What I’m Reading

I just finished “Jemima J”, which I thought was a very good book. I had read both of the “Bridget Jones” books – the first was pretty good but I didn’t really care for the second. It felt like she had to really stretch to create a story in order to capitalize on the success of the first. But “Jemima” was great – a funny cute story and I liked how the people (like Geraldine) didn’t fit the stereotype they started out in.

I also just finished “The Wolves of Calla”, the fifth Stephen King novel of the “Gunslinger” series. This has always been one of my favorite series of books by him. Since they’ve been written over a period of 20 years, its interesting to see how his style has developed over the years. I am really looking forward to the final two books of the series.

I’m not a big magazine reader, but I had a chance to subscribe to some for $2 a year when I used active.com to register for the marathon. I got a backpacking mag, plus something else (some girly thing – Shape or Self or something). And I always buy “Runners World”, and keep meaning to subscribe to that one.

My MIL gets “Working Mother” at my house. I find it generally amusing – it seems to cater to wealthy moms. I mean, I’m no slouch, but I don’t buy $150 purses either! The June issue is doing a profile of a lady that works here – I know her and she’s a great lady and I’m thrilled that she is getting featured. So that should be cool.

I am headed by the library today to drop off Jemima & Calla and pick up a couple of new books. One on nutrition and one in the same sort of genre as Bridget & Jemima. I have always been an avid reader, generally leaning toward sci-fi (true sci-fi as opposed to a lot of that fantasy crap that’s out today. Some of it is decent but a lot of it is drivel), and horror. The usual Koontz & King but also some other authors not so famous but equally excellent.

Tuesday’s Food & Exercise

I wound up with a mild case of food poisoning yesterday. Not really bad, but enough that I had severe bloating & stomach cramps. The problem was the pain felt like hunger, so I ate more in the afternoon than I usually do. Nothing hideous though.

Breakfast: kashi go lean crunch with berries & soy milk
Snack: ½ c lowfat cottage cheese with Mrs dash and cherry tomatoes
Lunch: leftover shrimp creole and a side salad and an orange
Snack: peach and the whole payday bar (I usually eat half)
Snack: 2 Fazoli’s breadsticks (not a good choice, but my stomach hurt!)
Dinner: 5 oz chopped sirloin, mashed potatoes & gravy, turnip greens

Exercise: I ran/walked for 3 miles in the morning. In the afternoon, the boy & I went swimming before his tutoring. I warmed up, swam 300 yards, then we raced & played around

Pump Some Iron & Get "Girlified!"

I read a lot of weight loss blogs. A couple lately (here and here) have discussed the fact that they have become “more girly” as of late. Both of these ladies do a lot of weight training and that got me thinking. I too have become more “girly” since I began weight training. So what’s up with that?

Here’s my theory: Since I began lifting weights, I take a lot more pride in my appearance. I mean, people, I’m still overweight. But I look (and feel) a lot better than I have in years. And even though there are times when I weighed less, I wasn’t as fit. And when I was thinner and fit, I took a lot of pride in my appearance. Just because I was a weight lifting army sergeant, didn’t mean I couldn’t clean up good enough to give the college girls down at the dance clubs a run for their money! *lol*

Last year I started making a point of painting my toenails. This year I even had a pedicure. And I wear make-up almost every day. Not a whole bunch, but I used to not bother with it much. And I dug out my nice Clinique face products and wash my face every day – with real soap instead of just water or whatever.

Here’s to the powerful influence of weights on girliness!

Monday's Food & Exercise

Breakfast: kashi go lean crunch with berries & half a banana and soy milk

Snack: yogurt, payday

Lunch: ff turkey dog on lite ww bun, salad

Snack: Michelina light lasagna (only 250 calories)

Dinner: Shrimp creole

Snack: 2 small pieces dark belgian chocolate & diet pepsi

Exercise: I did a total upper body workout at the gym, but was only able to bench 115 :-( And I did Monday night yoga.

Weekend Recap

Well, the weekend was everything I could have hoped for. The weather was perfect, the hotel was nice, and we had a wonderful time!

I did do a little snacking, had one really good meal that was “over” and did have ice cream last night, but nothing really too out of control. And I got loads of exercise! I ran on the beach early in the morning, walked on the beach, swam in the ocean, and played in the pool with my son. So I feel like I did really well.

Ocean Isle is very quiet and not overly commercial, which is how I like the beach to be. And when we got home my son gave me his Mother’s Day gifts: a hand made “book” with poems he’d written in school, a card, and a wreath he made. It was so sweet – I’m so lucky to have such a wonderful family.

How Training for a Marathon is like “I Love Lucy” in the Chocolate Factory

You remember that episode? Lucy and Ethel get jobs in the candy factory (I can’t remember doing what). At first they’re doing okay, but then the conveyor belt starts to speed up and pretty soon Lucy is shoveling the candy into her mouth to make it go away. It’s a great site gag and we can all relate to her obvious sense of being overwhelmed. Marathon training reminds me a little of that – a couple of short runs a week, and then one long run that increases every week. Looking at that calendar makes me feel a little like Lucy. Me? Running 10 miles by the end of this month? I’ve haven’t done that kind of distance in over a decade. It’s a little scary at times, but exciting too.

Weekend Plans

I’m headed down to the beach this weekend! Woo Hoo!! I love the beach.

So, I did my long run this morning so I wouldn’t have to do it this weekend – 6 miles. It felt great! I rolled out of bed and threw on my clothes & walked out of the door & just hit it. I took it slow and it felt so great – I really enjoyed it. Even when I got home to take a shower I still felt really good. That’s the kind of run I love. But, I will say that’s the last time I do a long run on a workday – I was late! (Not major, but no more long runs before work).

I am taking my running shoes this weekend and will probably do a walk/ run for 40 minutes each morning, just to keep the momentum going. Next week I will absolutely get back on a normal workout routine. Plus, Sonja and I are going to start back doing legs on Thursdays again, so that’s very good news. Hopefully running & biking have helped, but it’s been like a month since I did a squat!

I am taking fruit, low fat honey grahams, and low fat wheat thins for snacking at the beach. So, I am hoping that will help me not get out of control. I am also taking some of my “optimum slim” cereal for breakfast (at 180 calories a cup it’s not exactly ‘slim’, but boy it’s loaded in fiber). I don’t want to get my “three weeks to the 140s” plan off to a bad start, so I am going to have some good seafood but not get crazy. Plus I should get plenty of exercise walking & swimming.

Have a great weekend!

Thursday’s Food & Exercise

Exercise consisted of a 30 minute walk at lunch, since my workout time got pre-empted by end of year parent/teacher conferences.

B: smoothie & kashi go lean waffle (plain)
S: 2 low fat string cheeses
L: salad greens with cilantro, with a grilled chicken breast, salsa, and homemade guacamole (this was so good!) and an orange
S: apple and half a payday
S: handful of peanuts
D: 2 fat free turkey hot dogs on lite whole wheat buns, with mustard, 6 Doritos

Weigh In Today

Well, its nice to know I’m so good at maintenance! I remained at 154 again this week. So, that gives me 3 weeks to lose 4 pounds. That sounds reasonable – aggressive, but reasonable. But I’ve got that free day waiting for me at the end, so there’s my motivation!

When is exercise not really exercise?

I didn’t work out yesterday. Let’s just say that getting all sweaty on a bike didn’t sound like fun this time of the month. I was already feeling gross! And today’s workout time has been hijacked by parent/teacher conferences. So I walked 30 minutes at lunch. I guess I must be a workout snob, because I don’t really feel like I “worked out” since I didn’t come back all sweaty. But sometimes it’s the best you can do.

Wednesday's Food & Exercise

Exercise was non-existent and food was crap. I hate my period.

Bribery Will Get You Everywhere

My May goal is to finally put the 150s behind me. Oh the thrill of having to move that big thingie on the scale only over to the 100 mark! So, in order to accomplish my goal I have decided to resort to the oldest trick in the book: bribery. And not just bribery, but I have decided to break one of the cardinal rules of dieting: “Thou shalt never use food as a reward.” Yeah, right!

So, here’s my deal with myself: Weigh day is on Friday. If I weight less than 150 on the last day of May, then that Saturday of Memorial Day weekend I can eat anything I want. Anything. I have a 9 mile run scheduled for that day. So, I’ll get up early and go for my run. Probably grab a piece of an energy bar to get me through until I grab a shower, then out to breakfast with hubby at our usual spot.

Probably do a few chores around the house, and then the day kicks off at lunch. I am packing a cooler, parking my butt in my living room, and settling in for a long day of cheesy movies, Andromeda episodes, whatever. I’ll have the fridge ready to go with my treats I’ve decided on and a cooler with beer & water & soda in the loving room for optimal coldness. That’s my day. Consuming calories & watching junk. My son won’t be home to see the shame.

I know, this is wrong on so many levels. But if it works I won’t care. I figure even in 12 hours of pigging out, there is no way I can undo what I accomplish this month. If I get below 150, it will be so worth it!

Tuesday’s food & Exercise

B: egg mcmuffin (no cheese) & a diet coke
S: 2 lowfat string cheeses
L: salad w/ a can of tuna & an orange (on the side)
S: apple & half a payday
S: 1 lowfat string cheese (hungry)
D: grilled chik breast w/ teriyaki sauce, green beans, order of mashed potatoes & gravy
S: Miller lite & ¼ Belgian dark chocolate bar (can you say PMS?)

Exercise:
2 mile run/walk. My son went with me, so it was a little more walking than I would have liked. Oh well.

When do I go “Aha!”?

I am checking out weight loss blogs during lunch, and I’m reading this one. I love her “after” picture – great arm muscles! And I’m thinking about my trainer telling me how she’s dropped 10 pounds in 2 weeks by eating really healthy and not cheating on her diet. While I am doing these two things, I’m also thinking about the fact that when I was in the “barfeteria” checking out with my salad greens (I bring my toppings & dressing from home), I notice the lady across from me has chicken & dumplings. I love chicken and dumplings and as soon as I see them my mouth starts watering. It’s watering just writing this. So, I’m telling myself that maybe I can just go upstairs and get some and just eat a few bites and throw the rest away.

Hello, reality check over here!!! I’m sitting here thinking I could really see some changes if I cleaned up my diet – see some good arm definition (gosh knows the muscles are under there), and at the same time I’m thinking I’ll just pop upstairs for an order of chicken and dumplings!?! Do you know what’s in those things!?!? Crisco and white flour. Dear Lord, what is wrong with me????

Many people who write about losing weight talk about their “aha moment” – when they realized they really needed to lose and it all clicked and they were on their way. My problem is I’ve never had one of these moments. I mean, I know I need to lose weight, but it’s never all just magically clicked for me. I’ve had to struggle to educate myself, then to follow through. And I’m always having to be vigilant because I find it so simple to slip back into my old (bad) habits. They are never replaced. They are always lurking in the shadow, waiting for a moment to jump out & mug me.

I’ve come a long way, but I’ve got along way to go. And I don’t know that it will ever really end for me. Maintenance will be the same crap, just in different sized jeans.

Oops! I forgot the exercise!

I went to yoga class. The Monday night instructor is great, and I am glad that his class is the same time as my son’s tae kwon do.

I lifted weights (chest & back). I did a “practice” for the bench press competition in 2 weeks. After warming up with a few push-ups, I started at 100 pounds and added weight until I couldn’t do any more. I did 120 pounds (twice), but couldn’t do the 130. I dunno if I’ll win, but I think I’ll made a decent showing.

My trainer suggested I get a job working in the weight room. The rates on personal training are going to go up again, and I would get a discount on my training and my family’s gym membership for free. And I only have to work like 1 evening a week to get those benefits, so it might be worth it. And I think I would enjoy it. She’s going to check & see if they could use anybody else right now. I’m kinda excited. I think I would like it, and its pretty cool she thinks I would be good at it!

Monday’s Food & Exercise

B: kashi crunch with berries & soy milk
S: 2 lowfat string cheeses
L: California roll, hibachi chicken & vegetables with ½ c rice and 6 bites of stuff that looked good off the Chinese buffet, where I went to eat with my husband!
S: ½ a payday
D: meat loaf (made with WW recipe), corn on the cob, steamed green beans

A note about recipes

Nearly everything I serve at home is home made. Nearly everything I eat at lunch is also home made. All of my recipes have been adjusted so they are low fat, or focus on healthy fat. In short, what sounds decadent (like last night’s lasagna) isn’t necessarily what it seems. My lasagna, for example, is made with tofu and lowfat cottage cheese instead of ricotta. A small amount of shredded 5 cheese blend is added for flavor. To give it “meatiness” I finely chop up a few turkey meatballs or maybe turkey Italian sausage in the food processor. This ensures the meat flavor is spread through the lasagna. And it’s a heck of a lot healthier than anything you can buy!

Focus on Fruits & Veggies

One down side (for me) of WW was that it turned me away from fruits. It seemed high in points to me, so I ate more veggies and shied away from the fruit. Lately, I’ve tried to add fruit back into my diet by adding berries or bananas to cereal, using an orange for a snack, etc.

This week my goal is to really scrutinize my eating & make sure I’m getting plenty – especially vegetables. I rarely serve salads with dinner at home, but I plan to add them this week. I want to eat a smaller serving of the main course and have a salad to make the dinner bigger.

Saturday my eating was really terrible – it was all the things I hate about my weekend diet. Sunday was much better, but still. A heavy meal Friday (with beer) plus that snack Sunday evening would have been okay if Saturday had been on plan. I had hoped to eat lighter Sunday to help offset, which I mostly did. But I should have picked a healthier snack than Doritos. And I wonder why the weight comes off so slowly? Sheesh!

Sunday's food & exercise

Half an energy bar
Ran 5 miles
B: 2 glasses OJ and a piece of toast
S: 2 lowfat string cheeses
L: WW Smart One tuna casserole
S: half a snack bag of doritos with refried beans
D: salad, homemade lasagna, piece of garlic bread (low butter)
Dessert: half a brownie
S: 1 german beer & rest of doritos

Not hideous, but I needed to leave of the evening snack!

Saturday Food

Half an energy bar prior to fun run w/ son

Exercise: Fun run

B: 2 poached eggs, whole wheat toast (half slice), salmon patty
L/rest of day Oh my God! The day quickly went south as I sat around watching cheesey bug movies, eating pizza, popcorn, & drinking beer all afternoon/evening.
D: grilled chicken ceaser salad from McD's (used half the dressing) at 9:30 pm.

Only about 3,000 calories over what I should have consumed!

Friday's Food

B: egg mcmuffin (no cheese) diet coke
L: french onion soup & a crab bake sandwich (boss took team to lunch)
D: rouladen, spatzle, sauteed green beans, german potato salad, bratwurst, & good german beer!