Thursday's food & exercise
Ran 3 miles.
B: optimum ceral w/ berries, banana, & soy milk
S: 2 lowfat string cheeses
L: Indian with my mom (yum!)
S: orange & half a payday
D: homemade spagetti w/ turkey meatballs & turkey hot italian sausage
1 slice of rosemary & olive oil garlic bread
S: 1 beer & 6 Wow Doritos
Not hideous.
Friday, April 30, 2004
Thursday, April 29, 2004
I’m Still Fat
It pains me to write those words. I mean, I’ve lost something like 25 pounds. Not as much as many folks, but nothing to sneeze at either. I’ve gone from no exercise to regular exercise in under 2 years. I’ve accomplished huge amounts in the gym and on the road. I’m proud of that. But I’m still fat.
I actually forget sometimes. I mean, I feel good – I’m active and enjoy a number of activities. I take more pride in my appearance than I used to. While I’m hardly Tammy Faye, I actually make a point of putting on a little make-up every day. And I start the day with lipstick (although I can never remember to re-apply!). I keep my toenails painted cute colors. This year I discovered pedicures, eyebrow waxing, and Sephora – mostly thanks to reading weight loss blogs!
But because I basically feel good about myself & am happy with my life, I tend to forget. Then something happens. Like having to return size 14 capris cause they don’t fit! Like, hello??? All my jeans are 14, and most are loose. My slacks are 12. But those dumb Wal-M capris were too tight in the hips & huge in the waist! Back they went. Yesterday I ran errands in a size 14 pair of shorts that were in danger of falling off. While I haven’t tried on everything, I am aware of 2 pair of shorts that fit me these days.
Even though I am short, I’m not small. I was “blessed” with a large bone structure. And I put on muscle easily and have a fairly muscled upper body. I will always wear a large shirt because of the broadness of my shoulders. But they don’t look very broad in proportion because I carry most of my extra weight in hips & upper thighs. And now that I’m down to the last 10-15 pounds, its all hanging out there. I’ll lose a little other places, but that’s where its mostly gonna come off. Because of the big hip, tiny waist thing, I can’t find anything that fits.
It really bothers me. At this point, I realize the majority of what is left is “vanity weight”. It’ll give me a little more energy, and make running a little easier, but mostly now its about getting back into my 50 million pairs of jeans – all of which are sizes 10, 11, and 12. I want to wear those pants!!!!!! And my nice dress slacks from my bank days. I want to look nice in clothes. Is that too much to ask? “Dear Neca, please stop putting crap in your mouth so we can look nice in a pair of jeans. Love, your thighs”.
It pains me to write those words. I mean, I’ve lost something like 25 pounds. Not as much as many folks, but nothing to sneeze at either. I’ve gone from no exercise to regular exercise in under 2 years. I’ve accomplished huge amounts in the gym and on the road. I’m proud of that. But I’m still fat.
I actually forget sometimes. I mean, I feel good – I’m active and enjoy a number of activities. I take more pride in my appearance than I used to. While I’m hardly Tammy Faye, I actually make a point of putting on a little make-up every day. And I start the day with lipstick (although I can never remember to re-apply!). I keep my toenails painted cute colors. This year I discovered pedicures, eyebrow waxing, and Sephora – mostly thanks to reading weight loss blogs!
But because I basically feel good about myself & am happy with my life, I tend to forget. Then something happens. Like having to return size 14 capris cause they don’t fit! Like, hello??? All my jeans are 14, and most are loose. My slacks are 12. But those dumb Wal-M capris were too tight in the hips & huge in the waist! Back they went. Yesterday I ran errands in a size 14 pair of shorts that were in danger of falling off. While I haven’t tried on everything, I am aware of 2 pair of shorts that fit me these days.
Even though I am short, I’m not small. I was “blessed” with a large bone structure. And I put on muscle easily and have a fairly muscled upper body. I will always wear a large shirt because of the broadness of my shoulders. But they don’t look very broad in proportion because I carry most of my extra weight in hips & upper thighs. And now that I’m down to the last 10-15 pounds, its all hanging out there. I’ll lose a little other places, but that’s where its mostly gonna come off. Because of the big hip, tiny waist thing, I can’t find anything that fits.
It really bothers me. At this point, I realize the majority of what is left is “vanity weight”. It’ll give me a little more energy, and make running a little easier, but mostly now its about getting back into my 50 million pairs of jeans – all of which are sizes 10, 11, and 12. I want to wear those pants!!!!!! And my nice dress slacks from my bank days. I want to look nice in clothes. Is that too much to ask? “Dear Neca, please stop putting crap in your mouth so we can look nice in a pair of jeans. Love, your thighs”.
Yesterday’s Food & Exercise
Another good day (2 in a row – woo hoo!)
B: egg McMuffin (no cheese) & a diet coke
S: 2 lowfat string cheeses
L: leftover everything jambalaya & ½ a slice of cornbread
orange
S: apple & half a payday
Rode bike 7 miles – had about 8 oz of gatorade
D: homemade chicken & shrimp fried rice
(so good, loads of veggies – actually more veggies than rice and light on the oil)
cup of hot & sour soup (yes, I used some of the crunchies)
Another good day (2 in a row – woo hoo!)
B: egg McMuffin (no cheese) & a diet coke
S: 2 lowfat string cheeses
L: leftover everything jambalaya & ½ a slice of cornbread
orange
S: apple & half a payday
Rode bike 7 miles – had about 8 oz of gatorade
D: homemade chicken & shrimp fried rice
(so good, loads of veggies – actually more veggies than rice and light on the oil)
cup of hot & sour soup (yes, I used some of the crunchies)
Wednesday, April 28, 2004
Food is Love
Let me tell you about my family, and why I grew up knowing this was true. My mom’s parents grew up in the country in SW Georgia during the depression. They didn’t go hungry, but they weren’t wealthy either. As a young couple, my granddad’s “treat” was a nickel so he could have a Coke with his sandwich at lunch.
My dad’s family. Well, they fled Germany before WWII after Hitler came to power. My great grandmother (Nana) lived in Germany between the wars. I bet she was familiar with hunger. Not to mention what its like to flee your homeland with not much more than three little kids. When we would go to visit her, she would weigh me every day. She taught me to make rouladen & other German foods. And she taught me an appreciation of fine cold cuts and brats that served me well when I lived in Berlin.
Both of my grandmothers were also excellent cooks. My mom’s mother (Monie) was quite good at “plain old country cooking” – fried chicken, salmon patties, vegetables from my uncle’s garden. And the best homemade peach ice cream you’ve ever eaten. She also loved seafood. When my cousin & I were kids, we’d go and spend a month camping (in a trailer) at the beach with my grandparents. They had a small freezer they’d take, full of food for the trip. We’d go crabbing, shrimping, and fishing every day. By the end of the month we’d have that freezer full of seafood for the winter. Monie made an excellent seafood quiche, and excellent crab dip too. My fondest childhood memories all take place on Edisto Island.
But my dad’s mom – wow! Grandma Betty is the only person I know who not only subscribes to “Bon Appetit”, but regularly cooks things out of it! She makes a killer strawberry rhubarb pie. A far more sophisticated cook than Monie, she made a lot of roasted geese, lamb, creamed green onions etc when I was growing up. Dinner at her place always involved a good wine and incredible food. After my granddad died, she supplemented her income by selling her soups, breads, & pies to friends & acquaintances.
And my mom? Well, a single mom who works full time doesn’t have a lot of time to cook, and honestly it isn’t her thing anyway. She indulged my childish taste buds on mac & cheese, frozen pizza, McD’s etc. She didn’t feed me crappy – I’m sure there were plenty of veggies in there too. But it was usually the kind of stuff a kid loves.
My poor mom – I loved to cook as a child. Both grandmothers tried to give me a good foundation in the fine art of cooking. I experimented quite a bit at home, with varying degrees of success! Over the years I have become quite a good cook myself, and I love to cook. I am proud to say I put a sit down dinner on the table for my family nearly every week night. It is rare we go out to dinner during the week.
My cooking is pretty varied. I try to make healthy meals using plenty of fresh vegetables. Because I cook on a budget, I tend not to have a big hunk of meat in the starring role, although I do believe protein is very important. But when my husband and I first married, I knew his favorite meal was steak, mashed potatoes, and creamed spinach. We ate a lot more meat and a lot more potatoes back then! Over the past three years, my dinners have become a lot healthier. That has helped us both trim down - some.
But I still believe that food is love. That can be a bad thing “Sorry you hurt your knee honey. Want an ice cream sandwich?” or a good thing “I care enough to sit down and enjoy a healthy, well prepared meal with you and listen to what you have to say.” I am guilty of using food as a reward – when my son was struggling with timed math at school, his reward for completing a section (every few months) was dinner at the restaurant of his choice. (That was his idea). But I am fortunate that my kid loves the food I make and adores vegetables – no leftover steamed broccoli or tomato pie in our house!
My husband has a lot of the same “food values” I do, for slightly different reasons. Suffice it to say, we are both very much in the habit of using food as both reward and comfort. He recognizes what he is doing, but changing those kind of ingrained behaviors is tough. We’re working on it.
Healthy food, prepared well can occur during the week. I believe sitting down and sharing a home cooked meal is an important part of the day. And frankly I like my cooking a lot! I have a pretty extensive list of meals that can be prepared in the crockpot or in about 30 minutes. A few things (like Nana’s rouladen) take a little longer and those get relegated to weekend nights.
My husband appreciates my efforts in the kitchen as much as (or more maybe) than my son. He has come to love German cuisine as much as I do, and that is a big treat for my family. But he also appreciates that I am trying to keep our meals healthy, with a focus on healthy fats, lean meats, and plenty of fresh vegetables.
I don’t consider myself “obsessed” with food. When I’m busy eating is something I enjoy, but don’t give a lot of thought to. I plan my food so that I am truly hungry the next time I sit down for a meal or a snack. It’s when I’m bored, tired, or stressed that I turn to food. More and more I’m figuring out the price to pay for that behavior is too high.
But I won’t go on a “diet” or eliminate foods. I generally eat things that aren’t as healthy sparingly, and try to stay away from processed food as much as possible. But no food is forbidden. I don’t even strictly count calories. Instead I am for roughly 900 calories during the day, and then have a reasonable portion of a fairly healthy dinner. This works for me as long as I limit my post dinner snacks and don’t get too out of whack on the weekend.
It has taken me a long time to lose the weight I have. Losing weight isn’t that hard – its figuring out why you gained weight, what your values are, what you are willing to do, and generally changing your mindset that are the tough parts. At least that has been my experience.
Let me tell you about my family, and why I grew up knowing this was true. My mom’s parents grew up in the country in SW Georgia during the depression. They didn’t go hungry, but they weren’t wealthy either. As a young couple, my granddad’s “treat” was a nickel so he could have a Coke with his sandwich at lunch.
My dad’s family. Well, they fled Germany before WWII after Hitler came to power. My great grandmother (Nana) lived in Germany between the wars. I bet she was familiar with hunger. Not to mention what its like to flee your homeland with not much more than three little kids. When we would go to visit her, she would weigh me every day. She taught me to make rouladen & other German foods. And she taught me an appreciation of fine cold cuts and brats that served me well when I lived in Berlin.
Both of my grandmothers were also excellent cooks. My mom’s mother (Monie) was quite good at “plain old country cooking” – fried chicken, salmon patties, vegetables from my uncle’s garden. And the best homemade peach ice cream you’ve ever eaten. She also loved seafood. When my cousin & I were kids, we’d go and spend a month camping (in a trailer) at the beach with my grandparents. They had a small freezer they’d take, full of food for the trip. We’d go crabbing, shrimping, and fishing every day. By the end of the month we’d have that freezer full of seafood for the winter. Monie made an excellent seafood quiche, and excellent crab dip too. My fondest childhood memories all take place on Edisto Island.
But my dad’s mom – wow! Grandma Betty is the only person I know who not only subscribes to “Bon Appetit”, but regularly cooks things out of it! She makes a killer strawberry rhubarb pie. A far more sophisticated cook than Monie, she made a lot of roasted geese, lamb, creamed green onions etc when I was growing up. Dinner at her place always involved a good wine and incredible food. After my granddad died, she supplemented her income by selling her soups, breads, & pies to friends & acquaintances.
And my mom? Well, a single mom who works full time doesn’t have a lot of time to cook, and honestly it isn’t her thing anyway. She indulged my childish taste buds on mac & cheese, frozen pizza, McD’s etc. She didn’t feed me crappy – I’m sure there were plenty of veggies in there too. But it was usually the kind of stuff a kid loves.
My poor mom – I loved to cook as a child. Both grandmothers tried to give me a good foundation in the fine art of cooking. I experimented quite a bit at home, with varying degrees of success! Over the years I have become quite a good cook myself, and I love to cook. I am proud to say I put a sit down dinner on the table for my family nearly every week night. It is rare we go out to dinner during the week.
My cooking is pretty varied. I try to make healthy meals using plenty of fresh vegetables. Because I cook on a budget, I tend not to have a big hunk of meat in the starring role, although I do believe protein is very important. But when my husband and I first married, I knew his favorite meal was steak, mashed potatoes, and creamed spinach. We ate a lot more meat and a lot more potatoes back then! Over the past three years, my dinners have become a lot healthier. That has helped us both trim down - some.
But I still believe that food is love. That can be a bad thing “Sorry you hurt your knee honey. Want an ice cream sandwich?” or a good thing “I care enough to sit down and enjoy a healthy, well prepared meal with you and listen to what you have to say.” I am guilty of using food as a reward – when my son was struggling with timed math at school, his reward for completing a section (every few months) was dinner at the restaurant of his choice. (That was his idea). But I am fortunate that my kid loves the food I make and adores vegetables – no leftover steamed broccoli or tomato pie in our house!
My husband has a lot of the same “food values” I do, for slightly different reasons. Suffice it to say, we are both very much in the habit of using food as both reward and comfort. He recognizes what he is doing, but changing those kind of ingrained behaviors is tough. We’re working on it.
Healthy food, prepared well can occur during the week. I believe sitting down and sharing a home cooked meal is an important part of the day. And frankly I like my cooking a lot! I have a pretty extensive list of meals that can be prepared in the crockpot or in about 30 minutes. A few things (like Nana’s rouladen) take a little longer and those get relegated to weekend nights.
My husband appreciates my efforts in the kitchen as much as (or more maybe) than my son. He has come to love German cuisine as much as I do, and that is a big treat for my family. But he also appreciates that I am trying to keep our meals healthy, with a focus on healthy fats, lean meats, and plenty of fresh vegetables.
I don’t consider myself “obsessed” with food. When I’m busy eating is something I enjoy, but don’t give a lot of thought to. I plan my food so that I am truly hungry the next time I sit down for a meal or a snack. It’s when I’m bored, tired, or stressed that I turn to food. More and more I’m figuring out the price to pay for that behavior is too high.
But I won’t go on a “diet” or eliminate foods. I generally eat things that aren’t as healthy sparingly, and try to stay away from processed food as much as possible. But no food is forbidden. I don’t even strictly count calories. Instead I am for roughly 900 calories during the day, and then have a reasonable portion of a fairly healthy dinner. This works for me as long as I limit my post dinner snacks and don’t get too out of whack on the weekend.
It has taken me a long time to lose the weight I have. Losing weight isn’t that hard – its figuring out why you gained weight, what your values are, what you are willing to do, and generally changing your mindset that are the tough parts. At least that has been my experience.
May Challenge!
Well, I set a goal for myself in April which I did not accomplish - to finally leave the 150s behind! Instead I focused on the triathlon and dealing with a stressful situation in my life.
Now that the stress situation is gone and the triathlon is behind me, I'm ready to really focus on my eating and commit to seeing the land of the 140s - a mysterious land I haven't visited for a few years now.
So, even though I don't normally commit to scale goals (I can't really control the scale, only behaviors that influence the scale), I am going to commit to this one.
That means I need to lose about 4 pounds during May - pretty reasonable I think, especially given my curent level of physical activity.
To accomplish my goal I plan to 1) PLAN! This is my big problem on the weekends. No set schedule or pre-planned meals usually means disaster on the healthy eating front. I plan to plan in May! 2) Journal. Dust off the old food diary. I won't obsessively count calories, but will do some spot checks (maybe every third day or so) to keep myself on track. 3) Beer. Hello?!?! One weekend night a week only!
My reward is that if I lose the weight and keep to my exercise plan, I will buy myself a new MP3 player at the end of the month! (it'll take me that long to pick one out & save up for it anyway! ha ha)
Well, I set a goal for myself in April which I did not accomplish - to finally leave the 150s behind! Instead I focused on the triathlon and dealing with a stressful situation in my life.
Now that the stress situation is gone and the triathlon is behind me, I'm ready to really focus on my eating and commit to seeing the land of the 140s - a mysterious land I haven't visited for a few years now.
So, even though I don't normally commit to scale goals (I can't really control the scale, only behaviors that influence the scale), I am going to commit to this one.
That means I need to lose about 4 pounds during May - pretty reasonable I think, especially given my curent level of physical activity.
To accomplish my goal I plan to 1) PLAN! This is my big problem on the weekends. No set schedule or pre-planned meals usually means disaster on the healthy eating front. I plan to plan in May! 2) Journal. Dust off the old food diary. I won't obsessively count calories, but will do some spot checks (maybe every third day or so) to keep myself on track. 3) Beer. Hello?!?! One weekend night a week only!
My reward is that if I lose the weight and keep to my exercise plan, I will buy myself a new MP3 player at the end of the month! (it'll take me that long to pick one out & save up for it anyway! ha ha)
Food & Exercise
Two mile easy walk/run.
B: kashi crunch w/ berries, banana, & soy milk
S: 2 lowfat string cheeses
L: big salad w/ garbanzos & a can of tuna
cup of homemade lentil soup
orange
S: apple & half a payday (my newest addiction)
S: 2 triscuits & 3 Wow Doritos w/ salsa (hungry!)
D: country captain (sautéed chicken in a curry/tomato/pepper sauce)
Rice
Sliced strawberries w/ a dab of whipped cream
A note about salad dressing: Life is too short to eat crappy salad dressing – especially when you eat a lot of salads. I generally use 2 tablespoons of a high quality, organic salad dressing. I look for one with no/low sugars and healthy oils. It adds between 35 and 70 calories to my salad. Or I make my own. But I don’t eat that fat free stuff you buy in the grocery. I’ve learned you get fat or sugar, but always one or the other. I choose healthy fat.
Two mile easy walk/run.
B: kashi crunch w/ berries, banana, & soy milk
S: 2 lowfat string cheeses
L: big salad w/ garbanzos & a can of tuna
cup of homemade lentil soup
orange
S: apple & half a payday (my newest addiction)
S: 2 triscuits & 3 Wow Doritos w/ salsa (hungry!)
D: country captain (sautéed chicken in a curry/tomato/pepper sauce)
Rice
Sliced strawberries w/ a dab of whipped cream
A note about salad dressing: Life is too short to eat crappy salad dressing – especially when you eat a lot of salads. I generally use 2 tablespoons of a high quality, organic salad dressing. I look for one with no/low sugars and healthy oils. It adds between 35 and 70 calories to my salad. Or I make my own. But I don’t eat that fat free stuff you buy in the grocery. I’ve learned you get fat or sugar, but always one or the other. I choose healthy fat.
Tuesday, April 27, 2004
Its that most wonderful time of the year
I love April. Its my favorite month (not just because my birthday happens either!). To me, April has 2 things going for it: fabulous weather, and the fact that it occurs at the beginning of spring. So you have the whole rest of spring and summer stretching out before you like a promise.
I tend to revel in April. Luckily, I don’t have allergies, which also helps. See, right now piedmont NC is incredibly gorgeous. The azaleas and dogwoods are blooming, not to mention all the flats of flowers that my fellow suburbanites drag home from The Home Depot and plant in their yards! *lol* But we discuss pollen a lot as a result. Not what weather.com says our pollen count is or anything – we just measure it by the color of our car. My Camry is Navy. Green is okay, but when it gets a nice golden yellow, its time to dig out the Flonase for hubby!
A blogger I read has a saying at the top of her page “Life happens between weigh ins”. Sometimes I feel like life happens between runs. This is not a bad thing. Depsite a weekend of inactivity and crap eating, I got up at zero dark thirty this morning, grabbed my Walkman, and headed out the door before I had time to think about it.
I ran 2 miles in the fog. It was great. Picked up on my tape right where I left off last Friday (somewhere during selected cuts from the “Mortal Combat” soundtrack). In a weird good way it was like the weekend never happened and I was right back in it. The fog was nice and it was a cool 45 degrees. I could just begin to really see the flowers as I was finishing – the sun was just beginning to come up. Perfect.
I read this today: "Routine is liberating, it makes you feel in control. A paradox, isn't it? You think your routines are controlling you, but in fact you're using the routine to give you power."
Wow. How powerful is that? I am very much a creature of habit –that’s why I kick butt all week and then flounder all weekend. My weekends actually contain different stuff – they are varied. Thus they tend to defy my routines, confusing me. I do great on exercise, because the weather is great and I want to be out in it, but my meals aren’t regimented so they tend to go to hell in a handbasket pretty quick.
All week I regiment my exercise. Every meal is planned and shopped for in advance. A menu is published on the fridge door. And once I get into a routine, I stick to it. Salad with a can of tuna. Lentil soup. String cheese. I like something, it works, I’ll eat it for weeks. All winter my breakfast contained boiled eggs and oatmeal. Not always both, but usually one or the other. Now I’m sick of them & I’ll cruise through the warm months consuming Kashi Heart to Heart or Go Lean Crunch. With bananas and/or mixed berries.
Routine is good as long as it gets us where we’re going. Well, almost time for my morning snack (string cheese). Gotta get going.
I love April. Its my favorite month (not just because my birthday happens either!). To me, April has 2 things going for it: fabulous weather, and the fact that it occurs at the beginning of spring. So you have the whole rest of spring and summer stretching out before you like a promise.
I tend to revel in April. Luckily, I don’t have allergies, which also helps. See, right now piedmont NC is incredibly gorgeous. The azaleas and dogwoods are blooming, not to mention all the flats of flowers that my fellow suburbanites drag home from The Home Depot and plant in their yards! *lol* But we discuss pollen a lot as a result. Not what weather.com says our pollen count is or anything – we just measure it by the color of our car. My Camry is Navy. Green is okay, but when it gets a nice golden yellow, its time to dig out the Flonase for hubby!
A blogger I read has a saying at the top of her page “Life happens between weigh ins”. Sometimes I feel like life happens between runs. This is not a bad thing. Depsite a weekend of inactivity and crap eating, I got up at zero dark thirty this morning, grabbed my Walkman, and headed out the door before I had time to think about it.
I ran 2 miles in the fog. It was great. Picked up on my tape right where I left off last Friday (somewhere during selected cuts from the “Mortal Combat” soundtrack). In a weird good way it was like the weekend never happened and I was right back in it. The fog was nice and it was a cool 45 degrees. I could just begin to really see the flowers as I was finishing – the sun was just beginning to come up. Perfect.
I read this today: "Routine is liberating, it makes you feel in control. A paradox, isn't it? You think your routines are controlling you, but in fact you're using the routine to give you power."
Wow. How powerful is that? I am very much a creature of habit –that’s why I kick butt all week and then flounder all weekend. My weekends actually contain different stuff – they are varied. Thus they tend to defy my routines, confusing me. I do great on exercise, because the weather is great and I want to be out in it, but my meals aren’t regimented so they tend to go to hell in a handbasket pretty quick.
All week I regiment my exercise. Every meal is planned and shopped for in advance. A menu is published on the fridge door. And once I get into a routine, I stick to it. Salad with a can of tuna. Lentil soup. String cheese. I like something, it works, I’ll eat it for weeks. All winter my breakfast contained boiled eggs and oatmeal. Not always both, but usually one or the other. Now I’m sick of them & I’ll cruise through the warm months consuming Kashi Heart to Heart or Go Lean Crunch. With bananas and/or mixed berries.
Routine is good as long as it gets us where we’re going. Well, almost time for my morning snack (string cheese). Gotta get going.
Monday, April 26, 2004
Weekend in Review
Well, hello there. I called this entry the weekend in review, but I think thats a little misleading. We went to the mountains in Md and camped in the woods. My knee was injured (slipped & hurt torn ACL knee). So, I mostly sat around & visited. It was nice, but a darn long way to go for a weekend.
I ate crappy & drank too much beer. Happens when I go on roadtrips. Over & done with - back to healthy eating today. No exercise today though - my son was home sick. Three days with no exercise is not good. Sometimes I hate the effect going on trips has on my schedule. But whats the point of life if you don't go do fun things? Note to self: find balance.
Came home to dead computer. Luckily smart friend visited & got the spyware garbage off & now it works again. My home computer is a POS.
My hotmail box was full, so if anyone reads this and decided to email me with feedback (since I haven't figured out yet how to set up comments), your email got deleted & please re-send. Sorry about that!
The up side of my son being sick was that I got my laundry & grocery shopping done today. One of the things I hate about going out of town (besides my workout schedule getting all boogered up) is that when I get home there's no food and piles of dirty clothes. I am one of those people who despises starting the week off disorganized. My son goes to a tutor 2 nights a week and tae kwon do 2 nights a week, so Mon - Thur evenings are pretty hectic. Having my house clean, laundry squared away, grocery bought & meals all planned is what keeps this family sane & this house working!
So, I ate okay calorie wise today, but did not make healthy choices - not enough fruits & veggies. The plan for the week is to run Tue, Thu, & Sun. Wed & Sat ride bike. Swim Friday night (light swim). I have good meals planned for the week. I made a big batch of outstanding jambalaya (and healthy too!) for tonight - there is plenty left over for a couple of lunches. While a good mixed salad with a can of tuna is an excellent lunch, variety is nice. Besides, now they say no more than 2 cans of albacore tuna a week. Whats left that I can eat, ya know? Sheesh!
Hope this is a week of great weather, great food, & great exercise!
Well, hello there. I called this entry the weekend in review, but I think thats a little misleading. We went to the mountains in Md and camped in the woods. My knee was injured (slipped & hurt torn ACL knee). So, I mostly sat around & visited. It was nice, but a darn long way to go for a weekend.
I ate crappy & drank too much beer. Happens when I go on roadtrips. Over & done with - back to healthy eating today. No exercise today though - my son was home sick. Three days with no exercise is not good. Sometimes I hate the effect going on trips has on my schedule. But whats the point of life if you don't go do fun things? Note to self: find balance.
Came home to dead computer. Luckily smart friend visited & got the spyware garbage off & now it works again. My home computer is a POS.
My hotmail box was full, so if anyone reads this and decided to email me with feedback (since I haven't figured out yet how to set up comments), your email got deleted & please re-send. Sorry about that!
The up side of my son being sick was that I got my laundry & grocery shopping done today. One of the things I hate about going out of town (besides my workout schedule getting all boogered up) is that when I get home there's no food and piles of dirty clothes. I am one of those people who despises starting the week off disorganized. My son goes to a tutor 2 nights a week and tae kwon do 2 nights a week, so Mon - Thur evenings are pretty hectic. Having my house clean, laundry squared away, grocery bought & meals all planned is what keeps this family sane & this house working!
So, I ate okay calorie wise today, but did not make healthy choices - not enough fruits & veggies. The plan for the week is to run Tue, Thu, & Sun. Wed & Sat ride bike. Swim Friday night (light swim). I have good meals planned for the week. I made a big batch of outstanding jambalaya (and healthy too!) for tonight - there is plenty left over for a couple of lunches. While a good mixed salad with a can of tuna is an excellent lunch, variety is nice. Besides, now they say no more than 2 cans of albacore tuna a week. Whats left that I can eat, ya know? Sheesh!
Hope this is a week of great weather, great food, & great exercise!
Friday, April 23, 2004
Feet on Floor
That was my mantra this morning. The original plan was to not use the snooze. I don’t even remember the alarm going off the first time! I looked up and it was 5:02, so I waited till the snooze went off at 5:09 and started chanting “feet on floor.” Ugh. See, I’m tired. I mean, tough couple of weeks (personal stress, resolved yesterday) plus training for and doing a triathlon. Since the tri I have alternated days of running and biking, with some weights and swimming thrown it. I’m tired.
What I would like to do this weekend is do my long run Saturday, have breakfast out with hubby, putter around the house. Park my chub and enjoy the view into my back yard as well as whatever cheesaliscious movies will be on Sci-fi channel leading up to Roger Corman’s “Dinocroc” at 9 pm. Heaven. I’d ride my bike Sunday and do my grocery shopping while the righteous are in church. I’d mow my yard. See? I’d be good. No binging on food or being inactive here. Just a nice, slow paced weekend. Especially since the boy is going to visit the grandparents.
What am I doing this weekend? No that! Oh no. I am leaving work at lunch so hubby and I can drive 8 HOURS to western Maryland to go primitive camping with friends. Sorry, not relaxing. Leaving early Sunday – getting home around 5 pm and then having to face the grocery shopping, laundry etc. Where is the relaxation? Hubby said I didn’t have to go – I could just stay home. And feel like a schmuck for letting him make a long road trip alone? I don’t think so.
We committed to going and are responsible for bringing stuff. But it’s a long drive for a weekend and right now it feels more like work than fun. And that sucks.
That was my mantra this morning. The original plan was to not use the snooze. I don’t even remember the alarm going off the first time! I looked up and it was 5:02, so I waited till the snooze went off at 5:09 and started chanting “feet on floor.” Ugh. See, I’m tired. I mean, tough couple of weeks (personal stress, resolved yesterday) plus training for and doing a triathlon. Since the tri I have alternated days of running and biking, with some weights and swimming thrown it. I’m tired.
What I would like to do this weekend is do my long run Saturday, have breakfast out with hubby, putter around the house. Park my chub and enjoy the view into my back yard as well as whatever cheesaliscious movies will be on Sci-fi channel leading up to Roger Corman’s “Dinocroc” at 9 pm. Heaven. I’d ride my bike Sunday and do my grocery shopping while the righteous are in church. I’d mow my yard. See? I’d be good. No binging on food or being inactive here. Just a nice, slow paced weekend. Especially since the boy is going to visit the grandparents.
What am I doing this weekend? No that! Oh no. I am leaving work at lunch so hubby and I can drive 8 HOURS to western Maryland to go primitive camping with friends. Sorry, not relaxing. Leaving early Sunday – getting home around 5 pm and then having to face the grocery shopping, laundry etc. Where is the relaxation? Hubby said I didn’t have to go – I could just stay home. And feel like a schmuck for letting him make a long road trip alone? I don’t think so.
We committed to going and are responsible for bringing stuff. But it’s a long drive for a weekend and right now it feels more like work than fun. And that sucks.
Weigh-in, food, and exercise
Let’s get this out of the way, shall we? I was up 0.5 pounds over where I was 2 weeks ago (didn’t weigh last week). One pound away from “virgin fat territory”. Oh well – with all the stress lately it could’ve been uglier. Time to put this car back in “D”!
I ran two miles yesterday – I had swum at 8:30 the night before and today was my long run (supposed to be Sat but a trip this weekend meant I had to do it today). So I wanted to take it easy.
Food:
B: heart to heart cereal with berries & soy milk
S: 2 lowfat string cheeses & an orange
L: salad w/ can of tuna, cup of homemade black bean soup, and a plum
S: payday and a diet pepsi (fyi, according to my trainer, Men’s Health mag says a payday has as good a balance of carbs/protein/fat as any of the high priced energy bars on the market). Its mostly nuts, right? :-)
D: small spaghetti w/ meat sauce & 2 bread sticks from fazoli’s. And a miller lite (packing means no time to cook!)
Let’s get this out of the way, shall we? I was up 0.5 pounds over where I was 2 weeks ago (didn’t weigh last week). One pound away from “virgin fat territory”. Oh well – with all the stress lately it could’ve been uglier. Time to put this car back in “D”!
I ran two miles yesterday – I had swum at 8:30 the night before and today was my long run (supposed to be Sat but a trip this weekend meant I had to do it today). So I wanted to take it easy.
Food:
B: heart to heart cereal with berries & soy milk
S: 2 lowfat string cheeses & an orange
L: salad w/ can of tuna, cup of homemade black bean soup, and a plum
S: payday and a diet pepsi (fyi, according to my trainer, Men’s Health mag says a payday has as good a balance of carbs/protein/fat as any of the high priced energy bars on the market). Its mostly nuts, right? :-)
D: small spaghetti w/ meat sauce & 2 bread sticks from fazoli’s. And a miller lite (packing means no time to cook!)
Thursday, April 22, 2004
Food & Exercise Yesterday
B: egg mcmuffin, no cheese & a diet coke
S: 1 lowfat string cheese, orange
L: california sushi roll, cup veggie black bean soup (homemade)
green tea
S: payday bar & 1 lf string cheese
7 mi bike ride (small Gatorade)
D: 1.5 grilled lean turkey burgers w/ 2% cheese on buns.
1/2 c vegetarian baked beans and
half an ear of corn on the cob
Small piece of cheesecake
Crystal Light
Went to gym & swam 350 yards
S: Half a beer (Miller Lite)
For the record, I drink water all day - I'm a good 80 oz a day girl.
B: egg mcmuffin, no cheese & a diet coke
S: 1 lowfat string cheese, orange
L: california sushi roll, cup veggie black bean soup (homemade)
green tea
S: payday bar & 1 lf string cheese
7 mi bike ride (small Gatorade)
D: 1.5 grilled lean turkey burgers w/ 2% cheese on buns.
1/2 c vegetarian baked beans and
half an ear of corn on the cob
Small piece of cheesecake
Crystal Light
Went to gym & swam 350 yards
S: Half a beer (Miller Lite)
For the record, I drink water all day - I'm a good 80 oz a day girl.
Triathlon: Why I did it - and how I trained
I started training in late November. At the time, I hadn't swum a lap in a pool since I took lessons when I was 5 years old. The only bike I had was a yard sale mountain bike I picked up. I hadn't been on a bike for 20+ years. And I hadn't run in nearly a decade.
My plusses: I was in reasonably good condition - I went to the gym & used the elliptical, walked, took aerobic classes occasionally etc. and I did know how to swim - just not with my face in the water!
I took a few swimming lessons to learn how to lap swim, which I was able to pick up in about a month. I started walk/running (which I still do), just increasing the running bit over time.
I am still not comfortable on the bike! I did finally get a hybrid on sale at Sports Authority. A friend gave me an old 10 speed which I want to learn how to use - a road bike is definitely better.
I'm not sure why I picked a tri as my first event to do. A smarter move would have been to start doing some 5K fun runs first. But, a tri felt more ambitious and I was looking for a real challenge.
For me, having that big goal at the end kept me focused. Losing
weight (while important) wasn't enough to keep me getting out there on that D*&$ bike on a cold Saturday morning. Visualizing myself hugging my son after I crossed the finish line and hearing him say he was proud of me - that kept me going!
I started training in late November. At the time, I hadn't swum a lap in a pool since I took lessons when I was 5 years old. The only bike I had was a yard sale mountain bike I picked up. I hadn't been on a bike for 20+ years. And I hadn't run in nearly a decade.
My plusses: I was in reasonably good condition - I went to the gym & used the elliptical, walked, took aerobic classes occasionally etc. and I did know how to swim - just not with my face in the water!
I took a few swimming lessons to learn how to lap swim, which I was able to pick up in about a month. I started walk/running (which I still do), just increasing the running bit over time.
I am still not comfortable on the bike! I did finally get a hybrid on sale at Sports Authority. A friend gave me an old 10 speed which I want to learn how to use - a road bike is definitely better.
I'm not sure why I picked a tri as my first event to do. A smarter move would have been to start doing some 5K fun runs first. But, a tri felt more ambitious and I was looking for a real challenge.
For me, having that big goal at the end kept me focused. Losing
weight (while important) wasn't enough to keep me getting out there on that D*&$ bike on a cold Saturday morning. Visualizing myself hugging my son after I crossed the finish line and hearing him say he was proud of me - that kept me going!
Wednesday, April 21, 2004
The Mandatory Story
I wasn’t always overweight, although I’ve thought I have been most of my adult life. I was on the thin side as a kid, and as a teenager as well.
In my 20s I “ballooned” up to a size 8/10, which is where I stayed until I became pregnant with my son. I gained a lot of weight during the pregnancy, and leveled off at 153 pounds on my 5’2” frame afterward.
Thanks to the help of fen-phen, I lost back down to my pre-pregnancy weight. After I stopped taking it, I gained 10-15 pounds, and bounced around a size 10/12 for a long time.
Some people blame their weight gain on pregnancy, divorce, etc. I blame my job! :-) I got a new job five years ago, and this one didn’t have an on-site gym! I gained a little. Then I met a great guy – who lived in another state. Stressful long distance relationship followed – and I gained a little more. He moved down here & we got married and I of course wanted to prove what a good wife I was by showing off my cooking prowess – every day. A lot more weight followed!
Pretty soon, I was packing nearly 180 pounds on my frame. I don’t even know what size I was – I wore XL stretch pants. Jeans were a thing of the past!
I got tired of it & joined Weight Watchers, which had helped me before. I saw a little progress – 6 pounds in a year. But slowly I was becoming more conscious of my eating habits (they were pretty bad!)
In 2003 I got a lot more serious. This coincided with a torn ACL in the fall of 2002. The orthopedist told me the best thing I could do to prevent re-injury and possible reconstructive surgery was to lift weights. I took her words to heart and after my physical therapy ended joined the local YMCA.
I began to lift weights and haven’t stopped. I started walking on the treadmill (aka “dreadmill” or “hamster wheel”) and using the elliptical trainer. I lost 13 pounds that year – not very impressive but that’s net. I gained a lot of muscle!
This year I’m down another 6 so far. Last November I got bored and needed a challenge, so I began to train for a triathlon. Swimming, biking, running – first on the treadmill and then outside when it got warmer. I finished my first triathlon this past Saturday – 2 days before my 38th birthday.
What’s next? Well, a bench press competition in 3 weeks. Weight lifting is my favorite athletic endeavor. And I began training for the Baltimore marathon a couple of weeks ago.
I still need to lose somewhere in the neighborhood of 15 pounds or so. The upper goal set by my doctor based upon a healthy body fat percentage is 140 pounds. It sounds like a lot for my height, but I carry 115 of lean body mass! (Told ya I lifted a lot of weights!)
I want to lose the weight, but I’m not following any strict program. Instead I am focusing on eating healthy food, in reasonable amounts, and moving my body a lot more than I ever thought I would do on a regular basis (at least without a platoon sergeant to make me do it!).
The purpose of this blog is to track my efforts and gain insight into the process. You are welcome to come along for the ride!
I wasn’t always overweight, although I’ve thought I have been most of my adult life. I was on the thin side as a kid, and as a teenager as well.
In my 20s I “ballooned” up to a size 8/10, which is where I stayed until I became pregnant with my son. I gained a lot of weight during the pregnancy, and leveled off at 153 pounds on my 5’2” frame afterward.
Thanks to the help of fen-phen, I lost back down to my pre-pregnancy weight. After I stopped taking it, I gained 10-15 pounds, and bounced around a size 10/12 for a long time.
Some people blame their weight gain on pregnancy, divorce, etc. I blame my job! :-) I got a new job five years ago, and this one didn’t have an on-site gym! I gained a little. Then I met a great guy – who lived in another state. Stressful long distance relationship followed – and I gained a little more. He moved down here & we got married and I of course wanted to prove what a good wife I was by showing off my cooking prowess – every day. A lot more weight followed!
Pretty soon, I was packing nearly 180 pounds on my frame. I don’t even know what size I was – I wore XL stretch pants. Jeans were a thing of the past!
I got tired of it & joined Weight Watchers, which had helped me before. I saw a little progress – 6 pounds in a year. But slowly I was becoming more conscious of my eating habits (they were pretty bad!)
In 2003 I got a lot more serious. This coincided with a torn ACL in the fall of 2002. The orthopedist told me the best thing I could do to prevent re-injury and possible reconstructive surgery was to lift weights. I took her words to heart and after my physical therapy ended joined the local YMCA.
I began to lift weights and haven’t stopped. I started walking on the treadmill (aka “dreadmill” or “hamster wheel”) and using the elliptical trainer. I lost 13 pounds that year – not very impressive but that’s net. I gained a lot of muscle!
This year I’m down another 6 so far. Last November I got bored and needed a challenge, so I began to train for a triathlon. Swimming, biking, running – first on the treadmill and then outside when it got warmer. I finished my first triathlon this past Saturday – 2 days before my 38th birthday.
What’s next? Well, a bench press competition in 3 weeks. Weight lifting is my favorite athletic endeavor. And I began training for the Baltimore marathon a couple of weeks ago.
I still need to lose somewhere in the neighborhood of 15 pounds or so. The upper goal set by my doctor based upon a healthy body fat percentage is 140 pounds. It sounds like a lot for my height, but I carry 115 of lean body mass! (Told ya I lifted a lot of weights!)
I want to lose the weight, but I’m not following any strict program. Instead I am focusing on eating healthy food, in reasonable amounts, and moving my body a lot more than I ever thought I would do on a regular basis (at least without a platoon sergeant to make me do it!).
The purpose of this blog is to track my efforts and gain insight into the process. You are welcome to come along for the ride!
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