Not really a quitter, Insanity. Just frustrated with you.

So here's the thing. I never did finish Insanity. I got through the first five weeks just great. It was when that "kick up a notch" for the second segment really kicked my ass ... and then I got sick. (I've talked about this before.)

So three months after starting Insanity, I have decided to put it on the backburner. I got to the end of week eight.

The bad thing? The second month really wasn't meshing well with my exercise schedule. I cannot do an hour-long workout all at once during my workweek. I tried it for a while, and then I started dreading getting up in the morning and attempting to do any exercise at all.

When I came up with my new plan a couple of weeks ago, I figured I would be able to finish Insanity in a couple of weeks and be happy. Not really so. I got in a couple of workouts on the schedule (which were 40-45 minutes apiece) and would use other workout DVDs I liked on other days. On some days I was "lazy" I brought out the bike and ride around my neighborhood twice ... which is 12 miles. Three times this week while watching television I would sit on a stool and pump some iron while getting my dose of "The Voice" and all the fun teen soapy stuff on ABC Family.

A couple of weeks ago I discussed my new goals. I am happy to say that I have met them the past couple of weeks! (The goal I set was to work out an hour a day for at least 5 days.) Some days I did work out for more than an hour, others a little less. It all evened out in the end, I think.

The last time I weighed myself was a month ago. That week I had been sick, bloated, feeling bad and on my period. Yep, four weeks later, on period again, but after weighing myself I lost 2.6 pounds in the month. I do like that number. Indeed, I have lost more than that in a month before when I was on my first go-around doing Weight Watchers.

After that brief period of not working out for a couple of weeks, I pretty much had to start over again. Going straight back into where I left off was not a good idea. I read that if you are out of your routine for a while you need to start back up slowly to avoid injuries. That is what I have been doing.

In two weeks I plan on going back to the Insanity exercise program, but before I do that I want to try something else first. I was surfing through Prevention's Web site and found an interesting book and DVD program called the Two Week Total Body Turnaround. You can find some details on it at Amazon.com, here: http://www.amazon.com/2-Week-Total-Body-Turnaround-Jumpstarts/dp/B0044KN5IG/

I ordered it from Prevention because they let you try it for free for three weeks. And since the program itself is only two weeks, I figured, what the heck. While waiting for the program in the mail, I went to Hastings in Benton and found the book itself in the bargain bin. So for $8 I bought it and started reading the book, including the food plan they suggested. I liked the food plan because it still fits in with my Weight Watchers points, and I get a list of types of foods, the amounts and what time of day to eat them. Bascally you are eating three 400-calorie meals and two snacks. Two fruits a day, three dairy, four grain, four vegetable, three protein and three fats.

The book also encourages you to work out for an hour a day, with one day a week of "active rest." Basically you are to do 30 minutes of cardio  and 30 minutes of sculpting exercises every day. The author details plans daily, including charts on your exercise schedule, pictures of several exercises and an eating menu. Personally I am not one to look at pictures in a book and follow them that way. I need a more fluid visual reference. To complement the program, two DVDs go along with it, a cardio and a sculpting DVD. So I will use these DVDs instead of looking at the book.

The funny thing right now is, I have started the program today. However I don't have the DVDs of the program. In the book, author Chris Freytag suggests power walking for cardio, but you can substitute that for pretty much any cardio activity, such as riding a bike or swimming. As long as the heart rate goes up. As for the sculpting, I have a Jillian Michaels Get Ripped in 30 I have been using, as well as another Prevention sculpt DVD that goes with their walking program. (Wasn't a fan of that one.)

Since I have the book, I started this morning cooking an egg white scramble with cheese and a dollop of salsa, and a PPJ and banana sandwich. That was breakfast. (2 grain = bread; fruit = banana; protein = egg whites; dairy = ff cheese; fat = peanut butter.) For a mid-morning snack I ate a peach and string cheese. (Fruit and dairy). For lunch I ate turkey dogs in tortillas with two cups of green beans topped with mixed nuts. I am about to eat my second snack, my third dairy, some string cheese. And for dinner I will have my last items on the list. Starchy veg: 1/2 cup of refried beans; protein: Boca crumbles; fat: guacamole; veggies: 1 cup each of tomatoes and broccoli slaw. Basically this is my version of a taco dip. I'll either eat it plain or scoop it up with some red bell pepper.

My biggest thing is late night snacking. However, Freytag wants you to drink at least 2 liters of liquid a day. I have pretty much done that already. BUT if I am wanting to eat something, I will just make some tea and drink that. Should tide me over until the next morning!

Wish me luck! (Haha, no one reads this blog anyway. I am just throwing my thoughts out into the universe.)