trying something new, again....

So, my ediets experiment did not work out well. I got tired of eating pasta and beef (I usually only eat poultry or fish and most of the meals I was sent had beef in it), some of the meals were actually not that bad, but most of them were not good at all. The packaging really irritated me because the food would get all mixed up or they would put oatmeal with a fruit compote in separate compartments but then put the sausage on top of the oatmeal! The oatmeal would then taste like sausage. :( I don't know about anyone else but sausage oatmeal is not good.


Now I'm trying something different. I'm going to try to focus not on losing weight but just on some healthy living principals. It was my boyfriends idea! I printed out a calendar and am tracking the following: days I do cardio/weights, had ice cream or "bad" froyo (with candies or not plain -- side-note: frozen treats are my favorite things), ate out, and lastly had a Starbucks treat (for those that don't know, I work at Starbucks and I love treats so it's not the best combo for losing weight or being healthy). 

I should be able to focus on a few things rather than 60 things.... well pounds! So far I feel pretty good. I think by the end of a few weeks I'll be able to see that I'm able to stay on track most of the time and that it's totally okay to eat out occasionally or have a yummy cake pop.

BTW: Has anyone seen the great ideas on Lauren Conrad's blog for her bikini bootcamp? There are some great tips and yummy recipes. 

One of the tips that I'm going to try is to do 50 crunches and a 60-second plank in the morning and at night. Sounds REALLY hard to me but I'm going to try and I'm sure eventually I'll be moving on to harder variations. Pinterest has a great link for plank variations and I have a bender ball and exercise ball for the crunches :)

(This picture has always cracked me up! I never got the whole planking on random surfaces, lol)

2 days down!

WOOHOO! I'm two days down and feeling good. Actually tonight I'm slightly hungry but feeling good. So far the only food I haven't really enjoyed was the manicotti -- too much mush! But everything else has been great. I will say that the breakfasts are a little small especially when its just a mini bagel with spread :( But luckily I can eat greek yogurt and fruit to help. I might have to incorporate some small salads or extra veggies some days too. That's okay, I think I can do it!

Tomorrow is the day!

I'm so nervous and excited to start my ediets meal plan and workout plan tomorrow! 21 days of success here I come! I'm also going to be testing out a nike fuel band too. Updates coming soon!

Week 1: getting ready!

I'm getting ready for my 21 day challenge this week! Here is my workout plan next I'll be figuring out exactly what I'll be eating.

My 21 day challenge

I've decided to do a 21 day challenge! Why? Well.... why not?!

I signed up for ediets.com last night and should be getting my food on 4/19. I'm doing a "21 day challenge" because that is how many days of food I signed up for. lol Also, the month is nearly over and it seems silly to start a month long challenge in the middle. 

Anyhow here is my plan:

1. Eat the ediets food (hopefully it is good!) 

2. No eating out (at least not more than once or twice. sometimes these things are hard to avoid)

3. Exercise 5 days a week, at minimum of 3 cardio and 2 strength days (mostly through group cycling classes or brazil butt lift DVDs)

4. Blog everyday (or maybe every other day for accountability!)

5. Think positively about this plan! :)

I can't stop thinking about this....

I think I've found some great motivation. It's a super cute black romper! Today I didn't want to workout but I did anyway thanks to this cute little number and the reminder that summer is on its way!

Here it is:

 It's from mark. which is a brand I sell. It's coming out in a few weeks and I can't wait to wear it this summer (when I'm closer to my goals) :)

p.s. check out my eboutique here: http://jmayes.mymarkstore.com

Update on last post

So,  I posted about the Brazil Butt Lift DVDs. They truly are amazing! I did the first full Boom Boom workout and I couldn't move for a few days. lol So... I took some time to ease into it and now this week I'm doing a full blown program. Two days down...28 to go! :)

I missed out on registration for the Color Run in Seattle because I was at work and didn't get a chance to register before it sold out. :( I am still really sad about it but there are other 5ks.

Brazil Butt Lift and 5K

So, I just purchased the Brazil Butt Lift package from QVC. I'm really excited to start and get some great results. I'm going to do 30 days of the "too big" program and 30 days of the "classic" program. Hopefully I can stick with it and continue to train for my 5k!

That's right...I'm doing a 5K! Super excited for this too, except that I've been experiencing a little shin splint problem which is what derailed my last attempt at running. Will just have to see how it goes. Can't wait for Seattle Color Run!

Time to blog!

I've decided to start a blog about me and thinks I like. I'm on pinterest ALL the time and I figured I might as well blog too. So here I am. My first few blogs will probably be boring and about products I've been trying. Will be pinning and blogging more soon!

Product review #3! Another great item from my influenster VoxBox -- (I received this product complimentary for testing and review purposes)

Kiss nail dress:I've almost tried some of the similar nail products like the sally's ones but I can't wear nail polish at work (I'm a barista), so it seems kind of silly for me to spend $8-10 for nail stripes. When I got the package I was nearly disappointed until I saw that these you can use on your toe nails!!! OMG I'm so happy. These are cute and I can't wait to get more of these for the summer.

seriously, the sparkly leopard print is calling out to me! I NEED IT!

Here are the details:

Kiss Nail Dress

Fashion That Sticks

Introducing Kiss Nail Dress, ultimate nail fashion for tips and toes! Just peel, apply, and shape for a manicure that lasts up to 10 days. On in minutes, off in seconds without remover. Nail Dress is available in 18 different styles, many of them featuring 3-dimensional jeweled designs. Check out Peplum, a deep black with multi-colored gems for a pop of color, or Babydoll, for a golden and glamorous jeweled look. Skip the topcoat, Nail Dress has it built in.

With 28 strips in each package, you can cut up your extras to create designs that can be used on top of polished or artificial nails. Nail Dress doesn’t dry out the way other polish strips can, so you can save them to use on your next DIY mani. A nail design booklet is included in each package, just in case you need a little inspiration.

And don’t forget about your feet! Nail Dress looks awesome on toes, too – just use the square side of the sticker for a perfect fit.

Where to Buy

Nail Dress’ suggested retail is $6.99 and is available in all major drug chains and mass retailers like WalMart, CVS and Walgreens.

Visit KissNailDress.com to learn more!

Product review #2! Gillette Venus & Olay razor. My second item from my influenster VoxBox -- (I received this product complimentary for testing and review purposes)

I'll admit I was apprehensive at first about using this product. When these types of razors first came out, with the soap bar/gel thing on them I tried them but to my dismay they fell apart after a couple of uses! I've only used this one once but it looked and felt pretty sturdy.

Things I like:

1. Smelled good and left no residue

2. came with a nifty suction cup holder (just enough to hold the razor at the top of the handle and NOT touch the shower wall)

3. This would be great for traveling because you don't need any shower gel

.... probably will update on this product more after I use it longer.

Check it out at www.gillettevenus.com

and here is some more product info:

Venus & Olay Razor

For the first time ever, Gillette Venus, a global leader in female shaving, and Olay, a global leader in skincare, are coming together to deliver a gold standard in shaving with the new Gillette Venus & Olay razor. Venus’ best shaving technology works with Olay Moisture Bars, offering women best-of-both-worlds shaving and skin expertise. Olay Moisture Bars help lock-in moisture to your skin for less dryness, and with every smoothing stroke, Venus’ five blades shave you close.

Product Details

• Venus’ five-bladed razors shave you close and adjust to women’s curves for a smooth and comfortable shave, even over tricky shaving areas like knees and ankles.
• Olay Moisture Bars contain skin-enhancing elements found in Olay products: Petrolatum helps lock in skin’s moisture for less dryness and Glycerin helps offer that goddess glow! Just wet the razor to release a light lather – no separate shave cream required.
• As with most Venus razors, new Venus & Olay also features a rounded, pivoting head designed for women’s curves, and a soft-grip ergonomic handle for confident control, even in wet and soapy environment

Where to Buy

A refillable Venus & Olay with one replacement cartridge sells for approximately $8.99-$10.99. Packages of three replacement cartridges are available for about $14.99 - $19.49.

Venus & Olay will be available starting March 15, 2012 at food, drug, convenience and mass merchandise stores throughout the United States.

Truvía® natural sweetener Product Review

So, I started getting these awesome packages from influenster.com and here is my product review for Truvia sweetener. (I received this product complimentary to test through Influenster’s VoxBox program)

1. I love this product. It's sweet without any weird taste or side effect.

2. I will caution that it can be a little gritty if not stirred well.

3. I recommend using it in 0% plain greek yogurt (I like fage or dannon oikos). It magically turns the plain ol' stuff into a sweet, yummy, healthy treat. I also add strawberries to it (sometimes banana or frozen fruit works well too).

I give this product a 5 star rating and will continue to use it. Check out their website here: www.truvia.com