Week 1

I have been exercising regularly for over a month or so now, but this is the first week that I have done that while on the ABs diet. I will admit, the diet itself has been very easy but there were a few splurges and bad days on my part. I succumbed to the temptation of the Varsity Donut (For those of you who don't live in Manhattan, Varsity Donuts are AMAZING! You should come here just to try them lol) and had some eating out disasters. Overall though I am very pleased with my diet this last week. Trust me, it was WAY better than it had been the weeks before even with my bad days! The ABs diet is perfect for me because it allows me to eat foods I love! (With the exception of donuts. Those are definitely NOT on the ABs diet approved food list.)

Starting Measurements

Weight: 145lbs
Chest: 31in
Waist: 32.5in
Hips: 37in

Week 1 Diet/Menu

Monday: Breakfast: Low carb yogurt, AM Snack: Slice of rye toast with reduced fat peanut butter, Lunch: pre-packaged grilled chicken Caesar salad, PM Snack: one serving of roasted almonds and a banana, Dinner: grilled chicken, spinach and cheese on a whole grain wrap
Tuesday: Breakfast: Low carb yogurt, AM Snack: Banana, Lunch: 2 Scrambled eggs with rye bread toast with reduced fat peanut butter, PM Snack: one serving of roasted almonds, Dinner: 3 small slices of pizza (mother in law took us out to dinner)*
Wednesday: Breakfast: Low carb yogurt, AM Snack: Slice of rye toast with reduced fat peanut butter, Lunch: pre-packaged grilled chicken Caesar salad, PM Snack: one serving of roasted almonds and a banana, Dinner: grilled chicken, spinach and cheese on a whole grain wrap
Thursday: Breakfast: Low carb yogurt, AM Snack: Banana, Lunch: 2 Scrambled eggs with rye bread toast with reduced fat peanut butter, PM Snack: one serving of roasted almonds, Dinner: cheeseburger and tater tots (ate dinner in town before a meeting)* Dessert: a donut (they are irresistible!)*
Friday: Breakfast: Low carb yogurt, AM Snack: Slice of rye toast with reduced fat peanut butter, Lunch: pre-packaged grilled chicken Caesar salad, PM Snack: one serving of roasted almonds and a banana, Dinner: grilled chicken, spinach and cheese on a whole grain wrap
Saturday: Today was an AWFUL diet day. It started out great but ended terribly :-( I'm calling this day a wash.
Sunday: Today was an AWFUL diet day. It started out great but ended terribly :-( I'm calling this day a wash.


*These items are NOT ABs diet approved. They were splurges on my part and should be limited in your daily/weekly diet. These will NOT be norms for me.


The drinks I had were primarily water (very important) but some coffee (with low fat milk and all natural/organic sweetener. Only 2 times this week.) and some 100% orange juice. I drink water ALL DAY LONG. I bring it with me in the car and carry it with me from room to room. It's good and good for you so DRINK MORE OF IT! :-)

Note: Towards the end of this week I found myself running out of energy (more than likely because of my awful eating habits those last two days. Proof that a healthy diet makes you feel better and gives you more energy.) and had to do something to keep me going. My husband bought me an energy drink. Normally, I hate them and we all know they aren't good for you. But this one he got me tasted really good and is actually pretty healthy as far as energy drinks go. Plus, it comes in a pretty hot pink can :-) Its called Rockstar PerfectBerry. It has Zero Sugar and Zero Carbs plus 100% of vitamin B3, 5, 6, 9 and 12! It uses no artificial sweeteners either. So if you need that extra boost, I recommend this drink!

Week 1 Exercise

Monday: Zumba! for 1 hour burning 525 calories
Tuesday: Treadmill for 45 minutes (forgot to write down miles and calories)
Wednesday: Treadmill for 60 minutes, 4.47 miles, burning 664 calories
Thursday: Treadmill for 60 minutes, 4.52 miles, burning 674 calories
Friday: Day off!
Saturday: 6 minutes on the PowerPlate doing front and side planks. Great workout in only 6 min!
Sunday: 6 minutes on the PowerPlate doing front and side planks. Great workout in only 6 min!


I recommend at least 10-15 minutes of stretching before AND after any workout. I know I always feel much better after I stretch! Also, remember to have water handy during your workouts.


I know running on a treadmill is boring. So I like to DVR some of my favorite hour long shows and watch them while on the treadmill! Some of my faves are Vampire Diaries, Glee, Big Brother, Americas Next Top Model and The Voice. But the most motivating show to watch while you work out is Biggest Loser. I LOVE the show and trainer Bob :-)

Ending Measurements After Week 1

Weight: 145lbs (no change)
Chest: 30.5in (lost .5in)
Waist: 31in (lost 1.5in)
Hips: 36.5in (lost .5in)

Total Inches Lost in Week 1: 2.5

Conclusion of Week 1

Even after my diet slip ups, I managed not to gain any weight (only because I did great with my exercise) and I lost inches!! If I would have stuck to my diet better, I bet I would have lost weight. That's just more motivation for me to do better this week! I don't expect to lose weight or inches every week and you shouldn't either. So don't be discouraged if you don't! Stay tuned :-)

My Favorite ABs Diet Approved Products

Power Foods?!

As I mentioned before, the ABs Diet focuses on 12 power foods. They are almonds and other nuts, beans and legumes, spinach and leafy greens, dairy products, instant oatmeal, eggs, turkey and lean meat, peanut butter, olive oil, whole grain breads and cereals, extra protein whey powder and raspberries and blueberries.


These are all great tasting and good for you! You can do so much with these foods too as far as recipes go. I have had people tell me what types of food to eat before but I'll admit, I would rather someone tell me exactly what to buy instead of me searching for it. Luckily, I am married to a man who has done this particular diet in the past so he already knew exactly what I needed! I am going to share my shopping list with you all so it will be easier for you to shop and harder to use the excuse of 'I don't know what to buy' or 'I don't know how to shop healthy'.

My Grocery List

So almonds and other nuts are the first on the list of power foods. Almonds are so yummy and filling which make them a great diet food! I don't like raw almonds however, so I prefer to buy Emerald Dry Roasted Almonds.

Beans and legumes are next! From what I hear, black beans are the best for you and they are yummy too. You can use them in so many recipes which is awesome. I love fresh whole green beans too. Cook them on the stove in a skillet with a little olive oil and black pepper and you have a great side dish!

Spinach and leafy greens. I used to think of nasty green mush when I thought of spinach but now I think of fresh, crisp greens that I enjoy as a salad or on my wraps. I don't eat it cooked though but I am sure you could if you wanted to. I love salads too, but you have to be careful not to add too many calories to your salad with dressing. A salad can be filling and healthy by adding some grilled chicken, maybe some dried cranberries, a boiled egg and a light amount of low fat dressing. Yum!

Dairy products. I am not a milk drinker so I have to try harder to get my dairy in daily. I do however love yogurt! I found a low carb option with lots of great flavors. Right now I am eating Kroger brand Carbmaster yogurts and they are good and filling. I will also use a small amount of part skim mozzarella cheese on my grilled chicken wraps.

Instant oatmeal. I am not a fan but I know it is very filling and good for you so if you like it then eat up!

Eggs! I love eggs. I eat 2 almost everyday. We like organic ones with omega 3. Here are the ones we buy.

Turkey and lean meats. I love turkey and chicken! This one is easy for me too. I love grilled chicken on salads or in wraps. I love to bake chicken for my family too. These are great sources of protein and can be cooked in many healthy ways. Obviously if the chicken or turkey is fried it loses its healthy factor lol. I like to buy boneless, skinless chicken breasts.

Peanut butter! My favorite thing on this diet. I LOVE peanut butter. I eat it every day, no joke. My favorite is Jiff Reduced Fat Creamy. It is better for you and tastes amazing on rye bread toast.

Olive Oil. I use it to cook instead of butter or other oils. Chicken, green beans, anything!





Whole grain breads. I love bread, but they are not all body friendly. My husband recently suggested I switch to rye bread and I love it! It tastes great and has a low glycemic index so you feel fuller. I like Peppridge Farm Seedless Rye :-)

Berries! Blueberries, strawberries, raspberries! They all taste great and are pretty self explanatory :-)


I hope this makes it easier for you to shop healthy! Shopping healthy makes it easier to eat healthy! Enjoy!

Introduction and Getting Started!

“Is it easy? No! ... It has to be a conscious decision.”

~Bob Harper

 

This Blog's Purpose

I am not a nutritionist, fitness trainer or a doctor. I am a wife, a mother of 3 and an entrapraneur. I decided to start this blog after several friends of mine kept inquiring about my daily diet and fitness routines. This blog serves many purposes. It will consist of my daily diet and workouts, tips for working out at home, how to overcome popluar excuses for not eating right or working out and updates on my weight loss progress. It will serve as my accountability 'partner' in my weight loss journey. With this blog you, a real person, will get to see how a healthy lifestyle change works for me, a real person. I hope you enjoy taking this journey with me!

About Me

I have struggled with my weight most of my life. I was at my heaviest during high school, weighing in at 175 pounds. I didn't have a normal exercise routine (outside of my cheerleading schedule) nor did I really watch what I ate (which was a lot of fast food). I look back at pictures of me in high school and I am honestly disgusted with the way I looked. Since then I have been on a weightloss rollercoaster. It's a difficult ride.

I know all the excuses for not eating right or working out; I have used them all myself. That's all they are though! It really is possible for everyone to find the time to work out and eat healthy. You have to decide if your health is more important than the excuses you are making. Do you really want to look healthier? Feel healthier? I can't imagine that too many of you would answer no to to either of those questions. If you did, then this blog isn't for you. If you didn't, then WELCOME!

Hard Work and Motivation

Getting fit and eating right requires hard work and dedication. You have to have the desire and be willing to work hard or you will not succeed. You will not get results overnight. You have to be patient and keep at it! If you discipline yourself enough, you will see results. I promise! There are no miracle pills that can make you skinny. You have to change your lifestyle. You have to eat right and exercise. There is no way around that. I know this doesn't sound appealing but once you start on this path it will be come routine; your new way of life. And as weird as it sounds, I bet you will actually ENJOY exercise! Yes I said enjoy :-). If you are willing to work hard everyday, it will pay off.

Everyone needs motivation! I have to remotivate myself almost daily. Find something, someone, someplace that motivates you to adopt this healthy lifestyle. I have several motivators! For me it's looking good in a bikini for our trip to Florida this June, feeling more energized each day, looking sexy for my husband, teaching my kids how to be healthy, etc. I think about all of these things each day; especially when I am feeling to tired to workout. Once I remind myself of my goals it rekindles my motivation and I am ready to workout!

My Weekly Work Out Routine

I am going to do my best to spell out my weekly workout routine. On this blog I will list the things I like to do weekly for exercise but I plan to post daily updates on my diet and exercise as well. Some of the things I like to do and do do weekly are: Zumba, run/jog/walk on treadmill, PowerPlate (full body vibration) exercises, yoga and strength exercises. I will get more in depth on each of these workouts in future blogs.

Right now, I workout for at least an hour a day (some days more) at least once a day on average 5 days a week. There are some days where I will do an hour on the treadmill and then an hour of Zumba. Other days I may do an hour on the treadmill and then 15-20 minutes of a PowerPlate or strength workout. I don't always workout twice a day but I do at least twice a week. Eventually, I would like to go from workingout 5 days a week to 7!

You may say you don't have time to workout every day but YOU DO! You know what your daily schedule is and for most people, your probably on a pretty scheduled routine. So FIND TIME to do it! Get up and hour earlier, workout on your lunch break, after dinner, etc. Anyone can make time to exercise, you just have to WANT to make time. I know you are busy, we all are. For me, not only am I a wife and mother of 3 but I have my own cleaning business, photography business, property rental website business, I work full time from home for a management company and I am a part time cheerleading coach. I am the defination of busy but I make time each day to workout. If I can do it you can too!

So stop making excuses and MAKE TIME!

My Diet

Again, my diet will be spelled out in more detail in a later blog but I will tell you a little about it now. For a few years now I have tried everything. Diet pills, counting calories, Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, etc. and nothing has made me feel full along with giving me the results I wanted. My husband has been trying to get me to do the ABs diet for a long time and I kept blowing him off. Well, I will admit it, he was right :-) He was on the diet before and had great results. The best part is that it's not hard to follow! You don't have to eat weird foods. They are good, healthy foods that taste great! What's cool is that you can eat stuff that those fad diets say you can't like nuts, peanut butter and dairy!

Basically, the ABs diet is really just eating healthy and focusing on protein. I have been doing it for a week now and I love it. I feel full. I get to eat things I like. I feel healthy!

The diet is centered around 12 foods called powerfoods, identified by the acronym A.B.S.D.I.E.T.P.O.W.E.R. Each letter is the first letter of one of the food groups featured in the diet: almonds and other nuts, beans and legumes, spinach and leafy greens, dairy products, instant oatmeal, eggs, turkey and lean meat, peanut butter, olive oil, whole grain breads and cereals, extra protein whey powder and raspberries and blueberries.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/206404-the-abs-diet-food-list/#ixzz1tG5Igd7u

The Abs Diet claims to help you lose weight, build lean muscle mass and improve different aspects of your health, including lowering blood pressure and fighting both cancer and heart disease.

 I love this diet and I know you will too! Here is another great article for the ABs diet http://diet.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Abs_Diet 

If you try this diet too, let me know what you think! I hope you love it as much as we do.

What's Next?

So I have given you the basics of my routine and what this blog will be about. My next post will be my detailed workouts and diet for this first week. I will give you my measurments and weight (yes you will know my weight) so you can see how I am transforming with this plan I have started. I will weigh myself each week and take new measurments every 2 weeks.

Please do not take this blog and it's contents as medical advice. Everyone is different and what may work for me may not for you. If you have any health concerns, please talk to a doctor.

I look forward to your feedback too! If you start a new, healthy lifestyle I would love to know! We can take the journey together :-) Feel free to post any questions or comments you may have. Hope you enjoy!