So, with all good intentions in the world I set out from my office and realized..... I didn't pack my tennis shoes. :(
So, I did not go to zumba. And I did not go to tai chi. I ate a fairly healthy dinner and talked to my mom and then laid on the couch. I'm okay with it.
I will go to Yoga tomorrow.... I don't even need shoes for that :)
Goodnight y'all!
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Thank you for the encouragement :)
I logged on here today just now to post that I was failing and I was going to go home right after work and take a nap. That is still absolutely what i want to do, I have been SO TIRED today, and I don't know why.
Problem is, I had two new comments that made me feel like I should keep going. :)
So, perhaps I will go to zumba and to tai chi (first class tonight) instead of going home and taking a nap. We will see. I'll let you know later tonight or tomorrow.
Thanks for the encouragement girls!
I am also working on a post about my vacation experience, lets just say I didn't loose any weight on my trip! But maybe I learned something?
<3 E
Problem is, I had two new comments that made me feel like I should keep going. :)
So, perhaps I will go to zumba and to tai chi (first class tonight) instead of going home and taking a nap. We will see. I'll let you know later tonight or tomorrow.
Thanks for the encouragement girls!
I am also working on a post about my vacation experience, lets just say I didn't loose any weight on my trip! But maybe I learned something?
<3 E
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Its getting a little harder today
Don't you wish that sometimes you could hit "print" on your head and out comes the whole conversation or post or paper that you just wrote in your head?
I was thinking on the way home about needing to write on this blog and had all kinds of things to say!
I'll try to re-create what I can remember :)
So, I've been doing good overall. I've been packing my lunch. I've been to zumba and to yoga, I have done work on the house and walked with a friend.
But to be honest, yesterday and today were harder. I felt some of those old habits trying to creep back in, I felt tired and like it would be easier to just stay unhealthy. I caved a little. I still did good at breakfast and lunch and even snacks. It was that darn night time.
So Monday I ate a birthday cupcake at work. Yes, yes, its okay to have a treat once in awhile. But the problem here is that I wasn't hungry for it and I knew as soon as I had the first bite that I could have been satisfied with that. It wasn't even that good of a cupcake. But I kept eating it. And I thought every forkfull, I should stop now and throw this away... but I didn't.
Monday night I don't have any scheduled workouts yet. (eventually this will be boxing night!)
I think that on days I workout I feel better and I can feel sore muscles and I'm more apt to make better food choices. But as it was, i went out and got a pedicure ( I did revel in the moment and remember to relax) and afterwords went home and made a small pizza. This also wouldn't have been the end of the world, except I had a sandwich at Panera before the pedicure. :( and then I also had strawberries with sugar free chocolate syrup. I just couldn't seem to stop eating. I wanted the comfort of feeling full.
Today I did just fine for breakfast and for lunch. I scheduled a hair appointment during Zumba, oops. And my first Tai Chi class was cancelled. So no working out today either. Stopped by whole foods after the hair and guess what I ended up with? A slice of pizza. Just 1! So thats not so bad... but when I got home? A container of spinach artichoke hummus and pita chips. The whole container. What is wrong with me!?! I know that healthy habits breed healthy habits, and I'm still doing okay. I haven't lost the war, just the day. But it feels so easy to just quit.
I'm not going to of course. I decided to sit and white all this out to remember that its not easy! There is always excitement and motivation in the beginning.
Maybe its hormones?
I'll tell you what though... sitting in that black smock in the chair in front of the mirror looking at my belly and my chin.....well, I didn't like that. So I read a Shape magazine instead :)
Keep trying. Get back on track.
I'm taking a mini vacation soon, I'll let you know how I survive that! Camping was okay, so maybe there is a shot!
I was thinking on the way home about needing to write on this blog and had all kinds of things to say!
I'll try to re-create what I can remember :)
So, I've been doing good overall. I've been packing my lunch. I've been to zumba and to yoga, I have done work on the house and walked with a friend.
But to be honest, yesterday and today were harder. I felt some of those old habits trying to creep back in, I felt tired and like it would be easier to just stay unhealthy. I caved a little. I still did good at breakfast and lunch and even snacks. It was that darn night time.
So Monday I ate a birthday cupcake at work. Yes, yes, its okay to have a treat once in awhile. But the problem here is that I wasn't hungry for it and I knew as soon as I had the first bite that I could have been satisfied with that. It wasn't even that good of a cupcake. But I kept eating it. And I thought every forkfull, I should stop now and throw this away... but I didn't.
Monday night I don't have any scheduled workouts yet. (eventually this will be boxing night!)
I think that on days I workout I feel better and I can feel sore muscles and I'm more apt to make better food choices. But as it was, i went out and got a pedicure ( I did revel in the moment and remember to relax) and afterwords went home and made a small pizza. This also wouldn't have been the end of the world, except I had a sandwich at Panera before the pedicure. :( and then I also had strawberries with sugar free chocolate syrup. I just couldn't seem to stop eating. I wanted the comfort of feeling full.
Today I did just fine for breakfast and for lunch. I scheduled a hair appointment during Zumba, oops. And my first Tai Chi class was cancelled. So no working out today either. Stopped by whole foods after the hair and guess what I ended up with? A slice of pizza. Just 1! So thats not so bad... but when I got home? A container of spinach artichoke hummus and pita chips. The whole container. What is wrong with me!?! I know that healthy habits breed healthy habits, and I'm still doing okay. I haven't lost the war, just the day. But it feels so easy to just quit.
I'm not going to of course. I decided to sit and white all this out to remember that its not easy! There is always excitement and motivation in the beginning.
Maybe its hormones?
I'll tell you what though... sitting in that black smock in the chair in front of the mirror looking at my belly and my chin.....well, I didn't like that. So I read a Shape magazine instead :)
Keep trying. Get back on track.
I'm taking a mini vacation soon, I'll let you know how I survive that! Camping was okay, so maybe there is a shot!
Sunday, January 13, 2013
S'mores!
The weekend trip, ...the family vacation, ...great ways to ruin 'the plan'! But it doesn't have to be, and it all depends on how you view what you are doing. I am making better choices when possible, with an intention to do it all the time, but forgiveness when it doesn't happen.
This weekend I had a great time! I went camping with family. It was interesting to me to be in many situations outside my control and still try to make good choices. For example, I didn't do any of the meal planning or cooking. This took away the control I have over my food choices and even time of the meal. The only thing I was asked to bring was dessert, which is something I am obviously avoiding. So how did I deal with this?
1. Don't overeat just because its vacation. I was more than happy to eat what was prepared for meals, I just tried not to over eat! (portion mindfulness). Everything was delicious.
2. Enjoy the moving. It was a camping trip, so there were lots of physical activities. Kayaking, fishing, swimming, beaching, bike riding, walking, and a little card playing, this made me mindful of needing calories to balance the extra exercise, and the reverse of exercising more in order to eat something yummy.
3. Control what you can. Since I was asked to bring dessert I had the opportunity to find and make desserts that were low-fat, low sugar and still yummy! Now I have those recipes and I was able to share them with family. It was nice that I was able to control one of the hardest parts of the meal for me.
4. Plan ahead. I knew I was bringing S'mores for one night (not low sugar at all!, but what's camping without s'mores?). And I knew I was going to toast some up! I made sure that day included an extra long kayak paddle, and I didn't over stuff at dinner.
5. Company. I realized how important it is to be around people and have things to do. Cards after dinner is a natural deterrent to mindless snacking, and a friend who wants to go fishing with you , or ride the bikes to the bathroom makes you so much more likely to go do it.
Today's "Yay's and Boo's".
Yay!
This weekend I had a great time! I went camping with family. It was interesting to me to be in many situations outside my control and still try to make good choices. For example, I didn't do any of the meal planning or cooking. This took away the control I have over my food choices and even time of the meal. The only thing I was asked to bring was dessert, which is something I am obviously avoiding. So how did I deal with this?
1. Don't overeat just because its vacation. I was more than happy to eat what was prepared for meals, I just tried not to over eat! (portion mindfulness). Everything was delicious.
2. Enjoy the moving. It was a camping trip, so there were lots of physical activities. Kayaking, fishing, swimming, beaching, bike riding, walking, and a little card playing, this made me mindful of needing calories to balance the extra exercise, and the reverse of exercising more in order to eat something yummy.
3. Control what you can. Since I was asked to bring dessert I had the opportunity to find and make desserts that were low-fat, low sugar and still yummy! Now I have those recipes and I was able to share them with family. It was nice that I was able to control one of the hardest parts of the meal for me.
4. Plan ahead. I knew I was bringing S'mores for one night (not low sugar at all!, but what's camping without s'mores?). And I knew I was going to toast some up! I made sure that day included an extra long kayak paddle, and I didn't over stuff at dinner.
5. Company. I realized how important it is to be around people and have things to do. Cards after dinner is a natural deterrent to mindless snacking, and a friend who wants to go fishing with you , or ride the bikes to the bathroom makes you so much more likely to go do it.
Cookies
Mix up:
3 over-ripe bananas
1/3 cup apple sauce
Add in:
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups oats
dash of cinnamon
1 cup of dates
I threw in some dried cranberries and some walnuts, add whatever you like.
Let it rest for 15 min.
Spoon onto baking sheet (whatever shape you want, it won't change)
Bake for 20 min at 325
Yay!
- Lots of exercise
- Lots of water
- Ate a bunch of the left-over Marshmallows after I got home from camping :(
- A couple of diet sodas this weekend
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
I think we're starting to get somewhere
Today was full of success. I'm patting myself on the back.
We will keep this simple. I just want to share with you my day today.
7:30 am: I woke up late after having a really strange dream involving snakes and rushed off to work. After getting started I realized I was hungry and I made myself a weight control apple cinnamon oatmeal and a black chai tea (no milk, no sweetener). I had a productive morning and a snack of string cheese around 10.
11:45 am: About lunch time I nuked a bowl of Amy's organic black bean soup. I haven't had this one before.. maybe not my favorite, but satisfying. I thoroughly enjoyed a super yummy honey crisp apple in the car on the way to run an lunchtime errand with a friend. As we left the store a frozen yogurt place appeared in front of us in all its glory and at the same time we said, "do you want frozen yogurt?".
1:00 pm: The woman inside was very friendly and "talked me into" a small serving of fat free frozen yogurt. She explained that it was 25 calories an ounce and she knew how to squirt out 4 ounces. I added some fresh strawberries on top and was happy, happy, happy. Haha, you thought I was going to say we didn't have any, didn't you.
3:30 pm: More productive work after lunch and an afternoon snack of a string cheese and later a greek yogurt. Also I remembered to drink some water right about now.
5:45 pm: After work I packed myself up into my car where I have stashed a couple of sets of workout clothes and walking shoes and I drove off to YOGA. I stretched and breathed and warrior two'd my way through an hour of yoga. I was dismayed to realize that the yoga muscles I had previously built in my legs and stomach are gone, but I'll get them back.
7:30 pm: After yoga and finally home for the day I followed through on my pledge to myself to cook that broccoli in the fridge! In fact, I made broccoli, chicken breast, a noodle packet with some added red pepper and a little salad. And the best part? I made enough for dinner plus two left over meals.
9:45pm: And it doesn't end there!! I watched an hour and a half of TV and turned it off. I'm writing this post and going to bed. So all in all a very successful day!
I am sure if I were to be in a nitpicking frame of mind I could find things to criticise, the yogurt, the pasta.... but I'm here to focus on how many good choices I made today. Remember, Small changes can make a Big Difference.
I also wanted to take a minute and look at just my dinner. I have heard a lot of people (myself included) say, "its so hard to cook for one" and "eating healthy is just so expensive".
For tonights dinner I steamed $2 of broccoli, cooked a package of pasta $0.85, 2 chicken breasts $2 on sale, half a red pepper from the fridge, lets say $.75, a handful of lettuce and 8 grape tomatoes, maybe $0.50. So that's roughly $6. And then remember I made three meals with that. And they weren't puny meals either. So, $2 a meal for a healthy filling dinner. Cheaper than a $5 footlong.
That's a regular size dinner plate and its the same amount of food on the plate as in the containers.... I'll have to start paying attention to how food portions look in different containers, more on that later probably.
Today's "Yay's and Boo's".
Yay!
We will keep this simple. I just want to share with you my day today.
7:30 am: I woke up late after having a really strange dream involving snakes and rushed off to work. After getting started I realized I was hungry and I made myself a weight control apple cinnamon oatmeal and a black chai tea (no milk, no sweetener). I had a productive morning and a snack of string cheese around 10.
11:45 am: About lunch time I nuked a bowl of Amy's organic black bean soup. I haven't had this one before.. maybe not my favorite, but satisfying. I thoroughly enjoyed a super yummy honey crisp apple in the car on the way to run an lunchtime errand with a friend. As we left the store a frozen yogurt place appeared in front of us in all its glory and at the same time we said, "do you want frozen yogurt?".
1:00 pm: The woman inside was very friendly and "talked me into" a small serving of fat free frozen yogurt. She explained that it was 25 calories an ounce and she knew how to squirt out 4 ounces. I added some fresh strawberries on top and was happy, happy, happy. Haha, you thought I was going to say we didn't have any, didn't you.
3:30 pm: More productive work after lunch and an afternoon snack of a string cheese and later a greek yogurt. Also I remembered to drink some water right about now.
5:45 pm: After work I packed myself up into my car where I have stashed a couple of sets of workout clothes and walking shoes and I drove off to YOGA. I stretched and breathed and warrior two'd my way through an hour of yoga. I was dismayed to realize that the yoga muscles I had previously built in my legs and stomach are gone, but I'll get them back.
7:30 pm: After yoga and finally home for the day I followed through on my pledge to myself to cook that broccoli in the fridge! In fact, I made broccoli, chicken breast, a noodle packet with some added red pepper and a little salad. And the best part? I made enough for dinner plus two left over meals.
9:45pm: And it doesn't end there!! I watched an hour and a half of TV and turned it off. I'm writing this post and going to bed. So all in all a very successful day!
I am sure if I were to be in a nitpicking frame of mind I could find things to criticise, the yogurt, the pasta.... but I'm here to focus on how many good choices I made today. Remember, Small changes can make a Big Difference.
I also wanted to take a minute and look at just my dinner. I have heard a lot of people (myself included) say, "its so hard to cook for one" and "eating healthy is just so expensive".
For tonights dinner I steamed $2 of broccoli, cooked a package of pasta $0.85, 2 chicken breasts $2 on sale, half a red pepper from the fridge, lets say $.75, a handful of lettuce and 8 grape tomatoes, maybe $0.50. So that's roughly $6. And then remember I made three meals with that. And they weren't puny meals either. So, $2 a meal for a healthy filling dinner. Cheaper than a $5 footlong.
Today's "Yay's and Boo's".
Yay!
- Its all yay's baby.... you just read all about it. :)
- Nope.
The Biggest Loser vs. Tostitos and lessons learned
Its been about a week since I started this blog and I have to say, there are a few things that I think I've learned already. I find myself more conscience of what I'm doing and what I am trying to do in regards to being healthier. I think about things to write about, I think about things I've written (like the apple) and I have started to notice that I have started to make some better choices! I'm by no means perfect yet (OBVIOUSLY) and I am still making bad choices... but there are some good ones!
Here are a few of my good choices.. and a few observations.
Healthy Choice #1:
When I went grocery shopping on Sunday i definitely had healthy goals in mind. Here is what I bought:
That's all very well and good, but why am I celebrating a grocery list? Well, because of all the things I did not buy!
I did not buy deli lunch meat, bread, chips, diet coke, diet Dr. pepper, sugar free Popsicles or cookies.
I tried to think ahead about what I would need for lunches to eat healthy during the day and I tried to not by too much produce so that it won't go bad before I eat it. This remains to be seen.
Healthy Choice #2:
I signed up for a Tai Chi class. The obvious reasons are stress reduction and exercise, but the added benefits in my case are that this class is after my zumba class, therefore making it more likely I will go to zumba and then tai chi, rather than say, 'eh' and go home and put on pajamas. Also, Its something I have never tried before and thats good for all of us. It starts the 22nd, I'll keep you posted.
Observation #1:
Its hard to make the choice to eat healthy when you go out and it is possible to watch The Biggest Loser premier and eat Tostitos, but you will feel guilty.
Sunday
Breakfast: Cottage cheese.
Lunch: Turkey sandwich, half apple, pretzels
Dinner: (Out to eat) Hamburger and onion rings - bad but so good.
After dinner I did a cleaning job that I have and went to the grocery store. When I got home it was late and I sat down on the couch and started to munch chips out of the bag. So good and salty. I felt bad, and I knew I shouldn't be eating them, but I did it anyways. My observation is that late night is a problem for me. I need to find a way to plan for this. Or perhaps, go to bed earlier, I could use the sleep anyhow.
Observation #2:
It is possible that watching The Biggest Loser while eating chips and feeling bad about it has helped me remember to make a better choice on the next day when part two of the premier is on TV.
I was sooo good all day. Almost.
Monday
Breakfast: Cottage cheese and a banana.
Snack: String Cheese.
Lunch: Vegetable barley soup and a apple.
Snack: Greek yogurt.
Dinner: Worked until 8, pulled into Pollo Tropical - GOT BACK OUT OF LINE - drove home. Knowing it was late and I was too hungry and I would likely eat anything the first thing I did was drink a big glass of water. Second, I turned on the oven and put in a frozen pizza (yes, not the best choice). Here is where I made a change. Knowing I can eat a whole pizza and shouldn't, I made a big salad while the pizza was cooking and I ate it. With the water and the salad and the biggest loser on TV I was able to eat part of the pizza and put the rest away. That's kind of a big deal. My observation is that I can make the choices, I am starting to make the choices.
Today's "Yay's and Boo's".
Yay!
Here are a few of my good choices.. and a few observations.
Healthy Choice #1:
When I went grocery shopping on Sunday i definitely had healthy goals in mind. Here is what I bought:
- I bought lots of cans of Amy's organic soups so that it would be easy for me to pack a lunch for work.
- Chili and cornbread.
- Spring greens and spinach
- 3 APPLES
- Strawberries
- 2 Peaches
- 2 Sweet Potatoes
- Broccoli
- Chicken Breast (on sale!)
- Greek yogurt (also for lunch)
- String cheese
- Cottage cheese
- Laughing cow cheese
- Feta cheese
- Black beans
That's all very well and good, but why am I celebrating a grocery list? Well, because of all the things I did not buy!
I did not buy deli lunch meat, bread, chips, diet coke, diet Dr. pepper, sugar free Popsicles or cookies.
I tried to think ahead about what I would need for lunches to eat healthy during the day and I tried to not by too much produce so that it won't go bad before I eat it. This remains to be seen.
Healthy Choice #2:
I signed up for a Tai Chi class. The obvious reasons are stress reduction and exercise, but the added benefits in my case are that this class is after my zumba class, therefore making it more likely I will go to zumba and then tai chi, rather than say, 'eh' and go home and put on pajamas. Also, Its something I have never tried before and thats good for all of us. It starts the 22nd, I'll keep you posted.
Observation #1:
Its hard to make the choice to eat healthy when you go out and it is possible to watch The Biggest Loser premier and eat Tostitos, but you will feel guilty.
Sunday
Breakfast: Cottage cheese.
Lunch: Turkey sandwich, half apple, pretzels
Dinner: (Out to eat) Hamburger and onion rings - bad but so good.
After dinner I did a cleaning job that I have and went to the grocery store. When I got home it was late and I sat down on the couch and started to munch chips out of the bag. So good and salty. I felt bad, and I knew I shouldn't be eating them, but I did it anyways. My observation is that late night is a problem for me. I need to find a way to plan for this. Or perhaps, go to bed earlier, I could use the sleep anyhow.
Observation #2:
It is possible that watching The Biggest Loser while eating chips and feeling bad about it has helped me remember to make a better choice on the next day when part two of the premier is on TV.
I was sooo good all day. Almost.
Monday
Breakfast: Cottage cheese and a banana.
Snack: String Cheese.
Lunch: Vegetable barley soup and a apple.
Snack: Greek yogurt.
Dinner: Worked until 8, pulled into Pollo Tropical - GOT BACK OUT OF LINE - drove home. Knowing it was late and I was too hungry and I would likely eat anything the first thing I did was drink a big glass of water. Second, I turned on the oven and put in a frozen pizza (yes, not the best choice). Here is where I made a change. Knowing I can eat a whole pizza and shouldn't, I made a big salad while the pizza was cooking and I ate it. With the water and the salad and the biggest loser on TV I was able to eat part of the pizza and put the rest away. That's kind of a big deal. My observation is that I can make the choices, I am starting to make the choices.
Today's "Yay's and Boo's".
Yay!
- Green tea in the morning
- No diet soda today
- Good breakfast and lunch
- SAID NO TO BIRTHDAY CUPCAKES AT WORK
- Signed up for Tai Chi
- Skipped Zumba - was supposed to be my first class back!
- Stayed up too late to write this post. Nighty Night.
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Hot pants?
I am a fan of Groupon, not only because of the great deals that they offer, but also because it introduces me to new activities in my area that I may otherwise not know about. Sometimes there are products and I'm not as into those, but again, there are products out there that I might otherwise not have known about.
Today in my email was an offer from Groupon advertising Weight loss Hotpants. What?!
I went to the website honestly thinking that it might be a funny thing to post on this blog sort of as a joke.
I am ashamed to say, I am intrigued. All the reviews are really positive... and it looks like the XL would fit me.... and the groupon makes it affordable.... i don't know.
http://zaggora.com/
One of the things that I struggle with is guilt and feeling bad about myself. Not all the time!
Most of the time I'm inside my head and just feeling like me! And I pretty much like me. Then inevitably, I'll see a photograph of myself, or walk by a mirrored building or be sitting on the couch and notice how big my leg is. And I feel crappy. I feel like such an idiot, I feel like I ruined my body. I have felt in the past like I've ruined my chance for love, like I've ruined my health, like I've damaged the idea of a healthy pregnancy or even the chances of getting pregnant someday. I can be really really hard on myself. I can call myself hideous, a whale, disgusting.
Thoughts like this make me willing to try almost anything to fix my mistakes. Even Hotpants! I want to not be nervous about fitting in the seat on the roller coaster!!!
But the truth is, these thoughts don't get me anywhere. And I did find love. And I'm not an idiot, I'm pretty smart. And I can change whats in those photos. I just have to keep trying. Its important to reinforce the positive aspects of ourselves and our lives, even in our own heads. The negative thoughts are inevitable, everyone has them, and they seem to come easily, without actual intention. The positive ones seem to require a little conscience thought.
So, one more 'to do' that I am going to add to my list is to be nice to myself. Remember and ACKNOWLEDGE the positive things. Recognize them when they are happening and don't add more hurt to whats already been done. Move forward.
Move forward feeling positive and look fabulous in those Hotpants!
Today's "Yay's and Boo's".
Yay!
Today in my email was an offer from Groupon advertising Weight loss Hotpants. What?!
I went to the website honestly thinking that it might be a funny thing to post on this blog sort of as a joke.
I am ashamed to say, I am intrigued. All the reviews are really positive... and it looks like the XL would fit me.... and the groupon makes it affordable.... i don't know.
http://zaggora.com/
One of the things that I struggle with is guilt and feeling bad about myself. Not all the time!
Most of the time I'm inside my head and just feeling like me! And I pretty much like me. Then inevitably, I'll see a photograph of myself, or walk by a mirrored building or be sitting on the couch and notice how big my leg is. And I feel crappy. I feel like such an idiot, I feel like I ruined my body. I have felt in the past like I've ruined my chance for love, like I've ruined my health, like I've damaged the idea of a healthy pregnancy or even the chances of getting pregnant someday. I can be really really hard on myself. I can call myself hideous, a whale, disgusting.
Thoughts like this make me willing to try almost anything to fix my mistakes. Even Hotpants! I want to not be nervous about fitting in the seat on the roller coaster!!!
But the truth is, these thoughts don't get me anywhere. And I did find love. And I'm not an idiot, I'm pretty smart. And I can change whats in those photos. I just have to keep trying. Its important to reinforce the positive aspects of ourselves and our lives, even in our own heads. The negative thoughts are inevitable, everyone has them, and they seem to come easily, without actual intention. The positive ones seem to require a little conscience thought.
So, one more 'to do' that I am going to add to my list is to be nice to myself. Remember and ACKNOWLEDGE the positive things. Recognize them when they are happening and don't add more hurt to whats already been done. Move forward.
Move forward feeling positive and look fabulous in those Hotpants!
Today's "Yay's and Boo's".
Yay!
- Green tea in the morning
- Walk on the beach, soft sand is hard on the calves!
- No diet soda today at all, woo hoo
- Good breakfast and lunch.
- Burger and onion rings for dinner, but it was so good.
- Ate Tostitos while watching The Biggest Loser premier. The irony was not lost on me.
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Green tea and wiiiiiiiiiiiiii
Its Saturday! Yay, my favorite day of the week!
I always have such high hopes for Saturdays. So much I want to do, and at the same time, so little I want to do. Its a day of conflict for me. I want to relax, take my time, be lazy, sleep in, stay in my pajamas, clean a little and generally be happy.
BUT, I also want to get the house clean, get extra work done at the office, tackle one of the MANY home projects I have waiting for me, run errands, see my friends, do something fun...
There just isn't time to do everything. I am usually happy to accomplish at least 1-2 things and let go of the rest until tomorrow.
So today since I had no rush to get out the door I thought I would try a tip I read a few days ago. The tip was to drink some warm water when you first get up and then again a half hour later. It was said that this would start to wake up your digestive system and start your motor running for the day. It also gets some of your water intake done right away with ease. This isn't the exact article I saw, but its close. This article talks about the benefits of adding lemon... I don't have any lemons today, but maybe I'll try that in the future.
http://www.livestrong.com/article/215380-drinking-hot-water-lemon-in-the-morning/
I've also been seeing a lot of suggestions for drinking green tea. Boosts metabolism, good vitamins or antioxidants, good things in regards to blood pressure (mine is high) and blood sugar spikes.... and a bit of caffeine too. Remember, I am not a Dr. or an expert on anything! Do your own research and ask your Dr. if you have any questions. These three articles talk about the benefits of green tea, I like the first one the best.
http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/11-benefits-of-green-tea-that-you-didnt-know-about.html
http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/health-benefits-of-green-tea
http://www.health.harvard.edu/press_releases/benefit_of_drinking_green_tea
So, I decided to do both ideas (warm water and green tea)... at the same time <evil genius laugh>.
I woke up slow, stayed in my pajamas and started boiling water. I had a lovely cup of green tea while checking facebook in the morning and then swept the floor and picked up a little. The second cup is waiting for me now. But I already feel a little hungry. Now this could be because its 11am and I haven't had breakfast.. but I did sleep in :)
So, now its 1pm and I'm hungry! I don't know if I would choose and apple or not, probably!
I was feeling good after a morning of relaxing and green tea and I decided to get out my Wii Fit balance board! I played some games for about 40 minutes. I don't know exactly how much that really burns, but hey! I did something, I moved around, and I was more physically balanced according to the board afterwards. Experiment so far a success.... or maybe its just because its Saturday.
Today's "Yay's and Boo's".
Yay!
I always have such high hopes for Saturdays. So much I want to do, and at the same time, so little I want to do. Its a day of conflict for me. I want to relax, take my time, be lazy, sleep in, stay in my pajamas, clean a little and generally be happy.
BUT, I also want to get the house clean, get extra work done at the office, tackle one of the MANY home projects I have waiting for me, run errands, see my friends, do something fun...
There just isn't time to do everything. I am usually happy to accomplish at least 1-2 things and let go of the rest until tomorrow.
So today since I had no rush to get out the door I thought I would try a tip I read a few days ago. The tip was to drink some warm water when you first get up and then again a half hour later. It was said that this would start to wake up your digestive system and start your motor running for the day. It also gets some of your water intake done right away with ease. This isn't the exact article I saw, but its close. This article talks about the benefits of adding lemon... I don't have any lemons today, but maybe I'll try that in the future.
http://www.livestrong.com/article/215380-drinking-hot-water-lemon-in-the-morning/
I've also been seeing a lot of suggestions for drinking green tea. Boosts metabolism, good vitamins or antioxidants, good things in regards to blood pressure (mine is high) and blood sugar spikes.... and a bit of caffeine too. Remember, I am not a Dr. or an expert on anything! Do your own research and ask your Dr. if you have any questions. These three articles talk about the benefits of green tea, I like the first one the best.
http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/11-benefits-of-green-tea-that-you-didnt-know-about.html
http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/health-benefits-of-green-tea
http://www.health.harvard.edu/press_releases/benefit_of_drinking_green_tea
So, I decided to do both ideas (warm water and green tea)... at the same time <evil genius laugh>.
I woke up slow, stayed in my pajamas and started boiling water. I had a lovely cup of green tea while checking facebook in the morning and then swept the floor and picked up a little. The second cup is waiting for me now. But I already feel a little hungry. Now this could be because its 11am and I haven't had breakfast.. but I did sleep in :)
So, now its 1pm and I'm hungry! I don't know if I would choose and apple or not, probably!
I was feeling good after a morning of relaxing and green tea and I decided to get out my Wii Fit balance board! I played some games for about 40 minutes. I don't know exactly how much that really burns, but hey! I did something, I moved around, and I was more physically balanced according to the board afterwards. Experiment so far a success.... or maybe its just because its Saturday.
Today's "Yay's and Boo's".
Yay!
- Got plenty of sleep - this is important!
- Green tea in the morning
- Wii Fit games today, exercise!
- I made plans with friends for the evening - get out and enjoy life!
- Probably waited too long to eat, but I did wait until I was hungry.
- Didn't get the house clean, but there is always tomorrow.
- Could have exercised harder, sweated more, but I did something!
Call the Dr....somewhere over the rainbow
My mom wondered aloud about a 3 day cleanse she saw on Dr. Oz. I like Dr. Oz, I don't record the show, but when I see it, I always think that I probably should.
So I went on the website today to check out the cleanse.. as I said, I'm hesitant to commit to something if I'm not clear on the specifics.
http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/dr-ozs-3-day-detox-cleanse-one-sheet
I think the idea is great, but I think also, not for me.
I was reading all the ingredients and thinking 'gross'. Its probably great! But, I don't like flax seed, it makes my throat feel scratchy.... i saw the word celery, euww....blueberries, kale and cayenne pepper (together)....i stopped reading. To be fair, I skim read. But still, this isn't for me.
The idea, I believe, is that it is supposed to clear out toxins and maybe reset your palate? That would probably be very helpful, considering the white chocolate chip macadamia cookie incident a few days ago. But I'm not ready.
I did explore his website for other ideas and came across this video clip.
http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/fail-proof-solution-overeating
Did you watch that video? It suggests that when you reach for something to eat, stop and ask yourself if you would like to eat an apple. If you do, you are hungry. If you don't, you are eating for a different reason. I had a few questions.. such as, if I would be satisfied with an apple, should I eat the apple? When can I eat something else? I like apples.... what if I just end up emotionally eating tons of apples??? And what is to stop me from saying, yeah, no, an apple isn't what I want. I want cookies.. and then going and eating the cookies. Just because I have the revelation that I am eating not because of hunger, doesn't (historically) mean that I won't eat. Its a motivation problem, a will power problem, a moment of "I don't care" problem. I'm not sure how to fix that yet, but I do think the idea of the apple will be in my head now. I'll let you know if it makes a difference!
~E
Today's "Yay's and Boo's".
Yay!
Boo!
So I went on the website today to check out the cleanse.. as I said, I'm hesitant to commit to something if I'm not clear on the specifics.
http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/dr-ozs-3-day-detox-cleanse-one-sheet
I think the idea is great, but I think also, not for me.
I was reading all the ingredients and thinking 'gross'. Its probably great! But, I don't like flax seed, it makes my throat feel scratchy.... i saw the word celery, euww....blueberries, kale and cayenne pepper (together)....i stopped reading. To be fair, I skim read. But still, this isn't for me.
The idea, I believe, is that it is supposed to clear out toxins and maybe reset your palate? That would probably be very helpful, considering the white chocolate chip macadamia cookie incident a few days ago. But I'm not ready.
I did explore his website for other ideas and came across this video clip.
http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/fail-proof-solution-overeating
Did you watch that video? It suggests that when you reach for something to eat, stop and ask yourself if you would like to eat an apple. If you do, you are hungry. If you don't, you are eating for a different reason. I had a few questions.. such as, if I would be satisfied with an apple, should I eat the apple? When can I eat something else? I like apples.... what if I just end up emotionally eating tons of apples??? And what is to stop me from saying, yeah, no, an apple isn't what I want. I want cookies.. and then going and eating the cookies. Just because I have the revelation that I am eating not because of hunger, doesn't (historically) mean that I won't eat. Its a motivation problem, a will power problem, a moment of "I don't care" problem. I'm not sure how to fix that yet, but I do think the idea of the apple will be in my head now. I'll let you know if it makes a difference!
~E
Today's "Yay's and Boo's".
Yay!
- Today I just made it through the day.
- I saw frustration in a friend, thats not positive, but it reminded me that we all need help sometimes. And we all need to give help sometimes... or really, just be there.
Boo!
- I snacked too much today, finished off the stale bag of chips, bought 3 mini donuts at the gas station.
- And no exercise again! I've got to get on that. But we also need to not beat ourselves up all the time. I forgive myself and I let it go today. I'll try again tomorrow.
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Where are we today?
Alright. So with every good journey, its important to know where you are when you start. I guess.
Its probably more important to know where you are going... or to enjoy the trip..., but in any case, if you want to be able to look back, you need to know where you started. Yes, that sounds better.
SO. Here it is.
Height: 5' 5"
Weight: 264.4 lbs
Calf: 19.5"
Thigh: 31"
Hips: 54"
Waist: 43"
Bust: 48"
Arm: 16"
Butt: um, no.
I do realize that some people have a waist the size of my thigh, and a thigh the size of my arm. Yes, that embarrasses me. Yes I really debated posting this online. But there it is. And yes, I want to change it.
Lets hope these all go down except for one! Yay!
Today's "Yay's and Boo's".
Yay!
Boo!
Its probably more important to know where you are going... or to enjoy the trip..., but in any case, if you want to be able to look back, you need to know where you started. Yes, that sounds better.
SO. Here it is.
Height: 5' 5"
Weight: 264.4 lbs
Calf: 19.5"
Thigh: 31"
Hips: 54"
Waist: 43"
Bust: 48"
Arm: 16"
Butt: um, no.
I do realize that some people have a waist the size of my thigh, and a thigh the size of my arm. Yes, that embarrasses me. Yes I really debated posting this online. But there it is. And yes, I want to change it.
Lets hope these all go down except for one! Yay!
Today's "Yay's and Boo's".
Yay!
- Healthy breakfast (cottage cheese & banana)
- Healthy lunch (chili & cornbread) AND didn't get any one my white shirt!
- Drank water at work
- Healthy dinner with family (chicken fajitas, black beans and brown rice)
Boo!
- Didn't start drinking water until almost 2pm!
- Discovered my favorite jeans are wearing out in the inner thigh.... loss of jeans, and also need to jean shop, ugh.
- No exercise
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Where to begin?
So many options! Start exercising? Throw out all food and buy green veggies? Do a cleanse? Sign up for an expensive food program? Sign up for a food program with meetings?
I think I'll start where I've been.
I tried Adkins in college. I pretty much ended up just eating pizza toppings without the crust. (I worked at a pizza place)
I've tried weight watchers. I've seen it help people. I've gotten a few good tips from meetings. I can't seem to follow points, or weighing and measureing for more than a few weeks. For me, not super successful. (Note to self: They did have some quick frozen lunches for work and some good deserts, maybe you don't have to throw away all the ideas that you have learned).
I've tried Quick Weight Loss Centers. I lost almost 60lbs doing this. So yes, it works. I found it pretty easy to do and I kept it up for quite awhile. Eventually i got bored and found ways to cheat. They also don't encourage a lot of exercise so that you aren't gaining muscle weight... I didn't really like the idea of that. And there are a lot of protein supplements, which I can only assume aren't very natural....so even though they were nummy, I didn't really like the idea of that either. (Note to self: Those peanut butter and jelly protein bars were a real life saver when you wanted a sweet snack that was allowed on plan, maybe you don't have to throw away all the ideas that you have learned).
Last February when my Dr told me my sugar levels were high and she was concerned about pre-diabetic sugar levels I went extreme and cut out everything and anything with refined sugar, or too many carbs. I also started exercising. I got up to doing yoga twice a week and zumba twice a week.
I eventually got lax on my eating... too much produce going bad in my fridge, not enough time to pack a lunch every day. I did keep exercising and I really enjoyed it. I finally found some activities that I found fun rather than work. I kept this up until May when my bf moved out and my life fell apart. Around the same time I had a bestie in a serious crisis of her own and I wanted to be there for her more too.
What I think I've found is that it doesn't work for me to do ONE BIG PLAN. I think what I would like to try this time is the idea of building healthy habits and getting rid of bad habits. And it doesn't have to happen all at once! I am impatient, I move quickly from one project to the next, sometimes without finishing them. I'm not a finisher. This has to be a slow sneaky change so that it becomes part of my day, part of my routine, part of my life. And it can't suck.
So, I have some initial ideas.... I just need to remember that they don't have to all be done at once, day one.
I would like to:
Well, I thought there would be more... I am sure I am missing a lot.
But that doesn't seem so hard ;o)
Today's "Yay's and Boo's".
Yay!
Boo!
I think I'll start where I've been.
I tried Adkins in college. I pretty much ended up just eating pizza toppings without the crust. (I worked at a pizza place)
I've tried weight watchers. I've seen it help people. I've gotten a few good tips from meetings. I can't seem to follow points, or weighing and measureing for more than a few weeks. For me, not super successful. (Note to self: They did have some quick frozen lunches for work and some good deserts, maybe you don't have to throw away all the ideas that you have learned).
I've tried Quick Weight Loss Centers. I lost almost 60lbs doing this. So yes, it works. I found it pretty easy to do and I kept it up for quite awhile. Eventually i got bored and found ways to cheat. They also don't encourage a lot of exercise so that you aren't gaining muscle weight... I didn't really like the idea of that. And there are a lot of protein supplements, which I can only assume aren't very natural....so even though they were nummy, I didn't really like the idea of that either. (Note to self: Those peanut butter and jelly protein bars were a real life saver when you wanted a sweet snack that was allowed on plan, maybe you don't have to throw away all the ideas that you have learned).
Last February when my Dr told me my sugar levels were high and she was concerned about pre-diabetic sugar levels I went extreme and cut out everything and anything with refined sugar, or too many carbs. I also started exercising. I got up to doing yoga twice a week and zumba twice a week.
I eventually got lax on my eating... too much produce going bad in my fridge, not enough time to pack a lunch every day. I did keep exercising and I really enjoyed it. I finally found some activities that I found fun rather than work. I kept this up until May when my bf moved out and my life fell apart. Around the same time I had a bestie in a serious crisis of her own and I wanted to be there for her more too.
What I think I've found is that it doesn't work for me to do ONE BIG PLAN. I think what I would like to try this time is the idea of building healthy habits and getting rid of bad habits. And it doesn't have to happen all at once! I am impatient, I move quickly from one project to the next, sometimes without finishing them. I'm not a finisher. This has to be a slow sneaky change so that it becomes part of my day, part of my routine, part of my life. And it can't suck.
So, I have some initial ideas.... I just need to remember that they don't have to all be done at once, day one.
I would like to:
- drink more water
- do some activity everyday, even just a 20 min walk
- eat less sugar
- eat more veggies
- learn more about vitamin supplements
- go back to yoga
- go back to zumba
- find some friends who want to go too
- pack a lunch for work, or keep food there
- maybe learn to jog???
- stop being lazy
- start reading again
- stop watching so much tv (but I'm addicted!)
- find a meal plan that will help me shop and plan dinners... must be easy - I have NEVER been able to do this.
- write this blog
Well, I thought there would be more... I am sure I am missing a lot.
But that doesn't seem so hard ;o)
Today's "Yay's and Boo's".
Yay!
- I ate a good breakfast (cottage cheese and a banana)
- I drank water at work.
- I took my shoes to work for walking
- I ate a healthy supper (red pepper, spinach, chicken, tomatoes, laughing cow cheese as sauce) instead of a frozen pizza.
Boo!
- I stopped at McDonalds after my 2 hour dentist appointment
- I at a whole thingy of white chocolate macadamia cookies after my healthy supper.
- I didn't use the shoes I took to work.
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
First day of 2013
So, I have decided (almost) to start a blog. Clearly I've actually started it, but as with many things in my life, I'm not sure I'm 100% committed yet.
I was inspired to consider this venture by a Facebook friend from high school who is going through a difficult time and using a blog to stay sane and seek support. I myself have been going through a difficult time the last year and was impressed by her bravery and resourcefulness. I am still struggling with how much of my life to put on this blog... or if I should limit it to certain aspects of my life. Namely my constant struggle to lose weight and be healthier. I think I will start with that. I'm sure all the other life stuff will come up, as I am sure it all affects my daily choices.
So, for the sake of background, I'll do a brief overview and then leave it alone. Sure to surface again, but not to be the focus of this blog.
I am a 32 (almost 33) year old female. I live in a lovely warm part of the country, far away from most of my family up in the frozen north. I have a job that allows me to be creative, but takes up all of my time and most of my energy. I love the people I work with. I have two kitties and a big yard to take care of at my new house I bought a year ago. And that pretty much sums up my day to day.
I also have a boyfriend, kind of. We have dated forever and lived together since we moved to this state 8 years ago. We've been very happy and he is my best friend, but as most people do we had our struggles, together and individually as well. Eight months ago, after the stress of buying our first home and a job change, we were fighting more than usual and (looking back) dealing with many classic symptoms of undiagnosed major depression complicated by drinking too much.
He decided the best thing, and only thing in his mind, was to get to a place with less stress and to him that meant moving out. This also seems to be a classic symptom in male depression. In the last eight months we have talked little, texted a good bit, although less lately, and seen each other almost not at all. When he left, the plan was for it to be temporary while he straightened out his head, he still loved/s me. He isn't using traditional professional help, despite my initial frantic insistence, later gently suggestions and eventual resignation that I can't do it for him. After many months of confusion and tears, I don't know what will happen, but I do know that I can't really change anything. I truly want the best for him and I hope he can find someone who can help him professionally so that he can become the sweet, smart, confident, funny person that I love/d again. Whether we end up back together or not. But for now, we're in limbo and I need to try to take care of me the best ways I can figure out how.
So, even though all that is going on and is in my every waking thought, there is a whole world out there and I need to keep moving through life! And I need to do it more healthfully. And that, my friends, is the purpose of this blog. I have been overweight my whole life, I have tried a zillion things to change it, some with some success, some with complete failure. Of course, the ones that have worked have involved diet and exercise! Go figure. My problem seems to be motivation, consistency, will power and lets not forget, emotional eating. And it is just damn hard to get started!
I hope to use this blog to keep myself accountable, to have a place to vent, complain, seek encouragement, celebrate successes, explore ideas and maybe inspire someone else. And also to keep track of information and ideas and try to figure out what works and what doesn't. I will welcome suggestions from any of you, feel free to comment if you see me doing something that I think is healthy and it actually isn't. Thanks for reading, ~E
I was inspired to consider this venture by a Facebook friend from high school who is going through a difficult time and using a blog to stay sane and seek support. I myself have been going through a difficult time the last year and was impressed by her bravery and resourcefulness. I am still struggling with how much of my life to put on this blog... or if I should limit it to certain aspects of my life. Namely my constant struggle to lose weight and be healthier. I think I will start with that. I'm sure all the other life stuff will come up, as I am sure it all affects my daily choices.
So, for the sake of background, I'll do a brief overview and then leave it alone. Sure to surface again, but not to be the focus of this blog.
I am a 32 (almost 33) year old female. I live in a lovely warm part of the country, far away from most of my family up in the frozen north. I have a job that allows me to be creative, but takes up all of my time and most of my energy. I love the people I work with. I have two kitties and a big yard to take care of at my new house I bought a year ago. And that pretty much sums up my day to day.
I also have a boyfriend, kind of. We have dated forever and lived together since we moved to this state 8 years ago. We've been very happy and he is my best friend, but as most people do we had our struggles, together and individually as well. Eight months ago, after the stress of buying our first home and a job change, we were fighting more than usual and (looking back) dealing with many classic symptoms of undiagnosed major depression complicated by drinking too much.
He decided the best thing, and only thing in his mind, was to get to a place with less stress and to him that meant moving out. This also seems to be a classic symptom in male depression. In the last eight months we have talked little, texted a good bit, although less lately, and seen each other almost not at all. When he left, the plan was for it to be temporary while he straightened out his head, he still loved/s me. He isn't using traditional professional help, despite my initial frantic insistence, later gently suggestions and eventual resignation that I can't do it for him. After many months of confusion and tears, I don't know what will happen, but I do know that I can't really change anything. I truly want the best for him and I hope he can find someone who can help him professionally so that he can become the sweet, smart, confident, funny person that I love/d again. Whether we end up back together or not. But for now, we're in limbo and I need to try to take care of me the best ways I can figure out how.
So, even though all that is going on and is in my every waking thought, there is a whole world out there and I need to keep moving through life! And I need to do it more healthfully. And that, my friends, is the purpose of this blog. I have been overweight my whole life, I have tried a zillion things to change it, some with some success, some with complete failure. Of course, the ones that have worked have involved diet and exercise! Go figure. My problem seems to be motivation, consistency, will power and lets not forget, emotional eating. And it is just damn hard to get started!
I hope to use this blog to keep myself accountable, to have a place to vent, complain, seek encouragement, celebrate successes, explore ideas and maybe inspire someone else. And also to keep track of information and ideas and try to figure out what works and what doesn't. I will welcome suggestions from any of you, feel free to comment if you see me doing something that I think is healthy and it actually isn't. Thanks for reading, ~E
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