So, because he'll be busy working this weekend, we decided to head to dinner at Logan's in Garner. Yes, perhaps, a potential NutriSystem nightmare, but I think I did pretty good all things considered! I had a salad with fat free ranch dressing, 1 dinner roll, about 4 oz. of sirloin (cooked with no butter and I cut off the 2 oz. that I didn't need), and a sweet potato (I added about a teaspoon of butter to the sweet potato). It was quite delicious. I am very pleased that I'm still able to find ways to eat out occasionally. I've also been really rocking and rolling this week. My next order of NS food is supposed to be delivered tomorrow (should have been today, but that's a long story--stupid UPS!), so I've been preparing a lot of my own meals to meet the NS stats. I'm not gonna lie--I'm pretty darn good at it! I can rock out a super yummy breakfast and lunch with little-to-no thinking. Fortunately, I haven't had to face any dinners on my own yet because I had more dinners left over than breakfasts and lunches.
I was also very adventurous last night and cooked brussel sprouts! I had never had them before and I wasn't really sure what the situation would be, but they were AWESOME. They were fresh from Harris Teeter so I removed a lot of the core (leaving only enough to hold them together) and boiled them for about 7 minutes. Then, I drained the water and added tiny bit of butter and lots of black pepper and sauteed them with some fresh sugar snap peas. Oh my goodness! So yummy. I'm really pleased that I tried them!
Also, the other night, I took some fresh zucchini and sliced it up. I dipped each slice in some egg beaters and then dredged them in some Heart Smart Bisquick and then cooked them at 450 degrees for about 20 minutes. Also very delish! The "crust" made them have such a fun taste with little calorie expense. I def. couldn't eat something like that every night though because it's amazing how much my tastes have changed. I just don't have any type of cravings for fried or greasy stuff; it honestly makes my stomach turn just by smelling it!
After we went to dinner, Brian and I were planning to head to the SUPER Walmart in Clayton. However, when we got there, the power was out and the Walmart was closed. Fortunately, my fearless husband trekked onward and we drove through fun country roads in Johnston and Wake counties to arrive at the Walmart in Zebulon, which is basically the most rocking-est Walmart on the planet. They have a million flat screen TVs all over the place! One of the reasons I was there was to buy some dumbbells--the ones I have are only like 2.5 lbs. each, which is pretty pointless for strength training. So I got some fun 5 lbs. ones, a super awesome jump rope, and a fun, pretty workout shirt. Very exciting.
Of course, while we were there, I went for the blood pressure check. The very first time I took my BP, it was 125/77. Not too shabby! The next two times it was under 120/80 and the final time it was:
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Pretty darn cool! My pulse is a little high, but I had also been hopping all over Walmart with Brian, so I think that is probably why.
I have been doing really well on the workout front for the last week. I had definitely slacked off from my 5K training and was not pleased with myself. So, with it being so super rainy for the past little bit, I've been working hard on the elliptical trainer. I usually warm up on the elliptical for about 5 minutes and then do 20-30 minutes of strength training, and then pop back on the elliptical for another 35 minutes for some good cardio. I can't believe how much stronger I am in 1 week. My ab muscles feel are so much stronger now. I can actually lay horizontally on an inverted bean-shaped, workout floaty thing and use my ab muscles to keep my body parallel to the floor (legs, core, and arms) for about 10 seconds! I'm also working really hard to strengthen my arms and back because my bridesmaid's dress for Cal's wedding is a halter top (and, obviously, an open back).
I've also really started paying a lot of attention to my heart rate while I've been working out. My true resting averages at 62 bpm (that is, in the morning, right after I wake up, before I even sit up) and at the ripe-old age of 26, my max HR is somewhere around 194 bpm. So I usually warm up to get to around 50%-55% of my max (or 128-135 bpm) and then it usually hangs out around 115-130 bpm while I'm doing my strength training. During the cardio, I stay between 60%-80% of my HRmax (141-167 bpm) and I usually bump it up to about 80%-90% for the very last minute (168-181 bpm). I have been absolutely amazed at how much my recovery is improving! In just a week, I've gone from having trouble getting below 130 bpm after a 5 minute cool down to being right around 115 bpm tonight. And by the time I'm done stretching it's usually back to around 90 bpm. Very, very exciting and I feel AWESOME.
Yesterday, because it was so pretty, I took Gatsby on a nice long walk and even did a bit of jogging. I can't believe how much easier it is to jog now. I actually like it! I'm excited to know that it will just continue to get easier as I lose more weight.
Speaking of which, after almost 8 weeks on the program, here are my results:
Weight: -19.2 lbs. (-9.39%)
Upper Arms: -2.5 in. (-15.15%) [Hello, weight training! I love you.]
Chest: -2.5 in. (-6.33%)
Waist: -5.25 in. (-12.00%)
Hips: -3 in. (-6.82%)
Thighs: -3.25 in. (-12.75%)
Finally, I have refallen-in-love with hot tea. I've always enjoyed it, but in the past month or so, I've been drinking it a ton. I have a cup each morning (usually caffeinated) and then a cup before I go to bed that is designed to make my sleepy. It's incredible how well it works. I love tea. It makes me happy.
I also wanted to give a shoutout to one of my favorite people on the planet, Kara, who had a little baby girl today. Yay to Kara and Jed--congratulations!
I hope everyone has an awesome weekend!
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