Barbie's Eating Clean 20 Day Challenge

Tomorrow I am starting Barbie Decker's eating clean 20 day challenge. See below for the rules. If you would like to join go to: http://www.facebook.com/BarbieDecker?ref=nf#/event.php?eid=280832101871&ref=mf PART I of III: RULES OF ENGAGEMENT: 1. You PRESS PLAY Five or Six Times a week, depending on your program. If you miss a workout, you're out of the challenge. If you are not doing a beachbody workout, you should aim to do 3 resistance days and 2-3 cardio days. 2. You EAT CLEAN six times a week. YOU GET ONE CHEAT MEAL PER WEEK, NOTTTT a CHEAT DAY. 3. YOU ARE ALLOWED "ONE ADDITIONAL CHEAT SNACK" in this 20 DAY PERIOD. That means, Out of the 20 days during which you are doing the challenge, you may treat yourself to ONE CHEAT SNACK (like a cookie) in addition to your cheat meal. If you have a second cheat snack, you are out of the challenge. NO ALCOHOL DURING CHALLENGE PERIOD. YUP! 4. You MUST report daily for the preceding day on this EVENT page. Feel free to post comments, questions, struggles, triumphs here. :) We're in this together! http://www.facebook.com/barbiedecker 5. You have until Tuesday morning to take your measurements AND pictures. You don't have to post them, but you do have to take them. A lot of times you won't lose pounds, but your body will change. Don't miss that event! THE PRIZE: A NEW FIT YOU! Are you ready? PART II of III: EATING CLEAN DEFINED: EATING CLEAN RULES: RULE 1: You eat 4 to 6 small meals per day, ideally breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, and dinner. That means that you are eating every 2 to 3 hours. Your body needs to be fueled. Eating only breakfast, lunch, and dinner is not okay. RULE 2: You eat at least 1250 calories (unless you are less than 5 feet tall). I am putting this down because this challenge is about eating clean and being healthy, not about starving yourself. A few people have asked me if I eat very low calories. For the record, I eat about 1800 to 2000 calories per day these days! RULE 3: This is more like a guideline than a rule. You follow something close to a 40% carbs, 30% protein and 30% fat diet. For those of you doing carb manipulation or following a special plan for diabetics, that's fine, too. Again, I just don't want folks to think they are eating clean if they eat 4 bowls of cereal per day. Your meals have to be balanced. If you need a meal plan, email me or ask your coach. If you are BB Club Member, you can print one out. It's up to you to substitute foods from Michi's Ladder. I'm super busy guys, so please don't ask me to figure this stuff out for you. RULE 4: This is the real challenge part: YOU EAT ONLY FROM THE TOP 2 TIERS of MICHI'S LADDER 6 DAYS A WEEK. That means that you cannot have bagels for breakfast nor frozen yogurt for a snack. Top 2 tiers. Period. I see that bagels are now in the top two tiers. I would stay away from them, but if they are in the top two tiers you can have it. To See Michi's Ladder, sign on to your teambeachbody account. Go to EAT SMART Tab and you'll find it there. If you are not a FREE BeachBody community member, go to http://www.tinyurl.com/coachbarbieFREE to join so you can have access to Michi's Ladder. I will also become your free coach. NOTE: When I first came up with this challenge, I was afraid that it would be too restrictive. But, our results speak for themselves. That said, this is the challenge and these are the rules. If you accept to enter it, then you also accept to enter the NO WHINING ZONE! Are you ready? Bring it! Barbie, PhD **** ADDENDUM: Shakeology, Recovery drink, protein supplements, coffee, natural almond/peanut butter, and almond milk are ALLOWED. ******* For women, and this is MY PERSONAL OPINION, who are trying to lose weight, I would stay clear of the recovery drink. After resistance workouts I have a meal replacement shake. It can be Shakeology or another kind of meal replacement. PART III of III: Barbie's PERSONAL Meal Plan. I've been getting LOTS of emails asking me to list what I eat. Here is a little (kinda long actually) video of my eats. Note: What I don't eat: Dairy Alcohol Sauces Actually, there are other things I don't eat...see below. Basically, if it's not on my menu listed here, I don't eat it. So, while almond milk is good for you and so is whole grain cereal, I just don't eat it. It works for me and it doesn't mean you have to or should do that. If you eat from the top two tiers of Michi's Ladder, you're good to go. If you want to achieve elite fitness, then, yea, MAYBE you have to give up certain things. Again, this is what works for ME. I do not feel deprived. I'm a pretty boring person who doesn't mind repetition. :) I do allow myself one cheat meal per week. That means that I do eat dairy, but ONLY during that cheat meal. I gave up alcohol altogether. Barbie's Meal Plan: (about 1700 to 1900 calories, more or less. I haven't counted lately) Cardio, one hour in the morning, If it's very early, I will have a meal replacement shake or Breakfast: 1/2 cup oats 6 egg whites Snack: 2 hours later 2 brown rice cakes 1 tsp almond butter on each (no salt on rice cakes and raw almond butter) scoop of BB whey protein with water. Yum! Lunch: veggies protein: 6 ounces of chicken, fish, eggs. Here is where you need to vary it up. Try different veggies, different fish, spices, etc. Snack: 2 tablespoons of hummus cup or two of veggies scoop of protein and water dinner: 1 or 2 cup of veggies and protein (Again, vary it up!) about 6 ounces dinner2: (about two hours later) 1-2 cups of veggies and protein (about 6 ounces) Before bed: 1 scoop of whey protein with Casein in it. Available at GNC. 1 scoop of creatine. AFTER RESISTANCE WORKOUT, usually in the afternoon, I have my shakeology or meal replacement.

Skinny Bitch~ Brief Review

Lately people have been asking me about diets. I thought it would be fun to do a brief review on some of the diets out there. The first one up is Skinny Bitch by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin. - If you do not like to have the authors call you stupid or cuss at you, this is NOT the book for you! They use tough love and over-the-top language to get their point across. - Obviously they hound on you to quit smoking and drinking. The only alcohol they allow is organic red wine. - They compare soda and diet soda the the devil. The reason why they do not like diet soda is because it has aspartame. Drink water instead. - Ready for this next one? Coffee is a no go! It does not matter if it is regular or decaf. They take the stance that caffeine is bad for you and coffee in general is too acidic for your body. Also coffee beans are grown with chemical pesticides, for instance D-D-7 which has been banned from the US, but is still widely used in outside countries in which most of our coffee beans are imported from. They suggest decaffeinated green tea which is anti-aging and is known for fighting cancer, combating allergies and lowering blood pressure. - No junk food or "fat-free" or "low-fat" foods. - They say to stop relying on pills to medicate every sniffle, headache or pain. There is a reason why you have a headache or runny nose. Listen to your body and stop interfering with Mother Nature. - To be a Skinny Bitch you must exercise! - Stay away from simple carbohydrates period. Instead eat complex carbohydrates such as brown rice, whole wheat and sweet potatoes. They suggest you buy organic products. - Eat organic fruit. Their tip is to eat it alone. The reason being is fruit is able to digest quickly. When eaten with other foods it is not able to pass through your digestive system fast enough so it causes bloating, burping and heartburn. - Eat organic vegetables. Look for the organic certification from anyone other than the USDA. - Stay away from sugar. Supstitute it with agave nectar or syrup, stevia, evaporated cane juice, raw sugar, maple syrup, molasses... - Stop eating and drinking products that contains aspartame! This includes diet sodas and sugar-free foods that have NutraSweet or Equal. Aspartame is dangerous!! - No more meat or fish. Fish live in our polluted rivers and have large amounts of mercury and other bad things in them. They go into long specific discussions on how animals are slaughtered and treated. Their main argument is "you are what you eat." You need to read this chapter. I actually cried. - Dairy is bad. We are the only species on the planet who drinks milk after we are grown. Not to mention we drink dairy milk which is loaded with bad additives and taken from an over used cow whose teets are blo0dy and nar nar. Not to mention cows milk grows a 90 lb calf into a 2,000 lb cow. - Cheese is dairy = do not eat. Processed. - Eggs and egg beaters are not permitted in this new lifestyle. They do not like the way chickens are treated and furthermore they suggest you stop and think about what you are actually eating. - You need to poo everyday to lose weight. Pay attention to your body. - They do not trust government agencies such as the USDA, FDA, EPA. - Buy organic, read labels, pay attention to what you are putting in and on your body (shampoo, soap, make-up, toothpaste). Wondering what you CAN eat? First do not eat breakfast until you are hungry. Have a cup of organic decaf green tea. Eat organic fruit when you get hungry... slowly. Do not eat lunch until you are very, very hungry. This will allow your breakfast fruit to pass through before you put more food in your body. Lunch should be fresh, organic salad with lots of raw veges. In the book they give you more options. When you are hungry again eat dinner. They suggest foods such as beans, stir fry, veges, brown rice... If you like desert eat it. They give you a long list of acceptable healthy deserts. Does this feel over-the-top and overwhelming? Start out slowly and make some changes to your diet slowly. This is what I have done. I have quit drinking coffee and substituted organic decaf green tea, which is actually very good! I am not drinking pop of any kind anymore. I am drinking more water- without the sugar-free crystal lite peach tea. I am buying organic products as much as I can. Also no more milk! I am slowly cutting out cheese (damn calzones that I happen to be addicted to!). I have not been able to wrap my mind around the no meat. I am not sure what I believe here. I am paying attention to what I am putting on my body. I have changed my shampoo and face cleansing stuff to Arbonne. I have also changed my soap and toothpaste. * The above information is from the book Skinny Bitch by Freedman and Barnouin. If you decide to take on the Skinny Bitch challenge GOOD LUCK!! Look for reviews on: The Zone diet, Michi's Ladder and the Eat-Clean Diet.

Milestones...

I just want to tell you all... I swam 1,000 yards without stopping, but more importantly (drum roll please) I SWAM .5 MILES IN 20 MINUTES!!! This is a huge accomplishment! The top swim time in my age group for the triathlon is 15 minutes. On another note, Preston and I reached a milestone today. 1.... 2.... 3.... WE'RE DEBT FREE! We have worked hard for two straight years to pay off all of our debt (everything except for the house that is). This is very, very exciting for us! THANK YOU DAVE RAMSEY!! We are finally done with the debt snowball and onto the next steps! Next on the list: 1) pay extra on the house every month 2) fund HSA 3) fund Roth's 4) fund Emergency account. To celebrate we drank a bottle of our favorite wine from Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Back to Reality

I am back from Las Vegas. The trip was amazing! We stayed downtown at the lovely (not so much) Fitzgerald. My sister and I had a blast playing roulette while my husband killed it in craps. We saw The Blue Man Group at the Venetian. I was picked out of the audience to go onstage and preform a skit with the three blue men. It was truly an experience that I will never forget! Preston & I at the Bellagio Yesterday, I went to the gym with Ashley. I ran 3 miles without stopping!! It took me 32 minutes which is not great, but it leaves room for improvement. I can tell you the only reason I was able to run the three miles is because Ashley was there running beside me. At mile 2 I wanted to stop and in my mind I didn't think I could go on, but with Ashley right there running I knew there was no way I was going to stop when she was still going. I realized how important it is to have a workout partner, one who will push you beyond your limits. After the run we biked 11 miles. It is great to know that I can do both one right after another. Goal for tomorrow morning is to swim 1/2 mile without stopping. I just finished Skinny Bitch by Freedman and Barnouin. I am excited to share with you what I have learned.

Workout Report

This is pretty obvious, but alcohol and working out do not mix (actually me and alcohol do not mix but that is a different story). I went to the gym on Monday to run off all of the alcohol I consumed on Saturday. I literally felt like I was sick. I was sweating profusely followed by cold sweats. Worst feeling in the world! I somehow managed to run 2 miles without stopping. I got my first mile down to 11 minutes and my second mile stayed at 10 minutes. My legs felt like they were going to fall off so I walked .5 miles and then ran the last .5 miles. I then did the P90X Ab Ripper X workout. Considering the circumstances, it was a pretty good workout. Good thing I started training so early, who knew running 3 miles was going to be so hard! This morning I did not want to get out of bed, but my wonderful husband convinced me otherwise. I did P90X Legs and Shoulders. I forgot how much I love P90X workouts! The exercises are a nice break from the treadmill or bike and they really challenge you in different ways. My legs were on fire for 59 minutes! Tomorrow Ashley and I are going to bike or take the spinning class. This time we are going to be prepared. She is bringing home a HUGE pad for us to wear!

I Love Swimming!

Out of running, biking and swimming I truly enjoy swimming the most. I love how I can completely focus in on each movement, my strokes, kicks and breathing. I am able to forget about everything and just swim. This morning I swam 400 consecutive yards without stopping for a total of 1250 yards. I should be able to swim 1/2 mile without stopping in no time!

Gym Report and Then Some

I decided to take yesterday morning off; I was so tired and I knew my workout would suffer because of it. I always take 1-2 days off to allow my body to rest, also to keep myself from burning out. I literally had to force myself out of bed this morning. It shows how easy it is to get out of habit. I have been getting up in the A.M. for almost 2 weeks now! I leave for Las Vegas on Thursday, the real test will be if I can get back into the groove when I get back. I was supposed to do P90X Legs and Shoulders this morning, but I just wasn't feeling it. Instead I decided to try my luck on the treadmill. This time I put the incline on 1.0 and vowed to run one mile, possibly two if I wasn't dying by then, without stopping. The first mile was a little hard, but it was mostly all in my head. I need to work on the mental aspect of it all. I am great at pushing myself in the pool, but I allow myself to think that I need a break when I am running or biking. I ended up running the two miles without stopping. Honestly, I could have ran farther. I ran the first mile in 13 minutes and the second mile in 10 minutes. I decided to step it up in the second mile by increasing the speed by .5 every 15th of a mile. These times aren't great, but I now have a starting point to work from. My short term running goal is to run three consecutive miles each in eight minutes. I burned 207 calories with my highest calorie burn being 8.4. The treadmill reported that I burned 235 calories. Ashley and I were baffled the other day as to why I only burned around 200 calories in the one hour spinning class. I believe the answer has to do with my heart rate, height and calories burned per minute. In the spinning class my highest burn only got to 4.3 or so. My heart rate is also very low. The treadmill wouldn't give me a read when I was at my peak, but only 5 minutes after I ran the two miles it was already back down to 60 BPM. Tomorrow Ashley and I are swimming. My goal is to swim a total of 1250 yards and only stop for a break after each 200 yards. Now for the then some. There is this annoying lady in the locker room that is always getting ready for work at the same time as I am. She is the type of person who thinks the entire locker room is her personal bathroom. When she showers she leaves her bag on the bench by the makeup counter to "save" her spot. She takes up the entire counter with her products. People actually ask her if they can use the COMMUNITY blow dryer. Does anyone else run into these people?

Spinning Class from Hell

Yesterday, Ashley and I, attended our first spinning class. The only information we were equipped with was from the gym website which instructed us to bring a towel and water bottle. Right before we left the house we were told by a friend on Facebook to bring a gel seat or wear shorts with a chamois. Thinking spantz would provide the same comfort, we headed for the gym. We arrived early to ensure we got two bikes together IN THE BACK. We both fumbled with our bikes pretending to know what we were doing and jumped on. We patiently peddled in gear 1 (no need to wear ourselves out before the workout) waiting for the instructor. Let me tell you, this workout is not for weak. It was one hour of grueling pain. Afterward, Ashley told me that in the first half of the class she actually thought about leaving! For me the beginning wasn't the bad part. I do remember thinking that my legs might fall off, but the thought must have vanished quickly because at the halfway mark my (sorry guys) vagaga, NOT BUM, hurt so bad! Now I was actually contemplating quitting early! Probably due to our competitive nature and not wanting to show one another weakness we both stuck it out. Can you believe that there is actually a two hour spinning class!!! After the class we spoke to the instructor to see what we could improve on. The list is long! Turns out, Ashley's bike was set-up all wrong which more than likely contributed to her miserable experience. Here is what we learned: 1. Towel optional 2. Water bottle a must (3 water bottles between two people... a little much!) 3. Bike in the back = a good idea 4. Biking shorts a must!! Never step into the room without these!! 5. Underwear... leave them at the door 6. Learning how to properly set-up your bike is key to a good experience Happy Spinning!

Report from a Treadmill

This morning's workout involved running on the treadmill followed by some much needed stretching. For some strange reason I was actually looking forward to running on the treadmill. I think I was pumped to listen to my new workout play list and also to see how far I could run. Well the running didn't go so well... I have no idea why, but I chose to do an interval program. I realized very quickly that I am not ready for such intense inclines. Multiple times I found myself frantically pressing the speed button to change the pace to a fast walk!! The positive of all this is I lasted on the treadmill for 35 minutes! I burned 288 calories while on the treadmill (treadmill reported that I burned 309). I even got my calorie burn up to 8.1 per minute. The great thing about working out (and having the Bodybugg to prove it) is that you are still burning a high number of calories after the workout! Tomorrow, Ashley and I are going to a spinning class. We are both extremely nervous and will be getting bikes in the back!

Supplements for Women

I thought I would share with everyone the supplements I am taking to compliment my workouts and healthy eating. Honestly I do not know very much about supplements so I decided to start with Beachbody and Arbonne products. Beachbody P90X Results & Recovery Formula - I take this right after each workout. - It helps reduce muscle soreness. - Provides building blocks for muscle repair and growth. - A small amount of Creatine to boost performance without adding bulk. Arbonne Go Easy! Protein Shake - More than 20 essential vitamins an minerals, plus flaxseed. - Helps you feel fuller longer with three sources of protein. - Helps increase energy. - Contains no saturated or trans fats, cholesterol, artificial sweeteners or colors. Arbonne Daily Power Pack for Women Vitamins - 6 supplements for morning and night. - 1 MultiVitamin Tablet: core vitamins - 1 MultiMineral Tablet: core essential minerals - 2 Calcium Tablets: for critical bone support - 1 Digestive Enzyme Capsule: for optimal digestion - 1 Super Food Antioxidant Tablet: for antioxidant protection, combines whole fruit and vegetable concentrates and extracts that provide beneficial phytonutrients.

New Measurements

Ashley and I met with a trainer at the gym today. One of the things we did was take measurements, calculate body fat and BMI percentages. Here are my starting numbers. We are going to meet with the trainer again in April and take half way measurements. I originally set a goal to get down to 14% body fat, but after seeing the numbers below I am changing this number to 16%. Measurements 1/10/2010

Shoulders	41.5
Chest	33
Arms	10
Waist	30
Hips	36
Thigh Hi	22
Thigh Lo	18.5
Calf	13

Current Weight	128
Body Fat %	22.5
BMI %	22.7
Lean Tissue	99.35
Body Fat in lbs	28.65
To get to 20% Body Fat	-4 lbs total
To get to 18% Body Fat	-7 lbs total
To lose 16% Body Fat	-10 lbs total

After reviewing the measurements I took back in November, in which I weighed 130lbs, I lost 2 inches in my waist, 1.5 inches in my arm and .5 inches in my thigh. My body fat also went down 4.2%.

Day 5 Update

This morning I really killed it in my workout. I did the P90X Plyometrics workout at the gym. I had the entire fitness classroom to myself with mirrors surrounding me. It was amazing! Tomorrow is Friday... MY REST DAY! Along with taking two rest days I am also going to allow myself one cheat day. In most cases I will probably save this day for the weekend when I am more tempted to eat unhealthy foods. This week I have done an amazing job eating healthy. Here are some pictures of Zone meals that I have made. Freshly stocked vege drawer Chicken Salad Mexicana Chili

Chicken Stir-Fry

2 Weeks... Do or Fail

I just recently became a paying gym "member". I am one of the millions who joined a gym in January to achieve a New Year's Resolutions. Let's just hope I am not one of the millions who quit by February! Obviously a major benefit of P90X is that it is a workout program that you can do from home, that actually works. But to achieve my goal to compete in a triathlon I need to have access to a pool. Much to my amazement, and many others, I have gotten up at 6am everyday this week to head to the gym. The first morning (Monday) was the hardest. I sat in bed for 5 minutes asking myself why in the world am I doing this? I am not a morning person, or at least so I thought! But each morning has gotten easier and I am starting to get into a routine. It makes more sense to get ready for work at the gym so I have to skillfully plan out my cloths, meals and workouts the night before. This morning I forgot to pack a bra!! I cannot tell you how much more energized I am at work and at home. I feel like I have tapped into a hidden reserve of energy! I am having a hard time finding a triathlon training schedule that I like. Right now I am either swimming, biking or running on a treadmill one day and then doing a P90X workout the next day. Right now this schedule seems to be working plus I still get to do P90X. To compliment my workouts, I have committed to eating healthy. In my mind this means going on The Zone diet. This diet consist of eating a certain number of "blocks" of protein, carbohydrates and fats. Mr. Zone Guy believes you must eat fat to burn fat. I have had success on this diet in the past and it is easy to follow. I have no idea where my sudden focus and determine has come from, but I am loving it! For those who know me, I love to start new things but I am not the best at finishing them. I read somewhere that it only takes two weeks to form a habit. So the countdown has officially begun! I am 10 days away from reaching the two week mark. Wish me luck!!

Life Goals... 2010

I love the beginning of each new year.I become extremely focused in organizing my life by setting new short term and long term goals. Below are my personal priorities, resolutions and goals for 2010. Priorities 1. Marriage/Family/Friends 2. Debt Free 3. Health/Fitness 4. Hobbies 5. Vacation Resolutions 1. Train and compete in a triathlon 2. Eat Healthy 3. Organize House 4. Schedule doctors appointments 5. Work on Beachbody Business 6. Blog 7. Be more involved in finances 8. Stay focused on goals January Goals 1. Start diet on 1/4/10 and stay on diet until 1/21/10 2. Plan out meals every Sunday 3. Join a gym to train for triathlon 4. Plan out triathlon schedule 5. Workout 5 days a week until Las Vegas 6. Blog once a week 7. Organize house 8. Pick up poop in backyard 9. Clean garage 10. Change Preston's life insurance 11. Set-up and manage personal finance spreadsheet 3 Month Goals 1. Train for triathlon 5-6 days per week 2. Incorporate P90X workout into triathlon training schedule 3. Eat Healthy 4. Contribute to HSA 5. Have scheduled doctors appointments 6. Be debt free (except for the house) 7. Contribute to emergency fund 8. Contribute to Roth IRAs 9. Have house organized 1 Year Goals 1. Have competed in a triathlon 2. Be in great shape= 14% body fat 3. Have expanded Beachbody business 4. Be on track to fully fund Roths for 2010 5. Have 1/3 of goal in emergency fund 6. Have money in HSA 7. Have gone rafting 8. Have gone indoor rock climbing It is extremely important to write down your goals! "Written goals clarify thinking, objectify their potential, and reinforce commitment" (http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Pius_Ephenus). What are your goals? Write them down and share them with someone to keep you accountable. Review them often and adjusted them as needed. One last thought, people who DREAM BIG ACHIEVE MORE!