Had a good weekend. It went by so quickly! Friday night I went and picked up my new bike!! Stephen worked from home so he made dinner (which is the first time he's ever made me dinner that wasn't cereal)!! Being a guy he made turkey sausages, baked beans, and corn on the grill. It was delicious and it was nice to not have to worry about dinner for a change. Friday night we just hung out and watched CSI (we've started getting them on Netflix...we're only on the first season). Saturday morning we got up and ran our errands (grocery store, Target, Trader Joe's, etc.) then picked up Stephen's new bike!! We ran home and ate some quick lunch and then went on our first bike ride!! It was so much fun! We were gone for about 3 hours but when I mapped out our path it was about 10 miles. It was so awesome to just explore the area around where we live and find all these parks and trails we didn't even know existed!! After our bike ride, we went out to eat dinner and had a really good conversation about jobs and grad school (for me). I had a glass of wine before dinner (while waiting for our table) and then we split a bottle of wine...too much wine!! I definitely felt a little sluggish yesterday. Then Sunday we did laundry and cleaned the apartment. We wanted to go for another bike ride but yesterday was cold and gray outside. :( So instead we went to the movie and saw "The Bank Job." It was a pretty good movie. It's based on a true story so that made it even more interesting. Then we watched basketball and got ready for our week. I definitely went over my calories Saturday and Sunday but I'm back on track today and I'm looking forward to my run at lunch. I'm seriously considering doing a half-marathon in the fall plus I put some new music on my MP3 player so I'm excited to rock and run!!
I was at work early this morning (before 7). Since we're leaving on Thursday to go skiing, I feel like I need to make some major progress on some of these projects before I'm gone. Plus I have a dentist appointment this afternoon (yuck!) so I'll need to leave early.
Alrighty, have a great Monday everyone!
Monday, March 31, 2008
Friday, March 28, 2008
Yeah, It's Friday!!
This week's weigh-in: 178.6
Last week's weight: 181.2
Change: -2.6 lbs!!!!
Total change during ski trip challenge: -4.2 lbs
Well, I wasn't quite expecting such a great loss this week...I have been running and eating like planned but that's a big loss for me! I'll take it! My major goal for this week is to increase my calories up to an average of 2000. I'm doing this for a couple of reasons: 1) my BMR is 1800 calories a day and I should never be going below that and 2) I've increased my weekly running mileage by a significant amount (about twice what I used to average) and I can eat 200 more calories a day without damaging my weightloss. I'm going to try it through April and see what happens.
But I'm really, really glad it's Friday! This week at work has been crazy! (Which is saying a lot because usually I'm twiddling my thumbs.) I now have 4 ongoing projects...they're all in the same industry but still 4 projects! I nearly went crazy yesterday because as soon as I'd start working on one project, someone would stop by and want to talk about another project and so I'd switch over to the second project and then another person would stop by and talk about the 3rd project...I felt like I didn't get a whole lot done because I was just bouncing from project to project. Add that to the fact that my two night classes start in a couple of weeks so I'm trying to get some reading/studying done before the first meeting (yeah, I'm the nerd that the first day of class already has the first chapter read and outlined and answered some of the end of chapter problems...but learning makes me happy!!). Anyways, busy but it's nice for a change! Makes me feel productive and needed. I'm definitely not complaining.
We've got a bit of busy weekend (for us, anyways). Lots of errands to run to get ready for our ski trip and I'm trying my hand at making homemade granola bars (I'll let you know how it goes). Plus we're buying our bikes tomorrow so as long as it's not raining on Sunday, we'll be going for a ride! I think I'm going to end up going with the more expensive bike but I'm still a bit undecided. Oh, and my alma mater's (Oklahoma State) women's basketball team plays in the NCAA women's tournament Sweet 16 on Saturday! Go Cowgirls!!
Last night I tried another new recipe (I've tried 4 new ones this week!) and again, it was so yummy (4 for 4 this week, yes!). I'll post below. I actually didn't make any changes to the recipe so no notes or modifications this time.
Risotto with Italian Sausage, Caramelized Onions, and Bitter Greens
Ingredients
4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup water
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 cups chopped onion (about 1 large)
2 teaspoons sugar
8 ounces sweet turkey Italian sausage
1/4 cup chopped shallots
1 cup Arborio rice or other medium-grain rice
1/3 cup white wine
2 cups arugula leaves
3 tablespoons freshly grated pecorino Romano cheese
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
Preparation
1. Bring broth and 1/2 cup water to a simmer in a medium saucepan (do not boil). Keep warm over low heat.
2. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion and sugar to pan; sauté 7 minutes or until onion is golden. Place onion mixture in a small bowl; set aside.
3. Removing casings from sausage. Add sausage to pan; sauté 4 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Add chopped shallots; sauté 2 minutes. Add Arborio rice; sauté 30 seconds. Stir in white wine; cook 45 seconds or until liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly. Stir in 1 cup hot broth; cook 2 minutes or until the liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly. Add remaining broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until each portion of broth is absorbed before adding the next (about 20 minutes total). Remove from heat; stir in reserved onion, arugula, and remaining ingredients.
Yield
4 servings (serving size: 1 cup)
Nutritional Information
CALORIES 390(24% from fat); FAT 10.3g (sat 3.6g,mono 3.6g,poly 1.4g); PROTEIN 21.1g; CHOLESTEROL 54mg; CALCIUM 104mg; SODIUM 900mg; FIBER 4.4g; IRON 2.4mg; CARBOHYDRATE 53.1g
Last week's weight: 181.2
Change: -2.6 lbs!!!!
Total change during ski trip challenge: -4.2 lbs
Well, I wasn't quite expecting such a great loss this week...I have been running and eating like planned but that's a big loss for me! I'll take it! My major goal for this week is to increase my calories up to an average of 2000. I'm doing this for a couple of reasons: 1) my BMR is 1800 calories a day and I should never be going below that and 2) I've increased my weekly running mileage by a significant amount (about twice what I used to average) and I can eat 200 more calories a day without damaging my weightloss. I'm going to try it through April and see what happens.
But I'm really, really glad it's Friday! This week at work has been crazy! (Which is saying a lot because usually I'm twiddling my thumbs.) I now have 4 ongoing projects...they're all in the same industry but still 4 projects! I nearly went crazy yesterday because as soon as I'd start working on one project, someone would stop by and want to talk about another project and so I'd switch over to the second project and then another person would stop by and talk about the 3rd project...I felt like I didn't get a whole lot done because I was just bouncing from project to project. Add that to the fact that my two night classes start in a couple of weeks so I'm trying to get some reading/studying done before the first meeting (yeah, I'm the nerd that the first day of class already has the first chapter read and outlined and answered some of the end of chapter problems...but learning makes me happy!!). Anyways, busy but it's nice for a change! Makes me feel productive and needed. I'm definitely not complaining.
We've got a bit of busy weekend (for us, anyways). Lots of errands to run to get ready for our ski trip and I'm trying my hand at making homemade granola bars (I'll let you know how it goes). Plus we're buying our bikes tomorrow so as long as it's not raining on Sunday, we'll be going for a ride! I think I'm going to end up going with the more expensive bike but I'm still a bit undecided. Oh, and my alma mater's (Oklahoma State) women's basketball team plays in the NCAA women's tournament Sweet 16 on Saturday! Go Cowgirls!!
Last night I tried another new recipe (I've tried 4 new ones this week!) and again, it was so yummy (4 for 4 this week, yes!). I'll post below. I actually didn't make any changes to the recipe so no notes or modifications this time.
Risotto with Italian Sausage, Caramelized Onions, and Bitter Greens
Ingredients
4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup water
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 cups chopped onion (about 1 large)
2 teaspoons sugar
8 ounces sweet turkey Italian sausage
1/4 cup chopped shallots
1 cup Arborio rice or other medium-grain rice
1/3 cup white wine
2 cups arugula leaves
3 tablespoons freshly grated pecorino Romano cheese
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
Preparation
1. Bring broth and 1/2 cup water to a simmer in a medium saucepan (do not boil). Keep warm over low heat.
2. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion and sugar to pan; sauté 7 minutes or until onion is golden. Place onion mixture in a small bowl; set aside.
3. Removing casings from sausage. Add sausage to pan; sauté 4 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Add chopped shallots; sauté 2 minutes. Add Arborio rice; sauté 30 seconds. Stir in white wine; cook 45 seconds or until liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly. Stir in 1 cup hot broth; cook 2 minutes or until the liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly. Add remaining broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until each portion of broth is absorbed before adding the next (about 20 minutes total). Remove from heat; stir in reserved onion, arugula, and remaining ingredients.
Yield
4 servings (serving size: 1 cup)
Nutritional Information
CALORIES 390(24% from fat); FAT 10.3g (sat 3.6g,mono 3.6g,poly 1.4g); PROTEIN 21.1g; CHOLESTEROL 54mg; CALCIUM 104mg; SODIUM 900mg; FIBER 4.4g; IRON 2.4mg; CARBOHYDRATE 53.1g
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Test Results!!!
Alright so here are my test results:
Body fat percentage: 31.9%
Normal: 20-26%
Fat lbs: 57.3
Normal: 33-42
Water percentage: 46%
Normal: 50-60%
BMR: 1771
BMR/Weight: 9.8 kcal/lb
Suggested Average Daily Calories to Maintain: 2479
BMI: 27.3
Normal: 20-25
My thoughts: Overall, right along the lines of where I thought I was. I was actually pleasantly surprised by my body fat percentage--I thought it would be higher. My goal is to eat 1800 calories per day, on average. So the test affirmed that I'm eating right at my BMR and about 700 calories less than my suggested intake (and that's not including any exercise, just day-to-day activities). I might play around with increasing my calories a bit since I'm eating right at my BMR. I don't want to kill my metabolism!
Body fat percentage: 31.9%
Normal: 20-26%
Fat lbs: 57.3
Normal: 33-42
Water percentage: 46%
Normal: 50-60%
BMR: 1771
BMR/Weight: 9.8 kcal/lb
Suggested Average Daily Calories to Maintain: 2479
BMI: 27.3
Normal: 20-25
My thoughts: Overall, right along the lines of where I thought I was. I was actually pleasantly surprised by my body fat percentage--I thought it would be higher. My goal is to eat 1800 calories per day, on average. So the test affirmed that I'm eating right at my BMR and about 700 calories less than my suggested intake (and that's not including any exercise, just day-to-day activities). I might play around with increasing my calories a bit since I'm eating right at my BMR. I don't want to kill my metabolism!
Test Day Thursday
Cannot wait until my body composition test today at 1 pm! For the best results, I'm not supposed to eat 4 hours before and if I do eat it needs to be light so I made a gigantic smoothie that I've been sipping on all morning long. Since my appointment is at 1 pm, I won't get to do my usual run/walk at lunch but I'm going to try to do a short walk after eating my lunch...it's raining right now though so I might not get to. :(
Last night I made Jerk Pork Burgers with Green Apple Slaw from "Every Day with Rachael Ray" magazine. They were so yummy!! I'm posting the recipe below, with my modifications/notes in green. You definitely need to try this recipe...it's sweet, it's spicy, it's yummy!!
2 granny smith apples, peeled, grated and patted dry, I chopped mine very finely
Grated peel of 1 lemon plus 1 1/2 tablespoons juice
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup chopped chives, I used a little less since mine were dried chives
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup, used Mrs. Butterworth's syrup--not authentic but it's what I had
2 tablespoons Jamaican jerk seasoning, such as McCormick
1 1/2 pounds ground pork, used ground turkey, you could use any ground meat
8 slices applewood smoked bacon, omitted
4 ounces smoked cheddar cheese, thinly sliced, used colby jack since it's what we had
4 kaiser rolls, split and toasted, served mine "naked"--no bun
1. In a medium bowl, toss the apples with the lemon peel and juice. Add the mayonnaise, chives, 1 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup and 1/2 tablespoon jerk seasoning; stir to combine; refrigerate. This sounds like such an odd mixture but it is good! Trust me!
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup and 1 1/2 tablespoons jerk seasoning. Add the ground pork and combine. Shape into four 1-inch-thick patties, pressing your thumb in the center of each to prevent it from bulging.
3. In a large nonstick skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain, reserving the skillet with the drippings. (Again I didn't use any bacon so I completely omitted this part of the recipe.) Cover the bacon with foil to keep warm. Heat the bacon drippings over mediumhigh heat until sizzling. Add the pork patties and cook for 4 minutes; flip, lower the heat to medium and cook for 3 minutes more. Lower the heat to low and top each patty with a quarter of the cheese; cover the skillet and cook until the cheese is melted and the patties are cooked through, about 2 minutes more. You definitely don't have to put the cheese on, the taste was pretty minimal and the star of the recipe is the slaw anyways.
4. Place a pork patty on each toasted roll bottom; top with 2 bacon slices, a quarter of the apple slaw and a roll top.
No nutrition information provided but I estimated my one patty with 1 slice of cheese and one serving of apple slaw at 450 calories.
Today's Menu:
Breakfast and Midmorning Snack: Huge smoothie made with 1 cup skim milk, 1 banana, 2 tbsp ground flax, 6 oz. vanilla yogurt, and about 3 cups of strawberries, blueberries, mango, and pineapple
640 calories, 2 servings dairy, 1/2 serving carbs, 7 servings fruit!!!
Lunch: cashew butter and jelly sandwich, bag of veggies (carrots, green pepper, and grape tomatoes)
450 calories, 1 serving protein, 2 servings veggies, 2 and 1/2 servings carbs
Afternoon Snack: 2 Starbucks espresso truffles
125 calories, 1 serving carbs
Dinner: Italian Sausage, Caramelized Onions, and Bitter Greens Risotto (from last month's Cooking Light), Salad, English Peas, Glass of wine
600 calories, 1/2 serving protein, 3 servings carbs, 4 servings veggies
Activity: Maybe a 3 mile walk at lunch? Depends on the weather.
Last night I made Jerk Pork Burgers with Green Apple Slaw from "Every Day with Rachael Ray" magazine. They were so yummy!! I'm posting the recipe below, with my modifications/notes in green. You definitely need to try this recipe...it's sweet, it's spicy, it's yummy!!
2 granny smith apples, peeled, grated and patted dry, I chopped mine very finely
Grated peel of 1 lemon plus 1 1/2 tablespoons juice
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup chopped chives, I used a little less since mine were dried chives
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup, used Mrs. Butterworth's syrup--not authentic but it's what I had
2 tablespoons Jamaican jerk seasoning, such as McCormick
1 1/2 pounds ground pork, used ground turkey, you could use any ground meat
8 slices applewood smoked bacon, omitted
4 ounces smoked cheddar cheese, thinly sliced, used colby jack since it's what we had
4 kaiser rolls, split and toasted, served mine "naked"--no bun
1. In a medium bowl, toss the apples with the lemon peel and juice. Add the mayonnaise, chives, 1 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup and 1/2 tablespoon jerk seasoning; stir to combine; refrigerate. This sounds like such an odd mixture but it is good! Trust me!
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup and 1 1/2 tablespoons jerk seasoning. Add the ground pork and combine. Shape into four 1-inch-thick patties, pressing your thumb in the center of each to prevent it from bulging.
3. In a large nonstick skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain, reserving the skillet with the drippings. (Again I didn't use any bacon so I completely omitted this part of the recipe.) Cover the bacon with foil to keep warm. Heat the bacon drippings over mediumhigh heat until sizzling. Add the pork patties and cook for 4 minutes; flip, lower the heat to medium and cook for 3 minutes more. Lower the heat to low and top each patty with a quarter of the cheese; cover the skillet and cook until the cheese is melted and the patties are cooked through, about 2 minutes more. You definitely don't have to put the cheese on, the taste was pretty minimal and the star of the recipe is the slaw anyways.
4. Place a pork patty on each toasted roll bottom; top with 2 bacon slices, a quarter of the apple slaw and a roll top.
No nutrition information provided but I estimated my one patty with 1 slice of cheese and one serving of apple slaw at 450 calories.
Today's Menu:
Breakfast and Midmorning Snack: Huge smoothie made with 1 cup skim milk, 1 banana, 2 tbsp ground flax, 6 oz. vanilla yogurt, and about 3 cups of strawberries, blueberries, mango, and pineapple
640 calories, 2 servings dairy, 1/2 serving carbs, 7 servings fruit!!!
Lunch: cashew butter and jelly sandwich, bag of veggies (carrots, green pepper, and grape tomatoes)
450 calories, 1 serving protein, 2 servings veggies, 2 and 1/2 servings carbs
Afternoon Snack: 2 Starbucks espresso truffles
125 calories, 1 serving carbs
Dinner: Italian Sausage, Caramelized Onions, and Bitter Greens Risotto (from last month's Cooking Light), Salad, English Peas, Glass of wine
600 calories, 1/2 serving protein, 3 servings carbs, 4 servings veggies
Activity: Maybe a 3 mile walk at lunch? Depends on the weather.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
It's only Wednesday?
Whew! Yesterday I ran about 3/4 of my 5.5 mile run/walk. I am for sure feeling it in my calves this morning. They are so tight! I would take today off from running but I'll be taking tomorrow off (more about that in a sec) so I'll go today. I'll probably walk more than I did yesterday but I'm planning on the same 5.5 mile path.
Every few months we have health screenings at work. They're totally optional but cost money. There's osteoporosis, heart attack, and stroke screenings. But there's also a body composition test!! It only costs $25 and they do a body fat percentage, water percentage, basil metabolic rate, average daily calorie needs, etc!! So when I found out about this yesterday, I immediately called to set up an appointment. My appointment is at 1 pm so I won't be able to do my lunch run/walk like usual but I'm planning on taking a walk later on in the afternoon (after my test). I'm really excited about this! The only body fat percentage test I've had done is on my home scale and we all know how inaccurate those can be! Plus it will be really cool to know my actual basil metabolic rate and get an "official" idea of where my calories should be. Right now I go on about 1800 a day which is based on all sorts of results from different magazines and online calculators. I'm so excited!! This is so cool!! I also made all kinds of appointments yesterday (eye doctor, reschedule with the psychiatrist, a physical and blood test, etc.). I've been meaning to make some of these appointments for months but I hate talking on the phone so I kept putting them off. But I finally bit the bullet yesterday and called.
Before I forget, here's the Chicken and Sun Dried Tomato Orzo recipe Sara asked for; it's from the April 2008 edition of Eating Well magazine. I halved the recipe and left out the artichoke hearts (Stephen isn't a fan). I also only ended up eating half of my serving--an entire serving was too much for me. I served it with sauteed spinach and roasted asparagus.
Makes 4 servings
ACTIVE TIME: 30 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 30 minutes
EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy
8 ounces orzo, preferably whole-wheat
1 cup water
1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes (not oil-packed), divided
1 plum tomato, diced
1 clove garlic, peeled
3 teaspoons chopped fresh marjoram, divided
1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar
2 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed (1-1 1/4 pounds)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 9-ounce package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
1/2 cup finely shredded Romano cheese, divided
1. Cook orzo in a large saucepan of boiling water until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes or according to package directions. Drain and rinse.
2. Meanwhile, place 1 cup water, 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, plum tomato, garlic, 2 teaspoons marjoram, vinegar and 2 teaspoons oil in a blender. Blend until just a few chunks remain.
3. Season chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook, adjusting the heat as necessary to prevent burning, until golden outside and no longer pink in the middle, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate; tent with foil to keep warm.
4. Pour the tomato sauce into the pan and bring to a boil. Measure out 1/2 cup sauce to a small bowl. Add the remaining 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes to the pan along with the orzo, artichoke hearts and 6 tablespoons cheese. Cook, stirring, until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Divide among 4 plates.
5. Slice the chicken. Top each portion of pasta with sliced chicken, 2 tablespoons of the reserved tomato sauce and a sprinkling of the remaining cheese and marjoram.
NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 457 calories; 12 g fat (3 g sat, 6 g mono); 68 mg cholesterol; 54 g carbohydrate; 36 g protein; 10 g fiber; 372 mg sodium; 546 mg potassium. Nutrition bonus: Folate (34% daily value), Iron (25% dv), Potassium (16% dv), Calcium & Vitamin C (15% dv).3 Carbohydrate ServingsExchanges: 3 starch, 1 vegetable, 3 lean meat, 1/2 fat
Today's dinner: Jerk Pork Burgers with Green Apple Slaw (from Rachael Ray magazine), Sweet Potato fries, Salad, Corn on the cob
Every few months we have health screenings at work. They're totally optional but cost money. There's osteoporosis, heart attack, and stroke screenings. But there's also a body composition test!! It only costs $25 and they do a body fat percentage, water percentage, basil metabolic rate, average daily calorie needs, etc!! So when I found out about this yesterday, I immediately called to set up an appointment. My appointment is at 1 pm so I won't be able to do my lunch run/walk like usual but I'm planning on taking a walk later on in the afternoon (after my test). I'm really excited about this! The only body fat percentage test I've had done is on my home scale and we all know how inaccurate those can be! Plus it will be really cool to know my actual basil metabolic rate and get an "official" idea of where my calories should be. Right now I go on about 1800 a day which is based on all sorts of results from different magazines and online calculators. I'm so excited!! This is so cool!! I also made all kinds of appointments yesterday (eye doctor, reschedule with the psychiatrist, a physical and blood test, etc.). I've been meaning to make some of these appointments for months but I hate talking on the phone so I kept putting them off. But I finally bit the bullet yesterday and called.
Before I forget, here's the Chicken and Sun Dried Tomato Orzo recipe Sara asked for; it's from the April 2008 edition of Eating Well magazine. I halved the recipe and left out the artichoke hearts (Stephen isn't a fan). I also only ended up eating half of my serving--an entire serving was too much for me. I served it with sauteed spinach and roasted asparagus.
Makes 4 servings
ACTIVE TIME: 30 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 30 minutes
EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy
8 ounces orzo, preferably whole-wheat
1 cup water
1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes (not oil-packed), divided
1 plum tomato, diced
1 clove garlic, peeled
3 teaspoons chopped fresh marjoram, divided
1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar
2 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed (1-1 1/4 pounds)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 9-ounce package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
1/2 cup finely shredded Romano cheese, divided
1. Cook orzo in a large saucepan of boiling water until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes or according to package directions. Drain and rinse.
2. Meanwhile, place 1 cup water, 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, plum tomato, garlic, 2 teaspoons marjoram, vinegar and 2 teaspoons oil in a blender. Blend until just a few chunks remain.
3. Season chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook, adjusting the heat as necessary to prevent burning, until golden outside and no longer pink in the middle, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate; tent with foil to keep warm.
4. Pour the tomato sauce into the pan and bring to a boil. Measure out 1/2 cup sauce to a small bowl. Add the remaining 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes to the pan along with the orzo, artichoke hearts and 6 tablespoons cheese. Cook, stirring, until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Divide among 4 plates.
5. Slice the chicken. Top each portion of pasta with sliced chicken, 2 tablespoons of the reserved tomato sauce and a sprinkling of the remaining cheese and marjoram.
NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 457 calories; 12 g fat (3 g sat, 6 g mono); 68 mg cholesterol; 54 g carbohydrate; 36 g protein; 10 g fiber; 372 mg sodium; 546 mg potassium. Nutrition bonus: Folate (34% daily value), Iron (25% dv), Potassium (16% dv), Calcium & Vitamin C (15% dv).3 Carbohydrate ServingsExchanges: 3 starch, 1 vegetable, 3 lean meat, 1/2 fat
Today's dinner: Jerk Pork Burgers with Green Apple Slaw (from Rachael Ray magazine), Sweet Potato fries, Salad, Corn on the cob
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Not much to say
Good morning! Only 9 days until I'll be skiing! I'm excited!! We'll be staying in a condo with a full kitchen so Stephen and I have planned healthy meals to eat. I'm working on putting together a grocery list (in Excel, of course, so that I can sort by section of the grocery store...yeah, I'm a nerd). We'll be there for 4 days but only skiing for 2 since lift tickets are about $80 a day! I'm so looking forward to the hot tubs!! (And skiing, of course.)
And can I just say that I'm annoyed with the weather right now. 19 degrees this morning? Are you kidding me?? It's March, it's spring, why isn't the weather cooperating? Grrrr.
Not much else to say so I'll leave you with my menu for the day.
Today's Menu:
Breakfast: 1 slice whole wheat bread with 1 Tbsp. peanut butter; smoothie made with 1/2 banana, 1 peach, 3 strawberries, 10 or so blueberries, 1/2 cup skim milk, 1 container Stonyfield yogurt, 2 Tbsp. ground flax
550 calories, 1/2 serving protein, 1 and 1/2 servings carbs, 1 and 1/2 servings dairy, 2 servings fruit
Morning Snack: 1 banana
100 calories, 2 servings fruit
Lunch: 1/2 of a serving of last night's Chicken and Sun Dried Tomato Orzo (one portion was a LOT of food!), 1 cup roasted asparagus
300 calories, 1/2 serving protein, 1 serving carbs, 2 servings veggies
Afternoon Snack: Girl Scout cookies
150 calories, 1 and 1/2 servings carbs
Dinner: Baked fish, Brown rice, Haricots Verts and Sweet Lettuce Salad (from last month's Cooking Light magazine), Sauteed leftover haricots verts, Maybe a glass of wine?
400 calories, 1 serving protein, 2 servings carbs, 4 servings veggies
Dessert: 1/2 cup sugar free chocolate pudding, 1/4 cup Kashi Go Lean
125 calories, 1 serving dairy, 1/2 serving carbs
Activity: Run/walk at lunch, 5 miles (only did 3.5 yesterday since I hadn't ran in 10 days)
And can I just say that I'm annoyed with the weather right now. 19 degrees this morning? Are you kidding me?? It's March, it's spring, why isn't the weather cooperating? Grrrr.
Not much else to say so I'll leave you with my menu for the day.
Today's Menu:
Breakfast: 1 slice whole wheat bread with 1 Tbsp. peanut butter; smoothie made with 1/2 banana, 1 peach, 3 strawberries, 10 or so blueberries, 1/2 cup skim milk, 1 container Stonyfield yogurt, 2 Tbsp. ground flax
550 calories, 1/2 serving protein, 1 and 1/2 servings carbs, 1 and 1/2 servings dairy, 2 servings fruit
Morning Snack: 1 banana
100 calories, 2 servings fruit
Lunch: 1/2 of a serving of last night's Chicken and Sun Dried Tomato Orzo (one portion was a LOT of food!), 1 cup roasted asparagus
300 calories, 1/2 serving protein, 1 serving carbs, 2 servings veggies
Afternoon Snack: Girl Scout cookies
150 calories, 1 and 1/2 servings carbs
Dinner: Baked fish, Brown rice, Haricots Verts and Sweet Lettuce Salad (from last month's Cooking Light magazine), Sauteed leftover haricots verts, Maybe a glass of wine?
400 calories, 1 serving protein, 2 servings carbs, 4 servings veggies
Dessert: 1/2 cup sugar free chocolate pudding, 1/4 cup Kashi Go Lean
125 calories, 1 serving dairy, 1/2 serving carbs
Activity: Run/walk at lunch, 5 miles (only did 3.5 yesterday since I hadn't ran in 10 days)
Monday, March 24, 2008
Basketball and Bikes
Hey everyone! I hope you all had a great weekend. Mine was pretty good. I went and test rode a few bikes and I've found two that I absolutely love! The first is a Trek 3700 WSD (Women's Specific Design) and the second is a Trek 4300 WSD. I like the 4300 a little bit better than the 3700 but it's $100 more and by the time you add in a helmet, water bottle, bell, and padded butt shorts--the 4300 is a bit above my price range. I rode a mountain bike a few days ago at another shop but it was a men's (actually the salesperson tried to tell me it was unisex) and it was very uncomfortable. So I rode some hybrids/comfort bikes and liked those but after trying these women's mountain bikes, I'm definitely going with a woman's mountain bike. Stephen's getting a mountain bike so if I get the same type of bike, we'll be able to do the same trails and so forth! I have to wait a couple of weeks before getting my bike but I'm really excited!!
We watched a lot of March Madness basketball this weekend and most of the time had two games going at once (one on the TV and one on the computer). Stephen is entered in 6 betting pools but I don't think he's doing very well at this point...too many upsets. Besides the basketball and bikes, we did the usual errands and running around. Nothing too exciting.
I'm excited to go running today. It's been 10 days since I last ran! I hate that but I also know when I'm doing as much running as I've been doing, my body needs a good rest week every now and then. I'm going to post my menu for today just b/c I know I'm nosy and like to know what other people eat. Note that my calorie counts are close estimates--I count calories but tend to round up to the nearest number ending in a 5 or 0.
Breakfast: 1 serving of Steel cut oats made with 1/2 banana, 1/2 cup skim milk, and 1/6 cup dried cranberries; 1 tbsp cashew butter and 2 tbsp ground flax on top; Cinnabon coffee, black (so yummy!! It's my favorite flavored coffee and I found it at Target this weekend!)
485 calories, 1/2 serving dairy, 2 servings fruit, 2 servings carbs, and 1/2 serving protein
Morning Snack: Fruit Salad (I buy a bunch of fruit on Sundays and make a different fruit salad every day of the week...It's a great way to get in some variety and spread out the more expensive fruits.) Today's mix has 1/2 plum, 1/2 nectarine, 1/2 banana, 3 strawberries, and 10 or so blueberries
100 calories, 2 servings fruit
Lunch: 1 serving Kashi crackers, 2 cups of mixed veggies (carrots, green pepper, grape tomatoes), 2 string cheese sticks, 1/2 cup of ground chickpeas with lemon juice and pepper
450 calories, 1 serving dairy, 2 servings veggies, 1 and 1/2 servings carbs, and 1/2 serving protein
Afternoon Snack: 1 banana or 1 Clif Z bar
100-150 calories, 2 servings fruit or 1 and 1/2 servings carbs
Dinner: Chicken with Sun Dried Tomato Orzo (from the April 2008 edition of Eating Well); Side Salad or Wilted Spinach; Asparagus; one glass of wine
700 calories, 1 serving protein, 4 servings veggies, 3 servings carbs
Activity: Run/Walk at lunch, 5 miles
We watched a lot of March Madness basketball this weekend and most of the time had two games going at once (one on the TV and one on the computer). Stephen is entered in 6 betting pools but I don't think he's doing very well at this point...too many upsets. Besides the basketball and bikes, we did the usual errands and running around. Nothing too exciting.
I'm excited to go running today. It's been 10 days since I last ran! I hate that but I also know when I'm doing as much running as I've been doing, my body needs a good rest week every now and then. I'm going to post my menu for today just b/c I know I'm nosy and like to know what other people eat. Note that my calorie counts are close estimates--I count calories but tend to round up to the nearest number ending in a 5 or 0.
Breakfast: 1 serving of Steel cut oats made with 1/2 banana, 1/2 cup skim milk, and 1/6 cup dried cranberries; 1 tbsp cashew butter and 2 tbsp ground flax on top; Cinnabon coffee, black (so yummy!! It's my favorite flavored coffee and I found it at Target this weekend!)
485 calories, 1/2 serving dairy, 2 servings fruit, 2 servings carbs, and 1/2 serving protein
Morning Snack: Fruit Salad (I buy a bunch of fruit on Sundays and make a different fruit salad every day of the week...It's a great way to get in some variety and spread out the more expensive fruits.) Today's mix has 1/2 plum, 1/2 nectarine, 1/2 banana, 3 strawberries, and 10 or so blueberries
100 calories, 2 servings fruit
Lunch: 1 serving Kashi crackers, 2 cups of mixed veggies (carrots, green pepper, grape tomatoes), 2 string cheese sticks, 1/2 cup of ground chickpeas with lemon juice and pepper
450 calories, 1 serving dairy, 2 servings veggies, 1 and 1/2 servings carbs, and 1/2 serving protein
Afternoon Snack: 1 banana or 1 Clif Z bar
100-150 calories, 2 servings fruit or 1 and 1/2 servings carbs
Dinner: Chicken with Sun Dried Tomato Orzo (from the April 2008 edition of Eating Well); Side Salad or Wilted Spinach; Asparagus; one glass of wine
700 calories, 1 serving protein, 4 servings veggies, 3 servings carbs
Activity: Run/Walk at lunch, 5 miles
Friday, March 21, 2008
I'm back!
Hey everyone! It's good to be back...I've missed you all! I was supposed to get back to DC on Tuesday evening but there was a possible tornado over the Dallas airport--all flights into and out of Dallas were cancelled and I was rebooked to Wednesday. I had my first appointment with my psychiatrist on Wednesday that I had to cancel. I should have been back to work yesterday but I was super tired (and still am) so I stayed home to sleep. But, anyways, I'm back today!!
The trip back was good. I got to see my newest niece and held her for a while. I also got to hang out with my grandma and catch up with her. My mom, sister, and I spent a lot of quality time together and did some major shopping! All in all, it was a good trip. I did get very frustrated with my father (almost to the point of me saying I'm finished with him) and I missed Stephen but otherwise, it was a good trip back.
I weighed in today at 181.2 so only a gain of .6 lbs! I'll take it! I said I was still going to track and get in my workouts but I only tracked until Monday and only went running once (out of the four times I had planned). Oh well, I enjoyed the time with my family and I'm back to tracking today and will get back to running this weekend.
Will catch up with all your blogs soon! Have a great weekend!
The trip back was good. I got to see my newest niece and held her for a while. I also got to hang out with my grandma and catch up with her. My mom, sister, and I spent a lot of quality time together and did some major shopping! All in all, it was a good trip. I did get very frustrated with my father (almost to the point of me saying I'm finished with him) and I missed Stephen but otherwise, it was a good trip back.
I weighed in today at 181.2 so only a gain of .6 lbs! I'll take it! I said I was still going to track and get in my workouts but I only tracked until Monday and only went running once (out of the four times I had planned). Oh well, I enjoyed the time with my family and I'm back to tracking today and will get back to running this weekend.
Will catch up with all your blogs soon! Have a great weekend!
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
A bit of a rant
So first off, I'm leaving tomorrow to go see my fam. I'll try to post my weigh-in in the morning and that will probably be it for me until next Wednesday. I've come up with a "plan" for my trip and have scheduled in runs and workouts while I'm back. My plan for food is to make the best choices I can. There will be one splurge on Mexican food but considering I haven't had good mexican food in months, this splurge will be worth it. My sister (who I'm staying with for the first couple of days) always has tons of snack food around. I've made my own snack pack with Larabars, the Clif kids bars, preportioned baggies of cereal and crackers, and oatmeal packets. This way if I do get a snack attack, I've got better food to eat! I'm also going to bring a couple of oranges with me. I'm still going to track what I'm eating. I plan on making my family dinner one night so we're not eating out for both lunch and dinner every day.
On a great note, I finished that project yesterday. Due to my fantastic Excel skills, I wrote some macros and saved myself a lot of time. I'm glad to be going on vacation and have that project done!!
Here's a rant for you. Today we had a little get together for our bureau. We usually have these every six months or so and they are usually called Bagel Fests. Which I loved b/c I like bagels and these events were close enough together, yet far enough apart, to justify getting a bagel with cream cheese. Well anyways, at the last Bagel Fest, one of the administrative people brought in about a dozen Krispy Kremes on a whim and the doughnuts were gone in literally two minutes. So this time for six month get together, they decided to do a Doughnut Fest instead. I'm slightly annoyed that they changed it but whatever, I can deal. I do like doughnuts but Krispy Kremes are so sugary they almost make me sick. But during the event, our director starts talking about how doughnuts are healthier than bagels and mentions one of the economists who pointed this out to our director. My co-worker Ryan and I just looked at each other, quite flabbergasted. Yes, doughnuts do have less calories than bagels but they also have more fat and sugar than bagels. You're much better off to eat a bagel which has protein and fiber and will fill you up for longer than a doughnut will. Just because something has less calories does not mean it is healthier. Fewer calories and healthy don't always go hand in hand (for example, all the low sugar, low calorie food out there that has no nutritional value whatsoever). And then after the Doughnut Fest, our director sends out an email to everyone in the bureau with the calorie counts for both the doughnuts and the bagels and proclaims, "See the doughnuts ARE healthier." No, they're not!! Ugh, it drives me nuts that people think like this. So completely frustrating. I was really tempted to write back and point out the fat, sugar, protein, and fiber of each food but since this guy's my ultimate boss, that might not be the best job move. (And for the record, I did not have a donut!! I just kept telling myself how sick one would make me feel and I really had no desire to ingest all of that sugar at 9 in the morning.) Anyways, rant's over.
I'll see you lovely ladies next week!
On a great note, I finished that project yesterday. Due to my fantastic Excel skills, I wrote some macros and saved myself a lot of time. I'm glad to be going on vacation and have that project done!!
Here's a rant for you. Today we had a little get together for our bureau. We usually have these every six months or so and they are usually called Bagel Fests. Which I loved b/c I like bagels and these events were close enough together, yet far enough apart, to justify getting a bagel with cream cheese. Well anyways, at the last Bagel Fest, one of the administrative people brought in about a dozen Krispy Kremes on a whim and the doughnuts were gone in literally two minutes. So this time for six month get together, they decided to do a Doughnut Fest instead. I'm slightly annoyed that they changed it but whatever, I can deal. I do like doughnuts but Krispy Kremes are so sugary they almost make me sick. But during the event, our director starts talking about how doughnuts are healthier than bagels and mentions one of the economists who pointed this out to our director. My co-worker Ryan and I just looked at each other, quite flabbergasted. Yes, doughnuts do have less calories than bagels but they also have more fat and sugar than bagels. You're much better off to eat a bagel which has protein and fiber and will fill you up for longer than a doughnut will. Just because something has less calories does not mean it is healthier. Fewer calories and healthy don't always go hand in hand (for example, all the low sugar, low calorie food out there that has no nutritional value whatsoever). And then after the Doughnut Fest, our director sends out an email to everyone in the bureau with the calorie counts for both the doughnuts and the bagels and proclaims, "See the doughnuts ARE healthier." No, they're not!! Ugh, it drives me nuts that people think like this. So completely frustrating. I was really tempted to write back and point out the fat, sugar, protein, and fiber of each food but since this guy's my ultimate boss, that might not be the best job move. (And for the record, I did not have a donut!! I just kept telling myself how sick one would make me feel and I really had no desire to ingest all of that sugar at 9 in the morning.) Anyways, rant's over.
I'll see you lovely ladies next week!
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
New Product Find!
I got into work early this morning. Stephen had to leave around 6 (he has a conference today and needed to do some prep for it) and when he got up at 5:15, I got up as well. In a studio apartment, if one person gets up, the other either gets up or lays in bed extremely frustrated. I piddled around the apartment and took my time getting ready and got to work an hour earlier than normal. Which I don't mind at all. If I had my way, I'd get up at 5 or so everyday and be into work by 7:30, I'm much more productive in the mornings. But Stephen doesn't like to get up that early so we usually get up at 6:30 instead.
I've read on a few blogs about the Clif bars made for kids so when we were in Trader Joe's to pick up Larabars, I picked up two flavors of the Clif Z bars. Here's a picture so you know what they look like:
I got the chocolate chip and chocolate brownie flavors. (There's also a honey graham flavor which I picked up at the grocery store over the weekend and am having today as well as a peanut butter flavor which I haven't seen in any stores.) Both the chocolate chip and chocolate brownie flavors are yummy! They taste like chocolate oatmeal cookies to me! The ingredients are all organic and there's no crazy preservatives, high fructose corn syrup, or partially hydrogenated oils. Honestly, they really taste like cookies! Which is perfect for me b/c I love oatmeal cookies so this is a great way for me to satisfy my inner oatmeal cookie monster and still not consume HFCS or trans fats.
Due to my early morning, I updated my blog and added more of my daily blog reads. I'll be back later to comment. See you later!
Monday, March 10, 2008
Weekend Wrap-Up
This weekend really flew by! Saturday we ran a bunch of errands, cleaned the apartment, and curled up to watch some Netflix and we both fell asleep for about half an hour. It rained all day Saturday so watching movies was perfect! Saturday night we went to poker and didn't get home until 4:30 AM!! We were having so much fun playing cards and catching up with everyone. They also had Guitar Hero so I got to play that for a while...it is so much fun, once I got the hang of it! So Sunday we slept in a bit. I woke up around 9 and couldn't sleep anymore but Stephen slept until noon. While he was sleeping, I got to watch the Food Network! I also got caught up on some budgeting and just chilled. When he got up, we did laundry, showered, and ate lunch. Then we went to look at some more bikes for Stephen. We didn't test ride any this weekend...it was pretty cold on Sunday and Saturday was all rainy and gray. Then ate dinner and went to bed early. I actually wasn't too tired on Sunday (after only getting 4 hours of sleep Saturday night) but today it hit me and I've been tired all day.
So no workouts this weekend. :( We could've gone on Saturday but we just didn't and then Sunday we both had no energy. It's okay, I think both of our bodies were tired. Food this weekend was okay. Saturday night during poker, I was so snacky. It was more food (and alcohol) than I planned to consume, but it's okay. No biggie. I'm back on track today.
Well, I'm trying to finish this project before I leave on Thursday but I'm not sure that's going to happen as it looks like the last 25% of the project is going to take me at least twice as long as I'd thought to complete. Talk to you later!
So no workouts this weekend. :( We could've gone on Saturday but we just didn't and then Sunday we both had no energy. It's okay, I think both of our bodies were tired. Food this weekend was okay. Saturday night during poker, I was so snacky. It was more food (and alcohol) than I planned to consume, but it's okay. No biggie. I'm back on track today.
Well, I'm trying to finish this project before I leave on Thursday but I'm not sure that's going to happen as it looks like the last 25% of the project is going to take me at least twice as long as I'd thought to complete. Talk to you later!
Friday, March 7, 2008
Finally Friday!
Well, boo to Oklahoma State...we lost the game Wednesday night. Our chances of making it to the NCAA tournament are slim to none now. But I won't talk about the game b/c I'll just get upset so moving on...
I didn't get a chance to post yesterday. We woke up and I did the actual work I needed to do first thing (which took a couple of hours) and then we went to several bike shops and looked around. We both find a couple of bikes we're interested in so I'm going to do more research today about the ones I like and then sometime over the weekend we're going to test ride a few. I have to pat myself on the back for hitting the gym yesterday afternoon. Stephen decided he wasn't going to go and it sounded so tempting to stay in the apartment and laze around but I thought of how great I would feel once I was done and how hard I've worked this week and before I could change my mind, I changed my clothes, grabbed my MP3 player and hit the gym! I did 20 minutes of weights and since there was no one else there (!), I turned the TV to the food network and hopped on the elliptical for 45 minutes. I felt so great once I was done! Plus I got to watch cooking which I hardly ever get to do. Which brings me to this morning's weigh in. 180.8! A difference of 1.4 lbs since last Friday! (I never mentioned this but I maintained last week due to the beginning of TOM.) I'm very happy with this! I will have to weigh in on Thursday next week since I'm heading back to Oklahoma for a long weekend but I want to still post a loss before I leave so I'll be working hard to make sure that happens.
Not too much going on this weekend, the typical errands and such. We have a poker night tomorrow night which should be fun. We'll eat dinner there (which is going to be BBQ, I think). There will also be lots of snacky foods and alcohol. My plan is to have two drinks, most likely beers, and eat whatever lean meats and veggies are served. If the cookie/brownie/dessert options look good and worth it, I'll have one or split two with Stephen.
Sara asked the other day if I'd thought about running any races this summer and I've thought about it but I can't decide. When I've tried to train for races before, running felt like it became a chore and it was less fun for me. I'm still keeping the idea of a race in my mind but for now I'm just enjoying running and challenging myself. I don't want to ruin that.
I hope everyone has a great weekend!
I didn't get a chance to post yesterday. We woke up and I did the actual work I needed to do first thing (which took a couple of hours) and then we went to several bike shops and looked around. We both find a couple of bikes we're interested in so I'm going to do more research today about the ones I like and then sometime over the weekend we're going to test ride a few. I have to pat myself on the back for hitting the gym yesterday afternoon. Stephen decided he wasn't going to go and it sounded so tempting to stay in the apartment and laze around but I thought of how great I would feel once I was done and how hard I've worked this week and before I could change my mind, I changed my clothes, grabbed my MP3 player and hit the gym! I did 20 minutes of weights and since there was no one else there (!), I turned the TV to the food network and hopped on the elliptical for 45 minutes. I felt so great once I was done! Plus I got to watch cooking which I hardly ever get to do. Which brings me to this morning's weigh in. 180.8! A difference of 1.4 lbs since last Friday! (I never mentioned this but I maintained last week due to the beginning of TOM.) I'm very happy with this! I will have to weigh in on Thursday next week since I'm heading back to Oklahoma for a long weekend but I want to still post a loss before I leave so I'll be working hard to make sure that happens.
Not too much going on this weekend, the typical errands and such. We have a poker night tomorrow night which should be fun. We'll eat dinner there (which is going to be BBQ, I think). There will also be lots of snacky foods and alcohol. My plan is to have two drinks, most likely beers, and eat whatever lean meats and veggies are served. If the cookie/brownie/dessert options look good and worth it, I'll have one or split two with Stephen.
Sara asked the other day if I'd thought about running any races this summer and I've thought about it but I can't decide. When I've tried to train for races before, running felt like it became a chore and it was less fun for me. I'm still keeping the idea of a race in my mind but for now I'm just enjoying running and challenging myself. I don't want to ruin that.
I hope everyone has a great weekend!
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Go Pokes!
Well it always seems that when I have a great night of sleep, the next night is not such a great night. Which is what happened last night. I woke up about 12:30 when it started raining outside (the last few nights the temp has only dropped down to 55 degrees so we've been sleeping with the patio door open). And once I wake up, I usually have a hard time falling back asleep. I finally conked out again around 2 but I hate it when I don't get a good solid night of sleep...it makes my running suck. Which is what happened today. I still went for my 5.5 mile loop but I walked 2/3 and ran 1/3. Somewhat disappointing but the weather was nice so I enjoyed being outside with the sun and soakin' up some rays!
Tonight is a basketball watch party with my Oklahoma State alumni group...Okla State plays Oklahoma (our in state rivals and hence, the title of today's post, it's a very big game!). Stephen and I are going home first to eat and then we'll subway back in for the game since it doesn't start until 8. (We'll both be working from home tomorrow since we won't get to bed until around midnight tonight.) My plan is to have one drink and maybe share an appetizer with Stephen, depending on if we're hungry. It should be a good game!
Tonight is a basketball watch party with my Oklahoma State alumni group...Okla State plays Oklahoma (our in state rivals and hence, the title of today's post, it's a very big game!). Stephen and I are going home first to eat and then we'll subway back in for the game since it doesn't start until 8. (We'll both be working from home tomorrow since we won't get to bed until around midnight tonight.) My plan is to have one drink and maybe share an appetizer with Stephen, depending on if we're hungry. It should be a good game!
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
I love great sleep!!
I got a great night of sleep last night! Stephen and I were both asleep by 8:30! Now we usually go to bed pretty early but 8:30 is early, even for us. I slept so well until about 5:30 this morning. I think it was the 5.5 miles I ran yesterday...it wore me out! It was such a great run yesterday! I didn't run the entire 5.5 miles but alternated running and walking the entire time (probably about 2/3 running and 1/3 walking). I'm going to run the entire thing sometime in March and then I'll start working up to 7 miles and then longer and longer!
Stephen and I are talking about getting bikes (by bikes I mean bicycles, not motorcycles, just to clarify). We're going this weekend to look at several places. He's found a few he's interested in. He knows more about what he's looking for in a bike as he had one in college and almost got one a few years ago. Me, I have no idea what I'm looking for. I've printed off a bunch of info to read. We're not buying anything this weekend, just going to look and ask questions. There are a ton of bike trails in the DC area and having bikes would let us be outside in nice weather and getting exercise, instead of stuck in a gym. So if anyone has any suggestions for bike buying, please let me know!
Stephen and I are talking about getting bikes (by bikes I mean bicycles, not motorcycles, just to clarify). We're going this weekend to look at several places. He's found a few he's interested in. He knows more about what he's looking for in a bike as he had one in college and almost got one a few years ago. Me, I have no idea what I'm looking for. I've printed off a bunch of info to read. We're not buying anything this weekend, just going to look and ask questions. There are a ton of bike trails in the DC area and having bikes would let us be outside in nice weather and getting exercise, instead of stuck in a gym. So if anyone has any suggestions for bike buying, please let me know!
Monday, March 3, 2008
The Weekend Wrap-Up
The weekend was good for me. As you can see below, I got my haircut on Friday. I was planning to have a "Marissa" day and get a pedicure, relax and read at home but Stephen wasn't feeling well on Friday so about an hour after he got to work, I went and picked him up. I was actually okay with it. I got my hair cut (which I love! It's so much faster to fix and there are a few things I want to try with my hair that I couldn't do when it was longer. The only downside is that I can't pull it back into a ponytail to run or workout but I put it into two pigtails and it looks pretty cute!) and then we went and saw "No Country for Old Men." The movie was okay. I think b/c everyone was talking about how good it is, I was expecting better. I wasn't that impressed.
Saturday and Sunday we did our usual errands and running around. Saturday afternoon we hit the gym for an hour and a half. Yesterday it was super sunny outside (still chilly, temperature wise) so we went on a walk and played frisbee. It was so nice to be outside and not be all bundled up in hats and gloves. My eating this weekend wasn't so great. Friday we ate out for lunch before my hair appointment and Saturday we ate out for both lunch and dinner. But I'm not beating myself up over it...we don't eat out at all during the week. But I really don't like eating out twice in one day, especially when we did have food at home. But, oh well.
I'm looking forward to running today at lunch. It's supposed to be near 50 degrees so it'll be nice running weather. Alright, time to get some work done.
Saturday and Sunday we did our usual errands and running around. Saturday afternoon we hit the gym for an hour and a half. Yesterday it was super sunny outside (still chilly, temperature wise) so we went on a walk and played frisbee. It was so nice to be outside and not be all bundled up in hats and gloves. My eating this weekend wasn't so great. Friday we ate out for lunch before my hair appointment and Saturday we ate out for both lunch and dinner. But I'm not beating myself up over it...we don't eat out at all during the week. But I really don't like eating out twice in one day, especially when we did have food at home. But, oh well.
I'm looking forward to running today at lunch. It's supposed to be near 50 degrees so it'll be nice running weather. Alright, time to get some work done.
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