Day 17

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

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

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

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

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

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...

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:

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

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...

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

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!

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

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!

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

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

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!

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

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!

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...

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

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!

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

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!

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

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

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!

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 :(

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

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

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

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!