Really, I don't know what my deal is lately but I just feel tired and unmotivated to even come to work. I'm very excited to get my alone time in about 2 1/2 weeks and then go on vacation for 3 1/2 weeks!! We did hear some disappointing news about our vacation this weekend. Stephen's family owns a cabin in Ontario (on Clearwater Lake) and that's where we're going for vacation. Both Stephen's dad and his aunt own the cabin and property. Last summer when we went up Stephen's aunt and her family weren't there (they came up at a different time). This summer they will be there and their 3 kids are all bringing a friend which puts 11 people up there for 3 weeks (his aunt's family is coming up to the cabin the day after I get there). It's going to be an organizational nightmare. Meals, using boats and skis, sleeping arrangements...it's literally going to be a mess.
The original plan Stephen's aunt's family had was that they were going to be up there through the first week of August...they were going to be there until August 7. We found out yesterday that they are now planning on being there until August 15...the day before we leave. So, yeah, they're going to be there the ENTIRE time I'm there. It ticks me off because Stephen and I decided to go up later this year than we did last year and when we asked everyone back in January/February when we were getting our plane tickets, his aunt's family wasn't going to be up there. And now they are going to be there the ENTIRE time. Obviously, we can't really say anything because it's just as much their cabin as it is Stephen's dad but it's extremely frustrating. Being up there with that many people kind of ruins the whole experience in my opinion (although I've never been there with that many people...but last year was enough of a pain with 7 people there at once). So very, very frustrating. Oh well, nothing I can do but try to be an optimist and say it will be fun.
Today's Plan:
Activity: Run at lunch, 15 minutes yoga
Breakfast: Oatmeal with banana, cinnamon, brown sugar, flax seed, and 1 Tbsp cinnamon raisin PB
Snack: Fruit (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, peach)
Lunch: Salad with 1 hard-boiled egg and honey mustard dressing, Kashi crackers, greek yogurt
Dinner: Teriyaki Pork and Pineapple, Brown Rice, Asparagus
If needed: Kashi GoLean Cookies & Cream bar
Monday, June 30, 2008
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Is it Friday yet?
Not too much to say today. I went running yesterday but ended up walking about 1/2 of my 5.5 miles...my legs were pretty sore from the 7 mile run on Tuesday. I'd like to do 7 miles again today but it's supposed to be pretty humid outside so I may settle for 5.5 miles today. I've been invited to happy hour with some people from work...not quite sure if I'll go or not. I really have to push myself to be social sometimes. But we have another happy hour next week and budget-wise I can really only do one. And the happy hour next week is a going-away thing for someone I work with.
I just finished reading such a good book, "A Year of Fog." It is so good...I actually finished reading it here at work this morning because I couldn't wait to find out the ending.
Today's Plan:
Activity: Run at lunch
Breakfast: english muffin with peanut butter, cantaloupe
Snack: grapes, strawberries, blueberries and Annie's Bunny Grahams or Kashi cereal bar
Lunch: Naan with hummus, 1 low calorie wrap with turkey sandwich meat, huge bag of veggies (peppers, broccoli, carrots, snow peas), orange
Dinner: Leftovers
I just finished reading such a good book, "A Year of Fog." It is so good...I actually finished reading it here at work this morning because I couldn't wait to find out the ending.
Today's Plan:
Activity: Run at lunch
Breakfast: english muffin with peanut butter, cantaloupe
Snack: grapes, strawberries, blueberries and Annie's Bunny Grahams or Kashi cereal bar
Lunch: Naan with hummus, 1 low calorie wrap with turkey sandwich meat, huge bag of veggies (peppers, broccoli, carrots, snow peas), orange
Dinner: Leftovers
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Woohoo!!
Yesterday I went running at lunch. I almost chickened out since my stomach was feeling kind of weird but I told myself that I just had to get out there. If I started running and my tummy felt worse I could walk. But I started running and I didn't want to stop!!! I love that feeling!! So I went 7 miles!! I did have a few walk breaks but they probably only totalled .25 miles of the entire 7!! It was an amazing feeling when I was finished...heck it even felt amazing when I was running!! My legs are somewhat sore today but nothing too bad and the soreness is a good reminder of my accomplishment!!
What wasn't so good about yesterday...I only ate 1600 calories. I'm not sweating about it though because I'm really listening to my body and it wasn't hungry for more food last night. I'm getting away from eating just to fill a quota or an amount and trying to listen to my body and eat when it's hungry and not eat when it's not hungry. I'm sure that today I'll be back up to 1800 calories. It always seems like the day after a long run, my body is refueling itself and I'm more hungry.
Today's Plan:
Activity: Run at lunch (likely 5.5 miles or maybe even shorter)
Breakfast: A bowl of oatmeal that totally hit the spot...1/2 cup oatmeal, 4 tsp brown sugar, lots of cinnamon, 1 banana, 2 Tbsp flax and 1 Tbsp cinnamon raisin PB
Snack: 1/4 cantaloupe, 1/2 cup blueberries, 4 huge strawberries
Lunch: Spinach salad, greek yogurt with jelly, 1 english muffin with 1 slice fat free cheese and 1 Morningstar patty
Dinner: Spicy Pecan Crusted Chicken, Mango Rice, Caprese Salad
What wasn't so good about yesterday...I only ate 1600 calories. I'm not sweating about it though because I'm really listening to my body and it wasn't hungry for more food last night. I'm getting away from eating just to fill a quota or an amount and trying to listen to my body and eat when it's hungry and not eat when it's not hungry. I'm sure that today I'll be back up to 1800 calories. It always seems like the day after a long run, my body is refueling itself and I'm more hungry.
Today's Plan:
Activity: Run at lunch (likely 5.5 miles or maybe even shorter)
Breakfast: A bowl of oatmeal that totally hit the spot...1/2 cup oatmeal, 4 tsp brown sugar, lots of cinnamon, 1 banana, 2 Tbsp flax and 1 Tbsp cinnamon raisin PB
Snack: 1/4 cantaloupe, 1/2 cup blueberries, 4 huge strawberries
Lunch: Spinach salad, greek yogurt with jelly, 1 english muffin with 1 slice fat free cheese and 1 Morningstar patty
Dinner: Spicy Pecan Crusted Chicken, Mango Rice, Caprese Salad
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Well, my weekend was good. I felt so exhausted yesterday that I switched my day off on Friday for yesterday. Don't know why but I was so tired (and it was more than a Monday-morning tiredness). We didn't too much this weekend. We did go see a couple of movies: "Get Smart" (I thought it was pretty funny) and "Kung Fu Panda" (eh).
I did get some bad news Saturday morning...one of my sisters (actually my stepsister) had a house fire Friday night and lost pretty much everything. She's married and they have 3 kids (one that was just born in February). So Stephen and I put together a care package of toys, books, etc to send to my nieces. Luckily, no one was hurt but the way the fire started, the fire marshal said that if they'd been even a minute later realizing their house was on fire, they wouldn't have been able to get to the baby's room and get her out of her crib. Scary stuff.
Today's Plan:
Activity: Run at lunch
Pre-breakfast Breakfast: 1 clif z bar while waiting for the subway at 5:30 this morning
Breakfast: 1 english muffin with 1 slice fat free cheese and 1 morningstar breakfast patty
Snack: 1/4 cantaloupe, 1/2 banana, 1/2 cup strawberries, 1/4 cup blueberries, 1 Kashi cereal bar
Lunch: 1/2 piece whole grain naan, 2 Tbsp hummus, Spinach salad with 1 Tbsp dressing, 1 banana, 1 orange, 1 cup grapes
Dinner: Pork chops with tomato-apricot chutney, mushroom risotto, vegetable chunk salad
I did get some bad news Saturday morning...one of my sisters (actually my stepsister) had a house fire Friday night and lost pretty much everything. She's married and they have 3 kids (one that was just born in February). So Stephen and I put together a care package of toys, books, etc to send to my nieces. Luckily, no one was hurt but the way the fire started, the fire marshal said that if they'd been even a minute later realizing their house was on fire, they wouldn't have been able to get to the baby's room and get her out of her crib. Scary stuff.
Today's Plan:
Activity: Run at lunch
Pre-breakfast Breakfast: 1 clif z bar while waiting for the subway at 5:30 this morning
Breakfast: 1 english muffin with 1 slice fat free cheese and 1 morningstar breakfast patty
Snack: 1/4 cantaloupe, 1/2 banana, 1/2 cup strawberries, 1/4 cup blueberries, 1 Kashi cereal bar
Lunch: 1/2 piece whole grain naan, 2 Tbsp hummus, Spinach salad with 1 Tbsp dressing, 1 banana, 1 orange, 1 cup grapes
Dinner: Pork chops with tomato-apricot chutney, mushroom risotto, vegetable chunk salad
Friday, June 20, 2008
I deserve...
I took a mental health day yesterday. I literally could not face coming into work and so I stayed home. I'd like to come on here and tell you that I did really well but that would be a lie so I'm going to tell you the truth...I ate a lot of food (and I mean a lot) and I did nothing but read and watch TV until time to take my test for class last night. As you all probably know, I've been having trouble with my eating. I have seemingly spiraled out of control. Yesterday I spent some time thinking and trying to figure out where this overwhelming urge to just keep eating is coming from.
Here's my conclusion, after some deep soul-searching--my job. I loathe my job and have for almost the entire time I've been here. I don't like what I do, I don't like the people I work with, I don't feel like part of a team, and on and on. And while these are all valid points, I have to accept full responsibility. I have been here almost 3 years which is about 2 and 1/2 years longer than I should've stayed. I have been unhappy for quite a while and haven't done much to change myself or my environment (granted, I thought I'd be leaving and going to school in the fall but since that's all fallen through, I haven't taken any additional steps to leave). When did I start accepting unhappiness as being acceptable for myself?? I deserve a job that I'm passionate about and a workplace where I feel needed and am a valuable member of a team.
This willingness to accept unhappiness has spilled into other parts of my life, mainly my food choices. Why am I willing to throw away every minute of how great I feel when I eat healthy for a brief moment of a cinnamon roll that isn't even that good?? I deserve to have a healthy, happy body and mind.
By the intervention of God, I heard the perfect Jillian Michaels podcast the other day. She was talking about people who are scared of failure and who are scared of trying to lose weight because if they don't succeed, then they're a failure. She talked about becoming "comfortably numb." That's the way I feel...I feel like I'm comfortable at this weight and at this job. I've made myself numb to the urges I have telling me I can do better and I can be better. This is no way to live! I refuse to live the rest of my life being comfortably numb and not at least trying to be a better person. This is my life and I'm responsible for the choices I make and I deserve to make great choices and to make some mistakes.
Please don't confuse my use of deserve with some kind of entitlement. I'm not entitled to have a fantastic, easy life but I do deserve to have the best life, in all aspects, that I can live. My self-esteem and confidence have taken a major blow by not getting into any grad schools. But, from this moment on, I'm using those rejections to fuel me into getting into schools next year or further down the road. I am a smart, capable person and no amount of rejection from the MITs and NYUs of the world will change that.
So, my plan--I'm hitting the job hunt hard. No waiting until after vacation or until pigs fly or whatever reasons I come up with. I'm doing it now. And if a new job means I can't go to school for a couple more years, then so be it. Things will work out the way they are supposed to and things will happen when they are supposed to. As far as food choices go, I'm doing what makes me happiest and eating clean, unprocessed foods. I'm counting my calories, and yes it sucks but I deserve to be my healthiest and 183 pounds is not my healthiest. I'm not accepting a comfortable feeling as being acceptable anymore. The standard has been raised.
My new mantra is "I deserve my best life." I deserve to make the choices that will get me this best life and I deserve to keep trying to be a better person, inside and out. I will not give up.
Today's Plan:
Activity: Run at lunch
Breakfast: 1/3 cup oatmeal, 1/3 cup skim milk, 1/3 cup yogurt, 1/4 cup each of strawberries, blueberries and raspberries, 2 Tbsp flax
Mid-morning Snack: Vegetarian vegetable soup (weird, I know but I'm craving it right now), Banana
Lunch: 1 serving Kashi crackers, 1 slice fat free cheese, 1 laughing cow wedge, 2 cups grapes, orange, 3 cups spinach with shredded carrots, 1/2 serving apple chips, 2 Tbsp pecans, 1/6 cup dried cherries and 1 Tbsp ginger pear dressing
Afternoon Snack: Haven't been needing one lately
Dinner: ??--definitely at home...will most likely be Moroccan chicken with cherry-pecan rice (never ate this on Wednesday) or spaghetti with meat sauce and a salad
Here's my conclusion, after some deep soul-searching--my job. I loathe my job and have for almost the entire time I've been here. I don't like what I do, I don't like the people I work with, I don't feel like part of a team, and on and on. And while these are all valid points, I have to accept full responsibility. I have been here almost 3 years which is about 2 and 1/2 years longer than I should've stayed. I have been unhappy for quite a while and haven't done much to change myself or my environment (granted, I thought I'd be leaving and going to school in the fall but since that's all fallen through, I haven't taken any additional steps to leave). When did I start accepting unhappiness as being acceptable for myself?? I deserve a job that I'm passionate about and a workplace where I feel needed and am a valuable member of a team.
This willingness to accept unhappiness has spilled into other parts of my life, mainly my food choices. Why am I willing to throw away every minute of how great I feel when I eat healthy for a brief moment of a cinnamon roll that isn't even that good?? I deserve to have a healthy, happy body and mind.
By the intervention of God, I heard the perfect Jillian Michaels podcast the other day. She was talking about people who are scared of failure and who are scared of trying to lose weight because if they don't succeed, then they're a failure. She talked about becoming "comfortably numb." That's the way I feel...I feel like I'm comfortable at this weight and at this job. I've made myself numb to the urges I have telling me I can do better and I can be better. This is no way to live! I refuse to live the rest of my life being comfortably numb and not at least trying to be a better person. This is my life and I'm responsible for the choices I make and I deserve to make great choices and to make some mistakes.
Please don't confuse my use of deserve with some kind of entitlement. I'm not entitled to have a fantastic, easy life but I do deserve to have the best life, in all aspects, that I can live. My self-esteem and confidence have taken a major blow by not getting into any grad schools. But, from this moment on, I'm using those rejections to fuel me into getting into schools next year or further down the road. I am a smart, capable person and no amount of rejection from the MITs and NYUs of the world will change that.
So, my plan--I'm hitting the job hunt hard. No waiting until after vacation or until pigs fly or whatever reasons I come up with. I'm doing it now. And if a new job means I can't go to school for a couple more years, then so be it. Things will work out the way they are supposed to and things will happen when they are supposed to. As far as food choices go, I'm doing what makes me happiest and eating clean, unprocessed foods. I'm counting my calories, and yes it sucks but I deserve to be my healthiest and 183 pounds is not my healthiest. I'm not accepting a comfortable feeling as being acceptable anymore. The standard has been raised.
My new mantra is "I deserve my best life." I deserve to make the choices that will get me this best life and I deserve to keep trying to be a better person, inside and out. I will not give up.
Today's Plan:
Activity: Run at lunch
Breakfast: 1/3 cup oatmeal, 1/3 cup skim milk, 1/3 cup yogurt, 1/4 cup each of strawberries, blueberries and raspberries, 2 Tbsp flax
Mid-morning Snack: Vegetarian vegetable soup (weird, I know but I'm craving it right now), Banana
Lunch: 1 serving Kashi crackers, 1 slice fat free cheese, 1 laughing cow wedge, 2 cups grapes, orange, 3 cups spinach with shredded carrots, 1/2 serving apple chips, 2 Tbsp pecans, 1/6 cup dried cherries and 1 Tbsp ginger pear dressing
Afternoon Snack: Haven't been needing one lately
Dinner: ??--definitely at home...will most likely be Moroccan chicken with cherry-pecan rice (never ate this on Wednesday) or spaghetti with meat sauce and a salad
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
To clarify my brief comment yesterday on not wanting to count calories anymore...it was a temporary "woe is me" thing. I am tired of counting calories but at this point, I can't stop counting. I won't have to count calories for the rest of my life but for right now I do, at least while I'm trying to lose weight and train for a half-marathon. I get jealous of people who don't have to count calories or points but my losing weight isn't about those people, it's about me. And I need to count calories...it keeps me accountable and also helps me to see that I'm giving myself enough fuel for running. When I'm not counting, I'm much more "snacky" and eat out of boredom. When I count calories, I'm more conscious of what I'm eating and why I'm eating it.
I'm so ready for Stephen to be gone for a few days and to have some "Marissa" time. Everytime in the past few weeks when I've tried to stay home to get some alone time, he ends up staying home too or coming home early. I've tried to explain to him that I need my alone time but things are slow where he works at right now and he wants to take things easy when he's able. I have a mental list of the things I'm looking forward to doing once he leaves for Canada. It's mainly stuff like watch the girly movies I've been wanting to see, lay around in bed reading on the weekends, watch the Food Network...all the type of stuff he doesn't like to do. It's still a month before he leaves but I'm excited! Well, I'm not excited to be without him for a week but I am excited to do some things I want to do without having to consult another person.
Today's Plan:
Activity: Run at lunch (probably 5.5 miles)
Breakfast: 2 Trail Mix muffins
Mid-morning Snack: 1 banana, grapes, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries
Lunch: 1 tortilla with 1 wedge Laughing Cow cheese, spinach and carrots; greek yogurt with honey; bag of veggies--red pepper, broccoli, tomatoes
Afternoon Snack: 1 orange, Quaker mini delights
Dinner: Moroccan Chicken with Cherry-Pecan Rice, Peas, Salad
I'm so ready for Stephen to be gone for a few days and to have some "Marissa" time. Everytime in the past few weeks when I've tried to stay home to get some alone time, he ends up staying home too or coming home early. I've tried to explain to him that I need my alone time but things are slow where he works at right now and he wants to take things easy when he's able. I have a mental list of the things I'm looking forward to doing once he leaves for Canada. It's mainly stuff like watch the girly movies I've been wanting to see, lay around in bed reading on the weekends, watch the Food Network...all the type of stuff he doesn't like to do. It's still a month before he leaves but I'm excited! Well, I'm not excited to be without him for a week but I am excited to do some things I want to do without having to consult another person.
Today's Plan:
Activity: Run at lunch (probably 5.5 miles)
Breakfast: 2 Trail Mix muffins
Mid-morning Snack: 1 banana, grapes, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries
Lunch: 1 tortilla with 1 wedge Laughing Cow cheese, spinach and carrots; greek yogurt with honey; bag of veggies--red pepper, broccoli, tomatoes
Afternoon Snack: 1 orange, Quaker mini delights
Dinner: Moroccan Chicken with Cherry-Pecan Rice, Peas, Salad
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Spontaneous weekend at the beach
I know it's only been 4 days but it seems like forever since I've posted! Friday I had off for my AWS day (I have an "alternative work schedule" which means I work 8 9-hour days and one 8-hour day and have every other Friday off). We got invited to go to the beach this weekend so we were spontaneous and went!! Stephen has a friend who owns a house out at Rehoboth Beach in Delaware so it's cheap for us to go out there since we don't have to pay for lodging. It was such a good time! I'm so glad we decided to go...I think we both needed a trip out of DC and a little time relaxing and hanging out. Saturday we went to the beach after the boys did some yard work and maintenance on the house. I cleaned inside the house and got breakfast for everyone. The beach was really fun. We went last year and my first time in the ocean, I got pulled into a wave and got raked over gravel 5 or 6 times before I was able to get out of the wave. I had cuts and scrapes all over my legs, arms, and back. But this time, that didn't happen!! The beach wasn't too crowded and it wasn't too hot outside so it was a good time. We came back on Sunday evening and stopped at the grocery store. Yesterday when we woke up, I had a big headache...I think it was from too much sun over the past week so we stayed home and did some shopping. I'm back at work today and I so do not want to be here. The weekend was fun...not enough exercise and too much food but we had a good time.
It's back to eating healthy and running today. I'm really feeling annoyed with counting calories lately. It just seems so tedious and honestly, I don't want to count calories for the rest of my life. I'm thinking about switching things up for a bit but I'm not quite sure how. I've also got to put together a training schedule for the 1/2 marathon in November. I do love to plan things.
It's back to eating healthy and running today. I'm really feeling annoyed with counting calories lately. It just seems so tedious and honestly, I don't want to count calories for the rest of my life. I'm thinking about switching things up for a bit but I'm not quite sure how. I've also got to put together a training schedule for the 1/2 marathon in November. I do love to plan things.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Sometimes, the first step is the hardest
I went for my run yesterday even though I didn't feel like going. And you know what? I felt a million times better after my run and was so glad I went!! It was so much cooler outside and it felt amazing. I did let myself walk about 1/3 of it but that was because I wanted to enjoy the cooler temperatures!! I've got a 7 mile run planned for today and I'm thinking I will run the entire thing (or at least try my darnedest).
Last night we ended up ordering pizza for dinner b/c neither one of us felt like pork chops. But I did so well...I only ate 2 slices and stayed within my calorie total for the day. But then Stephen wanted cookies so I made some oatmeal cookies for him and was doing so well resisting temptation until about 9 and then I had two. Which put me over my calorie total. It's okay though, no big deal. I am proud of myself for only having two slices of pizza and making us salads to eat with our pizza. I am proud of myself for only having two cookies when I could have easily eaten more.
I am so looking forward to tomorrow. I'm getting my pedicure, manicure, and eyebrow wax that I set up as a reward for my 8 day restart thing. I haven't been perfect but I've been pretty darn close and I deserve this reward. Ahhh, I love when they massage your calves as part of the pedicure...
Today's Plan:
Activity: 7 mile run at lunch
Breakfast: Greek yogurt with jelly stirred in, 2 slices Ezekiel bread, fruit mix of mango, kiwi and pear
Mid-morning Snack: banana, Clif Z bar?
Lunch: Red bell pepper strips, green beans, Turkey and cheddar wrap
Afternoon snack: Popcorn
Snack during class: granola bar or Cheerios
After class: Small bowl of cereal at home if I'm hungry before bed
Last night we ended up ordering pizza for dinner b/c neither one of us felt like pork chops. But I did so well...I only ate 2 slices and stayed within my calorie total for the day. But then Stephen wanted cookies so I made some oatmeal cookies for him and was doing so well resisting temptation until about 9 and then I had two. Which put me over my calorie total. It's okay though, no big deal. I am proud of myself for only having two slices of pizza and making us salads to eat with our pizza. I am proud of myself for only having two cookies when I could have easily eaten more.
I am so looking forward to tomorrow. I'm getting my pedicure, manicure, and eyebrow wax that I set up as a reward for my 8 day restart thing. I haven't been perfect but I've been pretty darn close and I deserve this reward. Ahhh, I love when they massage your calves as part of the pedicure...
Today's Plan:
Activity: 7 mile run at lunch
Breakfast: Greek yogurt with jelly stirred in, 2 slices Ezekiel bread, fruit mix of mango, kiwi and pear
Mid-morning Snack: banana, Clif Z bar?
Lunch: Red bell pepper strips, green beans, Turkey and cheddar wrap
Afternoon snack: Popcorn
Snack during class: granola bar or Cheerios
After class: Small bowl of cereal at home if I'm hungry before bed
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Lots of Running Chatter
Whew! I wore myself out yesterday running 7 miles. It was brutal out there! It really was too hot to run 7 miles. Not too hot to run just too hot to run 7 miles...that's too far for me in 100 degree weather. Someday it won't be too far for me in 100 degree weather but right now, it is. I walked most of the 7 miles yesterday. I felt like I was literally baking out there. I should've put my subway card in the pocket of my hydration belt and then about half way through when I thought I was going to pass out, I could've gotten on the subway to get back to work instead of having to walk the rest of the way. Definitely going to do that next time it's 100 degrees and I'm going for a longer run. Just to be smart and safe.
I have a 5.5 mile run planned for today and the temperature is only supposed to be in the 80s. I told myself yesterday that I could skip today's run but since the weather is a bit cooler, I think I'll go anyways. Now that I've spent two days running/walking when it's 100 degrees, it feels a bit ridiculous to not go when it's 80.
In more running news, I've decided to do a half-marathon in November!!! I've been thinking about it for a while and have talked it over with Stephen. I'm going to do the Rock n Roll Half Marathon in San Antonio on November 16!! I'm already excited!! I plan on doing some 5K and 10K races around DC leading up to the half just to get an idea of the racing atmosphere.
Today's Plan:
Activity: 5.5 mile run at lunch
Breakfast: 1/2 cup oatmeal, 2 Tbsp flax, 1 cup strawberries, 3/4 cup skim milk
Mid-morning Snack: Banana, Mini Luna Bar
Lunch: Cinnamon Raisin PB sandwich on Ezekiel bread, 1 cup skim milk with 2 Tbsp. light chocolate syrup, Cucumber and Orange Salad
Dinner: Pork chop, Salad, Brown Rice
I have a 5.5 mile run planned for today and the temperature is only supposed to be in the 80s. I told myself yesterday that I could skip today's run but since the weather is a bit cooler, I think I'll go anyways. Now that I've spent two days running/walking when it's 100 degrees, it feels a bit ridiculous to not go when it's 80.
In more running news, I've decided to do a half-marathon in November!!! I've been thinking about it for a while and have talked it over with Stephen. I'm going to do the Rock n Roll Half Marathon in San Antonio on November 16!! I'm already excited!! I plan on doing some 5K and 10K races around DC leading up to the half just to get an idea of the racing atmosphere.
Today's Plan:
Activity: 5.5 mile run at lunch
Breakfast: 1/2 cup oatmeal, 2 Tbsp flax, 1 cup strawberries, 3/4 cup skim milk
Mid-morning Snack: Banana, Mini Luna Bar
Lunch: Cinnamon Raisin PB sandwich on Ezekiel bread, 1 cup skim milk with 2 Tbsp. light chocolate syrup, Cucumber and Orange Salad
Dinner: Pork chop, Salad, Brown Rice
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Hydration, Hydration, Hydration!!
I went for my run yesterday at lunch and it was hot, hot, hot!!! Thankfully, I got a hydration belt this weekend so I filled up my water bottles before I left. I kept an eye on my heart rate and when it got above 170, I walked to get it back down for a couple of minutes and then I'd run again. I'd say that of the 5.5 miles, I probably walked half yesterday but I'm not beating myself up about it at all...I'm pretty awesome for just getting out there when I could have easily used the "it's too hot" excuse!! I've got 7 miles planned for today. Running with a hydration belt will take a little getting used to...it does bounce around a little and when the bottles are full, the extra weight seems like it really slows me down (but hard to tell when it's 100+ outside if it's the weight or the temperature). But the benefit of having water right when I need it is well worth the extra hassle it causes. I know someone was asking about hydration belts a few days ago...here's the one I got. I went with this one b/c it has 4 flasks which for longer runs will give me two with water and two for Gatorade or Propel.
And the heat yesterday really took away my appetite for lunch. I only ate my salad and my PB sandwich. I had a bowl of cereal after dinner last night just to get my calories up closer to my goal. I'm going to try to eat more for breakfast (when I'm usually pretty hungry anyways) and dinner and have my lunches be a bit smaller but still as nutrient packed as I can make them. Probably a lot of salads, yogurts, crackers, dry cereal--healthy but light and cool foods. As long as it's this hot outside, I won't have too much trouble not having alcohol during the week. I don't need the dehydration effect of alcohol when I'm literally gulping down water all day.
Today's Plan:
Activity: 7 mile run, 15 minutes of yoga
Breakfast: 2 Kashi GoLean waffles, smoothie made with 1 banana, 1/2 cup frozen pineapple, 1/2 strawberries, 1/2 cup milk and 1/2 cup yogurt
Mid-morning Snack: 1/2 pear, 1/2 apple, kiwi, 1/2 starfruit--never did eat this yesterday
Lunch: 1 greek yogurt with 1 Tbsp jelly, baggie of veggies--cukes, tomatoes, carrots, 1 cup cannelli beans
Afternoon Snack: 90 calorie bag of Quaker Mini's cinnamon streusel flavor
Dinner: Chinese Spaghetti and Meatballs (from Rachael Ray), Side Salad
Have a fantastic day everyone!!
And the heat yesterday really took away my appetite for lunch. I only ate my salad and my PB sandwich. I had a bowl of cereal after dinner last night just to get my calories up closer to my goal. I'm going to try to eat more for breakfast (when I'm usually pretty hungry anyways) and dinner and have my lunches be a bit smaller but still as nutrient packed as I can make them. Probably a lot of salads, yogurts, crackers, dry cereal--healthy but light and cool foods. As long as it's this hot outside, I won't have too much trouble not having alcohol during the week. I don't need the dehydration effect of alcohol when I'm literally gulping down water all day.
Today's Plan:
Activity: 7 mile run, 15 minutes of yoga
Breakfast: 2 Kashi GoLean waffles, smoothie made with 1 banana, 1/2 cup frozen pineapple, 1/2 strawberries, 1/2 cup milk and 1/2 cup yogurt
Mid-morning Snack: 1/2 pear, 1/2 apple, kiwi, 1/2 starfruit--never did eat this yesterday
Lunch: 1 greek yogurt with 1 Tbsp jelly, baggie of veggies--cukes, tomatoes, carrots, 1 cup cannelli beans
Afternoon Snack: 90 calorie bag of Quaker Mini's cinnamon streusel flavor
Dinner: Chinese Spaghetti and Meatballs (from Rachael Ray), Side Salad
Have a fantastic day everyone!!
Monday, June 9, 2008
Day 4 of the 8 day restart
Doing well so far on my 8 day restart!! Friday night we went to a fancy-schmancy place for dinner and drinks...I ended up drinking 4 glasses of wine and going over my calories a bit but nothing I can't make up the rest of the week. Yesterday we got up and went for an 18 mile bike ride. I was so happy to be riding my bike again!! It was pretty hot outside though and I ran out of water so we had to stop and rest for a few minutes because I thought I was going to be sick. But resting for a few minutes and an ice-cold Gatorade from the convenience store made me feel so much better! We did go to the pool a couple of times just to cool off because the heat index was 105 yesterday and Saturday!!
We didn't have air conditioning in our apartment on Friday (the entire building didn't have any)! Super long story but we ended up going to a hotel on Friday night and expect to be reimbursed from the apartment complex. It was 85 degrees in our apartment at 9 Friday night...way too hot to sleep or do anything!! I'd tell you the entire story but it's long...suffice it to say, we notified maintenance at 1 on Friday afternoon and it was 1 Saturday morning before the a/c was fixed (according to them, we weren't there). And of course, there were no management people in the office Friday afternoon or over the weekend. They were probably off enjoying their nice cold a/c at home.
Oh, the cinnamon raisin PB is from a company called Peanut Butter & Co.--they don't carry this brand at my usual grocery store, I had to go to a fancy pants grocery store to get it. And the blueberry cobbler coffee is from a company called New England Coffee and I got it in my regular grocery store.
Today's Plan:
Activity: 5.5 mile run at lunch--it's going to be hot so no trying to break my record or anything crazy like that today
Breakfast: Muesli--1/2 cup oatmeal, 1/2 cup yogurt, 1/2 cup skim milk, 1/2 cup strawberries, 1/4 cup blueberries, 2 Tbsp flax mixed together last night and eaten cold this morning
Mid-morning Snack: 1/2 apple, 1/2 pear, 1 kiwi, 1 banana
Lunch: 1/2 peanut butter sandwich; 2 cups spinach with 1/2 can mandarin oranges, 1/4 english cucumber and fresh mint; 1/2 starfruit; 1 greek yogurt with 2 Tbsp raspberry peach jelly stirred in (may not need all of this--I'll see how the heat affects my appetite)
Afternoon Snack: Annie's Bunny Grahams (24)
Dinner: Chicken, Mango and Pine Nut Salad, Corn on the cob
We didn't have air conditioning in our apartment on Friday (the entire building didn't have any)! Super long story but we ended up going to a hotel on Friday night and expect to be reimbursed from the apartment complex. It was 85 degrees in our apartment at 9 Friday night...way too hot to sleep or do anything!! I'd tell you the entire story but it's long...suffice it to say, we notified maintenance at 1 on Friday afternoon and it was 1 Saturday morning before the a/c was fixed (according to them, we weren't there). And of course, there were no management people in the office Friday afternoon or over the weekend. They were probably off enjoying their nice cold a/c at home.
Oh, the cinnamon raisin PB is from a company called Peanut Butter & Co.--they don't carry this brand at my usual grocery store, I had to go to a fancy pants grocery store to get it. And the blueberry cobbler coffee is from a company called New England Coffee and I got it in my regular grocery store.
Today's Plan:
Activity: 5.5 mile run at lunch--it's going to be hot so no trying to break my record or anything crazy like that today
Breakfast: Muesli--1/2 cup oatmeal, 1/2 cup yogurt, 1/2 cup skim milk, 1/2 cup strawberries, 1/4 cup blueberries, 2 Tbsp flax mixed together last night and eaten cold this morning
Mid-morning Snack: 1/2 apple, 1/2 pear, 1 kiwi, 1 banana
Lunch: 1/2 peanut butter sandwich; 2 cups spinach with 1/2 can mandarin oranges, 1/4 english cucumber and fresh mint; 1/2 starfruit; 1 greek yogurt with 2 Tbsp raspberry peach jelly stirred in (may not need all of this--I'll see how the heat affects my appetite)
Afternoon Snack: Annie's Bunny Grahams (24)
Dinner: Chicken, Mango and Pine Nut Salad, Corn on the cob
Friday, June 6, 2008
Feeling Good!! And I knew that I would!!
My presentation in class went really well last night...I definitely think I got an A!! Compared to everyone else, mine was the best and I'm not just saying that because it's mine, I'm saying that because it's true!! So now we have our final in 2 weeks but our professor gave us a "cheat sheet" of what we need to study and it's almost the exact questions he's going to ask us so it'll be a breeze.
On the food and exercise front, I just haven't been doing well this week. I ran on Monday and that's it. Then for food I've had brownies, cookies, donuts, cake, ice cream, Diet Coke, calzones, lots of wine, just a bunch of processed crap that's not good for my body and my mind. So for the next 8 days I'm going to challenge myself to an 8 day restart. My body just needs to be cleansed of all these chemicals and processed stuff I've been giving it. I felt so gross, icky, tired, and irritable yesterday after 3 days of eating crap. I need a restart so that's what I'm giving myself.
So I sat down and wrote out the next 8 days and my plan for every single day. The general "rules" I'm going to follow during the next 8 days are:
1) No Diet Coke!! I don't even like the taste anymore so why am I drinking it??
2) One processed/artificial food a day. I consider a processed/artificial food to be something with more than 6 or 7 ingredients in it.
3) Alcohol--none during the week. I can have 2 today, 2 tomorrow, 2 on Sunday, and 2 next Friday but none during the weekdays.
4) Vitamins every day!!
5) Exercise schedule--set up for each day.
6) I'm giving myself 3 "cheats" for the next 8 days.
My reward, besides feeling much better mentally and physically, will be a mani/pedi and eyebrow wax next weekend!!
*Side note: I'm not saying there's anything wrong with Diet Coke, processed foods or alcohol but I know for myself, I feel better when I limit the intake of those things. I let them slowly creep back into my diet and then I started consuming just those things. And that makes me feel disgusting.*
Also, I feel as if things in my life (diet, exercise, apartment, office, mind, etc.) have gotten cluttered over the past couple of months so I'm de-cluttering my life. Yesterday afternoon I cleaned my office and Lysol-ed all surfaces. I organized my folders and got the piles of paper on my desk off of my desk. Today I've already cleaned out the fridge and I'm going to de-clutter some other things around my apartment and get things organized a bit better. And get rid of some things I don't need/use. Mentally, I can take on the world when things around me are organized. As for de-cluttering my mind, I've got a hair appointment this morning and getting my hair cut always relaxes me (I'm a bit like a puppy, I love to have my head rubbed).
I've been getting bored with my food lately (which is part of the reason I hit the processed stuff so hard, I was just bored and wanted something new to eat). So I've already been to the grocery store this morning and picked up some "exciting" foods--raspberries, starfruit, greek yogurt, Ezekiel bread, cinnamon raisin peanut butter--to try some new things and to eat some of my favorites that I don't buy that often due to expense. I came home, fixed a breakfast of oatmeal with a side of starfruit and sat outside on the balcony reading the paper and enjoying my breakfast sans computer but with my new favorite coffee flavor, blueberry cobbler. I've got a special but healthy meal planned for dinner tonight with my honey. Life is good!!
Amazing what an action plan can do for a person...yesterday I felt so down-in-the dumps and pessimistic and now with a plan for decluttering my life, I feel fantastic!!
Today's Plan:
Activity: walk or bike ride, yoga (which I've already done this morning)
Breakfast: Oatmeal with 1 banana and 1 Tbsp cinnamon raisin PB, 1/2 starfruit
Snack: Greek yogurt, Quaker mini's--Cinnamon Streusel flavor
Lunch: Strawberry poppyseed salad from Panera
Dinner: Brats or burgers (neither is fantastically healthy but we need to eat them up), Green beans and carrots, Salad, Mini Angel Food Cakes (homemade and already done!) with Berry-Peach sauce (again, homemade and already done!)
On the food and exercise front, I just haven't been doing well this week. I ran on Monday and that's it. Then for food I've had brownies, cookies, donuts, cake, ice cream, Diet Coke, calzones, lots of wine, just a bunch of processed crap that's not good for my body and my mind. So for the next 8 days I'm going to challenge myself to an 8 day restart. My body just needs to be cleansed of all these chemicals and processed stuff I've been giving it. I felt so gross, icky, tired, and irritable yesterday after 3 days of eating crap. I need a restart so that's what I'm giving myself.
So I sat down and wrote out the next 8 days and my plan for every single day. The general "rules" I'm going to follow during the next 8 days are:
1) No Diet Coke!! I don't even like the taste anymore so why am I drinking it??
2) One processed/artificial food a day. I consider a processed/artificial food to be something with more than 6 or 7 ingredients in it.
3) Alcohol--none during the week. I can have 2 today, 2 tomorrow, 2 on Sunday, and 2 next Friday but none during the weekdays.
4) Vitamins every day!!
5) Exercise schedule--set up for each day.
6) I'm giving myself 3 "cheats" for the next 8 days.
My reward, besides feeling much better mentally and physically, will be a mani/pedi and eyebrow wax next weekend!!
*Side note: I'm not saying there's anything wrong with Diet Coke, processed foods or alcohol but I know for myself, I feel better when I limit the intake of those things. I let them slowly creep back into my diet and then I started consuming just those things. And that makes me feel disgusting.*
Also, I feel as if things in my life (diet, exercise, apartment, office, mind, etc.) have gotten cluttered over the past couple of months so I'm de-cluttering my life. Yesterday afternoon I cleaned my office and Lysol-ed all surfaces. I organized my folders and got the piles of paper on my desk off of my desk. Today I've already cleaned out the fridge and I'm going to de-clutter some other things around my apartment and get things organized a bit better. And get rid of some things I don't need/use. Mentally, I can take on the world when things around me are organized. As for de-cluttering my mind, I've got a hair appointment this morning and getting my hair cut always relaxes me (I'm a bit like a puppy, I love to have my head rubbed).
I've been getting bored with my food lately (which is part of the reason I hit the processed stuff so hard, I was just bored and wanted something new to eat). So I've already been to the grocery store this morning and picked up some "exciting" foods--raspberries, starfruit, greek yogurt, Ezekiel bread, cinnamon raisin peanut butter--to try some new things and to eat some of my favorites that I don't buy that often due to expense. I came home, fixed a breakfast of oatmeal with a side of starfruit and sat outside on the balcony reading the paper and enjoying my breakfast sans computer but with my new favorite coffee flavor, blueberry cobbler. I've got a special but healthy meal planned for dinner tonight with my honey. Life is good!!
Amazing what an action plan can do for a person...yesterday I felt so down-in-the dumps and pessimistic and now with a plan for decluttering my life, I feel fantastic!!
Today's Plan:
Activity: walk or bike ride, yoga (which I've already done this morning)
Breakfast: Oatmeal with 1 banana and 1 Tbsp cinnamon raisin PB, 1/2 starfruit
Snack: Greek yogurt, Quaker mini's--Cinnamon Streusel flavor
Lunch: Strawberry poppyseed salad from Panera
Dinner: Brats or burgers (neither is fantastically healthy but we need to eat them up), Green beans and carrots, Salad, Mini Angel Food Cakes (homemade and already done!) with Berry-Peach sauce (again, homemade and already done!)
Thursday, June 5, 2008
I'm still here everyone!! I got my paper done (35 pages, 20 tables and 15 graphs later) as well as my slides for my presentation. I'll do my 20 minute presentation tonight in class!! I'm pretty nervous so I'm going to practice A LOT today and make sure I'm comfortable with the information. There's only 10 people in our class and everyone's pretty laid back but I still get nervous when I have to talk in front of people I don't know very well. Anyways, I've missed blogging the last few days (but I've got a kick ass presentation as a result!!). I have tomorrow off and I've got a nice chunk of the day set aside to catch up with you all!!
Monday, June 2, 2008
Weekend
I had a good weekend. We didn't do anything too exciting although we did pick up my bike!! It was in the shop for 3 weeks and I missed it so much!! We mostly just did errands and stuff like that this weekend. Stephen went with me to see "Sex and the City" which I know he wasn't crazy about. Honestly, the movie was okay...everyone has been raving about how good it is but I just thought it was okay. Not great. I can't really pinpoint what would have made the movie great but it just felt off...maybe I would have liked it more if it had been broken up into 5 episodes?
Anyways, I have a "new plan" for my eating but I don't have time to get into it today. My project is due on Thursday and I want to finish the paper today so I can work on my presentation the rest of the week.
I promise once my project's done, I'll be back to commenting and posting "for real".
Anyways, I have a "new plan" for my eating but I don't have time to get into it today. My project is due on Thursday and I want to finish the paper today so I can work on my presentation the rest of the week.
I promise once my project's done, I'll be back to commenting and posting "for real".
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