With Monday Comes...

POSITIVE THINKING

PASSION

POWER (our electricity and heat finally came back on)

AND....

LOTS AND LOTS AND LOTS OF PROTEIN!!

I am down to the last few days. Yesterday threw a bit of a wrench in the plans. Our power and heat were finally returned around 1 in the morning. My husband and I had called it a night at around 7 pm because it was too dark and cold to do anything. Of course, I was up just a few hours later when the power came on. I was wide awake. BUT the sleep disruption served as a productive time for me. I worked on a lot of writing.

I have included some pics here of the scene at home. My favorite is Chelsea and me working away... me with the Blackberry light and a flashlight and Chelsea with a miner's light.



I also have some pics here from my daughter's Nutcracker performance which I attended on Saturday evening. I am such a proud momma.


Okay so I didn't get a workout in yesterday because of the power outage and the snow was too thick on the driveway. This morning I was back on the treadmill for morning cardio and I had a weights session, too. These are the last few workouts before the BIG DAY (only 4 days away)!!!

Q & A:

Question: I tried the hip thrust you were doing on glute training day, but I just could not fit a 45 pound plate on my stomach... it was two big! I did put two 25 together then used those, but my hip bone was hurting when doing so, since the plates were touching them.. soo my question would be how do you do it? any special way I should know about?

Answer: I don't have a special way of doing it. I would try putting a towel down to cushion your hip bones. Just be sure the plates are secure in your hands.

Question: As a beginer to clean eating and fitness how long should I do each cooler for? I have 35 lbs to lose and walk on the treadmill at level 4.0 for 1 hr 5-6 days a week. I also do 3 strength training sessions/week.

Answer: Sounds likes you've got your training down. Just be sure to change up your routines and cardio training every 4 - 6 weeks to keep your body challenged. Food wise you don't even have to do Cooler 1. This cooler is for breaking plateaus or the initial stages of prep for a contest or photo shoot. Of course it can also be used for jump starting a weight-loss plan. In this case, use Cooler 1 for no longer than 2 weeks. There is not enough nutrition in there to use it for long term eating.

Question: What are the benefits of drinking hot lemon water?

Answer: I use it as a liver cleanse. The liver is so crucial in many bodily functions. Hot lemon water helps me take care of it each day.

Question: I checked the Salba website and was wondering which specific product you use?

Answer: I use the whole Salba seed.

Question: What are the benefits of fish oil and flax oil -- why do you take both?

Answer: Flax and fish oil are excellent sources of omega-3 fatty acids. It's important for us to maintain a ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fats in our diet. A majority of our food products contain corn, which is high in omega-6, this can include lean proteins. In order to balance it out I take omega-3 supplements. They have an anti-inflammatory effect on the body, which reduces the risk of numerous heart issues.

MORE TRAINING AND EATING LATER!