New goals for July!

Hello, my readers!!! I'd love to tell you that I'm pumped and ready to write and feeling good...but it just wouldn't be true. I'm very tired and would rather go to bed. BUT, I want to write. I don't like missing a day of writing.

Anyway, today is a weird day. I can't really tell WHAT my body is doing...but I'll get to that. First, my race and completion of goals for June!!! Actually, we'll talk completion of goals first...for June, my goals were to have 1 purely social activity per week, boxing class on Friday and 1 run per week. I think that there was only one very rainy week that I did not make two work-outs in one week...and I did have a social activity each week. I'm chalking that up as a glowing success! Time to think on goals for July...

So, my race. Well, I finished and I did not die. My time was 1:09:53. I can live with that. It was a VERY difficult race for me. A friend, A, ran with me and I made her walk a lot. In fact, I'm shocked that she stuck with me and extremely grateful that she did. Ya know, I can get down on myself for walking, or I can choose to look at the accomplishment that I did live up to! I ran that damn race in the heat and humidity of June in New England and I did not die!! I finished with a better time than my last 10K (back in October). AND, I ran with some of the fastest people in the world!!! Yup, elite runners, the current fastest men in the world ran this race with me. AND, I did a heck of a lot better than anyone who didn't get off the couch. Five weeks ago, I could barely run 3 miles, and look at me now!!!

OK, so now that I've accomplished this goal, what's next?? Well, I've got another 10K coming up in October. I'd like keep running so that I'm ready for that one...without walking. Given that it's in October, there's a good chance that the weather will be on my side...So, fitness goals...I haven't looked too closely at my next classes syllabus, so I reserve the right to alter these goals:

• Maintain a minimum of 1 social activity per week
• Go to boxing class on Saturdays (but not on the weekends I have class....)
• Run at least once per week, preferably 6 miles
• Go to either Monday night abs class, or Wednesday night strength class

On the weekends that I have class, ideally, I'll fit a different cardio workout in on a different night. And I'd like to go to both Monday and Wednesday class, but it takes a ton of time to get there and home and I do still have homework to do. OK, so basically, 1 social activity and 3 work-outs per week.

Now, on to my body and how I have no clue what it's doing...last night I went out for a run. Nothing big, just under 4 miles. Well, I had to do number 2 so bad that I couldn't stand it and ducked into a Panera to use the facilities. What I found was a bloody mess...that was a cuss word, but descriptive as well. Needless to say, I was grateful that my running pants are black. Anyway, when it's that time of the month, my body just hurts and I eat Advil for a day like it was candy and I was back on sugar. I'm retaining water and my weight is disturbingly off and everything is uncomfortable. That's what I mean when I say that I don't know what my body is doing. I'm sure some of you girls know what I'm talking about. Luckily, these feelings usually only last a day or so. Tomorrow should be better.

Feeling yucky or not, here's what I know: feelings are not facts and do not give me license to over-do the carbs or to hit 'the sug'. Eating healthy will help me feel better long term and has helped to keep my moods even. Healthy eating has helped me shed a total of 16 pounds in 3 months. It's helped me shed almost 4 inches total from my waist. It's helped me fit back into jeans that I haven't been able to wear in years. It's given me a confidence that allows me know that I'm living in a solution rather than adding to the problem.

6/29/11

I ran out of my little paper bowls...

Orange peppers for a change!!

nectarine

Chicken, broccoli and lentils

6/30/11
Oatmeal scrambled eggs, berries and coffee

Sweet and delicious berry snack

Office party!! Three meatballs, three honey BBQ wings and pasta salad...I avoided the cookies and the cake (which I brought!)

Chicken and a little broccoli

Not feelin' so hot

I really don't like writing when I'm not feeling that great. It's not that I feel physically sick, I'm not feeling so hot emotionally and spiritually tonight. Yup. Spiritually. No, I'm not gonna get all hippy-dippy Jesus on your ass. I've got my own beliefs and they don't belong here. So just take it for what it is and let's move on.

I've talked about H.A.L.T. before...well, I gots me some HALT tonight. I didn't have such a good night in class. I didn't do the homework ahead of time so I felt behind and confused during class. I left feeling frustrated, and then realized I was hungry and tired. Well, tired doesn't even begin to explain it. However, put all that together and then think of a negative adjective...and, well, you get my point. Walking home, I'm starting to question what I'm doing in school. Wouldn't it be better to just have the summer off and go the beach and have fun?? Yeah.

When I get like that, I can no longer tell how much of it is caused by being hungry or tired and how much is an actual change in mood and I want to eat my feelings. Here's the do as I say and not as I do part...I had a roast beef sandwich and french fries. And they were delicious! And I'm sure I'll pay for it on the scale tomorrow. I do feel better though...

6/26/11
OK, we're going with small pictures because there's 3 days to add!!

So, this is breakfast on my big race day!!! It was a tough race, very humid and I walked quite a bit...but all in all, it was good.

So, immediately after the race, I had 2 bananas, a mini snack bag of fritos and some fruit roll-up thingy that actually didn't have any sugar in it.

Late lunch here....buffalo chicken pizza, salad and a diet coke

Salad to go with dinner

Now, before you get all nervous, no. I did not eat all of this! Most of it came home as leftovers. Spare ribs, brisket, mac&cheese, greens, corn bread and southern fried chicken wings.

6/27/11
A little something different for breakfast...Bear Naked granola, berries, and plain no-fat yogurt with an egg and coffee.

Panera!!! What else? Greek salad, lemon chicken orzo soup, bread and unsweetened iced tea.

I'm almost ashamed to admit it, but this was dinner...I stayed very late in my office to write a paper...this was all I had to eat.

So, I had nachos when I got home.

6/28/11
Yummy fresh berries and Uncle Sam cereal!

Panera!!! Greek salad and turkey sandwich with unsweetened iced tea.

 Salad for dinner!

Sweet and yummy mango, raspberries and blueberries.

Roast beef sandwich with lettuce, tomato, onion, cheese, and BBQ. French fries!

I was so very brave today!

So, I knew that I had some good news to share today...but, guess what! IT GOT BETTER!!!! OK, so good news first...My weigh-ins this week put my weight down 16 pounds from when I started this blog!! How incredible is that!? Well, here's the better news. After running tonight, I was putting on some clean clothes and noticed how my bra was too big...I got brave and decided to try on an old pair of jeans. What do you know, they fit!!! A pair of size 12 jeans fit!! Before you get all, 'Well, I don't know what's so great about being a 12, I'm a 6...' Just three short months ago I was in a 16 and not pleased about it. Not pleased about it at all. And, outside of my pre-pubescent high school days, a 12 is the smallest that I've ever been!!

I love seeing results and I love sharing them with you.

Tomorrow morning is my big race, the one that I started running again for. I've got to get up pretty darned early. So, we'll move on to two days worth of eating...

6/24/11




Weird, I don't think I've had blueberries all week...

I can't believe I've had pizza twice lately...

And that's a little feta with kalmata olives on my salad.

After boxing class, we went to Frank's Steakhouse in Cambridge, or Somerville...I don't know, does it matter?? Well, we shared this onion 'loaf'...that's my boxing instructor's hand.


I did have a side salad too, but forgot to photograph it.

And this is how much was left of my filet and broccoli before I remembered to photograph it...

6/25/11

Panera for breakfast. And why do I love them so?? When the cappuccino machine was broken today, they steamed me some milk for my coffee anyway!

A snack to hold me over....

Berry Freeze plain yogurt with fresh mango and strawberries!

Yummy steak! Green peas and potatoes with some ketchup.

And the nachos that I'm such a sucker for!

I'm qualified

I report what I eat to all of you. Some of my friends report what they eat to me. T, you're not the only one! And I LOVE that my friends do this. Today, one of them said that she was using me in the absence of a nutritionist. This got me thinking. I'm not a nutritionist, have never claimed to be, so what gives me the right to make suggestions about what other people should eat?? Well, I've been seeing a nutritionist for over three years now. I think I've learned a thing or two. I've read a whole bunch of books about what people should eat and I don't buy into any extreme ways of eating...I also don't believe in 'dieting'. A food plan is a way of life, a diet is temporary.

And here's why I think I'm qualified to make suggestions on what people should eat: I realize that the human race has been around for a whole heck of a lot longer than processed food. And before processed food, heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol were not health epidemics. Processed food, if I remember correctly, did not come into existence until the Industrial Revolution...white flour. Damned white flour started it all. Even if I'm not 100% accurate, the idea is right. See, humans had to be around for a loooooooooong time to become technologically advanced enough to break corn and soy down into unrecognizable parts and then put them into every 'food' out there! And the human race is older than Ho-Ho's, Ding Dong's, Cheetohs, Oreos and Go-gurt. We had to eat something before these delicious monstrosities were invented!

My beliefs around food make me uniquely qualified to suggest what other people should eat. And I keep it simple. I won't suggest cutting out any food completely. I will suggest absolutely minimal amounts of processed foods and I may spit on you if you tell me that you still eat McDonalds. But I won't tell you to completely cut either out of your food plan. I will suggest that you, instead, eat lots and lots of veggies. I will suggest that you eat whole grains, that you eat minimal amounts of sugar and next to no sugar substitutes. I will suggest that you keep carbs to a minimum and include mainly healthy fats. I will suggest that you take a multi-vitamin. I will suggest that you combine exercise with your food plan.

So, yeah, I'm qualified.

Yummy Uncle Sam cereal, berries, skim milk, eggs, some beans and a skim milk latte.

I tried something a little new....a turkey sandwich at Panera!



I had an orange after lunch.

Salad for dinner!

Nachos for a snack!

Grumpy. Who, me?

Did you have a day where nothing goes according to plan...and you're hungry?? Yeah, me too. In fact, I had that day today. Most of my day was just fine, it wasn't until the end that things went awry. I'm sitting in my office after-hours, trying to do my homework and the IT guy comes in and needs me to get off my computer! Doesn't he know that I'm trying to do my homework!? See, I'm getting a new computer at work tomorrow...about time too! It's been over 5 years since I've had a new one! Anyway, this poor guy caught me as I'm trying to do work on these spreadsheets, I'm realizing that I'm hungry, it's raining outside, I have no food, I lost my thumb drive, there's nowhere to get food that late on campus...did I mention he interrupted when I was hungry? Grrrrr.

It was one of those moments where you just want to focus on the positives...and yet...my hunger makes me grumpy and selfish and generally not nice. Again, I try to return to something positive...I just planned my road trip itinerary that afternoon. Focus on Disneyland and the Hoover Dam! (Yeah, I'm the only person I know who gets excited to go to the Hoover Dam...and I've been twice already.) Not even that works, I'm still grumpy with the lady at Best Buy, who's just doing her job and asking if I want to put a $10 thumbdrive on my store credit card. Seriously??

By the time I slog through the rain and baseball crowds and get to the T station, I'm sweaty and even more miserable and still hungry! By the time I get home, I can taste Kelly's Roast Beef (a sandwich shop across the street from my apartment that serves cheese fries that make you think you died and went to heaven...)! See, I know that THAT's how hunger affects me. I know that I get grumpy and am mean to a store clerk, the IT guy and then start to crave all sorts of unhealthy food. Fighting off these kinds of urges is why I need a plan and a snack at hand!

Went a little different here...cheese omelet. Let's just say, never again! The outside was rubbery and they used too much better. And believe it or not, there was some runny white part. Gross!

There's a skim milk latte in that cup!

Lunch was good...pizza, eh. The strawberries would ordinarily go on my cereal in the morning.

Yummy sweet steamed broccoli! It's like a love affair!
Lentils and a pork chop.


There were nachos after dinner too...

Really, I'm not being selfish

I'll bet you have a favorite Girl Scout cookie...I'll also bet that they've changed the name of it. Either way, each year, you buy a box or two (or four), scarf them and are then forced to wait for a year to get more. Yuck, it's the worst!!!! Well, I found a recipe online for my favorite Girl Scout cookie...and a few other sites where you can find recipes for yours. And you know what? I'm not going to share this information. Why? For once, it's not because I'm selfish. Nope. This time, it's because I'm having a not so great night and am having comfort food cravings and want to protect all of our thighs and bellies.

Yeah, tonight has been full of ups and downs. I gave into nachos...you'll see. The downs are school-related, but so is one of the ups. Another up? I've almost got my August vacation nailed down! My August vacation involves my first trip to Disneyland!!!!!! And chocolate covered Mickey Mouse shaped ice cream on a stick. Disneyland is DEFINITELY a special sugar occasion. And that means that I'll need a plan, to set limits for myself, to not go overboard and to (somehow) eat many many vegetables. Maybe they'll have a Mickey Mouse shaped broccoli?

6/20/11

A banana with my morning coffee

OK, real breakfast...guess where!

Blackened chicken with mango salsa and salad with balsamic vinaigrette. Unsweetened ice tea in the corner there too!

OK, so before we get to dinner, there was a small dish of coffee-oreo frozen yogurt with chocolate sprinkles...the picture is me with the yogurt, and I don't like the picture, so I'm not posting it. Then, there was a bag of the bad-for-me popcorn before I went running.

Dinner...chicken, potatoes w/ ketchup and broccoli.

Normal regular breakfast

And...lunch!

Salad with cut up pear and a whole wheat and flax pita for dinner

And there's the nachos...at least it's low fat cheese.

BBQ (over) eating

Eating right at a BBQ is hard!! And I didn't live up to the full challenge today. Alas. I did my part though, I brought a healthy salad for my contribution (and hotdogs...). All in moderation, right? And here's the thing. I'm not always going to be perfect in my eating. The trick is not to overdue it on any occasion. I kinda overdid it today, but not as bad as on occasions before I started this blog. That definitely counts for something!

I am also postponing my normal Sunday night run until Monday night. So, that means that I did not meet my exercise goal for the week. If all goes according to plan, I will exceed my exercise goal next week...

A yummy scramble with tomatoes, green onions, green peppers, carrots, low fat cheese and salsa!

Fresh fruit and whole wheat & flax pita with coffee

BBQ lunch!! OK, so there's salad with mustard vinaigrette, tomato-mozzarella-avocado salad and a hot dog in a wheat bun with ketchup and mustard

Not shown: 2nd hot dog served up as above, 3rd hot dog naked and 1/2 hamburger naked

My favorite potato chips!!! OK, ok, ok, I only at a handful. I did have a few multi-grain tortilla chips with salsa and a few sunchips too.

Yummy salad for dinner with pear and walnuts!