The 30 Day Challenge - Prepping and Planning

Last day of February means tomorrow is the big day! We're really looking forward to getting back into shape and feeling healthier.  I know it's a little odd that we are starting on a Tuesday but it's fitting for the challenge.

Below is my meal plan for the week.  Matt will be eating similar meals but about 30% more.  The diet is rather simple: Eggs and coffee for breakfast, protein for a mid morning snack, turkey sandwich and veggies for lunch, protein and a sweet treat for pre- and post workouts, chicken for dinner and cottage cheese for a late night snack. 

Red - breakfast, Orange - snacks, Blue - lunch, Green - dinner

(Click image to enlarge)

 

After the first week of getting used to following a diet plan like this, we plan to spice up the meals and include some healthy recipes we've picked out.  For week one we'll start small.

While following this plan, I'll also be recording my food and fitness on this excellent site - My Plate. You can sign up for free, count your calories and browse some other great resources they have.

As I mentioned yesterday, I will be following the P90X workout plan. Below is the plan for weeks one, two and three.

P90X Videos  (The site is in Chinese but it still gets the job done! Thanks again Andrew!)

Matt's general workout plan is below.

Here we go!

The 30 Day Challenge - Intro

The snow is finally starting to melt, which means the extra winter weight has got to go as well!  I've decided to create a challenge for my husband and I to get healthy and fit.  I decided to make it a challenge because I need the competition to motivate myself.  I also roped him onboard because I need a teammate in almost everything I do and I couldn't ask for a better one than him.

The challenge is simple - become more lean and toned by my birthday, March 30.  We'll start on Tuesday, March 1 and follow a meal plan and workout plan for 30 days. (I don't think I've ever followed anything with complete fidelity and commitment for more than a week!  This is not going to be easy.)

Matt and I have planned out our weekly meals and workout plans.  We'll eat similar meals but different portions so that its easy to prepare and cook.  Matt will follow a workout that he created by combining exercises from Muscle and Fitness and from his brain that's getting it's masters in human performance.  I will be following the P90X workout that my brother-in-law found for me online for FREE!  We'll share all of our workouts and meals with you as we go.  Feel free to make comments and suggestions at the end of each blog post to keep us going (I just ask that they are positive).

Here's my weekly grocery list. You can click on the image to enlarge it.

Wish us luck!

Tomorrow I'll post our meal and workout plan.

Fresh Snow and Frisbees

Three inches of fresh snow this morning made Ryley a happy puppy! I wish I caught his excitement when he stepped outside and realized there was MORE snow. He sprinted across the yard about eight times, rolled around in the snow and caught close to a million snow balls he made me throw at him.

He's also been doing great with his frisbee practice! I finally got him catching the frisbee on video! VICTORY!

Star Wars Invades Breakfast

Star Wars was one of Matt's childhood favorites!  For Christmas this year, his mom bought him a Darth Vader spatula from Williams-Sonoma.  This fit his personality perfectly because he loves to cook and enjoys any chance that he can "play" with his food.

Chocolate chip and walnut pancakes!

Williams-Sonoma Darth Vader Spatula

Here are some more items from the Williams-Sonoma Star Wars set.  Although I am not a huge Star Wars fan, it's a cute set to have when the kids start rolling around.

Pancake Molds

Cookie Cutters

Want to see more pieces in this set? Here's the link -> Star Wars Cooking Tools From W-S

The Artist and Her Art Show

As if getting accepted to her #1 college wasn't enough this week, Catherine also had her artwork chosen to be displayed in an art show!  This is definitely a first for the Viscardi kids!  No one else in our family has a talent like hers.  Although our Nana is also an excellent artist and inspired Cat to be who she is today, Cat's skills and vision are truly unique.

The Artist

Here's the piece that was chosen for the show. It's a charcoal drawing of a person who laid on a table with a pillow during class.  My dad and brother created a light box to illuminate it from the back. It looks great in the picture but you should see it in person!

Here is the link for the art show exhibit - > Art Show Exhibit Link
When you open the page, there is an advertisement for the youth art show.  If you wait a few seconds while the pictures load and the wine glass fills up and down, Catherine's artwork as also chosen as the first piece to be displayed in the slideshow!

Exhibit is in this 18th Century Mansion

As you walk into the house, Catherine's artwork hangs across from the staircase. It's the first piece of artwork you see and it draws you right in!  Below are some pictures of what the inside of this beautiful house looks like. (It's showcasing a different art show but you get the idea.)

 

 

Stay tuned for more of her amazing artwork I can't wait to show off!  I'm a lucky sister to have awesome siblings with amazing talents!

She's a Purchase Panther!

Catherine has been accepted to SUNY Purchase!

Purchase has an outstanding art program, is close yet far enough from home and Cat can play soccer, too.  After having her art work critiqued and submitting her application, she returned to the school to speak with the soccer coach and admissions to see what else she needed to do to get accepted.  She had her heart set on this school and was not going to accept "no" as an answer.

Sure enough, as she is speaking with admissions, the woman looked up her status on the computer and recognized that she was accepted two days earlier!  The news brought tears to Catherine's and mom's eyes. As soon as I got the news, my eyes quickly filled with happy tears, too! We're so proud of you and your artwork Cat!

Library

Matty-Cakes

When I first met Matt, I learned his favorite dessert was German Chocolate Cake.  Trying to be the best girlfriend ever, I decided to make his specialty cake for Valentine's Day.  I soon found out that it was one of my worst ideas ever because that cake was strictly for birthdays only.  Needless to say, I had to come up with another treat for us to enjoy every other day of the year.  That's how I came upon these "Matty-Cakes!" Try the recipe for someone you love!

Here's the cast of characters:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and prepare your muffin pan.  In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 egg, 2 egg whites, 1/2 cup of butter, 1/4 cup of vegetable oil and 1 tablespoon of vanilla.

 Next, stir together 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour, 1 1/4 cups of white sugar, 1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon, 2 teaspoons of baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.

 Peel, core, chop and add an apple.

 Stir in 1 cup of raisins.

 Add 2 cups of freshly grated carrots. (I think this is where the magic comes from!)

 Combine the wet and dry ingredients until just moistened.

 Looks like pumpkin bread batter but tastes nothing like it!

 Spoon the batter into the muffin cups, filling them about 3/4 full.  I like to use an ice cream scoop to make them even.

 Sprinkle walnuts on the muffin tops.

 Add a pinch of wheat germ to each muffin.

 After about 15 minutes of prepping, the muffins should look like this!

 Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the tops are golden and spring back when lightly pressed.

 After letting them cool, enjoy your Matty-Cakes!

Snow Day Success

Very few people would understand the excitement that I woke up with this morning.  Knowing that we would be having our sixth snow day today, I promised myself I would do something I normally would never have the time or energy to do. That task would be to tackle our office!

Knowing that we will be moving soon leaves me with little motivation to clean out the clutter that lives in our office.  Unfortunately, the room has become our dumping zone. I shield my eyes when I walk past the room every night to go to bed. Today, that will end.  I finally have had enough!
Although I am embarrassed to show the "before," I know it's necessary to appreciate the after.  (I can't imagine how the Biggest Losers must feel when they show their "before" and "after" pictures!)

 After two full bags of garbage and a lot of behind the scenes work, I was finally able to get to Stage 1 of organization (on this portion of the room).  Everything has a "home," as my mom would say.  : )  Stage 2 will be creating labels, color coding and rearranging for efficiency.

I look forward to really putting together an office/craft room when we get our own house and know that  we will be staying for a while.  I want to be able to hang my frames, shelves and other fun things. For now, this will have to do. I look forward to creating something like the pictures below.  They were my inspiration.

I have just about the same amount of "stuff" they do.  Now I need the space and organizers to put it in! Just give it time. I'm already getting excited!