Cycle 2: Day 1: The "Before" Picture

Despite the fact that I haven't been a complete saint on this diet, I am quite proud of how much I have accomplished. I am now taking meals daily with me to work, which has proven to be 100% effective in avoiding late night binges. I am cooking almost daily, utilizing fresh produce, and am back to taking my multi-vitamin on a daily basis. I am fortunate that I have a job that is far from sedentary- most shifts I am moving quickly with no breaks for up to 14 hours. If it weren't for that extra caloric expenditure, I am sure that my moment of clarity (to get on a diet!)  would have arrived at a moment more serious than barely being able to squeeze into my size 6 jeans.

I also recall two years ago, when I had a surgical procedure that involved remaining off my feet for two weeks. Before that time, I had numerous photo shoots for modeling, and remaining in great shape was literally part of the job. I took some time off from the shoots due to the surgery, and also made the change from bartending to serving for a few months. I burned far fewer calories serving, and what turned into a two months without exercise resulted in a 10+ pound weight gain. At the heaviest, it may have been fifteen.

A few months later, I began bartending again, and within a week I was down five pounds. But because I was in front of the camera less, the few extra pounds that remained I wasn't very conscious of. It wasn't until the following spring, when I had to prepare for a few more photo shoots, that I realized I had yet to get back to pre-surgery shape.

I have been very blessed with some amazing modeling and acting opportunities, the most recent national catalog shoot being a year ago. I have other career aspirations that I am working toward, but this diet has made me motivated to get back to the shape I was in when I was always swimsuit ready. Not as much for the way I looked, but the way I felt. Confident, happy, energetic. It's crazy what a few pounds due to an unhealthy lifestyle can do to both your energy levels and your psyche.

My official "before" picture:

This is from a few years ago...this is my goal for my "after" picture:

Photo Credit: JMT Photography

Yes, I'm sure this had a touch of Photoshop- but my abs really did look like that. It's strange, but seeing that picture is more than enough motivation to to work on getting them back!

Being healthy is my main objective on this diet. I'm actually a big fan of curves- aka Marilyn Monroe style.I was born with the body style predisposed for curves, which has been a blessing and a curse. I've never wanted to be model-skinny, just toned and in shape. I actually lose weight in my bra and butt first, so I have to balance my weight training, cardio and diet carefully to keep the curves I have. I've heard many trainers say "It's 90% diet," and I believe it. I have maintained a regular workout routine through the years, but my off-kilter eating habits prevented me from staying in optimal shape.

For Cycle 2 I am back to my full-speed workout routine. I will include it in this blog in case anyone wants to follow along. I adore barre workouts, and also will be doing some Zumba as well. 

To prepare for this new cycle, I prepared a large amount of brown rice and beans. I have a feeling those will be my staples for the natural starches.

Exercise:

Tracey Mallett Functional Intensity Training

This is a killer workout! It involves 3 25-minute workouts, able to be done separately or combined for a very intense workout. I am starting today with the first workout, Total Ripped Body. This is the first of Tracey's DVD's I have bought that is not in her actual Barre series, and I absolutely love it! I appreciate the fact that there are cardio intervals built into the work out, so I have both strength training and cardio in one short but challenging 25-minute routine. And it's FUN! I like high energy, no-boredom routines, and this DVD delivers.

Breakfast:

Boiled Egg
6 strawberries

Snack:

Dannon LIght & Fit Yogurt

Lunch

"Chinese" Steak & Broccoli Stir Fry with Brown Rice

This is my new favorite recipe! I found the original at the Rainy Day Gal website (be sure to check it out!). I made some adjustments to accommodate Cycle 2.

Snack:

1/2 cup fat free cottage cheese

Dinner

Spicy Chicken Vegetable Soup

Top 5 Workouts for the 17 Day Diet

Dr. Moreno recommends at least 17 minutes of exercise a day for those beginning the diet. He does, however, state that everyone is different, therefore you need to adjust the exercise based on the individual. The 1200 calories in Cycle 1 are quite low for most individuals (particularly for those that are already fairly active, such as myself) so I decided to slowly work in intense exercise into my routine and increase as I progress into later cycles of the diet.

I am a huge fan of barre workouts. The barre workout is a blend of ballet, Pilates and yoga, with a major emphasis on core stability and flexibility. Different methods offer barre workouts with a slightly unique approach, however I have found from experience a variety of  barre methods that have provided tremendous results.

Because the barre workouts are intense yet low impact, I find them to be a perfect option to integrate while following this diet. I also add cardio 1x-2x a week, rotating the following barre workouts 3-4 times a week. I am a DVD workout junkie (I have over 60 workout DVD's at home!) and the following are my absolute top picks. The moves seem very simple- but be prepared to sweat!

NOTE: I purchase all of my workout DVD's on Amazon, and I have included a link to the product on the website. Amazon also provides detailed reviews that I have found quite helpful when deciding what products to purchase.

Top 4 Barre Workouts: 

1.  Tracey Mallett: Booty Barre:  Beginners and Beyond

The perfect introduction to barre for beginners, with a booty-kicking workout to boot! Tracey Mallett is a tremendous instructor- she has incredible energy, and her timing is impeccable. Her DVD's are staples in my weekly routines as they score a perfect 10 on all my criteria: production quality, efficiency of the workout, fun factor, and quality of instructor. The short 35 minute workout is incredibly convenient for busy schedules.




2. Physique 57

Exactly a year ago, I decided it was time to discover for myself what the barre fuss was all about. I was also a bit fascinated (yet dubious) reading all of the glowing 5-star reviews on the Physique 57 DVD's, which are one of the top-rated barre workouts on the market. The reviews were right. One week of workouts, and I was hooked. One year later, and I have yet to do barre less than 3 times a week! While I do rotate through different barre workouts, Physique 57 still is a weekly go-to. The main workout is 57 minutes long, but I love the 30-minute Express workouts that I can squeeze in on my busiest days. The instructors are soothing yet encouraging, the workouts challenging, yet fun. And I won't lie- the lifted seat (booty in barre terms) arrived in less than a month of regular workouts! In fact, the long, lean figure and chiseled core is what you will get if you follow the workouts and a practical diet religiously. If only I had started the 17 Day Diet a year ago...!




3. Cathe Friedrich's Low Impact Series: Turbo Barre

A word of caution for barre newbies: this DVD may be low-impact, but it is a killer when it comes to intensity. I do this workout on my day off of work, as it is long (74 minutes) and I know I will be a sweaty mess once I have finished this DVD. The saying "hurts so good" is perfect for this grueling barre workout, but Cathe is engaging and it is hard not to be inspired by the perfectly chiseled bodies working out alongside Cathe. I find this DVD is the most challenging of the bunch I have listed, but even months later I have yet to tire of this workout. And I feel so fantastic after I'm finished!



4. Tracey Mallett: Total New Body

This is perhaps my favorite of all of Tracey Mallett's DVD's. It is a challenging, fun, unique workout, and I feel inspired and energized following. If you were to choose only one DVD out of the five listed here, I would say go with this one! It is 60 minutes long, but the title truly says it all, as it is a total body workout.




Top Cardio Workout

5.  Zumba Exhilarate

I was looking forward to my barre workouts so much every week, but I realized my cardio time was slipping. I needed to find a way to integrate more cardio without having to make the trek to my gym, so I decided to give Zumba a try. I was pleasantly surprised at both the fun-factor and the sweat factor. Sure, it can be cheesy at times, but the feel-good energy it dispenses makes me appreciate the flashy productions and colorful attire. I only do this about once or twice a week, but I find it much more fun and effective than all of my other dance workout DVD's.