Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Work-out Recap

Saturday:  After happy hour at Dogfish the night before, Scott and I headed to Frederick to hang with my sister and brother-in-law.  Scott and Ben played racquetball while Meg and I ran around Baker Park.  We did our 3 miles in 33:21 (according to my watch, about 32:00 on Meg's watch).

Sunday:  Meg and I attempted the sprints.  Well we started with the .25 jog, .25 sprint, .25 jog then it happened, the athletic clothes malfunction.  My biggest issue with running is bad running shorts.  I can say that when I got home I threw them out!  Saving up money to buy all new cold gear clothes!  We finished with a mile walk then a .25 mile jog.

Monday:  Yoga/stretching

Tuesday:  2 Mile run - 19:45

Wednesday (Today):  2 Mile run - 20:32

Tomorrow after work, Scott and I are going to run 3 Miles then get all dolled up and head out to Growlers.  A band that I like is playing and I want Scott to see them.  19th Street Band, if you're curious!

Friday, September 23, 2011

Wuuuzzzzzz upppppppp?

Yes, my tongue was out wagging.

Last week I started running again and this week marked the official 26 week work out plan for the 1/2 marathon.

Monday - I did Yoga, Biggest Loser Weight Loss Yoga.  If I gain anything from this, it will be to do a plank.  This way next time I am in a challenging drinking game of "Kings" and the Ace "waterfall" is replaced by holding a plank, I'm be able to hold my own!

Tuesday - 2 Mile run.  I knocked this out in the morning because I had plans to go to my cousin's volleyball game in the evening.  I stuck to a 5.5 mph pace and was done in about 22 minutes.

Wednesday - 2 Mile run.  I really wanted to get this run over with because I had waited until 7:45 to run.  I put the treadmill on 6.0 mph and finished in 20:10.

Thursday - 3 Mile run.  Scott and I laced up our sneaks and headed out for a 3 mile run that my sister and I had walked on Sunday (while our male counterparts indulged in football and beer).  I'm really proud of this run because I never felt winded and there were a few inclines.  We started off the run at an 8:30 pace - kinda what happens when the adrenaline kicks.  We finished in 33 minutes; thank you Nike+ GPS for being awesome!

Friday (Today) - I woke up and did my 6 mile bike ride (at the gym).  I did the hill profile at a level 4 never pedaling below 102 RPMs.  I finished in 19:40.

Now off to Happy Hour after work with my friend Deena.  I've already checked out the menu and am in for the Chesapeake Pizza and Punkin Ale :)

This weekend I have a 3 mile run on Saturday and sprints on Sunday.  Scott and I are gonna experiment with easy weightlifting because the scale hasn't been budging.  I was at 157 before the beach and now the scale won't leave 164 -- for the last 2 weeks.  I can only draw conclusions that I have been drinking more (socially, of course) than I was during the summer.  I'm going to be mindful of the liquid calories.

Also, I've created a budget for myself until the end of the year.  One that sees my checking and savings account increasing!  I really enjoyed creating the calendar and was oddly sad when I reached December.  I am vowing to stick to the plan until December and then re-evaluate for the start of the year when I start paying off my student loan.

Sunday is Dad's birthday :)  Happy 52nd, glad we made it!

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Cue Staind ... "it's been awhile"

Hi! I'm here! Just been busy!

Quick recap:
1. My Sco came home
2. My sister got married
3. My tan is back (a little)
4. My training plan for the half has started

So Monday Scott and I took off work.  Ran some errands and ran on the treadmill.  I haven't run since July, so I was rather proud of myself for doing 2 miles, even if they were at an 11 minute pace.  Yesterday, after a long 7 am - 5 pm workday, Scott and I went for a run outside.  Goal 2 miles; actual distance 1.83.  He tells me it was good considering the hills and humidity.  His positivity can be disgusting sometimes :)  Just kidding!

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Remember this?


Look at it now:


A little late

Figured I'd share my weigh-in this morning was finally back down to 158.0. woo!

I get my bridesmaid dress tomorrow!  Very excited and anxious!  I hope it fits!

Making myself post tonight, I have a few pictures I'd like to share :)

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Slowly but surely

So thanks to the good ole back, exercise has been non existent for the last couple of weeks.  Tonight I attempted my first workout since running with my sister at the beach.

I wasn't planning to do a whole lot, but didn't expect to be put at a halt at 15 minutes. I walked 3, jogged 2, sprinted 1, repeat, repeat again only with the walking.  I'm not trying to hurt myself so I figured I would call it quits at that.  I came home did some crunches, reverse crunches (back didn't like), and a few chest flys. 

Scott got me thinking a lot last night and I can't ever admit he's 100% right on the phone.  He's not interested at all in running another half marathon, which makes sense.  If you don't find running fun, why put your body thru that?  He asked what my goal was by doing this.  Making comments that he doesn't feel it is necessary if you only want the bragging rights that you did a half marathon.  I don't think I'm articulating his argument well, but I completely understood what he meant and he had me stumped.  I like the idea of having a goal and training for it.  I like feeling like I am doing something with other people.  As for getting the total body fitness and actually shedding pounds, he makes a good point that I need to train for something that is more challenging and a training schedule that works the whole body.

I never knew it possible to love someone so much and hate them that much at the same time, until I met Scott.  Just Kidding!  I gave him a fit for not being supportive.  Threw in a few digs that I think Warrior Dashes are stupid (I don't really, just needed some ammo at the time and it backfired!).  He told me he will be there to cheer me on and I'm 100% certain that if I said, "Come with me on my 9 mile run!", he would :)  At least I hope ...

So Scott Seagull Henderson, if you are reading this, I apologize for giving you 'tude :)  It's only because you irritate me so gosh darn much!  Doesn't he look great in his Warrior Dash attire?

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Rock 'n Roll DC Half

Just signed up for my second half-marathon!  Wooo!

Training plan has me starting on 9/18/2011, race day is 3/17/2012.

Planning to start getting to the gym tomorrow since the back feels good :)

Time to beat 2:31 from the VA Beach Half in August 2010.

leggggggggggggggoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Monday, July 25, 2011

My Food Log

I'm going to try and track my meals and to be better about doing it! 

So here goes:
Special K Protein Shake
Chobani Vanilla yogurt
Cherries (24)
100 calorie pack of Kettle Chips (co-worker brought in from her vacation)
Tilapia (seasoned with no salt, just herbs)
Blueberries
M&Ms (small handful to help rid a headache)
Celery with Natural PB (such a pain to mix!)
Roasted pine nuts and almond slivers
1/2 can of Progresso Split Pea soup
Bite of Salmon (seasoned with rosemary, garlic, olive oil - made for tomorrow's lunch)

Thursday, July 21, 2011

The Verdict

I sprained my back :(

This means 3 weeks of no exercise or unnecessary walking.  So I will be reading a ton, laying on the couch equipped with my ICY HOT pack and pillow under my feet and back.  To be honest, this just sucks. 

If only

... the weigh-in was this morning the scale would have read 160.0.  Oh well!  At least I'm getting the number down.

I didn't sleep a wink last night because of my back pain.  When I did close my eyes, I had a nightmare I was in a wheelchair and couldn't get into my apartment because there is no ramp!  Then I started to think about how a ramp could get installed to the door of my apartment.  Talk about an over-achieving worrier!  That's how I feel.

I managed to score a doctor's appointment at 4:15.  I don't have pain sitting or walking, just laying down or trying to switch sleeping positions.  The pain was so bad I even made a heat pack out of a tube sock and uncooked rice.  I microwaved it for 3 minutes like the instructions said but, HOLY HOT!  I had to move so much to adjust the placement of the sock that I caused even more discomfort to myself!  Luckily when I called Scott, crying naturally, he let me know the ice pack was also a hot pack.  Since I had taken the ice pack out of the freezer to use the sleeve it was in for my sock heat pack, it had already thawed and into the microwave it went!

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

ouch

I woke up Sunday with back pain.  I joked with my Mom that it was the stress coming back now that vacation was over.  This "stress" has not gone away.  My back is killing me!  I don't have a primary care doctor but am in the works of finding one.  Maybe I need a chiropractor?  I don't know.  But if this lasts until the weekend, to the doctor I go!

I did manage to bike tonight for 30 minutes.  So back to the work-out grind, back pain willing. 

Monday, July 18, 2011

Summer 2011 Photos

Looking snazzy in purple on "Purple Night" at the beach
Aren't they just the cutest? 

Scott and I decided to invest in a Sony A33 camera.  It's been great!  I'm excited to take photography classes from Ritz Camera and learn the basics of photography.  I was relieved that the camera finally shipped and arrived about a week before I was to go to Seattle.  Here are some photos I captured in Seattle and in North Carolina.

Waiting in line for the Space Needle tour

Water, city, and mountains
SIB
Seattle skyline at night
Dad looks tiny next to his 300 lb nephew
Proof of our Blood Pressure party, only 1/2 of the participants
We play family card games, my grandmother is a hustla
Double rainbow, can't see the other one
Trying to be artsy, a shame that none of those people are my relatives
My Uncle saying "goodbye" to the Ocean on Sunday morning at 5:00 am

D-Day

It said 161.7.  Not very happy, but not disappointed.  I did just come back from vacation; so my body isn't back to it's normal cycle yet.  But that number reads better than the number I saw on the scale yesterday!  All my St. Thomas paperwork needs to be turned in by noon - consider it done! 


See!  I snacked at the beach but I did try to be good!  Here I am eating an oversized wheat-puff-thingy from Wegmans! 

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Reflection

So tomorrow marks the end to the St. Thomas challenge.  Let's just say I'm not too excited to step on the scale tomorrow morning.  I know it won't say 150 and for that matter, I don't think it'll read 158 - the lowest I reached during this journey.  However, no regrets.  I promise to continue my blog and to achieve my goal.  In retrospect, there are things that I could have done differently.  I could have also taken the easy way out and made my goal much simpler, but I wanted to challenge myself and see what I could do.  If 5 lbs is all I lost, I'll take it!  That means I'm 1/3 of the way there.  Since I'm a fan of rambling, I think that's what I'm going to do.

Looking back to New Year's Eve, maybe I should have realized then that 2011 was going to be a very testing year.  Scott and I decided not to go out and celebrate.  Instead, we opted for a quiet night in.  Looking back, we had different ideas about how we wanted to ring in the New Year.  Whereas Scott was alright with falling asleep at 10:30 way before the ball dropped, I wanted to have the traditional kiss at midnight while sending all my close friends and family the obligatory "Happy New Year" text.  That night we went to bed angry at each other.  It's a stupid thought, but sometimes I wonder if we would have been happy and cheerful as the ball dropped, maybe we wouldn't have been thrown so many curve balls. 

Sometimes I feel like I talk too much about Scott.  I can't help it!  He's more than my boyfriend.  He's my go-to person.  Without him, I don't know who I'd call randomly for my stupid questions.  He doesn't judge me and he's always been there any time I've needed him.  We've already been through so much together, things married couples haven't experienced.  Through everything, I feel like we've always had each others' backs.  I've learned a lot in 2011 about our relationship that has really solidified that there is no one else I want to spend the rest of my life with. 

Scott's mother is doing well and I plan to have dinner with them one night this week and share my Seattle visit with them.  It's amazing to know how much Kathy has accomplished.  Over the 4th weekend, she ran in her first 5k.  Both of Scott's parents are planning to fly out to Seattle in August to visit him.  Looking back on everything that happened this year, I still can't help but be amazed by her strength.  Seeing the love shared between Scott's parents let's me know that that is the type of husband he will be.  (Stop laughing at me, Scott! jk)

When my Dad had his heart attack in April, I couldn't help but feel scared.  I was afraid I would lose my Dad.  It was in that moment that I understood on a deeper level what Scott and his brother were feeling at the hospital in January.  Things have changed in my immediate family for the better.  I know I've said over and over that my parent's didn't live an unhealthy lifestyle, but there is always room for improvement. 

Spending this week on vacation with my parents made me thankful.  I had the opportunity to watch as my parents played in the ocean.  Yes, I said played!  I even got to watch them in a paddle ball match.  The best part?  My Dad running to return the ball and falling :)  Why?  Once he hit the sand I thought, "OH NO!"  But as soon as he stood up laughing, I felt relieved that he was still around to be able to fall and get back up.  It's taken some time to get him to stop saying that he has a "bad heart" but in his own time he has to accept what happened to him.  Before we left for North Carolina, he got the verbal "clean bill of health" but decided until it was in writing, he wasn't going to push it.

How many people can say they packed a blood pressure cuff in their suitcase?  How many families can say they had a "blood pressure party" while on vacation?

So tomorrow is the day.  We'll see if the scale reads 1, 5, or 15 (ha) lbs lighter.  I did this challenge with an eye on the prize but have learned there is a lot more to wellness beyond the physical kind.  I know what challenges I will set for myself in the coming weeks.  I know I want to will do another 10k before the summer ends.  I have a lot of things to look forward to in the near future!

Not the final post I had planned out in my head, but when I get to typing/talking nothing really comes out as planned.  :)

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

I read something in Women's Health about a research study testing the affects yogurt has on weight loss.  I'm telling you, I still believe my theory, yogurt = weight loss.  Before we left for vacation, I made sure to buy a yogurt for each morning.  I've decided I only like the Chobani Lemon 0% fat. 

Being on vacation has been great.  I just wish I was able to pull myself away from checking my work email and relax.  I don't know what it is, but I hate knowing that I am getting behind.  It already feels like this week is flying by, I don't need it to go any faster by thinking about all the work waiting for me on Monday morning.

I didn't bring my scale with me.  1. I didn't want to pack it.  2. I didn't want to worry with stepping on it every morning, noon, and night.  Monday my sister and I ran about 2 miles and walked 1 mile.  Yesterday we ran 2 miles.  Today we took a break.  I've decided to not set an alarm.  By the time I get up (7:30/8), it's already really humid! 

44 :)

Monday, July 11, 2011

Here :)

All,

I am still alive!  Aren't you glad??  Taking two vacations during the last two weeks was not a great idea for blogging, nor was sending my computer to the Geek Squad.  I finally have her back, yay! 

Let's see, I left Seattle at 158.4, I came home and weighed 160.7.  I blame the intake of alcohol and not being on my normal routine.  However, it was an amazingly awesome experience mostly because Scott did such a great job having activities planned.

Here we are about to board our dinner cruise on July 4th to see the fireworks:


I'm in love with this picture, maybe because I think my hair looks good or because I was so happy to see Scott :) 

Before I left for vacation, I weighed myself on Saturday morning (July 9th).  The scale was at 160.0.  I'll take that.  I know my goal is to be at 150.0 lb, but I can say that I am proud of myself for losing 5.  I still have this week and plan to take advantage of running on the beach and walking in the evenings.   So we'll see.  For me, my goal doesn't stop on July 18th.  Now that I have my DVD player back, I can start up my 30 Day Shred and P90X routines.  It's crazy how much you rely on a computer, but I'm glad to have her back :)

46 :)

Saturday, July 2, 2011

Hello from Seattle :)

I apologize for the previous test post.  I had set up my phone to be able to update my blog and I thought it worked but it looks like it didn't!  After sending the test post, I wrote an actual post, but it doesn't appear to have posted.  So ....

Hello!  I'm in Seattle and it's been great!  The flight wasn't terrifying, just a really long 5.5 hours by myself.  I arrived around 1:30 and Scott and I set off to have partake in Happy Hour at Ivar's.  I missed that kid :)  We had clam chowder, salmon Caesar salad, and fish and chips.  Drank a few beer (4 or 5, gasp!) then had some steamed clams.  Yesterday (Friday), we headed off to the Space Needle and then to the Seattle International Beerfest.  Great time, great beers, and great weather!  I can't really describe the atmosphere here.  There's a lot of interesting people and the fashion is all over the place.  For example, we saw a girl in shorts and a bikini top at the Beerfest but also saw people wearing winter jackets and hiking boots.  In my opinion the weather was nice, jeans and a t-shirt with a zip-up.  Later in the evening we walked down to 88 Keys and saw a dueling piano bar performance.  We've been to Howl at the Moon (Charlotte 2 or 3 times and Baltimore 1 time) a couple of times but never had we seen two women on the piano.  It was very entertaining, thanks to someone having a bachelorette party and no shame.

Today we walked down to the Public Market.  Holy crowded!  We got to see the guys at Pike's Fish Market throwing fish and we saw the original Starbucks.  The crowd was too intense so we made our way out of there and got lunch at a bagel shop.  All in all good day.  Next stop is a duck tour of Seattle and dinner somewhere.  Tomorrow we're heading to the Mariner's game then going to a fancy restaurant for dinner.  Monday, Scott made reservations for a fancy dinner cruise to see the fireworks.  I'm really excited!

I'm kinda afraid of the scale on my return.  I've been drinking more here than I have for the last month.  Since I won't be back to my scale until Wednesday morning, I'll have to do my weigh-in then.  Off to not thinking about weight and enjoy my time with Scott! 

Monday, June 27, 2011

Recap

I was really bad about exercising last week.  In fact, I think I only did a run and biked, 2/7 days - that's failing!  Saturday I woke up and went on a run around my parent's house - 1.5 miles.  Sunday, I biked for 40 minutes while getting my Toddlers & Tiaras fix. 

Today - who knows!  The gym is officially closed for the next two weeks.  Paving is also going on all around the community. 

Today's weigh-in was the same as last weeks.  I'm not complaining!

My sister brought up a good point about my yogurt rant.  She questioned what I was eating before that I am now replacing with yogurt.  Good call, Meg!

I WILL BE IN SEATTLE ON THURSDAY!  How fantastic is that?? FANTASTIC!

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Yogurt

Without a computer, it is really hard to document what my workouts have been like.  I have found myself opting to hop on the stationary bike while watching TV over going to the gym.  Within the next week, my gym is closed for renovations.  Luckily I already have plans and won't need to rely on going to the gym.  I'm thinking a lot of walking around in Seattle followed by running on the beach in North Carolina! 

My sister and I did go on a run last Friday, almost 2.5 miles and we ran pretty quick considering the humidity!  Saturday morning she convinced me to do KenpoX with her again.  I must admit, I do like the workout and I do feel strong afterward :)

Since the scale is going down every time I step on it, I'm a little puzzled as to ... how?  I've been exercising but I haven't been running as much as I would like.  I've been watching what I eat and trying not to eat past a certain time in the evening.  Honestly, all signs point to my new friend, Yogurt.  Maybe it's in my head but, ever since I started eating it in the mornings I've noticed the scale dropping.  I could get used to my new BFF especially since s/he makes me feel good about myself!

This weekend I plan to use my parent's computer to look up some yogurt facts and either confirm that I'm right or crazy.

Can you believe it?  He's already been gone for 24 days and in 1 week I get to see him :)

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Just a little share ...

This came from Self Magazine via my Aunt.  Just thought it was worth a share and a read!

5 Ways to Keep your Metabolism Up!


1. Build muscle. Since fat is burned in your muscle, you want to activate as many muscle fibers as possible. Weight training increases lean muscle mass, which raises the amount of calories your body uses, even when you're at rest. What's more, since there's less fat in your body (and your muscles), blood moves better so you have more energy -- without eating more food. So if you haven't been incorporating strength training into your fitness routine, now is the time to start!

2. Start eating! "Your body is a 'refuel as it goes machine,' which simply means it needs to be consistently fed to provide energy to live," explains Mark MacDonald, author of the bestselling book Body Confidence. "This type of consistent feeding stabilizes your blood sugar levels and creates internal hormonal balance" -- and that keeps you from packing on the pounds. His advice: Eat within an hour of waking to kick-start your metabolism. Then keep eating every three to four hours ending an hour before bedtime.

3. Nosh on protein at every meal and snack. Protein has a greater metabolic boost than fat or carbohydrates. Biting, chewing, swallowing and digesting food takes energy -- it's known as the thermic effect of food and it can burn up to 30 percent of the calories on your plate. The more complex the food (think steak, legumes and fibrous vegetables), the more calories you burn as it travels through the digestive tract. Protein also contains leucine, an amino acid that prevents muscle loss when you're dieting. A simple strategy: For a quick and easy snack, keep peanuts in your pocketbook, trail mix in your desk drawer and hard-boiled eggs in the fridge.


4. Get moving. Interval training with bursts of high intensity cardio will stoke your metabolic rate and keep it humming for hours. So instead of logging in your regular half-hour on the treadmill at a steady 4.5 mph pace, try the interval option or hit the road and take advantage of changes in the terrain. Run in the sand or up hills and use landmarks to signify a change of pace. And squeeze in extra calorie burning whenever you get the chance, advises Gerbstadt.

5. Drink water. Studies show that people who drink 8-ounce glasses of water eight to 12 times a day have higher metabolic rates than those who drink four. Want to lose an extra 6.6 pounds a year? Drink half a liter of water before breakfast. According to researchers at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va., people who downed water before their first meal of the day consumed an average of 75 fewer calories at breakfast than those who didn't drink up first.

Full article here

Monday, June 20, 2011

Whoopsies!

With the best of intentions, I took my computer to the Geek Squad to get it looked at.  One night I received the "blue screen of death" multiple times and coincidentally received an email from Best Buy stating my warranty was expiring on 8/4.  Now my computer is in the hands of the Geek Squad ... for 3 weeks!  How will I survive?  GAH!  Fingers crossed it doesn't take that long, but I don't think I will get it back by the end of this week.  Whomp Whomp.

Monday Weigh-in ... 159.8!  I'll take it!  I was good all week and then the weekend came and BAM!  I tried to be conscious of my food intake and eat smaller portions.  I think I did a decent job :)

I have a huge laundry list of things I need to get done this week, not having a computer may help me to accomplish these things!

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

From Memory

Let's see if I can remember all the goodies I ate yesterday:


Breakfast:  Multi-grain wheat squares with skim milk
Snack:  Chobani Vanilla yogurt, Kashi Chocolate-Peanut Butter bar
Lunch:  Couscous, broccoli
Snack:  Cottage Cheese, Sugar-free fudge pop
Dinner:  Lean Cuisine mushroom tortellini
Snack:  Honey Oat crunch Cliff bar


Yesterday for the workout I only did 20 minutes on the bike, but I tried to do a high resistance.


Today's Eats:
Breakfast:  Multi-grain wheat squares with skim milk
Snack:  Chobani Pomegranate yogurt, Kashi Chocolate-Peanut Butter bar
Lunch:  Strawberries, couscous, broccoli
Dinner:  2 Morning Star "sausage" patties, Salad: lettuce, cottage cheese, croutons, bacon bits (imitation), hard boiled egg, fat-free Caesar dressing (weird combo, I know)
Snack:  Sugar-free fudge pop


I was at work today from 7:30 - 5:30 and came home with a stress headache.  This called for lounge pants, food, and some TV. 


I broke my rule and stepped on the scale on a non-Monday weigh-in day.  Luckily the scale was a number below 160 :)  Great motivation to keep going with the diet!  Since my body is well rested, I want to do a long run tomorrow.


I bought a snazzy North Face rain jacket for my upcoming trip.  I've even been online shopping and putting together outfits.  I'm in between sizes on a pair of jeans I want so here's to staying on track and being able to buy the smaller size in about 2 weeks!  YAY!! 


Also, might I add that I am on a 3-day streak of eating yogurt!  So far, so good!  Not a fan of the pomegranate flavor, but I think that's because I wasn't expecting the seeds and I thought I was eating a tooth.  Seriously.  
 

15!!!

Monday, June 13, 2011

Same Old

My weigh-in this week was the same as last week.  I guess that's good because I didn't gain, but I didn't lose :(

I have yet to call the dietitian, but I did talk with a friend who has a personal trainer and she let me in on her diet plan:

Breakfast: Oatmeal, 2 eggs, fruit
Snack: Protein Yogurt
Lunch: Chicken, brown rice, side salad
Snack: Fruit before 2:00 pm
Dinner: Chicken, vegetables

After your workout, eat about 1/2 cup of cottage cheese.

So I wasn't exactly prepared for all of these things today but I tried my best.

Breakfast: Cascadian Farm multi-grain squares, 1 cup skim milk
Snack: Raspberry Chobani Greek yogurt
Lunch:  1/2 cup mushroom couscous, blueberries, 2 Morning Star "sausage" patties
Snack:  Cottage cheese (not after my workout)
Dinner:  Salmon (salt, pepper, rosemary) and broccoli
Snack:  Sugar-free fudge pop

I think I did pretty decent with my eating.  More veggies and fruits need to be added but for my first day, not bad.

Using my Nike+ app, I went for a walk around my apartment complex.  I found out it is exactly 1 mile if I follow the sidewalk around both sides.  This is great news because I don't feel comfortable running the routes I know without Scott.  Now I can make 3 laps and get an outside running workout in!

Today is also very monumental for me.  Why?  It is the first time I have eaten an entire cup of yogurt!  I'm excited to see if I like the flavor I picked out for tomorrow!

Sunday, June 12, 2011

My new Farmer's Market

Take a look at this and this is only half of it:


My Grandfather is one of the most active soon-to-be-80-year-old that I have ever met!  He moved his old garden toward the front of the farm and it is an absolute beautiful view to see driving up the lane!  I am so proud of him for always staying busy and I know this garden is his baby!  He has a lot of things growing (cabbage, onions, potatoes, beets, corn, tomatoes, I can't think of the rest) and I even got to sample a green onion.  Bad breath for the rest of the day!

My Apologies

Everyday this week I thought, "You need to blog!"  However, life has been a little busy and I didn't take the time to check-in! 

Where we left off: Monday's weigh-in.  I'm still uncertain about being 150 by 7/15/2011, that's about 30 days and around 10 lbs to lose.  I hate being infatuated with numbers.  It's been nice to wear shorts from last year that are now a little looser.  Once July 15th comes, it doesn't mean my weight loss journey ends.  I have my sister's wedding to look forward to and am very much excited to look great in my dress :)  Not as good as Meg, of course!

Monday and Tuesday my workouts were on the exercise bike.  Wednesday I wasn't able to make it to the gym because I had to go home for my Great Aunt's viewing.  Thursday I did an early morning work-out and tried to run a faster pace mile than what I have been running.  10 minutes might not seem all that fast, but I have really only been running around a 5.3 - 5.5 mph pace.  Friday I went to work and then met my Mom and sister in Frederick to pick out wedding invitations.  I can't believe the big day is less than 3 months away!

Yesterday I decided to run outside in the morning before the humidity set in.  For the first time I was able to use my Nike+ GPS app.  I didn't have the chance to play around with it but I was able to use the basic functions of entering my age and weight.  Then I set up my music playlist and hit start.  It was great because it told me what my pace was, the time, and total calories (which isn't always reliable).  I did a quick run and realized I am not good at pacing myself at all!  I ran a total of 1.66 miles in 17 minutes.  I think the app is really awesome and from what Scott tells me, it has a lot of other cool aspects.

Today I am going to prepare my lunch meals for the week, clean up my laundry, watch a movie, and make my way to the gym.  Pretty decent Sunday minus that fact that Scott isn't here :( 

18!

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Dear Midge ...

Happy 26th Birthday! Thanks for being my best friend and sister and for putting up with all of my antics!  Although we are complete opposites, there are some times where I see bits of me in you :) 




Maybe it's because we're both wearing stripes and holding the same baby?

Here's to an exciting 26th year filled with your first tri and a wedding!  Love you!


Monday, June 6, 2011

Monday Morning

I feel like this is gonna be a brief one.  Today's weigh-in was promising: 162.2.

I attempted to do Chest & Back and Ab Ripper X, but my copy of Ab Ripper X doesn't work and Chest & Back was not my friend because push-ups and pull-ups aren't.  So needless to say I was a little frustrated.  I made sure I went to the gym and biked for 45 minutes with hills and on a higher level.  My knee bothered me a little yesterday, so I figured biking would be good.

I have to take ownership of my words and call the dietitian.  That is on my list for tomorrow!  A must!  Do you think s/he'll let me have this?

 

Found this when trying to search for restaurants to visit while in Seattle.  Did a little "Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives" searching and found a couple of places but they all = fatty!  Luckily there will be a lot of great seafood to choose from!  

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Done!

Today my sister and I finished the ZOOMA 10k!  Yay!  The weather was cool but humid and we even had a little rain around mile 2.  Big thanks to my sister for putting up with me and doing the race! :)  We finished in 1 hour 10 minutes, I think I might have been 1:11.  Great start to the day and even better knowing my workout is done for the day!

Here is our lovely before picture ... can you tell we were up at 4:30 am?

Declaring today to be a lazy day.  I think I am going to look into the P90X workouts.  I have them, just want to see what the schedule looks like.  Saturday morning, I did Kenpo with my sister and her fiance.  Sweated a lot and was a little sore today.  Sword, Hammer!

Friday, June 3, 2011

Indifferent

I'm still not feeling 100% okay about everything that happened at work on Wednesday :(  I'm thankful for still having my job, for having friends and family who have checked in on me, and for Scott, who always listens to me complain about my days.

Last night I had dinner with a co-worker and again, the diet just went out the window.  I am such an emotional eater and the situation at work is not helping that.  I am grateful for one of my co-worker who saw me pick up a donut and then say, "That's not gonna help you get to St. Thomas!" Thank you, Karen :)  So I put the donut back and it felt good.  Maybe I needed Karen with me when I went to CVS to pick up my prescription.  Why?  Because apparently if you spent a certain amount they were giving out a candy bar ... weird.  Of all candy bars it had to be a Take 5, one of my absolute favorites.  But still, a candy bar for spending a ridiculous amount on an overpriced prescription?  Something doesn't add up to me.  What if I was going in to pick up some type of weight related medication and the pharmacist handed me a candy bar - isn't there some better kind of incentive for whatever program they were running?  I think that's why I'm most confused.  I have no idea why she gave me the candy bar, what the promotion was but, I ate the whole damn thing!  GAHHHHHHH!

Haven't I said before I can't tell myself what exercise I'm doing?  The whole planning thing doesn't work for me because I wanted to run intervals but I didn't go because I went to dinner.  I don't regret my decision, I had a lovely evening with Deena despite a very annoying waiter that drove me to drink.  Seriously, there's a fine line between an attentive waiter and an annoying waiter. 

When I get off work I will make an appearance at the gym and do something, not sure what and I don't dare write it here because I might jinx myself.  Then I'm heading home to have dinner with a friend from high school. 

Check out the 10k mile descriptions, I hope the "hills" are really hills!

Mile 0-1: You’ll cross the starting line at the Navy-Marine Corps Stadium, where you’ll running around the backside of the stadium through a residential area. It’s shaded and mostly flat, but the best part is that the spectators usually move from the start to line the roads behind the stadium to cheer on the runners. The bonus? The starting-line excitement is carried a little further. The potential drawback? You might be tempted to go out too fast. Remember you still have a mere dozen miles to go.

Mile 1-2: Near mile 1.75, runners turn right onto Rowe Boulevard, then pass by the first water/Ultima Replenisher and port-a-potty station. Rowe, a main street, brings you into downtown historic Annapolis. The street will be lined with spectators, and you will past several historic buildings: the Maryland State House, legislative offices, churches. There’s a dip, then a climb near mile 2.5, but it’s mostly flat through this section.

Miles 2-4: As you head toward the Naval Academy, you’ll pass unique shops, great restaurants—although they may not seem super appetizing as you’re pushing your pace—and more encouraging cheerleaders. Heading toward mile 4 on King George Street, you run past the Naval Academy, St. John’s College, and historical homes. Just after mile 4, there’s another water/toilet station. This stretch of the race, which has a gradual incline, is quiet and fairly residential. As you head toward the base of the Severn River Bridge, there are a few hills—good preparation for the whopper coming up.

Mile 4-5: Time for the challenging Severn River Bridge (a.k.a. Naval Academy Bridge). Sorry to say, but it’s a fairly long climb. Keep your arms pumping and your head up. As you crest the bridge, you will see the turnaround point for the 10K runners, who start heading back just as the bridge meets the shore.

Miles 5-7: There isn’t loads of exciting landscape as you run along 450 but your fellow runners will provide plenty of inspiration—and people-watching entertainment. Until mile 11, the course is out and back, so you get to cheer on runners either heading out or back. Just after crossing over John Hanson Highway, near mile 6.5, there’s another water station. Toast to being halfway done!

I'm excited to go to the expo and see what goodies we get!  I'm making sure to hydrate really well today and tomorrow.  I know it's just 6 miles, but I don't want to do anything to hurt myself!

27

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Juuuuuune :)

If I had a nickel for every time I wrote 5/31/2011 today, I'd probably have $1. :)

Today was such a stressful day at work.  3 people within my department were laid off.  We didn't know if we were 1 of the 3 until we had a 1 on 1 meeting with the boss and HR Director.  My stomach hurt so bad and I had no appetite.  I think I found the cure to my dieting woes.  Seriously though, today was not friendly on my mind or body.

When I got home (after retail therapy ... I've now bought 3 pieces of furniture thanks to Scott leaving and work) I picked up some of the apartment that had been rearranged due to renovations.  Then I headed off to the gym to jump start my JUNE WORK OUT MONTH!  I'm trying not to run too much because I want to do well Sunday for the 10k.  I ran 1 mile at 5.5 mph with a 1.0 incline.  Then I hopped on the stationary bike for 30 minutes.  Between both it was about 340 calories. 

Food Log:
1 cup skim milk
egg white, spinach, bell pepper, onion, reduced fat cheese souffle (cooked last night in muffin tins, a SB recipe)
string cheese
celery and hummus
grape tomatoes
2 Morning Star sausage patties (surprisingly good!)
2 Dove dark chocolates (as a result of the work related issues)
Salad (lettuce, steak, avocado, cheese)
Sugar free Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream (delish)
Tons of water, a diet Peach Snapple, and some Raspberry Crystal Light

Here is my workout plan for the rest of the week:
Tomorrow, Thursday:  Intervals for about 30 - 45 minutes
Friday:  Biking for about 45 - 60 minutes, 30 Day Shred
Saturday:  Maybe a walk, but nothing really huge in preparation for the race
Sunday: 10k

And for my own personal excitement:  29 days 'til Seattle :) 

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Still Alive

After Wednesday's workout I did nothing on Thursday, Friday, or Saturday!  WOW!  Thursday I was just plain lazy.  Friday I was off work and went home for the night to help my Mom set-up for her yard sale.  Let me tell you, I definitely got an upper body workout in!  We lifted so many boxes from the basement to the garage, my right arm was killing me!  Saturday was another lazy day.  Since Scott was getting ready to leave we spent the afternoon being bums then went to the movies to see Bridesmaids followed by a late dinner at Uncle Julio's. 

Sunday we had plans to go to my parent's to watch the Memorial Day parade.  Before we left I hit up the gym to work off some of my guilty feelings from the last 3 days.  I ran a slow pace, 5.3 mph at a 0.5 incline for 60 minutes!  YAY!!  Total of 5.3 miles (duh) and 718 calories burned.  Those 3 unplanned days of rest really helped my body be able to run for 60 minutes straight.  I feel much better about running the 10k this Sunday knowing I can at least go slow and run the whole thing :)

Yesterday Scott and I went to a Memorial Day cookout at his parent's house.  It was nice to see his Mom especially since I wasn't able to visit on Mother's Day or last weekend. 

And onto my sad news ...

Scott left this morning at 4:30 am :(  I need to stop being sad because it's not like I won't see him again; I now have another count down of something to look forward to!  I'm a sucker for the small things.  For example, I asked him who will scratch my back for the next month?  I guess I'll have to invest in one of those "back-scratchers-on-a-stick" things.  Seriously, he's the bravest for heading out to the west coast, knowing no one, and living there for 3 months.  It'll be a tough summer, but I'm excited to create my workout calendar and my veggie-loaded diet.  Not that I can't eat veggies and workout when he's here :)

I did my weigh-in yesterday.  164.4.  Stupid scale.  Or stupid me, for not working out and going to picnics.  My serious focus is now on my weight loss goal.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Hump Day

So tonight I went to the gym and ran for 30 minutes at 5.5 mph.  Then I hopped on the stationary bike for 15 minutes.  I'm still frustrated with myself and I'm not sure why. 

The only exciting part of my day?  I bought a shelf and put it together!  Woo!

I promise I will be positive soon, I'm just not really upbeat right now :(

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

In a Funk

So tonight when I came home from work I went to the grocery store and stocked up on some more veggies for the week.  I get so mad at myself for not sticking to things.  I think about last week and how I did so well Monday - Friday afternoon.  Then I let myself eat carbs this weekend and it's like I allowed the flood gates to open.  You know what I mean?  I'm just frustrated.  I've wanted for so long to be in the 140's and I really thought this time would be different.  I'm by no means giving up, because I still have plenty of time until July 15th and even beyond that I have time.  I really thought the St. Thomas trip would be the final wake-up call to get my butt in gear.  I'm fine with the working out, if I go into the gym with no expectations.  I've found it's the times I tell myself what I have to do turn into me cheating myself.  Urghhhh, just really overwhelmed right now.

It doesn't help that I log onto Facebook and I see that one old friend has lost 20 lbs on the South Beach diet and another has lost 30 lbs on Weight Watchers.  I think I need to call the dietitian offered through the EAP at work.  Maybe that could be what really helps me to realize what it is that I need to do to change my diet to see the scale drop?

I did workout tonight.  I really wanted to run intervals again for an hour, but ended up calling it quits after 20 minutes.  What's up with that?  Then when I came back to my apartment I got on the stationary bike for 30 minutes.  So I can be happy I did something, just not what I was expecting.  See I should be happier and yet I just beat myself up.  No good. 
My sister shared this article on Google Reader today.  Not sure how it makes me feel other than sad that I am only 1 lb less than that horrible chunky drawing of the girl from 1990-1992!  Thanks, Meg!

Surprise!

When I got home from work I was shocked to see a beat-up Honda in my parking lot :)  Why?  Because Scott wasn't supposed to be home and he was!  Thankfully he was home because I'm not sure if I would have worked out!  Seriously.

So we laced up our sneakers and went to the gym.  Actually, neither of us lace our sneakers since we have those bungee cord shoelaces ... rambling.

At the gym I decided to try intervals of walking/jogging/running again.  This time I was hoping for a better outcome than the last time I tried and ended up with major underwear issues.  So I started off by walking at 4.0 mph for 2 minutes, jogging at 5.0 mph for 3 minutes, then running at 7.0 for 2 minutes (I kept a 0.5 incline for the entire time).  I did this until I reached 30 minutes, 4 intervals with an extra 2 minutes of running.  Trust me, the sweat was dripping!  I think I will be incorporating more of these workouts.  I finished and felt like I could keep going!  My knee didn't hurt either :)

Scott has mentioned several times that interval training is what helps you gain speed.  So when I do my longer runs, it's okay to go a little slower because I'm building endurance and I'm able to sprint it out in the end. 

When we got back we did DAY 8 of the 30 Day Shred.  Yes, I skipped yesterday's Shred, but it's still Day 8!

I forgot to mention how my morning weigh-in went.  Last Monday when I had my first weigh-in, well first serious weigh-in since I made my "lose 15 lb goal", I weighed a little heavier than I normally do.  I'm taking it as a sign that if I am going to lose 15 lbs I needed that extra water weight last Monday! All kidding aside, last Monday I weighed 165.1.  This Monday I weighed 163.5.  So about 1.5 lbs lost! Gosh, I hate revealing numbers!  But if I'm serious and want to be honest with myself, I have to. (side note, I definitely calculated in my head that it was 2.5 lbs lost and just realized I was wrong, not as exciting now)

Since I told myself I could have carbs, I'm a little nervous that I won't lose anything.  When I get home tonight I have to take a good look in my fridge and whip up some veggie snacks for work, and see what I have for dinner.  If I want to reach 150 lbs, I can't sabotage myself!

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Weekend Recap

My weekend turned out to be really great :)

Friday after work, Scott and I headed off to Buffalo Wild Wings for what he thought was a family graduation party to celebrate me earning my A.A. in American Sign Language.  Little did he know (well, he says he knew something was going on) some of his friends from high school, college, and work were there for a "send off" party.  I know it was a little silly to throw a going away party for him, he'll be gone for just 3 months, but I failed at throwing him surprise 25th birthday and felt the need to redeem myself.  I felt it turned out okay, he said he had a good time.  I guess that's all that matters!  To my "readers" who helped me out with reserving the tables and baking the sweets, thanks! 

Saturday morning we got up a little late and headed out for our run around 11:30.  We ran the "ASHA loop" approximately 3.3 miles total.  I was proud of myself for not asking to walk!  We came home and finished DAY 7 of the 30 Day Shred.  Before we left for our run we went out to Dicks Sporting Goods and bought 4 lb weights.  I decided it was time to graduate from my 3 lb weights.

That afternoon my sister came over and we went to the Montgomery mall and then headed to VA to visit our friend.  It was a lovely evening of girl talk, chips and salsa, and beautiful weather!  Then to complete the night we went and got frozen yogurt.

This morning, what should have been a 45 minute drive home turned into a 2 hour "try to make it out of VA/DC alive"!  So we got a little lost on the drive home.  Thankfully, I was not the one behind the wheel.  To celebrate my graduation, my family went out to Matchbox for lunch.  It was a good time with great food.  This was the first time my Dad has had a beer since his heart attack.  Leading up to lunch I was nervous that he wouldn't have a good time.  Like my Mom said, "everything in moderation".  He said his sandwich was great but did feel guilty for eating a pickle because of the amount of sodium.  Again, it was one day.  He doesn't eat like this everyday.

I just got back from the gym where I ran for 45 minutes at 5.4 mph with a 0.5 incline.  Approximately 550 calories burned and 4.06 miles.  Not to bad considering I ran on a full stomach.  I'm not doing The Shred today, I just want to relax.  You can bet tomorrow morning I will be sweating away to the DVD.

Now to check in with the diet side of things.  I was following the South Beach diet pretty well.  Focusing on eliminating sugars, carbs, fruits, etc.  Friday I started to feel lightheaded and wasn't sure why.  I convinced myself that I had made myself nervous over the surprise party that was to happen in the evening.  All day I had a pounding headache and a nauseous feeling.  I decided I was going to have a carb and not feel guilty.  A co-worker and I grabbed frozen yogurt (sugar-free for me) and I put a few pretzels on mine.  I love the sweet and salty taste together!  I don't know if it was the pretzels, the frozen yogurt, or the relief of taking a break from work but, it worked!  At dinner I had 1 beer and I did get a salad with chicken on it.  I should have been better about my choice and ordered the grilled chicken, but I got the chicken tender pieces.  Saturday morning at breakfast I had an egg white omelet with whole grain toast.  For dinner that night I had chips and salsa and for my main course I had soft chicken tacos, minus the tortilla.  Today, I allowed myself to have 2 slices of pizza, half of crab cake (didn't eat the roll), and a beer.  I don't regret any of my choices.

The weekends are just hard when it comes to eating because eating is such a social thing.  All of my encounters with friends and family on the weekends involve food in some way.  I think the biggest problem I have is obsessing over the things I eat.  That's why making healthier selections and eating less of the meal help me to walk away from the table with a satisfied feeling.  I am trying harder to tell myself to stop when I am no longer hungry.  During the week it is much easier to eat only vegetables and lean proteins.  I am still trying to find out what works best for me.

Friday, May 20, 2011

Short and Sweet

Yesterday the exercise bug did not bite me!  I managed to force myself to 20 minutes on the stationary bike and then complete DAY 5 of the 30 Day Shred.

Today I didn't have to go into work until 9:30, so I woke up and went to the gym.  I had every intention to run 40 minutes however, I was sweating so bad I couldn't take it.  I don't think it helped to see the lady next to me wearing long sleeves and pants - she made me even hotter.  I ran for 20 minutes and called it quits.  I was actually a little afraid I might pass out.  When I got off the treadmill I tried to adjust the thermostat in the gym, but it was locked.  When I walked outside I realized how much cooler it was and how a run around the community would have been nicer and probably more productive. 

I did DAY 6 of the 30 Day Shred this morning and again, cried myself through the push-ups.  I even managed to hit my foot on a speaker while jogging in place.  That really hurt! 

Honestly, who likes push-ups?  I can't do anything but a girl push-up and even then I feel I am doing it wrong.  My wrists feel as if they are going to snap!  Maybe I need to try the 100 push-up challenge and work myself into them.  Right now, I just hate them!

If the World doesn't end tomorrow, I plan to do a long run outside.  If it does, nice knowing ya! :)  I think I will be lacing up my sneakers ...

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Yesterday I walked into my apartment to what looked like the set from Bubble Boy.  Maintenance is doing construction on our patio and the one above.  Apparently, the damage to our patio was more than just the support from the door frame, there was something wrong with the baseboard/foundation.  So they had to tear up part of our carpet.  My living room was a complete mess!  Even the cable/Internet was unplugged and the outlet was inside of the plastic bubble, blocked off from my reach!  *gasp* 

I had plans to come home and clean, but that idea went out the window.  I did try to pick up my bathroom/bedroom but I felt weird in my apartment with the crew around.  I could have gone to the gym.  I should have gone to the gym.  (ONLY 16 LEFT TO TRAIN FOR THIS 10K)  Instead, I found myself driving to Bed, Bath & Beyond to buy a much needed (riiiiight) duvet and duvet cover.  So I probably spent as much money as I would have calories if I had gone to the gym - trying not to focus on that!  When I got back around 6:30, the crew was gone and I was free to do as I pleased.  So I decided to pick up my room a little more and put together the duvet cover. 

The guilty feelings sank in and the "Jillian, you'll be upset at yourself tomorrow" mantra began to chant in my head.  So I did Day 4 of the 30 Day Shred.  No, I did not cry this time doing push-ups.  So happy I did it.

Tonight, I tutor and then plan to go run at the gym.  Target is 40 minutes with either a 0.5 or 1.0 incline.  Scott tells me that will help to simulate outside running. 

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

White Flag

I almost flew my white flag today, almost.

Before I decided I was starting the South Beach diet, I had made plans to go to lunch with a co-worker today.  Total sabotage on Day 2?  Not quite.  I think I did pretty well!  For breakfast I had grilled chicken breast (weird) and snacked on celery and guacamole.  For lunch my co-worker and I headed to California Pizza Kitchen.  I browsed the menu before we got there and I knew what I wanted before I walked in the door. 

I decided on the half Roasted Vegetable Salad minus the corn.  Everything on the salad is approved in Phase 1 of SB.  I was a little shaky about ordering the Dijon Vinaigrette dressing, but found in my SB book that there was a recipe for the same dressing so I figured it couldn't be that horrible for me.  I added grilled salmon to my salad and topped it off with an unsweetened iced tea.

Then temptation really sank in when we were across from 16 Handles.  I know they serve no sugar added flavors so I was super excited to see which ones they were offering.  The only flavor that was sugar-free was Praline, which was great.  However, I was secretly hoping for Mint!  I was ready to pay for my no-topping frozen yogurt when I realized there were nuts on the toppings bar!  SCORE!  I was able to add some chopped peanuts and almonds to my yogurt.  Absolutely AMAZING :)

When I got back to work I realized I didn't feel stuffed but I was completely satisfied.

Working out tonight made me want to throw up my arms and surrender.  I was just not in the mood.  I started off on the stationary bike for 20 minutes.  I wasn't feeling it.  I then went to the gym and decided I would do jogging/running/walking intervals.  I did 3 min jogging, 3 min running, 3 min walking, 3 min jogging, 3 min running, then 5 min walking.  I wanted to go more but I just couldn't.  Not because I didn't want to but because I had the worst case of underwear riding.  TMI?  I came back to my apartment and finished Day 3 of the 30 Day Shred.   So glad to be done!

Now to shower, clean, and watch Glee! 

Dad

This picture makes me really happy:


Yesterday was my Uncle's birthday and he and my Dad went fishing.  I can't tell you how great it is to see this smile on my Dad's face :)  When I saw my Dad last Friday (May 13th) I thought, "WOW!  He looks so much younger!"  He's officially lost 20 lbs since he went to the hospital. 

That night my Dad prepared salmon for dinner and it was really good.  It was great to see him moving around and grilling outside.  After dinner my family went to my grandparent's house to celebrate my Grandfather's 83rd birthday!  It must be the medicine but I noticed my Dad wasn't acting like he used to.  Typically my Dad doesn't mind if you rest your head on his shoulder while sitting on the couch.  When I tried to do that he immediately pushed me off and told me not to touch him.  Maybe he was just irritated and thought I was pitying him - I'm not sure. 

My Grandmother had a spread of snack food on the counter.  Everything I looked at were all things the doctors said were on the "NO" list.  I'm proud of my Dad for not snacking and even prouder he wasn't drinking alcohol.  Not to say the temptation wasn't there; he did have a few sips of my Mom's wine.

Call me sappy, but I teared up a little when my cousin sent me this picture.  Here he is doing the one thing he really loves to do!  I really hope he is feeling better as he sits at home waiting to go back to work.  He told me the days were really long and sometimes his medicines leave him with no appetite and drowsy. 

*I'm sure my father released this fish*

Monday, May 16, 2011

Monday :)

I plan to officially sign up for the ZOOMA 10K tonight.  The race is on June 5th; just around the corner!

Instead of doing walking/running intervals on the treadmill, I decided I would run.  My pace is still slow but like the quote I posted the other day, time is more important!  I ran for 30 minutes at a 0.5 incline.  Distance was about 2.6 miles for about 350 calories.  Then I hopped on the stationary bike for 10 minutes at level 5.  Distance was about 2.7 miles and calories, I think, was about 60.  I can't remember, nor can I read the picture I took of the screen.

After the gym I came home did 2 loads of laundry and folded all of the clothes I had lying around the apartment.  I unloaded the dishwasher, only to load it back up, swept the kitchen floor, and wiped down the counter tops.  After cleaning, I decided I needed to make another mess.  I went ahead and cut up celery to go with my guacamole, then put some chicken on the George Foreman grill.  With my South Beach cookbook, I whipped up one of the chicken recipes (chicken stuffed with spinach and provolone) and called it a night in the kitchen.

I just finished DAY 2 of the 30 Day Shred - woo!  Here's to consistency!

Yikes!

I turned in my revised INTENTION CARD today. 

Goal:  Lose 15 lbs by July 15th

LET'S GO!

Sunday, May 15, 2011

My Loot

Here's all of the yummy things I grabbed at the Farmer's Market yesterday:

Holy Kale!
I made sure to cut up my kale right away for kale chips.  I decided to play around and try out different flavors:

1. Garlic infused olive oil with kosher salt and pepper
2. Garlic infused olive oil with red chili pepper flakes and a little kosher salt
3. Garlic infused olive oil with garlic salt
4. Garlic infused olive oil with parmesan cheese and rosemary

Today has been great so far.  Scott and I went to Dunkin' Donuts for much needed coffee and breakfast followed by a trip to GoodWill to drop off some clothes.  We then split and did our own things for the morning.  I made my way to Bed Bath & Beyond for a salad spinner then headed over to Ulta to get new makeup brushes and spend way too much money on other girly things.  I've been wanting to get a french manicure for awhile and figured today was the day.  I tried out Nails by Sean, which happened to be a nice little salon.  Then I made my way to Whole Foods to stock up on fresh veggies.  I plan to stick to the South Beach diet for the next couple of weeks.  I've finally decided that my refined wellness goal will be to lose 15 lbs by July 15th.  That's about 9 weeks, very achievable if I maintain focus.  I think I might have to ask Scott if I'm allowed to paint "St. Thomas" on one of the walls to remind myself! 

When I got home Scott was on the stationary bike and he motivated me to go to the gym.  The back of my knee has been bothering me so he suggested I try biking instead of running.  Last night I slept with an ice pack and didn't feel any pain when I woke up.  After I biked for 30 minutes (Level 10, 9.03 miles, 250 calories), Scott and I did Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred.  Consider this my Day 1

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Lazy Saturday

This morning I did as I promised myself, I went to the Farmer's Market: 

Off of 28 and Monroe St.

This was the first time I had ever gone to one of these events with the intention to buy whatever I wanted.  I was surprised by the amount of flowers and herbs for sale.  Next time I think I might purchase some herbs and then go to Home Depot to buy a pot to plant them in.  I think the smell of the herbs and the bright green would really spruce (pun, ha ha) my kitchen!  I ended up buying a bunch of kale, a gallon size bag full of spinach, two containers full of snow peas, and a loaf of spinach-provolone bread.  $19 spent.  Things I learned about going:

  • Make sure to bring cash
  • Mingle with the people selling their crops
  • Bring recycled bags/totes
  • Getting there an hour after it starts isn't as horrifying as I thought it would be, I thought I had to be there right at 9 am if I wanted a chance at the good stuff

I might have lucked out because the weather was dreary out, but I was able to get the things I wanted and there was a decent size crowd of people doing the same.

Today's workout was the same as Thursday's workout.

I started off running at 5.3 mph at a 1.0 incline for 10 minutes. 
Walked 10 minutes at a 4.3 mph and a 8.0 incline
Ran 10, walked 10, Ran 10, Walked 5, and finished the hour workout off by running the last 5 minutes.

Total distance 4.9 miles, 715 calories, 60 minutes.

Friday, May 13, 2011

"The biggest mistake that new runners make is that they tend to think in mile increments--1 mile, 2 miles, 3 miles. Beginning runners need to think in minutes, not miles." --Budd Coates, four-time U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials qualifier/coach

Pardon my French but,

DAMN that EMERGENCY STOP!! I hit it again!!

Despite hitting the stop, I was still able to see where I was at when the machine stopped.  I was running at a pace of 5.3 mph with a 0.5 incline.  Calories was 110 and distance was 0.86 mile.

I decided I would try and run intervals tonight.  I know I should have done short intervals but I went for running 10 minutes then walking 10 minutes.  When I walked I walked at a 8.0 incline and at a rate of 4.2/4.3 mph.

Total workout 4.86 miles and 700 calories burned. 

*this is from yesterday, I couldn't get blogspot to work*

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

I'm Free!!!!

Let me show you how I celebrated ....

Decisions, Decisions
I indulged in a Peanut Butter Cup shake from Cheeburger Cheeburger.  I even got the regular size! *gasp*  Better ice cream than a beer, right?  People say you should never drink alone ...  :)

In all honesty, I needed to celebrate!  I finally finished my A.A. in American Sign Language!  It was a tight squeeze, working full time and being considered a full time night student but, I DID IT!  I understand that I went about things a little backwards, first the B.A. then an A.A.  Hell, maybe I'll try for my GED next?  I kid.

I really hope to stay involved in the Deaf Community and find someone who I can mentor with on the weekends.  I would love to do some part-time interpreting.  A little extra cash?  Yes, please!  I have to stay motivated about this and I have to remind myself that I didn't give up my social life for the last two years for nothing!

Tonight I am opting for an exercise free night.  I know that exercise is a great way to relieve stress but another personal favorite is scratching things off my to-do list.  I don't know, there's nothing better than the sense of accomplishment and a clean apartment!

In other news, we had our first St. Thomas meeting today.  It was nice to see faces of everyone taking this challenge.  We learned some valuable information and watched two YouTube videos about creating goals and motivation.  It's made me want to rethink my goal.  At first I wrote, "weight loss with a focus on heart healthy eating" ... do I dare change it to my silly goal of "to look good in a bathing suit"? The competition ends July 15th, so right around the time my family is going on vacation.  It would be great to have met my full goal at that time, but I want this to be more long time.  I don't want to approach July 15th and call everything off.  I think a lot of my goals are more long term.  When I posed this question at the meeting, it was brought to my attention that my goal needs to be what I want my outcome to be by July 15th.  Is wanting to be down 15 lbs unrealistic?  I mean that's about 2 months from now.  I think that's healthy ... thoughts?

I was thinking just making a simple goal of "to lose weight by exercising and eating healthy".  My behavioral changes will be to exercise at least 5 times a week, incorporate more fruits and vegetables (Farmer's Market this weekend!) in my diet, and ... hmmm ... I can't put my finger on it, but I want something that hits close to home.  I mean, altering my diet and exercising more are great preventive steps against heart attack, especially if it's genetic, but I want my goal to be more personal and that's why I think the bathing suit goal would be good.  However, I will not be doing any before or after photos for public display!  I'm not sure if I'm ready for that :)

Off to clean, goal think, and sleep!

P.S. I only took the stairs today!

Article about LDL

I'm snagging this article to share.  It came from my work's Wellness Blog that is posted to Facebook.  Interesting read, especially because I did share some of the same thoughts about LDL.  My Dad's LDL was at 121 after he was tested in the hospital.  Since he has had a heart attack, it is required that his LDL be under 70. 

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Do you know how hard it was to tell myself to exercise?  VERY HARD!  Especially after going to California Pizza Kitchen with my ASL class.  So when I got home I debated what I was going to do.  I sat and sat and sat some more.  Finally it was 7:30 and I had to make a decision.  So I decided to pull out Scott's stationary exercise bike.  Let me tell you, not the most comfortable thing in the world!  I'm half tempted to purchase a seat cover to make it softer.  Even though I only biked for 20 minutes, it was still something. 

Goals that I want to focus on while at work:
1. Only use the stairs - no elevators!  How easy is this and how often do we take the easy way out?
2. Say no to foods brought in and put in the "usual place".  Today alone I ate about 6 donut holes, hello that equals about a whole donut, Jillian!
Yesterday I left work early to go home and finish studying for my final exams.  I decided I would go to the gym and study while running.  I started off at the usual pace of 5.3 mph and then decided to add a little bit of an incline.  Things were going quite well until I tried to change the page on my study guide.  The paper slipped off of the ledge on the machine, as I went to grab it I hit the dreaded emergency stop!  I hate that!  I had an idea of how far I ran and was able to catch the time before the machine turned off.  This is not the first time this has happened to me.

Since I was only planning to run for 30 minutes, I turned the machine back on and went for another 13 minutes.  I wish I could report my total distance and calories, but I have no idea!

After showering and completed two final exams, I headed to the grocery store.  I picked up some kale leaves, egg whites, turkey sausage, spinach, shrimp, and salmon kabobs.  I am such an impulse shopper!  I decided I was going to make more kale chips and I think they turned out a lot better!  The trick?  Use flavored infused olive oil!  I used roasted garlic olive oil and I feel they taste so much difference.  Scott even said he thought they were better :) 

Since I frequent Dunkin' Donuts about two times a week for iced coffee and my egg white flat bread, I decided I would try making my own.  With the turkey sausage, white eggs, and spinach, I created my own concoction of scrambled eggs.  I added about a cup of low fat cottage cheese to help act as a binder.  I put everything in a casserole dish since I wasn't planning to take the time and create individual sandwich patties.  This morning I was able to scoop what I wanted and microwave.  I threw an Arnold roll thin in the toaster oven.  Not the same, but close enough for me!

The salmon kabobs and shrimp were our dinner last night.  I love having my parent's foreman grill!  I have grilled a lot on it over the last 2 weeks.

Monday, May 9, 2011

Happy Belated Mother's Day!

This weekend was great!  Like I mentioned in the last post, Saturday morning Scott and I woke up and went on a run.  We decided to grab pizza for a late lunch and ended up eating outside in the beautiful weather.  After getting home, we cleaned up a bit, relaxed, and then got ready to head to Frederick for my cousin's 17th birthday party.  Her birthday was Friday, but that was the same night as her prom.  I can't believe she's 17 already and I can't believe how beautiful she looked at prom!


My cousins Jordan and Sarah

My sister (Megan) and her fiance (Ben) were already at my parents' house when we arrived.  Dad and Mom both looked good.  Mom has even lost 5 lbs - I have no idea where she had 5 lbs to lose!  You can tell that my Dad is weak despite looking good.  He went to the doctor the day before and found out they had given him the wrong dosage of the medicine that helps to slow down his heart.  Apparently he was taking a double dose, two times a day!  Hopefully by reducing to the right amount, he'll be in better spirits.  The doctor nixed his fishing trip to Canada at the end of May.  I can tell he is disappointed; he loves going fishing, especially to Canada with his friends.  He's officially off work until June 6.  I hope he doesn't drive himself crazy in the meantime.  Once he returns to work, he'll be on light labor for 2 weeks. 

On Mother's Day, my Dad, Mom, and I met up with Megan and Ben at Dunkin' Donuts for breakfast.  Before you think, "WHOA, Dunkin' Donuts?!?! Didn't your Dad just have a heart attack???", simmer down!  At first we were trying to decide where we wanted to go.  Dad suggested the restaurant down the block, Mom wasn't a fan.  Although Dad wanted a pancake and he is allowed to have that, I think Mom was apprehensive about the other temptations of the restaurants.  Since it was Mother's Day, Mom decided to go with my suggestion of Dunkin' Donuts for iced coffee and a flat bread breakfast sandwich.  Let me tell you, I absolutely love Dunkin' Donuts' breakfast.  It's almost a bad habit!  However, I never feel guilty about my selection.  I typically get the turkey sausage, egg white, and spinach flat bread - no cheese.  If you follow Weight Watchers, the sandwich is 6 points - not bad considering in a day you are allowed 29 points.  If you don't want turkey sausage you can get a veggie egg white, not bad either.

I was nervous at first that my Dad wouldn't enjoy his sandwich and think too much about why he was eating the sandwich instead of a large pancake.  Verdict?  He actually enjoyed it!  See, you don't have to go to Dunkin' Donuts and indulge in a half dozen donuts or a greasy sausage sandwich!  Even without the cheese, the sandwich still has a lot of flavor and is filling, thanks to the whole grain flat bread.

My Dad's mother is a diabetic and my grandfather helps in tremendously in administering her medicines, taking her blood sugar each morning, and making sure her prescriptions are filled.  While visiting them yesterday, my grandfather pulled out his new electronic blood pressure cuff.  Of course, my Mom has to volunteer my father to have his blood pressure taken.  It turned into a blood pressure party, with each of us taking a turn putting the cuff on and taking each other's blood pressure.  I'm pretty sure mine was 116/78.

I can see in my Dad's mannerisms that he is experiencing a little depression.  He claims he's just tired but I think he is spending too much time reminding himself that he had a heart attack.  It's noticeable in the things he says.  My grandmother was telling a story about someone she knows with horrible eating habits.  As she detailed what her friend consumes in a normal day, my father made the comment that he never ate like that before and yet he's the one who has the heart attack.  If there's anything I've learned, genetics plays an important roll in ones' risk of heart attack. 

By the time I got home yesterday and began studying for my final exams, I decided I wasn't going to pressure myself into a gym trip.  I had ran the 3 previous days and planned to run tonight (Monday).  I decided to take the day off.  I have 2 finals tonight that I cannot wait to be over with!  I still need to study a little more, so I will be leaving work a little early to cram some more, then take my exams.  Hopefully I finish early and can get home before 7.