Exciting Changes

So many things have been going on lately that it's been quite tough to keep up, particularly with my blog. Here's a quick update:

Earning my Pink Belt
In addition to my Jiu-Jitsu training, I completed my Women Empowered training - which is the Gracie Academy's official self-defense program for women - and earned my pink belt! Although I've already earned my Blue Belt, doing this program and focusing on self-defense for women was really enlightening and empowering.

me and my pink belt

Women's Self-Defense Class
On April 10th I launched my women's self-defense class. It's an amazing curriculum that's based on the Grace Academy's Women Empowered curriculum - focusing on defenses to the 15 most common attacks on women. I had no idea how many people were going to show up for the first class or how it would go. I am super thrilled to say that it was awesome! We had 13 women on the mats, and everyone left full of enthusiasm and eagerness to continue with the program.

it's not just about learning defenses - it's about having the right mindset as well

our first class

Whole Life Challenge - Participant & Ambassador
Once again I'll be doing the Whole Life Challenge. I still swear by this challenge as it always helps me refocus and work on tweaking my routine in a supportive environment. Knowing that there are thousands of others around the world doing the same challenge, at the same time, as me really helps keep me motivated.

In addition to doing the WLC, I've actually been invited to be an ambassador for the challenge. This gets me more involved in the challenge itself as well as gives me an extra bit of motivation to really stay on track and be a good role model/motivator to my team members as well as everyone else who is out there trying to live a healthier lifestyle!

Want to know more about the challenge? Watch this: https://youtu.be/xbicemIo-Sk
Ready to join my team? Sign up via this link: http://www.whole.lc/wlcmay15/pt/plumpetals

Want to join but you're not 100% sure about paying -- I've got 2 FREE login codes ... write a comment below or send me an email (plumpetalsfit {at} gmail.com) and I'll get in touch with you with your code. The challenge starts on May 2nd, so don't wait too long!

Sweat Pink Ambassador
I received an unexpected email from the Sweat Pink team telling me that I had been chosen to be an ambassador. I'm thrilled to be part of this active community network! Check out more at Fit Approach.

Eating and Training
I've got to be honest here, my eating habits have been slipping a bit. My main meals have still been spot on, but I've snacked and it has not been good. It's another reason I'm really looking forward to having the structure of the Whole Life Challenge. I've started to detox off the caffeine and sugar (my biggest weaknesses) - slowly but surely. At least my water has been on point. I've been drinking 3 - 4 L of water a day - the warmer weather has definitely helped!

my favorite meal this past week: avocado, tomatoes, cilantro, and a poached egg over whole grain toast with a beet, carrot, apple, and ginger fresh juice -- delicious! I'm going to have to try it without the bread to make it WLC-compliant for the challenge

My training lately has involved outdoor cardio and Jiu-Jitsu. I haven't been to the gym for a weights session in a long time. I miss it, but right now this is what I'll be sticking to. We've been doing weapons defense in our Jiu-Jitsu class this month. It's been a blast -- as you can see, us girls have been taking it really seriously ;)

the Jiu-Jitsu version of Charlie's angels ;) 

A New House!
The final bit of news is that D and I closed on our new house this month!! It's the first time either of has ever owned property. We're looking forward to making it a happy, healthy home!

On the Fly

I'm sitting in the Qatar Airways lounge at Heathrow Airport at the moment, waiting for them to announce my flight.

I was actually here last night … but after boarding and sitting on the plane for an hour past our allocated departure time, we were told that the landing gear wasn't working. The proceeded to offload our luggage. Instead of going to the hotel where they wanted to put me up, I asked for a taxi ride home (on the airline's dime of course). Road diversions made for what should have been a 20 minute drive home over an hour. It was after midnight, freezing, and the taxi driver was heading in routes I had never heard of. All I can say is thank goodness for GPS on my phone so I could make sure he was actually taking me towards home and not to the middle of the woods somewhere where I would be murdered (I watch way too much crime TV). I was totally prepared to use my Jiu-Jitsu if it came to that!

So the whole of 2015 has been quite frantic for me.

I started off the year regrouping, organizing myself for the Whole Life Challenge, and preparing for the Instructor Certification Program evaluations that were going to be held in Los Angeles at the end of January.

While I was trying to sort myself out, I was also trying to come to terms with heading to LA instead of Bangkok where my brother was going to be undergoing his first round of chemotherapy. If he hadn't told me to just go and do it, I'm not sure I would have been able to … anyway.

The WLC is going well. It came at just the right time to help me detox from the holidays and get focused for the new year. Even though I've been traveling during the challenge, I've been really, really careful about my eating and have managed to stay on track by preparing food for travel, being picky with what I order when eating out, and just remembering my overall goals.

My trip to LA was an amazing experience. I passed my evaluations and feel really good about how I did. I am so excited to really get into teaching after I return to London. I'm still working on writing a few posts about my trip on my Jiu-Jitsu blog - I've got a few posts up already, but I haven't finished writing about the whole experience.

My teammate Fabrizio and I -- after receiving our certification! 

The ICP Class of 2015 

Although I'm doing really well with my eating and have been doing Jiu-Jitsu regularly, I'm not training the way I used to … and I can feel the impact.

As I was preparing for my LA trip, I made a conscious decision to just focus on Jiu-Jitsu and leave all my other training until after I returned. On the one hand I do think it was a smart decision. I felt good about my physical performance … on the other hand, I can feel the difference in my body from not having done any weight lifting, yoga, or Muay Thai in almost 3 months …

Still, for the next 10 days while I'm in Bangladesh I'll be away from the gym so I'll just have to focus on walking, stretching, and of course watching what I eat.

Instead of panicking, I'm just taking it all in stride … I know it'll all come together after I get back to London.

Right now, I can't wait to get home and see my brother. I feel like I've waited long enough.

Fingers crossed that this plane takes off and gets me to my destination safely!

Happy 2015!!

Happy new year everyone!

I have 2 main focuses for this year:

1) Positivity
When I look back at the events of 2014, particularly the things that have been happening around the world, I see so much negativity, tragedy, negativity, and intolerance ... it's depressing. I don't know how I can make an impact on a large scale, but I do want to make an effort to have a more positive, happy outlook on things which I hope will spread to others.

In a way I feel like I already started this when the decision to move to London was made. I knew my life would be different here, but I chose not to think of the things that would be more 'difficult' than they were in Kuwait and instead focus on the adventure and take pleasure in the newness of things. It's worked wonderfully for me. I want to continue this positive attitude and be more conscious of living in the now and being happy and hopeful.

2) Balance
Over the past four years, I have been playing around with my food and fitness regimes - figuring out what works, what hasn't worked, what I enjoyed etc. I feel like I've finally arrived at the right combination. This year will be about implementing it within my life. In the past, because I wanted to do it ALL, I found that I just couldn't keep up with my schedule. I knew better, but I was a bit too ambitious and it left me feeling frustrated. This year, I'm keeping things simple and focused so that I make sure that my efforts lead to positive results.

I have my usual goals related to fitness and living a healthy lifestyle, but I don't see them really as new years resolutions as they've been the same focuses I've had for the past few years. They are already part of my lifestyle -- now it's all about tweaking my habits and being a bit more disciplined.

Both my discipline and balance will already be challenged in January as I prepare for a trip to Los Angeles at the end of this month for the Instructor Certification Program at the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu head office. I'm really excited but also quite nervous.

Travel is tough for both my fitness and food routines. However, I'm hoping that wanting to do really well in terms of performance at the academy will help me keep focused on my food until I travel (as well as during my trip). Plus, given that I am actually going to a Jiu-Jitsu academy, I know that I'll be training regularly so that should help.

In addition, the Whole Life Challenge begins on the 17th so I will have that structure to help keep me on track with my food. It'll definitely be tricky this time because I'll be away from home where I have control over my food, but I've managed before so I'm remaining optimistic that I'll succeed again. Also, this time, instead of doing the strictest level, I'm doing the intermediate level of the challenge which gives me a bit of leeway in terms of foods I can/can't have.

I don't really have specific plans for January. I know what I need to do so it's just about doing it. I am basically sticking to the guidelines that I set up for the 50 Day Challenge. I figure, until I can get the basics down without faltering, why add more?

In addition to these basic parameters, I want to:
1. Do 3 weight training sessions a week
2. Stretch daily
3. Follow the Gracie Diet parameters of leaving at least 4 1/2 hours between meals, no desserts, and following their food combination criteria ... This will be the most challenging, but I'll give it my best shot.
4. Blog regularly (3-4 posts a week)


In final news, in the interest of sharing my experience being a female practitioner of Jiu-Jitsu, I have launched a Jiu-Jitsu specific blog. Please do take a moment to check it out and do spread the word :) You can find it at: www.jitzchick.blogspot.co.uk

Wishing you all a wonderful 2015!

A New Adventure

In the last post, I mentioned a few new adventures. Well, the biggest one is linked to my earning the Blue Belt in Jiu-Jitsu.

If you've been following my blog for any amount of time, you know that I've been enthusiastically practicing Jiu-Jitsu for the past year or so. To say that it has had a positive impact on my life is an understatement. I'm completely fascinated with the art and I am amazed at how the practice has had an impact on many aspects of my life - particularly my confidence. Having a boost in confidence has had an enormous impact on pretty much everything I do. Wanting to be good at it has made me focus on being healthy, of eating well, of resting, of being disciplined ... to some it may sound like a lot of hard work. However, what I've discovered is that when you have a passion, doing all those things that may seem like sacrifices to others just comes naturally to you. It's what makes you happy.

When I approach the mat, it intimidates me. I feel nervous because I don't know how I will perform. I know that in a few minutes I will have somebody heavier on top of me who is trying to put me in a submission hold. This intimidation, however, is what also fuels my excitement. It's like I'm doing an experiment on myself -- I want to know how I'll react. I want to see how calm I can remain under pressure. I want to see if I can execute the moves I've learned in the past to help me in the current situation. The intimidation helps me focus. It's what reminds me that to be good at something means more than just coming to one class and doing the moves. You've got to think about it, analyze it, and accept the challenges so that you can work to overcome them.

Since the move to London, I've been thinking really hard about what I want to do. I've always wanted to be a teacher. I knew when I was 16 and so I went on to pursue that line of work. My most fulfilling moments in life have been when I was able to help one of my students. It's a satisfaction that money can't buy. What's more is that I feel grateful to my students and totally blessed that I have had the opportunity to actually make a difference, no matter how small, in that person's life.

It's this feeling that has been on my mind since I moved to London. All I wanted to do was make a difference - in some shape or form.

... and now I've been given that opportunity.

There are no guarantees at the moment as the application process is lengthy and tough, but I'm studying and working towards completing the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Instructor Certification Program. In order to be eligible to even apply means that you have to earn a score of 90% or higher on your Blue Belt test (which I did), after which there are several other tasks you need to complete (e.g. videos of you doing certain moves, teaching certain classes etc), and it all culminates with a finally couple of days of training at the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu headquarters in Torrance, CA.

Now, as I said, there are no guarantees. I need to perfect all the components of the training before I even get considered to go to CA in January ... plus, since I was accepted into the program kind of at the last minute, I only have half the amount of time (30 days) to get it all done ... but in my heart and in my mind, I want this so bad. As soon as I decided to apply and was accepted apply for the program (you can't just apply, you actually have to apply to apply!!), I haven't stopped smiling. It just feels like this is right for me. It feels like this could actually be the way I can fulfill my dreams of teaching and empowering others. How amazing would it be if I could pass on the very thing that has given me the strength and confidence to change my life? I am humbled by it all really. Even though I haven't been completely accepted or passed, just the fact that somehow I have ended up in this place where I could actually achieve something so significant makes me pause and feel so very blessed.

Wish me luck. It's a long road ahead.

Fulfilling Wishes

It's October 16, 2014.

It's been many days since I've posted. I have been sick for the past 2 weeks and busy in between with many new exciting things.

First of all, this stupid flu/bronchitis is still lingering. I am getting better, but I have yet to have a cough-free day. It is SO annoying! At least I slept well last night - that was refreshing.

The illness has slowed down my activities big time. I barely moved for a couple of days and for the others I did the mildest forms of exercise and stretching. I went to Jiu-Jitsu class for the first time last Friday and went to the gym for the first time in 2 weeks yesterday ... so it's been slow.

Nutritionally, I've been doing well. Being on the Whole Life Challenge has helped me with this a lot (you can read about my progress here).

I did have one day of indulgence on my birthday, but what was interesting was that being off sugar and processed foods, grains, dairy etc. for 5 weeks really changed my taste as well as my cravings. Initially I thought I was going to go crazy eating and indulging, but it ended up being a much more controlled (by choice) day -- and that was actually very satisfying.

I am definitely starting to find my feet in terms of settling down in London. The house is coming together. My training schedule, even though slightly off right now due to my illness, is pretty much set. I've got my menus and meal planning pretty much down. It's looking good.

In addition to that, I achieved my first big goal, which was to earn my Blue Belt in Jiu-Jitsu!!! I trained really hard, so when I got my results of my test (evaluated by video through the Gracie Academy in Torrance, California) I was over the moon!

It was the highlight of my birthday celebrations :)

Another year older and I couldn't have felt younger or happier!

I'm looking forward to another year of adventures! Stay tuned :)

Searching for Resolve

This past week has been really difficult - from dealing with the loss of my aunt to facing a terrifying situation to just generally feeling out of sync. I've had so many thoughts and emotions running through my mind, but one of the main thoughts I woke up with this morning was about Tuesday's Kajukenbo class when I froze in the middle of the surprise attack sequence.

I realized that at that moment when I was attacked, my first thought was - I don't care. Let them attack me.

What a horrifying thought.

I have been doing all this self-defence and fighting mostly because I don't want to feel vulnerable or scared. Most of all, I don't want to be a victim. I do not want to see myself as a victim anymore.

I was mortified that after training for so many months, that was still the first thought that popped into my head. It was the first time I was put in such a situation, but still - why did I slip into being helpless? Why didn't I react?

I know that I reacted to the attack once I was rolled on the ground. The Jiujitsu training I had been doing automatically kicked in and I was able to escape. That in itself was a bit of a relief, but the fear was overwhelming.

I woke up this morning realizing that I didn't want to be the victim. I didn't want FREEZE to be my first reaction. I'm doing my MMA training to learn how to defend myself, to build my confidence in terms of knowing who I am and knowing that I am able to stand on my own two feet.

Maybe I needed that incident to happen at this particular time (when I'm feeling emotionally vulnerable as well) for me to realize what I really want. I know that after training in Vegas, I was really pumped about continuing to train. However, that was more about the physical side - getting the techniques right and becoming strong. Today's realization was more about what it actually means to me. How training in MMA was not to fight, but to be able to defend myself if I needed --- and most of all, to be able to stand in full confidence knowing that I don't need to fight because I already know I'm in control.

This is my goal. This is what I'm training for. This is what I discovered of myself this morning.

Then I saw this video for the first time -- it's amazing. It brought tears to my eyes because it moved me so much. So much of what Rener said rang true to what I was feeling and experiencing.

Please take a few minutes and watch this video - it's incredible. (If the video link doesn't work, check Gracie Bullyproof: Austin's 1 week transformation on YouTube or on my Facebook page Plumpetals Fit).

Las Vegas Update Part 2 - Guard Up!

Las Vegas was all about UFC Fight Week, the fan expo, and UFC 162. If it wasn't for these events I'm not sure whether or not I would have liked Vegas. However, for this trip, I know that UFC Fight Week was awesome & I would definitely consider flying over to do it again!

My workouts in Las Vegas were split between training with professional fighters and hitting the gym.

The free gym at the MGM Grand was a basic cardio room. I got there around 7 a.m. and it was already packed!

I was quite amused to be staring at the Hooters hotel while on the cross-trainer -- that's something you definitely won't see in Kuwait!! 

I discovered a second gym which was much nicer - free weights, more cardio machines, and a variety of general weight machines. I went there for my remaining weights workouts. I can't resist a good squat bench! For $10 a day it wasn't bad at all.

A squat bench and free weights plus lots of cardio options -- awesome!

Now for the real stuff -- training with the professionals!!

My training in Vegas was mostly focused on Brazilian Jiujitsu. It was such an awesome experience. I was absolutely giddy with excitement. I wish I had some shots of me doing some of the actual training, but here are some pix of fighters I worked with.

I attended a 2-day seminar by Ryron and Rener Gracie -- isn't this picture amusing? ;) 

Me & Matt Hughes

Me & Khalil Rountree (he was main fight for Tuff n Uff & he won!)

 This is my favorite picture of the whole summer - messing around with BJ Penn after training!

 Me & Forrest Griffin at the UFC party

The main fight: Silva vs. Weidman - UFC 162

A glimpse of the fan expo - it was so cool!

There were quite a few celebrities at the fight, and I got a great view of many of them since we were in the 3rd row - Mike Tyson, Steven Segal, Usher, Edward James Olmos, Kim Coates and Theo Rossi from Sons of Anarchy to name a few ... I was smiling the whole night :)

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What I Learned

I love MMA training. The training sessions were tough; they really made me test my physical abilities in a different way from cardio and strength training. After each session, I felt empowered and strong. Upon leaving Vegas all I wanted was to get back home and get into proper training as soon as possible.

I realized that if I wanted to achieve any level of proficiency in MMA, then I was going to have to train more like an athlete. This meant really focusing on good nutrition, proper/efficient workouts, and adequate rest. It's a combination that I have known is necessary for a while, but this time I felt more serious about it.

I wanted it, and I am willing to work for it. The intention itself was very powerful for me. I left Vegas with a renewed sense of determination and a big smile on my face.

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My time in Vegas was occupied with Fight Week. I didn't see any shows, but I did eat at many great restaurants. As a fan of Top Chef, I was quite thrilled with how many of the chefs featured on the show had restaurants in Vegas. I took the opportunity to try several of them. My favorite was Joel Robuchon's restaurant at the MGM Grand - really terrific!

D & Me at Joel Robuchon

We had every intention of going to the Grand Canyon before leaving Las Vegas; however, I was so beat with all the training that the last stop I made was to the spa to be totally pampered before the next long road trip. Bliss!

Next Stop: San Francisco

(Link to: Las Vegas Update Part 1)

LA Update Part 2 - Testing my Comfort Zone

Los Angeles was a great starting point for this vacation. The relaxed atmosphere and sunny weather  was perfect for getting over jet lag.

Cruising around Los Angeles

I used my jet lag to my advantage on the first day and hit the hotel gym around 6 a.m. Heading to the gym while on vacation is no longer a strange concept for me. I remember a time when I would pack gym clothes, with all the best intentions, but never make it to the actual gym. This time, however, packing an extra suitcase with just my workout clothes was worth it.

I wasn't impressed with the hotel gym. It was really basic, and I knew that although I could get a bit of resistance training in, it would mostly be cardio. With that in mind, the next day I head outdoors for a jog/walk around West Hollywood. Between the heat and the distance (6.5 km), I was wiped out by the end of that day!

Vacation Day 1 Workout

Caught mid-stride in West Hollywood

So, the gym and the outdoor walk were 'normal.' What was really exciting to me was going to Jean Jacques Machado's Brazilian Jiujitsu Academy. It was intimidating walking into an academy that I was completely unfamiliar with, putting on a gi (that I don't like wearing anyway), and then grappling with men I didn't know. I'm glad that D was there, even though we weren't grappling together. It was a really great experience. Even though it was just one session, I felt like I achieved a lot just by going there and doing it. I'm still working on facing my fears and building my confidence - this was a great way to test being outside my comfort zone.

My second big challenge was going to CrossFit. I really, really wanted to go to a CrossFit box while I was in Los Angeles, but I was scared. CrossFit is no joke. You push yourself to the limit - it challenges your mind and your body. Would I be ok going to a new box? Would I feel comfortable enough to perform? Would I be up to whatever WOD they had planned for the day?

I was really, really anxious heading to the Box. My heart was pounding, and there were a few times when I thought - never mind, I'll just turn back ... but I didn't turn back. I went in and gave it a go.

The people at CFLA (CrossFit Los Angeles) were great. Everyone was welcoming and friendly. We started with an outdoor run warm-up (run?? shit, will I be able to keep up) and got to know each other a bit before going back to the Box to continue warming up/stretching and of course our WOD.

Before doing the WOD, each one of us had to state our goal - whether it was to complete the WOD in perfect form, beat a certain time, etc. I said that I wanted to complete the WOD within 6 minutes. The coach said - no way, you can do it under 5.

Talk about putting on a bit of pressure, but it was exactly what I needed. I managed to complete the WOD under 5 minutes, and I felt great. Everyone was being encouraging and supportive. It was such a great atmosphere, and I felt amazing afterwards. My only regret was that I wasn't going to be in LA long enough for another CrossFit workout.

Partnered Sprints at CrossFit LA

I made it on the board & I beat my goal time of 5 minutes.

Me and Michael Stanwyck - one of the founders of the Whole Life Challenge!!

What I Learned
I need to trust myself more.

Dieting and exercise are so much easier once my mind was in a positive place. Even though I know that I am strong and capable, I am still not confident in my abilities. It is this lack of confidence that makes me think (know) that I am not pushing myself 100% yet. I wonder why I could not tell myself - set your goal at 4 min 30. So what if you don't make it; at least put forward a challenging goal so that you can push yourself.

I'm still hesitant, and I need to believe - without hesitation - that I am up to the challenge. Having a supportive environment is really important (thanks Dizzle Rivera for encouraging me & believing in me). However, I need to also provide that type of support to myself.

This is something that I want to work on for this next year. By next summer I want to be able to walk into any CrossFit box around the world and feel confident that I belong and am able to compete.

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A few other pix of my time in LA.

Hollywood Boulevard -- I wasn't impressed

LA Street Food Fest -- not too many healthy options here, but had a great time nonetheless. Plus I got to meet up with a college friend (bottom left photo) after 10 years!

My childhood best friend and I reunited after 23 years!!

D & I at Spago

It was a sign! The UFC 162 poster was the first thing I saw outside my window every morning. Next Stop: Las Vegas!

(Link to: LA Update Part 1)

Las Vegas Update Part 1

I really wish I could post pictures off my iPad onto blogger but I can't so all the photos will have to wait until I either get hold of a computer or get home.

There's so much I have to say about my Las Vegas experience.

This is my first time in Las Vegas and I have to say I have mixed feelings about this place.

I had always wanted to visit this city but in my mind (images from movies flash through) it was totally different. I can totally understand why this place got its nickname Sin City. Parts of LV are really crass and vulgar - people trying too hard to be sexy but coming off slutty - and really sad - zoning out in front of slot machines, bleary eyed at 8 am with a beer in hand.

Of course there were also groups having a good time - laughing and enjoying themselves, just having a go on the casino floor, and girls who definitely managed to pull off that super sexy but not slutty look.

The first group indescribed dominated though. I think I'm just too old for this type if scene.

That being said, I will be back. Wanna know why? The UFC Fan Expo and Fight Week was AMAZING. Having a focus for this trip made me love almost every minute of my time in this city. The events were really well organized. I got the opportunity to train with some top athletes in the field. Plus watching UFC 162 from the 3rd row live and in person sure did beat trying to watch it live on TV at 4 am in Kuwait.

It was fantastic. The best part about training with such professionals is that it really gave me a new focus to my training. It's given me an extra drive. Although I'm happy to be on vacation, part of me can't wait to get home and put it all in motion.

My workouts here have been good.

I drove up from LA on Wednesday. Thursday I did some cardio, a mini WOD, and some stretching.
Friday - 6 hours of Jiujitsu training
Saturday - 4 hours of Jiujitsu training
Sunday - cardio + weights + stretching -- felt like a normal 2 hour workout
Monday - cardio, weights, plus some Kajukenbo drills is my intention.

Food: Definitely my problem area still. I had no idea so many of my favorite chefs have their restaurants here. I've been trying to be sensible - grilled fish, salad, vegetables, but I know that the preparations are a lot richer than I should be eating.

I don't believe in exercising just to allow calories to eat but at the moment I'm trying to keep it as balanced as possible ... But to be honest, I could be doing better.

I have to keep my intention of losing 2 kg (5 lb) by the time I get home in about 4 weeks in mind.

So that's my first update from Las Vegas. Having a great time & still working on keeping those jeans fitting loose!

Momentary Routine

I’ve been back in Kuwait for 5 days now … and I’ll be traveling again in 4 days. That’s not much time to get back into a proper routine. After my last trip to London, I really struggled. I let the fact that I was only around for 9 days bring me down and distract me from what I really wanted.

Not this time.

I arrived on Tuesday morning and spent the day resting. Last time, I spent the time freaking out and worrying about whether or not I would have energy to go to the gym. I exhausted myself. I didn’t workout, and I felt guilty.

Not this time.

I unpacked, did my laundry, and I SLEPT. I was so tired. I slept for 4 hours in the afternoon and then I went to bed early. I needed the sleep. I felt much better after getting all that sleep.

When I woke up on Wednesday morning (tossing and turning from 3 a.m. and finally out of bed at 4 a.m.), I was ready to go.

I had 2 eggs with some mushrooms and tomatoes. I took my time getting ready and leaving the house (after all, I am on vacation!), and I made it to the gym by 7:45 a.m.

Some cardio and a body balance session was all I had planned for the day. The cardio felt good. I felt like I hadn’t missed anything because of all the walking I did in London. Body Balance, however, was tougher. I felt quite stiff. I didn’t stretch much over the past 2 weeks and it totally showed in class. (Note to self: get back to stretching daily!!)

Thursday was great – warm-up cardio, 1 hour weight session, and then 1 hour on the cross-trainer.

I really wanted to burn some calories so I just got on the cross-trainer, set it to interval training, and just zoned out and started sweating.

The weight lifting session was interesting. On the one hand, I felt strong. I think this is because I hadn’t lifted weights for quite some time so my muscles actually felt rested. On the other hand, I felt like I lost a bit of strength, particularly in my lateral pull-downs … but then, I’ve always struggled with those. I did 2 extra sets of each exercise with lighter warm-up weights. I didn’t want to strain myself (though I think I did when I was doing 15 kg (33 lb dumbbell per hand) dumbbell incline chest presses. It wasn’t the chest press as much as it was the movement of getting my arm in position to do the chest press). Anyway. I left the gym feeling good that I could complete those sets, but also felt a bit of a muscle strain around my left shoulder blade area. Must take care of that.

I went back to my normal Friday routine – which included 2 hours of Jiujitsu and sparring practice. Again, being away from training for 2 weeks really showed on the mats. It took me a while to both mentally and physically gear up for each move we practiced.

Yesterday I did something I had not done in a long time – burpees. I’ve been avoiding them. I’m avoiding them for the same reason that I took on this challenge – I hate them. They’re tough. They leave me breathless. I suck at them. 

This is why I must practice them!!

Perhaps I was too ambitious in my goal of completing 20,130 burpees by the end of the year, but that’s not an excuse not to practice them at least every other day, if not every single day.

The only thing holding me back is my mind – I am physically able to do them. In fact, the first 50 burpees (though tough) went down a lot easier than I had thought they would be. (Note to self: Stop second-guessing yourself and just do your damn burpees!)

So basically my strategy has been to just get back into my routine without giving it much thought. Being on vacation makes it very tempting to just sit back and do nothing but watch TV or read all day … but that doesn’t mean I can’t squeeze in an hour or two of exercise. I know that once I get started, I feel good – that’s why I try to workout first thing in the morning. At least I get it out of the way.

My food has been good since I got back. Like my workouts, I just went right back on plan. Lots of salads, lean protein, and vegetables. I bought some new spice blends in London - ones you can't get here in Kuwait - so that's helped give a bit of new flavor to my cooking.  I would say that my food is 90-95% clean. At the moment, that works for me. Gotta make the most of being home while I can. In 4 days, this momentary routine is going to seem like a dream … that’s when the real work is going to kick in!

By the way, my shoulder blade muscle strain is much, much better. Whew. 

Made it to Thursday!

I woke up to this email from one of my students:

Seems like a perfect way to end the semester. I can't tell you how happy I am that summer is here!!

This morning I hit the weight room. I'm so glad that the focus of today's workout was on the upper body because my legs, thighs, and ass were really feeling the effects of yesterday's squats/workout. I was ready for a bit of relief.

My workout went well. I managed to up my weights for the last set of each exercise (3 sets of 15 today so overall my weights were still a bit lighter than usual).

This afternoon I had Kajukenbo practice -- we did some arm conditioning. Holy *hit! Just blocking punches hurt! I've already got bruises on my arms. Still, he says that with conditioning practice our arms will get tougher and stronger -- I sure hope so!

I then practiced Jiujitsu with D for about 45 minutes. We didn't have a long session as it's the end of the week and we were both tired. Still, we practiced a few drills, and that was good enough for today.

... and that's it! I've come to the end of my week and I am so happy!

Food pix will be posted tomorrow!

Fridays

I've still got numbers on my mind.

This morning I was relieved to see a 0.5 kg (1 lb) drop in my weight. I'm still 1 kg over my lowest, but I'm making my way back down there again.

The other number on my mind is the saturated fat content in my coconut fish stew. I know healthy fats are good for you, but 7 g. of saturated fat in one meal just seems way too high. It upsets me because I really enjoyed the meal and was happy to have it as my go-to lunch during the week when I'm in a rush.

Thank goodness for the Internet. A few articles that I read online were quick to confirm that coconut milk is good; however, the amount of saturated fat is a concern. The simplest solution, besides just not having it, is to reduce the amount used and diluting it with water. I think that's what I'll try to do in my next batch of soup - use only 1/2 the can of coconut milk and replace the other half with just water. We'll see.

I had quite a relaxing day today. It felt amazing to wake up this weekend morning and realize I had not papers to grade or lessons to prepare, and I won't have any of that to do until September!! Seriously, amazing feeling.

I used some time during the day to complete 2 more quizzes for my Personal Trainer certification (100% in both - nerd mode on!) :)

The best part of my day was my first attempt at practicing Brazilian Jiujitsu with D. D's been taking Jiujitsu classes for just over a month now. We bought mats a couple of weeks ago for our house with the intention of practicing. However, we never got around to it. Today we finally gave it ago and it was great. We practiced for two hours (following the Gracie Combatives DVDs). You wouldn't think you'd work up a sweat practicing a few moves (today was different variations of trap and roll), but we were both sweating - and a bit bruised by the end of it. It was so great, not just to practice, but to do this together. I think it's extra beneficial for me because D is bigger than me, and one of the main principles of Jiujitsu is how to handle yourself against a bigger, stronger opponent. It was great :)

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Fridays are my no cooking days. When focusing on living a healthy lifestyle I think relying on food from restaurants or ones that are pre-cooked is dangerous. However, during the Whole Life Challenge when I had put many, many restrictions on my diet, I discovered a few places that I could eat. I take full advantage of them on Fridays.

Fridays are also the days that if I may have something sweet after dinner. I do cringe at the words 'cheat meal' and the thought of using food as a 'treat', but I guess that's what I'm doing. For me, I'm careful with what I eat, and if I eat something that is off plan, then it's something that I really want and do not feel guilty about eating, nor will it be something that will really throw me off course with my weight loss. Are these excuses? Perhaps. I'll modify my plan if I have to with no bitterness or complaints that I'm feeling 'deprived.'

Fridays are also my days with D. It's the one day that we spend entirely together and it's great - much needed after our busy week.

Breakfast - La Pain Quotidien 

One of my favorite places to eat because they will accommodate any changes you want to make to the foods. My usual Friday breakfast is an egg white mushroom omelet. The omelets usually come with 2 slices of organic whole grain bread and a side salad; however, I ask them to remove the bread and just give me extra salad. I had this with a cup of green tea (not pictured) 

Coffee - Starbucks 

Ok, I don't count the coffee from Starbucks as coffee, especially not their flavored ones (which is what this is - a skim caramel macchiato). This is basically dessert in a cup. I have to be honest, I look forward to this cup and I do enjoy every drop. 

Lunch - Dean and Deluca

Broiled shrimp marinated in olive oil, parsley, and tomato plus grilled vegetables (eggplant, bell pepper, zucchini)

Dinner - Ninos 

Grilled chicken and avocado salad with pine nuts and a mustard lemon dressing

I was really happy to discover this salad. It is delicious!

Dessert - Papaya from Dean and Deluca

Earlier this week I had a craving for some chocolate ice cream. I thought that I'd have it tonight after dinner ... but by the time Friday rolled around, I didn't want it anymore. Instead I had 5 pieces of delicious papaya that I had picked up at Dean and Deluca's this morning. Really, really yummy. 

Today:
- Workouts:

• BJJ practice at home (2 hours)
• Stretching (20 minutes)
• Squats day 6: 75

- Food:

• Breakfast: egg white mushroom omelet + green tea
• Lunch: broiled shrimp and grilled vegetables
• Dinner: chicken avocado salad
• Snacks: skim caramel macchiato & papaya

- Other: Completed 2 PT certification quizzes