The waiting game.
I lost 0.5 pounds this week. Gah. If I work out this hard, can I have a body that reflects that fact?
I'm just crabby because my mom is dog sitting for my MIL, and my husband drove to Durham to pick up the dog and when the &^& said "Did you know that (my mom) accused me of taking her china?" he didn't say anyting to her. I don't care if they were in public. He thinks she took it, and I wish he'd said that to her face. The whole thing makes me furious.
Thursday, February 01, 2007
Snow day!
Well, I am working at home today! We have snow! Proably a whole inch by now! What, you aren't impressed??? :-) I am working at home today, and would have gone in except for the fact that the snow will be turning to ice at home point (no one knows when) and homegirl doesn't drive in ice! So, rather than go in and then have to finish out the day at home, I just decided to spend the day working. I will say, it is more difficult to concentrate, and my chair isn't as comfy!
I made it to the gym yesterday afternoon - I am now 2 weight lifting sessions and 3 cardio sessions for the week. I did NOT go to the gym this morning as I was starting to really feel seriously wiped, but I'll be back at it tomorrow. I hope the ice is minimal so I can go the the gym and office tomorrow.
I got home from the gym yesterday and felt like crap - I never got around to eating my afternoon snack and so after that workout my head was throbbing and I was shaky from hunger (stupid). I came home and had a few bites of pasta salad and a NA beer while I heated dinner - leftover meat & veggie filling for lettuce wraps. I skipped the rice to balance things out a bit, but was still ravenous so I had a slice of my mom's pizza (we had build your own pizza night here last night). Easy on the lowfat cheese, but still a bit overboard. I called the hub to see if he could stop for beer on the way home, but luckily for me he didn't answer the phone and by the time he called me back I had regained my composure! Tell me carbs aren't a trigger food!!!
Disaster was averted, I ate a tab bit more, but not too bad. Doing okay on food today, despite being home. Hope you all have a good day!
Well, I am working at home today! We have snow! Proably a whole inch by now! What, you aren't impressed??? :-) I am working at home today, and would have gone in except for the fact that the snow will be turning to ice at home point (no one knows when) and homegirl doesn't drive in ice! So, rather than go in and then have to finish out the day at home, I just decided to spend the day working. I will say, it is more difficult to concentrate, and my chair isn't as comfy!
I made it to the gym yesterday afternoon - I am now 2 weight lifting sessions and 3 cardio sessions for the week. I did NOT go to the gym this morning as I was starting to really feel seriously wiped, but I'll be back at it tomorrow. I hope the ice is minimal so I can go the the gym and office tomorrow.
I got home from the gym yesterday and felt like crap - I never got around to eating my afternoon snack and so after that workout my head was throbbing and I was shaky from hunger (stupid). I came home and had a few bites of pasta salad and a NA beer while I heated dinner - leftover meat & veggie filling for lettuce wraps. I skipped the rice to balance things out a bit, but was still ravenous so I had a slice of my mom's pizza (we had build your own pizza night here last night). Easy on the lowfat cheese, but still a bit overboard. I called the hub to see if he could stop for beer on the way home, but luckily for me he didn't answer the phone and by the time he called me back I had regained my composure! Tell me carbs aren't a trigger food!!!
Disaster was averted, I ate a tab bit more, but not too bad. Doing okay on food today, despite being home. Hope you all have a good day!
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Workout sandwich
"I hated every minute of the training. But I said to myself, bear the pain now and live the rest of your life as a champion." – M. Ali
It was tough to drag my carcass out of bed this morning. As you know from the sidebar, the past two weeks have yielded a 1 pound gain. While this was due to extraordinary circumstances, I very much want to get the scale moving in the proper direction. For that reason, I have increased my cardio this week. I am doing the usual 3 weight lifting sessions, but I upped my high intensity interval sessions from 3 to 5. I implemented this plan Monday, its Wednesday morning, and I can feel the fatigue! It doesn’t sound like much, but these HIIT sessions really drain you. Eating is on track.
I had lunch with a friend yesterday. We ate at the Duke hospital cafeteria, and I was able to make a very healthy (and tasty!) selection. I had gone to Durham for my annual check-up, and very first boob smashing! Woo hoo! It wasn’t nearly as bad as some people who have you believe. We had a good visit. He works at the VA hospital, which is where my doctor is. Small world.
We are going to get snow/sleet tomorrow, so I may work from home. Luckily, we did weights this morning, so if I can’t make it to the gym, I’ll only miss HIIT. I might go in the morning before it gets bad so I can be sure to get it in.
Here’s my food, for the curious:
B: egg + 2 whites on a lowcarb burrito with salsa
S: 2 lowfat string cheese + half a grapefruit
L: Mexican casserole (recipe to follow)
S: tuna, half a grapefruit, and ¼ c Fiber One
D: mostly what the family is eating – I have shrimp scampi with broccoli for nights they are having something that doesn’t fit in with my plan
S: 2 pieces lowfat Laughing Cow cheese and a NA “beer”.
Mexican Casserole
1 onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 pound ground turkey
3 T chili powder
1 T ground cumin
1 15 oz can black beans
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1 c salsa
1 tube polenta, diced
1 c shredded lowfat cheese
¼ c chopped cilantro
Saute meat, onion, bell pepper, & garlic. Drain fat, & add all ingredients except cheese. Heat through, then place in a casserole dish, top with cheese, & poop in oven to melt cheese. I added part of a chipotle pepper to give it an extra kick. Yum-O!
Hope you have a great day!
"I hated every minute of the training. But I said to myself, bear the pain now and live the rest of your life as a champion." – M. Ali
It was tough to drag my carcass out of bed this morning. As you know from the sidebar, the past two weeks have yielded a 1 pound gain. While this was due to extraordinary circumstances, I very much want to get the scale moving in the proper direction. For that reason, I have increased my cardio this week. I am doing the usual 3 weight lifting sessions, but I upped my high intensity interval sessions from 3 to 5. I implemented this plan Monday, its Wednesday morning, and I can feel the fatigue! It doesn’t sound like much, but these HIIT sessions really drain you. Eating is on track.
I had lunch with a friend yesterday. We ate at the Duke hospital cafeteria, and I was able to make a very healthy (and tasty!) selection. I had gone to Durham for my annual check-up, and very first boob smashing! Woo hoo! It wasn’t nearly as bad as some people who have you believe. We had a good visit. He works at the VA hospital, which is where my doctor is. Small world.
We are going to get snow/sleet tomorrow, so I may work from home. Luckily, we did weights this morning, so if I can’t make it to the gym, I’ll only miss HIIT. I might go in the morning before it gets bad so I can be sure to get it in.
Here’s my food, for the curious:
B: egg + 2 whites on a lowcarb burrito with salsa
S: 2 lowfat string cheese + half a grapefruit
L: Mexican casserole (recipe to follow)
S: tuna, half a grapefruit, and ¼ c Fiber One
D: mostly what the family is eating – I have shrimp scampi with broccoli for nights they are having something that doesn’t fit in with my plan
S: 2 pieces lowfat Laughing Cow cheese and a NA “beer”.
Mexican Casserole
1 onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 pound ground turkey
3 T chili powder
1 T ground cumin
1 15 oz can black beans
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1 c salsa
1 tube polenta, diced
1 c shredded lowfat cheese
¼ c chopped cilantro
Saute meat, onion, bell pepper, & garlic. Drain fat, & add all ingredients except cheese. Heat through, then place in a casserole dish, top with cheese, & poop in oven to melt cheese. I added part of a chipotle pepper to give it an extra kick. Yum-O!
Hope you have a great day!
Monday, January 29, 2007
Sometimes, no amount of planning can save you!
This was a super busy weekend. Friday night we had a couple over for dinner, which was great fun. We really hit it off well with them, and were glad for a chance to hang out. They arrived about 6 and stayed until 10:30 – so it was waaaaay past my bedtime!
Saturday we got up, had breakfast, & headed out. First to Elkin, so I could help W with the annual treasurer report (for our medieval group), then we turned around & headed east to Durham to help a friend move. I had packed a lunchbox of healthy snacks to take with us, and even though we had fast food for lunch, I had a grilled chicken sandwich with lettuce, tomato, and pickle. So we were doing good.
I thought we’d be home in time for dinner, but a) we weren’t and b) they had fixed dinner. Hungry and tired, I had pasta with marinara sauce, a slice of Italian bread, and a cookie. Where’s the protein???? I had a string cheese in the car – not the healthiest dinner! I’m glad we ate though because on the way home a clamp on the trailer broke. We ended up leaving the trailer, with the hub picking up the part and going back the next day. Since we were already out & about, we did the grocery shopping before heading home and collapsing!
We hit the bed at 9:30, and didn’t wake up until after 7! So, no Sunday gym. (We’re not missing though – we’re going MWF this week instead). Sunday I was again helping W with that %^^%$ report (No, we couldn’t finish it!!), but I was at least at home all day. I was able to make good food choices, get the house tidied up, and get the cooking done for the week.
All in all, not bad food choices except for Saturday dinner. I planned as much as I could, but life happened. Not beating myself up, I did the best I could given the circumstances I was dealt. All in all, not too bad.
I got up this morning at 4;30, and hit the gym for a kick-butt workout, which felt great! I’m trying to really buckle down this week, and stick as close as possible to my food and exercise plans to get my weight heading in the right direction again. I feel like a pudgette!
Have a good one.
This was a super busy weekend. Friday night we had a couple over for dinner, which was great fun. We really hit it off well with them, and were glad for a chance to hang out. They arrived about 6 and stayed until 10:30 – so it was waaaaay past my bedtime!
Saturday we got up, had breakfast, & headed out. First to Elkin, so I could help W with the annual treasurer report (for our medieval group), then we turned around & headed east to Durham to help a friend move. I had packed a lunchbox of healthy snacks to take with us, and even though we had fast food for lunch, I had a grilled chicken sandwich with lettuce, tomato, and pickle. So we were doing good.
I thought we’d be home in time for dinner, but a) we weren’t and b) they had fixed dinner. Hungry and tired, I had pasta with marinara sauce, a slice of Italian bread, and a cookie. Where’s the protein???? I had a string cheese in the car – not the healthiest dinner! I’m glad we ate though because on the way home a clamp on the trailer broke. We ended up leaving the trailer, with the hub picking up the part and going back the next day. Since we were already out & about, we did the grocery shopping before heading home and collapsing!
We hit the bed at 9:30, and didn’t wake up until after 7! So, no Sunday gym. (We’re not missing though – we’re going MWF this week instead). Sunday I was again helping W with that %^^%$ report (No, we couldn’t finish it!!), but I was at least at home all day. I was able to make good food choices, get the house tidied up, and get the cooking done for the week.
All in all, not bad food choices except for Saturday dinner. I planned as much as I could, but life happened. Not beating myself up, I did the best I could given the circumstances I was dealt. All in all, not too bad.
I got up this morning at 4;30, and hit the gym for a kick-butt workout, which felt great! I’m trying to really buckle down this week, and stick as close as possible to my food and exercise plans to get my weight heading in the right direction again. I feel like a pudgette!
Have a good one.
Sometimes, no amount of planning can save you!
This was a super busy weekend. Friday night we had a couple over for dinner, which was great fun. We really hit it off well with them, and were glad for a chance to hang out. They arrived about 6 and stayed until 10:30 – so it was waaaaay past my bedtime!
Saturday we got up, had breakfast, & headed out. First to Elkin, so I could help W with the annual treasurer report (for our medieval group), then we turned around & headed east to Durham to help a friend move. I had packed a lunchbox of healthy snacks to take with us, and even though we had fast food for lunch, I had a grilled chicken sandwich with lettuce, tomato, and pickle. So we were doing good.
I thought we’d be home in time for dinner, but a) we weren’t and b) they had fixed dinner. Hungry and tired, I had pasta with marinara sauce, a slice of Italian bread, and a cookie. Where’s the protein???? I had a string cheese in the car – not the healthiest dinner! I’m glad we ate though because on the way home a clamp on the trailer broke. We ended up leaving the trailer, with the hub picking up the part and going back the next day. Since we were already out & about, we did the grocery shopping before heading home and collapsing!
We hit the bed at 9:30, and didn’t wake up until after 7! So, no Sunday gym. (We’re not missing though – we’re going MWF this week instead). Sunday I was again helping W with that %^^%$ report (No, we couldn’t finish it!!), but I was at least at home all day. I was able to make good food choices, get the house tidied up, and get the cooking done for the week.
All in all, not bad food choices except for Saturday dinner. I planned as much as I could, but life happened. Not beating myself up, I did the best I could given the circumstances I was dealt. All in all, not too bad.
I got up this morning at 4;30, and hit the gym for a kick-butt workout, which felt great! I’m trying to really buckle down this week, and stick as close as possible to my food and exercise plans to get my weight heading in the right direction again. I feel like a pudgette!
Have a good one.
This was a super busy weekend. Friday night we had a couple over for dinner, which was great fun. We really hit it off well with them, and were glad for a chance to hang out. They arrived about 6 and stayed until 10:30 – so it was waaaaay past my bedtime!
Saturday we got up, had breakfast, & headed out. First to Elkin, so I could help W with the annual treasurer report (for our medieval group), then we turned around & headed east to Durham to help a friend move. I had packed a lunchbox of healthy snacks to take with us, and even though we had fast food for lunch, I had a grilled chicken sandwich with lettuce, tomato, and pickle. So we were doing good.
I thought we’d be home in time for dinner, but a) we weren’t and b) they had fixed dinner. Hungry and tired, I had pasta with marinara sauce, a slice of Italian bread, and a cookie. Where’s the protein???? I had a string cheese in the car – not the healthiest dinner! I’m glad we ate though because on the way home a clamp on the trailer broke. We ended up leaving the trailer, with the hub picking up the part and going back the next day. Since we were already out & about, we did the grocery shopping before heading home and collapsing!
We hit the bed at 9:30, and didn’t wake up until after 7! So, no Sunday gym. (We’re not missing though – we’re going MWF this week instead). Sunday I was again helping W with that %^^%$ report (No, we couldn’t finish it!!), but I was at least at home all day. I was able to make good food choices, get the house tidied up, and get the cooking done for the week.
All in all, not bad food choices except for Saturday dinner. I planned as much as I could, but life happened. Not beating myself up, I did the best I could given the circumstances I was dealt. All in all, not too bad.
I got up this morning at 4;30, and hit the gym for a kick-butt workout, which felt great! I’m trying to really buckle down this week, and stick as close as possible to my food and exercise plans to get my weight heading in the right direction again. I feel like a pudgette!
Have a good one.
Friday, January 26, 2007
Neca's not so very good day
Sometimes you catch the tiger, and sometimes the tiger catches you. At least that's how I feel today. I am Mrs. Cranky-butt - my hormones have abducted my brain, leaving only out of control emotions in its place. I am up a pound this week. No big shock there, but I am really beating myself up about it. And I left the house this morning in a pretty ill humor.
For a number of reasons, my weekend has ended up being seriously overbooked. We are having company over for dinner and the house is a wreck (main reason I am ill with the hub - he promised to clean it yesterday and didn't). It's been a long week and the weekend doesn't seem to offer much respite, so that kinda stinks.
I just feel like I'm spinning my wheels. Part of me knows that isn't the case, but I feel sorta defeated by the weight of the world. I'm just feeling down.
Sometimes you catch the tiger, and sometimes the tiger catches you. At least that's how I feel today. I am Mrs. Cranky-butt - my hormones have abducted my brain, leaving only out of control emotions in its place. I am up a pound this week. No big shock there, but I am really beating myself up about it. And I left the house this morning in a pretty ill humor.
For a number of reasons, my weekend has ended up being seriously overbooked. We are having company over for dinner and the house is a wreck (main reason I am ill with the hub - he promised to clean it yesterday and didn't). It's been a long week and the weekend doesn't seem to offer much respite, so that kinda stinks.
I just feel like I'm spinning my wheels. Part of me knows that isn't the case, but I feel sorta defeated by the weight of the world. I'm just feeling down.
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Still here.
Good morning. Never got around to posting yesterday - I worked a little late and ended up going to bed at 8:30. Which worked out, because I was up at 4:40 to head to the gym. I have added an extra set to most of the exercises, so the extra bit of time helps.
I'm doing okay. Friday through Sunday found me sticking with my workout schedule and eating fine during the day, but after dinner it was "Look out Bessie!" The snacking commenced, with the yummies washed down by a couple of cold beers. I would sit down in my chair, look over at the spot where Carmen always sat, and feel the need to munch.
Last night I intentionally ate a bigger than normal dinner, so I would feel full. That helped fend off the urge. And going to bed early helped also. Hopefully today it will be a bit easier to eat right all day - even after dinner.
Not much else is new here. I didn't get on the scale last Friday, but I will post my weigh-in this week. I don't know what that few days off plan did in terms of the scale, but I'm not going to beat myself up about it. I at least kept exercising and eating right during the day. I'm sure it stalled my weight loss efforts, but didn't derail them.
I am actually waking up and looking forward to the gym. I leave feeling shaky, with the occasional touch of queasiness. Feels good to be working my body hard. That feeling is why I'll never stop working out!
Hope you all are doing well. I can't comment to blogger blogs from the office anymore, so there goes my lunchtime plans. :-O
Have a good one.
Good morning. Never got around to posting yesterday - I worked a little late and ended up going to bed at 8:30. Which worked out, because I was up at 4:40 to head to the gym. I have added an extra set to most of the exercises, so the extra bit of time helps.
I'm doing okay. Friday through Sunday found me sticking with my workout schedule and eating fine during the day, but after dinner it was "Look out Bessie!" The snacking commenced, with the yummies washed down by a couple of cold beers. I would sit down in my chair, look over at the spot where Carmen always sat, and feel the need to munch.
Last night I intentionally ate a bigger than normal dinner, so I would feel full. That helped fend off the urge. And going to bed early helped also. Hopefully today it will be a bit easier to eat right all day - even after dinner.
Not much else is new here. I didn't get on the scale last Friday, but I will post my weigh-in this week. I don't know what that few days off plan did in terms of the scale, but I'm not going to beat myself up about it. I at least kept exercising and eating right during the day. I'm sure it stalled my weight loss efforts, but didn't derail them.
I am actually waking up and looking forward to the gym. I leave feeling shaky, with the occasional touch of queasiness. Feels good to be working my body hard. That feeling is why I'll never stop working out!
Hope you all are doing well. I can't comment to blogger blogs from the office anymore, so there goes my lunchtime plans. :-O
Have a good one.
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Carmen
Some of you won't understand this. Some will. We had to put my dog to sleep this morning. I've had Carmen longer than my husband. She was first and foremost my dog, always loyal and protective of me. She was amazingly smart and well trained, but most of all loving and protective - mostly of me, but also the rest of her family. I adpoted her from the shelter. When I got her she was fixed, house broken, and voice command trained. She never got on a piece of furniture, damaged anything, or misbehaved. She was smart, classy, sweet, and my dog. I've never had a dog like her, and I never will again.
Some of you won't understand this. Some will. We had to put my dog to sleep this morning. I've had Carmen longer than my husband. She was first and foremost my dog, always loyal and protective of me. She was amazingly smart and well trained, but most of all loving and protective - mostly of me, but also the rest of her family. I adpoted her from the shelter. When I got her she was fixed, house broken, and voice command trained. She never got on a piece of furniture, damaged anything, or misbehaved. She was smart, classy, sweet, and my dog. I've never had a dog like her, and I never will again.
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
No, I haven't fallen off the side of the planet or anything!!
Hello. I didn't post yesterday, but it wasn't because things are going badly. :-) Well, my son was having one of his hormone induced fugues where he acts like a goober, but those are a regular occurance around here.
As far as exercise & diet, things are going well. I hit the gym Tuesday am for weights and Tuesday pm for interval training. I saw my fav gym employee there - Josh. I like him because a) he's cute b) he's funny and c) he always plays the heavy metal station when he's working. :-)
I adore interval training and apparently there was an article in the LA Times saying that it really works (like I didn't know that!). Yeah, when I get off the machine I look like I just spent 20 minutes running from Freddy Krueger (one of my favorite visualizations btw), but I'm off the machine in 20 minutes instead of 45 or 60 some people do. That rocks.
The lifting was also good, which is a miracle because I was soooo pissed off that I thought I was gonna have an aneurism. I got there and my first exercise I was doing was squats - some jerk had left over 300 pounds on the bar, which was about nose height on me. Yeah, like I was getting that taken off! Things like that annoy the bejeebers out of me. But I do like walking out of the gym at 5:50 or 6 and being done for the day. I used the Smith cage, which I do not like as well, and managed to get over it. But ugh!!!
On a more somber note, I am very concerned about my dog. She is a big dog and nearly 13. She's had 2 strokes and has Cushing's syndrome, which affects the liver and kidney. She took a bad fall tonight and now she doesn't want to leave the house. Hub walked her in the yard after supper, but she didn't do anything. She didn't eat her supper until I put down a little bit of wet food for her. I'm hoping she will feel better in the morning, but I am worried. She's been my best friend and has seen me through some rough times. She's one of those fanatically loyal dogs you read about in stories. When the time comes, I want to be strong and do the right thing for her and not let her suffer because I'm scared to let go.
Okay, now I am crying. Enough of that!
I watched "Warrior Nation" on msnbc tonight - part 2 of a 4 part series on tuesday nights about MMA. Cool stuff. Makes me wanna give it another try - maybe in 20 pounds or so! :-)
Have a good one!
Hello. I didn't post yesterday, but it wasn't because things are going badly. :-) Well, my son was having one of his hormone induced fugues where he acts like a goober, but those are a regular occurance around here.
As far as exercise & diet, things are going well. I hit the gym Tuesday am for weights and Tuesday pm for interval training. I saw my fav gym employee there - Josh. I like him because a) he's cute b) he's funny and c) he always plays the heavy metal station when he's working. :-)
I adore interval training and apparently there was an article in the LA Times saying that it really works (like I didn't know that!). Yeah, when I get off the machine I look like I just spent 20 minutes running from Freddy Krueger (one of my favorite visualizations btw), but I'm off the machine in 20 minutes instead of 45 or 60 some people do. That rocks.
The lifting was also good, which is a miracle because I was soooo pissed off that I thought I was gonna have an aneurism. I got there and my first exercise I was doing was squats - some jerk had left over 300 pounds on the bar, which was about nose height on me. Yeah, like I was getting that taken off! Things like that annoy the bejeebers out of me. But I do like walking out of the gym at 5:50 or 6 and being done for the day. I used the Smith cage, which I do not like as well, and managed to get over it. But ugh!!!
On a more somber note, I am very concerned about my dog. She is a big dog and nearly 13. She's had 2 strokes and has Cushing's syndrome, which affects the liver and kidney. She took a bad fall tonight and now she doesn't want to leave the house. Hub walked her in the yard after supper, but she didn't do anything. She didn't eat her supper until I put down a little bit of wet food for her. I'm hoping she will feel better in the morning, but I am worried. She's been my best friend and has seen me through some rough times. She's one of those fanatically loyal dogs you read about in stories. When the time comes, I want to be strong and do the right thing for her and not let her suffer because I'm scared to let go.
Okay, now I am crying. Enough of that!
I watched "Warrior Nation" on msnbc tonight - part 2 of a 4 part series on tuesday nights about MMA. Cool stuff. Makes me wanna give it another try - maybe in 20 pounds or so! :-)
Have a good one!
Monday, January 15, 2007
Shocking developments!
You aren't going to believe it! They actually blocked us from posting to our blogs at work. The nerve! My lunch hour will never be the same. Sigh. Seriously, I was fond of posting at lunch, but I will try to post with the same degree of regularity. In unfortunate news, I can't post comments to blogger blogs either. :-(
Right now my favs are on my work computer, which isn't working so good with the wireless network at the house. No point in spending a lot of time on it as they ordered me a new computer. So I am posting from the house computer, which is fine but it has the hub's favorites on it and not mine. Ah, the complexities of the modern age.
Not too much is new. Hub still isn't working - home repair is SLOW this time of year. It stresses me out because I am a paranoid freak about money. Thus the incident with the pizza and beer on Saturday. Ugh. Not too proud of that. But the good news is that I got up Sunday and went to the gym and went right back on with the business of healthy eating. If I am feeling particularly penitent (or worried about the scale) perhaps I'll throw in an extra cardio session. I probably should because 3 of my 5 lunchtime walks are getting pre-empted this week!
It's funny. I obviously love food and use it in a variety of ways. One interesting side effect of consuming a diet which requires you to not only monitor your caloric intake but also to balance your nutrients means that there is a lot of planning involved. We were discussing weekend plans over the dinner table and I was talking about dinner Saturday night (boy going to birthday party, us going in different direction).... anyway - I just got so tired thinking about having to plan more food for the weekend. I actually said the following words out loud "I wish we could just eat a brown pellet and be done with it." Can you believe a foodie like me gets tired of thinking about food??? This way of eating requires a lot of planning, but I have to say it has been very eye opening. I have learned more than I would have thought possible about my own eating patterns and nutrition. I think the most important think I have learned is that I have to learn to eat haelthy and balanced, and my view of that had gotten so wacky that I need this tracking right now.
Anyway, I'm back on the wagon. At least it was light beer and homemade pizza! ;-)
Have a good one!
You aren't going to believe it! They actually blocked us from posting to our blogs at work. The nerve! My lunch hour will never be the same. Sigh. Seriously, I was fond of posting at lunch, but I will try to post with the same degree of regularity. In unfortunate news, I can't post comments to blogger blogs either. :-(
Right now my favs are on my work computer, which isn't working so good with the wireless network at the house. No point in spending a lot of time on it as they ordered me a new computer. So I am posting from the house computer, which is fine but it has the hub's favorites on it and not mine. Ah, the complexities of the modern age.
Not too much is new. Hub still isn't working - home repair is SLOW this time of year. It stresses me out because I am a paranoid freak about money. Thus the incident with the pizza and beer on Saturday. Ugh. Not too proud of that. But the good news is that I got up Sunday and went to the gym and went right back on with the business of healthy eating. If I am feeling particularly penitent (or worried about the scale) perhaps I'll throw in an extra cardio session. I probably should because 3 of my 5 lunchtime walks are getting pre-empted this week!
It's funny. I obviously love food and use it in a variety of ways. One interesting side effect of consuming a diet which requires you to not only monitor your caloric intake but also to balance your nutrients means that there is a lot of planning involved. We were discussing weekend plans over the dinner table and I was talking about dinner Saturday night (boy going to birthday party, us going in different direction).... anyway - I just got so tired thinking about having to plan more food for the weekend. I actually said the following words out loud "I wish we could just eat a brown pellet and be done with it." Can you believe a foodie like me gets tired of thinking about food??? This way of eating requires a lot of planning, but I have to say it has been very eye opening. I have learned more than I would have thought possible about my own eating patterns and nutrition. I think the most important think I have learned is that I have to learn to eat haelthy and balanced, and my view of that had gotten so wacky that I need this tracking right now.
Anyway, I'm back on the wagon. At least it was light beer and homemade pizza! ;-)
Have a good one!
Friday, January 12, 2007
Food won’t make it better.
I talked to my mom this morning, and she is sounding better than she did yesterday. As I have said, she went to Georgia to take care of her best friend after she got out of the hospital – she had pneumonia. Her friend “A” became very depressed earlier this year, and was diagnosed with anorexia. It wasn’t intentional, it just grew out of her depression & apathy & the fact that food just stopped tasting good. She lives alone, so it was easy to skip meals. Mom took her for a follow-up check-up with the doctor yesterday and she was down to 76 pounds. He is seeing about getting her into a clinic. As you can imagine, my mom is worried sick. They talked to her son last night – he is coming to get her & take her home with him Sunday. She will stay there until she can get checked in. My mom is coming back tomorrow.
Mom was just really panicking yesterday. This woman has been her friend since grade school. The good news is that A is taking it seriously and seems to want to get better. But still, I felt awful for my mom – very helpless and a lot of anxiety. Which explains why I wanted to go home & eat!
I kept reminding myself that food wouldn’t change anything, it would only numb me for a time, and it wasn’t worth it. That’s the hard thing – when bad stuff happens, food works. But the feelings of guilt – not to mention sometimes feeling physically bad after eating something that doesn’t agree with me – its not worth it. I didn’t want to pay the price today, so I decided to tough it out last night. It was hard, but I’m glad I did. After the boy did homework, we all sat & watched “Dudley Do Right”. Laughing at a silly movie helped as much as food would have, with no morning regrets. I don’t know what strategy will work next time, but I will try something besides food!
I updated the weight chart in the sidebar – I am down 2 pounds his week. Woo hoo! Imagine – eating healthy foods in reasonable portions and keeping track works. :-O
I didn’t go to the gym yesterday afternoon for cardio – I will go today & tomorrow. But I will still get all my workouts in this week.
I can’t wait for my mom to get her dogs. Sheba seems to be getting stressed – last night she insisted on sleeping on my pillow. I don’t know about her, but it wasn’t comfortable for me!
It is supposed to be 67 Sunday – I think we may take the boat out. Sweet! I have my menu for the weekend planned out – which includes pizza! Pizza on a tortilla is a great idea - and one I considered doing BTW. But I thought about it and decided that this time at least, I really wanted to the crust. I put very little cheese on my pizza - for me its largely about the crust & sauce. the rest of the day I have lower carbs to offset that, but I'm okay with that.
Part of me wants to be “there” and “done”. I’m heading in the right direction. I have to keep reminding myself that this is my life – that’s hard to grasp sometimes. There is no “done”. I am not deprived – I am the one in control of making my menus and I can include what I want. I just can’t eat it mindlessly or out of control.
I talked to my mom this morning, and she is sounding better than she did yesterday. As I have said, she went to Georgia to take care of her best friend after she got out of the hospital – she had pneumonia. Her friend “A” became very depressed earlier this year, and was diagnosed with anorexia. It wasn’t intentional, it just grew out of her depression & apathy & the fact that food just stopped tasting good. She lives alone, so it was easy to skip meals. Mom took her for a follow-up check-up with the doctor yesterday and she was down to 76 pounds. He is seeing about getting her into a clinic. As you can imagine, my mom is worried sick. They talked to her son last night – he is coming to get her & take her home with him Sunday. She will stay there until she can get checked in. My mom is coming back tomorrow.
Mom was just really panicking yesterday. This woman has been her friend since grade school. The good news is that A is taking it seriously and seems to want to get better. But still, I felt awful for my mom – very helpless and a lot of anxiety. Which explains why I wanted to go home & eat!
I kept reminding myself that food wouldn’t change anything, it would only numb me for a time, and it wasn’t worth it. That’s the hard thing – when bad stuff happens, food works. But the feelings of guilt – not to mention sometimes feeling physically bad after eating something that doesn’t agree with me – its not worth it. I didn’t want to pay the price today, so I decided to tough it out last night. It was hard, but I’m glad I did. After the boy did homework, we all sat & watched “Dudley Do Right”. Laughing at a silly movie helped as much as food would have, with no morning regrets. I don’t know what strategy will work next time, but I will try something besides food!
I updated the weight chart in the sidebar – I am down 2 pounds his week. Woo hoo! Imagine – eating healthy foods in reasonable portions and keeping track works. :-O
I didn’t go to the gym yesterday afternoon for cardio – I will go today & tomorrow. But I will still get all my workouts in this week.
I can’t wait for my mom to get her dogs. Sheba seems to be getting stressed – last night she insisted on sleeping on my pillow. I don’t know about her, but it wasn’t comfortable for me!
It is supposed to be 67 Sunday – I think we may take the boat out. Sweet! I have my menu for the weekend planned out – which includes pizza! Pizza on a tortilla is a great idea - and one I considered doing BTW. But I thought about it and decided that this time at least, I really wanted to the crust. I put very little cheese on my pizza - for me its largely about the crust & sauce. the rest of the day I have lower carbs to offset that, but I'm okay with that.
Part of me wants to be “there” and “done”. I’m heading in the right direction. I have to keep reminding myself that this is my life – that’s hard to grasp sometimes. There is no “done”. I am not deprived – I am the one in control of making my menus and I can include what I want. I just can’t eat it mindlessly or out of control.
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Pain is temporary, pride is forever
So, I went to the gym this morning. It amazes me how something as seemingly innocent as stepping up onto a weight bench, when done with one leg, repeatedly, can elicit such excruciating pain and fatigue from the human body. Which is a nice way of saying that by the 2nd leg of the 2nd set, I was trying to rationalize why I shouldn’t have to finish! :-O But finish I did – another weight session in the bag.
Food’s going along okay. I am sticking to my meal plan, eating right around 1700 calories a day. It sounds like a lot, but I am hungry from time to time. Not starving or dying or anything, but yeah, I do get hungry. OTOH, my jeans are feeling looser already. Bwah! Yesterday I felt like a pudge, today I feel like I am improving – getting firmer & smaller. Go figure.
My husband isn’t working much now – not since right before Christmas. I’m not panicking, but every time I see that we’ve spent money my heart hurts a little. I know I worry too much, but still, its stressful. He is busy doing estimates & stuff, every year I tell myself I need to plan better for this slow season. This year I will!
We have a quiet weekend planned – just cleaning, shopping, food prep mainly. I have some stuff to do admin-wise for the jobs I hold down in our medieval group. That’s a good 4-5 hours of stuff, but I’ll try to split it up over the 2 days. It’s supposed to be 67 on Sunday, so I want to make time to get outside!
Going to the gym again this afternoon for my HIIT – 19 minutes of torture. Well, the first 5 are a warm-up, so they aren’t too bad. But after that its hold on Nellie.
Hub and the boy went to the video arcade at the mall yesterday for a little “man bonding” time. The boy ate a big slice of pizza & came home too full to eat supper. Oh well – its not like it happens all the time or anything.
I can’t gripe too much about them spending $$ at the arcade – I ordered a book and 3 t-shirts online yesterday from Dave Draper’s web site!!! But I got it all for $40, including shipping. And one of the t-shirts is for my husband…. I’m glad I don’t do that too often – that can add up! I got a copy of Dave’s book “The West Coast Body Building Scene” – as long as I’m reading stuff like that in the evening, how can I possibly pop off to the kitchen for junk food???????
So, I went to the gym this morning. It amazes me how something as seemingly innocent as stepping up onto a weight bench, when done with one leg, repeatedly, can elicit such excruciating pain and fatigue from the human body. Which is a nice way of saying that by the 2nd leg of the 2nd set, I was trying to rationalize why I shouldn’t have to finish! :-O But finish I did – another weight session in the bag.
Food’s going along okay. I am sticking to my meal plan, eating right around 1700 calories a day. It sounds like a lot, but I am hungry from time to time. Not starving or dying or anything, but yeah, I do get hungry. OTOH, my jeans are feeling looser already. Bwah! Yesterday I felt like a pudge, today I feel like I am improving – getting firmer & smaller. Go figure.
My husband isn’t working much now – not since right before Christmas. I’m not panicking, but every time I see that we’ve spent money my heart hurts a little. I know I worry too much, but still, its stressful. He is busy doing estimates & stuff, every year I tell myself I need to plan better for this slow season. This year I will!
We have a quiet weekend planned – just cleaning, shopping, food prep mainly. I have some stuff to do admin-wise for the jobs I hold down in our medieval group. That’s a good 4-5 hours of stuff, but I’ll try to split it up over the 2 days. It’s supposed to be 67 on Sunday, so I want to make time to get outside!
Going to the gym again this afternoon for my HIIT – 19 minutes of torture. Well, the first 5 are a warm-up, so they aren’t too bad. But after that its hold on Nellie.
Hub and the boy went to the video arcade at the mall yesterday for a little “man bonding” time. The boy ate a big slice of pizza & came home too full to eat supper. Oh well – its not like it happens all the time or anything.
I can’t gripe too much about them spending $$ at the arcade – I ordered a book and 3 t-shirts online yesterday from Dave Draper’s web site!!! But I got it all for $40, including shipping. And one of the t-shirts is for my husband…. I’m glad I don’t do that too often – that can add up! I got a copy of Dave’s book “The West Coast Body Building Scene” – as long as I’m reading stuff like that in the evening, how can I possibly pop off to the kitchen for junk food???????
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
We now return you to your regularly scheduled winter
When I got up this morning, it was a balmy 27 degrees outside. Brrrr! I went back to bed! With my new schedule I am lifting 3 times per week and doing HIIT (high intensity interval training) 3 times per week. Yesterday afternoon I did it on the elliptical. Since I walk at lunch every day (we were up to 36 at lunch – woo hoo!), I have declared my morning walks optional. At least as long as weight loss happens!
Speaking of which…. Do you ever have those days when you think about how you feel and how you look and say to yourself “Losing weight? Who are you kidding???” Today I feel like a total pudge. Blech!
Last night after taw kwon do, I drove home – a route which goes beside Sonic. A longing for cheese sticks struck me like a tsunami of desire. It was immediately followed by lusting for some pizza. In my heart, I have sinned. SO… I sat down with my spreadsheet and figured out how much of my homemade pizza (homemade crust, no sugar sauce, lowfat cheese, turkey pepperoni) I could have without starving myself all day Saturday. I was pleasantly surprised! So pizza for dinner Saturday it is! Woo hoo!!! No, not the healthiest choice, but better in my mind to plan it in than not plan it cause it would happen anyway. I have largely eliminated bread from my diet. My pasta of choice is the Barilla high protein stuff, which is quite good. I think pizza will fit in okay.
I am eating 1700 calories per day, and yes, I am hungry. Not hugely, but I am clearly operating at a deficit.
We are still dog sitting. I love my dogs. I love my mom’s dogs. But right now I feel like I am living on a dog farm! It’ll be nice for things to get quiet again. She plans to return home Friday.
I left work early yesterday so I could go by the gym after work – I was concerned it would be really crazy, but it wasn’t bad at all. I didn’t have any problem getting a machine. It’s nice to know that even if I leave at 4, going by the gym shouldn’t be an issue.
Well, that’s about all I know right now.
When I got up this morning, it was a balmy 27 degrees outside. Brrrr! I went back to bed! With my new schedule I am lifting 3 times per week and doing HIIT (high intensity interval training) 3 times per week. Yesterday afternoon I did it on the elliptical. Since I walk at lunch every day (we were up to 36 at lunch – woo hoo!), I have declared my morning walks optional. At least as long as weight loss happens!
Speaking of which…. Do you ever have those days when you think about how you feel and how you look and say to yourself “Losing weight? Who are you kidding???” Today I feel like a total pudge. Blech!
Last night after taw kwon do, I drove home – a route which goes beside Sonic. A longing for cheese sticks struck me like a tsunami of desire. It was immediately followed by lusting for some pizza. In my heart, I have sinned. SO… I sat down with my spreadsheet and figured out how much of my homemade pizza (homemade crust, no sugar sauce, lowfat cheese, turkey pepperoni) I could have without starving myself all day Saturday. I was pleasantly surprised! So pizza for dinner Saturday it is! Woo hoo!!! No, not the healthiest choice, but better in my mind to plan it in than not plan it cause it would happen anyway. I have largely eliminated bread from my diet. My pasta of choice is the Barilla high protein stuff, which is quite good. I think pizza will fit in okay.
I am eating 1700 calories per day, and yes, I am hungry. Not hugely, but I am clearly operating at a deficit.
We are still dog sitting. I love my dogs. I love my mom’s dogs. But right now I feel like I am living on a dog farm! It’ll be nice for things to get quiet again. She plans to return home Friday.
I left work early yesterday so I could go by the gym after work – I was concerned it would be really crazy, but it wasn’t bad at all. I didn’t have any problem getting a machine. It’s nice to know that even if I leave at 4, going by the gym shouldn’t be an issue.
Well, that’s about all I know right now.
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
Eddie’s Mama
One good thing about my family – while there is likely some line drawn at say entrails and brains, they’ll try darn near anything. Which is why, after the perfunctory “Why can’t we eat like normal people!?” from the boy, they both dug in and tried the edamame I served up as a side to the casserole. Which they both loved BTW. But of course neither of them could remember the name, which is why edamame has now been code named “Eddie’s mama” in our house.
Things are going well. Sometimes we get so caught up in the big picture that we either get overwhelmed, or we decide that these little things we’re doing can’t get us there. Maybe one or two or three of them won’t, but several right choices every day, with many days and week strung together, will get us there. Sometimes at the beginning of a journey I get overwhelmed by the distance that its best to just look at my feet.
This morning getting up to go to the gym seemed so hard, but I just did it. And by the time I got to the car, it didn’t seem bad at all. Food is what it is, and will be changed after Friday. Last night I really wanted something sweet, so I had a chocolate protein shake for my snack. No, it wasn’t as good as a piece of chocolate, but it wasn’t bad either. These may be baby steps, but a bazillion of them will get me to the moon.
I feel better. And I feel better about myself to boot.
One good thing about my family – while there is likely some line drawn at say entrails and brains, they’ll try darn near anything. Which is why, after the perfunctory “Why can’t we eat like normal people!?” from the boy, they both dug in and tried the edamame I served up as a side to the casserole. Which they both loved BTW. But of course neither of them could remember the name, which is why edamame has now been code named “Eddie’s mama” in our house.
Things are going well. Sometimes we get so caught up in the big picture that we either get overwhelmed, or we decide that these little things we’re doing can’t get us there. Maybe one or two or three of them won’t, but several right choices every day, with many days and week strung together, will get us there. Sometimes at the beginning of a journey I get overwhelmed by the distance that its best to just look at my feet.
This morning getting up to go to the gym seemed so hard, but I just did it. And by the time I got to the car, it didn’t seem bad at all. Food is what it is, and will be changed after Friday. Last night I really wanted something sweet, so I had a chocolate protein shake for my snack. No, it wasn’t as good as a piece of chocolate, but it wasn’t bad either. These may be baby steps, but a bazillion of them will get me to the moon.
I feel better. And I feel better about myself to boot.
Monday, January 08, 2007
Clearly, two adults and three little dogs cannot fit in a queen sized bed!
Let me explain. Our Chihuahua sleeps with us. This is my husband’s fault – the first night she was home, we put her in her crate. She cried for 15 minutes, hub went and got her, and she has slept with us ever since. I don’t really mind. She’s little, she’s not a wiggler, and we’ve all gotten used to each other, so our sleep isn’t interrupted. HOWEVER. With my mom out of town, we have been dog sitting. Her dogs (Bess’ sister & mom) sleep with her. Now, they aren’t big either. But they are used to my mom, not us, and they are used to have a bit more lebensraum in the bed. So, our quality of sleep has been somewhat degraded since their arrival.
Despite the sleep issues, we are both feeling a great deal better. We had a very quiet weekend, which was much needed. Friday night we watched movies. Saturday hub took the boy over to a friend’s for the weekend. I had 3 friends come over and we had a calligraphy & illumination class. The weather was fabulous, so we had the windows and doors open. Low 70s. Amazing! The class was a great deal of fun and I think everyone had a good time. A dear friend taught it – she’s in school so we haven’t seen her much. After the other 2 ladies left, we played a bit more then we went out to dinner together. Good times.
Sunday was grocery shopping & food prep. I paced myself and we spent plenty of time chilling out. Nice.
Food:
I can’t believe how well I ate. I didn’t really start my new eating/exercise program (Afterburn), but simply tried to make good choices. I was proud of how well I did. This program does not allow for any “free days” or “cheat meals” – you calculate your daily caloric intake and (in the beginning at least) this is kept steady throughout the week. I tried this weekend to hold true to that principal.
After I planned what I wanted to eat for the week, I calculated my daily caloric intake and applied the prescribed protein/carb/fat ratio for weeks 1-4 and then planned out portions. I have to say this was amazingly educational. I am including a picture so you can see what a day looks like. What amazed me was the fiber. I mean, I had to resort to adding Fiber One to my menu to get the recommended 25 grams daily. (And that’s the low ball number!). You would think with the amount of fruits & veggies I eat, fiber would be no problem.
Another thing - my dinner originally was way too big and breakfast too small. I would never have guessed that! My breakfast wound up too big, but I’m not eating it all at once. I guess I thought my eating would be “better” given what I know about nutrition. It just goes to show that no matter how educated the guess, guesses are just that. Having to sit down and go through this exercise weekly is kinda a pain, but I have finally admitted that if I want to lose weight consistently and healthfully, I’ll actually have to put in a fair amount of effort.
Exercise:
Yesterday I went to the gym and did Day 1 of Week 1 of the program. It had a total of 6 exercises. Just 6. These are arranged in what is called compound supersets. Let me explain. Example: 1 pairing would be say squats and push-ups. You do 1 set of squats, 1 set push-ups, another set of squats, back to push-ups, etc. These are called supersets because you alternate the exercise, rather than doing all of one exercise first. They are called compound because the exercises work 2 different body parts. In a typical body building style routine, you would do (for example) squats squats squats then leg press leg press leg press. You need significant rest periods for recovery since you are doing the same exercise back to back, and working the same body part back to back. By alternating, you require less recovery time in between. There is less lactic acid build-up, so you can do more. Another plus is the fact that exercising this way moves the blood back and forth – making it more cardio intensive.
He recommended doing each exercise 2-3 times, and specified how many times he wanted you to do it. So, I had to figure out how much weight I needed to use to be able to squat 20 times. I figured since I had been sick, I would do each exercise twice. But still – only 6 exercises. No biggie, right? Oh my gosh! My calves and ribs are sore today. I was spent after I finished. I mean beat. It was great! I love a workout where you get a great workout without wasting 2 hours in the gym. I will increase to 3 times rather than two, but I’m grateful I was humble enough to start with the lower number.
Today is the high intensity cardio. Again, only 19 minutes. Nineteen minutes of agony! He does have you increase intensity and amounts (but not a lot), but I like the way the program builds over time. It feels tough, but doable.
We have weekend plans in 4 weeks, but other than that, only a couple of days away from the house. This is nice because I can pack my meals on those days. Only the one weekend away will be a bit tougher. So I should be able to get a good bit of traction.
Not too much else is new. The sun is out so I am going outside and taking a walk for lunch. Have a great day!
Let me explain. Our Chihuahua sleeps with us. This is my husband’s fault – the first night she was home, we put her in her crate. She cried for 15 minutes, hub went and got her, and she has slept with us ever since. I don’t really mind. She’s little, she’s not a wiggler, and we’ve all gotten used to each other, so our sleep isn’t interrupted. HOWEVER. With my mom out of town, we have been dog sitting. Her dogs (Bess’ sister & mom) sleep with her. Now, they aren’t big either. But they are used to my mom, not us, and they are used to have a bit more lebensraum in the bed. So, our quality of sleep has been somewhat degraded since their arrival.
Despite the sleep issues, we are both feeling a great deal better. We had a very quiet weekend, which was much needed. Friday night we watched movies. Saturday hub took the boy over to a friend’s for the weekend. I had 3 friends come over and we had a calligraphy & illumination class. The weather was fabulous, so we had the windows and doors open. Low 70s. Amazing! The class was a great deal of fun and I think everyone had a good time. A dear friend taught it – she’s in school so we haven’t seen her much. After the other 2 ladies left, we played a bit more then we went out to dinner together. Good times.
Sunday was grocery shopping & food prep. I paced myself and we spent plenty of time chilling out. Nice.
Food:
I can’t believe how well I ate. I didn’t really start my new eating/exercise program (Afterburn), but simply tried to make good choices. I was proud of how well I did. This program does not allow for any “free days” or “cheat meals” – you calculate your daily caloric intake and (in the beginning at least) this is kept steady throughout the week. I tried this weekend to hold true to that principal.
After I planned what I wanted to eat for the week, I calculated my daily caloric intake and applied the prescribed protein/carb/fat ratio for weeks 1-4 and then planned out portions. I have to say this was amazingly educational. I am including a picture so you can see what a day looks like. What amazed me was the fiber. I mean, I had to resort to adding Fiber One to my menu to get the recommended 25 grams daily. (And that’s the low ball number!). You would think with the amount of fruits & veggies I eat, fiber would be no problem.
Another thing - my dinner originally was way too big and breakfast too small. I would never have guessed that! My breakfast wound up too big, but I’m not eating it all at once. I guess I thought my eating would be “better” given what I know about nutrition. It just goes to show that no matter how educated the guess, guesses are just that. Having to sit down and go through this exercise weekly is kinda a pain, but I have finally admitted that if I want to lose weight consistently and healthfully, I’ll actually have to put in a fair amount of effort.
Exercise:
Yesterday I went to the gym and did Day 1 of Week 1 of the program. It had a total of 6 exercises. Just 6. These are arranged in what is called compound supersets. Let me explain. Example: 1 pairing would be say squats and push-ups. You do 1 set of squats, 1 set push-ups, another set of squats, back to push-ups, etc. These are called supersets because you alternate the exercise, rather than doing all of one exercise first. They are called compound because the exercises work 2 different body parts. In a typical body building style routine, you would do (for example) squats squats squats then leg press leg press leg press. You need significant rest periods for recovery since you are doing the same exercise back to back, and working the same body part back to back. By alternating, you require less recovery time in between. There is less lactic acid build-up, so you can do more. Another plus is the fact that exercising this way moves the blood back and forth – making it more cardio intensive.
He recommended doing each exercise 2-3 times, and specified how many times he wanted you to do it. So, I had to figure out how much weight I needed to use to be able to squat 20 times. I figured since I had been sick, I would do each exercise twice. But still – only 6 exercises. No biggie, right? Oh my gosh! My calves and ribs are sore today. I was spent after I finished. I mean beat. It was great! I love a workout where you get a great workout without wasting 2 hours in the gym. I will increase to 3 times rather than two, but I’m grateful I was humble enough to start with the lower number.
Today is the high intensity cardio. Again, only 19 minutes. Nineteen minutes of agony! He does have you increase intensity and amounts (but not a lot), but I like the way the program builds over time. It feels tough, but doable.
We have weekend plans in 4 weeks, but other than that, only a couple of days away from the house. This is nice because I can pack my meals on those days. Only the one weekend away will be a bit tougher. So I should be able to get a good bit of traction.
Not too much else is new. The sun is out so I am going outside and taking a walk for lunch. Have a great day!
Friday, January 05, 2007
Slow Going
I got up and walked (1 mile) this morning. Either I overdid it yesterday or the prescription decongestant kicked my butt (it did say it would make you drowsy), or both. I was wiped this morning. But it was 60, and I thought the walk might perk me up. Not so much.
I updated my weight tracker off to the side – I lost 1.5 pounds this week. Hurray!!! I now have 29 to go. That sounds soooo much better than 30.5 somehow.
I still haven’t been to the gym. Right now I’d likely drop a barbell on my head or something. I’m hoping I’ll be up to it Sunday. Luckily this mess is mostly out of my head (my throat is still a bit froggy, but the head is almost clear), so I don’t plan on taking any more of that prescription unless I need it to sleep – I hate feeling that groggy in the morning.
Hub is still feeling rough. If there is a silver lining, it’s the fact that he doesn’t have any work anyway. This is a slow time of the year for remodeling. So at least he’s able to be home and really rest up. This happens every year so you’d think I’d be prepared for it, but we still both find his being out of work disconcerting.
My mom is on her way to Georgia. Her best friend since childhood just got out of the hospital, so mom is going down to take care of her for a few days. I know mom is more worried than she is letting on – her brother died, her dad died, her mom has Alzheimer’s – there isn’t a lot of family left to hold on to.
What I’m eating has been breaking out like this:
B: protein shake + small bowl of oatmeal with berries (both include ground flax seed)
S: 2 lowfat string cheeses and a Clementine
L: vegetable soup with ground turkey and a side salad
S: 2 deviled eggs (made with mostly mustard and a dab of ff mayo) and a Clementine
D: poached cod and ½ cup brown rice, veggie
S: either 2 string cheeses or another deviled egg and a Clementine
Can you tell we have a bunch of clementines left?
I am often left wondering what sort of protein to have for a snack – I need something quick and easy. I really don’t like cottage cheese – gosh knows I’ve tried to eat it how many times? I don’t like lunch meat, and I don’t want anything I have to heat up. That leaves tuna or deviled eggs, maybe chicken salad. I’ll swap them out when I get tired of them, but right now they are a tasty change.
Once I start the exercise portion of the workout, I’ll check to make sure my food intake is on track – given the lack of activity, I dialed it back a bit this week.
I made the family a big pot of homemade chicken soup with matzo balls last night. That is a family favorite, and I know my husband needed it. I also served a salad with the new lettuce I found at CostC0. That stuff tastes like it came out of my grandpa’s garden. Amazing. And the same price as the junk at the grocery store!
I know my last couple of posts have been a bit preachy – I haven’t meant to be. I guess I’m just kicking myself a bit – I feel like I’ve let some opportunities pass me by because of my weight. I hate that. Rather than feel badly about that, I am turning it into a positive and using it as a reminder of why this is worth it.
Sorry this has been such a downer of a post – I’m not really down, just tired I guess. Luckily we have a quiet weekend planned – a friend is coming over to the house to teach a calligraphy class for me & a couple other ladies. She is in grad school, so we don’t get to see her much. The house is still fairly clean from last weekend, so just a bit of picking up is required. Other than that? Shop & food prep. The boy is spending Saturday night with a friend. Here’s to a little rest and relaxation for us all!
I got up and walked (1 mile) this morning. Either I overdid it yesterday or the prescription decongestant kicked my butt (it did say it would make you drowsy), or both. I was wiped this morning. But it was 60, and I thought the walk might perk me up. Not so much.
I updated my weight tracker off to the side – I lost 1.5 pounds this week. Hurray!!! I now have 29 to go. That sounds soooo much better than 30.5 somehow.
I still haven’t been to the gym. Right now I’d likely drop a barbell on my head or something. I’m hoping I’ll be up to it Sunday. Luckily this mess is mostly out of my head (my throat is still a bit froggy, but the head is almost clear), so I don’t plan on taking any more of that prescription unless I need it to sleep – I hate feeling that groggy in the morning.
Hub is still feeling rough. If there is a silver lining, it’s the fact that he doesn’t have any work anyway. This is a slow time of the year for remodeling. So at least he’s able to be home and really rest up. This happens every year so you’d think I’d be prepared for it, but we still both find his being out of work disconcerting.
My mom is on her way to Georgia. Her best friend since childhood just got out of the hospital, so mom is going down to take care of her for a few days. I know mom is more worried than she is letting on – her brother died, her dad died, her mom has Alzheimer’s – there isn’t a lot of family left to hold on to.
What I’m eating has been breaking out like this:
B: protein shake + small bowl of oatmeal with berries (both include ground flax seed)
S: 2 lowfat string cheeses and a Clementine
L: vegetable soup with ground turkey and a side salad
S: 2 deviled eggs (made with mostly mustard and a dab of ff mayo) and a Clementine
D: poached cod and ½ cup brown rice, veggie
S: either 2 string cheeses or another deviled egg and a Clementine
Can you tell we have a bunch of clementines left?
I am often left wondering what sort of protein to have for a snack – I need something quick and easy. I really don’t like cottage cheese – gosh knows I’ve tried to eat it how many times? I don’t like lunch meat, and I don’t want anything I have to heat up. That leaves tuna or deviled eggs, maybe chicken salad. I’ll swap them out when I get tired of them, but right now they are a tasty change.
Once I start the exercise portion of the workout, I’ll check to make sure my food intake is on track – given the lack of activity, I dialed it back a bit this week.
I made the family a big pot of homemade chicken soup with matzo balls last night. That is a family favorite, and I know my husband needed it. I also served a salad with the new lettuce I found at CostC0. That stuff tastes like it came out of my grandpa’s garden. Amazing. And the same price as the junk at the grocery store!
I know my last couple of posts have been a bit preachy – I haven’t meant to be. I guess I’m just kicking myself a bit – I feel like I’ve let some opportunities pass me by because of my weight. I hate that. Rather than feel badly about that, I am turning it into a positive and using it as a reminder of why this is worth it.
Sorry this has been such a downer of a post – I’m not really down, just tired I guess. Luckily we have a quiet weekend planned – a friend is coming over to the house to teach a calligraphy class for me & a couple other ladies. She is in grad school, so we don’t get to see her much. The house is still fairly clean from last weekend, so just a bit of picking up is required. Other than that? Shop & food prep. The boy is spending Saturday night with a friend. Here’s to a little rest and relaxation for us all!
Thursday, January 04, 2007
My resolutions – breaking it down
1. Know what you want.
I want to lose 30 pounds. I want to improve my fitness – specifically strength and cardio endurance. I want to feed my body healthier foods and treat it with more care.
2. Know why you want it.
Partly because I am 40. I am an age where the body is naturally in decline rather than growth. Not to say its time to sit on the porch until you die, but this year I have noticed things – my skin doesn’t look as nice, it takes me longer to recover from being sick. I need to take the best care of myself that I can. I plan to be very active and doing crazy things for many years to come. It’s very difficult for me to admit that my body is changing – it feels like admitting a weakness. But “growing up” and taking responsibility for my health will ensure me a long, healthy life.
Looks. This one is really hard to admit. Losing weight when I had a lot to lose seemed more important than it does now that I don’t have as much to lose. The sense of urgency is gone. Smaller jeans seems a stupid reason. But its more about how I feel about myself in this skin, rather than what someone else sees. I don’t want to feel limited by my weight, and I still do.
Be a good role model for my son. I have terrific memories of biking and walking and fishing with my mom, my grandparents, my uncle. I want my son to have those memories. There’s nothing in the world wrong with reading, but I’d like my son to feel like I did more than read a book with my paw in the snackbowl for his childhood. An exaggeration? Maybe. But he’s nearly 12 – not much longer before hanging out with me becomes un-cool (pray he’s an exception! :-).
3. Know when you want it by
July 27 (29 weeks from tomorrow).
4. Write it down.
This is a start. Writing down the how is also an important component. For the record, I plan to follow Cosgrove’s “Afterburn” program. It uses high intensity interval training cardio and total body circuit training to not only burn calories in the gym, but to keep the metabolism boosted after. For people who don’t want to spend their life in the gym, it totally makes sense.
5. Know the price.
No more bs excuses about why I didn’t do workouts. Sickness is one thing, but laziness – well, obviously doesn’t work. And I can’t afford the luxury of consuming crap and expect to look like anything other than crap. Yeah, that’s harsh. I don’t mean it in an angry, condemning way, but in a “you deserve better than this” kind of way. The price will be high, but the pay-off is tremendous. I have to keep reminding (okay, convincing) myself that I am worth the effort.
6. Pay it.
I have already begun. I started the food component Tuesday and got up and walked this morning. I’m not up to the workouts in the book yet, but I can start getting my eating in order.
Here’s the rub. Every day I “pay the price” – get up and hit the gym when I’m tired, pass up a special dessert or meal – it’s like making an investment. Visualize putting 5 dollars in a pot for every day you eat clean and exercise. What happens when you fall off the program? You set the pot on fire. All the investment is lost, and you have to start at the beginning – again. Not a very wise investment. My time, effort, and sacrifice are worth more than money. Yet I wouldn’t voluntarily set my paycheck on fire, so why do I treat my efforts with so little respect, that I throw them away so easily?
Change is hard. Being out of shape and/or overweight is hard. Choose your hard.
1. Know what you want.
I want to lose 30 pounds. I want to improve my fitness – specifically strength and cardio endurance. I want to feed my body healthier foods and treat it with more care.
2. Know why you want it.
Partly because I am 40. I am an age where the body is naturally in decline rather than growth. Not to say its time to sit on the porch until you die, but this year I have noticed things – my skin doesn’t look as nice, it takes me longer to recover from being sick. I need to take the best care of myself that I can. I plan to be very active and doing crazy things for many years to come. It’s very difficult for me to admit that my body is changing – it feels like admitting a weakness. But “growing up” and taking responsibility for my health will ensure me a long, healthy life.
Looks. This one is really hard to admit. Losing weight when I had a lot to lose seemed more important than it does now that I don’t have as much to lose. The sense of urgency is gone. Smaller jeans seems a stupid reason. But its more about how I feel about myself in this skin, rather than what someone else sees. I don’t want to feel limited by my weight, and I still do.
Be a good role model for my son. I have terrific memories of biking and walking and fishing with my mom, my grandparents, my uncle. I want my son to have those memories. There’s nothing in the world wrong with reading, but I’d like my son to feel like I did more than read a book with my paw in the snackbowl for his childhood. An exaggeration? Maybe. But he’s nearly 12 – not much longer before hanging out with me becomes un-cool (pray he’s an exception! :-).
3. Know when you want it by
July 27 (29 weeks from tomorrow).
4. Write it down.
This is a start. Writing down the how is also an important component. For the record, I plan to follow Cosgrove’s “Afterburn” program. It uses high intensity interval training cardio and total body circuit training to not only burn calories in the gym, but to keep the metabolism boosted after. For people who don’t want to spend their life in the gym, it totally makes sense.
5. Know the price.
No more bs excuses about why I didn’t do workouts. Sickness is one thing, but laziness – well, obviously doesn’t work. And I can’t afford the luxury of consuming crap and expect to look like anything other than crap. Yeah, that’s harsh. I don’t mean it in an angry, condemning way, but in a “you deserve better than this” kind of way. The price will be high, but the pay-off is tremendous. I have to keep reminding (okay, convincing) myself that I am worth the effort.
6. Pay it.
I have already begun. I started the food component Tuesday and got up and walked this morning. I’m not up to the workouts in the book yet, but I can start getting my eating in order.
Here’s the rub. Every day I “pay the price” – get up and hit the gym when I’m tired, pass up a special dessert or meal – it’s like making an investment. Visualize putting 5 dollars in a pot for every day you eat clean and exercise. What happens when you fall off the program? You set the pot on fire. All the investment is lost, and you have to start at the beginning – again. Not a very wise investment. My time, effort, and sacrifice are worth more than money. Yet I wouldn’t voluntarily set my paycheck on fire, so why do I treat my efforts with so little respect, that I throw them away so easily?
Change is hard. Being out of shape and/or overweight is hard. Choose your hard.
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
I resolve to be resolute in keeping my resolutions!
Poor resolutions, they take a lot of criticism this time of year, don’t they? Resolution has many definitions, but a couple seem to fit here: the act of determining, or the one I really like: a formal expression of opinion, will, or intent. What sounds so bad about that?
I think it’s the fact that so many people make resolutions on the fly, without putting a lot of thought into them. Or they have failed before, so not declaring a resolution means they won’t fail again this year. I happen to fall into both of those categories – at least I have in the past, so don’t take offense.
I read a really interesting post regarding resolutions over at Alwyn Cosgrove’s blog. I thought it was great! He lists 6 steps in achieving goals:
1. Know what you want
2. Know why you want it
3. Know when you want it by
4. Write it down
5. Know the price
6. Pay it
Sounds simple put that way, but each of those things is a challenge. This allows you to turn your dreams into goals, and if the “cost” is too high, then find a compromise. Making a resolution seems simple, but of course you won’t succeed if you haven’t given it any thought. That’s like expecting to get a masters degree without studying! Or getting a masters degree without applying to any universities! Of course it doesn’t work.
I’ve done pretty good with losing weight – despite my recent gain, I’ve still kept a respectable chunk off. But at some point along the way all the “low hanging fruit” was gone. All the easy changes had been made – I take the stairs, park at the back of the lot, drink plenty of water. As I approached my goal weight, my reasons for wanting to lose weight had changed, but I never re-examined my motivations. And the price got higher, but I never increased my payments (as it were). No wonder I stopped making headway!
I’m taking these 6 steps as homework. I’m still a bit under the weather, but I can 1) work on improving my eating this week and 2) work through these questions and steps. That should give me a clear understanding of where I want to go and how I plan to get there.
Poor resolutions, they take a lot of criticism this time of year, don’t they? Resolution has many definitions, but a couple seem to fit here: the act of determining, or the one I really like: a formal expression of opinion, will, or intent. What sounds so bad about that?
I think it’s the fact that so many people make resolutions on the fly, without putting a lot of thought into them. Or they have failed before, so not declaring a resolution means they won’t fail again this year. I happen to fall into both of those categories – at least I have in the past, so don’t take offense.
I read a really interesting post regarding resolutions over at Alwyn Cosgrove’s blog. I thought it was great! He lists 6 steps in achieving goals:
1. Know what you want
2. Know why you want it
3. Know when you want it by
4. Write it down
5. Know the price
6. Pay it
Sounds simple put that way, but each of those things is a challenge. This allows you to turn your dreams into goals, and if the “cost” is too high, then find a compromise. Making a resolution seems simple, but of course you won’t succeed if you haven’t given it any thought. That’s like expecting to get a masters degree without studying! Or getting a masters degree without applying to any universities! Of course it doesn’t work.
I’ve done pretty good with losing weight – despite my recent gain, I’ve still kept a respectable chunk off. But at some point along the way all the “low hanging fruit” was gone. All the easy changes had been made – I take the stairs, park at the back of the lot, drink plenty of water. As I approached my goal weight, my reasons for wanting to lose weight had changed, but I never re-examined my motivations. And the price got higher, but I never increased my payments (as it were). No wonder I stopped making headway!
I’m taking these 6 steps as homework. I’m still a bit under the weather, but I can 1) work on improving my eating this week and 2) work through these questions and steps. That should give me a clear understanding of where I want to go and how I plan to get there.
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