222.0 today
Yep, I paid for all that late night food. Sigh...
A revolutionary concept has been rattling around in my head for at least a week now. I think it's time to do some serious planning as a family, and sit down together to plan all the types of meals and snacks we will have in the house, and try to be as nutritious as we can stand. Then, don't buy any other type of food! Just quit buying unhealthy snack/convenience food altogether.
What I ate today -
Breakfast - Once again, I didn't get to this at all today. Darn it! I woke up at 5:30 am (not really on purpose), but I still didn't get to the rec center until nearly 10am, then I picked up my paycheck, deposited at the bank, did the shopping, and didn't get home and start eating until almost 1pm. Aaaarghhh!
Lunch - 1pm. The downside to waiting so long to eat, is that it makes you ravenously hungry. I ate about four dried apricot halves, had about 1/2 serving (around 25 crackers, maybe less) of whole grain chocolate Goldfish, 4 ot 5 bites of the mozz cheese scrambled eggs Gil made for breakfast, 1 banana wheat pancake no syrup, about 16 to 20 oz. fruit smoothie (1% milk, frozen strawberries, 1 overripe banana), 1 whole wheat tortilla with chicken breast and fat free sour cream dip, now about 20 oz. flavored water (apple generic crystal light).
Dinner - 6pm. about 1 to 1-1/2 cups pasta with spaghetti sauce and meatballs. Also about two cups romaine hearts lettuce and tomato salad with fat free raspberry vinaigrette and Salad Toppins. At least 30 oz. flavored water (apple generic crystal light).
Exercise - 10 min. on this machine that is kind of a hybrid elliptical and stairmaster, then 8 laps (1/4 mile) 15 min. in the pool.
Friday, July 31, 2009
6AM Addendum
Confession time. AFTER I posted last night, I went and ate some more potato salad, about five or six bites out of the container, then I made a batch of kettle corn (lightly sweet and salty popcorn), about 12 cups, and ate nearly all of it. "I can't believe I ate the whole thing!" Man, I was so stuffed. It was definitely emotional eating, because my body was telling me, "Don't do that, you'll regret it!" Sure enough, as I lay there, trying to fall asleep, I was so bloated and uncomfortable, understanding the appeal of bulemia, wishing I could get all that stuff out of my body. But, you know, that's just gross, and I don't need an eating disorder on top of all my other issues, so I just lay there and sucked it up like a man, or should I say, like a woman (you go, girl!)
I think I'll drink about five gallons of water today. And I feel like doing about 50 laps in the pool. I'm going to go get ready for the gym, and get that done first thing this morning. Lots of things to do today, let's see if I can get back into a good rhythm.
I think I'll drink about five gallons of water today. And I feel like doing about 50 laps in the pool. I'm going to go get ready for the gym, and get that done first thing this morning. Lots of things to do today, let's see if I can get back into a good rhythm.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Fell Off The Wagon At Dinner
220.5
Yep, knew a late dinner would show.
Exercise - 30 minutes running/walking on the treadmill. I did 1.75 miles, and it said I burned 185 calories. I tried jogging at first, but my knee started hurting in the first few minutes, so I thought I'd better switch to fast walking. But it felt like a good workout, I was totally pushing myself, my heartrate stayed up around 130.
What I ate today
Breakfast - 32 oz. water before, during, and after my workout, then nothing. Man, I gotta quit doing that. My brain is the most active in the morning, once I get going, and I have to get stuff done before I exercise, when I'm under a deadline. Then, I can go workout, but I don't want to eat before I weight myself at the rec center. Maybe I should just get over that, and eat anyway, when I'm not going to get to my workout for three or four hours.
Lunch - 1pm. 1 whole wheat tortilla, fat free refried beans, chicken breast, salsa, sour cream, romaine lettuce, tomato. Some baby carrots, one thick piece of my homemade wheat banana bread. Later, running errands, I probably had another 8 to 12 oz. water.
Dinner - 8pm. Here's the kicker. I was just at a point in the night where my brain hurt, and I just didn't want to think anymore about strategies to stick to my rules. And again, I should have eaten two or three hours ago. I made hamburgers for dinner, white bread rolls, slice swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato, ketchup, mustard, Miracle Whip light, and about 1/4 pound burger. Then I had potato chips, and potato salad. While I only had one plateful, it was definitely NOT a lowfat dinner. Then I had a thick piece of my homemade wheat banana bread, and about 1/2 to 3/4 cup vanilla bean ice cream, with about 12 oz. 1% milk to drink.
Okay, I pretty much threw in the towel, tonight. I was going to be ultra careful with my eating at dinner, and then I just said, "the heck with it." I think there are going to be days like that, but I'm going to try to get started a lot earlier tomorrow with my food, workout first thing before trying to tackle anything else.
Yep, knew a late dinner would show.
Exercise - 30 minutes running/walking on the treadmill. I did 1.75 miles, and it said I burned 185 calories. I tried jogging at first, but my knee started hurting in the first few minutes, so I thought I'd better switch to fast walking. But it felt like a good workout, I was totally pushing myself, my heartrate stayed up around 130.
What I ate today
Breakfast - 32 oz. water before, during, and after my workout, then nothing. Man, I gotta quit doing that. My brain is the most active in the morning, once I get going, and I have to get stuff done before I exercise, when I'm under a deadline. Then, I can go workout, but I don't want to eat before I weight myself at the rec center. Maybe I should just get over that, and eat anyway, when I'm not going to get to my workout for three or four hours.
Lunch - 1pm. 1 whole wheat tortilla, fat free refried beans, chicken breast, salsa, sour cream, romaine lettuce, tomato. Some baby carrots, one thick piece of my homemade wheat banana bread. Later, running errands, I probably had another 8 to 12 oz. water.
Dinner - 8pm. Here's the kicker. I was just at a point in the night where my brain hurt, and I just didn't want to think anymore about strategies to stick to my rules. And again, I should have eaten two or three hours ago. I made hamburgers for dinner, white bread rolls, slice swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato, ketchup, mustard, Miracle Whip light, and about 1/4 pound burger. Then I had potato chips, and potato salad. While I only had one plateful, it was definitely NOT a lowfat dinner. Then I had a thick piece of my homemade wheat banana bread, and about 1/2 to 3/4 cup vanilla bean ice cream, with about 12 oz. 1% milk to drink.
Okay, I pretty much threw in the towel, tonight. I was going to be ultra careful with my eating at dinner, and then I just said, "the heck with it." I think there are going to be days like that, but I'm going to try to get started a lot earlier tomorrow with my food, workout first thing before trying to tackle anything else.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
220
220.25 in my clothes
216.5 in my birthday suit
It's about freakin' time! See, that's what not-eating-after-dinner-and-resisting-the-dessert-buffet-last-night got me.
Exercise - 15 min. on the PRECOR Elliptical EFX576i, 1.10 miles, 1881 strides, 170.5 calories, crossramp 5, resist #6, then I swam 8 laps, which is 1/4 mile, in 15 min.
What I ate today -
Breakfast - 8oz. orange juice about 10 am. I kept telling myself that I was only going to eat after I had my workout, but my sewing repairs just kept taking forever, then I had to run them down to the dry cleaners.
Lunch - 32 oz. water during and after my workout, 1 cup lowfat pineapple cottage cheese, 2 oz. tortilla chips, about 10 baby carrots.
Dinner - late, around 8pm, but I started cooking around 6:30, and was snitching as I cooked. I had a bag of baby carrots out on the counter, and just grazed out of the bag. I kind of think it's not a bad way to deal with cooking in the kitchen. I totally snack as I cook, so until I can break that habit, I think having healthy food to snack on is a good compromise. I made a healthy banana bread recipe, substituting a lot of the "bad" stuff for healthier stuff. Instead of 4 eggs, I did two eggs and 2 egg whites. Instead of 1 cup butter, I did 1/2 cup canola oil and 1/2 cup applesauce. Instead of 3-1/2 cups white flour, I did half whole wheat and half white flour. Instead of 1-1/3 cup sugar, I only did 1 cup. It was still really good. I had two thick slices, with Smart Balance butter spread. Yeah, I know, it's not fat- or sugar-free, but it's an improvement. For dinner I had about 1/2 cup pesto spaghetti, and about 1 cup whole grain spaghetti with my homemade meat sauce, lean ground meat (cooked and drained). Also, 2 cups romaine heart lettuce with chunks of fresh roma tomatoes, just a little bit of Light Ranch and Salad Toppins. I also drank around 16 oz. 1% milk. Also, at least 16 oz. of water before bed.
The scales will not be kind to me in the morning. Too much food this late at night.
216.5 in my birthday suit
It's about freakin' time! See, that's what not-eating-after-dinner-and-resisting-the-dessert-buffet-last-night got me.
Exercise - 15 min. on the PRECOR Elliptical EFX576i, 1.10 miles, 1881 strides, 170.5 calories, crossramp 5, resist #6, then I swam 8 laps, which is 1/4 mile, in 15 min.
What I ate today -
Breakfast - 8oz. orange juice about 10 am. I kept telling myself that I was only going to eat after I had my workout, but my sewing repairs just kept taking forever, then I had to run them down to the dry cleaners.
Lunch - 32 oz. water during and after my workout, 1 cup lowfat pineapple cottage cheese, 2 oz. tortilla chips, about 10 baby carrots.
Dinner - late, around 8pm, but I started cooking around 6:30, and was snitching as I cooked. I had a bag of baby carrots out on the counter, and just grazed out of the bag. I kind of think it's not a bad way to deal with cooking in the kitchen. I totally snack as I cook, so until I can break that habit, I think having healthy food to snack on is a good compromise. I made a healthy banana bread recipe, substituting a lot of the "bad" stuff for healthier stuff. Instead of 4 eggs, I did two eggs and 2 egg whites. Instead of 1 cup butter, I did 1/2 cup canola oil and 1/2 cup applesauce. Instead of 3-1/2 cups white flour, I did half whole wheat and half white flour. Instead of 1-1/3 cup sugar, I only did 1 cup. It was still really good. I had two thick slices, with Smart Balance butter spread. Yeah, I know, it's not fat- or sugar-free, but it's an improvement. For dinner I had about 1/2 cup pesto spaghetti, and about 1 cup whole grain spaghetti with my homemade meat sauce, lean ground meat (cooked and drained). Also, 2 cups romaine heart lettuce with chunks of fresh roma tomatoes, just a little bit of Light Ranch and Salad Toppins. I also drank around 16 oz. 1% milk. Also, at least 16 oz. of water before bed.
The scales will not be kind to me in the morning. Too much food this late at night.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Buffet and Potluck Are My Weaknesses
222 even. Whatever.
But, if all I can lose is 1/4 pound a day, take that out over a year, and I can weigh 135 a year from now. That's a loss of 91 pounds. Not bad, not bad. Of course, I don't think my body will put up with that, 150 is probably more realistic. My bod is just dense, and I don't think it's all about the fat.
Exercise - 30 min. on the PRECOR Elliptical EFX576i, 2.18 miles, 3732 strides, 334.5 calories, crossramp 5, resist #5. I tried alternating 5 minutes forward strides with 5 minutes backwards strides. Man, it really kicked my butt. I was rhythmically breathing (one breath in, three "puffs" out) the last ten minutes or so, just trying to get through it.
What I ate today -
Breakfast - 32 oz. water during/after workout, 1/3 cup dry Malt-o-Meal (add 1 cup water) cooked with frozen strawberries and peaches, 2 Tbsp sliced almonds. I know this is repetetive, but I honestly like this stuff, and I'm just so busy, and motivated that time of day, I don't want to waste my productivity on cooking food. But when Gil made breakfast, he insisted I eat some, so I had two bites of his omelet-style scrambled eggs, and half of a small banana wheat pancake.
Lunch - skipped it again, but not on purpose, really. I was just under this deadline, trying to get these repairs and alterations done because they were due today, and then I was rushing like a madwoman trying to get dinner ready for the missionaries by 5pm. Yesterday, I said I was going to be naughty and bake some treats, but all I did was make banana bread, and promptly gave it away to the missionaires. Which reminds me, I did lick the spoon, probably about 1 tablespoon of batter.
Dinner - 5:30 pm, awesome tostadas, made using corn tortillas (lightly sprayed with canola oil, and crisped in a non-stick skillet), fat free refried beans (added sauteed onions & cumin), chicken breast, fat free sour cream, tomatoes, and salsa. I can't believe I only had two, but I did some snitching while I was cooking, had some pieces of chicken, several spoonsful of the refried beans, and about 1 oz. worth of cheddar cheese.
Okay, I had soooo many temptations, from the yummy chocolate treats at the checkout counter at Staples (cookie dough chocolate-covered bites, decadent), to the dessert table at the barbeque tonight (after dinner, I went to it with Gil for his youth activity), it was rough. I tell you what, if I wasn't blogging, and had this commitment to being accountable for my food intake, I definitely would have gorged myself at that barbeque tonight. Forget that I had just eaten, I would have snagged a hot and fresh hamburger, some yummy baked beans, a piece of that poppy seed cake and fruit pizza, no question. And that's just to start.
No doubt, buffet and potluck have always been my weaknesses. It's fun tasting new things and also indulging in old favorites. And hey, not having to cook it always makes it seem more appealing. Not that I'm a bad cook, in fact I do pretty well, but I just feel more indulgent when I eat someone else's food.
But, if all I can lose is 1/4 pound a day, take that out over a year, and I can weigh 135 a year from now. That's a loss of 91 pounds. Not bad, not bad. Of course, I don't think my body will put up with that, 150 is probably more realistic. My bod is just dense, and I don't think it's all about the fat.
Exercise - 30 min. on the PRECOR Elliptical EFX576i, 2.18 miles, 3732 strides, 334.5 calories, crossramp 5, resist #5. I tried alternating 5 minutes forward strides with 5 minutes backwards strides. Man, it really kicked my butt. I was rhythmically breathing (one breath in, three "puffs" out) the last ten minutes or so, just trying to get through it.
What I ate today -
Breakfast - 32 oz. water during/after workout, 1/3 cup dry Malt-o-Meal (add 1 cup water) cooked with frozen strawberries and peaches, 2 Tbsp sliced almonds. I know this is repetetive, but I honestly like this stuff, and I'm just so busy, and motivated that time of day, I don't want to waste my productivity on cooking food. But when Gil made breakfast, he insisted I eat some, so I had two bites of his omelet-style scrambled eggs, and half of a small banana wheat pancake.
Lunch - skipped it again, but not on purpose, really. I was just under this deadline, trying to get these repairs and alterations done because they were due today, and then I was rushing like a madwoman trying to get dinner ready for the missionaries by 5pm. Yesterday, I said I was going to be naughty and bake some treats, but all I did was make banana bread, and promptly gave it away to the missionaires. Which reminds me, I did lick the spoon, probably about 1 tablespoon of batter.
Dinner - 5:30 pm, awesome tostadas, made using corn tortillas (lightly sprayed with canola oil, and crisped in a non-stick skillet), fat free refried beans (added sauteed onions & cumin), chicken breast, fat free sour cream, tomatoes, and salsa. I can't believe I only had two, but I did some snitching while I was cooking, had some pieces of chicken, several spoonsful of the refried beans, and about 1 oz. worth of cheddar cheese.
Okay, I had soooo many temptations, from the yummy chocolate treats at the checkout counter at Staples (cookie dough chocolate-covered bites, decadent), to the dessert table at the barbeque tonight (after dinner, I went to it with Gil for his youth activity), it was rough. I tell you what, if I wasn't blogging, and had this commitment to being accountable for my food intake, I definitely would have gorged myself at that barbeque tonight. Forget that I had just eaten, I would have snagged a hot and fresh hamburger, some yummy baked beans, a piece of that poppy seed cake and fruit pizza, no question. And that's just to start.
No doubt, buffet and potluck have always been my weaknesses. It's fun tasting new things and also indulging in old favorites. And hey, not having to cook it always makes it seem more appealing. Not that I'm a bad cook, in fact I do pretty well, but I just feel more indulgent when I eat someone else's food.
Monday, July 27, 2009
222-1/4 Pounds
Weighed myself at the rec center, and I was down a whole 1/4 pound. Sheesh. I am so giggling right now, because I am writing about 1/4 pound. Whatever.
Exercise - Body Bar Conditioning class, about 50 minutes, totally kicked my butt! 7:30 pm - Put Connor in the bike trailer and we rode down to the library, about 5 minutes each way. 8:30 pm - Moved the furniture around in Dani's room, and honey, that was some work, because that stuff was heavy.
What I ate today -
Breakfast - 32 oz. water during/after workout, 1/3 cup dry Malt-o-Meal (add 1 cup water) cooked with frozen strawberries and peaches, 2 Tbsp sliced almonds
Lunch - I got so busy, I skipped it. That was probably stupid, because I sure made up for it at dinner time, and should have burned those calories earlier in the day. Plus, my metabolism probably dropped a little, having nothing to "chew" on. But I drank about another 16 oz. water.
Dinner - 5:30 pm, 8oz. cooked spinach with a little Smart Balance butter spread, 1 plum, 6 to 8 baby carrots, 1 cup salad (romaine hearts, roma tomatoes) with a little Light Ranch & Salad Toppins, about 1/2 to 3/4 cup basil pesto linguine (whole wheat), about 1/2 to 3/4 cup sun dried tomato pesto linguine (whole wheat), two corn tortillas (which I crisped in a non-stick skillet, no oil needed) topped with about 1/4 to 1/3 cup fat free refried beans (to which I'd added cumin and onions sauteed in Smart Balance Light) and fat free sour cream, plus probably a few more baby carrots, about 16 oz. water flavored with Crystal Light, and I will probably have some more water at bedtime. Okay, kind of piggy, but at least it there were a LOT of veggies and whole grain things in there, plus things were low fat or no fat.
Man, those tostadas were awesome!!! The missionaries are coming to dinner tomorrow, and I think I'll make a tostada bar, make a chicken fajita filling again, plus any other yummy veggie-type topping I can think of. Okay, I like making treats for the missionaries to take home with them, so I might be a bad girl tomorrow, and make some naughty baked goods, and obviously, I will probably eat some. But I am going to try out a modified banana bread recipe, taking out the butter, and putting canola oil and applesauce in its place, also put in egg whites instead of whole eggs, and maybe make it half whole wheat flour, half white flour.
Exercise - Body Bar Conditioning class, about 50 minutes, totally kicked my butt! 7:30 pm - Put Connor in the bike trailer and we rode down to the library, about 5 minutes each way. 8:30 pm - Moved the furniture around in Dani's room, and honey, that was some work, because that stuff was heavy.
What I ate today -
Breakfast - 32 oz. water during/after workout, 1/3 cup dry Malt-o-Meal (add 1 cup water) cooked with frozen strawberries and peaches, 2 Tbsp sliced almonds
Lunch - I got so busy, I skipped it. That was probably stupid, because I sure made up for it at dinner time, and should have burned those calories earlier in the day. Plus, my metabolism probably dropped a little, having nothing to "chew" on. But I drank about another 16 oz. water.
Dinner - 5:30 pm, 8oz. cooked spinach with a little Smart Balance butter spread, 1 plum, 6 to 8 baby carrots, 1 cup salad (romaine hearts, roma tomatoes) with a little Light Ranch & Salad Toppins, about 1/2 to 3/4 cup basil pesto linguine (whole wheat), about 1/2 to 3/4 cup sun dried tomato pesto linguine (whole wheat), two corn tortillas (which I crisped in a non-stick skillet, no oil needed) topped with about 1/4 to 1/3 cup fat free refried beans (to which I'd added cumin and onions sauteed in Smart Balance Light) and fat free sour cream, plus probably a few more baby carrots, about 16 oz. water flavored with Crystal Light, and I will probably have some more water at bedtime. Okay, kind of piggy, but at least it there were a LOT of veggies and whole grain things in there, plus things were low fat or no fat.
Man, those tostadas were awesome!!! The missionaries are coming to dinner tomorrow, and I think I'll make a tostada bar, make a chicken fajita filling again, plus any other yummy veggie-type topping I can think of. Okay, I like making treats for the missionaries to take home with them, so I might be a bad girl tomorrow, and make some naughty baked goods, and obviously, I will probably eat some. But I am going to try out a modified banana bread recipe, taking out the butter, and putting canola oil and applesauce in its place, also put in egg whites instead of whole eggs, and maybe make it half whole wheat flour, half white flour.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Grazing Sunday
Okay, it's only 5:45 pm, and I've got to get my food written down, before I forgot what I ate, 'cause I was in "snacky" mode today.
Breakfast - one sweet potato pancake with a little Smart Balance butter spread, no syrup, a big glass of orange juice, probably about 16 - 20 oz.
Lunch - about two to two-and-a-half cups homemade beef stew (beef, pork, beef broth, potatoes, carrots, pureed canned tomatoes), 1 piece homemade cornbread with Smart Balance spread (when I get my recipe blog up and running, I've got to post this, I made some substitutes so it was healthier, and it tasted really good), a handful or two of tortilla chips/crumbs while I cooked, 8 to 10 oz. 1% milk, about 14 oz. crystal light flavored water
Late Afternoon - three or four bites of stew, about two Tablespoons grated cojack cheese, 1 piece mini banana bread, 1 piece cornbread, about 1/2 to 2/3 cup fat free sour cream mixed with about 2 Tablespoons green salsa and the last of the chip crumbs in the bottom of the chip bag, another 14 oz. crystal light flavored water
Sheesh. And right now I feel totally stuffed. I made myself leave the kitchen, and go back downstairs to my craftroom because, clearly, I was just grazing.
I wonder why I was so "snacky." I think it's something about the psychology of lazy Sundays, backed with my lack of exercise, which I never do on a Sunday. I really think daily exercise helps curb your appetite. Not exercising on a Sunday is a religious thing ("resting from all your labors"), although honestly, I do use that as kind of an excuse. Any opinions on this, family?
9:30 pm - I have been lusting after food off and on for about four hours now, and I really, really want to eat a whole bunch of stuff. I want it so bad, I just about want to cry:
leftover chicken fried rice, more cornbread, ice cream (that's a craving that never goes away), chocolate (I made a treat bag for one of my VTeez, with totally yummy chocolate raspberry m&ms), chips and salsa, jalepeno poppers, cheesesticks, and the list goes on...
But I resisted all of them, because I know I have to write it down where other people will read it, and I have to face it, and I still feel a little bloated from all the food I ate earlier. Plus, I just know the scales are not going to be kind in the morning, and I don't want to make the damage any worse. Daily accountability, in some form, is really helping me out.
Also, I've been trying to drink lots of water since about 5pm. I figure it's going to help in the digestion, flush out the system better, so to speak.
Breakfast - one sweet potato pancake with a little Smart Balance butter spread, no syrup, a big glass of orange juice, probably about 16 - 20 oz.
Lunch - about two to two-and-a-half cups homemade beef stew (beef, pork, beef broth, potatoes, carrots, pureed canned tomatoes), 1 piece homemade cornbread with Smart Balance spread (when I get my recipe blog up and running, I've got to post this, I made some substitutes so it was healthier, and it tasted really good), a handful or two of tortilla chips/crumbs while I cooked, 8 to 10 oz. 1% milk, about 14 oz. crystal light flavored water
Late Afternoon - three or four bites of stew, about two Tablespoons grated cojack cheese, 1 piece mini banana bread, 1 piece cornbread, about 1/2 to 2/3 cup fat free sour cream mixed with about 2 Tablespoons green salsa and the last of the chip crumbs in the bottom of the chip bag, another 14 oz. crystal light flavored water
Sheesh. And right now I feel totally stuffed. I made myself leave the kitchen, and go back downstairs to my craftroom because, clearly, I was just grazing.
I wonder why I was so "snacky." I think it's something about the psychology of lazy Sundays, backed with my lack of exercise, which I never do on a Sunday. I really think daily exercise helps curb your appetite. Not exercising on a Sunday is a religious thing ("resting from all your labors"), although honestly, I do use that as kind of an excuse. Any opinions on this, family?
9:30 pm - I have been lusting after food off and on for about four hours now, and I really, really want to eat a whole bunch of stuff. I want it so bad, I just about want to cry:
leftover chicken fried rice, more cornbread, ice cream (that's a craving that never goes away), chocolate (I made a treat bag for one of my VTeez, with totally yummy chocolate raspberry m&ms), chips and salsa, jalepeno poppers, cheesesticks, and the list goes on...
But I resisted all of them, because I know I have to write it down where other people will read it, and I have to face it, and I still feel a little bloated from all the food I ate earlier. Plus, I just know the scales are not going to be kind in the morning, and I don't want to make the damage any worse. Daily accountability, in some form, is really helping me out.
Also, I've been trying to drink lots of water since about 5pm. I figure it's going to help in the digestion, flush out the system better, so to speak.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Yes, But I'm Still Cute
Wow, had my first totally random comment yesterday from a complete stranger. Thanks "J"! If you're still reading, I'm curious about how you found my blog, and judging from your use of kilos as a measurement, are you from Great Britain or Canada? I kind of think it's cool, though, to have people I don't know comment on this blog. Weight loss is definitely one of those things that benefits from a lot of input and support from other people.
As wretched as those beginning swimsuit pictures are, I still feel like I could say something positive - I may be a fat little budda, but I'm a cute fat little budda, so there. And I also like my face in this picture, for some reason, even though my expression is a little goofy.
Some good things to say about my body: I like my eye color (hazel), my hair color (kind of a dark blond/light brown with subtle variations in color), the shape of my calves (they're still too big, but I think they will look good when the extra weight comes off), and just the overall shape of my body. Yep, it's still too huge, obviously, but just like my calves, I think it's going to look great when I reach my goal. And I like the shape of my feet. While they are annoyingly difficult to fit because they are wide (there are so many cute shoes I can't buy because my feet are wide, and weight loss is not going to fix that, RATS!!!), I still like the shape of them, and my toes. And I am blessed with good skin. I rarely wear makeup, mostly because I hate the feel of it on my face, but also because I don't have to. Amen.
Speaking of which, what is my goal, really? I know I want to be smaller, and to be in good shape, physically, but do I have a goal weight? At this point, I'd like to weigh about 150 pounds, but even in college, it seemed like I couldn't get it under 155, so I guess we'll see what happens. And frankly, being a size 10 sounds great! I know it's not a six 6, or a size 2, like so many people with dieting successes seem to be showcasing (how in the world do people do that and still stand up straight without passing out?!), but I think it would be really awesome shopping for, and fitting into, a size 10. Being in the size 20's for most of my adult life makes being a size 10 sound heavenly.
Weighed 222.5 again at the rec center. I weigh myself with my clothes and shoes on, just because I want to be able to just pop on the scales whenever I'm there, and not worry about getting undressed just to weigh myself for an accurate base of comparison with other days.
What I ate today -
Breakfast - 32 oz. water during/after workout, 1 piece mini banana bread, 1/3 cup dry Malt-o-Meal (add 1 cup water) cooked with frozen strawberries and blueberries, 2 Tbsp sliced almonds, 8 oz. 1% milk
Lunch - 2 or 3 pieces of mini banana bread, 8 oz. 1% milk, a Very Veggie Burrito (1 whole wheat tortilla, stir-fried chicken breast, stir-fried onions, stir-fried bell peppers, stir-fried tomatillos, fresh tomatoes, green onions, shredded cabbage, fat-free sour cream). Then I had (gasp!) some Rocky Road ice cream, but at least I kept the portion small, around 1/2 to 3/4 cup. I figured if I was going to have some, I could at least keep the portion small.
Dinner - about 3 cups of a fruit smoothie. I used 1% milk, and frozen mixed fruit (strawberries, mango, pineapple, peaches), plus I added some wheat germ.
Funny this is, I felt kind of piggy this afternoon, but I look at it now, and really, I did a good job. When dinner rolled around, I just wasn't hungry. A lot of food sounded interesting, but I knew I could easily get by without eating much of anything.
Exercise - I wanted to swim today, but the pool wasn't open until noon, so I just did the elliptical, but I tried to keep it challenging by alternating frontwards and backwards strokes, and by pumping up the resistance level. I did the PRECOR Elliptical EFX 556, 30 minutes, 17 minutes at resistance #6, and 13 minutes at resistance #8. It was 2.39 miles, 3648 strides, and 386.8 calories. I know this may not be scientifically exact for my own personal body, but holy cow! I burned nearly 400 calories in one 1/2 hour exercise! Funny thing. I can always go faster & harder the second half of my workout than the first half. I think I'm better at endurance than speed.
I took about an hour nap in the afternoon, after lunch. I bet it killed some of the calorie burning. Oh, well, maybe my body needed it for something else.
Also, I didn't really work out in the evening, but I did work up a sweat going up and down the stairs constantly, with cleaning the house and bossing/helping the kids with various things, while trying to squeeze in work on clearing out my beading supplies.
As wretched as those beginning swimsuit pictures are, I still feel like I could say something positive - I may be a fat little budda, but I'm a cute fat little budda, so there. And I also like my face in this picture, for some reason, even though my expression is a little goofy.
Some good things to say about my body: I like my eye color (hazel), my hair color (kind of a dark blond/light brown with subtle variations in color), the shape of my calves (they're still too big, but I think they will look good when the extra weight comes off), and just the overall shape of my body. Yep, it's still too huge, obviously, but just like my calves, I think it's going to look great when I reach my goal. And I like the shape of my feet. While they are annoyingly difficult to fit because they are wide (there are so many cute shoes I can't buy because my feet are wide, and weight loss is not going to fix that, RATS!!!), I still like the shape of them, and my toes. And I am blessed with good skin. I rarely wear makeup, mostly because I hate the feel of it on my face, but also because I don't have to. Amen.
Speaking of which, what is my goal, really? I know I want to be smaller, and to be in good shape, physically, but do I have a goal weight? At this point, I'd like to weigh about 150 pounds, but even in college, it seemed like I couldn't get it under 155, so I guess we'll see what happens. And frankly, being a size 10 sounds great! I know it's not a six 6, or a size 2, like so many people with dieting successes seem to be showcasing (how in the world do people do that and still stand up straight without passing out?!), but I think it would be really awesome shopping for, and fitting into, a size 10. Being in the size 20's for most of my adult life makes being a size 10 sound heavenly.
Weighed 222.5 again at the rec center. I weigh myself with my clothes and shoes on, just because I want to be able to just pop on the scales whenever I'm there, and not worry about getting undressed just to weigh myself for an accurate base of comparison with other days.
What I ate today -
Breakfast - 32 oz. water during/after workout, 1 piece mini banana bread, 1/3 cup dry Malt-o-Meal (add 1 cup water) cooked with frozen strawberries and blueberries, 2 Tbsp sliced almonds, 8 oz. 1% milk
Lunch - 2 or 3 pieces of mini banana bread, 8 oz. 1% milk, a Very Veggie Burrito (1 whole wheat tortilla, stir-fried chicken breast, stir-fried onions, stir-fried bell peppers, stir-fried tomatillos, fresh tomatoes, green onions, shredded cabbage, fat-free sour cream). Then I had (gasp!) some Rocky Road ice cream, but at least I kept the portion small, around 1/2 to 3/4 cup. I figured if I was going to have some, I could at least keep the portion small.
Dinner - about 3 cups of a fruit smoothie. I used 1% milk, and frozen mixed fruit (strawberries, mango, pineapple, peaches), plus I added some wheat germ.
Funny this is, I felt kind of piggy this afternoon, but I look at it now, and really, I did a good job. When dinner rolled around, I just wasn't hungry. A lot of food sounded interesting, but I knew I could easily get by without eating much of anything.
Exercise - I wanted to swim today, but the pool wasn't open until noon, so I just did the elliptical, but I tried to keep it challenging by alternating frontwards and backwards strokes, and by pumping up the resistance level. I did the PRECOR Elliptical EFX 556, 30 minutes, 17 minutes at resistance #6, and 13 minutes at resistance #8. It was 2.39 miles, 3648 strides, and 386.8 calories. I know this may not be scientifically exact for my own personal body, but holy cow! I burned nearly 400 calories in one 1/2 hour exercise! Funny thing. I can always go faster & harder the second half of my workout than the first half. I think I'm better at endurance than speed.
I took about an hour nap in the afternoon, after lunch. I bet it killed some of the calorie burning. Oh, well, maybe my body needed it for something else.
Also, I didn't really work out in the evening, but I did work up a sweat going up and down the stairs constantly, with cleaning the house and bossing/helping the kids with various things, while trying to squeeze in work on clearing out my beading supplies.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Skip the Indulgences
I weighed 222.5 today, a half pound loss. Still goin'! I expect that I won't see dramatic weight loss all the time, or even that I'll lose weight. But it's fun to step on the scales, and see weight come off. It helps me avoid those little indulgences that pop up everyday.
Oh, I also wanted to write down my measurements, so I've got a starting point.
Waist - 42"
Hips - 52"
Chest - 39.5"
Bust - 46"
Thigh (widest point right at top) - 30"
Bicep (widest point) - 15"
What I ate today:
Breakfast - 32 oz. water during/after workout, 1 piece banana bread, 1/3 cup dry Malt-o-Meal (add 1 cup water) cooked with frozen strawberries and blueberries plus 2 Tbsp. sliced almonds, 8 oz. 1% milk
Lunch - about 1/8 of Emma's peanut butter jelly sandwich on wheat plus the crusts, 1 plum, 1 cup turkey chili with fresh tomato & fat-free sour cream, 12 tortilla chips (looking on the back in the back, this came to about 350 calories, yikes! maybe next time I could try crisping some corn tortillas in a non-stick skillet), about 8 baby carrots, water
Afternoon - 32 oz. water flavored with apple crystal light
Dinner - Very Veggie Burrito (1 whole wheat tortilla, stir-fried chicken breast, stir-fried onions, stir-fried bell peppers, stir-fried tomatillos, fresh tomatoes, green onions, shredded cabbage, fat-free sour cream). The only downside to my dinner, was that I didn't get to eat until very late, almost 8pm. It would have been better if it was more like 5 or 6pm. I bet that shows in the scales tomorrow. I also had most of one liter of sodium-free seltzer flavored with strawberry/orange/banana crystal light. I've figured out that what I love the most about soda pop is the cool and refreshing bubbles, so why not just buy carbonated water, and mix in my own flavors? This would go really well with juice concentrate. I should hunt down where I can get this sodium-free seltzer in bulk, and maybe some online source for drink flavors without the sugar or artificial sugar. Because $1 per liter of the seltzer is too expensive, even though I like it a lot.
I love this breakfast, it's so warm and filling, very much a comfort food, but one that's good for me!. I added the almonds today, I wanted to get more protein in, for all those muscles I'm building, right?
This tasted sooo good! I've been thinking about starting a food blog for a while, just a place to show recipes I've come up with, kind of like an online cookbook. It's not something I'd post on everyday, but when I find something that tastes good, I want to put it on there, especially now that I'm trying to eat healthier, and will be experimenting with food more. I've reserved the blog name, Becky's Kitchen Creations, but it might be a few days before there's actually anything on there.
There were lots of times today, when I was tempted to eat something I shouldn't, such as when Dani busted out a huge chocolate bar when we were cleaning her room. But I just kept thinking of stepping on the scales tomorrow, and whatever shows up, I don't want to have a lot of regrets about indulging in things I wish I'd skipped. And I soooooo wanted some ice cream today, especially when Connor had some orange cream ice cream. Yummmm!! But again, I didn't want any regrets, so none for me.
I sat there thinking, "Man, am I never going to let myself eat ice cream again?!" I doubt that will hold, but these daily indulgences I've been doing for a long time have to stop. And it makes me kind of sad to lose the comfort of running to the freezer for a bowl of ice cream at the end of a long day. But, hopefully, I'm giving that up, at least on a regular basis, for something better, a healthier body. I guess I can do fruit smoothies more often, just throw some frozen fruit and lowfat milk in the blender.
Exercise - 20 min on Elliptical - PRECOR EFX576i, crossramp 5 (of 10), resistance 6 (of 10), 1.49 miles, 2335 strides, 233.5 calories. I did the alternating forwards and backwards strides again, lots more intense. Then, I swam for 16 mintues, 8 laps, 400 meters, 1/4 mile.
Big thing - when I did all the cleaning and moving in prep for rearranging Dani's room, I took a good look at the Gazelle striding machine that I've had for years, and it occurred to me it might be a good idea to get rid of it. Our community rec center is really awesome, and I've been enjoying the variety of exercising I can do there, which is probably better for my body. I think my body just completely plateaued on the Gazelle, way too used to the same motion over and over, and even though it's been a great machine to have, after all, I lost nearly 50 pounds with that thing last go-around, I think it's time to move on. Besides, Zen will be so excited to have that thing out of our bedroom, and so will I.
It's been a good ride.
Oh, I also wanted to write down my measurements, so I've got a starting point.
Waist - 42"
Hips - 52"
Chest - 39.5"
Bust - 46"
Thigh (widest point right at top) - 30"
Bicep (widest point) - 15"
What I ate today:
Breakfast - 32 oz. water during/after workout, 1 piece banana bread, 1/3 cup dry Malt-o-Meal (add 1 cup water) cooked with frozen strawberries and blueberries plus 2 Tbsp. sliced almonds, 8 oz. 1% milk
Lunch - about 1/8 of Emma's peanut butter jelly sandwich on wheat plus the crusts, 1 plum, 1 cup turkey chili with fresh tomato & fat-free sour cream, 12 tortilla chips (looking on the back in the back, this came to about 350 calories, yikes! maybe next time I could try crisping some corn tortillas in a non-stick skillet), about 8 baby carrots, water
Afternoon - 32 oz. water flavored with apple crystal light
Dinner - Very Veggie Burrito (1 whole wheat tortilla, stir-fried chicken breast, stir-fried onions, stir-fried bell peppers, stir-fried tomatillos, fresh tomatoes, green onions, shredded cabbage, fat-free sour cream). The only downside to my dinner, was that I didn't get to eat until very late, almost 8pm. It would have been better if it was more like 5 or 6pm. I bet that shows in the scales tomorrow. I also had most of one liter of sodium-free seltzer flavored with strawberry/orange/banana crystal light. I've figured out that what I love the most about soda pop is the cool and refreshing bubbles, so why not just buy carbonated water, and mix in my own flavors? This would go really well with juice concentrate. I should hunt down where I can get this sodium-free seltzer in bulk, and maybe some online source for drink flavors without the sugar or artificial sugar. Because $1 per liter of the seltzer is too expensive, even though I like it a lot.
I love this breakfast, it's so warm and filling, very much a comfort food, but one that's good for me!. I added the almonds today, I wanted to get more protein in, for all those muscles I'm building, right?
This tasted sooo good! I've been thinking about starting a food blog for a while, just a place to show recipes I've come up with, kind of like an online cookbook. It's not something I'd post on everyday, but when I find something that tastes good, I want to put it on there, especially now that I'm trying to eat healthier, and will be experimenting with food more. I've reserved the blog name, Becky's Kitchen Creations, but it might be a few days before there's actually anything on there.There were lots of times today, when I was tempted to eat something I shouldn't, such as when Dani busted out a huge chocolate bar when we were cleaning her room. But I just kept thinking of stepping on the scales tomorrow, and whatever shows up, I don't want to have a lot of regrets about indulging in things I wish I'd skipped. And I soooooo wanted some ice cream today, especially when Connor had some orange cream ice cream. Yummmm!! But again, I didn't want any regrets, so none for me.
I sat there thinking, "Man, am I never going to let myself eat ice cream again?!" I doubt that will hold, but these daily indulgences I've been doing for a long time have to stop. And it makes me kind of sad to lose the comfort of running to the freezer for a bowl of ice cream at the end of a long day. But, hopefully, I'm giving that up, at least on a regular basis, for something better, a healthier body. I guess I can do fruit smoothies more often, just throw some frozen fruit and lowfat milk in the blender.
Exercise - 20 min on Elliptical - PRECOR EFX576i, crossramp 5 (of 10), resistance 6 (of 10), 1.49 miles, 2335 strides, 233.5 calories. I did the alternating forwards and backwards strides again, lots more intense. Then, I swam for 16 mintues, 8 laps, 400 meters, 1/4 mile.
Big thing - when I did all the cleaning and moving in prep for rearranging Dani's room, I took a good look at the Gazelle striding machine that I've had for years, and it occurred to me it might be a good idea to get rid of it. Our community rec center is really awesome, and I've been enjoying the variety of exercising I can do there, which is probably better for my body. I think my body just completely plateaued on the Gazelle, way too used to the same motion over and over, and even though it's been a great machine to have, after all, I lost nearly 50 pounds with that thing last go-around, I think it's time to move on. Besides, Zen will be so excited to have that thing out of our bedroom, and so will I.
It's been a good ride.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
My Magic Diet Pill Formula
Man, I gotta start writing these blog posts earlier in the night, because by now, at 1am, my brain is shot. And I don't get to say everything I thought about during the day.
Okay. HOLY MONKEYS!! OH MY UNHOLY MONKEYS!!! I weighed myself at the rec center this morning, and I lost another 2 pounds. What the?!!!! Dude, it's like I discovered my own personal magic diet pill. Here's the recipe:
1. Cut the simple carbs (things with table sugar, white-flour-based food like crackers)
2. Increase fresh fruits and veggies, as well as whole grain foods.
3. Watch portion sizes. Just eat until you are satisfied, not full. And yes, there is a difference. Quit thinking full is satisfying, or the goal of eating. There's a difference between satiety and being stuffed.
4. Recognize when you want food for emotional/impulse reasons, not basic physical reasons. Then, whatever it is, don't eat it!
5. Drink lots and lots of water.
6. Exercise!!! Man, you've got to push yourself. A casual walk isn't going to cut it. Constantly challenge your body. Never plateau and let your body get used to only one type of exercise. Either step up the level of intensity, or do a different exercise that your body isn't used to.
7. Do some type of light exercise after dinner, even if you just go walk around the block for 15 to 20 minutes. I'm not a scientist, so this is just my opinion, but it seems like it prevents your body from going into a sluggish shutdown, and thereby burning less calories and storing more calories as fat, at a time of day when most people have eaten the biggest meal of the day.
8. But my favorite rule for myself, and one that seems to be making the most difference, both now and in times past, is to QUIT EATING at least four hours before going to bed. And five or six will make an even bigger difference. Give your body the opportunity to burn off what you ate, so that it will go to work getting rid of fat while you sleep. Refer back to rule #7 about light exericise after dinner. I'm thinking I need to switch my cultural relationship with food, and start making lunch my biggest meal of the day, instead of dinner.
9. TIME. Just keep on trucking, sister. You know what to do, just keep doing it.
After all my experiences over the past two to three years, exercising and dieting, I know exactly what I need to do, for my own personal body. And, now that my head is back on straight, and I've left my big cocoon of procrastination, I feel like now all I have to do is apply the last ingredient of time. The decision struggles are over. I know what's going to work on my personal body. I just need to get it done.
What I ate today - 32 oz. water, 1/3 cup dry Malt-o-Meal (add 1 cup water) cooked with frozen strawberries and blueberries, handful of grapes, 1 piece of banana bread, 8 oz. 1% milk, 1 cup lettuce & tomato salad with raspberry vinaigrette dressing & Salad Toppins dry topping, 6 oz. cooked spinach, one more handful of grapes, 1 more piece of banana bread, about 1/3 of Emma's cheesy brat no bun, 2 thick pieces of wheat bread, ham & swiss cheese lettuce & tomato, 2 Tbsp. Miracle Whip Light, 3 baby carrots, a few more grapes. 1 piece of banana bread, 32 oz. water. I was done eating about 6:30 pm.
Exercise -
20 min on Elliptical - PRECOR EFX576i, crossramp 5 (of 10), resistance 6 (of 10), 1.47 miles, 2495 strides, 228.5 calories. Then, I swam for 20 mintues, 10 laps, 500meters. I felt great after all that exericise. I think a healthy body just likes exercise more, looks forward to it. The more you exercise, the easier it gets to push yourself into higher levels of exercise. After dinner, I cleaned out the garage, lifting boxes, etc.
Food temptations: It's hard not to eat the kids' leftovers. I kept trying to give Emma the last few bites of her hot dog, so I wound up eating it. I should have just thrown it away. And tonight, when I picked up Gil from the last play performance, he was determined to celebrate with a smoothie from Taco Time. It was torture smelling those great Mexican Food smells. I think I will make a healthy version of burritos tomorrow. Craving some Mexican food! Also, I love the banana bread, but I think I can take the original recipe, and make some alterations so that it has less fat and sugar, and more whole grain.
Okay. HOLY MONKEYS!! OH MY UNHOLY MONKEYS!!! I weighed myself at the rec center this morning, and I lost another 2 pounds. What the?!!!! Dude, it's like I discovered my own personal magic diet pill. Here's the recipe:
1. Cut the simple carbs (things with table sugar, white-flour-based food like crackers)
2. Increase fresh fruits and veggies, as well as whole grain foods.
3. Watch portion sizes. Just eat until you are satisfied, not full. And yes, there is a difference. Quit thinking full is satisfying, or the goal of eating. There's a difference between satiety and being stuffed.
4. Recognize when you want food for emotional/impulse reasons, not basic physical reasons. Then, whatever it is, don't eat it!
5. Drink lots and lots of water.
6. Exercise!!! Man, you've got to push yourself. A casual walk isn't going to cut it. Constantly challenge your body. Never plateau and let your body get used to only one type of exercise. Either step up the level of intensity, or do a different exercise that your body isn't used to.
7. Do some type of light exercise after dinner, even if you just go walk around the block for 15 to 20 minutes. I'm not a scientist, so this is just my opinion, but it seems like it prevents your body from going into a sluggish shutdown, and thereby burning less calories and storing more calories as fat, at a time of day when most people have eaten the biggest meal of the day.
8. But my favorite rule for myself, and one that seems to be making the most difference, both now and in times past, is to QUIT EATING at least four hours before going to bed. And five or six will make an even bigger difference. Give your body the opportunity to burn off what you ate, so that it will go to work getting rid of fat while you sleep. Refer back to rule #7 about light exericise after dinner. I'm thinking I need to switch my cultural relationship with food, and start making lunch my biggest meal of the day, instead of dinner.
9. TIME. Just keep on trucking, sister. You know what to do, just keep doing it.
After all my experiences over the past two to three years, exercising and dieting, I know exactly what I need to do, for my own personal body. And, now that my head is back on straight, and I've left my big cocoon of procrastination, I feel like now all I have to do is apply the last ingredient of time. The decision struggles are over. I know what's going to work on my personal body. I just need to get it done.
What I ate today - 32 oz. water, 1/3 cup dry Malt-o-Meal (add 1 cup water) cooked with frozen strawberries and blueberries, handful of grapes, 1 piece of banana bread, 8 oz. 1% milk, 1 cup lettuce & tomato salad with raspberry vinaigrette dressing & Salad Toppins dry topping, 6 oz. cooked spinach, one more handful of grapes, 1 more piece of banana bread, about 1/3 of Emma's cheesy brat no bun, 2 thick pieces of wheat bread, ham & swiss cheese lettuce & tomato, 2 Tbsp. Miracle Whip Light, 3 baby carrots, a few more grapes. 1 piece of banana bread, 32 oz. water. I was done eating about 6:30 pm.
Exercise -
20 min on Elliptical - PRECOR EFX576i, crossramp 5 (of 10), resistance 6 (of 10), 1.47 miles, 2495 strides, 228.5 calories. Then, I swam for 20 mintues, 10 laps, 500meters. I felt great after all that exericise. I think a healthy body just likes exercise more, looks forward to it. The more you exercise, the easier it gets to push yourself into higher levels of exercise. After dinner, I cleaned out the garage, lifting boxes, etc.
Food temptations: It's hard not to eat the kids' leftovers. I kept trying to give Emma the last few bites of her hot dog, so I wound up eating it. I should have just thrown it away. And tonight, when I picked up Gil from the last play performance, he was determined to celebrate with a smoothie from Taco Time. It was torture smelling those great Mexican Food smells. I think I will make a healthy version of burritos tomorrow. Craving some Mexican food! Also, I love the banana bread, but I think I can take the original recipe, and make some alterations so that it has less fat and sugar, and more whole grain.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Nighttime is the Worst
Weighed myself at the Rec Center scales in the locker room. It was 225. A loss of 2 pounds!! Watching portion sizes, packing in more nutrition, and not eating after dinner is everything.
What I ate today - one bite of Zen's Subway sandwhich, 32 oz. water during workout & after, 1/3 cup Malt-o-Meal cooked with frozen strawberries, one piece whole wheat bread with Smart Balance Light butter spread, 1 plum, one piece medium loaf banana bread, about a card-deck size pork steak, 1-1/2 med. potatoes with Smart Balance Light butter spread & fat free sour cream w/seasonings stirred in, 3/4 to 1 cup salad (romaine, tomatoes, raspberry vinaigrette), two pieces banana bread, 16 oz. crystal light, 32 oz. water. I had lots to drink, but no food after 4:30 pm.
I have super cravings at night, when I'm slowing down, and spending more time upstairs with the kids, passing by the kitchen a zillion times. After the bike ride, I was in the garage getting a quick mac & cheese microwave dinner for Emma, and I saw the Neapolitan ice cream, and I really, really wanted some, as well as the creamy mac and cheese, but I resisted it by remembering I'll be weighing myself tomorrow. I could get addicted to the thrill of success found at the scales.
Exercise - 30 min on Elliptical - PRECOR EFX576i, crossramp 5 (of 10), resistance 6 (of 10), 2.20 miles, 3757 strides, 345.0 calories. What I did differently, was I rotated between two minutes of forward strides and one minute of backwards strides. I'd never done the backwards strides, and it really worked a different set of muscles, so it was an intense workout. Also, took the kids for a ride down to the library, probably two rounded miles. While I'm certainly not going to make myself have two hard workouts a day, I think it's going to help if I do some kind of light exercise in the evening, like take a walk, or a leisurely bike ride with the kids.
I was thinking today, one of the ways to celebrate along the way, is to recognize little goals. I think when I've lost about 10 or 15 pounds, I might treat myself to a cute exercise outfit. I can't wait to be back in a size 16. Gaining back 20 pounds this winter put me back in an 18, and honestly, it's a really tight fit. A size 20 pants is more comfortable. But I remember that being in a 16 made me feel great! Can't wait to be back to that.
What I ate today - one bite of Zen's Subway sandwhich, 32 oz. water during workout & after, 1/3 cup Malt-o-Meal cooked with frozen strawberries, one piece whole wheat bread with Smart Balance Light butter spread, 1 plum, one piece medium loaf banana bread, about a card-deck size pork steak, 1-1/2 med. potatoes with Smart Balance Light butter spread & fat free sour cream w/seasonings stirred in, 3/4 to 1 cup salad (romaine, tomatoes, raspberry vinaigrette), two pieces banana bread, 16 oz. crystal light, 32 oz. water. I had lots to drink, but no food after 4:30 pm.
I have super cravings at night, when I'm slowing down, and spending more time upstairs with the kids, passing by the kitchen a zillion times. After the bike ride, I was in the garage getting a quick mac & cheese microwave dinner for Emma, and I saw the Neapolitan ice cream, and I really, really wanted some, as well as the creamy mac and cheese, but I resisted it by remembering I'll be weighing myself tomorrow. I could get addicted to the thrill of success found at the scales.
Exercise - 30 min on Elliptical - PRECOR EFX576i, crossramp 5 (of 10), resistance 6 (of 10), 2.20 miles, 3757 strides, 345.0 calories. What I did differently, was I rotated between two minutes of forward strides and one minute of backwards strides. I'd never done the backwards strides, and it really worked a different set of muscles, so it was an intense workout. Also, took the kids for a ride down to the library, probably two rounded miles. While I'm certainly not going to make myself have two hard workouts a day, I think it's going to help if I do some kind of light exercise in the evening, like take a walk, or a leisurely bike ride with the kids.
I was thinking today, one of the ways to celebrate along the way, is to recognize little goals. I think when I've lost about 10 or 15 pounds, I might treat myself to a cute exercise outfit. I can't wait to be back in a size 16. Gaining back 20 pounds this winter put me back in an 18, and honestly, it's a really tight fit. A size 20 pants is more comfortable. But I remember that being in a 16 made me feel great! Can't wait to be back to that.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Feed Me Seymour!
Okay, there's so much I wanted to say today, but I just can't put in another 1:30am blogging session, so it's short and sweet.
What I ate today:
about 1-1/2 cup cooked Malt-O-Meal with frozen strawberries, two pieces mini-loaf banana bread, about 1/2 banana, about 1/4 of a piece of leftover pizza from last night (Emma's scraps), 1-1/2 nectarines, two pieces homemade wheat bread with Smart Balance Light butter spread, some fresh strawberries, about 5 to 6 oz. cooked spinach with Smart Balance Light butter spread, lots of water today with half-strength Crystal Light flavoring added, at least 64 oz. (I bought a 32 oz. jug today and I am keeping it full), around 6:45 pm I had two bowls of my homemade chicken fried rice, probably 2 to 2-1/2 cups each (almost no oil, very lowfat, w/lots of veggies), and I ate lots and lots of fresh strawberries, at least two cups worth.
I think I ate pretty healthy today, but I'd still like to be finished eating by 5 or 6 each night. I have a box of chocolate by my computer. Can you believe I didn't eat any? I better go hide it, so I'm not tempted tomorrow.
Boy, I was so lusting after food today. With small children, it's hard to stay out of the kitchen between meals, and I swear I could have easily eaten twice what I did today everytime I went in there. Things I thought about eating, but didn't: leftover sausage pizza, chocolate, cake and ice cream, pineapple cottage cheese with tortilla chips, and more of that yummy homemade bread. Can't wait to eat some tomorrow. It helps sometimes to think, "Okay, you've had enough to eat today. Go find something to do, and the time will pass quickly, so you can go to bed, and then eat that tomorrow." A little delayed gratification, instead of just "no, you can never eat that."
Exercise done: 20 minute bike ride to car dealership, about 2.4 miles, downhill the first 1/3, and flat the other 2/3's. My leg muscles are so stiff from the body bar conditioning class from yesterday. I'm going to stretch out again before bed. Tomorrow I'm going to try and get to that class again. It was hard, but I can tell it's going to build some muscle, and that's going to raise my resting metabolic rate, and who couldn't use that?
Okay, I was done, I posted this, and then I got an email of "Motivational Posters" from my brother-in-law. I just about died laughing. I don't know where they originated, and I'd like to give credit here to the creator, but I'm still posting them. Here's one I thought fit the bill today:
True. I'm so craving some real cake with orange cream cheese frosting
Yep, yep, yep. It's a classic lesson in dieting math.
What I ate today:
about 1-1/2 cup cooked Malt-O-Meal with frozen strawberries, two pieces mini-loaf banana bread, about 1/2 banana, about 1/4 of a piece of leftover pizza from last night (Emma's scraps), 1-1/2 nectarines, two pieces homemade wheat bread with Smart Balance Light butter spread, some fresh strawberries, about 5 to 6 oz. cooked spinach with Smart Balance Light butter spread, lots of water today with half-strength Crystal Light flavoring added, at least 64 oz. (I bought a 32 oz. jug today and I am keeping it full), around 6:45 pm I had two bowls of my homemade chicken fried rice, probably 2 to 2-1/2 cups each (almost no oil, very lowfat, w/lots of veggies), and I ate lots and lots of fresh strawberries, at least two cups worth.
I think I ate pretty healthy today, but I'd still like to be finished eating by 5 or 6 each night. I have a box of chocolate by my computer. Can you believe I didn't eat any? I better go hide it, so I'm not tempted tomorrow.
Boy, I was so lusting after food today. With small children, it's hard to stay out of the kitchen between meals, and I swear I could have easily eaten twice what I did today everytime I went in there. Things I thought about eating, but didn't: leftover sausage pizza, chocolate, cake and ice cream, pineapple cottage cheese with tortilla chips, and more of that yummy homemade bread. Can't wait to eat some tomorrow. It helps sometimes to think, "Okay, you've had enough to eat today. Go find something to do, and the time will pass quickly, so you can go to bed, and then eat that tomorrow." A little delayed gratification, instead of just "no, you can never eat that."
Exercise done: 20 minute bike ride to car dealership, about 2.4 miles, downhill the first 1/3, and flat the other 2/3's. My leg muscles are so stiff from the body bar conditioning class from yesterday. I'm going to stretch out again before bed. Tomorrow I'm going to try and get to that class again. It was hard, but I can tell it's going to build some muscle, and that's going to raise my resting metabolic rate, and who couldn't use that?
Okay, I was done, I posted this, and then I got an email of "Motivational Posters" from my brother-in-law. I just about died laughing. I don't know where they originated, and I'd like to give credit here to the creator, but I'm still posting them. Here's one I thought fit the bill today:
Yep, yep, yep. It's a classic lesson in dieting math.
Monday, July 20, 2009
The Fat Ugly Truth
Okay, people, let's start this blog off with the ugly truth, because hopefully, it can only get better, somewhere down the road the contrast of the "before" and after" will be that much more impressive, hopefully. And, besides, it gives me a starting place, despite the uncomfortable nature of discussing weight loss (pained expression on my face). "Battle for 200 & Beyond" - it's all about breaking the 200 pound barrier and to keep on going with the healthy habits so I can lose even more. I think I'd like to be around 150, and at least into a size 12. I'm an 18/20, and my pants are tight again. Time to lose that stiff, overstuffed feeling that comes from a sluggish body and tight clothes.
Let's start with the before picture:
Ughhhh
Weight at the Rec Center this morning: 227 (NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!) Yep, I was down to 202 right at my birthday in October, but then I went and blew it. Overindulged over the holidays, then went through the trama of having to close down my daycare, then just messed around for months after that. Let's see if I can get my act together again.
Right now, I think my problem is the eating. I have a weakness for ice cream, especially the whole carame-nut-chocolate category. And definitely I eat when I get stressed and bored, so I have that issue to overcome. And I've noticed in times past, that I lose weight, almost guaranteed, if I will STOP eating after 6pm. Those after-dinner snacks are a killer.
But the weird thing is I think I do pretty well at the exercising, at least for consistency. I've been exercising six days a week for months on my Gazelle 30 minutes a day, at the #2 resistance (it has four resistance levels, 0, 1, 2, 3.) However, I think getting it done everyday backfired on me, in a way, because it made me feel like I was still being useful, even though I was not getting a whole lot done, especially in the last two months. And, you know I ate more, just because I thought could because I was exercising, like it was an excuse to do whatever I wanted with my food. But I think I let myself plateau on the intensity of my workouts. I bet cardiovascularly, my heart is in pretty good shape. I'm pretty capable of long-term endurance, but I could be doing so much better. So, one of my goals is to push myself harder, try out different things, to keep my body challenged.
So, those are the starting points. Let's get down to the nitty gritty of the daily grind.
Exercise today - at Rec Center
1. 30 min on Elliptical - PRECOR EFX576i, crossramp 5 (of 10), resistance 6 (of 10), 2.23 miles, 3885 strides, 352.0 calories
2. 35 min of Body Bar Conditioning class - 8 lb. weight ball, 9 lb. weight bar, 8 lb. dumbells. As I was getting ready to leave after my elliptical workout, I poked my nose in at the upstairs classroom, and they were using weight bars. It looked so interesting, I decided to join them. At first it was pretty easy, but then it kicked my butt, which is a good thing. I really need to take advantage of this Rec Center, and do a variety of things, continually pushing myself to a higher level.
Food I ate today:
Morning - 32 oz. of water (definitely need to be drinking more throughout the day), 1 cup Honey Bunches of Oats w/dried strawberries & 1% milk, 1 banana
Afternoon - about 6 - 7 oz. cooked spinach w/1 Tablespoon Smart Balance Light butter (good stuff, it has the omega 3s in it, "healthy" fat), 1 to 1-1/2 Light mozzarella cheese sticks, 3 or so pieces Hershey Nuggets toffee almond, 4 to 5 pieces M&Ms Premiums raspberry almond, 1 piece of a mini loaf of banana bread (my VTs brought it), 4 pieces of grapefruit tic tac, 1 Squirt Soda Pop
Evening - 2 pieces of mini loaf of banana bread, 1 Propel fitness water, two pieces of homemade sausage bell pepper onion pizza, 8 to 10 oz. banana strawberry smoothie, a few fresh strawberries, 1 or 2 cups homemade kettle corn, about 14 oz. Crystal Light strawberry organge banana drink, 8 oz. water
Yeah, so I probably ate too much, and I should have quit eating around 6pm. I think that, plus portion size and drinking lots of water are going to be my starting focus for the food category.
First post, good starting point, keep on truckin'!
Let's start with the before picture:
UghhhhWeight at the Rec Center this morning: 227 (NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!) Yep, I was down to 202 right at my birthday in October, but then I went and blew it. Overindulged over the holidays, then went through the trama of having to close down my daycare, then just messed around for months after that. Let's see if I can get my act together again.
Right now, I think my problem is the eating. I have a weakness for ice cream, especially the whole carame-nut-chocolate category. And definitely I eat when I get stressed and bored, so I have that issue to overcome. And I've noticed in times past, that I lose weight, almost guaranteed, if I will STOP eating after 6pm. Those after-dinner snacks are a killer.
But the weird thing is I think I do pretty well at the exercising, at least for consistency. I've been exercising six days a week for months on my Gazelle 30 minutes a day, at the #2 resistance (it has four resistance levels, 0, 1, 2, 3.) However, I think getting it done everyday backfired on me, in a way, because it made me feel like I was still being useful, even though I was not getting a whole lot done, especially in the last two months. And, you know I ate more, just because I thought could because I was exercising, like it was an excuse to do whatever I wanted with my food. But I think I let myself plateau on the intensity of my workouts. I bet cardiovascularly, my heart is in pretty good shape. I'm pretty capable of long-term endurance, but I could be doing so much better. So, one of my goals is to push myself harder, try out different things, to keep my body challenged.
So, those are the starting points. Let's get down to the nitty gritty of the daily grind.
Exercise today - at Rec Center
1. 30 min on Elliptical - PRECOR EFX576i, crossramp 5 (of 10), resistance 6 (of 10), 2.23 miles, 3885 strides, 352.0 calories
2. 35 min of Body Bar Conditioning class - 8 lb. weight ball, 9 lb. weight bar, 8 lb. dumbells. As I was getting ready to leave after my elliptical workout, I poked my nose in at the upstairs classroom, and they were using weight bars. It looked so interesting, I decided to join them. At first it was pretty easy, but then it kicked my butt, which is a good thing. I really need to take advantage of this Rec Center, and do a variety of things, continually pushing myself to a higher level.
Food I ate today:
Morning - 32 oz. of water (definitely need to be drinking more throughout the day), 1 cup Honey Bunches of Oats w/dried strawberries & 1% milk, 1 banana
Afternoon - about 6 - 7 oz. cooked spinach w/1 Tablespoon Smart Balance Light butter (good stuff, it has the omega 3s in it, "healthy" fat), 1 to 1-1/2 Light mozzarella cheese sticks, 3 or so pieces Hershey Nuggets toffee almond, 4 to 5 pieces M&Ms Premiums raspberry almond, 1 piece of a mini loaf of banana bread (my VTs brought it), 4 pieces of grapefruit tic tac, 1 Squirt Soda Pop
Evening - 2 pieces of mini loaf of banana bread, 1 Propel fitness water, two pieces of homemade sausage bell pepper onion pizza, 8 to 10 oz. banana strawberry smoothie, a few fresh strawberries, 1 or 2 cups homemade kettle corn, about 14 oz. Crystal Light strawberry organge banana drink, 8 oz. water
Yeah, so I probably ate too much, and I should have quit eating around 6pm. I think that, plus portion size and drinking lots of water are going to be my starting focus for the food category.
First post, good starting point, keep on truckin'!
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