Doing well

So far I have been doing really well this week. I've worked out every day so far, whenever possible doing that extra walk at lunch time. I went back to the ice skating rink on Tuesday - that was a lot of fun. I haven't been there in months. I realized that it's a lot more fun when I don't go so frequently - it feels more exhilirating. I was surprised at how quickly I reacclimated to ice skating. I feared I would be a little rusty and unsure of myself, but I wasn't.

I was proud of myself yesterday. I woke up feeling pretty run down, headachy (PMS) and I was also a little short on time, but I dragged myself into the workout room and did a workout anyway. I did Michelle Dozois' Your Best Body Circuit- only the "express" version (the DVD contains 2 workouts - the regular 1 hour workout, and a condensed 30 minute workout).

On cardio days, since I know I will have my fitness walk at lunch, that leaves my mornings open, so I've been doing yoga in the morning. It's great to do yoga. I usually don't do it that frequently because it doesn't really fit well into my schedule of alternating days of cardio & strength (which I do not want to sacrifice). I LOVE yoga, though. It makes me feel so chilled out and I think it helps to keep me on the program because it has a soothing psychological effect on me.

My diet has been on track too. As I mentioned, the next month is going to consist of mostly 1400 calorie days with a few 3000 calorie days sprinkled in on days when we have social/eating occasions. The 1400 days are truly a challenge and not that easy to do, but it's worth it if I can have my splurge days. So far this week I have been right on track.

Checking in...

Well, the weight gain episode really derailed me psychologically for a few days, but I am happy to report I am back on track this week. What's more, I have increased my exercise level. In addition to my usual 5-days-a-week workout schedule, I am also adding in a little extra by taking walks at lunch time every day I can (when the weather is suitable and when I don't have other obligations).

As of today there are only 30 days until our Mexico trip so I am really trying to buckle down. I am having to alter my calorie allotment schedule a little because I have about 7 special occasions over the next month which involve social eating. So what I have done is allotted those days 3000 calories and the rest of the month 1400 calories. This comes out to the same as my normal schedule. It's a little difficult because 1400 calorie days are TOUGH, but I know I can do it.

I'd really like to drop 10 pounds from where I am now over the next 30 days.

Disgusted!

I haven't written in few days and that is because I am disgusted.

My 10-day weigh in was supposed to be on Sunday the 14th, but Saturday the 13th was a planned splurge day, so I decided to weigh-in Saturday morning instead.

Well, to my utter horror - I GAINED 2 pounds over the past 8 days. GAINED! This, after 9 days of 100% diligence with both diet and exercise. This has never happened before. I thought something must be wrong with the scale so I got on and off 3 times, but same result.

I just don't get it. I mean, I can understand maybe not LOSING much, but GAINING? How is this possible?

I was so disgusted, I have been off the program the last 3 days. Tomorrow I will get back on (grudgingly) but I am going to have to work against serious psychological disgust.

Good Day for a Walk

I did well today on the program. For my workout, I took a 40 minute power walk at lunchtime. I work two blocks from an Ivy League University and it's the most beautiful campus. I love to take walks through the campus - especially this time of year when the campus is teeming with students. It gives me those back-to-school butterflies, even though I am done with school for now. The photo I posted here is exactly where I take my walk.


My calorie goal was 1800 today and I was right on track. I had a shake for breakfast, Ellio's pizza for lunch (which I dressed up with sauce, veggies, vegetarian "sausage" and cheese). After the pizza I had a handful of yogurt raisins. For dinner I just felt like having cookies, so that's what I had.

Total calories was 1780.

Wednesday

I tried another new fitness DVD today - Amy Bento's Slo-Mo Strength Challenge. I wasn't feeling the love with this one. It was very tough, and very thorough, but I found it to be boring (too many reps of each exercise, not enough variety) and some of the exercises were so advanced that I had to modify. I did the entire workout, but I didn't really enjoy it as much as I enjoy many of my other workouts. I kept watching the clock. I'll probably get rid of this one.

My calorie goal was 1,400 today and although it was tough, I managed to do very well. I had a protein shake for breakfast, some leftover noodle/veggie stir fry for lunch, a pile of grapes for a snack and for dinner I had a fish taco with homemade salsa. My calories came out right at 1,400.

I am starting to see some visible changes in my physique since I got back on the wagon in earnest. My shoulders are regaining definition and my stomach has flattened a bit. I can also see a bit of change in my face...it's definitely thinned out (the double chin is just about gone). Right before I had gotten seriously back on the wagon, I had to buy a larger size dress pant because none of my other dress pants were fitting me well. Now, the new pants are at the point where they are too loose to wear, so that's a good sign. Today I am back in an old pair of dress pants. They fit a little snug, but THEY FIT.

I am really going to keep plugging away. My main motivator is the Mexico trip, but I also want to slim down quite a bit before the holidays. In past years, the holiday season would always end with me feeling totally disgusted that I was even heavier than I was before the holidays, and before the holidays I was already too heavy. This year (like last year) I want to get through the holidays and come out on the other side feeling happy with how I feel and look. I want to be able to enjoy the holidays, but not feel like all hell has broken loose to the point that serious New Years resolutions have to be made.

The hard thing about fall and winter is that it is an EATING season...not only the usual holiday celebrations, but it's a time when I like to bake and eat comfort food (homemade mac & cheese anyone?). I still eat those things on my program, but they are very calorie-dense so I get very little food for the calories. For example, I baked some chocolate chip oatmeal cookies a week ago and as I always do now, I calculated the calories for the recipe as I made them so that I could eat them on my program. Well, it turned out that 5 cookies (each cookie about 2" in diameter) was over 700 calories!!! Can you imagine? No wonder I put on so much weight in the past. I used to plow through piles of cookies without a thought, especially during the holidays.

Mexican Tuesday

I woke up so sore Tuesday morning. I am telling you - that workout on Monday was just killer. The backs of my upper legs were particularly sore.

Despite having sore legs, I took a 35 minute power walk for my cardio workout.

My calorie goal was 2,000 on Tuesday. I am not 100% sure how I did with the calories because my lunch was at a Mexican restaurant so obviously I couldn't count calories, but I think I was able to estimate pretty closely. It was an upscale place with small plates (tapas), not the usual American/Mexican grease pit type place. I had some tortilla chips, salsa and guacamole to start (not nearly as good as the guac and salsa I make at home, to be honest). I also had a very small serving of ceviche (probably 1/2 cup, if that) with tortilla chips and another small appetizer that I would describe as a small flatbread with sauteed mushrooms and a smidgen of cheese. For dessert I had a very small piece of tres leches cake, which was about the size of 1/2 cup. Oh, and I also had a Mexican soda. I estimated this lunch at about 1,200 calories.

I only had about 500 calories left for dinner and I just felt like having some ice cream, so I had 1 ice cream sandwich and some fudge popsicles.

My total calories were right around 2,000 (estimate).

Manic Monday

Mondays are always tough, but especially when it's a low-cal day (1500), which it was today.

I've been getting a little bored with my workout collection, so I purchased a few new workouts recently. I did one of them this morning - Angie Miller's Strength & Core Fusion. This was one tough workout!!! OMG, I was literally cursing at some points, it was so tough. There were lots of compound exercises which were strength-oriented, but also kept the heart rate up, so it was like doing strength and cardio simultaneously. Not sure if this workout will become a favorite. It's definitely a thorough workout, but it seemed to be lacking the fun factor. Also, the instructor is somewhat annoying as she talks NON-STOP through the entire workout. I mean there isn't one second in this video where she is not talking. Grates on my nerves.

My diet was right on track today. For breakfast I had my usual protein shake. For lunch I had a veggie burger on whole wheat bread with sauteed onions and mushrooms, topped with cheese, ketchup and mustard. For dinner, I had 2 toasted English muffins with peanut butter. For dessert I had 1/2 frozen banana dipped in chocolate and sprinkled with peanuts (I made these popsicles over the weekend). Total calories for today was 1525.

Stir Fry Sunday

Well, back to reality on Sunday - it was a 1400 calorie day. :(

I simply had too much to do yesterday so I skipped the workout. I had shopping and lots of housework to do, so I decided that would be my exercise for the day. Doing a formal workout plus all the chores would result in running myself into the ground.

My calorie goal was 1400 and I was just 50 calories over. I had a protein shake for breakfast, a bowl of Campbell's Tomato Soup and a grilled cheese sandwich for lunch. For dinner I made an awesome stir fry. This weekend I discovered this new Asian supermarket near my house (it is about size of a regular supermarket and I was the only Caucasion shopping there - good sign!) I stocked up on all kinds of sauces, noodles and other stuff. Anyway, last night I put the ingredients to good use. The stir fry was made of an assortment of veggies, seitan (vegetarian "meat") and rice noodles. For the sauce I used soy sauce, chili paste, rice vinegar, sesame paste and ginger. It was delectable! Oh, and I had a 50 calorie popsicle after dinner because I had a raging sweet tooth.

Scrumptious Saturday

Yesterday was a fantastic day! It was my splurge day and also my rest day, so no calorie counting and no working out. I'll tell you, all those days of lower calories and exercise are worth it for that one treat day each week.

So I ate all kinds of crap yesterday - I can't even remember all that I ate but I ate whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted with no measuring, weighing, counting or writing anything down. Although my diet was mostly crap during the day, I did make a fantastic (and healthy) dinner. I love to cook and quite a repertoire of wonderful things I make, but this is probably my favorite of all the dinners I make:

FISH TACOS

Breaded tilapia fried in a little oil (the breading is a mixture of panko bread crumbs, regular bread crumbs, wheat germ, grated cheese and herbs.)

Homemade guacamole

Homemade salsa

Wrap the fish, guacamole and salsa in a warm, soft tortilla, squirt some lime juice over the filling and sprinkle with cheddar. MAJOR YUM! I mean, this is about as good as anything we eat in Mexico. FANTASTIC.

TGIF

Today was a bit challenging, since it was a 1,400 calorie day. Never easy! But I have been telling myself all day to hang in there because tomorrow is my splurge day. Boy I am ready for it.

I had a protein shake for breakfast, a vegetarian chili burrito with cheese for lunch and all I wanted for dinner was snacks, so I had cheese and crackers and 2 fudge pops (I know, so healthy). My total calories for the day was 1,445.

Today my workout goal was cardio and I didn't feel like doing my usual cardio workouts so I went outside for a power walk. I walked for about 35-40 minutes all around the neighborhood (with my IPod of course).

So all in all, a successful day.

Thursday

Today was a moderately easy day, since my calorie allotment was 2,000. For breakfast I had a toasted English muffin with peanut butter. For lunch I had a burrito filled with vegetarian chilli and reduced fat cheddar cheese. I indulged in 4 homemade oatmeal chocolate chip cookies for a snack. For dinner I had baked potatoes topped with steamed broccoli, fried onions and reduced-fat cheddar. My total calories for the day came out to 2,050.

I did a tough strength workout this morning: FitPrime's Strong Bear. Boy, it felt extra tough today for some reason and I was sweating bullets. That is one awesome workout!

10-Day Check-In - RESULTS

I am very pleased to announce that I reached my first 10-day goal EXACTLY. I have lost exactly 6 pounds (to the tenth of the pound, which is pretty amazing). Needless to say I am really happy about this. It's been hard to get back on the wagon and really stick to the program diligently, but somehow I think I have finally done it.

My next check-in will be on September 14th and my goal is to lose 4 more pounds by then.

Wednesday

Today was a very good day on the program. I started with a good cardio workout - I rebounded while watching WHFN's Fast Cheetah, and did the floorwork and ab section at the end.

I was right on track with my calories today, although one of my "meals" wasn't the healthiest. I had a protein shake for breakfast, 5 homemade oatmeal chocolate chip cookies for lunch and for dinner I had leftover shrimp creole. Total calories were right around 1500 which was my goal today.

Well, tomorrow is my first 10-day weigh in, so I am anxious to see how I did these past 10 days. The goal is 6 pounds, but I will be happy with ANY loss. I am feeling a bit thinner and am noticing a slight difference in the way my work pants are fitting me (much less snug) so I am pretty confident there will be a good result.

9 Fat-Burning Eating Tips from HungryGirl

There was a good article today on Hungrygirl.com that I thought I would share with you.

"9 Fat-Burning Eating Tips

Now don't get all excited. We don't have any magic wand solutions that will take the place of exercise and eating right. But we do have a few foods that could help you on your journey to rid yourself of excess flab. Hungry Girl's here with the scoop...

LEAN PROTEIN: To put it simply, protein takes a lot of effort for the body to break down and digest. A lot more than, say, fat. So while your body is working hard to process that protein, you're burning calories. HG tip -- eat fish! Chances are you're not getting enough of it. Not only is fish a fabulous source of lean protein, BUT many types are full of those Omega-3 fatty acids you're always hearing about. Beans are also a wonderful source of protein. And it's no secret how we feel about our friend the soybean. (Let's have a cheer for veggie patties and soy-meats!)

WHOLE GRAINS: Belly fat is not particularly cute on anyone (except maybe babies), so it's exciting news that whole grains can do a number on that stubborn flab around your midsection. One of the easiest ways to get whole grains into your diet? Oatmeal in the morning. Quaker's Simple Harvest Multigrain Hot Cereal is really good and just full of grains. Also, Kashi GoLean's Hot Cereal packs in 7 whole grains and a big 5 - 7g fiber! Mmmmm...

GRAPEFRUIT: Ever since you were a kid popping Flintstones Chewables, you've known that Vitamin C is good for you -- and that certainly hasn't changed. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant AND has been shown in studies to help burn fat. So, if you're looking for a snack, how's about a nice, juicy grapefruit? The theory is that grapefruit helps to lower insulin levels, which keeps you from being hungry all the time! We know it smacks of classic diet food, but those Ruby Reds are MIGHTY delicious! If it's too sour for you straight, sprinkle it with some no-calorie sweetener like Splenda or stevia.

GREEN TEA: Green tea is EVERYWHERE. It's been classified as a "superfood" as it's been linked to reduced rates of heart disease and cancer. And now it helps us lose weight too? Green tea has been shown to raise our metabolism, which is key in our battle with the bad stuff. Researchers also suspect that substances called polyphenols combined with caffeine are responsible for its fat-burning properties. If the hot murky stuff doesn't do it for you, try HG's Green Tea Crème Swappuccino! Only 75 calories and SO GOOD!

SPICY FOODS: You know how when you eat spicy foods, you sometimes start to sweat a little (ew)? That's because it's given a little kick to your heart rate. These little kicks will result in a temporary increase in your metabolism, which will help you burn fat a little easier for a bit. A quick hit with cayenne, red pepper flakes, or whatever hot sauce you fancy should do the trick and get your blood pumping. And these spices are practically calorie-free. Yes!

LIGHT DAIRY: Hey, dairy queens! Good news! It turns out that people who eat low-fat or fat-free dairy lose MORE weight than people who don't. Sure we mentioned protein before, but it bears bringing up again since the magical combo of calcium and protein seems to work wonders. We're WAY into yogurt, so we suggest picking up some Fage Total 0% Greek Yogurt and mixing in your favorite fruits, sugar-free preserves... or whatever! Also, light string cheese is a GREAT little snack, with only around 50-60 calories and 2.5g fat a pop. Not bad for hard cheese, people.

WATER: Experts say it's important to drink lots of water if you're trying to burn fat Your body can't work effectively if it's dehydrated -- not only will you FEEL like you don't have any energy, but also your body really won't have what it needs to function and burn off fat. Keep that machine humming -- drink around 8 glasses of water a day!

CINNAMON: Sure this stuff tastes good -- that's why it's found in SO many things. But those chefs might not know that their sprinkling of cinnamon is helping the body process sugar more effectively and lower blood sugar levels. High blood sugar can lead to the body storing more fat, so maybe put together a little shaker of cinnamon and Splenda to sprinkle on your favorite foods! Then whip up some fat-burning cinnamon toast by using your new concoction on whole-wheat bread!

APPLES: An apple a day isn't going to keep the gym away, but it'll probably make your diet plan more effective. Word on the street is that the pectin contained in apples limits how much fat your cells can absorb. (SWEET!) Plus it's a naturally soluble fiber, which is always good. So next time you feel all snacky, grab whichever apple looks best to you (we love Fujis!).

Hungry for More?

Check out Hungry Girl: Recipes and Survival Strategies for Guilt-Free Eating in the Real World. The book's a New York Times Best Seller, and it's packed with 165 super-easy and delicious recipes, survival guides for eating out, and so much more!For a daily dose of guilt-free tips, tricks, food finds, recipes and more, visit hungry-girl.com and sign up for free daily emails!"

Tough Tuesday

Today I did a really good strength workout - Jari Love's Ripped 1000 (a toughie!). I was really proud of myself because I was not in the mood to work out today, but I selected a tough workout and did it.

My calorie goal was 1500 which is always a little tough, but I did well. I had a protein shake for breakfast, a grilled cheese and vegetarian "bacon" sandwich for lunch (with a side of Cheez-Its), a peach, a fudge pop and for dinner I had some shrimp creole (leftovers from a meal I cooked over the weekend). Total calories for the day: 1580

Speaking of fudge pops, can I just say THANK GOODNESS for them? The ones I buy are only 80 calories each and they are intensely chocolate. They really save me from going totally off the deep end. Chocolate is probably one of my biggest weaknesses and something I constantly crave, so having a low cal chocolate fix is really a lifesaver.

My other big weakness is cheese, but cheese is pretty easy to incorporate into my regular meals without it causing excess calorie issues.

Thumbs Up

I haven't been here in awhile - just been busy and haven't felt like posting, but I am happy to report that I have been doing well on the program, especially this past week. This past Monday I made a commitment to myself to really be diligent. I have a big motivator. On October 24th we are leaving for a 10 day vacation to our favorite place, Tulum (Mexico) and I want to get rid of all the weight I gained over the past few months by then so I can walk around in my bathing suit with PRIDE. I know I can do it (or come close) if I am really diligent on the program. (The photo in this post is one I took the last time we were in Tulum....ahhhhhhhh....)

The thing about this program is IT WORKS if I stick to it. I know this for a fact because the times I have really stuck with it, the weight and inches have fallen off pretty quickly.

This past week (Monday - Sunday) I was near perfect on the diet (only 150 calories over for the entire week which I intend to rectify today by deducting 150 from my allowance) and I was 100% perfect with the exercise.

I am going to weigh-in every 10 days. My first weigh-in is this Thursday and my goal is a loss of 6 pounds. After that, my goal will be a 4 pound loss every 10 days.

Sunday Slacker

Sunday was a rest day so no exercise. My calorie goal was 1400 but I went totally off the wagon. I was just ravenous and had no willpower whatsoever. So I decided the way to rectify this situation is to make yesterday a splurge day and sacrifice my spluge day this week. So this week's splurge day will be subsituted with a 1400 calorie day so it will all even out.

Overall, though, I did pretty well this past week with 5 days of solid exercise and I was right on dietary program for 6 out of the 7 days. I haven't weighed myself (I am going to try to limit that to once a month if possible) but there's definitely a noticeable change in the way a particular pair of dress pants are fitting. They were snug last week and this morning when I put them on they were feeling a little loose.

So all in all, I am pleased with my progress!

Saturday Success

Saturday was another good day for me. It was a scheduled rest day, but it was such a gorgeous day, hubby and me decided to go to a local park and walk . We walked about 3 miles so I certainly got some serious exercise in!

My calorie goal was 1800 and I did well. I had a protein shake for breakfast, some watermelon for a snack, a small fish sandwich for lunch, 2 Klondike bars and for dinner we had a BBQ. I had a veggie burger on 1 slice of bread with cheese, 1 corn on the cob with a dab of butter and a very small helping of mashed potatoes. Total calories just a little over 1800.

I'll tell you...there is nothing better in the summer than a perfectly ripe seedless watermelon and corn on the cob. Mm Mm good!

Fabulous Friday

Friday was a fairly easy day because it was my splurge day. For me, the diet part of this program is the most challenging. Working out isn't that bad, although of course it's been a little more challenging lately only because I am getting reaclimated.

Anyway, I didn't really feel like working out, but I forced myself. I rebounded while watching WHFN's Steamin' Cardio.

My diet was completely out the window but that's what splurge days are for! Pizza, ice cream, a nice dinner out! All those things I dream about on those dreaded low-cal days.

Successful Thursday

Thursday was a good day on the program and I was proud of myself because I REALLLLY felt like overdoing the calories (esp. after dinner), but I didn't. I think knowing that today (Friday) is my "spluge day" was enough to keep me on the ball.

I didn't feel like working out, but I mustered up enough motivation to do Michelle Dozois' Your Best Body Circuit. It felt a little more difficult to me than usual this time but I got through it. I rebounded during the cardio segments because I enjoy rebounding better than standard cardio.

My calorie goal was 1500 and I was right on target. I had a homemade Egg McMuffin for breakfast, a pita pizza topped with chopped veggies for lunch, a cup of chopped watermelon for snack (yum!) and I made a nice dinner of baked/breaded tilapia (used panko bread crumbs and fresh herbs in the breading which made it extra good), corn on the cob and a side of broccoli and carrots. My total was 1525 for the day.

Worn Down Wednesday

I decided to make Wednesday a rest day for a couple of reasons. First, I WAY overdid it on Tuesday. Not only did I do a workout in the morning, I also spent a few hours at work moving my office to a new office. I didn't move the furniture (I had a handyman do that for me), but I had to move boxes, computer equipment, files, as well as decorate, hang pictures, set up my computer, etc. In addition to that, I had to organize my old office (which is now a therapy room) and assist the handyman with organizing a third office that we had to borrow some furniture from.

I was so wiped out when I went home Tuesday night, I ate dinner and then crashed on the couch. I woke up Wednesday morning still feeling a little wrung out. I contemplated working out but decided against it because a real estate showing was planned and I needed to get a bunch of housework done in the morning so the house would be "show ready". So, although I didn't do formal exercise, I did do a lot of activity yesterday morning and felt like I got a workout!

It was a 1400 calorie day, so that was a challenge. I did well, though. I had a protein shake for breakfast, a grilled cheese sandwich for lunch and some pasta with marinara sauce and cheese for dinner. That's came to about 1385 calories. I definitely felt like eating more but I was able to exercise restraint.

Trying Hard to Stay on the Path

I've been doing pretty well the last few days, although I just haven't had time to blog. As far as exercise goes, I've been doing great. Last week I only missed one workout and that was only because I felt wrung out and like my body needed a rest, so I worked out 5 days of the week. As for the diet, I didn't do so great over the weekend, but otherwise, I did well the rest of the week.

Thinking back to last week, my biggest challenge was dealing with ravenous hunger. I am not talking about just WANTING to eat. I am talking about stomaching-growling hunger. I think my body is still in calorie reduction shock and it's rebelling. That's why I had a hard time sticking with my calorie levels every day last week.

I am going easy on myself because I realize there is a re-adjustment period and therefore I am cutting myself some slack. I am keeping in mind that I am moving into the right direction. The workout schedule is back on track and I am being conscious about trying my hardest to stick to the calorie plans.

Monday the goals were 2000 calories and strength training. For my workout I did FitPrime's "From the Ground Up" (one of my favorites). I had a shake for breakfast, pita pizza topped with veggies for lunch (plus a cup of soda), a couple popsicles for a snack and for dinner I had pierogies with steamed broccoli and fried onions. My total calories were right at 2000.

Yesterday was a 1500 calorie day, which was challenging, but I did well. I had a homemade egg McMuffin for breakfast, a veggie burger topped with fried mushrooms and onions for lunch, some cherries for a snack and for dinner I had some spaghetti with marinara sauce and the rest of the leftover baked eggplant I made last week. NO junk food yesterday. My total calories were about 1550. My workout yesterday was FitPrime's "GForce2" (a rebounding workout).

Thursday

Yesterday was a fairly easy day. It was a rest day, so no exercise. And it was a 2000 calorie day so I could splurge a little. I had a shake for breakfast, a pita pizza with baked eggplant for lunch and I had a crazy dinner...a bunch of junk like peanut butter and crackers and popsicles. Don't ask. I was just craving that stuff. My body is still in adjustment mode so it's been a challenge this week.

Toughing it out

Yesterday was a successful day for me. I did a really great strength training workout in the morning - FitPrime's "From the Ground Up". My calorie level was 1400 yesterday, which of course was a challenge, but I did well. For breakfast I had a protein shake. At lunch I had some leftover filling from the stuffed peppers I had made the night before (which I made from quinoa, veggies and a little cheese). I also had a handful of cherries (yum!). For dinner I made baked eggplant and had it along with side of pasta and marinara sauce. I had a single-sized fudgsicle for dessert. My total calories for the day was 1440 so pretty good!

My period is over today so I hesitantly got on the scale. I am ashamed to tell you this, but I am going to tell you for the sake of keeping myself honest...over the last 6 months I have gained back 20 pounds of the weight I had lost when I got down to my lowest weight on this program. Isn't it amazing how easily it piles back on if you are not diligent? Well, truthfully I was beyond not diligent. I was off the deep end, so that's the reason. Anyway, I am hoping that being really diligent on the program will get me back to my old level of progress and then move forward from there.

Rough Going

Yesterday was really rough going, diet-wise. I hadn't intended Tuesday to be my "splurge day" but I decided to use my splurge day yesterday because I was simply FAMISHED all day. I think my body is going into shock with this calorie reduction because even after I ate lunch, I was starving. On the way home from work, I was so hungry, I actually started to feel dizzy. This is ridiculous! So I listened to my body changed my splurge day from Saturday to Tuesday. There's really nothing going on this weekend, so it won't be a problem to make that change. I think easing myself back into the lower calories is the way to go. I have to give myself a chance to readjust.

I did a good workout yesterday. It was a cardio day, so I rebounded while watching WHFN's "Fast Cheetah" and did the ab section at the end. So all-in-all it was a good day. It's just a little hard this week readjusting. Oh, and getting back into regular workouts is a little rough too. I never totally stopped working out - but I definitely have not been as diligent the last few months and I haven't worked out at all the last couple weeks (although we did a lot of bike riding and some walking during our vacation). So getting back into it has been rough because the workouts feel harder and I feel a little sore.

It's amazing how if you don't use it, you lose it and QUICKLY!

Coming out from under my rock...

Well, I am coming out from under my rock and showing my face again. I am ashamed to say that the past few months have not been good for me on my program and much of the progress I made has reversed itself. First, it was school. I was so consumed by it - and by writing that damned masters thesis, that the stress of it derailed me until the very end when I graduated in May (yes, I did get my masters and graduated with straight As, so there are 2 good things that came out of my fall off the wagon!)

After school ended, my intention was to get seriously back on the wagon, but around that time another stressful situation arose...we decided to put our house on the market. This wasn't just a decision, it was a major stress-fest undertaking because we then had to get the house ready for sale which involved all kinds of projects. Anyway, once the house was all straightened out and on the market, we were gearing up for a week-long vacation (which we just got back from yesterday), so to summarize, it's been non-stop stress and lack of discipline for months now. I feel so badly about sliding backwards like I did, but the good news is that I am seriously back on the wagon today.

Talk about a shock to the system! I woke up and dragged my butt into our workout room to do my first workout in over 2 weeks. I decided to choose a relatively easy workout and did WHFN's Metaboost. I really enjoy this workout and it doesn't FRY me like some of the others in my collection.

My calorie goal was 1800 today which was manageable. For breakfast I had a protein shake. For lunch I made a grilled cheese sandwich and had a few cherries afterwards. For dinner I made vegetarian stuffed peppers (which turned out FABULOUSLY!) and then had some popsicles afterwards to satisfy my sweet tooth. My total calories were right at 1800.

Now I just have to concentrate really hard on keeping my focus and moving forward with my results and keeping a positive frame of mind.

Going Strong

Well, I haven't posted in awhile but have no fear! I have actually been doing really well on the program. I just haven't felt like writing in here - I've been busy with spring cleaning and gardening and just haven't felt like blogging much.

While I haven't been writing in here, I have following the program diligently, especially this past week and I feel like I have snapped back into it again. It took awhile, but finally I am there. I am still following the same calorie plan as usual - 1400, 1400, 1500, 1500, 2000, 2000, 3000 and working out about 5 days/week. This week alone I have dropped 4 pounds and I can feel my clothes fitting a little more loosely.

I still find the low cal days to be a challenge. 1400 and 1500 calories just aren't enough for me and evenings are particularly difficult. But whenever I feel really challenged I just remind myself that doing the 1400's and 1500's allows me to have those 3 higher cal days and still lose weight. So it's worth it. It's just hard.

The stress of school is now behind me and that has helped me to regain some focus on this program, but a new stress has entered my life - we are seriously considering selling our house and relocating to a more affordable area. That opens up a whole 'nother can of stress worms but I am trying not to get myself too psychologically worked up over it.

Sickly Sunday

Well, I've been a bit under the weather the last couple of days and as a result, I have not been up for exercising or calorie counting. The good news is, I haven't really been off the wagon that badly (i.e. going haywire)...I simply have not had the energy or wherewithall to be diligent on the program.

Today I was feeling a little better so I did manage to track my calories. I didn't do a formal workout, but I was very active today...I did a LOT of housework - decluttering and reorganizing. Major spring cleaning.

Today's Calorie Goal: 1400

Breakfast: Protein shake (300)

Lunch: Vegetarian pizza "burger" with fried onions and mozzarella cheese on whole wheat bread (452)

Junk: Ice Cream Cone (348), Doritos (300)

No calories left for dinner.

Total Calories: 1400

Thursday

Still going strong, although I must say it really is challenging this week. On top of everything else I've already mentioned, I have been a little under the weather all week fighting off some minor cold. It started with a sore throat earlier in the week and has progressed to a head cold. Thankfully it seems to be staying on the mild side, but it's just enough to zap my energy reserves.

As a result, I felt pretty run down yesterday and didn't do a workout. I just didn't feel up for it.

My calorie goal was 1400 and I stayed pretty close to goal.

Breakfast: granola bar (150), grapes and strawberries (150)

Lunch: vegetarian "pizzasteak" with fried onions (455) and some Doritos (140)

Dinner: Pita pizza topped with red peppers, onion and veggie "chicken" (535)

Total Calories: 1430

Workin' Hard

It's been really hard getting back into the program but I have been good with it so far. There are several reasons it is particularly challenging this week.

1. After eating so much on the cruise for 7 days straight, not to mentioned having been off the wagon prior to that for some time, my body still thinks it's in feeding frenzy mode is wants to eat, eat, eat!

2. Coming back to work has been nothing short of a pile of stress. I am backlogged with e-mails, voice mails and a foot-high pile of mail to get through...all of which generate more work.

3. I got my period on Monday so I have been PMS-ing.

4. I am a little under the weather (probably brought on my the aforementioned stress).

Despite all this, however, I am DETERMINED to stay on the ball because I am so disgusted with how far backward I have slid.

My workout goal for Wednesday was cardio. Because a beautiful weather forecast was planned, I decided to save my workout for lunchtime and at lunch I took a nice 50 minute power walk wearing my IPod.

My calorie goal was 2000 and it wasn't the healthiest eating day, but I did stay on track.

Breakfast: shake (300)

Lunch: breaded tilapia on Tuscan Pane bread with cheese and mustard and a small side of Doritos (720)

Dinner: junk! I had a big bowl of lite ice cream with malt and whipped cream and a pile of Oreos (don't ask. Just needed it). (1000)

Total Calories: 2020

Good to be back!

Yesterday was a real challenge but I did it! For my workout, I did Tom Holland's Total Body Workout and today I can really feel it in my thighs and butt - SORE!

My calorie goal was 1400 and MAN, talk about a challenge after having grown accustomed to the nonstop feeding frenzy cruise lifestyle.

Breakfast: protein shake (300)
Lunch: Breaded fish fillet sandwich in a tortilla wrap with cheese and mustard (530)
Dinner: Breaded tilapia, white rice and roasted green beans and peppers (502)
Treat: 10 small jelly beans (70)

Total Calories: 1402

Long Time No See

Well, I've REALLY been off the wagon since you last heard from me, I am sorry to say. I just wasn't able to get totally back on board until every aspect of school was completely over and right after that, we headed off for a 7 day cruise, which is essentially a 7-day feeding frenzy. I have really backtracked on my weight loss and have gained a bit back which I am a bit disgusted about. But would I take back the fun I had getting to this point? Nope. When it's all said and done, it was worth it. But now I am definitely paying the price.

We got back from the cruise 2 days ago. Yesterday I spent the day doing laundry, grocery shopping, downloading photos and generally getting things back in order and today is my first day back to work and back on the program. I decided I really need to get back into blogging regularly to keep myself accountable, so here I am.

So here are my goals for this week (my week is going to run Tues - Mon).

Tuesday, May 13: strength & 1400

Wed., May 14: cardio, 2000

Thurs, May 15: strenth & 1400

Fri., May 16: cardio & 1400

Sat., May 17: gym (strength, yoga and swim) & 3000

Sun., May 18: rest & 2000

Mon., May 19: strength & 1400

And now some happy news to report...all my hard work with school paid off. I am graduating with straight A's and my master thesis was approved "with distinction"! So I guess that makes my backward slide worth it.

Oh, and I should point out that I exercised every day on the cruise. On the 3 sea days I went to the gym and did a full strength and cardio workout. On the other days I swam every day and one day in port, we walked about 3 miles. So there was no shortage of exercise, but sadly exercise is not enough to control weight.

P.S. The photo above is me on the cruise dressed up for the first formal night.

Back on Track

Well, it felt good to be back on track again. Psychologically, I really think I am finally there now.

For my workout, I rebounded while watching The Firm: Ultimate Calorie Blaster.

My calorie goal was 1400.

Breakfast: Protein shake (300)
Lunch: Bean and cheese burrito with salsa (336)
Dinner: 2 slices of veggie pizza (800)

Total Calories: 1436

Back on Track

Sorry I haven't checked in in awhile, but things have been a little hectic again and I've been having a hard time concentrating.

Mostly what has been taking up my concentration is finalizing my masters thesis. My advisor and I have been going back and forth for the last month or so and these past few days I have been working to get that thing finalized and approved. The good news is....yesterday I submitted my final revisions and he sent me a message saying my project is approved "with distinction"! So I am taking that to mean it's considered above average. To say I am relieved and happy is an understatement. This project has been the equivalent of carrying around a 100 pound weight on my shoulders and now it has been lifted!!! The only thing remaining as far as that project goes is that I have to give a 10 minute presentation (along with some other students who are finishing up their masters) on the 22nd. No big deal. I just hope I can put together a decent, fairly comprehensive summary in 10 minutes. It's a 50 page paper!

Another huge relief occurred just yesterday. My advisor is also the professor who teaches the class I am taking. He said he took a look at my paper (which I recently finished and put up on a web site) and he says it looks "great". So I think I can safely say that that project is now officially behind me.

As for the diet and exercise, I have to admit it has not been good the past few days. I've only been about 50% compliant with the exercise (yes, I know that is unusual for me) and the diet has been out the window. HOWEVER, today is a new day and psychologically, I am feeling like my life is regaining some semblance of normality and there's definitely a big reduction in stress now, so I am really going to try to be back on track.

Thursday

Today's workout goal was strength training. After standing in front of my video cabinet for 5 minutes not feeling like doing any of the workouts, I finally selected The Firm: Tortoise which is one of the older Firms - and a really good one. I rebounded through the corny "ballroom aerobics" sections, though. I just can't stomach that cheesiness first thing in the morning.

I had to move some calorie values around this month so today's calorie allotment was 2000.

Breakfast: the usual chocolate banana protein shake (300)

Lunch: out to lunch with co-workers for Thai food. 1 cup cream of mushroom soup (200), 3 pieces of fried tofu with dipping sauce (126), tilapia with sweet sauce with a side of about 1.5 cups white rice (508)

Treat: Ben & Jerry's ice cream in a waffle cone (900)

No Dinner

Total Calories: 2034

(I calculated all these values using Calorie King and I think they are fairly good estimates).

Spring Fashions

Well, I was a bit short on sleep today so I was not feeling up to exercising. I intended to take a walk in the afternoon and even though I didn't really feel like it, I put my sneakers on and forced myself to go out for my walk. It was too windy and chilly though, so I lasted all of 10 minutes and then decided to duck inside at the local university to read for awhile. (I can handle cold, but not wind).

Today was a 1400 calorie day and a bit of a challenge, but I made it through okay, although admittedly, my "dinner" wasn't the healthiest.

Breakfast: the usual shake (300)

Lunch: Veggie burger with fried onions, peppers and mushrooms on Tuscan Pane bread, topped with cheddar and ketchup (410). Small amount of corn chips (130).

Dinner: 2 candy bars (560) (craving cave-in)

Total Calories: 1400

Now some happy news to report...I switched my winter clothing over to my summer clothing today and in doing so, tried on all my clothes to see exactly what fits (I have clothing in so many different sizes it is ridiculous). I was very happy to discover that a lot of clothes that did not fit me last spring now fit me, and some are even loose! A couple of these articles of clothing are things that I really love and wore several years ago but haven't fit me for a long time. I refused to get rid of these things and I was determined to keep them and eventually fit into them again and now I do! For example, I have this brown linen fitted blazer that is particularly stylish and in a size 10. The last time I remember wearing it is around 1999. It's a classic style, though, so it's still very wearable and I love it. Well, after all these years of sitting in my closet, it finally fits me again!

I was able to filter out a lot of too-big clothes. Also, I tried on my formal wear again to see what will fit me for the cruise (coming up in 1 month!) and many of my dressy clothes fit really nicely now. There will be no shortage of nice things to wear on the cruise. AND as if this was not enough to float my boat today, I tried my entire bathing suit collection (yes, it IS a collection) and most of them fit nice and I actually feel that I look pretty decent in them (not WOW - knock out! or anything, but not HIDE UNDER A ROCK either).

The only bad thing about the change in size is that often I have to say goodbye to some articles of clothing that I really like. Guess you gotta take the bad with the good, right? Gives me an excuse to go out and buy more new clothes.

Speaking of which, I have been meaning to mention that I recently discovered another new favorite clothing store - Loehmann's. I had been sent a coupon for $25 off a purchase of $50 or more, so I couldn't pass up on that deal. I went to check the place out. Well, I really like it! It reminds me a bit of Stein Mart...high quality, stylish clothes. I think the clothes at Loehmann's are a little more stylish than Stein Mart's....by stylish I mean fashion-designer, not teeny-bopper trendy.

So get this. For 30 some dollars, I got a GOWN (didn't need it but loved the color and style - it's light turquoise green which is one of my favorite colors) and a really stylin' pair of spring sandals! Both were on clearance plus I had that coupon, so what a deal! The gown is a Juniors 13 and is too tight but I imagine it's possible it will fit me in time for the cruise - it seems like it will fit me when I lose another 10 pounds. If not, I know I will be able to wear it on the next cruise. (By the way, the photo I posted is not the actual gown I bought, but it's similar).

I have to warn you, though, that generally speaking Loehmann's is not cheap. They are a discounter, but they discount higher-end designer label stuff, so for example, a shirt might be $30-$50 (which is probably cheap for designer stuff, but much more than I normally spend).

It's funny, though. Now that I am getting thinner, I don't feel as hesitant about spending more on clothing. I guess it's because I think I actually look decent in clothing now, so it doesn't seem wasteful to buy nice things. Does that make sense?

Speaking of fashions, WHAT IS UP with the maternity look this season? Man, some of these fashion trends just gotta go. Yes, pregnant women look good in maternity tops, but if you're not pregnant, it's probably best to steer clear of maternity-inspired clothing. I mean does any woman really want to outfit herself in clothes that make her look FATTER?

Oh, and also....the PRINTS this year - UGH!!! The Partridge Family on acid!!! I mean, if somebody PAID me to come up with the ugliest print in the ugliest color scheme imaginable, I don't think I could dream up anything more shiteous than what is in the stores this spring.

Terrific Tuesday

My exercise goal today was strength training, so I pulled out an oldie but goodie - the original FitPrime Crunch Time. Man! I forgot how great this workout is. It's a total body strength training workout - with a couple cardio intervals thrown in - and it's really challenging but only 45 minutes long. Lots of compound exercises so a lot gets squeezed into a short time. The music is GREAT. I'd rate this workout as one of my all-time favorites.

My calorie goal was 2000 today which wasn't too difficult. (That's why I endure those 1400 days, so I can get some 2000 days!)

Breakfast: Homemade egg McMuffin: english muffin with 1 scrambled egg, 1 slice veggie "bacon" and a little cheddar cheese (290)

Lunch: Office birthday lunch for a coworker: 2 slices of pizza (800), 1 slice of birthday cake (475).

Dinner: breaded tilapia on 2 slices of whole wheat bread with a little cheddar and mustard (435)

Total Calories: 2000

Munchie Monday

Today was a cardio day so I did Steamin' Cardio, although I rebounded through most of it. A lot of times I prefer rebounding to other forms of cardio, but I still like to go along with the video...it's more entertaining then just bouncing without the distraction of the video. Plus they usually do ab work at the end and when it gets to that part, I will get off the rebounder and go along with the video.

Today was a 1400 calorie day and it was a bit of a struggle for me but I did well with calories, although I will admit it was not the healthiest diet today. Not a vegetable to be found, although I guess we can say the banana in the protein shake is healthy and so are the peanuts in the peanut butter (I know, I am stretching).

Breakfast: chocolate banana protein shake with malt (300)

Lunch: Egg noodles with a little butter and grated cheese (526)

Treat: 2 palm fulls of jelly beans (300 - estimate)

Dinner: Toasted English muffin with 1 1/2 tbs peanut butter (270)

Total Calories: 1396

Successful Sunday

Well, today was a 2000 calorie day so it was fairly bearable as far as the diet goes.

For my workout, I decided to go to the gym again. I just didn't feel like doing a workout video. So I went to the gym and did 40 minutes of cardio (alternating walking/running, rebounding and elliptical) followed by about 35 minutes of strength training.

Breakfast: English muffin topped with 2 scrambled eggs, 2 slices of vegetarian "bacon", and some cheddar, plus 1 cup of orange juice. (585)

Lunch: 2 bowls of Golden Grahams cereal with skim milk (700) (For some reason I was craving Golden Grahams today - my favorite junk cereal).

Treat: 4 Oreos (260)

Dinner: My favorite salad (spring greens, walnuts, pears, low-fat feta cheese and oil and vinegar dressing) (515)

Total Calories: 2060

A Good Start

I had a really good start back on the program and I really am going to seriously try to stay on track.

I went to the gym today and did 40 minutes of cardio (alternating the elliptical machine with walking and running around the track), followed by yoga class (1 hour) and then 15 minutes of swimming. After that, I took a nice soak in the jacuzzi. It felt great, but wasn't as hot as I like it. I really like it at around 104 degrees and it was about 100 today (those 4 degrees make a big difference in how great it feels and how well it relaxes me and works the kinks out). The jets are really strong in this jacuzzi and there is NOTHING better than sliding down into that jacuzzi and putting my shoulders and neck right up against those jets. Oh man, paradise!!!

My calorie goal today was 1400 and I was right on track (which is always hard on these super low-cal days).

Breakfast: the usual chocolate banana protein shake (300)

Lunch: baked red bliss potatoes topped with sauteed onions and poblano peppers and cheddar cheese (578)

Dinner: Breaded tilapia, roasted green beans, egg noodles with a little butter and parmesan (522)

Total Calories: 1400

By the way, this is the first time I prepared green beans this way and MAN! DEEEEEEELICIOUS!!!! I don't think I've ever tasted green beans this delicious. They get all brown and carmelized and yummy. Here's the recipe if you want to give it a try:

ROASTED GREEN BEANS

Trim the tips off some fresh green beans

Toss them in a bowl with a tiny bit of olive oil (just enough to give them a light sheen)

Sprinkle some kosher (coarse) salt on them and toss.

Spread them out in a single layer on a cookie shake

Bake at 425 degrees for about 30 minutes, turning the beans with a spatula every 10 minutes or so to ensure they brown evenly on all sides.

When the beans are nicely browned, tender and carmelized, remove from oven and serve. Trust me, you won't be disappointed!

Goals for the next 7 days

Saturday March 29
Exercise: Gym: Cardio, Yoga & Swimming
Calories: 1400

Sunday, March 30
Exercise: Strength (a.m.) and walk (afternoon)
Calories: 2000

Monday, March 31
Exercise: Cardio
Calories: 1400

Tuesday, April 1
Exercise: Strength
Calories: 2000

Wednesday, April 2
Exercise: 1 hour walk (afternoon)
Calories: 1400

Thursday, April 3
Exercise: Strength
Calories: 3000

Friday, April 4
Exercise: Rest
Calories: 1400

Back again...

Well, as you can probably guess, it's not been a good couple weeks for me on the program, hence my absence from this blog. I've been totally preoccupied with school and all the related stress. I thought most of it would die down, and a large part of it did when I finished the draft of my masters, but there is still some lingering stuff. First of all, I've had some back-and-forths with my advisor about my thesis and that is requiring a little more attention to that project (although for the most part it is done), and then, I had to move on to the paper for the class I am taking. Even though that's not a huge paper like the masters thesis, still....it's enough to stress me out and make me feel overwhelmed. Whenever I feel that way, it's very hard for me to concentrate on the everyday stuff, especially diet. As usual, I have been pretty good with the exercise...I've only missed a couple scheduled days of exercise. But the diet has pretty much been out the window the last couple weeks and I am starting to feel the results of that.

I will say it again, though...there really IS a light at the end of the tunnel. No matter what happens, I am completely done with school at the end of April (and I do mean completely, since I graduate!) so there will be no more school stress. Even better, I finished the paper for my class yesterday and I am not going to drive myself crazy any more with it. So really, most of the heavy school stress is behind me now and I am trying to transition myself psychologically back to being gung-ho about the program. It's really important right now because spring is coming, our cruise is coming in early May and I really want to make some serious progress before I go on that feeding frenzy of a vacation, not to mention it would be nice to feel extra good in my bathing suits and cruisewear.

Today I did Michelle Dozois' Your Best Body Circuit and I also took a 30-40 minute power walk at lunch time. I decided I am going to try to squeeze in extra exercise during the week at lunch time by taking a walk, whenever the weather permits. That'll help me reach my goals faster and undo some of the results of the slacking over the past month.

I took a couple days off from work this week (mostly to do school work) and I made it to the gym on Wednesday. It was really nice because the pool was the PERFECT temperature (i.e. not cold at all) and the jacuzzi was nice and HOT HOT HOT. I really needed that jacuzzi on Wednesday. Those hot jets felt so good on my neck and shoulders (that's where I hold tension). I felt like melted butter when I got out of there.



As for the diet, I am doing low cal today and so far, so good. I am going to make up a schedule for the next 10 days or so so I can really do my best to get back on the wagon.

Anyway, it does feel good to be back.

Tuesday

I'm sorry to say I've been a little off the wagon the last couple days, but not super bad. I have been sticking to the workouts every day, though.

Tuesday's Exercise Goal: Cardio

This morning I did GForce 2 (rebounder workout). I was proud of myself because I was completely and totally NOT in the mood to work out this morning and I literally dragged myself into the workout room to do my workout.

I also wanted to comment that recently, I've really noticed an impressive change in a part of my physique - my shoulders are really looking pretty darned good (if I do say so myself). They have really become defined and have a toned, broad look to them which I think looks so great. All those shoulder presses are paying off, I guess. I can't wait to wear my tank tops this summer.

Tuesday's Calorie Goal: 1400

Breakfast:

The usual chocolate banana protein shake with malt (no PB2) 300

Lunch:

A big bowl of Turkey Hill lite ice cream topped with whipped cream (I know, not a healthy lunch but it's what I wanted!) (614)

Dinner:

Bean, veggie and shrimp burrito with cheese (486)

Total Calories: 1400

Scumptious Saturday

Saturday's Exercise Goal: Yoga

I decided I felt like going to the gym on Saturday so I went to Bally's and took the yoga class - something I haven't done in awhile. Prior to that, I did 40 minutes of cardio, alternating running/walking with elliptical machine and rebounding. What I did was, I was listening to my IPod and I would do one activity for an entire song and then move to the next activity. Kept things interesting.

Saturday's Calorie Goal: Splurge Day

I had a great splurge day! The highlights were pizza for lunch and for dinner we went out for Thai (my favorite). I always order pad thai, even though I am always tempted to try other things. I just love pad thai so much.

An interesting thing about the gym....I weighed myself on the scale there and it says I am about 7 pounds lighter than my scale at home. Both scales are digital, although the one at the gym is a large, stand-up scale, whereas my scale at home is a small floor model. I am not sure which one is accurate but there is a huge difference between them. (I hope the gym scale is the accurate one!)

I also have an exciting announcement. I finished my masters thesis this weekend. Or, I should say, I finished the revisions (I had already finished the draft a couple weeks ago). I have already decided that this is it...I am not changing it further, so I hope my advisor will be happy with it (he already said it was very good but suggested a couple changes which I made). So that's a big load of stress off my shoulder. I still have another paper to write for the class I am taking so now I really have to turn my attention to that, but I hope to have that done in the next couple of weeks.

Fantastic Friday

Friday's Exercise Goal: Strength

I did a LOT of exercise today. First of all, I decided I felt like doing strength and yoga, so I did a short Firm workout - Super Charged Sculpting - followed by Crunch Candlelight Yoga. Both together were about an hour and 10 minutes.

Later, at work, the colleague who got me into figure skating invited me to go to the rink with her. Since it was a light day work-wise and I had my skates with me, I decided to go. I skated for a full hour. It was great to be back at the rink. I really haven't been going much lately, mostly because my work schedule is crazy with me working a late shift 2 days a week.

Friday's Calorie Goal: 2000

Breakfast:
Protein shake sans malt (300)
Lunch (I was RAVENOUS today):
3 moderate/small slices of pizza (1050), 2 magic cookie bars (estimate 400), 1 small piece of single-layer birthday cake (estimate 250), 1/2 cup ice cream (150).
No Dinner

Total Calories: 2150

Well, I went over on the calories, but I figure, since I did an extra workout today, I can probably afford a little extra calories. I think an hour of figure skating burns off at LEAST 15o calories, don't you think?

We had a farewell party at work today for 2 employees, hence the big lunch and goodies. One of my evil coworkers brought in magic cookie bars! OMG these are the most deadly delicious things on the planet!!! It took every ounce of control I had to limit myself to a couple small squares. I literally could have eaten the entire plate.
I also am happy to report that I got on the scale this morning and I am down about 3 pounds in the past couple weeks, so my being back on the wagon appears to be paying off.

Thumbelina Thursday

Thought you'd like to see a clip of my new favorite workout!!! Watch it and you'll get motivated (probably to throw up your lunch ;)

Thursday's Exercise Goal: Cardio

This morning I did The Firm: Ultimate Calorie Blaster and I rebounded through through about half of it.

Thursday's Calorie Goal: 2000

Breakfast: My usual shake, sans the PB2 (300)
Lunch: Bean and veggie burrito with cheese, fresh cilantro and salsa (490)
Dinner: A big bowl of my favorite ice cream (Turkey Hill Chocolate Nutty Moose Tracks) topped with whipped cream and homemade oatmeal cookies! (I know, what a "meal"!!! I had a serious sugar craving today). (1210)

Thursday's Total Calories: 2000

Wild Wednesday

Wednesday Exercise Goal: Strength


I did my favorite today: Michelle Dozois' Your Best Body Circuit. Damn, that is a great workout!!! I love it more and more each time I do it.


Wednesday's Calorie Goal: 1400


1400 calorie days are rough, but I did really well today.

Breakfast:
The Usual Shake (sans PB2 today) (300)
Lunch:
Pizza bagel (433)
Dinner:
Bean, cheese and veggie burrito with fresh cilantro and salsa (460)
Treat:
4 Nestle Treasures Chocolates (213)


Total Calories: 1406


I am particularly proud of myself for having some serious self-control last night. I had my dinner fairly early (5:00 p.m.) because I have class on Tuesdays and I have to eat dinner before I leave the office. By the time I got home from school (9:00 p.m.) I was really hungry AND I had a headache and was feeling upset from a documentary we watched in class (Holocaust). I had already used up my calories for the day and I don't really have a lot of latitude the rest of this month to move calorie values around, so I maintained self control and didn't eat anything. That was tough but I did it.

Tempting Tuesday

I am calling today "Tempting Tuesday" because it was tempting to throw in the towel today. School issues are driving me crazy again, but I am trying to keep my cool.

Tuesday's Exercise Goal: Cardio

Unfortunately, I overslept today (due to the clocks changing on Sunday and I don't use an alarm clock) and I couldn't exercise at lunch today because I had school work to do, so I missed my workout.

Tuesday's Calorie Goal: 1400

Breakfast:

Shake (320)

Lunch:

Pasta with marinara sauce and grated cheese (645)

Dinner:

Veggie burger on whole wheat with fried onions and mushrooms, cheese and ketchup (452)

Total Calories: 1417

So despite not having a workout today, I did well with the diet so all is not lost.

Monday Monday

Monday's Exercise Goal: Strength Training

Today I did Tom Holland's Total Body Workout. Always a goodie when I am a little short on time (it's only 45 minutes).

Monday's Calorie Goal: Splurge Day

I had a dinner out with my brother today so it had to be a splurge day. We had a delicious meal at an Indian restaurant. Very, very tasty!!!

Sunday

Sunday's Exercise Goal: Rest

No exercise today. It was good to have a break, especially since we were out late last night AND the clocks moved ahead. My sleep is all screwed up.

Sunday's Calorie Goal: 1400

Breakfast:

1 slice of toasted whole wheat bread with 1 tbs. of peanut butter and 1 tbs. jam (235)

Lunch:

Ravioli with marinara sauce and grated parmesan (554)

Dinner:

Baked red bliss potatoes topped with sauteed onions, butter and cheese (646)

Total Calories: 1435

Saturday Splurgin'

Saturday's Exercise Goal: Strength

I decided to do FitPrime's Strong Bear, which I haven't done in awhile. I forgot how great this workout is. It's really one of my all-time favorites.

Calorie Goal: 3000 (splurge day)

No calorie counting today - hurray! Cookies for breakfast (oh yeah!), and a big cheese hoagie for lunch/dinner with chips and a soda. In the evening we went out with friends and I didn't eat anything (the hoagie held me over) but I did have a couple cocktails.

Fabulous Friday

Friday's Exercise Goal: Cardio

I decided to do GForce (rebounding workout) on Friday. It's probably one of my favorite cardio workouts (and you know I am not a fan of cardio).

Calorie Goal: 1400

Breakfast: The usual protein shake (320)

Lunch: Veggie burger on whole wheat with sauteed onions & mushrooms, cheese and ketchup (500)

Treat: Sour patch kids (candy) 300

Dinner: Vegetarian "bacon" and cheese omelet (280)

Total Calories: 1400

Thursday Success

Thursday's Exercise Goal: Strength Training

Today I did two workouts. First I did The Firm: Supercharged Sculpting which was about 30 minutes. Then I did Yoga Mind and Body which, I think, was about 40 minutes. I was really craving yoga this morning but didn't want to sacrifice my strength training, so voila! I did both.

It's been a LONG time since I did Yoga Mind & Body. It's one of the videos I've owned the longest...probably 10 years. This is probably the most beautifully produced workout video ever produced. It was filmed at White Sands National Park and it is visually stunning. It has this surreal, mesmerizing quality to it and the music is very cool. It's not a beginner's yoga workout, though. There are some challenging postures in this workout.

Thursday's Calorie Goal: 1400

14o0 days are tough, but I did it!

Breakfast:

Shake (320)

Lunch:

Quinoa with peppers, onions, garlic and basil, topped with 2 tbs. grated cheese (490)

Dinner:

Pita pizza topped with onion, mushroom and vegetarian "sausage" and extra cheese (590)

Total Calories: 1400

Today I bit the bullet and got on the scale, something I haven't done in probably a month or so. The bad news is (not surpringly) I've gained some weight back over the past month or so of being on and off the diet wagon (mostly off). The good news is, it's not THAT much - about 4 pounds - which I can easily drop fairly quickly now that I am back on track. My goal is to lose those 4 pounds plus a little more by April 1st. That's put me back to moving forward with my progress.

Well-Done Wednesday

Wednesday's Exercise Goal: Cardio


I decided to do housework today instead of my cardio workout. The house was in dire need of attention, so I cleaned for a couple hours... vacuuming, putting laundry away, cleaning the kitchen, dusting, etc. Not sure if it amounted to a regular workout, but I definitely wasn't a slug.


Wednesday's Calorie Goal: 2000


Breakfast:
Chocolate protein shake (320)
Lunch:
1 slice of Tuscan Pane bread topped with 2 scrambled eggs, 1 vegetarian "sausage" patty and a little cheese (420)
Treat:
Candy (600)
Dinner:
Quinoa with sauteed peppers, onions & garlic, fresh basil and topped with 2 tbs parmesan cheese (660)

Total Calories: 2000

Terrific Tuesday

Exercise Goal: Strength

Today I decided to do Jari Love's Ripped 1000. Haven't done that one in awhile! Great (and tough) workout.

Calorie Goal: 2000

Breakfast:
Protein Shake (320)
Lunch:
Pasta with brussel sprouts and walnuts (640)
Dinner:
2 slices of pizza (850)
Treat:
handful of jelly beans (140)

Total Calories: 1950

Back on the Wagon (again!)

Well, I'm back again and I have good news and bad news. Which do you want first?

Let's start with the bad news. You guessed it. I haven't been really sticking to the diet the past week, even though I told you I was back on the wagon. I did make a good start and really was making a gung-ho effort, but again, I was derailed by the stress I have been under with school and I blew it.

Now, the good news. I finished the first draft of my masters thesis this past weekend and sent it off to my advisor. So I am just awaiting his feedback. Hopefully he will not want me to make major revisions - keep your fingers crossed. So the masters is pretty much done.

Now I just have one more paper to write for the class I am taking, but that is just a regular paper, not a huge monstrocity like the masters. I can probably knock it out within a couple weekends at the library. I intend to get right on it and get it over with so I can really put this stress behind me.

The other bit of good news is that although I haven't been great with the diet, I have been right on the ball with my exercise. I think I worked out 5 days last week. So really, I've been only half off the ball. But let's face it, while exercise is essential and very effective for toning and supporting weight loss, the diet is critical for weight loss. I've always been an avid exerciser, even at my highest weight, but never lost anything (in fact I gained!) until I incorporated diet.

So yesterday I started in earnest again.

Exercise Goal: Cardio

I did The Firm's Ultimate Calorie Blaster. Still rebounded through some of it, but I actually did the step aerobics for more of it this time. I think the thing with step aerobics that repels me at times is that sometimes the choreography gets too complex and I get confused about what step I am supposed to be doing. But I have noticed that the more I do this video, the more I remember and now it's becoming more fun and I am getting lost less frequently. I also realize that it's probably good to do step once in awhile because it's keeping my brain on its toes and is mentally challenging (which they say is good as you age). I still maintain, though, that rebounding is the best cardio workout. It's fun, fun, fun, it really gets my heartrate up, it's easy on the joints, it's great for the endocrine system and jumping is also good for the bones.

Calorie Goal: 1400

Breakfast:

The usual chocolate protein shake with malt (320)

Lunch:

Breaded tilapia sandwich on whole wheat bread with a little cheddar cheese and mustard (430)

Dinner:

My favorite salad (greens, feta cheese, chopped pear, walnuts with oil & vinegar dressing) (650)

Total Calories: 1400