End of Week 4 - Tova be Toning it Up Challenge

If you want to see pictures of food and random things I did this past week, beachy crafts, etc. please check out Instagram @tmspatz. Also, please feel free to join me for the next 4 weeks! I am not a nutritionist, a personal trainer or even an Instagram star so this is not a certified diet thingy. This is just something I custom made for me so don't sue me. Please check out this blog post here so that you understand what the challenge is all about! This recap will include what I ate, what workouts I did and what "Tone it Up" lifestyle things I did. Also, the end of the post will include how many centimeters and kilos I have (if any) lost this past week. Enjoy! (None of these pictures belong to me... because I don't take random pictures of girls in bikinis. All of these pictures belong to Tone It Up).

Well, week 4 is done! Hard to believe that I have been doing this for about a month! I really thought that this week I would work even harder. I worked... but not as hard as I wish I could have worked. It was an exhausting week and I ended up hurting my neck. I am so going to kick my own ass for real this time when week 5 starts. So how did I do? Check it out!

Monday

Well hello new week! Hello week 4! I am trying to stay incredibly motivated for this week. I was good last week but really not as good as I could have been. I am going to be adding some new exercises, better eating and keeping myself more in check! Waking up this morning was a bit of a challenge. The Kid crawled into our bed and fell asleep again and he looked so incredibly comfortable and cozy but I had to get out of bed. I guess I understand cat owners, now. Curses. Stupid Monday mornings!

I put on my robe and go into the living room. I decide to get my arm exercises in because I know that I won't get home until later tonight and I still will have to get a run in as well as my tush and stomach exercises. I am done after about 10 minutes and then I go to the kitchen to make myself breakfast and coffee. On Sunday I made those protein muffins and I have decided to have one every morning for breakfast this week. I take one out of the fridge, take a handful of blueberries and raspberries and add it all to a small plate. It has to look Instagrammy perfect. I also decide to start having apple cider vinegar shots too. The girls from Tone it Up take one every morning so when one Internet stalks, one must do the same. I add a shot of apple cider vinegar to a small glass of pineapple and coconut juice, make an espresso, and bring my breakfast to the living room. Wow. The smug is strong this morning.

The Kid wakes up and I get ready for work. I take him to kindergarten and then I go to work. I even remembered to bring my jar of salad I prepped the day before. It is a jar of corn, sliced carrots, one piece of cheese and a couple of different types of lettuce. At lunchtime I buy salad dressing, croutons (I add a small handful because I am human) add them both to the salad and shake a shake a shake a... and you know what? Amazing! I guess I was starving so even cardboard would have tasted wonderful. But I am proud of myself for having had a salad for lunch. Going to just go ahead and pat myself on the back. Pat. Pat.

After work I head to Cafe Prueckel to meet a friend for a drink. We haven't caught up in ages and I have some time to kill before my dinner out. I order a glass of wine, my friend shows up and we have an awesome time. At 6:45, we pay and then I make my way over to an Italian restaurant called Xpedit. A type of impromptu dinner club started last month and our aim is to try out different restaurants in Vienna. Last time we had Korean, this time it is Italian. I scan the menu, order a glass of merlot and decide on the rigatoni in a red pepper sauce. I also order bread because it says homemade and I am ravenous. The pasta is out of this world and I unfortunately finish my whole damn plate. We talk, eat and then I have to head home in the rain because I still have to get a 5k run in.

The Kid is in bed and the Husband is on the sofa and I pull on my running clothes and head out into the night. These are the hardest runs. I get home, take a shower and then crawl into bed.

Meals:
B: Coffee, small glass of coconut and pineapple juice with a shot of apple cider vinegar, protein muffin and a handful of berries
L: Salad in a jar (this was amazing)
S: White wine spritzers
D: Red wine and rigatoni and some bread

Workouts: 5k run and Tone it Up Arm and Tush Exercises and stomach exercises

Tone it Up Lifestyle: Apple cider vinegar with some pineapple and coconut juice. Something I never thought I would have.

Tuesday

I have to be at work by 7:30 so getting a workout in in the morning is impossible. Also dragging myself out of bed is almost impossible. I get dressed, make my shot and eat my muffin and drink a triple espresso. I AM TIRED! I head to work and for most of the day, I try to not fall asleep at my desk. A night out plus a late run plus an early rise... I'm not great at math but even I know correlation when I see it. At lunch I have my salad in a jar (so happy I had the foresight to do this) and then the end of the work day finally arrives. I meet a friend for a drink and then I head home to the Kid. The Husband is out watching a movie so I make dinner and the Kid and I hang out.

I decide to make my hair a little more sun kissed and add some darker dye. Now I look like I am poor. Oh well. The Husband gets home around 8:30 and I get changed and head out for a 6k run. It is a fabulous run and I feel so much more awake afterwards and yet still exhausted. I take a shower, do some exercises and then pass out just before 11.

Meals:
B: Coffee, small glass of coconut and pineapple juice with a shot of apple cider vinegar, protein muffin and a handful of berries
L: Salad in a jar
S: 2 glasses of red wine
D: Bagel and scrambled eggs and veg.

Workouts: 6k run and Tone it Up Arm and Tush Exercises

Tone it Up Lifestyle: Make my hair more sun kissed because the last time, the brown was too light. I'm not sure that I did the right thing.

Wednesday

It's another struggle to get up and get ready. I think this week is kind of kicking my ass. I get to work and have a multigrain roll and an espresso. I didn't have time to make my salad in a jar and I am bummed at myself. For lunch I go on a great lunch time walk with a friend. We stop at the grocery store and I pick some multigrain bread and some blueberries. The day drags on and then at 5:15 I head home and hang out with the Kid. I make myself a bagel with scrambled eggs and then have some toast and I am a little disappointed in not having eaten better today. The Husband gets home at 6:30 and I keep saying I will go for a run. I sit in my workout clothes and snuggle with the Kid and try to build up the energy to get a run in. A good hour passes until I finally sigh deeply, put on my running shoes and then head out for a run. And in the end, it turns out to be a great run!

I take a shower and then start my Tone it Up exercises. How do these two ladies do it? I guess they don't have office jobs and a kid and then incessant need to read celebrity gossip? I fall asleep, vowing to meal plan better the next couple of days. 

Meals:
B: Coffee, apple cider vinegar shot and multigrain roll
L: Multigrain roll and blueberries
D: Bagel and scrambled eggs

Workouts: 45 minute lunchtime walk, 5k run and Tone it Up Arm and Tush Exercises and stomach exercises

Tone it Up Lifestyle: Yeah. This didn't happen today.

Thursday

I get up out of bed at 6:15 and then immediately have to sit back down. My neck is killing me. I must have pulled a muscle in my sleep. This isn't good. I can't turn my head left. I take a painkiller and wonder what I have done to myself? I gingerly get dressed and carefully brush my hair and put on make up. Gah!

I go to work and immediately get mocked for only being able to turn right. I also discover that I always walk on the right of people. It's bizarre. My friend and I have to keep switching spots as we are walking because my full body turns are freaking her out. We go for coffee and I pick up a roll (dammit!). At lunch time we walk, I buy a roll and raspberries and my neck is still a mess.

At 4:30 I head home because the Kid's therapist is in town and meeting with his two aides. We talk until about 5:30 and then go to the Beaver Brewing Company for the therapy networking night. I order a glass of white wine and end up ordering the crispy chicken strips. Not the healthiest but the good news is that I end up avoiding most of the fries so that is a plus. My neck is still jacked so I have to keep full body turning to talk to someone on my left. She tells me an outrageous story and I keep hurting my neck because I get outraged through out. Ouch.

I stay longer than I had planned and leave at 8:45. I get home, tell the Husband the outrageous story and then gear myself up for a run. The run is fabulous even though I have to keep my head very very straight. I decide not to do the Tone It Up exercises and then lather myself in Bengay. I smell like a lifesaver. I pass out just after 11.

Meals:
B: Coffee, small glass of coconut and pineapple juice with a shot of apple cider vinegar, multi grain roll
L: multi grain roll and raspberries
D: Crispy chicken strips and some white wine

Workouts: 45 minute lunchtime walk, 5k run 

Tone it Up Lifestyle: Well, in their one season of Toned Up, their reality show, the Katrina girl has a hurt neck so there you go...

Friday

TGIF! To be honest, this week has kicked my ass. I am still getting workouts in so that is awesome... but between the exhaustion and the pulled muscle in my neck, it has been tough. But I am proud of myself for not having thrown the towel in. I have come so far and even though I didn't drop a lot of weight last week, I know that in the long term, I will feel a million times better. I get ready for work, my neck is a little bit better, and then take the Kid to work.

I go for coffee with Office Twin and my friend and we cackle through out. I have a roll (no rolls next week) and then we get to work. At lunch time my friend and I take a walk and I pick up a sandwich and some raspberries and then it is the end of the work week and I run out of the building. I have some time to kill so I head to a pretty bookstore and pick up a present for one of my nieces. I then make my way to the Grand Ferdinand Hotel which I wrote about yesterday. It is an amazing place and I start with a cosmo and then switch over to spritzers. At 7:30 we leave heaven and I head home to watch Burn Notice, eat a quick couscous salad (recipe coming soon) and then afterwards, go for a run and then do some exercises and then pass out after my shower.

Meals:
B: Coffee, small glass of coconut and pineapple juice with a shot of apple cider vinegar, multi grain roll
L: Cheese sandwich and raspberries
S: Half a chocolate bar at work (it's Friday!) then a cosmo and a couple of spritzers
D: Couscous salad (quick and easy and totes making this again soon)

Workouts: 45 minute lunchtime walk, 5k run and Tone it Up Arm and Tush Exercises and stomach exercises

Tone it Up Lifestyle: I spent the afternoon on a rooftop terrace with a pool. That's pretty Tone it Up fab, thank you very much.

Saturday

Saturday morning and I actually sleep in until 7:30. New record! The Kid woke up a few times during the night so he ends up sleeping until 10:30 which is his new record. The Husband I discover that Baywatch is on and that is like the most exciting thing that has happened in a long time to us. We lie on the sofas and laugh at the 90s fashions and then feel old. The Kid finally emerges and we switch to cartoons. I head out to a friend's place to feed her cat and then go to the best Chinese grocery store in Vienna: Lily Markt. I pick up so much frozen dim sum and text my friend who is coming over for dinner for Eurovision "Come hungry. I bought enough dim sum to feed the Joy Luck Club." By the way, the Joy Luck Club is an amazing film. Don't watch it hungry. I go home and spend time with the Kid. He is a little grumpy and while I was bummed to not go to a bbq I was invited to, I realized I needed to spend some more one on one time with the Kid.

I set the table and then around 6, go for a run. I get back, shower, do some exercises and then start dinner. Our friends show up just after 8:30, we drink and we eat and then we watch Eurovision. It was a fab evening which I will write about more in the next blog post. The Husband and I finally fall asleep at 2 and zzzzzz.

Meals:
B: Coffee, small glass of coconut and pineapple juice with a shot of apple cider vinegar,
L: Bagel sandwich with cheese and lettuce and raspberries
D: Rose and way too much dim sum. Too much.

Workouts: 5k run and Tone it Up Arm and Tush Exercises and stomach exercises

Tone it Up Lifestyle: We watched Baywatch. It's on a beach.

Sunday

The Kid does not sleep in today... on Mother's Day. Instead he is up at 6:40 and the Husband and I are exhausted. I actually don't step on the scale because I made a decision to weigh and measure myself the day before because I knew I would be having a late dinner and I didn't want to be bummed out. I receive a gorgeous Swarovski necklace and a beautiful card and something else (which I will of course write about in my next blog). At 9:30 I go to my friend's place to feed her cat and then I pick up flowers for the Husband to give to his mother. I am a good wife. I go back home and then Kid is dressed in a little suit and ADORABLE! We make our way to the In Laws and have brunch. After a couple of hours, we go back home and I even end up sleeping for 30 minutes. I decide to reheat a couple of bbq pork buns (it's Mother's Day, it's my DAY!) and now I am sitting on the sofa, finishing up this blog post.

I plan to get a run in around 7 and I am not sure what I will have for dinner. There is some leftover sticky rice so I might heat that up. I also will do a lifestyle craft soon (still undecided) and then the Kid will go to bed and we will watch Pretty Little Liars. So there you have it, end of week 4! See below for stats!

Meals:
B: Coffee, small glass of coconut and pineapple juice with a shot of apple cider vinegar, croissant and fruit and hummus
L: A couple of bbq pork buns
D: Sticky rice

Workouts: 6.5k run and Tone it Up Arm and Tush Exercises and stomach exercises

Tone it Up Lifestyle: Some type of beachy craft!

SHORT SUMMARY OF WEEK 4
End of the Week stats:

Centimeters lost
Waist: 1
Hips/tum: 1

Kilos lost: 0.5

Hours of working out/walking/running/yoga: 9 hours and 45 minutes

So... This was not exactly the best week but at least I still lost a little. It is total cause and effect and it is obvious. I have one week left of this challenge so it is really go time! Better eating, more exercise, and definitely more lifestyle crafts and things! I am going to work to the max this week (I said that last week but the pressure is definitely on. I work well under pressure!). More fruit, more veg, less bread, more ass kicking! I can't believe that for the most part, I have stuck to this challenge workout wise. Yes, I didn't eat as well as I could have, but that will change this week and also, I haven't succumbed to pizza that is HUGE! It is time for me to start a craft and the Husband will take the Kid to the playground. I hope you all have a great Sunday still and wish me luck for week 5! Game on!