Wednesday 8/31

Hello there!  Sorry for not posting yesterday, I woke up late (so no workout :(  ) and then we went and did some tourist-y things on the Daytona boardwalk. 
Food yesterday:
Breakfast - Bowl of some sort of fiber cereal w/ unsweetened almond milk
Lunch - Mushroom veggie burger, fries and a nonfat frozen yogurt smoothie (Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. restaurant)
Snack - Pita chips & jalapeno hummus
Dinner - Salad (organic greens, apple, red onion, organic blueberres, ff feta, almonds, organic clementine slices, organic cucumber and craisins w/ all-natural light raspberry vinaigrette) and Organic Avacado, Lettuce, Tomato and Onion sandwhich on Whole Grain italian bread w/ chipotle mayo.
Obviously, yesterday was a bit backward w/ my 'splurge' meal for lunch as opposed to dinner.  It definitely felt better to have a lighter meal before bed.

This morning I had a great beach workout!  I was by myself so I had music blasting in my earbuds and I did a total of 60 minutes of cardio!  I did 90sec/60sec run/walk intervals for the first 2 1/2 miles and then I did 60sec/60sec run/walk intervals for the 2 1/2 miles back to the condo.  It was definitely challeging at times and I was SOAKED with sweat at the end but I felt great!  I'm going to do a few ab workouts after I post this and then head down to the beach with my hubby and sweet baby!  I'm really digging boogie boarding and may do some more today :)  It's a good workout too!

Food Today:
Breakfast:
High Fiber cereal w/ unsweetened almond milk
Mocha Protein shake

Snack:
Whole Grain Pita w/ jalapeno hummus and red bell pepper slices

Lunch:
Avacado, lettuce, tomato and onion sandwich on whole grain italian bread w/ chipotle mayo
Organic clementine

Snack:
Fruit and nut trail mix

Dinner:
Date night with the hubby :)

I'm really enjoying the beach!  (shocking, right?)  I love being in active comminuties. There are people walking/jogging/biking down the beach at all times and no one looks twice.  It's nice to jog on the beach here because no one stares, I actually got a thumbs-up from a guy this morning lol.  It's nice to be in a place where fitness is appreciated!  It's much different at home, where I take a walk with Nora and people look at me like I'm crazy. I could definitely get used to this life, and hopefully someday in the not-too-distant future, I will!  Branden's ready to get a job here and move for good lol.... I'm not so sure we're quite ready for that :)

Well, I suppose that's all I have for the day.  Time to put on my suit and head down the beach with my little family. :)
Until tomorrow...

What Day is it?

When I'm on vacation, I can never keep track of the days!  I've been walking around all day today thinking that it was Tuesday... only to be pleasantly surprised to find out that it was only Monday! 
Another beautiful day at the beach!  Well, 1/2 day, anyway.  It's a little cloudy this afternoon and is forecasted to rain but I'm not complaining about a relaxing afternoon in the condo :)
So far, the general eating pattern for this weekend has been conservative and healthy throughout the day and, well, less so in the evening.  We eat breakfast and lunch in the condo and go out to yummy dinners in the evening.  Last night was no exception... we went to a place called 'Aunt Catfish's' and I ate... a lot.  Brief re-cap: salad (mixed greens and veggies w/ balsamic vinaigrette), garlic-sauteed scallops, a wee bit of rice, a hush puppy and a sangria... oh and the small cinnamon roll that comes with every plate :/
It was yummy but I'll be honest, I paid for it.  My stomach felt less than great last night and I had an equally unpleasant morning.  You would think that since I KNOW how my body is going to feel with all of these bad foods, I would stay away?  Think again.  My taste buds tend to over-power my rational thought... Of course, there are always far worse choices that I could have made... but still. 
Food Today:
Breakfast:
Mocha protein shake w/ unsweetend almond milk

Snack:
1/4c organic trail mix

Lunch:
Cucumber Roll
2 crab rangoons (terrible, I know)

Snack:
chiptole tortilla chips w/ organic guacamole

Dinner:
We're ordering pizza from this little place down the road... their menu shows whole wheat pizzas and low-fat/no cheese options!  I'm excited :)

I can fairly say that since being down here, I'm not eating as many fruits and veggies as I do at home.  Although I tend to not eat very much in the fruit category at home anyway, my veggie consumption has gone way down and is being replaced by seafood and snacks.  Not okay, really.  Now that I'm fully aware of this fact, I plan on working to change it for the remainder of my vacation.

This morning, mom and I went for a run/walk on the beach!  We did 60 second jog/walk intervals for 30 minutes in one direction and then walked our way home (about 2 1/2 miles).  Certainly worked up a good sweat!  OH and yesterday I had a little extra time so I went down to our little workout area and jogged a mile on the treadmill (11 minutes).  I remember not so long ago when the thought of running a mile without stopping seemed like an impossible task... I'm not going to go as far as saying that I can do it 'easily' at this point, but I can do it without dying... so that's an improvement. lol
Mom and I plan to contine to do the jog/walk intervals every morning and may throw in some yoga/belly dance when we get the opportunity.  We didn't dance last night as we ran out of time between my workout, dinner and True Blood (which is of infinite importance, of course!!). 

Well, I should go and see what my silly (and tan) little girl is up to!  I hope you're enjoying some nice weather wherever you are!  Until tomorrow....

Beach Time :)

Hello from the sunny shores of Daytona!  We're in Daytona Beach Shores, staying in a Penthouse condo!  The views are amazing and I'm so excited to be here :)
After getting maybe a total of 1 hour of sleep Friday night (we drove through the night to get here), I decided to get a good amount of sleep last night and didn't wake up until close to 8am this morning.  Mom and I had planned to go out and walk on the beach at around 6 before Nora woke up but instead Nora was awake so she went with us!  She had fun playing in the sand but wasn't really interested in walking very far lol.  So we only walked a total of about 1/2 mile, but plan to try to walk again later in the day (without Nora) and there's also a really nice club room down from our penthouse with a dance floor and wall of mirrors, so we may do some bellydancing tonight! 
For food yesterday, I basically ate a bunch of organic trail mix and a small salad (mixed greans, apples, dried fruit) and then we went out to dinner last night and well,  my choices weren't the best.  I had 1 piece of shrimp bruschetta, 4 or 5 grilled shrimp, about 7 bites of sundried tomato risotto and polished it all off with a raspberry daquri.  I also had a couple of bites of Nora's fish fingers (not as terrible as it sounds, fresh fish that was freshly battered and fried). I didn't feel light and healthy at the end of the meal by any means but I suppose it could have been a lot worse!
Today, I'm working to make much better choices.  Starting yesterday, I've been a bit lightheaded when I stand up, and I can only imagine that is due to the fact that I didn't get much protein yesterday, so I'm trying to make up for it today.
Food Plan for Today:
Breakfast:
Mocha Protein Shake w/ a splash of organic Almond Milk
Protein Mousse
1/4 c Organic fruit & nut trail mix

Lunch:
Salad (organic mixed greens, dried cranberries, fat free feta, red onion, organic apple, sliced almonds) wth organic light raspberry vinaigrette

Snack:
Organic blue corn tortilla chips and organic guacamole

Dinner:
Out - will update tomorrow :)

Well, not much to report today... we're really planning to do nothing more than just hang out on the beach!  I can't wait :)

Until tomorrow....

Thursday 8/25/11

Hello there!  Sorry for the late post, today has been crazy.  As I've mentioned before, I work for Donna Salyers' Fabulous-Furs, which is a 4th quarter business... so I'm pretty much a crazy person from September through February.  I really want to keep up with this blog project and plan to do so, although I can't commit to posting at consistent times as I have been.  :( 
Anywho, I didn't make it to the gym this morning.  Not happy about that but Nora had to get immunization shots yesterday (2 in each leg) and that poor little girl was in SO much pain she couldn't even walk!  After she screamed and cried in pain just from me carrying her upstairs to bed, she woke up pretty much every time she moved last night and started crying because it hurt.  On top of the pain in her legs, she had a fever and just didn't feel well... so needless to say there wasn't much sleeping involved in the overnight hours and when I looked at my clock at 3:19am, I knew there was no way I was getting up at 4:30. 
Food Today:
Breakfast:
Mocha Protein Shake w/ Soy Milk (no sugar added) in place of Skim Milk

Snack:
1/4 c Fruit and Nut Trailmix

Lunch:
Leftover Asian Stirfry from last night

Snack:
Protein Mousse

Dinner:
Grilled Portabella Mushroom "Burger" w/ roasted veggies and sauteed asparagus

So I'm SO excited I finally did something that I've been wanting to do for a long time.... I made homemade organic trailmix!  I have always LOVED trailmix and am currently on a fruit & nut kick (obviously) but I am trying to do everything as healthy as possible and organic so I went today and bought organic (lightly salted) cashews, organic dried cranberries, organic raisins and raw organic shelled peanuts.  I already had organic raw almonds at home and I had a few pecans (although not organic, it wasn't many)  So I got a giant bowl and mixed it all together!  It's SO yummy and with everything being raw and organic, it doesn't leave my mouth feeling like I just ate a bowl of salt!!  PLUS it made enough to fill a large cereal container and I got everything for like $10-15!  Not too shabby.

Dinner was really tasty tonight!  Here's how I made it:
Portabella Burgers (1 serving)
1 large organic portabella mushroom cap
1 whole wheat sandwich thin bun
non-stick spray
lettuce of your choice (I used organic spring mix)
organic tomato slices (grown in my backyard!)
onion
pickles (not a great choice but what's a burger without a pickle?)
fat free mayo

-Preheat grill as normal (I used a charcoal grill for the first time EVER tonight - lit it myself and everything!)
-Spray both sides of mushroom with non-stick spray
-Grill over medium heat until brown-er and softer
-I grilled on foil over the grate to prevent from sticking
-Layer the rest of the ingredients on the bun with the mushroom and enjoy!

Sauteed Asparagus
1 bunch thin organic asparagus
1tbs unsalted butter
1/2 c water
1tbs garlic
2tbs light balsamic vinaigrette
2-3tbs goat cheese
S&P

-Trim rough ends off of asparagus
-Cook asparagus in butter, water, garlic and S&P (covered) over medium heat until almost all water has evaporated and asparagus is limp.
-Transfer asparagus to plate, drizzle w/ vinaigrette and sprinkle w/ goat cheese
Serve!

Roasted Veggies
1bag pre-cut organic cauliflower (I'm lazy), chop to consistent size
1 organic green bell pepper, chopped
1 organic red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 small organic zucchini, cut in half and sliced
1/2 onion, chopped
non-stick spray
S&P
granulated garlic

-Preheat oven to 375
-Line cookie sheet w/ foil and spray generously w/ non-stick spray
-Place all veggies on cookie sheet in one layer and spray w/ non-stick spray
-Sprinkly S&P and garlic over veggies
-Roast 15 minutes, stir and continue to cook another 15-20 minutes
Serve!

So tomorrow we're leaving for SouthDaytona Beach for a whole week! I honestly can't remember the last time I went on vacation for an entire week and I CAN'T wait.  I'm pretty sure tomorrow is going to be the longest work day in history lol. My mom has already scouted the area and there are 2 health/whole food stores so we can go and get some delicious vittles! The condo is equipped with a full kitchen and there are grills for our use on the pool deck so there is NO reason to not eat healthy! Not to mention the fact that we're on a 'no drive' beach so there's plenty of opportunity for walks/workouts on the beach!  I'm really excited!  Plus I'll have the laptop and internet so I can continue to post while I'm there :)

The only thing I'm not sure of is a scale... so I may go ahead and weigh myself tomorrow morning and then I can do it again when I get home next Sunday morning. 

Well, I guess that's all I have for today.  I need to finish packing!! 

Super Bass! 8/24/11

So I'm completely obsessed with 'Super Bass' by Nicki Minaj and it just so happened to be playing on my to AND from the gym this morning! Coincidence? I think not...
So last night I attempted to feed my husband a meatless dinner... let's just say I've learned from my mistakes lol. Like much of our country, my husband is of the mind frame that it is absolutely necessary to eat meat with every meal and doesn't feel that a meatless meal is a complete one. Perhaps a bit of brainwashing and, I'll be honest, I used to feel the same. Well, with the exception of breakfast. It's funny how we're raised to think certain things and never once question them! With the obesity rate in this country rising by the second, (childhood obesity the major concern), I think it's high time we start re-evaluating the 'traditional' eating patterns we've been taught. I'm not saying that our parents/grandparents etc purposely taught us nasty habits, but that they themselves were 'brainwashed' into thinking that what they were teaching was in fact the healthiest way to live. I swear, this The Kind Diet has been quite enlightening. When I first started reading it I was just like oh boy, another vegan cra-cra preaching about needing to go green.... but it really is chock full of information, some of which is a bit scary. The things she points out in the book make a lot of sense, like when you actually look at the human body, it really isn't built to break down meat. I'm not going to get preachy here but if you're interested in the subject, I highly suggest investing the $12 in The Kind Diet.
Okay, enough already, I know. :)
SO the gym was what I would call a success today:

TIME	EXERCISE	REPS	LBS	SETS
5 MIN	TREADMILL	WALK	N/A	1
25 MIN	TREADMILL INTERVALS	JOG 90SEC / WALK 60SEC	N/A	1
(on ball)	CURL/PRESS/DIP	15	7.5	4
(on ball)	BALL CRUNCHES	20	N/A	4
(on ball)	SKULL CRUSHER	15	12LB MED BALL	4
(on ball)	OVERHEAD BALL DROP	15	12LB MED BALL	4
15 MIN	BIKE	FAST	MED-HIGH RESISTANCE	1

My arms are still shaking after the skull crushers and ball drops!  My quads were BURNING after I got off of the bike, I think still sore from Monday's workout plus the biking... it was a good burn though!  I was definitely soaked through-and-through and I felt great :)
I tried to update my individual exercise description page with these exercises but it wouldn't let me know so for now, here they are:
CURL/PRESS/DIP:
(stand with feet shoulder-width apart, slight bend in knee OR sit on stability ball with good posture, knees at 90 degrees)
With a dumbbell in each hand, start with hands at sides.  Perform standard bicep curl, then turn hands so palms face out and perform standard shoulder press then turn hands so palms face in and perform standard tricep dip.  Straighten arms, turn hands so palms face out and lower hands to shoulder level (elbows at waist) then turn hands so palms face in and return to starting position.  That is one rep.
SKULL CRUSHER:
(I prefer medicine ball but can also use dumbbell)
Sit on a stability ball and walk your feet out until your upper back only is resting on the ball. While keeping body in line from shoulder to knee, hold ball in hands and straighten arms above chest.  Lower arms toward the floor behind your head to bring arms in line with ears, then bend elbows and lower ball behind your head.  Straighten arms and repeat.
OVERHEAD BALL DROP:
Sit on a stability ball and walk your feet out until your upper back only is resting on the ball While keeping body in line from shoulder to knee, hold ball in hands and straighten arms about chest.  Keeping arms straight (but elbows NOT locked), lower ball toward the floor behind your head until you feel a good stretch (ball should be in line with your body). Straighten Arms and repeat.

Food Today:
Breakfast:
Mocha Protein Shake

Snack:
Leftover Blackberry Salad w/ light balsamic vinaigrette

Snack:
1/4 cup Nut & Raisin trail mix

Lunch:
Pepper & Tomato Couscous (leftover from yesterday)

Snack:
Mocha Protein Mousse

Dinner:
Asian Stir Fry (with CHICKEN for Branden!)

I must say that it does feel nice to be back on a somewhat normal schedule!!  I feel like my brain is completely different from before I went to NYC, but I'm happy about it.  I know I've said this a few times before but I'm really excited about the changes that I've recently made and I feel great!  I'm seriously contemplating going full-out vegan within the next few months BUT I have to find a substitute for my protein mousse because I'm kind of obsessed lol. 

Well, I believe that's all I have for today!  Happy Hump Day :)

The Earth is Quakin! 8/23

Hey there!  So apparently there was an earthquake today?  Centered in Virginia, we felt the aftermath all the way over here in Kentucky.  My brother lives in Virginia and said that it registered at a 5.8... whatever that means?  No harm done, though. 
I didn't make it to the gym this morning.  I was really excited about going but I decided that I needed to listen to my body... and my body was telling me that sleep was a dire necessity.  I haven't had any sort of good sleep in the last 2 weeks or more so the extra time was definitely appreciated.  Also, I started my period last night so I just wasn't feeling quite up to par.
I do plan to go tomorrow... mental rain or shine.  :)
So day 11 of pescatarianism is coming to a pretty successful end!  Here's what I ate today:

Breakfast:
Mocha Protein Shake (no change here)

Snack:
1/2 pita filled with a schmear of hummus and thinly sliced red bell pepper

Snack:
1/4c of Nut & Raisin Trail Mix

Lunch:
Whole Wheat Couscous w/ peppers, onions and tomatoes (super simple, recipe below)

Snack:
Protein Mousse

After Work Snack:
Chips & Salsa (poor choice)

Dinner:
Avacado, Lettuce & Tomato Sandwich
Blackberry Salad
Baked Sweet Potato Fries
(all recipes below)

I added the extra snacks into my day because I have noticed that although I was eating relatively the same volume of food, it was leaving me very hungry.  It makes sense though, really... vegetable have so much fewer calories than meat that although the volume may be comparable, the actual calorie/energy content is drastically different.  You'll notice that I've started eating carbs on a normal basis again.  With removing the meat from my diet, that removed a lot of protein.  I have to get calories (energy) from some source, so the carbs are necessary.  I'm not just knawing on white bread/pasta by any means, I'm sticking with Whole Grains and am being more critical of the food that I purchase/ingest. 

Recipes:
Pepper & Tomato Couscous (I've discovered this is better at room temp)
1 small box instant couscous (flavor regardless, using grain only)
1tsp EVOO
1tbs miced garlic, separated
1/2 bag frozen 3 pepper & onion blend
1/2 can diced fire roasted tomatoes
1tbs Balsamic Vinegar

-Prepare couscous as instructed (w/ EVOO) on box
-Cook peppers & onions in a little water w/ 1/2 of garlic until softened
-Add 1/2 garlic to couscous
-Combine peppers & onions with couscous, stir in tomatoes and balsamic
That's it!  It was light and super easy.  I definitely want to start making everything with fresh veggies as opposed to frozen/canned (or at least do the freezing/canning myself w/ organic veggies) but I still have these things in stock so I wanted to use them.  I also plan to buy a large container of regular couscous, but I had never had/cooked it before so I just got the instant kind to try it out :) 

Avacado, Lettuce & Tomato Sandwich (ALT)
2 slices good Whole grain bread
1/2 medium avacado, sliced
3 slices beefsteak tomato
romaine lettuce leaves
1tbs fat free mayo
1/2tsp diced green onion
1/2tsp minced garlic
1/2tsp diced cilantro

-Toast the bread
-Combine mayo, green onion, garlic and cilantro; smear on both slices of bread
-On bottom piece of bread layer lettuce, tomato then avacado and top with other piece of bread
That's it! 

Blackberry Salad (measure loosely depending on amount needed)
Spring Salad Mix
halved blackberries
chopped apple
red onion, cut in 1/2 and sliced thin
fat free feta cheese
sugar free raspberry vinaigrette
-Combine all in a bowl and toss!

As you can see, the food is not lacking in flavor or variety!  I'm not really missing meat and at this point, I think it would just hurt if I ate any! 

I'm really interested to see what this change in diet will do to my weight at the end of the week.  I guess time will tell :)

Well, that's about all I have for this evening.  My sweet little baby just broke one of my favorite necklaces so I guess it's time to clean up :(

Until tomorrow!

I'm Still Alive, I Swear! And a Vegetarian! Well, Kind of...

I know, I know... I've been an epic blog FAIL yet again!  Things have been so crazy with work, traveling and life, I haven't had 3 seconds to breathe let alone blog.  Here's a brief recap of the last week and a half or so:
NYC was amazing.  I made some less than excellent food choices yet I didn't gain any weight while I was there, actually stayed the same to the 1/2 pound.  I would have certainly lost if I would have a.) not binge drank one night, b.)worked out more than twice and c.)paid closer attention the food that I was eating.  I was definitely eating fresh food, but there was a lot of cheese involved lol. 
Oh!  Here's something new: I'm a Pescatarian now!  No, that's not a religion.  I decided to stop eating all land-roaming meats.  I still have fish on the occasion, though my diet is now mostly comprised of vegetables, grain and a little bit of dairy (though I am considering parting ways with that as well).  I feel like a completely different person, in a great way!  NYC totally inspired me.... and so did Alicia Silverstone.  No, that's not a joke!  Alicia wrote a book called The Kind Diet and I ordered it on Amazon for around $12 (feel free to borrow, local friends).  It's very informative, not so much a cook book but a reference guide about being vegetarian, vegan and beyond.  I decided to try to give up meat before I went to NYC, I figured I would have an excellent opportunity to eat meat-less there... and I did.  Today is my 10th day without and poultry, beef or pork and I feel great!  I've been looking for something to just make my body feel lighter and cleaner... and so far, this is working!  I love vegetables so much as it is, I honestly don't feel like I'm missing out on anything by not eating meat.  I'm in a little bit of a rush as is but I will definitely be posting some delicious Pescatarian recipes VERY soon! :)

I made it back into the gym today and it felt amazing to be back on my routine and doing the things that I love.  This is what I did today (no spreadsheet, sorry):
Treadmill:
Walk 5 Minutes
Jog 90seconds / Walk 60seconds intervals for 25 Minutes
Ball Squats:
4 sets of 10
Dumbbell Squats:
4 sets of 10 w/ 10lb dumbbells
Single Leg Balance on Bosu:
1 set on each leg, holding for 30 seconds
Leg Extension:
40 lbs, 4 sets of 15
Leg Curls:
70lbs, 4 sets of 15
Leg Adductor: (the one where you squeeze in)
90lbs, 4 sets of 15
Bike:
10 minutes at medium-high resistence, staying about 92 RPM
Streeeeetch.

It felt good!  I can't wait to go back tomorrow :)

This weekend we are going on vacation!  Like an honest-to-goodness vacation... no schedule, no obligations... just a beach!  I can't wait!  We're staying in a penthouse condo on the beach so I can go out there an walk or jog in the mornings and do dumbbell and ab things in the room.  Also, there's a full kitchen so I can cook healthy food!  Did I mention that I'm excited?

Thanks to everyone for sticking with me throughout this crazy time!  I know I missed the picture this month, I seriously haven't had time to even snap one little picture!  I'll make up for it somehow :)

Well, I must run.  Until tomorrow... at some point :)

Hello from NYC!

Hello from the Big Apple!!  Sorry for the lack of posting, things have been crazy!!  Yesterday was a very long day, here's a brief recap:
The day started with a 7am cocktail in the Delta Crown Room and ended with wine and italian food in the Lower East Side!  I did a lot of walking (probably around 4 miles?) around the city and a LOT of sweating!  I had a total of 5 cocktails and a glass of wine in the evening and then shared some italian food with my cousin and her friend.  It was so fun!
This morning I woke up and did 35 minutes on the treadmill doing interval running (90sec jog, 60sec walk) I felt GREAT while on the treadmill and worked up an amazing sweat!  After that, I showerd and got dressed and walked to a coffee shop for a skinny latte and small piece of frittata.  I then walked to the show and stood in my 4" heels all day :)
Tonight I walked to Times Square and roamed around a little bit, then came back to my room and had a totally high-calorie veggie meal.  I've decided that I'd like to try going vegetarian.  I think it will make my body feel better and healthier... so I'm giving it a shot!!  I figured if I'm going to try it, no better place than NYC!!  Back the veggie meal, I'm not going to list everything but it involved something fried and chocolate cake.... honestly, I don't feel terrible about it b/c I didn't eat lunch and I've been walking and sweating a ton, on top of going to the gym in the morning. 
By the by, I am SO in love with this city!  I love that I have the opportunity to walk so much and be active! 

Well, this certainly isn't a normal post, just an update!  I'll try to update again throughout the trip!  Hope everyone's having a nice weekend :)

At Least I Got New Shoes?

Blog fail, I know.  This week has been really off and I don’t like it.  I didn’t post yesterday because, well I wasn’t happy with my behavior and I didn’t quite know what to say.  I have a lot of excuses for my actions but I need to be stronger and not do things that require excuses.  Ie: skipping the gym, eating shitty food etc. 

As you may have guessed, I didn’t go to the gym yesterday or this morning.  That makes a total of 3 DAYS this week so far with no gym time.  However, I did take a 3 ½ hilly mile walk with Nora last night and it felt GREAT.  I worked up quite a sweat and it wasn’t as difficult as I remember?  That is most likely due in large part to my NEW SHOES!!  I finally bought new gym shoes!  It’s amazing how much more supported my feel feel lol.  I did notice on the walk last night that the bottom of my feet were burning.. but I’m thinking that I may have had them tied a little too tight PLUS my feet were already hurting from the stupid shoes I wore to work yesterday so I’m thinking that had a lot to do with it too.  Either way, I wasn’t as winded and I felt good when I got home.   I intended to go to bellydance last night as well but Nora had a mini panny (panic attack) when I tried to leave so that didn’t happen.  I didn’t eat dinner last night b/c I felt ILL after my lunch (read on) and had absolutely no interest in food.  Around lunch time yesterday I was like dammit, I want Mexican food!  So I had Mexican food.  I got a chicken taco salad and chips & salsa.  I ate the entire salad and like ½ or less of the chips.  I was immediately nauseas.  I decided that it was the diet gods sending me a shot of karma for making such a poor decision.  I didn’t eat much the night before that either so I didn’t feel as guilty about the extra calories… but I’m still very unhappy with my decision.  So far today, I’ve had a mocha protein shake, about 7 lbs of trail mix (okay that may be an exaggeration… but still too much) and I’m currently drinking a non-fat Latte from Starbucks.  I am exhausted. 

I’ve somehow contracted Poison Ivy (sounds like an STD when you say ‘contracted’ lol) so I took an antihistamine last night and it just drains the life right out of me.  That on top of not sleeping well AT ALL for the last week or 2 plus all of the stress in my personal life and about this NYC trip (FRIDAY!), I just feel like I’m dying or something.  A whole lot of ‘bleh’. 

For lunch, I went to Kroger and got a box from their salad bar containing the following:

Salad (mixed greens, tomatoes, banana peppers, cucumbers, mozzarella, red onion, craisins, almonds, balsamic vinaigrette)

Broccoli Slaw

Pasta Salad

I still have my low-carb yogurt that I brought for my morning snack (I obviously replaced that with trail mix – another craving) so I may have that later… or my boss has a serving of Protein Mousse here for me so I might have that.  We’ll see. 

I hate being stressed/depressed.  I’ve felt like this for like the past 2 weeks and it is SERIOUSLY taking a toll on my well-being.  I just don’t know how to fix it.  Hopefully being in NYC for 5 days will give me a chance to clear my head.  I’m going to miss my little girl a LOT but I think it’s definitely a necessary trip (beyond the fact that it’s for work and I kind of have to go lol)

Well, I won’t go on about my currently crappy life/state of mind any more.  Hopefully I’ll be feeling back to myself in no time flat.  But, as I’ve said before, I guess that’s kind of up to me?  Ugh, I need to get control.

Until tomorrow…

I Just Wanna DANCE! 8/8/11

Howdy!  Yet another whirl-wind weekend has come to an end and back to work we go.  This weekend was crazy and went by all too quickly, but I am happy to be back to work and on my regular schedule.  Brief re-cap:

Friday:

After work went to the grocery and shopping with my sister.  1 scoop of turkey chili and protein mousse for dinner.

Saturday:

Woke up early to make my sister’s bday cake, rode my bike to the gym and worked out with Sarah.  Prepped for the party: loading/unloading tables and chairs, carrying and stacking loads of firewood, cooking, cleaning etc.  I made a DELICIOUS Panzanella salad (recipe below) that was pretty healthy and fresh.  The party was fun, I didn’t eat much but I definitely did my share of drinking that night!  We went to Yadda Club in Covington and I danced my ASS off!  I burned a ton of calories and had an amazing time!

Sunday:

Terrible food day: I was hungover and wasn’t thinking clearly (obviously).  I ate doughnuts and goetta for breakfast, no lunch, veggies and a tiny bit of pork chop for dinner (dinner wasn’t bad, the veggies were really fresh) then an individual-sized bag of kettle corn while watching True Blood.

GOOD NEWS – I lost 4 ½ lbs last week!  It feels so great to be back on track! 

I didn’t make it to the gym this morning.  I was SO exhausted when I woke up from work I knew there was no way I was going to have any sort of productive workout.  I’m considering going to Rabbit Hash tonight but I may just skip that and go to bed really early so I can be back to normal tomorrow. 

Food Today:

Breakfast:

Mocha Protein Shake

Snack:

Low Carb Yogurt

Lunch:

Tuna Salad

Baby Carrots with a dollup of ranch dip (leftover from the party)

Snack:

Weight Watchers String Cheese

¼ cup of raisin & nut trail mix (no chocolate)

Dinner:

I’m trying something new!

Stuffed mushrooms, sautéed peppers and onions and maybe salad or rice?  I’ll follow-up tomorrow J

Panzanella Salad:

1 lg (or 2 small) Italian Loaf, cut in 1/2 and brushed with EVOO

2tbs Garlic, minced

5 medium tomatoes, chopped

1/2 large Red onion, chopped

2-3 green onions, chopped

handful fresh basil, diced

1/2 c Crumbled Goat Cheese

2tbs EVOO

2tbs Balsamic Vinegar

S&P

-Grill the bread on both sides until browned.  Allow to cool and chop into approx 1" pieces

-Combine all ingredients other than bread in a bowl.

-Before serving, toss in bread

That's all!  SO yummy!

Over-all, the weekend was fun and I don’t feel too terribly bad about the bad breakfast and kettle corn yesterday since I worked/danced my ass off on Saturday! 

I’m considering taking a hip-hop dance class once a week.  They teach the classes at the same place where Nora takes music classes, so it’s really close!  I just think it sounds fun, I love to dance!

Well, that’s all I have for today…

Until tomorrow!

August 8, 2011

Weight: 253 lbs

Friday! 8/5/11

Hi there!  Sorry about the lack of post yesterday, it was a bad night/day and I was a little out of sorts.  Without going too far into it, Wednesday night my husband decided to be a royal moron and thanks to him I didn’t get any sleep and I wasn’t able to go to the gym Thursday (yesterday) morning. 

BUT time moves on and today is now FRIDAY!  I went to the gym this morning and did the following:

TIME	EXERCISE	REPS	LBS	SETS
26 MIN	C25K		N/A	1
1M	SPRINT		N/A	1
	BALL SQUAT	15	N/A	4
	PLIE SQUAT	15	N/A	3
	CALF RAISES - 3 WAYS	10 EACH	30	3

See individual exercise descriptions HERE!

Anyway, I did the C25K at a slower pace today and it was far more tolerable.  I re-read the instructions and it made a big point to not focus on speed, but distance at first… and then once you achieve the full 5K distance, then work on speed… so I shall.  I was planning to do some Elliptical at the end of this but I think I drank too much water b/c I got on there and I just felt nauseas so I didn’t stay on long at all.  I do have a LOT of work today tonight and tomorrow for my sister’s birthday celebration J so I’m confident that I’ll be doing a lot of sweating and calorie-burning! 

Last night I made a yummy Mexican feast… it was pretty much tacos/fajitas w/out tortillas lol

Recipe:

Mexi-Bowl

4 boneless/skinless tenderloins, seasoned w/ cumin, garlic powder and chili powder

1 can Black Beans

1/2 red onion, chopped small

1tbs + 2tsp (separated) EVOO

2tbs(separated) + 1tsp minced Garlic

1 bag frozen 3 pepper & onion blend (Kroger brand – love these!)

2 Whole banana peppers, seeds removed and sliced

1 tsp Cumin, separated

1 Lime

Brown Rice

½ c chopped cilantro

S&P

Pinch of Cayenne Pepper

FF Cheddar cheese and FF Sour Cream for serving

-          Grill Chicken, set aside

-          In skillet, sauté peppers & onions (add bell peppers once frozen veggies have thawed) in EVOO, 1tbs garlic, ½ tsp cumin and S&P

-          In sauce pan, cook red onion, 1tsp garlic, cumin, cayenne and S&P in 1tsp EVOO for about 5 minutes

-          Rinse and drain Black beans and add to onions and garlic to heat through

-          Cook rice, add 1tsp EVOO, 1/3 cilantro, 1tbs garlic

-          Squeeze lime juice over everything and serve in a bowl, I skipped the rice and layered as follows: Black beans, peppers & onions, chicken, FF cheddar cheese, FF sour cream, a little extra cilantro

It was yummy!!

Food Today:

Breakfast:

Mocha Protein Shake

Snack:

Low Carb Yogurt

Lunch:

Going out – most likely a salad

Snack:

Protein Mousse

Dinner:

Chili – I made a batch a while ago (can’t find the recipe but it needs tweaking anyway) and froze ½ of it so it’s thawing as we speak J

Well that’s about all I have for today.  I’m planning to go workout with the lovely Sarah tomorrow morning! 

Have a good weekend J

Impromptu Dance Party? Sure :) 8/3/11

Well yesterday (and this morning) panned out a bit differently than planned.  After work, I went to my mom’s to get Nora and she was still asleep… so I had an apple with peanut butter (I was starving!) and then ended up eating a low-fat brownieL.  Due to my brownie fail, I decided that I was DEFINITELY going to walk Nora to her music class (I was in debate b/c it was 1,000 degrees outside) and we ended up running late so it was a BRISK walk to class.  At class, it was pretty active; lifting/swinging/carrying Nora around along with jumping/running with the kiddos.  I took a donation for Cinderella’s Closet to class (they’re having a drive while I’ll be in NYC) and in my rushing around, I had thrown my cell phone into the donation bag and left it with the music teacher.  Oops!  I didn’t remember it until I got back home with Nora (another brisk walk to the house) so I turned my self around (w/out the child in tow) and jogged/walked back up to music class to get the phone and high-tailed it back home!  So in total it was probably about 1 mile of jogging/walking that I hadn’t planned!  I didn’t feel so bad about the brownie after the 2^nd tripJ.  I got home and made a Chick Pea Salad for dinner (recipe below)… and then sent the whole thing with Branden and Nora when they went to his mom’s house to visit his brother who came in town.  So, my dinner was the apple and peanut butter after workJ.  Once they left, I turned the music up loud, cleaned my house and danced!  I worked up a pretty damn good sweat in doing so and I enjoyed myselfJ.  SO turns out, yesterday wasn’t all that much of an exercise break after-all. 

This morning I got up and went to the gym… but I was having a hell of a time getting into the C25K session.  My body was just NOT having it.  I’m thinking that it was due to the fact that I hadn’t had a bite to eat in over 12 hours and I did a little running last night.  My body tends to just say NO. whenever I try to run back-to-back.  I’ve read tons of times that it’s good to have something to eat/protein shake before your workout but I am just nervous that it will make me nauseas!  Oh well, here’s what I did at the gym this morning:

TIME	EXERCISE	REPS	LBS	SETS
5 MIN	TREADMILL	WALK/JOG	N/A	1
	RF BICEP CURLS	30 SEC.	5	4
	BOSU UP-DOWN	10	N/A	3
	RF TRICEP EXTENSIONS	30 SEC.	5	4
	WOBBLY PUSHUPS	10	N/A	3
	TRICEP DIPS	10	N/A	4

Every time I post my workouts, I think to myself, do they even know what “RF BICEP CURLS” even means?  So I decided that I would break down the exercises.  I’m going to do this in a separate post so then it’s easier to find all of them in the same place for reference, rather than having to pan through each post.  So, if you would like a breakdown of the less common exercises, go HERE!  I’ll try to update as much as possible or if anyone has a request for a break-down, just let me know and I’ll add it!

Recipe Time!

Chick Pea Salad

4 boneless/skinless Chicken Tenders, Grilled (seasoned w/ granulated garlic and a pinch of cayenne)

1 can Chick Peas, drained and rinsed

½ Red onion, chopped

2 Small Cucumbers, peeled and chopped

1tbs Garlic, minced

1 can diced Italian Tomatoes, drained and rinsed

¼ c Fat Free Feta Cheese

3tbs (eyeball) Light Balsamic Vinaigrette Salad Dressing

1-2 tsp Fresh Oregano, minced

Mix it all in a big bowl and either chop the chicken and mix it in or serve it on the side… yummy and light!

Food Today

Breakfast:

Mocha Protein Shake

Snack:

Low Carb Yogurt

Lunch:

Tuna Salad

Grilled Eggplant

Snack:

Mocha Protein Mousse

Dinner:

Honey-Chipotle Salmon (I buy this in a box at Sam’s but I am going to eventually try to re-create on my own!)

Sautéed Broccoli & Mushrooms

Lemon Rice

I would like to say that I’m going to go back to the gym this evening and do the C25K session that I failed with this morning, but I don’t know that I’ll get the opportunity to do so.  We’ll see! 

Well, I suppose that’s all I have for today!

Oh, another fun little change that comes with losing weight:  my heels don’t hurt my feel as badly anymore!  I love wearing giant platform 4” heels... but it was always really difficult to wear them for an extended period of time with so much pressure on the balls of my feet… but I wore a pair yesterday that have proven to be quite painful and I made it through the work day and was still able to ‘hop’ up my stairs when I got home! J  Like I’ve said before, it’s the little things…

Until tomorrow…