Pardon my dropping off the face of the earth (but clearly I had time to Facebook). I had a big deadline last Friday. I did meet it. Or so I thought. This morning I realized I had completely forgotten to write one article. Whoops. It's finished now.
Anyway, the winner of the Healthy Habits Challenge is....Anne K. who logged every single day and is doing P90X. Runner up is Erin M. who is doing TurboFire! Way to go, you two!
Ladies, I'll be in touch to talk about your prizes.
As for me, I have been great with my workouts and marginal on my eating. I had some sort of salty meltdown today. I still came in under my calorie total, but one of my big weaknesses is tortilla chips and I found a bag in the cupboard--I had forgotten about it--and I gobbled down a serving and a half before I reined it back.
I also ate cheese and chocolate today.
Food
Breakfast: Chocolate Shakeology, almond milk
Snack: apple, 1 oz. brie (that was the last of it, so that's good news)
Lunch: Amy's Mattar Paneer, cucumber (we're low on veggies. I grabbed a cuke and gnawed on it.), 1 oz. dark chocolate.
Snack: 2 Tbls. pumpkin seeds, 1.5 servings of tortilla chips
Dinner: 4.5 oz. of Cooking Light's smoked mustard dill salmon, roasted red potatoes, salad w/greens, tomato, cukes (not the one I gnawed on), yellow pepper, blue cheese, lemon juice, Bragg's.
Total: 1549
I'll just end up with my 500 calorie deficit today!
OK, great job for all of you who tried the challenge. My point was to just hopefully get you into a routine after the holidays! I know I'm back in the groove, so I hope you are, too.
I'm going to keep posting here because it helps my accountability immensely. Feel free to do the same.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
In Short
I have nothing good to say about today.
Rest day.
Sick kid (not terribly sick though).
No work on mountain (I'm actually OK with that).
Writing work deadlines by 5pm tomorrow.
Much chocolate consumed today. Milk chocolate makes me binge.
Made horrible Indian dinner--the house still smells.
I'm sure I'm over calories for the day, but I couldn't even begin to try and decipher the combination foods I ate today.
I'm going to bed.
Hope you had a good day. Three challenge days left!
Rest day.
Sick kid (not terribly sick though).
No work on mountain (I'm actually OK with that).
Writing work deadlines by 5pm tomorrow.
Much chocolate consumed today. Milk chocolate makes me binge.
Made horrible Indian dinner--the house still smells.
I'm sure I'm over calories for the day, but I couldn't even begin to try and decipher the combination foods I ate today.
I'm going to bed.
Hope you had a good day. Three challenge days left!
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
When Do You Workout?
I know I've talked about how I get up in the morning and exercise at about 6am every morning.
Except this morning, but that's another story.
Anyway, once I read an article about when is the best time to workout. Overall, the article was saying that the best time to workout is whenever it works for you to make it a habit.
For me, that's first thing in the morning, otherwise I get going on other stuff and forget or run out of time.
But there is an actual best time of day for your body. It's between 4 - 8pm.
I'm telling you, that time would never work for me.
Today, I worked out at 5:30pm. This is a totally rare occurrence. I was exhausted this morning, so I didn't get up in time. This happens a lot when I get down to the last day or so before my rest day, which is tomorrow.
I went to a meeting and then Tara and I took three runs down the mountain. I did not fall and slide down on my back. Progress.
But I didn't want to skip my TurboFire workout. Because I couldn't stand the thought of coming on here and telling you I didn't do it.
So after my two hour conference call from 3 - 5pm, I ran downstairs and did my workout. And here's what I noticed--aside the fact that my knees were sore from skiing, I could do more moves high impact and felt more flexible when I got to the stretching part. It makes sense, of course. My bod had all day to warm up versus when I stagger down there at 6am every morning.
But I'm going to keep on with my 6am workouts because that time just works for me AND I like it that I get that metabolic boost first thing in the morning and gets me going for the whole day.
Never mind that my knees are creaking like rusty hinges.
Workouts: Skiing, HIIT 20, Stretch 10 (Surprisingly, I may not hit my calorie burn goal today, which stems from the fact that I sat nearly 4 hours of meetings today). Ugh.
Food
Breakfast
Chocolate Shakeology, almond milk
Snack
Cocoa cassava bar
Lunch
Mary's Gone Crackers flax crackers, salad w/spinach, arugula, tomato, cukes, olives, cheese (!), avocado, olive oil, lemon juice, Braggs. 1 oz. dark chocolate.
Dinner
Tortellini, sauce, parmesan cheese, garlic bread
Yikes! My calculation just said 1965 calories. That seems high, but who am I to say. I'm just at 1800 for a burn with 4 hours to go so I'll have a deficit, but not a big one. Rats.
Watching the State of the Union. This repeated jumping out of their seats to clap is annoying, but it's probably getting their heart rates up and burning calories, so I should probably do that, too.
Or not.
Except this morning, but that's another story.
Anyway, once I read an article about when is the best time to workout. Overall, the article was saying that the best time to workout is whenever it works for you to make it a habit.
For me, that's first thing in the morning, otherwise I get going on other stuff and forget or run out of time.
But there is an actual best time of day for your body. It's between 4 - 8pm.
I'm telling you, that time would never work for me.
Today, I worked out at 5:30pm. This is a totally rare occurrence. I was exhausted this morning, so I didn't get up in time. This happens a lot when I get down to the last day or so before my rest day, which is tomorrow.
I went to a meeting and then Tara and I took three runs down the mountain. I did not fall and slide down on my back. Progress.
But I didn't want to skip my TurboFire workout. Because I couldn't stand the thought of coming on here and telling you I didn't do it.
So after my two hour conference call from 3 - 5pm, I ran downstairs and did my workout. And here's what I noticed--aside the fact that my knees were sore from skiing, I could do more moves high impact and felt more flexible when I got to the stretching part. It makes sense, of course. My bod had all day to warm up versus when I stagger down there at 6am every morning.
But I'm going to keep on with my 6am workouts because that time just works for me AND I like it that I get that metabolic boost first thing in the morning and gets me going for the whole day.
Never mind that my knees are creaking like rusty hinges.
Workouts: Skiing, HIIT 20, Stretch 10 (Surprisingly, I may not hit my calorie burn goal today, which stems from the fact that I sat nearly 4 hours of meetings today). Ugh.
Food
Breakfast
Chocolate Shakeology, almond milk
Snack
Cocoa cassava bar
Lunch
Mary's Gone Crackers flax crackers, salad w/spinach, arugula, tomato, cukes, olives, cheese (!), avocado, olive oil, lemon juice, Braggs. 1 oz. dark chocolate.
Dinner
Tortellini, sauce, parmesan cheese, garlic bread
Yikes! My calculation just said 1965 calories. That seems high, but who am I to say. I'm just at 1800 for a burn with 4 hours to go so I'll have a deficit, but not a big one. Rats.
Watching the State of the Union. This repeated jumping out of their seats to clap is annoying, but it's probably getting their heart rates up and burning calories, so I should probably do that, too.
Or not.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Calorie Guess
Tonight I made homemade fried rice. Everyone likes it and it's way healthier than anything you'd get at any Chinese restaurant.
Unfortunately, it's one of those very more-ish recipes. Yum. I ate too much tonight. I guessed on calories because I don't follow the recipe to the letter (the boys favorite part is the eggs, so I put more eggs in).
When I don't use my Cooking Light recipes, I do wonder about the calories because I don't have time to input every single recipe. But it does get me in trouble.
I'll end up with a deficit today, but I'm not quite sure how much.
Dang.
Workout: Fire 45, Stretch 10
Food
Breakfast: Chocolate Shakeology, almond milk
Snack: Brazil nuts, apple
Snack: Sesame seaweed rice chips (sounds gross, but I just discovered these and I love them)
Lunch: Amy's cheese enchilada's (remind me not to buy these again--too high in calories); pea pods; .5 oz. dark chocolate
Dinner: The more-ish fried rice, apples
I assigned myself a total for the rice for what a Chinese restaurant would be, so that put me at 1883 for the day. Ack.
Calories burned: 2004. Sat and worked all day. Tomorrow won't be so bad.
To bed!
Unfortunately, it's one of those very more-ish recipes. Yum. I ate too much tonight. I guessed on calories because I don't follow the recipe to the letter (the boys favorite part is the eggs, so I put more eggs in).
When I don't use my Cooking Light recipes, I do wonder about the calories because I don't have time to input every single recipe. But it does get me in trouble.
I'll end up with a deficit today, but I'm not quite sure how much.
Dang.
Workout: Fire 45, Stretch 10
Food
Breakfast: Chocolate Shakeology, almond milk
Snack: Brazil nuts, apple
Snack: Sesame seaweed rice chips (sounds gross, but I just discovered these and I love them)
Lunch: Amy's cheese enchilada's (remind me not to buy these again--too high in calories); pea pods; .5 oz. dark chocolate
Dinner: The more-ish fried rice, apples
I assigned myself a total for the rice for what a Chinese restaurant would be, so that put me at 1883 for the day. Ack.
Calories burned: 2004. Sat and worked all day. Tomorrow won't be so bad.
To bed!
Sunday, January 23, 2011
RIP Jack LaLanne
So did you read that Jack LaLanne died today at the ripe old age of 96? It's weird because I didn't find out until tonight, but I walked past his juice at Costco today and thought about him in his body suits, getting all pumped up on TV back in the old days. As the first real fitness guru, I feel we should all have a moment of silence for Jack.
**Insert silence here**
OK, I had a really good day today.
Workout: Fire 55 EZ, which I did with nearly all the high impact moves. I'm telling you, I'm really digging TurboFire. It's been a long time since I looked forward to workouts. I'm there right now. I don't like getting up, but I don't dread the workouts, if that makes sense. I also did Declan's dry land hockey training with him. I was huffing and puffing.
Food
Breakfast: Chocolate Shakeology, almond milk, 1/4 grapefruit. 2 tbl. maple syrup. Yes, I know. I didn't want it to go to waste. That's criminal.
Lunch: Big salad with greens, egg, avocado, tomato, cukes, celery, onion, olives, olive oil, lemon juice, Bragg's. Also took two bites of leftover cheese pizza and ate 1 1/2 Triscuits.
Went to Costco. Did not eat a single sample. That's huge.
Dinner: Homemade beef stew, french bread.
Snack: Ice cream. Yes, I did. Measured out one actual serving and then stopped. It can be done.
But it all came out alright: 1696
Calorie burn: Hmmm, not totally sure of the exact number because my BodyBugg is charging, but I'm pretty certain I got a 500 calorie deficit in today.
Big work week ahead. A lot of sitting on my rear ahead. Yikes.
**Insert silence here**
OK, I had a really good day today.
Workout: Fire 55 EZ, which I did with nearly all the high impact moves. I'm telling you, I'm really digging TurboFire. It's been a long time since I looked forward to workouts. I'm there right now. I don't like getting up, but I don't dread the workouts, if that makes sense. I also did Declan's dry land hockey training with him. I was huffing and puffing.
Food
Breakfast: Chocolate Shakeology, almond milk, 1/4 grapefruit. 2 tbl. maple syrup. Yes, I know. I didn't want it to go to waste. That's criminal.
Lunch: Big salad with greens, egg, avocado, tomato, cukes, celery, onion, olives, olive oil, lemon juice, Bragg's. Also took two bites of leftover cheese pizza and ate 1 1/2 Triscuits.
Went to Costco. Did not eat a single sample. That's huge.
Dinner: Homemade beef stew, french bread.
Snack: Ice cream. Yes, I did. Measured out one actual serving and then stopped. It can be done.
But it all came out alright: 1696
Calorie burn: Hmmm, not totally sure of the exact number because my BodyBugg is charging, but I'm pretty certain I got a 500 calorie deficit in today.
Big work week ahead. A lot of sitting on my rear ahead. Yikes.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Pop Pop Pop Pop Pop
I didn't eat my popcorn last night. I considered it, but I wasn't really hungry for it (when was the last time you heard THOSE words come out of my mouth???) and so I decided to go to bed.
Dang. Missing my weekly popcorn is almost like a crisis in my world.
The good news is that I had a lot more energy for my workout this morning.
My friend Gillian, who is running the local weight loss challenge, came over this morning and we did a TurboJam workout together. She was curious about it and liked it enough to give it a whirl over the coming weeks.
We actually tried a bit of TurboFire as well, but she decided TurboJam is more her speed. I don't blame her--TurboJam remains my favorite series of workouts and it burns a ton of calories.
Then I had to go back and do my TurboFire workouts this afternoon.
I also decided early on that I would have my popcorn tonight, so I ate carefully all day so I could have it tonight while watching a movie.
Very exciting, I know.
Workouts:
A little bit of HIIT 20, Turbo Jam Learn & Burn, Core 20, Stretch 40
Food
Snack: 1/2 orange
Breakfast: Chocolate Shakeology, almond milk
Lunch: 1/2 leftover PBJ sandwich, orange (we have a lot of oranges I'm trying to eat up before they go bad--hence, a lot of citrus!)
Snack: 3 dates, 2 tbls. peanuts
Dinner: two gluten free pancakes, 1 tbl. maple syrup (and I ate one ounce of cheese)
Snack: POPCORN. Measured out carefully so I don't go over my calorie total for the day
Total: 1722
Calories burned as of 8:25 MST: 1798
So I won't have a 500 deficit, but I will have a small deficit AND I get to eat my popcorn. That makes me happy.
Hope you all had a great day!
Dang. Missing my weekly popcorn is almost like a crisis in my world.
The good news is that I had a lot more energy for my workout this morning.
My friend Gillian, who is running the local weight loss challenge, came over this morning and we did a TurboJam workout together. She was curious about it and liked it enough to give it a whirl over the coming weeks.
We actually tried a bit of TurboFire as well, but she decided TurboJam is more her speed. I don't blame her--TurboJam remains my favorite series of workouts and it burns a ton of calories.
Then I had to go back and do my TurboFire workouts this afternoon.
I also decided early on that I would have my popcorn tonight, so I ate carefully all day so I could have it tonight while watching a movie.
Very exciting, I know.
Workouts:
A little bit of HIIT 20, Turbo Jam Learn & Burn, Core 20, Stretch 40
Food
Snack: 1/2 orange
Breakfast: Chocolate Shakeology, almond milk
Lunch: 1/2 leftover PBJ sandwich, orange (we have a lot of oranges I'm trying to eat up before they go bad--hence, a lot of citrus!)
Snack: 3 dates, 2 tbls. peanuts
Dinner: two gluten free pancakes, 1 tbl. maple syrup (and I ate one ounce of cheese)
Snack: POPCORN. Measured out carefully so I don't go over my calorie total for the day
Total: 1722
Calories burned as of 8:25 MST: 1798
So I won't have a 500 deficit, but I will have a small deficit AND I get to eat my popcorn. That makes me happy.
Hope you all had a great day!
Friday, January 21, 2011
Noodle Legs
Last night, I was too tired to post. How about that? Literally. I was falling asleep at my computer.
I had planned to take a ski lesson yesterday (my work at the ski school allows me a few free ski lessons each season), but I really wanted to do my TurboFire workout beforehand. I have a schedule to keep, people! Yes, that's true, but as weird as it sounds, I think I actually ski better when I have done some exercise prior to skiing anyway--it's like a good warmup.
So, I did the workout and headed to the mountain. The boys also had Learn to Ski with school the past two days and so this was a rare opportunity for me to stay until the end of a lesson--usually I have to leave at about 1pm to catch a shuttle back to my car and make it home in time to meet the boys after school.
Here's where I start talking in a whiny voice. I learned a lot at my lesson, but it was really, really hard. Like humbling hard, physically hard, mentally hard. Because really, in the end, I'm a lazy skiier and I like to just drift down the hill, but that doesn't make you better. Apparently sliding down the hill headfirst on your back makes you better. So I should be really good now.
The happy news is that I had a 1,000 calorie deficit yesterday and I'm down 2.6 pounds overall so far for the weight loss challenge I'm doing with friends.
I was crazy sore last night and stiff this morning, but I did drag my bod out of bed this morning and do Fire 45 EZ. Or something like that. And I did it all low impact. I might have slipped a few jumping jacks in there, but for the most part, my feet didn't leave the ground because I was afraid my legs would snap off at the knees.
Today is Friday, so I did some nutritional cheating which may or may not have involved cheese puffs. Yes, cheese puffs. I won't go into why they are in my house, but they are accompanied by Doritos and Swiss Rolls.
One week left in the challenge! Go get 'em, ladies!
I had planned to take a ski lesson yesterday (my work at the ski school allows me a few free ski lessons each season), but I really wanted to do my TurboFire workout beforehand. I have a schedule to keep, people! Yes, that's true, but as weird as it sounds, I think I actually ski better when I have done some exercise prior to skiing anyway--it's like a good warmup.
So, I did the workout and headed to the mountain. The boys also had Learn to Ski with school the past two days and so this was a rare opportunity for me to stay until the end of a lesson--usually I have to leave at about 1pm to catch a shuttle back to my car and make it home in time to meet the boys after school.
Here's where I start talking in a whiny voice. I learned a lot at my lesson, but it was really, really hard. Like humbling hard, physically hard, mentally hard. Because really, in the end, I'm a lazy skiier and I like to just drift down the hill, but that doesn't make you better. Apparently sliding down the hill headfirst on your back makes you better. So I should be really good now.
The happy news is that I had a 1,000 calorie deficit yesterday and I'm down 2.6 pounds overall so far for the weight loss challenge I'm doing with friends.
I was crazy sore last night and stiff this morning, but I did drag my bod out of bed this morning and do Fire 45 EZ. Or something like that. And I did it all low impact. I might have slipped a few jumping jacks in there, but for the most part, my feet didn't leave the ground because I was afraid my legs would snap off at the knees.
Today is Friday, so I did some nutritional cheating which may or may not have involved cheese puffs. Yes, cheese puffs. I won't go into why they are in my house, but they are accompanied by Doritos and Swiss Rolls.
One week left in the challenge! Go get 'em, ladies!
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Meltdown
You know how I said...wait, did I ever say this...that I eat clean six days a week and have one cheat day? Other people on my fitness thread use similar strategies. Some have one cheat treat during the week and one cheat meal. I usually don't feel the need for a cheat treat during the week.
And then today I melted down and ate...wait for it...those french fried onion thingies that you put on top of green bean casserole.
I'm not even sure why they were in my house. It's not like they're a basic food group I try to keep handy around here. And yet, I pulled open the cupboard door to look to see if I had any juice boxes to send with the kids for learn to ski day tomorrow.
No juice boxes, but there on the shelf were those onion thingies. And I stood there and ate them right out of the can. Declan joined me. And then I ate a little popcorn that is drizzled with chocolate. Sweet salty. Sweet salty. Love that. Why did I stop? Finn asked me if I was going to eat the rest of the container.
"Um, no, son, I am not." Ick. Nothing like being busted on a binge.
Workout: Rest day
Food (I haven't tracked calories)
Breakfast: two eggs, two pieces gluten free toast (only the heels were left and they looked small until I started eating and realized they were sizable heels so I didn't eat them all)
Snack: Blueberry Trio bar (which the little seeds of got all stuck in my teeth at work--I need to start carrying floss)
Snack: Apple
Lunch: Wolfed down at 2:45pm. Leftover porkchop, rice, squash.
Mad munching: onion things, popcorn
Dinner: Fettucine Alfredo Almost. It's really called that. It's a low cal version of the real deal. It's very more-ish.
Can anyone say "lack of vegetables" about my day???
Off to bed. Workout in the AM. Ski lesson planned for tomorrow. Traction planned for tomorrow night. Sounds exciting, I know.
And then today I melted down and ate...wait for it...those french fried onion thingies that you put on top of green bean casserole.
I'm not even sure why they were in my house. It's not like they're a basic food group I try to keep handy around here. And yet, I pulled open the cupboard door to look to see if I had any juice boxes to send with the kids for learn to ski day tomorrow.
No juice boxes, but there on the shelf were those onion thingies. And I stood there and ate them right out of the can. Declan joined me. And then I ate a little popcorn that is drizzled with chocolate. Sweet salty. Sweet salty. Love that. Why did I stop? Finn asked me if I was going to eat the rest of the container.
"Um, no, son, I am not." Ick. Nothing like being busted on a binge.
Workout: Rest day
Food (I haven't tracked calories)
Breakfast: two eggs, two pieces gluten free toast (only the heels were left and they looked small until I started eating and realized they were sizable heels so I didn't eat them all)
Snack: Blueberry Trio bar (which the little seeds of got all stuck in my teeth at work--I need to start carrying floss)
Snack: Apple
Lunch: Wolfed down at 2:45pm. Leftover porkchop, rice, squash.
Mad munching: onion things, popcorn
Dinner: Fettucine Alfredo Almost. It's really called that. It's a low cal version of the real deal. It's very more-ish.
Can anyone say "lack of vegetables" about my day???
Off to bed. Workout in the AM. Ski lesson planned for tomorrow. Traction planned for tomorrow night. Sounds exciting, I know.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Checking In
Barely squeezing in updates these past few days. Sorry!
Today's workout: HIIT 25, Stretch 10
More high impact. More realizing I am not graceful. Seriously huffing and puffing.
Food
Breakfast: Chocolate Shakeology, almond milk
Snack: Apple, cashews
Lunch: Amy's Mattar Paneer, chopped veggie salad
Snack: Banana, maple almond butter
Dinner: TOTALLY OVERATE!!! Mini meatloaves, mashed potatoes, wedge salad with blue cheese dressing (all from Cooking Light!).
So, even though I came out alright on calories, I ate too much! It was "more-ish" as my husband would say. I kept picking at my kids plates, which normally I don't do because I have finally learned to not to that. Until today, apparently. I'm still full. It's a gross feeling.
Total calories: 1663
Calories burned as of 10:04pm: 2000, so I'll get my deficit by midnight.
I have to say, it's a mystery that I only ate 1663 calories because I'm so darn full. Normally this is how I'd feel when I totally went over. Thinking back. What did I forget....cannot figure it out if I did forget something. I'm proceeding as if I'm A OK.
Today's workout: HIIT 25, Stretch 10
More high impact. More realizing I am not graceful. Seriously huffing and puffing.
Food
Breakfast: Chocolate Shakeology, almond milk
Snack: Apple, cashews
Lunch: Amy's Mattar Paneer, chopped veggie salad
Snack: Banana, maple almond butter
Dinner: TOTALLY OVERATE!!! Mini meatloaves, mashed potatoes, wedge salad with blue cheese dressing (all from Cooking Light!).
So, even though I came out alright on calories, I ate too much! It was "more-ish" as my husband would say. I kept picking at my kids plates, which normally I don't do because I have finally learned to not to that. Until today, apparently. I'm still full. It's a gross feeling.
Total calories: 1663
Calories burned as of 10:04pm: 2000, so I'll get my deficit by midnight.
I have to say, it's a mystery that I only ate 1663 calories because I'm so darn full. Normally this is how I'd feel when I totally went over. Thinking back. What did I forget....cannot figure it out if I did forget something. I'm proceeding as if I'm A OK.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Quick Update
Because I am exhausted.
Workouts: Fire 45 EZ, Stretch 10. I finally figured out that when there is EZ in the title, there aren't any fire drills during the workout. Whew. Then we skiied for several hours.
Food
Breakfast: Chocolate Shakeology, almond milk, peanut butter, 1/4 cup blueberries, bite of Finn's eggs
Lunch: huge salad at a restaurant on the mountain. I totally had to guess on the calories because a lot of the salads on the salad bar were vegetables tossed in a dressing and stuff. I think I totally overshot on my estimation because I'm starving tonight and I ate some cereal before my stomach ate itself. Also drank part of Finn's leftover hot chocolate at lunch.
Snack: Hot chocolate, two small chocolate chip cookies
Dinner: 1 cup macaroni and cheese, 1/2 apple
Snack: 3/4 cup hemp granola, almond milk
So I'm clueless about the total number of calories I ate. I assigned myself about 600 calories for lunch because I felt full afterwards and frankly, after all of these years, I've started being able to pretty accurately estimate how much I just ate based on how full I am. At least I thought I could estimate, but what I assigned myself didn't exactly jive with how hungry I was tonight, so apparently I can throw my theories out the window.
Anyway, I hit my calorie goal for the day about an hour ago, so it's all good.
Good night. You guys are doing a great job!
Workouts: Fire 45 EZ, Stretch 10. I finally figured out that when there is EZ in the title, there aren't any fire drills during the workout. Whew. Then we skiied for several hours.
Food
Breakfast: Chocolate Shakeology, almond milk, peanut butter, 1/4 cup blueberries, bite of Finn's eggs
Lunch: huge salad at a restaurant on the mountain. I totally had to guess on the calories because a lot of the salads on the salad bar were vegetables tossed in a dressing and stuff. I think I totally overshot on my estimation because I'm starving tonight and I ate some cereal before my stomach ate itself. Also drank part of Finn's leftover hot chocolate at lunch.
Snack: Hot chocolate, two small chocolate chip cookies
Dinner: 1 cup macaroni and cheese, 1/2 apple
Snack: 3/4 cup hemp granola, almond milk
So I'm clueless about the total number of calories I ate. I assigned myself about 600 calories for lunch because I felt full afterwards and frankly, after all of these years, I've started being able to pretty accurately estimate how much I just ate based on how full I am. At least I thought I could estimate, but what I assigned myself didn't exactly jive with how hungry I was tonight, so apparently I can throw my theories out the window.
Anyway, I hit my calorie goal for the day about an hour ago, so it's all good.
Good night. You guys are doing a great job!
Sunday, January 16, 2011
The 15 Best Foods for Women
Have I waxed poetic about my love for Shape magazine? Yes? Here I go again.
I was browsing a past issue and came across a great article about the best foods to eat in each decade of your life.
I love stuff like that.
Here's a quick rundown...
In your 20s:
-Almonds (good crunch, great snack. High calories. Watch your portions.)
-Parmesan cheese (calcium--has way more than cheddar or Swiss, apparently)
-Apples (satisfies your sweet tooth, has great crunch, boosts your immune system)
-Lentils (as a lentil lover, I feel you should eat these in your 40s, too! Builds iron.)
-Shrimp (Yum)
In your 30s:
-Broccoli for radiant skin (trying to remember the last time I felt radiant. But then again, I despise broccoli. It's one of my dirty secrets.)
-Potatoes (great carbs that won't pack on the pounds)
-Spinach (nutrient dense, low cal)
-Dark chocolate (I'm a convert from milk chocolate. A zillion great reasons to eat it. Go for at least 70% cacao.)
-Eggs (One of my faves. Great nutrients, low cal. Love 'em.)
In your 40s:
-Mushrooms (Cook for best nutrition, great cancer fighter.)
-Sardines (Don't know if I've ever eaten one! Heart healthy Omega 3s.)
-Avocados (I have to be careful not to buy too many at once...because I'll want to eat too many at once. Great healthy fat. My splurge instead of cheese.)
-Bell peppers (Great for your eyes--rich in lutein, zeazanthin and vitamin C.)
-Whole grain pasta (I have had to switch to gluten free, but if you eat gluten, go for whole wheat over refined flour pastas for more stable blood sugar.)
Today's workout:
Fire 45, Stretch 10. Did some high impact leaping. Discovered, much to my surprise, that I am not even remotely gazelle-like.
Food
Breakfast: Shakeology, almond milk
Lunch: 6 inch Subway sandwich. You can really eat low cal at Subway, just like on Biggest Loser. No, they don't have gluten free options, but life isn't perfect. I shared a 12 inch with Finn. We had ham and that was about all that was similar. I loaded mine with veggies, no cheese, a little mayo. His contained ham, bacon, cheese and mayo. We will be Roto Rootering his arteries when he's 10. No chips, water to drink.
Snack: One chocolate chip cookie
Dinner: 5.5 oz. pork chop, basmati rice, roasted butternut squash.
Then I ate a few dark chocolate chips. You know, because of the article points above, of course.
Total calories: Prior to the chocolate chips...1369. Very pleased.
Total calories burned: 2120.
Keep up the good work, everyone!
I was browsing a past issue and came across a great article about the best foods to eat in each decade of your life.
I love stuff like that.
Here's a quick rundown...
In your 20s:
-Almonds (good crunch, great snack. High calories. Watch your portions.)
-Parmesan cheese (calcium--has way more than cheddar or Swiss, apparently)
-Apples (satisfies your sweet tooth, has great crunch, boosts your immune system)
-Lentils (as a lentil lover, I feel you should eat these in your 40s, too! Builds iron.)
-Shrimp (Yum)
In your 30s:
-Broccoli for radiant skin (trying to remember the last time I felt radiant. But then again, I despise broccoli. It's one of my dirty secrets.)
-Potatoes (great carbs that won't pack on the pounds)
-Spinach (nutrient dense, low cal)
-Dark chocolate (I'm a convert from milk chocolate. A zillion great reasons to eat it. Go for at least 70% cacao.)
-Eggs (One of my faves. Great nutrients, low cal. Love 'em.)
In your 40s:
-Mushrooms (Cook for best nutrition, great cancer fighter.)
-Sardines (Don't know if I've ever eaten one! Heart healthy Omega 3s.)
-Avocados (I have to be careful not to buy too many at once...because I'll want to eat too many at once. Great healthy fat. My splurge instead of cheese.)
-Bell peppers (Great for your eyes--rich in lutein, zeazanthin and vitamin C.)
-Whole grain pasta (I have had to switch to gluten free, but if you eat gluten, go for whole wheat over refined flour pastas for more stable blood sugar.)
Today's workout:
Fire 45, Stretch 10. Did some high impact leaping. Discovered, much to my surprise, that I am not even remotely gazelle-like.
Food
Breakfast: Shakeology, almond milk
Lunch: 6 inch Subway sandwich. You can really eat low cal at Subway, just like on Biggest Loser. No, they don't have gluten free options, but life isn't perfect. I shared a 12 inch with Finn. We had ham and that was about all that was similar. I loaded mine with veggies, no cheese, a little mayo. His contained ham, bacon, cheese and mayo. We will be Roto Rootering his arteries when he's 10. No chips, water to drink.
Snack: One chocolate chip cookie
Dinner: 5.5 oz. pork chop, basmati rice, roasted butternut squash.
Then I ate a few dark chocolate chips. You know, because of the article points above, of course.
Total calories: Prior to the chocolate chips...1369. Very pleased.
Total calories burned: 2120.
Keep up the good work, everyone!
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Finding the Balance
A friend sent me a link to this great edition of Gwyneth Paltrow's newsletter, Goop. It's all about finding the balance in your life and offers a glimpse into a day in the life of Gwyneth and a few of her friends.
I found it very interesting and enlightening to realize that they all struggle--just like I do, just like you might--to find the time to get it all done. But something that really jumped out at me, they make a point of getting workouts in (at least two of them do, the other was pregnant at the time!) no matter what's going on because they realize the benefits.
Today didn't start as planned and I was so tempted to skip my morning workout. Last night I had this mental plan that I'd be out of bed at 7am for my workout because I knew we'd be gone most of the day at a pond hockey tournament. Pond hockey is fun--lots of good hockey and socializing. I didn't want to miss it.
First, my husband and I stayed up WAY too late last night watching DVR'd shows (we love the Good Wife and Southland) and we didn't just watch one show--we watched THREE! We dragged ourselves to bed at nearly 1am, which is ridiculous. Sometimes it happens that I'm up that late working, but that's pretty rare these days now that both boys are in school and I can mostly work during the day (unless I realize almost too late that a day like Martin Luther King, Jr., day is coming and I didn't get quite enough work done of Friday to make up for it...).
Anyway, I was so tired this morning that I didn't get out of bed until about 8:40am. I had about an hour of exercise scheduled. Kids needed to be fed. My husband was putting all of the boxed up Christmas decorations away and vacuuming. Hockey gear needed to be prepared. There was just a lot going on. Finally, at 10am, I zipped downstairs and squeezed my workout in. I had a fleeting thought at one point that I would just wait until after pond hockey to exercise, but I know myself far too well at this point in life--I wouldn't have done it. I knew I'd be tired, kids would need to be fed (the dang things are always hungry), hockey gear would need to be unpacked, I'd want to mess around on Facebook and blog, etc. etc. I will make excuses quicker than anyone--trust me!
Tomorrow will be the same story. We'll see how I do getting my workout in before day two of pond hockey. Nope, let's change that. I will do it. Period.
Sorry for a lack of blog post yesterday. Before the DVR marathon I was making 1 million cookies for pond hockey. It was my cheat day. I was happy to discover I was down .6 of a pound from Monday. I'm sure I erased that during my cheat day because I ate a load of salty popcorn. But I ate minimal cookie dough. Small victories.
Yesterday's workout: Fire EZ 55. Now that I'm on the mend physically, one of my goals for next week is to perform some of the move high impact and see if that burns more calories.
Today's workouts: Core 20, Stretch 40
Food
Breakfast: Chocolate Shakeology, almond milk
Lunch: PBJ at the pond (taken from home so I could avoid the hot dogs, chips, cookies, etc.)
Snack: Pumpkin seeds
Dinner: Salad w/greens, egg, celery, tomato, cucumber, olives, feta, avocado, olive oil, lemon juice, Bragg's.
Snack: 5 cups popcorn
Total: 1569
Calories burned as of 8:13pm MST: 1869. I'll get a 500 calorie deficit in--yay!
Here's something "fun" to look forward to: sometime in early February, when I am past an upcoming magazine deadline, there is no new, good snow for me to skip out of work for, and I am caught up on my weekly work AND house stuff (sounds like it may never happen) I am going to have a Biggest Loser Day. What is that? I'm not 100 percent sure, but one of the things they talk about on Biggest Loser is that the people at the Ranch have to burn 6,000 calories a day. That's a lot! I struggle to burn 2,200 a day (midnight to midnight). So I'm curious. What does one have to do to burn 6,000 calories a day? Now, heavier, out of shape people's bodies just burn more--someone might burn 3,000 just through daily activities without even working out. But I'm still curious and I'm going to have a day where I'm exercising all day just to see what happens.
Because I'm crazy like that.
I found it very interesting and enlightening to realize that they all struggle--just like I do, just like you might--to find the time to get it all done. But something that really jumped out at me, they make a point of getting workouts in (at least two of them do, the other was pregnant at the time!) no matter what's going on because they realize the benefits.
Today didn't start as planned and I was so tempted to skip my morning workout. Last night I had this mental plan that I'd be out of bed at 7am for my workout because I knew we'd be gone most of the day at a pond hockey tournament. Pond hockey is fun--lots of good hockey and socializing. I didn't want to miss it.
First, my husband and I stayed up WAY too late last night watching DVR'd shows (we love the Good Wife and Southland) and we didn't just watch one show--we watched THREE! We dragged ourselves to bed at nearly 1am, which is ridiculous. Sometimes it happens that I'm up that late working, but that's pretty rare these days now that both boys are in school and I can mostly work during the day (unless I realize almost too late that a day like Martin Luther King, Jr., day is coming and I didn't get quite enough work done of Friday to make up for it...).
Anyway, I was so tired this morning that I didn't get out of bed until about 8:40am. I had about an hour of exercise scheduled. Kids needed to be fed. My husband was putting all of the boxed up Christmas decorations away and vacuuming. Hockey gear needed to be prepared. There was just a lot going on. Finally, at 10am, I zipped downstairs and squeezed my workout in. I had a fleeting thought at one point that I would just wait until after pond hockey to exercise, but I know myself far too well at this point in life--I wouldn't have done it. I knew I'd be tired, kids would need to be fed (the dang things are always hungry), hockey gear would need to be unpacked, I'd want to mess around on Facebook and blog, etc. etc. I will make excuses quicker than anyone--trust me!
Tomorrow will be the same story. We'll see how I do getting my workout in before day two of pond hockey. Nope, let's change that. I will do it. Period.
Sorry for a lack of blog post yesterday. Before the DVR marathon I was making 1 million cookies for pond hockey. It was my cheat day. I was happy to discover I was down .6 of a pound from Monday. I'm sure I erased that during my cheat day because I ate a load of salty popcorn. But I ate minimal cookie dough. Small victories.
Yesterday's workout: Fire EZ 55. Now that I'm on the mend physically, one of my goals for next week is to perform some of the move high impact and see if that burns more calories.
Today's workouts: Core 20, Stretch 40
Food
Breakfast: Chocolate Shakeology, almond milk
Lunch: PBJ at the pond (taken from home so I could avoid the hot dogs, chips, cookies, etc.)
Snack: Pumpkin seeds
Dinner: Salad w/greens, egg, celery, tomato, cucumber, olives, feta, avocado, olive oil, lemon juice, Bragg's.
Snack: 5 cups popcorn
Total: 1569
Calories burned as of 8:13pm MST: 1869. I'll get a 500 calorie deficit in--yay!
Here's something "fun" to look forward to: sometime in early February, when I am past an upcoming magazine deadline, there is no new, good snow for me to skip out of work for, and I am caught up on my weekly work AND house stuff (sounds like it may never happen) I am going to have a Biggest Loser Day. What is that? I'm not 100 percent sure, but one of the things they talk about on Biggest Loser is that the people at the Ranch have to burn 6,000 calories a day. That's a lot! I struggle to burn 2,200 a day (midnight to midnight). So I'm curious. What does one have to do to burn 6,000 calories a day? Now, heavier, out of shape people's bodies just burn more--someone might burn 3,000 just through daily activities without even working out. But I'm still curious and I'm going to have a day where I'm exercising all day just to see what happens.
Because I'm crazy like that.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
I'm Alive.
Today I feel human. So human in fact, that I worked out, ate well, and hopefully have seen the backside of this cold.
I'm desperately hoping no one else in the family gets it because it was pretty darn hideous.
So one thing I was kind of disappointed about, but it can't be helped because it just happens sometimes, is that now I'm off my TurboFire schedule. Sort of. I missed Tuesday's workout. Wednesday was a rest day. Today I wasn't quite sure what I wanted to do. Go back and do Tuesday's workout? Do today's? Do both in one day? That didn't seem wise considering I'm still a little wheezy.
Anyway, I just did today's workout and I'll just make the other one up at one point, probably at the end. I just love looking at my workout calendar in WOWY and seeing all blue marks, which means I completed a scheduled workout. Geek. But I do love it.
Over the years, I've found that really, I do better with specific programs like P90X, TurboFire, Insanity, etc. and following a set schedule. In the summers and over Christmas, ahem, when I wasn't specifically scheduled for something, I floundered a little bit. OK, a lot.
My point here is that maybe, if you're struggling to keep up with your workouts somewhat, think about scheduling them online, in advance. The "experts" say if you schedule your workouts in advance, you're a zillion percent more likely to keep that appointment. Here are some points Chalene was making on the workout I was doing today:
-Schedule your workouts in advance (I use WOWY and pre-schedule whatever program I'm doing. The version of TurboFire I'm doing has me scheduled into May.)
-Treat your workouts like an appointment with yourself. Block out the time. If someone tries to schedule a meeting with you during your workout time, decline and suggest an alternative. When I was working in the corporate world, I had two successive jobs that were close to the same health club and for years I worked out at noon. Yeah, it was a little bit of a hassle to workout at noon--I had to shower and stuff before going back to work and then I had to eat lunch while I worked at my desk, but it was about the only time I could fit in workouts in those days.
Basically, figure out what your obstacles are and move around them. No excuses!
Today's workout: HIIT 15, Sculpt 30 (Ow. I haven't done resistance bands in ages.)
Food
Breakfast: Chocolate Shakeology, almond milk (1.25 cups) = 215 calories
Lunch: Leftover lentil soup, salad w/greens, tomato, cucumber, red onion, low fat feta, egg, 1/2 tbl. olive oil = 495
Snack: Leftover fruitcake (I know...), milk = 369 calories
Dinner: Cooking Light's Pad Thai and spiced cucumber salad, two fortune cookies = 424 calories
Total calories: 1498
Calories burned as of 7:35pm MST: 1902
Very happy with the day. Yes, the fruitcake was not a necessity, but I was able to enjoy it and still stay well below my calorie intake AND I'll end up with well over a 500 calorie deficit. Which is very good news considering I feel like I lost most of the week to being sick.
Hope you all had a great day!
I'm desperately hoping no one else in the family gets it because it was pretty darn hideous.
So one thing I was kind of disappointed about, but it can't be helped because it just happens sometimes, is that now I'm off my TurboFire schedule. Sort of. I missed Tuesday's workout. Wednesday was a rest day. Today I wasn't quite sure what I wanted to do. Go back and do Tuesday's workout? Do today's? Do both in one day? That didn't seem wise considering I'm still a little wheezy.
Anyway, I just did today's workout and I'll just make the other one up at one point, probably at the end. I just love looking at my workout calendar in WOWY and seeing all blue marks, which means I completed a scheduled workout. Geek. But I do love it.
Over the years, I've found that really, I do better with specific programs like P90X, TurboFire, Insanity, etc. and following a set schedule. In the summers and over Christmas, ahem, when I wasn't specifically scheduled for something, I floundered a little bit. OK, a lot.
My point here is that maybe, if you're struggling to keep up with your workouts somewhat, think about scheduling them online, in advance. The "experts" say if you schedule your workouts in advance, you're a zillion percent more likely to keep that appointment. Here are some points Chalene was making on the workout I was doing today:
-Schedule your workouts in advance (I use WOWY and pre-schedule whatever program I'm doing. The version of TurboFire I'm doing has me scheduled into May.)
-Treat your workouts like an appointment with yourself. Block out the time. If someone tries to schedule a meeting with you during your workout time, decline and suggest an alternative. When I was working in the corporate world, I had two successive jobs that were close to the same health club and for years I worked out at noon. Yeah, it was a little bit of a hassle to workout at noon--I had to shower and stuff before going back to work and then I had to eat lunch while I worked at my desk, but it was about the only time I could fit in workouts in those days.
Basically, figure out what your obstacles are and move around them. No excuses!
Today's workout: HIIT 15, Sculpt 30 (Ow. I haven't done resistance bands in ages.)
Food
Breakfast: Chocolate Shakeology, almond milk (1.25 cups) = 215 calories
Lunch: Leftover lentil soup, salad w/greens, tomato, cucumber, red onion, low fat feta, egg, 1/2 tbl. olive oil = 495
Snack: Leftover fruitcake (I know...), milk = 369 calories
Dinner: Cooking Light's Pad Thai and spiced cucumber salad, two fortune cookies = 424 calories
Total calories: 1498
Calories burned as of 7:35pm MST: 1902
Very happy with the day. Yes, the fruitcake was not a necessity, but I was able to enjoy it and still stay well below my calorie intake AND I'll end up with well over a 500 calorie deficit. Which is very good news considering I feel like I lost most of the week to being sick.
Hope you all had a great day!
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Today Was That Day
So remember how yesterday I was saying your body will tell you when you can/can't workout? I got the message loud and clear this morning and I didn't workout.
Bummer.
Ah, well. Tomorrow is another day. I have moved my workout to tomorrow afternoon in WOWY and I'm hoping my sinuses and lungs clear enough so that I can get through a workout. It's a short one, but intense: HIIT 20. Eeeek.
We'll see. If I have to push it another day, I will.
Food again today was hot things: hot rice ceral for breakfast, soup and crackers for lunch, a small amount of chicken stir fry for dinner. And oceans of hot tea and honey. I have spent most of the day running to the bathroom. I'd better be flushing this virus right down the toilet.
I really like these free magazine that you can pick up at "healthy" grocery stores. I don't know of Whole Foods has them, but Vitamin Cottage does, and I always grab them when I'm there. One publication is called "Better Nutrition." The other I usually see there is "Delicious Living." Both of them have all sorts of good info about natural living.
Today I was reading an article about boosting your immune system (oh, the irony!). The whole article is interesting and I'll cover some of the other content later, but one particular paragraph caught my eye. This article talks about how we should know our blood type because our blood type indicates what we should/shouldn't do to improve our immune system.
Type O blood (me): Should avoid wheat products before and throughout the winter season due to unfavorable immune response. So curious since I have found myself healthier now that I avoid gluten.
Type A: Don't eat anything from cows--milk, cheese, ice cream, beef, etc.
Type B: Avoid corn and chicken.
Type AB: Eat a bit like both the As and Bs.
I find this very interesting. Is it for real? Who knows. But it's one of those things that makes sense to me and that's what I try to go by.
One other thing from this article, and it dovetails with what the natural allergist in Frisco who has been working with Declan said, "Vulnerability to colds can also be addressed by contrast hydrotherapy. A hot shower or bath in the morning leaves pores wide open and exposes us to germs. Doctors suggest doing a final rinse with cold water, making sure to slosh it under the armpits and in the groin area for 60 seconds to stimulate lymph node drainage."
Again, very intersting. And yet the thought of sloshing myself with cold water after my nice warm shower strikes fear in my heart.
I did to hydrotherapy to myself last night in the form of the wet socks treatment. I thought the results were mixed. It calmed my cough and seemed to shrink my nasal passages, but not for the whole night in terms of the nose. I was a little surprised by this because when I do the wet socks to the boys, it literally knocks them out, stops their coughs and they breathe well and sleep through the night. So I'm not sure what gives for me. I'm going to try again tonight. I will say that it's not the most comfortable thing in the world to put on cold, wet cotton socks and then cover them with dry wool socks--at first. Then you get a warm sensation. At one point in the night, my immune system definitely kicked into gear and I heated way up. I may have even spiked a fever--a sure sign of the body trying to fight something.
So, I will do it again. Because if I'm going to subject my kids to it, I should be willing to do it myself. Right?
Bummer.
Ah, well. Tomorrow is another day. I have moved my workout to tomorrow afternoon in WOWY and I'm hoping my sinuses and lungs clear enough so that I can get through a workout. It's a short one, but intense: HIIT 20. Eeeek.
We'll see. If I have to push it another day, I will.
Food again today was hot things: hot rice ceral for breakfast, soup and crackers for lunch, a small amount of chicken stir fry for dinner. And oceans of hot tea and honey. I have spent most of the day running to the bathroom. I'd better be flushing this virus right down the toilet.
I really like these free magazine that you can pick up at "healthy" grocery stores. I don't know of Whole Foods has them, but Vitamin Cottage does, and I always grab them when I'm there. One publication is called "Better Nutrition." The other I usually see there is "Delicious Living." Both of them have all sorts of good info about natural living.
Today I was reading an article about boosting your immune system (oh, the irony!). The whole article is interesting and I'll cover some of the other content later, but one particular paragraph caught my eye. This article talks about how we should know our blood type because our blood type indicates what we should/shouldn't do to improve our immune system.
Type O blood (me): Should avoid wheat products before and throughout the winter season due to unfavorable immune response. So curious since I have found myself healthier now that I avoid gluten.
Type A: Don't eat anything from cows--milk, cheese, ice cream, beef, etc.
Type B: Avoid corn and chicken.
Type AB: Eat a bit like both the As and Bs.
I find this very interesting. Is it for real? Who knows. But it's one of those things that makes sense to me and that's what I try to go by.
One other thing from this article, and it dovetails with what the natural allergist in Frisco who has been working with Declan said, "Vulnerability to colds can also be addressed by contrast hydrotherapy. A hot shower or bath in the morning leaves pores wide open and exposes us to germs. Doctors suggest doing a final rinse with cold water, making sure to slosh it under the armpits and in the groin area for 60 seconds to stimulate lymph node drainage."
Again, very intersting. And yet the thought of sloshing myself with cold water after my nice warm shower strikes fear in my heart.
I did to hydrotherapy to myself last night in the form of the wet socks treatment. I thought the results were mixed. It calmed my cough and seemed to shrink my nasal passages, but not for the whole night in terms of the nose. I was a little surprised by this because when I do the wet socks to the boys, it literally knocks them out, stops their coughs and they breathe well and sleep through the night. So I'm not sure what gives for me. I'm going to try again tonight. I will say that it's not the most comfortable thing in the world to put on cold, wet cotton socks and then cover them with dry wool socks--at first. Then you get a warm sensation. At one point in the night, my immune system definitely kicked into gear and I heated way up. I may have even spiked a fever--a sure sign of the body trying to fight something.
So, I will do it again. Because if I'm going to subject my kids to it, I should be willing to do it myself. Right?
Monday, January 10, 2011
Achoo!
Week Two of our Healthy Habits Challenge and Day One of my 10 lbs. in 12 Weeks Challenge and...I'm sick. Boooo Hissss.
I could feel myself getting sick with a sore throat over the weekend and I thought, "I'm sick, but it's not that bad." Today, I actually feel bad.
That's the bad news. The other bad news is that I have eaten nothing but soup and crackers all day. Lots of crackers. Anything salty--I want it in my throat, like it's cauterizing it or something. I haven't tracked calories, but I think I'm OK. I also drank tons of tea and ate some raw honey. I'm a big believer in the curative powers of raw honey. And chicken soup, which I made for myself.
Famous last words.
The good news is that I did workout this morning and plan to again tomorrow, too. Usually, the "experts" say it's OK to workout when you're sick. Your body will tell you if it's not OK. I actually find that I feel better after exercise--like my sinuses open up from the effort. I did dial it back considerably. I did all of the moves low impact, including the fire drills. I still burned a decent amount of calories.
So pardon the short post (it's probably a relief), but I'm going to go do the wet socks treatment to myself and head to bed. I can barely hold my head up at this point.
Hope you all had a great day!
I could feel myself getting sick with a sore throat over the weekend and I thought, "I'm sick, but it's not that bad." Today, I actually feel bad.
That's the bad news. The other bad news is that I have eaten nothing but soup and crackers all day. Lots of crackers. Anything salty--I want it in my throat, like it's cauterizing it or something. I haven't tracked calories, but I think I'm OK. I also drank tons of tea and ate some raw honey. I'm a big believer in the curative powers of raw honey. And chicken soup, which I made for myself.
Famous last words.
The good news is that I did workout this morning and plan to again tomorrow, too. Usually, the "experts" say it's OK to workout when you're sick. Your body will tell you if it's not OK. I actually find that I feel better after exercise--like my sinuses open up from the effort. I did dial it back considerably. I did all of the moves low impact, including the fire drills. I still burned a decent amount of calories.
So pardon the short post (it's probably a relief), but I'm going to go do the wet socks treatment to myself and head to bed. I can barely hold my head up at this point.
Hope you all had a great day!
Sunday, January 9, 2011
I Think I Need a Knee Replacement
Over the course of the last week, as I've been doing Week One of TurboFire, I've realized my knees are kidding me. This sometimes happens when I start back on a Chalene workout--she does a lot of lunges and kicks. Anyway, my knees are suffering and I felt like whining about it.
We also skiied in powder all day and that has put me totally over the edge.
Today I weighed in for the weight loss challenge I'm doing with some friends here--so I'm doing dual challenges now! I was very annoyed to discover that despite my attempts to maintain my slightly inflated post holiday weight for the weigh in, I was down two freaking pounds Darn it. Under any other circumstances, I would be doing back flips over losing 2 pounds in one week. That never happens to me. I even ate popcorn last night to see if I could be all bloated and water retain-y prior to weighing.
It didn't. And while I have 12 weeks to lose 10 lbs. or lose my $100, it's going to be really, really hard. Whiiiiine. Losing 10 lbs. now will actually take me 2 lbs. below my original goal weight. It's going to be really, really hard. Whiiiine.
Alas, I will suck it up and give it my very best. As the challenge officially begins tomorrow, I ate one last piece of Christmas cake (fruit cake soaked in whiskey) tonight and washed it down with a glass of milk.
And now, down to business.
I'm scared.
Today's workout:
-Core 20, Stretch 40. FYI: I have no core.
-Skiing. In powder. My knees...ohhhh, my knees...boooo hoooo....
Food
Breakfast: Two eggs, gluten free toast, grapefruit = 366.4
Lunch: 1 piece leftover pizza, 1/2 of a turkey rollup, baby carrots, hot chocolate = 536.3
Snack: Two cookies :) = 279.2
Dinner: Pot roast, mashed potatoes, corn
Snack: Fruit cake, milk = 438.6
Total calories = 2096.9 YIKES!
Calories burned: 2083. Hmmm, won't hit a 500 calorie deficit. I'll only end up with about 200.
My goals for this week:
1. Complete all scheduled TurboFire workouts
2. Maintain at least a 500 calorie deficit each day except Friday
3. Drink 64 oz. of water each day. This will be the hardest one....
Keep up the great work everyone!
We also skiied in powder all day and that has put me totally over the edge.
Today I weighed in for the weight loss challenge I'm doing with some friends here--so I'm doing dual challenges now! I was very annoyed to discover that despite my attempts to maintain my slightly inflated post holiday weight for the weigh in, I was down two freaking pounds Darn it. Under any other circumstances, I would be doing back flips over losing 2 pounds in one week. That never happens to me. I even ate popcorn last night to see if I could be all bloated and water retain-y prior to weighing.
It didn't. And while I have 12 weeks to lose 10 lbs. or lose my $100, it's going to be really, really hard. Whiiiiine. Losing 10 lbs. now will actually take me 2 lbs. below my original goal weight. It's going to be really, really hard. Whiiiine.
Alas, I will suck it up and give it my very best. As the challenge officially begins tomorrow, I ate one last piece of Christmas cake (fruit cake soaked in whiskey) tonight and washed it down with a glass of milk.
And now, down to business.
I'm scared.
Today's workout:
-Core 20, Stretch 40. FYI: I have no core.
-Skiing. In powder. My knees...ohhhh, my knees...boooo hoooo....
Food
Breakfast: Two eggs, gluten free toast, grapefruit = 366.4
Lunch: 1 piece leftover pizza, 1/2 of a turkey rollup, baby carrots, hot chocolate = 536.3
Snack: Two cookies :) = 279.2
Dinner: Pot roast, mashed potatoes, corn
Snack: Fruit cake, milk = 438.6
Total calories = 2096.9 YIKES!
Calories burned: 2083. Hmmm, won't hit a 500 calorie deficit. I'll only end up with about 200.
My goals for this week:
1. Complete all scheduled TurboFire workouts
2. Maintain at least a 500 calorie deficit each day except Friday
3. Drink 64 oz. of water each day. This will be the hardest one....
Keep up the great work everyone!
Friday, January 7, 2011
Why You Should Be a Cheater
Awhile back I wrote a post about how Fridays are my cheat day. Cheat day. Choice day. Treat day. Whatever you want to call it, however you want to work it, you should have one.
Why?
Because if you try to restrict yourself so much without having any flexibility or enjoying yourself on occasion, you'll implode. For reals.
My suggestion is this:
-Eat "clean" six days of the week.
-Enjoy one "treat" during the week. Something small--a couple of Hershey's kisses or something. Not a huge binge.
-Enjoy a cheat meal or a cheat day. Likely, when you start this format, you'll binge like mad on your cheat day. Then you'll realize you don't feel so great after that and you'll dial it back to something more manageable.
Personally, I do take a cheat day on Fridays. This gives me to treat myself to some foods I don't eat on a regular basis. Today, for example, I had a snack that included 2 oz. of cheese, I ate some tortilla chips with lunch, I ate two pieces of pizza for dinner, and I'll have my popcorn tonight. So, not totally over the top, but enough that I feel like I'm treating myself.
I don't eat cheese and tortilla chips on a daily basis because they are some of my trigger foods--if I start eating them, I have trouble stopping unless I am exhibiting super human strength, which does happen sometimes. Sometimes I can, indeed, count out 14 tortilla chips, one serving, eat them, and stop. But a lot of the times I can't. I was pretty shocked that I sliced off my 2 oz. of cheese today and stopped instead of putting away the whole brick.
Progress.
Eating shouldn't be about deprivation. That will never work. I know you should never say never, but I feel pretty confident about this one.
So decide what works for you. How will you treat yourself and when?
Workout: Fire 55 EZ. I have to say, I was, once again, all psyched because I saw the EZ in the title and figured I might have an easy day. I did not. Tonight I plan to look in the manual and see why they felt they should call this EZ.
Food: Cheat day! Like I said, I enjoyed some cheese, some tortilla chips and some pizza. Tomorrow, back on the wagon!
Why?
Because if you try to restrict yourself so much without having any flexibility or enjoying yourself on occasion, you'll implode. For reals.
My suggestion is this:
-Eat "clean" six days of the week.
-Enjoy one "treat" during the week. Something small--a couple of Hershey's kisses or something. Not a huge binge.
-Enjoy a cheat meal or a cheat day. Likely, when you start this format, you'll binge like mad on your cheat day. Then you'll realize you don't feel so great after that and you'll dial it back to something more manageable.
Personally, I do take a cheat day on Fridays. This gives me to treat myself to some foods I don't eat on a regular basis. Today, for example, I had a snack that included 2 oz. of cheese, I ate some tortilla chips with lunch, I ate two pieces of pizza for dinner, and I'll have my popcorn tonight. So, not totally over the top, but enough that I feel like I'm treating myself.
I don't eat cheese and tortilla chips on a daily basis because they are some of my trigger foods--if I start eating them, I have trouble stopping unless I am exhibiting super human strength, which does happen sometimes. Sometimes I can, indeed, count out 14 tortilla chips, one serving, eat them, and stop. But a lot of the times I can't. I was pretty shocked that I sliced off my 2 oz. of cheese today and stopped instead of putting away the whole brick.
Progress.
Eating shouldn't be about deprivation. That will never work. I know you should never say never, but I feel pretty confident about this one.
So decide what works for you. How will you treat yourself and when?
Workout: Fire 55 EZ. I have to say, I was, once again, all psyched because I saw the EZ in the title and figured I might have an easy day. I did not. Tonight I plan to look in the manual and see why they felt they should call this EZ.
Food: Cheat day! Like I said, I enjoyed some cheese, some tortilla chips and some pizza. Tomorrow, back on the wagon!
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Staying Motivated
These days I always workout first thing in the morning. If I don't, it won't happen. I'll get busy, distracted, unmotivated--whatever. It just won't happen. When my alarm rings at 5:30am or 5:45am or 6am (how long of a workout I'm scheduled to do dictates how early I'm getting up and heaven forbid I get up earlier than I need to), I do not leap from bed excited to exercise. Do. Not.
Shocking, I know.
Yes, there are some workouts I enjoy more than others (anything by Chalene vs. Insanity when I was literally counting down the days). But as a general rule, I'd much rather lie in bed and get thin by thinking about it.
It could happen, right?
My undergraduate degree was in journalism and my major is advertising. I was once reading an article in Ad Age (because why else would you read Ad Age unless you were in advertising????). In the article, the CEO of Proctor & Gamble was talking about his philosophy on his advertising budget. He was commenting that reducing your ad budget in times of economic crisis (sounds familiar even though this was 20 years ago. I can't believe I can talk in terms of 20 years ago. Ew.) is like skipping exercise. You might not notice the negative effects at first, but pretty quickly, you notice the effects of skipping.
That has stuck with me for a long time even though his main point was about cutting your advertising budget and not actually working out. But I think he was right on. And for the most part, even after all these years, his words keep me hopping out of bed at whatever hour so I avoid the negative effects of skipping my workouts, whatever they may be.
There are different ways I stay motivated. Maybe some of these ideas will help you because while we're all fired up about whatever New Year's resolutions we may have made at this moment, in two weeks, three weeks, six weeks time, will we still be motivated?
Stuff I do:
-I watch the Biggest Loser. It keeps me in line. And it's a wake up call. Whether you have a little or a lot of weight to lose, it's impossible not to see these people and feel motivated by their efforts (and frankly, I wonder if I could make it through a Jillian Michaels last chance workout. Probably not.). I'm always amazed at the end. I have to say, I'm also amazed that over time, the contestants are getting bigger and bigger as if no one has apparently learned from watching the Biggest Loser. To me, it's kind of like smoking and it boggles my mind that these people have watched the show yet continue to torture their bodies. Anyway, the Biggest Loser is eye opening every season. Watch it and face up to your own demons.
-I pick up a copy of Shape magazine. Great stores, great workout ideas, great food ideas. I know I'll never look like those models--and I'm OK with that--but that doesn't mean I don't look at them and feel motivated.
-I get online and talk to my fitness buddies. Which now includes YOU, but has previously been (and still is) my BeachBody forum pals. I have been on the forums for nearly 3 years and I kind of floundered around for almost 2 years before I hit my stride and tweaked the program so that it worked for me. That was when I saw results. Their motivating words, suggestions and booty kickings--which is what we call it when one of us is really slipping off the wagon and not being serious about nutrition and fitness--have been a great help. Our philosophy is slip ups happen. Don't torture yourself. Pick yourself up, dust yourself off and get back in the game. And when you slip up over and over again? They're there to say, get your crap together and get going. No mollycoddling. No whining. Just bring it.
-Phone a friend. Or e-mail one. My sister started doing BeachBody workouts after I did and we not only "meet" online in the "Supergym," we also call each other and e-mail. Why didn't I see you online this morning? Knowing she's going to be on there is very motivating.
-I'm grateful. One of the blogs I follow is written by a woman who was severaly burned in an airplane crash a year and a half ago. She is so upbeat and positive, but she also talks about how she lives in constant pain, how getting out of bed in the morning is torture. So when I'm lying in my warm bed and debating about whether or not I want to wake up and move my ass, I think about Stephanie and how just getting up is painful and I should be grateful that I can move without pain.
So, the moral is find what motivates you and move your ass. No excuses. Move. It. Take time for yourself whether it's 30 minutes before work, at lunch, right after work, after the kids are in bed (I worked out at 9pm at night for many years when the kids were young). You deserve 30 minutes. Period. Meet your excuses head on. You will have more energy--that's science, not just me flappin' my gums at you. Get those endorphins flowing and you will have more patience with your kids, more stamina at work and in life. Science. Don't fight it.
There will always be an excuse for you not to exercise. Always. Laundry. Work. Big project. Sick kids. Sick you. Meetings. Long hours. Travel. You can say you're "going to start on Monday." Guess what? Monday will never get here. You will fritter away the time and you'll be pissed two months from now. I can come up with a counter excuse to every one of those excuses.
So don't be one of those people who's pissed two months from now. Just do it.
The End.
Today's workout:
Fire 30, Stretch 10
Food
Breakfast: Chocolate Shakeology, almond milk = 200
Snack: Banana and almond butter = 289
Lunch: Amy's Mattar Paneer = 320
Snack: 3 cups popcorn = 165
Dinner: Stuffed chicken breast, potato skin w/sour cream (only one kid eats the potato skin so he eats the inside and I eat the outside!), salad w/greens, tomato, red pepper, low fat feta, lemon juice, Bragg's = 444
Total calories: 1418
Still trying to eat salty foods and keep myself puffed up until the weigh in. I wish it would get here already.
Keep up the good work everyone!
Shocking, I know.
Yes, there are some workouts I enjoy more than others (anything by Chalene vs. Insanity when I was literally counting down the days). But as a general rule, I'd much rather lie in bed and get thin by thinking about it.
It could happen, right?
My undergraduate degree was in journalism and my major is advertising. I was once reading an article in Ad Age (because why else would you read Ad Age unless you were in advertising????). In the article, the CEO of Proctor & Gamble was talking about his philosophy on his advertising budget. He was commenting that reducing your ad budget in times of economic crisis (sounds familiar even though this was 20 years ago. I can't believe I can talk in terms of 20 years ago. Ew.) is like skipping exercise. You might not notice the negative effects at first, but pretty quickly, you notice the effects of skipping.
That has stuck with me for a long time even though his main point was about cutting your advertising budget and not actually working out. But I think he was right on. And for the most part, even after all these years, his words keep me hopping out of bed at whatever hour so I avoid the negative effects of skipping my workouts, whatever they may be.
There are different ways I stay motivated. Maybe some of these ideas will help you because while we're all fired up about whatever New Year's resolutions we may have made at this moment, in two weeks, three weeks, six weeks time, will we still be motivated?
Stuff I do:
-I watch the Biggest Loser. It keeps me in line. And it's a wake up call. Whether you have a little or a lot of weight to lose, it's impossible not to see these people and feel motivated by their efforts (and frankly, I wonder if I could make it through a Jillian Michaels last chance workout. Probably not.). I'm always amazed at the end. I have to say, I'm also amazed that over time, the contestants are getting bigger and bigger as if no one has apparently learned from watching the Biggest Loser. To me, it's kind of like smoking and it boggles my mind that these people have watched the show yet continue to torture their bodies. Anyway, the Biggest Loser is eye opening every season. Watch it and face up to your own demons.
-I pick up a copy of Shape magazine. Great stores, great workout ideas, great food ideas. I know I'll never look like those models--and I'm OK with that--but that doesn't mean I don't look at them and feel motivated.
-I get online and talk to my fitness buddies. Which now includes YOU, but has previously been (and still is) my BeachBody forum pals. I have been on the forums for nearly 3 years and I kind of floundered around for almost 2 years before I hit my stride and tweaked the program so that it worked for me. That was when I saw results. Their motivating words, suggestions and booty kickings--which is what we call it when one of us is really slipping off the wagon and not being serious about nutrition and fitness--have been a great help. Our philosophy is slip ups happen. Don't torture yourself. Pick yourself up, dust yourself off and get back in the game. And when you slip up over and over again? They're there to say, get your crap together and get going. No mollycoddling. No whining. Just bring it.
-Phone a friend. Or e-mail one. My sister started doing BeachBody workouts after I did and we not only "meet" online in the "Supergym," we also call each other and e-mail. Why didn't I see you online this morning? Knowing she's going to be on there is very motivating.
-I'm grateful. One of the blogs I follow is written by a woman who was severaly burned in an airplane crash a year and a half ago. She is so upbeat and positive, but she also talks about how she lives in constant pain, how getting out of bed in the morning is torture. So when I'm lying in my warm bed and debating about whether or not I want to wake up and move my ass, I think about Stephanie and how just getting up is painful and I should be grateful that I can move without pain.
So, the moral is find what motivates you and move your ass. No excuses. Move. It. Take time for yourself whether it's 30 minutes before work, at lunch, right after work, after the kids are in bed (I worked out at 9pm at night for many years when the kids were young). You deserve 30 minutes. Period. Meet your excuses head on. You will have more energy--that's science, not just me flappin' my gums at you. Get those endorphins flowing and you will have more patience with your kids, more stamina at work and in life. Science. Don't fight it.
There will always be an excuse for you not to exercise. Always. Laundry. Work. Big project. Sick kids. Sick you. Meetings. Long hours. Travel. You can say you're "going to start on Monday." Guess what? Monday will never get here. You will fritter away the time and you'll be pissed two months from now. I can come up with a counter excuse to every one of those excuses.
So don't be one of those people who's pissed two months from now. Just do it.
The End.
Today's workout:
Fire 30, Stretch 10
Food
Breakfast: Chocolate Shakeology, almond milk = 200
Snack: Banana and almond butter = 289
Lunch: Amy's Mattar Paneer = 320
Snack: 3 cups popcorn = 165
Dinner: Stuffed chicken breast, potato skin w/sour cream (only one kid eats the potato skin so he eats the inside and I eat the outside!), salad w/greens, tomato, red pepper, low fat feta, lemon juice, Bragg's = 444
Total calories: 1418
Still trying to eat salty foods and keep myself puffed up until the weigh in. I wish it would get here already.
Keep up the good work everyone!
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
I'll Have a Dry, Salty Cracker
Does anyone remember the 7Up commercials from ages ago. At least I think it was 7Up. Maybe it was Sprite. Anyway, some guy is floating on the ocean after a shipwreck. His lips are all dry and cracked. He's obviously thirsty. He's rescued. And he asks for...a dry, salty cracker. He eats it and then quenches his thirst with a 7Up. Or a Sprite. Some clear, carbonated beverage.
My point here is that I probably walk around like that a lot of the time.
Why? I forget to drink water. I'm good about a lot of healthy living things--exercise, eating. One of my biggest faults is that I don't drink enough water. I don't know if it's a habit that I just need to get into or what. I don't feel like I'm dehydrated all the time or anything, but there are points in the day where I think, "I haven't had water in hours."
I've heard so many things about water. Drink when you're thirsty. Drink 64 oz. of water a day. Drink 96 oz. of water a day. Mostly I hear the 64 oz. number. And because I experimented with the 96 oz. number once and nearly floated away, the 64 oz. is probably more realistic. In fact, yesterday, I did a little experiment. I measured out 64 oz. and put it in a pitcher to see how I would do. I drank about 3/4 of it, but I had to consciously make an effort to keep making myself drink.
Anyway, water is one of the things I need to work on.
Challenge Info
More people are joining the challenge. Sweet!
Kristen had a good challenge question. She wondered if you need to go to the specific post each day and post your results that day's comment section. The answer is no: you can put three days in one comment if you like. Just put the date and then your food/exercise after. Let's keep it as easy as possible.
My Accountability Today:
Workout: Rest day! Ahhhhh! Good thing, because my rear end is a little sore. I did work on the mountain today and had to run up and down the stairs multiple times and then chase some guy down. I also walked to a friend's house to pick something up so even though it was a rest day, I'll hit my calorie burn goal. Love that.
Food
Breakfast: Two eggs, gluten free toast
Snack: Trio bar
Lunch: Miso soup, salad with tomato, cucumber, feta, red onion, fake crabmeat, lemon juice, Bragg's
Snack: .....crickets...If I ate it, I don't remember it....
Dinner: Leftover chicken and sweet potatoes
I haven't input the food to get my totals. It's the nature of Wednesdays and may be the trend.
OK, keep it up everyone!
My point here is that I probably walk around like that a lot of the time.
Why? I forget to drink water. I'm good about a lot of healthy living things--exercise, eating. One of my biggest faults is that I don't drink enough water. I don't know if it's a habit that I just need to get into or what. I don't feel like I'm dehydrated all the time or anything, but there are points in the day where I think, "I haven't had water in hours."
I've heard so many things about water. Drink when you're thirsty. Drink 64 oz. of water a day. Drink 96 oz. of water a day. Mostly I hear the 64 oz. number. And because I experimented with the 96 oz. number once and nearly floated away, the 64 oz. is probably more realistic. In fact, yesterday, I did a little experiment. I measured out 64 oz. and put it in a pitcher to see how I would do. I drank about 3/4 of it, but I had to consciously make an effort to keep making myself drink.
Anyway, water is one of the things I need to work on.
Challenge Info
More people are joining the challenge. Sweet!
Kristen had a good challenge question. She wondered if you need to go to the specific post each day and post your results that day's comment section. The answer is no: you can put three days in one comment if you like. Just put the date and then your food/exercise after. Let's keep it as easy as possible.
My Accountability Today:
Workout: Rest day! Ahhhhh! Good thing, because my rear end is a little sore. I did work on the mountain today and had to run up and down the stairs multiple times and then chase some guy down. I also walked to a friend's house to pick something up so even though it was a rest day, I'll hit my calorie burn goal. Love that.
Food
Breakfast: Two eggs, gluten free toast
Snack: Trio bar
Lunch: Miso soup, salad with tomato, cucumber, feta, red onion, fake crabmeat, lemon juice, Bragg's
Snack: .....crickets...If I ate it, I don't remember it....
Dinner: Leftover chicken and sweet potatoes
I haven't input the food to get my totals. It's the nature of Wednesdays and may be the trend.
OK, keep it up everyone!
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Whoops! Date Correction!
My cousin pointed out to me that yesterday, I posted the wrong dates for the challenge. It did indeed start on Monday. So, the official dates are:
Monday, Jan. 3, 2011 - Saturday, Jan. 29, 2011
Good grief, I hope that's right.
Anyway, people have been posting their food and workouts. It's not too late to hop on board. Why? Because you have a three day window in which to post your food/workouts. So, it's Wednesday, how can you still join? The challenge started Monday, so take Monday and Tuesday as rest days, then workout Wednesday - Sunday to get your 5 workouts in this week. Make sure that on Thursday, you do go back and record your food for Monday - Thursday though.
It's not too late!
Personally, I'm trying to NOT lose weight this week. I know that sounds whack, but I think I have to weigh in for the challenge I'm doing on Monday. I'm seriously considering eating a huge bowl of popcorn on Sunday night so I'm a little bloated and retaining water. Sounds nice doesn't it? I just figure I need to have a few pounds of cushion. The challenge I'm doing requires me to lose 10 lbs. by the end of March.
It's going to be hard. It makes me feel like whining.
So a real quick run down of my day because it's nearly midnight and I've been sitting here trying to upload stuff to Kodak Gallery to take advantage of a sale and it has taken an incredibly long time. My laptop is giving me 3rd degree burns on my legs.
Workout: HIIT 15, Stretch 10. I foolishly was excited about my workout this morning. I thought, "15 minutes? What a breeze!" Holy BLEEP. HIIT stands for high intensity interval training so it was like 15 minutes of wheezing torture. I still get a little queasy thinking about it. It was a 15 minute workout and yet my calorie burn is nearly the same as yesterday when it was a 30 minute workout. That tells me something.
Food
I haven't input my dinner to get calories yet and I likely won't. I have got to get off this computer. Here's the lowdown.
Breakfast: 3 eggs, gluten free toast, orange. Now, why would I eat three eggs? We get these awesome eggs from a farmer. Best. Eggs. Ever. Anyway, I made eggs for the boys this morning and Finn didn't eat all of his. No way could I throw out one of the Awesome Eggs. So I ate the leftovers, which I estimate to be one egg. THEN, after the boys went to school, I made my own breakfast. I was planning to go ski, so I knew I needed to eat hearty. I made another two eggs and ate the toast and orange. I was very full. And then I didn't go skiing. Ah, well.
Snack: Cashews, apple
Lunch: salad greens, fake crab, cukes, tomato, red pepper, olives, avocado, olive oil, low fat feta, lemon juice, Bragg's liquid aminos, 17 Nut-Thins crackers (that's a serving--17 crackers!--love it!)
Dinner: chicken breast and sweet potatoes in the crock pot--cooked in a "sauce" of maple syrup, chicken broth and mustard. I should have used chicken thighs. The breasts were a little dry. Dry breasts are awful.
OK, signing off. Get those workouts in and eat clean for the New Year!
Monday, Jan. 3, 2011 - Saturday, Jan. 29, 2011
Good grief, I hope that's right.
Anyway, people have been posting their food and workouts. It's not too late to hop on board. Why? Because you have a three day window in which to post your food/workouts. So, it's Wednesday, how can you still join? The challenge started Monday, so take Monday and Tuesday as rest days, then workout Wednesday - Sunday to get your 5 workouts in this week. Make sure that on Thursday, you do go back and record your food for Monday - Thursday though.
It's not too late!
Personally, I'm trying to NOT lose weight this week. I know that sounds whack, but I think I have to weigh in for the challenge I'm doing on Monday. I'm seriously considering eating a huge bowl of popcorn on Sunday night so I'm a little bloated and retaining water. Sounds nice doesn't it? I just figure I need to have a few pounds of cushion. The challenge I'm doing requires me to lose 10 lbs. by the end of March.
It's going to be hard. It makes me feel like whining.
So a real quick run down of my day because it's nearly midnight and I've been sitting here trying to upload stuff to Kodak Gallery to take advantage of a sale and it has taken an incredibly long time. My laptop is giving me 3rd degree burns on my legs.
Workout: HIIT 15, Stretch 10. I foolishly was excited about my workout this morning. I thought, "15 minutes? What a breeze!" Holy BLEEP. HIIT stands for high intensity interval training so it was like 15 minutes of wheezing torture. I still get a little queasy thinking about it. It was a 15 minute workout and yet my calorie burn is nearly the same as yesterday when it was a 30 minute workout. That tells me something.
Food
I haven't input my dinner to get calories yet and I likely won't. I have got to get off this computer. Here's the lowdown.
Breakfast: 3 eggs, gluten free toast, orange. Now, why would I eat three eggs? We get these awesome eggs from a farmer. Best. Eggs. Ever. Anyway, I made eggs for the boys this morning and Finn didn't eat all of his. No way could I throw out one of the Awesome Eggs. So I ate the leftovers, which I estimate to be one egg. THEN, after the boys went to school, I made my own breakfast. I was planning to go ski, so I knew I needed to eat hearty. I made another two eggs and ate the toast and orange. I was very full. And then I didn't go skiing. Ah, well.
Snack: Cashews, apple
Lunch: salad greens, fake crab, cukes, tomato, red pepper, olives, avocado, olive oil, low fat feta, lemon juice, Bragg's liquid aminos, 17 Nut-Thins crackers (that's a serving--17 crackers!--love it!)
Dinner: chicken breast and sweet potatoes in the crock pot--cooked in a "sauce" of maple syrup, chicken broth and mustard. I should have used chicken thighs. The breasts were a little dry. Dry breasts are awful.
OK, signing off. Get those workouts in and eat clean for the New Year!
Monday, January 3, 2011
This is it! The Challenge is HERE!
OK, boys and girls. 2011 is upon us. No excuses. Step away from the Christmas cookies. This is where the rubber meets the road. It's time for our Healthy Habits Challenge! I, for one, need it. I had to let my belt out a notch yesterday. Ewwww.
Challenge Dates: Monday, January 3 – Saturday, January 29
By the way, remember how I said I was going to set up a Facebook page for us to use? Well, because I am apparently a technical ding dong, I have been working on that and it’s not actually working. I don’t know what the deal is. I’ll keep working on it and when I get it up and running, I’ll let you know. Until then, if you are taking part, post your accountability in the comments section for this blog…
The Details/Rules/Requirements--whatever:
-You will follow some sort of fitness plan. If you are doing a BeachBody program that has you on 5 or 6 workouts a week, you do that. You are welcome to design your own program to walk or run or whatever, but you have to do it for at least 30 minutes, 5 days a week.
-To be eligible for prizes, you can post in the comments section here, or eventually on the Facebook page, your daily accountability--the workout you did, what you ate. It can be very simple and might look like this:
Workout: 30 minute walk
Breakfast: oatmeal, milk
Snack: banana and peanut butter
Lunch: tuna, greens, tomato, cucumber
Snack: apple, cashews
Dinner: Salmon, sweet potato, green beans
That’s it. So easy.
-You don't have to track your calories, but I highly recommend you do so. It's very enlightening! There are a zillion choices of sites to track your calories. My Fitness Pal is one such choice. It’s free. I used that one before I got a BodyBugg. I also suggest weighing and measuring your food to help with portion control. I still do it…
-You have a 3-day window in which to log your workouts and food. That way, if you’re out of town--say at a hockey tournament--and don’t have an Internet connection, you can remain eligible for the prizes. So, today’s Monday. You have until Thursday to report in on your food and workouts for today.
-We're on the honor system.
Prizes:
And now on to the good stuff. Those who fulfill the requirements of adhering to their exercise plan and posting their info each day for the next four weeks per the rules above will go into a drawing for:
1st prize (one winner)
Your choice of one of the following intro level BeachBody programs:
-Slim in 6
-TurboJam or TurboJam Fat Burning Elite
-Brazil Butt Lift
-Hip Hop Abs
-Yoga Booty Ballet
-Power 90 or Power 90 Masters Series
OR, if you’re already doing one of the more intense programs, like P90X, Turbo Fire or Insanity, I’ll offer up the “plus” DVDs to complete your set.
2nd prize (one winner)
Your choice of one of the following BeachBody fitness tools:
-A set of resistance bands
-A set of weighted gloves
-A set of ankle weights
-A balance ball
-A set of yoga blocks
-A set of sculpting bands
-A set of push up stands
-A yoga mat
3rd prize (two winners)
-One chocolate and one greenberry Shakeology sample and a Shakeology mixer cup. Yum!
Note: This all might be a little ambitious. I think there might only be two people doing it. Ah, well, good odds for you, yes?
Some important points (at least to me):
-This isn’t a weight loss challenge. This is about establishing some great new habits for the New Year. If you can make a change for six weeks, it becomes a habit (I swear, I didn’t make that up, I read it somewhere, which means it’s true).
-Even though it isn’t about weight loss, I think you will see changes. To that end, I encourage you to weigh yourself and take your measurements today or tomorrow so you have something to benchmark against. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
-I will make every attempt to post every day during the challenge, answer any questions or comments, and post my own daily accountability and weekly goals. I’m also doing another challenge with some local friends that involves cash—yikes! As in, if I don’t make my goals, I lose my money to the kitty. If I do make my goals, I share in the kitty. Motivation, to be sure. New shoes could be at stake here.
-I’ll be posting some tips and suggestions here, there and everywhere.
As for today, my accountability is:
I started a new program, TurboFire, with two workouts called Fire 30 and Stretch 10. I’m feelin’ it.
Food
Breakfast: two eggs, 1 piece gluten free bread, 1 orange = 331.9 calories
Snack: apple, 1/4 cup cashews = 229.5 calories
Lunch: salad that was made up of two cups greens, one Roma tomato, 1/2 cup cucumber, 1 tbl. low fat feta cheese, 5 kalamata olives, 1 tbl. red onion, 1 tbl. olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, 1 tin anchovies (I know, gross, but I love them), 1/2 cup fake crabmeat (gross, but I love that, too) = 397.6 calories
Snack: Chocolate Shakeology, 1 cup almond milk = 200 calories
Dinner: 1 cup green beans (canned. Why do I love canned green beans? Beats me.), 1.5 cups homemade tuna casserole (I’m sort of guessing on the total since it’s homemade) = 550.6 calories.
Total calories for the day: 1709.6 (per BodyBugg’s calorie tracking)
Total calories burned as of 8:02pm MST: 1884 (I should hit my 500 calorie deficit goal)
Questions, comments, concerns? You can post in the comments section or e-mail me at nrooney@centurytel.net.
OK, let’s do this…no excuses.
Challenge Dates: Monday, January 3 – Saturday, January 29
By the way, remember how I said I was going to set up a Facebook page for us to use? Well, because I am apparently a technical ding dong, I have been working on that and it’s not actually working. I don’t know what the deal is. I’ll keep working on it and when I get it up and running, I’ll let you know. Until then, if you are taking part, post your accountability in the comments section for this blog…
The Details/Rules/Requirements--whatever:
-You will follow some sort of fitness plan. If you are doing a BeachBody program that has you on 5 or 6 workouts a week, you do that. You are welcome to design your own program to walk or run or whatever, but you have to do it for at least 30 minutes, 5 days a week.
-To be eligible for prizes, you can post in the comments section here, or eventually on the Facebook page, your daily accountability--the workout you did, what you ate. It can be very simple and might look like this:
Workout: 30 minute walk
Breakfast: oatmeal, milk
Snack: banana and peanut butter
Lunch: tuna, greens, tomato, cucumber
Snack: apple, cashews
Dinner: Salmon, sweet potato, green beans
That’s it. So easy.
-You don't have to track your calories, but I highly recommend you do so. It's very enlightening! There are a zillion choices of sites to track your calories. My Fitness Pal is one such choice. It’s free. I used that one before I got a BodyBugg. I also suggest weighing and measuring your food to help with portion control. I still do it…
-You have a 3-day window in which to log your workouts and food. That way, if you’re out of town--say at a hockey tournament--and don’t have an Internet connection, you can remain eligible for the prizes. So, today’s Monday. You have until Thursday to report in on your food and workouts for today.
-We're on the honor system.
Prizes:
And now on to the good stuff. Those who fulfill the requirements of adhering to their exercise plan and posting their info each day for the next four weeks per the rules above will go into a drawing for:
1st prize (one winner)
Your choice of one of the following intro level BeachBody programs:
-Slim in 6
-TurboJam or TurboJam Fat Burning Elite
-Brazil Butt Lift
-Hip Hop Abs
-Yoga Booty Ballet
-Power 90 or Power 90 Masters Series
OR, if you’re already doing one of the more intense programs, like P90X, Turbo Fire or Insanity, I’ll offer up the “plus” DVDs to complete your set.
2nd prize (one winner)
Your choice of one of the following BeachBody fitness tools:
-A set of resistance bands
-A set of weighted gloves
-A set of ankle weights
-A balance ball
-A set of yoga blocks
-A set of sculpting bands
-A set of push up stands
-A yoga mat
3rd prize (two winners)
-One chocolate and one greenberry Shakeology sample and a Shakeology mixer cup. Yum!
Note: This all might be a little ambitious. I think there might only be two people doing it. Ah, well, good odds for you, yes?
Some important points (at least to me):
-This isn’t a weight loss challenge. This is about establishing some great new habits for the New Year. If you can make a change for six weeks, it becomes a habit (I swear, I didn’t make that up, I read it somewhere, which means it’s true).
-Even though it isn’t about weight loss, I think you will see changes. To that end, I encourage you to weigh yourself and take your measurements today or tomorrow so you have something to benchmark against. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
-I will make every attempt to post every day during the challenge, answer any questions or comments, and post my own daily accountability and weekly goals. I’m also doing another challenge with some local friends that involves cash—yikes! As in, if I don’t make my goals, I lose my money to the kitty. If I do make my goals, I share in the kitty. Motivation, to be sure. New shoes could be at stake here.
-I’ll be posting some tips and suggestions here, there and everywhere.
As for today, my accountability is:
I started a new program, TurboFire, with two workouts called Fire 30 and Stretch 10. I’m feelin’ it.
Food
Breakfast: two eggs, 1 piece gluten free bread, 1 orange = 331.9 calories
Snack: apple, 1/4 cup cashews = 229.5 calories
Lunch: salad that was made up of two cups greens, one Roma tomato, 1/2 cup cucumber, 1 tbl. low fat feta cheese, 5 kalamata olives, 1 tbl. red onion, 1 tbl. olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, 1 tin anchovies (I know, gross, but I love them), 1/2 cup fake crabmeat (gross, but I love that, too) = 397.6 calories
Snack: Chocolate Shakeology, 1 cup almond milk = 200 calories
Dinner: 1 cup green beans (canned. Why do I love canned green beans? Beats me.), 1.5 cups homemade tuna casserole (I’m sort of guessing on the total since it’s homemade) = 550.6 calories.
Total calories for the day: 1709.6 (per BodyBugg’s calorie tracking)
Total calories burned as of 8:02pm MST: 1884 (I should hit my 500 calorie deficit goal)
Questions, comments, concerns? You can post in the comments section or e-mail me at nrooney@centurytel.net.
OK, let’s do this…no excuses.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Happy New Year! Challenge Starting Jan. 3!
OK, I'm trapped in Colorado Springs at a hockey tournament and without an Internet connection (I finally came to the hotel business center) which means I haven't set up a Facebook page for the challenge like I planned. I'll get everything set up on Monday, Jan. 3, and post all of the official rules, but we all need to hit the ground running on Monday morning, Jan. 3.
So, get your rear out of bed, get your workout in, plan on eating well, and I'll have the final details up on Monday.
Until then, use the following as your guideline (repeated from an earlier post):
-This first challenge will be four weeks long
-To be eligible, you will post in the comments section here or on the Facebook page I intend to set up, probably at the very last minute, your daily accountability--the workout you did, what you ate
-You will follow some sort of plan. If you are doing a BeachBody program that has you on 5 or 6 workouts a week, you do that. You are welcome design your own program to walk or run or whatever, but you have to do it for at least 30 minutes, 5 days a week.
-You don't have to track your calories, but I highly recommend you do so. It's very enlightening!
-There will be prizes!
-We're on the honor system. I won't be watching you from secret cameras planted at your house. Or maybe I will...
So, just something to think about. More details to come. Let me know if you have questions.
"See" you on Monday. I will be up bright and early doing Day 1, Week 1 of TurboFire so be there!
So, get your rear out of bed, get your workout in, plan on eating well, and I'll have the final details up on Monday.
Until then, use the following as your guideline (repeated from an earlier post):
-This first challenge will be four weeks long
-To be eligible, you will post in the comments section here or on the Facebook page I intend to set up, probably at the very last minute, your daily accountability--the workout you did, what you ate
-You will follow some sort of plan. If you are doing a BeachBody program that has you on 5 or 6 workouts a week, you do that. You are welcome design your own program to walk or run or whatever, but you have to do it for at least 30 minutes, 5 days a week.
-You don't have to track your calories, but I highly recommend you do so. It's very enlightening!
-There will be prizes!
-We're on the honor system. I won't be watching you from secret cameras planted at your house. Or maybe I will...
So, just something to think about. More details to come. Let me know if you have questions.
"See" you on Monday. I will be up bright and early doing Day 1, Week 1 of TurboFire so be there!
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