomorrow for Legs and back! Then off to my interview...If you can spare flow some positive energy my way around 11am :) The job looks very promising!!

Peace out!

Mushroom Stroganoff

MUSHROOM STROGANOFF

1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 pkg. of Tempeh
8 ounces Cremini or other wild mushrooms, sliced
8 ounces white mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 tablespoons whole wheat flour
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 Cups Steamed Broccoli
2 Cups Spinach
½ cup milk substitute
Thyme to taste
16 ounces cooked whole wheat fettuccini noodles

Cook the onion in a nonstick skillet on high heat for 3 minutes. Add the sliced mushrooms and garlic, and then cook until the mushrooms begin to release their juices. Sprinkle the flour over the mushrooms. Stir continuously with a whisk or wooden spoon until the flour is evenly dissolved.
Add the vinegar and milk substitute, stirring continuously until the sauce thickens. Add Tempeh Broccoli and spinach. Add the thyme to taste. Serve warm over cooked noodles.

Got this one from http://engine2diet.com/recipes/

W1 D3

WOW What a busy day! Woke up early and pumped out the Shoulders and Arms! Which went very well! I feel I did awesome! Than came Ab Ripper....I did all the work out and all the reps...but instead of the 15 minutes its suppose to take....I actually took more like 45! LOL and MAN it was hard! I have a feeling that I may have trouble getting out of bed tomorrow! But I am feeling awesome! YAY

Recovery/Protein bar still same...1 C of the Silk Almond dark chocolate milk...I must say This stuff is absolutely delicious! the thought of getting some after Ab Ripper got me through the video! LOL (no pic)

Breakfast was yup a Green Monster again (which is what I call my shakes) a little different...everything same except: back to 1/2 C berries and I through in 1/2 apple...Tasted pretty good! although still earthy...I suspect its the hemp protein as this is the first time using it, its not bad so I will keep using it as its great source of protein! (no pic)

Lunch was a bit on the late side as I had an interview, so I had 2 bean burgers topped with hot peppers and avocado, some pickles and tomato slices...along with red pepper soup...YUM!

As it is Wednesday, went for a Run! I was actually tired and didn't really feel like going...But I did and as usual I enjoyed! I love this group! AND did better than yesterday! YAY I am trying to push myself a bit to up my pace and just burn more calories...Still working on the tire!!

I made a new recipe tonight...Mushroom Stroganoff. At first I was a bit sceptical as well its a bit different...LOL but WOW it turned out great! I will post the recipe, Although note that instead of the 2 Cups of broccoli I just used up some frozen veggies, I also subbed the WW pasta for WW rice noodles...I also couldn't find any temph...went to 4 different stores!! I will eventually try the Choices mall, and I am sure I will be astounded! So instead I bought some tofurky slices, so for tonight I put some mustard on it and rolled it up..in the end it was tasty! and so was the stroganoff...

Again as I am eating late, I am skipping snack...

Looking forward to Yoga X tomorrow! I loves Yoga X!

Peace out

W1D2

Today was super busy! We picked up our new little car....SOOOOOO much better on fuel than the F250!!!

Woke up at 8...Ok well I woke at 8ish but didn't roll out of bed until quarter to 9, Still stiff and sore from Mondays Core! Today was Cardio X...and I thought it would be gruelling since I was still sore, but actually it was nice, once I was moving I didn't even feel my soreness! YAY!

Today's Meals are close to the plan, After Cardio X I had my recovery drink of the Silk Chocolate Almond Milk and the other half of yesterdays protein bar...No Pic as I though it would be redundant.

Breakfast I stuck to plan and had my shake, I added the extra 1/2 C of berries and the taste was a lot better! But still a bit off...I think tomorrow I will add a half apple and see how it works, again I am not taking pics of meals that are duplicates...just gets redundant to look at the same cup of green drink LOL

Lunch was Left overs..I was really hungry as we spent a lot more time at the dealership than I expected, so along with my bean burger (that was topped with hot peppers and avocado) I had 3 slices of tomato and 1/2 rice, and some red pepper soup

Supper is a quick stir fry, fried up some tofu (3oz) in EVOO and added some frozen veggies and spinach, and finished up the rest of my rice...I know lots of rice today, But I also ran 5.5 K so I feel that I could use the extra oomf :)

No snack today either as I am eating supper so late...

Well as Day 2 comes to an end, I am feeling fantastic, and Although I thought that the run today might be too much, again I didn't feel any soreness...Although I do now that I am not moving as much...

Peace out!

W1 D1

Well, I was up this morning at 8am rearing to go...well maybe not rearing...but I was up and ready! Hard getting back in to the routine...but I might as well start as I will be working soon!!

Core Synergistic's...One of my favs...Although lots of push ups...which are tough for me as I have little to no upper body strength...But I know that I will build up to the 10-12 reps that are showed. Opposed to my 2 -5 LOL

Today's meals were awesome:

After Workout I had 1 Cup of Chocolate Almond Silk with half a Cliff Builder Bar

Breakfast: Green Monster; 1 C Silk Light, 1/2 Banana, 1/2 C frozen berries, 4 Tbs hemp protein powder, 1 Tbs Chia seeds, 1 Tbs Flax seeds, 1/4 C Aloe, Big handful of spinach (Tomorrow I will add 1 C of berries..tasted a bit too green LOL)

Lunch: Mushroom Omelet: Used the recipe from the P90X booklet...replaced eggs with 3 oz Tofu (extra firm) and used regular onion and tomato as it was what I had on hand, topped with basil and parsley...Also an apple and a Cup of Silk

Dinner: Roasted Red Pepper soup, used the recipe from the booklet, but omitted the wine, only used 3 red peppers and used 4 cups of veggie broth.

Also made Black Bean burgers..YUM! got the recipe from About.com and will post it in a separate post, Also I had just a 1/2 C wild rice....when I put a whole cup on my plate I was like WOW that's a lot of rice...so I pared it down to a 1/2...And also had some green Beans

Snack: So the battery in my scale died so I just guessed, Had some dried apricots and Almonds :)

Please let me know if you have any questions...and to save me from writing that every time...your questions are always welcome!

peace out

Spicy Vegan Black Bean Burgers

Spicy Bean Burgers
Ingredients:
· 1 15 ounce can black beans, drained
· 1/2 onion, diced
· 1 tsp hot sauce
· Generous squirt of Dijon Mustard
· 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
· 1 cup bread crumbs (crumbled 1 slice of bread)
· oil for frying (optional)
Preparation:
Mash the beans in a large bowl and add remaining ingredients, mixing until well combined.
Press firmly to form into patties and lightly fry in oil. Or, fire up the grill and barbecue your black bean veggie burgers over a medium heat.

Adapted From a recipe on About.com

I was actually a bit worried that the Dijon would be over powering, but it was actually very tasty, I make 6 patties, and froze 4 of them, so I will let you know how they survive freezing :)

Phase 1 Week 1 Meal Plan

RD=Recovery Drink PB=Protein Bar
Monday
Breakfast: Smoothie (silk, ½ C berries, ½ Banana, hemp protein, spinach + flax and chia seeds)
Lunch: Mushroom Omelet, 1 Apple, 1 C. Soy Milk
Supper: 2 C Puree of Red Pepper Soup, 2 Tbsp Protein Powder, 1 C Wild Rice, ½ C Asparagus, 1 Black Bean Pattie
Snack: 1 oz Dried Fruit
RD/PB 1 C Chocolate Silk + Protein Bar

Tuesday
Breakfast: Smoothie (silk, ½ C berries, ½ Banana, hemp protein, spinach + flax and chia seeds)
Lunch: 2 C Puree Pepper soup, 2 Tbs. Protein powder, Black Bean Pattie, Roma Tomato, hot peppers/condiments, avocado
Supper: 6oz Tofu, sautéed. 2 Cups frozen stir fry veggies, 1 C wild rice, 1 C spinach
Snack: 1 oz Dried Fruit
RD/PB 1 C Chocolate Silk + Protein Bar

Wednesday
Breakfast: Smoothie (silk, ½ C berries, ½ Banana, hemp protein, spinach + flax and chia seeds)
Lunch: 2 Cups Puree Pepper soup, 2 Tbs. Protein powder, Black Bean Pattie, Roma Tomato, hot peppers/condiments, avocado
Supper: Mushroom Stroganoff with Tempeh
Snack: 1 oz Dried Fruit
RD/PB 1 C Chocolate Silk + Protein Bar


Thursday
Breakfast: Smoothie (silk, ½ C berries, ½ Banana, hemp protein, spinach + flax and chia seeds)
Lunch: Sandwich: WW Flat bread bun topped with hummus, red pepper, avocado, sprouts, cucumber, tomato and lettuce + an Apple and 1 C flavored milk sub
Supper: Mushroom, onion and chick pea couscous with salad
Snack: 1 oz Dried Fruit
RD/PB 1 C Chocolate Silk + Protein Bar

Friday
Breakfast: Smoothie (silk, ½ C berries, ½ Banana, hemp protein, spinach + flax and chia seeds)
Lunch: Mushroom, onion and chick pea couscous with salad (leftovers)
Supper: Pizza: WW Pita topped with sauce and veggies + 1 C. Milk
Snack: popcorn
RD/PB 1 C Chocolate Silk + Protein Bar

Saturday
Breakfast: Smoothie (silk, ½ C berries, ½ Banana, hemp protein, spinach + flax and chia seeds)
Lunch: Mushroom spinach Panini + raw veggies
Supper: Black beans with salsa on Toast with a salad
Snack: 1 oz Dried Fruit
RD/PB 1 C Chocolate Silk + Protein Bar


Sunday
Breakfast: Smoothie (silk, ½ C berries, ½ Banana, hemp protein, spinach + flax and chia seeds)
Lunch: Black Bean Pattie on a bun + raw veggies
Supper: Maple Baked Beans + Sweet Potatoes + Carrots
Snack: 1 oz Dried Fruit
RD/PB 1 C Chocolate Silk + Protein Bar

Before Pics

Well here are my before pics....I am about the same as last year, well actually I weigh the same but I know that I have lost a lot of muscle mass. I am very disappointed that I stopped exercising, but I was going through a turbulent time in my life...possibly the most emotional year ever.

But Here I am getting back on my horse! Note that along with the P90X I will continue running, and looking to start training for the March Vancouver Half :)

I am hopping to finally get rid of that tire I have been carrying!! YAY for Ab Ripper X!

mmm Not sure why I have a funny look on my face...but M took the pics and the first one was of just my chest...*Sigh...Hes such a boy! LOL

Wow Tomorrow is coming up fast

Well Tomorrow I am starting P90X Vegan Style...I am loosely following the nutritional program, but as I came to realize the calculations just are not going to work as My proteins are high in carbs...But I will be limiting carbs like bread.



This weeks Exercise schedule is as follows:

Monday = Core Synergistics
Tuesday = Cardio X
Wednesday = Shoulders and Arms, Ab Ripper
Thursday = Yoga X
Friday = Legs and Back, Ab Ripper
Saturday = Kenpo X
Sunday X Stretch

Spend the whole day cleaning up and preping the living room for tomorrows launch! Also with M's help I am now able to show my P90X through my laptop on my TV YAY for big screen!

On a side note I am picking up my very first car tomorrow! EEEEEEK exciting!!!