Week 11 - Days 4-7

Exercise:
March 22 - none
March 23 - Pilates
March 24 - treadmill, 2.5 miles, 25 minutes running, 8 minutes walking (warmup/cooldown)
March 25 - BodyPump, BodyFlow

Okay, I've slacked off on posting the last few days and my diet has not been very good at all. But, I do want to keep track of the exercising I've done, so I thought I would at least post that.

Week 11, Day 3 - March 21

Exercise: BodyPump

Diet:
Breakfast: cinnamon life, banana, yogurt
Lunch: turkey/cheese sandwich on whole wheat bread, pineapple
Snack: teddy grahams, string cheese
Dinner: 2 empanadas, black beans, rice
Snack: 2 Hostess 100 calorie cakes

Week 11, Day 2 - March 20

Exercise: Treadmill - 33 minutes, 2.50 miles, 25 minutes (straight!) running, 8 minutes walking

Diet:
Breakfast: cinnamon life cereal, banana, yogurt
Lunch: turkey/cheese/whole wheat bread, pineapple
Snack: teddy grahams, cinnamon life
Dinner: hamburger helper
Snack: grapefruit, popcorn, chocolate

Today was a BIG day for me. I planned on working out, knew I needed to go work out, but was SO close to talking myself out of it. After being on vacation for a week and sick for a week, I haven't gotten back into my workout schedule very well - I missed two days last week that I planned on going to the gym. But I went tonight and had a great workout, possibly my best this year! I ran over two miles in 25 minutes and I'm right back on track in my 5K/10K training. I've got a new schedule that I'm going to follow starting next week to get ready for the Peachtree (10K) on July 4! It's 14 weeks and works up to 6 mile really gradually. It's actually a 6 week 5K program (assuming you can run 2 miles) and an 8 week 10K program.

Week 11, Day 1 - March 19

Exercise: None

Diet:
Breakfast: banana, yogurt
Lunch: sandwich (whole wheat, turkey, cheese), pineapple, teddy grahams
Snack: cinnamon life cereal
Dinner: 1/2 cuban sandwich, black beans, rice
Snack: grapefruit

Tour deCatur 5K - March 17
38:00 minutes

Week 10, Day 5 - March 16

Exercise: None

Diet:
Breakfast: balance bar, banana bread
Lunch: salad (lettuce, chicken, red peppers, cheese, cucumbers, deviled egg, ranch dressing), small fruit salad
Snack: sun chips
Dinner:
Snack:

Week 10, Day 4 - March 15

Exercise: None

Diet:
Breakfast: banana, banana bread
Lunch: subway 6" turkey sub w/lettuce, cheese, honey mustard on wheat, baked lay's
Snack: balance bar, 1/2 nature valley granola bar
Dinner: 1/2 cuban sandwich, black beans, rice
Snack: chocolate, waffle cookie, pita chips

Today was the first time in a while that I missed a workout I planned on. I was going to run after work and got home and just couldn't make myself do it. I have all kinds of excuses, I'm not feeling great (I think it's just allergies), I was sore from BodyPump, I couldn't convince my husband to go with me. None of them were good enough and at the end of it I was really disappointed with myself. I was only planning on a 30 minute workout, in preparation for my 5K that I'm running Saturday. The good thing is that it was a good reminder of how much I truly DO want to work out and how much better I feel when I do.

Week 10, Day 3 - March 14

Exercise: BodyPump, BodyFlow

Diet:
Breakfast: banana bread, banana
Lunch: gyro (with feta cheese, tzatzki sauce), 100 calorie pack of Lorna Doone
Snack: balance bar, pita chips
Dinner: Moe's salad - steak, black beans, lettuce, cheese, salsa, jalapenos, ranch, tortilla chips
Snack: oreo stick, chocolate, 1/2 waffle cookie

Week 10, Day 2 - March 13

Exercise: Treadmill - 20 minutes running, 10 minutes walking, 2.19 miles

Diet:
Breakfast: balance bar, banana
Lunch: Jersey Mike's sub - regular on wheat, turkey, cheese, lettuce, vinegar, Baked Doritos
Snack: pita chips
Dinner: asian flank steak, sweet potatoes, green beans
Snack: grapefruit, meringues

Today's workout was really tough. I knew it might be hard after not really running hard in 11 days. I was hopeful that all the walking and the little bit of running we did on vacation would help. My last treadmill run was 25 minutes straight and tonight I only did 10 minutes straight. I took a 2 minute walk break, ran 5 minutes, one minute walking and ran 5 more minutes. And it was tough. I'm going to have to work back up to the 25 minutes straight (hopefully within the next week) and then I have 3 final weeks in the Couch to 5K program - 3 runs of 25 minutes, 3 28 minutes, and 3 30 mintues.

Week 10, Day 1 - March 12

Exercise: None.

Diet:
Breakfast: balance bar
Lunch: moe's salad - lettuce, black beans, beef, cheese, salsa, jalapenos, cilantro, ranch dressing, chips
Snack: meringues
Dinner: 4 oz. asian flank steak, green beans, sweet potatoe wedges
Snack: 20 grapes, pita chips

Mini-goals: Week 10

1) Exercise - 3 cardio workouts, 2 BodyFlow classes, 2 BodyPump classes

2) Diet - healthy eating, 5 vegetable/fruit servings a day

3) Other -

Recommitment

I'm back from vacation and definitely ready to recommit to a healthy lifestyle. We had a wonderful time in Holland and Germany.

We walked so much, at least 30 miles. I got a Garmin Forerunner 205 right before we left. It's a running watch with GPS and we used it in most of the cities we were in (we had a couple of times that we couldn't find the satellites and once we forgot to recharge!). We also ran twice, once in Amsterdam and once in Enkheizen (a small town in Holland) and we climbed almost 600 steps in the Black Cathedral in Cologne. So, we got some extra cardio in, which was my main goal.

My diet was not so good, it was really hard on a cruise with tons of food all the time! I definitely indulged and ate pretty much whatever, whenever I wanted.

Now I'm back and definitely ready to get back into the gym and back to healthy eating, starting today. I'm going to set some mini-goals for this week and recommit!

Update

I've been slacking off a bit lately on posting on time and on the diet. I didn't even do my mini goals for the week for week 9. I've kept up with exercising and I keep improving in running. I love how strong I feel after a workout, whether it's cardio, strength, or BodyFlow.

I will be on vacation for the next 9 days. We're going on a cruise on the Rhine river, starting in Amsterday and ending in Frankfurt, stopping in several German towns along the way. While I hope to keep in mind the more healthful way I've been living for the last two months, I'm not going to be tracking my diet. My goals for my vacation will be to do cardio 3 times (there's a small gym onboard and I'm really hoping we'll get a chance to do some running outside in Germany). I know we'll be walking a lot, but I'd like to run some too. I also want to stay in control of my diet. I won't be counting calories and I plan to indulge some, but I don't want to eat everything in sight and spend the week feeling so full. I just want to be mindful of what I'm eating.

I'll be back online March 12, which happens to be a Monday, so I'll be starting week 10 of my blogging then.

Week 9, Day 5 - March 2

Workout: Treadmill - 30 minutes, 25 minutes running (straight!), 5 minutes walking, 2.25 miles

Diet:
Breakfast: banana bread

Week 9, Day 4 - March 1 (Month 3!)

Workout: None

Diet:
Breakfast: banana bread, banana
Lunch: 2 wedges laughing cow cheese, wheat thins, 100 calorie popcorn, balance bar
Snack: 2 wholesome junk food bites
Dinner: chick-fil-a : chicken sandwich, fries
Snack: sorbet, oreo sticks

Week 9, Day 3 - February 28

Workout: Treadmill - 30 minutes, 20 running, 10 walking, 2.2 miles

Diet:
Breakfast: banana bread, banana
Lunch: fajitas
Snack: balance bar
Dinner: 1/2 cuban sandwich, black beans, rice
Snack: 1/2 grapefruit, oreo sticks, sorbet

Week 9, Day 2 - February 27

Workout: Treadmill - 30 minutes, 18 running, 12 walking, 2.20 miles

Diet:
Breakfast: banana bread, banana
Lunch: 2 laughing cow cheese wedges with reduced fat wheat thins, balance bar, 1/2 peach
Dinner: chicken enchilada w/green chili sauce, fish taco
Snacks: praline, meringues, peanut butter, chocolate milk

Week 9, Day 1 - February 26

Workout: None

Diet:
Breakfast: banana bread
Lunch: reduced fat wheat thins, 2 laughing cow cheese wedges, balance bar
Dinner: 2 tacos at Moe's on flour tortillas - one with black beans, steak, cheese, lettuce, salsa and one with black beans, cheese, salsa, sour cream and guacamole and chips
Snack: praline, meringues

Better on the diet, but still not great. The evening has become a problem area for me again. I did great one week, not eating after 8, but since then I just haven't stuck with it. I seem to get a couple hundred extra calories at that time of the day, so if I can just avoid eating then I think it would really help me.

Week 8, Day 7 - February 25

Workout: BodyPump, BodyFlow

Diet:
Breakfast: instant oatmeal
Lunch: hummus, pita chips, oreo stick
Snack: banana bread, cheese and crackers
Dinner: cheeseburger, homemade fries, baked beans
Snack: carrot cake

This weekend was really a disappointment for me. I did great working out, but completely blew the diet. I'm going on vacation March 3rd, so I have 5 days before then to stick to my diet and get back on track. I'm not going to be tracking food while I'm on vacation, so I want to do my best before then.

Week 8, Day 6 - February 24

Workout: Treadmill - 30 minutes, 20 running!, 10 walking, 2.21 miles

Diet:
Breakfast: banana, balance bar
Lunch: regular Jersey Mike's turkey on wheat, with lettuce, cheese, spices, oil/vingear
Dinner: cheese enchilada w/chili, chicken taco
Snack: sorbet, oreo stick, ritz 100 calorie snack

I ran for 20 minutes today without stopping! It was amazing. I just kept going and before I knew I had done it! I am so proud of myself and I can't wait to do it again!

Week 8, Day 5 - February 23

Workout: None

Diet:
Breakfast: balance bar, banana
Lunch: 1/2 campbell's creamy tomato soup, 3/4 plain bagel w/reduced fat garden veggie cream cheese
Snack: chocolate cake
Dinner: fish taco, chicken taco, bbq taco
Snack: 3 bitesize kit-kat, blueberry and peach sorbet

This was my first really not good day of eating. I was in a really blah mood and didn't really think my choices through. Tomorrow's another day and I definitely want to get back on track!

Week 8, Day 4 - February 22

Workout: Treadmill - 30 minutes, 16 minutes running, 14 minutes walking, 2.13 miles

Diet:
Breakfast: balance bar
Lunch: Campbells Soup - creamy tomato, banana, balance bar
Dinner: 1/2 cuban sandwich, black beans, rice
Snack: 100 calorie lorna doones, individual bag of popcorn

Great workout! 2 - 8 minutes runs, my longest yet! I am feeling so strong and I can definitely see changes in my body. I haven't lost as much weight as I would like, but I feel really great.

Week 8, Day 3 - February 21

Workout: Rest day!

Diet:
Breakfast:
Lunch:
Dinner:

Week 8, Day 2 - February 20

Workout: Treadmill -30 minutes, 15 walking, 15 running, 2.13 miles

Diet:
Breakfast: coffee w/FF, SF creamer and balance bar
Lunch: Jersey Mike's sub - Regular turkey (w/lettuce, cheese, vinegar, spices) on wheat, banana
Dinner: 1/2 cuban sandwich, black beans, rice
Snack: grapefruit

I'm using the "Couch to 5K" program on coolrunnings.com to work up to running my 5K. I'm about halfway through, on week 5 out of 9 weeks. I'm feeling really good about my progress. I'm running 5 minutes a time, with a recovery of 3 minutes in between. By the end of this week, I'm supposed to be running 20 minutes at one time. I can't wait!

Week 8, Day 1 - February 19

Workout: BodyPump, BodyFlow

Diet:
Breakfast: balance bar, 2 clementines
Lunch: meatloaf, 1/2 servicing zucchini-rice casserole, grapes
Snack: balance bar
Dinner: 2 Moe's tacos on flour tortilla - 1 steak/beans/cheese/salsa/lettuce and 1 beans/cheese/salsa/sour cream/guacamole/lettuce
Snack: pear

I'm really enjoying BodyPump and I can already feel myself getting stronger. It's definitely tough, but I love the feeling I get from the class. I did two classes last night, so I didn't eat dinner until after 9. I just can't eat before I go work out. I had a balance bar, but that's the most I can eat.

Week 8 Mini-goals

1) Workout: 3 runs (1 at least 3 miles), 2 BodyFlows, 1 BodyPump.

2) Diet: NO eating after 8 pm (except Monday and Wednesday due to schedule).

3) Other: Clean out closet - get rid of clothes I no longer wear!

These are the exact same as last week. I didn't complete any of them last week, so I'm going to try again. Not try, I'm going to complete them this week!

Week 7 Recap

Weigh-in: 162.2 (down from 162.8 a week ago)

This is a NON official weigh-in, as we're having problems with our scale. The last time I weighed was Friday morning, at 162.2. The batteries were dead and I replaced them last night, but it's telling me I weigh 8.8 pounds. I'm actually expecting my weight to be higher than what I posted here, since I did not have a very healthy weekend (diet wise). Tomorrow morning I'll use my original scale, that should at least give me an idea. It was weighing 1.6 pounds less than the new one, so at least I'll have some measurement.

Mini-goals:
1) Workout: 3 runs (1 at least 3 miles), 2 BodyFlows, 1 BodyPump - Completed 2 runs (1 3 miles), 2 BodyFlows, 1 BodyPump. Close, but not complete.
2) Diet: NO eating after 8 pm - Did not stick to this one. I actually made a conscious decision at the beginning of the week. I actually felt better when I was sticking to it, so I think I'll make it a goal again this week and stick to it. Although I know I won't be able to Monday and Wednesday because of my schedule. But, I'll do my best.
3) Other: Clean out closet - get rid of clothes I no longer wear!- Nope. Ran out of time this weekend with the kids and everything else going on. I decided a nap yesterday afternoon was more important, so I put this one off again.

Two weeks with not good results on the mini-goals. I need to recommit to meeting these, I really think it makes a difference.

Week 7, Day 7 - February 18

Workout: Treadmill - 41 minutes, 24 minutes running, 17 minutes walking, 3.0 miles

Diet:
Breakfast: grapefruit
Lunch: 1/2 turkey/cheese sandwich, 1/2 salami/cheese sandwich, chips, cookie
Dinner: Moe's salad - lettuce, black beans, steak, cheese, jalapenos, dressing
Snack: pear, praline

I had a great workout! It felt so good to go for 3 miles and I was able to run for a big portion of it! I didn't have a very good weekend, diet wise, but I'll be back on track tomorrow.

Week 7, Day 6 - February 17

Workout: BodyFlow

Diet:
Breakfast: 1/2 banana, whipped cream, 2 pancakes w/butter and syrup
Lunch: pita chips
Dinner: Turkey sandwich, french fries
Snack: popcorn, cotton candy

We're taking the kids to the circus tonight, lots of opportunities to make unhealthy choices! I'm planning on being smart about it, I'm not going to blow it on one night out!

Week 7, Day 5 - February 16

Workout: None

Diet:
Breakfast: Lemon Zuchinni Bread, banana
Lunch: meatloaf, zuchinni-rice casserole, grapes
Snack: pita chips
Dinner: 1/2 12" shrimp and cheese pizza (very thin crust)
Snack: 1/2 whole foods vanilla cupcake with icing

We have been really struggling to make our morning workouts. I knew we couldn't work out tonight because we're babysitting all weekend, but we just couldn't get up. I also made some not very good choices at dinner, but the rest of the day was good and I plan on waking up before the kids tomorrow morning and going to my BodyFlow class.

Week 7, Day 4

Workout: Treadmill - 30 minutes - 14 minutes walking, 16 minutes running, 2.20 miles

Diet:
Breakfast: Zuchinni Lemon bread, banana
Lunch: Bangladeshi - garbanzo bean salad, hilam soup, chicken, rice, veggies, rice pudding, dough balls with syrup
Snack: grapes
Dinner: Lean Cusine pizza,, pita chips
Snack: pear

This is the first really good run I've had in a while and I felt great! I pushed myself and when I thought I wouldn't make it, I kept going. I'm excited to get back into a running routine. I'm hoping to run again tomorrow morning and Sunday and do BodyFlow Saturday.

Week 7, Day 3

Workout: BodyPump, BodyFlow

Diet:
Breakfast: Zuchinni Lemon Bread
Lunch: Moe's Steak Salad, 1/2 Hershey Nugget w/almonds (shared with husband!)
Snack: banana
Snack: balance bar
Dinner: hummus, pita chips, turkey, peanut butter, cherries
Snack: popcorn, pear

I had a great Valentine's Day, I had lunch with my husband and had a great workout tonight. Unfortunately my favorite gym instructor quit tonight. She was really motivating and I'm disappointed that she's leaving.

Week 7, Day 2

Workout: None

Diet:
Breakfast: lemon zuchinni bread (cooking light), banana
Lunch: red beans and rice with turkey sausage, Light 'n Fit yogurt (45 calories), grapes
Snack: whole grain granola bar
Dinner: meatloaf and zuchinni/rice casserole (both from cooking light), grapefruit
Snack: pear

Week 7, Day 1

Workout: None

Diet:
Breakfast: zuchinni lemon bread (cooking light!), yogurt
Lunch: chicken and rice, grapes
Snack: 2 bite size Bit O Honeys
Dinner: red beans and rice with turkey sausage
Snack: cheese, pears

My husband gave me the best Valentine's Day gift (a few days early) - a 12 month subscription to the Harry and David fruit of the month club! I got Pears today and they are SO good - definitely the best I've ever had! That was such a great gift, one I've wanted to do for myself but never have. He said he was so proud of how well I've done on my diet and knew I would enjoy it all year!

Week 7 Mini-goals:

1) Workout: 3 runs (1 at least 3 miles), 2 BodyFlows, 1 BodyPump.

2) Diet: NO eating after 8 pm.

3) Other: Clean out closet - get rid of clothes I no longer wear!

Week 6 Recap

Weigh-in: 162.8 (down from 165.8 a week ago and 164.0 two weeks ago)
I was really happy with this weigh-in. It's actually at the high end of what I've been seeing since my last weigh-in, but it's still a good drop from last week! I recovered really well from our Super Bowl party and had a really good week of eating. I had a lot Saturday at dinner, but did well the rest of the time. That's what I'm really trying to learn - to be able to splurge every now and then but just get back to healthy eating afterwards. That's usually my most difficult thing, once I go 'off', I never seem to be able to get back on track. So far I've been really successful this time around though!

Mini-goals:
1) Workout: 1 run of at least 3 miles, 2 other runs. - I had a tough time with this one. My calves were so sore the first few days of the week (from Step class last Saturday) I really couldn't do it. I got a 20 minute walk in Wednesday and again on Saturday, for a total of 2.5 miles. This was by far my lowest week so far, but I will pick it up next week!
2) Workout: Try BodyPump class. – Done! And I loved it and will definitely be back.
3) Diet: No eating after 8 PM. - Done! I'm really happy with this one and I really didn't miss it!
4) Diet: Pick out daily multi-vitamin and take it. – Done! I bought multi-vitamins yesterday and started taking them today.

A great week! I missed my long run, but otherwise I was right on track. My weight showed it too!

Week 6, Day 7 - February 11

Workout: BodyPump, BodyFlow

Diet:
Breakfast: balance bar
Lunch: edamame, 2 pieces sushi
Dinner: leftover Bangladeshi - chicken, lamb, rice, yogurt condiment and cherries
Snack: grapefruit

I tried BodyPump for the first time and it was great! I've been wanting to try this class since I lived in Greenville (they had classes at the gym I went to there), but I was always kind of intimidated. I made it through the class well (using very light weights) and even felt good enough to do BodyFlow afterwards.

I also made lemon-zuchinni bread (from cooking light) and it is really good! Our favorite breakfast is banana bread and this is a great alternative, especially for those times that we don't have over-ripe bananas!

Week 6, Day 6 - February 10

Workout: BodyFlow, Treadmill - 20 minutes walking, 1.25 miles

Diet:
Breakfast: banana bread
Lunch: chicken w/rice, 1 wholesome junk food bite
Snack: 4 cherries, 1/2 bag individual serving popcorn, smoked turkey
Dinner: salad, cream of brocolli soup, prime rib w/mushrooms, potatoes, green beans, strawberry cobbler

We went to a dinner at my parent's church and the food was so good! It was really nice and we had a great time visiting with them.

Week 6, Day 5 - February 9

Workout: None

Diet:
Breakfast: banana bread, light yogurt
Lunch: balance bar, strawberries, banana
Snack: larabar (apple pie!)
Dinner: Campbell's supper bake - chicken w/wild rice
Snack: grapefruit

I had a great massage after work, a deep tissue that really worked some knots and tension I've had in my neck and back. She also worked on my calves, which are still sore! They are feeling better now. I'm planning on doing BodyFlow in the morning and then probably the treadmill.

Week 6, Day 4 - February 8

Workout: None

Diet:
Breakfast: banana bread, banana
Lunch: balance bar, light yogurt, orange
Snack: luna bar
Dinner: Bangladeshi! - Halim, Mixed Tandoori (chicken, lamb, shrimp, beef), rice, riata (yogurt condiment), yogurt/honey/custard dessert

Last night was a major TV night - Survivor, the Office, Grey's Anatomy and still no snacking! I completely would have normally, but I really wanted to stick to the no eating after 8 goal. It's going to be tough to make my workout goals this week, but I'm going to do what I can. I'm planning on taking a couple of classes this weekend, so we'll see.

Week 6, Day 3 - February 7

Workout: Treadmill - 20 minutes walking, 1.25 miles, BodyFlow

Diet:
Breakfast: banana bread, coffee w/SF, FF vanilla creamer, banana
Lunch: Balance bar, light yogurt, orange
Snack: Luna bar
Dinner: leftover Peruvian - chicken, rice, tomatoes, onions, fries and field peas
Snack: cherries

It was so nice to get in a workout again! I've really missed it the last few days. I'm still sore, but I think working out, especially BodyFlow helped. And I had a really good BodyFlow class. We've been doing a new workout and it all seemed to click last night, I felt really strong and steady.

Since I worked out from 7-8:30, I didn't eat after 7! It was tempting to push back my time limit since I was working out, but I really didn't need anything when I got home. There's definitely been a change in the scale this week, each morning I've seen a decline! Monday's the offical weigh-in though, so I'm not going to post until then. It's nice to see the scale moving (down!) again.

Week 6, Day 2 - February 6

Workout: None - still really sore. I'm doing BodyFlow for sure tomorrow night and I plan on walking 30 minutes before the class.

Diet:
Breakfast: banana bread, coffee w/SF, FF vanilla creamer
Lunch: bread w/small amount of butter, salad - lettuce, chicken, corn, tomatoes, apples, basalmic vinegarette on the side
Dinner: bread w/small amount of butter, chicken w/onions, tomatoes, rice, french fries (Peruvian dish)

I managed to have a great lunch even though I ate at the Cheesecake Factory! I resisted the temptation to get a dessert. My salad was really good, it didn't even have cheese on it, although I think it was supposed to. I'm glad they left it off though!

We tried a new restaurant tonight, a Peruvian one. It was really good, simple flavors and fairly healthy (except for the french fries). I didn't eat after 8 again, I think that was a good goal to have. I'm tempted to have something after the cutoff, but not because I'm hungry, it's definitely just a habit!

Week 6, Day 1 - February 6

Workout: Rest day, still have really sore calves from step! I’m going tomorrow though, no matter what.

Diet:
Breakfast: Banana bread
Lunch: balance bar, banana, light yogurt
Snack: grapefruit
Dinner: grilled chicken w/mango-black bean salsa, green beans, corn
Snack: cherries

I didn't eat after 8! It was kind of tough, but once I made up my mind, it just wasn't an option. It was hard just because it's a habit, not so much because I was hungry. A great day though, good recovery from the Super Bowl!

Week 6 Mini-goals:

1) Workout: 1 run of at least 3 miles, 2 other runs
2) Workout: Try BodyPump class
3) Diet: NO eating after 8 pm
4) Diet: Get multi-vitamin and take daily

Week 5 Recap:

Weigh-in: 165.8 (up from 164.0)
NOT a good weigh-in. I feel like I did okay last week, but I really blew it yesterday. We had a Super Bowl party and I did not stick to ‘healthy’ eating at all. I also have had a problem with snacking at night and even though I’m sticking to healthy snacks, it still adds calories. I’m back on track today though and I know next week will be a good weigh-in. I’m going to institute a new mini-goal that should help with the night time snacking.

Mini-goals:
1) Workout: 1 run of at least 3 miles, 2 other runs. - I did 2 BodyFlow classes and tried BodyStep for the first time. I only had 2 runs though and the one I missed the scheduled ‘long’ run. I did BodyStep Saturday and woke up Sunday with really sore calves. Seriously sore. I used to do step a lot, but it’s been a few years and my legs were obviously not prepared. I’m glad that I obviously got a good workout Saturday, but there was no way I could run Sunday, I don’t think I could even have walked for 3 miles. 2) Workout: Try new class (either BodyStep or BodyPump). – Done! I did BodyStep Saturday.3) Diet: Get 2 servings of vegetables a day. – Almost - I did much better eating vegetables and I only missed the 2 a day once, on Friday. 4) Diet: Pick out daily multi-vitamin and take it. – Missed – I haven’t gotten vitamins yet.5) Other: Clean out closet (get rid of clothes I don't wear anymore and take inventory of what I hope to be able to wear in the next few months!). - Missed
I did not clean out my closet. We ended up being really busy this weekend, especially with an unexpected Super Bowl party that we hosted.

A bad week for mini-goals, a first so far. I only completed 1 of them. I plan to get back on track next week, that’s what it’s all about.

Week 5, Day 7 - February 4

Workout: None. Planned a 3 mile run, but calves were so sore from step class that there was no way I could do it.

Diet:
Breakfast: none
Lunch: peanut butter sandwich, cupcake with icing
Rest of the day: Super Bowl snacking – crostini with goat cheese, chips and salsa, chicken/bacon bites, mushrooms, spinach dip with bread and Super Bowl meal – venison, duck w/bacon, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, roasted squash (my healthy side!), field peas and Super Bowl dessert – cupcake

Obviously my snacking and meal were small portions but wow did that add up. I didn’t have a good plan for the day and that showed in what I ate. But, it was only one day, so I’m moving on.

Week 5, Day 6 -February 3

Workout: BodyFlow and BodyStep classes

Diet:
Breakfast: mango-strawberry smoothie, banana bread
Lunch: chips and salsa, chicken burrito, refried beans
Dinner: Moe’s salad – lettuce, black beans, steak, salsa, cheese, jalapenos, ranch dressing (small amount)
Snack: cherries, 1 wholesome junk food bite

Week 5, Day 5 - February 2

Workout: Rest day.

Diet:
Breakfast: banana bread, light yogurt
Lunch: spicy cilantro chicken sausage, terra chips, 2 organic snickerdoodles
Dinner: black beans, rice, 1/2 cuban sandwich
Snack: popcorn

Week 5, Day 4 - February 1!

Workout: Probably a rest day, we'll see... Nope! Made it to the gym - Treadmill - Walking 17 minutes, running 13 minutes, 2.14 miles. Better than Tuesday, but not as great as last week. I'm taking off from running until Sunday and I plan to have a great run then.

Diet:
Breakfast: banana bread, yogurt
Lunch: spicy cilantro chicken sausage, pita chips
Snack: Clif Z Bar, 2 werthers sugar free candies
Dinner: Moe's salad - w/steak, black beans, cheese, lettuce, salsa, jalapenos
Snack: cherries, milk, pita chips

January flew by! We've been eating well and working out for a month and I feel so great about it. I look forward to going to the gym and my clothes are fitting better. And I have more energy and feel so good. I'm ready for another month of this!

Week 5, Day 3 - January 31

Workout: BodyFlow

Diet:
Breakfast: banana bread
Lunch: Subway sandwich (club), banana
Snack: pita chips
Dinner: leftover chicken tikka/rice, steak, sweet potato fries, cherries
Snack: 2 wholesome junk food bites, milk

Veggies - lettuce on sandwich, sweet potatoes

I think I'm getting too many calories at night. I had small servings of everything at dinner, but I probably could have done without my nightime snack, or just had the milk. I think I need to work on that!

Week 5, Day 2 - January 30

Workout: Treadmill - 24 minutes walking, 6 minutes running, 2.0 miles

Diet:
Breakfast: banana bread, yogurt
Lunch: chicken sausage (spicy cilantro), terra chips, banana
Snack: 2 sugar free werthers, 1 sugar free jolly rancher
Dinner: Hilam (vegetable/lentil soup), chicken tikka, rice, riata (yogurt sauce), cheese naan
Snack: cherries

veggies - hilam soup, veggies with bangledash dish

Tonight was a tough workout for me. My knees hurt after running for just a little bit (I think it's from Spin class). I didn't want to push too hard and end up not being able to run later in the week, so I only ran 6 minutes. I still did 2 miles in 30 minutes, but it just didn't feel as good as normal. My plan is to do BodyFlow tomorrow night, take Thursday off and get back on the treadmill on Friday.

We had Bangledesi food for dinner tonight - a first! We saw a local restaurant (literally right across from our gym) on Food Network and decided to try it. It was SO good. It had great flavor. It was really different, but I'm so glad we tried it, we'll definitely be back!

Week 5, Day 1 - January 29

Workout: Rest day!

Diet:
Breakfast: balance bar, light yogurt
Lunch: chicken sausage (w/fontina/garlic), terra chips, banana
Snack: 2 wholesome junk food bites
Dinner: spinach salad (w/goat cheese, blueberries, almond slivers), sweet potato gnochhi, tomato sauce, grapefruit
Snack: popcorn

veggies - spinach, sweet potato, tomato sauce

Short/Long Term Rewards!

I've decided in order to stay motivated it will be helpful to have some shorter term rewards in addition to our long term reward of a cruise. Also, because our long term reward has changed slightly, we'll be planning and paying it for it in advance, so it's not necessarily tied to completing our goals (we're going regardless). However, it's still important that we meet our goals and I think the cruise will keep us motivated.

Here are my rewards for meeting interim goals:
165 - new workout clothes - DONE! (new yoga pants and long sleeve running shirt)
160 - Watch for running!
155 - Spa treatment!
150 - Designer jeans!
145 - Weekend away with husband!

Week 5 Mini-goals:

1) Workout: 1 run of at least 3 miles, 2 other runs.
2) Workout: Try new class (either BodyStep or BodyPump).
3) Diet: Get 2 servings of vegetables a day.
4) Diet: Pick out daily multi-vitamin and take it.
5) Other: Clean out closet (get rid of clothes I don't wear anymore and take inventory of what I hope to be able to wear in the next few months!).

I've decided that general working out and diet are no longer going to be mini-goals, they will just be a given. Each week I will strive to workout at least 5 times and eat healthy and drink lots of water each day. I am going to pick at least one specific mini-goals for each though, as well as one 'other' goal. I'll see how this goes for a week or two and then re-evaluate.

I'm so happy that I've stuck to this for 4 weeks and only missed one mini-goal (the first Spin class one). It definitely helps to look out over the week and think about what I can accomplish in 7 days instead of only focusing on my long-term goals.

Week 4 Recap:

Weigh-in: 164.0 (down from 165.2)
A good loss, I'm still not down to the 163 mark I saw several times 2 weeks ago, but I guess that was just a fluctuation. I've lost 7.6 pounds in 4 weeks, so I'm really excited about my progress. More importantly, I'm feeling really good and I feel like it's something I can maintain, I'm really not feeling deprived. My husband has went from 209.6 to 197.0 and I'm so proud of him! So, together we've lost 20 pounds in less than a month!

Mini-goals:
1) Workout 6 times - Done! - 3 runs (total 6.5 miles), 2 bodyflows, 1 spin.
2) Go to Spin class - Done! - I even made it through the whole class!
3) Maintain healthy diet (including water) - Done! - Overall good. I noticed in looking back that I was lacking in the vegetable area. We made a couple of meals that didn't really have vegetables in them, the side was rice, and I had those leftovers most of the week. I've been drinking hardly any soda (down to maybe 2 or 3 a week) and I don't really miss it.
4) Decide on ‘rewards’ for meeting interim weight goals - Done! - I'll put these in another post, but it will keep me looking forward to getting rid of the next 5 pounds!

Seriously the mini-goals are really important to keeping me on track. Thinking about them motivates me to keep moving and make it to my workouts!

Week 4, Day 7 - January 28

Workout: Spin class!

Diet:
Breakfast: 1 1/2 c. maple pecan cereal, 1/2 c. 1% milk
Lunch: 2 Tbsps natural peanut butter, apple
Snack: cherries
Dinner: spinach salad (spinach, goat cheese, almond slivers, dried blueberries, balsamic vinegar), kabobs (chicken, steak, peppers, onions), baked sweet potato fries
Snack: popcorn (individual bag), milk, snickerdoodle (1)

My diet was really odd today, I didn't eat much early in the day, but I definitely made up for it tonight. I know it's not the best way to eat.

On a good note, I made it to Spin class! It was fun, I'm glad I went, but I'm not sure if I'll go regularly. I'll definitely try it again though.

Week 4, Day 6 - January 27

Workout: BodyFlow

Diet:
Breakfast: chick-fil-a chicken breakfast burrito
Lunch: chicken fontina/garlic sausage, terra chips
Snack: grapefruit
Dinner: beef-rice taco bake, cherries
Snack: popcorn

I splurged a bit on breakfast this morning, going to Chick-Fil-A. It was really good and calorie wise, not too bad (410), but not a lot of nutrition. It was a nice treat though.

Week 4, Day 5 - January 26

Workout: Treadmill - 14 minutes walking, 16 minutes running, 2.20 miles

Diet:
Breakfast: balance bar, yogurt
Lunch: beef-rice taco bake, strawberries
Snack: 2 wholesome junk food bites
Dinner: gorgonzola ravioli (trader joe's) w/fire-roasted marinara sauce, fruit
Snack: popcorn

I have a weekend coming up with no plans! I love weekends like that, especially since we've been really busy since before the holidays.

We had a great dinner and it was surprisingly low in calories for cheese and pasta!

Week 4, Day 4 - January 25

Workout: Treadmill - 14 minutes walking, 16 minutes running, 2.18 miles

Diet:
Breakfast: Balance bar, light yogurt, coffee w/SF, FF vanilla creamer
Lunch: beef-rice taco bake, strawberries
Snack: banana, tea w/creamer
Dinner: chips w/salsa, Mexican chicken soup
Snack: 2 snickerdoodle cookies (organic, gluten free), milk

I had a great workout again. This was my first workout running more than walking! I am definitely improving.

Week 4, Day 3 - January 24

Workout: BodyFlow class

Diet:
Breakfast: banana bread (large slice)
Lunch: chicken fajita taco salad (no shell)
Snack: banana
Dinner: beef-rice taco bake (cooking light), cherries
Snack: popcorn

I LOVE BodyFlow! I really look forward to the classes. There's a great instructor at my gym and I feel so good afterwards. I am so happy that I'm back into working out.

Week 4, Day 2 - January 23

Workout: Treadmill - 15 minutes walking, 15 minutes running, 2.16 miles

Diet:
Breakfast: 2 small pancakes, syrup, pinaeapple, canteloupe
Snack: granola bar
Lunch: beef-rice taco bake (cooking light)
Snack: banana
Dinner: chicken szechwan (1 c. rice, 1 c. stirfry), grapefruit
Snack: SmartPop (individual bag)

I had a breakfast meeting at work and decided to eat there and just pick out what I thought were the best options. I had fruit and 2 small pancakes with just a little bit of syrup. I passed up the bacon, sausage, hash browns, pastery, etc., so I was proud of myself. There's almost always some healthy option, it's just making the right choice and of course watching the portion.

Week 4, Day 1 - January 22

Workout: Rest day!

Diet:
Breakfast: banana bread, coffee w/SF,FF vanilla creamer
Lunch: Chicken Szechuan (cooking light) - 1 c. rice, 1 c. stirfry
Snack: banana
Dinner: Beef-Rice Taco Bake (cooking light), cherries
Snack: SmartPop (individual bag)

Week 4 Mini-Goals

1) Workout 6 times (3 runs, 2 BodyFlow, 1 Spin).
2) Go to Spin class (missed this last week – no excuses this week!).
3) Maintain healthy diet (including water).
4) Decide on ‘rewards’ for meeting interim weight goals.

I really enjoy the mini-goals – they’re very motivating. It also gives me something to focus on instead of just the number on the scale. I’m increasing my number of workouts – I really want to keep 3 runs going and I enjoy BodyFlow so much, I’ve decided to do that twice a week. And, since I really want to try Spin, I’ve added that on too. I think its’ okay, because they’re all different types of workouts, so I don’t think it will be too much for me. At some points I want to add strength training in too, but I’m going to wait a few weeks for that.

I need to decide on some small rewards for meeting weight goals (probably in increments of 5 pounds). Our overall motivation is the cruise (and really just feeling and looking good), but I think rewards along the way will help keep me motivated. I’ve thought about it and haven’t come up with anything good, so that’s why I’ve added that to my mini-goals for this week. That’s a fun mini-goal to have!

Week 3 Recap:

Weigh-in: 165.2 (down from 165.6)
I’m a little disappointed in having such a slight decrease, but I think it’s just one of those days. Over the last week, I’ve weighed as little as 162.6 and had several days around 163. So, I think it’s just a natural fluctuation and I think I’ll have a bigger decline next week. It was a good diet and workout week and I’m feeling great, so I’m just going to focus on that!

Mini-Goals:
I ran 4 days (one day was only 1 mile though) for a total of 7.0 miles. I also got in 2 Bodyflow workouts. I had to double up BodyFlow and running to get all my workouts in, but it was good to workout for a longer amount of time and the workouts are so different I didn’t really have any problems with that. I missed spinning class due to scheduling changes, but I will add this to Week 4’s mini-goals and I will definitely meet this next week, no excuses! I ate well, definitely went over calories Saturday, but overall made good choices. I’ve been doing well with water, I only had 3 sodas last week! I also cleaned out the pantry yesterday. We didn’t really have a lot of junk food to get rid of, but it was good to get it cleaned out and now I know what’s in there!

Week 3, Day 7 - January 21

Workout: Bodyflow class, Treadmill - 15 minutes running, 11.5 walking, 2.0 miles

Diet:
Breakfast: Banana bread
Lunch: regular turkey sandwich (Jersey Mikes), orange
Dinner: Chicken Szechuan (cooking light) - 1 c. rice, 3/4 c. stirfry, cherries
Snack: 2 Wholesome Junk Food bites

I had the best treadmill workout so far this year! I had a class at 11:30 and I planned on doing 30 minutes/2 miles on the treadmill beforehand. I got to the gym a few minutes late, so I really pushed myself on the treadmill to get 2 miles done. It was great. I'm loving Bodyflow too! It's a mixture of Pilates, Yoga, and Tai Chi. I'm going to try to go twice a week.

Week 3, Day 6 - January 20

Workout: Bodyflow, Treadmill - 10 minutes walking, 5 running, 1.0 mile

Diet:
Breakfast: Banana bread, cherries
Snack: Pound cake batter
Lunch: half a turkey wrap from Whole Foods, chips, cheese samples at whole foods
Snack: 20 jelly beans
Dinner: Armenian food - monti, kufta, dolma, itch, yogurt
Snack: Armenian dessert - Kadafyi (shredded phyllo dough, butter, cheese, simple syrup), really thin piece of pound cake

We celebrated my father-in-laws birthday this weekend and made a meal with lots of Armenian dishes for him, it's been a tradition for several years. The food was all really good and relatively healthy. I had just a little bit of each dish and didn't go back for seconds, so I was happy with that. I did try the desserts we made, the Armenian one was a new recipe we tried and it was really good! I'm sure I was over my calories for the day, but not too bad.

Week 3, Day 5 - January 19

Workout: Rest day.

Diet:
Breakfast: Banana bread, yogurt, coffee w/vanilla creamer
Lunch: maple pork tenderloin, sweet potato wedges
Snack: 3 wholesome junk food bites
Dinner: Spaghetti Pomodoro
Snack: mini peppermint patty

I missed another workout this morning. My husband was sore from yesterday's run and didn't want to go, so I completely just slept in. I've got 3 workouts to get in this weekend (at least 1 running) and 2 others. I can't go tonight, because we have plans, but there are bodyflow classes at the gym tomorrow and Sunday, so I'm planning on those and then I'll run one day too. I think I'm going to miss out on my Spinning mini-goal this week. The only classes during the week that we can make are Mon-Wed and there is a class on the weekend, but the instructors are training this weekend, so most of the classes are cancelled. I'm disappointed to miss a goal, but this was a due to poor planning, not just because I didn't do it. Next week I'll make it for sure!

We went out to dinner with family tonight before going to see a show at the Fox. We went to a great Italian restaurant, Osteria 582 in the Highlands. They have a great pasta with Gorgonzola cream sauce, but I looked online before I went and picked what I thought was the best choice, Pomodoro sauce. It had fresh tomatoes, onions, basil. I think it was a good choice.

Week 3, Day 4 - January 18

Workout: Treadmill - 19 minutes walking, 11 minutes running, 2.0 miles (same mileage, slightly shorter time!)

Diet:
Breakfast: Balance bar, yogurt
Lunch: lemon shrimp, roasted squash, orange
Snack: 12 almonds
Dinner: maple pork tenderloin, sweet potato wedges with brown sugar glaze (both from cooking light), artichoke hearts, cherries
Snack: 2 'wholesome junk food bites'

We had to force ourselves to get up today, but finally got out of bed and got our workout in this morning. I'm seeing improvement in my running, but my husband is blowing me away. He's up to running 10 minutes at one time, 15 overall. I have to remind myself it's not a competition (because I'm super competitive and I hate to lose!). My plan is to be able to run two miles straight by the end of February and I'm on schedule for that. My only competition is myself.

I did well eating. I was really craving popcorn while I was watching TV, but I decided to wait (since I had already had a snack and wasn't really hungry) and then I forgot about it!

Week 3, Day 3 - January 17

Workout: Rest day.

Diet:
Breakfast: balance bar, yogurt
Lunch: chile rellanos casserole, 2 wholesome junk food bites
Snack: banana, granola bar
Dinner: tilapia (from Dinner A'Fare), roasted potatoes, grilled asparagus, Caesar salad
Snack: grapefruit

Today was an unintentional rest day. We were going to wake up and go work out, but didn't make it. Normally that would mean we would work out in the evening, but we had plans to babysit my niece and nephew, so that was out. I did however do a little bit of dancing around to Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (for some reason that seemed to amuse the kids). We had a great time, those kids just make my day every time I see them.

I did pretty well at dinner, my sister-in-law made dinner for us (the tilapia was from dinner a'fare) and it was overall really healthy. The caesar salad was premade though, so I had more dressing than I would have liked, but all in all a good day.

Week 3, Day 2 - January 16

Workout: Rest day!

Diet:
Breakfast: banana bread, yogurt
Lunch: chille rellanos casserole, orange
Snack: banana
Dinner: green beans, roasted squash, lemon shrimp, grapefruit
Snack: cherries, individual bag of popcorn, 1 "wholesome junk food" bite

So I went a little overboard with the snacking. I'm going to blame that on American Idol, since I sat in front of the tv for 2 hours watching the premiere and for some reason I tend to want to snack while I'm watching tv. I know that's an issue for me, so I need to work on breaking that habit. Otherwise, a good day.

Week 3, Day 1 - January 15

Workout: Treadmill - 20 min walking, 11 min running, 2 miles

Diet:
Breakfast: banana bread, yogurt
Lunch: chille rellanos casserole
Snack: banana
Dinner: green beans, roasted squash, lemon shrimp, grapefruit
Snack: cherries

Today was going to be a rest day, but my husband and I were both in the mood to go for a run, so we went to the gym! It's great to really have the desire to work out. Our plan was to train to run a 5K, but my husband's sister has suggested that we all train for the Disney half marathon next January. I never really thought I would want to run that far, but we're really considering it. It's a big commitment, but it's really exciting to think that I could do that! We're still working towards our 5K and then we'll start training for a 10K and then maybe the half!

We had a great dinner too, all from Whole Foods prepared selections. So great and fresh!

Week 3 Mini-goals

1) Workout 5 times.
2) Go to Spin class at gym (will be first time at Spin).
3) Maintain healthy diet (including water).
4) Clean out pantry.

Mini-goals have been really motivating to me the first 2 weeks. I definitely would not have done all my workouts last week if I didn't have it in writing and posted. I even had to double up yesterday to meet my goal, but I did it (did BodyFlow in the morning and ran in the afternoon). This week has 2 new goals - my husband and I are going to try a Spin class at our gym and clean out our pantry.

Week 2 Recap

Weigh-in: old scale: 164 (down 2 pounds!)
new scale: 165.6 (will use this weight going forward and will adjust start weight to 171.6)

Mini-goals: Ran 3 times, total of 6 miles! Completed Pilates DVD and Bodyflow class! Had total of 36 ounces of soda over the week and met water goal each day! Ate healthily overall (over calories Friday and maybe Saturday).

Week 2, Day 7 - January 14

Workout: Bodyflow class at gym, 31 minutes running/walking in neighborhood, 2 miles

Diet:
Breakfast: 1 c. steel cut oatmeal (no butter, just salt and pepper), 10 cherries
Lunch: 2 grape leaves with rice, 3 slices Hovan sandwich (rolled flatbread sandwich), 1/4 c. hummus with crackers (whole wheat)
Snack: 2 'wholesome' junk food bites (samples at Whole Foods!)
Dinner: chile rellano casserole (cooking light), grapefruit
Snack: 20 cherries

A great workout day - I felt so good and strong! And a great diet day. They had samples of the 'wholesome' junk food bites at Whole Foods today, the brownie and oatmeal-chocolate chip were my favorite!

We got a new scale last week, so I'll have to adjust my weigh in tomorrow. I had a great week and I'm optimistic that I'll have another loss!

Week 2, Day 6 - January 13

Workout: Rest day!

Diet:
Breakfast: Zuchinni Nut muffin (290 cals), 10 cherries, coffee w/ 1 Tbsp. cream
Lunch: 1 c. rice, 3/4 c. black beans, 1/4 c. cheese
Dinner: roasted chicken (with artichoke hearts, swiss cheese, sundried tomatoes), corn souffle, sweet potato fries

We went out to dinner with family and the restaurant where we were planning on going to was closed for renovation when we got there. I had a fairly healthy option picked out, but we went to a completely different restaurant and I had to change my plan. I think I did okay on the entree, but I definitely could have done better on the sides. After the sweet potato fries the night before, I was really craving a whole serving. I did pass up the bread though and I didn't eat my entire entree or most of the corn. Overall, a decent day (and no snacks!).

Week 2, Day 5 - January 12

Workout: Treadmill - 20 minutes walking, 10 minutes running, 2.0 miles

Diet:
Breakfast: banana bread, yoplait light peach yogurt, coffee w/1 Tbsp. vanilla creamer
Lunch: pork stirfry, 1 c. rice
Snack: clif granola bar
Dinner: shrimp boil (potatoes, shrimp, corn), sweet potato fries, pimento cheese dip, 3 glasses white wine

It was tough to wake up this morning, but I am so glad we did it and got to the gym! It was a great workout, I increased my speed a little on the running part and I felt great. The real motivation for me getting out of bed was that I didn't want to miss this week's mini-goal and if I didn't go this morning, it would have been tough to get all my workouts in. That was great motivation for me!

I'm driving to Greenville after work tonight to go out with some friends. I've already looked at the menu of the restaurant where we're going out and I have a healthy option picked out for dinner. I'm going to have a few glasses of wine probably, so I may go over my calories, but it is a special occasion, so I'm okay with that. I'll also try to make up for it by having really healthy days Saturday and Sunday.

I have not had any soda all week! This has been huge for me! I did replace my morning Diet Mtn. Dew with coffee and I've really enjoyed it. Otherwise, all I've been drinking is water and it's felt really good!

I had a fabulous time in Greenville, but I did go over on calories (I'm not sure how much, but I know I went over on dinner). I made a good choice for my meal, but ended up sharing an appetizer with others and trying some sweet potato fries. And I should have stuck to one glass of wine, but it was great to kick back and catch up with my friends. I guess I did get in an extra hour and a half of cardio though, when we went dancing after dinner!

Week 2, Day 4 - January 11

Workout: Rest day

Diet:
Breakfast: banana bread, Yoplait light strawberry yogurt
Lunch: Black beans and rice, turkey sausage, grapes
Snack: banana
Dinner: fried cauliflower, chicken shwarma/rice pilaf, beef stuffed grape leaves
Snack: cherries

We had dinner at a Lebanese tapas restaurant. It was great food and really small portions, so I think did well! I also inadvertantly had a rest day - I planned on going to work out this morning but didn't tell my husband, so the alarm didn't get set. So I switched my rest day from tomorrow and I'll go run tomorrow morning.

Week 2, Day 3 - January 10

Workout: Treadmill - 21 minutes walking, 10 minutes running, 2.0 miles

Diet:
Breakfast: banana bread, banana, coffee w/1 Tbsp vanilla creamer
Lunch: Pork stirfry, 1 c. rice, grapes
Dinner: Tomato-balsamic soup (cooking light), 1/2 piece honey oat bread, 2 Tbsp hummus, 2 mini whole wheat pitas
Snack: 20 cherries

I had a great workout and felt so energized for the rest of the day!

Week 2, Day 2 - January 9

Workout: None - off day

Diet:
Breakfast: Banana bread (from Cooking Light), banana
Lunch: Black beans and rice, turkey smoked sausage
Snack: grapes, sugar free hot chocolate
Dinner: Pork Stirfry (from Eating Well), 1 c. rice
Snack: 1 Wholesome junk food bite, 1 individual bag popcorn

We were going to get up today and workout, but completely slept through the alarm. And tonight we both had work to do, so we switched our rest day to today and still have our other workouts scheduled. We haven't ran since Friday and I really miss it. I'm glad we're going in the morning!

Mini-goals:

Week 1 Recap:
Completed all Week 1 mini goals! I ran 3 times and went 5.4 miles! I ate healthily (and in my calorie range) each day! I completed the Fitness magazine workout I wanted to try and went to a BodyFlow class at my gym! Great week!

Week 2 (January 8-January 14):
1) Walk/run 3 times for a total of 6 miles.
2) Complete 2 other workouts (BodyFlow, Pilates DVD, Fitness Magazine workout, etc.).
3) Maintain healthy diet each day.
4) Drink a minimum of 64 ounces water each day and a maximum of 12 ounces diet soda.

Week 2, Day 1 - January 8

Weigh-in (first official): 166 (down from 170!)

Workout: Zen Scuplt DVD (yoga/pilates with weights)

Diet:
Breakfast: 2 eggs, 1/8 c. tomatoes, 1/8 c. green peppers, 1/8 c. ham, 1/8 c. cheddar cheese, 1/2 large whole wheat tortilla, coffee w/1 Tbsp. vanilla creamer
Lunch: 1 1/2 c. Tomato-Balsamic Soup (from Cooking Light), 1 serving Honey Oat bread
Snack: banana
Dinner: black beans and rice, turkey smoked sausage, 10 cherries
Snack: 2 "wholesome junk food" bites

A great first weigh-in! I have to admit I've been on the scale pretty much everyday, but today it's official! I feel so good about the week I had and it's nice to see the results on the scale too. My husband lost 5 pounds too - combined we're 9 pounds lighter!

Week 1, Day 6 - January 7 (Sunday)

Workout: None - rest day!

Diet:
Breakfast: 2 eggs, 1/8 c. ham, 1/8 c. tomatoes, 1/8 c. green peppers, 1Tbsp. skim milk, coffee w/ 1 Tbsp vanilla creamer
Lunch: 1/4 c. hummus, 1 whole wheat pita, baby carrots, 1/4 c. smoothie from yesterday's breakfast, 1 serving pita chips
Dinner: 1/4 rotisserie chicken (white meat), pureed butternut squash, corn, cherries
Snack: 1/2 c. milk, 1 'wholesome' junk food bite-lette, 1/2 piece honey oat bread

Another great day! I am feeling so good about myself. I feel like I have more energy, I want to work out, and I feel so good that I'm eating healthy! And, I don't feel deprived at all. I really am not missing the desserts that I would usually eat - my sweet tooth is satisfied by fruit. I got "Laura's Wholesome Junk Food Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bite-lettes" at Whole Foods today. They are so good, taste like a cookie and have healthy ingredients! What a great find! http://www.lauraswholesomejunkfood.com/

Week 1, Day 5 - January 6 (Saturday)

Workout:
BodyFlow

Diet:
Breakfast: Fruit smoothie - 1/2 c. strawberries, 1/2 c. mango, 1 c. skim milk
Lunch: 1/4 c. hummus, 1 small whole wheat pits, baby carrots, cherries
Dinner: 1/2 goat cheese ravioli appetizer, pork medallions w/polenta, 'mini' key lime dessert, glass of pinot grigio

I had such a great start to my weekend. I did the treadmill last night, had a healthy dinner, and watched several episodes of my Office Season 2 DVD. Today I worked up early to go to the 8 a.m. BodyFlow class at my gym. It's a mix of tai chi, pilates and yoga. It was my first time to do this class and I really liked it. It got me up and going and really started the day off right.

My husband and I are going to a new restaurant tonight (well one we haven't been to before). It's called Seasons52 and their menu is based on fresh, healthy food. All of their entrees are under 500 calories and they all look so great! I think it's such a great concept, rather than having to search for the few healthy items on a menu - we can have anything. I'm trying to keep my calories low the rest of the day so we can split an appetizer and even have dessert!

Week 1, Day 4 - January 5

Workout:
Treadmill - 21.5 minutes walking, 8.5 minutes running 1.9 miles

Diet:
Breakfast: balance bar, banana
Lunch: stuffed green pepper
Snack: pear
Dinner: 1/4 c. hummus, 1 small whole wheat pita, carrots, celery
1.5 Tbsp. natural peanut butter, 1 apple
Snack: cherries, individual bag of popcorn

Great day yesterday and today! I'm ready for the weekend!

Week 1, Day 3 - January 4

Workout:
Treadmill - 21 minutes walking, 6 minutes running, 1.7 miles

Diet:
Breakfast: 2 eggs with cheese and ham, banana
Lunch: stuffed green pepper
Snack: grapes
Dinner: 2 crab cakes (from Dinner A'Fare), roasted cauliflower, cherries
Snack: 1/2 c. blueberry sorbet

We got up a little late, but still made it to the gym! I love doing my workout in the morning, even though it's a struggle for me to get up. It gets me going and I feel good all day. It also makes me want to eat healthy during the day because I'm already invested my time in working out. The cauliflower was really good, roasted with a little bit of olive oil in the oven.

Week 1, Day 2 - January 3

Workout:
Fitness magazine workout

Diet:
Breakfast: Balance bar, banana
Lunch: 2.25 oz fresh pasta, 1/2 cup bolognese sauce
Snack: None!
Dinner: Stuffed Green Pepper (from Cooking Light), cherries
Snack: individual bag light popcorn

Dinner was SO good and we have left overs. We haven't cooked much lately and it was really fun. I didn't really realize how much I missed it. Tomorrow morning is a gym day - no excuses!

Week 1, Day 1 – January 2

Workout
21 minutes walking, 5 minutes running on treadmill – 1.7 miles

Diet
Breakfast: Balance bar, banana
Lunch: ¼ c. hummus, 2 small whole wheat pitas, 8 baby carrots, 2 celery stalks, pear
Snack: none!
Dinner: 2.25 ounces fresh pasta, 1/2 c. bolognese sauce
Snack: individual bag of light popcorn, cherries

What a great first day! We woke up early and went to the gym to use the treadmill. I had a great diet day too. I'm really trying to focus on the right portions rather than cutting out certain foods entirely. I ended up a little low on calories at the end of the day, so I added a bag of popcorn (100 calories). I'm really proud of my good start.

Week 1 Mini Goals (January 2-January 7)

1) Walk/Run 3 times at gym for a total of at least 5 miles.
2) Maintain healthy diet each day.
3) Complete Fitness magazine workout (cardio/strength) at least once.
4) Complete Pilates DVD workout (or BodyFlow class at gym) at least once.

New Year, New Start, New Goals

No time is better to kick off another round of healthy habits than the New Year. I’m very optimistic that I’m going to be successful for several reasons:
1) I have the best partner, my husband, who motivates me and is trying to meet goals along with me.
2) I have realistic, attainable goals.
3) I have two huge motivations – the first is a cruise that my husband and I will go on to reward ourselves if we attain and maintain our goals as of June 30th. The second and most important is that we are considering trying to start a family sometime next year (2008) and I want to be as healthy as possible at that time.

My goal is to maintain a healthy lifestyle throughout 2008. In order to do that I will:
1) Lose a total of 22-25 pounds. I’m currently at 170, so that will put me between 145-148. I’m 5’9”, so this is a healthy weight for me. I also think it’s something that I can maintain. I’d love to be 140 again (my lowest adult weight, which lasted for all of two months or so), but I’m not sure that would be realistic and maintainable. I’m giving myself a range because fluctuations happen and I don’t want to be obsessed about every pound.
2) Exercise 4 times a week. Our plan is to go to the gym 3 mornings a week and do some exercise (gym, hike, tennis, etc) on the weekend. If we miss a morning, we’ll have to go that night – no excuses! We’re starting at 30 minutes of cardio each workout, but I’d like to increase that to at least 45 minutes of cardio and add in weight training.
3) Train to run a 5K. Even when I was working out regularly, I could never run more than a mile and a half without stopping to walk. I’d like to be able to run a whole 5K without walking. I don’t have any ambitions of being a marathon runner, but this seems like a good goal and one I would enjoy accomplishing. To help us, my husband and I each got a Nike+ kit for our ipods. It keeps track of all kinds of statistics about our running (each individual session and total).
4) Keep track of my diet and exercise through this blog. I’d like to blog every day, but at a minimum I want to post daily results even if I don’t do it on daily basis. This means I will keep track of everything I eat and each workout I do. I’ll also add mini goals each week to keep me on track and motivated.

I’m excited about being healthy. I know I can do it and with the motivation and support I have, I have no doubt I will succeed!

Blogging every day has been really hard. Sometimes I have lots of time at work (some of the work I do involves programming and when I have to wait on the computer to run my programs, I usually have some time to put together an entry), but that's not always the case. I would like to get in the habit of posting regularly again, so it look's like I'm going to need to take a few minutes at night to do it. The accountability of the blog is important to me, even if I'm the only one who reads it.

My husband and I have been not eating well lately. We had a great plan to make our meals for the entire week on Sundays, but we have been so busy that it hasn't happened for the last two weeks. So basically we've been eating out almost every night. Definitely not a good plan. I don't want this holiday season to turn into an excuse to eat badly for a month and a half, which is usually what happens. I don't want to be on a 'diet' either. I want to use control and moderation and just be healthy.

Tonight I'm going to go grocery shopping so that I have healthy options at home and we can put an end to eating out every night. I also want to do 30 minutes of cardio at the gym. We've been setting our alarm to go in the morning lately and not getting up to do it. I'm going to make plans to go to the gym on certain days and if I don't get up in the morning, I'm going to have to go at night. No more excuses.

I've been eating okay the last two weeks, not outstanding, but much better than I had been the past few months. We had a party last Friday and of course since my husband and I both love to cook and entertain, we went all out with the food. And of course we had a ton left over. One thing I have never been able to do well is to resist good food that's sitting around. That's why you'll rarely find bags of cookies or chips in my house. If it's there, I eat it, so for the most part I just don't buy it to begin with. So I did eat a lot of the leftovers, but they lasted longer than the normally would have.

We're going away for the weekend to the mountains with my family and there will be tons of good food. I'm not going to deprive myself, but I will try to use moderation. And I'd like to go for a long walk tomorrow.

So I said I was ready to get back committed to losing weight, but obviously I wasn’t. For the next few months I ate what I wanted, when I wanted, and gained a few more pounds. We did join a gym, and went several times a weeks for about a month. Then I started a new job and that stopped. Several weeks ago my husband and I both decided that we needed to make a change, not just because our clothes weren’t fitting well and we felt ‘blah’, but because we want to be healthy. We’re planning on having kids in a couple of years and I want to be as healthy as I can before I become pregnant. We want to be good influences on our kids and teach them how to make the right choices, which will be a lot easier if we start and maintain a healthier lifestyle now.

We decided to wait until after our anniversary trip (to Disney World) to start and the day we got back, we began a healthy meal plan. I found a company that delivers healthy, portioned, gourmet meals to your house. I got the 1200 calorie a day one and my husband got 1700 calories a day. We supplemented that with healthy snacks and began our new lifestyle. The food was good and the best part was that we didn’t have to think about it. It was delivered twice a week, we put it in the refrigerator and knew exactly what and when we were going to eat. We quickly got used to the portions and saw results quickly. After two weeks, we decided to implement our own meal plan. On Sundays we’ll cook 3-4 different healthy recipes. We’ll put them in single serving containers and eat those most days for lunch/dinner. We started that this week. On Sunday we made Banana-Oatmeal bread for breakfasts and Tamale Pie and Honey Broiled Pork Chops with Gorgonzola Cheese Grits on the side, all from Cooking Light. The food has been great and we’ve stuck to our plan for the week. I’ve been snacking a more at night, I think I may not be eating enough during the day. I’m snacking on fairly healthy things, sugar free popsicles, healthy popcorn, but I think I need to try to cut back on that and eat a little more during the day.

The next thing we’re going to do is start back going to the gym. The last day we went was the first day of my new job (almost two months ago!). We were going before work and I actually really enjoyed doing that. I’m definitely not a morning person, but once I got myself out of bed I was fine and it was great to know that I had already accomplished something. And I didn’t have to worry about going after work. It was like I just found an extra hour in the day. And since my husband and I were both going, we motivated each other to get up. My goal is to go 3 mornings during the week and once on the weekends. I’d like to start taking aerobics classes again, I’m just not sure if I’m in good enough shape to do them. I’ll probably stick to the elliptical machine and weights the first couple of weeks and work back up to classes.

I’m currently around 160 (down 7 pounds from 3 weeks ago, when we started!) and my husband is around 200 (down 9 pounds). I want to lose 15 more pounds and more importantly, feel good. My goal is to lose 10 pounds by the end of the year (I think that’s realistic in 2 ½ months, even given the holidays coming up!). That would be a great way to start the New Year.

So there you have my update and plan. My husband is going to be out of town this weekend, so I’m pretty much on my own Sunday. I already have a few things picked out to cook (jambalaya, white chicken chili) and I’ll look for one more in my Cooking Light magazines. I also plan to update this blog at least a few times a week (if not daily) to keep myself accountable.

Okay, so after a month or so of really good results, I completely went off track for the last month. But, I'm back and ready for a fresh start. I did end up gaining 5 pounds back, so I'm starting at 165. Not good, but at least I did not gain back everything I had lost!

My friend's wedding was this weekend and my husband and I spent the weekend in Greenville. We had a great time and ate a ton of great food. I think brunch yesterday made me realize how ready I was to get back to eating healthy. I was so full afterwards, it was uncomfortable. So, starting now, I'm making a commitment to keep track of what I'm eating again and to try to eat healthily (okay, I don't think that's a word, but I know what I mean!).

We're planning on going to the DeKalb farmer's market tonight to get started. They have such good, fresh produce and meat there, for the best prices. It's my favorite place to shop!

Breakfast: Balance bar, banana
Lunch: 2 wedges Light Laughing Cow cheese, 1 serving wheat thins, watermelon, yogurt
Snack: Balance bar

My diet has veered off course, but I'm determined to get it back on track, starting today! I'm starting with a clean slate and moving forward. My goal is to exercise 4 days this week and make smart choices (and watch my portions!). I have a mini-goal of getting to 155 before my friend's wedding in 4 weeks (originally it was 150, but I'm trying to make sure I'm realistic, given that I haven't made any progress in the last couple of weeks). I'm right around 160 now, so this is definitely doable.

Here's my food journal for today:
Breakfast: balance bar
Lunch: 2 wedges laughing cow, wheat thins, yoplait light yogurt
Snack: balance bar
Dinner:
Dessert:
Water: 60 ounces

I'm not quite sure what was up with desserts last night, I just wasn't satisfied at all. Evenings are definitely my hardest time, I think it's partly because I am bored and maybe because eating less during the day catches up with me. I didn't have any problem in the beginning of the diet though, so I think it's more mental/emotional than truly being hungry.

Here's my food journal for today:
Breakfast: balance bar, peach
Lunch: 2 wedges laughing cow, wheat thins, yoplait light yogurt, canteloupe & strawberries Snack: balance bar
Dinner:
Dessert:
Water: 60 ounces

I took a couple days off from blogging and apparently from my diet too! It seems like I've been eating a lot more lately, but I think it's still less than pre-diet. I am really ready to get back on track and I plan to do so today. I've stalled on my weight loss (right around 160), but I haven't gained any back, which is good. I've been doing this 4 weeks, so I think 10 pounds is just about right. I'm going to a friend's wedding next month (5 weeks away) and I'd love to lose another 10 pounds before that. It's good motivation, because I'll be seeing a lot of old friends and maybe it's shallow, but I really want to look my best!

Here's my food journal for today:
Breakfast: balance bar, peach
Lunch: 2 wedges laughing cow, wheat thins, yoplait light yogurt,
canteloupe & strawberries
Snack: balance bar
Dinner: argentian flank steak & black bean vinegarette (dinner a'fare), green beans
Dessert: canteloupe & strawberries, cherries, 1 girl scout peanut butter cookie, 1/2 bag single serving light popcorn
Water: 60 ounces

Here's my food journal for Sunday:
Breakfast: strawberry-mango smoothie
Lunch: chicken sandwich w/provolone, little mayo
Snack: chips and salsa
Dinner: chicken/beef kabobs, veggies, rice pilaf
Dessert: lime cake (from Cooking Light), homemade strawberry ice cream
Water: 60 ounces

Here's my food journal for Saturday:
Breakfast: balance bar
Lunch: wheat thins
Dinner: chips and salsa, 1/2 order of chicken nachos from On The Border (6 nachos)
Dessert: 1/2 fruit tartlet, cake batter/filling tastes
Water: 60 ounces

Here's my food journal for Friday:
Breakfast: balance bar
Lunch: 2 wedges laughing cow cheese, wheat thins, Yoplait light yogurt
Dinner: chips and salsa, veggie taco, fish taco from Taqueria Sundown
Dessert: 1/2 fruit tartlet
Water: 60 ounces

Here's my food journal for Thursday:
Breakfast: balance bar, banana
Lunch: chips and salsa, Mexican shrimp soup
Dinner: regular Jersey Mike's turkey & cheese w/lettuce, little mayo
Water: 60 ounces

I don't know what was up with me last night, I just kept snacking. Nothing too bad, but that's definitely my weakest time of the day. I did finally work out though, it felt great to get back into it. I'm planning on doing Yoga tonight. Tomorrow we're doing Dinner A'Fare again, I wanted to give my husband a chance to experience it. We're getting 12 meals and delivering 6 of them to my sister-in-law. With two little ones, it should be good for her. Plus, she's going back to work from maternity leave in a month!

Here's my food journal for today:
Breakfast: balance bar, banana
Lunch: 2 wedges laughing cow, 1 serving wheat thins
6 ounces Yoplait light blackberry yogurt
1/2 canteloupe
Snack: Balance bar
Dinner: edamame, ebi, kaboom roll
Dessert: Dairy Queen chocolate silk pie blizzard
Water: 60 ounces

The difference between now and before is that even when I'm 'splurging' I'm much more aware of what I'm eating and I try to balance it out or at least control the amount. Last night I got dinner at KFC and took it home to eat. Before I ate, I looked online at what I had gotten and let that guide what I ate. I only ate 1/2 the buscuit and potato wedges and 2 of the 3 chicken strips. Before I would have just eaten it all because it was there.

Here's my food journal for today:
Breakfast: balance bar, banana
Lunch: 2 wedges laughing cow, 1 serving wheat thins
6 ounces Yoplait light blackberry yogurt
1 c. fruit salad
Snack: Balance bar
Dinner: Peanut chicken with Pad Thai noodles (dinner a'fare)
Dessert: 1/2 canteloupe, 3 mint things, single serving bag of light popcorn
Water: 60 ounces

Exercise: Slo-robics video

This is the longest I've went without blogging so far - 3 days! I've tried to write down everything still. It wasn't the best weekend foodwise, between the yard sale and our nephews staying with us for 2 nights. I did work hard though, getting ready for the yard sale, so hopefully it all cancels out.

I'm working from home today, my car wouldn't start and had to be towed to the shop.

Here's my food journal for today:
Breakfast: balance bar
Lunch: poppyseed chicken casserole, rice pilaf, 1 c. fruit salad
Snack: banana
Dinner: 2 KFC chicken strips, 1/2 biscuit, 1/2 serving potato wedges, green beans
Dessert: WW chocolate cake
Water: 60 ounces

Here's my food journal for Sunday:
Breakfast: balance bar
Lunch: 1 slice thin crust pepporoni pizza, reduced fat ruffles
Dinner: poppyseed chicken casserole, rice pilaf, 1 c. fruit salad
Dessert: 1 serving chocolate mint gelato
Water: 60 ounces

Here's my food journal for Saturday:
Breakfast: Chick-Fil-A Chicken minis (3 pack)
Lunch: 6 inch publix italian sub, reduced fat ruffles, 1 Thin Mint
Dinner: 2 steak/chicken fajitas, chips and salsa
Dessert: 1/3 flan
Water: 40 ounces

Here's my food journal for Friday:
Breakfast: balance bar
Lunch: ham sandwich (with swiss) and banana
Dinner: Veggie Taco, Memphis Taco, chips and cheese dip
Dessert: Dairy Queen strawberry shortcake
Water: 40 ounces

I splurged a little yesterday. I ate out twice - Mexican for lunch and Vietnamese for dinner. I think I did okay overall though. I'm definitely still inspired, but I'm a little less focused. I'm going to try to make today a really good day.

We sent in our preliminary application for The Dinner A'Fare and I'm hoping to hear back from them soon. My boss announced yesterday that he is leaving the company, whcih I'm really disappointed about. He has been great to work for and has taught me so much. I'm doing completely different things now than I was even 6 months ago. There are several possibilites up in the air though, so I excited to see what the next few months holds for me. Hopefully I won't be pushed to 'stress eating' though!

Here's my food journal for today:
Breakfast: balance bar, banana
Lunch: 2 laughing cow wedges, 1 serving wheat thins, Kroger Lite yogurt, balance bar
Snack: peach, grapes
Dinner: 2 slices thin crust ground beef pizza
Dessert: 1/2 serving cinnamon pizza dessert
Water: 60 ounces