Monday, December 17, 2012

Sadness

It's been awhile. The holidays have kept me busy. I did great for the Pile on the Miles chaalleng in November. I did 50.61 miles. My goal was 50 miles. There were several times over the month I wasn't sure I w ould meet my goa.. Aches and paines. But I am did it!

I am trying to track for miles both elliptical and treadmill and I haven't been great at it. I have struggled to get to the gym. I seem to be developing a stomach issue if I have too much dairy. And going to the gym with stomach issues is not recommended.

I live in CT, you would have to be in a coma to miss what happened here on Friday. Sandy Hook.  When it all started going down I thought it was a custody issue. No idea that some kid, (a 20 yrd is a kid) could do this. The police believe they have a good idea of the motive but haven't released it. It's hard to beleive something so horrible to happen to kids who just started school. To kids that haven't had a chance to get in trouble yet, to live yet. It is just so sad. I don't know anyone who was hurt but my friends have lost a step sister, a friend from school and more. I just can't imagine it. We are all sad.  It is going to be awhile to feel normal and I am not in Newtown. I can't imagine for the people who live there and those affected by this tragedy. My stupid rantings on weightloss seem so inconsequential.

I am sad. I have no other words to describe and I mourn for those kids and teachers. The teachers did the best they could to help those kids. 1 was shot while trying to hold the door shut, another was shot while protecting her kids.

Again, Sadness.  I think thats all for now.

Friday, November 23, 2012

Giving Thanks!

I got a chance to hit the gym yesterday before dinner. Got there around 10 am or so and the parking lot was pretty busy. I got to the door and saw the sign, closing at 12. So I crammed in as much as a I could and left about 11:57. Ran only 2.3 miles and did the cross ramp elliptical for about 50 min. Managed to have a relatively healthy dinner. However I drank my calories last night.



Went home to check on the cat and opted to run at the trail by my house. I did great. At 10 min I was more than .75 miles. I couldn't believe it. After that the trail started to go up hill and i slowed down. I turned around at 2.5 miles however my run tracker said my final mileage was 4.92. Not sure how that worked out. On well. I still averaged just under 15
min miles. At the gym I am usually over 16 min. I don't know what it is about running outside but my pacing is better. Maybe not having the display to stare at helped. Drove back to enfield to be with J and stopped at gym and did another hour of cardio. Here are some pics of the trail.


This may be TMI, but after my shower J was looking at me and commented how I was losing weight. Nothing feels better than having your significant other notice and appreciate all the hard work you are doing. I am so grateful for his support and encouragement. It makes the aches and pains worthwhile.


Back to enjoying my long weekend. Hoping to get a run in tomorrow. But we'll see how my legs feel.



Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Struggle

I have walked/run 33.56 miles this month. My goal is 50 and it’s going to be ah struggle to get there.


Honestly my body hurts. I thought I was ready for this but my knee isn’t. I have had to add *lots* of walking. Don’t misunderstand, I’m not quitting I am just adding more rest in between my "walk/run" days. I am not a natural runner. I am frustrated I can’t do more but the reality is I have to adjust to make sure I don’t injure myself.




PileOnTheMiles



Life has gotten hectic. Work is getting busier and busier. I worked Veteran’s Day and went in the following Saturday. I should be greatful I have a job and I do enjoy the overtime money but it’s exhausting. I am struggling to balance work, gym and J. Fortunately J is great about me having to work the occasional weekend and he is my number #1 cheerleader on the gym thing so I am a very lucky girl. But it's tough. I need to be in multipled places at once and it's a very hard balancing act. But I just bought a 125 gallons of oil and it hurt. So I definitely need to resusitate my savings account. And since mortgage rates are at an all time low again I am trying to figure out /save to buy a house sooner vs. later. Like in the spring. I can't afford to wait any longer. If the rates go up and I don't act I will be stupid. Lower rates means I can get more house for my money (err.. monthly payment)

I have fallen of track a little with my health plan. I haven't been logging food like I should and I haven't been eating as well as I could. Hurricane Sandy and Winter Storm Athena have really done a number on me the last few weeks. Fortunately I have been able to keep up the gym routine. I haven't really lost but I have maintained my weight which is a awesome!

This month has been about a lot of struggle. Greatful it's almost over and I have been able to continue to at least hit the gym even if I am not eating right. Exercise has always been the key for me to lose weight.



Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Greatful

Went to the grocery store today. Was able to restock fridge after power outage. Feeling very guilty that others affected by Hurricane Sandy cant.
I did stock up on healthy stuff. Really focusing on eating right.

Started Pile on the miles yesterday. 5.25 miles done. Only 44.75. To go!

Friday, November 2, 2012

Damages

No gym last night. Things just didn't happen.


I finally got my fancy new phone on Wednesday. I thought I had set it up correctly at J's house Wed Night. WRONG! After 1.5 hrs on the phone with ATT Support and another half hour before that on my own, my SIM card was bad. Made it to the ATT store with maybe 10 min to spare before they closed. They replaced the sim card and I now have a working iphone 5. Poor J, I monoplolized his phone most of the evening running through trouble shooting. We had planned to go to dinner after I got my phone working but by then it was after 8. An hour drive home so I could start to clean out my fridge. Yeah, no dinner. Put he said he really wasn't that hungry.  I got bad for me food and drove home.

At home,  I was able to assess everything. (Due to power outage my only damage from Hurricane Sandy is food loss) So fridge side, just about everything gone. I think there are some preserves left but that's it. Freezer side held up better. I think the frozen water bottles and ice helped keep temp down. Nothing looked odd and there was no water pooled on the floor to indicate melting. Now to make a list and start replacing stuff. Nothing crazy but I do need salad stuff, milk. (which I got at gas station last night)

As you can tell the last few days have been rough. (I am perfectly aware I am lucky and didn't have damage like those in NY/NJ and I am greatful) Lots of bad eating however on the scale I got a surpirse. Down 1.4 lbs. Not sure how that happened but I just have to be good the next few days to make sure I don't counteract that loss.

I have to go grocery shopping and replace stuff. I am making a list and going to focus on produce and healthy items.  Trader Joes and then BJ's Wholesale to restock. Mostly it's the salad dressing, produce, milk, eggs and cheese I have to replace.  I feel like the freezer stuff faired well but I am still woried.
Based on the following I should be okay. Lowered freezer temp 24 hrs before we lost power. Densely packed and I threw in frozen bottles of water and a bag of ice. I think the temperature kept. (Makes me feel better)

http://hawaii.gov/health/environmental/sanitation/sanitationguidelines/poweroutagefoodsafety.pdf
How about frozen foods?


If your food still has ice crystals, it is usually safe to refreeze. Discard any items in
either freezer or refrigerator that have come into contact with raw meat juices.
Thawed food should be cooked and eaten immediately, provided it has not
been held at room temperature (above 45 degrees F) for more than two (2)
hours. Bacteria grow faster at temperatures above 45 degrees F. Food with high water content (meats, soups, seafood, etc.) stay frozen longer than food with low water content (baked goods, etc.) Large cuts of meat and poultry will stay frozen longer than baked goods or smaller items. How long will my frozen foods stay frozen in the freezer? One (1) to three (3) days for a full freezer, about one (1) day for a half-full
freezer, depending on if:
· Freezer door stays closed
· Freezer is full or nearly full – the less crowded the freezer, the shorter the time the food stays frozen
· Outside air temperature is cool or warm
· Freezer is large and well insulated – small freezers do not keep foods frozen as long

Another good website   Louisiana State University Agricultural Center   




PileOnTheMiles

I promise to start posting pictures again.

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Oh Sandy

I survived Sandy. No major damage. Power is out. Unkown ETA. I am 1 of 635,000 + without power and I am sure CLP   Yesterday was a crap eatinig day. I don't think I logged everything. And today started off bad. Can't get into fridge. (trying to keep it nice and cool to minimize food loss) Got breakfast at Mcdonalds and of course I got my old stand by not a healthier option. (old habits) Today I will be buying lunch so another mediorce day of eating.  My gym is open  and they have showers so I could go and try and get clean up after a work out. We'll see what happens with that. There was definitely no gym last night.

My iphone delivery has been delayed until who knows when (trust me I don't want  a ups person or anyoen to get hurt delivering a phone.) But I wish they were better about updating their tracking info.

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Challenging

Last night I was able to sign up for RunEatRepeat. Pile on the Miles (#POTM).


My goal is walk/run 50 miles in the month of November. Which breaks down to an average of 3.125 miles per work out. (Average 4 workout days per week). So I get to run a 5K, 4 days a week. It sounds really scary and overwhelming. But I can do this. I will spend the next/last 7 days of October trying to meet the 3.1 miles goal. I think I will have to add In walking at lunch and maybe working out Thursday. That sounds very daunting but I will take it one day at a time. I am really hoping that by the end of November I can run a mile straight without stopping.

I have had to add in more walking in the last week or so because I “irked” my knee last week by wearing heels. I have just noticed since hitting the gym more frequently my knee is more sensitive so the dumbass that I am wore heels one day last week after not wearing them since before the summer. (We were on dress down at work all summer and I jeans and sneakers everyday) It was not a sharp pain but a constant dull pain. I took Monday off from the gym and ended up going Tuesday and Thursday instead. I did no running just walk at an incline at a fast pace. Last night I added some running back. I ran at full pace for a full 40 seconds twice. Now that is impressive since I have done it once for about 20 seconds total. Now the real goal will be to turn that 40 seconds into several minutes and to keep adding.

My iPhone 5 will be here by the 30th. I can’t wait. It’s been a long month since I ordered it. (Oct 1st) I am tracking it via UPS.com and it’s currently in Korea. Yes I am stalking the UPS website.

Work is getting busy and I have been slacking/working part time hrs lately ( part time = only 40 hrs). So November I will have to work more and exercise more. November should be … Challenging! But I can do it.



PileOnTheMiles


Tuesday, October 23, 2012

#POTM

Just signed up for Pile on the Miles at Run Eat Repeat  I have always missed the sign up. So excited. My goal is to run/walk 50  miles for the month. I plan to do more but I don't want to over due it. I think the 50 miles was a monthly goal and not a weekly goal. I don't think I can do that weekly. Eeek

Finally upping my running. ran twice at 6 on treadmill (10 min mile) for 40 sec. That is a huge increase for me. I still struggle with running a mile without stopping. I keep trying tho. I think it's all in my head. the reason I stop. When I don't think about it runs better but the trick is, how not to think about it.

Oh well. I will keep trying.


PileOnTheMiles

Monday, October 15, 2012

Different Directions

It's been a busy week. Every time I try to write something I get distracted/pulled into something else. However unlike previous times, when I didn't post for a week or more I am still on the wagon.
Working out about 4 days a week and eating well. Myfitnesspal.com has really helped me to watch what I eat. Even if I go over calorie counts for the day it isn't the end of the world.

I have been really working on running. However my knee is starting to feel the consequences. Which means I wrap it in an ace bandage at night. ( I do more damage at night)
I am tryingt o add more walking to help.( Ie Sat run, sun walk, mon run, tues walk) Working on building strength. This is my first week or 3rd day of it. I think I need to look into getting another ace bandage to wrap up my knee. One for the gym and one to sleep it. Stupidly I wore heels to work today for the first time in months and I feel it.

Saturday J and I went out to eat a few times. Lunch at Ruby Tuesday and Dinner at Hilltop BBQ. I had a calorie heavy lunch, turkey avocado burger with the grilled zuchhini and sweet potato fries. Ruby Tuesday has a "healthy and fit menu" get the grilled zucchini. It's delicious! The turkey burger was good but I could have made a better choice. Luckily I knew I would be hitting the gym or I would never  have gotten it. that meal was more than half my daily calories. I had their nutrition menu open on my phone and was looking things up as I went through the menu. It's funny on my way home I was "mad" at myself because I could have made a better choice. Oh well. I burned all those calories at the gym. Yes I am a bit crazy and did a slightly harder/longer work out to do that.  Dinner was slighly better. I added the ingredients seperate. I had the BBQ salad with pulled pork. Sadly they didn't have a light salad dressing option so I feel most of the calories from dinner came from the garlic parmesan. The meal was delicous though.

Kept up with the weekend work outs. It's nice, I don't feel rushed. I can do more.

It has taken me far to long to write this. So I will go back to my regularly scheduled program aka work!

Thursday, October 4, 2012

Kids Meal

Dinner tonight was as though I was 10 yrs old. Grilled ham and cheese and chocolate milk. I did make it a bit more grown up, I added steamed veggies.

I am definitely ready for the weekend. Its a long weekend. I plan to try canning for the first time. My friend E said to expect it to go wrong. I am going to try and can Chili. I have a pressure cooker, instructions and supplies. I just bought the pressure cooker, I got the Presto 23 qt and a soup pot so I can prepare the Ball Mason jars. I am very excited.

After losing power twice last year with Hurricane Irene and Winter Storm Alfred and losing the contents of my fridge and freezer twice I really want to be better prepared. It seems that my generation is really traveling back in time. We garden, we knit and now, we can!
 

Definitely ready for bed. Is 8:30 too early for bed? Well Just in case I will pack my bag for the weekend in clean cat litter

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Another week another -$1.50.


I have been due for an upgrade on my phone on October 6th. I Called AT&T a few weeks ago. They wouldn't let me pre-order early without paying an insane fee. The lady did say to check a few days before my upgrade and I might be able to do it early. Well, lo and behold I checked yesterday morning and I was due for my upgrade a few days early.  So I did it! I bought the iPhone 5 from Apple ! I went with the 32gb and white, I also bought the adapter so I can use my other accessories. It should be here October 31 -Nov 6.  Ugh! I hate waiting but I am very excited. My iPhone 4 has been cracked since the MS walk in April. I am the doofus who dropped it. (there might have been some other drops/cracks that may or may not have happened at a bar while drinking beer)

I finally managed to get my hours back to 8-4:30. Granted I am usually at work at just after 7am and stay until just after 530ish. Last night I left on time and man, the lack of traffic was amazing! Made it to the gym by 545 and it wasn't overly crowded.  Made it home to make dinner and watch tv and not feel rushed. It was awesome! I don't think I can do it again tonight, I have too much to do but it was so nice yesterday.

Thanks to iPhone 5 Purchase. No more spending for awhile. (I say this as I am looking at plane tickets to see family at Christmas)

Ok, back to reality and your normally scheduled program

Friday, September 28, 2012

Bitch Mode

Out of curiosity I "googled" my blog. I came up higher than I thought. # 5. Not bad. Considering I don't really do anything to advertise my blog. Maybe I should do something about that.

yesterday was a bad day. I didn't feel like making breakfast so I stopped on the way to work. Yes I got a chocolate donute. But they are so good. It is not a dunkiin donut. It is from a small coffee shop near my house. Omg, so soft and amazing. Well after that they just got worse. System issues when I got to work. People were being stupid and weren't doing their jobs so it became my job to hold their hand. My coffee tasted too sweet. So I think with the bad day aned th bad choice of breakfast my blood sugar jumped. As my boss put it, I was in bitch mode. So at lunch I went to get oil changed and get out of building. I also had them flush the tramsission fluid. (I was so past due so it took longer than expected) well I get back to work 2 yrs later and I felt better and realized why my emotions were so wonky. Sugar! I don't put it in my tea, I drink lots of water. I have been reducing the amount of splenda I put in coffee so I really don't have a lot of sugar and yesterday I think I overloaded and went into bitch mode. I was so exhausted when I got home. I made dinner and went to bed early. Sugar High and really bad sugar low. I know this about myself but every so often I forget and I go into Bitch mode.

Today will be better. Weighed in and I am down. Not a lot but every bit counts. And my clothes fit better every day. That counts a lot. GOing to try and found a circut around J's house tomorrow or I may cave and join Planet Fitness and have 2 gym memberships.  So I can work out on the weekends regardless of whose house I am at. If only my gym had a location up there.

Hrm. Checking my current gym website, they have a location 6.6 miles from J's house. A second membership may not be necessary. I have emailed them to see if I have access with my current membership.

Back to your regularly scheduled program.



Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Habit Vs. Routine

How long does it take to create a routine?

I have been far more consistent the last few weeks with going to the gym. Last 3 weeks I haver gone at least twice a week.  I asked Facebook last night and my friend S said it becomes a habit when you no longer have to think about it. Another friend said 21 days and another said a month.  If you go by S's statement which I quite like,  my morning of getting up and being to work by 730 is just a routine. I don't think about it anymore. I just wake up and try to leave by 630 or earlier. Part of it is traffic. The earlier I leave the less I am in the car sitting in traffic. And since work currently has OT, we all win :) Or most importantly, my savings account wins. Which means by doing OT in the morning, I can leave work at a reasonable time and go to the gym. Which is what I have done the last few weeks.  I really want to be able to keep this up. It is very important to me.

Oh, I am trying something new when I go out to dinner. I try to leave something on the plate. Since the portions are so huge, there is more than enough for several meals. So I am trying very hard to not "clean my plate" Its harder than it sounds. I feel like since I was a kid that my parents always told me to finish  my food when we went out to dinner. So the impulse to always finish my food when I am already full is there. Which I feel, at least for me, makes me over eat and continue to eat when I am full. So far so good. Sometimes I save the leftovers and forget them in the fridge. But it feels so wastefull to not try and save the food. But on the other hand, it just takes up space in my fridge.

Ok, Back to your regular scheduled program!

Monday, September 24, 2012

4:07 Wake up call

I did really well yesterday and this weekend. Hit the gym both Saturday and Sunday. Stayed under calories (just barely) but again I remind myself I'm not calorie counting. However I am still hurting from my run Saturday. Going up the stairs to work was really rough. When I get up to go to the bathroom or a meeting, its a slow start. Movement appears to be key

I picked up a new Tea from Republic of Tea. Get Burning  It is supposed to help speed up metabolism. Has cayenne pepper in it. I add that to my food a lot but it's a bit weird when I first tried it but it's not bad. It's my 2nd day drinking it so I am hoping after a week or so I will notice a differnce

I also joined a  BJ's warehouse club yesterday. I got a notice a few weeks ago for 2 free months. Well, 2 free months + $50 to renew or just $40 for 14  months. I chose the $40 option. They had some good deals though. I got Baby Bell Cheese in a 22 pack for $9 and the Dannon Oikos Greek Yogurt 12  for $10  . They had coupons in front so I actually got them for less. I will also probably not run out of toilet paper, papoer towels, cat food or litter for awhile. They had a lot of what I normally buy there in bulk. I think it will be work it. Hopefully next trip won't be so expensive but then I won't need paper goods quite so soon.

Last night was good, had a good dinner a good work out. Well this morning I just woke up. I lean over to look at my phone it was 4:07 am. Ouch! I tried to make myself go back to sleep but I really just tossed and turned until I gave up about 4:50 am. My normal wake up time is 5:10-5:30. So I was ready to leave the hosue by just after 6. I stopped to get gas and coffee and still made it to work by 7.   When I told J, he said maybe the gym is giving me more energy. Who knows! It would be  nice to do my OT in the morning and get home at a reasonable hour. But I will wait and see if this morning repeats itself.

Hoping to leave by 5 today and hit the gym. Although Mondays are super crowded :(

Sunday, September 23, 2012

2 memberships

I left J's house yesterday. Came home cleaned up and actually went to gym. I was very proud of myself. I am increasing my stamina. Ran for more than 10 min straight. A miracle considering its been months since I ran. Went and did some stretches and more cardio.

J and I went to my friend K's for dinner. On the way I discussed maybe getting a $10 membership at the gym down the street from his house. Buy I was worried Might not go. Let's be honest I spend $10 on stupid stuff all the time. Well he said he would make me go. He is really supportive of my fitness goals and making time for the gym. It will be nice to find time for exercise when I spend the weekends with him.

However it seems pretty ridiculously have 2 gym memberships. One near my house and one near his house. Next weekend is his birthday. Hoping I can come up with a nice little jogging route. Maybe do that vs gym membership. At least for now

Thursday, September 20, 2012

Logging

I doing better on logging my food. I am getting better on portion control.

Went out to dinner last night and had the grilled chicken with no bun


It's all about the little victories!

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Success

Busy last few days. Went to the Big E with J. Walked most of the day and I have the blisters to prove it!
I didn't eat too bad. J and I split most of the food.

Actually went to gym both Sunday and Monday. Today no gym but am relaxing with the dog and working on Christmas knitting projects.

I need to start running again. But right now the mini goal is just to get to the gym. I have been doing pretty good the last 2 weeks. I call that a success. So now I want to start adding running back in. I think that will be Thursday's goal at the gym.

I have been fairly consistent using myfitnesspal for better or worse. Everyone has to start somewhere and I have been doing pretty good.

Thursday, September 13, 2012

Sick and Twisted

There must be something wrong with me. I love how I feel after I start working out after being gone for a bit. I like the soreness. Feeling my abs move (yes there are muscles underneath all that fat!). Makes me want to go back tonight after work.

Taking tomorrow off and J and I are going to The Big E. http://thebige.ntelligentsystems.com/m/

I am really excited, I've never been although I have lives in CT most oft life. I plan to eat too much and walk a lot. Plan on wearing my running sneakers since there will be lots of walking.

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Success and choosing my battles

I hit the gym twice this week. I call it a success. It's been more than a month since I have gone. But I went shopping on Saturday and got a pair of jeans that are a size smaller than what  I had been wearing. That is amazing motivation.

Today is my company's employee picnic. We get a 2 hour lunch and they provide food.The thing is, I know its burgers, dogs, nothing healthy and everything high calorie/high fat. So I brought  my lunch. My coworker is making me go hula hoop for awhile so I now I will burn some calories there. But the lunch just isn't worth the calories. (our cafteria is catering, they used to be awesome but the last year or so all the food quality has gone down while prices have gone up.) I am not that motivated to eat free medicore food. It realy is about choosing your battles. Do I want to indulge on food that is so-so or indulge when I am with J or hanging out with friends on the weekend.


Update: I had the hot dog and hamburger. I was hungry when I got there. Should have eaten up here. But I did hula hoop for 25 min waiting for a friend

Off to the picnic

Friday, September 7, 2012

Monday or Friday?

I really need to stop grocery shopping on Thursday. I am usually gone all weekend and then have limited time to eat my fresh veggies (sun evening, monday, tuesday and then Thursday) I feel like I through out more food than is neccessary.

Also trying to decide if I should change my weigh in day. Friday vs. Monday.
Monday keeps me accountable on weekends, which doesn't really work as well at it should. (granted I am coming off a holiday weekend.)
Friday lets me recover from falling off the wagon on the weekend.

Which is a truer measure of weight? I think I will try logging weight for both days for a few weeks and see what the numbers show.

Totally ready for the weekend. This week has been short but odd.

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

No Winners and No Losers

I got on the scale this morning, post holiday weekend misbehavior. No gain and no loss on the scale. That isn't bad. I was expecting a gain. I had a horrible day on Tuesday where I was hungry all day and couldn't satisfy the hunger. Then of course Saturday we were on the boat and a cook out Sunday. When I finally got home yesterday, I wasn't hungry. I ate decently but didn't eat a lot.

Started the week off well. Great breakfast.
MyFitnessPal  I can't seem to post a screen shot from here. oh well

 I am going to attempt to hit the gym tonight. Let's see what happens!

Off to Trader Joes to introduce a friend to the awesomeness!


Monday, September 3, 2012

Holiday Weekend!



Great weekend is coming to an end. I was great on food on  Friday and today so far I'm not bad. but Saturday we were on the boat which meant I drank my calories.  We got there just after 2 and left after 8. We went with friend M and C. And C made sandwiches and I brought cheese, pepperoni and crackers. And that was all I ate plus the beer. We got back to J's house and relaxed a bit and had more cheese and crackers. 
Saw some great clouds and of course a sunset over the lake is gorgeous.



Sunday was J's nephew's birthday party so we had burgers and dogs and lots of food all day. J's sister in law, also a Trader Joes fan like myself made the most amazing chocolate cake (pretty sure it was TJ cake mix) So rich, omg. She used coca-cola instead of other liquids. The cake was cookie shaped. It was awesome. I wish I had gotten a picture. dinner was more burgers and leftovers from the day.

Back at home now, I made some cheese quesadillas and just had some apple crisp I threw together a cuple of apples, walnuts, some brown sugar and GF oats. pretty good. The walnuts turned dark in the cast iron dish but it was pretty good. Oh and I covered with cinnamon. Pretty good, maybe next time I won't use the cast iron. But it was the smallest bake ware dish I had.

Now off to do laundry and lots of ironing. Back to normal business casual . 


Thursday, August 30, 2012

blerg

I wrote this yesterday but forgot to post:
8/29/2012
I have been logging food on myfitnesspal the last few days. My goal is not to count calories but to make myself log everything.


Well yesterday was a major fail. Just too much going on. I totally doubled my recommend calories but again I have to remind myself it isn’t about calorie counting right now. Just trying to track my food.

 

My birthday was in July and my team did a belated birthday celebration Dunkin donuts and coffee. I didn’t have a donut in the morning but my post lunch/afternoon cravings got me. And the rest of the day went to hell. It was very sweet of my team though.

My 15 yr high school reunion is at Thanksgiving. Not sure if I want to go but I really want to lose weight before then.


I didi much better on tracking yesterday. J and I went out to dinner and I think I overtracked what I ate. (chose higher calorie options/over estmated on portions)  I am going grocery shopping after work and will spend part of my evening portioning out snacks etc. My portions are not good. I almost feel I should keep a set of measuring cups at work to watch my portions.

Now if only I could get my fat ass to the gym

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Logging Food

I tell myself every week I will get back on the workout/diet bandwagon. Well, the genius that I am. Jumped into the lake on Saturday off my friends swimming deck and smashed my leg into motor. (Don’t worry it was off) No cuts or bruises. Just sore. It’s funny, it’s the side of the calf that hurts. The same spot I hurt when I fell down the stairs at work last year.


I bought Ezekiel 4:9 sprouted wheat bread for my sandwiches this week. And it’s surprisingly good. Was a little concerned when I made my sandwich this morning at how dense it is. But it is surprisingly moist.



A friend recommended http://www.myfitnesspal.com/ vs. http://sparkpeople.com/

Myfitnesspal is supposed to be more interactive with your friends. Which is what I want. My friends are the best support system. But we are all busy and can’t keep up with each other the way we want to. (recent baby boom amongst my friends keeps them on their toes)

Friday, August 17, 2012

Guilt at the Grocery Store

Went grocery shopping last night. It's been awhile since I  have been to Trader Joes so I went a little bit crazy. Combined with working late unexpectedly and I was hungry. At the regiester I thought it would be $200. Ended up being $180 but there is a lot of stuff I don't buy all the time. I also got snacks for work.  Seems like a lot now but ultimately cheaper and better than the vending machine. Picked up trail mix for the first time. I have had it before but hadn't really thought of it as a work snack. 

Why do I feel  mega guilty when I buy lots of groceries? The food gets eaten. I rarely buy lunch at work/go out for lunch. And I buy lots of healthy snacks/options, so of course it's more expensive. Ugh!

I guess with the realization that I want to buy a house I am trying to take a realistic look at what I spend. Now if only I could feel this guilty about paying for a gym membership I barely use!

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Time Management

How do so many bloggers keep up?

I have a job, a long commute, lots of overtime, a boyfriend I get to see a few days a week, a dog, a cat and a house to take care of.  There are only so many hours in the day I can do stuff. I can’t even get to gym.

I really need to learn to get less sleep. Then maybe I could do half. Not all, because as we all know, that is impossible.

I have recently come up with a game plan to save money to buy a house in 1.5 to 2 yrs. I am hoping the market and low rates are still around. It’s a good realistic plan. Then this morning I woke up dreaming about going back to school. Ugh! I really want to do it but how?

Any ideas on how I can reduct the amount of sleep I need to be a functional adult and get everything done? I figure if I cant learn to live on like 4 hrs of sleep instead of the luxurious 7-8 I get per night. If I could seriously go to bed at 1 and be up by 5 I would have so much time for everything. Gym, school, house.
It would be fanatastic! Maybe I should try going to bed later and later and keep alarm for 5 am. Start with 1030 and making bed time later and later in 15 min increments.

How sad is it that I need to make this a part of my life?
Oh well, back to the grind of work.

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Protein

I haven't been getting enough protein lately and by late afternoon I feel it. Cooking up some hard cooked eggs for snack tomorrow, I hope that helps. The fruit and veggies I have been eating this week just aren't enough to give me energy for the gym. And I need to keep the promise I made to myself. "make time for me aka male time for gym"

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

A routine

Lunch which is exactly the same as yesterday. I love summer because of the fresh fruit. We have a 4 hr long training session/meeting this afternoon. That sucks.

Trying to come up with a good workout routine that doesn't use the machines. I just did a few floor exercises last night and wow. Definitely felt it more than when I use the machines.

I need an ab routine, arms and legs. Any suggestions?

Monday, July 9, 2012

Lunch

Lunch, turkey wrap. Lots of fruit. Hit the gym tonight. Did some activities from shape.com workout. http://m.shape.com/celebrities/celebrity-workouts/nfl-cheerleader-workout. Definitely harder than it looks. It was a short workout but I was there and that is all that matters sometimes.

Didn't know there was an ap for my phone to post. Looks like I will post more!

On track?

It’s been awhile. I have been busy with J. Things are good and I am happy.

We seem to spend every weekend on the boat. I didn’t know how much I would love boating but I do.

Work is good, I have been very busy. In my industry it’s feast or famine. I haven’t been great at managing my time. Between J, work and gym. So of course gym has suffered. I wrote out a schedule to allow for some OT and still have gym time without going too late. Now the hard part. Following this schedule. When I could get in exercise time on the weekends, I am at J's house. The nearest gym is down the street. It's actually my old gym. But I don't want to pay $10 for a gym I don't know if I will use when I already pay $40 for the one near my house. (which I don't use often enough)

I am being more active on the weekends so I think that counts. Not a lot but I am not sitting in front of a computer or tv screen all weekend. But I am not hitting the gym or running like I wish I was. I am working on tracking my food. I do better when I track food. Regardless of how many calories I actually have.
I have missed writing here. I know I am the only one who sees it. But it helps to keep me honest. Between that and tracking. It should do the trick. Right? Anyway, here are some photos because I know the interwebs needs more photos.








Ree aka me on the lake near my house


J and I on Saturday 7/7/12

Damn on Pickerel Lake

Sunset on Moodus Resvoir

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Off Kilter

Yesterday evening was rough. I felt "off" I can't provide a better explanation than that. On the drive home from J's house I figured it out. I was hungry. I wanted to stuff my face full of carbs. I think this is really what I need to ween myself from my carb/bread addiction. And lately, it feels like an addiction. The other problem I have and I struggle with is portion control. SparkPeople is great with making me aware of how big my portions are.

Dinner last night wasn't the best choice but I had 2 personall success. I didn't have cake for at work for a birthday thing and it was from Mozzicatos. (amazing Italian bakery)  To abstain from Mozzicatos is amazing. Their stuff is delicious but I was good. Then I helped J's nephew and sis in law make "Mud" (graham cracker crust, chocolate pudding, gummy worms) I didn't have any. Again, success and trying to break my sugar addiction.

That's it for now. Goal tonight: Gym and kick my own ass!


For South Beach they want you to have Fat Free Half and Half and There are additives that make it fat free. I think it's better to just have less and have organic or even regular half and half and avoid the additives But what the hell do I know.

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

My mortal enemey... the scale!

The scale has not been my friend lately. For various reasons I have been slacking on fitness and eating right. This week is about getting back on track. Not quite Phase 1 of South Beach has started. (not phase 1 because I am eating  yogurt with fruit and some fresh fruit that is still left over). I am monitoring what I eat using SparkPeople. I don't count calories with south beach but it does help me to be more aware of portions etc.  I am looking to see what the carb/protein/fat count is. Fat count is a bit too high but this is a transition week. So far I feel good. Tonight should be interesting as I am going to J's house. Not sure what we will do about dinner but I should be able to find something reasonable. He has actually been really supportive.

Back to my enemy. The scale! I got on there Monday. I  didn't like what I saw. Now I know it's really not a good idea to get on the scale more than once a week but I got on again this morning. Down 2 lbs! Now, I know this is 1) water weight 2) could be due to normal weight fluctuations. (hello post weekend/gorging weight) However it felt good to see a change quickly. It's motivating to keep going and not stray.I think there is a fine line between obsessive about what the scale says and using it for motivation. Up 1 lb shouldn't destroy my week but should be a sign to watch what I eat and try a little hard at the gym. Down 1 lb isn't a sign to binge something because.. "I deserve it" or "I've had a rough day"

Hit the gym last night. I have been struggling with being consistent. That was my new years resolution and here it is the end of March and I am still struggling. I did use SparkPeople to also track my work out. The calorie burn count seems to  high but as long as I get 30 min of cardio that will help. Definitely felt some aches on the treadmill. For some reason the first workout after being absent from gym for while is rough so I take it easy. Tomorrow I will try to push myself a bit harder.

Does anyone know how accurate the calorie burn for treadmills/ellipticals are when you enter your weight/age?

I have a Living Social Coupon for La Boca that is about to expire so J and I will be going this weekend. There is a menu on line so I can plan ahead. I like when that happens and I usually stick to my plan for that meal.

Ok, that's it for now. I need to make sure I post here because, it keeps me honest.

Monday, March 12, 2012

Hoop de Hoop

Went to hoop class yesterday. Worked on some tricks. Struggled on some. Did them as soon as I got home and I got it. Per Jess, I was focusing too hard on it. But I did switch to another trick and worked on that.  I did stay active so I got my cardio work out. She is bringing hoops to Shag Frenzy so I will have to hoop some.

After class I headed to the gym. I really need to run and get ready for 5k. Let me tell you, I am so not ready for this 5k. I was finally able to get on a tread mill and it was rough. Finally when I changed to run for 60 sec and walk for 60 sec it got better and put on my 5k mix, it was better.  After the treadmill I spent some time on weight machines and then did the Adaptive Motion Trainer . Everytime I use the AMT I do intervals. Everyone says intervals are the way to go. I do feel stronger since I started doing that. But maybe it's all in my head :)
I had hoped to be in better shape by now. I will do the 5k on sunday no matter what. I paid my money. J even said he would come and cheer me on. Besotted is an understatement :)

I have been working to break my addiction to Splenda. Have started to use Liquid Stevia in my coffee in the morning. It is a different tastes and for me it's better than the packets of Stevia. With J in the picture I am not eating as healthy as I was and of course I got on the scale the other day and was not happy. In no way is this his fault. It's the new relationship thing. I would rather spend time with him then at gym. We go out to eat. I cook a bigger meal with sides. (usually my sides are steamed veggies, boring but low cal) And yes I am trying to impress with him how I am an amazing cook unless pork chops are involved. (totally over cooked them)

I need to make a point to write  here more. Even though I don't track what I eat, just writing here holds me accountable. Especially when I put into print that either did or did not work out. Sunday, After J leaves, Monday, and Tuesday and Thursday seem to be gym/work out days. The others I spend with J. Feels like a long distance relationship sometimes but It's hard living almost an hour apart and stupid work schedules. (he is out of his house by 6 am lately) so we do what we can to spend time together.

Thursday, March 8, 2012

5k in less than a week

I have been so bad lately.  Starting with falling down the stairs and burising my tailbone.
To make matters worse I signed up for the O'Hartford 5K in just over a week. I went back to the gym Monday. But it was a fairly light work out because my butt was hurting.  I figure I will run as much as I can and walk the rest. Just like I did for the Red Dress Run  in July


The sad thing is I am in better shape now but I just haven't been running as much. Hopeuflly I can at least match my time. I will be doing the Red Dress Run again so I can beat my time.


Other than that life is good. Got a receent promotion. In the training transition. Which is not fun but I know I just have to be patient to start the next training. I think I will enjoy and be challenged by the new position.

On the guy front, things are good. Enjoying my time with J. Not sure if he will see this but I know he found this blog.  

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

I met someone. His name is Josh. He is pretty fantastic. And I'm sure he is reading this post


Hi Josh!!! Xoxoxoxo

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Life, it happens

I am trying to put myself out there more. Experience life! Not stay home. I am volunteering with a group with work providing Credit Report Education. Had a training meeting tonight. I did it last year. Really looking forward to doing it again this year. Now the other thing I am looking into is volunteering with a youth group in my area. I emailed someone the other day and just getting more information and time commitments.

So no gym tonight but for a good cause. Granted I do need to have off nights so my body can recover. Tomorrow is a "blitz" nigh at work. 12 hour day! Oh Joy! Hoping I can get a lot done. Feel like I am falling behind helping other people. I am sure it's in my imagination. But I feel I am not where I should be for my monthly goal. It's very frustrating. Still haven't heard about the new position I applied for. Oh wait, I got an update this morning from the recruiter. No decisions made yet. Still interviewing applicants. Should have something in 2 weeks. Blah blah blah...


Ok.. it's 9:30.. I am  might as well go to bed.... nighty nighty interwebs

Monday, January 16, 2012

Dance like no one is watching

"Dance like no one is watching" Kind of have that stuck in my head. At the gym I am always moving to my music and quite honestly the time goes by faster when I have good music. Have been doing great with the fitness routine the last few days. A bit stiff today but quite honeslty it feels great. Muscles in my abs feel like they have been used. Same for the legs. Going upstairs is a bit slow but again.

Doing pretty well on nutrition as well. Not perfect but doing well. Last nights dinner was red cabbgae w/ black beans. Quinoa that I could with stewed tomatoes and some some chicken kielbasa. Very good. The beans and cabbage thing was actually my favorite. Came out much better than I had anticipated.

When I work on Saturdays or holidays, (like today) I have my ipod blasting and I do what I call chair dancing. Just moving to my own beat at my desk. Quite honestly, don't care wheat my co-workers think. Sure, they may think I am quirky but oh well. It makes my day better

Went to cardio hoop again yesterday. It's why I can feel my abs today. It's getting better. Much easier class to follow than Zumba and totally feel like I am getting a work out. And I LOVE that I am working my core, because let's be honest. My core is where I need to the most work.

I suppose I should get back to work. Fun times

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Who is this again?

It's been awhile. Holidays do that to you. I am working on my new years resolutions
1) being more consistent in my gym routine
2) try new things.

Last week it was a Cardio Hoop Class courtesy Beat City Hoops. It was a lot of fun. Not as hard to follow as Zumba. Zumba is good but it is so hard to follow so 1 class, is hard to keep up and can make you feel out of step. Cardio Hoop did  not make me feel that way.

Work is crazy, a position I wanted opened up in the beginning of December. Still waiting to hear but since then 7 people in that area have left so they will open more positions.   On one hand I want to know NOW on the other hand I don't want to hear until after I get my merit raise.
you can get a merit raise and then promotion raise but if you get a promotion raise right before merit, you don't get merit. I have worked there long enough to now how to work the system. On the plus side, we are getting bonus. Oh, you say big business and bonus is bad. Let me tell you, I am one of the little guys. I am a minion as I affectionately call it. A bonus is a big deal. It might not be a lot of money but I won't say no. I want to put money aside and travel this year.

Hoping I can be more consistent in updating because just writing this I have better habits. Eat better, hit the gym etc. So 3) resolution is actually update my blog. 

That is it for now. we have a big visitor coming into work tomorrow and I need to be super dressed up and presentable. This requires a good nights sleep and time in the morning.