Tonight was Weigh-In Night. I went to the Weight Watchers meeting and stepped on the scale, and saw I lost another pound, whoo hoo! That is 12.4 lbs lost since my first WW meeting November 11th, just a few weeks ago.
One pound may not sound like much, but I will take it, that is for sure! Last week at the WW meeting our leader handed out bookmarks with the 2010 holidays on it. The idea was if you lost one pound per week, how much would you have lost by Valentine’s Day? By the 4th of July? By Halloween? Think about it. There are 52 weeks in a year, if all I lost was one pound a week all next year, I would lose 52 lbs! Wow.
One thing I did differently this week was start exercising more consistently. I went ice-skating on Christmas Eve, and then Saturday, Sunday and Monday I went to the gym and did an hour of cardio: 30 minutes on the elliptical trainer and 30 minutes on the stationary bike. Then situps and stretching.
I was thinking about how I want to start working out at least three times a week; to make sure this week is not a fluke. And then She Wears a Red Sox Cap, another one of my favorite bloggers, posted the Elliptical Challenge 2010! See her post for details, but basically you set your own goal for how many minutes a week you will use the elliptical trainer through the first month of 2010. There's a prize-drawing for those who meet their goals. Sign me up! I am totally in. And very excited about it. Except I just realized my gym is probably closed New Year’s Day, so I may have to do an hour on the elliptical on the next day to achieve my pledged 2 hours per week. And if it weren’t for the challenge, I would not be thinking about how I can make sure I get 2 hours of elliptical time in this week. Wish me luck!
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Homemade Veggie Broth
I have a habit of keeping vegetable scraps in the freezer. Every once in a while I justify the habit by throwing it all in a pot and making homemade veggie broth. It’s not hard, and it’s a great way to use up all those scraps that don’t make it into your dinners: potato and carrot peelings, the tops and bottoms of onions and celery, the vegetables that I thought I would use but didn’t and they are going to go bad in a day or two. All of that makes its way into the freezer and eventually, the broth. Or as I call it, Mystery Soup. Either way, I made it so I know it’s low in sodium and high in nutrition.
It’s easy to start. Throw that handful of green beans no one put on their plate into a bag or container and put it in the freezer. Add to it when you have scraps from cooking. Soon enough you’ll have enough to cook.
Throw it in a pot with a few cups of water. I added some fresh baby carrots and celery this time because my Mystery Soup bags tend to be heavy on the onion.
I don’t season the broth because there is no telling what I will use it for: to make soup, to flavor mashed potatoes, to cook rice, for the liquid in homemade bread, or as a low-fat medium for sautéing chicken and vegetables.
Bring to a boil, turn down the heat until its just simmering, cover and let it do its thing.
Once the veggies are mushy and look like all the goodness has been cooked out of them, drain them over a bowl.
(Ignore the flour in the corner of that photo; I was making bread while the broth simmered.) Dispose of the cooked vegetable scraps, and think of ways to use your homemade broth!
I used this batch to make salmon chowder.
It’s easy to start. Throw that handful of green beans no one put on their plate into a bag or container and put it in the freezer. Add to it when you have scraps from cooking. Soon enough you’ll have enough to cook.
Throw it in a pot with a few cups of water. I added some fresh baby carrots and celery this time because my Mystery Soup bags tend to be heavy on the onion.
Bring to a boil, turn down the heat until its just simmering, cover and let it do its thing.
Once the veggies are mushy and look like all the goodness has been cooked out of them, drain them over a bowl.
(Ignore the flour in the corner of that photo; I was making bread while the broth simmered.) Dispose of the cooked vegetable scraps, and think of ways to use your homemade broth!
I used this batch to make salmon chowder.
Monday, December 28, 2009
The Conclusion of the Trifecta of Chocolaty Goodness: All Bran Brownies
I had it stuck in my mind that I’d seen a recipe with brownie mix, All Bran cereal and water. Of course I had not bookmarked the recipe, and now that I’m looking for it I see tons of versions of this recipe. The All-Bran website has a version without brownie mix… cocoa, flour, etc. But I’m staying true to brownie mix in the Trifecta of Chocolaty Goodness. The low-calorie and diet websites all seemed to have member versions of the recipe, so here’s a link to one on Dotti’s Weight Loss Zone. It’s for muffins, but the idea is the same. And all the recipes I saw, whether for brownies or for chocolate muffins, called for baking powder. Now that says to me “Liz, this is gonna be a cakey brownie, not a fudgie one.” As a lover of fudgie brownies, I decided to throw caution to the wind and just wing it, making up my own recipe.
Here is the basic idea I started with:
3 cups All Bran cereal
2 ½ cups water
1 package brownie mix
2 Tbs mini semisweet chocolate chips
Check me out, rockin' the store brand chips and generic mix. I do love to save a buck.
Mix the water into the cereal and let them sit together for at least 5 minutes so they can learn to enjoy each other’s company. Then add the brownie mix and chips. Stir, spread in a pan you have sprayed with non-stick spray, and bake for 20 minutes at 350.
I could not resist tampering with the brownies a little more. I had some homemade cranberry sauce leftover from Christmas. I was in a hurry when I made the cran sauce or I would have taken pictures, the cranberries were so bright and cheery-looking through the short 15-minute process it takes to make the sauce. I attempted to swirl the cranberry sauce on top of the pan of brownie batter. I’ve never swirled anything into brownie better before; it turned out more like a “W” which I will say stands for “Wow.”
After seeing how bad that looked, I threw a handful or so more chocolate chips on top. Then I shoved it in the oven before I could mess with it anymore.
At 20 minutes they looked good, but a finger-poke found them mushy. After 10 more minutes they appeared solid enough. I had one while they were still warm because my mama didn’t raise any fools.
Here’s the good news: the chocolate gives the cranberry sauce a good solid canvas for its tart kick, and berry’s flavor enhances that of the chocolate. Cranberries and chocolate are a match made in heaven.
Now for the bad news: wow, the bran is really obvious. Bran is not bad. It was in the cupboard because I like it. But it interferes significantly with the brownie-ness of the brownies. I see now why there are so many recipes out there for chocolate muffins with All Bran; it is probably more suited to a muffin or maybe a bar. So I’ll call these chocolate-cranberry muffin bars next time. They are not brownies, not to me, but they are still pretty darn good!
Here is the basic idea I started with:
3 cups All Bran cereal
2 ½ cups water
1 package brownie mix
2 Tbs mini semisweet chocolate chips
Check me out, rockin' the store brand chips and generic mix. I do love to save a buck.
Mix the water into the cereal and let them sit together for at least 5 minutes so they can learn to enjoy each other’s company. Then add the brownie mix and chips. Stir, spread in a pan you have sprayed with non-stick spray, and bake for 20 minutes at 350.
I could not resist tampering with the brownies a little more. I had some homemade cranberry sauce leftover from Christmas. I was in a hurry when I made the cran sauce or I would have taken pictures, the cranberries were so bright and cheery-looking through the short 15-minute process it takes to make the sauce. I attempted to swirl the cranberry sauce on top of the pan of brownie batter. I’ve never swirled anything into brownie better before; it turned out more like a “W” which I will say stands for “Wow.”
After seeing how bad that looked, I threw a handful or so more chocolate chips on top. Then I shoved it in the oven before I could mess with it anymore.
At 20 minutes they looked good, but a finger-poke found them mushy. After 10 more minutes they appeared solid enough. I had one while they were still warm because my mama didn’t raise any fools.
Here’s the good news: the chocolate gives the cranberry sauce a good solid canvas for its tart kick, and berry’s flavor enhances that of the chocolate. Cranberries and chocolate are a match made in heaven.
Now for the bad news: wow, the bran is really obvious. Bran is not bad. It was in the cupboard because I like it. But it interferes significantly with the brownie-ness of the brownies. I see now why there are so many recipes out there for chocolate muffins with All Bran; it is probably more suited to a muffin or maybe a bar. So I’ll call these chocolate-cranberry muffin bars next time. They are not brownies, not to me, but they are still pretty darn good!
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Down a Size
I got a gift-certificate to Old Navy for Christmas so of course yesterday I headed out to spend it in the after-Christmas sales. We got more snow and unfortunately had to skip yesterday’s Christmas at Jeff’s grandparents’ farm. It’s a three hour drive and we have gotten so much snow in the last few days. My little trip out to shop and go to the gym confirmed that. The highways were not too bad, but still affected. No one was going anywhere near the speed limit, not even the big heavy four-wheel-drive trucks; it was slow-going. Parking lots were the worst of course, and when I saw our mail-man at the corner gas-station, he said subdivisions even more dangerous. Driving was dicey but I was highly motivated. The places I was going were not far from home and just off major highways; I took a calculated risk. 60% off at Old Navy which is less than 10 miles away vs. 20% chance of ending up in a ditch… Shopping it is!
If you know me, you know I am not a shopper. Hate it. Always have. Except for a brief period right after college (thanks for reminding me of that, Miriam aka Best Roomie Evah!). I think that was just temporary insanity coupled with post-college euphoria, before the reality of working until retirement set in. But I actually enjoyed shopping this time. Clothes fit better, I felt like the world was my oyster! Is that a saying? It sounds weird now that I have typed it out.
I figured I’d just run in and run out; I wanted these “walking pants”. I already have a pair and lovelovelove them. They are so comfortable and never shrink up or go high-water on me. Since I wear a 32 inch inseam that can be a problem for me sometimes, even though my strikingly Amazonian sisters will tell you I’m short. The pants have been in heavy rotation since they’re my favorites, they last through frequent washing really well and I think for gym-gear they look pretty sharp. The amount on the gift card was blank so I asked the check-out girl to tell me what it was when I walked in and it turned out I was equipped for a shopping spree! What a great surprise.
I ended up getting a couple sweaters, a couple long-sleeved t-shirts, a pair of jeans and the “walking pants” or as I call them, loungie pants. And I was so happy to see that I was down a size in pants! Back down to a 14. I was in 16’s for a few months and that was pretty hard to take. I was so happy to be down a size! And the shirts and sweaters I bought were L’s, not XL’s. Thank God. Not where I want to be, but on the way. It’s a journey, one pound at a time. And then I went to the gym and did an hour of cardio.
If you know me, you know I am not a shopper. Hate it. Always have. Except for a brief period right after college (thanks for reminding me of that, Miriam aka Best Roomie Evah!). I think that was just temporary insanity coupled with post-college euphoria, before the reality of working until retirement set in. But I actually enjoyed shopping this time. Clothes fit better, I felt like the world was my oyster! Is that a saying? It sounds weird now that I have typed it out.
I figured I’d just run in and run out; I wanted these “walking pants”. I already have a pair and lovelovelove them. They are so comfortable and never shrink up or go high-water on me. Since I wear a 32 inch inseam that can be a problem for me sometimes, even though my strikingly Amazonian sisters will tell you I’m short. The pants have been in heavy rotation since they’re my favorites, they last through frequent washing really well and I think for gym-gear they look pretty sharp. The amount on the gift card was blank so I asked the check-out girl to tell me what it was when I walked in and it turned out I was equipped for a shopping spree! What a great surprise.
I ended up getting a couple sweaters, a couple long-sleeved t-shirts, a pair of jeans and the “walking pants” or as I call them, loungie pants. And I was so happy to see that I was down a size in pants! Back down to a 14. I was in 16’s for a few months and that was pretty hard to take. I was so happy to be down a size! And the shirts and sweaters I bought were L’s, not XL’s. Thank God. Not where I want to be, but on the way. It’s a journey, one pound at a time. And then I went to the gym and did an hour of cardio.
Friday, December 25, 2009
Christmas Eve Ice-Skating!
I hope everyone is having a fabulous Christmas! My current favorite Christmas tradition is ice-skating on Christmas Eve at Crown Center in Kansas City. Here’s a picture snapped by a cooperative stranger… I did not catch your name but thank you and Merry Christmas! I’m on the far right, BF (aka Jeff) is right beside me, then his sister Nicole, their mom Judy and her BF Steve, and the nephews Alex and Noah front and center, as they should be!
It was freezing out; usually it’s warmer and we last longer. Jeff and I were the last to arrive; I think I probably got 20 minutes of good cardio in before we went in to warm up. That’s two workouts this week because Sunday I went to the gym and did an hour of cardio. If I get one more workout in this week it will probably be walking. We had a winter storm last night and have not ventured out today. The roads were pretty dicey when I went on a last-minute grocery store run after skating.
What is your favorite Christmas tradition?
It was freezing out; usually it’s warmer and we last longer. Jeff and I were the last to arrive; I think I probably got 20 minutes of good cardio in before we went in to warm up. That’s two workouts this week because Sunday I went to the gym and did an hour of cardio. If I get one more workout in this week it will probably be walking. We had a winter storm last night and have not ventured out today. The roads were pretty dicey when I went on a last-minute grocery store run after skating.
What is your favorite Christmas tradition?
Thursday, December 24, 2009
11.4 Lbs Total and NSV!
Because of the holidays there were only three people at my Weight Watchers meeting last night. I love the meetings that are full of people; they are lively and energizing. But this was awesome in a different way; it was very personal and everyone had a chance to contribute something. I was very excited to step on the scale and find out I lost another 1.4 lbs, for a total so far of 11.4 lbs. WHOO HOO!
Last night we talked about NSV’s. An NSV is a Non-Scale Victory. Something positive that has happened as a result of or related to your weight-loss efforts but is not a new number on the scale. An NSV can be anything… clothing becoming looser, a newly discovered addiction to exercise, or in my case, a piece of jewelry that fits again.
Earlier this year my watch battery died and I set it aside, putting off getting a new battery after I tried a couple stores and they said they could not help me. Eventually BF and I went together to try again and found a jewelry store that would do it. After the new battery was in and I tried to put the watch on, I couldn’t fasten it. I cannot tell you how embarrassing that was. In the time from the battery dying to when it was replaced I gained enough weight that I could no longer wear my watch. Ouch. And I discovered this at the jewelry store, with BF and the staff as witnesses. Double-ouch.
About a week ago I decided to try the watch again and it fit! I was so happy. A few weeks of being on Weight Watchers and my reward was not just the loss the scale showed, but this tangible change. Sometimes the scale can show a loss and you don’t see it, not in your face, your body or how your clothes fit. Sometimes the scale shows no loss but you see that your body is changing as a result of eating better or exercising. Now every day when I put it the watch, I feel a little thrill of success. And now when I wear the watch, it is an anchor for me, which is another Weight Watchers tool. As an anchor, the watch is a concrete reminder of what I am doing and why. I wear it every day, and when I am having trouble sticking to the program or heaven forbid I’m jumping off the wagon with total abandon, I can see the watch on my wrist. I can remember the day I could not wear it, and the moment I put it back on, and get in touch with the feelings of pride, joy and relief I felt when it fit. And hopefully the memory of that moment will help me focus and reset my fatitude.
Last night we talked about NSV’s. An NSV is a Non-Scale Victory. Something positive that has happened as a result of or related to your weight-loss efforts but is not a new number on the scale. An NSV can be anything… clothing becoming looser, a newly discovered addiction to exercise, or in my case, a piece of jewelry that fits again.
Earlier this year my watch battery died and I set it aside, putting off getting a new battery after I tried a couple stores and they said they could not help me. Eventually BF and I went together to try again and found a jewelry store that would do it. After the new battery was in and I tried to put the watch on, I couldn’t fasten it. I cannot tell you how embarrassing that was. In the time from the battery dying to when it was replaced I gained enough weight that I could no longer wear my watch. Ouch. And I discovered this at the jewelry store, with BF and the staff as witnesses. Double-ouch.
About a week ago I decided to try the watch again and it fit! I was so happy. A few weeks of being on Weight Watchers and my reward was not just the loss the scale showed, but this tangible change. Sometimes the scale can show a loss and you don’t see it, not in your face, your body or how your clothes fit. Sometimes the scale shows no loss but you see that your body is changing as a result of eating better or exercising. Now every day when I put it the watch, I feel a little thrill of success. And now when I wear the watch, it is an anchor for me, which is another Weight Watchers tool. As an anchor, the watch is a concrete reminder of what I am doing and why. I wear it every day, and when I am having trouble sticking to the program or heaven forbid I’m jumping off the wagon with total abandon, I can see the watch on my wrist. I can remember the day I could not wear it, and the moment I put it back on, and get in touch with the feelings of pride, joy and relief I felt when it fit. And hopefully the memory of that moment will help me focus and reset my fatitude.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Here I Yam!
I always like having a face to go with a voice on the phone, with someone you email or to go with a blog. I hesitated to post this because I am struggling with my self-image; I’m trying to lose 50 lbs and 20 of that I gained this year, yikes! I truly believe my current weight is temporary and am working to make that true, hence the title of my blog, shedding the fat-suit. I talked about that more here: The Beginning.
And since I mentioned yams, let’s talk about ‘em. When I hear yam, I think sweet potato. But per this Wikipedia article, yams and sweet potatoes are not the same. However, it also proves I am not crazy because it says that in the U.S. and Canada, the terms are used interchangeably. Here is a link to an About.com article about the differences between yams and sweet potatoes. And this About.com article says that yams are toxic if eaten raw, and do not have as much Vitamin A and Vitamin C as sweet potatoes.
Here is a link to some yam recipes on Epicurious. I’m particularly interested in the recipe for Yams with Crispy Skins and Brown-Butter Vinaigrette.
Hmmm now that I have been educated by Wikipedia and About.com, I am not sure that I have ever had a true yam. I will put that on the to-do list for 2010, and will update you when I try some of the epicurious recipes!
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Surviving the Holiday Frenzy
We are smack dab in the middle of the high point of the dangerous party-and-goodie-filled holiday season. I am standing in the middle of the street risking being run over by three Christmas gatherings that are barreling down on me at the speed of light, and I’m still dizzy from the two that have already whizzed by. If I’m going to finish the season in one piece (equal to or slightly smaller than the one piece I am now) then I will need a solid plan.
Step 1: Log intake
Consistently record all points used/all food and drink. This is the third week in a row that I have only logged intake about half the time, and this is not the time to do things halfway. We are in the middle of the toughest time of the year for losing weight, people, this is no time to mess around! Today I logged it all; it’s a good start.
Step 2: Increase Output
Calories burned, silly. Exercise! Today I went to the gym: 30 minutes on the elliptical trainer, 30 minutes on the stationary bike, then stretches and sit-ups. Just have to keep it up. Go again. I like it, why not do it?
Step 3: Organization and Planning Ahead
This is not the time to let myself get hungry without having healthy snacks and meals ready to go. Ten minutes of prep work in the morning can forestall giving in to temptation mid-morning… midday… midafternoon… midwhatever! Plan and prepare snacks and meals throughout the day, do as much ahead of time as possible.
Step 4: Don’t Forget About Sleep
It is so tempting to stay up until all hours this time of year. There is much to do and no one thought to increase our 24 hour days to 27 or 30 to help us get it done in a timely fashion. Do what can be done and then get a decent amount of sleep. Lack of sleep has been known to be used as an excuse to go through a drive-through, at least in Liz-Land. Don’t do it! Get some rest!
Step 5: Probably the Best Step… Focus on the People!
The whole point of these Christmas get-togethers is to see loved ones; to spend time with them, catch up, enjoy their company and show them how much you care. Focus on that and forget about the cheese ball and the peanut brittle. Somebody else will eat it. Enjoy seeing the people!
So that is my 5 Step Plan for Surviving the Holiday Frenzy. What’s yours?
Step 1: Log intake
Consistently record all points used/all food and drink. This is the third week in a row that I have only logged intake about half the time, and this is not the time to do things halfway. We are in the middle of the toughest time of the year for losing weight, people, this is no time to mess around! Today I logged it all; it’s a good start.
Step 2: Increase Output
Calories burned, silly. Exercise! Today I went to the gym: 30 minutes on the elliptical trainer, 30 minutes on the stationary bike, then stretches and sit-ups. Just have to keep it up. Go again. I like it, why not do it?
Step 3: Organization and Planning Ahead
This is not the time to let myself get hungry without having healthy snacks and meals ready to go. Ten minutes of prep work in the morning can forestall giving in to temptation mid-morning… midday… midafternoon… midwhatever! Plan and prepare snacks and meals throughout the day, do as much ahead of time as possible.
Step 4: Don’t Forget About Sleep
It is so tempting to stay up until all hours this time of year. There is much to do and no one thought to increase our 24 hour days to 27 or 30 to help us get it done in a timely fashion. Do what can be done and then get a decent amount of sleep. Lack of sleep has been known to be used as an excuse to go through a drive-through, at least in Liz-Land. Don’t do it! Get some rest!
Step 5: Probably the Best Step… Focus on the People!
The whole point of these Christmas get-togethers is to see loved ones; to spend time with them, catch up, enjoy their company and show them how much you care. Focus on that and forget about the cheese ball and the peanut brittle. Somebody else will eat it. Enjoy seeing the people!
So that is my 5 Step Plan for Surviving the Holiday Frenzy. What’s yours?
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Why Do I Do It?
Why am I writing this blog?
Do I think what I have to say is more important than what anyone else has to say? No. Am I an expert on any subject besides what goes on in my head? No. Is my perspective completely unique? Doubtful.
So why am I doing this? Because it’s fun. I like it. Everyone has a hobby. This is one of mine. I enjoy hearing about the things that other people do and the things they take an interest in, and this is me sharing my interests.
Writing about it helps me focus. Publishing posts on the internet helps me with accountability. Am I going to eat Christmas candy? Sure. Am I exercising regularly? Not yet. Right now I’m just trying to make some better decisions each day.
I was inspired to blog about my efforts and thoughts by several people who have courageously shared their stories in this way. A few of my favorites: Roni of Roni’s Weigh. She is funny and and honest, and achieved her goal through serious commitment. Then there’s Cammy of The Tippy Toe Diet. She is engaging and supportive. She has met her goal and never fails to reach out with humor and encouragement to others on the same path. And last but not least there’s Bitch Cakes, whose personal insights and self-awareness are every bit as interesting as her fabulous style. These people embody what I strive to achieve for myself: the dedication to show oneself enough love and respect to live a healthier life. I want to be just like them when I grow up.
Do I think what I have to say is more important than what anyone else has to say? No. Am I an expert on any subject besides what goes on in my head? No. Is my perspective completely unique? Doubtful.
So why am I doing this? Because it’s fun. I like it. Everyone has a hobby. This is one of mine. I enjoy hearing about the things that other people do and the things they take an interest in, and this is me sharing my interests.
Writing about it helps me focus. Publishing posts on the internet helps me with accountability. Am I going to eat Christmas candy? Sure. Am I exercising regularly? Not yet. Right now I’m just trying to make some better decisions each day.
I was inspired to blog about my efforts and thoughts by several people who have courageously shared their stories in this way. A few of my favorites: Roni of Roni’s Weigh. She is funny and and honest, and achieved her goal through serious commitment. Then there’s Cammy of The Tippy Toe Diet. She is engaging and supportive. She has met her goal and never fails to reach out with humor and encouragement to others on the same path. And last but not least there’s Bitch Cakes, whose personal insights and self-awareness are every bit as interesting as her fabulous style. These people embody what I strive to achieve for myself: the dedication to show oneself enough love and respect to live a healthier life. I want to be just like them when I grow up.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
You Get Out Of It What You Put Into It
Last Wednesday I weighed in at my weekly WW meeting and learned I had gained 0.8 lbs. Ok, I had expected it or worse… I had not journaled my food for most of the week and that is always bad news for me. This week I journaled food starting on Saturday, so I skipped Thursday and Friday (my WW weeks run from Thursday to Wednesday, and I weigh-in on Wednesday nights). And I lost 0.8 lbs, so am happily back where I started, at a net loss of 10 lbs after 5 weeks on Weight Watchers.
Our topic at this week’s meeting was how to persevere; fighting the snowball effect. It addressed how we all fall off the path sometimes, but it is what happens next that is important. Do we throw in the towel for the day or until “after the weekend,” or until our next meeting? Does that turn into more and more time, until we have lost all the progress we have made? Or do we turn things around at our next meal, or even better, immediately?
As we discussed the events involved in the snowball effect and how to keep it from turning into a landslide of poor decisions and weight gain, the meeting leader said something that described exactly what my problem has been the last 2 weeks: you get out of it what you put into it. If you sorta work the program, you sorta get results.
I tracked food a little more than half of the last two weeks. I went to the gym three times last week (yay me!) but that was not enough to compensate for poor food choices. I have been half-assing the program and getting half-ass results. Duh.
So I start over right now: planning ahead, journaling my food and making good decisions. Who knows, maybe I’ll even go to the gym again.
Our topic at this week’s meeting was how to persevere; fighting the snowball effect. It addressed how we all fall off the path sometimes, but it is what happens next that is important. Do we throw in the towel for the day or until “after the weekend,” or until our next meeting? Does that turn into more and more time, until we have lost all the progress we have made? Or do we turn things around at our next meal, or even better, immediately?
As we discussed the events involved in the snowball effect and how to keep it from turning into a landslide of poor decisions and weight gain, the meeting leader said something that described exactly what my problem has been the last 2 weeks: you get out of it what you put into it. If you sorta work the program, you sorta get results.
I tracked food a little more than half of the last two weeks. I went to the gym three times last week (yay me!) but that was not enough to compensate for poor food choices. I have been half-assing the program and getting half-ass results. Duh.
So I start over right now: planning ahead, journaling my food and making good decisions. Who knows, maybe I’ll even go to the gym again.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
PB2… Waist-Friendly Peanut Butter!
*
What is this PB2, you ask?
PB2 is a life saver for me, since I am a big peanut butter lover! Essentially it is powdered peanut butter with almost all the fat removed: it has 85% less fat than full fat peanut butter. Now don’t be scared. It’s not a franken-food; it’s not a chemical-filled replacement food with no nutritional value and even less taste. Quite the opposite, it still has 5.65 grams of protein per serving and all the flavor of regular peanut butter! It’s all natural: the ingredients are peanuts, sugar and salt. That’s it. And it has a very favorable 53.2 calories and 1.87 grams of fat in each 2 tablespoon serving.
Using PB2
Mix 2 tablespoons of the powder with 1 tablespoon of water if you take your peanut butter straight up. I add a couple drops of agave nectar, as well, though I am sure Equal or Splenda would work too. PB2 mixed this way is perfect for dipping apple slices in, or spreading on toast, or making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
I also like adding the powder to oatmeal for a protein kick in the breakfast, or to fruit smoothies. I haven’t tried baking with it yet but rest assured I will update you when I do!
But my current all-time favorite way to have PB2 is to mix 2 tablespoons of the powder with 1 tablespoon of Torani Sugar Free Chocolate Syrup and spread it on two slices of toasted light bread. I highly recommend that next time you’re looking for a peanut-buttery chocolaty snack that won’t bust your Weight Watchers point bank for the day.
*Link is through my Amazon Associates account. PB2 can be found at many grocery stores; I've seen it at Hy-Vee and Wal-Mart.
Monday, December 7, 2009
Blueberry Oatmeal Pancake
I could have sworn I found this recipe on the internet, but I have searched and searched and cannot find where it came from, now. So if this is your recipe, please comment and let me know and I will attribute it to you.
The recipe makes 1 serving and calls for:
½ cup egg beaters (I use 3 egg whites)
1/3 cup oatmeal
1/3 cup blueberries (I use frozen)
Dash cinnamon
Dash salt
Splash vanilla
Mix them all together and cook like any pancake: in a pan sprayed with non-stick spray and watch carefully for flippin-time. I would recommend cooking on a lower heat setting so that the pancake cooks all the way through; with the blueberries and the oatmeal, it is a thicker pancake. I used ½ cup frozen blueberries this time and it was a little too many berries for the batter.
I use either fat-free Promise or I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Spray, and instead of syrup, heated agave nectar. The amber variety of Madhava Agave Nectar
has a smoky, almost maple flavor and goes very well with pancakes. It also has a lower glycemic index than syrup, or so I hear. Which it means it has less impact on blood sugar. Keep in mind that all my medical information comes from random internet searches so take my statements for what they’re worth. All I know is I lovelovelove Agave Nectar! I will probably dedicate an entire post to it sometime in the near future.
The pancake looks a little scary because the frozen blueberries squished; trust me, it is yummy! And it’s low in fat, packed with protein and fiber and antioxidants… all those things that I like to seek out for my healthier diet. The protein and fiber help keep me full almost all the way to lunchtime.
I just wanted to share that I have gone to the gym for the first time in months, and I have gone two days in a row! Yesterday I did 20 minutes on the elliptical machine, stretched out and did some situps, and today I did the same thing except added 10 more minutes to the elliptical. I go so slowly on the elliptical because I try to stay in the “fat-burning zone” and I reach that pretty quickly. It’s almost embarrassing and whenever I hear anyone laugh I look around to make sure it’s not because of my slow-mo workout! Ok, two more trips to the gym this week and I get my reward of a new pair of sneakers.
Have a fab week!
The recipe makes 1 serving and calls for:
½ cup egg beaters (I use 3 egg whites)
1/3 cup oatmeal
1/3 cup blueberries (I use frozen)
Dash cinnamon
Dash salt
Splash vanilla
Mix them all together and cook like any pancake: in a pan sprayed with non-stick spray and watch carefully for flippin-time. I would recommend cooking on a lower heat setting so that the pancake cooks all the way through; with the blueberries and the oatmeal, it is a thicker pancake. I used ½ cup frozen blueberries this time and it was a little too many berries for the batter.
I use either fat-free Promise or I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Spray, and instead of syrup, heated agave nectar. The amber variety of Madhava Agave Nectar
has a smoky, almost maple flavor and goes very well with pancakes. It also has a lower glycemic index than syrup, or so I hear. Which it means it has less impact on blood sugar. Keep in mind that all my medical information comes from random internet searches so take my statements for what they’re worth. All I know is I lovelovelove Agave Nectar! I will probably dedicate an entire post to it sometime in the near future. 
The pancake looks a little scary because the frozen blueberries squished; trust me, it is yummy! And it’s low in fat, packed with protein and fiber and antioxidants… all those things that I like to seek out for my healthier diet. The protein and fiber help keep me full almost all the way to lunchtime.
I just wanted to share that I have gone to the gym for the first time in months, and I have gone two days in a row! Yesterday I did 20 minutes on the elliptical machine, stretched out and did some situps, and today I did the same thing except added 10 more minutes to the elliptical. I go so slowly on the elliptical because I try to stay in the “fat-burning zone” and I reach that pretty quickly. It’s almost embarrassing and whenever I hear anyone laugh I look around to make sure it’s not because of my slow-mo workout! Ok, two more trips to the gym this week and I get my reward of a new pair of sneakers.
Have a fab week!
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Part II of the Trifecta of Chocolaty Goodness… Pumpkin Brownies!
I started with a half-remembered recipe from the Hungry Girl website. I forgot the recipe called for cake mix, not brownie mix. So my version is as follows:
1 box fudge brownie deluxe mix
1 can pumpkin (not pumpkin pie-filling)
The result: these brownies are amazing! I cannot taste the pumpkin at all; the flavor is full-on chocolate. But the pumpkin is there in the texture: soft, smooth, dense and rich. And they are low in fat since no eggs, oil or butter are added to the brownie mix. Not to mention that due to the pumpkin, these brownies are full of fiber and antioxidants. But you don’t have to tell anyone. They won’t care anyway! The picture says it all.
1 box fudge brownie deluxe mix
1 can pumpkin (not pumpkin pie-filling)
Oops, almost forgot the chocolate chips! Two tablespoons, please.
Mix, mix, keep mixing. It seems dry at first but it will come together. Bake according to box directions. In this case it was 28 to 30 minutes at 350, but I like denser brownies so used a smaller pan, 8x8, and baked them for 45 minutes. The edges were a little dry; next time I’ll use a larger pan so they will cook more evenly.
The result: these brownies are amazing! I cannot taste the pumpkin at all; the flavor is full-on chocolate. But the pumpkin is there in the texture: soft, smooth, dense and rich. And they are low in fat since no eggs, oil or butter are added to the brownie mix. Not to mention that due to the pumpkin, these brownies are full of fiber and antioxidants. But you don’t have to tell anyone. They won’t care anyway! The picture says it all.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
10 POUNDS in 3 WEEKS!
I wanted to do it by Thanksgiving but I’ll take the Wednesday after Thanksgiving! Now I want to lose 10 more lbs by Christmas, though 6 lbs is a more reasonable goal since that’s 3 weigh-in’s away. I just lost more at first because of that initial jump in weight loss I’ve always experienced when starting a new eating plan, probably due to losing water weight.
I’m not doing anything drastic. I’m journaling my food, eating all my daily points and all my weekly points. I try to eat healthy things for the most part, but one of the best parts of Weight Watchers is that nothing is off-limits. I brought cookies to work yesterday and mentioned that they were 1.5 points each… another girl said she was going to bring in some treats but they were definitely not Weight Watchers’ food. And I thought to myself “oh no, you are wrong my friend, it’s ALL Weight Watchers’ food. It just may not be very point-friendly!” Which I’m sure is what she meant, but it just brought to mind one of the things that makes Weight Watchers a lifestyle, not a diet. No foods are off-limits. If you have the points for it, you can use them and stay on your path to a healthier life. But you are encouraged to eat healthier, more filling foods, and to make better choices overall, which will maximize your use of points. Yes, I sound like I drank the kool-aid, but I’m pumped, I just lost 10 lbs!
Enough about me. How are you? Have a fab evening.
I’m not doing anything drastic. I’m journaling my food, eating all my daily points and all my weekly points. I try to eat healthy things for the most part, but one of the best parts of Weight Watchers is that nothing is off-limits. I brought cookies to work yesterday and mentioned that they were 1.5 points each… another girl said she was going to bring in some treats but they were definitely not Weight Watchers’ food. And I thought to myself “oh no, you are wrong my friend, it’s ALL Weight Watchers’ food. It just may not be very point-friendly!” Which I’m sure is what she meant, but it just brought to mind one of the things that makes Weight Watchers a lifestyle, not a diet. No foods are off-limits. If you have the points for it, you can use them and stay on your path to a healthier life. But you are encouraged to eat healthier, more filling foods, and to make better choices overall, which will maximize your use of points. Yes, I sound like I drank the kool-aid, but I’m pumped, I just lost 10 lbs!
Enough about me. How are you? Have a fab evening.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Okay, I Lied, No Brownies Today… Chocolate Cookies Instead!
Forgive me? Of course you do. Who doesn’t like cookies.
I have three recipes I want to try, a trifecta of chocolaty goodness: brownies made with All Bran, brownies made with pumpkin, and today's crunchy chocolaty fiberific cookies: Fiber One Crunchy Fudge Cookies. The recipe references name brand products but I just used whatever was on-hand, and I substituted a couple things. Here’s my version of the cookies:
1 box brownie mix
2 C Fiber One (I used All Bran)
2 T mini semisweet chocolate chips
1/8 t ground cinnamon
1/3 C water
1 T vegetable oil (I used unsweetened applesauce)
2 t vanilla
1 egg
Heat oven to 350 and spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray. Mix all ingredients at once in a large bowl using a spoon. (The dough is very stiff.)
Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, cool slightly before removing from cookie sheet to rack to cool completely.
I got 35 cookies from the recipe. Next time I'll try using egg whites instead of a whole egg, to reduce the point value a little. But these are fabulous! Chocolaty and crunchy, and the fiber cereal seems more like little bits of coconut than bran. A winner for sure!
I have three recipes I want to try, a trifecta of chocolaty goodness: brownies made with All Bran, brownies made with pumpkin, and today's crunchy chocolaty fiberific cookies: Fiber One Crunchy Fudge Cookies. The recipe references name brand products but I just used whatever was on-hand, and I substituted a couple things. Here’s my version of the cookies:
1 box brownie mix
2 C Fiber One (I used All Bran)
2 T mini semisweet chocolate chips
1/8 t ground cinnamon
1/3 C water
1 T vegetable oil (I used unsweetened applesauce)
2 t vanilla
1 egg
Heat oven to 350 and spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray. Mix all ingredients at once in a large bowl using a spoon. (The dough is very stiff.)
Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, cool slightly before removing from cookie sheet to rack to cool completely.
I got 35 cookies from the recipe. Next time I'll try using egg whites instead of a whole egg, to reduce the point value a little. But these are fabulous! Chocolaty and crunchy, and the fiber cereal seems more like little bits of coconut than bran. A winner for sure!
Saturday, November 28, 2009
post-thanksgiving
Well I made it through two Thanksgivings and am still alive. Actually they were very fun, possibly the two of the best Thanksgivings I can remember. Thursday we had friends in town with their two toddlers; the toddlers wore out our dogs! They were so cute. And then Friday we went to BF's mother's house for a big family dinner. Lots of fun, both days. I tried to remember my weight loss goals but don't know how successful I was. I did not log my food after mid-morning Thursday. However, Thurday I made cookies after dinner and sent half with our friends when they left, and took half to BF's mom's house. I managed to decline bringing home leftover desserts from Friday's dinner, and that was hard! She made a pumpkin version of gooey butter cake which was fabulous, as was her homemade apple pie and pecan-cranberry pie. Yes, I tasted all of them but did not have full-size pieces. Ok, I could have done better, but each day is a new day, no need to beat myself up, just learn from it and move on. Today I'm back on the wagon with logging food intake. I didn't log dinner until after I ate and discovered I went over my daily points by one. Oopsy.
I was so proud this morning when BF asked for Chinese for dinner and instead of getting out the menu for carryout, he asked where the dumpling filling was in the freezer. He is used to the homemade now! I made steamed pork dumplings which is a tried-and-true recipe for me, I make it every couple weeks. A pound of ground pork makes so much dumpling filling that one batch is enough for 4 dinners; I use a quarter of the dumpling mix and freeze the rest for assembling next time we have it.
Here is the steamed pork dumpling recipe I use: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Pork-Dumplings/Detail.aspx and for the dipping sauce I tried several recipes and ended up making my own: 1 part each rice vinegar, soy sauce and mirin, which is a sweet cooking wine. Add a quarter teaspoon chili paste per serving. Good stuff!
I tried two new recipes tonight, too: baked crab rangoon and hungry girl's moo shu chicken http://www.hungry-girl.com/chew/chewdetails.php?isid=1653. I looked up several crab rangoon recipes and most included scallions, soy sauce in the filling, and/or mayonnaise. I could not comprehend including those so just used low fat cream cheese and imitation crab. And I left out the scallions because BF is not a fan. My bad. Even he said they were clearly missing something. Probably scallions, mayonnaise or soy sauce :) But they were adorable! I made them in muffin cups, most of them I moistened the edges of the wonton wrappers and closed them, and I left a few open like little cups. They were so cute when they were done!
I probably won't try that particular moo shu recipe again. It was not bad at all, and it was easy, but it was not what I was looking for.
After we finished dinner and BF fell asleep on the couch with a full tummy, I started this blog entry and realized I forgot to take pictures! I promise next time I make something fun, I will take some pictures. Especially if I'm telling you how adorable it is.
Wednesday was my 2nd weigh-in for Weight Watchers and I lost 2.6 lbs! For a total of 8.6 lbs in two weeks, woo hoo! Of course after Thanksgiving, not feeling so confident about a loss this coming Wednesday but that will help me stay on track the next few days.
Enjoy the rest of your Thanksgiving weekend! Tomorrow I will try a low-fat brownie recipe using a brownie mix and high-fiber cereal, and I will post pictures!
I was so proud this morning when BF asked for Chinese for dinner and instead of getting out the menu for carryout, he asked where the dumpling filling was in the freezer. He is used to the homemade now! I made steamed pork dumplings which is a tried-and-true recipe for me, I make it every couple weeks. A pound of ground pork makes so much dumpling filling that one batch is enough for 4 dinners; I use a quarter of the dumpling mix and freeze the rest for assembling next time we have it.
Here is the steamed pork dumpling recipe I use: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Pork-Dumplings/Detail.aspx and for the dipping sauce I tried several recipes and ended up making my own: 1 part each rice vinegar, soy sauce and mirin, which is a sweet cooking wine. Add a quarter teaspoon chili paste per serving. Good stuff!
I tried two new recipes tonight, too: baked crab rangoon and hungry girl's moo shu chicken http://www.hungry-girl.com/chew/chewdetails.php?isid=1653. I looked up several crab rangoon recipes and most included scallions, soy sauce in the filling, and/or mayonnaise. I could not comprehend including those so just used low fat cream cheese and imitation crab. And I left out the scallions because BF is not a fan. My bad. Even he said they were clearly missing something. Probably scallions, mayonnaise or soy sauce :) But they were adorable! I made them in muffin cups, most of them I moistened the edges of the wonton wrappers and closed them, and I left a few open like little cups. They were so cute when they were done!
I probably won't try that particular moo shu recipe again. It was not bad at all, and it was easy, but it was not what I was looking for.
After we finished dinner and BF fell asleep on the couch with a full tummy, I started this blog entry and realized I forgot to take pictures! I promise next time I make something fun, I will take some pictures. Especially if I'm telling you how adorable it is.
Wednesday was my 2nd weigh-in for Weight Watchers and I lost 2.6 lbs! For a total of 8.6 lbs in two weeks, woo hoo! Of course after Thanksgiving, not feeling so confident about a loss this coming Wednesday but that will help me stay on track the next few days.
Enjoy the rest of your Thanksgiving weekend! Tomorrow I will try a low-fat brownie recipe using a brownie mix and high-fiber cereal, and I will post pictures!
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Brownie Withdrawal!
Yesterday I was suffering from brownie withdrawal, so combed the internet for low-point brownie recipes. I found one posted by a member on the Weight-Watchers Online website and decided to give it a try. I would link back to their post but I don't know if that is allowed on the WW website.
Here is the recipe:
1/4 cup Egg Beaters
2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 cup Splenda
1/4 tsp kosher salt
2 Tbsp light butter
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
Melt the butter, then mix in the rest of the ingredients. Spread in an 8x8 pan sprayed with Pam and bake at 350 for 25 minutes.
And here are my tweaks: I used 2 egg whites instead of the Egg Beaters, and used 24 packets of Splenda instead of the baking measure-for-measure stuff. I have heard the fillers in that can taste odd so I thought I'd see the difference without the packets. I replaced the light butter with Promise Fat Free spread, and folded 2 T of semisweet chocolate chips into the batter before putting it in the pan.
Ok, I think Splenda is great, don't get me wrong, but I could still taste the difference. I think next time I will try using half Splenda and half regular sugar, or honey or Agave Nectar. I don't know the reason for using Kosher salt, it didn't really dissolve throughout the batter so next time I'll use regular table salt. And these make a cake-like brownie; next time I might try leaving out the baking soda and see what that does. BUT they are very, very low in points and clearly they are edible because I have only half a pan left. They do hit that chocolate craving with a big cocoa-flavored hammer, without being full of fat or refined sugar or using up a whole meal's worth of points.
I will definitely make these again. Maybe by then I will have bought batteries for my camera and can post pictures of the culinary experiment.
Here is the recipe:
1/4 cup Egg Beaters
2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 cup Splenda
1/4 tsp kosher salt
2 Tbsp light butter
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
Melt the butter, then mix in the rest of the ingredients. Spread in an 8x8 pan sprayed with Pam and bake at 350 for 25 minutes.
And here are my tweaks: I used 2 egg whites instead of the Egg Beaters, and used 24 packets of Splenda instead of the baking measure-for-measure stuff. I have heard the fillers in that can taste odd so I thought I'd see the difference without the packets. I replaced the light butter with Promise Fat Free spread, and folded 2 T of semisweet chocolate chips into the batter before putting it in the pan.
Ok, I think Splenda is great, don't get me wrong, but I could still taste the difference. I think next time I will try using half Splenda and half regular sugar, or honey or Agave Nectar. I don't know the reason for using Kosher salt, it didn't really dissolve throughout the batter so next time I'll use regular table salt. And these make a cake-like brownie; next time I might try leaving out the baking soda and see what that does. BUT they are very, very low in points and clearly they are edible because I have only half a pan left. They do hit that chocolate craving with a big cocoa-flavored hammer, without being full of fat or refined sugar or using up a whole meal's worth of points.
I will definitely make these again. Maybe by then I will have bought batteries for my camera and can post pictures of the culinary experiment.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Week One of Weight Watchers!
Last week I had a goal of going to the gym three times. I didn’t do it. BUT I joined weight watchers a week ago, on Wednesday. The first couple days were tough, I was STARVING and trust me, I was one big whiny baby. And I kept counting points and journaling my food. Monday was a lunch out at work, for a birthday. I had enchilada soup and my beloved french fries, and counted the points for them. Even with that fatty lunch out, I stayed within my points all week long! I drank a liter of water every day and worked on getting all my fruits, veggies, dairy and grains in. I didn’t make it, but keeping that in mind kept me eating healthier. I have discovered fat free sour cream and weight watchers string cheese are my friends.
Yesterday when I got to work I realized I had on a different pair of jeans than I thought. I stuck my hand in the pocket for something and was expecting the short pocket that my newest (largest) jeans had, but it was a regular pocket. I went to the bathroom and checked because I could not believe it; the jeans I realized I had on should have been tighter and I should have been having to tug them up all day because they were tight and have some stretch material, so they keep inching down. I could not believe that after just a few days I was already seeing a change in how my clothes fit. And was it my imagination or was my face losing some of that recent extra extra roundness?
Today was Day 7 of the first week on Weight Watchers. You weigh in every week for your official weight and (drum roll please) I lost 5.6 lbs in my first week!!! WHOO HOO! It was NOT my imagination! Maybe it was water weight, I don’t know, but I am happy happy happy and motivated motivated motivated! I canNOT wait until next week.
Yesterday when I got to work I realized I had on a different pair of jeans than I thought. I stuck my hand in the pocket for something and was expecting the short pocket that my newest (largest) jeans had, but it was a regular pocket. I went to the bathroom and checked because I could not believe it; the jeans I realized I had on should have been tighter and I should have been having to tug them up all day because they were tight and have some stretch material, so they keep inching down. I could not believe that after just a few days I was already seeing a change in how my clothes fit. And was it my imagination or was my face losing some of that recent extra extra roundness?
Today was Day 7 of the first week on Weight Watchers. You weigh in every week for your official weight and (drum roll please) I lost 5.6 lbs in my first week!!! WHOO HOO! It was NOT my imagination! Maybe it was water weight, I don’t know, but I am happy happy happy and motivated motivated motivated! I canNOT wait until next week.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
starting AGAIN
I went way off the radar for several months. I have not lost a pound. Probably because I was only making half-hearted efforts with food choices and not exercising. I've made a deal with myself that when I go to the gym 4 times in a week, I can buy a new pair of shoes for the gym. Hopefully I will reach that goal and get that prize in the next 7 days! There is a discount store north of Kansas City that usually has a good selection of name brand athletic shoes for $25 or $35. Tangent: Last time I was there they had an adorable pair of brown Mia wedges in 9 1/2 and usually that's what I wear but they were too big, I was stepping out of them. I almost cried! They were really cute.
So I would like to lose 20 lbs by Thanksgiving. But it's only a couple weeks away so I will aim for 10 lbs and see what happens. It's possible... I have been sedentary and gluttonous and enjoyed it thoroughly but anyhoo, if I hit the weightloss efforts pretty hard I can count on 6 to 7 lbs of water weight coming off in the 1st week, and then if I keep it up maybe I can lose a few more lbs fairly quickly with the whole "just starting out" momentum. We shall see. Oh, and I want to join Weight Watchers again after payday. I know a woman who is a Lifetime Member and she has inspired me to achieve the same goal. Wish me luck!
So I would like to lose 20 lbs by Thanksgiving. But it's only a couple weeks away so I will aim for 10 lbs and see what happens. It's possible... I have been sedentary and gluttonous and enjoyed it thoroughly but anyhoo, if I hit the weightloss efforts pretty hard I can count on 6 to 7 lbs of water weight coming off in the 1st week, and then if I keep it up maybe I can lose a few more lbs fairly quickly with the whole "just starting out" momentum. We shall see. Oh, and I want to join Weight Watchers again after payday. I know a woman who is a Lifetime Member and she has inspired me to achieve the same goal. Wish me luck!
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Gaining Muscle or Fat? 4 Pounds in a Week, Yikes!
I hereby declare Week 1 of the Mulligan officially over! I was at the gym by 5:30 a.m. every day this week, Monday through Friday. I drank 2 liters of water each of those days except Wednesday. I lifted Monday, Wednesday and Friday, doing 20 minutes of cardio on the elliptical trainer those days. I did 30 minutes of cardio on the elliptical on Tuesday and Thursday, and did 60 situps all five days. And I gained 4 lbs. Yeesh! Hopefully it's muscle, or water. Don't stressed muscles retain more water, then release it after a couple weeks when they're more accustomed to a new workout routine? Cross your fingers for me.
I had a couple rough spots... Friday I parked my car in front of the gym and seriously considered just going straight home again. And for no reason really except that I was tired of being in such a rush getting ready for work after the gym; not having time to get pretty, just having time to get clean and neat. Mid-week I walked into the restroom and saw alot more of someone than I would have preferred to see. C'mon, let's preserve a little mystery, thank you. There are plenty of semi-private areas in the locker room to dress in, no need to stand out in the middle of everything in your altogether while you try to find a matching pair of socks in your gym bag. Anyhoo, I recovered from both episodes and finished my workouts.
I have one more week committed to the morning workout. Hopefully after that it will become habit. I do enjoy the workout itself, and the drive home is pretty relaxing. Plus I feel virtuouos all day, having gotten in my exercise 1st thing in the morning. However, I am so tired in the evening that I take a nap after dinner, then go to bed early. I thought I would have more energy from working out regularly, not start napping like my grandma. I haven't gotten anything done around the house and have fallen behind in emailing or calling family and friends. My mani/pedi needs to be touched up (I do it myself and do a pretty nice job, if I do say so) and seriously, it would be so nice to have time to fix my hair before work, instead of just quickly blow-drying it with a little product in it and hoping for the best.
I will stick it out another week and see how I feel at the end of next week. I'm excited about the changes that are coming. Yesterday I crossed my arms while I was talking to someone and was surprised to feel my triceps! Whoo hoo!
I had a couple rough spots... Friday I parked my car in front of the gym and seriously considered just going straight home again. And for no reason really except that I was tired of being in such a rush getting ready for work after the gym; not having time to get pretty, just having time to get clean and neat. Mid-week I walked into the restroom and saw alot more of someone than I would have preferred to see. C'mon, let's preserve a little mystery, thank you. There are plenty of semi-private areas in the locker room to dress in, no need to stand out in the middle of everything in your altogether while you try to find a matching pair of socks in your gym bag. Anyhoo, I recovered from both episodes and finished my workouts.
I have one more week committed to the morning workout. Hopefully after that it will become habit. I do enjoy the workout itself, and the drive home is pretty relaxing. Plus I feel virtuouos all day, having gotten in my exercise 1st thing in the morning. However, I am so tired in the evening that I take a nap after dinner, then go to bed early. I thought I would have more energy from working out regularly, not start napping like my grandma. I haven't gotten anything done around the house and have fallen behind in emailing or calling family and friends. My mani/pedi needs to be touched up (I do it myself and do a pretty nice job, if I do say so) and seriously, it would be so nice to have time to fix my hair before work, instead of just quickly blow-drying it with a little product in it and hoping for the best.
I will stick it out another week and see how I feel at the end of next week. I'm excited about the changes that are coming. Yesterday I crossed my arms while I was talking to someone and was surprised to feel my triceps! Whoo hoo!
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Moving right along
Well, Wednesday's almost over, I'm halfway through Week 1 of the Mulligan and I'm doing ok. I've gone to the gym 3 days this week at the crack of dawn... technically before dawn; it's still dark when I pull out of the garage each morning. I've done cardio and situps each day, and my upper-body weight-lifting routine Monday and today as planned. I drank 2 liters of water Monday and Tuesday but today drank not much more than 1 liter.... will just have to make sure I keep working on that tomorrow. I had salad for lunch Monday and today. Let's not discuss yesterday's Burger King run at lunch. Fast food for dinner each day but these two weeks I am only focussing on exercise and water. Oh yeah and adding in more fruits, veggies and grains. Need to keep that last one in mind tomorrow.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Rock On!
I did it! Got up at 4:45 a.m., went to the gym and did 20 mins cardio on the elliptical trainer, then stretching, situps and upper body weight-lifting. There was a woman at the gym who was only on the tricep curl machine intermittently but left her towell proprietarily on the armrest between sets. She was doing some kind of routine involving that and 2 other machines. I could not believe that in the morning, when everyone was trying to get their workout in before work, she would hog 3 machines at once! Yeesh! Of course I would not cared if it weren't one of the machines I wanted to use.
I brought a salad to work for lunch. And I had 2 liters of water by the time I got home from work. Of course then I ate a huge dinner, but at least it was Subway, full of protein, iron and veggies. I almost went for cheeseburgers and fries.
All in all, I'm calling today a success. Rock on!
I brought a salad to work for lunch. And I had 2 liters of water by the time I got home from work. Of course then I ate a huge dinner, but at least it was Subway, full of protein, iron and veggies. I almost went for cheeseburgers and fries.
All in all, I'm calling today a success. Rock on!
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Preparing for the Mulligan
I hope everyone had a fab 4th! I went to two bbq's and saw lots of awesome fireworks and a friend's cutecutecute 3 month-old baby girl. Today I'm preparing for Week 1 of The Mulligan. Starting Monday I'll be getting up ultra early to work out and then it's straight to work, so I'll be pooped when I get home. I figure it will be nice to have worked out and come home after work to a clean house, so today is a big house-cleaning day and making sure all the laundry's done so I have gym clothes and work-clothes. Nothing like the old "I don't have a clean sports bra!" excuse when you don't want to go to the gym at the crack of dawn, so I'm making sure it's not an option!
My 1-liter water bottles are full and chilling in the fridge.... I drink one on the elliptical and I'm going to try to drink the other at work. So my main goals for this week are 5 cardio workout's and 3 upper-body weight-lifting sessions for the week, and 2 liters of water a day. And I almost forgot adding in more fruits and veggies... I have bananas and frozen cherries, so I need to freeze some 'nanners so I can make cherry-banana smoothies. I could not resist the big bag of ruby red grapefruit so that is on hand for evening snacks. And I bought 2 kinds of lettuce and made hard-boiled eggs, so if I do my prep-work today I can take a salad for lunch tomorrow. My to-do list is growing, sigh. But I'll be glad when everything is ready.
Ok, I'm off to rotate the laundry, continue dusting and cleaning, and prep some salad. Wish me luck!
My 1-liter water bottles are full and chilling in the fridge.... I drink one on the elliptical and I'm going to try to drink the other at work. So my main goals for this week are 5 cardio workout's and 3 upper-body weight-lifting sessions for the week, and 2 liters of water a day. And I almost forgot adding in more fruits and veggies... I have bananas and frozen cherries, so I need to freeze some 'nanners so I can make cherry-banana smoothies. I could not resist the big bag of ruby red grapefruit so that is on hand for evening snacks. And I bought 2 kinds of lettuce and made hard-boiled eggs, so if I do my prep-work today I can take a salad for lunch tomorrow. My to-do list is growing, sigh. But I'll be glad when everything is ready.
Ok, I'm off to rotate the laundry, continue dusting and cleaning, and prep some salad. Wish me luck!
Friday, July 3, 2009
Mulligan
Ok, I hate dieting, I do not like being hungry, I despise restricting what I eat, and I resent logging my food and counting calories or points or polar bears or whatever the hot food-logging marker of the moment is.
I also hate, do not like, despise and resent being fat.
However, I like working out. This still may be doable.
When I lost the weight last time I just ate once a day. I saved all my hungry up for dinner-time and then ate as much as I wanted. At first I could eat a whole pizza and an order of fries every night and the weight was dropping off me like rats off a sinking ship. My only exercise was a 1 mile walk twice a day, plus some situps and pushups and leglifts. As I got smaller I started decreasing my intake and increasing my exercise. I added in small snacks during the day, like little boxes of raisins and chocolate milk every morning. But overall it was pretty unhealthy and I'm probably really lucky that it did not permanently mess up my metabolism. The fact that I became and remained skinny as hell reinforced the behavior and I stuck to that plan for about 7 years. The last few years I had taken up running and on the weekends I ate more than one meal a day; my own form of maintenance, increasing exercise and allowing a higher daily caloric intake. Then some big life changes, decreasing the exercise, eating alot all the time, and all the weight eventually came back. Which is heartbreaking, especially since I kept it off for so long.
I've tried things in the last few years and I can remain whole-heartedly invested in a program (not a diet, a way of life...) for several weeks, but eventually fall off the wagon. I AM SO TIRED OF NOT CONSISTENTLY FOLLOWING THROUGH WITH WEIGHT LOSS. Don't I care about myself? Don't I care about what I want and what is best for my body? Well duh, of course I do, but I don't act like it.
My latest commitment to weight loss lasted about 2 weeks. Then it was back to fast food and only going to the gym twice a week. Which is why I'm calling MULLIGAN! I want a do-over and it starts Monday.
So, what are my strengths and weaknesses regarding weight loss efforts? Clearly consistent follow-through is a weakness. I hate counting or eliminating food groups. I like working out. I like seeing results. I like lots of healthy foods: fruits, vegetables, whole grains.
So here's the new plan: instead of concentrating on limiting foods, focus on incorporating more of the good stuff. Eat more fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Work out: cardio 5 times a week, lift 3 times a week. Re-evaluate after 2 weeks.
Last week I started the week on vacation (stay-cation really), had my last day at my old job Tuesday, started my new job Wednesday. My eating was horrendous but I went to the gym Tuesday and Wednesday, and due to my schedule that meant I was up at 4:45 a.m., at the gym by 5:30 a.m., and then it was time to water the garden, let the dogs out, shower and get ready for work.
For the next two weeks I want to go to the gym every work-day morning in order to get my cardio in. I'm not sure what I'm going to do about the weight-lifting though. I would need to get up even earlier to make sure I had time to lift, but I guess if I want to see results I need to do that.
I'll post daily if I can, for accountability, discussing my successes and failures. We shall see!
I also hate, do not like, despise and resent being fat.
However, I like working out. This still may be doable.
When I lost the weight last time I just ate once a day. I saved all my hungry up for dinner-time and then ate as much as I wanted. At first I could eat a whole pizza and an order of fries every night and the weight was dropping off me like rats off a sinking ship. My only exercise was a 1 mile walk twice a day, plus some situps and pushups and leglifts. As I got smaller I started decreasing my intake and increasing my exercise. I added in small snacks during the day, like little boxes of raisins and chocolate milk every morning. But overall it was pretty unhealthy and I'm probably really lucky that it did not permanently mess up my metabolism. The fact that I became and remained skinny as hell reinforced the behavior and I stuck to that plan for about 7 years. The last few years I had taken up running and on the weekends I ate more than one meal a day; my own form of maintenance, increasing exercise and allowing a higher daily caloric intake. Then some big life changes, decreasing the exercise, eating alot all the time, and all the weight eventually came back. Which is heartbreaking, especially since I kept it off for so long.
I've tried things in the last few years and I can remain whole-heartedly invested in a program (not a diet, a way of life...) for several weeks, but eventually fall off the wagon. I AM SO TIRED OF NOT CONSISTENTLY FOLLOWING THROUGH WITH WEIGHT LOSS. Don't I care about myself? Don't I care about what I want and what is best for my body? Well duh, of course I do, but I don't act like it.
My latest commitment to weight loss lasted about 2 weeks. Then it was back to fast food and only going to the gym twice a week. Which is why I'm calling MULLIGAN! I want a do-over and it starts Monday.
So, what are my strengths and weaknesses regarding weight loss efforts? Clearly consistent follow-through is a weakness. I hate counting or eliminating food groups. I like working out. I like seeing results. I like lots of healthy foods: fruits, vegetables, whole grains.
So here's the new plan: instead of concentrating on limiting foods, focus on incorporating more of the good stuff. Eat more fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Work out: cardio 5 times a week, lift 3 times a week. Re-evaluate after 2 weeks.
Last week I started the week on vacation (stay-cation really), had my last day at my old job Tuesday, started my new job Wednesday. My eating was horrendous but I went to the gym Tuesday and Wednesday, and due to my schedule that meant I was up at 4:45 a.m., at the gym by 5:30 a.m., and then it was time to water the garden, let the dogs out, shower and get ready for work.
For the next two weeks I want to go to the gym every work-day morning in order to get my cardio in. I'm not sure what I'm going to do about the weight-lifting though. I would need to get up even earlier to make sure I had time to lift, but I guess if I want to see results I need to do that.
I'll post daily if I can, for accountability, discussing my successes and failures. We shall see!
Friday, May 29, 2009
Part II of the Plan of Fat-Attack: Move That Hiney
I love to run. Not competitively, not fast, just go out the door and set it on cruise and crank out a leisurely 2 or 3 miles. Right now I’m too heavy to really enjoy it; I need to take about 15 lbs off the load my poor abused joints will be carrying, and condition myself again, before it’s the effortless pleasure it used to be. Back when I ran regularly it was my alone-time, attitude-readjustment and analgesic, all wrapped up in 30 minutes on the blacktop. If I was cranky, or my back was sore and tight from sitting at a desk, or I was overwhelmed from a day of office chatter, all I had to do was put on my sneakers and head out the door. I miss that. I want it back.
I also used to do situps, girl-pushups, leg-lifts with ankle-weights and some work with small dumb-bells every day. Of course, my eating habits were atrocious; I ate once a day and barely made it to 1,000 calorie most days. So this time I’m trying to take the weight off and get fit and trim while still eating like a human being, not a bird.
But I digress. The subject at hand is exercise. I’ve taken some stabs at re-establishing a running routine over the last 2 or 3 years, but always get derailed by one thing or another… the weather, work schedule, etc. After I have established a good excuse, I got lazy and take some time off from the exercise routine. I tell myself “A runner does not lose conditioning until a break extends beyond two weeks.” Well, my break would not stop at two weeks. And then when I finally decided to get back on track I’d have to start getting in shape all over again.
Bf gave me a gym membership for Christmas. It’s awesome and I love going to the gym. And it removes the weather excuse from my repertoire of reasons not to move my hiney. So right now my plan is to use the elliptical trainer until I’ve knocked my weight down a little, then I can start adding in some running again. I started a weight-lifting routine this week; I’m doing an upper-body workout and plan to do it three times a week. I have lifted two times so far this week. I’m not nearly as sore after the second one as I was after the first. I also stretch and do situps each time I go to the gym.
This is my first week of being re-dedicated to the routine. I’ll post any weight-loss weekly and changes in measurements once a month. I’m excited about the possibilities…. WHOO HOO!
As usual, I’m going to finish my coffee, make a smoothie and then start work. Have a fab day!
I also used to do situps, girl-pushups, leg-lifts with ankle-weights and some work with small dumb-bells every day. Of course, my eating habits were atrocious; I ate once a day and barely made it to 1,000 calorie most days. So this time I’m trying to take the weight off and get fit and trim while still eating like a human being, not a bird.
But I digress. The subject at hand is exercise. I’ve taken some stabs at re-establishing a running routine over the last 2 or 3 years, but always get derailed by one thing or another… the weather, work schedule, etc. After I have established a good excuse, I got lazy and take some time off from the exercise routine. I tell myself “A runner does not lose conditioning until a break extends beyond two weeks.” Well, my break would not stop at two weeks. And then when I finally decided to get back on track I’d have to start getting in shape all over again.
Bf gave me a gym membership for Christmas. It’s awesome and I love going to the gym. And it removes the weather excuse from my repertoire of reasons not to move my hiney. So right now my plan is to use the elliptical trainer until I’ve knocked my weight down a little, then I can start adding in some running again. I started a weight-lifting routine this week; I’m doing an upper-body workout and plan to do it three times a week. I have lifted two times so far this week. I’m not nearly as sore after the second one as I was after the first. I also stretch and do situps each time I go to the gym.
This is my first week of being re-dedicated to the routine. I’ll post any weight-loss weekly and changes in measurements once a month. I’m excited about the possibilities…. WHOO HOO!
As usual, I’m going to finish my coffee, make a smoothie and then start work. Have a fab day!
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
The Plan of Fat-Attack
Part I: Nutrition
I’ve joined Weight Watchers before, following the flex plan where foods are allotted a certain number of points per a copyright-protected formula, and you have a certain number of points a day to use. It’s a great program and I did experience a moderate amount of success on it before I lost momentum. I’m not a current Weight Watchers member but I’m using information I received when I was a member, and am now following the old Core program. It’s since been replaced by the Simply Filling program, which to my knowledge is very similar.
What I like about Core is the emphasis on healthy eating. There is an enormous list of foods that you do not have to count and can eat to satisfaction, primarily fruits, vegetables, lean meats, some fat-free dairy products and whole grains. The freedom from weighing, measuring and counting is an attractive component of the program. On Core I’ve explored new-to-me grains such as quinoa and steel-cut oats. I was already a fan of bulgur and the grain-like couscous, which are now staples in my diet due to the ease of preparation and their inclusion on the list of Core foods. Core also provides a weekly point allowance to use for non-Core foods, for example tortillas, breads, and of course chocolate!
A key element of Core is the hunger rating. You are advised to rate your hunger before and after you eat, and whenever you are considering eating. The goal is to eat when you are hungry and stop when you are satisfied…. Not stuffed, just sated.
Some of my staples on Core are homemade smoothies with frozen bananas, fat-free yogurt and whatever fruit is handy; bean salads; baked chicken that I cut in strips/chunks to toss with salads, whole wheat pasta or a grain; the afore-mentioned whole wheat pasta; fruit fruit fruit and veggies veggies veggies. I drink 2 liters of water a day; I can go through one liter alone while at the gym. I’m thinking about increasing it to 3 liters a day to see if that makes a difference.
Some of the things I regularly spend my weekly allotment of points on are PB2, a fat-free powdered peanut butter that you HAVE to try if you haven’t already; agave nectar which has a lower glycemic index than sugar and a wonderful, smoky, maple-like taste; and Monster’s Moca Loca coffee-flavored energy drink which is fab but a whole 4 points and of course, energy drinks are not good for ya. But I have to say I have my best workouts when I drink a Moca Loca on my way to the gym!
I’m still struggling with staying on the program, or OP as the Weight Watcher crowd calls it. I make it to mid-afternoon or dinner-time with ease, but then I hit a wall. Part of the wall is bf’s desire for take-out, combined with my ongoing challenge of commitment. Two days ago I resisted a Wendy’s run, and to my surprise I survived… no passing out, no headache or crankiness, in fact I felt great. Probably because I felt so good about myself for dining on whole wheat penne and chicken with a side of baby carrots, followed by a small home-made strawberry banana smoothie for dessert. Knowing I’m making the right choices in health and nutrition is invigorating and empowering. I’m going to hold onto that feeling today, and concentrate on it when I hit that dinner-time wall. Wish me luck!
Now I’m off to make a smoothie, finish my coffee and type up some reports for work. Have a fab day!
I’ve joined Weight Watchers before, following the flex plan where foods are allotted a certain number of points per a copyright-protected formula, and you have a certain number of points a day to use. It’s a great program and I did experience a moderate amount of success on it before I lost momentum. I’m not a current Weight Watchers member but I’m using information I received when I was a member, and am now following the old Core program. It’s since been replaced by the Simply Filling program, which to my knowledge is very similar.
What I like about Core is the emphasis on healthy eating. There is an enormous list of foods that you do not have to count and can eat to satisfaction, primarily fruits, vegetables, lean meats, some fat-free dairy products and whole grains. The freedom from weighing, measuring and counting is an attractive component of the program. On Core I’ve explored new-to-me grains such as quinoa and steel-cut oats. I was already a fan of bulgur and the grain-like couscous, which are now staples in my diet due to the ease of preparation and their inclusion on the list of Core foods. Core also provides a weekly point allowance to use for non-Core foods, for example tortillas, breads, and of course chocolate!
A key element of Core is the hunger rating. You are advised to rate your hunger before and after you eat, and whenever you are considering eating. The goal is to eat when you are hungry and stop when you are satisfied…. Not stuffed, just sated.
Some of my staples on Core are homemade smoothies with frozen bananas, fat-free yogurt and whatever fruit is handy; bean salads; baked chicken that I cut in strips/chunks to toss with salads, whole wheat pasta or a grain; the afore-mentioned whole wheat pasta; fruit fruit fruit and veggies veggies veggies. I drink 2 liters of water a day; I can go through one liter alone while at the gym. I’m thinking about increasing it to 3 liters a day to see if that makes a difference.
Some of the things I regularly spend my weekly allotment of points on are PB2, a fat-free powdered peanut butter that you HAVE to try if you haven’t already; agave nectar which has a lower glycemic index than sugar and a wonderful, smoky, maple-like taste; and Monster’s Moca Loca coffee-flavored energy drink which is fab but a whole 4 points and of course, energy drinks are not good for ya. But I have to say I have my best workouts when I drink a Moca Loca on my way to the gym!
I’m still struggling with staying on the program, or OP as the Weight Watcher crowd calls it. I make it to mid-afternoon or dinner-time with ease, but then I hit a wall. Part of the wall is bf’s desire for take-out, combined with my ongoing challenge of commitment. Two days ago I resisted a Wendy’s run, and to my surprise I survived… no passing out, no headache or crankiness, in fact I felt great. Probably because I felt so good about myself for dining on whole wheat penne and chicken with a side of baby carrots, followed by a small home-made strawberry banana smoothie for dessert. Knowing I’m making the right choices in health and nutrition is invigorating and empowering. I’m going to hold onto that feeling today, and concentrate on it when I hit that dinner-time wall. Wish me luck!
Now I’m off to make a smoothie, finish my coffee and type up some reports for work. Have a fab day!
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
We're All So Pretty!
I was at a happy hour recently, a celebration for a friend and co-worker who had been promoted and would be moving to a different office. After an inconsequential, silly, pleasant conversation about three of us having green eyes, I announced “We’re all so pretty!” and waited for my companions to acknowledge this. It sounds silly, I know, and far from humble. But it is part of my plan to change the world, one moment at a time. I like to dream big!
A moment can creep up on you (okay, on me) where all I see are my imperfections, abandoned projects, and shortcomings. The trick, I think, is to accept my shortcomings as part of who I am, as things that can be changed. I am not perfect. I am a work in progress. My flaws are opportunities for growth, future steps to take as I follow the map to the better me. Each day, each moment is a chance to make a better choice, to take better care of myself, to show more love and kindness to myself and to the people around me.
No one is perfect. And so many people struggle with issues related to self-esteem and self-image, are overly critical of themselves, and have moments where they do not see the positive and the possibilities. So I put random positives out there: “We’re all so pretty!” and wait for the light bulbs to come on.
This morning my muscles are sore from yesterday's weight-lifting and I'm glad. It will remind me all day of a decision I made to improve my health. So now I’m going to finish my coffee, have a homemade fruit-smoothie, and head off to work. Have a fab day.
A moment can creep up on you (okay, on me) where all I see are my imperfections, abandoned projects, and shortcomings. The trick, I think, is to accept my shortcomings as part of who I am, as things that can be changed. I am not perfect. I am a work in progress. My flaws are opportunities for growth, future steps to take as I follow the map to the better me. Each day, each moment is a chance to make a better choice, to take better care of myself, to show more love and kindness to myself and to the people around me.
No one is perfect. And so many people struggle with issues related to self-esteem and self-image, are overly critical of themselves, and have moments where they do not see the positive and the possibilities. So I put random positives out there: “We’re all so pretty!” and wait for the light bulbs to come on.
This morning my muscles are sore from yesterday's weight-lifting and I'm glad. It will remind me all day of a decision I made to improve my health. So now I’m going to finish my coffee, have a homemade fruit-smoothie, and head off to work. Have a fab day.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Working on my Attitude....
Ok, yesterday bf and I went to his mom's for a big family party... I knew there would be fried chicken, etc., so I ate healthier stuff beforehand: steelcut oats for breakfast, three-bean salad with no oil for a snack, and chicken and fat-free cheese on a whole-wheat tortilla with a side of baby carrots for lunch. And thank goodness because there was indeed fried chicken, corn that already had butter in it, and mashed potatoes that I had taken a couple bites of before it was announced that they had real butter and sour cream in them. Sigh. I ate very little but then they brought out the gooey butter cake and I had 2 pieces. At least I have some successes to think about, and I guess I can just learn from the gooey butter cake incident. When we got home that evening I had whole wheat penne and 2 tsps olive oil tossed with more three-bean salad and chicken. I had taken the dog for a walk that morning, which is more of a work-out than it sounds because it was his first walk. He's a year and a half old and weighs almost 70 lbs; we don't usually walk him because we have a big yard, so we just take him out and play fetch with him for his exercise. So our walk was a little like the first part of an episode of one of those dog behavior shows, with him pulling against the leash and dragging me along until we came to an understanding. But then we walked past a fenced yard with another dog in it, and all bets were off. He really wanted to make a new friend, but I dragged him by the collar until we were clear of the chance for canine networking. So it was a walk AND an upper body workout, whoo hoo!
Today I went to the gym and spent 30 minutes on the elliptical machine, then stretched, did upper body work on the weight machines, and did some situps. This was the first time I’ve used the weight machines at this gym. I joined in February and got a free personal training session with my membership; I asked the trainer for a weight routine with the machines but she gave me a routine with the yoga-ball thingie and handweights instead… she said it was a big fat-burner. Well, thanks for listening to me and hearing my goals, but I like the weight machines and that’s what I know I will use consistently. I did the little yoga-ball handweight routine maybe 4 times before I totally lost interest in it. Maybe I should have stuck to it, ok, yes, I really should have stuck to it. But it’s hard enough to make yourself work out when you don’t feel like it, and then to have to be psyching yourself up to do something you hate? I know this weight loss thing is work, I know it takes commitment and consistency and discipline, but let’s not make it harder than it has to be. I love running, I love the elliptical machine, I love yoga, and I love the weight machines. I will do situps because I know they work. So thank you, kind trainer, but I have now officially abandoned the ball-thingie routine for the weight machines. And maybe sometime I’ll ask what they’re really called, too. Because I like them!
Going back to the gooey butter cake incident, bf’s mom made it especially for him because it’s his favorite. So she sent the leftovers home with us. I made a big case for sending it home with someone else, someone with kids maybe, but I was over-ruled. And maybe that was selfish of me but the reality is that I am the one who eats leftovers in this house, for the most part. I had a close call with the cake about half an hour ago, I actually started to get it out of the fridge but I made a pot of coffee instead and decided to drink some more water and update the blog while the coffee brews. So far so good, today. Again I say “Whoo hoo!”
I am really hoping this blog will help me with my dedication to weight loss this time. I get so lazy and am so incredibly good at making excuses for eating wrong and not working out. But I really want to do this. I want to get healthy and fit, and do it the right way, and then in a few (ok, several) months the fit and slim woman I see in my mind’s eye will be reality. I think I have to work on my attitude, on motivating myself more, on making this decision, this process, this goal MINE. Owning it and committing to it.
Here’s to me, and here’s to you, getting fit one decision at a time!
Today I went to the gym and spent 30 minutes on the elliptical machine, then stretched, did upper body work on the weight machines, and did some situps. This was the first time I’ve used the weight machines at this gym. I joined in February and got a free personal training session with my membership; I asked the trainer for a weight routine with the machines but she gave me a routine with the yoga-ball thingie and handweights instead… she said it was a big fat-burner. Well, thanks for listening to me and hearing my goals, but I like the weight machines and that’s what I know I will use consistently. I did the little yoga-ball handweight routine maybe 4 times before I totally lost interest in it. Maybe I should have stuck to it, ok, yes, I really should have stuck to it. But it’s hard enough to make yourself work out when you don’t feel like it, and then to have to be psyching yourself up to do something you hate? I know this weight loss thing is work, I know it takes commitment and consistency and discipline, but let’s not make it harder than it has to be. I love running, I love the elliptical machine, I love yoga, and I love the weight machines. I will do situps because I know they work. So thank you, kind trainer, but I have now officially abandoned the ball-thingie routine for the weight machines. And maybe sometime I’ll ask what they’re really called, too. Because I like them!
Going back to the gooey butter cake incident, bf’s mom made it especially for him because it’s his favorite. So she sent the leftovers home with us. I made a big case for sending it home with someone else, someone with kids maybe, but I was over-ruled. And maybe that was selfish of me but the reality is that I am the one who eats leftovers in this house, for the most part. I had a close call with the cake about half an hour ago, I actually started to get it out of the fridge but I made a pot of coffee instead and decided to drink some more water and update the blog while the coffee brews. So far so good, today. Again I say “Whoo hoo!”
I am really hoping this blog will help me with my dedication to weight loss this time. I get so lazy and am so incredibly good at making excuses for eating wrong and not working out. But I really want to do this. I want to get healthy and fit, and do it the right way, and then in a few (ok, several) months the fit and slim woman I see in my mind’s eye will be reality. I think I have to work on my attitude, on motivating myself more, on making this decision, this process, this goal MINE. Owning it and committing to it.
Here’s to me, and here’s to you, getting fit one decision at a time!
Sunday, May 24, 2009
The Beginning
I see a mental image daily, of myself performing the same tasks I'm actually performing, living the same life I'm living now, but I am thin, svelte, healthy. It's as if the last 3 or 4 years of gaining weight have been erased. I am the same person that I am now in this image. I have the same job, I come home to the same boyfriend, have the same friends, and am equally as happy as I am now. But I am slim, light, and fit. I started seeing these images in the back of my mind about 6 months ago, and I think now it's time to bring the vision into my reality.
I've been making attempts at regaining my fitness and figure over the last 2 or more years but in retrospect they were no more than practice runs, like someone jogging up to deep ravine they're going to leap across in order to gauge the distance and the necessary speed to propel them to the other side. I will make great strides and experience some success, and then I go off-track at some point and do not try again for weeks or months.
I have been interested in nutrition and fitness since my teens, and I love reading the success stories of others who struggle with weight loss. So I am joining the fold of weight-loss bloggers! I'm starting the journey today, not tomorrow and not next week. Today. Right now. So have a great day. Myself, I'm going to eat a breakfast of steel-cut oats with skim milk, and then take the dog for a walk. It's a beautiful day to start shedding the fat-suit.
I've been making attempts at regaining my fitness and figure over the last 2 or more years but in retrospect they were no more than practice runs, like someone jogging up to deep ravine they're going to leap across in order to gauge the distance and the necessary speed to propel them to the other side. I will make great strides and experience some success, and then I go off-track at some point and do not try again for weeks or months.
I have been interested in nutrition and fitness since my teens, and I love reading the success stories of others who struggle with weight loss. So I am joining the fold of weight-loss bloggers! I'm starting the journey today, not tomorrow and not next week. Today. Right now. So have a great day. Myself, I'm going to eat a breakfast of steel-cut oats with skim milk, and then take the dog for a walk. It's a beautiful day to start shedding the fat-suit.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Progress
Weight
I'm 5' 5 1/2".
11/11/2009 201.4 starting weight
11/18/2009 195.8 -5.6
11/25/2009 193.2 -2.6
12/2/2009 191.4 -1.8
12/9/2009 192.2 +0.8
12/16/2009 191.4 -0.8
12/23/2009 190.0 -1.4
12/30/2009 189.0 -1.0
1/6/2010 snowed-in, missed WW
1/13/2010 189.8 +0.8
1/20/2010 187.2 -2.6
1/27/2010 188.4 +1.2
2/3/2010 190.6 +2.2
2/10/2010 190.0 -0.6
2/17/2010 188.6 -1.4
2/24/2010 189.2 +0.6
9/03/2010 206.0 +6.8
9/10/2010 204.8 -1.2
Total Weight Loss: +3.4 lbs.
Measurements
I measure sporadically but since I'm seeing progress,
I may start getting out the old measuring tape once or twice a month.
Date R. Upper Arm, Waist, Hips, R. Thigh
11/21/2009 14.50 37.75 45.50 28.50
1/1/2010 13.75 37.25 45.00 28.25
1/13/2010 13.50 36.25 44.50 28.00
Total Lost -1.00 -1.50 -1.00 -0.50
I'm 5' 5 1/2".
11/11/2009 201.4 starting weight
11/18/2009 195.8 -5.6
11/25/2009 193.2 -2.6
12/2/2009 191.4 -1.8
12/9/2009 192.2 +0.8
12/16/2009 191.4 -0.8
12/23/2009 190.0 -1.4
12/30/2009 189.0 -1.0
1/6/2010 snowed-in, missed WW
1/13/2010 189.8 +0.8
1/20/2010 187.2 -2.6
1/27/2010 188.4 +1.2
2/3/2010 190.6 +2.2
2/10/2010 190.0 -0.6
2/17/2010 188.6 -1.4
2/24/2010 189.2 +0.6
9/03/2010 206.0 +6.8
9/10/2010 204.8 -1.2
Total Weight Loss: +3.4 lbs.
Measurements
I measure sporadically but since I'm seeing progress,
I may start getting out the old measuring tape once or twice a month.
Date R. Upper Arm, Waist, Hips, R. Thigh
11/21/2009 14.50 37.75 45.50 28.50
1/1/2010 13.75 37.25 45.00 28.25
1/13/2010 13.50 36.25 44.50 28.00
Total Lost -1.00 -1.50 -1.00 -0.50
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