Although I already have a permanent list of links goin' on the left side of the blog page, I thought it might be fun/helpful for some of you if I dedicated an occasional post to some new sites I've discovered, along with a short 'n' sweet description of why I'm so excited about them.
***Gym Junkies: Yes, I've already mentioned it several times over the past few days, but one more official mention won't hurt. It's just a good site that breaks down the awesome results you can get from weights and resistance training.
Vic's made some minor changes to the site over the past few days, so the 4-week Fat Loss Routine that I'm doing appears to be no longer available. HOWEVER, please visit the articles section of his site. There, everything is more organized and easier to sort through. And you can still access the Beginner's Workout Plan for free, which is very similar to the 4-week fat loss plan that I'm following.
Also note how he posted a few routines that don't require any equipment. Obviously, to get the best results, you're better off with access to weights, but you can certainly benefit from equipment-free moves that Vic suggests. Trust me, if you do enough burpees, you can (and will) get a kick-butt, heart-pumping workout done in a matter of minutes.
***Alwyn Cosgrove: I found this site through Gym Junkies. What I like about it is the time Alwyn takes to find and post pretty solid research about weight-loss/fat-burn through resistance training. Some of the posts get pretty scientific, but that's primarily why I like it so much. I'm a fan of science to begin with and reading about science in terms of weight-loss is almost my equivalent of a trashy romance novel, as enjoyed by a bored housewife.
I was particularly intrigued by the 480's Metabolic Circuit post. I wanna try it, but I have no idea how to set up that band for band jumps, or how to even go about getting one, haha. Is it sad that one of the main reasons why I want to win loads of money is so I can have my own fully stocked gym someday? Sigh.
***Lose Stubborn Fat (Josh Hillis): This is another blog I found through Gym Junkies, so all the credit goes to Vic, once again. I must warn you guys right off the bat; there are a lot of posts about "celebrity" bods and how they keep fit. No, sorry, I don't give a shit about what Lauren Conrad eats or what Hugh Jackman's Wolverine workout consists of. BUT, that all aside, there's also some really helpful info on how to keep your diet in check and how to get the most out of your workouts.
And, although some might find the wording a *tad* offensive, I actually really enjoyed his post, What Fat People Can Teach You About Getting Abs. It states, quite simply, why excuses are bullshit and won't get you any closer to your goal. Definitely something to re-read occasionally now and as I head into maintenance (whenever that happens, heh).
==========================================
You'll probably notice a common theme with these blogs; they're all pretty much maintained by personal trainers/fitness professionals. There are loads of others out there in the same vein, so start exploring! On the pro side, these blogs are loaded with LOTS of helpful and more importantly CONSISTENT information on how to approach fitness and diet. I've been learning something new each day since last week.
On the con side, most of them are always trying to push their own "complete body transformation program," so be prepared for sales pitches in between good posts. Some of them might be really good programs too, but due to the sheer abundance of personal trainers online, I'll be skeptical and pass for now, thanks.
And yes, as you can tell, I'm all about learning about resistance training right now. Why? Because I used to hate it and avoided it all throughout my weight-loss journey. Now, the more I read about it and the benefits it provides (versus cardio on its own), the more fascinated and motivated I am to push through and put forth some honest effort. I WANT to be stronger, therefore I HAVE to do more resistance training. It's as simple as that.
It all boils down to wanting something and accepting the fact that I have to work at it if I truly want results. There are no shortcuts here, people. Not sure if I've mentioned that yet or not, but just in case you were wondering... NO SHORTCUTS. (I promise I'm not trying to yell at you, just trying to beat the concept into my own head to help stick to the plan I've set up for myself.)
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Payday! Woo!
(***If you're new to the blog, feel free to read my introductory posts and my Not-so-secret-Secret to Weight Loss.)
FOOD:
So the meat loaf recipe from last night? Yeah, don't try it yet. I mean, the flavor was awesome, but the typical meatloaf structure just wasn't there. Needs more breadcrumbs (and probably not the panko variety, which I'm partial to), eggs and probably less sauce and less zucchini. I drained it several times and left it in the oven longer than what I listed and each slice still fell apart when I served it. Just FYI.
breakfast:
egg white- 1
1 oz. avocado- 1
light english muffin- 1
snack:
apple- 1
carrot sticks- 0
PB2- 1
lunch:
leftover meatloaf- 5
spinach w/ laughing cow wedge- 1
snack:
lightfull smoothie- 1
dinner:
chicken breast- 3
bell pepper/tomato- 0
1/2 tsp olive oil/parmesan- 1
white beans- 2
post-dinner:
yoplait delight- 2
PB2 sandwich- 2
total points used: 22/22
activity points: yoga (0.5), grocery shopping (1)- 1.5
WAPs: 29/35 remaining
Yeah, went over my points last night with ice cream. I'm usually not one to make excuses for poor food choices, but I'm gonna blame the hormones. Only because after inhaling the cold, creamy, chocolaty, peanut-buttery goodness, I felt loved, not guilty, haha. It was one of those feeding-my-soul moments.
EXERCISE:
Even though I probably could have slept until six, I still left my alarm set for 5 and did some yoga. I figured I would benefit from the stretching and I think I did. My flexibility and balance are still horrible though. I think I need to try and add the yoga to another one of my other workout days. Probably to a day where I do one of the Gym Junkies workouts, since they're so short, time-wise. I just don't think once a week is enough. Plus, I'm still doing weeks 1-2. I'd like to progress to the next level sometime this year, haha.
===================================
Too lazy this morning to rant too long on last night's Biggest Loser. Jillian had a lot of great moments though, I thought. I think it's funny how everyone thinks Tracey is crazy now. Did I or did I not call those Crazy Eyes the first night? I knew she was off from the beginning. Last night, my god. She rocked the scale though, so I can't hate on her too much. Poor Coach Mo.
In other news, it's PAYDAY! i worked on the grocery list for two days, haha. We're to the point where we cleaned out a lot of canned and frozen stuff too. Definitely going to re-stock on a lot of stuff. Especially beans, canned tomatoes and frozen fruits/veggies. I've been craving that stuff a lot lately. I'm even leaving work early today so I can hit up 3 stores. It really is pathetic how excited I am about this.
FOOD:
So the meat loaf recipe from last night? Yeah, don't try it yet. I mean, the flavor was awesome, but the typical meatloaf structure just wasn't there. Needs more breadcrumbs (and probably not the panko variety, which I'm partial to), eggs and probably less sauce and less zucchini. I drained it several times and left it in the oven longer than what I listed and each slice still fell apart when I served it. Just FYI.
breakfast:
egg white- 1
1 oz. avocado- 1
light english muffin- 1
snack:
apple- 1
carrot sticks- 0
PB2- 1
lunch:
leftover meatloaf- 5
spinach w/ laughing cow wedge- 1
snack:
lightfull smoothie- 1
dinner:
chicken breast- 3
bell pepper/tomato- 0
1/2 tsp olive oil/parmesan- 1
white beans- 2
post-dinner:
yoplait delight- 2
PB2 sandwich- 2
total points used: 22/22
activity points: yoga (0.5), grocery shopping (1)- 1.5
WAPs: 29/35 remaining
Yeah, went over my points last night with ice cream. I'm usually not one to make excuses for poor food choices, but I'm gonna blame the hormones. Only because after inhaling the cold, creamy, chocolaty, peanut-buttery goodness, I felt loved, not guilty, haha. It was one of those feeding-my-soul moments.
EXERCISE:
Even though I probably could have slept until six, I still left my alarm set for 5 and did some yoga. I figured I would benefit from the stretching and I think I did. My flexibility and balance are still horrible though. I think I need to try and add the yoga to another one of my other workout days. Probably to a day where I do one of the Gym Junkies workouts, since they're so short, time-wise. I just don't think once a week is enough. Plus, I'm still doing weeks 1-2. I'd like to progress to the next level sometime this year, haha.
===================================
Too lazy this morning to rant too long on last night's Biggest Loser. Jillian had a lot of great moments though, I thought. I think it's funny how everyone thinks Tracey is crazy now. Did I or did I not call those Crazy Eyes the first night? I knew she was off from the beginning. Last night, my god. She rocked the scale though, so I can't hate on her too much. Poor Coach Mo.
In other news, it's PAYDAY! i worked on the grocery list for two days, haha. We're to the point where we cleaned out a lot of canned and frozen stuff too. Definitely going to re-stock on a lot of stuff. Especially beans, canned tomatoes and frozen fruits/veggies. I've been craving that stuff a lot lately. I'm even leaving work early today so I can hit up 3 stores. It really is pathetic how excited I am about this.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
My not-so-secret Secret to Weight Loss.
I posted this on my Facebook page earlier this month and decided to post it here as well for additional reference, since I've gathered some new readers recently:
===========================================
So for the past several months, people have been asking me how I've been losing weight. Well, to be honest, a) I can't cover everything I've done in a casual conversation in-passing, and b) as blunt as it may sound, I'm one dedicated motherfucker.
To start, I follow the Weight Watchers plan. I used to have an online subscription for about a year, but then canceled it when I figured out I can make my own spreadsheet to track points, use The Daily Plate as a free way to track my food in detail and make use of various free WW-related resources online (i.e., point and activity calculators, recipes, etc.). Keep in mind that I went out of my way to track food like this simply because of money issues. If you can afford a WW membership, by all means, buy one! If I had more disposable income these days, I would have kept it, but desperate times call for crafty methods.
I also blog about food and exercise everyday. See The Stretch Jean Incident. Older posts can be found on my old LiveJournal-based blog, That's Not Flab.
I wear a pretty snazzy heart rate monitor to accurately track how many calories I burn when I workout.
I have a gym membership at Accolade Fitness (only $20/month, no contract), as well as various workout DVDs at home. These include all 3 recent releases from Jillian Michaels, some Tae-Bo, and a few Biggest Loser DVDs. At my heaviest weight, I started out with the first volume of the Biggest Loser workout, mixed it up with some Tae-Bo and did walking/jogging/elliptical intervals at the gym.
Once I became more fit, I started taking on Jillian Michaels, full-out running and then incline training (if you've never heard of that, NordicTrack has info on their version of the torture device. My gym has a similar model, but I hope to buy the NordicTrack one someday).
As for equipment at home, I have a stationary bike, resistance bands, hand weights, a yoga mat and a jump rope.
I work out six days a week (four of which I get up at 5am and exercise before work) and track every damn bite of food that goes in my mouth. I do indulge from time to time, but I plan it in advance. And before I go out to eat at a restaurant (pretty rare these days), I always check for a menu online and nutritional information, if available.
We cook at home the majority of the time, so I've found that it's essential to have proper measuring spoons/cups AND a digital food scale. I can't stress the importance of a food scale enough, people. I quickly found that most pre-packaged chicken breasts are sometimes 2-3 servings per piece! Insane. I leave a few measuring cups/spoons in a certain spot in the kitchen so they're easy to find. Seriously, I measure and weigh food several times a day, everyday.
In between all of that, I also read a ton of fitness/health-related articles every week. I have a subscription to Fitness Magazine, but also read online content from Women's Health, Fit Sugar, That's Fit and most recently, Answer Fitness, just to name a few. More links on my blog page.
Lastly, supplements... I take a children's chewable multi-vitamin because the adult ones make me puke, even if taken with food. I also take a calcium supplement, a vitamin D supplement, a fish oil capsule and glucosamine (keeps my joints pain-free between runs).
Is my daily routine insane, neurotic and basically OCD? Yeah, pretty much. But losing weight is about breaking old bad habits and learning new good ones. All the steps involved in preparing/tracking food and working out don't even phase me anymore because they've gone from being special tasks to normal habits that have become ingrained in my daily routine. Just like brushing my teeth.
And, if it sounds like a lot of resources, it is. But keep in mind I've been going at this for 2.5 years already. I didn't wake up one morning and buy all sorts of equipment at once. I just invested in things as I learned more about what would help me reach my goal safely and effectively.
So that's the majority of it, in a nutshell. My aforementioned blog is the ideal place to go for details on exactly what I eat each day and what I do to sweat my ass off. It's pretty mundane after a while, but I wouldn't have made it this far without it.
As for where I'm at with my goal, well, that's been in a state of flux lately. My original goal was to lose 90 pounds. Then I thought, "Oh hell, just go for an even hundred!" Well, I've found that a 100 pound loss just isn't in the cards for me. After crossing the 80 pound mark, the rate of my weight-loss fell off a fucking cliff and I've been struggling ever since. So, I decided going back to my original goal of 90 pounds would probably be the best option. I'm about 5 pounds away from that mark, but I'm pretty sure it's going to take me at least another month or so to get there. In the meantime, you'll find me trying to turn my body into a machine by day and dreaming of cupcakes and wings by night. And for the record, when I do hit goal, I'm totally buying myself a gourmet cupcake. No, you're not supposed to reward yourself with food when hitting a weight-loss milestone, but I need to remember what it feels like to feed my soul with cream-cheese frosting.
===========================================
So for the past several months, people have been asking me how I've been losing weight. Well, to be honest, a) I can't cover everything I've done in a casual conversation in-passing, and b) as blunt as it may sound, I'm one dedicated motherfucker.
To start, I follow the Weight Watchers plan. I used to have an online subscription for about a year, but then canceled it when I figured out I can make my own spreadsheet to track points, use The Daily Plate as a free way to track my food in detail and make use of various free WW-related resources online (i.e., point and activity calculators, recipes, etc.). Keep in mind that I went out of my way to track food like this simply because of money issues. If you can afford a WW membership, by all means, buy one! If I had more disposable income these days, I would have kept it, but desperate times call for crafty methods.
I also blog about food and exercise everyday. See The Stretch Jean Incident. Older posts can be found on my old LiveJournal-based blog, That's Not Flab.
I wear a pretty snazzy heart rate monitor to accurately track how many calories I burn when I workout.
I have a gym membership at Accolade Fitness (only $20/month, no contract), as well as various workout DVDs at home. These include all 3 recent releases from Jillian Michaels, some Tae-Bo, and a few Biggest Loser DVDs. At my heaviest weight, I started out with the first volume of the Biggest Loser workout, mixed it up with some Tae-Bo and did walking/jogging/elliptical intervals at the gym.
Once I became more fit, I started taking on Jillian Michaels, full-out running and then incline training (if you've never heard of that, NordicTrack has info on their version of the torture device. My gym has a similar model, but I hope to buy the NordicTrack one someday).
As for equipment at home, I have a stationary bike, resistance bands, hand weights, a yoga mat and a jump rope.
I work out six days a week (four of which I get up at 5am and exercise before work) and track every damn bite of food that goes in my mouth. I do indulge from time to time, but I plan it in advance. And before I go out to eat at a restaurant (pretty rare these days), I always check for a menu online and nutritional information, if available.
We cook at home the majority of the time, so I've found that it's essential to have proper measuring spoons/cups AND a digital food scale. I can't stress the importance of a food scale enough, people. I quickly found that most pre-packaged chicken breasts are sometimes 2-3 servings per piece! Insane. I leave a few measuring cups/spoons in a certain spot in the kitchen so they're easy to find. Seriously, I measure and weigh food several times a day, everyday.
In between all of that, I also read a ton of fitness/health-related articles every week. I have a subscription to Fitness Magazine, but also read online content from Women's Health, Fit Sugar, That's Fit and most recently, Answer Fitness, just to name a few. More links on my blog page.
Lastly, supplements... I take a children's chewable multi-vitamin because the adult ones make me puke, even if taken with food. I also take a calcium supplement, a vitamin D supplement, a fish oil capsule and glucosamine (keeps my joints pain-free between runs).
Is my daily routine insane, neurotic and basically OCD? Yeah, pretty much. But losing weight is about breaking old bad habits and learning new good ones. All the steps involved in preparing/tracking food and working out don't even phase me anymore because they've gone from being special tasks to normal habits that have become ingrained in my daily routine. Just like brushing my teeth.
And, if it sounds like a lot of resources, it is. But keep in mind I've been going at this for 2.5 years already. I didn't wake up one morning and buy all sorts of equipment at once. I just invested in things as I learned more about what would help me reach my goal safely and effectively.
So that's the majority of it, in a nutshell. My aforementioned blog is the ideal place to go for details on exactly what I eat each day and what I do to sweat my ass off. It's pretty mundane after a while, but I wouldn't have made it this far without it.
As for where I'm at with my goal, well, that's been in a state of flux lately. My original goal was to lose 90 pounds. Then I thought, "Oh hell, just go for an even hundred!" Well, I've found that a 100 pound loss just isn't in the cards for me. After crossing the 80 pound mark, the rate of my weight-loss fell off a fucking cliff and I've been struggling ever since. So, I decided going back to my original goal of 90 pounds would probably be the best option. I'm about 5 pounds away from that mark, but I'm pretty sure it's going to take me at least another month or so to get there. In the meantime, you'll find me trying to turn my body into a machine by day and dreaming of cupcakes and wings by night. And for the record, when I do hit goal, I'm totally buying myself a gourmet cupcake. No, you're not supposed to reward yourself with food when hitting a weight-loss milestone, but I need to remember what it feels like to feed my soul with cream-cheese frosting.
(***If you're new to the blog, feel free to read my introductory posts and my Not-so-secret-Secret to Weight Loss.)
FOOD:
pre-workout:
protein powder- 1
breakfast:
egg beaters- 1
spinach/onion- 0
light english muffin- 1
snack:
9 almonds- 1
apple- 1
carrot sticks- 0
PB2- 1
lunch:
healthy choice turkey medallions- 4
popcorn ball- 1
snack:
9 almonds- 1
protein water- 0
dinner:
BBQ Zucchini Meatloaf- 5
broccoli- 1
spinach w/ laughing cow wedge- 1
post-dinner:
kashi waffle- 1
whipped cream cheese- 1
apple- 1
kashi cereal- 2
dried cranberries- 1
almond milk- 1
ice cream- 8
total points used: 34/22
activity points: 50 min. HIIT routine- 6
net points: 28
WAPs: 29/35 remaining
Made a chili wrap last night with some Hormel fat-free turkey chili. Super-messy and killed my sodium intake for the day, but soooo good. Total comfort junk food, but not too many points.
Thinking of making meatloaf tonight, with BBQ sauce. I've got one zucchini left, so I'll probably shred that and throw it in there. No recipe, just gonna wing it. Some sort of green veggie on the side. There's only one potato left, so either we'll split that or come up with some other type of side. I've kinda been itchin' to make some brown rice lately, but we'll see.
EXERCISE:
Went to the gym a little early today, but not really by choice. I woke up at 4:30 this morning (again, like yesterday). Ugh. My alarm is set for 5. I HATE waking up before my alarm goes off. And of course, I couldn't fall back asleep for half an hour, so I figured it would be best just to start getting ready.
Since I was up earlier than usual, I went ahead and mixed some Biggest Loser protein powder and drank it as a pre-workout snack. I needed a little vitamin boost to get me going.
The third incline machine is working again and since I was there right when the gym opened, I had first choice. All was perfect until the smelliest man alive decided to use the trainer right next to me. Seriously folks, antiperspirant and clean gym clothes are required before setting foot on a machine. I was planning on doing a longer session of incline training, but the smell was so bad that I had to move. Oh well.
Today's routine:
-5 min. run (didn't feel like running much today, so I just did it to warm up)
-15 min. incline training
-15 min. stair master
-15 min. elliptical/cool-down
Got the new weight set last night! Probably won't have it set up until the weekend though. I still need to clean up/re-organize my workout room a bit. So excited!
Still debating whether or not I want to get up and do yoga tomorrow morning. I really don't want to do anything that involves my legs, haha. I did some good stretching this morning after the gym, but they're still pretty sore from the previous days' strength training. Who knows.
FOOD:
pre-workout:
protein powder- 1
breakfast:
egg beaters- 1
spinach/onion- 0
light english muffin- 1
snack:
9 almonds- 1
apple- 1
carrot sticks- 0
PB2- 1
lunch:
healthy choice turkey medallions- 4
popcorn ball- 1
snack:
9 almonds- 1
protein water- 0
dinner:
BBQ Zucchini Meatloaf- 5
broccoli- 1
spinach w/ laughing cow wedge- 1
post-dinner:
kashi waffle- 1
whipped cream cheese- 1
apple- 1
kashi cereal- 2
dried cranberries- 1
almond milk- 1
ice cream- 8
total points used: 34/22
activity points: 50 min. HIIT routine- 6
net points: 28
WAPs: 29/35 remaining
Made a chili wrap last night with some Hormel fat-free turkey chili. Super-messy and killed my sodium intake for the day, but soooo good. Total comfort junk food, but not too many points.
Thinking of making meatloaf tonight, with BBQ sauce. I've got one zucchini left, so I'll probably shred that and throw it in there. No recipe, just gonna wing it. Some sort of green veggie on the side. There's only one potato left, so either we'll split that or come up with some other type of side. I've kinda been itchin' to make some brown rice lately, but we'll see.
EXERCISE:
Went to the gym a little early today, but not really by choice. I woke up at 4:30 this morning (again, like yesterday). Ugh. My alarm is set for 5. I HATE waking up before my alarm goes off. And of course, I couldn't fall back asleep for half an hour, so I figured it would be best just to start getting ready.
Since I was up earlier than usual, I went ahead and mixed some Biggest Loser protein powder and drank it as a pre-workout snack. I needed a little vitamin boost to get me going.
The third incline machine is working again and since I was there right when the gym opened, I had first choice. All was perfect until the smelliest man alive decided to use the trainer right next to me. Seriously folks, antiperspirant and clean gym clothes are required before setting foot on a machine. I was planning on doing a longer session of incline training, but the smell was so bad that I had to move. Oh well.
Today's routine:
-5 min. run (didn't feel like running much today, so I just did it to warm up)
-15 min. incline training
-15 min. stair master
-15 min. elliptical/cool-down
Got the new weight set last night! Probably won't have it set up until the weekend though. I still need to clean up/re-organize my workout room a bit. So excited!
Still debating whether or not I want to get up and do yoga tomorrow morning. I really don't want to do anything that involves my legs, haha. I did some good stretching this morning after the gym, but they're still pretty sore from the previous days' strength training. Who knows.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Presents for me.
So, I didn't really reward myself for hitting goal last week because I'm frugal (and broke) most of the time.
But after mulling over some ideas over the weekend, I decided to bite the bullet, bust out the damn credit card (shh!) and do a round of purchases for myself. I of course made sure it was all stuff that a) I've been looking at purchasing for at least 3 months or more (give or take), b) I could afford and pay off eventually (duh), c) would benefit from and d) made me feel special (yes, material goods should not be the source of such a feeling, but hey, guess what? sometimes they are).
That said, I will start with the most frivolous purchase of all, Chewy Chocolate Cheek Cookies. Yes, I totally ordered overpriced cookies over the Internet. BUT- I've been looking at them ever since I saw how they were made on Road Tasted With the Neely's on Food Network, which was quite some time ago. I've been to the website sooo many times since then, but told myself no, because I didn't need them and I didn't need to spend the money.
Well, I changed my mind. I mean, look at them:
Another major selling point: They're listed as being only 2 points a piece. The bakery itself is owned by a couple of health-conscious gals, so the cookies are actually pretty healthy (for a cookie, anyway). I just figured "what the hell?" and a few clicks later, finally gave in. Pretty sure being on my period didn't help, haha.
Next, I ordered some PB2 and Biggest Loser Protein Powder, both in bulk. I didn't feel so bad about spending money on these because they're both things that I consume on a regular basis (though I went through Netrition for the PB2 and eBay for the protein powder to save a little extra money).
Then, it was over to Amazon for some new resistance bands. I've been meaning to get these so I can finally use my door anchor strap. My current resistance cord doesn't work with it, so I've yet to actually get any use out of it. So, again, another planned purchase.
And last but not least, I busted out the Sears card and ordered me a new Weider 110 Weight Set:
and a bench with accompanying rack:
Luckily I was able to do ship-to-store on both of them (freight charges on those types of things are terrifying), so I can pick them up anytime today or later in the week! And yes, I tried looking at Craigslist and Freecycle, but no dice. That, or people were charging way too much for used equipment that was definitely past its prime.
Also got some lifting gloves. I noticed I needed those a.s.a.p. after doing some of the Gym Junkie routines with my dumbbells.
Yes, it was a lot of money to spend at once, but I managed to justify each purchase pretty well, for the most part. Aside from the cookies, everything else is going to help me increase and maintain my level of health and fitness. And that's not so wrong, is it? I know I'll probably have a change of heart next month when the bill arrives, but for now, I'm pretty pleased (and excited!). I can't wait to try the new weight set. Who would've thought that I'd come to appreciate the beauty in such equipment?
But after mulling over some ideas over the weekend, I decided to bite the bullet, bust out the damn credit card (shh!) and do a round of purchases for myself. I of course made sure it was all stuff that a) I've been looking at purchasing for at least 3 months or more (give or take), b) I could afford and pay off eventually (duh), c) would benefit from and d) made me feel special (yes, material goods should not be the source of such a feeling, but hey, guess what? sometimes they are).
That said, I will start with the most frivolous purchase of all, Chewy Chocolate Cheek Cookies. Yes, I totally ordered overpriced cookies over the Internet. BUT- I've been looking at them ever since I saw how they were made on Road Tasted With the Neely's on Food Network, which was quite some time ago. I've been to the website sooo many times since then, but told myself no, because I didn't need them and I didn't need to spend the money.
Well, I changed my mind. I mean, look at them:
Another major selling point: They're listed as being only 2 points a piece. The bakery itself is owned by a couple of health-conscious gals, so the cookies are actually pretty healthy (for a cookie, anyway). I just figured "what the hell?" and a few clicks later, finally gave in. Pretty sure being on my period didn't help, haha.
Next, I ordered some PB2 and Biggest Loser Protein Powder, both in bulk. I didn't feel so bad about spending money on these because they're both things that I consume on a regular basis (though I went through Netrition for the PB2 and eBay for the protein powder to save a little extra money).
Then, it was over to Amazon for some new resistance bands. I've been meaning to get these so I can finally use my door anchor strap. My current resistance cord doesn't work with it, so I've yet to actually get any use out of it. So, again, another planned purchase.
And last but not least, I busted out the Sears card and ordered me a new Weider 110 Weight Set:
and a bench with accompanying rack:
Luckily I was able to do ship-to-store on both of them (freight charges on those types of things are terrifying), so I can pick them up anytime today or later in the week! And yes, I tried looking at Craigslist and Freecycle, but no dice. That, or people were charging way too much for used equipment that was definitely past its prime.
Also got some lifting gloves. I noticed I needed those a.s.a.p. after doing some of the Gym Junkie routines with my dumbbells.
Yes, it was a lot of money to spend at once, but I managed to justify each purchase pretty well, for the most part. Aside from the cookies, everything else is going to help me increase and maintain my level of health and fitness. And that's not so wrong, is it? I know I'll probably have a change of heart next month when the bill arrives, but for now, I'm pretty pleased (and excited!). I can't wait to try the new weight set. Who would've thought that I'd come to appreciate the beauty in such equipment?
Monday yawns.
(***If you're new to the blog, feel free to read my introductory posts and my Not-so-secret-Secret to Weight Loss.)
I couldn't begin this post until I found the song that was stuck in my head. For my reference: No Hope Kids- Wavves. Sorry, heh.
FOOD:
breakfast:
f.f. cottage cheese- 2
kashi waffle- 1
snack:
apple- 1
carrot- 0
PB2- 1
lunch:
smart ones chicken parmesan- 5
popcorn ball- 1
snack:
protein water- 0
dinner:
smart wrap- 1
f.f. shredded cheese- 1
turkey chili w/ beans- 4
green beans- 1
post-dinner:
PB2 sandwich- 2
1 tbsp. light syrup- .5
boca vegan burger- 1
r.f. pepperjack- 1
total points: 22.5/22
activity points: Biggest Loser Boot Camp, all levels- 3.5
net points: 22
WAPs: 35/35 remaining
Did awesome staying within my points this weekend. I think it's mostly because I'm planning to eat a nice big slice of Tres Leches cake this coming weekend and I want to be good until then. Oh, the powers of good cake.
Started that time of the month today, so I'm sure that Friday's weigh-in will be interesting, to say the least. I'm trying some of those diurex pills to help with my usual (and insane) water bloat, so we'll see if they help.
Think we'll wing dinner tonight. If necessary, I'll defrost some meat in the microwave. I mentioned making some sort of chili cheese wrap the other night, so we'll see if that pans out.
EXERCISE:
Boot Camp Monday. It was kinda hard this morning because my legs were still sore from yesterday's squats. And boot camp is all about squats and lunges, ugh. Tomorrow will definitely be a cardio day at the gym. Looking forward to taking a break on Wednesday. Might do yoga, might not.
===============================
I didn't miss much at work from my day off on Friday, so hopefully today will be nice and quiet so I can ease back into the swing of things.
I couldn't begin this post until I found the song that was stuck in my head. For my reference: No Hope Kids- Wavves. Sorry, heh.
FOOD:
breakfast:
f.f. cottage cheese- 2
kashi waffle- 1
snack:
apple- 1
carrot- 0
PB2- 1
lunch:
smart ones chicken parmesan- 5
popcorn ball- 1
snack:
protein water- 0
dinner:
smart wrap- 1
f.f. shredded cheese- 1
turkey chili w/ beans- 4
green beans- 1
post-dinner:
PB2 sandwich- 2
1 tbsp. light syrup- .5
boca vegan burger- 1
r.f. pepperjack- 1
total points: 22.5/22
activity points: Biggest Loser Boot Camp, all levels- 3.5
net points: 22
WAPs: 35/35 remaining
Did awesome staying within my points this weekend. I think it's mostly because I'm planning to eat a nice big slice of Tres Leches cake this coming weekend and I want to be good until then. Oh, the powers of good cake.
Started that time of the month today, so I'm sure that Friday's weigh-in will be interesting, to say the least. I'm trying some of those diurex pills to help with my usual (and insane) water bloat, so we'll see if they help.
Think we'll wing dinner tonight. If necessary, I'll defrost some meat in the microwave. I mentioned making some sort of chili cheese wrap the other night, so we'll see if that pans out.
EXERCISE:
Boot Camp Monday. It was kinda hard this morning because my legs were still sore from yesterday's squats. And boot camp is all about squats and lunges, ugh. Tomorrow will definitely be a cardio day at the gym. Looking forward to taking a break on Wednesday. Might do yoga, might not.
===============================
I didn't miss much at work from my day off on Friday, so hopefully today will be nice and quiet so I can ease back into the swing of things.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
(***If you're new to the blog, feel free to read my introductory posts.)
FOOD:
breakfast:
egg whites- 1
1 oz. avocado- 1
light english muffin- 1
snack:
boca vegan burger- 1
green beans- 1
lunch:
healthy choice pizza- 7
dinner:
pork chop- 3
corn tortillas- 1
bbq sauce- 1
zucchini w/ olive oil- 1
salsa- 0
baked potato- 2
post-dinner:
PB2 sandwich- 2
kashi waffle- 1
apple- 1
total points used: 24/22
activity points: running (3.5), Gym Junkies Workout B (1.5)- 5
net points: 22
WAPs: 35/35 remaining
Still not sure what to make for dinner tonight. Pay day needs to hurry up and get here already!
EXERCISE:
I decided to go for a short run outside before doing the Gym Junkie workout. Plus, it was actually warm this morning, so I decided to take advantage of the weather and hit the trail.
The Gym Junkie workout B for today consisted of squats and push presses, both done with my dumbbells (sorry, the link to the workout itself still isn't working for some reason, but you can still go to the main site and browse through the tutorials and other workout routines). I think each dumbbell weighs 13-15 pounds. I only say that because I don't know how much the handle itself weighs without the extra 10 pounds I added. I'm pretty sure it's just 3 pounds. I did 20 reps of squats and 10 reps of the push presses, 5 sets total. It was pretty damn tough, but I think my butt and arms are going to look amazing fairly soon!
Anywho, it ended up being yet another session where I burned way more calories than I thought I would in such a short amount of time! My heart rate was up from running, but while I was lifting, I was able to keep it steady or even increase it to a pretty impressive level.
As for time, I think my run was about 25-30 minutes and the Gym Junkie workout was about 10-15, with breaks between sets.
FOOD:
breakfast:
egg whites- 1
1 oz. avocado- 1
light english muffin- 1
snack:
boca vegan burger- 1
green beans- 1
lunch:
healthy choice pizza- 7
dinner:
pork chop- 3
corn tortillas- 1
bbq sauce- 1
zucchini w/ olive oil- 1
salsa- 0
baked potato- 2
post-dinner:
PB2 sandwich- 2
kashi waffle- 1
apple- 1
total points used: 24/22
activity points: running (3.5), Gym Junkies Workout B (1.5)- 5
net points: 22
WAPs: 35/35 remaining
Still not sure what to make for dinner tonight. Pay day needs to hurry up and get here already!
EXERCISE:
I decided to go for a short run outside before doing the Gym Junkie workout. Plus, it was actually warm this morning, so I decided to take advantage of the weather and hit the trail.
The Gym Junkie workout B for today consisted of squats and push presses, both done with my dumbbells (sorry, the link to the workout itself still isn't working for some reason, but you can still go to the main site and browse through the tutorials and other workout routines). I think each dumbbell weighs 13-15 pounds. I only say that because I don't know how much the handle itself weighs without the extra 10 pounds I added. I'm pretty sure it's just 3 pounds. I did 20 reps of squats and 10 reps of the push presses, 5 sets total. It was pretty damn tough, but I think my butt and arms are going to look amazing fairly soon!
Anywho, it ended up being yet another session where I burned way more calories than I thought I would in such a short amount of time! My heart rate was up from running, but while I was lifting, I was able to keep it steady or even increase it to a pretty impressive level.
As for time, I think my run was about 25-30 minutes and the Gym Junkie workout was about 10-15, with breaks between sets.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
(***If you're new to the blog, feel free to read my introductory posts.)
FOOD:
breakfast:
egg white- 1
1 oz. avocado- 1
light english muffin- 1
snack:
carrot- 0
1/2 banana- 1
PB2- 1
lunch:
leftovers- 6
snack:
apple- 1
cucumber- 0
1/2 c. kashi cereal- 1
dinner:
steak- 5
marinade- 1
zucchini & olive oil- 2
wine- 2
post-dinner:
peaches/blueberries- 1
total points used: 24/22
activity points: 40 min. HIIT routine- 5
net points: 22
WAPs: 35/35 remaining
EXERCISE:
Made it to the gym, barely. Stayed up a little later than usual last night and hence, slept in a little later. I was dragging some serious ass on my warm-up run. And dragging ass overall, so I told myself to burn no more than 500 calories to keep things short and sweet. And I did just that.
Today's routine:
-15 min. run
-15 min. stair master
-10 min. elliptical/cool-down
I spent a good 10-15 minutes in the sauna afterward. God, I love that thing.
As for tomorrow, either more cardio at the gym or Workout B from the Gym Junkies fat-loss routine. I would link to it, but the link I was using is redirecting somewhere else for some reason... Glad I printed it all out a few days ago!
Basically, workout B is squats and push presses (a.k.a. shoulder press or overhead press). I'm game!
====================================
Not much else to report. I was worried that after reaching my goal weight, I would be tempted to give in to a lot of crap food and would want to skip a workout here and there, but so far, it's re-motivated me. I ate my activity points last night (all 2 of them, heh), but stayed in control after that. All I want lately are more fruits and veggies and beans and more new workouts, haha. Not sure how long this feeling will last, but I'll roll with it as long as I can!
FOOD:
breakfast:
egg white- 1
1 oz. avocado- 1
light english muffin- 1
snack:
carrot- 0
1/2 banana- 1
PB2- 1
lunch:
leftovers- 6
snack:
apple- 1
cucumber- 0
1/2 c. kashi cereal- 1
dinner:
steak- 5
marinade- 1
zucchini & olive oil- 2
wine- 2
post-dinner:
peaches/blueberries- 1
total points used: 24/22
activity points: 40 min. HIIT routine- 5
net points: 22
WAPs: 35/35 remaining
EXERCISE:
Made it to the gym, barely. Stayed up a little later than usual last night and hence, slept in a little later. I was dragging some serious ass on my warm-up run. And dragging ass overall, so I told myself to burn no more than 500 calories to keep things short and sweet. And I did just that.
Today's routine:
-15 min. run
-15 min. stair master
-10 min. elliptical/cool-down
I spent a good 10-15 minutes in the sauna afterward. God, I love that thing.
As for tomorrow, either more cardio at the gym or Workout B from the Gym Junkies fat-loss routine. I would link to it, but the link I was using is redirecting somewhere else for some reason... Glad I printed it all out a few days ago!
Basically, workout B is squats and push presses (a.k.a. shoulder press or overhead press). I'm game!
====================================
Not much else to report. I was worried that after reaching my goal weight, I would be tempted to give in to a lot of crap food and would want to skip a workout here and there, but so far, it's re-motivated me. I ate my activity points last night (all 2 of them, heh), but stayed in control after that. All I want lately are more fruits and veggies and beans and more new workouts, haha. Not sure how long this feeling will last, but I'll roll with it as long as I can!
Friday, September 25, 2009
For real, yo.
Alright, now that all of the goal excitement has died down, back to life. As I mentioned in the goal post, I'm not entering the maintenance phase quite yet, so I'm going to stick to the same points values as I have been. On the days I do heavy cardio, I'll eat more.
FOOD:
pre-workout:
protein powder- 0
breakfast:
egg white- 1
english muffin- 1
1 oz. avocado- 1
snack:
lightfull smoothie- 1
lunch:
broccoli w/ cheese sauce- 3
tuna- 2
snack:
carrot- 0
1/2 banana- 1
PB2- 1
dinner:
green chile, chicken & beans- 6
f.f. shredded cheese- 1
corn tortillas- 1
post-dinner:
peaches/blueberries- 1
kashi waffle- 1
apple- 1
popcorn- 1
prune- 1
total points used: 24/22
activity points: Gym Junkie Beginner workout A- 2
net points: 22
WAPs: 35/35 remaining
EXERCISE:
This morning, I tried out the first workout in a series of Fat-Loss Workouts for Beginners designed by Vic at GymJunkies.com.
Let me say that I don't think I've worked so damn hard in just TWENTY MINUTES. I burned a little over 200 cals in just 20 minutes, and that included my 5 minute warm up. This guy is NOT fucking around. It was mostly the burpees that killed me, but it was definitely the ass-kicking challenge that I've been looking for.
And, duh, 20 minutes? I can do that. The routine itself was probably closer to 15 minutes, but I did an extra round because I lost count and wanted to be sure I did the recommended 4 rounds.
It was great. I did it at home with my new adjustable dumbbells that I bought a while back. Yes, you're supposed to do the deadlifts with a barbell instead, but oh well. I think I still benefited from the move, even with dumbbells. In the meantime, I am keeping my eye out for a weight bench and barbell set though.
I'm going to work through Vic's routines 2-3 times a week and then do other stuff on the days in between (either cardio at the gym or Biggest Loser Boot Camp).
Between that and fine-tuning my diet a bit, I'm confident that I could get rid of a few more vanity pounds, as well as tone up. I'm excited to try it again in a couple of days!
FOOD:
pre-workout:
protein powder- 0
breakfast:
egg white- 1
english muffin- 1
1 oz. avocado- 1
snack:
lightfull smoothie- 1
lunch:
broccoli w/ cheese sauce- 3
tuna- 2
snack:
carrot- 0
1/2 banana- 1
PB2- 1
dinner:
green chile, chicken & beans- 6
f.f. shredded cheese- 1
corn tortillas- 1
post-dinner:
peaches/blueberries- 1
kashi waffle- 1
apple- 1
popcorn- 1
prune- 1
total points used: 24/22
activity points: Gym Junkie Beginner workout A- 2
net points: 22
WAPs: 35/35 remaining
EXERCISE:
This morning, I tried out the first workout in a series of Fat-Loss Workouts for Beginners designed by Vic at GymJunkies.com.
Let me say that I don't think I've worked so damn hard in just TWENTY MINUTES. I burned a little over 200 cals in just 20 minutes, and that included my 5 minute warm up. This guy is NOT fucking around. It was mostly the burpees that killed me, but it was definitely the ass-kicking challenge that I've been looking for.
And, duh, 20 minutes? I can do that. The routine itself was probably closer to 15 minutes, but I did an extra round because I lost count and wanted to be sure I did the recommended 4 rounds.
It was great. I did it at home with my new adjustable dumbbells that I bought a while back. Yes, you're supposed to do the deadlifts with a barbell instead, but oh well. I think I still benefited from the move, even with dumbbells. In the meantime, I am keeping my eye out for a weight bench and barbell set though.
I'm going to work through Vic's routines 2-3 times a week and then do other stuff on the days in between (either cardio at the gym or Biggest Loser Boot Camp).
Between that and fine-tuning my diet a bit, I'm confident that I could get rid of a few more vanity pounds, as well as tone up. I'm excited to try it again in a couple of days!
GOAL.
Today's weight: 157. A loss of 1.6 pounds! But more importantly... I HIT THE 90 POUND MARK! (and then some!)
The scale pic:
Started the journey May 2007. It's been a damn long haul, but worth it, obviously.
So what now? Well, I must confess, I'm not going to start maintenance quite yet. Between surpassing my goal by a pound and my recent plans to implement a new fitness routine and fine-tune my diet, I'd like to see if I can lose any more. Call me crazy, but I'm somewhat confident that by pushing my body a little harder and eating even cleaner, I could maybe knock out another pound... or five. I'll see how things go over the next month and work forward from there.
What's your reward? Unfortunately, my budget won't really allow for the type of big reward I was hoping to give myself (new clothes shopping spree, a trip, a jumbo gourmet cupcake, etc.). It leaves me a little bummed, but if I may be so old and wise and cheesy and shit, I've already been rewarded in so many ways. I've added years to my life, significantly reduced my risk of diabetes (take THAT family history!), I've become a runner, I've bought normal-sized clothes off of a clearance rack, I've built a whole new loving, respectable relationship with food and I just feel plain great. These are all things I never would have imagined accomplishing at 248 pounds.
Oh, and I suppose my super-short haircut was also a reward too, even though it was done pre-goal, heh.
ANYWHO, on to the before/after pics:
BEFORE, 248 pounds:
AFTER, 157 pounds:
I don't want to ramble, so I will just say thank you to EVERYONE who supported me through this. Your kind encouragement was greatly appreciated and I could not have done it without you.
And, although it's a cliché, if I can do this, you better believe that you can too. Make a promise to yourself. Be disciplined. Be selfish. Respect yourself and your goal. Seek out support from others, but always remember that only you can make the necessary diet and exercise changes to become a healthy individual.
Everybody has the ability to do this, it's just a matter of changing your attitude, taking responsibility for your actions and throwing any and all excuses out the window. Everyone deserves to be healthy, plain and simple. And it's NEVER too late to start, even if it's for the 100th time.
The scale pic:
Started the journey May 2007. It's been a damn long haul, but worth it, obviously.
So what now? Well, I must confess, I'm not going to start maintenance quite yet. Between surpassing my goal by a pound and my recent plans to implement a new fitness routine and fine-tune my diet, I'd like to see if I can lose any more. Call me crazy, but I'm somewhat confident that by pushing my body a little harder and eating even cleaner, I could maybe knock out another pound... or five. I'll see how things go over the next month and work forward from there.
What's your reward? Unfortunately, my budget won't really allow for the type of big reward I was hoping to give myself (new clothes shopping spree, a trip, a jumbo gourmet cupcake, etc.). It leaves me a little bummed, but if I may be so old and wise and cheesy and shit, I've already been rewarded in so many ways. I've added years to my life, significantly reduced my risk of diabetes (take THAT family history!), I've become a runner, I've bought normal-sized clothes off of a clearance rack, I've built a whole new loving, respectable relationship with food and I just feel plain great. These are all things I never would have imagined accomplishing at 248 pounds.
Oh, and I suppose my super-short haircut was also a reward too, even though it was done pre-goal, heh.
ANYWHO, on to the before/after pics:
BEFORE, 248 pounds:
AFTER, 157 pounds:
I don't want to ramble, so I will just say thank you to EVERYONE who supported me through this. Your kind encouragement was greatly appreciated and I could not have done it without you.
And, although it's a cliché, if I can do this, you better believe that you can too. Make a promise to yourself. Be disciplined. Be selfish. Respect yourself and your goal. Seek out support from others, but always remember that only you can make the necessary diet and exercise changes to become a healthy individual.
Everybody has the ability to do this, it's just a matter of changing your attitude, taking responsibility for your actions and throwing any and all excuses out the window. Everyone deserves to be healthy, plain and simple. And it's NEVER too late to start, even if it's for the 100th time.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Cozy comfort zone.
Quote I came across today:
“You MUST be willing to step out of your comfort zone to hit your goals.
No matter if your goal is fat loss, building muscle or eating better you have to make a conscious decision to stop doing what is easy and natural to you, and try a route that actually works.
So many people say “that doesn’t work for me” or ” I can’t lose weight cause of my genetics” BULLSHIT. The problem is you want to keep doing the same thing you’re doing now and get different results. You want to eat ice cream and pizza 5 days a week and somehow get different results…
You have to sack up and step out of your comfort zone!”
-Vic Magary, GymJunkies.com (of course.) There are several other tips/quotes on the original post.
Also, I came across a couple of articles here and here about cardio training and sprints.
The more I read on GymJunkies and its linked sites (Mark's Daily Apple is becoming a new favorite as well), the more I'm finding out how my recent approaches to fitness have been, for the most part, counter-productive. Such a discovery has been disappointing, yes, but also motivating. Well, sorta, haha.
For example, when I read about High-Intensity-Interval-Training (HIIT), I was reading about it in the context of breaking weight-loss plateaus. And without being 100% certain about whether or not I've been experiencing a plateau, I ran with the info anyway and started making it a regular part of my weekly fitness routine.
And honestly, one of the underlying reasons I ran with it was to avoid strength/resistance training. Granted, I have been incorporating more resistance training lately, thanks to Biggest Loser Boot Camp, but it's still not the right tool (or rather, not the only tool) that will push me to the level I'll benefit from the most.
The bottom line is, in order to reach my goal (and possibly surpass it and possibly reach the 100 pound mark), I NEED to do more strength training. I also NEED to be more meticulous and conscious of my food choices. These are things I KNOW I need to work on in order to get to my goal faster, but I have just plain lacked the motivation to take action.
So, to help, I will continue reading through my new favorite sites and just beat into my skull that super-high calorie burning cardio sessions are not necessarily going to get me to where I want to be (not on their own, anyway). Plain and simple.
I think my heart rate monitor has caused some of this too. It's become both a blessing and a curse. Obviously, it's great for telling me how hard I'm working and how many calories I'm burning, but at the same time, if I look down at my watch and see that I'm no where near at least 500 calories, I get ridiculously frustrated. Ever since I bought that thing, I've gotten myself into the habit of expecting to see big numbers on the calorie readout. And big number calorie burns just don't happen with strength/weight training (yes, building muscle will burn more fat in the long run, even when I'm not working out. I've known this, yet I still ignore it).
I've conditioned myself to think that big, long sweats = big scale progress, but as I'm finding with each weigh-in, such an idea couldn't be farther from the truth.
I can't say quite yet what all I'm going to try in the coming weeks because there's still a LOT of information I need to filter through, but I can say that this weekend, I will try and fight my mega-cardio urges and instead focus on strength circuits. I need to at least make the effort to try different strength moves so I can find stuff I like (or am at least challenged by) and keep up with it on a regular basis.
I will continue to inhale GymJunkies.com, but will also try some of the tips on sprint training from Mark's Daily Apple as well.
These are the starting steps. I've come a long way, but I still have so much farther to go. Not only in achieving my own personal fitness goals, but in building the necessary foundation of someday becoming a personal trainer. I need to start walking the walk. My lack of progress lately is direct proof that I've been talking out of my ass instead of pushing it. I WILL get toned. I WILL become a size 8. I WILL be an image of health. No compromises, no excuses. No one else can get in my way except me. I've gotten pretty strong so far, but there's still so much left to achieve.
“You MUST be willing to step out of your comfort zone to hit your goals.
No matter if your goal is fat loss, building muscle or eating better you have to make a conscious decision to stop doing what is easy and natural to you, and try a route that actually works.
So many people say “that doesn’t work for me” or ” I can’t lose weight cause of my genetics” BULLSHIT. The problem is you want to keep doing the same thing you’re doing now and get different results. You want to eat ice cream and pizza 5 days a week and somehow get different results…
You have to sack up and step out of your comfort zone!”
-Vic Magary, GymJunkies.com (of course.) There are several other tips/quotes on the original post.
Also, I came across a couple of articles here and here about cardio training and sprints.
The more I read on GymJunkies and its linked sites (Mark's Daily Apple is becoming a new favorite as well), the more I'm finding out how my recent approaches to fitness have been, for the most part, counter-productive. Such a discovery has been disappointing, yes, but also motivating. Well, sorta, haha.
For example, when I read about High-Intensity-Interval-Training (HIIT), I was reading about it in the context of breaking weight-loss plateaus. And without being 100% certain about whether or not I've been experiencing a plateau, I ran with the info anyway and started making it a regular part of my weekly fitness routine.
And honestly, one of the underlying reasons I ran with it was to avoid strength/resistance training. Granted, I have been incorporating more resistance training lately, thanks to Biggest Loser Boot Camp, but it's still not the right tool (or rather, not the only tool) that will push me to the level I'll benefit from the most.
The bottom line is, in order to reach my goal (and possibly surpass it and possibly reach the 100 pound mark), I NEED to do more strength training. I also NEED to be more meticulous and conscious of my food choices. These are things I KNOW I need to work on in order to get to my goal faster, but I have just plain lacked the motivation to take action.
So, to help, I will continue reading through my new favorite sites and just beat into my skull that super-high calorie burning cardio sessions are not necessarily going to get me to where I want to be (not on their own, anyway). Plain and simple.
I think my heart rate monitor has caused some of this too. It's become both a blessing and a curse. Obviously, it's great for telling me how hard I'm working and how many calories I'm burning, but at the same time, if I look down at my watch and see that I'm no where near at least 500 calories, I get ridiculously frustrated. Ever since I bought that thing, I've gotten myself into the habit of expecting to see big numbers on the calorie readout. And big number calorie burns just don't happen with strength/weight training (yes, building muscle will burn more fat in the long run, even when I'm not working out. I've known this, yet I still ignore it).
I've conditioned myself to think that big, long sweats = big scale progress, but as I'm finding with each weigh-in, such an idea couldn't be farther from the truth.
I can't say quite yet what all I'm going to try in the coming weeks because there's still a LOT of information I need to filter through, but I can say that this weekend, I will try and fight my mega-cardio urges and instead focus on strength circuits. I need to at least make the effort to try different strength moves so I can find stuff I like (or am at least challenged by) and keep up with it on a regular basis.
I will continue to inhale GymJunkies.com, but will also try some of the tips on sprint training from Mark's Daily Apple as well.
These are the starting steps. I've come a long way, but I still have so much farther to go. Not only in achieving my own personal fitness goals, but in building the necessary foundation of someday becoming a personal trainer. I need to start walking the walk. My lack of progress lately is direct proof that I've been talking out of my ass instead of pushing it. I WILL get toned. I WILL become a size 8. I WILL be an image of health. No compromises, no excuses. No one else can get in my way except me. I've gotten pretty strong so far, but there's still so much left to achieve.
Never enough time.
So last night I went on a cereal mini-binge. Ugh. I think after anticipating how I'm going to be lowering my carb intake over the next few weeks, I, without really thinking, knocked out 2 cereal sample boxes that I got in the mail earlier this week, haha. (And in case you were wondering, the new Blueberry Pomegranate Total is pretty damn tasty.)
I'm not going to cut carbs completely, but some of the things I'm going to just stop buying are: bread, granola bars, crackers (in fact, I have a lot still sitting around going stale, so I won't bother trying to finish them off) cereal (though I might make an occasional exception for Kashi) and probably english muffins. And I need to wean myself off of popcorn. Baby steps though, haha.
I'm not going to make any specific changes starting on X day either though. The reality is, I'm broke until next week and I need to make do with what's already in the house until I can go shopping again. There are very few things I will flat out throw away because wasting food just isn't an option on my current budget. Also, these changes are going to be gradual. I'd love to hit the ground running with this, but it's just not realistic and I don't want to set myself up for failure.
FOOD:
breakfast:
egg beaters- 1
1/4 c. oats- 1
blueberries- 1
coffee w/ .25 c. almond milk- 0
snack:
lightfull smoothie- 1
11 almonds- 2
carrot/celery sticks- 0
PB2- 1
lunch:
healthy choice honey ginger chicken- 6
popcorn ball- 1
snack:
cucumber/bell pepper- 0
apple- 1
dinner:
salmon- 3
broccoli/carrots- 1
1 oz. avocado- 1
post-dinner:
peaches- 1
kashi waffle- 1
total points used: 22/22 (Wendie Plan)
activity points: 50 min HIIT routine- 7
WAPs: 4/35 remaining
Breakfast this morning was interesting. I was basically trying to re-create this recipe. I used 1/2 c. egg beaters, 1/2 c. blueberries, 1/4 c. old fashioned oats, about 1.5 tbsp. granulated splenda, cinnamon and about 1/2 tsp. of vanilla extract. I mixed it all together and dumped it in the skillet.
It was by far one of the most visually unappealing things I've made in a while, seeing as the juice from the blueberries turned everything, including the eggs, a nice blue-gray color. BUT, it actually tasted pretty damn good. The cinnamon and the blueberries clashed though. I added the cinnamon first, forgetting that I was going to add blueberries later. Had I left out the cinnamon (or used peaches instead of blueberries), it would've tasted even better. I couldn't get it to hold into a single piece though (I think there was too much juice from the berries), so it ended up being this weird, discolored scramble. But again, the taste was pleasant. Definitely something different that I'll look forward to improving in the future.
EXERCISE:
Made it to the gym this morning for HIIT.
Today's routine:
-15 min. run
-10 min. incline training
-15 min. stair master
-10 min. elliptical/cool-down
Since I went overboard with cereal last night, I decided to kick things up a notch this morning. I worked on my speed during the run. Got up to 6.5 mph and stayed there the majority of the interval. It was actually pretty comfortable (or rather, not as hellish as I thought it would be). I think my next goal to work toward will be 7 mph. Gotta keep changing things up! I must admit, I was pretty motivated by the girl running next to me who was up to 8 mph. I don't need to run that fast, but I'd like to be able to some day, just to say I can.
I made sure that I spent 15 minutes on both running and the stair master because those tend to be the big heart-rate boosters for me. And the stair master today felt particularly brutal. I did my usual "fat-burning" course (basically going up and down hills) at level 7 (highest level is 20). I've done that course before, but pushing it to 15 minutes was a challenge. Felt awesome when I made it to the end though.
All in all, it was a good workout. I'll probably go to gym again tomorrow, but will probably focus more on running instead of intervals. Maybe.
========================================
Other than that, my morning was rushed. I got up 15 minutes earlier than usual, but somehow dragged major ass while showering/getting ready. Barely had time to finish my coffee. Ah well. I'm off tomorrow, so no more complaints.
I'm not going to cut carbs completely, but some of the things I'm going to just stop buying are: bread, granola bars, crackers (in fact, I have a lot still sitting around going stale, so I won't bother trying to finish them off) cereal (though I might make an occasional exception for Kashi) and probably english muffins. And I need to wean myself off of popcorn. Baby steps though, haha.
I'm not going to make any specific changes starting on X day either though. The reality is, I'm broke until next week and I need to make do with what's already in the house until I can go shopping again. There are very few things I will flat out throw away because wasting food just isn't an option on my current budget. Also, these changes are going to be gradual. I'd love to hit the ground running with this, but it's just not realistic and I don't want to set myself up for failure.
FOOD:
breakfast:
egg beaters- 1
1/4 c. oats- 1
blueberries- 1
coffee w/ .25 c. almond milk- 0
snack:
lightfull smoothie- 1
11 almonds- 2
carrot/celery sticks- 0
PB2- 1
lunch:
healthy choice honey ginger chicken- 6
popcorn ball- 1
snack:
cucumber/bell pepper- 0
apple- 1
dinner:
salmon- 3
broccoli/carrots- 1
1 oz. avocado- 1
post-dinner:
peaches- 1
kashi waffle- 1
total points used: 22/22 (Wendie Plan)
activity points: 50 min HIIT routine- 7
WAPs: 4/35 remaining
Breakfast this morning was interesting. I was basically trying to re-create this recipe. I used 1/2 c. egg beaters, 1/2 c. blueberries, 1/4 c. old fashioned oats, about 1.5 tbsp. granulated splenda, cinnamon and about 1/2 tsp. of vanilla extract. I mixed it all together and dumped it in the skillet.
It was by far one of the most visually unappealing things I've made in a while, seeing as the juice from the blueberries turned everything, including the eggs, a nice blue-gray color. BUT, it actually tasted pretty damn good. The cinnamon and the blueberries clashed though. I added the cinnamon first, forgetting that I was going to add blueberries later. Had I left out the cinnamon (or used peaches instead of blueberries), it would've tasted even better. I couldn't get it to hold into a single piece though (I think there was too much juice from the berries), so it ended up being this weird, discolored scramble. But again, the taste was pleasant. Definitely something different that I'll look forward to improving in the future.
EXERCISE:
Made it to the gym this morning for HIIT.
Today's routine:
-15 min. run
-10 min. incline training
-15 min. stair master
-10 min. elliptical/cool-down
Since I went overboard with cereal last night, I decided to kick things up a notch this morning. I worked on my speed during the run. Got up to 6.5 mph and stayed there the majority of the interval. It was actually pretty comfortable (or rather, not as hellish as I thought it would be). I think my next goal to work toward will be 7 mph. Gotta keep changing things up! I must admit, I was pretty motivated by the girl running next to me who was up to 8 mph. I don't need to run that fast, but I'd like to be able to some day, just to say I can.
I made sure that I spent 15 minutes on both running and the stair master because those tend to be the big heart-rate boosters for me. And the stair master today felt particularly brutal. I did my usual "fat-burning" course (basically going up and down hills) at level 7 (highest level is 20). I've done that course before, but pushing it to 15 minutes was a challenge. Felt awesome when I made it to the end though.
All in all, it was a good workout. I'll probably go to gym again tomorrow, but will probably focus more on running instead of intervals. Maybe.
========================================
Other than that, my morning was rushed. I got up 15 minutes earlier than usual, but somehow dragged major ass while showering/getting ready. Barely had time to finish my coffee. Ah well. I'm off tomorrow, so no more complaints.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Why am I just now finding out about this?!
Ok, yes, this is my 3rd post for the day- a rarity, I can assure you. But, OH MY GOD, I just discovered (and subsequently fell in love with) GymJunkies.com this afternoon. Love it. LOVE IT.
Move over, Jillian Michaels; I've found a new no-bullshit fitness hero. And his name is Vic Magary (just kidding- I'll always love Jill).
This site is just bursting with tons of info. But I mean genuinely good info. And I am by no means new to fitness/weight-loss blogs (how this one has slipped through the cracks until now is still baffling to me). There are so many articles out there, all with repetitive or conflicting information, so GymJunkies is like a breath of fresh fucking air.
I've only read a few posts and already discovered things I've been doing wrong (or rather, wasting my time with) when it comes to my diet and exercise routines (specifically, the dreaded weight & resistance training).
First off, I loved his 4 Most Fattening Foods and 10 Favorite Fat-loss Foods lists. I learned a ton from just those two posts alone. The foods themselves weren't new to me at all, it was the info he provided about each one that really forced me to put my current diet into perspective and finally scrutinize it. Yes, I eat pretty healthy, but there's always room for improvement and a lot of the time, I ignore such opportunities.
And while I tend to avoid food lists (they make me flashback to my yo-yo/fad diet days), I also appreciated his Easy Weight-Loss post. It's simple, practical, confirmed a lot of healthy stuff I already eat and gave me some new ideas on other stuff I should be eating.
It's not so much that this guy is showing me the light for the first time, it's just he's presented some new information that I can definitely benefit from at this point in my weight journey. The problem with a lot of the articles I've been reading lately is that they're just re-hashing stuff that really is just not applicable to me anymore. And if he didn't necessarily present brand-spankin' new info, he at least helped me choose sides on various conflicting articles I've read in the past.
Yes, there is a LOT of info on there about bulking up muscle and a few other things that really just don't apply to me, but there's still a wide enough variety of topics to keep me occupied for the next few days.
Regardless of my weigh-in results this week, I'm definitely going to take his advice on food. Less dairy and carbs, in particular. Luckily I read all of this before my next big grocery trip (one more week 'til pay day!), so I"m looking forward to drafting a list over the next few days and really making earnest attempts to plan ahead even more than I do now and try to eliminate even more processed stuff.
I know I'm probably overreacting (after all, it's just a website for crying out loud!), but I REALLY needed a resource like this to re-motivate me and give me ideas on changing up my routine. Trying to figure it out by myself has been tough lately and not as effective as it could be.
Move over, Jillian Michaels; I've found a new no-bullshit fitness hero. And his name is Vic Magary (just kidding- I'll always love Jill).
This site is just bursting with tons of info. But I mean genuinely good info. And I am by no means new to fitness/weight-loss blogs (how this one has slipped through the cracks until now is still baffling to me). There are so many articles out there, all with repetitive or conflicting information, so GymJunkies is like a breath of fresh fucking air.
I've only read a few posts and already discovered things I've been doing wrong (or rather, wasting my time with) when it comes to my diet and exercise routines (specifically, the dreaded weight & resistance training).
First off, I loved his 4 Most Fattening Foods and 10 Favorite Fat-loss Foods lists. I learned a ton from just those two posts alone. The foods themselves weren't new to me at all, it was the info he provided about each one that really forced me to put my current diet into perspective and finally scrutinize it. Yes, I eat pretty healthy, but there's always room for improvement and a lot of the time, I ignore such opportunities.
And while I tend to avoid food lists (they make me flashback to my yo-yo/fad diet days), I also appreciated his Easy Weight-Loss post. It's simple, practical, confirmed a lot of healthy stuff I already eat and gave me some new ideas on other stuff I should be eating.
It's not so much that this guy is showing me the light for the first time, it's just he's presented some new information that I can definitely benefit from at this point in my weight journey. The problem with a lot of the articles I've been reading lately is that they're just re-hashing stuff that really is just not applicable to me anymore. And if he didn't necessarily present brand-spankin' new info, he at least helped me choose sides on various conflicting articles I've read in the past.
Yes, there is a LOT of info on there about bulking up muscle and a few other things that really just don't apply to me, but there's still a wide enough variety of topics to keep me occupied for the next few days.
Regardless of my weigh-in results this week, I'm definitely going to take his advice on food. Less dairy and carbs, in particular. Luckily I read all of this before my next big grocery trip (one more week 'til pay day!), so I"m looking forward to drafting a list over the next few days and really making earnest attempts to plan ahead even more than I do now and try to eliminate even more processed stuff.
I know I'm probably overreacting (after all, it's just a website for crying out loud!), but I REALLY needed a resource like this to re-motivate me and give me ideas on changing up my routine. Trying to figure it out by myself has been tough lately and not as effective as it could be.
Biggest Loser
Forgot to post my thoughts on last night's Biggest Loser! I'll of course spare details so as not to spoil it for anyone who hasn't watched it yet, but here are few things:
- I'm sorry, but that Tracey woman from the purple team has Crazy Eyes. She just creeps me out. She has this weird look on her face and when she talks, she doesn't really say anything. And she seems high-strung. Maybe she's just nervous and still adjusting to being on the show, which I can understand.
- Shay needed to stop getting her panties in a twist over Julio. I know they all needed to work as one big team this week, but overall, you should always just focus on looking out for yourself. I know it's a show and a lot of what she said was aired just for sheer drama/entertainment purposes, but good grief. Shut the hell up already and get back to work!
- Ok, truth time: When the blue team weighed in last night, I cried. Rudy asked his teammate (Dina? I think that's her name) how it felt to lose 8 pounds. She paused and then said "I think sometimes I sell myself short." I can't fully explain why, but I totally burst into tears when she said that. It echoed in my head and reminded me of how I ALWAYS sold myself short when I was heavier. It further reminded me of how I sometimes still sell myself short even now, after losing the majority of the weight and trying to make it to goal.
I guess sometimes I forget (or try to) how much extra stress I put on myself by being unforgiving and flat-out negative. Lately, I've been trying to improve my self-image and re-assure myself that I am indeed awesome, but it's still a work in progress. I never realized how much time it would take to make the mental transition from being absolutely disgusted by myself to being proud of becoming a healthy individual. It's hard, yo.
I'm definitely more confident than I used to be, but I still find myself occasionally doubting myself like I used to at 248 pounds.
Anywho, hearing someone else say out loud the same exact thing that I practiced for YEARS just really hit me hard, but in a good way. In order to get me to stop crying, Doug made a crack about how Julio looks like Corey Feldman ate Corey Haim. Mean, yes, but also made me laugh hysterically. Mostly because I'm still geeky enough about the 80s to be genuinely entertained by a Feldman/Haim reference.
It's still too early to decide who I'm rooting for, but I think it's safe to say that I hope Dina sticks around for a little while longer.
- I'm sorry, but that Tracey woman from the purple team has Crazy Eyes. She just creeps me out. She has this weird look on her face and when she talks, she doesn't really say anything. And she seems high-strung. Maybe she's just nervous and still adjusting to being on the show, which I can understand.
- Shay needed to stop getting her panties in a twist over Julio. I know they all needed to work as one big team this week, but overall, you should always just focus on looking out for yourself. I know it's a show and a lot of what she said was aired just for sheer drama/entertainment purposes, but good grief. Shut the hell up already and get back to work!
- Ok, truth time: When the blue team weighed in last night, I cried. Rudy asked his teammate (Dina? I think that's her name) how it felt to lose 8 pounds. She paused and then said "I think sometimes I sell myself short." I can't fully explain why, but I totally burst into tears when she said that. It echoed in my head and reminded me of how I ALWAYS sold myself short when I was heavier. It further reminded me of how I sometimes still sell myself short even now, after losing the majority of the weight and trying to make it to goal.
I guess sometimes I forget (or try to) how much extra stress I put on myself by being unforgiving and flat-out negative. Lately, I've been trying to improve my self-image and re-assure myself that I am indeed awesome, but it's still a work in progress. I never realized how much time it would take to make the mental transition from being absolutely disgusted by myself to being proud of becoming a healthy individual. It's hard, yo.
I'm definitely more confident than I used to be, but I still find myself occasionally doubting myself like I used to at 248 pounds.
Anywho, hearing someone else say out loud the same exact thing that I practiced for YEARS just really hit me hard, but in a good way. In order to get me to stop crying, Doug made a crack about how Julio looks like Corey Feldman ate Corey Haim. Mean, yes, but also made me laugh hysterically. Mostly because I'm still geeky enough about the 80s to be genuinely entertained by a Feldman/Haim reference.
It's still too early to decide who I'm rooting for, but I think it's safe to say that I hope Dina sticks around for a little while longer.
I've had a chance to try those Da Vinci syrups that I ordered. The pumpkin pie one is pretty good, but it tastes best with more milk and cinnamon. The white chocolate one is just awesome. They both have that artificial taste of course, but when buying sugar-free products, that's to be expected. Overall, I'm quite happy with them. Makes for a nice change in my coffee routine.
FOOD:
breakfast:
f.f. cottage cheese w/ berries- 2
kashi waffle- 1
coffee w/ .25 c. almond milk- 0
snack:
apple- 1
9 almonds- 1
carrot/celery sticks- 0
PB2- 1
lunch:
leftover pasta w/ meat & veggie sauce- 8
snack:
cucumber/bell pepper- 0
f.f. poppyseed dressing- 1
kashi bar- 2
dinner (planned):
HG Cheeseburger Pizza- 4
broccoli w/ carrots- 1
post-dinner:
peaches- .5
PB2 sandwich- 2
cereal- 4
total points used: 28.5/24 (Wendie Plan)
activity points: Biggest Loser Yoga, level one- .5
net points: 28
WAPs: 4/35 remaining
Quiz tonight, so I'm just planning something quick, easy & filling for dinner. I'm not sure why I avoided vegetarian crumbles for so long; they're damn convenient! Low in points and packed with protein too.
EXERCISE:
Yes, Wednesdays are supposed to be my day off, but I knew I was still gonna wake up at 5 am anyway (it's disgusting that my body is used to being up at that time now), so I figured I would do some yoga to work on my flexibility, give my joints a rest and also feel like I accomplished something for the day. I know it sounds weird, but I really do feel useless when I don't work out and it puts me in a shit mood for the rest of the day.
So I've decided to get back into the Biggest Loser Yoga DVD that we got several months ago and never use. Level one is only 30 minutes (5 min. warm-up, 20 min. workout, 5 min. cool-down), so it feels like enough of a break from my usual workout routine, but still forces me to challenge my body while simultaneously relaxing it. I think this is a nice compromise to taking an entire day off from exercise altogether.
I didn't wear my heart rate monitor because I knew I wouldn't get sweaty enough to keep the chest strap wet, so I estimated that I burned between 50 and 100 cals. I just gave myself half an activity point. I'm not really concerned with getting points for it anyway since it's so low-intensity.
Really worked my arms, especially with all the stuff done in plank position. It kinda sucked, but that's the kind of arm work I need right now. I'm so disappointed in my lack of upper-body strength, so hopefully more yoga (in addition to my strength/resistance training) will help.
Planning on hitting the gym tomorrow for cardio intervals. I'm taking Friday off from work, but will probably go to the gym again or possibly do a P90X workout at home. We'll see.
FOOD:
breakfast:
f.f. cottage cheese w/ berries- 2
kashi waffle- 1
coffee w/ .25 c. almond milk- 0
snack:
apple- 1
9 almonds- 1
carrot/celery sticks- 0
PB2- 1
lunch:
leftover pasta w/ meat & veggie sauce- 8
snack:
cucumber/bell pepper- 0
f.f. poppyseed dressing- 1
kashi bar- 2
dinner (planned):
HG Cheeseburger Pizza- 4
broccoli w/ carrots- 1
post-dinner:
peaches- .5
PB2 sandwich- 2
cereal- 4
total points used: 28.5/24 (Wendie Plan)
activity points: Biggest Loser Yoga, level one- .5
net points: 28
WAPs: 4/35 remaining
Quiz tonight, so I'm just planning something quick, easy & filling for dinner. I'm not sure why I avoided vegetarian crumbles for so long; they're damn convenient! Low in points and packed with protein too.
EXERCISE:
Yes, Wednesdays are supposed to be my day off, but I knew I was still gonna wake up at 5 am anyway (it's disgusting that my body is used to being up at that time now), so I figured I would do some yoga to work on my flexibility, give my joints a rest and also feel like I accomplished something for the day. I know it sounds weird, but I really do feel useless when I don't work out and it puts me in a shit mood for the rest of the day.
So I've decided to get back into the Biggest Loser Yoga DVD that we got several months ago and never use. Level one is only 30 minutes (5 min. warm-up, 20 min. workout, 5 min. cool-down), so it feels like enough of a break from my usual workout routine, but still forces me to challenge my body while simultaneously relaxing it. I think this is a nice compromise to taking an entire day off from exercise altogether.
I didn't wear my heart rate monitor because I knew I wouldn't get sweaty enough to keep the chest strap wet, so I estimated that I burned between 50 and 100 cals. I just gave myself half an activity point. I'm not really concerned with getting points for it anyway since it's so low-intensity.
Really worked my arms, especially with all the stuff done in plank position. It kinda sucked, but that's the kind of arm work I need right now. I'm so disappointed in my lack of upper-body strength, so hopefully more yoga (in addition to my strength/resistance training) will help.
Planning on hitting the gym tomorrow for cardio intervals. I'm taking Friday off from work, but will probably go to the gym again or possibly do a P90X workout at home. We'll see.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Meh.
In a weird mood this morning. Work is pissing me off already. Not much else to say besides that.
FOOD:
breakfast:
egg whites w/ salsa- 1
1/2 c. kashi cereal w/ almond milk- 1
snack:
somersaults sample- 1
carrots/celery- 0
PB2- 1
lunch:
smart wrap- 1
turkey- 1
cheese- 1
hummus- 1
cucumber/bell pepper- 0
2 c. WW progresso chicken/veggie soup- 2
snack:
bear naked granola sample- 4
popcorn ball-1
dinner:
ground beef- 3
pasta- 3
sauce- 2
mexican squash- 0
post-dinner:
fiber one bar- 2
apple- 1
total points used: 26/26 (Wendie Plan)
activity points: BL Boot Camp -3
WAPs: 10/35 remaining
EXERCISE:
Did Biggest Loser Boot Camp again. Burned slightly less calories than yesterday though. Guess I wasn't as pumped this morning.
FOOD:
breakfast:
egg whites w/ salsa- 1
1/2 c. kashi cereal w/ almond milk- 1
snack:
somersaults sample- 1
carrots/celery- 0
PB2- 1
lunch:
smart wrap- 1
turkey- 1
cheese- 1
hummus- 1
cucumber/bell pepper- 0
2 c. WW progresso chicken/veggie soup- 2
snack:
bear naked granola sample- 4
popcorn ball-1
dinner:
ground beef- 3
pasta- 3
sauce- 2
mexican squash- 0
post-dinner:
fiber one bar- 2
apple- 1
total points used: 26/26 (Wendie Plan)
activity points: BL Boot Camp -3
WAPs: 10/35 remaining
EXERCISE:
Did Biggest Loser Boot Camp again. Burned slightly less calories than yesterday though. Guess I wasn't as pumped this morning.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Round and round we go.
Roller skating was pretty fun last night. And quite the workout! Even though it had been a while since I was last in a pair of skates, I was surprised how quickly I picked it up again. Had to take it slower on corners and still couldn't figure out how to stop properly, but other than that, I did pretty well. I even broke out a steady sweat, which was both good and embarrassing, haha. I of course didn't have my heart rate monitor on, but I did give myself an extra activity point for the day. We were there for almost 2 hours. Took a lot of breaks, yes, but I figured I burned at least and extra 100 calories, if not more. It was fun to get out of the house for a bit and work off that post-dinner bloat.
FOOD:
breakfast:
f.f. cottage cheese w/ s.f. smuckers- 2
kashi waffle- 1
coffee w/ .25 c. almond milk- 0
snack:
apple- 1
carrots/celery- 0
PB2- 1
9 almonds- 1
lunch:
lean cuisine roasted turkey- 5
cucumber/bell pepper strips- 0
kashi bar- 2
snack:
protein water- 0
dinner:
chicken breast- 3
BBQ sauce- 1
zucchini- 0
potato- 2
olive oil- 1
post-dinner:
pumpkin bread- 2
almond milk- 1
total points used: 23/22 (Wendie plan)
activity points: Biggest Loser Boot Camp, all levels- 3.5
net points: 22
WAPs: 14/35 remaining
Pulled out some chicken for dinner. Still trying to think of what to do with it. We still have some zucchini and mexican squash from my grandma, as well as some potatoes.
And I'm excited for my sugar-free syrups to get delivered today! I ordered some Da Vinci ones from Netrition. They were supposed to be delivered Friday, but got mis-routed, so I had to wait until today. I got pumpkin pie and white chocolate. Hello delicious, low-point lattes! I'll let you know how they taste.
EXERCISE:
Did the B.L. Boot Camp DVD again this morning. The more I do it, the more I kinda love it. Even though it starts off at some what of a beginner's level, there's still enough variety and so many opportunities to make things more challenging. There are a lot of lunges which are always a challenge for me, no matter what level of fitness I'm at. And today, I tried using heavier weights on some of the bicep routines and I could really feel the difference.
I might do it again tomorrow. I'm debating between that and No More Trouble Zones. I like the Boot Camp DVD slightly better though because it incorporates enough cardio to boost my heart rate and get me into a steady sweat, while still getting in a lot of strength/resistance training. The Jillian Michaels' DVD doesn't do that as much, but there are still a lot of good moves. I dunno. We'll see what I feel like in the morning.
All in all, the workout left me feeling pretty damn refreshed, considering it's Monday morning.
FOOD:
breakfast:
f.f. cottage cheese w/ s.f. smuckers- 2
kashi waffle- 1
coffee w/ .25 c. almond milk- 0
snack:
apple- 1
carrots/celery- 0
PB2- 1
9 almonds- 1
lunch:
lean cuisine roasted turkey- 5
cucumber/bell pepper strips- 0
kashi bar- 2
snack:
protein water- 0
dinner:
chicken breast- 3
BBQ sauce- 1
zucchini- 0
potato- 2
olive oil- 1
post-dinner:
pumpkin bread- 2
almond milk- 1
total points used: 23/22 (Wendie plan)
activity points: Biggest Loser Boot Camp, all levels- 3.5
net points: 22
WAPs: 14/35 remaining
Pulled out some chicken for dinner. Still trying to think of what to do with it. We still have some zucchini and mexican squash from my grandma, as well as some potatoes.
And I'm excited for my sugar-free syrups to get delivered today! I ordered some Da Vinci ones from Netrition. They were supposed to be delivered Friday, but got mis-routed, so I had to wait until today. I got pumpkin pie and white chocolate. Hello delicious, low-point lattes! I'll let you know how they taste.
EXERCISE:
Did the B.L. Boot Camp DVD again this morning. The more I do it, the more I kinda love it. Even though it starts off at some what of a beginner's level, there's still enough variety and so many opportunities to make things more challenging. There are a lot of lunges which are always a challenge for me, no matter what level of fitness I'm at. And today, I tried using heavier weights on some of the bicep routines and I could really feel the difference.
I might do it again tomorrow. I'm debating between that and No More Trouble Zones. I like the Boot Camp DVD slightly better though because it incorporates enough cardio to boost my heart rate and get me into a steady sweat, while still getting in a lot of strength/resistance training. The Jillian Michaels' DVD doesn't do that as much, but there are still a lot of good moves. I dunno. We'll see what I feel like in the morning.
All in all, the workout left me feeling pretty damn refreshed, considering it's Monday morning.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
FOOD:
pre-workout:
protein powder- 0
breakfast:
oatmeal w/ berries & protein powder- 3
snack:
pumpkin bread- 2
1/2 c. kashi cereal w/ 1/4 c. almond milk- 1
apple- 1
PB2 sandwich- 2
lunch:
1/2 serving leftover relleno casserole w/ light sour cream- 4
snack:
ice cream- 3
kashi waffles- 3
light syrup- 1
strawberries- 1
cucumber/bell pepper- 0
dinner:
HG's Cheeseburger Pizza- 4
mexican squash- 1
olive oil- 1
total points used: 27/27 (Wendie Plan)
activity points: 50 min. HIIT routine (6), roller skating (1)- 7
WAPs: 14/35 remaining
I'm thinking leftovers for lunch and maybe HG's Cheeseburger Pizza for dinner (scroll down for the recipe). I actually have some veggie crumbles that I bought on sale a few weeks ago and I grabbed some tortilla wraps yesterday. Quick-fix for a burger craving (I hope). Might make some baked fries on the side too. Mmm.
EXERCISE:
It was hard getting going to the gym this morning, but I made it. And about 3 minutes into my warm-up run, my shuffle battery dies. I just charged it the day before yesterday. Grrr. So, no music for me. I almost stepped off the treadmill and went home because I NEED music to keep me going. And yes, it has to be my music because quite frankly, I have awesome taste.
Anywho, since I'm doing intervals on different machines, working out in silence wasn't too bad. Time just seemed to go by a little slower at certain points.
Today's routine:
-15 min. run
-15 min. incline training
-20 min. elliptical
The past couple of days I've only worked on 3 machines instead of all 4. Just to change things up. I'll go back to 4 later in the week.
And to make up for not having music, I did finally check out the sauna when I was done. Soooo nice. Great place to do some post-workout stretching. When I get my own house someday, it's totally having a sauna, no exceptions.
Other than that, I'm going roller skating with some friends tonight. I've not been on a pair of quad skates since... Middle school? Elementary school? It'll be interesting to see how I do. I doubt I'll get any real exercise out of it, since I'll be spending most of the time learning how to not fall, haha.
pre-workout:
protein powder- 0
breakfast:
oatmeal w/ berries & protein powder- 3
snack:
pumpkin bread- 2
1/2 c. kashi cereal w/ 1/4 c. almond milk- 1
apple- 1
PB2 sandwich- 2
lunch:
1/2 serving leftover relleno casserole w/ light sour cream- 4
snack:
ice cream- 3
kashi waffles- 3
light syrup- 1
strawberries- 1
cucumber/bell pepper- 0
dinner:
HG's Cheeseburger Pizza- 4
mexican squash- 1
olive oil- 1
total points used: 27/27 (Wendie Plan)
activity points: 50 min. HIIT routine (6), roller skating (1)- 7
WAPs: 14/35 remaining
I'm thinking leftovers for lunch and maybe HG's Cheeseburger Pizza for dinner (scroll down for the recipe). I actually have some veggie crumbles that I bought on sale a few weeks ago and I grabbed some tortilla wraps yesterday. Quick-fix for a burger craving (I hope). Might make some baked fries on the side too. Mmm.
EXERCISE:
It was hard getting going to the gym this morning, but I made it. And about 3 minutes into my warm-up run, my shuffle battery dies. I just charged it the day before yesterday. Grrr. So, no music for me. I almost stepped off the treadmill and went home because I NEED music to keep me going. And yes, it has to be my music because quite frankly, I have awesome taste.
Anywho, since I'm doing intervals on different machines, working out in silence wasn't too bad. Time just seemed to go by a little slower at certain points.
Today's routine:
-15 min. run
-15 min. incline training
-20 min. elliptical
The past couple of days I've only worked on 3 machines instead of all 4. Just to change things up. I'll go back to 4 later in the week.
And to make up for not having music, I did finally check out the sauna when I was done. Soooo nice. Great place to do some post-workout stretching. When I get my own house someday, it's totally having a sauna, no exceptions.
Other than that, I'm going roller skating with some friends tonight. I've not been on a pair of quad skates since... Middle school? Elementary school? It'll be interesting to see how I do. I doubt I'll get any real exercise out of it, since I'll be spending most of the time learning how to not fall, haha.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Early bird.
I'm up way too early for a Saturday morning. Though, I've noticed that since getting up at 5 am during the week to work out, the latest I sleep in on the weekends is usually around 6:30. Plus I went to bed at like 9 pm last night, so that didn't help, haha. Yes, I was the old lady in bed by 9 on a Friday night. Oh well. I feel pretty rested.
I also went ahead and had a Lightfull smoothie just now. I usually don't have a pre-workout snack, but since it's so early and I don't realistically see myself at the gym for at least another hour, I figured I should have something.
Went over my points last night, as I tend to do on Fridays. Totally not worried about it though. In looking at previous spreadsheets, I've always lost on the weeks I least expected to (i.e., weeks where I used up all allowance points and even more!). Now, I don't want to go crazy this weekend, but I think I will try and eat most of my allowance points this week and see how I do. I hope I can do it without freaking out and overexercising to make up for it.
Or, I could just do the Wendie Plan for more structure. I'm always hesitant to just wing stuff like this on my own. Last night was pretty much the big high point day anyway, so there's still time to follow the other days. I guess I'll work backwards and do day 2 today, day 1 tomorrow and skip to day 4 on Monday. I think that should work. I just need to go back and fix my points from last night.
FOOD:
pre-workout:
lightfull smoothie- 1
breakfast:
almond milk w/ protein powder- 2
PB2- 1
snack:
apple- 1
hummus- 1
lunch:
smart wrap- 1
turkey- 1
hummus- 1
cheese- 1
cucumber- 0
bell pepper- 0
snack:
popcorn- 1
dinner:
Chile Relleno Casserole- 6
sour cream- 1
post-dinner
ice cream- 3
pumpkin bread- 2
kashi waffle- 1
pretzel- 1
total points used: 25/23 (Wendie Plan)
activity points: 50 min. HIIT- 6
net points: 23
WAPs: 20/35 remaining
EXERCISE:
Yet another HIIT routine at the gym.
Today's routine:
-15 min. run
-20 min. incline training
-15 min. stairmaster
I also went ahead and had a Lightfull smoothie just now. I usually don't have a pre-workout snack, but since it's so early and I don't realistically see myself at the gym for at least another hour, I figured I should have something.
Went over my points last night, as I tend to do on Fridays. Totally not worried about it though. In looking at previous spreadsheets, I've always lost on the weeks I least expected to (i.e., weeks where I used up all allowance points and even more!). Now, I don't want to go crazy this weekend, but I think I will try and eat most of my allowance points this week and see how I do. I hope I can do it without freaking out and overexercising to make up for it.
Or, I could just do the Wendie Plan for more structure. I'm always hesitant to just wing stuff like this on my own. Last night was pretty much the big high point day anyway, so there's still time to follow the other days. I guess I'll work backwards and do day 2 today, day 1 tomorrow and skip to day 4 on Monday. I think that should work. I just need to go back and fix my points from last night.
FOOD:
pre-workout:
lightfull smoothie- 1
breakfast:
almond milk w/ protein powder- 2
PB2- 1
snack:
apple- 1
hummus- 1
lunch:
smart wrap- 1
turkey- 1
hummus- 1
cheese- 1
cucumber- 0
bell pepper- 0
snack:
popcorn- 1
dinner:
Chile Relleno Casserole- 6
sour cream- 1
post-dinner
ice cream- 3
pumpkin bread- 2
kashi waffle- 1
pretzel- 1
total points used: 25/23 (Wendie Plan)
activity points: 50 min. HIIT- 6
net points: 23
WAPs: 20/35 remaining
EXERCISE:
Yet another HIIT routine at the gym.
Today's routine:
-15 min. run
-20 min. incline training
-15 min. stairmaster
Friday, September 18, 2009
Weigh-in Day.
Today's weight: 158.6. A loss of 0.2 pounds. Well, I didn't gain, to my surprise. But geez- I really am going to have to get to goal ounces at a time, eh? I know, I'm never satisfied. It's still a loss, which is good. I think I jinxed things by putting the digital camera in the bathroom last night. I thought, "Well, if I happen to make goal by some miracle, I want to have the camera handy." Not quite there yet.
Plan of action for the coming week? Well, eat a bit more I suppose. And I definitely didn't get enough healthy fats this week, compared to the week before, which I think helped my previous loss. I hate trying to get fat in though! I'd rather eat a whole sandwich instead of a handful of almonds, y'know? I hate spending points on things that don't fill me up. Especially since I struggled to stay within 22 daily points this week. Sigh. It's a tricky thing to balance, so I'll just have to plan, plan, plan I guess.
FOOD:
breakfast:
egg beaters- 1
cheese slice- 1
salsa- 0
1/2 c. kashi cereal with 1/2 c. almond milk- 1
snack:
9 almonds- 1
apple- 1
carrot sticks- 0
PB2- 1
lunch:
2 c. WW Progresso Light Chicken/Dumpling Soup- 3
cheese slice- 1
popcorn ball- 1
snack:
crystal light protein water- 0
melba rounds- 1
hummus- 1
dinner:
small order japanese pan noodles- 7
shrimp- 1
post-dinner:
pumpkin bread- 2
ice cream- 9
dried cranberries- 1
chips- 2
light english muffin- 1
turkey- 1
cream cheese- 1
s.f. jam- 0
total points used: 38/22
activity points: 55 min. HIIT routine- 6
net points: 32
WAPs: 25/35 remaining
Planning on going to Noodles & Company for dinner tonight. Pretty easy place to eat, in terms of keeping points low. Looking forward to it.
EXERCISE:
Went to the gym this morning for another HIIT session. I'm finding the stair master to be quite the big calorie-burner. I'm probably most conscious of my breathing while on that machine than any other. It's tough, but so far I'm enjoying the challenge!
Today's routine:
-10 min. run (1 mile)
-15 min. incline training
-15 min. stair master
-15 min. elliptical/cool-down
I always tell myself I'm going to stop at 500 calories, but when I get to a good stopping point, I see that I'm a little over 500 and think "Oh hell, just push it to 600!" And some days I'll push it to 700 or 800. I need to cool it, haha. I feel so satisfied with myself afterward though, so it's hard not to push myself to that point, unless I'm totally exhausted for some reason. Wish I had that same motivation with weight training. Buh.
Anywho. Enough of that. It's Friday! Woo!
Plan of action for the coming week? Well, eat a bit more I suppose. And I definitely didn't get enough healthy fats this week, compared to the week before, which I think helped my previous loss. I hate trying to get fat in though! I'd rather eat a whole sandwich instead of a handful of almonds, y'know? I hate spending points on things that don't fill me up. Especially since I struggled to stay within 22 daily points this week. Sigh. It's a tricky thing to balance, so I'll just have to plan, plan, plan I guess.
FOOD:
breakfast:
egg beaters- 1
cheese slice- 1
salsa- 0
1/2 c. kashi cereal with 1/2 c. almond milk- 1
snack:
9 almonds- 1
apple- 1
carrot sticks- 0
PB2- 1
lunch:
2 c. WW Progresso Light Chicken/Dumpling Soup- 3
cheese slice- 1
popcorn ball- 1
snack:
crystal light protein water- 0
melba rounds- 1
hummus- 1
dinner:
small order japanese pan noodles- 7
shrimp- 1
post-dinner:
pumpkin bread- 2
ice cream- 9
dried cranberries- 1
chips- 2
light english muffin- 1
turkey- 1
cream cheese- 1
s.f. jam- 0
total points used: 38/22
activity points: 55 min. HIIT routine- 6
net points: 32
WAPs: 25/35 remaining
Planning on going to Noodles & Company for dinner tonight. Pretty easy place to eat, in terms of keeping points low. Looking forward to it.
EXERCISE:
Went to the gym this morning for another HIIT session. I'm finding the stair master to be quite the big calorie-burner. I'm probably most conscious of my breathing while on that machine than any other. It's tough, but so far I'm enjoying the challenge!
Today's routine:
-10 min. run (1 mile)
-15 min. incline training
-15 min. stair master
-15 min. elliptical/cool-down
I always tell myself I'm going to stop at 500 calories, but when I get to a good stopping point, I see that I'm a little over 500 and think "Oh hell, just push it to 600!" And some days I'll push it to 700 or 800. I need to cool it, haha. I feel so satisfied with myself afterward though, so it's hard not to push myself to that point, unless I'm totally exhausted for some reason. Wish I had that same motivation with weight training. Buh.
Anywho. Enough of that. It's Friday! Woo!
Thursday, September 17, 2009
FOOD:
breakfast:
egg whites w/ salsa- 1
pumpkin bread- 2
coffee w/ .25 cup almond milk- 0
snack:
soynut mix- 2
apple- 1
carrot sticks- 0
PB2- 1
lunch:
black beans- 3
salsa- 0
f.f. shredded cheese- 1
corn tortillas- 1
snack:
squash- 0
crystal light protein water- 0
dinner (planned):
salmon- 3
sweet potato- 3
brussels sprouts- 1
post-dinner:
cracker w/ hummus- 1
pumpkin bread- 3
total points used: 23/22
activity points: 55 min. HIIT routine- 7
net points: 22
WAPs: 20/35 remaining
EXERCISE:
Went to the gym for a HIIT routine. Seems like there were more people there this morning than usual. I suppose it's only going to get worse as it gets colder and after New Year's.
Today's routine:
-15 min. run
-10 min. stair master
-15 min. incline trainer
-15 min. elliptical + cool down/stretch
I noticed on my day off yesterday that I was in a pretty bad mood all day, for no good reason. I think it was because my body is getting used to the endorphin rush and all-around good feelings that come from exercise. I didn't work out and therefore felt like I didn't get the most out of my day (even though I got a lot of errands done) and I felt kinda lost and without purpose. Depressed, even. This morning though, I feel a great deal better. Just thinking about how much I sweated, how much my heart was pumping and how much I was challenging my body makes me feel like I already accomplished so much for the day, and it's not even 9 am yet.
I never thought I'd live to see the day where exercise would become almost a necessity to my daily psychological well-being.
I've noticed it for a while now too; on the days where I don't work out, I always try to feel a sense of relief, but I can't. I just feel like something's missing and that the day was a bit of a waste, to a small degree. Not sure if I'm entering the early phases of exercise addiction or not... Oh well.
===================================
Despite staying within my points this week and earning a good chunk of activity points, I'm not too confident about tomorrow's weigh-in, based on scale readings from the past few days. I'm expecting a gain. Why? Because my body's a friggin' rubik's cube, that's why. I'm not surprised though. It's pretty pathetic that I've come to expect gains instead of losses during these remaining weigh-ins until goal. I'm getting to the point where it takes too much energy to get upset. I guess that's a good thing? Heh.
Still trying to feel optimistic though. I feel like I should start writing a press release for when I finally do hit goal because it's officially taking f-o-r-e-v-e-rrrrr.
breakfast:
egg whites w/ salsa- 1
pumpkin bread- 2
coffee w/ .25 cup almond milk- 0
snack:
soynut mix- 2
apple- 1
carrot sticks- 0
PB2- 1
lunch:
black beans- 3
salsa- 0
f.f. shredded cheese- 1
corn tortillas- 1
snack:
squash- 0
crystal light protein water- 0
dinner (planned):
salmon- 3
sweet potato- 3
brussels sprouts- 1
post-dinner:
cracker w/ hummus- 1
pumpkin bread- 3
total points used: 23/22
activity points: 55 min. HIIT routine- 7
net points: 22
WAPs: 20/35 remaining
EXERCISE:
Went to the gym for a HIIT routine. Seems like there were more people there this morning than usual. I suppose it's only going to get worse as it gets colder and after New Year's.
Today's routine:
-15 min. run
-10 min. stair master
-15 min. incline trainer
-15 min. elliptical + cool down/stretch
I noticed on my day off yesterday that I was in a pretty bad mood all day, for no good reason. I think it was because my body is getting used to the endorphin rush and all-around good feelings that come from exercise. I didn't work out and therefore felt like I didn't get the most out of my day (even though I got a lot of errands done) and I felt kinda lost and without purpose. Depressed, even. This morning though, I feel a great deal better. Just thinking about how much I sweated, how much my heart was pumping and how much I was challenging my body makes me feel like I already accomplished so much for the day, and it's not even 9 am yet.
I never thought I'd live to see the day where exercise would become almost a necessity to my daily psychological well-being.
I've noticed it for a while now too; on the days where I don't work out, I always try to feel a sense of relief, but I can't. I just feel like something's missing and that the day was a bit of a waste, to a small degree. Not sure if I'm entering the early phases of exercise addiction or not... Oh well.
===================================
Despite staying within my points this week and earning a good chunk of activity points, I'm not too confident about tomorrow's weigh-in, based on scale readings from the past few days. I'm expecting a gain. Why? Because my body's a friggin' rubik's cube, that's why. I'm not surprised though. It's pretty pathetic that I've come to expect gains instead of losses during these remaining weigh-ins until goal. I'm getting to the point where it takes too much energy to get upset. I guess that's a good thing? Heh.
Still trying to feel optimistic though. I feel like I should start writing a press release for when I finally do hit goal because it's officially taking f-o-r-e-v-e-rrrrr.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Oh man- the chicken-veggie pasta dish I made for dinner last night? Awwwwesome! It was so simple, but so good. I didn't put it into a recipe builder though because it was so simple:
I diced up boneless/skinless chicken breasts into small cubes. Cooked in a skillet with 1 tsp. olive oil and minced garlic (about 1.5 cloves). Also tossed on some McCormick's Rotisserie Chicken seasoning.
After the chicken was pretty much cooked through, I added a bunch of diced zucchini, mexican squash and tomatoes (cherry, roma and yellow). Sprinkled on some garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt, black pepper and Italian seasoning. Stirred everything together, covered it with a lid and let it simmer for about 8-10 minutes or so (wasn't really watching the clock, sorry).
In the meantime, I had cooked and drained penne pasta. After draining it and giving it a cold rinse, I poured another tsp. of olive oil on top and stirred it in to coat the pasta.
Once the veggies were cooked through, I just poured it all over the pasta and sprinkled some grated parmesan on top. Goooood eats! Doug really liked it too. Success! Came out to about 7 points per [HUGE!] serving.
FOOD:
breakfast:
1/4 cup egg whites w/ 3 slices ham- 1
f.f. shredded cheese- 1
light english muffin- 1
chai tea w/ 1/3 c. almond milk- 0
snack:
kashi cereal- 2
lunch:
black beans- 3
corn tortillas- 1
f.f. shredded cheese- 1
salsa- 0
snack:
squash- 0
pumpkin bread- 2
blueberries- 0
dinner:
tuna- 2
light mayo- 1
cheese- 1
sweet potato- 3
light butter- 1
post-dinner:
s.f. jello- 0
kashi bar- 2
total points used: 22/22
activity points: day off
WAPs: 20/35 remaining
I ate all of my activity points last night. Kinda disappointed about that because I only earned three. I feel guilty eating them if I earn less than four. Oh well. I don't think it will kill me. And I'm fighting the urge to bust out a sweaty workout session today to make up for it. I really do need to take a day off. My last day off from working out was Wednesday Sept. 2nd. And my body has been feeling just plain tired the past couple of days.
EXERCISE:
Day off. See above.
Other than that, I'm off from work today, so I've already got some laundry going and am planning on heading to Sears later to look at clothes (I've got a $10 coupon, so I figured I'd take a look).
Not sure what to do for dinner. Since it's quiz night, we'll either wing it with stuff around the house or possibly redeem a coupon I have for Noodles & Company. Or, since I'm not working, I could also make something, but I'm drawing blanks right now. We'll see.
I diced up boneless/skinless chicken breasts into small cubes. Cooked in a skillet with 1 tsp. olive oil and minced garlic (about 1.5 cloves). Also tossed on some McCormick's Rotisserie Chicken seasoning.
After the chicken was pretty much cooked through, I added a bunch of diced zucchini, mexican squash and tomatoes (cherry, roma and yellow). Sprinkled on some garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt, black pepper and Italian seasoning. Stirred everything together, covered it with a lid and let it simmer for about 8-10 minutes or so (wasn't really watching the clock, sorry).
In the meantime, I had cooked and drained penne pasta. After draining it and giving it a cold rinse, I poured another tsp. of olive oil on top and stirred it in to coat the pasta.
Once the veggies were cooked through, I just poured it all over the pasta and sprinkled some grated parmesan on top. Goooood eats! Doug really liked it too. Success! Came out to about 7 points per [HUGE!] serving.
FOOD:
breakfast:
1/4 cup egg whites w/ 3 slices ham- 1
f.f. shredded cheese- 1
light english muffin- 1
chai tea w/ 1/3 c. almond milk- 0
snack:
kashi cereal- 2
lunch:
black beans- 3
corn tortillas- 1
f.f. shredded cheese- 1
salsa- 0
snack:
squash- 0
pumpkin bread- 2
blueberries- 0
dinner:
tuna- 2
light mayo- 1
cheese- 1
sweet potato- 3
light butter- 1
post-dinner:
s.f. jello- 0
kashi bar- 2
total points used: 22/22
activity points: day off
WAPs: 20/35 remaining
I ate all of my activity points last night. Kinda disappointed about that because I only earned three. I feel guilty eating them if I earn less than four. Oh well. I don't think it will kill me. And I'm fighting the urge to bust out a sweaty workout session today to make up for it. I really do need to take a day off. My last day off from working out was Wednesday Sept. 2nd. And my body has been feeling just plain tired the past couple of days.
EXERCISE:
Day off. See above.
Other than that, I'm off from work today, so I've already got some laundry going and am planning on heading to Sears later to look at clothes (I've got a $10 coupon, so I figured I'd take a look).
Not sure what to do for dinner. Since it's quiz night, we'll either wing it with stuff around the house or possibly redeem a coupon I have for Noodles & Company. Or, since I'm not working, I could also make something, but I'm drawing blanks right now. We'll see.
Body Fat Percentage.
Saw the Biggest Loser premier last night. Looks like it's gonna be a good season! That's all I'll say for now. On to Body Fat Percentage!
So I got my Accu-Measure Body Fat Test Clippers in the mail this week and did my first test this morning (I had to practice using them the night before though). They're kinda tricky to use at first, but after a few tries, it got pretty easy.
Unless I totally fucked up the test, my results said I have about 20.9% body fat (or 33 pounds of fat, about 126 pounds of lean body mass). That percentage sounded really high to me at first, but after looking at percentage charts here and here, that actually puts me between the Fitness and Athlete levels. Which is pretty friggin' cool, I think. The number went from being this weird value that, despite my lack of knowledge, still sounded like it meant "You're still fat!" to a perfectly decent value that says, "Hey, you're in pretty good shape!" Now, I know it seems silly to rely on a number to tell me that, but it made me relieved somehow.
Numbers on scales can fluctuate, drive you insane and leave out a lot of information about your body. It's nice to have a more accurate method of determining where I'm at, in terms of being a really healthy individual. And I may be just feeding my own ego here, but I'm actually impressed with where my number fell on the chart. The only level below Fitness and Athlete is Essential Fat, which is reserved (I'm assuming) for those insane body-builder types.
So where do I go from here with these results? Well, I'm not too sure yet. I guess I'll just wait a few more weeks and see if the number changes. My measurement day is going to be Wednesday mornings. I guess it could be any morning really, but I figured since that is my day off from working out, it would help me remember to take the test.
After reading this post, I am anticipating that losing fat versus losing muscle is going to get trickier as I go along. At the same time though, if I find that I'm losing muscle (based on changes in my lean body mass), then I'll know I'll need to make specific changes in my routine (doing more strength/resistance training versus more cardio, for example).
In short, I'm really glad I invested in these little clippers. Of course, I regret not buying them sooner. I'm curious what my body fat percentage was at 248 pounds. Yeesh.
So I got my Accu-Measure Body Fat Test Clippers in the mail this week and did my first test this morning (I had to practice using them the night before though). They're kinda tricky to use at first, but after a few tries, it got pretty easy.
Unless I totally fucked up the test, my results said I have about 20.9% body fat (or 33 pounds of fat, about 126 pounds of lean body mass). That percentage sounded really high to me at first, but after looking at percentage charts here and here, that actually puts me between the Fitness and Athlete levels. Which is pretty friggin' cool, I think. The number went from being this weird value that, despite my lack of knowledge, still sounded like it meant "You're still fat!" to a perfectly decent value that says, "Hey, you're in pretty good shape!" Now, I know it seems silly to rely on a number to tell me that, but it made me relieved somehow.
Numbers on scales can fluctuate, drive you insane and leave out a lot of information about your body. It's nice to have a more accurate method of determining where I'm at, in terms of being a really healthy individual. And I may be just feeding my own ego here, but I'm actually impressed with where my number fell on the chart. The only level below Fitness and Athlete is Essential Fat, which is reserved (I'm assuming) for those insane body-builder types.
So where do I go from here with these results? Well, I'm not too sure yet. I guess I'll just wait a few more weeks and see if the number changes. My measurement day is going to be Wednesday mornings. I guess it could be any morning really, but I figured since that is my day off from working out, it would help me remember to take the test.
After reading this post, I am anticipating that losing fat versus losing muscle is going to get trickier as I go along. At the same time though, if I find that I'm losing muscle (based on changes in my lean body mass), then I'll know I'll need to make specific changes in my routine (doing more strength/resistance training versus more cardio, for example).
In short, I'm really glad I invested in these little clippers. Of course, I regret not buying them sooner. I'm curious what my body fat percentage was at 248 pounds. Yeesh.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Biggest Loser Tuesday!
Looking forward to the Biggest Loser premiere tonight. And looking forward to taking tomorrow off from work (and working out, heh).
FOOD:
breakfast:
egg beaters- 1
boca sausage- 1
spinach- 0
1/2 c. kashi cereal w/ 1/4 c. almond milk- 1
snack:
orange- 1
carrot sticks- 0
PB2- 1
lunch:
healthy choice portabella spinach pasta- 5
snack:
lightfull smoothie- 1
dinner:
chicken- 2
ronzoni smart taste pasta- 3
olive oil- 1
zucchini/tomatoes/mexican squash- 0
parmesan- 1
post-dinner:
pumpkin bread- 2
s.f. pudding w/ lite syrup- 2
kashi bar- 2
popcorn ball- 1
total points used: 25/22
activity points: Biggest Loser Boot Camp, all levels- 3
net points: 22
WAPs: 20/35 remaining
For dinner tonight, I'm thinking a chicken pasta dish. My grandma came to visit this week and brought more zucchini, summer and mexican squash from her garden. I also have some tomatoes from my boss' garden that I need to use. I'm just craving those fresh veggie flavors and I think tossing it all up with some chicken and pasta would be pretty good.
EXERCISE:
Just did the Biggest Loser Boot Camp DVD. My arms, shoulders and hamstrings are tired. Good morning workout though.
FOOD:
breakfast:
egg beaters- 1
boca sausage- 1
spinach- 0
1/2 c. kashi cereal w/ 1/4 c. almond milk- 1
snack:
orange- 1
carrot sticks- 0
PB2- 1
lunch:
healthy choice portabella spinach pasta- 5
snack:
lightfull smoothie- 1
dinner:
chicken- 2
ronzoni smart taste pasta- 3
olive oil- 1
zucchini/tomatoes/mexican squash- 0
parmesan- 1
post-dinner:
pumpkin bread- 2
s.f. pudding w/ lite syrup- 2
kashi bar- 2
popcorn ball- 1
total points used: 25/22
activity points: Biggest Loser Boot Camp, all levels- 3
net points: 22
WAPs: 20/35 remaining
For dinner tonight, I'm thinking a chicken pasta dish. My grandma came to visit this week and brought more zucchini, summer and mexican squash from her garden. I also have some tomatoes from my boss' garden that I need to use. I'm just craving those fresh veggie flavors and I think tossing it all up with some chicken and pasta would be pretty good.
EXERCISE:
Just did the Biggest Loser Boot Camp DVD. My arms, shoulders and hamstrings are tired. Good morning workout though.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Yawn.
FOOD:
breakfast:
f.f. cottage cheese w/ peaches- 2
light english muffin- 1
coffee w/ .25 cup almond milk- 0
snack:
apple- 1
9 almonds- 1
carrot sticks- 0
PB2- 1
lunch:
healthy choice chicken alfredo florentine- 4
snack:
popcorn ball- 1
dinner:
pork chop w/ teriyaki- 4
zucchini w/ olive oil- 1
couscous- 3
post-dinner:
kashi sunshine cereal- 1.5
pumpkin bread- 2
total points used: 22.5/22
activity points: 30 Day Shred levels two & three- 3.5
net points: 22
WAPs: 20/35 remaining
Planning on a simple, tasty favorite for dinner. We love the simplicity of grilled meat & veggies with a light, quick starch like couscous. And of course, the teriyaki sauce brings everything together. Can't wait!
EXERCISE:
Did levels 2 & 3 of 30 Day Shred this morning. Ugh. I'm always reminded on level 3 of how much work my arms need. And that I hate lunges, especially jumping ones.
Nothing too exciting for today. It's Monday. New Biggest Loser starts tomorrow!
breakfast:
f.f. cottage cheese w/ peaches- 2
light english muffin- 1
coffee w/ .25 cup almond milk- 0
snack:
apple- 1
9 almonds- 1
carrot sticks- 0
PB2- 1
lunch:
healthy choice chicken alfredo florentine- 4
snack:
popcorn ball- 1
dinner:
pork chop w/ teriyaki- 4
zucchini w/ olive oil- 1
couscous- 3
post-dinner:
kashi sunshine cereal- 1.5
pumpkin bread- 2
total points used: 22.5/22
activity points: 30 Day Shred levels two & three- 3.5
net points: 22
WAPs: 20/35 remaining
Planning on a simple, tasty favorite for dinner. We love the simplicity of grilled meat & veggies with a light, quick starch like couscous. And of course, the teriyaki sauce brings everything together. Can't wait!
EXERCISE:
Did levels 2 & 3 of 30 Day Shred this morning. Ugh. I'm always reminded on level 3 of how much work my arms need. And that I hate lunges, especially jumping ones.
Nothing too exciting for today. It's Monday. New Biggest Loser starts tomorrow!
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Brrr.
Well, somehow, I was motivated yet again to head to the gym on a cold, cloudy weekend morning. I was out of bed by 7 and made it to the gym a little after 8. I was going to do some sort of DVD at home, but also had an itch to do another big sweat session with machines, so off I went. I figured to sooner I went, the sooner I could come home and shove breakfast food into my mouth, haha.
FOOD:
breakfast:
f.f. greek yogurt w/ pumpkin (yeah, even after adding lots of Splenda, still wouldn't recommend this. stick with berries and other fruits.)- 2
pumpkin bread- 2
lunch:
leftover green chile w/ beef, beans, tomatoes- 6
f.f. shredded cheese- 1
corn tortillas- 1
snack:
PB2 sandwich- 2
s.f pudding w/ pumpkin- 2
dinner:
sandwich thin- 1
boca vegan burger- 1
cheese- 1
sweet potato- 3
post-dinner:
apple- 1
total points used: 23/22
activity points: 50 min. running/incline training- 6
net points: 22
WAPs: 20/35 remaining
EXERCISE:
I kept things a bit more simple today and stayed on one machine to do some running and incline training.
Today:
- 20 min. run (2 miles)
- 20 min. incline training
- 10 min. run/cool-down walk
After I did that, I swung by the weight room for a bit. I used one of those arm machines that's like an exercise bike, but the "pedals" are raised up so you pedal with your hands/arms. Never tried it before, but it was pretty cool. Definitely could feel it working my biceps, triceps and abs. Then I did a few reps on another arm machine and finished off with 50 reps on the leg press. I wasn't there very long; probably less than 5 minutes, but I figured it was better than no weights at all.
I think I might try to go to the gym more on the weekends versus during the week. Well, this week anyway. Tomorrow, I'm planning on doing levels 2 & 3 of 30 Day Shred. Tuesday will be all 3 levels of Biggest Loser Boot Camp. Wednesday will be my day off, and Thursday I'll go to the gym for HIIT. I think that will make my weekday mornings seem slightly less hectic since I can just workout at home and not drive back and forth to the gym so much. I don't know. I just like to change things up once in a while.
I am loving the gym more these days though, since I've changed up my routine. It's made such a huge difference. By doing HIIT, each interval seems so much easier and goes by so much faster, thus I stay a lot more motivated and energized the whole time. And I've noticed that I'm feeling happier/invigorated/relaxed post-workout, instead of tired and blah. I don't know. I've just been feeling good. My attitude has changed for the better this past week. I'm less concerned about the numbers on the scale and hitting goal and just enjoying how great my body has been feeling lately.
FOOD:
breakfast:
f.f. greek yogurt w/ pumpkin (yeah, even after adding lots of Splenda, still wouldn't recommend this. stick with berries and other fruits.)- 2
pumpkin bread- 2
lunch:
leftover green chile w/ beef, beans, tomatoes- 6
f.f. shredded cheese- 1
corn tortillas- 1
snack:
PB2 sandwich- 2
s.f pudding w/ pumpkin- 2
dinner:
sandwich thin- 1
boca vegan burger- 1
cheese- 1
sweet potato- 3
post-dinner:
apple- 1
total points used: 23/22
activity points: 50 min. running/incline training- 6
net points: 22
WAPs: 20/35 remaining
EXERCISE:
I kept things a bit more simple today and stayed on one machine to do some running and incline training.
Today:
- 20 min. run (2 miles)
- 20 min. incline training
- 10 min. run/cool-down walk
After I did that, I swung by the weight room for a bit. I used one of those arm machines that's like an exercise bike, but the "pedals" are raised up so you pedal with your hands/arms. Never tried it before, but it was pretty cool. Definitely could feel it working my biceps, triceps and abs. Then I did a few reps on another arm machine and finished off with 50 reps on the leg press. I wasn't there very long; probably less than 5 minutes, but I figured it was better than no weights at all.
I think I might try to go to the gym more on the weekends versus during the week. Well, this week anyway. Tomorrow, I'm planning on doing levels 2 & 3 of 30 Day Shred. Tuesday will be all 3 levels of Biggest Loser Boot Camp. Wednesday will be my day off, and Thursday I'll go to the gym for HIIT. I think that will make my weekday mornings seem slightly less hectic since I can just workout at home and not drive back and forth to the gym so much. I don't know. I just like to change things up once in a while.
I am loving the gym more these days though, since I've changed up my routine. It's made such a huge difference. By doing HIIT, each interval seems so much easier and goes by so much faster, thus I stay a lot more motivated and energized the whole time. And I've noticed that I'm feeling happier/invigorated/relaxed post-workout, instead of tired and blah. I don't know. I've just been feeling good. My attitude has changed for the better this past week. I'm less concerned about the numbers on the scale and hitting goal and just enjoying how great my body has been feeling lately.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Yeesh.
Last night I ate all of my activity points and a good chunk of my allowance points. I don't know what my deal was, but I was just hungry and couldn't seem to feel satisfied. It's a good thing I froze half of that pumpkin bread I made, otherwise it would probably be gone this morning! Oh well. Back with a vengeance this morning. I was at the gym by around 8 am and busted out an 800 calorie workout. I was feeling somewhat energetic (for a cloudy, cold Saturday morning anyway) and figured I might as well take advantage of my motivation while it's strong and just kept going until I got tired. And really, I wasn't that tired by the time I finished, but I figured 800 cals in 65 minutes was a good stopping point. And yes, I admit, I was trying to make up for some of the food damage done last night. I try to avoid getting in that frame of mind (overexercising to make up for overeating), but what can I say? I'm in the 150s and would like to stay there for at least another week, haha. I'll definitely aim to keep things more balanced the rest of the week though.
Dinner at Pei Wei was good. Nothing like a big bowl of spicy noodles, beef and veggies. The guy taking our order tried to talk me out of having the beef prepared with vegetable stock instead of oil because he thought it tasted awful. After exchanging some mild pushiness, I finally said that while I appreciated the warning, I really wanted it prepared in the vegetable stock, not the oil. And hey, guess what? It tasted just fine! He made it sound like the beef would be bland and rubbery, but I thought it was tender, juicy and still full of flavor, thanks to the sauce and other spices mixed with the noodles. He later came to our table to see how I liked it and I told him it was awesome. Granted, I'm already used to eating things prepared with much less fat than most people, but I still don't think it was even close to being as bad as he described it. Anywho.
FOOD:
breakfast:
f.f. greek yogurt w/ blueberries- 2
special K cereal- 2
coffee w/ .25 cup almond milk- 0
lunch:
alternative bagel- 1
f.f. shredded cheese- 1
1 oz. avocado- 1
pear- 1
cucumber slices- 0
snack:
carrot sticks- 0
PB2- 1
8 oz. crystal light slurpee- 1
popcorn- 1
dinner:
green chile w/ beef, beans & tomatoes- 6
corn tortillas- 1
f.f. shredded cheese- 1
post-dinner:
chips- 2
salsa- 0
pumpkin bread- 2
pudding w/ pumpkin- 2
popcorn ball- 1
total points used: 26/22
activity points: 65 min HIIT routine- 8
net points: 23
WAPs: 20/35 remaining
EXERCISE:
Basically did another HIIT routine, but just extended the time on some of the intervals. I almost didn't get any time on the incline training or stair master. I felt like kind of a bitch snagging an incline trainer before the guy using it had cleaned the handles down. And I basically ran to the remaining stair master as another guy was walking toward it. But you know what? I don't really care. I'll try not to make a habit of doing that in the future, but I was on a mission today and wasn't in the mood to dick around, waiting for the machines I really wanted to use. Yes, this is me, once again, talking/acting like a self-righteous gym queen. It happens.
Today's routine:
- 14 min. run
- 21 min. incline training
- 15 min. elliptical
- 10 min. stair master
- 5 min. run/cool down walk
Dinner at Pei Wei was good. Nothing like a big bowl of spicy noodles, beef and veggies. The guy taking our order tried to talk me out of having the beef prepared with vegetable stock instead of oil because he thought it tasted awful. After exchanging some mild pushiness, I finally said that while I appreciated the warning, I really wanted it prepared in the vegetable stock, not the oil. And hey, guess what? It tasted just fine! He made it sound like the beef would be bland and rubbery, but I thought it was tender, juicy and still full of flavor, thanks to the sauce and other spices mixed with the noodles. He later came to our table to see how I liked it and I told him it was awesome. Granted, I'm already used to eating things prepared with much less fat than most people, but I still don't think it was even close to being as bad as he described it. Anywho.
FOOD:
breakfast:
f.f. greek yogurt w/ blueberries- 2
special K cereal- 2
coffee w/ .25 cup almond milk- 0
lunch:
alternative bagel- 1
f.f. shredded cheese- 1
1 oz. avocado- 1
pear- 1
cucumber slices- 0
snack:
carrot sticks- 0
PB2- 1
8 oz. crystal light slurpee- 1
popcorn- 1
dinner:
green chile w/ beef, beans & tomatoes- 6
corn tortillas- 1
f.f. shredded cheese- 1
post-dinner:
chips- 2
salsa- 0
pumpkin bread- 2
pudding w/ pumpkin- 2
popcorn ball- 1
total points used: 26/22
activity points: 65 min HIIT routine- 8
net points: 23
WAPs: 20/35 remaining
EXERCISE:
Basically did another HIIT routine, but just extended the time on some of the intervals. I almost didn't get any time on the incline training or stair master. I felt like kind of a bitch snagging an incline trainer before the guy using it had cleaned the handles down. And I basically ran to the remaining stair master as another guy was walking toward it. But you know what? I don't really care. I'll try not to make a habit of doing that in the future, but I was on a mission today and wasn't in the mood to dick around, waiting for the machines I really wanted to use. Yes, this is me, once again, talking/acting like a self-righteous gym queen. It happens.
Today's routine:
- 14 min. run
- 21 min. incline training
- 15 min. elliptical
- 10 min. stair master
- 5 min. run/cool down walk
Friday, September 11, 2009
Oh, yeah!
Duh- after typing out all of the different nonsense in the last post, I almost forgot to mention some exciting news: I have a normal BMI!
Even though I haven't technically hit the 90 pound mark, both the Daily Plate and Diets in Review confirmed that My current BMI is about 24.9, taking me out of the overweight range and into the normal one.
At my highest weight, my BMI was about 39 and I was considered clinically obese.
It all still seems so surreal, I must admit.
Even though I haven't technically hit the 90 pound mark, both the Daily Plate and Diets in Review confirmed that My current BMI is about 24.9, taking me out of the overweight range and into the normal one.
At my highest weight, my BMI was about 39 and I was considered clinically obese.
It all still seems so surreal, I must admit.
Weigh-in Day.
Today's weight: 158.8. A loss of 4.2 pounds! Happy to see this, obviously. Though, it's hard to say how much of that was lost period bloat from the week before and how much was lost by eating more healthy fats (or, eating more in general, thanks to Saturday's party) AND starting my HIIT workout routine. Lots of different factors to consider, so I can't say for sure what, specifically, led to such a big loss. Ah well. I don't want to over-think it too much because it takes from the thrill of being in the 150s!
Yesterday, I decided against getting my free 11-point noodle bowl from Pei Wei and opted for cooking dinner at home (I e-mailed them last night for nutritional info since it's a new item and wasn't on their website; got a response this morning and it turns out I can get it prepared with vegetable stock instead of oil and save a couple of points). I just figured the bowl would probably have loads of sodium (and it does), which isn't the best choice the night before a weigh-in. However, I really don't feel like cooking tonight, so I think a big, free bowl of noodles will be appropriate for a Friday night.
I also made some Hungry Girl Pumpkin Bread. God, I love that stuff. I froze half of the loaf in hopes that I won't eat it all in one weekend, but we'll see how long I last, haha. It's such a great recipe because the slices are a generous size and make me feel like I truly am indulging. Plus, being damn tasty and only 2 points per slice doesn't hurt either. I had to go to 3 different stores to find the canned pumpkin though. Wal-mart and Safeway were out, so I finally went to King Soopers as a last resort and luckily they had some cans of the store-brand stuff. I remember reading in Hungry Girl that Libby (the main canned pumpkin company) had some crop issues this year, so they've been out of stock for a while.
On a different note, I also went shopping at Plato's Closet and picked up four tops and a pair of jeans for $23. I'm a total broke-ass these days, so it was exciting to snag a few new things on the cheap. I've been wearing the same 4 or 5 shirts for a few months now (all of my old clothes are too big, obviously) and it was driving me nuts. It's so weird (and awesome) to be able to shop off of a clearance rack for smaller sizes. Most tops I can just hold up to me and tell that they'll fit. All the tops I got were size medium. The jeans were size 8, but also kinda stretchy, so I consider them a generous size 8. Being a size 8 was my goal, but I don't consider myself a size 8 right now because most brands I've tried don't quite fit yet. I more of a 9, I guess. Anywho, definitely going back there to shop after I get paid again at the end of the month.
FOOD:
breakfast:
f.f. greek yogurt w/ blueberries- 2
pumpkin bread- 2
snack:
pear- 1
carrot sticks- 0
PB2- 1
lunch:
sandwich thin- 1
ham slices- 1
r.f. colby jack -1
2 cups progresso WW soup- 2
snack:
special K protein water- 0
popcorn ball- 1
pumpkin bread- 3
dinner:
pei wei japanese chile beef ramen- 11
fortune cookie- 1
post-dinner:
popcorn- 3
s.f. pudding- 1
pumpkin bread- 3
ice cream- 5
kashi bar- 2
total points used: 41/22
activity points: Jillian Michaels' Banish Fat, Boost Metabolism DVD- 4
net points: 37
WAPs: 20/35 remaining
EXERCISE:
Did a Jillian Michaels DVD this morning. God, I still hate those jumping scissor kicks she makes you do. I hadn't done that DVD in a while, so I forgot how rough some of those moves were. Oh well. They got my heart pumping, so I won't complain.
As for tomorrow, I'm not sure what I'm doing for exercise. I think the weather's gonna be crappy, so I may have to opt for the gym if I want to run. We'll see. I wouldn't mind going to the gym; weekends are always a nice time to go. And if I do go, I'll probably spend some extra time on the weight machines too.
Ok, I think I've rambled enough. Hope everyone has a nice weekend!
Yesterday, I decided against getting my free 11-point noodle bowl from Pei Wei and opted for cooking dinner at home (I e-mailed them last night for nutritional info since it's a new item and wasn't on their website; got a response this morning and it turns out I can get it prepared with vegetable stock instead of oil and save a couple of points). I just figured the bowl would probably have loads of sodium (and it does), which isn't the best choice the night before a weigh-in. However, I really don't feel like cooking tonight, so I think a big, free bowl of noodles will be appropriate for a Friday night.
I also made some Hungry Girl Pumpkin Bread. God, I love that stuff. I froze half of the loaf in hopes that I won't eat it all in one weekend, but we'll see how long I last, haha. It's such a great recipe because the slices are a generous size and make me feel like I truly am indulging. Plus, being damn tasty and only 2 points per slice doesn't hurt either. I had to go to 3 different stores to find the canned pumpkin though. Wal-mart and Safeway were out, so I finally went to King Soopers as a last resort and luckily they had some cans of the store-brand stuff. I remember reading in Hungry Girl that Libby (the main canned pumpkin company) had some crop issues this year, so they've been out of stock for a while.
On a different note, I also went shopping at Plato's Closet and picked up four tops and a pair of jeans for $23. I'm a total broke-ass these days, so it was exciting to snag a few new things on the cheap. I've been wearing the same 4 or 5 shirts for a few months now (all of my old clothes are too big, obviously) and it was driving me nuts. It's so weird (and awesome) to be able to shop off of a clearance rack for smaller sizes. Most tops I can just hold up to me and tell that they'll fit. All the tops I got were size medium. The jeans were size 8, but also kinda stretchy, so I consider them a generous size 8. Being a size 8 was my goal, but I don't consider myself a size 8 right now because most brands I've tried don't quite fit yet. I more of a 9, I guess. Anywho, definitely going back there to shop after I get paid again at the end of the month.
FOOD:
breakfast:
f.f. greek yogurt w/ blueberries- 2
pumpkin bread- 2
snack:
pear- 1
carrot sticks- 0
PB2- 1
lunch:
sandwich thin- 1
ham slices- 1
r.f. colby jack -1
2 cups progresso WW soup- 2
snack:
special K protein water- 0
popcorn ball- 1
pumpkin bread- 3
dinner:
pei wei japanese chile beef ramen- 11
fortune cookie- 1
post-dinner:
popcorn- 3
s.f. pudding- 1
pumpkin bread- 3
ice cream- 5
kashi bar- 2
total points used: 41/22
activity points: Jillian Michaels' Banish Fat, Boost Metabolism DVD- 4
net points: 37
WAPs: 20/35 remaining
EXERCISE:
Did a Jillian Michaels DVD this morning. God, I still hate those jumping scissor kicks she makes you do. I hadn't done that DVD in a while, so I forgot how rough some of those moves were. Oh well. They got my heart pumping, so I won't complain.
As for tomorrow, I'm not sure what I'm doing for exercise. I think the weather's gonna be crappy, so I may have to opt for the gym if I want to run. We'll see. I wouldn't mind going to the gym; weekends are always a nice time to go. And if I do go, I'll probably spend some extra time on the weight machines too.
Ok, I think I've rambled enough. Hope everyone has a nice weekend!
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Quote for the day/week/month/year.
"Just because you don't achieve something doesn't mean it won't happen. It only means it won't happen now."
— American hurdler Lolo Jones in Self Magazine
— American hurdler Lolo Jones in Self Magazine
FOOD:
breakfast:
egg beaters- 1
diced onion/tomato/mushroom/jalapeno- 0
light swiss- 1
light english muffin- 1
chai tea w/ .25 cup almond milk- 0
snack:
9 almonds- 1
carrot sticks/bell pepper strips- 0
PB2- 1
pear- 1
lunch:
smart ones cranberry turkey medallions- 4
orange- 1
snack:
soy nut mix- 2
dinner:
salmon- 3
spinach w/ light laughing cow wedge- 1
potato- 2
Hungry Girl Pumpkin Bread- 2
wine- 2
post-dinner:
s.f. pudding- 1
total points used: 24/23
activity points: 47 min. HIIT routine- 6
net points: 23
WAPs: -42/35 remaining
had another tasty breakfast this morning. i friggin' love omelets with onions, mushrooms and tomatoes. love, love, love. i'm also in love with unsweetened almond milk these days. so low in calories, it's ridiculous. perfect for low-point (or even zero-point) lattes. mmm. i've never been a big milk drinker to begin with, so i switched to soy milk for a while when i first started WW. then i finally gave almond milk a try a few months ago and will probably never go back. more expensive, yes, but it lasts me forever since i don't use much to begin with and it doesn't seem to spoil, ever. i'm sure it spoils eventually, but it probably takes several weeks.
still debating dinner. i have a Pei Wei coupon for a free beef noodle bowl which, after a little research, will cost me 12 points. i also have salmon thawing in the fridge. i'm torn between being lazy and spending more points on the bowl or being sensible and taking time to cook a balanced meal at home. I know what the right option is, but I'm also a fan of asian noodle bowls, especially those of the free variety. we'll see.
EXERCISE:
Did another HIIT routine at the gym this morning. It went really well. This morning was the first time in a long time that I finished a workout, went to my car to go home and thought, "Wow, that felt really good!" I'm tellin' ya, breaking things up into intervals makes things so much easier (in terms of time and boredom issues), yet still very challenging. why it took me so long to discover this is baffling.
Today:
- 11 min. run (1 mile)
- 16 min. incline training
- 10 min. elliptical
- 10 min. stair master
If I keep this up, I'm pretty sure my ass will be damn hot in a month or so. Seriously. Running and incline training are cool and all, but the elliptical and the stair master have really been working my glutes.
and every interval still kept my heart rate way up. i had a few moments where i had to catch my breath, but instead of feeling like i was struggling, i just felt invigorated. i think that's a rare feeling to achieve at 5:30 in the morning, haha.
I keep thinking today is Friday. Buh. One more day. But I am ditching work at 2 this afternoon, so I suppose I can't complain too much.
breakfast:
egg beaters- 1
diced onion/tomato/mushroom/jalapeno- 0
light swiss- 1
light english muffin- 1
chai tea w/ .25 cup almond milk- 0
snack:
9 almonds- 1
carrot sticks/bell pepper strips- 0
PB2- 1
pear- 1
lunch:
smart ones cranberry turkey medallions- 4
orange- 1
snack:
soy nut mix- 2
dinner:
salmon- 3
spinach w/ light laughing cow wedge- 1
potato- 2
Hungry Girl Pumpkin Bread- 2
wine- 2
post-dinner:
s.f. pudding- 1
total points used: 24/23
activity points: 47 min. HIIT routine- 6
net points: 23
WAPs: -42/35 remaining
had another tasty breakfast this morning. i friggin' love omelets with onions, mushrooms and tomatoes. love, love, love. i'm also in love with unsweetened almond milk these days. so low in calories, it's ridiculous. perfect for low-point (or even zero-point) lattes. mmm. i've never been a big milk drinker to begin with, so i switched to soy milk for a while when i first started WW. then i finally gave almond milk a try a few months ago and will probably never go back. more expensive, yes, but it lasts me forever since i don't use much to begin with and it doesn't seem to spoil, ever. i'm sure it spoils eventually, but it probably takes several weeks.
still debating dinner. i have a Pei Wei coupon for a free beef noodle bowl which, after a little research, will cost me 12 points. i also have salmon thawing in the fridge. i'm torn between being lazy and spending more points on the bowl or being sensible and taking time to cook a balanced meal at home. I know what the right option is, but I'm also a fan of asian noodle bowls, especially those of the free variety. we'll see.
EXERCISE:
Did another HIIT routine at the gym this morning. It went really well. This morning was the first time in a long time that I finished a workout, went to my car to go home and thought, "Wow, that felt really good!" I'm tellin' ya, breaking things up into intervals makes things so much easier (in terms of time and boredom issues), yet still very challenging. why it took me so long to discover this is baffling.
Today:
- 11 min. run (1 mile)
- 16 min. incline training
- 10 min. elliptical
- 10 min. stair master
If I keep this up, I'm pretty sure my ass will be damn hot in a month or so. Seriously. Running and incline training are cool and all, but the elliptical and the stair master have really been working my glutes.
and every interval still kept my heart rate way up. i had a few moments where i had to catch my breath, but instead of feeling like i was struggling, i just felt invigorated. i think that's a rare feeling to achieve at 5:30 in the morning, haha.
I keep thinking today is Friday. Buh. One more day. But I am ditching work at 2 this afternoon, so I suppose I can't complain too much.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
FOOD:
breakfast:
f.f. cottage cheese- 2
1.5 oz. avocado- 2
alternative bagel- 1
snack:
popcorn ball- 1
carrot sticks/bell pepper strips- 0
PB2- 1
lunch:
sandwich thin- 1
chicken slices- 1
1 oz. avocado- 1
cantaloupe cubes- 1
grapes- 1
soy nut mix- 2
snack:
lightfull smoothie- 1
dinner:
chicken sausage- 3
tomato/mexican squash- 1
potato- 2
parmesan- 1
post-dinner:
s.f. pudding cup- 1
total points used: 23/23
activity points: No More Trouble Zones DVD- 2
WAPs: -42/35 remaining
going to quiz tonight, so we'll be having whatever's around for dinner. I'm planning on finishing off the last chicken sausage, probably with some random assortment of veggies.
EXERCISE:
Did Jillian Michaels' No More Trouble Zones DVD this morning. It only earned me two activity points, but that was expected. I always forget how good the mix of moves is on that workout. She targets different muscle groups pretty evenly, so it's a good mix for someone like me who hates trying to come up with a strength training routine on their own.
Not much else to report. Just getting anxious for Friday's weigh-in.
breakfast:
f.f. cottage cheese- 2
1.5 oz. avocado- 2
alternative bagel- 1
snack:
popcorn ball- 1
carrot sticks/bell pepper strips- 0
PB2- 1
lunch:
sandwich thin- 1
chicken slices- 1
1 oz. avocado- 1
cantaloupe cubes- 1
grapes- 1
soy nut mix- 2
snack:
lightfull smoothie- 1
dinner:
chicken sausage- 3
tomato/mexican squash- 1
potato- 2
parmesan- 1
post-dinner:
s.f. pudding cup- 1
total points used: 23/23
activity points: No More Trouble Zones DVD- 2
WAPs: -42/35 remaining
going to quiz tonight, so we'll be having whatever's around for dinner. I'm planning on finishing off the last chicken sausage, probably with some random assortment of veggies.
EXERCISE:
Did Jillian Michaels' No More Trouble Zones DVD this morning. It only earned me two activity points, but that was expected. I always forget how good the mix of moves is on that workout. She targets different muscle groups pretty evenly, so it's a good mix for someone like me who hates trying to come up with a strength training routine on their own.
Not much else to report. Just getting anxious for Friday's weigh-in.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Back to the grind.
Pretty lazy Labor Day. Made some teriyaki broccoli, tofu & mushrooms for dinner last night. I adapted it from a Biggest Loser cookbook recipe. Turned out pretty good. I've made it before, but adding the mushrooms gave it a nice touch.
FOOD:
breakfast:
egg beaters- 1
diced onion/mushroom/tomato- 0
light swiss- 1
light english muffin- 1
snack:
soynut mix- 2
celery/cucumber/bell pepper strips- 0
guacamole- 2
lunch:
leftover teriyaki broccoli/tofu/mushrooms- 4
cantaloupe cubes- 1
snack:
popcorn ball- 1
dinner:
chicken breast- 3
mashed cauliflower- 2
cucumber-tomato salad- 0
f.f. poppyseed dressing- 1
coors light- 2
s.f. pudding- 2
post-dinner:
popcorn- 1
total points used: 24/23
activity points: 50 min HIIT- 6
net points: 23
WAPs: -42/35 remaining
EXERCISE:
Did my first day of High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) this morning at the gym. It was only the first day, but yeah, I think I'm a fan. I didn't stay on a single machine for more than 15 minutes, so the time flew by and my heart rate stayed pretty high all the way through, which was good for calorie burn.
This was my routine:
-10 min. treadmill (1 mile run)
-15 min. stairmaster
-10 min. elliptical
-10 min. incline training
-5 min. cool-down walk/stretching
I re-discovered the stairmaster (the one that's like an escalator). It's been months since I last used one and I was surprised how high it kept my heart rate. It kept it even higher than incline training, so definitely a good alternative. And the course I chose had a really good pace that kept me sweating, but also slowed down when I needed to catch my breath.
So that's that. I think I'm gonna stick with those machines for a while and just change the order in which I use them. Once I start to get bored, I might add in some cycling and rowing. We'll see.
Tomorrow I'm planning on doing Jillian Michaels' No More Trouble Zones, to keep up with my strength training. Thursday, I'll probably go to the gym again for HIIT and Friday, I think I'll do the Banish Fat, Boost Metabolism DVD, just because I haven't done it in a while.
FOOD:
breakfast:
egg beaters- 1
diced onion/mushroom/tomato- 0
light swiss- 1
light english muffin- 1
snack:
soynut mix- 2
celery/cucumber/bell pepper strips- 0
guacamole- 2
lunch:
leftover teriyaki broccoli/tofu/mushrooms- 4
cantaloupe cubes- 1
snack:
popcorn ball- 1
dinner:
chicken breast- 3
mashed cauliflower- 2
cucumber-tomato salad- 0
f.f. poppyseed dressing- 1
coors light- 2
s.f. pudding- 2
post-dinner:
popcorn- 1
total points used: 24/23
activity points: 50 min HIIT- 6
net points: 23
WAPs: -42/35 remaining
EXERCISE:
Did my first day of High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) this morning at the gym. It was only the first day, but yeah, I think I'm a fan. I didn't stay on a single machine for more than 15 minutes, so the time flew by and my heart rate stayed pretty high all the way through, which was good for calorie burn.
This was my routine:
-10 min. treadmill (1 mile run)
-15 min. stairmaster
-10 min. elliptical
-10 min. incline training
-5 min. cool-down walk/stretching
I re-discovered the stairmaster (the one that's like an escalator). It's been months since I last used one and I was surprised how high it kept my heart rate. It kept it even higher than incline training, so definitely a good alternative. And the course I chose had a really good pace that kept me sweating, but also slowed down when I needed to catch my breath.
So that's that. I think I'm gonna stick with those machines for a while and just change the order in which I use them. Once I start to get bored, I might add in some cycling and rowing. We'll see.
Tomorrow I'm planning on doing Jillian Michaels' No More Trouble Zones, to keep up with my strength training. Thursday, I'll probably go to the gym again for HIIT and Friday, I think I'll do the Banish Fat, Boost Metabolism DVD, just because I haven't done it in a while.
Monday, September 7, 2009
Ho-hum.
Weight is back down from the crazy Saturday binge. Still need to stay focused the rest of the week though. Tomorrow I'm planning on going to the gym in the morning and might try a mix-up routine like I talked about earlier. I'll start with some running, then incline train, and finish off with the elliptical and stair stepper.
Wednesday is my usual morning off from working out, but I might try to squeeze in something like 30 Day Shred, just to help recover a little more from Saturday. Still undecided on what to do Thursday and Friday.
That's about it. No real plans today. Dinner will probably be a broccoli/tofu recipe from the Biggest Loser cookbook since we have so much broccoli leftover from the party.
FOOD:
breakfast:
pear- 1
oatmeal w/ protein powder- 3
lunch:
popcorn ball- 1
chips- 1
guacamole- 2
cheese sandwich- 2
snack:
s.f. pudding- 1
cantaloupe cubes- 1
grapes- 1
chips- 1
salsa- 0
dinner:
Teriyaki Broccoli, Mushrooms & Tofu- 4
post-dinner:
ice cream- 4
s.f. pudding- 1
total points used: 23/23
activity points: Biggest Loser Boot camp, all levels- 3
WAPs: -42/35 remaining
EXERCISE:
Did the Biggest Loser Boot Camp DVD. I hate lunges so god damn much. I've grown to be okay with squats, but lunges can still suck it.
Wednesday is my usual morning off from working out, but I might try to squeeze in something like 30 Day Shred, just to help recover a little more from Saturday. Still undecided on what to do Thursday and Friday.
That's about it. No real plans today. Dinner will probably be a broccoli/tofu recipe from the Biggest Loser cookbook since we have so much broccoli leftover from the party.
FOOD:
breakfast:
pear- 1
oatmeal w/ protein powder- 3
lunch:
popcorn ball- 1
chips- 1
guacamole- 2
cheese sandwich- 2
snack:
s.f. pudding- 1
cantaloupe cubes- 1
grapes- 1
chips- 1
salsa- 0
dinner:
Teriyaki Broccoli, Mushrooms & Tofu- 4
post-dinner:
ice cream- 4
s.f. pudding- 1
total points used: 23/23
activity points: Biggest Loser Boot camp, all levels- 3
WAPs: -42/35 remaining
EXERCISE:
Did the Biggest Loser Boot Camp DVD. I hate lunges so god damn much. I've grown to be okay with squats, but lunges can still suck it.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
My goodness.
This morning, I am six months pregnant with cheese pizza, cheesecake bites and an entire bottle of wine, amongst other things.
Yeah, I went waaaaay overboard at the party last night. But despite having negative allowance points, I can't say I really care. I mean, I suppose I care, but I'm not at all upset. I was definitely in a "fuck it!" kind of mood, so I thoroughly enjoyed every last bloat-inducing bite and I had fun with my friends. AND, I went back and tracked everything this morning, which I wasn't originally going to do. I'm glad I did. Even though it's overwhelming (and at times, just plain disgusting) to see how quickly points can disappear, it always makes me feel better to track every last point, no matter how bad the damage. Makes a huge difference in the long run.
That was my first big binge I've had in a loooong time, so I see no reason to beat myself up. And who knows- with the way my weigh-ins have been going lately, it might have even done me some good, haha. We'll see.
FOOD:
breakfast:
cantaloupe cubes- 1
grapes- 1
lunch:
alternative bagel- 1
2 oz. avocado- 2
snack:
veggies- 1
hummus- 3
pretzels- 1
popcorn- 1
dinner:
light bread- 1
tuna- 2
mayo- 1
salsa- 0
cheese slice- 1
orange-1
post-dinner:
ice cream- 3
PB2- 1
light syrup- 1
s.f. pudding cup- 1
strabwerries/blueberries- 1
total points used: 24/23
activity points: 54 min. jog/walk/run- 6
net points: 23
WAPs: -42/35
I woke up full this morning. Buh. On the upside, we have a crapload of veggies leftover since not as many people showed up as I thought would. All I can think of eating today without feeling sick are fruits and veggies. Anything else sounds too heavy.
EXERCISE:
By some miracle, I made it out of the house this morning to run. Well... Sorta... It ended up being more of a jog/run with LOTS of walking intervals. I was really just too heavy with food and booze to do a full-out run without passing out and/or crapping my pants. I took things slow and steady, but still managed to burn a decent amount of calories. I wanted to wait until later in the day to exercise since my stomach was still so full, but I knew if I put it off any longer, I wouldn't do anything at all. And not doing anything just isn't an option anymore.
=====================================
So, all in all, I'm in a pretty good mood. I had a good time, got some junk food fixes out of my system and tried to keep things as stable as I could by keeping up with my exercise. And if I gain this week, oh well. I have no qualms about holding myself accountable. It's easier and almost empowering to take full responsibility for my actions, be they positive or negative.
Lastly, I don't think we went to bed until sometime between 2:30 and 3 am, so I think a nap is in order later today, haha.
Yeah, I went waaaaay overboard at the party last night. But despite having negative allowance points, I can't say I really care. I mean, I suppose I care, but I'm not at all upset. I was definitely in a "fuck it!" kind of mood, so I thoroughly enjoyed every last bloat-inducing bite and I had fun with my friends. AND, I went back and tracked everything this morning, which I wasn't originally going to do. I'm glad I did. Even though it's overwhelming (and at times, just plain disgusting) to see how quickly points can disappear, it always makes me feel better to track every last point, no matter how bad the damage. Makes a huge difference in the long run.
That was my first big binge I've had in a loooong time, so I see no reason to beat myself up. And who knows- with the way my weigh-ins have been going lately, it might have even done me some good, haha. We'll see.
FOOD:
breakfast:
cantaloupe cubes- 1
grapes- 1
lunch:
alternative bagel- 1
2 oz. avocado- 2
snack:
veggies- 1
hummus- 3
pretzels- 1
popcorn- 1
dinner:
light bread- 1
tuna- 2
mayo- 1
salsa- 0
cheese slice- 1
orange-1
post-dinner:
ice cream- 3
PB2- 1
light syrup- 1
s.f. pudding cup- 1
strabwerries/blueberries- 1
total points used: 24/23
activity points: 54 min. jog/walk/run- 6
net points: 23
WAPs: -42/35
I woke up full this morning. Buh. On the upside, we have a crapload of veggies leftover since not as many people showed up as I thought would. All I can think of eating today without feeling sick are fruits and veggies. Anything else sounds too heavy.
EXERCISE:
By some miracle, I made it out of the house this morning to run. Well... Sorta... It ended up being more of a jog/run with LOTS of walking intervals. I was really just too heavy with food and booze to do a full-out run without passing out and/or crapping my pants. I took things slow and steady, but still managed to burn a decent amount of calories. I wanted to wait until later in the day to exercise since my stomach was still so full, but I knew if I put it off any longer, I wouldn't do anything at all. And not doing anything just isn't an option anymore.
=====================================
So, all in all, I'm in a pretty good mood. I had a good time, got some junk food fixes out of my system and tried to keep things as stable as I could by keeping up with my exercise. And if I gain this week, oh well. I have no qualms about holding myself accountable. It's easier and almost empowering to take full responsibility for my actions, be they positive or negative.
Lastly, I don't think we went to bed until sometime between 2:30 and 3 am, so I think a nap is in order later today, haha.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Hooray for new things.
Went over my points a bit with some ice cream last night. But y'know what? It was light, creamy and delicious and it made my soul feel better. So there, haha.
FOOD:
breakfast:
egg beaters- 1
salsa- 0
onion alternative bagel- 1
1 oz. avocado- 1
lunch:
sandwich thin- 1
chicken slices- 1
r.f. pepperjack cheese- 1
1 oz. avocado- 1
cantaloupe cubes/grapes- 3
snack:
bell pepper strips- 0
popcorn- 1
dinner:
wine- 8
coors light- 2
pizza- 33
pretzels- 1
corn chips- 3
potato chips- 4
hummus- 2
sour cream dip- 3
peach cobbler- 6
ice cream- 2
spinach artichoke dip- 2
crackers- 2
cheesecake bites- 21
brie w/ bread- 4
total points used: 104/23
activity points: 53 min. run- 7
net points: 97
WAPs: -42/35 remaining
So, in my quest to eat more healthy fats, I've discovered that spreading mashed avocado on top of a toasted onion bagel is the shiiiiit! It's so good. I just sprinkle a dash of salt and pepper on top and it's good to go. Great alternative to cream cheese, I think (well, while avocados are on sale 3 for $1, anyway). Though, I've been known to mix weird random things and think it tastes awesome, so proceed with caution if you decide to try it, heh.
EXERCISE:
Morning run. And OMG, it was a great one! It was hard to get going because it was cloudy and kinda foggy, but I forced myself out of the house around 8 am. It dawned on me last night that I should try running around the college campus where I work. I see people running/biking around there all the time, but it never occurred to me to try it, despite the fact that our neighborhood is right across the street.
Anywho, it was fun! I did about 1.5 laps, going from one end of campus to the other. Even went on one of the trail paths in the hills behind the rec center. It was just a much-needed change of pace because there were various hills to push me out of my comfort zone and all sorts of turns that forced me to use my back and ab muscles more.
That said, there were a lot of parts that went downhill, but I seemed to hit them all at the right time, as I was getting tired and ready for a short cool-down.
I'm definitely going to do it again in the future. There were some good inclines that I would like to master at a decent speed some day. The change of scenery was appreciated, as I was starting to get bored with the usual trail I run on. And I actually love running on cloudy mornings now. It was just cool, gray and peaceful. Yet another reason for me and Doug to move to Portland, OR someday.
============================================
Pretty good start to the weekend so far. And my weight was down a bit this morning. Hopefully that trend continues the rest of the week. I'm actually ok with weighing myself daily these days. I was reading some articles that say it's perfectly ok to do, as long as you don't allow it to stress you out and understand how much weight can fluctuate day-to-day. I think it helps to give me a better idea of what works, in terms of food intake and exercise. At the same time though, I still know that what I see each day won't necessarily dictate the results of my Friday weigh-ins. I guess what it boils down to is me just being curious.
We're having the going away party for our friends tonight, hence me burning 700 calories on my run this morning. I'm not against using some allowance points, but a little extra calorie burn doesn't hurt either, right?
FOOD:
breakfast:
egg beaters- 1
salsa- 0
onion alternative bagel- 1
1 oz. avocado- 1
lunch:
sandwich thin- 1
chicken slices- 1
r.f. pepperjack cheese- 1
1 oz. avocado- 1
cantaloupe cubes/grapes- 3
snack:
bell pepper strips- 0
popcorn- 1
dinner:
wine- 8
coors light- 2
pizza- 33
pretzels- 1
corn chips- 3
potato chips- 4
hummus- 2
sour cream dip- 3
peach cobbler- 6
ice cream- 2
spinach artichoke dip- 2
crackers- 2
cheesecake bites- 21
brie w/ bread- 4
total points used: 104/23
activity points: 53 min. run- 7
net points: 97
WAPs: -42/35 remaining
So, in my quest to eat more healthy fats, I've discovered that spreading mashed avocado on top of a toasted onion bagel is the shiiiiit! It's so good. I just sprinkle a dash of salt and pepper on top and it's good to go. Great alternative to cream cheese, I think (well, while avocados are on sale 3 for $1, anyway). Though, I've been known to mix weird random things and think it tastes awesome, so proceed with caution if you decide to try it, heh.
EXERCISE:
Morning run. And OMG, it was a great one! It was hard to get going because it was cloudy and kinda foggy, but I forced myself out of the house around 8 am. It dawned on me last night that I should try running around the college campus where I work. I see people running/biking around there all the time, but it never occurred to me to try it, despite the fact that our neighborhood is right across the street.
Anywho, it was fun! I did about 1.5 laps, going from one end of campus to the other. Even went on one of the trail paths in the hills behind the rec center. It was just a much-needed change of pace because there were various hills to push me out of my comfort zone and all sorts of turns that forced me to use my back and ab muscles more.
That said, there were a lot of parts that went downhill, but I seemed to hit them all at the right time, as I was getting tired and ready for a short cool-down.
I'm definitely going to do it again in the future. There were some good inclines that I would like to master at a decent speed some day. The change of scenery was appreciated, as I was starting to get bored with the usual trail I run on. And I actually love running on cloudy mornings now. It was just cool, gray and peaceful. Yet another reason for me and Doug to move to Portland, OR someday.
============================================
Pretty good start to the weekend so far. And my weight was down a bit this morning. Hopefully that trend continues the rest of the week. I'm actually ok with weighing myself daily these days. I was reading some articles that say it's perfectly ok to do, as long as you don't allow it to stress you out and understand how much weight can fluctuate day-to-day. I think it helps to give me a better idea of what works, in terms of food intake and exercise. At the same time though, I still know that what I see each day won't necessarily dictate the results of my Friday weigh-ins. I guess what it boils down to is me just being curious.
We're having the going away party for our friends tonight, hence me burning 700 calories on my run this morning. I'm not against using some allowance points, but a little extra calorie burn doesn't hurt either, right?
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