Shred Day 2: Sprints, a Nail Salon Adventure and Free Food

Low carb days always make me feel really good.

But today I'm feeling amazing! Not because of low carbing, but because I ran my sprints outside. It was the same workout as yesterday: 20 sprints at 20 seconds on and 20 seconds off. I used a run/walk combination.

Our hotel is located in the Saint-Laurent neighborhood of Montreal, very near the airport and about 15 minutes from downtown. It is a thriving little area with shopping, restaurants, and entertainment just a block away. This morning it was a perfect place for me to run.

After showering and some breakfast, I went on a nail salon adventure. I walked back to the shopping area where I ran my sprints to get my nails done. That salon was closed, so I returned to the hotel to grab the car keys and drove to another location about a mile away. The street was lined with shops and the parking signage was in French, so I continued back to the hotel. I finally found a salon in a shopping mall on another block near where we are staying. At the end of the adventure, I'm loving my new nail colors. 

What I ate on low carb day 2:

Breakfast: scrambled eggs and ham, pb&j plain rice cake, coffee

Lunch: veggie burger, salad, diet dew

Snack: celery, hummus, diet dew

Dinner: salmon, salad, diet dew

Before dinner mrC and I walked to the attached hotel to check out the restaurant. On the way we found some FREE FOOD! The hotel set out fresh cookies for the guests, so we grabbed some for dessert!

Macros: I did really well on my carbs again today: 34 net, but I was under in calories again. I really don't know how to hit them on low carb days. 

Tomorrow is feast day and I've already decided that I will be going to the hotel buffet for breakfast. I saw some waffles there the other day and they just sound really good!

What is your favorite breakfast item?

30 Day Shred Begins

We're going to be hanging out in Montreal for a few weeks for mrC's work, but we have some pretty nice digs at the hotel. Since I'm starting 30 Day Shred, another carb cycling and intermittent fasting program, I was excited to see that the room had a little kitchen area.

What is 30 Day Shred?

After watching the introduction video from Amanda, here is what I learned:

• Takes the best parts of Carb Cycling Level 1 & 2 
• Uses a CUSTOMIZED IIFYM (if it fits your macros) plan
• Puts less emphasis on being GF and DF (no more guilt over cheese and yogurt!)
• Uses an optional shortened feeding window to get in your daily calories
• The workouts: speed, strength training with focus on lower body, and running (this should be interesting for me and my knee) 

During the program we will be using two APPS:
OTR (On The Regimen) - to set custom macros and use with MFP
MFP (My Fitness Pal) - to log food/workouts and track macros

My OTR custom macros look like this (training = regular calorie day and rest day = low cal day):

Then using the customized macros, I input into MFP. I also upgraded to Pro and created goals for each carb cycling day, although I think my low carb day needs tweaking.

I started day 1 bright and early in the fitness center doing an elliptical sprint workout. We jumped right into intense with 20 intervals of 20 seconds on and 20 seconds off. I was secretly hoping my knee would give me another sign that it was up for an outdoor run. Maybe tomorrow.

We missed the shopping window when we arrived yesterday (stores close early here on Sunday), so after mrC went to work I found my way to both Walmart and a local grocery to stock up on some breakfast and lunch items.

Best find of the shopping trip was sweetener for my coffee and tea. Liquid stevia is the best!

I saw this postal box on our after dinner walk and think Canada has way better taste in mail than the USA. What do you think?

I want to stay on track during the 30 Day Shred, so I'm back to blogging every day. My first round of carb cycling was a huge success and I attribute a lot of it to the fact that I blogged EVERY day about my workouts and what I ate.

What I ate on low carb day:

Breakfast: scrambled eggs and Canadian bacon (what else, right?), coffee
I'm out of practice and almost forgot the plate photo ;)

Lunch: veggie burger, salad with parmesan cheese, ranch dressing, celery and hummus, diet dew
Can you believe all that food is only 370 calories? It's crazy how full I feel when I eat well.

Dinner: another salad, tuna, some green beans, and diet dew
I completely forgot the meal pic, so I compensated with a shot of the unprepared items ;)

Snack: Around 3:00 I satisfied a little sweet tooth and hunger with an low carb bar. These things are seriously sooooo good!

MACROS: Low carb days on MFP always confuse me because the app doesn't calculate net carbs (carbs minus fiber). My net carbs were 34 (yay), but my calories were 523 short (not good). The crazy part is that I feel satisfied and had plenty to eat.

Ever been to Montreal?
What tricks do you use to stay on track with your nutrition?
What Apps do you use to track your fitness/nutrition?

Sprints and Sprinting to the Cape!

Yesterday I flipped low calorie day with low carb day to make sure we did not miss our sprint workout before heading to the Cape. mrC and I were at the gym at 6:15 to do the final sprint workout of carb cycling round two.

Sprinting for 15 minutes using the 20:20 ratio equals 23 intervals! It's all fun and games when you start, but the last three (extra) are tough.

I spent the rest of the day getting ready for our trip: laundry, prepping kid "care packages" and organizing my suitcase. My SIL's dog has become my little shadow, especially when I'm enjoying some low carb day turkey breast slices.

Our landlord contacted us the night before to let us know the house was ready and invited us to go a day early. We thought, HECK YEA! We can't get there fast enough! When mrC got back from work, we loaded everything into the car and sprinted off.

We enjoyed an easy traffic-free drive. After a quick stop for some dinner, we arrived around 9PM. Waking up in the Cape House (instead of being in the Saturday morning mad dash) was fantabulous.

Here are a few pics to show you why :)

The kids arrive tomorrow (can't wait!), but this little guy must have decided I needed some company.

Happy Saturday!

Carb Cycling Update

It's been awhile since I checked in on my carb cycling program this round. I had big plans to do weekly updates, but then I was distracted by Australia. If you check out my posts (here, here, here, here, here, and here), you'll understand why.

I'm going home tomorrow to spend the rest of the summer in the US. Since I'll be traveling all day (literally), I started week five on US time, which means I skipped a regular calorie day, but gained a low carb day.

Low carb days are my favorite because it means I'm sprinting.  Since this is my second time through the sprint workouts, I've been upping my game by increasing to level 2 on the elliptical and trying to sprint without holding on. I can REALLY feel a difference during the sprints, but I was also sore after my last workout.

I used to dread the cool down. Walking for 30 minutes on the treadmill is boring after years of running. I can distract myself with the view of the bay or watch tv or listen to music, but it still challenges my patience. I decided last time to increase the incline to make my legs work a little more.  My brain can handle that motivation.

Post workout planks. I'm still trying to make these a habit after sprints. So far it's working. Today I was really feeling my obliques from a yoga session I did yesterday.

It was such a nice day, if you ignore the heat index, that I suggested we take the long way back to the apartment. We rode down to the waterfront and along the bikeway. It's not really that much longer, but it was definitely more scenic than just heading back along the rode. 

I spent the rest of the day packing and preparing the apartment for our departure in the morning. And washing sportswear, like the tank I'm wearing above. Super comfy and goes from sweat to street easily. 

We will be traveling a lot while we are home between vacation plans and mrC's work, but as always I will find a way to fit my fitness in!

Do you go hands on or off on the elliptical?

Plank before or after your workout?

Day of Yoga and 4 Random Survival Tips

Today was International Day of Yoga! Did you practice like these ladies in Beijing?

I kept my yoga simple today, but first, my workout.

I started another round of carb cycling and intermittent fasting, so my workouts are part of a fitness and nutrition schedule. Today is low carb which meant we were sprinting! 5 minute WU, 10 minutes of 10:30 seconds sprint intervals, then 30 minutes CD.

I felt really good through the sprints and even went no hands on the elliptical (which is NOT easy for me). Afterwards, I did some leg strength: hamstring curls and yoga poses.

A little yoga stretch was perfect for post workout.

I was tagged to do the 22 day push-up challenge by my fabulous friend Nancy. I'm up to day 5 and thanks to a little form coaching by mrC, I've figured out that I can do full push-ups (well halfway). He is doing the challenge also.

Here are some random "survival" tips inspired by my random life:

1) two ways I beat the heat...ride my bike and drink lots of smoothies

2) to solve sweet tooth problems on low carb days

3) when I need a new perspective, climb a mountain

4) Not in the mood to cook? Crockpot chicken!

Are you afraid of heights? I'm usually ok, but a glass floor???

Random tip from your life lately?

Sunday Sprints and Low Carb Meals

Low carb day = sprints day.

Over the last six weeks I've kind of started to love these workouts. They're tough. They make me seriously sweat. My heart rate kicks up to the 160s. My legs feel like jello. 

What's not to love?

I rode my bike to the fitness center because I was hoping to finish my workout and get home before it rained again. 

Today's sprint workout was the toughest, but we've been building up to it, too. Mentally these might have been harder because it was the first time I did a sprint workout solo. mrC has joined me for all the others (he uses the bike). And like running, just knowing that I was going to go longer may have messed with my head before I even started, too. 

10 minute WU on elliptical 

15 minutes of 20:20 sprints (which is 23 sprints) on elliptical 

30 minute CD on treadmill 

It wasn't that bad. The last three, the extra three, were the hardest. I was so ready to be done when I got to the last three. One thing that makes it easier is using my Gymboss interval timer. Not having to watch the clock helps.

It poured the whole time I was working out which also helped a little by giving me something to focus on besides my legs. At the same time I kept thinking I was going to have to ride my bike home in it.

My planks today were a little random. I tried to remember some of the harder ones from my 31 day challenge, but between the tough sprints and having to plank in the main room because the yoga room was occupied (by a Chinese lady who seemed to just be roaming the center today), I couldn't think.

I stuck with basic forearm plank, plank with reach, and plank with side twist. I did all for 40 seconds each. 

It stopped raining by the time I headed home. An interesting thing happens after it rains here: snails. They are everywhere and they're HUGE. I almost ran over this guy.

This afternoon, I rode my bike to the other side of town to say farewell to a friend who is moving to Hong Kong. It's not far away at all, but she will not be a part of the regular activities anymore. One day that will be me.

What I ate on low carb day

Breakfast: 3 scrambled eggs with ham, pb&j rice cakes, coffee

Lunch: salad, tuna fish, Coke Zero

Snack: pb&j rice cakes

Dinner: crockpot bbq chicken, green beans, Coke Zero 

Macros: hit my goal to be below 50g net carbs, but short on calories. I wasn't hungry though.

Did you workout today?

Any strange creatures come out to play when it rains in your neighborhood?