Monday Shred Update

Whew, I just finished day 13 of the Shred and soon I will be halfway done with it!  I started level two this past week, which is different from level one.  The moves are a lot more awkward to master and there are a lot of plank positions, which means you’re holding yourself up in a sort of push-up position and doing stuff with your legs.  I have vertigo or something and the head rush all those planks cause gives me a terrible headache and makes me feel dizzy.  But I do it anyway!

The good: My muscles feel more toned, my husband agrees they feel more toned, and I feel pretty good as a whole.

The bad:  I haven’t lost any lbs yet.  This is frustrating to me.  Chris says it’s probably because I’ve been making muscle and that’s heavier than fat blah blah blah… I don’t know.  I want to see that scale number go down!  I’m two pounds away from my BMI being 30, which is very frightening to me.  I don’t think I look obese and I certainly don’t feel obese, but I don’t want to cross into that territory.

The ugly:  I don’t really look any different.  I think my legs look a little better, but I still don’t feel comfortable venturing out in public in a tank top because my arms look the same, even though those are the muscle groups I feel are being worked the most.

The obnoxious: Jillian Michaels.  I didn’t like her to begin with but I had heard good things about the program.  I hate the condescending way she treats her assistants, especially when she calls them “Buddy.”  I hate that she does less than half the work out and I especially hate when she says “just a couple more,” which means two, but then there’s actually ten more.  Thankfully, that doesn’t happen in level 2.

But.  The commercials for her new show, which I think starts tomorrow, look really intriguing and I know I’m going to watch it.  I’m hoping to see a more human side of her.

So that’s that.  Another week of the shred down, another week and a half to go.  Then I need to find  something new to try… maybe yoga?

Jell-o Poke Cake

Not my cake, found via Google Images

It’s Memorial Day Weekend, so here a really simple and sweet summer treat:

• White cake mix
• One package Jell-O mix, any flavor (something summery like strawberry or lemon is good, or do one layer strawberry and one layer berry to make a patriotic looking cake for Memorial Day or 4th of July)
• Cool Whip

1. Make cake in 9×13 according to box directions, or two round pans to make a layer cake
2. Make Jell-O according to box directions, but do not place in fridge to “harden”
3. Poke holes in top of cooled cake with a fork, drizzle Jell-O mixture on the cake, into the holes
4. “Frost” cake with Cool Whip

So delicious!

Stop Feeding Your Cat CRAP!

I have recently been enlightened on the issue of cat food.  When we arrived in Buffalo from the Bahamas Mittens developed a bit of an upset stomach.  When we arrived in Miami it got worse to the point where she was having terrible kitty diarrhea every day.  We called the vet who ran a slew of tests and a few days later we had a diagnoses: a virus.  The vet said it was a common virus kittens pick up and there was no treatment but to let it run its course… up to three weeks!  He suggested that if we really wanted to do something, we could try changing her diet.  Well, I was sick of cleaning up the messes so I was on the Internet lickety-split looking for the best cat food made.

That’s when I started reading up on how terrible mainstream cat foods are for cats.  They don’t contain many real ingredients, often use leftover parts of animals like beaks and bones, and they contain a lot of fillers, mainly grain.  I learned that cats in nature don’t eat a lot of grain, so why is it needed in their food?  It makes the food inexpensive but also not very nutritional for kitty.

Many people consider their pets a part of the family, so why wouldn’t you feed your cat as if you were feeding your own child?  If I wouldn’t eat those ingredients, why would I feed it to Mittens?

Read the ugly truth after the break:

Picture Friday: Traveling Hat

This Week’s Menu

Since we got to Miami we’ve been eating out way  too much.  On the one hand, who can blame us with all these great new restaurants to try.  On the other hand, it’s bad for our wallets and waistlines.  So back to menu planning I go.  I made the menu and shopping list out last night and when we’d finished our grocery shopping for the week it cost under $50!  See what I meant about menu planning being good for your wallet?

Tuesday – Cheese soup by request of the husband.  He loves this stuff.  After I hit the shower (just finished today’s Shred) I’m going to make a homemade loaf of bread to go with it.

Wednesday – Cobb Salad.  I had the best salad of my life in Disney over the weekend.  Chris tried some and agreed, then requested that I make us some Cobb Salad sometime.  Okie dokie!

Thursday – burgers.  Nom.

Friday – Mac & Cheese, another request by Chris.  He really likes cheese.

Saturday – Chicken.  Of some sort.  Haven’t gotten that far yet.  Maybe this kind.

Sunday – Tuna Mac Salad.  A new recipe I found that looks a lot better than your standard tuna salad.  This has a lot more in it than just tuna, mac, and mayo.