The Firm Express Thin in 30 week 3 update

I have not been keeping up with my tracking blog. Life has been busy.


Originally I was giving myself a calorie range of 1600-1800. But weight loss ground to a halt, so now I am giving myself a range of 1500-1600. It's what works for me!


I am keeping with The Firm schedule, but adding in much more cardio. With my fitness level and my goals, it's what works. I think with any program that is the most important thing: finding what works best for our bodies!


This week will be my last week of my The Firm Express Thin in 30 trial. I'm excited to see what my weight and inches are.

Days 3, 4, 5, and 6 Recaps The Firm Express Thin in 30 Review/Results

Crazy busy around here. Totally dropped the ball on my tracking blog. I've still been tracking on sparkpeople, just haven't gotten posts done on here!


I'm just going to do a quick recap, sorry no pics.


Thursday my calories were 1680. It was a rest day, so no workout.


Friday, Saturday, and Sunday I decided to take the plunge and test out the 1800 calories recommendation, so each of those days my calories were 1800-1825.


Friday my workout was Ignite Cardio+Sculpt. I didn't get my run in as planned this weekend. Saturday and Sunday were rest days.


My results for the week will be over at www.katdoesdiets.com soon!

Day 2 The Firm Express Thin in 30

Breakfast was the same as yesterday. I'm mildly obsessed with this cashew butter.

Snack 1 was fat free milk with BSN Lean Dessert protein in Whipped Vanilla Cream and ice. YUM.

Lunch was a tuna wrap with a pink lady apple (the plan called for a granny smith, but I subbed).

Snack 2...I'm working on a new green tea smoothie recipe...so yum. This was Lean Dessert vanilla, fat free milk, 1/2 tsp matcha green tea powder, and ice. Still trying to get a pic of how GREEN this smoothie is, lol.

Chicken parmesan recipe from the booklet, I swapped Ragu light for plain tomato sauce and left out the pasta. Super yum.

Snack 3 was a toasted sandwich thin with cashew butter.

My total calories for the day were 1673. No workout.

Day 1 The Firm Express Thin in 30

Yesterday was my first day of The Firm Express Thin in 30...you can read my results for The 4 Day Kick Start Plan here.


It was a pretty hectic day, our first day back to our normal homeschool routine after spring break. I didn't get pics of all my eats, but I tracked everything on Sparkpeople.  Here's the ones I did get:

Breakfast was a Double Fiber English Muffin with 1 Tblsp cashew butter (I'm in love with this new cashew butter I found, it'll be in my next Things I'm Loving Right Now vlog) with a cup of coffee with 1 Tblsp half & half.

Snack 1 was a chocolate whey smoothie with fat free milk.

Lunch was the sandwich from the 4 day kick start plan, it's definitely staying in my meal rotation. I love it. I added 4 oz of chicken breast this time though.

Snack 2 was another smoothie with BSN lean desert protein in whipped vanilla cream and fat free milk. I love my whey protein smoothies and they were the only thing I really missed in the 4 day kick start plan. They're BACK, big time ;)

As I write this I don't remember what else I ate, lol. But my sparkpeople says my calories were 1660 for the day.


My workout was Ignite: Sculpt. I used 10 and 15 pound weights. 


Because these workouts are so much less than I'm used to I really plan to take this time to focus on getting my eating right. 

Day 4 Recap The Firm Express 4 Day Kick Start

Day 4 was a little tough. I was really tired and always get munchy and huge cravings for sweets and carbs when I'm over-tired. I fought them though, and only wound up a little off plan.


Day 4:

Breakfast was an egg sandwich. I substituted a Sandwich Thin for the English muffin the plan called for and added 1 Tbsp Salsa that wasn't on the plan. I also had coffee with 1 Tblsp H &H again. Still fighting lack of sleep and just couldn't ditch my morning coffee.

Snack 1 was 0% Fage with Strawberries. Snack 2 was 3 oz of Low sodium turkey deli meat. Snack 3 was:

Frozen strawberries and unsweetened vanilla almond milk blended to a smoothie. I really missed my whey protein here. In fact, that's the only thing I missed on this plan (other than coffee w/ half & half, which I added in). The plan called for skim milk, but I subbed.

My last snack was 12 almonds. Dinner was the Southwest turkey burger, but no salad. After dinner I had an apple and 3 strawberries that weren't on the plan. I was fending off my cravings.


My workout was:
Overdrive Sculpt
Accelerate Cardio
Bonus DVD Pump it up!
Total time was 54 minutes (I skipped the cool down in the first 2 DVDs)
Calories burned was 450 (still not sure my Polar is working exactly right)


My final stats, results, and thoughts on this Kick Start Plan will be on my main blog today or tomorrow maybe.


Have an awesome Friday!

Day 3 Recap The Firm Express 4 Day Kick Start

Still so tired, teen is on antibiotics, but it still went into an ear infection, so I was up half the night with him because of that. So funny that he's still such a baby when he's sick.

So, yes, I caved and had coffee again. With 1 Tblsp half & half it adds 20 calories, I'm OK with that. Doing my best! But I realize these little tweaks may affect my results.

Breakfast was Coach's Oats with 1/2 cup blueberries and 1 Tblsp Walnuts; coffee with 1 Tblsp h & h; 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (plan calls for fat free milk, but this is what I had)

Snack 1 was 6 oz 0% Fage with 2/3 cup strawberries.

And...that's all the pics I took in my hectic day yesterday. The rest of my snacks were: an apple, 10 almonds, and a stalk of celery with 1 Tblsp natural peanut butter.

Lunch was the same sandwich and apple as yesterday. Dinner was 4 oz of lean sirloin with 1/2 a tomato (Plan called for spinach too, but I just didn't want it).

Also, total plan fail, I was seriously craving something sweet and I had a banana after dinner. I get that way when I'm tired. Usually I reach for ice cream or something worse. SO glad nothing like that is even in the house right now!

Workout was:
Turbocharge Cardio, Overdrive Sculpt, and Bonus DVD Pump it up!
It was roughly 50 minutes, but my (just got for Christmas!) Polar HR monitor wasn't reading. So, not sure what the calorie burn was either.

I have to say I like these workouts, but I'm looking forward to doing them in order and slowly learning the moves. Mixing up the more advanced phases in this 4 Day Kick Start, the moves tend to move pretty fast.

Other than the banana and coffee, I've stuck to the eating awesomely. I have to say I feel good, not hungry like I expected to be. I'm not beating myself up for still having coffee, etc it's been a seriously rough week and I'm proud of myself for sticking to everything as well as I have! Can I get a spring break do-over though? You know, one with more break in it.

Have a great day...I'm hoping I get a nap (not gonna happen, lol).

Day 2 The Firm Express 4 Day Kick Start

OK, I'm late with this...and sooo tired. My teen has been sick and extremely needy. I was up in the middle of the night with him the night before last and up at 4 am with him this morning...yawnnnnn. Between that and trying to keep the littler two away from him and occupied (it's our homeschool spring break, bummer way to spend it though, lol) I had quite the day yesterday. 


I did stick to the eating plan flawlessly. I did not get all the workouts in. In fact, it was 8:30 last night before I managed to squeeze in the 1 I did. LOL, silly me, I thought spring break would be the perfect time to start this.


Life happens I guess.


Day 2 went like this:

Breakfast was Coach's Oats with 1/2 cup fresh blueberries and 1 tablespoon chopped walnuts. I missed my vanilla whey
in my oats, but I liked this.

I'm not following the eating plan exactly. I chose instead to repeat a few meals and snacks to make it easier on the budget. They're almost the same in calorie count and it says you can swap them out.

Snack was 6 oz 0% Fage and 2/3 cup slice strawberries. YUM.

Lunch was basically the same as yesterday except I subbed low sodium chicken breast deli meat and a golden delicious apple. Really liking this sandwich.

I didn't get anymore pics. But for the rest of my snacks I had: 12 raw almonds, a stalk of celery with 1 tablespoon almond butter, and then 10 almonds. Dinner was another turkey burger, but without the salad. By the time I found time for dinner it was 8 pm and I wasn't that hungry.


Workout was:
Accelerate Cardio+Sculpt
Didn't wear my Polar. 
The moves on this were pretty fast paced and I think it'll take me another time through to get it.


So, yes, rough day, and not perfect, but I did my best...moving on!


Yawwwwwwwn. I think there will be coffee involved today.