Jamie Eason's 12 Week Body Challenge - Final Results!

After

After

It's final results day!  After 12 weeks of hard work and four weeks of suffering the heartache of a long plateau, I had big results this week and am happy to report good numbers.  I just wish I would have taken more before photos for a better comparison, but I can assure you my back and abs did not look like this to start.

Total pounds lost:  6
Total inches lost (including both arms and legs):  17
Total body fat lost: Over 8%

In 12 weeks I've gotten more comfortable in the weight room.  I've learned how to distribute my calories throughout the day to better fuel my workouts.  I've gotten used to eating a bigger breakfast.  I've cut out refined carbs for the most part.  I've learned what foods make me feel satisfied and what foods leave me feeling empty.  I've learned how to structure my day so that I can dedicate time to exercise regularly.  I've learned that I do not feel or look bulky after lifting heavy weights.

Was it worth it for me to do Jamie Eason's LIVEFIT 12-Week Trainer?  Yes!  I love my new muscles and my new confidence.  Is it worth it for you to do the trainer?  I don't know.  Some workouts took well over two hours to complete.  Not everybody can dedicate that kind of time.  I consider it professional development so I can justify it.  I had great results but I guess I needed to manage my expectations better.  I thought that I should have had more dramatic results based on before and after photos that I see floating around.  Feel free to contact me if you'd like to discuss whether this program is right for you.

The program is over for me but I'm going to keep up my good habits.  Mostly.  I'm going to break open that package of Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Salted Caramels that I've been saving to celebrate.  But, in keeping with my new habits I'm going to limit myself to one serving.

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4 Steps to Healthy Living - A Balanced, Maintainable Approach

I am one 60 minute run away from finishing up an intense 12 week fitness challenge.  A couple of friends have been doing it with me and we've all been asking, "What next?" for several weeks now.  Also, I'm certified as a personal trainer, group fitness instructor, and yoga instructor.  I start teaching my first classes at the gym in a few weeks.  I want to practice and share a lifestyle that I believe in.

As I went through my 12 week program I recognized some uncharacteristic thought patterns and behaviors developing.  I drank protein drinks filled with artificial flavors and sweeteners because it was a good way to get a lot of protein without a lot of calories.  I found myself wondering whether I should eat vegetables because of the carbs they contain.  I only ate two servings of fruit a day, berries and a clementine.  I reconciled my new behaviors by telling myself that it was only a temporary program and that it was an experiment to see what kind of muscle I could build by eating a higher protein diet.

But, during the hours and hours I put in at the gym, I heard ladies talking about the diets they were trying or about how they hadn't eaten anything but a banana for breakfast before a vigorous workout. I became concerned that people don't really know how to apply a balanced, maintainable approach to their nutrition and fitness programs.  I'm guilty of being an all or nothing girl myself.  I usually make pretty good food choices but I eat when I'm stressed or angry so often I graze all day long and eat way too much.  Then I get to my emergency weight and I go on a plan to lose five or ten pounds.  Over and over again.

I often hear the words "lifestyle change" thrown around.  It would be great if we could eliminate bad habits and practice good ones.  But it's hard to give up things we like so that's easier said than done.  However, I know it's possible.  My husband and I gave up packaged foods containing high fructose corn syrup and partially hydrogenated oils about 15 years ago after reading Dr. Weil's Eight Weeks to Optimum Health.  I drink soda only a couple of times a year even though Dr. Pepper is one of my favorite things to consume.

The intention of this plan is to create a balanced approach to eating and exercising that can be maintained for life.  I've been throwing out my ideas to a friend of mine who had started dieting and exercising but wasn't getting any results.  She's now made a few changes.  She has shadowed me at the gym for a few workouts and on a run.  After just a couple of weeks she can do new things with her body like pushups and triceps dips.  She agreed to start eating breakfast and distribute her calories throughout the day.  She started tracking what she eats.  She is now seeing results and she feels more energetic!  She was so excited that she just brought me a really nice bottle of balsamic vinegar.  I'm so proud of her and I can't wait to hear how this plan works for other people.

So here's the plan:

Make Good Food Choices Consistently
Make good food choices consistently, not just during several weeks of dieting off and on throughout the year.  Good food choices include eating a variety of carbohydrates, fats, and protein in appropriate proportions.  The Harvard School of Public Health put together a Healthy Eating Plate that specifically outlines what we should be eating.  I like this source because they are not influenced by outside interests when they make their recommendations.  I encourage you to poke around on their website.  There is all kinds of good information that points us to healthy choices.  My goal is to eat this way most of the time, simply adjusting the number of calories I consume for times that I want to lose or maintain weight.  The biggest changes I need to make are cutting back to 1-2 servings of dairy a day and limiting refined grains.

Copyright © 2011, Harvard University. For more information about The Healthy Eating Plate, please see The Nutrition Source, Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health,www.thenutritionsource.org, and Harvard Health Publications, health.harvard.edu. 

Indulge Mindfully
If we are being realistic we know that we can't eat perfectly all of the time, nor do we want to.  It's nice to eat out or feast at holidays or enjoy special treats.  My goal is to indulge mindfully.  I'll go ahead and eat that amazing cheesecake that my friend brings to book club or I'll try some of the seasonal delights that present themselves at the German bakery.  I'll occasionally bake for my family.  Sometimes we'll eat pizza.  However I will avoid eating that Twix bar that the gas station gave me free with my gas purchase.  It is not my favorite and it is not worth it to eat it.  I will eat the Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Salted Caramels tomorrow when I've completed my 12 week plan.  I've already decided though that I will only eat one serving.

Exercise Regularly
To be healthy we need to incorporate cardiovascular work with strength and flexibility training.  People usually have a preference for what they like to do.  Maybe you're a runner but you never hit the weight room and you're so tight through your hamstrings you can't touch your toes.  Maybe you love the relaxing atmosphere of yoga but all of the poor etiquette and funky smells in the weight room turns you off.  Maybe strength training is your thing but you haven't made the time to get in your cardio work.  I'd like to encourage you to get out of your comfort zone.  Yoga is my favorite thing but last year I trained for a half-marathon and a full-marathon.  Now I know a little something about running and I even enjoy it.  I'm just finishing up Jamie Eason's 12 Week LIVEFIT trainer which was heavy on strength training.  I am now super comfortable in the weight room and I'd like to maintain my new muscles.

My training program going forward is going to look something like this:

Cardio - Most days of the week for 45-60 minutes, concentrating on family activities like biking or hiking on the weekends. To protect my joints I'd like to mix indoor cycling with outdoor running.

Yoga - Daily.  Some days I will teach.  Some days I will do my own 60 minute practice.  Some days I will do a shorter session.

Strength - Three days a week for no more than 60 minutes each session.  I will do one program for two weeks and then switch things up.

Drink Water
I can tell you right now that this will be my biggest challenge.  The only time I've ever consumed the recommended amount of water was when I did a weight loss/healthy living challenge and we got points for every cup of water we drank.  But, it is so very important so I'm going to focus on getting better.

Going Forward
So that's it.  That's the plan.  This is what I'm doing going forward.  No gimmicks.  No money to be made.  Just plain common sense as recommended by the non-biased experts.   I'm going to eat appropriate quantities of real food.  I'm going to make mindful choices when consuming foods not recommended by the Healthy Eating Plate.  I'm going to maintain a well-balanced exercise program including cardio, strength, and flexibility training.  And I'm going to drink more water.  This plan is balanced.  It's maintainable.  It's for a good, healthy, energetic, happy life. I can do it.  Will you?  If you try it let me know.  I want to hear from you!

Keeping Track
Harvard's Healthy Eating Plate is great, but for me it is not quite specific enough.  What if I use a plate that is too big and I eat too much of that good food?  I pulled as many daily recommendations from them as I could and then I filled in with percentages from other sources like AFAA's Personal Fitness Training:  Theory & Practice and I figured out how many grams of protein, carbs, and fat that I need each day.  I've included the steps to making these calculations below.  If that's too fussy for you, you can use a program like SparkPeople to track calories and all of your percentages for you.  They have a desktop version and a mobile version for your phone.  Their percentages are slightly different that what I came up with, but it will give you a good start at eating a balanced diet.  You can go in and customize your percentages if you choose to do your own calculations.  Here's what my screen looks like with my custom ranges entered:

Here are the steps to doing your own calculations:

1.  Calculate your calorie allowance.  The number will depend on whether you want to lose, maintain, or gain weight.  Sites like SparkPeople will calculate this for you or you can find other calculators online.  SparkPeople will give you ranges for protein, carbs, and fat but I found their calculations to be somewhat high for protein and fat.
2.  Calculate your weight in kilograms.  Find a conversion calculator here.
3.  Calculate your protein needs.  Kilos of Body Weight x .8 = Protein Requirement in Grams
4.  Calculate your carbohydrate needs.    Lower end of calorie allowance x .45 and Upper end of calorie allowance x .65.  Once you have a range divide each number by 4 to determine your carbohydrate needs in grams.
5.  Calculate your fat needs.  Calorie Allowance x .20 and Calorie Allowance x .25.  Once you have a range divide each number by 9 to determine your fat needs in grams.
6.  Make note of your fiber needs.  Women need at least 20 grams of fiber per day and men need at least 30.

Confused?  Here's an example assuming a 119 pound woman.

1.  SparkPeople's recommendation for losing 1 pound per week is a calorie allowance of 1200-1500 calories.
2.  Weight in kilograms = 54
3.  54 x .8 = 43 grams of protein
4.  1200 x .45 = 540, 1500 x .65 = 975 --- 540/4 = 135, 975/4 = 244 --- 135-244 grams of carbs
5.  1200 x .20 = 240, 1500 x .25 = 375 --- 240/9 = 27, 375/9 = 58 --- 27-58 grams of fat

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Denn's Biomarkt - Favorite Bamberg Lunch Spot

I have a favorite new lunch spot. Now that my intensive 12 week fitness plan is ending perhaps I can occasionally have lunch with my husband or my friends.

Denn's Biomarkt shares a parking garage with the Best Western and is just across the bridge from downtown Bamberg. At the bakery you can order a number of vegetarian and vegan options. I got a beautiful salad and millet pumpkin soup. I could have also ordered a menu with a couscous dish, salad, and dessert. They also had sandwiches filled with vegan meat and veggies. They offer a different lunch menu each day.

I also love that it wasn't crowded like the downtown restaurants often are and it didn't take long to get my food.

Anybody want to go to lunch?

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Jamie Eason's 12 Week Challenge - Week 11 Results

Less than a week to go until I have completed Jamie Eason's 12 Week LiveFit Trainer.  For yet another week I haven't seen any movement on the scale or tape measure.  I asked my husband this morning if I'm working out six days a week for multiple hours each day just to maintain.  He mumbled something about building muscle and make a quick exit.

I am happy with my muscle tone.  I think you can maybe even see some in the shoulder and forearm of the arm that's holding the phone if you look carefully.  That's all new.  I still have some unpleasant belly fat but now I have some ab definition to go along with it.  I've never had a beef with my legs but I can see bigger muscles there as well.  I don't get to see my back too much but ladies at the gym have made positive comments so there must be something to see there as well.

I feel stronger.  I was able to save money on potting soil at the garden center the other day because I was able to buy the largest bags they had.  I was confident that I could lift them into my cart.  In the past I would have purchased several smaller bags.

Sometimes I wonder if I should have abandoned the program four weeks ago when I stopped seeing measurable results.  There has been some really tough training in the last four weeks.  Then I have to remind myself that every workout I do and every good food choice I make has a positive impact on my body, measurable or not.  And, in less than a week I can say that I completed a strenuous 12-week strength training program.  Am I disappointed that my body didn't react the way the program suggested it might?  Yes.  But have I learned some things that I'm going to carry forward?  Yes.

I've been researching what I want my fitness and diet plan to look like when this plan is over.  I've worked too hard for any backsliding.  I don't have anything hard and fast written down yet, but I've been mulling it over so I think I'm just about ready to finish up.  I have two weeks of traveling coming up so part of the plan should include hotel room workouts.

This week Kenny showed me the documentary Forks Over Knives which "examines the profound claim that most, if not all, degenerative diseases that afflict us can be controlled, or even reversed, by rejecting animal-based and processed foods."  Back in our early 20s we cut out foods containing artificial flavors/colors, trans fats, and high fructose corn syrup under the influence of Dr. Weil's book Eight Weeks to Optimum Health.   That pretty much cuts out the processed food for us.  But, we still consume eggs and dairy products.  Kenny been talking about being vegan for awhile now.  Perhaps he thought that now would be a good time to push me in that direction since I've been researching what I want our sustainable diet to look like.  We are both lifelong ovo-lacto vegetarians.  It wouldn't be a huge leap to being vegan.  Forks Over Knives makes a compelling argument but I'm not sure I'm ready to make the leap just yet, particularly when we're living in Germany and traveling a lot.  Sometimes we're lucky to find anything vegetarian on a menu at all.  However, when I write my menu plan I will definitely have the intention of minimizing dairy and eggs.

I will also keep the following things that I've learned from Jamie's plan in mind:

• Eat regularly scheduled meals and snacks.  It is easy to eat too much or make less than ideal choices when I allow myself to go too long without eating.  Last night I went to a farewell dinner and the organizers were great to go out of their way to provide me with a vegetarian meal when the menu options were chicken or pork.  However, my dinner consisted of a lettuce and radish salad.  Did I eat cake for dessert?  Yes.  Yes I did, and I didn't think twice about it.  I need to start keeping snacks in my purse, just in case.
• Protein fills you up.  Eat it for every meal to stay fuller longer.  Most of the time on this plan my breakfast includes four egg whites.  I get hungry earlier if I haven't had the egg whites.  My breakfast used to consist of cold cereal and fruit on most days.  Going forward, I'm going to make sure to have protein for every meal.
• All carbs are not equal.  I can eat a wonderful blueberry muffin filled with nuts, seeds, and whole grains and feel satisfied like I have had something substantial to eat.  I can eat a cupcake and feel like I've had nothing and feel like I need to eat several more to be satisfied.  I'm definitely going to looking for the word "whole" in front of any type of grain when I'm shopping.  It's too easy to overeat when my food doesn't fill me up.
• Tea can help curb a cravings.  I drink black tea with a splash of vanilla almond milk if I'm hungry.  If I just want a little something sweet I choose fruit tea.  I don't add any sweeteners.

I don't want to be gaining and losing the same pounds over and over.  I want to make healthy choices for my family so we can all be confident and healthy.  We will of course enjoy some nice gelato or a treat from the German bakery occasionally, but I want the meals I prepare at home to have an even healthier quality to them than they already had.  When I indulge in treats I want to them to be high quality treats, not the Twix bar that the gas station hands out with a gas purchase.  Good quality and appropriate quantity.  That's what's going to drive my choices after this plan is over.

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Marchesa Sample Bag = Delighted Customer

In business school I learned that it's important to delight your customer but as a customer I'm not delighted very often.  More often than not I'm disappointed.

I love Lucky Brand Jeans but it is almost impossible to order their products online because the sizing varies wildly.  When I was in the States over Christmas I tried on two pairs of the same jeans.  Same size and everything.  One was smaller than the other.  When you're 5'3" an extra half inch in length makes a huge difference.  That was disappointing.

I love Lululemon for their athletic wear and Sephora for their beauty products but they don't ship to APO addresses.  That is disappointing.

So, since I can't order from Sephora when I live overseas I shop at beauty.com.  My last purchase was pretty big because my beauty conscious friend guilted me into a new skin care routine.  She couldn't believe that at 36 years old I'm not using serums, moisturizers (beyond sunscreen), and eye cream.  I started at Christmas and I can actually tell a difference in my skin so I guess I'm hooked.

With my big purchase I got a Marchesa bag full of decent size samples for hair, face, and body and I was delighted.  The bag is pretty and the samples are actually usable.  It's not just a bunch of stinky perfume that I'll never wear.  Yesterday when I ran out of my serum I pulled out a tube from my bag and it will probably last a couple of weeks if not longer.  There is shampoo and eyeliner and even fashion tape.  My only complaint is that the bad doesn't have a handle.  It is so pretty I would use it as an evening bag.  It is too pretty to just sit around.

If you like the idea of getting a pretty container full of fun samples you can get a sample-filled train case with any $100 purchase at beauty.com right now.  No, they're not paying me to say this.  This is just good word-of-mouth advertising which is what happens when you delight your customers.

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Jamie Eason's 12 Week Body Challenge - Week 10 Results

Have you ever looked at a personal trainer or fitness instructor and asked, "Why isn't she ____?"  Insert your own word here.  Thinner, fitter, etc.  Yeah, I'm guilty of it too.  Eventually once I get to know more about the person I find ways to respect her.  Maybe she's incredibly strong.  Maybe she's half the size she used to be.  Maybe she gives me such a good workout it doesn't matter what she looks like.  But, as an aspiring fitness professional the commentary that follows a first impression terrified me.

When I started working toward becoming a yoga teacher (and maybe more!) a year and a half ago, I had recently lost about 15 pounds and was down near the low end of the healthy range.  I liked it there because I had manipulated my apple shaped body into a size where my waist/hip ratio no longer put me at risk for heart disease, and of course my clothes looked really good with no unsightly bulges.  That being said, I looked ridiculous when I taught a Body Sculpting class with an emphasis on kickboxing.  I sure didn't look tough with my skinny little arms.

The most important thing that Jamie Eason's 12 Week Body Challenge has given me is confidence.  After 10 weeks of being at the gym nearly every day I feel really comfortable there.  In the beginning I was really intimidated on days when there were a lot of soldiers in the weight room.  Today is part of a long weekend and the gym was full of guys.  I was confident in what I was doing so I was not at all intimidated.  Rather, I was irritated because they were hogging all of the equipment and they never put their stuff away.

Once I got home I happened to look in the mirror while I was rolling up my yoga mat after a quick 30 minute practice.  With each tiny little movement my hands made I could see muscles in my shoulders working.  I was absolutely fascinated that I was watching my own body and not somebody else's.  I love that 10 weeks in the gym has given me a different body.  One that can hopefully stand up to the first impressions scrutiny.

These are the things I need to remember when I question whether all of the hard work of the last two and a half months has been worth it.  The scale and the tape measure still don't show any progress this week.  I think that's the fourth week with no positive results in the numbers.   I would love to have some tangible proof to show that all of this work has been doing something but I'm just going to have to let that go and be happy with what I see in the mirror.

I haven't been able to follow the eating plan exactly.  I'm supposed to be carb cycling right now, meaning that some days are high carb days and some days are low carb days.  I'm finding that I can't keep my carbs low enough on low carb days.  I think this is really difficult as a vegetarian that is already a healthy weight.  I tried to follow the eating plan but found that I maxed out on carbs with just a serving of oatmeal with berries as part of breakfast and a salad as part of lunch.  And, I met my calorie limit for the day before I could eat enough protein.  That's a little bit extreme.  Besides, excess protein in the body turns to fat, so I'm not sure it would be a good thing to eat as much protein as the plan suggests.  So, I'm just trying to be mindful of what I eat and I'm not going to freak out if I don't meet the numbers the plan suggests.

So, what comes next after the 12 weeks are over?  I definitely don't want all of this effort to go to waste.  I've started noticing that people don't know how to eat anymore.  They are either overeating or they are following restrictive diets that cut out or villainize food groups.  After following Jamie's program that toward the end is high protein/low carb, I'm becoming increasingly convinced that the answer is what I've known all along.  Cut out the truly bad things like high fructose corn syrup, trans fats, and all things artificial (flavors, colors,sweeteners).  Limit sugar, white flour, and saturated fats.  Eat a variety of whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and protein.  Basically, it's the way of eating prescribed by the USDA.  Nothing fancy.

I am going to make two plans, one for weight maintenance and one for weight loss.  Both will follow the USDA's recommendations for food and the American College of Sports Medicine's recommendations for physical activity.  To give myself a break after Jamie's plan is over I'm going to follow the weight maintenance plan for a month.  Then I'll try the weight loss plan for a month.  Yes, it's another experiment.  I want to see what happens.

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Yoga and My Ego

I love yoga because it helps me listen to my body. It helps me tune in to where I have tightness, or soreness, or tenderness, or weakness. Using my breath in difficult postures I'm often able to sink a little deeper and feel better at the end of a practice.

But sometimes I don't listen to my body. I listen to my ego instead and I get myself into trouble. There was the time I decided to run eight miles in Ibiza when four miles was what I was used to. The weather was perfect. I felt fantastic after a week of Bikini Bootcamp. I was going to run my first half marathon and I wanted to see where I was at. Well, I wasn't at eight miles and I got injured. I had to rest my knee for more than a month before I could run again.

Then there was the time I was asked to substitute teach a yoga class that had some more advanced students in it. I had a great class in mind that involved hip openers and arm balances. I was nearing the end of my marathon training and I tweaked my knee because I had been focusing on running and my body couldn't do what my brain remembered that I could do. My knee continued to bother me to the point that I could barely walk to dinner the night before the marathon. I'm stubborn enough that I was able to get the run done but it could have been so much better.

With these experiences you would think that I would be more inclined to check in with my body instead of pushing it too far.

Yesterday I was approached to perhaps start teaching yoga at the gym. I was thrilled! I've been waiting for this opportunity for quite awhile. So, guess what I did after getting home from two hours of strength training and a half hour of sprints. That's right, I rolled out my yoga mat. I did not choose the restorative class that I probably needed. Instead I picked a guru challenge on Yoga Today called Go Deeper Into Arm Balances. I wanted to see what my arms could do after 10 weeks of aggressive strength training. The instructor saved me. She opened the practice by saying that advanced postures can feed the ego but we should remember to try to dissolve the ego during the practice. That instruction gave me permission to rest in child's pose when I needed to rather than risking injury by pushing my fatigued body beyond its limit. Sure, I managed some cool arm balances but I also kept my ambition in check.

I hope that I will remember to use my practice to look inward. Once I can do that the outward display will take care of itself.

I knew from the first early months of my yoga practice that I wanted to teach someday. I loved it so much I wanted to share it. Now, 13 years later, I hope I am only a few short weeks from seeing my name on the gym schedule. Yoga can bring peace and calm and balance to the crazy life of a military community and I can't wait to give those gifts to my students.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

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How Hard Should We Push Our Kids in School?

When I worked on a Parent to Parent team for the Military Child Education Coalition one of the things we talked to military families about was school transitions.  We emphasized that it was important to work above grade level if possible and for the children to take the most rigorous course load manageable .  Curriculums and graduation requirements vary from state to state and it is difficult for children to move from an easier school to a more demanding one.  Difficult transitions can be minimized if children are working beyond their peers.

So that's the spiel, but putting it into practice with Sophia is harder than just putting that information out there for other parents.

I went to her parent teacher conference last night and came away discouraged.  I wasn't sure if we've made the right decisions regarding her education and I'm not sure what to do going forward.  Oh my goodness, she is seven.  Should it be so hard?

Sophia has been in the German school system from the very beginning.  Her kindergarten and first grade teachers enthusiastically passed her along.  Even though she was only 5 (October birthday) her kindergarten said she had to move on because they thought she was ready and there was nothing more they could offer her.  Kindergarten teachers here give their blessing to move on to elementary school.  They base it on readiness, not just age.  Quite a few children got held back in first grade but her teacher looked at me like I was crazy when I asked if Sophia would be moving on to second grade.  Sophia had poor handwriting but she was ready to move on.

Then we moved.  We're still in Bavaria and the curriculum should be the same but somehow her school here covered more in first grade than Sophia's old school did.  She was behind her entire class when she started second grade.  And, of course we are not native German speakers.  When I met with her teacher in October she said that Sophia had started out behind but she had worked hard and caught up, though she still had the worst handwriting in the class.

When we spoke yesterday the teacher said she's very sorry but she's not sure she's going to be able to recommend that Sophia move on to third grade because she has fallen behind.  She said she is an intelligent girl who works hard, but she would be getting 4-6 grades on a 1-6 scale with 1 being the best if she were to move on.  She just didn't have the benefit of the same level of education in first grade.  She also prefers to play with the children in first grade who are her same age.  The choice to hold her back or push her forward is up to us.  She's concerned that if the coursework is too hard then Sophia will sour on school.

Teachers here promote a learn for the sake of learning attitude.  Students should take initiative to do a good job with their work because it's for their own good.  Teachers want to help their students be enthusiastic so they are concerned about how their students feel about school.  They also want to help them achieve high grades because they look at the early elementary grades when determining which education track to put them in starting in 5th grade.  This is the perspective that Sophia's teacher is coming from when she talks to me.

I think Americans look at things a little bit differently and I have to remember that when making decisions going forward.  We only have one education track and it can lead directly to university at the student's option.  If Sophia doesn't have stellar grades in elementary school it's not going to harm her.  We have to make sure she can read and write and do math but it's not the end of the world if she is not the best in her class.  Just by being one grade ahead she is working ahead of her peers and that will hopefully insulate her against the big change that will come when she moves back into the American system.

So, what to do?  We talked to Sophia and she said she is a little bit discouraged because it takes her longer to do her work than the other kids so they get to have more play time.  She didn't like the idea of doing second grade again because in third grade there is the option of enrolling in all day school which has fun activities like forest hikes and swimming in the afternoons.  She's been excited about that program.

The good news about that program is that they have smaller class sizes and classes aren't quite as hurried. Her teacher thought this might be a good option for her if she were to move on to third grade.

We're not ones to just give up and take the easy way out so we're going to look for a tutor for Sophia to help her with math and spelling/writing.  I would love for her to have the tools she needs to feel comfortable finishing out the year and I would definitely feel more comfortable if her teacher can give her an enthusiastic pass on to third grade.

Kenny's not too worried.  He says Sophia has bright eyes, meaning she's a smart girl that is aware of her world and is able to make important connections.  I just want to give her the best foundation she can get so she can cope with all of the big changes coming her way.

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Jamie Eason's 12 Week Body Challenge - Week 9 Results

Nine weeks into Jamie Eason's 12 Week Challenge and I'm feeling burned out. The workouts often last over two hours. The eating plan is strict. I feel like I can get the workout done but I don't have energy for much else once I get home. I feel like my brain is fuzzy. I've started drinking a little juice to see if that will help. It's an intense plan and I intend on seeing it through but I need to make sure I'm staying healthy.

Intense plan or not, my results are still holding steady at about 3 pounds and 10 inches lost. I'm a little discouraged, but I've really gotten a lot stronger so perhaps I need to expand my parameters of success.

Phase 3 incorporates sprints, plyometrics,and carb cycling. All of those things are tough for me. I would rather go outside and run long and slow than run fast and jump around. And, the carb cycling is tough as a vegetarian because there aren't that many pure protein sources. I'm just going to have to modify and do the best I can.

Those of us who are participating in this plan are wondering what's going to happen after the 12 weeks are over. I'm looking forward to a regular yoga practice with a stronger body. I want to run outside again. And, I'd like to do enough strength training to maintain my muscles.

I really wish I had some dramatic results to report, but I'm going to hang in there and see this thing through.

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To the Impossible and Beyond

I'm into the 9th week of Jamie Eason's 12 Week Body Challenge. This is Phase 3. The home stretch. Except that it's not so easy.

Today was the first day that I feared I would not be capable of finishing the workout. It was a strength workout for back, arms, and abs. It was full of super sets and working sets with active rest. Active rest means that you don't get to rest between sets. So, instead of hanging out after a set of preacher curls I had to do a set of pushups. Then back to the preacher curls. That's just one example. It was a killer workout. I felt spent. But oh no. It was not over. I still had half an hour of treadmill sprints left. I ran on speed 8 for 30 seconds and rested for 30 seconds. By the end I was having a hard time focusing on when to switch between sprint and rest. Clearly that wouldn't be hard for a normally functioning individual but I was fatigued.

That workout made me feel like I did on my marathon training long run days. Only those happened only once a week. I get to do chest, shoulders, more abs, and sprints tomorrow. Pure crazy! If this doesn't cure my two week stagnation then I better learn to love my muffin top.

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Jamie Eason's 12 Week Body Challenge - Phase 2 Results

Phase 2 Results
Somehow it's less embarrassing to have a friend take my photo in the gym.

Phase 2 of Jamie Eason's 12 Week Body Challenge is over!  Here are my results:

Pounds lost:  About 3
Inches lost:  9.75
Body fat lost:  Over 5%

Phase 2 introduced calorie counting, cardio, and reduction of carbs.  I had a more drastic change at the end of Phase 1, but I'm still making progress so I can't complain.  I've been on a plateau for the last couple of weeks.  I'm not entirely sure why.  Perhaps my body is getting used to this level of activity.  Perhaps it's because I sneak a treat from time to time because I'm not as desperate as I was in the beginning.  In any case, I want to hit this next phase hard and see what can happen.

It is fascinating to look in the mirror and see new muscles, muscles that I've never had before.  I kind of like them.  I bought a strapless dress for the upcoming ball that should show them off nicely.  I'm even starting to see a little bit of ab definition.

The first workout of Phase 3 was crazy.  It introduced active rest and plyometrics.  In between sets of strength training I jumped rope, did the long jump, jumped from side to side.  Good thing I feel more comfortable in the gym now.  I felt a little self-conscious jumping around.

I wish I would have made more progress in Phase 2 but I feel much more confident in my clothes and that's what really matters.  This Pinterest post is encouraging:

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Having a Black Eye is Awkward

The good news is my eyebrow is growing in somewhat so I don't have to pencil it in just to go to the gym.  The bad news is that I now have a black eye.

Have you ever had a black eye?

It's awkward.

My friends ask me what in the world happened.   Strangers don't really make eye contact.

One friend thought I looked extra tough in the gym.  Most strangers probably just assume my husband beats me.

So who did this if it wasn't my husband?  It was the dermatologist.  I have a broken blood vessel that shines bright red right under my eye.  He's tried to seal it off several times but it has been stubborn.  He used a little bit more of an invasive approach this time.  He said it was attached to a larger blood vessel and the procedure probably wasn't effective.  And, he was very sorry but there would be some bruising.

Bruising = Black Eye

It started off a bit discolored and swollen.  Then the swelling went away and left a black patch.  Now it's turning a little green.

I don't have thick enough concealer to cover this up.

Nice.

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February's 5 Most Popular Posts

In case you missed them, here are my February blog posts that people read the most:

1.  Jamie Eason's 12 Week Challenge - Week 4 Results
2.  Fixing a Shaved Eyebrow
3.  12 Ways to Help You Raise Healthy Enthusiastic Eaters
4.  Some Things Need to Change Around Here
5.  A Real Life Organized Pantry

Enjoy!

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