Getting Back to the Basics

I've Moved...

2011-08-05T15:46:00.001-05:00

Don't tell Blogger, but I moved somewhere else...Shhhhhh :)

Please come visit!

http://gettingstaying.com

See you soon!

Oh, goodness...

2010-11-04T16:50:00.002-05:00

2 months have gone by?! Not good!

Life (work!) got busy...then I left the country...then I came back a different person with different priorities...and that all meant that the bloggie got tossed aside.

As crazy as it sounds, I really did return from Egypt a different person than when I left. Hopefully, a BETTER person! It opened my eyes to so many realities we never have to face here in the states and it made me realize that a lot of the things we think are so important really just aren't. At least not in the grand scheme of things.

So...what does this all mean? Well, I don't know! Okay, I kind of know a little, but I'm not all together 100% positive and that is the fun of it. The blog will probably be taking a turn. I still care about my health and I still would love to lose that last 10 pounds, but I also know that I'm not like a lot of the food/health bloggers out there that I was trying so hard to be like. The truth is, I actually like peanut butter better than almond butter. Sue me! And I wish that I could put all kinds of organic/sprouted/non-processed things into my diet every day, but I'm too lazy/a bad cook/not able to get to the store that often/chocoholic to make that a reality. Therefore, I've decided to take off the mask and just be me. That means I will probably eat Subway a lot. And yeah, I usually get the 2 cookies with the meal AND a diet soda. Again, that's just me!

I still want to show people how I can be healthy, but I also know that the lifestyle I see on a lot of blogs is not mine and I shouldn't try to make it be. I'm going to do the best that I can and cross my fingers. I hope to get a good blog together this weekend about my trip and how totally amazing it was and how it opened my eyes to so much more and completely changed my future focus. From there on out, your guess is as good as mine, but I hope you stick with me!!

Busy, busy!! And Fire 55 EZ Review

2010-09-01T11:00:00.007-05:00

I'm sure I have not mentioned it on here, but I work in Financial Aid for a college and we have our Fall semester starting next week...that means things are CRAZY at work!! I haven't even had time to read blogs, let alone write one! Augh!

But here I am! Writing at work...Shhhhhhh!

My eats have been fairly simple over the past couple of days now that I'm really watching my calorie intake. Breakfast looks something like this:

WF High Fiber cereal & Cinnamon Puffins w/ almond milk

Light english muffin w/ Dark Chocolate Dreams & banana

Let me be honest here with the Dark Chocolate Dreams...I don't taste any chocolate :( It still tastes like peanut butter, just maybe a little sweeter. I'm a bit disappointed.

One thing my mornings have not included is one of these:

That's right, people, I'm trying to quit that darn White Chocolate mocha I adore so much every morning. I've been making good ol' coffeepot coffee at work! So not as yummy, but much cheaper and far fewer calories...despite the fact that I use half the can of powder creamer :)

I did however sneak into the Starbucks this morning and saw this:

The Starbucks Pumpkin Cream Cheese muffin is finally back in season! Even though this was absolutely NOT on today's food plan, I HAD to have it! Just HAD TO!

And do you know what happened when I took that glorious first bite? It tasted like poo! I'm sure it has something to do with the fact that SB has tried to make their treats a little healthier. It didn't taste anything like it did last year. The cream cheese especially tasted...off. Texture and taste were all wrong. The upside to this is that I won't have to worry about fighting the urge! I don't even want to think about how many of these babies I ate last fall!

Lunch has been Subway so far. Veggie sandwich on wheat. Nothing exciting, but a safe option.

For Dinner, I made some Chana Masala (I hope I got that right, I didn't write down what it was exactly) and Indian rice from Trader Joe's and have been eating portions of that. It is really good. The rice has apples & raisens in it so it has that nice mix of sweet and spicy. Although, my house has been stinking like curry for two days ;)

My eats will probably be a bit on the boring side for now...my apologies!

As I mentioned before, I am full speed ahead on my TurboFire! Modifying it a little, but loving every minute of it! Today, I'm going to review the Fire 55 EZ workout.

TurboFire - Fire 55 EZ

This is a 55+ minute cardio workout in the TurboFire program. You will usually find it squeezed into the program about once a week if you are following the Class Schedule.

Most of the cardio DVDs have a warm-up, multiple cardio sequences, Fire Drills (HIIT), a Finale and a cool-down. This one is no exception. Don't let the "EZ" fool you, this workout is no joke! It is long, which means LOTS of calories burned and you can make it as high intensity as you want to. I think the EZ is referring to the difficulty level of the moves. I find the sequence of moves in this to be easier than the non-EZ classes.

After the warm-up, you go into a couple of cardio sequences that last about 15 minutes. They involve a lot of punching, some kicking, some floor movement and even a little plyo. Then comes your first firedrill. These are High Intensity Intervals that last 1 minute. You are supposed to go all out and give it everything you've got! Then, you cooldown for 1 minute. Next, you go into more cardio, new moves though...another firedrill...then the final cardio sequence. After the final cardio set, you go into the finale. For this DVD, there are 2 finales...I know, that makes no sense. The finales really only differ from the cardio segments in that they are a shorter sequence of moves and they seem to be a little higher intensity. So, short and sweet! You end the workout with a cool-down. I usually burn anywhere from 600-650 calories doing this workout...pretty awesome!

I know it sounds like 55 minutes is a long time, but it really does fly by! The moves keep your attention and you have fun doing it. When you get to some of the harder moves, you will find that by the time you've mastered them, it's time to move on! For the duration and the amount of calories I can burn, this is one of my favorite workouts in the program!

If you want to learn more about TurboFire, check out my site!

Keep rockin' on, peeps! I will try to get back in the swing of things if the week slows down and catch up on all your blogs!!

Turning Point

2010-08-28T14:03:00.002-05:00

Hello and happy Saturday to you!!

I'm having a completely lazy day so far...how about you? I had all kinds of things on my agenda and after getting off to a great start, I somehow fell apart! I was up early to take the bunny to the vet for a routine nail trim. It is usually best to get there right when they open because other animals freak her out and its usually pretty quiet first thing on a Saturday. There was another girl there who came in with a baby bunny! It was a chocolate brown and could fit in your palm, just like Boo Boo was when I got her! It was so freakin' cute!!! Believe me, I thought about grabbing it and making a run for it ;)

Once we got home from the vet, I kind of just crashed!

After sitting here and being annoyed at my laziness, I made a decision. The whole basis of this blog is supposed to be about me trying to get away from diet and exercise extremes and find a happy medium that will keep me healthy. Somehow, I feel like I'm not really having much success.

The route I took on it was no limitations. Learn to make healthy choices, without having a set of rules to freak me out. Unfortunately, I don't think that freedom has been working for me. So, despite the fact that I hate dieting and obsessing about food, I think I need to lay down the law for myself!

I'm going to take a new route. I'm going to go from strict to middle of the road, instead of complete freedom to middle of the road. Does that make sense? I hope so!

So, now that I have my TurboFire (which isn't going to do me any good if I pig out everyday!) I am going to really plan my meals for the next few weeks. I'm hoping that will jump start some progress and then I can start to ease up the restrictions from there.

My fingers are crossed!

On a different note, did anyone see the article this morning about how Angelina Jolie blames being vegan for "nearly killing her"? I was so upset at reading that!! Being vegan did not almost kill her, her lack of knowledge on how to be vegan in a healthy manner almost did. There is no excuse for someone of her wealth to not be able to educate herself in how to follow a vegan diet properly or at the very least, hire someone to do it for her! :) I really hope there is a backlash against what she said because it completely delivers the wrong message!

And now, I will step off my soapbox!

I hope the weather is beautiful where ever you are and enjoy the weekend!

Food for Thought: Do you have to plan your meals or are you pretty good at making healthy choices on the fly?

On FI-YAH!

2010-08-27T07:20:00.004-05:00

Oh yeah, that's right!! It came!!

My TurboFire!! I was kind of in a rut with Power 90 and needed a boost so I gave in and ordered TurboFire a couple of months early. I'm so glad that I did! It is a lot more cardio than I've been doing and unfortunately for me, that is the only thing that is going to blast this bod back into shape!

I decided to buy the standard version. There was no price savings to get the Deluxe box that includes all the Advanced discs rather than ordering those separately later. As you can see, it comes with a DVD set of 12 workouts, a band for resistance training, a measuring tape, the program schedule (you can do 12 weeks or the extended 20 week version), a nutrition guide, program guide & the 5-day Inferno plan.

My first instinct was to do the 5-day Inferno, but now that I'm 2 days in and SO SORE, I don't know! I might need a rest day! Seriously, my shoulders and lats are crazy sore! And it's not like I haven't been working out for the past couple months...that should show you what a serious butt kicking Chalene Johnson delivers your hiney! I am loving it!

If I don't end up doing the 5-Day Inferno, I will probably start the program schedule on Monday with a couple of modifications. First, I think I'm only going to workout 5 days a week, rather than the 6 days in the program. I know my weaknesses and burnout is one. Best to cut back a little and avoid it. I plan to still follow the order of the classes, just with an added rest day. So, it will take me an extra couple of weeks to complete the "12 week" program. I think I'm also going to try to squeeze some of the Power 90 Sculpt 3-4 video in there. There is a lot less resistance training in this program, but I really like how strong I was feeling and don't want to lose that. Maybe on the HIIP (High Intensity Interval Training) days I can add it in since those workouts are only 15 - 25 minutes. We'll see!

I will do a short review of each workout as I get through them so you can see what they are all about!

After my workout (and a much needed shower!) I headed over to Whole Foods to grab some dandelion greens for the bunny...of course I walked out with plenty of other stuff too!

I finally broke down and bought some of this...I hope it's as good as everyone makes it sound!!

I couldn't figure out if I'm supposed to put it in the fridge or not. It said to keep it in a cool dry place...hmmmm.

And I got some of these after The Diva made them look soooo good!

Once I got home, I dove into the cereal. I hadn't eaten since before my workout and I think my body needed some serious carbs!

I did a cereal mix, and idea also stolen from The Diva, that included the Cinnamon Puffins and WF High Fiber Cereal and some sliced banana.

After that, it was off to sleep to let my tired body recover!

I started today off with a little Greenberry Shakeology blended up with a banana. I'm still getting used to this flavor, but it's getting better.

I've got to try the EAS sports drink and let you guys know if it works! Augh! So much to do, so little time.

Food For Thought:

When you are sore from a workout, do you power through another one or let your body rest?

What items can you just not pass up at the grocery store? Mine are bananas!

So Much to Say!

2010-08-25T11:55:00.009-05:00

Augh!!! Remind me never to neglect the bloggie for more than a day! As I was looking though my pictures to post, I realized that I have a whole lot of things to tell you guys! Where to start?!

I guess I'll start with the package I had sitting on my desk when I got to work this morning. I was racking my brain trying to think of what the heck I had ordered from "Abott Nutrition" and couldn't figure it out! I started to think I'd gotten wrapped up in some mail order scam with all the internet shopping I do :) I opened the box and was deighted to find this:

EAS Peak sports drink! I had totally forgotten that I signed up to test this drink for EAS! The box included 2 of each flavor and I will be sure to do a review on here of what I think! If you would like to be a part of the field study, just click here and sign up!

Next, I wanted to tell you guys about a great event that PAWS, a local animal shelter, put on here over the weekend. For a 3/4 of a mile stretch on a main street in my neighborhood, they set up tables and had a zillion (okay, at least 150) cats and dogs up for adoption. What a great idea! This is a key spot for foot traffic on the weekends and a great way to get pets adopted. Every table we stopped at was telling us that they had already adopted most of the animals they had! It was so much fun to get to see all the different breeds too. As a matter of fact, I got so caught up in the petting and licking (I was NOT the one doing the licking, thank you very much!) that I only got a couple of pics! But, it was so much fun!

This guy had everything shaved except his head! He looked like a little lion!

I'm not really a little dog kind of girl, but somehow this is the only dog picture I took...who woulda thought?! He was a cutie though! There was everything from Chihuahuas to St. Bernards. And a number of ridiculously adorable puppies too!

Fast forward to yesterday!

I had an appointment at 9am with the Travel Medicine clinic to get my immunizations for my trip to Egypt. They said to make sure I ate beforehand, so I started the day off with a little of this:

Yeah, that's right...I cut my bananas with a butter knife! So sue me!! :)

Then, I headed on down to see the doc. She was absolutely hilarious! I guess for someone who gives shots for a living, you have to learn to put people at ease! She went over all the lovely things that could happen to me while abroad...no goodo. I had to get so many shots that we have to spread it out over two visits! Plus, I have to get a PRESCRIPTION strength Anti-diarrheal medicine in case the Pharoah's Curse strikes! So, I got three shots in three places, leaving both arms a bit sore. However, I will now not have to worry about contracting Hepatitis A or B, Polio or Typhoid! Hallelujah! Next on the agenda will be round 2 of Hepatitis A/B and Tetnis. Yay!

If that didn't get me excited for what is to come in Egypt, I made my way over to the Egyptian Consulate to turn in my visa application. Upon opening the door, I was hit with a blast of horrifying body odor! Great! I didn't even think of that issue while I was there. This is going to be a joy. Good thing we will be outdoors a lot!

I tried to survive the rest of the day at work, but my arms started to hurt (especially the Typhoid spot!) and I could barely keep my eyes open. After all, I was essentially injected with 4 diseases and my poor immune system was working overtime! I called it a day around 3:30pm and headed home. What did I do when I got there? Well, baked some goodies, of course!

Blueberry Crumb Bars

1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup butter
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
1 pinch ground cinnamon (optional)
4 cups fresh blueberries
1/2 cup white sugar
3 teaspoons cornstarch

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and grease a 9 x 13 baking dish

In a bowl, stir together 1 cup sugar, baking powder, flour, salt & cinnamon.

Then using a fork or pastry cutter, blend in egg & butter until crumbly

Pat 3/4 of the dough into prepared pan. In another bowl, combine blueberries, cornstarch and remaining sugar. Spread blueberries evenly over dough. Then, sprinkle remaining dough over blueberry layer.

Bake for 45 minutes or until top is golden. Wait for it to cool before cutting into squares.

Besides the fact that blueberries are great for you, this dish is not something I could consider healthy...but I will say it is delicious!!!

And on that note, I'm signing off!! Have a lovely day!

P.S. Where is my TurboFire?!! I haven't even gotten my email that is shipped yet :( Maybe I'll get lucky and have another surprise on my desk tomorrow morning.

A Rough Start

2010-08-22T08:09:00.003-05:00

Hello, Hello!

On Friday night a friend and I went to see Inception. Really good movie. I won't give anything away, but I just wanted to say that before going to see it, a bunch of my coworkers were talking about how confusing it was and they didn't really get it. I was prepared to be taking notes just to make sure I "got it"...well, no notes needed! I didn't think it was confusing at all! Go see it!

Afterward, we went and had a couple drinks. Seriously, I had TWO vodka and cranberries over the course of THREE hours. Yet, somehow when I woke up yesterday morning, I felt like I'd been hit by the Blue Line "L"! Here is my hangover solution: Step 1 - upon waking and feeling like crap, get up and chug a glass of water; Step 2 - go back to sleep. Repeat steps as necessary! This meant that I didn't officially roll out of bed until 11:15!

Once I did finally decide I was ready to face the world, I headed over to my friend's house to TRY to finish up designing my business cards. Who thought this would take so dang long?! And guess what? After 2 hours at the computer...still no business cards ordered! I'm about to be happy with a pad of Post-Its that have my website & email on them and call it a day!

Around 4pm we decided to get some lunch...yeah, when you get up as late as I did, 4 is considered the lunch hour :) I ordered a veggie panini & some red potato salad. Too many mushrooms on the panini...mushrooms kind of scare me...so I only ate maybe half. I killed that potato salad though! It wasn't too heavily dressed and was delicious! I also got a glorious mocha! Sooooooo delicious! Maybe I need to start a tab on here where I just review mochas where ever I go!

By 8:30 last night, I was still kind of full, but knew I'd get hungry if I didn't eat something. Do you ever have those moments where you don't really feel like eating anything, but then kinda feel like eating everything, at the same time? It was one of those. So, I made a sampler plate!

Trader Joe's Meatless Meatballs, Trader Joe's Cucumber Wontons, Gardein Chicken Nuggets & Spicy Sweet Potato Fries. Oh yeah, this all hit the spot!

Threw on a little of these and I was set! Well, almost...one last sample to be had:

Whole Foods Organic Dark Chocolate Chunks. Oh. Yeah.

I went to bed a happy girl. Unfortunately, that didn't last because a friend of mine called me at 1am and we talked for 2 hours. It was a good talk though...sometimes those middle of the night ones are!

I started off this morning with a little banana boat that I've seen everyone making for a snack. I don't know if my nanner was too ripe or if the almond butter was too drippy, but this was a hot mess! You can even see in the picture that it is starting to fall apart!

I ate this in about 1 minute flat since it was oozing AB everywhere and setting it down would surely mean not being about to pick it up again in one piece! It was yummy, but I'll have to be a little more strategic if I make another one!

I have about 500 things on my to-do list today, none of which are fun :(

Lots of errands, lots of cleaning, working out and making some food. Good times!

Hitting Bottom...

2010-08-20T11:47:00.002-05:00

Okay, okay...that post title is a wee bit dramatic! But seriously, I had a bad couple of days!

As you all already know, I've been burning out a little with my workout routine. It has been part boredom and part frustration with results. For some reason, I've had no progress for the past 2 weeks! My diet has NOT been perfect, but I don't think that is was bad enough to counter working out hard 6 days a week...ya know?!

So, what did I do? I took a couple of days off. And maybe ordered some take-out Thai food...maybe...

And I thought long and hard about what I want and what I'm willing to do to get there. Am I tired of ending every day in a sweaty mess and having to wash my hair, dry it & straighten it a million times more often than I would if I didn't workout? Yes!!! Am I tired of trying to eat balanced meals when I could be happy living off cereal and chocolate? Yes!!! But will I get what I'm looking for if I don't do those things? NO!!

There you have it.

My solution: I am going to give in and order TurboFire earlier than I had planned. I wasn't going to start TurboFire until I got back from Egypt, but with the burnout I'm feeling, I think I need to shake things up! I will probably do a hybrid with Power 90 because I really love the Sculpt workout Tony does. And at least I will have both programs to work with so I won't get bored so fast.

I'm actually really looking forward to my new plan and hopefully it will be just what I need to get back in the game!

Do you get bored with your workouts? What do you do when you start to fall off the wagon?

WordPress & P90X...Video Style!

2010-08-17T20:46:00.002-05:00

Hey there! I'm really exhausted tonight and this was a much faster way to blog than to type it out :) Sorry for the laziness! Enjoy the show!

Head over to Couch Potato Athlete to enter her giveaway for Raw Crunch Bars...they look great!

Also - for the Buy From a Coach P90X deal, just go to my site at www.determined2stayfit.com!

See ya'll tomorrow!

Heart Rate Monitors & Pizza!

2010-08-16T23:37:00.008-05:00

It is way too late for me to even be trying to type something coherent, so please, be patient with me!

Hello there!

It is probably not very apparent on here, but I used to be a runner. Yes, I've run half marathons, trained for the full deal (though never finished) and run countless shorter races. Running was always the perfect way for me to keep my weight in check. Then, after my attempt at the 2007 Chicago Marathon, I was seriously mentally scarred from the ordeal and have not been able to pick up running again. I know, it sounds crazy, but I swear it is true!

I do however own all the goodies that most serious runners do! I started with my good old Polar F11 heart rate monitor. I wore that thing like it was gold!

Yeah, not exactly gold, but I loved that bad boy! That is until my runs got long enough that the dang monitor started rubbing me raw! I had a scar on my chest for like 6 months!

So, I moved onto the Garmin Forerunner...can't recall the model right now and I'm too lazy to get up and look! That was pretty much the Lamborghini of sports watches...too bad its been sitting on my kitchen table for the past year just gathering dust. Oh well.

Anywho, I dug out the Polar, made a quick run to Radio Shack to get some replacement batteries, and I was ready! Finally, I was going to see the massive calorie burn that I was getting from all this hard working out. People on my Power 90 message boards were claiming 700, even 800 calories burned...I was psyched!

Strapped it on and went to town! Jumped, kicked, punched, sweated until the end. Hit the stop button, went to the summary...and saw 440. Really?! Just 440?! The truth is, I knew it was right. It is dang hard to burn more than 100 calories for every 10 minutes you workout. I knew I shouldn't buy the claims of 800 calories for the Sweat 1-2 video (I'm on Sweat 3-4 even!). Oh, I was taken in. And then disappointed when reality came crashing down. What a crock! I will keep wearing it though because I need to get a better handle on what I'm eating and knowing what I'm burning is a start!

On to dinner!

This weekend, I bought all the fixin's for a pizza since I've seen everyone all over the blog-o-sphere making them. And, I had all those veggies from the Farmer's Market to use up!

I forgot to throw the tomatoes into the picture...lots of veggies, pesto & soy cheese.

I really, REALLY wanted fresh pizza dough. For some reason, the Whole Foods I went to did not have any :( This was all I could find so I gave in and bought it. Not a whole lot of nutritional value in these...so sad.

And the final product...

Very refreshing! The crust was like a big thick cracker...eh. But the veggies cooked up so good! I made two of these little guys and only ate half so I will be eating this for a few days! Love cooking for one!!

On a sweeter note, I was wandering through another department at work today on the way to a meeting and saw a little gift box on the counter. Made my way over and it was filled with these little gourmet chocolates. The only catch was that the labels were in another language. Most of them had pictures of fruit on them so I knew what they were...and I'm not a huge fruit & chocolate fan...but there was one (and seriously, only one left) that did not have a picture on it. Complete crap shoot as to what it was...I took it!

Unwrapped it...

Dark chocolate with a rum filling! Success!!! Oh, it was sooo good! Perfect little mid-afternoon treat!

On that note, I'm going to try to have some sweet dreams! Have a lovely night!

Bakin' & Eggs

2010-08-15T15:01:00.006-05:00

This morning I took advantage of a recent Groupon offer and headed over to Bakin' & Eggs for breakfast! Love me some breakfast!!!

A friend and I decided to walk over so I didn't have feel so guilty for indulging this morning. It was about a mile and a half round trip...I know that isn't far, but it's something!

Look at that beautiful blue Chicago sky this morning! I'm pretty sure that is was already close to 80 and it felt much warmer in the direct sunlight.

When we walked in, it was pretty packed. There were only a few open tables and we were about 3rd in line with more people already coming in behind us. It moved pretty quickly and we ended up wedged into a small table for two. We literally had to pull the table out so I could get in between the other tables to sit down. It was also VERY noisy in there, like, I couldn't even hear the waitress talking to me and had to pretty much read her lips and go on instinct!

Ambiance: B-

The waitress, while not having a loud speaking voice, was very nice and helpful. Always had a smile on her face and did not have even a hint of an attitude, which somehow has become the cool persona to have in Chicago restaurants.

Service: A

First, we ordered drinks. A regular coffee for him, a mocha for me! What? Did you really expect anything else?

This was quite possibly the best mocha I've ever had! Not too sweet, but not too bold! Of course, I forgot to shoot a picture until it was almost gone! I believe they serve Intelligentsia. Even my friend raved that his coffee was great! They also brought us 2 glasses of water and a carafe for refills...gotta love that!

Drinks: A+

Now, the food! I ordered their Banana Bread French Toast. Let me go ahead and repeat that. Banana. Bread. French. Toast. There is no way to go wrong there, folks! It was served with a side of butter, a banana rum sauce and a hazelnut spread. Oh goodness was the banana rum sauce amazing! I would buy that stuff by the jar!

The banana bread was so incredibly moist! And since there was no syrup smothering the flavor, you could really taste the banana coming through. I only ate one piece since I drank that whole mocha and about 3 glasses of water before it came. Had another slice for lunch and I'm sure the final piece will be consumed before the day is done!

My friend is much more traditional and went with the Two Eggs Your Way breakfast. It came with 2 eggs (duh!) that he had scrambled, toast, your choice of meat (he chose chicken apple sausage) and cheesy grits. I didn't photograph his whole meal since he already thought I was crazy for taking pictures of mine, but I did snap the grits since he said they were the best part!

I did manage to snag a bite and I'd have to agree that they were delicious!

Food: A

I would have to say that I would definitely make a return trip to Bakin' & Eggs. They have a sister bakery that I've been meaning to try, so now I have even more incentive! Yes, it was loud and crowded, but if you've ever been a part of the Chicago weekend brunch scene, that is pretty much the norm. The food was delish and definitely worth checking out!

Yoga Help!

2010-08-13T10:32:00.003-05:00

I apologize for my absence the past couple of days...I have been really tired and not feeling the greatest! I'm not 100% convinced this is the reason, but I had ice cream on Wednesday (co-worker's birthday) and Thursday (ice cream social in our building...heat index of 103, I'll take it!) and it really made me feel sick both times afterward! I've never had a lactose intolerance, but maybe now that I've cut it out so much, it's starting to happen.

Both days when I came home from work I had zero energy and felt a little sick to my stomach! No good-o! I managed to still squeeze in a workout on Wednesday night because it was the Sculpt, but last night was cardio and the thought of jumping all around with a sick belly was not high on my priority list...I then konked out at 9pm!

Let's talk Sculpt 3-4 for a minute here...holy crappers. So much more lower body work compared to Sculpt 1-2! There are 10 sets of lunge w/ right leg, 5 squats, lunge w/ left leg that nearly killed me by the end. Then, you finish up the workout my maxing out squats...oh man! It felt really great though! And...drum roll, please...I knocked out 5 more pushups than ever before! One of these days I'm going to be able to complete all the sets, I swear!!

Now, on the yoga front...I think I'm the only person in this world that has not fallen in love with yoga! Several months ago I took a beginners set of classes to learn all the basic moves. I didn't hate it, but I didn't fall in love with it enough to pay to go back. I tried to do one of the videos on Exercise TV, but I found it even less enticing to do in my own living room. What is wrong with me, people?!

I've decided that after having some time away from it, I'm ready to give it another try! Does anyone have any suggestions for a good yoga DVD, webcast or Exercise TV video? Something that a beginner can do? I would love some suggestions because I really would love to find a liking for this!

A friend and I stopped by the Farmer's Market yesterday and one vendor had the most awesome looking veggies! All sorts of weird hybrid looking ones and things I had never seen before! I picked up some baby zucchinis, a red & green pepper, some plums & some bagels...I know, bagels? Yes, bagels!

No idea what kind of beans those were, but they were white with pink/purple speckles...I wanted to buy them just to have them!

My diet has been not so good lately...as I mentioned feeling very tired and sick to my stomach...I can only blame myself! Besides the ice cream, here are the other bad things that went into this belly lately:

Whoa is me!

I have some fun ideas for cooking this weekend so that will help me keep healthier things around! I hope you all have had a good week and stay away from ice cream :)

Here is an awesome article you should check out about vegetarians & fitness...thanks to Fitnessista for posting it!

Also, for anyone who is looking for a new phone or is an Android fan, a good friend of mine just started a blog on all things Android...check it out! VECDROID

Talk you all soon!!

Dehydration

2010-08-10T21:11:00.002-05:00

Is it really only 9pm? Seriously, I feel like I could have fallen asleep an hour ago! It is my rest day and by golly, I'm resting!

Today started off filled with all kinds of household inspirations: I was going to do all my laundry; wash all the dishes; clean out the bunny's cage...yeah, well, so far it looks like writing this post may be the most constructive thing I will do all evening!

I started off the day with a nice little bowl of granola, blueberries & soy milk.

I did not intend to get a mocha at the coffee shop, but somehow my feet led me there anyway. Not only did I walk out with my coffee, but I somehow managed to have them whip me up a sandwich for lunch later! Can someone please chaperone me to work from now on?! Geez! I cannot be trusted!

The evil sandwich:

I generally toss out the top piece of bread so at least that relieves some of the guilt. Fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, basil & lite mayo. The one time I will eat cheese without a second thought!

The first thing I do when I get to work everyday is fill up this bad boy:

That is 32oz of water at my disposal. Obviously, my intent is to kill 2 of those and then any water I drink at home is just bonus. The reality of the situation is that I usually kill the first one and never make it back to fill it up again. Bad!

Today, however, I finished off two full bottles! I used to be really good about getting a lot of water, but the past few months have just not been working for me. The strange thing is, the more water I drink, the thirstier I get! Does that make any sense whatsoever? I'm weird...

On the way home from work, it being my rest day and all, I decided to call my friend and see what he was up to. I dial the phone as I'm walking down the major street in my neighborhood...it rings once...I look up and what is that? Is that my friend sitting at a table outside a coffee shop just 20 feet from me?! It was some crazy timing!

I stopped to chat and then we started walking back to my place. I ducked into a little local grocer to grab a banana and saw this in a bin next to the register:

I huge Peanut Butter & Chocolate granola bar that looks pretty darn fresh...who cares that it was $3?! Okay, truthfully, this all happened very quickly and I didn't even think to look at the price before throwing it up next to my banana...I would have thrown it right back in that bin if had seen the price tag! But, it was rung up and I now had the most expensive organic granola bar known to man :)

It was made by a company called Eat Green Foods. They are based here out of Chicago and use local farmers for all that goes into their products. That is something I like to hear and now I feel a little better knowing my $3 went to a good cause! Check out the ingredients:

Nothing but the basics! Hey, just like me!

Oh yeah...

Seriously, not what I would call a well balanced dinner. So, shoot me.

Tomorrow is a new day and I will be better. I have lots of leftovers in my fridge that need to be eaten so I will try to stop spending my money on food! Grrr!

My goal is to be in bed by 10pm and I only have 23 minutes to go! See you tomorrow!

What Are We Eating?

2010-08-10T11:21:00.004-05:00

I saw this today and was surprised by a few things. Mainly the fact that we still eat more red meat than poultry! For some reason, that blew me away...but I guess hamburgers are still probably the most popular fast food item. Being a vegetarian, I was happy to see the amount of veggies and fruits consumed. That's the good stuff!! What do you think about this? Does anything surprise you?

Manic Monday!

2010-08-09T21:01:00.012-05:00

5:45am - Wake up call from a friend so I can attempt a morning workout

6:05am - Friend insists I meet him at the coffee shop to ensure I'm actually up...sit outside and drink coffee until 6:40am.

6:45am - Go back to my house and promptly fall back to sleep :)

7:30am - Get up and get ready for work

9:30am - Breakfast: my last biscotti :(

10:15am - First Meeting of the day

11:30am - Second Meeting

12:30pm - Lunch: a HUGE cookie. I am not proud.

1:00pm - Third Meeting

2:00pm - Fourth Meeting

3:00pm - read blogs & play on facebook

4:00pm - Snacks

5:30pm - Finally heading home

7:00pm - Rocked the double workout: Power 90 Sculpt 1-2 & Sweat 3-4

8:15pm - Dinner: TJs throw down!

8:30pm - shower!!

9:00pm - Beach Body Team Call

10:00pm - BLOG!

Good night!

Sunday Morning

2010-08-08T09:09:00.005-05:00

Good Morning!

I feel like a real blogger this morning! I'm sitting here at my local coffee shop, sipping a coffee, eating a sammich, browsing blogs & writing...why that makes me feel like a real blogger, I do not know!

Yes, that is real egg (well, Eggbeaters) and real cheese on there. I generally try to avoid these things, but I've had a carb-tastic weekend and my body was screaming for a little protein!

Yesterday started with a delish bowl of oats...I think the fruit combo is just what works for me!

Oats, cinnamon, bloobs & banana - this time the bunny did not get a bite!

After breakfast, I walked about a mile to my friend's house to pick up my bike and then ran some errands which included sending off some goodies to these two wonderful ladies - Couch Potato Athlete & One Fit Foodie

I then had to jet off to a hair appointment...I scheduled it right for lunch time, but it was too soon to eat so I did a bad thing! I stopped at the Starbucks next door and picked up a few things to save for when hunger did strike...cuz if you know me, it WILL strike!

I headed over to another friend's house and decided to take a nice little walk with this guy:

He isn't mine, but I consider myself his mom :) He is my other baby...it's just a shame that he and Boo Boo (the bunny) can never be friends! He is a 2 year old Staffy and he is a maniac! Apparently, I was making him walk farther than he was prepared for because there were many stops like this one in the shade!

After we got back from our walk, my friend and I headed over to a street festival in his neighborhood. If you've ever been to Chicago in the summer, you know there is always a street festival somewhere! I had a delicious vegetarian southwestern wrap and forgot to snap a pic! I guess all the people, beer and live music distracted me!

We walked through the fest and came upon this bad boy...so cute! My friend is going to kill me if he ever finds out he made an appearance on here...

When I was in Italy, my uncle drove something fairly close to this size. It must have been a little bigger because this one was only a 2-seater...my uncle's did have a very tiny backseat. I just remember with 3 of us piled in and driving up some hill, we literally were holding up all the traffic and people were honking and going crazy! My uncle (actually great-uncle...Zio if you want to get Italian on it!) was an older man and in typical older man fashion, he didn't give a damn!

A-ha! I have located a picture of it! It was a Fiat 500...but we knew it as a Cinquecento which is how you say 500 in Italian.

I guess you really need a regular sized car next to it to get an idea...it's a lot like a Mini-Cooper.

So, after walking a lot today and biking a lot today, I wasn't really feeling like working out. Then I remembered that these next 60 days have to be awesome! It was almost 9:30pm, but I popped that DVD in and rocked it!

I have a feeling today will be a lazy day. It looks like it may downpour any minute. Movie day it is!!

Enjoy your weekend!!

30 days!

2010-08-07T07:47:00.002-05:00

Good Saturday Morning to you!

Thursday marked Day 30 of the Power 90 program so yesterday I hopped on the scale for the official weigh in and took my measurements. Here is how things shook out:

Weight: lost 3.5lbs
Body Fat: lost 1%
Waist: lost 1.5 inches
Hips: lost 1 inch
Right Arm: lost .25 inches
Left Arm: no change
Right Thigh: lost .5 inches
Left Thigh: no change

I'm happy with the results, but then again, I'm not really happy with the results. I remember a time where I could have dropped twice that amount of weight in half the time. As I've gotten older, my body has become increasingly stubborn about letting weight go...however, it has no problem adding a few!

So, to know that I went from hardly working out at all and eating lunch and dinner out at least 5 or 6 times a week to working out 6 days a week and being much better about food...only 3.5 pounds seems a bit of a let down.

It is moving in the right direction though and I will try to concentrate on that positive note. Plus, now that I'm in the 3-4 phase of the program, the next 30 will hopefully see a bigger change.

I don't know if I've mentioned this, but I'm going to Egypt for a couple of weeks in October. This 90 days just barely squeezes in and I started when I did because I don't want to hate what I look like in the pictures of the trip. I have to make these next 60 days the best I can!!

On a different topic, we had a big announcement at work this week. My boss, who has been a good friend and the only boss I've had through my 6 and a half years at this company despite being lucky enough to have several promotions over that period of time, has decided to take a regional position and I won't be reporting to her anymore :( Now, I will be reporting directly to our President. He used to be our VP of Finance when I was still in our accounting division so I've worked very closely with him in the past and we have a great relationship...but now he's my boss?

I just can't wrap my head around it, ya know? I know my current boss inside and out. I know what I can get away with and what I'm going to need to explain. I know how she works. This is going to be a huge adjustment for me. Next week is my first "check in" meeting with him...so we'll see!

Another note about work...we had a potluck yesterday! I did pretty good at portion control, just took small amounts of things that I wanted to try, but I'll be honest and say I definitely at too many sweets! My workout last night suffered...I could tell I wasn't properly fueled. The craziest part is that...TMI coming up...my body basically knew it was full of crappy food. First thing this morning, it let me know it was time to get it out. Let me tell you, I don't generally have that fast of a turn around :)

But, that made me feel like things are on the right track. I used to eat crap all the time and my body didn't care. Now, it's trying to get rid of it asap. That is kind of amazing to me. And it reminds me that I'm doing something right!

Sorry for the lack of photos, this week kind of got away from me and I've barely had time to get anything "extra" in! I hope you all enjoy the great weather this weekend!!

Food for thought:

Have you had to change bosses within the same company? What was your experience?

Is your body good at telling you when you've eaten something you shouldn't have or do you have a stomach of steel?

A Quickie

2010-08-04T22:16:00.004-05:00

Hey there, folks!

I got home really late tonight so I skipped my workout (boo!) and just barely scarfed down some dinner (I was starving) before sitting to write this and then I'm knocking out!

I'll keep it short and sweet!

First, the reason I was so late in getting home is that I went to a meeting about starting a community garden in my neighborhood! I'm really excited about it! We are still getting approvals from the city so it isn't finalized, but we've got all the plans ready for when it is. We won't be able to plant until next spring, but our plan is to build all the raised beds and pathways this fall so it will be ready to go next year!

Second, I realized today that I need to utilize my Google Reader. You should see me, I sit here trying to remember all my favorite blogs so I can read them...uh, isn't the reason you hit that "follow" or "subscribe" button so that you don't have to try to remember them all? Seriously, people, I need a little nudge sometimes! Going forward, I vow to use my Google Reader!!

As for eats, lots of duplication from earlier in the week, but here are some yummies:

Cherry Vanilla granola w/ bloobs, banana & soy milk

Bananas are someone's favorite...

My new favorite Larabar flavor!!

I found these in the office kitchen...and I had one of each! The churros were soggy and I only ate it because I was starving and being cheap! :)

A few things before I sign off:

- Tomorrow, if you go to DQ and buy a Blizzard, $1 will be donated to the Children's Miracle Network...so, give in to that summer temptation and get one! It's for a good cause!

- One of the most creative blog posts I've ever seen is right here. Click it. Now. :)

- Two Great giveaways today:
The Healthy Diary is giving away a $40 gift certificate to CSN!
Balance, Joy & Delicias is giving away Terra Chips!! Yum!!

Have a great night!!

Motivating Factors

2010-08-03T22:32:00.009-05:00

Howdy!!

I just now finished my workout (late, I know!) so I'm a little energized! Tonight was the cardio and I worked up a serious sweat. I just realized that Thursday will be Day 30 of Power 90 and I have to officially record my weight and measurements. Yikes!

Until I realized that, I was about to skip out on tonight's workout. Then, the thought of only having 3 days to make a difference made me break out the sports bra and get to it!

Tonight, the 30 day mark motivated me. Recently, a new long-term motivating factor wormed it's way into my life...an unofficial college reunion!

The last football game of the season is usually against our in-state rival...it's called the Civil War! So, it started off as a few of the guys deciding that they would all meet up at the game...then some of us girls started tossing the idea around...next thing I know, my flight is booked and everyone under the sun is sending texts and facebook messages about who's going! What I thought was going to be a few of the old gang is now the gang and everyone who ever kicked it with us for a night or two.

This group includes a couple of ex-boyfriends, possibly some rival girls and who knows what other surprises? So, now, I feel like I have to look great for this trip. Is it wrong to let something so vain be a motivating factor? I just want to look as good as I did back then!

And speaking of looking good, this girl's post today echoed exactly what I've been thinking lately...I don't just want to get back in shape...I want to get in GREAT shape! The BEST shape! It's a motivating read, check it out.

As for the eats? I tried to make an exciting oatmeal this morning, but somehow, it just didn't wow me. With chocolate, almond butter & banana, I thought I couldn't go wrong...oh well.

Then, I made a move toward giving up coffee...I skipped my mocha! Instead, I made regular ol' coffee in the pot when I got to work...as someone suggested, it starts with changing your routine. So, that's what I did!

Lunch was a simple wrap and some peas. I have a colored bowl system at work. The red bowl is for savory things:

And my blue bowl is for sweet things:

I got this delish afternoon snack idea from this lady. It was the perfect guilt-free treat sprinkled with a little sweetener & cinnamon! Zapped it in the microwave for about a minute in a half...YUM!

Tonight I tried my bean & pasta salad and even with a little more EVOO, it was a little dry...back to the drawing board!

After dinner...WAY after dinner...came my workout and afterward, I tried the P90X Recovery drink for the first time. My muscles were still tired from the bike ride (if you can believe that?!) so I figured it might help. It tasted absolutely fantabulous! Like an orange creamsicle! And look at the foamy top!

It will be interesting to see if I feel any more "recovered" tomorrow :)

So, that was my day...wish I could go to bed soon...but as I said, I'm wired!

Food For Thought: What motivates you? External things? Internal things?

Table for One, Please...

2010-08-02T18:42:00.007-05:00

Good Evening, Friends!

My mind has been all over the place today, so if this blog ends up that way, my apologies in advance!!

First off, I am postponing my recipe trial...I realized that I have a whole lot of food in my fridge that I need to finish before I go out buying more!

And that brings me to the title of the post. I don't know how many of you out there are cooking for one, but it ain't easy! I feel like I end up letting so much food go bad because I can't finish it before it's too late. Unless, of course, I want to eat the same thing every day for a week. For example, my hummus. I love the stuff, but unless I eat a serving of it every day for 8 days, there is no way I'm going to finish it before it needs to get tossed. And don't even get me started on my produce :(

So, rather than buying a bunch of new stuff and letting everything else go bad, I decided to make a hodge podge of a meal tonight! I cooked up the rest of my pasta and divided it in half. Then, I steamed up some peas and tossed them up with half the pasta and some pesto that was close to going bad. Yum!

After that, I sauteed up some garlic in olive oil and added TJs Six Bean mix. This mix is awesome! It has white kidney beans, cranberry beans (never heard of those before), red kidney beans, black beans, white navy beans & black-eyed beans. Once that was warmed up, I mixed it with the other half of pasta. I divided it out into containers and will freeze most of it. Now, I have meals for all week!

The 3 P's - Pasta, Pesto, Peas!

I was feeling under the weather again this morning so I just had my mocha for breakfast. A couple hours later I downed one of those yummy biscotti. For lunch, I ate one of the delicious pretzel rolls with a butter knife and jar of almond butter at my side...oh yeah!

Tell me that doesn't look amazing!!

After my workout I had some green sludge :) Okay, I threw in a banana and some blueberries too!

It still looks like green sludge though!

Now, on to my HUGE accomplishment! Yesterday, not only did I bike to the store in the morning...but then I agreed to go for a "ride" with my friend. This "ride" ended up being 20 miles! My bike is just a little cruiser.

We are talking ONE speed. This is NOT a bike meant for distance riding. There were moments where I thought I wasn't going to make it! My quads were on fire...and then by the end, I could barely feel them at all! Oh, how amazing I felt when I finished though!! It was awesome. Now, I want a bike meant for long rides so I can really see what I'm capable of!

So, today I was all pumped to move up my Sculpting workout to the 2nd Phase (since I already moved up with the cardio one), but I soon realized that my poor quads probably could not take it after yesterday's ride. I want to be able to walk tomorrow, ya know?

But after today? It's all Phase 2!

After my workout, I got to thinking about what makes me feel strong. No matter if the scale budges or if the inches are coming off, there is one thing that always makes me feel like progress is being made. And here it is...please, excuse the pit stubble, it's been a long day!

Now, I'm not talking about my bicep because, well, there isn't much of a bicep :) What I AM talking about is that crease between the shoulder and the bicep. My shoulders always build up really fast and that crease becomes apparent fairly quickly. It just makes me feel like I'm getting strong! I love it!!

On to another track: I really, really, REALLY want to get over my coffee problem. It is a waste of money and calories. It sounds so easy right now, but come morning I will be fighting tooth and nail to get to that coffee shop! So, I must come up with a plan. My goal is to be caffeine-free by August 15th!

On that note, even though I'm sure I forgot half of the things I wanted to write about today...good night!

Food For Thought:

What makes you feel strong? Where do you see your progress?
How do you go about breaking a bad habit? What is yours?

Danger!

2010-08-01T11:16:00.004-05:00

Hello and good morning to ya!

After seeing all the yummy-licious things everyone has been finding at Trader Joe's, I decided to hop on my bike and give it another go! I went to a different location this time since I heard it was a little bigger, thus better selection.

Holy Moly! I found one of the most dangerous food items ever!! Okay, well, maybe it comes second to this:

But, chocolate is a given danger!!!

Here is what rocked my world yesterday...

Yes, Pretzel Rolls! Oh. My. Goodness! I was walking the bread aisle, with nothing particular in mind when these jumped out at me. I picked up the bag and they felt so soft and moist that I just had to buy them. Once I got home, I tore into them and it was sheer delight! They are very obviously made from pretzel dough, but somehow they are a little lighter and fluffier. They aren't as dense as an actual soft pretzel is. And they have just the slightest hint of salt so that they aren't bland, but not overly salty.

All day I had to keep myself from diving back into that bag...okay, I may or may not have ripped a piece off of a second roll at some point throughout the day, but whatevs!!

I cannot wait for lunch cuz I'm working one of those bad boys in somehow!

Breakfast was light, but great after a 4 mile bike ride to the Whole Foods. Nothing like hopping on your bike first thing in the morning on completely cold legs. Yeah, those first couple miles were not easy. The ride back was much easier as my legs had warmed up a tad.

B&B - Blueberries & Biscotti

Now, I have to work up the energy to hit my real cardio...Grrr.

Have a lovely day!

Food Baby in the House

2010-07-31T09:03:00.008-05:00

I'm going to pretend like I am writing this last night before I passed out after my workout...so, Good Evening, my friends!!

After all this breakfast talk, I did start off yesterday with a big bowl of oatmeal. I had a couple of these High Fiber packets of oatmeal that needed to be used up so I mixed that with some protein powder and fruit. Delish!!

packet of oatmeal
1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder
1 Tbsp dried cranberries
1/2 banana
cinnamon

Sooooo Good! This morning got off to a good start!

However, once lunch time rolled around...since I didn't bring my own, I was in trouble. I decided to check out this place about a block from my office called Freshii. It's almost in the lobby of an Equinox gym, but I'm not sure if the two are connected. You can build your own burrito, wrap, bowl or salad. I decided to get a bowl with brown rice, tofu, tomatoes, carrots, corn, red onion, black beans & low-fat ranch as the dressing.

I went back to my desk and ate until I was full...good girl. But then for the rest of the day, I kept taking another bite, and another bite...and another bite! Until it was gone! And by that point my stomach was bursting! I have no idea why I kept eating it except that work was slow and I was bored. No-goodo.

By the time I remembered to take a picture, that is all that was left...and as you can see, that is no small container! To top it off, I also finished these babies off as the day moved on...

I know there are worse things in the world than some yogurt covered pretzels...but not when you are already stuffed! I was very disappointed in myself, to say the least!

When I got home, I threw on my workout clothes (after watching an episode of Bethenny Getting Married on the DVR - this woman so intrigues me!) and rocked my Sweat 3-4 video. It seriously kicked my butt! I hate to be a quitter, but I may have bitten off more than I can chew by moving up to the next phase already. Don't get me wrong, I can do the video all the way through, but when it's done? I'm absolutely exhausted! Like, pass-out-on-the-couch-at-9:30pm exhausted! Gah!

Here was me after...yeah, I know, I'm obsessed with sweaty pictures!

After the workout I still wasn't hungry because that lunch gave me an all day food baby, but I did mix up a Shakeology with some peanut butter and call it good!

I think I picked out the recipes I'm going to attempt this weekend and can't wait to show you on Monday! Have a lovely weekend!!!

Food For Thought: Do you ever eat when you are bored? How do you stop yourself? Do you graze and graze and don't realize it until it's too late? What are your bad food habits?

What's Your Workout?

2010-07-29T20:13:00.005-05:00

Why, hello there! I've missed you!

I was feeling under the weather yesterday and only went into work for a 1/2 day. I didn't work my biz at all AND I didn't do a blog post. It was an all-around-no-good-day! Last night, in order to try to rouse myself to some degree I did head over to a friend's house to watch Book of Eli. Have you seen it? What did you think? I thought it was pretty good, I just wish there had been a little more insight into how the world got the way it was. It was kind of like the first 30 minutes of the movie were missing, ya know?

Anywho, today was back to (mostly) normal! My stomach seemed to be a little touchy so I didn't really eat anything noteworthy. I will try to spice it up for ya tomorrow!

Which, speaking of, I've been sort of pondering a way to bring a little structure to this here blog and came up with an idea that I'm pretty excited about! I may have mentioned that I'm a disaster on the stovetop. Cooking freaks me out and I'm not good at it. Recently, a few decent friends have been "supervising" me while I cook and I'm finding it slightly less daunting than normal. I think I may be ready to strike out on my own! So, I was thinking of devoting a day a week to trying a new recipe...and what better way to keep it all in the blog family, but to use one of YOURS! Everyone always makes delicious meals that I want to try, so why not? You'd get all the credit, of course! So, if you have any good starter ideas, shoot 'em at me!

And speaking of food...I just learned something really awesome today. Have I mentioned I'm a vegetarian (for about 4 years) and that I'm about 85-90% dairy-free? It is something that is really important to me, although don't freak out...I'm not preachy about it and I won't give you carnivores a hard time ;) Well, today I was on a Beach Body live webinar with Tony Horton (love this guy! Seriously! And yes, he's really that silly!)...

Bring It!

...and he's talking all about how important being fit is to him and how as he gets older he keeps finding ways to improve it. He totally shocked the heck out of me when he then told us that he is currently doing a VEGAN cleanse and he's on Day 40! First off, this is awesome cuz have you seen this man's body? I know some vegans who think they can't be toned and athletic...well, consider that argument out the window! Second, Tony isn't just doing regular workouts right now, but is currently creating and filming the P90X One on One videos! So, it's not like he's doing this cleanse while taking some sort of fitness break...no! He's working it out like never before. I think he is my hero...

Okay, maybe he's a little more than my hero...I think there might be a little crushin' going on over here! And on that note, I vow not to bring up the business anymore this week because that really isn't want this blog is about. There has just been a lot going on with it lately and I can't help but spread the awesome news.

Now, what's your workout? I started as a runner. I ran in high school. I ran in college. I've trained for half marathons and marathons. There have been periods where I've been the girl who spent every night in the gym lifting. And now I'm a girl that appreciates getting to sweat my butt off in the privacy of my own living room! Besides good ol' Billy Blanks, I've never really put much into workout DVDs. Until now, that is. I'm totally loving that as soon as the urge hits me, I can get up and go. And the shower is only 10 feet away when I'm done!

What type of workout do you prefer? Why? Do you like working out with a room full of people? A partner? Perhaps your sweet little bun?

Do you enjoy the privacy of your own home or a less traveled running path? What motivates you to get out there and Bring It?

I really enjoyed hearing all your opinions about breakfast. I think what I need to do is make sure I'm fueling up in the morning, but keep it light if I'm not feeling all that hungry. A piece of fruit...a soy yogurt...some Cap'n Crunch...You know, the good stuff :)

Are You a Breakfast Eater?

2010-07-27T21:15:00.010-05:00

Why, hello there!

After reading all your blogs about the millions of great ways to make oatmeal and seeing all the delicious pictures, I decided this morning I was going to make it! And make it I did...

It was very simple. Threw in some ground flax seeds, lots of cinnamon, some Splenda (shoot me!) and then a big ol' glop of peanut butter! Very, very yummers. However, after consuming this bowl of yum, I noticed that my belly was feeling a bit stuffed. See, usually I just grab a mocha at my local coffee shop and head to work. Every now and then I'll have a bowl of cereal or something, but my oatmeal is usually saved for a "later in the day" type of meal.

After bringing up Intuitive Eating yesterday, this got me to thinking. Did I eat it just because they say you should never skip breakfast? Even though I'm usually not hungry in the morning? Should I or should I not be eating it if I'm not hungry? I think this is one of those topics in the health world that will forever be up for debate. So, do YOU eat breakfast? Do YOU believe it is the most important meal of the day? Should you eat it even if you don't feel like it? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

I packed the rest of my food for the day and it looked something like this:

a simple wrap with hummus & veggies

Yum!

Then later this afternoon I broke out the good stuff:

Love summer fruit!! I left work and headed home knowing I'd probably have to eat before my workout. Decided to give myself a mini carb load with some pasta. I threw in some shredded soy cheese, hoping it would make it a little creamy, but it just stuck to the bottom of the pan! Lesson learned!

whole wheat pasta w/ pesto & grape tomatoes

Saved half for lunch tomorrow...can't wait! I should confess...there was a little of this going on while I was waiting for the water to boil...

Oops! But, I made up for my little indiscretion by moving up into the Phase 2 set of my workout video! Talk about a butt kicking! It was all the same routines as Phase 1, just faster and with an extra circuit of each set of moves. Holy sweat-fest! Oh, but it felt good!!!! Don't you just love when you push yourself for all you've got, nothing left on the floor except a puddle and a smile! Loved it!

I wasn't kidding!

Well, I think that's all I've got for ya today! The shower is calling my name...

Wait! Before you go...check out these two awesome giveaways today:

With a Side of Sneakers is giving away a chocoholic's dream!

Running Diva Mom is giving away some awesome running socks!

Hop over there and leave a comment!! See you kiddos tomorrow!

Breaking News!!

2010-07-27T10:32:00.003-05:00

As I've kinda, sorta mentioned on here, I'm a coach for Beach Body. Well, I was on our National Call this morning (okay, it was the recorded one from yesterday, but I can't get on live because it's during my regular work hours!) and they made a HUGE announcement! They are starting a new program to encourage people to buy their fitness programs from a coach! Not only is it awesome that this company supports us coaches by giving us tools, training & inspiration every day, but now they are actually encouraging people to by from us rather than directly from their infomercials! That truly means a lot to me and shows me exactly what kind of company this is!

It is called the Buy From a Coach Advantage Program and it is kicking off with Insanity. So, when you buy Insanity from a coach right now, you get a BONUS workout from Shaun T. called Fast & Furious. Talk about awesome!

Now, tell me you aren't ready to let THAT kick your butt all over the place!! So, if you are ready to try Insanity AND get an awesome BONUS workout, click here! Just hit "Shop Team Beach Body" and you are good to go! If you know anyone who has been thinking about buying Insanity and doesn't already have a coach, pass the link on!!

Oh yeah, they said they will be rolling this out with more programs too...so I'll keep you posted if Insanity isn't for you!

Cleanse - Day 3...Finally!

2010-07-26T21:05:00.004-05:00

Howdy!

I have to say, if I never drink one of those shakes again, I can live with that! Three a day was brutal! Now, I have no problem eating the same thing everyday, (oh, I've been known to stick with things I like for weeks on end!) but those shakes are not it! Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't mind having one a day...actually, that chocolate one would be great for killing a sweet tooth craving and was delicious blended up with my iced mocha. However, I'm happy to say that the days of 3 a day are over and I don't have to have another one until I'm feeling like it!!

What did I get out of the cleanse? Well, on Day One I got cleaned out, that is for sure :) After that, not so much. While I did feel a little sluggish during my workouts, overall I felt pretty energized throughout the day despite the drop in calories. I can't say I felt like any weight loss occured, but that could also be due to my cheating every day! I never said I was good at following rules!

Here was the highlight of my day, real food!

I had forgotten that I had agreed to stay late at work and knew I would never make it until I got home to eat my one real meal of the day. So, I ran to Corner Bakery and got the Salad Trio: Edamame Salad, Caprese Pasta Salad and Fruit Salad. The pasta probably was not allowed on the Cleanse, but that portion was so small that I didn't feel guilty in the least! As a matter of fact, the whole thing was only 350 calories and it managed to cover multiple food groups!

Jumping to another subject: Christie over at Honoring Health wrote a great piece today on Intuitive Eating. This is what I'm striving for, but I'll admit that I still catch myself adding calories in my head at the end of the day. Or making decisions because it is the right one, not the one that comes naturally. It is going to be a long road for eating to become second nature again, but I believe I can get there. I appreciate those that ready this blog and help me hold myself accountable for the promise I've made myself. Anyway - pop over there and check out what she wrote...it's very insightful!

I think today is going to be the first day I miss a scheduled Power 90 workout. After getting home so late, I just don't have it in me. I will make it up tomorrow since it was supposed to be my rest day and get right back on track. I have to keep truckin' so I can reach the goal I really want:

Oh yeah, baby...that's what I'm talkin' about!

On that dreamy note...I'm out!

Cleanse - Day 2

2010-07-25T21:43:00.004-05:00

Good Evening!

It was an absolutely gorgeous day here in Chicago. Low humidity, temps in the low 80s, nice breeze...just perfect! What is there to do on a perfect day in this great city, you ask? Well, run errands, of course!

Seriously, I had to run errands. I left my bike over at my friend's house last week so I set out on foot...which was fine by me because it gave me more sun time. If you watched my video, you know that I need as much sun time as I can get! While I was walking to the Whole Foods (an almost 2 mile trek) I was deep in thought about something and suddenly snapped out of it and realized I had walked several blocks that I didn't recall and even had turned at the right block that I needed to, but without remembering any of it. Have you ever done that before? I remember doing that while driving sometimes...suddenly you realize that you don't remember the last few miles! At least I was "there" enough to stay on the right track!

After the store, I detoured to say hi to a friend and ended up staying WAY longer than I had intended, thus totally messing up the cleanse eating plan. Don't worry, I didn't eat anything bad...I just didn't eat at all! :( Here's how the day went down:

Woke up at 7am, did a few things around the house, laid back down for a "few minutes"...woke up at 10am :)

So, Shake numero uno was at 10am...and I mixed it with the mocha again. So shoot me! It was soooooo good!!

By 11am, I had set out on my errand trip. Around 3pm (still at my friend's house) I was hungry and ate some of the strawberries and blueberries I'd gotten at Whole Foods. I'm allowed a fruit snack so it fit right in.

I finally got home (after a stop at the PetSmart) around 5:30pm. Well, by that time, I didn't think I could still fit in 2 shakes AND dinner. So, I opted to skip the 2nd shake and go right to dinner.

Yeah, that's right...I had a SALAD! I should let you in on a little secret: I'm really not a salad person. When I first became a vegetarian, everyone would always say, "well, you can at least eat the salad, right?"...used to drive me crazy! So, I sorta decided to boycott salad. I truly, rarely eat one. But, since it is part of the Cleanse, I gave in. It was just a salad mix with tomato, cucumber & topped with Gardein chicken nuggets that I chopped up. I used Annie's Lite Honey Mustard Vinaigrette for the dressing. It was okay. Doable for a day :)

After my workout a blended up the Greenberry Shake with a banana and orange extract. Still getting used to the taste of that one...here is a beautiful shot of the lovely green sludge:

Eerily similar to last night's photo, no? Even bunny is sitting in the same spot eating. Creepy.

Okay, kiddies, I hope you enjoyed your weekend and have a lovely night's rest before a new week begins! Tomorrow I'll update the last day of the cleanse and then I have some recipes I want to try later in the week! See ya tomorrow!

Cleanse - Day 1

2010-07-24T21:26:00.004-05:00

So, I wasn't perfect and made some adaptations to the cleanse...but overall, I think I got the basics and that is what counts!! Here is how the day went down:

Chocolate Shake for breakfast - okay, I threw it in the blender with my iced mocha from the coffee shop :) Hey, it was absolutely delicious and I don't regret my decision!

Greenberry Shake for lunch - See, because I had the mocha I didn't have the morning snack! I threw a banana and some orange extract into the shake and that made it much better than my first attempt with that flavor.

Before my workout, I had a few sips of a smoothie I had made last night and didn't finish.

For dinner, I had Gardein chicken nuggets and some spicy sweet potato fries with some Annie's honey mustard for dipping. Yes, once again it was a little cheat. That was definitely not a salad! But, in my defense, the weather here was questionable and since I don't have a car, venturing to the grocery store was sort of out of the question. I made due with what I had.

At about 9pm, I made my last shake (Chocolate again w/ just a splash of almond extract). I managed to catch a picture of it before I downed the whole thing:

Please excuse all the crap in the background...this is the only room the bunny is allowed in so it is filled with stuff to keep her busy. Although, if you look closely at the corners of the walls, obviously not busy enough!

I can't say I noticed any changes or anything today because of the cleanse. Definitely had some quality bathroom time (TMI! Sorry!) after the second shake and I'll take that as a positive. I did feel like it was a little harder to reach the usual level of exertion and that might be due to the lower amount of calories consumed. Overall, I'd say the first day was fairly successful. I guess I could have waited until I was properly equipped with salad ingredients before starting, but ehhh...whatevs. Day 2 tomorrow. Yahoo!

First Attempt at Video Blogging

2010-07-24T10:58:00.001-05:00

Here is my first attempt at making a video blog...please excuse the hair, I'm getting ready to hit my cardio! I never realized how often I make crazy facial expressions...everyone should take a video of themselves talking, it's crazy to see what you look like! Here you go:

A Real Value Meal

2010-07-23T22:38:00.006-05:00

Good Evening!!

I hope everyone is doing well on this hot and humid day. Here in Chicago, after having the heat index go into the 100's, we are now having thunderstorms. You can only imagine how much more pleasant that makes it outside. Let's just say that I'm glad I just got a fresh stock of DVDs in the mail the other day!

This morning I started the day with my usual mocha from a local coffee shop in my neighborhood. I just can't break the habit! Actually, tomorrow I will have to because I'm starting the Shakeology 3-day cleanse and unfortunately, there is no coffee on the menu :( Now, that mocha every morning costs me a pretty penny, but this morning I went the extra mile. I ordered my favorite sandwich from them too to take with me to work. See, the sandwich is HUGE!

Now, that is a serious footlong! I always get the Mozzarella Sandwich which has fresh mozzarella, tomatoes and fresh basil. The only thing I don't like about it is that the spread they use is guacamole. It just doesn't go right with the other flavors. Usually, I ask them to throw on some lite mayo instead, but this morning I forgot.

Oh yes, lots of guac! I ended up tossing the side of the bread that had the spread on it. The reason this is such a "value meal" is that I usually eat one half of the sandwich for lunch and the other for dinner. Plus, it comes with a side that can be chips or a piece of fruit. This morning, I grabbed a banana so that served as breakfast! 3 meals for the day in one quick stop!

Work was slow and boring...which sort of put me in the lazy rut when I got home. I put off my workout as long as I could and then finally kicked my own butt and got it done! No workout has been skipped yet, and it is too early to let that record slide!

Overall, the day was pretty uneventful! I saw some yummy recipes out in the blogosphere this week that I really want to try, but it will have to wait until after the cleanse. For now, I'm just kickin' my feet up!

And please don't judge those little pieces of hay on the floor...the bunny makes a mess of the place and I can't keep up!

Have a very lovely evening and let me know what your favorite place to meal splurge is!

Another busy night, Another lame post

2010-07-22T22:23:00.003-05:00

Hello there, Party People!

I had another team call tonight...it's still going as a matter of fact...and it's getting late so I'm afraid this post will have to be brief. I need to get my beauty sleep! I've been sleeping on the couch lately and that is not a good thing. Tonight will have to be back in my bed and at a decent hour!

A couple benchmarks tonight during my workout: First and foremost, I did all 100 reps in the ab workout!!! There is no turning back from here. It will be 100 reps from here on out.

Second, I had some trouble getting through the whole section of arm raises in the workout. I know, that sounds crazy...arm raises? Yes, arm raises! Doing them for 3 straight minutes is not easy! But tonight...I did it! So again, there is no going back to the 5 second rest. All 3 minutes is the only thing that will be acceptable. What a great workout...and I was sweating like nobody's business!

And on that note, I'm putting an end to this lame post. I did however see this article and I thought this was interesting. One of the main reasons that I wanted to discuss it is because sometimes I'm doing everything right and yet the scale won't budge. Nothing is more frustrating and down right depressing than following the rules and getting no results. So, without further ado, I present:

Why You Can't Lose Those Last 10 Pounds
http://shine.yahoo.com/event/loveyourbody/why-you-can-amp-39-t-lose-those-last-10-pounds-1964849/

Good night, my dears!

Men vs. Women

2010-07-21T22:19:00.004-05:00

How is everyone this lovely summer evening? I got home tonight, worked out, showered, hopped on my coach call and now I'm finally getting to the blog!

I'd like to just throw out there from the get-go that I had a teeth cleaning today and ever since, I've been randomly chomping down on that nasty toothpaste grit! It is driving me nuts!

I did actually remember to take a picture of two meals today, but to be honest with ya folks, I'm too tired to download them right now. Is that lazy or what?! Anywho, I ate pretty darn clean today! The only real thorn in my side at this point is my morning mocha. They say caffeine is the second most addictive substance and I ain't arguing with them!

I'll give you guys another dose of honesty even! I tried the Greenberry Shakelolgy for the first time this morning and it was not a pleasant experience! Yes, I am dogging out the very product I sell. My coach would kill me if she saw this. Seriously though, the green tea flavor was very strong and I am not a tea fan in the least. I put half a banana in and still could only get down a few gulps. I threw it in the fridge to be dealt with later and can happily say that tonight I tossed in the other half of the nanner and it was much better, especially being colder from the fridge. Experimentation with Greenberry "recipes" will be forthcoming ;)

My workout was great, except I'm seriously still not seeing any improvement on my pushups! I don't feel like I can do anymore today than the day I started. That's just not fair!

Today's little topic: Men vs. Women. I'm talking about weight loss here. I'd say 99% of the weight loss blogs out there are written by women and I obviously have my own weight loss experience to go by, as well. The trend I'm noticing is that men seem to drop weight at a ridiculous rate while us women struggle to eek out half a pound! I'm currently participating in a message board of people who all started Power 90 around the same time I did. We post everyday and encourage each other, it's actually really inspiring and great for holding me accountable. The group is probably about 60% men and 40% women. We are all now starting our 3rd week on the program and the guys have dropped like 4 to 5 pounds a week each! The women on the other hand have lost less than half that!

Furthermore, I have a male friend who I've seen drop weight at a rate of about 3-4 pounds per week, while I might lose nothing for a couple weeks! Anyone notice this same trend? Why do guys get to have it so easy? ;) They get faster metabolisms, easier muscle growth and now this too?...wait...I think I may have just answered the "why" right there. Dang it! So, anyway, the guys in my message board keep me inspired and at least dreaming that I might catch up!

And now, I must get off to bed. The tummy feels like it is on the verge of a growl...that can't be good.

To Weigh or not to Weigh?

2010-07-20T21:43:00.004-05:00

First off, it is check-in day over at the HYC, so head on over to check in or just to get a little inspiration!

I really tried to remember pictures today, but I failed miserably! I see this is going to be way harder than I thought. Luckily, I did remember to take pictures of my lunch:

Okay! So, it was AFTER I ate it...whatever. It was a picture, dang it! I always get a veggie sammich at Subway with just about every veggie they have available and the lite mayo. I'll admit, I got two chocolate chip cookies with it rather than some decent chips. My only excuse is that I had to make it last until I got home at 8pm so I tried to get as much (unhealthy) bang for my buck as I could.

Now, as for the title of my post: Do you weigh yourself everyday? Every week? Never? I used to do it almost daily...unless of course I knew I wasn't being good. Then, I wouldn't go near it for fear of what it would say. This time around, I've decided to bury it in the back of my closet until I'm at Day 30, 60 and 90. I know that people who weigh themselves regularly lose more weight and keep it off better than those who don't, but I have a this problem where I start to really slack off when I see the weight coming off. That is totally backwards, right?! You would think it would motivate me to push even harder...instead, I see it as excuse to have those 2 cookies at lunch ;)

My question for you is, how often do you weight yourself? Is it helpful or does it leave you with a bad taste in your mouth? Let me know!

Pictures?

2010-07-19T21:34:00.002-05:00

No! Seriously, everyday I vow that I'm going to remember to take pictures throughout the day to put on the blog and yet here I sit, no pictures. Gah! Words it is!

First off, I just need to get an incident from this morning that left me a little unsettled off my chest. I'm walking to the bus, like I do every morning, and this kid flies by me on his bike. He couldn't have been more than 10 years old. No biggie, right? Except I could SWEAR this kid was wearing cologne! Really? Cologne? At 10?! Very disturbing...or creepy.

I'll be honest and tell you that today's nutrition did not start off on the right foot. No breakfast. Medium Mocha. And then 1/3 of a bag of the snack size Cheetos jumped out of my desk drawer and made me eat them. I didn't want to, I swear!

I managed to redeem myself as the day went on with healthy choices that included my usual post-workout smoothie and my yummy Thai Cucumber Salad.

Finished Week 2 of Power 90 today! So, I'm 13 days into 90...yikes. That doesn't sound nearly as good! At least I can take comfort in tomorrow being a rest day...not to mention that I was only 5 reps away from hitting all 100 ab reps today! I think next time I will hit it for sure! That will be my first real benchmark. If I could only just get those push ups figured out!

Whew!

2010-07-18T17:40:00.006-05:00

I decided to up the weight on some of the exercises today and boy did I feel it!! Shoulders - on fire! Triceps - can't even feel 'em! I cannot wait for the 30 day mark so I can take measurements and see what is changing! For some reason in my workout today (mind you it was the weight lifting one, not the cardio) I was dripping sweat! It was crazy!! I was hoping to get away without a shower tonight, but I guess that option is off the table...

STINKY!

On a different note, the temps are still ridiculous today! We had a brief thunderstorm early this afternoon so now the humidity is off the charts. Needless to say, I've been indoors nearly all day...actually, I don't think the walk to the coffee shop around the corner even counts, does it? I really need to get to Target today to buy some heavier hand weights and to the pet store for some hay for this little lady:

But I just don't see that happening right now! Maybe when the sun goes down.

I've eaten pretty well today, although it's not over yet! I just made myself a post-workout smoothie since I just ordered Shakeology and need to use up my smoothie ingredients. I'm all out of spinach (I usually throw a handful in) so it was all fruit today...banana, strawberries & mango. I scoop of protein power rounded it out. Yummy!

I guess I should head to the shower...hope everyone had a great weekend!

Day 11

2010-07-17T14:14:00.002-05:00

90 days sure does seem far off at this point! Yikes!!

Somehow, my morning got away from me. I didn't even sleep that late, but after net surfing, blog stalking and a little TV watching, it was suddenly 1pm! No big deal except that I had to get a workout in and shower before 2:30 because I have an appointment!

The good news is that rather than putting it off until after the appointment (don't think that didn't cross my mind!), I sweated my butt off with my Sweat 1-2. On cardio day you also have to do Ab Ripper 100 which is 10 reps of 10 different ab exercises. 10x10=100. Doesn't sound so bad, does it? I think I only maybe got in 65 reps my first try. In the week and a half I've been doing this, I think I'm not only about 10-12 reps away from knocking the entire thing out! That will be a huge accomplishment for me!

Gotta cut this short because I have that darn appointment to get to! Have a great Saturday!

Power 90

2010-07-16T20:02:00.002-05:00

That's right, I'm doing Power 90. Is that P90X, you ask? No, no it's not. P90X would probably have my in traction at this point! Power 90 is the workout by Tony Horton that comes BEFORE P90X. I'll admit, with only 1 cardio routine and 1 sculpt routine (for one phase, a second set for another) it will get boring fast. Okay, it's already boring and I'm only on Day 10! That is okay though because in just 10 days, I already feel myself getting stronger! And this is only the first phase. Day one had me gasping for air and not being able to finish some sets...now I can almost do it all.

I took my weight, body fat % and measurements before I started. I then hid the scale in the back of the closet! I always, ALWAYS start to slack off when I see the pounds coming off. Therefore, I've vowed to only check in at the 30, 60 and 90 day marks. Just 20 days to go before I get to see my progress!

Today was not too pretty from a nutrition standpoint. I met a friend for lunch and did my best to make a healthy choice, but then completely threw in the towel when I got home and ordered take-out! Grrrr! I almost plowed through all of it before I got a hold of myself and put the rest away. It was close to being a true disaster! Now, I'm sitting waiting for the bloated belly to go down before I do my workout. Not exactly the best end to the week!

Lesson learned! :)

Day 2

2010-05-20T21:38:00.002-05:00

Did pretty good on the food today, but didn't get a run in. It started raining while I was walking home from work so I assumed a run wouldn't be possible. Too bad I just looked out the window and the street is completely dry! Hmph!

I had a slightly more balanced diet today, but once again forgot photos...what is it gonna take already?!

Meal 1 - protein oats (oats, soy yogurt, protein powder, almond milk, cinnamon)
Meal 2 - Banana w/ natural peanut butter
Meal 3 - whole wheat bagel with sugar-free jam
Meal 4 - carrots & grape tomatoes w/ ranch
Meal 5 - Crack Wrap (whole wheat tortilla, hummus, soy cheese)
*coffee with creamer & sugar substitute

Boring day, but 2 days down!

Day 1

2010-05-19T20:35:00.002-05:00

Well, as always, the first day went off without a hitch!

I hit up the grocery store after work so my meals for the rest of the week should be a little better than today. I will try to start taking some pictures, but I'm always halfway done before I remember! Here we go:

Meal 1 - medium iced skim white mocha (I know, not really a meal!)
Meal 2 - gardein Tuscan Chicken Breast
Meal 3 - Carrots w/ very little ranch dressing
Meal 4 - packet of instant oatmeal w/ scoop of protein powder & tsp ground flax seeds
Meal 5 - Peacan Pie Larabar
Meal 6 - Smoothie (mango, pineapple, spinach & protein powder)

Since I'm just getting back into running, my workout was 25 minutes of run/walk intervals.

My goal is to have 5 small meals per day and to workout 5 days a week. I hope to be able to run my old route within a couple weeks. Fingers crossed!

100 Day Challenge

2010-05-19T14:22:00.003-05:00

So...here I am! Whew! After a cold winter in Chicago, I'm out of shape and not at all ready for summer clothes. Thus, came my idea for my own 100 Day Challenge. It seems to me that in 100 days you could really do some damage and come out a whole different person...and I'm ready. Since I'm someone who responds best when I have an end goal, I'm hoping this will do the trick!

Each day I will be posting what I ate and my workout from the day before. This is mostly for my own benefit so that I will have something to hold me accountable. Today it begins...again...and I'm WAY excited!

On a note in the realm of small victories, I passed up the free pizza at work! Oh yeah, no cheating on day 1!

Day 17

2009-11-04T20:17:00.005-06:00

Turns out there was no reason to dread yesterday's cardio workout! I rocked that elliptical right off it's gliders! I'm guessing that maybe my legs were just exhausted since Wednesday was basically the only day they had off. I had a lovely lower body lifting session today and then it will be cardio again tomorrow...but I won't be dreading it this time, I swear!

We had our last yoga class on Sunday night and it was so much fun! He tried to teach us handstands, but after feeling like I was going to fall on my face in Spriderman Pose, I didn't even bother trying! We did a modified Wheel pose (so sue me if I used blocks and the wall!) and he said I did it perfect! That made me very happy and made me want to learn how to do it without the modification. It's one of those ones that is harder than it looks!

Yikes! This version looks way hard!

We got a free pass to use for a class there now that we've "graduated", but I'm a little intimidated since we never got to the part on how a class actually flows. I think I might try a podcast or video at home first! Any suggestions?!

I'm finally starting to feel a little more at home in the kitchen and whipped this up for dinner...

Tofu Bites & Sauteed Veggies! YUM!

So Yummy! I'm glad the kitchen isn't the scaresville it used to be! Although, I still can't do much in there, but let's just take it one day at a time!

I would show you all the lovely things I ate today, but you'd be bored...not to mention the fact that I almost eat the same thing every day on this BFL plan! So, let me at least spread it out over a few posts!

It was weigh in day over at the Sisterhood...down one more pound!

Day 16

2009-11-03T13:13:00.002-06:00

Enter Week 3! And still going strong! I can't believe how well things are going so far. I was mostly afraid that I'd lose the food battle, but that has been the least of my worries. On Sunday, my free day, I didn't even know what I wanted to "splurge" on! It feels so great to be putting good things into my body and not be afraid to eat. I can finally trust myself...for the moment ;)

While the food thing is going very well, I'm starting to dread cardio. I knew this day would come. As a matter of fact, today is cardio...and I haven't gone yet. Normally, I'd have already been to the gym by now. Here is the problem of the moment: I'm bored on the elliptical, but it's still kicking my hiney all over the place so I don't want to abandon ship yet for another machine. What is a girl to do? I told myself I would change everything up at the 4 week point so I'm trying hard to stick to that plan...but it's hard right now. Then again, no matter what machine I'm on, I'm supposed to push myself to the limit and I'm sure that's never fun! Ew!

So, wish me luck in surviving today's cardio monster! I'll have a yoga update tomorrow...goodness gracious is that stuff tough!

Day 12

2009-10-30T20:11:00.003-05:00

So far so good, folks! 12 Days and no mess-ups yet! Of course, this is usually about the time I start to fall apart, but I can only hope for the best!

If you would have told me that I could survive 6 straight days of working out, I'd have laughed in your face! But here I am...I'm doing it! I feel stronger. I feel tighter. I feel like I can finally suck my gut in again :)

I can tell that the food is going to get very old, very fast with this program. It is all about lots and lots of protein. Being a vegetarian AND a less-than-stellar cook, I'm limited to say the least. Protein powder has become my best friend and I have put it into things that even surprise me! Tofu and eggs are my other weapons of choice and well, that is about it! If you have any new fun ways to use make these, let me know because I'm already getting bored!

Although, I have found a new love...THESE!

So Yummy!

I kept seeing them around the blogosphere, but had never tried one. I'm usually a Balance Bar, Clif Bar type of girl. Lo and behold, they were on sale at Whole Foods and I decided to give them a whirl. Hello, yumminess! I've only tried the Cashew Cookie flavor so far, but also bought the Cherry Pie & Coconut Cream Pie. They will have to be a free day treat because I can totally see me getting carried away if I make them a regular daily habit!

Finally, it's time for another challenge over at the Sisterhood! It's a Shrink-A-Versary! Since I'm already well on my way, why not join on up?!

Well, I think it's time to settle in for a good scary movie and try not to fall asleep before it's over. Have a great night, folks!

BFL - Week 2

2009-10-26T12:03:00.002-05:00

Apparently, I like readying blogs a whole lot more than I like writing them! Sorry 'bout that!

Week 1 of the Body for Life Challenge went perfect! There was no cheating, even while attending a party with lots of yummies and spending an evening out. I had to plan ahead a lot and make sure I brought whatever I needed to get me through. The key to getting my workouts in is to do them on my lunch. That means no having to wake up early...I hate mornings!...and no having to worry about fighting with yourself after work when you feel too tired. I can't believe that I never did this before! And the best part is that the gym at the office is really small and if you go during peak times you would never be able to have access to the equipment you need, when you need it, but when I go around 10:30am it is completely empty except for maybe one other person. Perfection!

The scale said I've only dropped a pound for the week, but with Aunt Flo arriving yesterday, I'd say that is great! Plus, I know this is a process that my body is still adjusting to. Can't wait to see how things look after 2 weeks...but let me not get ahead of myself here! This is not easy and it takes a lot of effort. I will keep focused on each day. One day at a time, folks!

Body for Life Challenge

2009-10-19T10:12:00.002-05:00

Well, thanks to this lady, I've decided to embark on the Body for Life Challenge! Oh yes, I'm probably crazy :)

For the past two weeks, I've been totally on track without even the urge to cheat. And that is mainly the reason I think I'm ready. BFL is a 12 week butt kickin'! It's about major weight lifting (which I love, love, LOVE) and short, but intense cardio (which I can't stand!). You balance six small meals with protein and healthy, unprocessed carbs. I'm going to have to work at this part since I'm a vegetarian. Creativity with getting that much protein into my diet is going to be a must!!

Today's meal plan:

Meal 1 - Shredded mini wheats w/ soy milk
Meal 2 - Oatmeal w/ 1/2 scoop protein powder & cinnamon
Meal 3 - pasta w/ veggies and baked tofu
Meal 4 - Myoplex Lite shake
Meal 5 - Apple w/ Peanut butter
Meal 6 - Egg Beaters scramble with sauteed veggies & 5 dark chocolate covered almonds :)

The workout? Well, this plan requires 6 days of working out, 3 weights, 3 cardio. On the off day, you get to eat whatever you want AND be lazy! How great it that?? I currently have a yoga class on what is supposed to be my "off" day, but I figure that is a good way to get all relaxed and stretched out after a hard week of work outs!

Today's workout is Upper Body:

Chest - Dumbell Bench Press & Dumbell Flyes
Shoulders - Dumbell Press & Front Raises
Back - Lat Pulldowns & Dumbell Rows
Triceps - Seated Press & Kickbacks
Biceps - Concentration Curls & Hammer Curls

Sounds like a good time, right?? I'll let you know how it goes!

5 Meals a Day

2009-08-05T10:26:00.002-05:00

Wow...I can't believe how much easier the whole food situation is when I'm eating the 5 small meals per day. For one, I'm never hungry. That is huge! Usually, I go from starving to stuffed and back again...and I hate both of those feelings! Right now, I'm usually not even hungry when I'm onto my next meal (basically eating every 3 hours) and the meal is never big enough to make me feel stuffed. If I can just hold out for a few more weeks, this may begin to come more naturally and not take so much dang planning :)

Still walking a lot due to no other choice =P I have yet to find the motivation to actually "workout". This is the longest I've ever gone in over a decade without working out and I can't figure out what the problem is. Food is key, but if I really want to tone up and be shorts/bikini ready, I've got to get myself back in the gym! I wonder what it's gonna take...

A Month Later...

2009-07-30T17:11:00.002-05:00

Here we go again! Take 10!

Well, for starters, the lease on my car was up Monday and I decided to give it back to the dealership and be automobile free...this will result in a whole lot more walkin' for this lady! I'm back to working on 5 smaller meals a day so I don't go crazy at one meal and find myself at the end of the day with dinner still to go and already past my calorie budget. Today has been great:

Meal 1:
Decaf Iced Grande Mocha (okay, this isn't a meal, but bare with me)
Meal 2:
Greek Yogurt mixed with Cinnamon Pecan Special K...yummy!
Meal 3:
Subway 6" veggie on wheat w/ lite mayo
Meal 4:
Baked Lays & banana

No idea yet what I'm going to have for dinner, but so far I've been very satisfied and not hungry. I have to go walk the dog, hit the grocery store, then walk home. Lots more exercise to come this evening, whether I like it or not!

Dear Motivation Thief:

2009-06-26T11:54:00.002-05:00

I realize it's been quite some time since you stole my motivation...going on a year, no doubt. And I realize that I didn't really put up much of a stink when it happened. In reality, I was probably just the tiniest bit glad to get that old monkey off my back for awhile. But, I do believe that's its been long enough. I'm gonna need you to go ahead and bring my motivation home now. I need it. Badly.

Sincerely,
Diet Alone Ain't Cuttin' It

Okay, seriously, what is going on with the no exercise? No matter how great my intentions are during the day, when it comes down to finally getting ready to go do the damn thing, I chicken out! I did GREAT with my eating last week and it paid off in the loss of another pound. This week, still good, but not good enough. I've been getting anywhere from 1600 - 1800 a day this week and unfortunately for my metabolism, that isn't going to do any good :( I really need to keep it at 1200 - 1400 to lose any weight. Bummer!

I think I'm mostly disappointed in myself because the past 3 summers I've sworn to myself that I was gonna be bathing suit ready BEFORE summer hit and now I'm staring at the back end of June in no better place than I was 3 months ago! Grrrr...I need a swift kick in the behind!

Wednesday Weigh In

2009-06-17T10:22:00.002-05:00

Wow...has it really been that long since my last blog? So sad!!

To bring things up to speed, I'm doing a challenge over at the Sisterhood and I'm on Team Silver! I totally bombed last week (Week 1) and GAINED a pound. Everyone else on the team lost...I think. Boo on me! BUT! This week, I've redeemed myself! I lost 2 pounds! That only makes me down one pound overall, but hell, its going in the right direction!

My "healthy friend" has turned into a bad influence lately, but is going on a trip overseas for a few weeks so I'll be left to my own devices which should only help things. Plus, I'll be dog-sitting again and if its anything like last time, I'll be constantly on the move and not able to sit around snacking my tush off. My goal between now and when he gets back is to lose 5 pounds. I can do this!

And so it begins...

2009-05-28T09:43:00.002-05:00

I splurged! Just when I was saying that I couldn't let it happen, I did! My friend picked me up from work and when we were almost home, he asked if I wanted to go shoot some pool with him because his league starts today and he wanted to practice. Of course, I was like sure! I figured it would be like an hour or two...but really it turned into 4 hours! No alcoholic beverages were consumed, but I did eat half of a small pizza :) Okay, and then another quarter once I got home! Dang it!!!

But to make up for it, I have packed a healthy lunch today so I should be all set! I will not let this ONE splurge turn into a downfall!

Weigh In Wednesday

2009-05-27T10:34:00.000-05:00

Down 1.2 lbs since last week! I've actually managed to sit tight and not splurge all through a 3-day holiday weekend! Amazing! I know it is going to be slow and I know it is going to get harder. Her is the usual break down for me:

Week 1: Total success, moderate weight loss, carry lots of motivation into Week 2 due to loss and how "easy" it seemed to eat all this healthy food.

Week 2: Start to get cravings for the old stuff, but can usually fight it because I'm still pumped about dropping a pound or two and the scale is still moving in the right direction. Getting a little harder though.

Week 3: Finally give in to a temptation because "I deserve it" due to being so good for a couple weeks...and next thing you know, one becomes five and I'm complete off the plan.

That all being said, here I am starting Week 2...and feeling good. I know this week will go well, its next week I'm worried about! At least I see it coming and I just have to hold strong!

Still on Track!

2009-05-23T11:49:00.002-05:00

I was off yesterday (because I'm at work today :( Poo!), but I managed to get a ton of walking in and because I stayed busy all day (saw the Star Trek movie and it was great!), I didn't even have to worry about eating too much. Now that my place is stocked with all this good food, I can just go grab whatever when I'm hungry and that is really the approach I'm looking for. I don't want to be a hard-core calorie counter because I've been there, done that and its not really all that healthy either. But I also don't want to just eat whatever, whenever. By keeping the house filled with fresh, healthy items, I can pick out anything when I get hungry without having to get out the calculator. That all being said, I did allow myself a handful of popcorn at the movie theater :)

So, I'm feeling really good about yesterday! And so far, today is going right too! Let's just hope we see a pay-off on Wednesday when I have my weigh in!

Groceries

2009-05-21T10:36:00.002-05:00

So, last night me and HKF (Health Kick Friend) went to the grocery store to stock up on all our healthy food. I got carried away in the fruit section...I love summer fruit! And after I managed to drag myself away with only apples, bananas & strawberries, I got sacked at the checkout by a stand of cherries...yummy! I tried to stay out of the frozen food aisle, as this is primarily where I get most of my food :) What killed me though was the bill! I'm guessing that I only got enough food to last a week and it was almost double what I usually pay! Yikes! Oh well, no one said being healthy was affordable!

Once I got home, I was so excited about the fruit that all I ate for dinner was a bowl of cherries and strawberries :) It was so worth it though. I brough lots of good stuff to munch throughout the day and I will try to actually cook something tonight...scary thought.

Wow!

2009-05-20T12:57:00.002-05:00

Two posts in one day...this is unheard of! I was just looking for some healthy recipes so I could pick up the stuff at the store tonight when various goals for the rest of the week began floating though my head...so here I am to put them in stone!

1) Blog every day! Even if I write one sentence to say I have nothing to write!

2) Drink my water!!!! I keep managing to go though one 32 oz bottle, but I never manage to get it refilled!

3) More fruit & veggies...less bready carbs. Being a vegetarian can sometimes make it way easy to splurge on empty calories!

There! Those will be my goals for the next 7 days!

Weigh In Wednesday

2009-05-20T09:32:00.002-05:00

Today is the final weigh in for the Shrink into Summer challenge over at the Sisterhood...well, the good news is I'm down another pound! The bad news is that makes it barely over 2 pounds lost total for the 7 weeks since I agreed to be a part of the challenge. That's not really success. In fact, it may just be a fluke and I might be back to square one next week. Hmph!

I just got done dog-sitting for 5 days for the craziest (but most lovable) Staffy ever. He had more energy in his right leg than I had all damn week! It was really good for me though. I was never up later than 6:30am because I had to get up to walk him and then get to my house and get ready to be on time for work. We'd take about a mile walk in the morning and a mile walk in the evening. I know a mile isn't far, but its farther than I've gone in awhile! I was constantly shuttling between my place and his so I wasn't eating mindlessly because, well, there was no time!

Even better is that when my friend got back from his trip, he seemed to catch the LA bug and now is on a health kick. Can't hurt to ride the coat tails, right? I'm going to join him on his kick, though since he is on hiatus from work right now, he's planning to do two-a-days. That will not be on my agenda, I can tell ya that right now! This will be good for me. And hopefully, I'll finally get off these last 10 lbs or so!

Here is the man I've spent the past week with :)

Control

2009-05-13T12:20:00.002-05:00

So...I've learned a little something else about myself since I've been packing a lunch all week: I think about food a whole lot less when I know its already predetermined. When I don't bring anything to work, the first sign of hunger has me thinking about what I can go pick up. Then at 11am I start thinking about where I want to go for lunch. This usually gets pondered for anywhere from 30 min to 2 hours, depending on my schedule. Come 4pm or so, I'm usually hungry for a snack again and start thinking about vending machine crap or something!

But this week, I've noticed I barely think about food through out the day. I get hungry, I reach into my desk and pull out whatever I've brought. Simple. And healthy. And doesn't leave me with food on the brain for half the day. I tell ya, I'm really liking this little turn around I'm making :)

Finally!

2009-05-12T10:26:00.002-05:00

I finally had what I really feel was a successful day...hopefully this will be the first of many to come! I only ate what I packed and brought to lunch yesterday...okay and one lemon drop that a co-worker brought back from Italy :) Since I didn't buy any junk this weekend, when I got home last night, I made my dinner and that was it. I really think going to bed earlier is helping also. It leaves less time to a) get hungry again and b) get bored and start snacking.

My friend is going out of town for about 5 days and I said I'd watch his dog. The catch here is that my bunny and his dog are not likely to be friends...thus I will have to keep running back and forth between our houses to care for both animals. At first I was like, no problem! We only live a mile apart! I can do this! But now that it starts tomorrow, I'm starting to have some doubts about how I'm going to shower both animals with enough attention! The good part of this is that because we only live a mile apart, I could definitely get some exercise by walking (maybe even running!) between our places. I have a feeling this is going to get very complicated though!

Packing a Lunch

2009-05-11T13:27:00.002-05:00

I got up this morning and was so excited to actually pack my lunch for the first time in WEEKS! Yes, I've been eating out (Subway most days) for lunch every day and many times for dinner too! That's what happens when you are too lazy to get your tush to the grocery store. This weekend I made it though and the lunch was packed. Banana for morning snack, Lean Cuisine (hey, that's how I roll!) for lunch with a little side of broccoli and a granola bar for afternoon snack. I ate my lunch an hour ago and I'm still STUFFED!

Over at the Sisterhood they are doing the 30-day shred again and this time, I'm gonna make it to the end! I did the Breast Cancer Network of Strength Walk to Empower yesterday and I was disgusted with how tired just walking 3 miles made me! It was a shame! A year ago I was running over 10 miles at this time! It was an excellent wake up call though and the Shred challenge couldn't come at a better time. It's on!!

What a week!

2009-05-08T14:18:00.001-05:00

I think I've done a pretty good job on my portion control and sugar consumption this week. I fought the craving several time, but I'll admit today I shoved a donut in my face before I even realized what was happening! I've been "practicing" getting up earlier in an attempt to prepare for summer morning runs & walks. Usually this meant that I got up and brushed my teeth and went and laid down on the couch...I mean, I got up, right?! A couple times I got up and threw on sweats and walked the 1/4 mile to the Starbucks. This was actually nice given the great weather we've had this week!

I recently started making greeting cards and with Mother's Day right around the corner, I've spent every evening filling orders...it's been crazy! I'm glad that it gave me so much business, but I'm also glad that I'll have evenings to myself again! And on that note, a couple of friends and I decided to take the plunge and actually open a "store" on Etsy with our crafts. I'm making greeting cards, my girl Adreon is making jewelry and my girl Sonja is making nursing bracelets. Hopefully, we'll turn this into something really good! The store is filling very slowly, so there isn't much to see right now, but check it out anyway! =P

Have a wonderful weekend!

Thinking...

2009-05-02T09:36:00.002-05:00

I have to work today...actually, I'm at work right now. And that meant waking up early on a beautiful Saturday morning. Ew. So, I kicked off the day right with a nice little walk to the local Starbucks. It was a gorgeous morning for a walk, the sun was shining, a crisp little chill in the air...just perfect!

As I was walking, all the runners were out and jetting past me. It made me want to just start right on up! And it also got me thinking...why do I always need an event to get me to start running? Now, I absolutely think training for something is a great way to find motivation to get started, but it's also a great way to quit as soon as the event is accomplished. And this, my friends, is my M.O. So, I was walking and thinking and decided screw that half marathon! My goal is to become a year-round runner, right? So why even set myself up to "finish" training and take the chance that I'll quit after that? After all, that is what I've done for the past 3 years! No, I'm going to just run because it is good for me! If I can knock out 3 miles, 4 days a week, I'll be a happy lady! And then I can set goals from there.

That was my beautiful sunny morning wake up call!

Goals

2009-04-30T12:05:00.003-05:00

Well, its about time I came up with a few of these bad boys! Now I can minimize my focus a little and hopefully get the jump start I need! A few long-term goals will be pretty obvious and then each week I'm going to have a new (or repeated if I was a huge FAILURE) weekly goal to accomplish. And since a new month starts tomorrow, how about a monthly goal, to boot?!

Long-Term:

Lose 15 pounds
Workout on a regular basis, YEAR-ROUND...I'm a serial winter couch potato!

May Goals:

Start running at least 3x per week
Lose 4 pounds

Weekly Goal:

To stop with the sugar, already! I get that sweet craving after almost every meal. Getting past this craving will help eliminate that extra snacking that I do at work and after dinner at home!

So, there! Some goals! I need to print this out and post it probably everywhere! Focus!

Whoa is me!

2009-04-29T09:29:00.000-05:00

I can't believe I haven't written anything! I always think up topics to write about and do a little monologue in my head, but then when it comes to actually sitting down and taking 10 minute to type it out...well, apparently that's more than I can handle! :)

I looked into the Rock 'n' Roll Chicago Half Marathon and the timing is perfect...but the price is steep. This week will be when I decide if I can really commit. Running was supposed to be number one on my list this week, but the weather has been crap! Cold and drizzly...ew! I should do the Shred if I can't get out and run! Yes! That is what I will do! Shred tonight or bust!

Weigh In Wednesday:
Well, ladies (and maybe gents), it ain't lookin' pretty. Up one...back to where I started from! As I mentioned last week, I had a friend in town and there was lots of eating and drinking to be had around these parts! Oops! I've been doing pretty well this week with portion control so hopefully next Wednesday will see things going in the right direction!

Doc Visit #2

2009-04-22T09:55:00.002-05:00

I finally had to give in and do something about this lingering sore throat. My friend came down with basically the exact same symptoms I was having when I first got sick so I thought it best to make sure I covered all my bases. Needless to say, he put me on a second round of antiboiotics :( He said if it still persists after another 10 days, I need to go back because obviously is more than just a virus or bacteria. Not good. But at least I know I'm not crazy because I actually had a slight fever when I went in and my tonsils were still swollen.

Weigh-In Wednesday:

So, it's time for weigh in over at the Sisterhood. Up one pound :( So, that is only 1.2 pound loss in 3 weeks. Obviously, given my total lack of effort, this is not surprising. I don't know why I can't seem to get myself in gear yet. Well, usually, I'm signed up for a marathon or something by this time in the year so I have no choice except to start training so that is what usually gets me moving. It is amazing how hard it is to motivate myself without that date-specific goal hanging out there. I'm actually debating doing the Chicago Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon this summer. I need to make up my mind quickly so I can begin training.

Other than that, I think I really need to sit down and outline some short-term and long-term goals so that I have more than just weekly weigh-ins to shoot for. That will be my project for tonight and tomorrow I'll try to have something set in stone!

On a completely separate topic, Jen over at Prior Fat Girl totally cracked me up this morning with her recap of yesterday's lunch-time step class episode. Hilarious! Check it out for a good mid-week laugh!

Absolutely Nothing Going On!

2009-04-20T16:36:00.002-05:00

Unfortunately, I've still been under the weather and I cannot shake this sore throat to save my life. Another couple of days and I'm going to have to head back to the Doc. So, what does all that mean? It means no Shredding and I haven't even been eating all that well! Worst of all, one of my girlfriends will be in town Wednesday - Sunday, which means probably lots of eating out...and a White Sox game on Friday (beer and lots of it). It's not looking good, folks. Maybe I need to make an appt for the Doc right now and just get this whole illness mess out of the way and then just TRY to be good will my friend is here...and then next Monday is a new week, right?! I'm already mortified at the thought of putting on a tank top so I'm not really sure why I'm lacking in motivation so severely right now. Not to mention the full extent of my laziness! Oh goodness...it's so awful to be your own worst enemy!

Weight In Wednesday

2009-04-15T14:32:00.002-05:00

It's Weigh In Wednesday over at the Sisterhood so here goes! Fyi - I didn't weigh myself last week since I was on my deathbed, therefore I only have the horrifying number from 2 weeks ago to compare to.

I can't believe I'm going to post this in public...remember that number that scared the bejesus out of me when I finally got on the scale? Well, it was 147.4! I haven't been that close to 150 in I don't know how long! I tend to hover around 140, not 150...needless to say, it was a wake up call!

Today's weight: 145.2

Yay!!!! Progress! Down 2.2 in 2 weeks. I'll take it!

Allergic to Exercise

2009-04-14T10:45:00.001-05:00

I mean, really, that has to be what is going on! I will confess right now, no Shred last night. Here is my story and I'm sticking to it!!!

Yesterday I had a really big sneeze at work. The weird part is that it somehow managed to come out my throat. I know, sounds very strange. But let me tell you, it hurt like hell! All that momentum and pressure coming bursting through my throat right after recovering from strep...not a good feeling. My throat was a little sore after that, but nothing to worry about. Fast forward to 6:30pm when I'm walking home from work. The train or bus that I take from downtown lets me off 3/4 of a mile from my house. If the bus is there or soon to be there (thank you CTA Bus Tracker) I'll wait and catch it. If the weather is nice or I'd make it home on foot in the time it would take for the bus to come, I walk. Last night it was about 40 degrees and drizzly...very gross...but the bus was still 15 minutes away. I decided to hoof it and while I was walking, I noticed my throat started to hurt more and more. By the time I got out of that ugly mess, I felt awful. And that, my friends, is why there was no Shred :(

On the positive side, I ate decently yesterday. Managed to keep myself to one cupcake and some veggies for dinner. That is a major success in my book! I'm definitely feeling better today. Although, I do have a committment after work so the Shred will not be on the agenda. Can someone start calling and waking me up in the morning please? That would solve all my problems...hey, a girl can dream, can't she?

Monday, AGAIN!

2009-04-13T13:27:00.000-05:00

Here I am again...on Monday...starting the 30 day Shred! Please, please, PLEASE, King of colds, flu and other ailments, do NOT let me come down with anything else!

I tried to eat well over the weekend. Not so easily done when you are in the house the whole time, but I was still being very cautious with my health! In cleaning up the kitchen I came across a few items that really needed to be used before they went bad and decided to make Carrotcake Cupcakes and macaroons. I know, bad idea. But in my defense, I used to LOVE baking until my roommate moved across the country and I decided to live solo. There is no trust in this relationship to leave dozens of baked goods around and think I won't down half of them. Thus, the baking is near non-existent these days. Quite sad really because I really do love it. Anywho, I was a bit out of practice because I totally screwed up the cream cheese frosting not once, but twice AND I managed to drop my last egg on the floor and was one egg white short for the macaroons. Hey, that didn't stop me though, they were just a little dry! After tonight's Shred, I'll have earned a cupcake for sure! Well, maybe just half!

Just wanted to mention that Jen over at PriorFatGirl found this great website that allows you to mix your own granola! Oh how yummy does that sound?! All different kinds of fruits, nuts, seeds and other goodies! We all know that granola can be dangerous. Who really eats just a 1/4 cup of the stuff? But if you are looking for a splurge that you don't have to feel TOO guilty about, head over to MixMyGranola.com and check it out!

That's all, folks! Hopefully, tomorrow I'll have a report on the Shred!

No Shred, Strep Instead :(

2009-04-09T16:42:00.000-05:00

Yes, unfortunately, as ready as I was to start my 30 Day Shred on Monday, I also began to feel some scratchies in my throat. Being that my awful cold from last month started like that, I decided to put it off a day in an attempt to rest up and thwart a Part II. Unfortunately, Tuesday I woke up feeling horrible and pretty much slept the entire day, couldn't eat anything, had a spiking fever...not a good scenario. Wednesday started no better and I gave in and called the Doctor. Luckily I got in that afternoon and it was confirmed that I have strep throat. Boooooo!

She told me that I'd still be very contagious for 24 hours after starting the anti-biotics so I'm home from work yet again today! I'm pretty much going stir crazy at this point since I feel too guilty about potentially infecting the innocent by leaving the house :) My throat still feels pretty awful and I have a non-stop headache, but overall things are looking up. The nausea is gone...yes, strep throat can cause nausea, crazy, right?...and my fever finally seems to be gone for good.

I will probably put off starting the Shred Challenge until Monday so that my body can continue to heal. I'll just be a week behind, but my body will surely thank me! So, there is the scoop! I hope everyone else is surviving the Shred!

Reality Check

2009-04-06T10:38:00.000-05:00

Just as I was putting on my pants this morning, I glanced over at the scale and remember, "oh that's right, I'm supposed to finally get on that thing today"...I slowly slid the pants back off and walked over to it. Got on and closed my eyes. Took a deep breath and looked down. Holy crap that can't be right!!!! I have gained 5 pounds over the past 2 months. Absolutely horrifying! I knew I'd gained a few, but that number staring back at me this morning was not the number I was prepared for!

Luckily, over at the Sisterhood, they are starting the 30-day Shred Challenge and I'm totally on board. Well, at least for the first 20 days...those are the only ones OnDemand until I can get my hands on the actual DVD. Unfortunately, I've started it before so I know exactly what I'm in for. It is probably about the hardest 20 minutes ever! But I'll do it and I'll feel better and it will be the perfect platform to getting back to running and weight lifting. So, while at his very moment in time I'm dreading the Shred tonight, I'm also excited to finally get back on this wagon for good. Starting is always the hardest! I heard this little motto somewhere (can't remember where!) and I think it sums it up pretty nicely: I maintain because its whole lot easier than starting over. Oh, so true...

Getting my diet back in check is going to be a whole different beast to tame. I've pretty much been on a free-for-all these past couple of months. I had some personal stuff come up in December that led me to hardly eat...my emotions always play out through stomach aches...been that way since I was a kid. Dropped a few pound pretty fast quick. Then, about mid-January it started to clear and I just went to town! I figured since I had barely eaten for a month and a half, I had the right to eat whatever I wanted now. And then a little more to ease my emotional distress! And here we are. 5 pounds. Wow.

At this point, I've got a long road ahead of me, but I know I've got it in me to get the job done!

Scouring the Net

2009-04-02T13:15:00.001-05:00

I've spent the past 2 hours reading tons of inspirational blogs and I think I finally feel a real motivation to get this moving! I thought I was ready yesterday...until the Potbelly's cookies showed up at work! There was 450 calories I hadn't planned on consuming. And I didn't stop there! After baking up a decent portion of sweet potato fries when I got home last night, I went and baked up a second batch because they were so good! That problem of "once its blown, might as well give up for the day" was in full affect!! Mmmmm...sweet....potato....fries....whoa! Sorry!

All my reading today has provided me with a ton of motivation! Seeing everyone's willpower in tough situations, not giving into chocolate and other evils, reminds me that I've been that person before too! And therefore, I've started actually mapping out a plan! Yes, I'm am always a girl with a plan. Said plan may never get executed, but I surely always have one!

I've mapped out a few circuit training routines that I can hopefully fit into a 45 min lunch break 3 times a week. Next on my agenda is to figure out a running plan. I wanted to be able to run in the Soldier Field 10 Mile again this year, but something tells me that I won't be back in that kind of shape in time :( Still my overall goal is to run 10-12 miles per week and be able to knock out 5 miles at any given time...maybe more. After having trained for 2 marathons, my will to run more than that has severely dwindled! The final piece will be cleaning up my diet and actually getting myself on the scale! Augh! I'm scared! For some reason, it's not real until you see it there staring back at you! I need to decide on my weekly weigh in day and hop on!

Wish me luck on eating a healthy dinner and I'll see you folks tomorrow!

Giving it Another Try

2009-04-01T10:23:00.001-05:00

I started my first blog when I was training for the Chicago Marathon a couple of years ago. It helped me tremendously to record my journey and to know that people out there were holding me accountable. So, when I first started to get back on the "healthy wagon", I turned to blogging once again. At first it was great, but then I felt like everyday was repetative and even I lost interest in my blog! :) But, I'm at it again. Blog Numero Tres! I will try my best to keep this fun, interesting and hopefully somewhat educational!

Here's a little on my background. I was "chubby" all growing up. Not huge. Chubby. I want to stress though how actual weight don't matter at all if our body perception is screwed up. I have ridiculous body image issues to this day, even though I've never been really overweight. In college, I lost about 20 pounds and I actually looked pretty darn good, yet still thought I was "fat" and worked out excessively. I've seen both ends of the spectrum and I was unhappy either way.

My goals? To just get back to being a healthy person. Working out regularly. Not insanely, regularly :) Eating healthy MOST of the time. Making smart choices. Not hibernating for the winter. And in the process, I'd love to lose 10-15 pounds. Most importantly though, is just to get back to a place where I feel I am being my best. So, there! Short and sweet, in a nut shell!