Vacation

So the last week I've been taking a little break :)  Oops!  I haven't been eating super healthy and working out has fallen off the radar.  I was sick for part of last week and then the holidays hit and well... excuses, excuses, but I didn't do well with the eating and working out.  Today I'm trying to get back on track a bit.  I'm watching what I eat to an extent and I'm going to attempt another home workout.  Casey invested in P90X and I thought I might try some of it out.  I hear the Yoga X is a killer, so I thought, why not try that out.   Hehe, we'll see.  That is my afternoon project.  I'll let you know how it goes! 

I'm probably not going to be completely on track until after the new year when I'm settled somewhere and can get back into a routine.  Right now routines just aren't happening!  Starting January 9th I plan to begin Jamie Eason's 12 week workout/nutrition plan from http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/jamie-easons-livefit-introduction.html  My cousin sent me the link and it looks promising.  Just have to stay on track and keep my eating clean with maybe a couple of indulgences weekly.  I really need to find my motivation again!  2012 is going to be a great year and I can't wait!!

Woke up early to go for a run, but had a stuffy nose and sore throat.  Decided a little extra sleep would be a better option than running!
Workout: 1 hour of Zumba

Food:
Breakfast- 1/2 c egg beaters, 1 pumpkin muffin, 1 c coffee with splash of fat free milk, about 1/2 c blackberries
Lunch- Country Bakery chicken salad sandwich with handful of fries
Dinner- chips and queso (about 3 spoonfuls), about 4 oz chicken breast, baby spinach, 8 cucmber slices, 8 baby carrots, light balsamic vinaigrette, 1 weight watchers min fudge ice cream bar

Water: 133 oz

Vacation Begins

Today was my first day at home!  Good and bad.  We got a lot of shopping and stuff done for Christmas and for the wedding!  All super exciting, however, my workout was non-existent and my food was less than desirable. 
Workout: None
Food: 2 pumpkin muffins, 1 glass fat free milk, Sonic grilled chicken sandwich with lettuce only on whole wheat bun, vanilla coke, fries, Subway salad with baby spinach, lettuce, cucumbers, black olives, bell peppers, lite ranch dressing, chicken breast, 3 mini cracker packets, 2 bites Janak's pecan bar, chips and queso
Water: 60 oz

So... not so great this weekend! 

No workout saturday or sunday!  Packed up my apartment and lifted and moved boxes.  Saturday, went to a wedding and danced a bit, but was still super sore from Thursday, couldn't really dance like I wanted to!

Food:

Saturday:  Chili's Monterrey chicken, water with lemon, brownie sundae (1/2), food at the wedding was pork tenderloin, chicken, mashed potatoes, veggies, and a roll, I didn't have cake, but had plenty of beer and wine to make up for the cake, 2 liters water

Sunday: pepperoni and hamburger pizza, 20m oz coke zero, tamales, can coke, 8 oreos and milk, 2 liters of water

Getting back on track this week before all the holiday indulgences!

More packing

Another day packing and getting stuff ready and organized to semi-move.  Slept in, was lazy for part of the day, but still managed to get some stuff put away.

Workout: after yesterday, I'm so sore that I can barely sit and stand up, so.... no workout today!

Food:
2 slices whole grain bread, 4 slices extra thin slice turkey, 1 apple, 2 handfuls veggie chips, 2 pumpkn muffins (1 box spice cake, 1 can pumpkin, 1/2 c water and bake, delicious and easy and low cal), 1.5 c 1% milk, about 3 oz baby spinach, about 4 oz chicken breast strips, handful almond slivers, lite ranch dressing, 8 cucumber slices, about 3/4 c blackberries, 1 Hershey's mini dark chocolate, 1 pumpkin muffin, 2 glasses red wine
Water: 3 liters (101.4 oz)

Woke up late, so started with more of a lunch than a breakfast today!

Today was my first "day off" for the winter break!  I slept in a bit then got up and got to it.  I tried to get stuff packed and went through clothes and all the bathroom stuff I've accumulated over the year and tried to get rid of as much as possible.  I didn't know one person could have some many Bath and Body Works lotions in one place!! :)  Did some laundry and just tried to get my house in order. 

Workout:  After getting a touch lost (or as my cousin, Jessica, put it, I was discovering new parts of Houston) I found my way to Spotts park to get a killer workout in with Jessica and her husband, Jose.  They are amazing and any woman in the Houston area looking for a different, awesome kind of workout, they're the ones to help you get it done!  Working out in the park was awesome!  I had fun, and I'm going to be sore tomorrow and I love it!!!

Food:
Breakfast: 1/2 c SW style egg beaters, 1 c 1/% milk, 1/2 c blackberries, 3 c black coffee

Lunch: 2.5 oz Zoe's kitchen chicken salad, 2 slices whole grain bread, about 1/2 c baby carrots, 1 apple

Snack: about 1 c berries (thawed strawberries and blueberries), 6 oz Yoplait Greek yogurt

Dinner: 1 can Progresso Santa Fe Chicken soup with about 1 oz chickne breast added in, handful of Central Market veggie chips, 1 bottle grape Gatorade, 1 dark chocolate mini Hershey's bar

Water: about 2.5 liters (84.5 oz)

Ready to continue the packing and get a good workout in tomorrow!  Got to keep it going!  Getting ready for our honeymoon in St. Lucia!

Four weeks off!

Today we had our group presentations and now I'm off of school until January 17th!  Of course there is always something to do!

Today was a scale/measurment day.  Going to try something new at the advice of my cousin and her husband, the Venus Index.  It is a ratio of the shoulders, waist and hips.  I still don't completely understand everything behind it, but hey, it gives me new, attainable goals that are supposed to get me looking healthy and fit!  Bring it on!

Weight: 167.8 lbs
Measurements: shoulder- 45.75 in; waist- 32.5 in; hips- 47.5 in

Workout for the day: Was feeling kind of lazy, but instead of not working out, I decided to do the INSANITY cardio abs workout and my winsor pilates ab workout

Food:
Breakfast: 1 egg white, 1/2 c Southwestern style egg beaters, 1/2 c blackberries, 1 c Simply Orange OJ, 1 slice whole grain dry toast, 2 c black coffee

Lunch: some of my classmates and I went to the brand new Texas Children's Hospital Women's wing (I guess) just built next door to celebrate our last day of the semester- 3/4 grilled ham and cheese (they only had it on white toast) sandwich, 1 bowl tomato basil soup, 5 potato chips, 20 oz Coke

Snack: 1 c blueberries and strawberries (previously frozen, thawed), 6 oz Yoplait Greek yogurt, handfull veggie chips

Dinner: about 3 oz (1/3 9 oz bag) baby spinach, about 4 oz grilled chicken breast, handful raw almond slivers, 8 cucumber slices, lite ranch dressing, 1 apple, 1 mini Hershey's dark chocolate

Water: 93.4 oz +

5 months until graduation

Took my last final ever this morning!!!  Awesome!!  I also realized that in exactly 5 months, I will be graduating as a Doctor of Physical Therapy!  Even more awesome! 

Well...new week, new start.

Workout:  started my INSANITY workout and didn't feel up to it, but I made myself keep working out so... INSANITY max interval plyo warm up, and then I switched to my Advanced Tae Bo work out (going old school, yes, that's right I still have a VHS play and I still own VHS tapes!)

Food:
Breakfast: 1/2 c southwestern style egg beaters, 1 egg white, 1/2 c blackberries, 1 c Simply Orange OJ, 1 c 1% milk, 3 c coffee
Lunch: 2 slices whole grain bread, 2.5 oz (more or less) Zoe's Kitchen chicken salad
Snack: 15 baby carrots (estimate on amount, didn't keep count)
Dinner: about 3 oz baby spinach, about 4 oz chicken breast strips, handful almond slivers, 8 slices cucumbers, lite ranch dressing, 1 apple, 1 mini Hershey's dark chocolate
Water: 90 oz

Tomorrow will be insane with big group presentations!  Then relaxation and packing up this apartment to get it ready to move on Thursday and Friday! 

A little behind

So this weekend I got a little behind on the blog thing.  I kept track of food and what not, but just didn't get the chance to post it.  I'm going to put everything up quickly seeing that I have a final tomorrow and need to get back to studying!

Workouts: NONE- Friday, Saturday, Sunday, or Monday (shameful)
Friday:
Panera bread to study- 1 small apple, 1/2 caesar salad, 1/2 sierra turkey sandwich, chocolate chip cookie
Chili's- chips/queso, 1/3 quesadilla explosion salad, 1/4 cheese quesadilla
Red wine
Water 10 cups at Panera bread, and several glasses at dinner

Saturday:
2/3 quesadilla explosion salad, 3/4 cheese quesadilla, small can pringles, 1/2 packages of red twists, chicken leg quarter, broccoli with non fat cheddar, caesar salad, peanut butter M&M's, beer, 2 liters water

Sunday:
egg beaters/egg mix, bacon, 1 slice whole wheat toast with butter, 1% milk, chips & queso & salsa, steak stuffed with cream cheese wrapped in bacon (4 small slices), hot chocolate, beer, 2 liters water

Monday:
2 glasses Simply orange OJ, 2 slices whole grain toast, 4 slices extra thin sliced turkey breast, bowl frosted mini wheats cinnamon streussel, 1% milk, 3 c black coffee, Odwalla bar
Zoe's kitchen- 1/2 chicken salad sandwich, cup seasonal fruit, hummus and pita bread, 1/2 chocolate chip cookie, water with dinner (2 glasses)
1.5 liters water

Tomorrow I've got a final and Wednesday we've got group presentations.  I need to get back on track with the workouts and fix my food intake this week.  Bought some salad, fruits and veggies today to supplement what I've got in the fridge and freezer.  Didn't want to buy too much since I'll be gone until close to April after Saturday!  Busy week ahead! 

Craziness

Yesterday I didn 't have the chance to post, so here it is.  It was a crazy busy day with a visit to the community center for a health promotion program intervention for school, working on a group project at Starbuck's and then getting on the road to head to Austin.  Then a workout and a nice dinner out at Austin, Land and Cattle Company!  Needless to say, my food intake was sporadic and not on a normal schedule.  I more or less snacked all day until dinner.  Lots of little bitty meals all day.

Workout: INSANITY Max interval plyo

Food:
meal 1: 1/2 c egg beaters, 1 egg white, 1.5 c blackberries, 1 c Simply Orange OJ, 1 c 1% milk
Meal 2: (we brought "healthy" snacks to the neighborhood center for them to try and we got to try a little too!) black bean spinach taco salad, reduced fat mac n cheese, blueberry cornbread muffin (1/2), mini brownie made with olive oil
Meal 3: tal non fat chai at Starbucks
Meal 4: 2 slices whole grain bread, 6 slices extra thin turkey lunch meat
Meal 5: several spoonfuls of black bean taco spinach salad
Dinner: Austin, Land and Cattle- water, 1 glass red wine, 2 large shrimp with sauce, 10 oz NY strip, loaded baked potatoe, spinach and julienne style carrots, 2 rolls with butter

Water 2.5 Liters and then whatever I drank at dinner (probably3-4 glasses)

Wednesday

Today started out rough.  Didn't get a good night's rest, too much on my mind I guess.  Trying to brainstorm new and innovative ways to change my fitness and nutrition habits.  Got up around 6:30 am and I had classes pretty much all day.  I did have a two hour break, however, motivation to be productive with any type of school project was lacking. 

I got home around 5:30 pm today and was completely wiped out!  I decided a quick power nap might help.  It is amazing what 30 minutes of shut eye will do for your evening!  

My thoracic spine near my Left shoulder blade has been bothering me today so I decided to forgo the INSANITY workout for a treadmill interval training.  It was just what I needed today!

Workout:  Treadmill training

  Minutes        Speed(mph)

1-3                   3.0

3-5                   3.5

5-7                   5.5

7-8                   3.5

8-10                 6.0

10-11               3.5

11-13               6.5

13-14               3.5

14-16               6.0

16-17               6.7

17-20              3.5

 (this is where the original ends, but I decided to go on)

20-22              5.5

22-23              3.5

 23-25              6.0 

25-26              3.5

26-28              6.5

28-29              3.5

29-31              6.0

31-32              6.7

32-35             3.5

and then about 10-15 mintues of stretching.

Overall a good workout today!  Just needed a break from the INSANITY!

Food Intake for the day:

Breakfast- 1 egg white, 1/2 c egg beaters Southwestern style, 1 slice whole grain toast dry, 1/2 c blackberries, 1 c 1% milk, 3 c black coffee, 1/2 Simply Orange OJ

Snack 1- Odwalla bar chocolate and walnut (delicious, it was like a brownie, only good for me!)

Lunch- 1/2 Maggiano's classic baked rigatoni pomodoro, 1/2 c blackberries

Dinner- 1 can Progresso Southwestern Style chicken, handfull of tortilla chips

Water intake- 4 liters (135 ounces)

Tomorrow I'm headed to Austin for a long weekend of non-stop stuff.  My goal is to do my best to stay on track and at least get my workouts in tomorrow, Friday and Saturday.  I am also going to aim for getting quality, healthy food into my body instead of the normal intake of beer and queso when I am out of town!  Wish me luck!

Starting to get fit...again

Today was kind of an interesting day.  I did not have a class until 1 pm, so instead of getting up early, I decided that sleeping in was in order.  Since I slept in today, I decided lunch was a more appropriate options than breakfast.  (We won't discuss what time I woke up!) 

I had some wonderful words of encouragement today, and I really appreciated that!

I also decided that if I'm going to do this, I'm going to do it right.  I weighed in today... as scary as this is, I need to do it, I need to post my "stats." 

According to my digital TANITA scale-  weight: 172.0 lbs, body fat: 34% 

I've been hovering and fluctuating around this weight for several years now.  My goal is to keep this blog going and to keep updating my stats.  With the right goals and nutrition and exercise, I will decrease both of those numbers!!

Workout: INSANITY Max Interval Circuit

Lunch- 1/2 Maggiano's lasagna, 1.5 c black coffee
Snack- 1/2 c baby carrots, 1/2 c cucumbers, 1/2 c sugar snap peas, 1 lite mozzarella string cheese
Dinner- 1/2 Maggiano's lasagna (love this place, but... if you order a classic entree, they give you a whole entree to take home.), 1 Hershey's mini dark chocolate
Water intake- 100+ ounces

Well, tomorrow is a full day of classes and paper writing.  Finals week is around the corner and then my last ever month long Christmas break before I go to Kyle for my last 12 week internship.  So close to graduation I can taste it! 

Thanks for the encouragement!  Nicole

Something New- A way to keep motivated

It has been a while since my last post. Seems to be my theme.

Today I decided, after a little motivation from another blogger at: http://ittybitsofbalance.com/ , that I would try something new. I am in desparate need of making some positive changes when it comes to health and fitness. I have made some progress, but it is two steps forward three steps back it seems lately. In an effort to get in better shape for our wedding and the honeymoon!!!, I've decided to begin posting my daily workouts and food journal. This will keep me more accountable and possibly more motivated to continue on my path of healthy living. Any encouragement, loving pointers/corrections, or comments would be more than welcome. My goal is to be healthy and fit. I'd like to drop some weight, but becoming more toned and feeling more physically fit is more important to me right now.
Currently I'm in the middle of yet another attempt to complete the INSANITY workouts. I've yet to complete them as scheduled, but at least I'm trying something. Well, here goes with post one!

Workout: INSANITY Max cardio conditioning
Food:
-Breakfast: 1/2 c egg beaters southwestern style, 1 c 1% milk, 1 egg white, 1 c Orange juice, 1 slice whole grain bread, 1/2 c blackberries
-Snack 1: 1 Yoplait Greek yogurt, 1 apple
-Lunch: 1/2 c carrots, 1/2 c sugar snap peas, 2 Tbsp lite ranch veggie dip, 1 c whole wheat chicken pasta with marinara, 1 Hershey's mini dark chocolate
-Snack 2: tortilla chips, guacamole
-Dinner: Maggiano's with a friend- 1 side Caesar salad, 1/2 rigatoni pomodoro

My biggest struggle is the food intake. I know what is good and bad for me to an extent, but it is hard to make the those "right" choice every single day! Slowly but surely! Ok, well, that was the first step. More to come.

Spring Semester

So clearly I'm not doing so good with this blog thing. I'm trying.

I successfully survived the spring semester. That means...I only have 1 year left of PT school. This time next year I will officially be Dr. Nicole Henke. That is completely insane to me. I feel like just yesterday I started school.

I feel like with all of this time I should have more exciting things to say, but the past few months have been spent studying, going to class and getting all the projects done. Pretty boring life!

I did have the opportunity to try out a hot yoga class. Fell in love the first class and I plan to continue while I'm in San Antonio for my clinicals in the summer and fall. So excited to be able to spend several weeks with my grandma in San Antonio while I'm on my clinical rotations from June through mid July and the end of August through mid October. I hope to be able to spend more time catching up with friends in the Austin/San Marcos/San Antonio areas. Get ready!!

In three days, I leave for Peru!! We will be gone for 10 days working with children with disabilities in the hospitals and orphanages. We will also have wonderful opportunities to see a lot of the city and country. I can't wait. I'll have to post pictures and updates once I get back. I'm hoping to be better about this whole posting thing! Thanks to all the family and friends who continue to support our efforts to serve in this country. We will welcome your continued prayers and support while we are in Cusco, Peru.

Well... that is really about all for now. Nothing exciting to speak of, but lots of great things to come!