Countdown to Wedding Fitness!

Goal for Michelle's wedding on 9/27 (in 3 weeks): Work-out 5 days per week. Continue to maintain a low-fat, low-carb diet, and refrain from carbs after 5 PM (allowing some moderate exceptions on weekends).
The bottom line: Just look thin and healthy at Michelle's wedding!

Here we go!

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WEEK 1 OF 3

• Sunday, 9/7
  Running: 3.02 miles - 40:16 minutes (Average pace: 13:20 min/mile)
  Diet: Lunch: Raw veggies. Dinner: First, a Vietnamese minced prawn & egg soup (bun rieu) with fried tofu. Then, a potluck dinner complete with meatballs & French bread, Parmesan-crusted halibut fillets, tomato & mozzarella salad, green bean & crab salad, rotisserie chicken, turtle cheesecake, fruit custard tart, and red wine. (I am stuffed, which is NOT good! At least, most of the food was healthy, but it's just too bad that I ate so much of it! Not a perfect start...)
• Monday, 9/8
  (Rest)
  Diet: Breakfast: small cup of coffee. Lunch: half a turkey & provolone sandwich on wheat. Early afternoon snack: half a turkey & provolone sandwich. Late afternoon snack: a banana. Dinner: rotisserie chicken breast, raw baby carrots. Midnight fuel (as I work into the night..): a medium cup of coffee.
• Tuesday, 9/9
  Elliptical Trainer: 45 min (~3.5 miles)
  Diet: Breakfast: small cup of coffee. Lunch: half a turkey & swiss sandwich on wheatberry. Early afternoon snack: a banana. Late afternoon snack: half a turkey & swiss sandwich on wheat. Dinner: Mushrooms in clear chicken broth soup, brussel sprouts, a pickle, and an apple.
• Wednesday, 9/10
  Elliptical Trainer: 45 min (~3.4 miles)
  Weight Training - Upper Body Machines: triceps, biceps
  Diet: Breakfast: small cup of coffee, an orange. Lunch: half a turkey & swiss sandwich on wheat. Afternoon snack: half a turkey & swiss sandwich on wheat, a banana. Dinner: turkey and chicken cold cuts, a banana, an orange, and a pickle.
• Thursday, 9/11
  (Rest)
  Diet: Breakfast: small cup of coffee, Special K Protein Bar. Lunch: beef jerky (while shopping). Afternoon snack: an orange, Atkins "Day Break" Peanut Butter Fudge Crisp Bar, G2 energy drink. Dinner: Chinese buffet =( (but it was for Megan's 18th bday!!! I'll eat well on the weekend.)
• Friday, 9/12
  Running: 2.29 miles, 28:39 minutes (Average pace: 12:31 min/mile)
  Diet: Breakfast: Special K Protein Water. Lunch: half a turkey & provolone sandwich. Early Afternoon snack: an orange, half a turkey & provolone sandwich. Late Afternon Snack: a banana, an orange. Dinner: turkey cold cuts, raw baby carrots, hummus, a pickle, Atkins "Day Break" Peanut Butter Fudge Crisp bar (for dessert). Late Night Snack: Special K Protein Bar
• Saturday, 9/13
  Elliptical Trainer: 1 hour, 5 minutes (~5.1 miles)
  Diet: Lunch: spaghetti & meatballs. Afternoon Snack: small bowl of spaghetti & meatballs. Dinner: egg rolls, fried rice, a slice of ice cream cake, a slice of chocolate mousse cake (Megan's Birthday Part 2). Late Night Snack: turkey cold cuts.
  

WEEK 2 OF 3

• Sunday, 9/14 (Note: Started Crest Whitestrips this evening)
  (Rest)
  Diet: Lunch: egg rolls, fried rice, a slice of chocolate mousse cake. Afternoon Snack: Atkins "Day Break" Peanut Butter Fudge Crisp bar. Late Afternoon Snack: an orange. Dinner: turkey cold cuts, raw baby carrots, hummus, a pickle, an apple.
• Monday, 9/15
  Elliptical Trainer: 45 minutes (~3.5 miles)
  Weight Training - Free Weights: triceps, biceps, shoulders
  Diet: Breakfast: medium cup of coffee, plain bagel with cream cheese. Lunch: half a turkey & provolone sandwich on wheat. Late Afternoon Snack: other half of the sandwich, Atkins "Day Break" Peanut Butter Fudge Crisp bar. Dinner: (I cheated!!! ... but just a little) one slice of white meat chicken quesadilla, one very small beef taquito, 4 white corn tortilla chips, guacamole, salsa, and a bunch of raw baby carrots
• Tuesday, 9/16
  Weight Training - Free Weights: triceps, biceps, shoulders (30 min)
  Diet: Breakfast: medium cup of coffee, plain bagel with cream cheese. Lunch: half a cajun chicken wrap. Afternoon snack: other half of cajun chicken wrap, Atkins "Day Break" Peanut Butter Fudge Crisp bar. Dinner: a glass of wine, 4 pan-seared pork dumplings, sauteed beef & water spinach, Vietnamese squash (bau) soup
• Wednesday, 9/17
  Elliptical Trainer: 30 minutes (2.5 miles)
  Diet: Breakfast: medium cup of coffee, plain bagel with cream cheese. Lunch: half a grilled chicken & swiss sandwich on wheat, a banana. Afternoon Snack: other half of grilled chicken & swiss sandwich on wheat. Dinner: chicken & salsa salad, turkey cold cuts, Vietnamese pork cold cuts (gio). Late Night Snack: fresh fruit (banana, apple, orange)
• Thursday, 9/18
  Exercise Bike: 30 minutes (4.1 miles)
  Diet: Late breakfast: small cup of coffee. Lunch: half a turkey & swiss sandwich on wheatberry. Afternoon Snack: other half of sandwich, Special K protein bar. Dinner: half grilled pork sandwich on French baguette, braised pork, fried tofu, bittermelon soup
• Friday, 9/19
  (Rest)
  Diet: Breakfast: small cup of coffee. Lunch: minestrone soup, salad, 3 breadsticks. Afternoon snack: small cup of coffee. Late Afternoon "Snack" (aka Happy Hour): 3 beers. Dinner: Sauteed shrimp with Thai chili peppers, chicken coconut curry with green beans, ground pork & bean thread patty, Vietnamese spinach soup
• Saturday, 9/20
  Running: 3.02 miles - 38:57 minutes (Average pace: 12:54 min/mile)
  Diet: Breakfast/Lunch: small bowl of chicken pho. Dinner (at Shady Grove): Thai grilled chicken salad, cup of Mexican tortilla soup, chili cheese fries. Late Night Partying: jello shots & vodka cocktails =D
  

WEEK 3 OF 3

• Sunday, 9/21
  (Rest)
  Diet: Breakfast/Lunch: small bowl of lean beef brisket & eye round steak pho. Afternoon Snack: 2.5 Round Rock doughnuts =( Dinner: tacos (one double-decker, one crunchy)
• Monday, 9/22
  (Stood on my feet for 5 hours straight for a recruiting event today!)
  Weight Training - Free Weights: triceps, biceps, shoulders (30 min)
  Diet: Breakfast: medium cup of coffee, fat-free peach yogurt. Lunch: chicken marsala, green beans, side salad with small drizzle of ranch dressing. Dinner: (Cheesecake Factory) Weight Management Spicy Chicken Salad (chicken spring mix salad with low-fat vinaigrette), small appetizer plate of Mitchell's meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and mixed vegetables, pumpernickel bread & butter (yes, I know, carbs... )
• Tuesday, 9/23
  Weight Training - Free Weights: triceps, biceps, shoulders (30 min)
  Diet: Breakfast: medium cup of coffee. Lunch: half turkey & swiss sandwich on wheatberry, a banana. Late Afternoon Snack / Early Dinner: other half of turkey sandwich
• Wednesday, 9/24
  Diet: Breakfast: bottle of water. Lunch: half turkey & swiss sandwich on wheatberry. Afternoon Snack: 2nd bottle of water, a banana.
  

Thursday, 8/28 - Monday, 9/1: Sick with a stomach bug!!! (Con - Nursing stomach bug during Cancun bachelorette party, tortured by embarrassing incidents (keep reading). Pro - Couldn't stuff my face with fatty Mexican food or sugary alcoholic beverages; probably lost a pound or two.)

As a result of this horrid stomach bug (complete with utter embarrassment - 1) inebriated bride-to-be announces to entire Mexican restaurant that I have "diarrheas" (yes, with an "s"), and 2) co-bridesmaid walks in on me during one of my gastric episodes, thanks to the hotel failing to provide a lock on the bathroom door).... unfortunately, I was only able to fit in one work-out this week. The positive side of this week however is that I stayed true to my diet and ate only good nutritious food and snacks, including salads, fruits, and no carbs after 5 PM!

• Saturday, 9/6
  Weight training: Body Pump class (1 hour)