I think I'm slowly descending into the throes of a cold. I've been sneezy and stuffy, but no cough yet. My throat was a little scratchy this morning too. Thus, it has become a green tea Thursday.
I've been a fan of green tea for a while. It's a very mild tea, with lots of antioxidants, and supposedly the power to get rid of excess water weight. What's not to love? It's also become very soothing to me. I love filling a large teacup with my green tea and just relaxing with a book or bumming on the internet. My latest love is some green tea that my aunt gave me. It's a green tea with toasted rice, and it tastes like Sugar Smacks but without the sickening sweetness. It's homey and comforting. It's got a toasted rice smell, and is very satisfying.
I've been feeling surprisingly good lately, although the last few nights I've stayed up too late, which is probably why I'm feeling kind of run down today. I've been hitting the exercise and activity pretty hard lately. I've upped the intensity of both of my regular work outs, which is great, but I'm tired. I've also been stressed about a couple different things, so I know I'm in need of a rest. Yet another reason I welcome a green tea Thursday.
It's good to recharge, and I'm getting better at listening to my body, and when it needs something. Plus, it looks like rain outside, which throws a wrench into my plans of mowing the lawn. Tomorrow is another day though, and I'm sure I'll feel more refreshed from the break.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Sunday, June 7, 2009
What's This I See?
Today was the day of truth. The day of reckoning. The day I stepped on the scale and see what it had to tell me. Yep, today was weigh in day. After completing 4 days of cardio (tough cardio) and watching what I eat, I am proud to report that I have logged a 3 pound loss for this week. 3 pounds! I'm very pleased with this, as I was aiming for 1, maybe 2 pounds tops. Very encouraging indeed!
I am pleased by the weight loss (who wouldn't be?), but I'm also proud of myself for other reasons. It was only my first week, and I'm already seeing a big improvement in my endurance for my cardio exercises. I did mostly kickboxing last week, which is a great workout, and I worked my tail off, so to see improvements already was a great bonus! We also didn't eat out much, and when we did, I got only low fat veggie entrees. Another gold star for me! One of my big motivators is a "virtal model" of me at 120 pounds. I had my husband help me refine the body type and size so it's a pretty close representation of me. It's the weight I was before I had my kids, so I remember what I looked like back then, and I know it's a weight I can achieve. Looking at the picture keeps me thinking, "that's what I'm after!" It's helping me keep my focus and motivation in a way I didn't think possible!
I decided on my rewards to motivate me to take it to the next level. My weekly weigh in reward is a glass of red wine every Sunday I post a loss. This gives me something to look forward to, and is a great relaxer before the next week. My 5 pound loss reward is going to be a new work out top, since I've got a shortage of them. I haven't figured out my 10 and 15 pound rewards yet, nor have I decided on how to celebrate reaching my goal of 20 pounds. I thought I would have some time to think about it, but if I post another 3 pound loss next week, I've already surpassed my 5 pound goal, and I'm well on my way to my 10 pound goal! Time to start planning!
I am encouraged by this week's results, both the weight lost and the workout improvements. It's really starting to come together for me, and I'm very excited about it.
I am pleased by the weight loss (who wouldn't be?), but I'm also proud of myself for other reasons. It was only my first week, and I'm already seeing a big improvement in my endurance for my cardio exercises. I did mostly kickboxing last week, which is a great workout, and I worked my tail off, so to see improvements already was a great bonus! We also didn't eat out much, and when we did, I got only low fat veggie entrees. Another gold star for me! One of my big motivators is a "virtal model" of me at 120 pounds. I had my husband help me refine the body type and size so it's a pretty close representation of me. It's the weight I was before I had my kids, so I remember what I looked like back then, and I know it's a weight I can achieve. Looking at the picture keeps me thinking, "that's what I'm after!" It's helping me keep my focus and motivation in a way I didn't think possible!
I decided on my rewards to motivate me to take it to the next level. My weekly weigh in reward is a glass of red wine every Sunday I post a loss. This gives me something to look forward to, and is a great relaxer before the next week. My 5 pound loss reward is going to be a new work out top, since I've got a shortage of them. I haven't figured out my 10 and 15 pound rewards yet, nor have I decided on how to celebrate reaching my goal of 20 pounds. I thought I would have some time to think about it, but if I post another 3 pound loss next week, I've already surpassed my 5 pound goal, and I'm well on my way to my 10 pound goal! Time to start planning!
I am encouraged by this week's results, both the weight lost and the workout improvements. It's really starting to come together for me, and I'm very excited about it.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Veterinarian Struggles
A few weeks ago, I was "womaning" the grill, when my hubby brought me my portabello mushroom cap to throw on there. I was grilling chicken for the rest of the fam, and vegetables take less time to cook than meat, so mine was last on. My wonderful 8-year-old saw me place my mushroom on the grill, and asked what it was for, probably hoping she wouldn't have to eat any. I told her it was for me, since I didn't eat meat any more. She nodded in recognition and said, "ah, I see. You're a veterinarian." I smiled and said, "no, I'm not an animal doctor. I'm a vegetarian." But really, either way, I guess I'm saving animal lives, so maybe I am a veterinarian. :)
Even though I'm greatly enjoying my new found eating habits, I do find it to be a struggle sometimes. Last night was a huge win with cheese enchiladas that I made for everyone. The entire family enjoyed them, so I have a great meatless recipe that I know everyone will eat! Not so tonight. I find myself in the afternoon struggle trying to decide what to make for dinner. It's further complicated by the fact that my daughter will be dining at a friend's house tonight, so we're only three. That means meat for two, which is becoming increasingly difficult, since my son is only 5, and won't eat a whole chicken breast for dinner. This isn't a new situation, as my daughter heads over to her bio-dad's house every weekend, so we have many 3-person meals. It's just not something I normally deal with on weekdays.
The other struggle I'm having is eating out. This weekend, we went out to the local buffet joint for my grandfather's birthday dinner . I had a salad, corn bread, and spaghetti with marinara. That's right; I had 3 things from the all you can eat buffet. Kind of sad how few veggie choices were available. I'm also a bit intimidated by a graduation party we are going to for one of our babysitters. This is probably the bigger challenge; not knowing what will be served! I'm sure there will be the usual fruit salad and veggie tray, but I'm not sure beyond that. It'll be an adventure for sure. Hopefully, I don't go home hungry!
Even though I'm greatly enjoying my new found eating habits, I do find it to be a struggle sometimes. Last night was a huge win with cheese enchiladas that I made for everyone. The entire family enjoyed them, so I have a great meatless recipe that I know everyone will eat! Not so tonight. I find myself in the afternoon struggle trying to decide what to make for dinner. It's further complicated by the fact that my daughter will be dining at a friend's house tonight, so we're only three. That means meat for two, which is becoming increasingly difficult, since my son is only 5, and won't eat a whole chicken breast for dinner. This isn't a new situation, as my daughter heads over to her bio-dad's house every weekend, so we have many 3-person meals. It's just not something I normally deal with on weekdays.
The other struggle I'm having is eating out. This weekend, we went out to the local buffet joint for my grandfather's birthday dinner . I had a salad, corn bread, and spaghetti with marinara. That's right; I had 3 things from the all you can eat buffet. Kind of sad how few veggie choices were available. I'm also a bit intimidated by a graduation party we are going to for one of our babysitters. This is probably the bigger challenge; not knowing what will be served! I'm sure there will be the usual fruit salad and veggie tray, but I'm not sure beyond that. It'll be an adventure for sure. Hopefully, I don't go home hungry!
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
DQ Don't!
So here I am on day 3 of a 3 month challenge to get fit and lose weight through self.com. Now, supposedly, I can win a trip to Antigua, but since my chances are slim, we'll ignore that part of the challenge. I signed up because I needed to do SOMETHING. This has a food and workout log, plus all sorts of charts and stuff to map my progress. Everything I wanted without making me obsessive, which I found is a very real pitfall for me.
This is actually the second time I've looked into losing weight by counting calories and exercise (read: no fad diets!). The first time was when I joined Sparkpeople.com. I did really well the first month, ok the second month, ok the third, and then I got sick, and I never recovered! Even worse though, I became obsessed with calories; wondering how many were in every thing I encountered, whether I was eating it or not. Food became the enemy, and once that happened, I knew I was not on a good path and bailed! Now, I highly recommend SparkPeople. I think they are a great organization, and have helped many people. It just wasn't right for me.
So what makes this time different? Well, for starters, I am looking at a calorie range, rather than a strict 1200 regimen. I actually want to eat between 1200-1600 calories a day. This allows for some splurges and treats, and also some good stick to your ribs food. Once I have that range in my head, it's far easier for me to plan around it, rather than try to fit it in. I don't feel like I'm cheating if I eat 1350 calories instead of 1200, and it's just a general FYI to keep me on track.
Anyway, the long explanation culminates in this: Don't eat Dairy Queen! I'm a big fan of the nutritional menus at many restaurants, to find where my favorites fit in. I know the least calorie choice for many restuarants, and I know which ones to favor over others (McD's burgers for instance have far less fat and calories than a comparable Burger King burger!). I've never thought to take a look at Dairy Queen though because A) I don't eat a meal there and B) if I'm having ice cream, I don't really care about the calories! Unfortunately, I looked tonight. I don't think I will ever eat at DQ without feeling like an oinker! I saw foods on their menu that weighed in at 105% of total daily fat allowances and 130% of saturated fat! HOLY MOLY! Now, the item I was jonesing after was a brownie batter blizzard. Layers of brownie chunks, gooey chocolate batter, and of course, soft serve ice cream. 610 calories for a small! I didn't eat that many calories at my dinner!!! In fact, my total for lunch and breakfast calories were about that. That was all the information I needed. No DQ for me tonight.
Luckily, my chief motivator and support man (AKA my hubby) had purchased some chocolate whips yogurt for my dining pleasure. 160 calories for the same satisfaction of a blizzard, and I won't have to do three extra work outs to pay for it. It pays to do the research!
This is actually the second time I've looked into losing weight by counting calories and exercise (read: no fad diets!). The first time was when I joined Sparkpeople.com. I did really well the first month, ok the second month, ok the third, and then I got sick, and I never recovered! Even worse though, I became obsessed with calories; wondering how many were in every thing I encountered, whether I was eating it or not. Food became the enemy, and once that happened, I knew I was not on a good path and bailed! Now, I highly recommend SparkPeople. I think they are a great organization, and have helped many people. It just wasn't right for me.
So what makes this time different? Well, for starters, I am looking at a calorie range, rather than a strict 1200 regimen. I actually want to eat between 1200-1600 calories a day. This allows for some splurges and treats, and also some good stick to your ribs food. Once I have that range in my head, it's far easier for me to plan around it, rather than try to fit it in. I don't feel like I'm cheating if I eat 1350 calories instead of 1200, and it's just a general FYI to keep me on track.
Anyway, the long explanation culminates in this: Don't eat Dairy Queen! I'm a big fan of the nutritional menus at many restaurants, to find where my favorites fit in. I know the least calorie choice for many restuarants, and I know which ones to favor over others (McD's burgers for instance have far less fat and calories than a comparable Burger King burger!). I've never thought to take a look at Dairy Queen though because A) I don't eat a meal there and B) if I'm having ice cream, I don't really care about the calories! Unfortunately, I looked tonight. I don't think I will ever eat at DQ without feeling like an oinker! I saw foods on their menu that weighed in at 105% of total daily fat allowances and 130% of saturated fat! HOLY MOLY! Now, the item I was jonesing after was a brownie batter blizzard. Layers of brownie chunks, gooey chocolate batter, and of course, soft serve ice cream. 610 calories for a small! I didn't eat that many calories at my dinner!!! In fact, my total for lunch and breakfast calories were about that. That was all the information I needed. No DQ for me tonight.
Luckily, my chief motivator and support man (AKA my hubby) had purchased some chocolate whips yogurt for my dining pleasure. 160 calories for the same satisfaction of a blizzard, and I won't have to do three extra work outs to pay for it. It pays to do the research!
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