Time for the weekly weigh in...
This past week, I lost 2.2 lbs. Not a huge amount (5.6 lbs. sure sounded a lot more exciting...), but still on track.
I think there are 2 reasons for this number:
1. I definitely didn't exercise as much as I should have last week (only did it twice), which you can read all about in my previous post.
2. Without going into the gory details, I really believe that a woman's menstrual cycle can play a part in weight gain/loss. I don't know if it has been b/c I've changed how I eat and work out over the past month, but Aunt Flo came about 10 days early. Definitely kind of shocked about that, but it explains some of my increased moodiness...
So, in 2 weeks, I have lost 7.8 lbs. I wish I knew what that was for the month, but I'll take what I can get. :)
The worst part was I felt bad about only losing 2 pounds this weekend. I know I shouldn't. I exceeded my goal. I LOST weight. There wasn't anything to feel bad about. I just know to work a little harder this week. But still...
I am going to keep this post short. Work has been crazy-busy today, and my only refuge has been that the main website we work in went down, and the phones have stopped ringing long enough to type this. And I'm starving and need to eat lunch. Did not have time for breakfast this morning. *Bad me* But was able to munch on some almonds as I wrote this post.
Onward and downward, friends. :)
Monday, January 31, 2011
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Day 24: The Hardest Thing
... aside from missing pizza and chocolate... is exercising.
I knew it would be. I hate exercising. There's really no getting around it. I don't know if it's because I haven't found an exercise-type thing that I love, or whatever. The eating healthy thing doesn't bother me nearly as much as being like "ugh... I got to work out..." Granted, it's cold and snowy and being outside doing something might help... but since I'm several month away from that happening (Gotta love Ohio!), I have to figure out what to do in the meantime.
In my younger days, "exercise" consisted of dance classes, baton classes, being on flagline in high school, being on the dance team... stuff like that. The older I got, the less physically active I got (which I think happens for everyone). Now I am confined to a desk job, and the extent of walking I do is to get our mail, or go to the bathroom. Good times.
Thus far, I've tried Zumba (which I like, but being that my ass was entirely kicked, I think I am going to try it again when I'm in a little better shape), water aerobics (which is fun, but I could totally see how it could get boring after a while), using the Your Shape on the Kinect (I like the cardio-boxing on there) and my Dance Central game is fun, albeit not a huge calorie killer.
Also, one of my other problems is hours in a day. Next week, there are 2 plays I'm auditioning for at local theatres here in the Youngstown area. One of my other promises to myself that I made towards the end of last year was to find something I love to do. I have always loved theatre and acting and singing and I miss it terribly. I miss theatre-type people (and if you are one, you totally know what I'm talking about...). I want to give that a shot as well. However, I know that if I were to get casted in a show, they are very time consuming w/ rehearsals and what not. That will definitely start to conflict w/ working out. I know it's all about prioritizing, but I know I need something like that to do that will serve as an outlet as much as I need to do the healthy thing.
I guess I put this all out there looking to see if anyone has any suggestions for exercise they like to do. Here's some suggestions to help:
1. No boot camp/drill sergeant type things.
2. Keep in mind, I live in Ohio... I am limited to indoor activies for about 1/2 the year (little bit of an exaggeration... but not much...)
Today's Grub List:
Breakfast: 2 cups of coffee and oatmeal
Lunch: 3 garlic chicken spring rolls from Lean Cuisine (and they are AMAZING!), a diet coke, and a yogurt,strawberry, and granola parfait from Panera Bread (my favorites!!!). After which, I was quite full. Full enough to not need to eat an afternoon snack.
Dinner: Found a recipe in my Abs Diet book for a homemade pesto w/ almonds (called for walnuts... only had almonds... improvised!!), spinach, garlic, a little olive oil, basil, salt, and pepper w/ Barilla Plus penne pasta (best wheat-y pasta!) and a grilled chicken breast w/ some mozzerella cheese (didn't have the low-fat kind. Sad.). It was delicious! Kurt found it to be a little dry, but added a bit more olive oil and it was better for him.
Not sure what I'm having for my post-workout snack. Haven't gotten that far. Did my Dance Central game.
Until next time (which will probably be me posting my next weight check in)... have a good rest of the week, friends. :)
I knew it would be. I hate exercising. There's really no getting around it. I don't know if it's because I haven't found an exercise-type thing that I love, or whatever. The eating healthy thing doesn't bother me nearly as much as being like "ugh... I got to work out..." Granted, it's cold and snowy and being outside doing something might help... but since I'm several month away from that happening (Gotta love Ohio!), I have to figure out what to do in the meantime.
In my younger days, "exercise" consisted of dance classes, baton classes, being on flagline in high school, being on the dance team... stuff like that. The older I got, the less physically active I got (which I think happens for everyone). Now I am confined to a desk job, and the extent of walking I do is to get our mail, or go to the bathroom. Good times.
Thus far, I've tried Zumba (which I like, but being that my ass was entirely kicked, I think I am going to try it again when I'm in a little better shape), water aerobics (which is fun, but I could totally see how it could get boring after a while), using the Your Shape on the Kinect (I like the cardio-boxing on there) and my Dance Central game is fun, albeit not a huge calorie killer.
Also, one of my other problems is hours in a day. Next week, there are 2 plays I'm auditioning for at local theatres here in the Youngstown area. One of my other promises to myself that I made towards the end of last year was to find something I love to do. I have always loved theatre and acting and singing and I miss it terribly. I miss theatre-type people (and if you are one, you totally know what I'm talking about...). I want to give that a shot as well. However, I know that if I were to get casted in a show, they are very time consuming w/ rehearsals and what not. That will definitely start to conflict w/ working out. I know it's all about prioritizing, but I know I need something like that to do that will serve as an outlet as much as I need to do the healthy thing.
I guess I put this all out there looking to see if anyone has any suggestions for exercise they like to do. Here's some suggestions to help:
1. No boot camp/drill sergeant type things.
2. Keep in mind, I live in Ohio... I am limited to indoor activies for about 1/2 the year (little bit of an exaggeration... but not much...)
Today's Grub List:
Breakfast: 2 cups of coffee and oatmeal
Lunch: 3 garlic chicken spring rolls from Lean Cuisine (and they are AMAZING!), a diet coke, and a yogurt,strawberry, and granola parfait from Panera Bread (my favorites!!!). After which, I was quite full. Full enough to not need to eat an afternoon snack.
Dinner: Found a recipe in my Abs Diet book for a homemade pesto w/ almonds (called for walnuts... only had almonds... improvised!!), spinach, garlic, a little olive oil, basil, salt, and pepper w/ Barilla Plus penne pasta (best wheat-y pasta!) and a grilled chicken breast w/ some mozzerella cheese (didn't have the low-fat kind. Sad.). It was delicious! Kurt found it to be a little dry, but added a bit more olive oil and it was better for him.
Not sure what I'm having for my post-workout snack. Haven't gotten that far. Did my Dance Central game.
Until next time (which will probably be me posting my next weight check in)... have a good rest of the week, friends. :)
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Weigh-In #1
Hello Friends,
As I sit here sort-of watching the Steelers-Jets game (go Jets... anyone is better than Pittsburgh!), I should share with you my first weigh-in.
I actually weighed myself yesterday morning... approximately the same time as I did last week. And the result was (drum roll please).........................
I've lost 5.6 pounds! :)
That's a heck of a week... I just wish I could see the 5.6 pound loss.... *sigh* But really, I am pleased with my results. My goal was 1 pound a week.
Otherwise, I really have no new news to report. It was a terrible stressful end of the week at work. Friday was my cheat day and I really wanted pizza. So we went to Pizza Hut. Had wings and pizza and it was delicious!!!! I think this week's cheat meal is going to involve some kind of dessert.... I want me some chocolate!
Also, I discovered that TGI Friday's is not the best place for low-fat food. I would much rather go there and get what I want than stick to their fairly limited healthy selections.
Today's nom-nom tracker:
Breakfast: Bowl of bran flakes with skim milk and a banana
Lunch: Panera Bread... had 1/2 a tuna fish sandwich on wheat and 1/2 a Thai Chicken Salad w/ a whole-grain baguette. All of which were good and the entire meal was under 500 calories (Panera is listing their calorie count on their menus... yay!). The salad, however, was very kicky and spicy, and while it was good, I don't know if that is something I would get again...
Dinner: The Abs Diet Book had a recipe for a chicken quesadilla. I made it as the recipe called, but added tomatoes and some spices. Both Kurt and I really enjoyed it.
Snack: Will probably have some popcorn tonight.
As I sit here sort-of watching the Steelers-Jets game (go Jets... anyone is better than Pittsburgh!), I should share with you my first weigh-in.
I actually weighed myself yesterday morning... approximately the same time as I did last week. And the result was (drum roll please).........................
I've lost 5.6 pounds! :)
That's a heck of a week... I just wish I could see the 5.6 pound loss.... *sigh* But really, I am pleased with my results. My goal was 1 pound a week.
Otherwise, I really have no new news to report. It was a terrible stressful end of the week at work. Friday was my cheat day and I really wanted pizza. So we went to Pizza Hut. Had wings and pizza and it was delicious!!!! I think this week's cheat meal is going to involve some kind of dessert.... I want me some chocolate!
Also, I discovered that TGI Friday's is not the best place for low-fat food. I would much rather go there and get what I want than stick to their fairly limited healthy selections.
Today's nom-nom tracker:
Breakfast: Bowl of bran flakes with skim milk and a banana
Lunch: Panera Bread... had 1/2 a tuna fish sandwich on wheat and 1/2 a Thai Chicken Salad w/ a whole-grain baguette. All of which were good and the entire meal was under 500 calories (Panera is listing their calorie count on their menus... yay!). The salad, however, was very kicky and spicy, and while it was good, I don't know if that is something I would get again...
Dinner: The Abs Diet Book had a recipe for a chicken quesadilla. I made it as the recipe called, but added tomatoes and some spices. Both Kurt and I really enjoyed it.
Snack: Will probably have some popcorn tonight.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Day 16: Coming to Terms With "The Number"
Greetings All,
I wanted to write about a really big step I took over the weekend (sort of forced to by my husband). I learned what my weight was for the first time in well over ten years!
I have been petrified of this number. As if knowing the number would somehow change how I viewed myself and who I am as a person. The only reason I found out what it was way back when was right before I went to college, I had to get a physical. Out of sheer curiousity, I peeked at the weight number. I said "eek!" And never looked at it again til now. When I would be forced to step on a scale at a doctor's office, I would shut my eyes and ask the nurse not to tell me what it said.
Kurt, who has been working equally as hard on the whole diet and exercise adventure with me (much to my surprise and joy!), decided that he wanted to know his weight and decided to buy a scale Saturday. My response was "that's nice." He even bought a nice scale - one that will track 2 people's weights and store them and everything. Still, I had absolutely zero desire to put my ass on that thing. Mind you, he's weighing himself nearly 2 weeks into this adventure, and perhaps he had already lost weight (his biggest thing has been no more Pepsi consumption. He's been without it as long as I've been blogging. So yay him!). Then, after a long conversation, Kurt convinced me to get on the damn scale....
In all honesty, I had an idea about how much I weighed. I figured how much I though I gained my freshman year of college (Hell w/ the freshman 15... I think I put on the frosh 30!!), got to a certain size, and stayed there pretty much all through college. Lost a size before going to grad school. Then, went up 2 sizes during grad school. Lost a size prior to getting married. Put it back on and then some. I know I'm the biggest I've ever been at this point, but my weight has been determined by my pant size... which as a girl, is stupid. Let's be honest, women's sizes are re-donk-u-lous. What should be a size 10 should be the same in every store - not an 8 here, a 10 there, and a 14 over there.... So, I had an idea of what I though the scale would say. I was wrong.
I stood on the scale w/ Kurt in the bathroom w/ me. He said he would be the only one who would know my weight and would not tell me. Only if I'm gaining or losing. After a moment of torture and setting up all the settings and what not, he asked if I would like to know what it said. Of course, I said no. Then, that annoying curiousity crept up... so I asked him if my weight was what I thought it was. He said no. I sighed. Up or down? Up. Shit. He told me I really should know, and I gave in. He told me. I started crying.
I am not blessing you, my friends, with this number. Maybe someday when I become a skinny bitch and am sharing my triumphs, I will. In the meantime, I think it's better to post what I'm gaining and losing per week than being like "OMG... these people know what I weigh! They're going to judge me! Ugh!" I am coming to terms w/ the dreaded weight number. It is what it is. And it is only a number. Am I pissed I let myself go like this? Hell yeah. But I'm doing something about it, and THAT'S what matters.
In other interesting news, I am proud to say I am through the detox phase of the new life! Yay. Went to McDonald's on Saturday morning (after buying that damn scale!) and ordered a medium sugar-free vanilla iced coffee. Apparently, they didn't catch the sugar-free part. I took a sip and nearly gagged. I could not believe how sickeningly sweet that drink was. It was gross, and I was fairly shocked that I had drank that shit in the first place. It was not good in the least (now, if they had messed up and made me a mocha, I might be singing a different song...). So that was good to know! :)
Also on Saturday, we went to Olive Garden w/ some friends for dinner. I was saving my weekly cheat meal for Saturday night, and had been looking forward to it. Once we got there and I got a menu, I actually really would have been fine eating salad and minestrone soup and not cheating. However, since I was there and had been saving up for that meal, I ordered tortellini in a rich sauce w/ sauteed chicken. And since it's Olive Garden, had a few breadsticks and salad and an apple martini. I ate all the tortellini, about 1/2 of one piece of chicken (w/o the sauce, I could bring the chicken home and eat it for another meal). And I regretted doing that ever since. My stomach was so out of whack until this morning. And it was the first time I had a tummy ache in 2 weeks. I was relatively pissed at myself. Eating right involved thinking about it. I now watch everything I put in my mouth. And that night, I ate like my old self... w/o thinking about it. And it sucked. So I'm learning to keep my cheat meals in perspective... I am NOT the old Brittiani. I don't WANT to be the old me. And am proud to embrace the new.
On another note, I bought Dance Central for the X-box Kinect. I LOVE it! Great music, fun routines, and it has a workout mode. It's a whole lot of fun and I HIGHLY recommend it!
Here's today's list of nom-noms:
Breakfast: Peach smoothie and a cup of coffee w/ 2 Extra's and some Coffeemate
Lunch: Peanut butter sandwich on whole grain bread, yogurt w/ some dried cranberries and sunflower seeds, a Diet Coke
Mid-Afternoon Snack: A handful of almonds
Dinner: A recipe from the Abs Diet Book for lean steak cooked w/ garlic, raspberries, and red wine. I really enjoyed it. Kurt was on the fence. We also had a salad and some steamed brown and wild rice with peas and carrots and corn in it. I love those Green Giant Steamer veggies!!! And I am still quite full from dinner, so I will probably skip the evening snack.
I wanted to write about a really big step I took over the weekend (sort of forced to by my husband). I learned what my weight was for the first time in well over ten years!
I have been petrified of this number. As if knowing the number would somehow change how I viewed myself and who I am as a person. The only reason I found out what it was way back when was right before I went to college, I had to get a physical. Out of sheer curiousity, I peeked at the weight number. I said "eek!" And never looked at it again til now. When I would be forced to step on a scale at a doctor's office, I would shut my eyes and ask the nurse not to tell me what it said.
Kurt, who has been working equally as hard on the whole diet and exercise adventure with me (much to my surprise and joy!), decided that he wanted to know his weight and decided to buy a scale Saturday. My response was "that's nice." He even bought a nice scale - one that will track 2 people's weights and store them and everything. Still, I had absolutely zero desire to put my ass on that thing. Mind you, he's weighing himself nearly 2 weeks into this adventure, and perhaps he had already lost weight (his biggest thing has been no more Pepsi consumption. He's been without it as long as I've been blogging. So yay him!). Then, after a long conversation, Kurt convinced me to get on the damn scale....
In all honesty, I had an idea about how much I weighed. I figured how much I though I gained my freshman year of college (Hell w/ the freshman 15... I think I put on the frosh 30!!), got to a certain size, and stayed there pretty much all through college. Lost a size before going to grad school. Then, went up 2 sizes during grad school. Lost a size prior to getting married. Put it back on and then some. I know I'm the biggest I've ever been at this point, but my weight has been determined by my pant size... which as a girl, is stupid. Let's be honest, women's sizes are re-donk-u-lous. What should be a size 10 should be the same in every store - not an 8 here, a 10 there, and a 14 over there.... So, I had an idea of what I though the scale would say. I was wrong.
I stood on the scale w/ Kurt in the bathroom w/ me. He said he would be the only one who would know my weight and would not tell me. Only if I'm gaining or losing. After a moment of torture and setting up all the settings and what not, he asked if I would like to know what it said. Of course, I said no. Then, that annoying curiousity crept up... so I asked him if my weight was what I thought it was. He said no. I sighed. Up or down? Up. Shit. He told me I really should know, and I gave in. He told me. I started crying.
I am not blessing you, my friends, with this number. Maybe someday when I become a skinny bitch and am sharing my triumphs, I will. In the meantime, I think it's better to post what I'm gaining and losing per week than being like "OMG... these people know what I weigh! They're going to judge me! Ugh!" I am coming to terms w/ the dreaded weight number. It is what it is. And it is only a number. Am I pissed I let myself go like this? Hell yeah. But I'm doing something about it, and THAT'S what matters.
In other interesting news, I am proud to say I am through the detox phase of the new life! Yay. Went to McDonald's on Saturday morning (after buying that damn scale!) and ordered a medium sugar-free vanilla iced coffee. Apparently, they didn't catch the sugar-free part. I took a sip and nearly gagged. I could not believe how sickeningly sweet that drink was. It was gross, and I was fairly shocked that I had drank that shit in the first place. It was not good in the least (now, if they had messed up and made me a mocha, I might be singing a different song...). So that was good to know! :)
Also on Saturday, we went to Olive Garden w/ some friends for dinner. I was saving my weekly cheat meal for Saturday night, and had been looking forward to it. Once we got there and I got a menu, I actually really would have been fine eating salad and minestrone soup and not cheating. However, since I was there and had been saving up for that meal, I ordered tortellini in a rich sauce w/ sauteed chicken. And since it's Olive Garden, had a few breadsticks and salad and an apple martini. I ate all the tortellini, about 1/2 of one piece of chicken (w/o the sauce, I could bring the chicken home and eat it for another meal). And I regretted doing that ever since. My stomach was so out of whack until this morning. And it was the first time I had a tummy ache in 2 weeks. I was relatively pissed at myself. Eating right involved thinking about it. I now watch everything I put in my mouth. And that night, I ate like my old self... w/o thinking about it. And it sucked. So I'm learning to keep my cheat meals in perspective... I am NOT the old Brittiani. I don't WANT to be the old me. And am proud to embrace the new.
On another note, I bought Dance Central for the X-box Kinect. I LOVE it! Great music, fun routines, and it has a workout mode. It's a whole lot of fun and I HIGHLY recommend it!
Here's today's list of nom-noms:
Breakfast: Peach smoothie and a cup of coffee w/ 2 Extra's and some Coffeemate
Lunch: Peanut butter sandwich on whole grain bread, yogurt w/ some dried cranberries and sunflower seeds, a Diet Coke
Mid-Afternoon Snack: A handful of almonds
Dinner: A recipe from the Abs Diet Book for lean steak cooked w/ garlic, raspberries, and red wine. I really enjoyed it. Kurt was on the fence. We also had a salad and some steamed brown and wild rice with peas and carrots and corn in it. I love those Green Giant Steamer veggies!!! And I am still quite full from dinner, so I will probably skip the evening snack.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Day 11: Break on Through to the Other Side
Hello Readers:
Been meaning to write all week, but have been very busy with work and other life stuff. The beginning of this week has been a struggle. As I completed the first full week of my new life, I ended it feeling not as peppy as I expected. Monday, I took a Zumba class for the first time. And it kicked my ass! First off, it was WAAYY more intense than the other workouts I've been doing at home. I thought I would have liked it more than I did, given my background in dance and such. Believe me, it's not that I didn't like it. I did. It was just an ass-whooping! And I was completely drained Monday after it. Tuesday, I was expecting to be sore as hell. I was not, surprisingly. But instead, I was entirely exhausted. I think a lot of it was that I did not consume enough calories on Monday to make up for what I burned off in Zumba. *Note to self: Eat well on days I do Zumba... live and learn, I guess* So I spent Tuesday soooo tired, grumpy, and feeling generally crappy. Not to mention, b/c of things w/ work and life, I was very stressed. So it was a bad day. :(
Yesterday, I felt a little better. Still stressed about things, but better. However, I felt the best all day after I worked out at 9:00. I didn't even do that much... just some cardio boxing classes on the Your Shape for Kinect and a few gym games to cool down, but afterwards I felt perkier than I had in days. Today, I feel great, actually. I've had a lot of energy today and feel pretty good about things... maybe I've had my break-through of all the hard stuff and can move on. :)
Things I've learned over the past week:
- Cracker Barrell = not the best place to go on a diet. Carb City there!!!! I had 1 biscuit (a significant cut down from the number of biscuits I usually eat there...), and it felt like a rock hitting my stomach.
- I like Applebee's low-fat menu. Had a fajita there last week which was delicious. This week, we went to finish off our gift card, and tried their under 550 calories menu. I had a 7 oz. steak with shrimp and a light creamy sauce, with a bruschetta topping, a few roasted potato slices, and a broccoli. It was wonderful. I was also quiet full when all was said and done.
- Since I've started all of this, I haven't noticed that I've lost any weight yet (unfortunately...), but I've noticed I feel better. I had stomach aches frequently, and other tummy issues more often than not. Since I've started eating well and exercising, I haven't had a stomach ache at all (aside from being hungry... LOL). So there's definitely been some physiological changes going on inside... which I'm sure needs to happen before the outside changes.
Yesterday's Menu:
Breakfast: A smoothie (which I looove!) with strawberries, banana, peaches, and raspberries, low-fat vanilla yogury, 1 cup of cranberry juice (b/c I didn't have any milk), and a few ice cubes. Was really swamped at work, and did not eat my morning snack until 11:45 (bad me!), and I had an apple.
Lunch: Leftovers from Tuesday - 1 medium chicken breast cooked with olive oil, Italian seasonings, garlic, and lemon, and 1/2 cup of rice, and a handful of almonds.
Mid-afternoon snack: 1 small clementine
Dinner: Applebee's... see above...
Evening snack: A few spoonfuls of vanilla yogurt while I was prepping my smoothie ingredients for today since I was still full from dinner.
I'm hoping the good ju-ju will continue, and that I'm through the worst of the cravings and moodiness.
Til next time... :)
Been meaning to write all week, but have been very busy with work and other life stuff. The beginning of this week has been a struggle. As I completed the first full week of my new life, I ended it feeling not as peppy as I expected. Monday, I took a Zumba class for the first time. And it kicked my ass! First off, it was WAAYY more intense than the other workouts I've been doing at home. I thought I would have liked it more than I did, given my background in dance and such. Believe me, it's not that I didn't like it. I did. It was just an ass-whooping! And I was completely drained Monday after it. Tuesday, I was expecting to be sore as hell. I was not, surprisingly. But instead, I was entirely exhausted. I think a lot of it was that I did not consume enough calories on Monday to make up for what I burned off in Zumba. *Note to self: Eat well on days I do Zumba... live and learn, I guess* So I spent Tuesday soooo tired, grumpy, and feeling generally crappy. Not to mention, b/c of things w/ work and life, I was very stressed. So it was a bad day. :(
Yesterday, I felt a little better. Still stressed about things, but better. However, I felt the best all day after I worked out at 9:00. I didn't even do that much... just some cardio boxing classes on the Your Shape for Kinect and a few gym games to cool down, but afterwards I felt perkier than I had in days. Today, I feel great, actually. I've had a lot of energy today and feel pretty good about things... maybe I've had my break-through of all the hard stuff and can move on. :)
Things I've learned over the past week:
- Cracker Barrell = not the best place to go on a diet. Carb City there!!!! I had 1 biscuit (a significant cut down from the number of biscuits I usually eat there...), and it felt like a rock hitting my stomach.
- I like Applebee's low-fat menu. Had a fajita there last week which was delicious. This week, we went to finish off our gift card, and tried their under 550 calories menu. I had a 7 oz. steak with shrimp and a light creamy sauce, with a bruschetta topping, a few roasted potato slices, and a broccoli. It was wonderful. I was also quiet full when all was said and done.
- Since I've started all of this, I haven't noticed that I've lost any weight yet (unfortunately...), but I've noticed I feel better. I had stomach aches frequently, and other tummy issues more often than not. Since I've started eating well and exercising, I haven't had a stomach ache at all (aside from being hungry... LOL). So there's definitely been some physiological changes going on inside... which I'm sure needs to happen before the outside changes.
Yesterday's Menu:
Breakfast: A smoothie (which I looove!) with strawberries, banana, peaches, and raspberries, low-fat vanilla yogury, 1 cup of cranberry juice (b/c I didn't have any milk), and a few ice cubes. Was really swamped at work, and did not eat my morning snack until 11:45 (bad me!), and I had an apple.
Lunch: Leftovers from Tuesday - 1 medium chicken breast cooked with olive oil, Italian seasonings, garlic, and lemon, and 1/2 cup of rice, and a handful of almonds.
Mid-afternoon snack: 1 small clementine
Dinner: Applebee's... see above...
Evening snack: A few spoonfuls of vanilla yogurt while I was prepping my smoothie ingredients for today since I was still full from dinner.
I'm hoping the good ju-ju will continue, and that I'm through the worst of the cravings and moodiness.
Til next time... :)
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Day 4 - Urges
Greetings Everyone!
I meant to write a post last night, but never got around to it. Still going strong, and am so grateful for the support of my family and friends on this endeavor. I've always said I've been blessed w/ the best friends and family in the world, and I truly mean it! :)
Anyways, on to the fun stuff...
Yesterday was mildly frustrating. I thought this would be easier. It was the last time I tried to lose weight. Or at least it felt that way. But as my hubby pointed out, it was 2005 when I tried to lose weight the last time. I was 23, working as a waitress and a part-time busser (I had great arm muscles after that summer!!). Now, I'm 6 years older w/ a desk job that keeps me fairly sedentary, except for a brief walk to get mail.
Yesterday's food adventures:
Breakfast - A New Zealander Smoothie, which consists of a kiwi, strawberries, 2 tbsp of fat free vanilla yogurt, a cup of milk, and some ice cubes. I found, however, that there's something about a blended-up kiwi that was making my lips burn. I don't know if it was the acid in the kiwi or what, but I don't know if I'll be eating a kiwi that way again... I also had a cup of tea, no sugar.
Midmorning snack - Almonds
Lunch - Lean Cuisine Beef tips w/ a burgandy wine sauce (which again was pretty tasty.... going 2 for 2 on the yummy Lean Cuisines... good start!) and brocolli, diet coke, grapes and a few sunflower seeds.
And then, the craving for chocolate set in... and yesterday was very difficult to walk by the candy jar and not snag a little piece of chocolate.
Mid-afternoon snack - One medium apple and a bottle of water
Dinner was really hard! We decided to go to Applebee's b/c we had some gift cards to burn. And every table around me was eating something terrible, and it took all my will power to not dive head first into someone else's plate of nachos. The skinny girls in the table next to us had several cocktails and ate onion rings, fries, and a hot fudge sundae... bitches! LOL
I, however, stayed strong. I ordered a steak and shrimp fajita (came with grilled peppers and onion, lettuce, pico de gallo, tortillas, and a little bit of cheese) with a side of rice, of which I only ate half. I brought the rest home for lunch today (which I am so psyched about!!!!), and I drank a diet coke and a glass of water. The fajita was delicious and spicy and definitely took care of my craving for Mexican type food.
Once I got home and let my food settle, I worked out again on the Your Shape program for the Kinect. I did some cardio-boxing, which I really enjoyed (even if Kurt was kind of laughing at my lack of fighting skills... so I don't know the difference between a hook and an upper-cut... I do now... so look out!), some zen yoga to cool down, and played some of the fitness games. They have a hula hoop game, which proved that I am still very poor at hula-ing. Couldn't do it as a kid, can't do it as an adult either. After working out, I finished up w/ an evening snack of a banana and another bottle of water.
I feel better about things today. I know the cravings and urges are going to go away. I know this is not going to be easy. But I'm committed and optimistic and excited about it... and I think the right mindset is half the battle.
I meant to write a post last night, but never got around to it. Still going strong, and am so grateful for the support of my family and friends on this endeavor. I've always said I've been blessed w/ the best friends and family in the world, and I truly mean it! :)
Anyways, on to the fun stuff...
Yesterday was mildly frustrating. I thought this would be easier. It was the last time I tried to lose weight. Or at least it felt that way. But as my hubby pointed out, it was 2005 when I tried to lose weight the last time. I was 23, working as a waitress and a part-time busser (I had great arm muscles after that summer!!). Now, I'm 6 years older w/ a desk job that keeps me fairly sedentary, except for a brief walk to get mail.
Yesterday's food adventures:
Breakfast - A New Zealander Smoothie, which consists of a kiwi, strawberries, 2 tbsp of fat free vanilla yogurt, a cup of milk, and some ice cubes. I found, however, that there's something about a blended-up kiwi that was making my lips burn. I don't know if it was the acid in the kiwi or what, but I don't know if I'll be eating a kiwi that way again... I also had a cup of tea, no sugar.
Midmorning snack - Almonds
Lunch - Lean Cuisine Beef tips w/ a burgandy wine sauce (which again was pretty tasty.... going 2 for 2 on the yummy Lean Cuisines... good start!) and brocolli, diet coke, grapes and a few sunflower seeds.
And then, the craving for chocolate set in... and yesterday was very difficult to walk by the candy jar and not snag a little piece of chocolate.
Mid-afternoon snack - One medium apple and a bottle of water
Dinner was really hard! We decided to go to Applebee's b/c we had some gift cards to burn. And every table around me was eating something terrible, and it took all my will power to not dive head first into someone else's plate of nachos. The skinny girls in the table next to us had several cocktails and ate onion rings, fries, and a hot fudge sundae... bitches! LOL
I, however, stayed strong. I ordered a steak and shrimp fajita (came with grilled peppers and onion, lettuce, pico de gallo, tortillas, and a little bit of cheese) with a side of rice, of which I only ate half. I brought the rest home for lunch today (which I am so psyched about!!!!), and I drank a diet coke and a glass of water. The fajita was delicious and spicy and definitely took care of my craving for Mexican type food.
Once I got home and let my food settle, I worked out again on the Your Shape program for the Kinect. I did some cardio-boxing, which I really enjoyed (even if Kurt was kind of laughing at my lack of fighting skills... so I don't know the difference between a hook and an upper-cut... I do now... so look out!), some zen yoga to cool down, and played some of the fitness games. They have a hula hoop game, which proved that I am still very poor at hula-ing. Couldn't do it as a kid, can't do it as an adult either. After working out, I finished up w/ an evening snack of a banana and another bottle of water.
I feel better about things today. I know the cravings and urges are going to go away. I know this is not going to be easy. But I'm committed and optimistic and excited about it... and I think the right mindset is half the battle.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Day 1 - I'm a Hungry Girl
... who hates her husband at the moment. :(
What does he ask me just now: "So what would you want for dinner if you could eat anywhere you want?" He's trying to figure out where to go to dinner w/ a friend. *grumble grumble*
Anyways, today I'm hungry. It is the first day of the whole diet and exercise thing. I've been good today. Aside from the tempting bowl of leftover chocolates from Christmas at work (which I would normally just grab one or two everytime I walk through the kitchen), I've been feeling good about everything today. Have support from some wonderful people, so that's really exciting!!!
Here's my day in a nutshell:
1 1/2 cups of coffee w/ 2 packets of Equal and Cofffeemate
1 packet of lower sugar oatmeal and a 100-calorie pack of cocoa roasted almonds (which I think went bad...) for breakfast
A handful of grapes for a mid-morning snack
Lunch consisted of a Lean Cuisine Sesame Stir Fry, a non-fat light yogurt, and a diet coke (What... can't give up ALL of my vices!!!)
Mid-afternoon snack was a small apple
I came home and started the Your Shape program for the Kinect. Did the fitness assessment and some zen yoga. Wrapped up with the fitness games, which are a lot of fun. Felt good afterwards. :)
For dinner, I made a Cajun blackened grilled fish filet, steamed corn, and a salad w/ feta cheese, almonds, and light Balsamic Vinigarette.
Finally, I wrapped up with a whole-grain English muffin with 2 tbsp of peanut butter and a diet green tea.
WHY AM I HUNGRY??
What does he ask me just now: "So what would you want for dinner if you could eat anywhere you want?" He's trying to figure out where to go to dinner w/ a friend. *grumble grumble*
Anyways, today I'm hungry. It is the first day of the whole diet and exercise thing. I've been good today. Aside from the tempting bowl of leftover chocolates from Christmas at work (which I would normally just grab one or two everytime I walk through the kitchen), I've been feeling good about everything today. Have support from some wonderful people, so that's really exciting!!!
Here's my day in a nutshell:
1 1/2 cups of coffee w/ 2 packets of Equal and Cofffeemate
1 packet of lower sugar oatmeal and a 100-calorie pack of cocoa roasted almonds (which I think went bad...) for breakfast
A handful of grapes for a mid-morning snack
Lunch consisted of a Lean Cuisine Sesame Stir Fry, a non-fat light yogurt, and a diet coke (What... can't give up ALL of my vices!!!)
Mid-afternoon snack was a small apple
I came home and started the Your Shape program for the Kinect. Did the fitness assessment and some zen yoga. Wrapped up with the fitness games, which are a lot of fun. Felt good afterwards. :)
For dinner, I made a Cajun blackened grilled fish filet, steamed corn, and a salad w/ feta cheese, almonds, and light Balsamic Vinigarette.
Finally, I wrapped up with a whole-grain English muffin with 2 tbsp of peanut butter and a diet green tea.
WHY AM I HUNGRY??
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Welcome to My World
Hello Readers:
This is my first attempt at blogging. Frankly, I've felt I have never had anything too exciting to talk about that others would feel compelled to read. I am, however, beginning the new year with a new attitude and a new outlook on life that I think having a blog will keep me on the right path.
I have decided that 2011 is the year that I am going to work on me and get myself in better shape. "In better shape" are the keywords there... I do not expect to end up with washboard abs, nor do I ever think I'm going to be a skinny girl. I would like to feel better about myself. To not be disappointed of the person I see in the mirror.
To begin, I want to put a few things out there, so that you can follow along with my progress:
- Who? This is my quest and my journey. I am married to my wonderful husband, Kurt, who is supportive of this endeavor, but will probably not be as committed as I am.
- What? I will be following the guidelines of the ABS Diet which I have used before with decent results. This time, it's not just a diet. I'm committing to a lifestyle change. I am also utilizing different exercise methods, including Zumba, our Kinect for X-Box and the Your Shape: Fitness Evolved program, and Dance Central for Kinect (which I still need to purchase...).
- Why? This is probably the most important question... I am doing this for numerous reasons
1. At some point in the future, I would like to have a baby. And I would like to have a healthy, enjoyable pregnancy.
2. I am fed up with myself. I hate that I have no energy, that I have let myself get as heavy as I have. I want to be healthy.
3. I think blogging will help keep me motivated. Even if no one ever reads my posts, I will still feel like there are people interested in what I am trying to do, and will keep going when it gets difficult.
I was nervous at first to put myself out like this. My weight has always been an extremely touchy subject, but I think this will be cathartic. My plan is to post at least once a week with updates, news, what I've been eating, doing, etc.
The end goal is that in a year, I will have lost 50 pounds. That's 1 pound a week, 4 pounds a month, which I do not think is too ambitious and fairly reach-able.
With all of this in mind, welcome to my adventure (and mis-adventures, I'm sure!) in losing weight and becoming a better, healthier me.
This is my first attempt at blogging. Frankly, I've felt I have never had anything too exciting to talk about that others would feel compelled to read. I am, however, beginning the new year with a new attitude and a new outlook on life that I think having a blog will keep me on the right path.
I have decided that 2011 is the year that I am going to work on me and get myself in better shape. "In better shape" are the keywords there... I do not expect to end up with washboard abs, nor do I ever think I'm going to be a skinny girl. I would like to feel better about myself. To not be disappointed of the person I see in the mirror.
To begin, I want to put a few things out there, so that you can follow along with my progress:
- Who? This is my quest and my journey. I am married to my wonderful husband, Kurt, who is supportive of this endeavor, but will probably not be as committed as I am.
- What? I will be following the guidelines of the ABS Diet which I have used before with decent results. This time, it's not just a diet. I'm committing to a lifestyle change. I am also utilizing different exercise methods, including Zumba, our Kinect for X-Box and the Your Shape: Fitness Evolved program, and Dance Central for Kinect (which I still need to purchase...).
- Why? This is probably the most important question... I am doing this for numerous reasons
1. At some point in the future, I would like to have a baby. And I would like to have a healthy, enjoyable pregnancy.
2. I am fed up with myself. I hate that I have no energy, that I have let myself get as heavy as I have. I want to be healthy.
3. I think blogging will help keep me motivated. Even if no one ever reads my posts, I will still feel like there are people interested in what I am trying to do, and will keep going when it gets difficult.
I was nervous at first to put myself out like this. My weight has always been an extremely touchy subject, but I think this will be cathartic. My plan is to post at least once a week with updates, news, what I've been eating, doing, etc.
The end goal is that in a year, I will have lost 50 pounds. That's 1 pound a week, 4 pounds a month, which I do not think is too ambitious and fairly reach-able.
With all of this in mind, welcome to my adventure (and mis-adventures, I'm sure!) in losing weight and becoming a better, healthier me.
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