Relatively speaking, that is. I went to the gym today for the first time in ages. The recumbent bikes were occupied so Daniel and I used the upright bikes. These are harder to begin with, not to mention uncomfortable (do men not have pelvic bones, or what??) , but I'm pretty sure I was doing better than this before I took two weeks off to do wimpy exercises. I wasn't exactly taking it easy with my walks, but there's no question that they haven't been as grueling as the bikes. Anyway, I only did 35 minutes (because I was there during Mary's pageant practice and had to get back on time -- and I was late anyway) and I started at my usual level 7 but had to bump it down to 6 and then 5. And even then my heart rate was higher than it should have been for a good portion of the exercise.
Today I have been eating like it's going out of style. I had my usual breakfast, and for lunch I had yogurt and toast (with a bit of margarine). For dinner I had chicken with broccoli and rice (it uses fat-free mayo, water, instant rice, and cream of chicken soup to make the sauce, very simple and fairly low-fat) with a caesar salad and some cucumber slices, and a glass of white wine to drink. In between I had every kind of vaguely healthy snack I could come up with, almost -- raisins, almonds, string cheese, a clementine. And a pepermint (because I was in the car and my mouth tasted of string cheese, ick) and two GS Cafe Cookies (full disclosure). And for an evening snack we're having light popcorn and I'm having a glass of port.
I dreamed last night that I was pregnant and didn't know it until I could feel the baby. (I haven't started my cycles yet and NFP is notoriously unreliable under these circumstances, but it's unlikely -- but it's still a point of minor worry.) So maybe I'm eating with an appetite that's in response to the dream. Or maybe I'm late cycle and don't know it yet, and I'm eating for that reason. Or maybe it's just because the house is cold.
Amy, WTG for the new low!! Keep Losing!
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
Whoa! A new low!!
This morning the scale said 202.8!! Yippee! Maybe I WILL make the 200.4 for November. Yeah, right!
It was the drinking and dancing like a loon last night that did it... although my food was also really light for the day. I was running around like crazy so it was hard to squeeze it in. I had oatmeal with skim milk for breakfast, a pear, whole grain sandwich of lettuce and cheese and then pumpkin ravioli and creamed spinach for dinner. Katie and I then went to Bateman's where Katie was a finalist in a karaoke contest. She did really well and is moving on to the finals two weeks from now. We then proceeded to dance and sing and drink until late! (about 1 for Katie and 2 for me). A boy that I have been semi-flirting with since September was flirting back last night. It was fun!!!
There was no exercise again yesterday - but I have to clean my WHOLE house in the next few hours for my Pampered Chef party tonight. Ugh!
It was the drinking and dancing like a loon last night that did it... although my food was also really light for the day. I was running around like crazy so it was hard to squeeze it in. I had oatmeal with skim milk for breakfast, a pear, whole grain sandwich of lettuce and cheese and then pumpkin ravioli and creamed spinach for dinner. Katie and I then went to Bateman's where Katie was a finalist in a karaoke contest. She did really well and is moving on to the finals two weeks from now. We then proceeded to dance and sing and drink until late! (about 1 for Katie and 2 for me). A boy that I have been semi-flirting with since September was flirting back last night. It was fun!!!
There was no exercise again yesterday - but I have to clean my WHOLE house in the next few hours for my Pampered Chef party tonight. Ugh!
Are we there yet?
How long does this "no-excues-exercise-every-day" challenge last? I've come so far that I hate to cheat, but I'm so tired of exercising every day! Last night, true to form, I was doing the pilates abs dvd at 11:00 while Connor quietly destroyed the dining room. He was up until 1 a.m. again, then awake at 6:10 this morning, the little stinker. Today I'll go to the gym at lunchtime, but tomorrow and Friday I'm down in DC all day for a conference, so I'll have to exercise at night again--that's going to make for some very long days! Maybe I should bring my running shoes and walk outside at the conference during breaks, although I'll be with a group so it'll be hard to get away from them. Someone attending the conference from another state (that is, she's staying at the hotel on Capitol Hill) was looking for an early-morning walking partner--I'm not about to get up early enough to join her in DC at 6:30 a.m., but walking on the Mall sounds really nice!
Food yesterday was unremarkable--the usual stuff for breakfast, lunch, and snacks. Dinner was spaghetti and salad, followed by more fake m&m's for dessert. I don't seem to be able to skip sweets these days! That doesn't bode well for the Christmas season. My weight was back up over 144 today, so yesterday's 143.8 may have been a fluke. We'll see next week.
Food yesterday was unremarkable--the usual stuff for breakfast, lunch, and snacks. Dinner was spaghetti and salad, followed by more fake m&m's for dessert. I don't seem to be able to skip sweets these days! That doesn't bode well for the Christmas season. My weight was back up over 144 today, so yesterday's 143.8 may have been a fluke. We'll see next week.
Yesterday
Once again I was uninspired to exercise all day, although when the kids were in bed (except for Cecilia) it never really occurred to me not to exercise. So I did the 2-mile Walk, with hand weights (Cecilia played cheerfully on the floor, bless her heart). One of these days I'll get back to the gym (today, probably).
Yesterday I had my usual breakfast. For lunch I had a PB&J sandwich (lowfat peanut butter, though not low-cal, as I've mentioned before) on whole wheat. Dinner was leftover taco soup with tortilla chips, and milk to drink. For snacks yesterday I had a clementine, some almonds, and some string cheese, and after dinner I had a package of smarties (the American kind), an orange creamsicle, and a couple of marshmallows. Why can't I stop craving sweets? I think that's all my food yesterday -- I may be missing a smallish snack, but I don't recall.
This morning my weight was still at 153, so that must be a real number. Yippee!
Yesterday I had my usual breakfast. For lunch I had a PB&J sandwich (lowfat peanut butter, though not low-cal, as I've mentioned before) on whole wheat. Dinner was leftover taco soup with tortilla chips, and milk to drink. For snacks yesterday I had a clementine, some almonds, and some string cheese, and after dinner I had a package of smarties (the American kind), an orange creamsicle, and a couple of marshmallows. Why can't I stop craving sweets? I think that's all my food yesterday -- I may be missing a smallish snack, but I don't recall.
This morning my weight was still at 153, so that must be a real number. Yippee!
Day after weigh in day
I never got around to posting yesterday. Weight was up to 164, so 1.3 lbs more than last week. I am pretty certain that I would have been ok if I hadn't eaten fondue Saturday night. The sugar and cheese killed me I think.
Yesterday's exercise was 10 minutes on the treadmill, 10 on the stair stepper and then a pilates DVD. I get bored way too eaily on the treadmill, even with an MP3 player. I think maybe I need to download some more songs or something. I am still toying with the idea of joining Amy's gym. Maybe they'll have a special around the first of the eyar. I got a new pilates DVD--MTV Pilates. It is too difficult for me so far. It moves faster and I am not versed well enough in the positions to keep up with the dvd and maintain good form. They don't set each exercise up like the pilates for dummies dvd does.
Today I hope to go for a walk at lunch. Tomorrow and Friday are going to be my two difficult days to work in exercise. Thursday our client holiday party is right after work until 9 pm, and Friday I am going to ReCollections right after work until who knows when.
Food yesterday: yogurt for breakfast, carrots for a snack, leftover meatballs for lunch and paella for dinner. Dessert was that darn cocoa chex mix.
Yesterday's exercise was 10 minutes on the treadmill, 10 on the stair stepper and then a pilates DVD. I get bored way too eaily on the treadmill, even with an MP3 player. I think maybe I need to download some more songs or something. I am still toying with the idea of joining Amy's gym. Maybe they'll have a special around the first of the eyar. I got a new pilates DVD--MTV Pilates. It is too difficult for me so far. It moves faster and I am not versed well enough in the positions to keep up with the dvd and maintain good form. They don't set each exercise up like the pilates for dummies dvd does.
Today I hope to go for a walk at lunch. Tomorrow and Friday are going to be my two difficult days to work in exercise. Thursday our client holiday party is right after work until 9 pm, and Friday I am going to ReCollections right after work until who knows when.
Food yesterday: yogurt for breakfast, carrots for a snack, leftover meatballs for lunch and paella for dinner. Dessert was that darn cocoa chex mix.
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
weigh-in day
This morning I almost groaned when the scale briefly said 149, but it backed off to 148.5. Not good, but it could have been worse!
I know my weight gain can be attributed to Tanksgiving leftovers and the very caloric snack we had yesterday--a large cup of hot chocolate and a piece of stollen, which we bought at Trader Joe's. We buy one each year and have it occasionally with hot chocolate, which is a specila treat for Dick and me.
The pie is all gone, and most of the stuffing, so I expcet to be back on track. We shpped yesterday, but we took the elevator and escalators at Towson because Dick was not feeling well. (He sat on a stool in the dressing room at Limited Too while I picked out a very pink present for Eamy). So I didn't even get exercise from the stairs.
Today I have to online shop and visit Kirsten before Dick's appointment with the cardiologist, and then it will be dinnertime and dark, so I won't get a walk in. Maybe tomorrow?
I know my weight gain can be attributed to Tanksgiving leftovers and the very caloric snack we had yesterday--a large cup of hot chocolate and a piece of stollen, which we bought at Trader Joe's. We buy one each year and have it occasionally with hot chocolate, which is a specila treat for Dick and me.
The pie is all gone, and most of the stuffing, so I expcet to be back on track. We shpped yesterday, but we took the elevator and escalators at Towson because Dick was not feeling well. (He sat on a stool in the dressing room at Limited Too while I picked out a very pink present for Eamy). So I didn't even get exercise from the stairs.
Today I have to online shop and visit Kirsten before Dick's appointment with the cardiologist, and then it will be dinnertime and dark, so I won't get a walk in. Maybe tomorrow?
153.0!
So I've hit a new low! After my 155.5 the other day I was worried, but then the next day it was back down to 154.5, which was where I'd been before the Thanksgiving trip. I always gain when I'm at the Crawfords because nothing gets cleared out of my system and the food is so much higher fat and less fiber-filled than I'm used to, so the fact that I got back to my prior weight so quickly is a victory in and of itself. But I'm thrilled with 153 this week, even if it means a slower two-week drop than I've seen in previous weeks. I'm down 20.5 pounds (ten or so are real weight loss -- the rest were still pregnancy weight). I still have a hope of averaging 8 pounds a month the way I did the first two months.
I know what you mean
OK - After about 3 straight weeks of my weight going up or holding steady between 206 and 207+ I did not expect to ever see it start going down again... but this morning (WHEW! Weigh in Day!) I was back down to what my low point last month was - 204.2!! Yippee!!! Did I mention - YIPPEE!!!!! I was beginning to doubt that I would EVER go back down. I thought I was just back to my normal weight loss routine that involves me losing a little bit of weight - being pleased with that - then stopping - and gaining it all back again. Maybe that IS what is happening - but I don't think so. Or I hope not anyway.
I am attributing all of this weight loss (which is not REALLY a loss - but I really need to only drop another 4.2 pounds by 12/6 to stay on my 5 pounds a month track - which, OK, I admidt probably won't happen - so not a loss... OK - so - weight CHANGE in the past few days) to the lack of Halloween candy. I didn't think I was really eating that much. But considering I wasn't eating ANYTHING along those lines in September and most of October, and I was losing weight, and then DAILY I was munching on sugar in November and suddenly I couldn't lose to save my life - and actually gained a little bit. That should learn me. OK - lessons list now includes two items: No Imodium AD and NO SUGAR (or at least in extreme moderation).
Sigh - no exercise last night. I have no excuse, except that the card table is set up in the living room with scrapbook supplies all over it... and I would have had to move it to exercise. Sigh - no excuse.
I am attributing all of this weight loss (which is not REALLY a loss - but I really need to only drop another 4.2 pounds by 12/6 to stay on my 5 pounds a month track - which, OK, I admidt probably won't happen - so not a loss... OK - so - weight CHANGE in the past few days) to the lack of Halloween candy. I didn't think I was really eating that much. But considering I wasn't eating ANYTHING along those lines in September and most of October, and I was losing weight, and then DAILY I was munching on sugar in November and suddenly I couldn't lose to save my life - and actually gained a little bit. That should learn me. OK - lessons list now includes two items: No Imodium AD and NO SUGAR (or at least in extreme moderation).
Sigh - no exercise last night. I have no excuse, except that the card table is set up in the living room with scrapbook supplies all over it... and I would have had to move it to exercise. Sigh - no excuse.
143.8!
You know, I never used to be a pessimist, but these days (at least regarding my weight) I find it hard to believe good news--like maybe there's five pounds hiding behind the bathroom door waiting to attach themselves to my thighs by next Tuesday. When I see my weight go up a bit I think "yeah, that's about right" and when it goes down I think "well, THAT'S not going to last." And some days I really feel like I'm getting thinner all over while other days I think all the weight I've lost has been from my boobs and that my stomach flab will never go away. That last part isn't entirely inaccurate--my bra size has gone down but my stomach seems as flabby as ever. There's nice muscles under the flab, but I think that "maternal fat reserve" as it's euphamistically called in the pregnancy books will be the last thing to go, if it ever does.
So yesterday I was back to my usual routine--cereal for breakfast, almonds for snack, yogurt, pretzles, and a pear for lunch, skipped the string cheese because I wasn't hungry in the afternoon, then went home and ate junk--my dinner was french fries and half an apple, followed by a tablespoon of chocolate chips and a handful of the fake m&m's (which really are much better than regular m&m's--the candy coating has a better flavor and the chocolate is higher quality), then a clementine before bed because I really wanted more chocolate but had to stop myself.
My 1:00 meeting yesterday turned into a 2:30 meeting when the woman I was supposed to be meeting with didn't show up. That kept me busy until 3:30 and I was really tempted to skip the gym (since it takes me an hour to get there, get changed, work out, clean up, change back into work clothes, and walk back) but didn't, although I did cut the workout down by five minutes (30 minutes instead of 35) and was only able to run about five minutes of that time because my heart rate was going up too high--that's what I get for skipping a week of good aerobic exercise.
So yesterday I was back to my usual routine--cereal for breakfast, almonds for snack, yogurt, pretzles, and a pear for lunch, skipped the string cheese because I wasn't hungry in the afternoon, then went home and ate junk--my dinner was french fries and half an apple, followed by a tablespoon of chocolate chips and a handful of the fake m&m's (which really are much better than regular m&m's--the candy coating has a better flavor and the chocolate is higher quality), then a clementine before bed because I really wanted more chocolate but had to stop myself.
My 1:00 meeting yesterday turned into a 2:30 meeting when the woman I was supposed to be meeting with didn't show up. That kept me busy until 3:30 and I was really tempted to skip the gym (since it takes me an hour to get there, get changed, work out, clean up, change back into work clothes, and walk back) but didn't, although I did cut the workout down by five minutes (30 minutes instead of 35) and was only able to run about five minutes of that time because my heart rate was going up too high--that's what I get for skipping a week of good aerobic exercise.
Monday, November 28, 2005
My head hurts
So I can't come up with a decent title. I'm not sure why it hurts -- it might be because my back aches because I was carrying Cecilia for so long, when I'd already done aerobics and upper body toning with no cool down (I kept getting interrupted -- it was all I could do to finish the workout, and it didn't make sense to go back and do the "cool down" section when I'd already been away from it for 10 minutes), or it might be low blood sugar, which is how it feels, though I've eaten recently enough that it shouldn't be. Could just be that I'm tired. At least tonight I'll be getting to bed at a decent hour, because I did already exercise -- I'm with Sarah, in that I usually put it off all day and then I'm forced to do it right before I go to bed. That's a bad thing and a good thing -- bad that I put it off, but good that we're doing the no-excuses approach, so that it becomes something you get so used to that it feels gross to miss it, like brushing your teeth.
Today I avoided the junk almost completely. I did have a teeny pack of gummy bears after dinner -- I think these packs hold less than a tablespoon of gummy bears! I had my usual breakfast (hooray! It hasn't been so usual lately), a snack of half a banana (the rest of Cecilia's) and a lump of brown sugar (I was craving sweet), lunch of yogurt and a very small helping of macaroni and cheese, a snack of almonds, and dinner of a cheeseburger on a whole wheat lite bun (Daniel did the cooking because I was making a fabric Jesse tree, and he just put the cheese on automatically -- and you can imagine how loudly I protested, ha) which I didn't quite finish because I was too full. So, no vegetables at all today; that's not so good. I am going to eat a clementine before I turn in, because I could use something nutrious and fiber-filled, and if the headache is from low blood sugar that will help.
Come to think of it, I'm pretty sure it's because I'm tired. I can barely keep my eyes open. I'm going to bed.
Today I avoided the junk almost completely. I did have a teeny pack of gummy bears after dinner -- I think these packs hold less than a tablespoon of gummy bears! I had my usual breakfast (hooray! It hasn't been so usual lately), a snack of half a banana (the rest of Cecilia's) and a lump of brown sugar (I was craving sweet), lunch of yogurt and a very small helping of macaroni and cheese, a snack of almonds, and dinner of a cheeseburger on a whole wheat lite bun (Daniel did the cooking because I was making a fabric Jesse tree, and he just put the cheese on automatically -- and you can imagine how loudly I protested, ha) which I didn't quite finish because I was too full. So, no vegetables at all today; that's not so good. I am going to eat a clementine before I turn in, because I could use something nutrious and fiber-filled, and if the headache is from low blood sugar that will help.
Come to think of it, I'm pretty sure it's because I'm tired. I can barely keep my eyes open. I'm going to bed.
I cannot tell a lie...
I just totally binged on Cocoa Chex Mix. It is heavenly. Cocoa coats wheat chex and frosted chex and there are those little marshmallows you find in hot cocoa packets ALL through it. There must be a million in each bag. I opened it before I even started the car when I was leaving the store. I could do without the pretzels--they prevented me from just stuffing handfuls in my mouth. I am going to have to exercise double tonight after that dazzling show of no self restraint....
Going UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Aaarrrgh!! Oh well. I will view this as a temporary problem. Maybe tomorrow for official weigh in day I will break even.
Food today has been/will be: yogurt with grapenuts, spicy almonds, carrots & salsa, turkey sandwich with L & T for lunch and meatballs for dinner. Probably will have a snack of an apple and cheese later when I get home from work.
Exercise I am planning for today is the pilates dvd and some time on the treadmill. I found that I cannot get up and do the pilates dvd--I am too stiff in the morning for it to be enjoyable.
Food today has been/will be: yogurt with grapenuts, spicy almonds, carrots & salsa, turkey sandwich with L & T for lunch and meatballs for dinner. Probably will have a snack of an apple and cheese later when I get home from work.
Exercise I am planning for today is the pilates dvd and some time on the treadmill. I found that I cannot get up and do the pilates dvd--I am too stiff in the morning for it to be enjoyable.
Exercising every day
This no-excuses challenge is really hard! I keep putting off the exercise throughout the day (because excuses are really easy to come up with) and then I have to force myself to exercise late at night. Last night I did the "maximum burn" pilates dvd at 11:00. Today, thankfully, I'm back to my more normal routine and should be able to get to the gym at lunchtime.
I only vaguely remember what I ate yesterday (after the candy bar, that is). I know I had yogurt for lunch, but I can't remember if I ate anything along with it. I don't think I did. I had almonds for snack, then macaroni and cheese and a spinach salad for dinner, then a pear and two pretzles for a nighttime snack. So except for the candy bar, it wasn't too bad. Oh, and I licked the batter bowl after making saucepan taffy bars. Yum.
My one little victory yesterday (offset by the candy bar, but overall still a victory) was NOT buying eggnog when I was grocery shopping. Safeway has the best eggnog, but I checked the calorie count when I picked it up--it's something like 160 calories (180? 140?) per HALF cup. So I'll buy some for Christmas itself, but not before!
And just for the record, but unrelated to the purpose of this blog, it's only November 28 and I'm already thoroughly sick of Christmas preparations. Why is it that I do all of the baking, card-making-and-sending, most of the decorating, nearly all of the shopping and wrapping, and all of the planning and organizing while Brian pretty much just gets gifts for me, sets up the tree, and hangs the outdoor decorations? I probably wouldn't mind this state of affairs so much if I didn't work full-time, but every year I'm tempted to just not do any baking, to skip the cards (well, I've done that a few times!), buy a pre-lit artificial tree and put it up BEFORE Christmas Eve, and to skip gifts for all but immediate family (Brian wouldn't even think about teachers and daycare providers if I didn't bring it up; in fact, I think he doesn't think about them even when I DO bring it up--I mentioned that we should get something for Joan, the nurse who comes to our house every four weeks to give Connor his gammaglobulin, and Brian said "who's Joan?") and to buy a bunch of gift bags and plunk all of the gifts in them. As it is, I spend every spare minute between mid-November and December 24 doing something Christmas related and it makes me crazy. Bah, humbug. Same goes for Claire's birthday--next year we're going to do her party before Thanksgiving so I can get it out of the way early.
I only vaguely remember what I ate yesterday (after the candy bar, that is). I know I had yogurt for lunch, but I can't remember if I ate anything along with it. I don't think I did. I had almonds for snack, then macaroni and cheese and a spinach salad for dinner, then a pear and two pretzles for a nighttime snack. So except for the candy bar, it wasn't too bad. Oh, and I licked the batter bowl after making saucepan taffy bars. Yum.
My one little victory yesterday (offset by the candy bar, but overall still a victory) was NOT buying eggnog when I was grocery shopping. Safeway has the best eggnog, but I checked the calorie count when I picked it up--it's something like 160 calories (180? 140?) per HALF cup. So I'll buy some for Christmas itself, but not before!
And just for the record, but unrelated to the purpose of this blog, it's only November 28 and I'm already thoroughly sick of Christmas preparations. Why is it that I do all of the baking, card-making-and-sending, most of the decorating, nearly all of the shopping and wrapping, and all of the planning and organizing while Brian pretty much just gets gifts for me, sets up the tree, and hangs the outdoor decorations? I probably wouldn't mind this state of affairs so much if I didn't work full-time, but every year I'm tempted to just not do any baking, to skip the cards (well, I've done that a few times!), buy a pre-lit artificial tree and put it up BEFORE Christmas Eve, and to skip gifts for all but immediate family (Brian wouldn't even think about teachers and daycare providers if I didn't bring it up; in fact, I think he doesn't think about them even when I DO bring it up--I mentioned that we should get something for Joan, the nurse who comes to our house every four weeks to give Connor his gammaglobulin, and Brian said "who's Joan?") and to buy a bunch of gift bags and plunk all of the gifts in them. As it is, I spend every spare minute between mid-November and December 24 doing something Christmas related and it makes me crazy. Bah, humbug. Same goes for Claire's birthday--next year we're going to do her party before Thanksgiving so I can get it out of the way early.
Going Down
Hey guys! It has been WEEKS (or so it feels) since I have posted on the blog. This past week has been weird for me. I was supposed to be off on Wed, Thurs, Fri and through the weekend - but I ended up going into work or working at home everyday except Sat and Sunday. Since I wasn't in my normal computer routine I ended up not even READING the blog until yesterday evening.
Well - as bad as this week has been for me food and exercise-wise I am finally seeing my numbers starting to move again. I was stuck at the 207 point for so long that I was really worrying. Now, beginning on Thanksgiving day ironically enough, my weight has gone back down to the 206 point and then TODAY I was actually at 205.4. Let's just hope it continues downward. What is really weird is that at about this same time we ran out of my Junior Mints. Hummm - I wonder if that is related at all. 8-)
OK - another weird thing... I have been craving vegetables like you would not believe! I have been SNACKING on veggies!! What is up with that???? I guess that is a good thing.
Tuesday last week I had dinner at the Melting Pot and I was bad. Wednesday we went for drinks and dinner at Bonefish and I was pretty good (salad and shrimp and a side of steamed vegetables). Thursday I was VERY good considering it was Thansgiving. I took a tiny bit of everything and couldn't (and didn't) clean my plate. The rest of the weekend was sporadic eating - but almost all healthy foods.
Exercise on the other hand - well I didn't. Tuesday I came home from The Melting Pot and did yoga on my very full tummy. It was good. I don't remember if I exercised ANY MORE after that. Katie and I did spend an hour each cleaning up the sewing room on Saturday - and that was heavy duty cleaning work - so does that count? Otherwise I was a big slug at watched West Wing - season 4 all Saturday and Sunday (and scrapbooked at the same time...)
Well - as bad as this week has been for me food and exercise-wise I am finally seeing my numbers starting to move again. I was stuck at the 207 point for so long that I was really worrying. Now, beginning on Thanksgiving day ironically enough, my weight has gone back down to the 206 point and then TODAY I was actually at 205.4. Let's just hope it continues downward. What is really weird is that at about this same time we ran out of my Junior Mints. Hummm - I wonder if that is related at all. 8-)
OK - another weird thing... I have been craving vegetables like you would not believe! I have been SNACKING on veggies!! What is up with that???? I guess that is a good thing.
Tuesday last week I had dinner at the Melting Pot and I was bad. Wednesday we went for drinks and dinner at Bonefish and I was pretty good (salad and shrimp and a side of steamed vegetables). Thursday I was VERY good considering it was Thansgiving. I took a tiny bit of everything and couldn't (and didn't) clean my plate. The rest of the weekend was sporadic eating - but almost all healthy foods.
Exercise on the other hand - well I didn't. Tuesday I came home from The Melting Pot and did yoga on my very full tummy. It was good. I don't remember if I exercised ANY MORE after that. Katie and I did spend an hour each cleaning up the sewing room on Saturday - and that was heavy duty cleaning work - so does that count? Otherwise I was a big slug at watched West Wing - season 4 all Saturday and Sunday (and scrapbooked at the same time...)
Sunday, November 27, 2005
Me too
But I didn't, either. I did the 1-mile at-home walk instead. And since Cecilia was already in bed (not to mention everybody else in the house) I used hand weights to make it a little more challenging, and I got a pretty good upper body workout as a result.
Food today was a bit uneven. I had a waffle (with butter and syrup) for breakfast, with two pieces of bacon, a glass of OJ, and a glass of milk. I did not eat a proper lunch, because breakfast was so late. I snacked on almonds, two clementines (I forgot to mention those yesterday -- I had one and a half then), a piece of string cheese, and a Heath bar that I picked up at the grocery store yesterday but succeeded in not eating right then (only because the bagger threw it into the bag and I forgot about it until I was unpacking!). For dinner I had taco soup with tortilla chips (not a huge number -- it was all crumbs) and another glass of milk. For dessert I had unsweetened homemade applesauce which was too thin because I used too much water, and it was very bland as a result (I've never made it before, and it's been on the stove all evening with various levels of heat in an attempt to thicken it, and I had to dash off while writing this because I JUST remembered it now after ignoring it for an hour!! Thank goodness I'd left it on low!). No doubt it will be better with some sugar, but I'll reserve some for Cecilia without the sugar because she practically inhaled it as it was, and it's better for her that way. I also ate about a half tablespoon of pureed sweet potatoes. Baby food could become dangerous very quickly, if it keeps on being so fresh and yummy good.
Tomorrow the gym reopens, after being closed for renovations or cleaning or something this weekend. So Daniel and I will try to get back to our routine. I have also planned menus for the month, though tomorrow it's just burgers because we needed something easy to fix after a busy day. Maybe I'll be good and skip the cheese. (Maybe.)
Food today was a bit uneven. I had a waffle (with butter and syrup) for breakfast, with two pieces of bacon, a glass of OJ, and a glass of milk. I did not eat a proper lunch, because breakfast was so late. I snacked on almonds, two clementines (I forgot to mention those yesterday -- I had one and a half then), a piece of string cheese, and a Heath bar that I picked up at the grocery store yesterday but succeeded in not eating right then (only because the bagger threw it into the bag and I forgot about it until I was unpacking!). For dinner I had taco soup with tortilla chips (not a huge number -- it was all crumbs) and another glass of milk. For dessert I had unsweetened homemade applesauce which was too thin because I used too much water, and it was very bland as a result (I've never made it before, and it's been on the stove all evening with various levels of heat in an attempt to thicken it, and I had to dash off while writing this because I JUST remembered it now after ignoring it for an hour!! Thank goodness I'd left it on low!). No doubt it will be better with some sugar, but I'll reserve some for Cecilia without the sugar because she practically inhaled it as it was, and it's better for her that way. I also ate about a half tablespoon of pureed sweet potatoes. Baby food could become dangerous very quickly, if it keeps on being so fresh and yummy good.
Tomorrow the gym reopens, after being closed for renovations or cleaning or something this weekend. So Daniel and I will try to get back to our routine. I have also planned menus for the month, though tomorrow it's just burgers because we needed something easy to fix after a busy day. Maybe I'll be good and skip the cheese. (Maybe.)
I almost broke my streak in favor of being a slug...
But I didn't. I spent time on the treadmill after diner tonight.
I have some motivational exercise notes to share when I am not too lazy to type them up. I read them in this month's issue of Cooking Light. If you are ever looking for a magazine FULL of yummy recipes with healthy (yet not deprived) eating in mind, check this one out.
Food yesterday was TERRIBLE. We visited my dad in the morning and we had some T-giving dessert leftovers with them. His wife gave me a portion of cranberry apply cobbler large enough for an army. Then we got home and made our turkey and I had a sandwich. THEN I visited with my high school friends and I made the white chocolate fondue and my friend Sarah made a poor man's version of cheese fondue. It was gross. It is gross to even type it out--velveeta (It's not even CHEESE! You don't have to refirgerate it!) cream cheese and 2 tubs of the spreadable sharp cheddar you put on crackers. Blah. The white chocolate recipe Emily sent is what I used, and it had a teeny bit too much butter in it for my tastes. I think milk chocolate would mask the flavor, but in the white chocolate it was very noticeable. I lightened it up a tiny bit with half and half instead of heavy cream too. Maybe that has something to do with it.
I am back on the wagon tomorrow, that's for sure. This holiday was too much indulgence for me. I need to better prepare for Christmas now that I know I do not have the decision making skills completely tuned in for making good choices.
I have some motivational exercise notes to share when I am not too lazy to type them up. I read them in this month's issue of Cooking Light. If you are ever looking for a magazine FULL of yummy recipes with healthy (yet not deprived) eating in mind, check this one out.
Food yesterday was TERRIBLE. We visited my dad in the morning and we had some T-giving dessert leftovers with them. His wife gave me a portion of cranberry apply cobbler large enough for an army. Then we got home and made our turkey and I had a sandwich. THEN I visited with my high school friends and I made the white chocolate fondue and my friend Sarah made a poor man's version of cheese fondue. It was gross. It is gross to even type it out--velveeta (It's not even CHEESE! You don't have to refirgerate it!) cream cheese and 2 tubs of the spreadable sharp cheddar you put on crackers. Blah. The white chocolate recipe Emily sent is what I used, and it had a teeny bit too much butter in it for my tastes. I think milk chocolate would mask the flavor, but in the white chocolate it was very noticeable. I lightened it up a tiny bit with half and half instead of heavy cream too. Maybe that has something to do with it.
I am back on the wagon tomorrow, that's for sure. This holiday was too much indulgence for me. I need to better prepare for Christmas now that I know I do not have the decision making skills completely tuned in for making good choices.
Claire the personal trainer
Brian didn't get home with Claire until well after 9:00 last night. By then I had given up on going for a run, so I had pulled out Claire's jump rope intending to use it five minutes on-five minutes off for a while. I had just finished the first five minutes when they got home, so as soon as they were settled, I put in a pilates dvd. Claire was right there beside me the whole time, making sure my legs were up high enough and my back straight enough. I don't know if that was what she intended, but that's what was happening. Then as that dvd ended, she handed me my hand weights. I told her I'd just do some free weight exercises, but she really wanted me to do the upper body pilates dvd, so I ended up doing that one too! So I ended up with 45 or 50 minutes of exercise yesterday
But other than that burst of activity, I was pretty much a slug all day. Surprisingly, I ate three decent meals (a rarity on the weekend for me)--cereal for breakfast, chicken, vegetables, and rice for lunch, soup, crackers, and spinach salad for dinner. But I snacked on way too many chocolate chips and nut-free fake m&m's (and no healthy snacks at all).
Today I skipped breakfast in our rush to get out the door for church, then when we got home, I turned around again and went out grocery shopping. I got home from that a half an hour ago and really need to eat something--it's 3:00 and I haven't had a meal all day. But I did indulge in a candy bar while grocery shopping--they are just sitting there by the checkout looking tempting and convenient!
My weight has been dropping alarmingly over the past couple of days. I was 145.6 on Friday, 144.4 on Saturday, and 143.2 today. I think the reality is probably somewhere in the mid-144 range or so--I can't imagine that today's weight is anything more than weird hormones or cortisol levels or whatever it is that makes your weight fluctuate so much!
But other than that burst of activity, I was pretty much a slug all day. Surprisingly, I ate three decent meals (a rarity on the weekend for me)--cereal for breakfast, chicken, vegetables, and rice for lunch, soup, crackers, and spinach salad for dinner. But I snacked on way too many chocolate chips and nut-free fake m&m's (and no healthy snacks at all).
Today I skipped breakfast in our rush to get out the door for church, then when we got home, I turned around again and went out grocery shopping. I got home from that a half an hour ago and really need to eat something--it's 3:00 and I haven't had a meal all day. But I did indulge in a candy bar while grocery shopping--they are just sitting there by the checkout looking tempting and convenient!
My weight has been dropping alarmingly over the past couple of days. I was 145.6 on Friday, 144.4 on Saturday, and 143.2 today. I think the reality is probably somewhere in the mid-144 range or so--I can't imagine that today's weight is anything more than weird hormones or cortisol levels or whatever it is that makes your weight fluctuate so much!
Saturday, November 26, 2005
Still streaking
Today I really didn't have an excuse not to exercise, but I was a total blob all day. But after the kids were in bed I was very annoyed with myself for not even having made an attempt at exercise, so I pulled out the walking DVD again and did the 2-mile walk. Again I carried Cecilia through a good portion of it, though that limited how much I could participate in the upper body stretches they were doing, so I don't know if carrying her then really boosted the level (but it kept the baby happy, which was the real point).
We had very little food in the house this morning, and no milk, so cereal wasn't an option. I finally settled on a plain waffle (whole wheat, I think) and some OJ (with calcium, as always). I had some almonds for a morning snack and then I had a late lunch of ham and lettuce on whole wheat. Dinner (a bit early) was spaghetti (which Daniel cooked, bless him) and there was too much on my plate, but I quit eating shortly after I felt full. (Then I went to the grocery store, so tomorrow we'll have food!) Later I had a beer, a small amount of sharp cheddar cheese, and some chips and salsa. So, not a great day on food, but not terrible, either.
We had very little food in the house this morning, and no milk, so cereal wasn't an option. I finally settled on a plain waffle (whole wheat, I think) and some OJ (with calcium, as always). I had some almonds for a morning snack and then I had a late lunch of ham and lettuce on whole wheat. Dinner (a bit early) was spaghetti (which Daniel cooked, bless him) and there was too much on my plate, but I quit eating shortly after I felt full. (Then I went to the grocery store, so tomorrow we'll have food!) Later I had a beer, a small amount of sharp cheddar cheese, and some chips and salsa. So, not a great day on food, but not terrible, either.
Way to go!!!!
Excellent work Emily & Sarah for sticking to it despite less than ideal circumstances!!!! I hope your diligence pays off.
I got up today and drove to my dad's house in Littlestown. Joe & I spent the morning sifting through boxes of my old stuff and packed the truck up with all sorts of random things to bring home. Then we got home and put our turkey in the oven, and I did the pialtes dvd and walked/ran on the treadmill for 15 minutes. I am not a very good runner. I think I have poor form and that contributes to my dislike of running. Plus I was too lazy to go find my sports bra and that makes it somewhat uncomfortable. I'll have to go find those now so maybe tomorrow I'll try again and see how I do. I used to run 2 miles a day in high school--I was a three season athlete--field hockey, basketball and softball. But come to think of it, I hated running then too. I just forced myself to do it.
Yesterday I walked a million miles while shopping with my sister, who surprisingly, was completely terrible company. She drifted now and then, but I just ignored her and she stopped bashing her ex husband since I was uninterested. I also have to say that setting out at 1 pm is PERFECT. It was actually very much cleared out at the mall, Kohls, Wal Mart, etc. Parking was a breeze and we still found tons of good deals. I guess all the crazies that get up for the 5 am specials are burnt out by 1 pm so then the normal people can come out.
I got up today and drove to my dad's house in Littlestown. Joe & I spent the morning sifting through boxes of my old stuff and packed the truck up with all sorts of random things to bring home. Then we got home and put our turkey in the oven, and I did the pialtes dvd and walked/ran on the treadmill for 15 minutes. I am not a very good runner. I think I have poor form and that contributes to my dislike of running. Plus I was too lazy to go find my sports bra and that makes it somewhat uncomfortable. I'll have to go find those now so maybe tomorrow I'll try again and see how I do. I used to run 2 miles a day in high school--I was a three season athlete--field hockey, basketball and softball. But come to think of it, I hated running then too. I just forced myself to do it.
Yesterday I walked a million miles while shopping with my sister, who surprisingly, was completely terrible company. She drifted now and then, but I just ignored her and she stopped bashing her ex husband since I was uninterested. I also have to say that setting out at 1 pm is PERFECT. It was actually very much cleared out at the mall, Kohls, Wal Mart, etc. Parking was a breeze and we still found tons of good deals. I guess all the crazies that get up for the 5 am specials are burnt out by 1 pm so then the normal people can come out.
Ugh
I don't want to admit my weight because it went up for the first time on a weigh-in day. I guess I should suck it up, though. It was 155.5. That isn't surprising, given how poorly I ate all week, but I've eaten poorly a lot of weeks and it has gone down anyway. The difference this week was that even though I exercised every day I didn't have to keep up with a household -- so no running up and down stairs, no constant retrieval of the baby from all kinds of disasters (other people were happy to get there first), no laundry, no sweeping, no dishes (well, not many -- we did help after Thanksgiving dinner), no grocery shopping, no hauling the kids in and out of the car while we do errands.
Today I'll do plenty of running around -- I need to do laundry and we need groceries of all sorts. And I'll still plan on doing some exercise, though I'm not sure what yet (the gym is closed and it's extremely cold outside).
Today I'll do plenty of running around -- I need to do laundry and we need groceries of all sorts. And I'll still plan on doing some exercise, though I'm not sure what yet (the gym is closed and it's extremely cold outside).
I almost broke my exercise streak
Yesterday was just an odd day--I was at Amy and Katie's all morning, then home with the kids in the afternoon. I spent most of the afternoon moving all of my scrapbook stuff from the dining room to the basement--I now have a cold, dusty, cricket-infested scrapbook area but it's all mine! A bit more room to spread out and I don't have to keep things packed in bags for fear of getting milk spilled on them!
I planned to do an exercise video either in the afternoon or after the kids went to bed, but didn't in the afternoon because I was having too much fun with the scrapbook stuff and there never was an "after the kids are in bed" period--I got Connor down at 11:30 and he had been a cling-monster all day. He was hanging onto my back while I was setting up the basement space, dragging me to the family room and forcing me to sit down so he could lean against me and climb on my shoulders during one of his videos, holding me by the leg while I cooked dinner, etc. The two times I got away from him, he used the opportunity to strip naked and poop on the floor. Great kid. I swear he does that on purpose so that we never leave him alone for a second!
Anyway, somewhere around 11:00 I realized that I wasn't going to have the time or energy to do a video once Connor finally settled down, so instead I did calisthenic-type exercises--push ups and sit ups and other toning exercises like that. It wasn't nearly a full 30 minutes, but at least it was something!
I'm concerned that today will be a repeat of yesterday. Brian has Claire down in DC for the day; Connor has been up since 6:20 and although he hasn't pooped on the floor (yet) he's removed the rug from the upstairs hall, thrown the bathmat and Claire's nightgown over the side of the stair railing, and started a bath for himself that turned into a shower without the shower curtain (that while I've been typing this). I think I should get exercise credit for keeping up with him! It's a bit too cold to take him out in the jogging stroller, so I'll have to find some other way to exercise. It really needs to be something aerobic today--pilates is great, but doesn't burn much fat.
I planned to do an exercise video either in the afternoon or after the kids went to bed, but didn't in the afternoon because I was having too much fun with the scrapbook stuff and there never was an "after the kids are in bed" period--I got Connor down at 11:30 and he had been a cling-monster all day. He was hanging onto my back while I was setting up the basement space, dragging me to the family room and forcing me to sit down so he could lean against me and climb on my shoulders during one of his videos, holding me by the leg while I cooked dinner, etc. The two times I got away from him, he used the opportunity to strip naked and poop on the floor. Great kid. I swear he does that on purpose so that we never leave him alone for a second!
Anyway, somewhere around 11:00 I realized that I wasn't going to have the time or energy to do a video once Connor finally settled down, so instead I did calisthenic-type exercises--push ups and sit ups and other toning exercises like that. It wasn't nearly a full 30 minutes, but at least it was something!
I'm concerned that today will be a repeat of yesterday. Brian has Claire down in DC for the day; Connor has been up since 6:20 and although he hasn't pooped on the floor (yet) he's removed the rug from the upstairs hall, thrown the bathmat and Claire's nightgown over the side of the stair railing, and started a bath for himself that turned into a shower without the shower curtain (that while I've been typing this). I think I should get exercise credit for keeping up with him! It's a bit too cold to take him out in the jogging stroller, so I'll have to find some other way to exercise. It really needs to be something aerobic today--pilates is great, but doesn't burn much fat.
Friday, November 25, 2005
No excuses
This morning I got up, got dressed, and got to packing. Then we ate breakfast, and I got back to packing, and I kept busy until we had the car packed and were on our way. We got to Blacksburg seven and a half hours later, just after dark. Then we unpacked and ate dinner, and then Cecilia decided she needed to be held and fed, and then we got the kids to bed, and then we watched the end of the Duke game, and then Cecilia was up and needed to be fed and held again. At about 10:20 Daniel was too exhausted to function, so he went up to bed, leaving me with a wide-awake, needing-to-be-held-a-lot baby. But I hated the idea of using any of this as an excuse and breaking my streak! So I kicked myself in the rear and got out the "Walk Away the Pounds" DVD Sarah gave me, and, yay, me! I did the 1-mile express workout. It was perfect. It took only 15 minutes (20 with stretching, not to mention the credits and all the get-motivated stuff at the beginning), it was quiet enough that I could do it in a houseful of sleeping people, and it was siimple enough that I could do it holding a baby. In fact, when they got to the part where you're supposed to use the Stretchie, which I don't have, I waved Cecilia around for upper body resistance, and she thought it was rather funny! So I didn't get as much of a workout as I did some days this week, but now I know there really are NO excuses, since I can do this one in so little time and at any time of the day -- if the TV is in use I could even pop it into the computer or my hand-me-down laptop and do it anywhere.
Sorry to sound like a commercial. It wasn't an exciting video. I could see myself getting bored with it if this were my only option for exercise. But it's perfect for a day like today.
Food. For breakfast I had OJ, scrambled eggs (not a lot), biscuits (but I only ate half of one), and bacon (and I only ate about a piece and a half). For lunch I had a turkey sandwich on whole wheat (very boring but it was good turkey so it wasn't as boring as it could have been). In the car I snacked on gummy bears and gummy worms, no doubt more than I should have had, because I didn't keep track, and I also ate a tiny handful of chocolate covered raisins (we finished off the dregs of the can). For dinner I had two slices of pizza, and for dessert I had a package of Skittles (oh, yeah, like I really needed dessert after a day of gummy bears). Tomorrow I'm back to a normal diet. I'm going to sit down and plan meals for December and hope that will help keep me on track.
Tomorrow I weigh in! Eeek!
Sorry to sound like a commercial. It wasn't an exciting video. I could see myself getting bored with it if this were my only option for exercise. But it's perfect for a day like today.
Food. For breakfast I had OJ, scrambled eggs (not a lot), biscuits (but I only ate half of one), and bacon (and I only ate about a piece and a half). For lunch I had a turkey sandwich on whole wheat (very boring but it was good turkey so it wasn't as boring as it could have been). In the car I snacked on gummy bears and gummy worms, no doubt more than I should have had, because I didn't keep track, and I also ate a tiny handful of chocolate covered raisins (we finished off the dregs of the can). For dinner I had two slices of pizza, and for dessert I had a package of Skittles (oh, yeah, like I really needed dessert after a day of gummy bears). Tomorrow I'm back to a normal diet. I'm going to sit down and plan meals for December and hope that will help keep me on track.
Tomorrow I weigh in! Eeek!
The Day After
Yesterday wasn't nearly as bad as it could have been. I kept my eating light all day--1.5 scrambled eggs (I needed half an egg for the rolls I was making) for breakfast, cheese and crackers (we're still out of fruit, or maybe we're out of fruit again) for lunch, and I think that's about it during the day. At mom and dad's I had one piece of cheese with a cracker and two pieces of the baguette with baked brie for an appetizer (not that I needed anything to improve my appetite!) and I kept all of my portions small at dinner, except the stuffing. I skipped the mashed potatoes and jello (and cranberries, but then, I always skip them). But it was still way more food than normal--turkey, stuffing, gravy, carrots, green beans, sweet potatoes, and a roll. Plus a pear cider and a glass of wine (I don't think I drank any water at all yesterday). But it was the slice of pecan pie with cool whip that put me over the top. Up until then, I was merely full--after that, I was stuffed. And I was 145.6 this morning (after being 145 even yesterday morning). When I got home, I did a pilates DVD so I wouldn't miss the exercise (and because I really needed it!).
Today I got up early, had a cup of coffee, went to Amy's, had a huge eggnog latte, and that was it for the morning. I did try to choke down cottage chesse with canned plums, but ewwewwww. So when I got home I made a grilled cheese with tomato sandwich for lunch. The tomato was just to make me feel less guilty about having a grilled cheese!
Today I got up early, had a cup of coffee, went to Amy's, had a huge eggnog latte, and that was it for the morning. I did try to choke down cottage chesse with canned plums, but ewwewwww. So when I got home I made a grilled cheese with tomato sandwich for lunch. The tomato was just to make me feel less guilty about having a grilled cheese!
I survived...
Let's see...I should have read when I posted last. Wednesday I did the pilates DVD, Thursday Joe & I walked when we got up and today I did the pilates DVD when I got up. I have kept up the exercise for 9 days straight.
Wednesday food...can't really recall excpet we had pinto & corn "burgers" for dinner, which were quite yummy--Amy & Katie, did you make these at Let's Dish?
Thursday I had grits for breakfast, pretzels for lunch and then we ate around 3 pm at Joe's mom's. I had some of it all, but not really a lot of anything. You'll all gasp when I say this--but I really don't care for turkey so I only had a teeny amount so his mom wouldn't be offended, then stuffing (which Larry's mother made, and it tasted like bread & parsley, ick!) lima beans, corn, saurkraut, cranberry salad (I made it! It's my mom's recipe and it isn't Thanksgiving without it) mashed potatoes, a roll, sweet potatoes...and I had seconds of cranberry salad and sweet potatoes. Then we had some chocolate pie thing for dessert which was so rich it gagged me. I ate the graham cracker crust and wasted the rest.
Larry's sister was there and she had that stomach surgery. (Larry is the man Joe's mother lives with, just so you know who I am talking about) That is not something I would ever consider I don't think. Not that I am remotely fat enough for that, but if I ever weighed 300+ lbs I'd still try the old fashioned way before resorting to that. She couldn't eat anything. She had 2 bites of turkey, a scoop of potatoes and some stuffing. I enjoy food way to much for that. I just need to continue being a student of portion control and moderation.
So now, I am waiting on my terribly bitter sister to call me and then we're headed out shopping. The guilt got to me and I ditched the scrapbooking this morning to go out with her. I'm pretty sure I'll regret that. How do you tell someone bitterness is ugly? She just wallows in her own self pity and it drives me nuts. This is going to be a "great" afternoon...
Hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving!
Wednesday food...can't really recall excpet we had pinto & corn "burgers" for dinner, which were quite yummy--Amy & Katie, did you make these at Let's Dish?
Thursday I had grits for breakfast, pretzels for lunch and then we ate around 3 pm at Joe's mom's. I had some of it all, but not really a lot of anything. You'll all gasp when I say this--but I really don't care for turkey so I only had a teeny amount so his mom wouldn't be offended, then stuffing (which Larry's mother made, and it tasted like bread & parsley, ick!) lima beans, corn, saurkraut, cranberry salad (I made it! It's my mom's recipe and it isn't Thanksgiving without it) mashed potatoes, a roll, sweet potatoes...and I had seconds of cranberry salad and sweet potatoes. Then we had some chocolate pie thing for dessert which was so rich it gagged me. I ate the graham cracker crust and wasted the rest.
Larry's sister was there and she had that stomach surgery. (Larry is the man Joe's mother lives with, just so you know who I am talking about) That is not something I would ever consider I don't think. Not that I am remotely fat enough for that, but if I ever weighed 300+ lbs I'd still try the old fashioned way before resorting to that. She couldn't eat anything. She had 2 bites of turkey, a scoop of potatoes and some stuffing. I enjoy food way to much for that. I just need to continue being a student of portion control and moderation.
So now, I am waiting on my terribly bitter sister to call me and then we're headed out shopping. The guilt got to me and I ditched the scrapbooking this morning to go out with her. I'm pretty sure I'll regret that. How do you tell someone bitterness is ugly? She just wallows in her own self pity and it drives me nuts. This is going to be a "great" afternoon...
Hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving!
Thursday, November 24, 2005
It's all about the food
It's Thanksgiving Day -- that's for eating too much, right? I was just celebrating the holiday in proper form. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it. For breakfast I had a sausage link, a biscuit with jelly, a doughnut, and a small glass of OJ. We had dinner at midday, and I had a lot of turkey, and some mashed potatoes and gravy (smallish amount of both), dressing (which I genuinely enjoyed -- Daniel's mother said it's the first time she's *ever* made it, since Grandma Gunn always did it, so she had to guess at the recipe, and she definitely did something right), green beans (Southern-style, of course. Hmph), and a roll (with butter -- it's Thanksgiving, after all). Then I ate a lot more turkey. I had a piece of pecan pie later in the afternoon and I snacked on numerous chocolates much of the day. At some point I had a glass of milk. In the evening I had a glass of wine, and around 9 or so we realized we'd missed supper so I ate a couple of small pieces of turkey, a roll, and a small slice of pecan pie again! So it was too much food but I enjoyed it thoroughly, and tomorrow we'll be on the road so I won't have so many snacks on hand and I will get my usual salad at the fast food places. (I'm proud of myself on that front -- I haven't had a burger and fries at the fast food places we've gone to since the diet started, and honestly I haven't missed them.)
I did get out and walk today, around 11 am. I only went 40 minutes even though I would have had time to do more; my enthusiasm for walking alone is really starting to wane. I don't know if I'll be able to walk before we leave tomorrow, but I suspect not, and it will certainly be dark when we get home. I may have to commandeer the TV after we put the kids to bed so I can work out that way. It will be nice to be home again, though I've been spoiled by having built-in babysitters so I can go exercise when I like!
I hope some of the rest of you post so I know I'm not the only glutton today!
I did get out and walk today, around 11 am. I only went 40 minutes even though I would have had time to do more; my enthusiasm for walking alone is really starting to wane. I don't know if I'll be able to walk before we leave tomorrow, but I suspect not, and it will certainly be dark when we get home. I may have to commandeer the TV after we put the kids to bed so I can work out that way. It will be nice to be home again, though I've been spoiled by having built-in babysitters so I can go exercise when I like!
I hope some of the rest of you post so I know I'm not the only glutton today!
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
Still exercising, still overeating
Yesterday I ate pretty well -- I don't remember specifics but it wasn't much food most of the day, and I had fruit and whole grains and everything. But then Daniel brought me a beer and I ate several chocolates, after having had only two all day! Today I was terrible about the chocolates, and everything else, for that matter. For breakfast I had a doughnut and a small bowl of raisin bran. For lunch I had two chocolate chip cookies, and then for snack I had about a gallon of popcorn. Seriously. Dinner was pizza but I was so sick from all the popcorn that I only ate once slice (and, more to the point, I only wanted one slice!). I have a headache now, I think from eating so badly all day. I did have milk to drink this evening, and other than that I had water all day -- I didn't drink a soda at the movies.
But I have been very good about exercise. Yesterday I went out mid-afternoon and wound up walking for an hour, mostly to make up for some of the time I'd missed the day before. And I wasn't at all sore, though I was ready to go to bed at about nine. Today we went to the Space and Rocket Center in the morning, then got home and turned right around to go to the movies (hence the cookies for lunch -- they were straight from the oven and easily grabbed), and by the time we got back the sun was setting. But I didn't want to think about breaking my streak when I didn't even have an excuse like the weather, so I immediately changed into my exercise clothes (and inspired Daniel to do the same, because yesterday he found out about the exercise challenge and thought he should make some effort himself, starting today). By the time I was about a mile out it was getting quite dark, so I turned around at that point instead of going for 5 minutes more as I usually would. It was full dark by the time I reached the house again, but I got in 30 minutes of walk. After yesterday and today I'm down 30 minutes on my goal of 40 minutes a day since arriving here (an unofficial goal -- I read once that after 30 minutes you stop burning muscle and start burning fat, so 40 minutes has a more dramatic effect). If I can find an hour tomorrow I'll make most of that up.
Oddly enough, I expect my eating will be better tomorrow than today -- we're not going anywhere and the meals will be balanced!
Happy Thanksgiving, everybody!
But I have been very good about exercise. Yesterday I went out mid-afternoon and wound up walking for an hour, mostly to make up for some of the time I'd missed the day before. And I wasn't at all sore, though I was ready to go to bed at about nine. Today we went to the Space and Rocket Center in the morning, then got home and turned right around to go to the movies (hence the cookies for lunch -- they were straight from the oven and easily grabbed), and by the time we got back the sun was setting. But I didn't want to think about breaking my streak when I didn't even have an excuse like the weather, so I immediately changed into my exercise clothes (and inspired Daniel to do the same, because yesterday he found out about the exercise challenge and thought he should make some effort himself, starting today). By the time I was about a mile out it was getting quite dark, so I turned around at that point instead of going for 5 minutes more as I usually would. It was full dark by the time I reached the house again, but I got in 30 minutes of walk. After yesterday and today I'm down 30 minutes on my goal of 40 minutes a day since arriving here (an unofficial goal -- I read once that after 30 minutes you stop burning muscle and start burning fat, so 40 minutes has a more dramatic effect). If I can find an hour tomorrow I'll make most of that up.
Oddly enough, I expect my eating will be better tomorrow than today -- we're not going anywhere and the meals will be balanced!
Happy Thanksgiving, everybody!
145.5!
My title says it all--I was 145.5 this morning! I then had cooked Scottish oatmeal with raisins and skimmed milk for breakfast, plus orange juice. I don't know how I suddenly dropped so low.
I'm glad I'm not the only one!
I was trying to figure out how to admit that I had cereal last night for dinner, so I'm glad to see that Julie had the same thing. Mine was a time issue--after picking up the kids from daycare, we went to the party store to get invitations and decorations for Claire's birthday and then to the toy store to pick up toys to donate at church, so by the time we got home it was close to 7:30 and the kids were starving, so I fed them (leftover pizza for Claire, fish sticks for Connor--I either couldn't or wouldn't eat any of those things). By the time they were settled with their food, I was on the phone--first Brian called, and when I got off the phone with him, Connor had started a bath for himself (fully clothed, of course), so I made it his official bath time. While he was in the tub, Eric called. By the time I got off the phone with him, Connor was running around naked and Claire wanted a bath, so I got Connor settled with a movie and Claire in the tub, which was when Mom called. After her call, I read to the kids and got them in bed, then figured that if I was going to do any exercise, I'd better do it right then, so I did a 20 minute pilates dvd followed by 20 minutes of the pilates aerobic workout (first time for that--mostly the warm up is pilates-based, then it's a pretty typical aerobic workout, only with live drummers and a lot of reminders to use your core). So FINALLY after that I could eat--only it was after 11:00 and I didn't want to actually cook anything. Thus the cereal.
The evening wasn't much different from the rest of the day--it was all pretty much just one thing after another. Maybe I should pack my dinner at the same time that I pack my lunch so I'll stop eating junk at night!
The evening wasn't much different from the rest of the day--it was all pretty much just one thing after another. Maybe I should pack my dinner at the same time that I pack my lunch so I'll stop eating junk at night!
Uneventful Tuesday
Tuesday was a pretty boring day. Food: yogurt with granola for breakfast, a banana, chicken salad on a bagel for lunch (I didn't eat the whole thing, the bagel was too hard and the chicken salad had too much pickle relish in it) and raisins, and then cereal again for dinner. We had dessert last night though--molten chocolate cakes.
I did the pilates dvd again and spent 15 minutes on the treadmill.
Like I said, very unexciting.
I did the pilates dvd again and spent 15 minutes on the treadmill.
Like I said, very unexciting.
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
Oh, dear!
I haven't posted in forever, and I haven't been writing down what I eat, either. I told Sarah I had been too busy and she laid the guilt on me!
I did weigh in this morning at 147, which is one pound less than last week, but still not much progress.
Anyway, I am impressed at all of you for trying so hard and exercising! At the last two Messiah rehearsals Ed had us stretching out, and that was about the most I have done in a long time!
I did weigh in this morning at 147, which is one pound less than last week, but still not much progress.
Anyway, I am impressed at all of you for trying so hard and exercising! At the last two Messiah rehearsals Ed had us stretching out, and that was about the most I have done in a long time!
No Joy in Flab-ville
Well - It could have been worse. I was 207.2 today. That was down from both yesterday AND the day before. I have dinner at the Melting Pot tonight and Thanksgiving on Thursday - so I am not expecting to lose anything before next week. Sigh - maybe I will be plesantly surprise.
Last night I just did the Pilates DVD. I was abandoned by my workout partner - so it was all I could do to motivate THAT much out of myself. I did chase Claire for about 10 seconds - just long enough to skid across my slippery "new" floor and wipe out at the end of the hall. I now have a skinned elbow and a multicolored/puffy/useless little finger. 8-)
My food was pretty good yesterday. I pretended to be Sarah for dinner and ended up eating the discarded food around my house - yogurt, string cheese, and a small piece of pizza. I think there was something else, but I can't remember what. I had no vegetables at home - but a V-8 at work.
I have been intentionally light on food today planning to eat heartily tonight. I had my usualy cereal and skim milk, prunes and a V-8 today. That is about it.
Last night I just did the Pilates DVD. I was abandoned by my workout partner - so it was all I could do to motivate THAT much out of myself. I did chase Claire for about 10 seconds - just long enough to skid across my slippery "new" floor and wipe out at the end of the hall. I now have a skinned elbow and a multicolored/puffy/useless little finger. 8-)
My food was pretty good yesterday. I pretended to be Sarah for dinner and ended up eating the discarded food around my house - yogurt, string cheese, and a small piece of pizza. I think there was something else, but I can't remember what. I had no vegetables at home - but a V-8 at work.
I have been intentionally light on food today planning to eat heartily tonight. I had my usualy cereal and skim milk, prunes and a V-8 today. That is about it.
No weigh-in for me today
I discovered that Daniel's mom does have a scale, but it's one of those rotary-number scales and it's on a carpet so it wouldn't be very accurate, and even if it were accurate it wouldn't be calibrated to my scale, so it really wouldn't tell me anything useful. I'll just have to post my weight when I get back home and can weigh myself on Saturday.
Today we're having a family portrait done and I'm borrowing a dress from Suzanne for it. It's a size 12 and it fits well across the waist and hips (hooray!), though I'm inclined to suck in when I wear it. It's tight across the bust, though. I could probably get into 12 pants, but, frankly, right now the 14s feel perfect, and one pair of 16s I have is still not too big (but they always did fit more like the 14s). I cannot IMAGINE getting into 10s right now -- Katie, you are amazing! (And, Sarah, those of us with baby skin sagging off our fronts will always wear larger clothes and will hide from bikinis. C'est la vie.) I think if I lose all the weight I'd like to lose and get down to the 130s I might wear 12s and get lucky and find some 10 skirts that fit. I have never been smaller than a 10 except when I was 11 years old and had one pair of size 3 pants. Oh, well!
Today we're having a family portrait done and I'm borrowing a dress from Suzanne for it. It's a size 12 and it fits well across the waist and hips (hooray!), though I'm inclined to suck in when I wear it. It's tight across the bust, though. I could probably get into 12 pants, but, frankly, right now the 14s feel perfect, and one pair of 16s I have is still not too big (but they always did fit more like the 14s). I cannot IMAGINE getting into 10s right now -- Katie, you are amazing! (And, Sarah, those of us with baby skin sagging off our fronts will always wear larger clothes and will hide from bikinis. C'est la vie.) I think if I lose all the weight I'd like to lose and get down to the 130s I might wear 12s and get lucky and find some 10 skirts that fit. I have never been smaller than a 10 except when I was 11 years old and had one pair of size 3 pants. Oh, well!
147.8
I, too, keep hovering. I did see 147.4 at one point this week, but I've been right around 148 for most of the week. I think part of the reason this is so frustrating for me is because it seems like when we first started on this, I was doing GREAT! I was losing 1-2 pounds a week, no problem! I think I've reached a little bit of a plateau. I know it's not TECHNICALLY a plateau, but if I want to increase my rate of losing, I need to cut my calorie count and step up my exercise. Yesterday, as Sarah said, we did the Pilates for Dummies AND the kickboxing. Normally I would have done one or the other, not both. But it was perfect. They are SUCH opposite routines (the kickboxing is all agressive and kinda scary, and the pilates is calm and smooth) that they balanced each other well, and I ended up with both aerobics and toning. I think I'm going to add that to this exercise challenge--I have to do toning AND cardio/aerobic exercise every day. Does square dancing for 45 minutes with 30 first graders count? It's a whole lot of "Walk IN-2-3-4 and OUT-2-3-4 and IN-2-3-4- and Swing your partner-3-4- and OUT-2-3-4!!" I think it should count. So yesterday I did kickboxing, pilates, 45 minutes of 1st grade square dancing, and 45 minutes of 2nd grade square dancing (which is only slightly more intricate). Can I count that as exercise for the next three days? =)
Thank you, Julie, for my prize. She gave me this nifty Pumpkin Pie flavored bubble bath/shower gel/shampoo stuff. I think Amy's told everyone about this company. Their stuff all sounds really neat. And so multi-purpose!!
I was just noticing today that it might officially be time to retire my size 12 pants. They're getting so big on me that I keep tripping over the legs (which were always a little long) and the waist is precariously balanced on my hips (and not in a stylish way). So if anyone is trying to come up with a Christmas present for me--size 10 seems to be the way to go!! Woo hoo!! Maybe I'll just take Julie's idea and go shopping for me. I could use a new Christmas outfit, anyway. =)
Thank you, Julie, for my prize. She gave me this nifty Pumpkin Pie flavored bubble bath/shower gel/shampoo stuff. I think Amy's told everyone about this company. Their stuff all sounds really neat. And so multi-purpose!!
I was just noticing today that it might officially be time to retire my size 12 pants. They're getting so big on me that I keep tripping over the legs (which were always a little long) and the waist is precariously balanced on my hips (and not in a stylish way). So if anyone is trying to come up with a Christmas present for me--size 10 seems to be the way to go!! Woo hoo!! Maybe I'll just take Julie's idea and go shopping for me. I could use a new Christmas outfit, anyway. =)
145.6
Or 145.4 (after my shower--still can't figure that out!), but I'm going with the higher weight to give me a bit more wiggle room for NEXT week's weigh-in after Thanksgiving!
And speaking of wiggle room, last night when I went to pick up Claire from Katie (Claire had the day off so Katie took care of her after school), I stayed to exercise--we did the kickboxing workout followed by the Pilates for Dummies (or whatever) DVD. The pilates one was great--I really liked the length of it (mine are either 20 minutes or 45 - 50 minutes, so 30ish minutes was nice), and it would have been even better if we hadn't had to keep stopping to drag Connor away from the glass rods, the kitty litter, etc. I felt silly doing the kickboxing, but it was a good workout.
Food yesterday: oatmeal for breakfast, yogurt, pretzles, and mixed vegetables for lunch (we're out of fruit), almonds and string cheese for snack (I should just save this to a word document and cut and paste it into my posts); dinner never really happened--I ordered chicken strips and pizza for the kids and had one bite of Claire's pizza and a couple of pieces of Connor's chicken. Amy and Katie also still have LOTS of good Halloween candy around (not just yucky fruity stuff) so I had half of a mini Hershey bar and a little box of Junior Mints, then because that wasn't quite enough junk for me for the day, I had two lollipops when I got home.
Today so far I've had cereal and two cups of coffee. Thank God for that coffee pot with the timer. I don't know how I lived without it. It's hard to get going on mornings like this without it!
Emily, good for you for exercising at the Crawfords even though you weren't able to get outside!
Julie, congratulations on getting into a size 12!
And speaking of wiggle room, last night when I went to pick up Claire from Katie (Claire had the day off so Katie took care of her after school), I stayed to exercise--we did the kickboxing workout followed by the Pilates for Dummies (or whatever) DVD. The pilates one was great--I really liked the length of it (mine are either 20 minutes or 45 - 50 minutes, so 30ish minutes was nice), and it would have been even better if we hadn't had to keep stopping to drag Connor away from the glass rods, the kitty litter, etc. I felt silly doing the kickboxing, but it was a good workout.
Food yesterday: oatmeal for breakfast, yogurt, pretzles, and mixed vegetables for lunch (we're out of fruit), almonds and string cheese for snack (I should just save this to a word document and cut and paste it into my posts); dinner never really happened--I ordered chicken strips and pizza for the kids and had one bite of Claire's pizza and a couple of pieces of Connor's chicken. Amy and Katie also still have LOTS of good Halloween candy around (not just yucky fruity stuff) so I had half of a mini Hershey bar and a little box of Junior Mints, then because that wasn't quite enough junk for me for the day, I had two lollipops when I got home.
Today so far I've had cereal and two cups of coffee. Thank God for that coffee pot with the timer. I don't know how I lived without it. It's hard to get going on mornings like this without it!
Emily, good for you for exercising at the Crawfords even though you weren't able to get outside!
Julie, congratulations on getting into a size 12!
Monday, November 21, 2005
Four days, sort of
Today it poured from dawn until dusk so I couldn't go out for a walk. (It did actually stop at dusk, but we were on the road at that point, and it was full dark before we got back to the house, and there are coyotes here, so there's no way I'm going out on a walk after dark.) If I were at home I'd have a video I could do, or I could run up and down the stairs, or find some kind of aerobic exercise, but here that's just not an option -- there's nowhere that I would feel comfortable doing an aerobic workout. But I didn't want to totally miss out on exercise today, so I went into our room and did crunches and other lower body toning (and some upper body toning, if you count that I was trying to hold a hardback book and read while I did the lower body stuff, and it added some resistance!). I worked out for about ten minutes before I got interrupted and I didn't get another opportunity to go back to it. Sheesh. But my streak's not completely broken.
My food today was not so good, except on the whole grains front. I had raisin bran with skim milk for breakfast, and for lunch I had slivered steak on whole wheat, with milk to drink. But then we went to the movies and I had a LOT of popcorn and a big Sprite (I let Daniel go to the concession stand without me -- bad idea, because he bought too much food -- at least I only drank half the Sprite), and a mini package of M&Ms which Daniel discovered in his jacket pocket. Dinner was pot roast, so I ate small pieces of that and a small amount of mashed potatoes with a bit of gravy, and some carrots and green beans and a crescent roll. If I hadn't gone to the movies it would have been about right, but instead I had about twice as many calories as I needed. Maybe more. I only had two of the chocolates in the house but since I had the M&Ms I can't be very proud of that!
Tomorrow I hope the weather will be better so I can do something aerobic. We're not going anywhere tomorrow so maybe I can eat sensibly!
My food today was not so good, except on the whole grains front. I had raisin bran with skim milk for breakfast, and for lunch I had slivered steak on whole wheat, with milk to drink. But then we went to the movies and I had a LOT of popcorn and a big Sprite (I let Daniel go to the concession stand without me -- bad idea, because he bought too much food -- at least I only drank half the Sprite), and a mini package of M&Ms which Daniel discovered in his jacket pocket. Dinner was pot roast, so I ate small pieces of that and a small amount of mashed potatoes with a bit of gravy, and some carrots and green beans and a crescent roll. If I hadn't gone to the movies it would have been about right, but instead I had about twice as many calories as I needed. Maybe more. I only had two of the chocolates in the house but since I had the M&Ms I can't be very proud of that!
Tomorrow I hope the weather will be better so I can do something aerobic. We're not going anywhere tomorrow so maybe I can eat sensibly!
Make that 5 days for me...
Food today was: yogurt with granola, carrots, banana, vegetarian chili, raisins, wheat creackers, cheese, raisin bran and milk. I'll probably have a thin mint or 2 for a snack later.
Exercise today was: pilates dvd and 15 minutes on the stair stepper.
I think this no excuses approach to exercise is what I needed. It is really beginning to be part of my routine and isn't so much of a chore anymore. I almost enjoy the pilates to the point of seeing how much better my form gets. I can finally do 2 of the moves the whole way through. I still have trouble with the ones at the end where you hold your body up with your arms. Next time I go to the dr I am going to ask about where I broke my arm 10 years ago--when I try those moves it feels so weak halfway between my elbox and my shoulder. It is really weird.
Exercise today was: pilates dvd and 15 minutes on the stair stepper.
I think this no excuses approach to exercise is what I needed. It is really beginning to be part of my routine and isn't so much of a chore anymore. I almost enjoy the pilates to the point of seeing how much better my form gets. I can finally do 2 of the moves the whole way through. I still have trouble with the ones at the end where you hold your body up with your arms. Next time I go to the dr I am going to ask about where I broke my arm 10 years ago--when I try those moves it feels so weak halfway between my elbox and my shoulder. It is really weird.
Why shopping can be a good thing...
I went to Ann Taylor at lunch time and discovered 2 good things:
#1: I can fit into their pants now. Next I have to find a way to grow 4 inches so they aren't too long...
#2: I bought a dress for Joe's Christmas party and it was a size 12. WOOOOOOHOOOOOOO!!
#1: I can fit into their pants now. Next I have to find a way to grow 4 inches so they aren't too long...
#2: I bought a dress for Joe's Christmas party and it was a size 12. WOOOOOOHOOOOOOO!!
One Day in a Row
I LOVED Harry Potter. Well - maybe LOVED is a little strong for my reaction - but I thought this was the most entertaining one so far.
I agree with you Julie that the new Dumbeldore is not very good compared to Richard Harris. Richard Harris was perfect - graceful, calm in a crisis, intelligent, mysterious. The new guy is just NOT Dumbledore. He is agressive, blustery, cumbersome and not at all reassuring. He has to scream to keep order - where Dumbledore only has to stand up for everything to calm down. It would have been impossible to include everything from the whole 900 page book in a 2 hour movie - so I thought they moved the story along nicely with the very limited time they had. Like I said to Katie afterwards - bumbling teenagers are far funnier than cute kids.
So yesterday after I posted I did exercise. Katie and I did a toning video. We have decided to join in on the exercise everyday no excused accepted challege. I just hope I can stick with it. Then we went and got sushi for dinner. Sushi isn't so bad as far as healthy food goes - but I always seem to over do it. It is just so yummy! I didn't eat anymore after that yesterday.
Today I am starting with renewed vigor! I am trying to recall what it was like for us when we first started and before we started to figure out what exceptions were acceptable (ie - coffee with skim milk and one spoon of sugar). The one thing I was most strict with myself about was eating early in the day and frequently. I drifted away from that in recent weeks. So today as soon as I got into work I ate my cereal with skim milk. Shortly I will eat my applesauce.
Ugh. I am crampy - and my weight was only down by .2 from yesterday. But considering yesterday I was at the same weight as I was mid-October this isn't a good thing. Sigh. I need to lose 2 pounds to get myself to the same weight I was on the last weigh in day in October - and 7.2 pound by 12/6 to meet my 5 pounds a month goal (or 6.8 to make my average 5 pounds per month). I don't think I can do that in the next two weeks. At this point I would be happy just to get back down to my October low of 204.2!
I agree with you Julie that the new Dumbeldore is not very good compared to Richard Harris. Richard Harris was perfect - graceful, calm in a crisis, intelligent, mysterious. The new guy is just NOT Dumbledore. He is agressive, blustery, cumbersome and not at all reassuring. He has to scream to keep order - where Dumbledore only has to stand up for everything to calm down. It would have been impossible to include everything from the whole 900 page book in a 2 hour movie - so I thought they moved the story along nicely with the very limited time they had. Like I said to Katie afterwards - bumbling teenagers are far funnier than cute kids.
So yesterday after I posted I did exercise. Katie and I did a toning video. We have decided to join in on the exercise everyday no excused accepted challege. I just hope I can stick with it. Then we went and got sushi for dinner. Sushi isn't so bad as far as healthy food goes - but I always seem to over do it. It is just so yummy! I didn't eat anymore after that yesterday.
Today I am starting with renewed vigor! I am trying to recall what it was like for us when we first started and before we started to figure out what exceptions were acceptable (ie - coffee with skim milk and one spoon of sugar). The one thing I was most strict with myself about was eating early in the day and frequently. I drifted away from that in recent weeks. So today as soon as I got into work I ate my cereal with skim milk. Shortly I will eat my applesauce.
Ugh. I am crampy - and my weight was only down by .2 from yesterday. But considering yesterday I was at the same weight as I was mid-October this isn't a good thing. Sigh. I need to lose 2 pounds to get myself to the same weight I was on the last weigh in day in October - and 7.2 pound by 12/6 to meet my 5 pounds a month goal (or 6.8 to make my average 5 pounds per month). I don't think I can do that in the next two weeks. At this point I would be happy just to get back down to my October low of 204.2!
4 days in a row for me...
Saturday Joe & I walked the neighborhood, and yesterday I did another pilates dvd. I can tell already my butt isn't as blubbery as it has been. Still icky, but getting better.
Emily--Harry Potter disappointed me. I don't care for how the new director interpreted the events in the book. There is one point where Dumbledore YELLS at H.P. and it is just totally out of line with Dumbledore's character in the book. This one strays the farthest from the real story. And WAY TO GO with the exercise!!! It really is an achievement to be able to fit exercise in when you are away from home and out of your normal routine.
Food Saturday was AWFUL. I skipped breakfast, then had Brickers french fries for lunch, popcorn at the movies with regular soda b/c Joe won't touch diet, and then we ate at the Italian place in Glen Rock for dinner--I had manicotti and a salad and bread.
Sunday I met my friend Sarah for breakfast and I had french toast and bacon, lunch was left over manicotti and dinner was beef pie. But somehow I was only 163.7 this morning so I am going to step up the exercise today so all that food doesn't show up in my weight tomorrow.
In addition to the pilates yesterday I also cleaned the living room, kitchen and bathroom REALLY well. I like cleaning. It is a bit sick.
Amy, you & Katie could get motivated by saying every bead you make is a sit up. Then you can make lots of beads and set exercise goals for yourselves...
Emily--Harry Potter disappointed me. I don't care for how the new director interpreted the events in the book. There is one point where Dumbledore YELLS at H.P. and it is just totally out of line with Dumbledore's character in the book. This one strays the farthest from the real story. And WAY TO GO with the exercise!!! It really is an achievement to be able to fit exercise in when you are away from home and out of your normal routine.
Food Saturday was AWFUL. I skipped breakfast, then had Brickers french fries for lunch, popcorn at the movies with regular soda b/c Joe won't touch diet, and then we ate at the Italian place in Glen Rock for dinner--I had manicotti and a salad and bread.
Sunday I met my friend Sarah for breakfast and I had french toast and bacon, lunch was left over manicotti and dinner was beef pie. But somehow I was only 163.7 this morning so I am going to step up the exercise today so all that food doesn't show up in my weight tomorrow.
In addition to the pilates yesterday I also cleaned the living room, kitchen and bathroom REALLY well. I like cleaning. It is a bit sick.
Amy, you & Katie could get motivated by saying every bead you make is a sit up. Then you can make lots of beads and set exercise goals for yourselves...
Sunday, November 20, 2005
Three days in a row!
I went for a walk again today. It was a slower walk, but I was carrying Cecilia (everyone else had gone out and left us), and I had no stroller or sling, so I got a better upper body workout than usual. I covered about two miles in the 40 minutes. My hips and legs are getting less sore, but that spot on my back is being slow to recover -- the bed here is so firm that my back tends to ache when I haven't even had any unusual exertions. But thanks to Julie's exercise challenge I'm sticking with this. Tomorrow will be trickier -- I think I'll have to try to squeeze it in after breakfast instead of in the afternoon, because mid-morning we're going shopping and around lunchtime Daniel and I are headed out to see Harry Potter (P&P will be on Wednesday), and by the time we get back it will be too late to walk.
Today for brunch I had scrambled eggs, a biscuit half with gravy and half with jelly, one piece of bacon, orange juice, and a piece of a really, really good cheese danish (and then two bites of Alexander's when he abandoned it -- it was really, really, really good). I had very small portions of everything and resisted seconds because I was full, though I would cheerfully have eaten every bit of food on the table. For supper we had spaghetti with meat sauce, and I didn't think I took much but it seemed like a lot more once the sauce was on it, so I left about a third of the noodles on my plate. I had a glass of wine and a mediumish salad. I'm really, really short on fruits, vegetables, and whole grains here -- I get uncomfortable from it (to put it politely). I'm also short on dairy products today -- I'm going to have a glass of milk before bed. I also didn't snack all day (the advantage of being in someone else's house, though some healthy snacks would have been quite welcome) except for chocolates, and today I managed to eat only three. Tomorrow's diet will be better -- I'll be able to have cereal for breakfast, and popcorn for a snack. ;-)
Today for brunch I had scrambled eggs, a biscuit half with gravy and half with jelly, one piece of bacon, orange juice, and a piece of a really, really good cheese danish (and then two bites of Alexander's when he abandoned it -- it was really, really, really good). I had very small portions of everything and resisted seconds because I was full, though I would cheerfully have eaten every bit of food on the table. For supper we had spaghetti with meat sauce, and I didn't think I took much but it seemed like a lot more once the sauce was on it, so I left about a third of the noodles on my plate. I had a glass of wine and a mediumish salad. I'm really, really short on fruits, vegetables, and whole grains here -- I get uncomfortable from it (to put it politely). I'm also short on dairy products today -- I'm going to have a glass of milk before bed. I also didn't snack all day (the advantage of being in someone else's house, though some healthy snacks would have been quite welcome) except for chocolates, and today I managed to eat only three. Tomorrow's diet will be better -- I'll be able to have cereal for breakfast, and popcorn for a snack. ;-)
Finally did some pilates!
Last night, close to midnight, I finally got the kids to bed so I put in a DVD and did one of the 20 minute workouts. I then didn't get to bed until 3 a.m.--Brian was out with Neil and Neil was planning on coming to stay for the night so he could get his flight in the morning (the light rail doesn't run early enough on Sunday), so after doing the pilates I did all the dishes, cleaned the living room, tracked down blankets and sheets for the sofabed, and then finished up with some online Christmas shopping. Then when the guys got home around 2:30 I stayed up and socialized for a bit.
This morning I woke up with my back killing me from raking leaves--even with all the exercising I've been doing, I'm obviously missing some major muscles! I got out for a run pretty early (the weather was perfect) and will do another pilates DVD after I get the kids to bed, which will probably be around midnight again since they both slept late and then Connor napped this afternoon!
I feel like I've eaten way too much today, but I just did the calorie count and it's not bad. I've just been snacking on more junk than usual. I had oatmeal for breakfast, soup for lunch, french fries and mixed vegetables for dinner (hey, at least I had some veggies!), three Girl Scout cookies, a tablespoon of chocolate chips, and popcorn for snack. It works out to just under 1300 calories, so I'll probably have cottage cheese and fruit in a while to make up for the lack of fruit and protein. But I feel really full. Do french fries count as whole grain? Except for the cookies and chocolate chips, everything else was really filling.
This morning I woke up with my back killing me from raking leaves--even with all the exercising I've been doing, I'm obviously missing some major muscles! I got out for a run pretty early (the weather was perfect) and will do another pilates DVD after I get the kids to bed, which will probably be around midnight again since they both slept late and then Connor napped this afternoon!
I feel like I've eaten way too much today, but I just did the calorie count and it's not bad. I've just been snacking on more junk than usual. I had oatmeal for breakfast, soup for lunch, french fries and mixed vegetables for dinner (hey, at least I had some veggies!), three Girl Scout cookies, a tablespoon of chocolate chips, and popcorn for snack. It works out to just under 1300 calories, so I'll probably have cottage cheese and fruit in a while to make up for the lack of fruit and protein. But I feel really full. Do french fries count as whole grain? Except for the cookies and chocolate chips, everything else was really filling.
Deadly Sin Day
Yesterday Katie and I were exploring the finer points of Greed and Gluttony. We seemed to have managed an extremely decadent day. Of course, it wasn't planned - so I am not sure if it counts as a sin. Anyway - after I slept late for the first time in a VERY LONG TIME, I got up and.... have no memory of eating breakfast. Oh yeah, I remember, I didn't. Katie had been up since about 8:30 running errands and had just arrived home. I had some re-heated coffee and skim milk and we decided that since we BOTH had a Saturday off we would FINALLY drive up to Forest Heart Studio outside of Frederick to check it out. This is a (sort of) local glass bead supply place. Well, we went hog wild and stocked up on lots of new glass rods and other neat things. We have since burned (literally) through quite a bit of it - having a grand old time.
Once we got home I made us lunch of chicken, with garlic, tomatoes, and shells. Not terribly healthy I am afraid. We also had broccoli and cheese sauce. Then we made more beads.
Katie sang 4:00 mass - and so after church (and a few more beads) we went to Bonefish for a couple of drinks and dinner. We each had a house salad and a seafood appetizer (me shrimp, Katie seared Tuna). After we came home we made more beads and then I read and went to bed. I didn't even THINK about exercising. Seriously - it never crossed my mind.
Today I was again very bad with food. I had coffee for breakfast. THOUGHT about making oatmeal with dried fruit - but settled for Halloween candy instead. Sigh. I made burgers for lunch - and that has been my food for the day. No exercise yet. Maybe I will do that now. I am full still from the burgers - but am kind of craving veggies - so maybe I will start thinking about dinner.
My weight has been going up still. I am thinking it is because it is THAT time of the month - and past due for a while (of course I have never been regular...) It seems that everytime my period takes a long time to arrive, I get more and more bloated. I am hoping that there will be some relief by Tuesday - but I am not couting on it.
Once we got home I made us lunch of chicken, with garlic, tomatoes, and shells. Not terribly healthy I am afraid. We also had broccoli and cheese sauce. Then we made more beads.
Katie sang 4:00 mass - and so after church (and a few more beads) we went to Bonefish for a couple of drinks and dinner. We each had a house salad and a seafood appetizer (me shrimp, Katie seared Tuna). After we came home we made more beads and then I read and went to bed. I didn't even THINK about exercising. Seriously - it never crossed my mind.
Today I was again very bad with food. I had coffee for breakfast. THOUGHT about making oatmeal with dried fruit - but settled for Halloween candy instead. Sigh. I made burgers for lunch - and that has been my food for the day. No exercise yet. Maybe I will do that now. I am full still from the burgers - but am kind of craving veggies - so maybe I will start thinking about dinner.
My weight has been going up still. I am thinking it is because it is THAT time of the month - and past due for a while (of course I have never been regular...) It seems that everytime my period takes a long time to arrive, I get more and more bloated. I am hoping that there will be some relief by Tuesday - but I am not couting on it.
Saturday, November 19, 2005
Ow, ow, ow!!
Today my hips and legs were stiff and I had a pain on the right side of my back, but I made myself go out for a walk in the hopes that everything would loosen up. About two thirds of the way through the walk I realized the reason my back hurt so much is that I walk on the left side of the road and it slopes down from the middle so that my right leg was hitting the ground an inch sooner than my left. I switched road sides then to even it out but I suspect I'll be sore there for a couple of days. The stiffness was just because I'm not used to walking hard. I still did a 40 minute walk today but it was a teensy bit shorter in distance than yesterday.
For breakfast I had a small apple-cinnamon muffin and one piece of bacon (yay me -- only one!), plus a half serving of raisin bran with milk, and some OJ. Lunch was late -- tailgating food -- and I had two small chicken wings, some corn chips and shrimp dip, and a few slices of cheddar cheese. And a beer. For dinner I had a small piece of steak, a smallish salad (with dressing), and a baked potato with the skin. I ate five chocolates today -- that's kind of scary, considering that was with lots of resisting because I didn't want to have to report a high number; how many was I eating when I didn't count? But I still didn't overeat today. I can't weigh myself here -- I'll just have to motivate myself in other ways and hope for a good number when I get back on Friday.
Way to go, Sarah and Julie! Glad you're seeing such good numbers!
For breakfast I had a small apple-cinnamon muffin and one piece of bacon (yay me -- only one!), plus a half serving of raisin bran with milk, and some OJ. Lunch was late -- tailgating food -- and I had two small chicken wings, some corn chips and shrimp dip, and a few slices of cheddar cheese. And a beer. For dinner I had a small piece of steak, a smallish salad (with dressing), and a baked potato with the skin. I ate five chocolates today -- that's kind of scary, considering that was with lots of resisting because I didn't want to have to report a high number; how many was I eating when I didn't count? But I still didn't overeat today. I can't weigh myself here -- I'll just have to motivate myself in other ways and hope for a good number when I get back on Friday.
Way to go, Sarah and Julie! Glad you're seeing such good numbers!
It's been over a week....
....since I did a Pilates workout. I know I said I would do one last night after being thwarted all week, but the evening just zipped by. After I got the kids to bed, I realized it was 11:00 and I was exhausted. So I went to bed. I overdid it at the gym yesterday, too. Last week I got to the point where I could run a solid 30 minutes on the treadmill, but only with it set to no incline. Yesterday, I set the speed for running again, but set the program to random (so you get a bunch of hills of varying height) and the level to five. I was going along just fine until about 30 seconds from the end when I began to feel awful--turns out my heart rate was too high. Next time I'll try a more gradual approach! On the other hand, I burned well over 300 calories in just those 30 minutes, so I can't complain.
For lunch yesterday I had leftover chicken kebabs and rice, so I skipped my afternoon snack since that's more lunch than I usually eat. Dinner was breakfast--I made scambled eggs and waffles (I only had one) and then I realized at bedtime that I had left the frozen waffles sitting out, so we ate them again for breakfast. Lunch today was a fluffer-nutter--I got marshmallow fluff for the kids, but it turns out that they don't like it, and I hate to see perfectly goo marshmallow fluff go to waste (not that it would--I think that stuff could make it through a nuclear attack untouched).
My exercise so far today has been raking the yard--I did all of it myself (took about an hour or so)--six enormous piles of leaves and I know my heart rate was up and that my arms will ache tomorrow!
I had a brief glimpse of 145 on the scale this morning--it flashed on 145.8 before settling on 146 even. That was kind of exciting; like Julie, I hope I can keep it up (or down) until Tuesday!
For lunch yesterday I had leftover chicken kebabs and rice, so I skipped my afternoon snack since that's more lunch than I usually eat. Dinner was breakfast--I made scambled eggs and waffles (I only had one) and then I realized at bedtime that I had left the frozen waffles sitting out, so we ate them again for breakfast. Lunch today was a fluffer-nutter--I got marshmallow fluff for the kids, but it turns out that they don't like it, and I hate to see perfectly goo marshmallow fluff go to waste (not that it would--I think that stuff could make it through a nuclear attack untouched).
My exercise so far today has been raking the yard--I did all of it myself (took about an hour or so)--six enormous piles of leaves and I know my heart rate was up and that my arms will ache tomorrow!
I had a brief glimpse of 145 on the scale this morning--it flashed on 145.8 before settling on 146 even. That was kind of exciting; like Julie, I hope I can keep it up (or down) until Tuesday!
A new low for me!!! (In a good way!)
162.7 this morning. I need to make it last for official weigh in day. I'm feeling pretty happy right now so I am going to go treat myself to a big glass of water.
Yesterday I ate: oatmeal with choc chips for breakfast with this yummy cinnamon tea that tasted like melted red hots, roasted chicken sub from subway on wheat with those fake baked chips for lunch, and blueberry pancakes again for dinner. I will confess I binged on real potato chips for a bit last night, but then I got indigestion from them so that shows me I shouldn't eat that crap (like Amy & the evil pop tarts.)
I did the pilates dvd again yesterday. I sort of want to mix things up, but I am really enjoying the dvd so I'll stick with it for now. I did try the next level of difficultly and I am not ready for it yet, so I stopped and went back to the beginners version. It's funny when I do the dvd's because Harry just doesn't get it and is constantly trying to either sit in my lap or tug on my sleeves. Makes for an extra challenge I guess.
Yesterday I ate: oatmeal with choc chips for breakfast with this yummy cinnamon tea that tasted like melted red hots, roasted chicken sub from subway on wheat with those fake baked chips for lunch, and blueberry pancakes again for dinner. I will confess I binged on real potato chips for a bit last night, but then I got indigestion from them so that shows me I shouldn't eat that crap (like Amy & the evil pop tarts.)
I did the pilates dvd again yesterday. I sort of want to mix things up, but I am really enjoying the dvd so I'll stick with it for now. I did try the next level of difficultly and I am not ready for it yet, so I stopped and went back to the beginners version. It's funny when I do the dvd's because Harry just doesn't get it and is constantly trying to either sit in my lap or tug on my sleeves. Makes for an extra challenge I guess.
Friday, November 18, 2005
Exercise at last
It wasn't anything fabulous, but I got out and walked hard for 40 minutes today. I came so close to wimping out; I went to bed too late last night and I drove to Huntsville early today so I was tired. I didn't go right after Huntsville; I had some work I really needed to get done first. But shortly after lunch Cecilia was asleep and the kids were playing, and when I started thinking about napping I motivated myself to get up and get moving because I didn't want to have to admit to you all that I had the opportunity and didn't take it!
Julie, I'm going to join you on the exercise challenge. I don't know how I'll do next Friday because we're on the road again but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. I'm like you -- if I give myself permission to exercise only four or five days in a week, I try to take my off days at the beginning and then I find myself late in the week and I've missed more days than I meant to. I have to aim for seven. It's sort of the reverse of #2 on Oprah's list -- if I can't take off just ONE day then I shouldn't take any off at all. #2 is the bane of my diet -- I'm better off swearing off all sweets than trying to eat them in moderation. #7 is what we're here for -- we've been talking about that since we started this blog, though it's hard to get my head around it. I still need to lose weight, so that keeps me coming back here -- how will I feel if I ever reach the "maintenance" stage, I wonder?
Food: I had a nonfat latte and half a largeish blueberry muffin at Starbucks for breakfast. For lunch I had ham lunchmeat on white bread (I asked -- MIL really didn't have any wheat bread, and the other lunch option was that macaroni casserole which would have been higher fat and still not whole grain). We had dinner at Daniel's UAH host's house, and it was yummy -- steak, mashed potatoes (with the skins in them, very flavorful and good), green beans, squash and zucchini (with probably a lot of butter or something; they were way too good to be healthy), and a croissant (those refrigerator dough kind). I kept all my portions reasonable in size. But I also had a glass of sherry and a small glass of merlot and two small slices of cheesecake with blueberries and other stuff (granola?) on top (Mary didn't want to eat hers and I couldn't bear to see it go to waste -- this is one of those situations I need to train myself to resist!). During the day I ate a small handful of cashews, a handful of chocolate covered raisins, and several Dove chocolates (another item I need to train myself to resist!). I think tomorrow I will carefully count how much chocolate I consume -- if I'm counting I get horrified at how much it is and I slow down.
Tomorrow is the Alabama-Auburn football game so there will be a lot of food around all day. And a lot of crazy, obsessed people (glad I never get that way! *ahem*...). Maybe I should leave for a walk around 1 and come back at bedtime?
Julie, I'm going to join you on the exercise challenge. I don't know how I'll do next Friday because we're on the road again but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. I'm like you -- if I give myself permission to exercise only four or five days in a week, I try to take my off days at the beginning and then I find myself late in the week and I've missed more days than I meant to. I have to aim for seven. It's sort of the reverse of #2 on Oprah's list -- if I can't take off just ONE day then I shouldn't take any off at all. #2 is the bane of my diet -- I'm better off swearing off all sweets than trying to eat them in moderation. #7 is what we're here for -- we've been talking about that since we started this blog, though it's hard to get my head around it. I still need to lose weight, so that keeps me coming back here -- how will I feel if I ever reach the "maintenance" stage, I wonder?
Food: I had a nonfat latte and half a largeish blueberry muffin at Starbucks for breakfast. For lunch I had ham lunchmeat on white bread (I asked -- MIL really didn't have any wheat bread, and the other lunch option was that macaroni casserole which would have been higher fat and still not whole grain). We had dinner at Daniel's UAH host's house, and it was yummy -- steak, mashed potatoes (with the skins in them, very flavorful and good), green beans, squash and zucchini (with probably a lot of butter or something; they were way too good to be healthy), and a croissant (those refrigerator dough kind). I kept all my portions reasonable in size. But I also had a glass of sherry and a small glass of merlot and two small slices of cheesecake with blueberries and other stuff (granola?) on top (Mary didn't want to eat hers and I couldn't bear to see it go to waste -- this is one of those situations I need to train myself to resist!). During the day I ate a small handful of cashews, a handful of chocolate covered raisins, and several Dove chocolates (another item I need to train myself to resist!). I think tomorrow I will carefully count how much chocolate I consume -- if I'm counting I get horrified at how much it is and I slow down.
Tomorrow is the Alabama-Auburn football game so there will be a lot of food around all day. And a lot of crazy, obsessed people (glad I never get that way! *ahem*...). Maybe I should leave for a walk around 1 and come back at bedtime?
Thoughts To Make Us Thin
This was in the December issue of Oprah magazine. There is more in the article but you'll have to borrow it if you want to read it. These are the bullets I found relelvant:
#1 Old Way of Thinking: I ordered the grilled cheese, so why not get the fries too? I've already
blown it for today.
Switch To New Thinking...One treat at a time. I'm indulging in grilled cheese so I'll trade the
fries for a salad.
#2 Old: I'll just have this ONE cookie.
New: If I can't stop at one or two coookies I shouldn't have any at all.
#3 Old: After that grueling workout, I deserve a bacon double cheeseburger.
New: Ater busting my butt at the gym, my body deserves the VIP treatment.
#4 Old: It would be rude to turn down another helping of my mother-in-law's lasagna.
New: I'm being disrespectful to my body by forcing down more than my fill.
#5 Old: Other people are going back for more food and they're thin.
New: I need to eat at a pace that's right for my body.
#6 Old: I save dessert for special occasions.
New: I'll eat dessert if I have room left in my calorie budget.
#7 Old: Once I lose ten pounds I can get off this horrible diet.
New: The only way I'll lose weigt is by permanently changing the way I eat.
I think we are each already embracing these to varying degrees. However, I know #1 and #2 still get me way too often so I have to work to change that. #3 is an extreme, but I know sometimes I will be a little less vigilant with my eating if I have walked a lot in a day. Like last Friday in Dresden--I could have taken better advantage of those 10,000+ steps I walked if I would have opted for a smaller treat at dinner than the turtle milkshake I ended up having. I could have just had a strawberry milkshake and it would have been less calories. Although I did forgo the fries and had a side salad and some vegetable soup with my sandwich at dinner, so I still have trouble judging how strict to be with myself. I made a half "good" choice considering the evils that lurked on the menu...
#1 Old Way of Thinking: I ordered the grilled cheese, so why not get the fries too? I've already
blown it for today.
Switch To New Thinking...One treat at a time. I'm indulging in grilled cheese so I'll trade the
fries for a salad.
#2 Old: I'll just have this ONE cookie.
New: If I can't stop at one or two coookies I shouldn't have any at all.
#3 Old: After that grueling workout, I deserve a bacon double cheeseburger.
New: Ater busting my butt at the gym, my body deserves the VIP treatment.
#4 Old: It would be rude to turn down another helping of my mother-in-law's lasagna.
New: I'm being disrespectful to my body by forcing down more than my fill.
#5 Old: Other people are going back for more food and they're thin.
New: I need to eat at a pace that's right for my body.
#6 Old: I save dessert for special occasions.
New: I'll eat dessert if I have room left in my calorie budget.
#7 Old: Once I lose ten pounds I can get off this horrible diet.
New: The only way I'll lose weigt is by permanently changing the way I eat.
I think we are each already embracing these to varying degrees. However, I know #1 and #2 still get me way too often so I have to work to change that. #3 is an extreme, but I know sometimes I will be a little less vigilant with my eating if I have walked a lot in a day. Like last Friday in Dresden--I could have taken better advantage of those 10,000+ steps I walked if I would have opted for a smaller treat at dinner than the turtle milkshake I ended up having. I could have just had a strawberry milkshake and it would have been less calories. Although I did forgo the fries and had a side salad and some vegetable soup with my sandwich at dinner, so I still have trouble judging how strict to be with myself. I made a half "good" choice considering the evils that lurked on the menu...
Why we are losing weight
Every once in a while you meet someone who reminds you of why it is you want to get into shape and lose weight. The positive examples (like my friend Lauren Sue) are inspiring, but I think the negative examples are a bit more motivating. There’s a girl at work that I just feel badly for, but you also want to shake her and say “stop eating so much!” I’d also yell “get some exercise!” except at the moment she can’t. She’s quite young (in her 20’s) and pretty, but very overweight and is dealing with a LOT of the health problems associated with being obese even though she’s pretty young to have them. She was diagnosed with diabetes this year, and just this week she blew out her knee (while getting up out of a chair). In the process of trying to determine what’s wrong with her knee (she may need surgery), they also found out that she may well have gout. Like I said, I feel badly for her, but every one of these problems is directly related to her weight and was preventable. So who cares about the bathing suits—I want to lose weight so I most likely won’t have to deal with diabetes, knee surgery, and gout.
Exercise
I haven't been very good about exercise this week. I got to the gym on Monday and Wednesday and I'll get there again today, but I haven't done ANY of my evening exercise--on Monday I was cleaning house until after midnight (which, even though it's not real exercise, is better than sitting on the sofa all night), on Tuesday I was recovering from my icky girl procedure, on Wednesday Brian and I went to the movies (Pride and Prejudice--good, but not as good as the Colin Firth version, probably because they only had two hours to work with and the casting wasn't as good), and yesterday Neil came over for dinner. He had such a hellish time getting to our house on the Baltimore bus system that I wouldn't let him go back on it--I made him stay until Brian got home at 11:30 so we could drive him back downtown.
I also haven't been eating consistently well. I had popcorn at the movies (although we got a small bag instead of a huge one and I offset it with just a small serving of yucky frozen chicken with cashews for dinner) and yesterday I missed lunch because I was on the road with a container of yogurt and no spoon, so I grabbed some cheese and crackers from a vending machine. Then in the evening when Neil was running late I ate three cookies so I wouldn't pass out from hunger, then ate healthy but too much dinner (chicken kebabs, saffron rice and salad. The kebabs were also vegetable-heavy, so I can't complain of lack of nutrients!) and had key lime pie for dessert. And two glasses of wine. Yum.
So I'm bound and determined to get in an exercise video each day this weekend AND get in two sessions running (today at the gym being one; I might do an aerobics video at home instead of running outside this weekend, though, depending on how cold it is), plus I have to rake leaves this weekend, which is fantastic exercise.
My weight seems to be hovering around 147 now and I need to break that. I drop below, then come up again, then go up above and back down. I did this around 151 as well, but not for as long! I know that if I really focus on good diet and exercise for a solid week or two I can start seeing a regular decline, so my next mini-goal is to hit 145 by December 1. I also like Julie's "no excuses" challenge to exercise daily until December 10. Maybe we can make that our group challenge? It doesn't have to be formal, knock-yourself-out exercise every day, but at least 30 minutes of active movement. What do you all think?
I also haven't been eating consistently well. I had popcorn at the movies (although we got a small bag instead of a huge one and I offset it with just a small serving of yucky frozen chicken with cashews for dinner) and yesterday I missed lunch because I was on the road with a container of yogurt and no spoon, so I grabbed some cheese and crackers from a vending machine. Then in the evening when Neil was running late I ate three cookies so I wouldn't pass out from hunger, then ate healthy but too much dinner (chicken kebabs, saffron rice and salad. The kebabs were also vegetable-heavy, so I can't complain of lack of nutrients!) and had key lime pie for dessert. And two glasses of wine. Yum.
So I'm bound and determined to get in an exercise video each day this weekend AND get in two sessions running (today at the gym being one; I might do an aerobics video at home instead of running outside this weekend, though, depending on how cold it is), plus I have to rake leaves this weekend, which is fantastic exercise.
My weight seems to be hovering around 147 now and I need to break that. I drop below, then come up again, then go up above and back down. I did this around 151 as well, but not for as long! I know that if I really focus on good diet and exercise for a solid week or two I can start seeing a regular decline, so my next mini-goal is to hit 145 by December 1. I also like Julie's "no excuses" challenge to exercise daily until December 10. Maybe we can make that our group challenge? It doesn't have to be formal, knock-yourself-out exercise every day, but at least 30 minutes of active movement. What do you all think?
Yesterday...
all my troubles seemed so...oh wait...
I ate: cottage cheese and pears, carrots, french onion soup (without the cheese and bread, so pretty much onions in beef broth), a breadstick, pretzels, and blueberry pancakes for dinner. A very odd day. My weight was down again slightly from my horrible number on Tuesday.
I did exercise yesterday as well--I did a pilates DVD when I got home, and then I didn't sit down until Joe came home because I was cleaning the disaster area formerly know as our kitchen. The floor is still scungy, so I will attend to that tonight. Somehow half the leaves from outside managed to blow inside. I guess when we are taking Harry out and the door is open? Who knows exactly.
I have issued myself a challenge that is similar to one Amy came up with before. I am going to exercise EVERY DAY between now and 12/10 (I just picked that date). Whether it's a walk or a DVD or whatever, I am going to spend 30 minutes of my life each day moving my body somehow. I was going to stick with a 5 out of 7 days kind of thing, but I get lazy so quickly and start procrastinating ("Tomorrow" is such a good day!) so I decided I am going to start with a more rigid approach for myself and then back off instead of trying to build up. There are 2 days where this is going to be difficult: 12/2 and 12/9. 12/2 I am going straight to the crop at ReCollections after work (anyone want to join us?) and 12/9 I am meeting my County Planning friends to celebrate Christmas together, again right after work. But like Sarah said in a post a while ago, I'm just going to have to make it a point to fit it in. No excuses. it is really obvious to me that just adjusting my food has little bearing on my weight. I'm not gaining anything anymore, but it isn't going away either.
And Amy, you inspired me to get my hair whacked off last night. It is just a shorter version of the layers I have been wearing.
I ate: cottage cheese and pears, carrots, french onion soup (without the cheese and bread, so pretty much onions in beef broth), a breadstick, pretzels, and blueberry pancakes for dinner. A very odd day. My weight was down again slightly from my horrible number on Tuesday.
I did exercise yesterday as well--I did a pilates DVD when I got home, and then I didn't sit down until Joe came home because I was cleaning the disaster area formerly know as our kitchen. The floor is still scungy, so I will attend to that tonight. Somehow half the leaves from outside managed to blow inside. I guess when we are taking Harry out and the door is open? Who knows exactly.
I have issued myself a challenge that is similar to one Amy came up with before. I am going to exercise EVERY DAY between now and 12/10 (I just picked that date). Whether it's a walk or a DVD or whatever, I am going to spend 30 minutes of my life each day moving my body somehow. I was going to stick with a 5 out of 7 days kind of thing, but I get lazy so quickly and start procrastinating ("Tomorrow" is such a good day!) so I decided I am going to start with a more rigid approach for myself and then back off instead of trying to build up. There are 2 days where this is going to be difficult: 12/2 and 12/9. 12/2 I am going straight to the crop at ReCollections after work (anyone want to join us?) and 12/9 I am meeting my County Planning friends to celebrate Christmas together, again right after work. But like Sarah said in a post a while ago, I'm just going to have to make it a point to fit it in. No excuses. it is really obvious to me that just adjusting my food has little bearing on my weight. I'm not gaining anything anymore, but it isn't going away either.
And Amy, you inspired me to get my hair whacked off last night. It is just a shorter version of the layers I have been wearing.
Thursday, November 17, 2005
In Alabamaville...
... and not a minute of exercise to call my own in over a week. Unless you count running up and down the stairs trying to get things done; I did a lot of that this morning. I didn't exercise yesterday AGAIN; I really couldn't figure out when I could do it. Cecilia did not nap all day, except for a brief catnap during school in the morning and 30 minutes in the car while Mary was at rehearsal, and since she didn't nap she was cranky and wanting attention much of the day.
Yesterday I had my usual breakfast, plus lunch of tuna and whole-wheat toast (with minimal margarine), and dinner of two (shame on me) slices of pizza (pepperoni and green peppers). I had almonds and a few packages of candy for snacks. And Daniel brought me another creamsicle after dinner. I don't remember many details about what I ate yesterday, but I know it wasn't all that healthy, and I think it was too much, with too little water.
Today I ate even worse. I had my usual breakfast, and snacks of string cheese and almonds, and for (a late) lunch I ordered a Wendy's BLT salad (no dressing, and I avoided most of the cheese and bacon bits, though it's hard to avoid bacon bits!) and had water to drink. But Mary's Girl Scouts Nuts & Candy order came in today, and we had the snacks on the drive, so I ate several small handfuls (handsful?) of cashews and far too many chocolate covered raisins (which sound healthier than other candy because they're raisins, but 1/4 cup has 210 calories and 8 grams of fat!). And I ate a handful of plain raisins. I drank part of a Diet Coke on the drive, too, because I was starting to fall asleep at the wheel, and Wendy's had accidentally given us this extra drink, so I used it for the caffeine. (About a half of a soda is as much caffeine as I can manage.) I used to like Diet Coke, back when I drank it all the time and got used to it, but it's been ages since I drank it and now it tastes terribly salty to me, and not at all sweet, oddly enough. But it did the trick.
At dinner time I was hungry but not feeling all that well, thanks to the cashews (I should quit at ONE small handful; more than that sits heavy on my stomach), so I ate a small portion of a macaroni casserole (macaroni, peas, some reddish sauce (probably tomato sauce), hamburger, and velveeta -- not my style but pretty good), several chunks of melon, and a plain biscuit (which finally succeeded in settling my stomach when the other foods didn't). And water to drink again. I've had several gazillion more calories today than I wish I'd had. Ugh.
Tomorrow I have to drive Daniel into Huntsville first thing in the morning for his visit to UAH, but when I get back I plan to head straight out for a walk (well, I bet Cecilia will need me first, but THEN I'll go out). Maybe I can make a morning walk part of my routine here -- I'm so glad to have a week without school!
Yesterday I had my usual breakfast, plus lunch of tuna and whole-wheat toast (with minimal margarine), and dinner of two (shame on me) slices of pizza (pepperoni and green peppers). I had almonds and a few packages of candy for snacks. And Daniel brought me another creamsicle after dinner. I don't remember many details about what I ate yesterday, but I know it wasn't all that healthy, and I think it was too much, with too little water.
Today I ate even worse. I had my usual breakfast, and snacks of string cheese and almonds, and for (a late) lunch I ordered a Wendy's BLT salad (no dressing, and I avoided most of the cheese and bacon bits, though it's hard to avoid bacon bits!) and had water to drink. But Mary's Girl Scouts Nuts & Candy order came in today, and we had the snacks on the drive, so I ate several small handfuls (handsful?) of cashews and far too many chocolate covered raisins (which sound healthier than other candy because they're raisins, but 1/4 cup has 210 calories and 8 grams of fat!). And I ate a handful of plain raisins. I drank part of a Diet Coke on the drive, too, because I was starting to fall asleep at the wheel, and Wendy's had accidentally given us this extra drink, so I used it for the caffeine. (About a half of a soda is as much caffeine as I can manage.) I used to like Diet Coke, back when I drank it all the time and got used to it, but it's been ages since I drank it and now it tastes terribly salty to me, and not at all sweet, oddly enough. But it did the trick.
At dinner time I was hungry but not feeling all that well, thanks to the cashews (I should quit at ONE small handful; more than that sits heavy on my stomach), so I ate a small portion of a macaroni casserole (macaroni, peas, some reddish sauce (probably tomato sauce), hamburger, and velveeta -- not my style but pretty good), several chunks of melon, and a plain biscuit (which finally succeeded in settling my stomach when the other foods didn't). And water to drink again. I've had several gazillion more calories today than I wish I'd had. Ugh.
Tomorrow I have to drive Daniel into Huntsville first thing in the morning for his visit to UAH, but when I get back I plan to head straight out for a walk (well, I bet Cecilia will need me first, but THEN I'll go out). Maybe I can make a morning walk part of my routine here -- I'm so glad to have a week without school!
Katie is the Big Winner
Water-wise that is... I PERSONALLY think this contest should have only been allowed to apply to people who READ the blog. When we first started it she spent the whole first day asking ME questions about what was allowed, what was the prize, when did the contest start, when did it end. ALL of this had been hashed out by us on the blog the day or two before - which she would have known had she been reading it. BUT - I have noticed that since I told her that it was only for people on the blog she HAS gotten better about reading and responding to it.
So, Katie is very sloshy right now - having consumed over 100 ounces of water each day for the past week. I think I was in second place sticking to between 80 and 96 ounces per day. No one else reported regularly what they were drinking. Congrats Katie! Thanks Julie for donating the prize.
I don't know if it helped any or not - but yesterday I didn't drink enough water (maybe 48 ounces all day) and today my weight is way up - 207.6. Ugh.
I am getting frustrated. I did exercise yesterday - but didn't the day before - but did on Monday. I have to get back to something EVERYDAY. I also have to get better about my food intake. Up until Halloween (blame it on the spooky day... I know... but REALLY) I was SO GOOD about my food. Even days when you would think I would be bad (Renn Fest, Wedding, birthdays at work, lunch meetings) I was still eating beautifully. Carefully chosing what I should eat, not over eating - snacking on fruit or vegetables when I was munchie - and it was working. NOW - for no apparent reason I will grab a box (or two, or three) of Junior Mints and eat them, JUST because they are there. Well - I also blame it on the fact that I am reading The Outlander series again. My weakness has always been eating while reading. I don't watch much TV - and I almost never eat when I do, but I have always liked to eat while I read.
Today my resolution is to eat nothing that is not in my lunch bag. I have oatmeal, "dried plums" grapes, cottage cheese, wheat thins, broccoli, V-8 and a PB&P sandwich. We are having grilled salmon and vegetables for dinner. That should be PLENTY of food for me! Maybe what I will do is if I get the urge to eat candy I will do sit ups instead - then I will have negative associations with candy... yeah.
So, Katie is very sloshy right now - having consumed over 100 ounces of water each day for the past week. I think I was in second place sticking to between 80 and 96 ounces per day. No one else reported regularly what they were drinking. Congrats Katie! Thanks Julie for donating the prize.
I don't know if it helped any or not - but yesterday I didn't drink enough water (maybe 48 ounces all day) and today my weight is way up - 207.6. Ugh.
I am getting frustrated. I did exercise yesterday - but didn't the day before - but did on Monday. I have to get back to something EVERYDAY. I also have to get better about my food intake. Up until Halloween (blame it on the spooky day... I know... but REALLY) I was SO GOOD about my food. Even days when you would think I would be bad (Renn Fest, Wedding, birthdays at work, lunch meetings) I was still eating beautifully. Carefully chosing what I should eat, not over eating - snacking on fruit or vegetables when I was munchie - and it was working. NOW - for no apparent reason I will grab a box (or two, or three) of Junior Mints and eat them, JUST because they are there. Well - I also blame it on the fact that I am reading The Outlander series again. My weakness has always been eating while reading. I don't watch much TV - and I almost never eat when I do, but I have always liked to eat while I read.
Today my resolution is to eat nothing that is not in my lunch bag. I have oatmeal, "dried plums" grapes, cottage cheese, wheat thins, broccoli, V-8 and a PB&P sandwich. We are having grilled salmon and vegetables for dinner. That should be PLENTY of food for me! Maybe what I will do is if I get the urge to eat candy I will do sit ups instead - then I will have negative associations with candy... yeah.
Lazy Wednesday
So who is the official water winner?
I was terribly lazy yesterday when I got home from work. I had every intention of exercising--I even changed clothes, pulled my hair up, etc, but then I sat down to watch the news and pet Harry for a minute and woke up when Joe called to tell me he was on his way home. So maybe lazy isn't the right word...I really was tired all day yesterday. I should have kept moving.
Food yesterday was ok; I've done better, but it wasn't disasterous. Cottage cheese, pears, carrots, banana, fig newton, vegetable soup, cheese, wheat crackers, pretzels and meatballs for dinner. I did drink a lot of water and herbal tea. I find myself eating vegetable soup alot because I pretty much don't like vegetables any other way. The only raw vegetables I eat these days are carrots and lettuce.
I was terribly lazy yesterday when I got home from work. I had every intention of exercising--I even changed clothes, pulled my hair up, etc, but then I sat down to watch the news and pet Harry for a minute and woke up when Joe called to tell me he was on his way home. So maybe lazy isn't the right word...I really was tired all day yesterday. I should have kept moving.
Food yesterday was ok; I've done better, but it wasn't disasterous. Cottage cheese, pears, carrots, banana, fig newton, vegetable soup, cheese, wheat crackers, pretzels and meatballs for dinner. I did drink a lot of water and herbal tea. I find myself eating vegetable soup alot because I pretty much don't like vegetables any other way. The only raw vegetables I eat these days are carrots and lettuce.
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
Another weird week underway
I'm leaving town Thursday and until Monday I had company, so this week is a mess. School is all out of order for Mary and eating and exercise are all out of order for me! I didn't exercise yesterday and given that I barely sat down all day, except to nurse the baby (that's when I did the cruise research to determine it wasn't possible), I don't know when I *would* have exercised. Today is another challenge -- normally I would exercise between piano lessons and swim lessons, but now we've added pageant rehearsals to that slot (starting halfway in between, which is terrible) so I don't know what I can do. And it's pouring so I can't go outside for a walk during the pageant practice. So I'm hoping I can get to the DVD Sarah gave me but it's still a time problem!
Yesterday I had my usual breakfast, some breakfast casserole for lunch, and a very small piece of grilled chicken with a slice of sourdough French bread and margarine for dinner. My snacking was not so good -- I grazed on Halloween candy off and on during the day, and I had an orange creamsicle (or the Kroger generic thereof) after dinner, and I had chips and salsa before bed. I can't recall eating any fruit (except the last bite of Cecilia's applesauce) or vegetables (except the green peppers in the casserole). I had about seven points of water. I think I came in last for the water challenge! The sad thing is that my water was still an increase over previous weeks.
I'm not worried about overeating on Thanksgiving -- my in-laws make "dressing", which is all onions and wet, instead of the nice bready stuffing I like; their vegetables are usually creamed corn and southern-style green beans (which involves cooking them for several hours until they no longer contain any nutrients and they resemble flatfish, in shape and color); the gravy has eggs in it, so I can't bear it, but the mashed potatoes are too dry to eat without it. (And I know everyone else at the table absolutely loves the food, so it's just me being picky, and not actually bad food!) I do love the bread they fix. What I am more worried about regarding next week is eating well during the week -- I posted from my previous visit about how hard it was to come by whole grains -- and getting exercise (but Daniel has promised we'll go walking every day -- I'm going to go by myself if I must).
Oh, I will get some whole grains -- we've got two trips to the movies planned, and that means popcorn!
Yesterday I had my usual breakfast, some breakfast casserole for lunch, and a very small piece of grilled chicken with a slice of sourdough French bread and margarine for dinner. My snacking was not so good -- I grazed on Halloween candy off and on during the day, and I had an orange creamsicle (or the Kroger generic thereof) after dinner, and I had chips and salsa before bed. I can't recall eating any fruit (except the last bite of Cecilia's applesauce) or vegetables (except the green peppers in the casserole). I had about seven points of water. I think I came in last for the water challenge! The sad thing is that my water was still an increase over previous weeks.
I'm not worried about overeating on Thanksgiving -- my in-laws make "dressing", which is all onions and wet, instead of the nice bready stuffing I like; their vegetables are usually creamed corn and southern-style green beans (which involves cooking them for several hours until they no longer contain any nutrients and they resemble flatfish, in shape and color); the gravy has eggs in it, so I can't bear it, but the mashed potatoes are too dry to eat without it. (And I know everyone else at the table absolutely loves the food, so it's just me being picky, and not actually bad food!) I do love the bread they fix. What I am more worried about regarding next week is eating well during the week -- I posted from my previous visit about how hard it was to come by whole grains -- and getting exercise (but Daniel has promised we'll go walking every day -- I'm going to go by myself if I must).
Oh, I will get some whole grains -- we've got two trips to the movies planned, and that means popcorn!
Rollin' Rollin' Rollin'
148.8 today! If I could keep losing 0.4lbs a day, I'd be SO happy!
I did end up with 128oz yesterday. Perhaps more, because I have a water bottle next to my bed and it was mostly empty this morning (it was full last night--I've been REALLY parched at night recently), but I don't know if that counts as yesterday or today.
Time to teach. Bye!
I did end up with 128oz yesterday. Perhaps more, because I have a water bottle next to my bed and it was mostly empty this morning (it was full last night--I've been REALLY parched at night recently), but I don't know if that counts as yesterday or today.
Time to teach. Bye!
Tuesday update: water--100 ounces. I think Katie wins this challenge.
Food: cereal for breakfast, almonds for snack, yogurt, pretzles, and an apple for lunch, string cheese for snack, fried rice for dinner, a few Smarties and Skittles in the evening. WHY can't I bring myself to throw them out? I realize the fried rice ain't exactly health food, but it was a homemade version and I used the smallest amount of oil possible and not nearly enough soy sauce (about a teaspoon and a half total, and I made about three servings so it tasted bland), and I made it vegetarian. I should have put more vegetables in it, but I was trying to cook quickly and didn't want to dig through the basement freezer for veggies so I just used the peas and corn that were in the upstairs freezer.
Exercise: nothing, but I planned it that way. I had (ewwww) cervical polyps removed yesterday and just thought that doing anything involving situps would be a bad idea. As it turned out, by the evening I felt fine and though I might do a pilates video, but Connor had other plans and stayed up late, plus I was madly cleaning house so by the time I had everything finished it was 11:30. So I drank more water and went to bed. This morning I was 146.4, so I think eating fried food and not exercising agrees with me!
Julie, I think the thought of ramen noodles with American cheese has put me off food for the entire day. Yuck! And it sounds like a heart attack waiting to happen. If it makes you feel any better about Thanksgiving, at Brian's family's house they deep fry their turkey (which is really good, but I'm sure it adds a lot of calories!) and make nothing but creamed vegetables. The good side, though, is that I can't stand the stuffing they make and I don't like creamed vegetables, so I always leave thanksgiving dinner still hungry. Now if we end up at mom's, I'm in trouble (especially if Amy makes that cream-laden, pecan crusted sweet potato thing). But we still don't know what we're doing. I brought it up once with Brian and I don't think he's called his family yet.
Food: cereal for breakfast, almonds for snack, yogurt, pretzles, and an apple for lunch, string cheese for snack, fried rice for dinner, a few Smarties and Skittles in the evening. WHY can't I bring myself to throw them out? I realize the fried rice ain't exactly health food, but it was a homemade version and I used the smallest amount of oil possible and not nearly enough soy sauce (about a teaspoon and a half total, and I made about three servings so it tasted bland), and I made it vegetarian. I should have put more vegetables in it, but I was trying to cook quickly and didn't want to dig through the basement freezer for veggies so I just used the peas and corn that were in the upstairs freezer.
Exercise: nothing, but I planned it that way. I had (ewwww) cervical polyps removed yesterday and just thought that doing anything involving situps would be a bad idea. As it turned out, by the evening I felt fine and though I might do a pilates video, but Connor had other plans and stayed up late, plus I was madly cleaning house so by the time I had everything finished it was 11:30. So I drank more water and went to bed. This morning I was 146.4, so I think eating fried food and not exercising agrees with me!
Julie, I think the thought of ramen noodles with American cheese has put me off food for the entire day. Yuck! And it sounds like a heart attack waiting to happen. If it makes you feel any better about Thanksgiving, at Brian's family's house they deep fry their turkey (which is really good, but I'm sure it adds a lot of calories!) and make nothing but creamed vegetables. The good side, though, is that I can't stand the stuffing they make and I don't like creamed vegetables, so I always leave thanksgiving dinner still hungry. Now if we end up at mom's, I'm in trouble (especially if Amy makes that cream-laden, pecan crusted sweet potato thing). But we still don't know what we're doing. I brought it up once with Brian and I don't think he's called his family yet.
Better today
I knew I was carrying water weight--down to 165 this morning. Still up from last week, but not as awful as yesterday was. My line on the chart looks like a bouncing ball. Gotta stop that.
I lost on the water challenge. I am going to keep trying though. I'll volunteer the prize this time unless someone really wants to collect $2 from everyone. It goes through today? Or were we done with it yesterday?
Thanksgiving is going to be a challenge for me. I have to come up with a game plan now. I generally overeat at Joe's mom because there is a lack of anything else to do. It's not like there is even good conversation--seriously--it's Travis and Michelle. Some of you understand completely what I am inferring and the rest of you just be thankful that you do not understand. Plus Joe's mother is like that lady on the food channel that cooks with 10 lbs of butter in everything. Looking at her weight it isn't a secret why she is so obese. She told us once she eats ramen noodles with 2 slices of american cheese melted in them for a snack most nights. Bleah!! Joe told me she is talking with her doctors about that stomach surgery to lose weight.
Food yesterday was: cottage cheese & pears, half an orange (wasn't very good), tuna fish on wheat, carrots, chips ahoy crisps, veggie fajitas (no rice last night), and wheat crackers and low fat cheese.
I didn't exercise yesterday, and I forgot to post that I did exercise Monday--a DVD and 15 minutes on the stair climber. Last night I wasn't feeling too good so I just took it easy. I plan to do the pilates dvd tonight. Can anyone recommend a pilates DVD that targets the lower body? The Pilates for Dummies only has a few exercises focusing on the lower body and I think they are incredibly effective so I want to find a DVD that spends a little more time on that area.
I lost on the water challenge. I am going to keep trying though. I'll volunteer the prize this time unless someone really wants to collect $2 from everyone. It goes through today? Or were we done with it yesterday?
Thanksgiving is going to be a challenge for me. I have to come up with a game plan now. I generally overeat at Joe's mom because there is a lack of anything else to do. It's not like there is even good conversation--seriously--it's Travis and Michelle. Some of you understand completely what I am inferring and the rest of you just be thankful that you do not understand. Plus Joe's mother is like that lady on the food channel that cooks with 10 lbs of butter in everything. Looking at her weight it isn't a secret why she is so obese. She told us once she eats ramen noodles with 2 slices of american cheese melted in them for a snack most nights. Bleah!! Joe told me she is talking with her doctors about that stomach surgery to lose weight.
Food yesterday was: cottage cheese & pears, half an orange (wasn't very good), tuna fish on wheat, carrots, chips ahoy crisps, veggie fajitas (no rice last night), and wheat crackers and low fat cheese.
I didn't exercise yesterday, and I forgot to post that I did exercise Monday--a DVD and 15 minutes on the stair climber. Last night I wasn't feeling too good so I just took it easy. I plan to do the pilates dvd tonight. Can anyone recommend a pilates DVD that targets the lower body? The Pilates for Dummies only has a few exercises focusing on the lower body and I think they are incredibly effective so I want to find a DVD that spends a little more time on that area.
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
Not as good as I'd like
I was 149.2 this morning. Down from yesterday (yaye!) but not as low as I have been in the past. I'm kicking butt on this water challenge, though. Yesterday I had 128oz of water (and cran water) for a total of 16 points. Today so far I have had four bottles of water and two bathroom cups full, so I'm at 96oz. I'll probably drink another bottle before bed, and another bathroom cup, so I would say I'm probably going to have 128oz again today. Are we ending the challenge tomorrow (meaning today is the last day it counts) or are we going to keep it going? Amy and I were also talking about each of us chipping in $2 instead of just $1, which would give us a nice $10 present. Maybe a Target gift card?
I did pilates today when I got home from school. My hips hurt when I do the side kicks, but other than that I'm really getting to like this particular DVD. Amy and I were both saying that we need to get back into the swing of things with the exercise, so we're probably going to go back to our original videos. The Jenny Craig "Move and Lose" and "Tube and Tone." Back in the day when we were alternating back and forth between them we were working out at least five days a week, and I think that made a huge difference. Recently we've been really slacking, and our weight has leveled out. *sigh* But we do have to keep telling ourselves that we're doing better than we were three months ago! Like Amy said, we're making a LIFESTYLE change. These have to be changes we're comfortable sticking with even long after we've reached our goals and given up the blog. Although the blog is fun, so we should keep it up anyway!
On a non-weight-loss-related subject...when I got home today there was a stack of catalogues in our front door from the mailman labeled "MAILBOX FULL! PLEASE HELP!!!" oopps. So, in debating what to do for our mailman (who is really nice, btw), we thought we'd give him a box of Girl Scout cookies. Nice thing to do AND contributes to getting rid of our overabundant stash. Is that a kosher thing to do? Are they allowed to accept gifts (esp. in the form of food?) or does that somehow count as mail fraud or tampering or something? What do you think?
I did pilates today when I got home from school. My hips hurt when I do the side kicks, but other than that I'm really getting to like this particular DVD. Amy and I were both saying that we need to get back into the swing of things with the exercise, so we're probably going to go back to our original videos. The Jenny Craig "Move and Lose" and "Tube and Tone." Back in the day when we were alternating back and forth between them we were working out at least five days a week, and I think that made a huge difference. Recently we've been really slacking, and our weight has leveled out. *sigh* But we do have to keep telling ourselves that we're doing better than we were three months ago! Like Amy said, we're making a LIFESTYLE change. These have to be changes we're comfortable sticking with even long after we've reached our goals and given up the blog. Although the blog is fun, so we should keep it up anyway!
On a non-weight-loss-related subject...when I got home today there was a stack of catalogues in our front door from the mailman labeled "MAILBOX FULL! PLEASE HELP!!!" oopps. So, in debating what to do for our mailman (who is really nice, btw), we thought we'd give him a box of Girl Scout cookies. Nice thing to do AND contributes to getting rid of our overabundant stash. Is that a kosher thing to do? Are they allowed to accept gifts (esp. in the form of food?) or does that somehow count as mail fraud or tampering or something? What do you think?
I'm back!
I just spent quite a while reading everyone's posts since I hadn't checked the blog since I left town. I am among the worst in the groups for progress, if not THE worst. I was still at 148 this morning. But I was relieved it wasn't worse because I was at Emily's through Monday, and I kept hitting the French toast casserole and her Halloween candy! I'll try harder.
Holding Steady
OK - You should all keep a chart... It is interesting to look at the overall affect of our work. I KNOW right now we all feel like we have stopped losing. And, for the most part I KNOW I have reached a flat point. BUT if you look at the weekly chart of all of our losses we all ARE going down. Maybe more slowly than we might like - but it is still a trend downward - Which is WAY better than the upward trend we were all doing before. Granted, we all hit a low point and are mostly UP from that low point now (except Emily - Darn her! Emily, do you know you have lost 19 pounds so far???) but we will get there again.
Repeat after me: I am changing the way I look at food, eating and healthy living. I am changing for the better and weight loss is just a nice little added bonus!
This moring I was 205.8. Well - it was weird - I was 206 even, but I wasn't feeling that heavy (silly I know...) I said to myself I FEEL more like 205.8. So - I stepped back on the scale (not even 5 minutes later) and it WAS 205.8. So that is the number I am going with. 8-) So this is not my low point - but still .6 down from the week before.
Ok though. I am still shooting for 5 pounds a month (the 6th of the month being the counting point). So far this month I have lost a grand total of -.8. Yeah - I am UP from my point on 11/6. That means I have JUST THREE WEEKS to figure out how to get out of this slump and start on the downhill again.
I have THREE MONTHS to get myself into a bathing suit. Oh? Did I mention that I will be going on a scrapbooking cruise in March? Hee hee.
So - someone else needs to come up with a challenge. I came up with the exercise one (which I didn't participate in) and the water one. Someone else come up with something...
Repeat after me: I am changing the way I look at food, eating and healthy living. I am changing for the better and weight loss is just a nice little added bonus!
This moring I was 205.8. Well - it was weird - I was 206 even, but I wasn't feeling that heavy (silly I know...) I said to myself I FEEL more like 205.8. So - I stepped back on the scale (not even 5 minutes later) and it WAS 205.8. So that is the number I am going with. 8-) So this is not my low point - but still .6 down from the week before.
Ok though. I am still shooting for 5 pounds a month (the 6th of the month being the counting point). So far this month I have lost a grand total of -.8. Yeah - I am UP from my point on 11/6. That means I have JUST THREE WEEKS to figure out how to get out of this slump and start on the downhill again.
I have THREE MONTHS to get myself into a bathing suit. Oh? Did I mention that I will be going on a scrapbooking cruise in March? Hee hee.
So - someone else needs to come up with a challenge. I came up with the exercise one (which I didn't participate in) and the water one. Someone else come up with something...
So can I claim credit for even more weight lost?
If I gained two pounds this weekend then I must have lost four since last week, because I was at 154.5 this morning! I definitely can't explain that, given that I also ate ten pounds of bacon this Sunday (which is very impressive -- how did Sarah and I eat 20 pounds of it when I only cooked two and a half?). I didn't exercise yesterday, either -- Daniel was stressed about work so he didn't want to go to the gym, and I was in a rotten mood so I didn't make myself exercise (which is stupid -- if I would exercise, I wouldn't be in such a rotten mood). So I haven't exercised since about last Wednesday, although on Saturday and Sunday I barely sat down. Friday, too, come to think of it.
Yesterday I had my usual breakfast (I very much needed ordinary cereal yesterday, after Sunday's food), and then for lunch I had some of the sausage, egg, and green pepper casserole. For dinner I had leftover beef stew and for dessert I had a half slice of French Toast casserole (the good one with the nuts). I had snacks during the day of almonds and string cheese, and I also snacked on some of the Halloween candy, two marshmallows, several of those chocolate animal crackers Mom and Dad left behind, and a lump of brown sugar (see, I told you I was in a rotten mood -- I was scrounging!). So I have no excuse for having lost two pounds.
I've also fallen off the wagon on the water challenge. On the second and third days I drank about three bottles and enough miscellaneous to count another half bottle, for seven points each day. Since then I haven't been keeping track, but it's been a lot less.
Today I'm trying to get back on the wagon. I'm still not doing well on the candy front -- we stopped by Daniel's office this morning and he handed me a half Kit-Kat, and, hey, I'm not made of stone -- but I'm going to drink water and eat better and exercise. Really. Somehow.
Yesterday I had my usual breakfast (I very much needed ordinary cereal yesterday, after Sunday's food), and then for lunch I had some of the sausage, egg, and green pepper casserole. For dinner I had leftover beef stew and for dessert I had a half slice of French Toast casserole (the good one with the nuts). I had snacks during the day of almonds and string cheese, and I also snacked on some of the Halloween candy, two marshmallows, several of those chocolate animal crackers Mom and Dad left behind, and a lump of brown sugar (see, I told you I was in a rotten mood -- I was scrounging!). So I have no excuse for having lost two pounds.
I've also fallen off the wagon on the water challenge. On the second and third days I drank about three bottles and enough miscellaneous to count another half bottle, for seven points each day. Since then I haven't been keeping track, but it's been a lot less.
Today I'm trying to get back on the wagon. I'm still not doing well on the candy front -- we stopped by Daniel's office this morning and he handed me a half Kit-Kat, and, hey, I'm not made of stone -- but I'm going to drink water and eat better and exercise. Really. Somehow.
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