14 weeks

Yesterday afternoon I did a tough 47 minutes on the elliptical (again with a cardio coach guided workout on my MP3 player).

After dinner last night I went to the Y. I did 2 things:

1. I made an appt with a personal trainer for tonight to set up a simple free weight lifting routine for me. The reason I want a free weight program is so I can do it at the office gym as well as the Y. Yes, I know enough about weight lifting that I could set up a program for myself, but I haven't.

2. I went to yoga. Near the end of class the thought popped into my head "I've been practicing yoga regularly for 14 weeks." I've done 2 6-week yoga sessions here at work and I've continued over the 2 week break we've had before the next session. I'm still not ready for the cover of "Yoga Journal", but I have made noticable progress.

I have been going to the Y faithfully for weeks now. I use the fitness center at work regularly. Could I do more? Absolutely. Nevertheless, I am very pleased that I have re-found my workout mojo. Sure it helps with weight loss, but mostly it helps keep me healthy & sane. It's like finding an old friend you haven't seen in a long time and once you see them, you realize how much you've missed having them in your life.

The last beer I had was 2 weeks ago. I made it through the holiday season without a single cookie passing my lips. I've had the same amount of joy and stress that I would have had with the food & alcohol. I'm sleeping better. I'm feeling better.

Overall I feel like I'm ending the year in a good place.

This one's for Alicia :-)

Adam and Eve said, 'Lord, when we were in the garden, you walked with us every day. Now we do not see you anymore. We are lonesome here, and it is difficult for us to remember how much you love us.'

And God said, I will create a companion for you that will be with you and who will be a reflection of my love for you, so that you will love me even when you cannot see me. Regardless of how selfish or childish or unlovable you may be, this new companion will accept you as you are and will love you as I do, in spite of yourselves.'

And God created a new animal to be a companion for Adam and Eve. And it was a good animal and God was pleased.

And the new animal was pleased to be with Adam and Eve and he wagged his tail. And Adam said, 'Lord, I have already named all the animals in the Kingdom and I cannot think of a name for this new animal.' And God said, 'I have created this new animal to be a reflection of my love for you, his name will be a reflection of my own name, and you will call him DOG.'

And Dog lived with Adam and Eve and was a companion to them and loved them. And they were comforted. And God was pleased.

And Dog was content and wagged his tail. After a while, it came to pass that an angel came to the Lord and said, 'Lord, Adam and Eve have become filled with pride. They strut and preen like peacocks and they believe they are worthy of adoration. Dog has indeed taught them that they are loved, but perhaps too well.'

And God said, I will create for them a companion who will be with them and who will see them as they are. The companion will remind them of their limitations, so they will know that they are not always worthy of adoration.'

And God created CAT to be a companion to Adam and Eve.

And Cat would not obey them. And when Adam and Eve gazed into Cat's eyes, they were reminded that they were not the supreme beings.And Adam and Eve learned humility. And they were greatly improved. And God was pleased..

And Dog was happy.


And Cat . . .


didn't give a shit one way or the other.

Quickie

For a number of reasons (couldn't find my MP3 player, someone using the equipment I wanted, a workout tape that sucked) my attempt at a workout at work yesterday was an epic fail.

Then I got home from work later than planned - it was too late to go to water aerobics, and I sorta wanted to go to spin but dinner was up in the air since it was unclear whether the boy would be having a friend over or not. Which put spin in limbo.

I wheedled the hub into going to the Y with me where I did a very intense 30 minutes on the elliptical. Sometimes it's hard to get there, but I never regret exercising.

Hub also uploaded the 6th cardio coach workout into my MP3 player. He listened to a bit of it as he loaded and asked if he could load some on his MP3 as well. If you are stuck using equipment like the dreadmill, these are a great way to make the time go by quickly as well as ensuring a top quality workout. Not to mention some great motivation!

Anyhow, I came home from the gym in a much better mood than before I went. I had a nice evening and have had an uber productive morning here at work.

Hope you have a great day!

Patience is a virtue

Sadly, one I don't have much of. Last night I felt like I think someone who is trying to quit smoking must feel. (I've never smoked so I've never had to quit, but that's what I imagine it feels like) - restless, wanting something, feeling ancy. Only what I wanted was to eat. I wasn't hungry, I wasn't tired, I wasn't bored. I just wanted to eat. I think it was partly old habits dying hard coupled with scale frustration. Really, that's illogical - you feel bad about the scale so eat to make yourself feel better? I didn't eat anything, but last night was difficult.

This morning the scale had popped down a couple of pounds, so that's a good thing!

Looking back, it isn't how much I ate on Christmas that left me feeling sub-par, it's what I ate - too much rich food. I don't know about you, but once I start eating that stuff, it just leaves me wanting more - creating a tough cycle to break. The last couple of days I've focused not just on the amount of food and exercise, but making sure my choices are the highest quality possible.

As evidenced by the scale, it takes a couple of days to work that stuff out of your system. Being back at work helps too - I have my lunch box crammed with healthy foods that are tasty but don't leave me feeling like I need to lay down on my desk for a nap like a lion out on the veldt.

Plan for the day:

B: Green drink & oat stuff (I don't know what to call it, it's a cup of frozen berries mixed with some nuts & seeds and a quarter of a cup of rolled oats).

S: apple

L: a cup of lentil soup and a salad with hummus

S: 2 clementines

D: leftovers

Hope you have a great day!

Still white

The snow is still covering pretty well, luckily the roads are in decent shape.This morning I went to water aerobics, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I am working at home today. Hub is at work and the boy went with his grandpa for a few days, so things are quiet around here.

Today I am making Ali's ribolitta soup for dinner. Hub thought it sounded good. And since it makes 8 large servings that means enough to freeze for another meal as well as enough to send for mom & MIL. Since my mom doesn't really cook, I am trying to send meals over so things are a bit easier while MIL is staying there.

MIL has a follow-up with the dr. Wednesday - hopefully that goes well. Next weekend we'll be moving her back to her place. She can't drive for 6 weeks, but mom said she would drive her to appts & stuff. Hub can take her over a plate dinner so she has a hot meal that's nutritious. And she can do some simple cooking for herself as well.

I get so frustrated. We were going to give her some cash for Christmas, but ended up helping pay for her prescriptions - to the tune of about twice the amount of cash we intended to give her. When I made the comment on Xmas morning that we didn't give her cash (in addition to her gifts) it was because of what we payed toward her prescriptions. Do you think she thanked us for doing that? Ever? Of course not. At the time, she just got a funny look on her face and changed the subject. I know it sounds ugly, but I told hub I'm tired of paying for stuff for her and her acting like an ungrateful 12 year old. IMO next time she needs something, I think it's BIL's turn to front some cash. I mean, we've spent like $1000 on her this year - far more than we've spent on our son. And far more than we could afford.

Okay, that's my gripe. I need to get to the library today to pick up some books. And do a bit of cleaning. And work of course!

The scale hadn't moved again this morning. :-( I'm getting frustrated. I felt like I ate a lot Xmas day, so yesterday I didn't eat until I was genuinely hungry (1 pm). I ate very light yesterday to offset the day before. I know for me the scale tends to stay the same for 2-3 days, then show this huge drop, rather than small steady increments. So hopefully tomorrow we'll be back on the decline.

Food today:
pre workout - slice of toast with homemade pb
post workout- green drink with frozen banana, spinach (trying to use it up before I start using the kale), 1 Tbsp ground flax, cinnamon, green powder, and a touch of stevia.

The plan for lunch is a salad with hummus.

Dinner is a salad and vegan ribolitta soup (with white beans & veggies).

Stay warm!

Itinerary

I booked hotels for our trip next summer:
2 nights in Philadelphia
2 night in New York
1 night in Mystic Ct
2 nights in Boston
2 nights in Portland Maine

Now I need to solicit ideas for what we should see! (Not from a guide book, but from people :-)

Now to go clean the kitchen and do some laundry. Just call me Cinderella! ha ha ha

p.s.

Peanut butter turned out good - both mom and I liked it. And the kettlebell class was good too.

I wasn't dreaming of a white Christmas

I think this is my 4th white Christmas, which works out to about one per decade. :-) We got 6 inches of snow. It's lovely, but shoveling the deck so the dogs could go to the bathroom was not high on my list of fun things to do. Hub is doing the driveway, so I figured it was the least I could do. Besides, I obviously won't be making it to Bikram yoga today, so I need some exercise!

If I had to guess, I'd guess that less than 50% of the homes in the neighborhood even own a snow shovel.

I lost a pound this week. I wish I knew why - I tracked my food carefully and exercised faithfully. No bites of cookies or anything for me. Right now there are 2 cookies and 1 rum ball in the house (for hub) - I sent the rest with the boy and his grandpa. Heh.

Oh well, I didn't gain and even showed a modest loss and now I am on to a new week.

I hope Santa was good to you all!

On my way to the gym

Just a quick check in before I head out to the Y. They are having the kettlebell class I've been wanting to take but they only seem to offer while I am at work!

Things are okay here. MIL has emphysema and COPD. The rehad person came out yesterday and told her and discussed what she needed to do, asked about her diet etc. Also told her that if she smoked a cigarette within 30 minutes of using oxygen she would blow herself up (due to the pure oxygen in her lungs I guess). Good thing mom caught her when she was sneaking out to smoke a couple of nights ago.

Some people are idiots. I told LB "Looking at my MIL makes me want to go eat a pound of raw kale."

Not sure whether I'll be able to stay up late enough to make midnight mass or not. Hope you have a good day!

Checking In

I ordered as planned yesterday. The leftover lettuce wraps went home with LB, and I brought half my entree home to have for lunch today.

After work I went downstairs and did half an hour of cardio. Last night the guys went to the movies, I went to the Y for yoga.

This morning I got up and went to the Y and did 46 minutes on the treadmill (that's the length of that particular cardio coach workout. I love those things!). I had my leftovers for lunch today along with some added brussel sprouts.

One thing the book I'm reading reminded me of is that I need to get more greens and USE the very high quality green powder I purchased when I was in the raw foods class. To that end, I had a green smoothie with green powder post workout, and I bought 2 large bags of organic kale at the farm stand when I went.

Grocery shopping is done. Today I am doing some food prep, including making Ali's reduced fat peanut butter. I can't wait to try it!

Have a good one.

Planning is key

For the past 9 years, Lunch Buddy (LB) and I have walked at lunch for 30 minutes during the business week. With the fitness center now open, we do yoga a couple of those days, and with her schedule flexing some, we have missed a few days, but nevertheless we walk regularly. One day a year we go out to lunch and swap gifts. We both watch what we eat and are used to the other’s weirdnesses (you get to know each other pretty well walking that much for that long!). Today we are going to PF Chang’s for lunch.

First, I brought in my salad for breakfast. Yeah, I know, weird. However, this helps ensure I get my raw veggies in for the day. (I try to eat at least a pound of raw vegetables per day.) I have an apple I’ll eat shortly before we leave so I’m not hungry. We are splitting the tofu lettuce wraps and I’ll get the lunch bowl (smaller portion) of Buddha’s delight (steamed vegetables with brown rice) and I’ll ask them to add the spicy sauce from the stir fry eggplant – cause I like hot food. I’ll eat half and package the rest. Lunch will be 490 calories according to the nutrition info on their web site (call it 500 calories). Breakfast was 200 with a 90 calorie apple, and I’m sure I won’t need an afternoon snack, so that still leaves me plenty of room for dinner. After dinner snacking has fallen by the wayside.

It’s easier for me to eat at home – I can control not only the calories, but the oils and salt and stuff much better. But I am going to go and enjoy my lunch and even more, enjoy a good friend’s company. Yes it’s once a year, but it’s the friendship that makes it special, not the food.

Anyway. Yesterday I went downstairs after posting to work out and guess who was in the fitness center? Yes, LB. She’s the only other soul I’ve seen down there lately. :-) We did Gilad’s total body sculpt dvd (1 hour) and then I did 22 minutes on the elliptical. I don’t have a yoga tape for today, so I think I may do my step tape for fun. Last Saturday morning showed me that I’d forgotten a lot of the moves as well as forgetting what a good workout step aerobics is. (And fun if you aren’t afraid to look a little silly!)

I am off work until next Tuesday. I won’t promise to post regularly because I’ll be busy hanging out with my family. I hope you have a happy holiday!

Argh

MIL is being releaased from the hospital today. I know: 1) she said she isn't supposed to stay home alone, so she is going to my mom's and 2) they are sending oxygen with her for her to use for a couple of weeks. Still no diagnosis I know of, but her poor oxygen levels could be (IMO) simply a result of her poor diet, excess bodyweight, and smoking. Mom is cool with her staying there a couple of days, but I think she needs to get back home post Christmas.

Hub had a dr. appt yesterday. He has tennis elbow and it's flared up again (which is funny to me since he doesn't play tennis). He needs to wear an elbow cuff and padded gloves when he works to help muffle impacts, and has an anti-inflammatory to take for a couple of weeks. Nothing serious, just a hassle.

I went home with a lousy headache yesterday and didn't go to the Y. I did yoga here at work and after I post this I'm going downstairs to the fitness center to do my "Gilad: Ultimate Body Sculpt: Cuts & Curves" dvd from netflix and some form of cardio (either elliptical or a step aerobics workout tape).

Last night's dinner was a HUGE salad with various vegetables, salad greens, and 3 diced up collard leaves that were left from wraps. I wanted to use them before they went to the dark side. And spagetti. Seriously though, that salad seemed to take forever to eat. I think it's because raw collards require major amounts of chewing. Which is probably why they are generally served cooked to death, the poor things.

Anyway, despite MIL being here, I expect Christmas will be quiet. We have a nice day, but we don't go hog wild either with the meal or with the gifts. It's more about spending time together & doing stuff. My mom and I are dragging the sculpy stuff out and doing crafty type stuff together. And maybe work on my doll house a bit. Fun stuff I don't make time for as often as I'd like. They guys will be playing video games or working on some manly project in the garage (weather permitting). So we'll all be together doing stuff we enjoy.

Tomorrow is my last day of work, but I'll be back in for part of next week. I like to use my vacation when the weather is nice. :-)

I am reading Dr. Gabriel Cousins' book "There is a Cure for Diabetes." None of us have diabetes (except MIL), but I've been wanting to read it and the library doesn't have it, so I finally ordered it for myself. It's good so far, but very technical with the medical info, so a slow read.

Hope you have a good day. I'm freezing, I wish we had a sauna at work where we could pop in for 5 minutes to warm up!

Short & Sweet

Crazy weekend. MIL is in the hospital. She fell on the ice & dislocated her shoulder. They kept her b/c they at first thought she had pneumonia. Now they say she doesn't but she needs breathing threatments. We've only talked to her, so it's not clear what's up.

Hub installed a new hot water heater. It was needed (the old one hadn't died, but it was living on borrowed time), but it was a rather long process. That meant dishes were done by hand with heated water and laundry was postponed. I was very cranky last night, just b/c of everything.

Work is fairly busy today, but I wanted to check in. I lost 2 more pounds this week. I will still post a net gain for the year, but I'm working to minimize that.

Went to the Y Saturday morning. I did a very good flow yoga class followed by step aerobics. I hadn't done step in years! It was fun, but I'd forgotten a lot of the moves. Also, it's harder than I remember!

Tonight is power sculpt & restorative yoga.

Have a good day!

Winter Wonderland

We had ice this morning after snow last night. I'm working at home, hub is off work, boy is out of school.

Plan B is in effect for working out.

Long and rambling

Apropos of nothing else I am going to write, did you know that the Tour de France is broadcast in 186 countries around the world? I don’t think I can name 186 countries! Amazing.

This is something I’ve been thinking about lately based on posts from various blogs. I know I’ve mentioned the documentary “Simply Raw” - a film that chronicles six Americans with diabetes who switch to a diet consisting entirely of vegan, organic, uncooked food in order to reverse disease without pharmaceutical medication. Each participant speaks candidly about their struggle to manage their diabetes and how it has affected every aspect of their life, from work to home to their relationships.

Anyway, they go to the Tree of Life Institute and of the 6, one gentleman leaves after 2 weeks or so. Most of these folks have other medical issues as well, but this gentleman loses like 30 pounds and comes off not only all his diabetes medication but also medication for high blood pressure and high cholesterol. He has a cousin or someone pick him up and he says he just can’t do it – it’s too hard. At the beginning they showed his wife tearfully discussing the fact that she’s been widowed once already, and wants her husband to be healthy. Despite that and the fact he’s reversed his diabetes, he chooses to go back to his old life. That more than anything illustrates for me how difficult it can be to change your life.

I read blogs by folks who have lost (and kept off) over 100 pounds, and one thing many discuss is wanting to remember how hard life was when they were severely obese – due to health or other physical limitations.

Imagine changing your life if you don’t have those incentives. Your health is generally good and yeah, you’d like to take off some weight, but you can fit in a plane seat, walk around all day sight seeing with your family, ride the roller coasters, whatever. Maybe your energy or fitness isn’t where you want it to be, but it’s sufficient for you to do the things you want.

The amazing thing to me isn’t that people don’t change in the face of information showing them how they can improve their health, it’s amazing to me that anyone does. People aren’t good at seeing the long run and people don’t really like being a non-conformist. Getting off the Standard American Diet whether it’s eliminating foods or just eating appropriate amounts is to set yourself apart.

At our offsite Friday we are being served pig picking food. I’ll be packing a hummus salad. Gee, like to stand out much?

I’m not trying to make excuses. I’m trying to say how much I admire anyone who can transform their body, improve their health, change their mindset. It’s a kind of miracle really.

Have a terrific day!

I’m cold

The weather here is seriously cold. Unless you are from Minnesota or something, in which case you think I’m a wimp. But it was 14 this morning, with a wind chill making it feel like 8.

Yesterday Lunch Buddy and I did Gaiam’s “Yoga for Beginners” dvd and decided that it was a little too beginner. But we enjoyed it, so I’m glad I tried the workout. In the afternoon, co-worker and I did Jackie Warner’s total body workout. It was tough! I enjoyed it, but I did feel like she transitioned from one exercise to another too quickly for me. Tomorrow both ladies are bringing in different workouts for us to do. I have some other workouts I want to try for next week, so that should keep me busy.

I stopped by the grocery on the way home and when I came back out, my car wouldn’t start. I called hub, but then decided to try it one more time. It started, but he & the boy went & got me a new battery after dinner. I don’t want to mess around in this weather.

I spent my evening cooking: I needed to make dog food and a pot of iced tea (I know, that’s not cooking, but you know what I mean!) and I had promised to bring in cinnamon buns for our last staff meeting of the year. Folks asked me to bring them again tomorrow, and to please make a double batch. And give people the recipe. They aren’t terribly difficult – I make the dough in the bread machine. I’m glad my co-workers liked them. (I didn’t have any – I simply assured them that I had made a pan for my family and left it at that.)

After that I cleaned the kitchen (the least I could do since they were braving the cold to get me a battery!) and checked email, then it was nearly time for bed!

Tonight we are having lentil soup for dinner. I am going to spin class at 6 – since its soup the guys can heat it up and eat whenever they get hungry. I’ll eat when I get home.

My hummus wrap did not work as planned. There was moisture from the tomatoes as well as juice from the banana peppers and olives, which combined with the hummus and made it very liquidy and then it oozed out of the wrap. Today I eliminated the middleman and simply put the whole mess over a huge plate of raw spinach. YUM! I don’t mind having a cold salad for lunch as long as I can have a cup of soup alongside to make me feel like I’ve had a hot meal.

I bought the individual hummus tubs at Costco – 16 2 ounce little tubs, so I bring one in per day. (I know its wasteful packaging, but sometimes that kind of convenience is the difference between my lunch getting packed and not). Each tub has 140 calories. I mention this because that’s the same amount of calories typically found in 2 tablespoons of full fat salad dressings. The tub holds between ¼ and 1/3 cup of hummus – that’s a lot to put on a salad! My point being, it’s a much better choice for my calorie buck.

Personally, I don’t believe in fat free substitutes for 2 reasons: 1) they usually taste like crap and I prefer to enjoy my food and 2) the ingredient list usually reads like a science experiment. Using stuff like hummus is a better choice for me. It really comes down to this: the less processed the food you eat is, the more of eat you can eat for the same calories. Which is a nice double incentive to eat less processed foods!

Hope you have a good day and stay warm!

What I’m eating this week

For the curious, bored, and to remind myself when I need ideas:

Breakfast:

Is probably going to vary. Today I made my take on a breakfast from Dr. Fuhrman’s “Eat for Health” book. It has 1 c frozen mixed berries (from Costco), 1/4c raw old fashioned oats, 2 tablespoons raw sunflower seeds, a couple of walnut halves broken up and a splash (around 1 – 1.5 ounces) pomegranate juice for a bit of flavor and liquid. I think it would be fine with water.
When I feel the need for something savory, I’ll have beans & quinoa.

Lunch:

I made a chowder loosely based on Alicia’s. Mine is a pretty basic vegan potato chowder with a few chick peas and butter beans that were left over. It may sound weird, but butter beans are amazing in chowder.

I’m also having a wrap (on a collard leaf) with hummus, sliced cucumber and tomato, sliced olives and banana pepper rings. Awesome!

Snacks:

I’m out of apples so I’ll probably do beans until I get to Costco. Afternoon snack is my old stand-by of peanut butter and prunes. I’m almost out of peanut butter, so I am going to try Alicia’s low fat peanut butter.

Dinner of course varies.

Have a good day!

Nighty Night

Getting ready to go read for a few minutes and then turn in. It was a good weekend - lots of relaxing. Yesterday because I was dead from "Death by Insanity", and then this morning hub and I were bums and sat on the sofa watching the UFC PPV we tivoed last night.

After that we got up and went to the Y. I did a "cardio coach" workout on the elliptical and then sat in the sauna. I'm still stiff and sore from Saturday's class, but the sauna did help.

Christmas decorations are all up - I just need hub to put the last few boxes back up in the garage.

Overall a good weekend. I can't believe I am working every day this week!!! Tomorrow I am taking a yoga dvd to do with lunch buddy and a Jackie Warner weight lifting dvd to do with a co-worker in the afternoon. Work classes are over so we are continuing on our own.

I have learned this week that "total body sculpt" at the Y is okay for me, but cardio sculpt is not. That helps as I plan what I do for the week. I didn't do a spin or an aqua fit class, but even though plans had to change a couple of times, I met my goal of 2 yogas, 2 weight sessions, and 3 cardio sessions. It's a good start.

It's insanity alright

Just a quick check-in. Didn't set the alarm this morning. I couldn't believe it when I woke up and it was 10 till 8 - I never sleep that late! I was really tired when I got home yesterday.

Anyway, I had a quick piece of peanut butter toast then it was off to the gym. I did yoga then stayed for cardio sculpt. The lady that taught it is probably around 30 and looks like she was an athlete in college - I'm guessing lacrosse.

Anyway, the cardio intervals were adapted from that "Insanity" program you see on infomercials. Yes, it was. Oh lordie! 30 minutes in and I felt a bit light headed and wanted to quit. I slowed down my pace but I wasn't sure I'd make it through. I did, but I was wiped out! It was also very high impact which isn't so great for my knees, so I don't think I'll be doing that one again in the future - at least not with that teacher.

I went home, had part 2 of breakfast (green smoothie) and took a long shower. Then I had part 1 of lunch and headed to the grocery store.

I got my Christmas miracle today - W-M was slammed but all the shoppers and the employees were just as nice as could be. I got in & out quickly, came home for part 2 of lunch, and then just vegged for a while.

Not sure what I'm doing this afternoon - I'm still pretty wiped out!

Have a good weekend!

You can keep your holiday meals, your cookie swaps, your homemade treats. But Lord I would seriously like to raid the cheese tray on the back table. My kingdom for a grilled pimento cheese sandwich!

That is all.

Semper Gumby (Always flexible)

So, I ended up having a late afternoon meeting which was not planned, but necessary. That meant by the time I got home, water aerobics (at 5:10) was not happening. So I found a plan B: total body sculpt at 7:15. I needed to do weights anyway since I am doing a weight class Saturday and I can go this afternoon and to the treadmill or elliptical or something.

I enjoyed the class but I used too much weight for the squats and lunges because it was bothering my back instead of working my legs. I talked to the teacher after & she said that was most likely it & to try lighter weights next time. It's depressing how quickly strength can be lost.

Oh well, I'm going now. And the beauty is that strength (for me at least) also comes relatively quickly - bless my good East German genes. No anabolic steroids required. :-)

Hope you have a nice weekend!

Just heard the menu, I'll be packing a lunch.

That wasn't bad at all!

The stuffed portabella was excellent. It had a light breading type stuffing and had a tomato sauce. No cheese so yay! Sometimes vegetarian entree means 3 pounds of cheese, so it was a very pleasant surprise. For sides I got double green beans. I got a small serving of mashed potatoes, but they weren't good so I didn't eat them. I passed on the salad (blah iceberg lettuce & no good dressings), stuffing, rolls, and dessert. I am not overly full but feel like I had "enough".

I hate being at the mercy of someone's elses food with few options, I'm glad it worked out this time. The next potential land mine is our team building offsite next Thursday. I haven't heard a menu yet, but if I have to I will pack a lunch.

Wow.

Can I just say I had a stressful day at work yesterday? I wasn't able to leave it at the door, the more I thought about it the more I stewed. But I relied on Calgon to take me away, and kept my post dinner noshing down to a Weight Watcher ice cream bar. Jordan (the terrier) has a serious thing for coffee ice cream. Who knew?

We watched "Predators" which my son disliked and hub and I both thought was cool. Tonight I have "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang", so I suspect I'll be watching alone. :-)

Tonight is water aerobics, which I am very much looking forward to, just not the bit about leaving the gym with wet hair! (I'm too lazy to dry it.) This morning I put soup in the crock pot and told hub to feel free & make cornbread and go ahead & eat whenever they wanted. I also made him a quart of miso broth to take in his thermos. I have to go to Super G Mart after work today as I am practically out of the ingredients - we love some miso in winter!

Lunch this week has been good: miso soup with spinach and mushrooms alongside a collard wrap containing chickpea salad. Very satisfying and loaded in veggies & nutrients. I like the idea of using the collard leaf in place of a bread wrap - it lets me eat more volume of food! ;-)

Today is our employee appreciation luncheon. Lordie! Luckily they have a veggie option (stuffed portobella mushroom) - I'll get 2 veggies alongside, pass on the dessert, and count that as "dinner", having a lighter meal this evening. Glad I made that soup! Again, lots of volume for my caloric buck, as it were.

It's gonna be a busy day - hope you have a good one!

How many days until spring?

I hate cold weather! It's down in the teens at night and the high today is supposed to be 34. Argh!

Everything was fine with the heat pump - it just needed a couple of minor adjustments. I'm glad that's taken care of. I put my electric blanket on my bed last night.

I was considering going to water aerobics last night, but the guy got there so late to look at the heat pump that I ended up just taking a quick walk in the neighborhood. Thank heavens for silk long underwear from LL Bean!

Last night we did a bit of decorating on the tree and watched "The Expendables." IMO it's the guy equivalent of a chick flick. To say I thought it was dumb is an understatement. I'm bitter I can't get those 2 hours of my life back! :-)

What else? Today is yoga and tone & sculpt at work. I made the chick pea cutlets out of "Veganomicon" Monday. Very good! The guys were having pork tenderloin and I didn't really want that, so I thought I'd give that recipe a go. A nice quick sub for meat when I want something "meaty."

Home again

I hope you all had a nice weekend! I did but it was tiring. Friday I spent the night at my mom's so we could get a very early start - we were on the road by 6. With minimal stops and making good time we were at the La Grange exit (roughly 1.5 hours past Atlanta on I-85) at 12:30.

We picked up Alma, took her to lunch, then went to the cemetary. We put flowers on everyone's stones, including both sets of my mom's grandparents. After that we wandered around an antique store downtown. I found a really nice abstract oil painting for $25. (No frame, which is prob why it was so cheap). It's signed and dated 1948. I saw (but did not purchase) a set of cast iron pink poodle book ends!

Then we checked into the hotel for a bit of a break. Then Wal-Mart for a few items (including fresh fruit for Alma, which she doesn't get a lot of). We gassed up, drove around looking at Christmas lights and then went to dinner. After that it was back to the hotel for some tv watching and a nice shower!

The next morning we were on the road by 8:30. Alma had a few small gifts to open, but we went ahead & gave her the big stuff: a nice pair of shoes & a gift card.

It's a good thing we got an early start. My cousin & his family purchased a new home (it's a horse farm) and it's much further out of the way than their old place. Since there had been snow at home, that stop was basically a drive by to drop off gifts, then we were back on the road.

The drive home was uneventful but we were both tired so it felt long.

The guys had done some chores around the house, but there was still a fair bit left for me. Yesterday was picking up, finishing the grocery shopping, and food prep for the week.

Food is prepped, house is largely cleaned, and I am ready for the week. I had planned to go to the Y last night, but my feet were singing Ave Maria after a hard day running around & on my feet, so I bailed. However, I have my guidelines the nutritionist gave me around exercise and I am meeting with her next week to check up on me, so I have already made a plan for the remainder of the week.

I hate that taking care of the house is like a second full time job. honestly, it's no wonder so many people say they can't find the time to exercise. Oh well, that's life so suck it up! ;-) I am lucky to have a lovely home to be OCD about!

Today I am working from home while waiting for the guy to come & service the heat pump. It's due anyway, but it seemed to be making an odd noise last night, so better safe than sorry!

Hope you have a great day!

Happy happy joy joy

MIL came over last night - it was her birthday and she had requested a special meal and a banana split. I made chicken adobo, rice, and steamed broccoli, then the family headed off to the ice cream parlor so she could have her sundae. I think we were all a little on the quiet side, but it was thankfully drama and crazy free.

Our little town has 2 ice cream parlors - one is where the guys go for ice cream, and the other is where the guys go for burgers/hot dogs. So we went to the ice cream place last night and one thing I'd forgotten is one of the reasons I don't like to eat ice cream there (well, besides the fact that I'd rather have mango sorbet at home): they have all these clown pictures on the walls. Hate. Clowns.

After that I plopped down on the sofa to watch "The Wolfman" with Anthony Hopkins (okay, nothing great). Then off to bed so I could get up early this morning to pick up the house (MIL is coming over to clean).

Meals for next week are planned and the grocery list is made. I'm sure some adjustments/ additions will need to occur to accomodate the fact I'm not eating the same as the rest of the family, but the general list is there. Most of the shopping will be done Monday morning - today I'm stopping at the farm stand for eggs & breakfast sausage and Costco (the guys want pizza for dinner tomorrow night).

I am spending tonight at my mom's house so we can get up early and get on the road by 6. It's a 7 hour drive and we take Alma out for lunch when we get there, so it makes for an early morning!

I'm sure we will have a lovely weekend, and I'm sure the trip home (lengthened by the fact that we make a stop at my cousin's in Atlanta) will seem to take time and all eternity. But seeing my great aunt and knowing how much these visits mean to her makes it all worthwhile.

I hope you have a great weekend!

The case of the vanishing lights

Last night I made a fairly quick dinner (big salad, shrimp cocktail) then onto steak for the guys with more veg, and then asked the guys to clean the kitchen. After that we'd put the lights on the tree.

Blip 1 occurred when they realized the washer had been loaded but never run, so we now had a backlog of dirty dishes. I do all the meal planning, shopping, and food prep, so the dishes are their job. I reminded them we had company coming and that I needed the kitchen caught up.

Load 1 running and hub was off to dig out the Christmas lights. We dug and dug and dug, and never found the darn lights!!! I have NO idea what happened to them. The boy and I ran to W-M for lights while hub vacuumed, another task that belongs to them which had been sorely neglected. To add insult to injury, the dog had brought in a stick and chewed it up on the living room rug. Butch has the nickname "stick boy" for a reason! ;-)

By the end of the evening, the tree was lit (and looked wonderful), the kitchen was nearly reclaimed, the house vacuumed.

Tonight MIL is coming over for her birthday dinner. Hopefully she'll be off the crazy and the evening will be okay. I need to plan next week's meals and make the grocery list. I'm going to do some of the shopping tomorrow after work since we won't be getting back until Sunday evening.

Have a good day!

Excellent article on the vitamin d craze

http://refusetoregain.com/refusetoregain/2010/11/vitamin-d-mania-panic-without-purpose.html

Men! grumble grumble

The hub thoughtfully offered to clean the kitchen last night while I had a nice soak in the tub. Sadly, he threw out the leftovers (which were going to be my lunch). Grr! I guess I'll let him live. Luckily I was able to find something rather healthy in the cafeteria, although overpriced IMO.

Work is still very crazy this week, plus we are trying to get some holiday decorating done in the evenings. Next week should be a bit calmer. I am going to use the lull in the proverbial action to try out a couple of different classes at the Y. I also met with the on site nutritionist this morning to help me prioritize workouts - what's a minimum baseline, and how to prioritize what sort of cardio & that sort of thing. So now I want to test out a few more options and see what I think of them.

A convergence of events

As I've mentioned, we have a "maintain don't gain" challenge type thing going on at work. Allan over at almostgastricbypass.blogspot has continued to lose through the holidays and wants others to join his challenge going until 1 Jan. Fat Cyclist wants peeps to support him in losing weight, and is offering some great (biking related) prizes for those that join him in losing 10 pounds.

So, while there are many food temptations, there are also folks wanting to maintain focus on healthy eating and weight loss.

I know I haven't written a lot about that lately. The holidays have been hectic, with a certain amount of stress. Was there a full moon on T-day, because my MIL achieved a level of bat-sh&^-crazy that was quite remarkable. My emails have been piling up as I've been spending time cooking, shopping, and getting out the Christmas decorations instead of emailing or posting.

Things haven't been bad. I have maintained. Yesterday I made time for yoga. It's going to be a busy week and we're headed to Georgia for the weekend, but my healthy food is prepped and ready to be tossed into my lunch box. My gym bag is at the office under my desk.

As we cleaned the kitchen yesterday, son and I had a good laugh over MIL's T-day shenanigans. Cause really? I could be pissed about the fact that she showed up 3 hours late, with an appetizer that wasn't done, "mashed potatoes" that were still raw potatoes, and a burnt pecan pie. But what's the point? It's not like she's going to change. I can be angry about her crappy behaviour, or I can laugh about it. (On the list of top stupid things she did on T-day, that only ranks #3 people).

Back to the regular stuff

Hope you had a nice holiday. We had a very relaxing weekend - I took lots of naps. :-) T-day was good, despite my MIL. Hub and I agreed our major triumph of the weekend was not killing her. Ugh.

Saw Harry Potter - good movie. I think they did a good job adapting the books, although a lot is left out of course.

We took the Christmas decorations down and began decorating. We aren't in a frantic rush - just doing a bit at a time.

Mom and I are going to Georgia this weekend to bust my great aunt out of the retirement home. No firm plans other than that and dropping gifts by my cousin's on the way back through Hotlanta.

Have a good day!

T-day minus 1

Happy Thanksgiving, if tomorrow is that day for you! Overall I'm in decent shape - house is largely tidied and pre-cooking is on schedule. I have farmed out items to be brought as well, so really tomorrow should be fairly low key.

Getting my house (and yard) picked back up from the 95% done bathroom renovation today will require more effort than the cooking, especially given that hub had his toenail off yesterday and probably won't be up for doing much.

I pulled a muscle in my back last night. When you're 20, if you pull a muscle it's because you went bungee jumping or something. At 40(something) all you have to do is go to bed! Not fair!

Work is very hectic as everyone tries to wrap stuff up before huge chunks of folks go missing on vacation. Next month will be quieter.

Looking forward to wrapping up around lunch today.

Take care!

Hard thing 2

Yesterday our team volunteered at Urban Ministries food & clothing bank and soup kitchen. That wasn't the hard thing - lunch afterwards was the challenge! We went to Mellow Mushroom (a pizza place). Luckily they had LOTS of choices - I got a small mega-veggie with tofu. It was yummy! I had 2 slices and too the other 2 to my mom (which she had for dinner).

I maintained my weight this week - not totally happy, but given how hectic the week was, that was a bit of a victory.

Have a good weekend!

One thing down

We had our potluck at lunch today here in the department. I ate small portions and made pretty good choices. I had a snack before I went (an organic apple) so I wasn't ravenous.

My co-workers are complaining about how stuffed they feel, but I feel normal! Woot!

Baby steps

Okay, I've picked myself up out of my funk. This weekend I got a lot done around the house - an organized and tidy house always makes me feel better.

I have NOT been to the gym (sheesh!) but I did make yoga yesterday. Work is very busy right now - it's the rush before people go out for the holidays. I am going to go to spin tonight.

I didn't make my faux pho - I had two types of leftover soup post weekend and I only need lunch for 3 days: one day is our department pot luck and one day we are working at the food bank and going out for lunch.

I made the brussel sprout and mushroom soup from fatfreevegan.com which both my mom & I enjoyed very much and the guys weren't wild about. Oh well - more for us! :-)

Tonight I have lentil soup in the crock pot and I'll make some cornbread to go alongside.

Hub isn't working today or yesterday - he has a toenail that's gotten infected and the dr. wants him to soak it and take antibiotics - he has an appt with a podiatrist next week to get the nail removed (yuck!). Poor guy.

We watched Toy Story 3 last night and I bawled at the end. Be warned - it's not a sad ending in the tragic sense, but a total tear jerker.

Ugh.

Work has been crazy busy and stressful. I have missed every one of my fitness classes this week!!!

All in all, glad to put this one behind me!

Meals are planned for next week. I am having baked beans for breakfast. I know, crazy right? But beans for breakfast hold me over even better than oatmeal. Last time I did mexican style pinto beans with quinoa. But really, beans have enough carb that I don't think a grain is necessary. And I didn't want mexican again! Baked beans sounded good - a nice mix of spicy with a bit of sweet. Yum.

Lunch is "faux pho" (HA!) - a vegan knock-off of that yummy Vietnamese soup we all love. I am doing a raw cauliflower marinated "salad" to go alongside. I've been slack about getting raw foods in, I guess because it's cold! I am also going to make dehydrated kale "chips" this weekend. They are so good! And kale is really a wonder vegetable. I thought about putting it in the pho, but decided bok choy would go better.

Anyway, hope you have a great weekend. I have let tons of things slide this week - my house is a disaster. I called the 911-grandma hotline and my mom is coming over tomorrow to lend a hand. Have I mentioned she's the best?

No answers, just questions

It has been a tough couple of days. I spent about 2.5 days (Wednesday night through Friday night) on a food free for all (and I was sick in the middle even!), then felt better Saturday, then got stressed & lost it again yesterday.

I think it comes down to this: I know I CAN lose weight - I lost 25 pounds last year, I'm just not sure I have the discipline/will to make it happen.

Why can't I stop turning to food as a coping mechanism?

I'm not giving up - this week I am going back to basics, and taking a few days to take care of things I know will make me feel better. Stuff like hanging my kitchen curtains (I take them down when the weather is warm so we get more sun) and organizing my tupperware. I know that stuff sounds stupd, but getting stuff organized helps me feel more in control.

I need to make those things happen for myself. I ate a healthy breakfast and I have meals for the week pre-prepared so I can get back on track.

I swear I get tired of dusting myself off!

Have a good day!

About last night

For the first time in quite a while, I went on a serious eating binge last night. I'm talking saltines with vegan "butter" because I needed to EAT and there wasn't anything too decadent in the house.

I know what set it off and the fact is I'm not very happy with work right now. Simply quitting isn't an option. I am looking for other opportunities within the company, but I'm having a tough time dealing with the stress.

Exercise has been helping, but yesterday I was feeling irritable and my knee was bothering me and it just reached a boiling point.

I'm not sure how to handle this.

Stuff

So, the scale popped back down 2 of the 2.6 pounds that appeared after Sunday evening. That’s good – it puts me back where I was last Friday, but 3 days is a long time. Which makes me feel like having the treat was okay, but I probably went a little too overboard. Lesson learned – keep it in moderation. I am still thinking I will see some loss this week, so my overall plan is on track.

Last night was a “double header” at the Y – 5 pm water aerobics followed by 6 pm spin class. I had never had either instructor and I was pleased with both. The water aerobics class was the largest I’ve been in- 15 or so folks. And spin was full!

I left water aerobics a few minutes early (I missed maybe half the weight workout and the cool down) so I could grab a quick rinse shower and get upstairs for spin. I need to take some lotion to stick in my locker at the Y – my skin was itchy after the chlorine!

After I got home I ate supper and watched a little tv with the hub. I made sure to pack my gym bag so it was ready this morning. That was smart because I didn’t sleep very well and I was up for an hour in the night. So I slept a little later this morning so I’d be rested.

One thing I am finding is that I’m just not walking in the morning. I guess I’m working pretty hard between the 2 gyms but I miss my walks! I need to get in a couple a week, and I still need to add kettlebells in.

This 6 week session at work ends mid December. After this, there is the possibility they will go to 12 week sessions. Whether the sessions are 6 or 12 weeks, I think I will keep lunch yoga but drop the weights. I feel like I’ve gotten enough strength and stamina back that I could handle a class at the Y. That way I could do either kettlebell or a class if I didn’t feel like kettlebell. Chances are I would do a mix.

Anyway, I do feel like I am making progress – I can see the difference in certain yoga postures and I’ve moved up in weight in the Tone & Sculpt class.

Have a good day!

The down side to working at home and having dinner in the crockpot? Smelling the yummy aroma ALL DAY!!!!

Still Scary

The scale number is still scary. I know intellectually I didn't gain 2.6 pounds in one evening, but it still makes me feel nervous. I dunno - maybe I shouldn't have had popcorn! Frustrating!

Yesterday was yoga at lunch, 30 min Tone & Sculpt followed by 30 min on the elliptical after work, then home for a quick bite to eat then restoraative yofa at the Y. Long day - no sofa time at all!

Lunches are all cooked and packed - ready to be tossed into the lunch box. Tonight's dinner is in the crockpot and the gym bag is near readiness for this evening.

I just keep on keeping on! Nothing too exciting I guess!

Going to go vote soon. Have a good day!

Weekend

The trip to Asheville was lovely and it was great to see friends. I didn't get to the gym Saturday morning - I was tired & slept late. Normally I wake up naturally, so it didn't occur to me to set the alarm on a weekend morning. All I can say is I guess I needed the sleep!

I got ALL my cooking for the week done yesterday! I also made good progress on my bathroom curtains - just some hand stitching on one left to do.

My weight was down a bit more over the weekend. Last night I planned to eat popcorn & have some beer & watch scary movies. I knew I'd see a scary number on the scale as a result (hello, salt!), but I decided that it was worth it to me. I am drinking water like a crazy woman today in an effort to move that salt out of my system!

Today is the new session of classes here at work, so I have Tone & Sculpt this afternoon in addition to yoga at lunch.

My bike shorts came! I was so impressed with how quickly they arrived and they fit! That means I have no excuse not to go to spin tomorrow!

Wow that was a lot of exclamation points in one paragraph.

They boy is being a teenager and making us nutso. Please lord let me survive the teen years.

For lunches this week I have a mexican casserole type thing with black beans and quinoa and corn and tomatoes plus leek and squash soup. I used the greens of the leeks to dehydrate to use in salads etc and the whites I used in the soup. Easy and very good!

This morning I had oatmeal for breakfast. I used cranberries - having forgotten I bought a couple of apples to dice up & put in it. I am such a creature of habit.

Have a good day!

Woot!

First of all, I lost 2.2 pounds this week, bringing my monthly total to 5.4 pounds lost. Yes!

Yesterday, I walked 40 minutes on the treadmill prior to Tone & Fit. Yay exercise!

For all the folks around here who griped about it being nearly 80 at the end of October - we're back to shivering, happy now? It was in the mid 40s this morning. Brr!

I probably have written it every fall since I've had this blog, but I'll repeat it again this year: the seasons are pretty but I really was okay living in Hawaii where there is only 1 season "fabulous!". I dislike both cold and coats - you see my dilemna!

Tomorrow we are riding up to Asheville for the afternoon (a couple of friends are getting awards) and we really want to be there. Hub agreed that we will go AFTER I've gone to the gym. I can't decide if I want to do water aerobics or yoga. Or I could do yoga & then do some cardio on a machine on my own. Hmmm...

Money is a bit tight right now. Hub is working (yay!) but his team just started a new job and the foundations haven't been poured yet. With the rain we had, he isn't working today and didn't work yesterday. He cleaned around the house yesterday and is doing a few things for my mom today. So he's keeping busy, but of course this is unpaid time off, which puts a crimp in the budget.

Despite that, I did order myself a cheap pair of cycling shorts yesterday. My Pearl Izumi's were comfortable 30 pounds ago, but they are horribly uncomfortable now, not to mention I don't want to stretch them out & ruin them. I had a note this morning that they shipped yesterday! This will make spin class MUCH more pleasant. I consider cycling short a must.

I hope you all have a great weekend!

NSV

Yesterday afternoon/evening/into the night saw storm after storm roll through our area, leaving us popping between tornado warnings and watches - oh, and flash flood warnings. There was a lot of standing water on the roads already as I drove home, so I elected to stay put rather than go to water aerobics. I felt weird doing so, but I worked on lining my bathroom curtains.

Hub decided he wanted some milk (which I don't normally keep in the house except for almond milk) and asked if I wanted anything from the convenience store. I waffled a bit - I was feeling restless (probably due to lack of going to the gym) but said no. Go me!

I don't record my weight until Friday, but I've been weighing myself daily and am very pleased with what I am seeing. As of today's number, if I lose 10.2 pounds by the end of the year (just over 9 weeks), I will have undone the 15.6 pounds I gained this year. While I'm mad I gained, I'm glad I'm doing something about it now.

Take care of yourself

This article is well worth sharing. It's from this web site: http://refusetoregain.com/refusetoregain/ and is written by a doctor.

Swallowing the Universe
by Barbara Berkeley

Ever since Jonah was swallowed by the whale, the idea of being ingested remains a terrifying thought. In horror films, aliens gobble people whole. We fear being "swallowed" by the ocean, by storms and by quicksand. Perhaps we have nightmares about our planet being swallowed by a black hole.

We are frightened of being eaten, but we have little fear about what we, ourselves, choose to eat.

Unlike most posts on this site, this is not going to be a diatribe about sugars, starches or calories. Instead, this is a diatribe about safety and why we should be circumspect about the things we choose to swallow.

Aside from breathing, eating is the only act in which we take something from the outside world and make it a complete part of ourself. If you think of it, this is profound. The old saw "you are what you eat" is true in a very real way. The components of the things you ingest become the substance of your body. So too, their toxins...the unexpected hitchikers that accompany foods, drinks and medicines.

As the wife of a gastroenterologist, I can tell you that there is an inordinate amount of food poisoning in our world. Whenever someone gets a GI illness, they say they have the "stomach flu". More likely, they've been poisoned. Think about that: poisoned! While there is the occasional epidemic of Norwalk virus or other gastroenteritis, most of our unexplained bouts of vomiting and diarrhea come from contaminated food. This knowledge has made me think twice about the restaurants I am willing to trust. While it's always a crap shoot, if the chefs are a bunch of 18 year olds in a franchise at a highway exit, you can be sure I'm not stopping.

There has been alot written recently about contaminants that wind up in supplements and medicines. It has always astounded me that otherwise cautious people---people who buckle up when they drive, wear bike helmets, and floss their teeth---think nothing of taking potions they hear about on the internet or peculiar supplements that are not vetted by the FDA. Even vitamins branded with names of doctors, clinics and celebrities. Who is making these supplements and what in the world is in them? Are you really willing to put them directly into your Ferrari of a body?

This week, I saw a new patient who asked me whether she should stop taking her vitamins while dieting. When I asked her what she took, she produced a shopping bag full--literally. There must have been 15-20 different supplements in there, all from manufacturers I'd never heard of. Apart from the question of what these bottles actually contained, there was the larger question of whether healthy people should be taking vitamins at all. No less an authority than the vaunted Cleveland Clinic says no. And I agree. But then again, I'm particularly paranoid about my food sources. I do believe in fish oil, but I'd feel alot better if I knew the Norwegian guy who caught the fish personally.

You can call me crazy, but it only takes so many salmonella and e.coli outbreaks to tell us that we need to look out for ourselves. No one else is going to, at least not until after the fact. Consider the latest example, fines levied against pharmaceutical giant Glaxo for shameful practices in the manufacture of major drugs.

The New York Times reports:
Altogether, GlaxoSmithKline sold 20 drugs with questionable safety that were made at a huge plant in Puerto Rico that for years was rife with contamination. Cheryl Eckard, the company’s quality manager, asserts in her whistle-blower suit that she warned Glaxo of the problems but the company fired her instead of addressing the issues. Among the drugs affected were Avandia, Bactroban, Coreg, Paxil and Tagamet.

The article goes on to specify:
The plant was GlaxoSmithKline’s premier manufacturing facility, producing $5.5 billion of product each year. But Ms. Eckard soon discovered that its quality control systems were a mess: its water system was contaminated; its air system allowed for cross contamination between products; its warehouse was so over-crowded that rented vans were used for storage; it could not ensure the sterility of intravenous drugs for cancer; and pills of differing strengths were sometimes mixed in the same bottles.

Although F.D.A. inspectors had spotted some problems, most were missed. And the company abandoned even the limited fixes it promised to conduct, the unsealed lawsuit says. Ms. Eckard complained repeatedly to senior managers; little was done. She recommended recalls of defective products; recalls were not authorized. In May 2003, she was terminated as a “redundancy.” She complained to top company executives; she was ignored even after warning that she would call the F.D.A.. So she called the F.D.A. and sued. The agency began a criminal investigation and used armed federal marshals in 2005 to seize nearly $2 billion worth of products, the largest such seizure in history. Unable to fix the plant, GlaxoSmithKline shuttered it in 2009.

Who is looking out for you? Only YOU.
Here's what I recommend:

1. Carefully consider your food sources and try to eat in places that you know and trust. Foods that stand out in the open, like salad bars, are risky unless you know they are frequently cleaned and the food kept cold and fresh.

2. Don't eat unknown substances and supplements simply because they have an ad in Shape, Women's Fitness or the National Enquirer.

3. Don't assume that medicines are safe. Take the fewest pills you can. (But DO take meds if you need them!)

Your body is precious. Vet everything that you decide to eat by giving it at least a few moments of consideration. If it's worthy of you and your health, then enjoy. If it's suspect, unknown, or of uncertain value, give it the heave-ho.

Happy “hump” day

Yesterday I spent half my workday enjoying my job, and the other half feeling like I was getting the proverbial shaft. Not a good feeling. I ate Jalepeno Cheetos. Not a good way to deal with stress, but I’m proud of what came next.

I skipped my afternoon snack. I went to Tone & Sculpt & worked hard. I went home and while I made soup I asked the hub to make a big salad, of which I ate a huge bowl and then a smaller bowl of soup. We ate late (for us) – 6:45. I wasn’t hungry for the rest of the evening.

Anyway, one thing I need to remind myself is that I am not the kind of person who can stick to a plan 100% all of the time. Cheetos will happen from time to time. At the end of the day I hadn’t eaten more calories than I planned because I adjusted. I had planned to have a sandwich with the soup, but adjusted and had salad instead. Go me!

Tonight is water aerobics and yoga at lunch.

Like a rubber ball

The scale has been bouncing around like mad since last Friday - luckily it's bounced lower (well, not luckily - I've worked for that!), but still, it reminds me to watch trends and not single data points.

I didn't stay for yoga last night. I went to Spin class at 6, and by that time I was tired and really needed to finish my cooking, so I opted to go home and take care of that. I did soak in a tub and my back is fine now.

I brought my MP3 player in case I want to walk some before class this evening.

I had roasted brussel sprouts from the cafeteria with my lunch yesterday. I'm not a huge fan, but these were so good I asked the manager for the recipe! I'll be making them this weekend.

1200th post

Wow. That's pretty amazing.

Saturday I went to kickboxing because I am insane, Actually, the class itself wasn't too bad - but I did wake up extremely stiff yesterday, so decided not to do kettlebells.

This morning I signed up for the next session of fitness classes here at work - I did yoga at lunch again, and opted for the Mon/Wed Tone & Sculpt. That frees up Tue/Thur for deep water aerobics and/or spin class.

You know the '11' calculation? That is, you need your bodyweight times 11 in calories to maintain your weight. For my goal weight of 130, I would get 1430 per day to maintain that weight. That isn't very much! All the more reason to work on getting the most food & nutrition bang for my caloric buck, as it were.

After a wonderful weekend which I thoroughly enjoyed, I overate last night. Ugh! I know it's only one meal, but still. Grr.

I think tonight I will do spin and then yoga at the Y, and of course today is lunchtime yoga. Double yoga should help my back!

I hope you have a great day!

How lucky is that?

I've thought a couple of times it would be nice to have an extra swimsuit for the pool since I go to water aerobics multiple times a week. But if you've ever shopped for a"sport" swimsuit, you know they are quite expensive.

Anyway, this afternoon my mom was over and she was taking us out to supper. We had a few minutes to kill, so we rode down to Goodwill to poke around. Guess what I found? I brand new (tags still on) Speedo aquatic sport swimsuit in my size. Retail price on the suit $72. Goodwill price $3.50. Sweet!

Freaky Saturday

This morning I got up and was down another 0.8 pounds. Woo hoo! I had a few leftovers (I got up early) then had half a green drink before heading to the gym. I ended up doing kickboxing (which kicked my butt) and yoga. Then I finished my green drink when I got home.

Hub is gone for the day and I took the boy over to his grandmother's to mow the lawn. He's back now but it made for a very quiet, very relaxing afternoon. I had a nap and fell asleep listening to the birds. It was cold this morning but lovely today.

I wish the weather could stay like this until April! :-)

Have a good day!

As always, TGIF!

Well, today I weighed the same as last Friday. Eh, I'm okay with that. I didn't make Tone & Sculpt last night - I called the pediatrician to get the boy scheduled for a flu shot and they asked if I could be there by 4. Now, getting in to a pediatrician is like trying to get an audience with the Pope, so I said yes and bolted.

Last night's dinner was awesome - it was a take-off on a stuffed poblano chile recipe I found online. I'm lazy, so I roasted the chiles (on the grill) and them used them as the top & bottom of a casserole which had homemade mexican rice & beans in the middle. We had refriend beans on the side, served with salsa & guacamole. Yum-o! Mexican is my go to cuisine.

I haven't been getting enough greens and I've been feeling kinda overfull, so today I am having just green drinks for the day. I'm hoping the super infusion of greens and light eating will leave me feeling better. This isn't something I do often, but occasionally I get the urge and I'm left feeling better.

Not much in store for the weekend - I need to get my living room valences hung since soon it will be really cold and I'll want to be hanging curtains. Of course, that means I need to actually sew them! That was the one project from the house re-do that never got completed. My other project is to line the bathroom curtains. They are vintage and I don't want them to fade, and that room gets loads of very direct sunlight.

Yoga is late Saturday morning, I'm trying to decide whether I want to go to water aerobics or kickboxing beforehand. I'm leaning to water aerobics because I want to do Tracy's kettlebell workout Sunday.

Ah, the thrilling life of a jetsetter!

Mornings are definitely colder - it's 8 am and 38 degrees. The heat still isn't on and I have our bedroom windows and a couple of windows in the living room open. I wish I could have the windows open year round!

I hope you have a great weekend!

Decisions, decisions

I can hardly believe it, but next week is the last week of the 6-week fitness classes I signed up for here at work. Monday is sign-up for the next session, which starts immediately after this one. I am definitely going to do the Mon/ Wed lunchtime yoga. The Tone & Sculpt is being offered at 4:30 on Mon/ Wed or Tue/Thur. I am currently doing the T/Th which allows me to go to shallow water aerobics Monday followed (after a long break) by yoga and then the deep water aerobics with Jane at 6:15 on Wed. I like Jane’s class a lot, but I don’t like the Monday class, and the break between water aerobics and yoga is long.

Also, on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Y they offer a deep water aerobics class at 5:10 (I don’t know who teaches) AND a 6:00 spin class. In talking it through with hub, even though I’m not totally thrilled with doing both work classes on the same day (but it does have the plus of not having to bring in my gym bag so often!), I think I’m going that route simply because I have more options at the Y on Tue/ Thur and I can still get home on Monday in time to eat and have a break and then go to yoga.

The scale was back down to last Friday’s weight today. I made some good choices and some not so great choices this past weekend, and the result is that I’ll likely finish up this week where I was last week. I wouldn’t mind so much if I were farther along results-wise. Luckily, we don’t have anything similar coming up between now & Thanksgiving, so I have time to (hopefully) make up for the “lost week”. Ugh. Done can’t be undone – moving on now.

I am very happy that last night I told my husband I didn’t want to go to water aerobics and he told me I needed to and then I did! No excuses – just went. I keep telling myself “This is my life now.”

Last week I ate too big of a snack prior to class and felt a little pukey. This week I ate too small a snack and was starving! I called hub and told him to heat up some of the soup because I was so hungry! I had a bowl of soup & a small piece of leftover lasagna when I got home and it was wonderful.

I can’t decide if Saturday I want to do shallow water aerobics or kickboxing prior to yoga at 9:45.

Oh the frustration!

So, last week after working hard and eating well I lost 2 pounds. After a weekend spent on the road - making reasonable choices but eating out a lot, I'd gained 2 pounds. (Some water - my fingers were seriously swollen, but still). So frustrating.

That weight STILL hasn't come off. Big picture, I'm not freaking out. I don't go out of town regularly, nor do we eat out often.

The really frustrating part is that my knee is really hurting. It was stiff from the car ride, then I did something in water aerobics Monday, and it's still hurting. I really wanted to go to Tone & Sculpt, but it was hurting enough that I decided to stay off it. We do squats & lunges & I was afraid that would be too much - those are the movements that hurt.

Can I tell you how nerve wracking it was to decide not to work out? I felt like I'd never lose weight if I didn't go to the gym. Not a good feeling - forcing myself to exercise when something is hurting is not smart. (And I know the difference between hurt and sore.) I have yoga and water aerobics today, and I'm going to do both. Yoga will be fine, and I can be careful in aerobics.

Breakfast this morning was a vegan bean burrito, lunch is lentil burgers & a green salad & some beet salad, dinner is vegetable soup (I love my crockpot) and a salad.

I'm back!

The family and I had a great weekend in Maryland. We visited friends, the hub ate blue crabs, and the weather was awesome!

Last week I lost 1.8 pounds. I probably re-gained a bit over the weekend, I tried to make good choices, but it's hard when you are eating out so much. But he had a great time and that's what it was all about.

Spnding so much time in a (small) car meant my knee was sore Monday. Then I went to water aerobics and I think I may have done something because it hurt - a lot. I stayed home from yoga last night. This afternoon is tone & sculpt. I'll le tthe teacher know it's bothering me and do as much as I can. We'll see how it goes.

For lunch this week I made some yummy lentil burgers. I'm having them with a bit of sauce along side a spinach salad. I also made a marinated shredded carrot & beet salad that's yummy.

Breakfast this morning was oatmeal - my fall back plan.

Hope you have a good day!

Keeping it real

My dogs all have theme songs:

Bess: "Tiny Girl" sung to "Barbie Girl" (spoiled little chihuahua!)

Jordan: "Cute Stuff" sung to "Hot Stuff" by Donna Summer. I always loved Donna Summer.

Butch: Actually has two, as "Butchieman" may be sung to either "Spiderman" or "Candyman" from the original Willy Wonka movie, depending on which aspect of his personailty is being conveyed. Considering how much I hated that movie, I'm amazed I remember that song!

Maya: "Sweet Maya Girl" sung to "Sweet Caroline". I know, Neil Diamond, but she is so sweet and loving that she deserves a theme song as sweet as she is.

Last night I got home from water aerobics and I was so tired I had 1 Reece's peanut butter cup and a beer for dinner. I hope I don't get scurvy or rickets or anything. Le sigh.

Last night was deep water, which thoroughly kicked my butt. Good lord it was hard!!!

I was hungry all day. I mostly made good choices, but really too much beans & not enough vegetables. Must eat more vegetables!!!

Too pooped to pop!

Last week I did 25 minutes on the treadmill prior to Tone & Sculpt. I was tired but it was a good workout. Yesterday I did 35 minutes on the elliptical and when I got to class I felt like I hit a brick wall. There were a couple of points where I really wanted to do what she was saying, but there was just no way. Clearly, that was too much to do before class. So I need to ease back, or do that at another time. Hmmm.

I was so tired last night. I fixed & ate supper, took a soak in the tub, and sat on the sofa, exuding crankiness. This morning I absolutely did NOT want to get out of bed!

Yesterday I ended up buying an afternoon snack because I was very hungry. I realized that breakfast was about 250 calories, and lunch was the same. Not enough food for me to be satisfied. I ate an extra 200 calories in the snack. This morning I brought the same food, but I also bought a burrito in the cafeteria - veggies, no oil. It did have an egg and the wrap, both are things I'm trying to avoid. Given that I'm doing an hour each of yoga and water aerobics today, I'm not too worried about the calories - I just feel like I could've added a more nutritious choice.

Next week I definitely need to plan, but also have a back-up plan if I need to adjust. As I've said before, it is a realy challenge at times to make a healthy choice (by my standards) in the cafeteria.

Good things come in threes

First of all, about last night. Yesterday was lunchtime yoga at work. After work I met the hub at Lowe’s to pick out a new dishwasher (you have no idea how happy this makes me!). After that I realized I didn’t have time to make and eat dinner if I wanted to make water aerobics. So I put dinner in the oven for the guys, I ate some leftovers, and then headed off to the Y.

Water aerobics was okay – not as good as Saturday’s IMO. It was a different teacher, and it didn’t seem as intense. After that I had nearly 40 minutes until yoga (we finished a little early). I sat in the hot tub, took a shower, sat in the sauna. It was really nice, but it did feel like a lot of down time. However, the Restorative Yoga class was worth the wait. I thought it was an excellent class. It was taught by the same lady that taught Saturday, and I have to say I like her much better than the lady who yoga teaches at work. Work lady is okay – she just doesn’t come across as inspired or inspiring to me. But it’s solid yoga, so I’m glad to be taking it.

It was 8:45 by the time I got home from the gym. I ate a sweet potato and went to bed! Needless to say, I slept like a log! I didn’t get up & walk this morning – I was too wiped out. But I’m okay with that. Getting plenty of rest is important to. Which brings me to my title.

IMO, there are three components to good health & fitness: nutrition, exercise, and rest & recovery. If I had to rank order them (which I know isn’t really fair since they are all critical) I’d put nutrition first, then rest, then exercise. I read a quote once “You can’t out train poor nutrition.” With that in mind, I am making myself make the time to not just plan my meals, but prepare them! This weekend I had planned a lunch for myself that, frankly, came out yucky. (I pitched it). I bought lunch yesterday (veggie burger & a salad) and got up this morning to make lunches for the remainder of the week. I could have been walking, but I felt having lunches made was more important.

Second: rest & recovery. Sunday night at 2 am the neighbor’s dogs started barking. Amazingly enough, he actually let them in after a mere 45 minutes of them barking. Our bedroom windows are open and his yard is at that end of the house, so it was like having 4 dogs barking right under your open window. Needless to say, we were awake for an hour or so in the middle of the night. Monday my alarm was set to get up & walk at 5, but I turned it off. I realize that NOT exercising – skipping exercise – seems counterproductive. But in that instance, I was exhausted and needed the sleep more than I needed the walk. Making sure my body gets enough rest is imperative.

Third is exercise, which I also view as having three components: cardio, strength, and flexibility & balance. I am addressing the third through yoga, and the older I get, the more important that component seems to be. In the past I haven’t stuck with yoga for a couple of reasons: 1) it doesn’t come naturally and who enjoys practicing something they aren’t good at? And 2) it seemed like a waste of time since I wasn't burning massive amounts of calories. Time spent on yoga could be spent on the elliptical! This time around, I am treating yoga with equal importance. I have Monday & Wednesday at lunchtime at work, Monday night Restorative Yoga at the Y, and every other Saturday after water aerobics. On the alternate Saturdays it competes with water aerobics – I may try that one sometimes but 3 times seems like a good amount.

For strength I have the 30 minute Tone & Sculpt on Tuesday & Thursday at work. This Friday I am trying the kettlebell class at the Y – this is normally during my work hours, but I’m taking Friday off. I need to do kettlebells on my own at least once per week – twice would be ideal. But I have my 2 days guaranteed with the class.

Cardio is where I’m on shakiest ground! Tone & Sculpt also has some cardio component, and I am going down to do 30 minutes on a piece of cardio equipment before class on days when my schedule permits. I like the Saturday AM water aerobics, but there will be times (like this upcoming weekend) when I’m out of town. Monday night was okay, but not a great workout. I have heard good stuff about Wednesday’s deep water class and am looking forward to trying that tomorrow. I think that will be a definite part of my week.

I don’t know how long the water aerobics (except Wednesday) will stay on the schedule. I like the fact that I can do that AND yoga and have energy for both – not to mention get them done in a single trip to the gym. And I like the fact that I’m in my swimsuit which encourages me to use the sauna etc., which I really enjoy. So we’ll see. Wednesday water aerobics and cardio equipment as I can.

I’d like to fit in a spin class, but not sure about that one. And I plan to continue to walk in the morning, but I view that as more for my mental well being than exercise per se, so if I need to rest then rest it is. I can tell the difference between being lazy & being tired! Hee hee

I don’t know if I’ve mentioned the fourth quarter challenge being run by the on- site nutritionist: “Maintain Don’t Gain”. You weigh & get your measurements taken, then participate in various classes & healthy activities (you earn points per each one). You need to earn at least 6 points. Then you get weighed & measured again at the end of January. I weighed & got measured last week. This is just an extra bit of incentive to keep on the path!

Right now I’m feeling very good. I told my husband that for now (at least) I intended to treat health & fitness as my primary hobby: I intend to learn about it, practice it, and try out new variations. Outside of work, that’s my thing. If it means we don’t eat together as a family Monday & Wednesday then that has to be okay. We still sit down & eat together most other nights. I think my son seeing his parents being active & trying to get fit is probably even more important than those 2 nights of eating together.

Easier than I thought

This weekend I tried somethng really radical and daring: I went to back to back classes at the Y. Granted, these were not the toughest of classes - I did AquaFit (aka water aerobics) then had time for a sit in the sauna and nice shower before going to yoga. It was great!

A girl in AquaFit recommended the Wednesday deep water class, and a lady in yoga recommended the Monday "Restorative yoga" class (which I've been wanting to try). It meant I spent all Saturday morning at the gym, but that was okay by me. Yeah, I didn't get all my chores around the house done this weekend, but oh well.

I am really enjoying yoga a lot. I get a little impatient at times, but I just keep trying to focus on the moment and the pose we're doing. This is something that I don't quite view as "exercise" in the sense of burning calories, but I view it as important.

To me, fitness has 3 components: strength, endurance, and flexibility/balance. So if my workouts comtain a combination of cardio, weights, and some flexibility training, I will improve more than if I just focus on one or two components. Especially as I get older, I think that the flexibility is increasingly important. And yoga is relaxing. I think in the past it's been hard for me to justify time spent doing yoga since it doesn't burn a lot of calories.

So, meals this week: breakfast is quinoa and pintos, lunch is an asian flavored cabbage & noodle salad, I'm bringing 2 prunes with peanut butter for the afternoon. Dinners are varied.

The weekend was very nice. I didn't get accomplished everything I wanted to, but I think I simply had too much on my list. Gee, that seems to happen on a regular basis! :-O

Weather here was lovely, maybe a tad warm yesterday (air conditioner is OFF), but really good. Our windows are open as long as possible. Once they get closed and the curtains are shut, it feels like a long time till spring!

Have a good day!

Rawr!

A co-worker and I agreed to start going to the fitness center a half hour or so before Tone & Sculpt to use the cardiio equuipment before class. Yesterday afternoon we got in a 25 minute workout - I used the treadmill (someone was on the elliptical - curses!) and S used the treadmill and then the bike (she has bone spurs in her heels, so could only do the treadmill for a bit). I didn't kill myself but I pushed it pretty good.

Class was the hardest we've done so far! it was total body and very intense - lots of compound movements. I had sweat dripping off my nose and onto the dumbbells. Yes!

After class S looked at me and said "Aren't you glad we came down & did cardio first?" We were both toast, but I felt great.

Scale was down 1.5 pounds this week. Best of all, I'd forgotten just how fantastic I feel after a really great workout.

What’s working, what’s not

Food is going pretty well. This week for breakfast I’ve been doing oatmeal – this makes a great plan “B” since they sell a 12 oz. bowl of plain oatmeal (add your own toppings – I bring mine from home) for 85 cents in our cafeteria. But I’m not that wild about oatmeal, so I don’t want to get burned out while it’s barely fall! Next week I was thinking bean burrito, but I’ve decided to do a bowl of pintos & quinoa with salsa or pico. Better grain than a tortilla, and with some real staying power.

Lunches this week have been a version of VeganEpicurian’s “deconstructed sushi salad”. It’s good, but I think I strayed too far from the basic recipe for it to be great. The way I made it, it’s essentially a marinated raw vegetable salad. The up side is you can eat a lot! With yoga at lunchtime, I’ve been doing lunch in 2 parts, a small portion prior and the rest after. It’s been working okay. And with Tone & Sculpt after work 2 days a week, I’ve been doing an afternoon snack to keep me going.

So, food is going well, but I decided to add back in an afternoon snack. I tried eliminating snacking altogether, but I have such a long break between lunch and dinner that it wasn’t working for me.

I’m using FitDay to help me figure out the calories in what I’m eating. I need to be more diligent about this, but I am making an effort.

Evening snacking still happens at times, I’ve been trying to eat less/better. I don’t make optimal choices 100% of the time, but I’m improving. The nice thing is that exercise helps me feel better helps decrease my desire to eat too much junk in the evenings.

Exercise is going very well. I have a new pair of New Balance walking shoes and I’m walking in the mornings, doing yoga twice a week, and Tone & Sculpt twice a week. That’s my minimum.

This weekend I plan to finish my living room valences and do a bit of tidying up. Other than that, just the usual shopping & cooking.

There is a water aerobics class Saturday morning at 8:15 I want to check out. I’m hoping hub will get up and go with me to the gym (I know he won’t do water aerobics!)

Anyway, that’s about it. Fall is definitely here – I’m wearing a jacket for my morning walks.

Have a great day!

Wednesday

Tone & Sculpt was good last night. I used heavier weights and I need to go up another notch. Glad I still have some strength!

We closed on our home re-fi last night. Yay! Four years off the mortgage with the stroke of a pen (several actually).

Off for a quick walk break!

The answer to life, the universe, everything!

My husband turned 42 yesterday. ;-)

He had a good day - he's happy to be working local again, which was probably the best birthday gift of all. Next weekend we are headed up north to celebrate and visit with friends - first to Springfield Va then to Laurel Md. (Not this coming weekend - the weekend of the 16th).

The weather is cooling off and soup is turning up on the menu for often. Yum!

After a ringing endorsement from my walking buddy, I tried a pair of the Sketchers toning shoes. Hated them! She said it took a while to get used to them, but since I consider my morning walks to be more for relaxation and meditation than exercise, I'll be sticking with my old fashioned New Balance. :-)

I picked up a stretchy yoga band at Target - that's the kind the teacher has and I tried hers and really liked it. This evening is tone & sculpt. Woo hoo!

This weekend I am skipping my medieval plans to putter around the house and to try a couple of new workout videos I haven't used yet. I feel badly on the one hand, but I feel like I need some quiet time, so why make myself feel guilty for doing what I want????

The least flexible person in the world

At my request, yoga teacher walked around & checked form, which was very helpful. Class was VERY hard - I needed the belt & blocks very often.

Need more yoga practice!

Monday? Already??

Mom and I had a nice time at the beach. It was a very quick trup - we drove down Saturday morning and got there about lunch, then left Sunday after breakfast. We did have time to look at some townhouses for her, take a long walk on the beach, and poke around in a couple of antique stores.

I am feeling stressed again at work, which all too often translates to poor choices Sunday afternoon/evening. I need to think of a way to keep me occupied and/or out of the house. There is a 2 pm spin class every other Sunday afternoon at the gym - maybe I should start going to that?

Hmm

I'm back at a place where I'm frustrated with my work. I've posted for a couple of jobs in other departments, but no offers yet. I've been in my current dept a while and it's time for change. I would prefer not to switch companies - benefits (which are nice, especially after over a decade there) aside, it's a good company and I'm happy there.

Anyway, it's left me feeling frustrated.

Today I am getting my groceries bought and picking up around the house because tomorrow I am getting up and heading to the beach for a quick all expenses paid overnight trip, courtesy of my mom! Just the 2 of us - boys are staying at home! :-)

Walking was lovely this morning. I finished watching Tracy's kettlebell dvd - I thought it was very good and will be very useful. I'm glad I bought it.

Went shopping (I had a 30% off a Kohl's coupon) - I got a new pair of walking shoes (needed!), bedroom slippers and a wallet (not needed as badly) and some new tops for fall (needed - old stuff is getting old). Thankfully nothing has sequins, sparkles, or designs reminiscent of cat puke. I call that a victory.

Going back Monday to pick up some more stuff for the boy (he needs jeans) and a pair of sneakers for MIL, if she can find a pair she likes. My coupon is still good plus I have $20 in "Kohl's cash", so mom is getting her shoes for her b-day gift. Being diabetic, she needs to have a good pair.

Other than that, not too much going on around here. I like my body sculpt class and yoga was okay - she didn't go around & check form, and it's been a while since I've done yoga so I wasn't confident I was doing stuff correctly. I am going to ask her to please check my form during the next class. She's an okay instructor - I've had better, but she's not bad and the convenience of at work is hard to beat.

I hope you have a great weekend!

What would you have done?

Yesterday my boss asked that we clear our calendars for a planning session & that he'd be ordering in lunch from Salsarita's (a mexican "build your own" bar type deal). having gotten my food planning, prepping, & portioning to a good place, I really didn't want to go there.

I told him I'd been eating more vegan recently (true) and asked if he'd mind if I brought my lunch. He said not at all, so I'm taking my lunch with me. I'll probably grab some guacamole for my carrot sticks, but that's it. I have a really good lunch (my pita) so I don't think I'll feel sorry I can't have mexican.

The office - a dieter's peril!

Happiness is....

opening your jean drawer to put away a baseball cap and finding 2 pair of jeans you forgot you bought, and they fit! ;-)

Just a bunch of stuff

I went to my Tone & Sculpt class at the work gym last night (it’s more like a mini-me gym wannabe, but it has enough room for (small) classes, a few weights and a dvd player, and 1 each recumbent bike, treadmill, and elliptical). I thought the class was pretty good.

Plusses:
It’s 30 minutes, enough to get a decent workout without getting bored
It’s at work. Hello, convenience!

Minuses:
Co-workers seeing you looking chubby in workout clothes.
I chose too light weights last night, so not too much of a workout, but I can fix this next time.

All in all, I’m glad I signed up! Today I have my first yoga class. I’ll report back!

I’ve watched an hour of Tracy Reifkind’s dvd. It’s not a “workout dvd” per se, it’s more of a seminar to teach instructors how to design workouts, drive progress, etc. for their clients. It’s useful, but it’s a “sit down and watch and make notes” v. “follow along at home”, which leaves my son wondering whether I consider watching people exercise as exercise. (15 year olds say lots of smackable things!) The main disc is 1.5 hours long, with another discussion disc that’s 45 minutes. I’ve learned a lot of stuff so far.

We were able to turn off the air and open the house up this past weekend. It has contributed to my sleeping like a log! I got up a little before 5 this morning to get my walk in and get my lunch box packed. I wanted to leave early since I needed to get 2 dogs to the vet (Butch is having his sutures out and I wanted the vet to check a cyst looking thing on Jordan’s eyelid). The mornings are very pleasant, and luckily I got my walk in before it started raining because it was really raining hard! Juggling 2 dog leashes and an umbrella is pretty comical.

I’ve been doing a smoothie (frozen banana, 1/3 mango, green powder and spinach) and a mini bagel with lox for breakfast. This morning I didn’t have time to sit down & eat (plus it was very early) so I had my smoothie then had oatmeal when I got to work.

Lunches this week are pitas. I found some oat bran & flax pitas that are 60 calories each. They’re pretty thin, but they hold up fairly well. I’ve been stuffing them with hummus, 4 olives, banana peppers, cucumber, and tomato. Also brought a very small cup of vegetable soup yesterday & today since it’s been a bit chilly in the office. It takes a while to get everything packed up, but I’ve just decided to take whatever time I need to get ready instead of rushing like a crazy person. It’s much less stressful.

Yoga is from 12-1. I usually eat at 11:30. I don’t want to eat my whole lunch before doing downward dog, so I have to experiment with eating part of it and finishing it after class. I’ll either have the soup or half a pita. No big deal, just something I need to get used to. I eat breakfast early, so I’ve been eating lunch at 11:30 for the last decade or so!

Hopefully this is hub’s last week working out of town! It’s been tough, I’m glad the end is in sight!

What do you think?

Last night I was watching “Thintervention” with Jackie Warner. I had never watched it before, but hub and I came across it while channel surfing and I was curious. I had watched a few episodes of her previous show. Based on the eyes wide apart “horsey” look she has going on in the face, I suspect she’s been using steroids (that’s a side effect).

ANYWAY. That’s not the point here. They were having the therapy session at the end of the show and Jackie talked about overweight people using food as a form of self punishment. How we talk negatively to ourselves and hurt ourselves with food.

I’m not sure I agree. Most emotional overeaters do so to comfort themselves – to make ourselves feel better. Does overeating have negative consequences? Yes, but they aren’t generally immediate. If you overeat when you’re young, your body can cope with a lot. As you get older you may gain weight, but other side effects may not show up till middle age (high cholesterol and blood pressure). Sure these things show up earlier in some folks, but as a general rule the gratification is immediate and the down side seems far off in the future.

Do I dunno. Do we overeat because we love ourselves or hate ourselves? Or both? Or neither?