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Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Can't believe it's only Tuesday

Feels like it should be much later in the week - probably due to going out to dinner tonight. So, no workout today. Yummy Thai food for dinner. Also wine and cheesecake. But hey, it's my birthday. Tomorrow - back to the normal routine.

Now I'm sleepy, so that's it for today.

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Daily Record
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Weight: 143.1

BF: Fibre 1 Granola Bar, coffee w/cream
Lunch: raw cauliflower, whole wheat pita, hummus
Snack: yogurt & raspberries
Supper: Thai food!

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Feel like I blew it already

The weekend went fairly well - Friday & Saturday were good as far as eating went, Sunday I was hungry all day for some reason, so ate a bit more than planned. Got in a workout on Saturday. Sunday was busy all day doing things. Didn't do an official workout, but was up an moving around a lot so it could be worse.

I have a birthday dinner out at our favorite restaurant tomorrow, which I plan to enjoy, so I intended to be pretty strict with my food for the rest of the week. And I blew it already.

There has been a bag of Tostitos sitting in the kitchen for a few weeks now. Not just any Tostitos - the Hint of Lime ones which I love. But as long as the bag remained unopened, I was ok. They were like a promise sitting there in the kitchen. One day they would be worked into a meal plan, obviously a treat, but something to look forward to.

Today, we had leftover stir-fry to reheat. All we had to do was cook the dumplings (which means drop in boiling water, it just takes a few minutes), and cook some rice (in the rice cooker, takes less than 20 minutes). Husband decides he is too hungry to wait 20 minutes and opens the bag. Then we proceed to stand in the kitchen and eat them while getting supper ready. At which point we're not even really hungry for supper any more, but we made it so we ate it.

I am mad at myself. I know better. I could have convinced him not to open the friggin' bag.

So, I've just done my Burn & Firm Pilates DVD (combines light weights, pilates and cardio) then 30 minutes on the treadmill as damage control. I would have gone longer on the treadmill, but it was 10:00 by the time I finished that, and I need to be tucked into bed no later than 11 PM or I turn into a pumpkin (not really - that's just what Husband always says).

Off to bed I go...

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Daily Record
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Weight: 142.1

BF: Kashi Granola Bar, coffee w/cream
Lunch: raw cauliflower, whole wheat pita, hummus
Snack: 1/2 cup raspberries & 1/2 cup vanilla yogurt
Supper: Tostitos, dumplings, Ma Po Tofu & basmati rice

Workout: Burn & Firm Pilates (45 min) + 30 mins treadmill (1.7 miles)

Monday, April 28, 2008

Shoes for the crazy cat-lady and more...

Why do weekends have to go by so fast?

Was a sunny one here, though not as warm as last weekend. Nothing exciting, just the usual weekend stuff - shopping, cleaning, laundry. I did add a new pair of shoes to my collection. Being the crazy cat lady that I am, I just could not pass these by:

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Was excited to see my crocuses poking up earlier this week, and by the time the weekend rolled around, I had blooms.

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The crocuses are in a flower bed outside the cat fence, so of course when I look up from taking the photo of my flowers, I see that I am being watched...

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The new bulbs that I planted last fall, and that I have been obsessively watching over the past couple weeks are now fully in bloom, making lovely bright patches in my garden.

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Of course, the violas are not to be outdone.

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Last weekend when I was working out in the yard, Fred kept me company all afternoon but there was no sign of George. This weekend they were both out, but Fred was apparently not in the mood to pose for pictures, so I was only able to get photos of George.

However, a short time ago, I did manage to catch Fred snoozing on the couch. I just love the way Fred sleeps, he seems to really throw himself into the experience.

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Friday, April 25, 2008

Friday

 
Weigh-in: 141.8 (-2.1 lb)

So, I'm back down around 142. This is good. Obviously not as big a change as I'd like to see, but still a 2 lb difference from last week.

This week's activity - 350 minutes of exercise, which is a little less than last week, but that's not counting the time I spent working in the yard last weekend which was certainly exercise! I walked/jogged 10.90 miles this week, and got in 3 non-walk/jog workouts.

I also tracked my calories in FitDay every day except Friday. I've decided to have Friday as a non-calorie counting day. I have a couple of reasons for this:

1) It's nice to have a break from obsessing about the numbers, and I think I need that. It gets tedious after a while.

2) It's too easy when you have a day or two where you get behind with the tracking to just give up and go crazy with the eating. I want to consciously have a day where I am not counting, but still paying attention to what I'm eating. Hopefully I can train myself to always be conscious of the choices I'm making, even if I am not tracking. I will allow myself a day to be less strict, but hopefully not overdo it. I'm going to still write down what I eat in the Journal section of FitDay (for now anyway), but not bother with the calorie total for the day. We'll see how it goes.

Um...thinking there was something else...Oh yeah, now I remember...

I finally broke down earlier in the week and updated my weight & goal information in FitDay. I set a short term goal to get to 135 lb by June 6 (first weigh-in day in June). When I updated my weight today with my official weigh-in, it told me I am 6.8 lb above my target weight, and I need to lose 1.13 lb/week to meet my goal. Kind of a scary number considering how slow things have been up to now. So, I'm really going to have to work hard. No more slacking off for me!

And finally, thanks to everyone for the support. The encouraging/commiserating comments really do make a difference and help me to keep going.

Thursday, April 24, 2008

The "Worth it" Factor

There's a post over at Our Wicked Weighs about what 100 calories can look like. Of course, the list varies. There is a comparison offered - a cup of baby carrots or 10 M&M's - and the question is asked: are the 10 M&M's worth it? If you've ever read the Looney Spoons cookbook, it contains many such comparisons.

Today, I got to thinking about that "worth it" factor, and how it can really vary. Maybe on one day, you are hungry and you want to fill yourself up. In that case, the volume of the cup of carrots is probably the right choice. But some days, maybe those 10 M&M's really are worth it.

I've tried really hard this week to make good choices, to cut portions, to stick to planned meals and snacks. And I've done it. There have been some evenings when I've gone to bed feeling hungry. But the number on the scale has dropped over the past few days, and it feels like those efforts have been worth it.

But sometimes, you do need a treat. I truly believe it is all about balance. Whatever your preferred method for weight loss, it's going to come down to eating less, choosing healthy foods, and passing up on some things that you might want to eat. But there has to be a way to do it without making yourself miserable.

Fleeting cravings that made there way across my consciousness today:
- Chocolate milk (weird, I can't drink milk)
- Dill pickle potato chips
- Cookies! Any kind of cookies!

I didn't have any of those. They were just fleeting thoughts that popped in to my head, and didn't last.

But I did have a cheeseburger for lunch. We had a work lunch today, and looking at the menu, that was what I really wanted. It came with fries. It was good. I didn't eat the whole burger, or all of the fries, but I had enough that I was satisfied. Worth it.

Am I just making excuses? Maybe.

Tomorrow is weigh-in day, and I know having a higher-calorie day to day might affect that. But, what's done is done and I'm not worried about it. I'm ready to work hard again next week and hopefully see results. We shall see.


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Daily Record
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Weight: 141.4

BF: 1/2 cup raspberries & 1/2 cup vanilla yogurt, coffee w/cream
Lunch: Cheeseburger, fries, beer
Supper: Tandoori chicken, basmati rice, (last of the leftovers), salad

Workout: 45 minutes on the treadmill

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Reasons to Lose Weight - #11

Here's a reason for ya - this is making me cranky. I don't like being cranky.

Okay, I don't know if this should count as one of my "official" reasons, but I have been alternating between down-in-the-dumps and cranky. I keep thinking that there must be more to it, something else contributing to the mood I've been in for the past few days, but I just can't think of anything. (Though my birthday is coming up - that could be making me cranky too.)

The scale was a little more friendly this morning, but it didn't cheer me up all that much because I'm still on familiar ground - I've been here before. I want to see change. Real change. Not this bouncing back and forth over the same couple of pounds.

Anyway, I've put it out there, gotten it off my chest, maybe now I'll cheer up.

Did my Slim Sculpt DVD last night which uses light weights. I always think that if I'm doing a workout with light weights I won't be working hard enough, but this just kills my shoulders every time. Obviously my regular weight workouts with heavier weights are missing some muscles. I'm going to try and do this DVD more often, until it doesn't hurt so much. That sounds funny, doesn't it? Anyway...I did a few extra moves with heavier weights afterwards to get the biceps, etc. That pads it out to an hour long workout.

Tonight, I'll hit the treadmill again. Or get outside. Either way, there will be a walk/run workout.

Hmm. I think this "getting it off my chest thing" may have worked. I'm starting to feel better already. :)

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Daily Record
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Weight: 142.1

BF: steel cut oats w/brown sugar & milk, cofee w/cream
Lunch: Curried Red Lentil Soup
Snack: PC Vanilla Yogurt w/cranberry granola
Supper: tandoori chicken & basmati rice (leftover), salad

Workout: treadmill - 60 minutes, 3.30 miles
7 x 2 min running intervals

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Tuesday

I don't know about you guys, but I love sleep and I do my best to make sure I get enough. Found an article today all about sleep, more specifically, how different factors affect how much sleep a person gets. Here it is for your reading pleasure:

Sleep duration varies according to employment, lifestyle: StatsCan

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Daily Record
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Weight: 143.1

BF: Steel Cut Oats w/milk & brown sugar, coffee w/cream
Lunch: raw cauliflower, WW pita, hummus
Snack: 1/2 cup raspberries, 1/2 cup vanilla yogurt
Supper: Tandoori Chicken & basmati rice, salad

Workout: Ellen Barrett Slim Sculpt

Monday

Not a lot to say today. Started out a little dreary and rainy, but turned sunny. Tracked my calories, did my workout, feeling tired and ready for bed. Still not happy with the scale. That's about it.

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Daily Record
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Weight: 143.1 lb

BF: Steel Cut Oats w/brown sugar & milk, coffee w/cream
Lunch: Raw cauliflower, WW Pita bread, hummus
Snack: 1/2 cup raspberries & 1/2 cup vanilla yogurt
Supper: Hawaiian Ham & brown rice (leftover) and some veggies.

Workout: 60 minutes on the treadmill (3.20 miles)
4 x 3 min jogging intervals

Sunday, April 20, 2008

Sunday

Beautiful day. Worked out in the yard most of the afternoon. Tired now.

Fred kept me company. As you can see, things have been growing since last week.
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Never get tired of looking at that face.
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Teeny, tiny, purple flowers.
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A bit of a breezy day.
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Honeysuckle has wound it's way around the trellis.
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Lilac bush starting to bud.
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Major flirting going on to convince me to let him out. He got a belly rub instead.
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Daily Record
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BF: 1/2 grapefruit, Red River Cereal w/brown sugar, coffee w/cream
Lunch: Soba Noodles w/Peanut Sauce (leftover from last night)
Snack: Fibre 1 bar, Sour Cream & Onion potato chips
Supper: brown rice, ham, asparagus, broccoli

Workout: Crunch Pilates-Yoga blend (40 mins)

Saturday, April 19, 2008

See what I ate today...

It was a lovely day. Beautiful weather, relaxing at home, a perfect Saturday.

Moon was gone for the afternoon & evening, so I went out to get groceries before he left. Then I made myself a salad for lunch. It looked so pretty I decided to take a picture.

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Or two.

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It seems like forever since I've made a salad. It's so hard to get decent salad fixings in the winter, I pretty much gave up trying.

I played in the dirt this afternoon. I had some plants that needed repotting, I started some more seeds (herbs this time). I got outside, went for a walk/run. It was lovely. Did some yoga when I got back to get in a good stretch. Then made my supper.

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Looks like a lot of food, but there's lots of veggies in there.

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It's all entered in my Fitday Journal for the day. I'm feeling like I'll sleep well tonight.

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Daily Record
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BF: Red River Cereal w/brown sugar & milk, coffee w/cream
Lunch: Greek Salad a la JavaChick
Supper: Soba Noodles w/spicy peanut sauce

Workout: Walk with running intervals (40 min) & Yoga (40 min)

It's that day again...

That's right, it's weigh-in day and I really don't want to do it today. Really. Don't. But, it's all about being honest here on the JavaChick blog, so I guess I have to. Still don't wanna.

Weight: 143.9 (+1.4 lb)

That's right. I'm up 1.4 lb. Can I just say that I don't think that is a real gain? I've got that whole "time of the month" thing going on (which maybe you don't want to know, but I'm grasping for explanations here), and for the past week it has seemed like I just can't drink enough water, so I think that's where it's coming from. But I'm still not happy.

I suppose this is just adding to my general discontent with the whole situation, but...As you may know (if you read yesterday's post), I recently signed into my old Fitday account. At first I didn't even think of it, but it was inevitable that I would eventually see that the last weight I had tracked was 133 lbs. I don't know the date that I entered that weight, but my goal weight was set at 115 lb with a deadline of 12/25/2006.

Fitday will only show you a year of past data, but you can go to the calendar section and page back through the months. I did that yesterday and found that the last time I had regularly used my fitday account was the first half of 2006...Hmmm, let's see...In June 2006 I found out the office I had worked in for 7 years was going to be closed. Within a week of that information, I was out of a job and my life was turned upside down. I guess that's when I started to get out of the habit of journalling my food. Though, I still did manage to stay the same weight for about a year. Somehow at the end of last summer, it all went downhill.

Anyway, I almost hate to reset that weight info now, I guess because it's comforting to be reminded of where I used to be...But I will reset it because I am starting again.

On to the rest of this week's summary: 380 minutes of exercise (to put that in perspective, it averages out to roughly 1 hr per day over 6 days). I walked 11.25 miles, 2 of those miles were actually walked out of doors in warm, sunny, spring weather. I went slower on that outdoor walk, but it was the best walk of the week in terms of enjoyment. I also got in two strength workouts, 1 yoga and 1 Pilates workout. I may not be happy with my weigh-in this week, but I am happy with what I accomplished in terms of physical activity.

Now, I am going to do a nice relaxing yoga workout, then turn in for a good night's sleep.

Friday, April 18, 2008

Yawn!

Should not drink beer at lunch. Now I just want to sleep...

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Thursday

Meant to add another post yesterday, but didn't quite get to it last night. So I just went back this morning and added my food/exercise log for the day. Lately this has been the only place I've really been tracking things, so I'm trying to keep it as accurate as possible.

Yesterday I got my workout in before supper. I wasn't feeling hungry when we got home from work and Moon grabbed a bottle of water and disappeared into his computer room without saying anything about supper. I was feeling in the mood to get the workout accomplished and out of the way, so off I went. Hoping I can do the same today. I feel more energetic when it's still light out, and lately when I wait till after supper it's getting dark and the temperature is dropping in the basement which does not motivate me at all.

This morning, just for fun, I entered my planned food for the day in my fitday account, and in the Weight Watchers online tracking tools, just to see how they compare. Assuming I stick to what I have entered, my calorie total for the day is 1213, and it works out to 21 points (my daily allowance from weight watchers is 20 points). I sat down and did some calculations last week, kind of comparing how points map to calories, and I think I want to do some tracking for a few days to compare. I'm thinking that I'm probably going to switch back to fitday at the end of the month since it is free - why keep paying for Weight Watchers when I'm not consistently using it? With fitday, you can also publish a link to a public version of your journal (I've included it below my Daily Record for today).

Boring today aren't I? Okay, switching gears.

A couple of interesting articles I read yesterday (in case we weren't all confused enough already):


Vitamins A, E and beta-carotene increase mortality, not longevity: study

Results of a study in Denmark:

Researchers found that 17,880 of 136,023 study participants who took the supplements died (13.1 per cent), compared to 10,136 of 96,527 participants who did not take the supplements (10.5 per cent). They did not track causes of death.

The antioxidants also appeared to offer no benefit to people with gastrointestinal, heart, neurological, eye, skin, rheumatoid, kidney and endocrine diseases, according to the authors.

Vitamin C also showed no health benefit, though in some of the studies, selenium did seem to reduce mortality.



Low-calorie diet may help stave off skin cancer: study

In a study done on mice:

The researchers believe a high-calorie diet activates receptors on the skin cell's surface: epidermal growth factor and insulin-like growth factor. These two receptors in turn send signals, such as whether cells should divide and spread — factors critical in the development of skin cancer.

In the case of low-calorie diets, the lack of signalling prevents the cells' growth and development.

Different levels of calorie restriction were applied, and a 30% reduction in calories appeared to be the most effective.

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Daily Record
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Weight: 143.3

BF: Steel cut oatmeal w/brown sugar & milk, coffee w/cream
Lunch: Raw cauliflower & Curried Red Lentil Soup
Snack: Fibre 1 bar
Supper: Salad, spaghetti

Workout: Walk - maybe out side?

Fitday Journal

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

How I started my day

I went to bed early last night (10:15) and passed right out. Overslept by a little this morning, so I was a little behind schedule. But I was feeling rested and the sun was shining, so it felt like I was off to a good start. Until I opened the freezer.

Do you know what happens when you put a bottle of Perrier in the freezer without telling your spouse, and then you forget all about it? Let me tell you. The next morning, your unsuspecting spouse opens the freezer to get her frozen berries and finds broken glass and frozen carbonated water all over the place. Voila! Cranky spouse.

Oh, and a note about the Meme post from yesterday; I realized when I got upstairs last night that I forgot to tag anyone. I was too tired to bother at that point. So y'all get off scott free this time...

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Daily Record
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Weight: 143.7

BF: Steel cut oatmeal w/brown sugar & milk, coffee w/cream
Lunch: Raw cauliflower & red bell pepper, WW Pita w/hummus
9 Jellybeans (enough to remind me that I'm not really a fan)
Snack: Vanilla Yogurt w/strawberries & raspberries
Supper: Salad, Knorr Cheese Ravioli in Tomato Wine Sauce
Snack: 4 crackers

Workout: Crunch Cardio Sculpt (30 min) + Pick Your Level Pilates (30 min)

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Seven Facts

I have been tagged, first by Bag Lady, then by Candlerun, to do this "Seven facts about Me" meme. It was hard work coming up with a list, let me tell you. I'm just not that interesting. But here it is.

JavaChick...
#1 Is terrifed of spiders. She knows it is silly, but she can't help it.

#2 Hates mushrooms.

#3 Has lived in Nova Scotia, PEI and New Brunswick. She still thinks of Nova Scotia as home, even though it has been 11 years since she has lived there.

#4 Has been to Whitehorse, YK. She was there during the Summer Solstice, when the sun doesn't set. Many people stay up all night to see it. JavaChick slept through it. She thinks it's a cool idea and all, she's just not capable of staying awake that long.

#5 Went to Disney World for the first time when she was 33 years old. She went on rides, ate good food, drank fancy drinks, had her picture taken with Mickey Mouse. JavaChick also got ID'd twice when she and her friends went out on the town one night. JavaChick wants to go again. Not because of the ID thing. Because of all the fun stuff.

#6 Had her very first job in a shoe store. Given that JavaChick's shoe obsession began when she was just a young girl, this was perhaps not the best place to be working for her tiny wage, day after day, but work there she did, for two years. (JavaChick considered counting how many pairs of shoes she owns for this list, but was afraid she might not want to admit to the number once she knew the total.)

#7 Once threw a rock at her brother-in-law. Unintentionally. It was a beautiful spring day. JavaChick's sister and BIL were visiting for the weekend and volunteered to help with some yard work. They were all working away on a big flowerbed. JavaChick had just picked up a fair sized rock, when she looked down and saw a big, hairy spider crawling up her leg (see fact #1). All rational thought left JavaChick's brain as panic set in and the need to Get. Spider. Off. Now. took over. The rock went flying from JavaChick's hand as she reacted to the emergency situation. Unfortunately, the rock flew right at BIL and hit him. Fortunately it connected with BIL's hand and not hard enough to do any damage. BIL was very understanding, but enjoyed teasing JavaChick for the rest of the weekend...I'd help out with that, but, you know...my hand. Ow! My Hand! The Pain!

So there you have it...Seven facts about me. Are you fascinated?

On with the mundane, every day stuff...

I had a pretty good day food-wise up until supper time. Then, while I was busy with supper preparations, Moon decided he wanted some chips & salsa, and therefore I must want some chips and salsa, and he proceeded to put some in a bowl for me and then ask me if I wanted it. I was all distracted with what I was doing, and it was already there in front of me so I said sure. Of course a minute later I was wondering why I needed to eat chips and salsa when supper was on the way. But it was there, so I nibbled while I was finishing up in the kitchen. I only ate about half of it, but I didn't need to eat any of it. And it's not fair to blame Moon, because I am the one who did the eating.

I did plan on doing a workout tonight, but I was really tired by the end of the day. Sometimes when I'm feeling tired and draggy, if I just get myself up and moving I start to feel better. I tried that last night and it didn't work. I had to really push myself to get through my workout. Since I'm still feeling wiped out tonight, I decided to give myself a night off and get back to it tomorrow - hopefully feeling more energetic.

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Daily Record
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Weight: 142.5 lb

BF: Steel cut oatmeal w/brown sugar, coffee w/cream
Lunch: Raw Cauliflower, WW Pita Bread & Hummus
Snack: Vanilla Yogurt w/strawberries & raspberries
Additional snack: 12 almonds
Supper: tortilla chips & salsa, salad, homemade pizza

Workout: Taking the night off

Monday, April 14, 2008

A day in the life...

Morning
I don't know why but I was dreaming about cupcakes last night. Dark chocolate-y cupcakes with creamy vanilla frosting....Argh.

The down-side of having the cat fence: This time of year they start poking at me around 5 a.m., wanting to go outside...Double Argh!!

Actually, I had a good sleep until the 5 a.m. wake-up call, so I'm feeling ok.

Midday
Lunch was good; it's gone now.

What did I do to the index finger on my right hand? It is aching and hurts to bend at the top joint. Sure makes typing fun.

Chilly in the office day - figures, this being the day I decide I can stop wearing undershirts, seeing has how it's been so nice in the office for the past couple of weeks...

Another coffee would be nice.

3 p.m.
Did not have another coffee.

Not feeling hungry, but I am going to eat my yogurt and berries anyway. It should keep me from getting hungry and raiding the kitchen when I get home from work. That's the theory anyway.


Evening
On the way home stopped at Sobey's because Moon has decided he likes Fiji water and that is the only water he wants to drink and we can't get that at Superstore. End up buying extra stuff because we are at a different grocery store than usual.

Have supper and make the mistake of booting up my laptop and checking my e-mail and of course there is a critical problem that needs analysis right away. Sent off an e-mail with a question, but no answer yet so I think I will hit the treadmill anyway. If no one is bothering to answer, it can't be all that critical.

10:30 p.m.
Workout done. Time to get ready for bed.

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Daily Record
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Weight: 143.5 lb

BF: Steel Cut Oats w/brown sugar & milk, coffee w/cream
Lunch: Raw cauliflower, WW Pita Bread, Hummus
Snack: Vanilla yogurt w/strawberries & raspberries
Supper: Salad, Chili w/tortilla chips on the side

Workout: 60 minutes treadmill

Sunday, April 13, 2008

Spring Has Sprung

Okay, according to the calendar it's been spring for a while, but it finally feels like it. The weather has been warming up, the snow is gone, my cats want to be outside a whole lot more. And today I went outside!

I finally made the time to get out and check the state of my flowerbeds today. There I am in my gardening boots.

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I was happy to see green poking up already.

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The lawn is not looking very green yet, but it will come.

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This patch of Creeping Thyme is starting to turn green already.

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I put in two new types of bulbs last fall. Looks like these ones will bloom before too long.

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New Violas put in last year survived the winter and I have my first flower.

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Much as they enjoy the freedom of being able to roam around the fenced in area of the yard, there are on occasion complaints from Fred and George.

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They've staked out the gate - I fear I may be trapped...

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But fortunately I manage a quick exit while the boys are distracted. How mean do I feel, locking my babies in like that. Better safe than sorry though. I want to keep them safe.

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Hopefully next weekend I be able to get out and start cleaning up the flower beds. Things are farther along than I realized. I'm looking forward to getting out and playing in the dirt.

I had a good day. Got lots of laundry done. Got in a good workout. Made some oatmeal and put it in the fridge for breakfasts this week. Cut up a head of cauliflower to have ready in the fridge for lunches. Feel like I was really on top of things today. Of course I never manage to get as much done as I hope to, but that's not the end of the world.

I was also really hungry today for some reason. But for the most part, I think I did ok.

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Daily Record
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BF: Red River Cereal w/brown sugar, coffee w/cream
Lunch: coleslaw mix w/Asian Sesame dressing, 1 WW pita w/hummus
Post workout snack: Kashi Granola Bar
Pre-dinner snack: cheese & crackers
Supper: Monday Night Dumpling Soup (Martin Yan's Quick and Easy)

Workout: 1 hour strength training, 30 minutes treadmill

Saturday, April 12, 2008

Saturday - New Start

I know I posted yesterday to say what my plan is, but I feel like today is the first day. Somehow Fridays have become a "day off". I think because it is/was the start of my Weight Watchers week, the day I weigh in and my points reset. Somehow, being the day farthest away from next weigh-in made it the day to splurge. Which is not to say that I go nuts, but I definitely don't "diet".

Yesterday was enjoyed. I did actually get on the treadmill last night which is good. Fridays are iffy - depends how tired I am feeling. I was tired when I got home from work, but after a couple hours to relax, I found the energy for some walking.

I started off my Saturday with a nice healthy breakfast of Red River Cereal, had a relaxing morning and then hit the treadmill again. Back to running intervals - not strictly following the C25K plan at the moment, kind of got off track with the whole sneaker hunting experience and then working a weekend. For now I'm just doing intervals and making sure it feels good. Once I get back into it, I'll see about getting back on the C25K schedule. Then I did a 20 minute yoga workout.

I forgot to mention a milestone that happened last week. It's not any real measure of progress in terms of weight loss or anything like that, just a fun thing for me to track. When we got the treadmill in January I started watching Dark Angel season 1 on DVD while on the treadmill. Some days I will just flip on the food network or play music, but often I will watch an episode on DVD. This past Tuesday I finished the final episode of season 2. So that's two seasons worth of treadmill workouts.

Last night I started in on Farscape. I don't actually have the entire Farscape collection yet, so I'm thinking this will be a fun incentive for me. As I finish one set, I'll order the next, so I can look forward to completing my collection.

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Daily Record
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BF: Red River Cereal w/honey & 2% Milk, coffee w/cream
Lunch: Curry chicken & rice (leftover from lunch out yesterday)
Supper: Bagged coleslaw mix w/ red bell pepper & Asian Sesame dressing, Great Wall Hoisin Pizza (from Martin Yan Quick & Easy again), Rum & Coke (with real Coke but only one!)

Workout: 50 minutes treadmill (Walk with 4 3-minute running intervals), 20 minute Yoga DVD.

Friday, April 11, 2008

Summer wardrobe, here I come!

 
Weigh In: 142.5 (+0.6)

It's weigh-in day and I'm up 0.6 pounds. It wasn't a surprise and I'm not losing sleep over it. I had a good exercise week - 315 minutes working out, 10.75 miles on the treadmill, 2 strength workouts. Next week that pesky 0.6 pounds will be gone.

I truly appreciate all the positive, encouraging comments on my last post. You all have me convinced that I can do this. :)

So now that I've said I am going to do it, I just need to figure out how. Because the progress has been painfully slow thus far.

I've been thinking on it. I won't write out the entire thought process this morning, mainly because I don't have time. I probably should write it all down, so it will be there to remind me. But for now I have come to this conclusion: I have to pay attention to what I'm eating.

That's it. My big plan. Pay attention, and really think about the choices I make and how they relate to my weight loss goal. Sounds simple doesn't it? Sounds like what I should have been doing all along? I'm not convinced that I have been, at least not consistently.

I still need to track what I'm eating. I'm not sure whether I will do that by continuing with Weight Watchers, going back to Fitday, or just writing it down in a notebook. When it comes right down to it, I don't think it's the tracking method that counts, I think it comes down to having the right attitude. So that's what I'm going to work on.

Wish me luck!

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Reasons To Lose Weight - #10

Summer is coming. The weather has warmed up, I'm not having to wear three layers of clothing and bulky sweaters to work every day. Thank goodness.

Now, however, I am starting to think about my summer wardrobe, hidden away in a trunk in the spare room. And I am afraid.

I'm 7 pounds heavier than I was at the beginning of last summer. That may not sound like much, but when you are 5 feet tall, there's not a lot of space for 7 extra pounds to hide out. I'm afraid that my clothes are not going to fit me.

I have reason to be afraid. I have jeans that I was able to wear last summer that are now too tight.

So what do you all think? Can I get rid of 7 lbs before summer rolls around?

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Sneakers - think we have a winner!

I think I can finally remove "Buy new sneakers" from my to-do list. And it only took 3 tries to get it right. And I ended up buying another pair of the same running shoes I already had. Could have saved myself a lot of trouble if I'd just asked them to order a pair in my size to begin with. Live and learn. Stick to the Mizuno Wave Riders. Got it.

Having a beautiful, warm, sunny week. Loving it. Must remember to water my seeds tonight. Do you hear that Bag Lady?

We are embarking on a culinary adventure tonight. We are trying two new recipes from Martin Yan's Quick & Easy. We used to try out new recipes all the time, but lately we've been too tired/lazy...whatever. Anyway, last week Moon pulled out the cookbook (no idea what got into him) and started picking out recipes. He picked out a poached halibut with soba noodles recipe (Fish? Shock!) which we tried last week. It was easy and it was good. Will hopefully make again.

Tonight is a shortcut version of Chinese BBQ Pork and smashed potatoes (which does not sound very Chinese to me, but we figured it would go well with the pork). We should have leftovers from the BBQ Pork which can then be used in some of the other recipes in the book. And all "Quick And Easy" (I hope).

The Mermaid Chair


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Daily Record
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Weight: 143.7

BF: Nature Valley PB Granola Bar, coffee w/cream
Lunch: Curried Red Lentil Soup
Snack: Yogurt w/strawberries
Supper: Chinese BBQ Pork & Smashed Potatoes, steamed broccoli

Planned Workout: There will be one. A workout. Of some kind. I promise.

Monday, April 7, 2008

Ok, this time I mean it....

I titled last Monday's post "Get Back on Track" after a weekend of sitting on my butt with the laptop. And last week was not terrible I guess, but I didn't really feel like I was back in the game. So I'm giving it another shot.

Good this weekend: Got in workouts Saturday & Sunday. Did some cooking and freezing of meals. Bad this weekend: Eating was not good. There was no tracking. There were potato chips. I didn't stick to a meal schedule and I'd end up starving, in the kitchen, looking for something to stuff in my mouth.

Still, I at least feel like I was somewhat productive. I have lunches for the week. I made a huge pot of spaghetti sauce. Made a small lasagna, using some of the sauce and froze 6 containers of sauce for future meals. We had lasagna last night, and there are leftovers for another meal (probably tonight).

Saturday morning I went for groceries, then we had to take the cats to the vet for their annual check up & shots. This is stressful for the cats and for me. It kills me to hear the sad little meows coming from the back seat of the car - all the way there, and all the way back. But we survived and it is all over for another year.

After that, Moon packed up his computer gear and went off for an evening of computer games with his friends and I indulged my love of playing in the dirt. I decided it was time to start some seeds...Let Garden Mania 2008 commence!

First I had to locate my supplies - a box that has my seed starting trays, seeds left from previous years, and my peat pots. I was having a hard time finding it and I was worried for a while there. Last fall Moon threw out a bunch of my plant pots while cleaning out the garage (I wasn't home). Apparently he couldn't tell that they were the good pots, only a couple of years old and in good condition. He did leave a few of the old pots that are cracking and that I wouldn't have minding losing. Sigh.

So, I was getting worried, but I did eventually locate the box in our disaster of a basement. Unfortunately, only one seed tray left and it was cracked. But I had my heart set on planting my seeds, so I fixed up my tray with duct tape and a plastic bag (just call me MacGyver). It's not perfect, but it will do until I can get to Canadian Tire and buy a new one. I still have some herbs to start, but that will have to wait until I can get another tray.

After that I did the treadmill thing, made some supper and relaxed for the rest of the evening.

Yesterday was a day of cooking, and I did get in a workout with weights. I'm feeling it today, which is actually good; makes me feel like I accomplished something.

So today - back to meal planning. Will get in a workout tonight. Will have a good week.

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Daily Record
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Weight: 144
Note: It was actually 144.something, but I was so shocked to see the 144 that I jumped off the scale and (apparently) blocked the rest of it out because I can't remember.

BF: WW English Muffin w/Nutella, coffee w/cream
Lunch: Curried Red Lentil Soup
Snack: Yogurt w/strawberries
Supper: Lasagna (leftover) & raw veggies

Planned Workout: Cardio on the treadmill

Friday, April 4, 2008

Weigh in day

 
Weight: 141.9 (-0.3 lb)

So it's official weigh-in day, and the results are not quite as good as my weigh in from earlier in the week. But that's ok - it's still a loss for this week, and seeing the lower number earlier in the week makes me feel like I'm moving in the right direction.

It was a bit of an "off" week for me; work has been really busy, I've been tired and feeling kind of stressed. I got in two cardio sessions and 3 yoga sessions. Exercise minutes: 215, 120 of which was cardio, the rest was yoga. Walked 6.07 miles on the treadmill. My workout days were Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday. Not a lot compared to a normal week, but I feel like I managed to cram a decent amount into those 3 days.

Picked up my new Mizuno Wave Riders at The Running Room today. When I tried them on in the store they felt very familiar. Tomorrow they'll get the treadmill test.

Been a long day/week, I'm ready for the weekend.

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

April Showers...

 
Woke up to see snow-covered scenery. Snow turned to rain. At least it's warm enough to rain, that's a good thing. But I'm ready for sunshine and May flowers! Guess I have to wait on that though...

So, good/bad today...

Good: stepped on the scale this morning and saw 141.6...where did that come from? More importantly: will it last?

Bad: Yesterday ended up being 4th day in a row of no workouts. Not really for any good reason either.

We were late leaving work, but supper was microwaved. After supper I sat down on the couch for a while - I always like to wait for supper to settle before working out. Just as I was about to get up, George came along and decided to have a snooze on my lap. I hate to disturb the cats when they get all cuddly like that. I decided I could wait for a bit. Next thing I know, it's bed time and no workout again.

I did read through my March & April issues of Fitness magazine and found some other workouts to try. So I have lots of options to choose from.

Took a break from work this afternoon to take those sneakers back to The Running Room. Talked to a different person this time. She ordered in the new version of the sneakers I have now, in my size, and they should be in within the week. So hopefully the third time is the charm. I'm just glad I didn't wait until my current pair was completely worn out before I went sneaker shopping.

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Daily Record
------------------------
Weight: 141.6 lb

BF: WW English Muffin w/Nutella, coffee w/cream
Lunch: raw caluliflower, cheese ravioli w/tomato sauce
Supper: Chili (from freezer) with corn

Planned Workout: 3 miles on the treadmill + 30 min Yoga