Current mood: encouraging
Category: encouraging Goals, Plans, Hopes
After the many requests, I thought a static blog was in order. Here’s something I wrote for a few friends who asked that very same question: HOW’D YOU DO IT?!?!
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This is based on:
- Waking @ 5:15am
- Driving to work @ 7:45am
- Getting towork @ 8:30am
- Leaving work @ 5pm
- Getting home @ 6pm
- Bedtime @ 10pm

– Estee Denise “Nisey” Ratliff
I’ve lost over 100 pounds \o/. See my story here. I am NOT a nutritionist or a doctor. This blog is NOT meant to be a substitute for any professional guidance or counseling. The information I provide merely reflects my own personal experiences and is NOT meant to take the place of medical or nutrition advice from professionals. But it’s helpful and pretty…so enjoy!
Exercise 5.30 am :
In 2006, my schedule was every other day – strength; Every other day than that – cardio. I didn’t go to the gym; I bought DVDs for @ home. For me personally, if I do the gym, it’s an excuse for me not to do it (I don’t want to drive, it’s too this or that outside, gas, etc). In my living room, I have no excuse.
- For strength I did Gunnar Peterson’s line of Core Secrets. [1] [2] [3]
- For cardio I did Madonna Grimes hip hop and Latin series, a hula series by Kili, Paula Abdul’s dance cardio, Chalene’s Turbo Jam, & Shaun T’s Hip Hop Abs – Level 2 Ultimate Results Series.
- Since January 2007 I’ve done Turbo Jam exclusively and have her full collection of workouts. I LOVE it and will keep it as a staple in my daily workouts. Anything dancey is the easiest way for me to get it done – I get bored with other stuff. I change my schedule every month; I like to keep my body guessing and not getting used to a routine!
- In July ‘06 I did cardio M W F and strength T Th Sat.
- In August ’06 I did cardio Sun W Th F and strength T Sat
- Then, up until January 20th, 2007 I did cardio Sun W F and strength T Th Sat
My favorite TurboJam Routine is the ‘Advanced Rip You Up Rotation’. It’s Sick and INSANE and I LOVE IT! It pushes my body to the max and then I don’t do it for a few months later so my body doesn’t get used to it. Click here to see the TurboJam Advanced Rip You Up Rotation.
Healthier Choices:
Breakfast 7.30 am – I never have time to eat in the morning so yeah, I am do a quick slim fast instead. To save money, I do the powder and just mix in the morning with Lactaid non-fat or fat free milk. It costs MUCH less than the individual cans. $7 for a can that lasts you like 2 months. 2 months of breakfasts for just $7?! Come oonn hahaha. To alternate when I have time (usually weekends), I’ll do 1 cup of Total Raisin Bran cereal (high in iron) or multigran multiberry Cheerios instead with some type of fruit. For the winter, oatmeal or grape nuts with lactaid non-fat milk and nuked in the microwave. Omelet’s are yummy with Egg Beaters, green red and orange peppers, some onions and a little low fat cheese. Try Morning Star breakfasts sausages. They aren’t real meat, so the fat content just isn’t there. And they’re actually good!
Snack 10 am– something small like a low fat yogurt & pretzels or grapes & pecans. You get the idea.
Lunch 12.30- This is “big” meal time or where I try and do high caloric if I get the inkling rather than at dinner. If you do it at lunch, you’re more likely to burn it off during the day than to have something high in calories for dinner and then go to bed. To save money, you can do Healthy Choice Flavor Adventures. They’re really good and are usually on sale for $2. I now cook my lunch & dinner at one time daily. I’ll do 2servings, eat half for dinner and half for lunch the next day, it saves tons of time and thinking!
Snack 4pm- whatever I didn’t eat for the earlier snack. Or I get a big bag of Snyder’s low salt snap pretzels and at home, break them into little 100 calorie packs (kind of what they’re trying to do now with cookies and chips, etc) into sandwich bags. It actually helps because it helps me stop at a point and not sit and eat and eat with an open bag. Some yummy air popped popcorn from my local Nuts To You store. Also fun option is 1 or 2 cups of seedless grapes or just a piece of fruit. I also enjoy Vita Muffins You can get them from a Whole Foods supermarket or go to vitalicious.com.
Dinner 7pm- Again, Dinner is half of whatever I’ve previously cook for lunch. Or I just go with something light since I can’t burn off much at night
Click here to see my favorite quick ‘recipes’.
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