Another weekend survived.

FOOD:

breakfast:
smart wrap tortilla- 1
black beans- 2
f.f. cheese- 1
salsa- 0
light sour cream- 1

snack:
grapes- 1
carrot sticks- 0

lunch:
PB2 sandwich- 2
apple- 1

snack:
kashi bar- 2
almond milk- 1

dinner:
scallops- 2
spaghetti squash w/ parmesan- 2
light butter- 1

post-dinner:
popcorn- 1
fudge bar- 1
s.f. pudding- 1
ice cream- 3

total points used: 23/23
activity points: Biggest Loser Boot Camp (all levels)- 3
WAPs: 35/35 remaining

Made it to Monday with all of my allowance points! I woke up hungry this morning, so I opted for a black bean burrito as my breakfast, post-workout.

EXERCISE:

Did the Biggest Loser Boot Camp DVD again this morning. I actually burned more calories this time, probably because I was more familiar with the moves and was able to put forth better effort. I can't wait to start seeing the results in my arms!


Not much else to report today. I'm off today and tomorrow from work. Just wanted to take a couple of personal days since the semester already started and things are starting to slow down again. I have a few errands to run today and that's about it.

FOOD:

breakfast:
light english muffin- 1
egg white/3 slices ham- 1
f.f. shredded cheese- 1
green onion- 0

snack:
ww giant ice cream bar- 2

lunch:
smart wrap tortilla- 1
black beans- 2
f.f. shredded cheese- 1
salsa- 0

dinner:
corn tortillas- 1
2 f.f. hot dogs- 2
turkey chili- 2
cheese slice- 1
potato- 2
olive oil- 1

post-dinner:
fudge bar- 1
apple- 1
PB2- 1
s.f. pudding cup- 1
strawberries w/ light syrup- 1

total points used: 23/23
activity points: P90X (Kenpo)- 3
WAPs: 35/35

I've made it to Sunday morning and I still have all of my allowance points! Haven't accomplished that in a while. Now, if I can make it to tomorrow with all of them, that would be sweet.

Breakfast stemmed from an idea from Doug. The only thing I changed was making it into a sandwich with the english muffin. The green onion and ham really added a nice flavor. I mixed my cheese in and cooked everything until the cheese got a little crusty on the outside. So friggin' good.

Dinner plans aren't set in stone, but I'm thinking chili dogs (healthy version of course) and baked fries. Mmm. I got paid earlier than I thought I would (Friday versus tomorrow), so we busted out some serious grocery shopping yesterday. I still want to stop by Sunflower Market today and pick up some produce though. The produce selection at Wal-mart is never really worth much to begin with and the prices at Sunflower are way better. They have cheap apples and I need to stock up!


EXERCISE:

Did the P90X Kenpo disc today. It was ok. I didn't find it particularly hard and I only burned 300 calories after an hour. But it still got me sweating and made me focus on form, so I can't really complain too much.

Weekend!

So lunch at the retreat yesterday was fine. The main course was beef or chicken enchilada casserole, loaded with cheese and god knows what else, but luckily there was also salad and steamed mixed veggies, so I loaded up on those instead. Granted, I was starving by the time I got home since it was all veggies and no real protein, but no complaints otherwise.

FOOD:
breakfast:
oatmeal w/ peaches & protein powder- 3

lunch:
english muffin- 1
turkey- 1
cheese slice- 1
s.f. smuckers- 0

snack:
grapes- 1
carrot sticks- 0
PB2- 1
popcorn- 1
string cheese- 1

dinner:
chicken breast- 3
potato- 2
light butter/sour cream- 2
zucchini w/ olive oil- 1

post-dinner:
fudge bar- 1
s.f. pudding w/ light syrup- 2
kashi bar- 2
chips- 1
salsa- 0

total points used: 24/23
activity points: 48 min. run- 6
net points: 23
WAPs: 35/35 remaining

I went over my points a bit last night with treats, but had just enough activity points to cover it all. My goal this week is to not dip into my allowance points, but that said, I'll probably be more willing to eat some activity points here and there. I need to work on finding a good balance in regards to how many APs I earn throughout the week and how many of them I'll actually eat. I'm always afraid of eating too many or too little, so it's something I'm gonna try playing around with the next few weeks. I get the feeling that most weeks, I'm working my body too hard and not giving it quite enough fuel because I'm paranoid of gaining (which ends up happening anyway if my body goes into starvation mode). So key theme for this week is balance.

EXERCISE:

It was hard getting going this morning, but I finally left the house around 9 am to go for a run. Tomorrow I'm thinking of trying another P90X workout and then Monday I'll do Biggest Loser Boot Camp to work on more strength training. The muscles in my arms are still sore from when I did it on Wednesday, so that just goes to show that if I keep up with it more often, my arms will finally start toning up!



I had some time to reflect on my weigh-in yesterday and talked some sense into myself. I just need to let go of what the scale says for a while and focus on toning these last few areas that I'm still not happy with. It's very easy for me to get obsessed with numbers and when they stop going in the direction I want, I let it get to me and am usually in a pissy mood the rest of the week. I'm tired of having a bad attitude, especially when I just bring it upon myself. I'm sure if I just focus on keeping up with a variety of workouts and feel good about my progress, the scale will catch up with me eventually.

I guess what I'm trying to say here is that losing as much as I have already should be a happy thing; this whole process, as hard as it is some days, should be an overall uplifting experience. There's no reason I should be making myself miserable while getting healthy and living a better lifestyle. It just dawned on me this morning as I was making breakfast that I've already added years to my life and have significantly reduced my risk for soooo many diseases- not every person can say that. I'm rambling now, I know, but I guess morning runs just make me a little more optimistic than usual, heh.

Weigh-In.

I have another off-campus employee retreat today, so I won't be at a computer. Post today is gonna be short & sweet.

Today's weight: 160.2. A loss of 1.8 pounds. Cool? I guess between my unexplained gain last week and the Wendie Plan this week, I was hoping to be down at least another pound. Whatever. Back to the normal plan this week.

FOOD:
breakfast:
f.f. cottage cheese w/ peaches & s.f. smuckers- 2
light english muffin- 1

snack:
mixed fruit- 1
kashi bar- 2

lunch:
salad- 0
dressing- 2
steamed veggies (w/ oil?)- 3

snack:
smart wrap tortilla- 1
light pepperjack- 1

dinner:
schwan's beef tips & veggie meal- 6

post-dinner:
pretzel stick/2 prunes- 1
PB2 sandwich- 2
vitatop- 1
frozen peaches/strawberries- 1
ice cream- 3
popcorn- 2

total points used: 29/23
activity points: 50 min. incline training- 6
net points: 23
WAPs: 35/35 remaining

since lunch is being catered at the retreat, no clue what's on the menu yet. come on, salad!


EXERCISE:

Another morning workout at the gym with some good incline training. Heart rate monitor didn't crap out, but did freak out a couple of times and said I was working at 117% of my maximum heart rate. Ugh. Stupid technology.


That's all for now. I gotta get goin'!

Sweaty by sunrise.

FOOD:

breakfast:
f.f. cottage cheese w/ strawberries, s.f. smuckers- 2
light english muffin- 1

snack:
9 almonds- 1
baby carrots- 0
PB2- 1

lunch:
sandwich thin- 1
turkey- 1
light pepperjack- 1
cantaloupe- 1
popcorn- 1

snack:
soy nut mix- 2

dinner:
salmon- 3
corn tortillas- 1
salsa- 0
spinach- 0
sour cream- 1
parmesan- 1

post-dinner:
tart honey yogurt- 4

total points used: 22/22 (Wendie Plan)
activity points: 45 min. incline training- 5
WAPs: 8/35 remaining

Trying to keep my menu light today, since tomorrow is the weigh-in. Not in terms of eating less points, but just trying to avoid heavy stuff, extra sodium, etc. I must admit, I've been weighing myself every day this week, and I'm not too thrilled with the results so far. I'm not stressed about it though. I've already started mulling around a plan of action for next week.

I'm pretty close to giving up on my 100 pound goal. If it's taking me this long just to get to 158 (90 pound mark, normal BMI, still haven't made it there yet), I just don't understand how the hell I can break the 140s. I dunno. I guess we'll see where I'm at in a month and go from there. I know it's less about a number on the scale and more about how I feel (and let's be honest, how I look too), but I'm still not satisfied yet. Close, but still seeing areas for improvement.


EXERCISE:

Woke up about 10 minutes before my alarm went off and headed to the gym. It was actually a really good experience, except for the part where my heart rate monitor crapped out for about 15 minutes. So aggravating because I really depend on that thing to measure my calories burned. I think it was partially my fault though. I don't think I wet the strap enough before I put it on. After my chest was soaked with sweat, it started working again just fine. My goal was to burn 500 calories, but between the monitor going out and me trying to overcompensate to make up the difference, I think I might have been closer to 600 calories. Anywho.

I'm feeling pretty good right now. I still had plenty of time to get ready when I got home and even had time to brew a cup of coffee. I've never been a real big coffee drinker, but that's definitely changing with the addition of morning workouts.

I think I might go there again tomorrow for more incline training and save my running session for Saturday morning, so I can go a little later after the sun is out.

Overall, I'm just really digging the feeling of not having to exercise after work. As much as I hate being up when it's still dark outside, having my evenings free and not having to give myself a pep talk every afternoon is so much more satisfying. Now, that's how I feel about it today. My feelings may change after a couple of weeks, haha.

I must be losing it.

So for the past week or so, I've been giving more and more thought to early morning workouts. As it stands now, I've been getting up at 5 am on Mondays & Fridays (and sometimes Wednesdays) to work out so I won't have to worry about it after work and can actually enjoy my evenings.

Before I started doing this, I fought the idea really hard because I'm just not a morning person, at all. And for a while, I was trying to fight my natural sleep pattern. I've tried so hard for the past couple of years to try to get the recommended 7-8 hours of sleep every night, but you know what? My body just isn't cut out for that. It likes to cap out at about 6 hours. And I'm actually ok with that, finally. I think any complaints I've had of tiredness were mostly psychological. Most days, I'm actually pretty well rested. I avoided morning workouts because I thought I would be tired at that hour (and I am a little, during those first few minutes out of bed), but I'm pretty much ready to go. In fact, I'm a little more alert by the time I get to work around 8 am. And if not, it's nothing a little coffee or green tea can't handle.

And lately, I've been dreading my post-work exercise plans more and more. I'm so mentally drained from work (whether it's busy or dead-slow), that I reeeeally have to pump myself up to either drive to the gym afterward or pop in a DVD when I get home. At 5 pm, I just want my day to be over and it gives me kind of a bad attitude toward working out when I know it'll be closer to 7pm by the time I'm home, changed and have dinner on the table. Some days I try to leave work early just for the sole purpose of getting to the gym earlier (and thus getting home earlier), but I can't do that every week.

SO, my point here is, I think I'm going to try and commit to just getting up early every morning (weekends excluded, of course) and working out, either at the gym or at home, before heading to the ol' job.

I used to think that I would have to get up even earlier (like 4:30 or so) in order to make it to the gym and back and still make it to work on time, but I don't think that will really be an issue anymore (it was probably more of an excuse than an actual issue, to be perfectly honest). I just did some estimating in my head and I can still get up no earlier than 5, make it to the gym (less traffic at that time too), get about 40-60 minutes in and still make it home by about 6:20 more or less. Really, all I need to do is make my lunch/snacks and maybe pick out/iron my clothes for work the night before. With that stuff out of the way, I should still have plenty of time to get ready. Plus I recently chopped off my hair, so that saves me 15 minutes already, heh.

It feels like kind of a "duh!" moment, but I suppose it's better late than never. When I'm up that early, there's really no time for me to dread much, heh. And I've never been the type to hit the snooze and go back to sleep; once I'm up, I'm up. And the past few weeks, I've gotten pretty used to it.

So tomorrow, the plan is to head to the gym for more incline training (I kind of struggled with it last night since I hadn't done it in a while). Still not sure about Friday... I suppose a run on the trail will be in order, but with a light this time so I don't freak out in the dark, heh.

I still want to do some P90X, but I think I'll save that for the weekend at this point.

Trying new things.

FOOD:

breakfast:
f.f. greek yogurt w/ peaches- 2
kashi cereal- 1

snack:
cantaloupe- 1
baby carrots- 0
PB2- 1

lunch:
leftover teriyaki pork/shrimp/veggies/couscous- 9

snack:
lightfull smoothie- 1

dinner:
two 98% f.f. hot dogs- 2
corn tortillas- 1
f.f. cheese- 1
green beans- 1
sour cream- 1
wine- 2

post-dinner:
sliced strawberries/peaches- 1

total points used: 24/24 (Wendie Plan)
activity points: Biggest Loser Boot Camp, all three levels- 3
WAPs: 8/35 remaining

Dinner was good last night; looking forward to leftovers for lunch. Since we're going to quiz tonight, I'll probably end up having something quick for dinner. I'm thinking hot dogs and some sort of side veggie.

Also, because I'm getting desperate to see some changes on the scale, I've decided to finally put some changes into action that I've been pondering over the past couple of weeks. I'm going to try ('try' is the key word here, people) to cut back on my Splenda intake. I'm not a complete maniac when it comes to using it (I think?), but sometimes it seems like I add several small amounts to various things over the course of a week. I always add it to my PB2, greek yogurt, cottage cheese and oatmeal. Well, starting today, I'm going to stop adding it to those things since I eat them all pretty regularly throughout the week.

This morning, I didn't add it to my PB2 or yogurt. Definitely an adjustment taste-wise, but I think it's for the best. Now, I'm not promising to eliminate it completely, because I know there are few things I eat/drink that already have some sort of artificial sweetener mixed in. Also, when it comes to certain recipes, I'd rather swap out sugar for Splenda if I can. And since I don't make very many recipes like that to begin with, I think that should be ok.

I just want to rely more on natural sweetness from things like fruits and grains when I can. We'll see how it goes.

I'm also going to keep watching my sodium breakdown each day (via The Daily Plate) and try to make changes where I can. Most days, even if I have a frozen entree, I still stay within my recommended daily intake, but it wouldn't hurt to cut back a little more. After last week's weird gain and accompanying bloat, I feel like I'm retaining a lot more water than I should be, even with all of the exercise I do.


EXERCISE:

This morning, I did all three levels on my new Biggest Loser Boot Camp DVD. From a 'boot camp' perspective, I was really disappointed. After doing all 3 workouts (which is considered advanced), I only burned 290 calories. I had to jog in place for a bit, just so I could burn an even 300. There wasn't nearly as much cardio throughout all three levels, like I was expecting. My heart rate stayed pretty low, overall.

However, from a strength building/resistance standpoint, it's definitely a great option. LOTS of moves with weights. Also lots of squats and lunges. It was just nice to do some stuff that was different from the No More Trouble Zones DVD. And the pace is a little more manageable too. I mean, there aren't any breaks but you don't feel like you're going to die either.

It was nice to use my old resistance bands too (which I just found in a box last week after missing them for like, 3 years, haha). Mixing things up is important to me.

Overall, it's a decent workout. I did sweat a lot, but again, it's not really designed to be a big calorie burner, even if you do all three levels (which takes about an hour, including warm-up/cool-down). I'm going to continue to keep it in my routine though, because I don't dread the strength building moves so much. They were actually kind of fun, and I NEED fun when it comes to doing anything with weights and resistance. And seeing Ali Vincent in all three levels is great motivation. She's in such great shape, it's ridiculous.

FOOD:

breakfast:
f.f. greek yogurt w/ blueberries- 2
light english muffin- 1

snack:
cantaloupe- 1
baby carrots- 0
PB2- 1

lunch:
lean cuisine tortilla-crusted fish- 7
popcorn- 1

snack:
lightfull smoothie- 1
dried pineapple- 1

dinner:
pork/shrimp- 3
zucchini/carrots- 1
oil- 1
sauce- 1
couscous- 3

post-dinner:
tart honey yogurt- 3
vitatop- 1

total points used: 28/26 (Wendie Plan)
activity points: 42 min. incline training- 5
net points: 26
WAPs: 10/35 remaining


Pulled some pork chops out for dinner tonight. Not 100% sure what we'll end up doing with them, but I'm kinda hoping for the teriyaki-pork-with-veggies-over-couscous dish that Doug makes. It's pretty simple, but it's so good. Plus it would allow us to use up more of the carrots and zucchini my grandma gave me.


EXERCISE:

I'm still kinda debating on what I'll do for exercise today. If I go home after work, I'll either do some P90X or try my new Biggest Loser Boot Camp DVD. I'm also debating on going to the gym for some incline training and weights. I brought my gym bag with me just in case. I'm about 85% sure I'm going to the gym. It's always nice to be away from home and enjoy some me time.


That's about all to report for today. Other than that, I'm broke until next Monday. I'm so desperate to go grocery shopping! So much stuff I need to stock up on. Hope this week goes by fast.

Well, so much for that.

My martial arts class that was supposed to start today got canceled for the entire semester. Nooo! I guess not enough people signed up. I was really looking forward to it, too. Oh well. On the upside, my schedule will be less hectic now, but I was still willing to squeeze it in for the sake of trying something new. Buh.

FOOD:

breakfast:
smart wrap tortilla- 1
egg white- 1
spinach/shredded carrot- 0
laughing cow wedge- 1

snack:
vitatop- 1
baby carrots- 0

lunch:
smart ones beef pot roast- 3
cantaloupe- 1

snack:
lightfull smoothie- 1

dinner:
chicken- 3
bbq sauce- 1
zucchini- 0
potato- 2
olive oil- 2

post-dinner:
smart ones sundae- 3
tart honey yogurt- 2

total points used: 22/22 (Wendie Plan)
activity points: 47 min. run- 6
WAPs: 14/35 remaining

My grandma sent me home with a crapload of carrots from the carrot harvest (they live in the San Luis Valley where stuff like carrots & potatoes are regularly planted and my grandpa works during harvest season and stocks everybody up). So I'll be eating as many carrots as I can for the next couple of weeks, heh. I need to blanch some of them and put them in the freezer too.

She also gave me quite a few large zucchini from her garden. I loooove zucchini, so I'm definitely planning on making some for dinner a few times this week.

On a different note, I'm going to experiment with decreasing my protein intake a little bit. I've noticed for the past several months that I typically get almost twice (if not more) my recommended daily intake for protein. I think I got obsessed with trying to keep myself full at all times by loading up on protein (and fiber), but my appetite isn't as big as it used to be, so I think I might be able to get away with eating a little less protein. I'm not 100% sure what negative effects there are, if any, from eating too much (maybe building up extra muscle?), but I figured it's just something new I'll play around with and see how I feel.


EXERCISE:

Got out of bed at 5 am today and went for a run. Although it may sound cheesy, I really need to invest in a fanny pack and a small flashlight or something when I run this early. It's just way too dark during the first half and I just kinda feel paranoid the whole time and can't really enjoy myself. My biggest concern, as of this morning, are animals. I freak out over pretty much every animal that comes anywhere near me, so when I saw a fox and a skunk (!!!) today, I started sprinting, haha. But yeah, a light of some sort and some pepper spray might not be a bad idea. I'll start browsing for that stuff this week.

Not too shabby.

So I'm back from the trip and actually did ok. I didn't touch a drop of booze last night, which really made a difference. I had to estimate a lot of stuff for dinner though, so I ended up going over by a few points. I was really hoping to avoid that since I'm trying to stick to the Wendie plan without any alterations, but since I ran that morning, I guess I won't beat myself up over it too much. We grilled out, so I stuck to a bunless burger, corn, grilled veggies and fruit. My uncle kept wanting to make me a drink, so I kept blowing him off until I finally said "No, I'm saving up for cake," which was true. The ol' fat kid in me will take cake over booze any day. And that's exactly how I planned my evening, haha.

This morning we actually went out to breakfast instead of eating at my grandma's, so that kinda screwed me over a bit too, in the sense that I couldn't eat the stuff that I brought along as planned. Still kept it healthy though, with oatmeal and a fruit plate, but again, I had to estimate the oatmeal. I haaaate estimating stuff, but oh well. I probably overestimated points, both last night and this morning, but I feel better doing it that way, and not the other way around.

FOOD:

breakfast:
oatmeal- 5
fruit- 4

lunch:
special k cereal- 1

snack:
apple- 1
PB2- 1

dinner:
wahoo's shrimp burrito w/ wet sauce- 13

post-dinner:
ww smart ones cookie dough sundae- 3
tart honey yogurt- 4
onion ring- 1
french toast (light bread w/ egg beaters)- 2
light syrup- 2

total points used: 37/37 (Wendie Plan)
activity points: day off
WAPs: 14/35 remaining

I must admit, I'm looking forward to this big-point day. Still not sure what dinner will be, but I wanna keep it semi-healthy, like either a Wahoo's burrito or some Kashi pizza and then... something ice cream-y... We'll see.

EXERCISE:

Yeaaahhh... Not sure that's gonna happen today. I'm already tired just thinking of tomorrow; getting up at 5am to run, work, brief break at home and then martial arts class until 7:15 pm. I didn't sleep well last night and long car rides make me lazy. Yes, these are lame excuses, but when I think about how much I've been busting my ass lately, I guess I just don't care today, haha. Oh well. I'm pretty sure working out 5 days this week instead of six won't kill me.

Getting ready to head down to my grandparents' this afternoon. Since I'm determined to stay on the Wendie Plan while I'm gone, I'm basically going to bank as many points as I can beforehand. Yes, I will probably be starving by the time food is ready to be served (it's a surprise party for my grandpa), but that's something I'll just have to deal with. When I try to eat normal/healthy before a social outing with food, it backfires. I try to keep myself full and use up normal amounts of points, but then I end up going over with higher-point food later anyway. I don't know. I'll just feel better going to the party with more points than less. That's all I'm trying to say, heh.

FOOD:

I made a breakfast burrito and cut it in half. I've had one half so far and will eat the other half before we leave. It's packed with a lot of protein and fiber, so I think it should hold me over pretty well.

breakfast/lunch:
smart wrap tortilla- 1
2 egg beaters- 1
boca sausage- 1
f.f. shredded cheese- 1

afternoon snacks (while on the road):
protein water- 0
baby carrots- 0

dinner:
burger patty- 7
corn- 2
1/4 c. potato salad- 2
fruit- 2
veggies- 0

post-dinner:
cake- 7
cashews- 1

total points used: 26/23 (Wendie Plan)
activity points: 45 min. run- 5
net points: 23
WAPs: 30/35 remaining

I'm taking a Lightfull smoothie, an apple and some Special K Protein Plus cereal with me for breakfast tomorrow. Because breakfast at grandma's will more than likely be fried eggs, bacon, fried potatoes and toast slathered in butter. No thanks. Tomorrow is one of my high-point days on the Wendie plan, but I want to wait until I'm home with Doug and order a pizza or something. Something good that we've been wanting for a while. We'll see...


EXERCISE:

Went for a morning run on the trail this morning. It was nice. That's about all.

Some sprucing up.

"I don't love broccoli, and I don't love the treadmill, but I love the way I feel when I'm healthy and strong. It empowers me in all facets of my life. So remember, that although something may not be fun in the moment, remind yourself of the ultimate reward, and allow that to motivate you through the tough times."

-Jillian Michaels


Felt good to read that this afternoon. I'm pretty much over my gain from this morning and have moved on, as usual. Dwelling on that sort of thing never gets me anywhere, so I always feel better getting over it and just focusing on my next steps. I'm going to stay committed to the Wendie Plan this week, keep up with my workouts and just hope for the best at next week's weigh-in. Beating myself up and making myself crazy trying to figure out every possible detail of my routine and how it will (or won't) change the number on the scale is NOT a good way to start the weekend. It just stresses me out. I need to lay off what the scale says and just remind myself of how much better I feel these days, physically.

I'm also 95% sure that I'm gonna go for a morning run tomorrow, instead of doing a DVD. I might as well run outside as much as I can while it's still warm because I know my motivation will shift as the weather gets cooler. Even though I hate working out, I still manage to get the running bug from time to time. It's just therapeutic for me some days; being outside, rocking out to my iPod and just not thinking about anything in particular.

Wendie Plan Details

Just posting for future reference. Taken from a post on the WW boards.

Pick any day for your Day 1.

Then eat your points as follows:
Day 1: target +5 points
Day 2: Target + 1 point
Day 3: Target +15 points
Day 4: Target points only
Day 5: Target +4 points
Day 6: Target +2 points
Day 7: Target points only.

Target means your Daily Points.
If you follow this exactly, you'll use 27 of your 35 weekly flex points.
So if you go a little off any one given day, you'll still remain within all your points for the week.

As for APs, there are a couple different ideas about how to use them but this is what we've been following.

Earn them of course but then there are three options -

1) Wendie didn't use them because that's how she got the best consistent losses.
2) only use a couple on your target days on really healthy stuff.
3) if you're earning 25 or more a week, just add one or two to your target points before figuring out the formula... that way you make sure to be fueled for the week.

Weigh-in Day.

Today's weight: 162. A gain of 2.2 pounds. Um, what? Seriously? I'm really, really not happy to see this. At all. First of all, I was so close to hitting the 90 pounds mark and having a normal BMI. Second, I'm back in the 160s. I've been trying to get out of the 160s since May. And here we are, rolling out of August and September will be here before you know it. Third, I kicked ass this week. I had one day (last Saturday) where I went over my points, but it wasn't even close enough to warrant a 2 pound gain. I earned 34 activity points this week; 3400 calories burned.

An unwarranted gain is nothing new to me. I've experienced them before. It's just part of the process. I understand that. But I'm just so tired of wild card weigh-ins, be they good or bad, where I really cannot figure out what worked/didn't work that week. I only have a couple of guesses for this week: 1) I didn't eat enough in relation to my activity; 2) I experienced a lot of bloating from eating a lot of fiber? I don't know. I usually eat a lot of fiber anyway, so I'm not sure what made this week different. I did notice I've been super-bloated the past few days, but I thought working out would get rid of it. I had a couple of days where my sodium was a bit high, but nothing insane. It was a pretty normal week, in terms of food. I did consume a lot more caffeine than normal though... I got on a coffee kick this week and I usually never drink the stuff, let alone a cup every day. I don't think that was the culprit though... I don't friggin' know.

I know, "I've come so far!" Blah, blah, blah. I know I've accomplished a lot as far as the big picture goes, but to be perfectly honest, I really don't give a shit about the big picture right now. And at this very moment, I don't even know what I care about. I'm so frustrated and desperate to know exactly why my body does what it does week to week, that I can't really focus on anything else.

SIGH. I'll be alright. I'll get over it (already starting to). I just needed to bitch 'n' whine. I'm still a little lost on how to approach this week. I'm still debating on whether or not to try the Wendie Plan. Perhaps I've hit a plateau and I've just been in denial for the past month. I don't know. I suppose it's worth a shot, but at the same time, I'm going out of town this weekend, to grandma's house no less, so trying to stick to a new plan may be kind of tricky. I'll mull it over some more. I'm gonna try it, starting today.

FOOD:

Brief re-cap: The Kashi Pesto Primavera Pasta dish from lunch yesterday: Meh. On the upside, it had a lot of veggies, but overall, I just wasn't feeling the flavor. It was just kind of oily and blah. The Lemongrass Coconut Chicken on the other hand- totally awesome.

For dinner, I went with salmon tacos with a side of green beans. And I discovered a new way to jazz up green beans a bit: salt, pepper, couple sprays of spray butter and a dab of sour cream. The extra bit of creaminess just really made the beans taste, well, awesome.

breakfast:
fat-free greek yogurt w/ strawberries- 2
Special K cereal- 1

snack:
kashi bar- 2
baby carrots- 0
PB2- 1

lunch:
Healthy Choice tomato basil penne- 5

snack:
lightfull smoothie- 1

dinner:
chicken- 4
green chile- 1
f.f. cheese- 1
sour cream- 1
smart wrap tortilla- 1
8 oz. coors light- 1

post-dinner:
PB2 sandwich- 2
popcorn- 1
fudge bar- 1
kashi cereal- 1
almond milk- 1
s.f. jello- 0

total points used: 27/27 (Wendie Plan)
activity points: day off
WAPs: 35/35 remaining


EXERCISE:

Since I worked out Wednesday morning (my usual day off), I'm taking today off instead. That, and I'm a little sore from my P90X workout last night. It wasn't too bad. It was still challenging, but I kept up with it better than I thought I would. I actually skipped Chest & Back because I'm in the process of acquiring the proper equipment. I'm getting my dumbbells today and I'm waiting on a door attachment for resistance bands. Apparently, somehow attaching bands to your door and pulling them that way serves as an alternative to the pull-up bar. I might get the pull-up bar eventually, but can't justify the cost right now.

Anywho, so I skipped to the second workout, which was Plyometrics (jump training). I have to give Jillian Michaels some credit on this one, because she does a lot of that in her DVDs too, so I think that's the main reason why I was able to keep up. That, and Tony likes to take breaks. Lots of 'em. Jillian never takes breaks, so stopping every few minutes took some getting used to.

He goes at a slower pace too, which is good in the sense that you can focus on form a bit more and get more out of the move, instead of trying to do it super-fast and half-assing it.

My least favorite move during that whole workout was what he called "Hot Feet." You basically hopped on one leg and tried to make a cross figure with your foot (up, back, left, right). It doesn't sound like much, but staying on the same foot for just 30 seconds KILLED me. Hadn't felt a burn in my leg like that in a long time.

Overall, I liked it (well, as much as you could like a workout DVD called P90X). I liked the pace, I liked the little timer on the bottom of the screen and I like how my ass is killing me right now; that means I pushed myself. I'm looking forward to trying some of the other stuff, especially more of the weight/strength/resistance stuff.

I also got the new[ish] Biggest Loser Bootcamp DVD in the mail yesterday, so I'm still debating on trying that tomorrow or doing another P90X workout. I'm not leaving for my grandparents' until the afternoon, so I'll have time in the morning to do something. We'll see.

Taking things up a notch?

Brief re-cap of last night's dinner: Tuna salad sandwich on an Arnold's Sandwich Thin. Those are definitely becoming a favorite of mine. Had a baked potato on the side w/ some light sour cream and chives. Topped it off with a deep chocolate vitatop and a glass of chocolate almond milk. I love vitatops so much. Unfortunately, they're pretty damn expensive, whether you buy them in the store or online, so I usually only order them when they have some sort of special promotion going on that includes free shipping. Although, I recently discovered that Amazon sells them as well, with the "free shipping on $25 or more" deal, so my addiction may just go on...

Moving on for today...

FOOD

breakfast:
thomas light english muffin- 1
cheese single- 1
egg beaters- 1
boca sausage links- 1

snack:
9 almonds- 1
baby carrots- 0
PB2- 1

lunch:
kashi pesto pasta- 6

snack:
lightfull smoothie- 1

dinner:
salmon fillet- 3
corn tortillas- 1
salsa- 0
fat-free cheddar- 1
light sour cream- 1
green beans- 0

post-dinner:
fudge bar- 1
frozen sliced peaches/strawberries- 1
chocolate almond milk- 1

total points used: 22/22
activity points*: P90X- Plyometrics- 5
WAPs**: 23/35 remaining

*Activity points are also part of the WW program. I wear a heart rate monitor when I work out and award myself one activity point for every 100 calories burned. APs can be used to swap out food points on the days I eat a little extra and go over my daily food points.

**WAPs stands for Weekly Allowance Points. These are like extra back-up points that I can use during the week. I get 35 each week and only use them if I go over my daily food points, which includes days where I swap out all of my activity points and am still over (i.e., days where I'm feeling a little on the piggy side).

Breakfast this morning was the same as yesterday, because it's good. I have some salmon in the fridge for dinner and am still debating on what I want to do with it. I can either make salmon tacos or simmer the fillet with some spinach, tomatoes, garlic and white wine. Both of those options turned out pretty awesome last time I made them.

As for the Kashi dish, I'll have to report on that tomorrow, as it's my first time trying it. I love Kashi; they're one of my favorite food brands. Love, love, love their TLC granola bars, Go Lean Crunch cereal and their flax waffles. I don't buy their products that often because they can be pretty pricey, but if I catch them on sale and/or with a coupon, it's definitely worth it.

EXERCISE

My usual routine on Thursdays is to go to the gym and run or do some incline training. But last night, my boyfriend informed me that he acquired a copy of the new P90X DVD set that I've been eying for a couple of months now. Yes, it's an infomercial product, BUT, I've been hearing reviews from people both online and in-person and I'm more than ready to give it a shot. My mom's boyfriend's son, who is a personal trainer, says it's a pretty kick-ass system and will definitely bring on a challenge. I actually used to have Tony Horton's older system, Power 90, on VHS back in the day. I remember it being a good workout, but of course I wasn't nearly as dedicated back then, so I never stuck with it all the way through to really experience the benefit.

Well Tony, I'm ready to give you another shot, you handsome tiger, you. Ideally, I want to dive in head first, stick with it and become totally ripped, but there's also the possibility that I will completely wuss out. At the same time though, I've been able to bust through all of Jillian Michaels' DVDs pretty well for the last few months, and her workouts are pretty brutal. So at the very least, P90X will give me a better idea of where my current level of fitness is; it may be considerably higher or lower than I think.


That's all for now. Tomorrow (Friday) is my weigh-in day. I'll also share a recap of tonight's impending dinner and of course, my first P90x workout.

A first proper post.

Alrighty. After my introductory post, I figured it was time to get the ball rolling. Up through this morning, I used Livejournal to track my progress and gain some readers/supporters. I'm still debating on whether or not I want to continue to update the LJ blog, so I'll try maintaining both for a while and see how it goes. I will also try and take some updated pictures this weekend. There are some previous before/after progress pics on the ol' LJ.

While I still plan on posting my daily menus here as I currently do on Livejournal, the main reason I decided to start a new blog was to sort of force myself to talk in more detail about my food and fitness choices. PLEASE NOTE: You will notice that my daily menus consist of a food item with a little number next to it; this number is a Weight Watchers point value. I follow their points tracking system and also track using The Daily Plate (part of Livestrong). Just a quick FYI I felt I should make.

Now that that's out of the way, let's jump into this, shall we?

EXERCISE

This morning I rolled out of bed at 5:20 am and grunted my way to my little workout room. Today's special? Jillian Michaels' No More Trouble Zones DVD. As I'm getting closer to the 100 pound mark, I'm in need of some strength training to build a bit more muscle and tone up. Yes, I should have been doing strength training all along (and I have, just inconsistently), but to be perfectly honest, there's nothing I hate more than push-ups, weights, lunges, squats and ab work. I'd rather attempt to run a marathon without prior training than do a mix of those aforementioned exercises.

Cardio and I are pretty tight. Strength training is currently the acquaintance. We've hung out before a few times, but our meetings usually leave me disgruntled. I know if we hung out more, we'd develop a relationship that I would eventually benefit from... But... Damn it, I hate lunges and push-ups so gosh damn much. Ugh. Anywho. So I'm utilizing the No More Trouble Zones DVD as a way to get me more familiar and comfortable with resistance training. I'll also make attempts to use the weight machines at the gym more. But honestly, this whole process is going to be like pulling teeth. There are 100 things I would rather do. This is me, kicking and fussing over strength training.

On the upside, I got it out of the way before work, so I don't have to worry about talking myself out of it after work. My goal is to do the DVD again this Sunday, so hopefully I'll follow through.

FOOD

Since I already posted my food list here this morning, I'll just leave it there for now. The only major note I have about food today (so far) is that I tried the Boca sausage links for the first time this morning. Not too shabby. I'm not aiming to become a vegetarian, but as others trying to achieve weight-loss may have noticed, vegetarian products do offer lower calorie/lower fat alternatives, while still offering fiber and protein, my two favorite things to load up on. If I can't find a comparable turkey sausage next time I go to the store, I'll probably stick with the Boca links for a while. With 70 calories, 3 g of fat and 8g of protein, I'd consider them a nutritional bargain. The taste takes some getting used to, but overall, I was pleased. I was just excited to have my own sausage/egg/cheese McMuffin this morning, sans guilt. Lunch was leftover Thai Scallops & Noodles. Dinner is up in the air. Wednesday nights is Geeks Who Drink, so I usually try to wing it as far as dinner goes (soup, sandwich, etc.), unless I can come up with something to cook in about 30 minutes or less.

RECIPES

Trying new recipes has been crucial to my success in weight-loss. You'll have to browse previous LJ recipe posts for most of my stuff, but I will share the most recent recipes I tried this week: Italian Meatball Stew and Thai Scallops & Noodles. My version of the Thai dish included Ronzoni Smart Tatse pasta and PB2 Powdered Peanut Butter (seriously, I'm addicited to this stuff and will never go back to regular full-fat PB unless absolutely necessary).

Phew! Ok. I think I'm done here. I don't foresee future posts being quite this long, just needed to throw in some extra info here and there to bring folks up to speed.

Introduction

This is my first post in my brand spankin' new blog. For all of the newbies, my name is Tamara and I've been on a weight-loss journey since May of 2007. At 248 pounds, I joined Weight Watchers and made a commitment to lose the extra weight and get healthy.

The first 40 pounds came off pretty fast and easily. Then, when the holidays came around, I got off track and gained back 20 pounds over the next several months. In September of 2008, I recommitted to following the WW plan and became more diligent with my fitness routine, as I wanted to become a runner.

Since re-committing, I'm now down almost 90 pounds from my original (and highest) weight in May '07. I've also reached my goal of being able to run regularly. This blog will follow my eating/exercising habits and serve as a tool of accountability to help guide me to my goal weight and on to maintenance.

A little background: I started putting on extra weight at about age 8, so I've been on some diet or another for a good portion of my life. Like most people, I allowed diets to give me false and unrealistic hopes, thus never being able to lose or permanently keep off any pounds lost.

When I found myself squeezing into size 20 stretch jeans, I realized that no 24 year old should be as unhappy and unhealthy as I was. I had a doctor's appointment shortly after the stretch jean incident and my doc suggested Weight Watchers. I was skeptical about joining since my mother had previously enrolled me in WW at age 12, but I figured it was worth a shot; the worst that could happen is that it wouldn't work.

Long story short, the program did work. And still does. With WW, I finally found a program to help me re-configure my then-poor relationship with food. It wasn't about eating certain foods off of a list or drinking nothing but juice for 5 days in a row (been there, done that), but initiating a lifestyle change to lose the weight healthily and keep it off permanently.

Since intro posts tend to be a bit tame, I will warn that there will be occasional bouts of vulgarity. Weight-loss is tough and I'm crude young gal, so if I have a bad day or a bad weigh-in, expect an occasional f-bomb :)

Lastly, as for personal details, I'm 26 and live with my boyfriend of 3 years in Colorado. I graduated from UCCS in 2005 with a degree in Communication/Media Management, did some freelance writing on the side for a few years (on the side of internships, cashier duties and call center gigs) before settling into a cozy office job at my alma mater. My current longterm plan is to become certified as a personal trainer so I can then become certified as a Lifestyle and Weight Management Consultant. I also hope to relocate to Portland, OR someday.


***To view my previous entries on LiveJournal, please visit http://thatsnotflab.livejournal.com. There, you will find older daily menus, recipes and scale/non-scale milestones. I may or may not get around to copying all of that stuff over to this new blog. My guess is may not, at this point.