Week 1 BLBE Mini-Goals

This is an unusual week in that I will be going out of town (to Disney!) at the end of the week and I'll be participating in a half marathon. While I plan to eat mindfully while I'm at Disney, I will not be keeping track of specifics while I'm there. This is a reward for 6 months of half marathon training and between the half marathon itself and then navigating the parks over the next 2 days, I should get in pleny of exercise!

So, my goals are:
1. Track diet Monday-Thursday and post on blog.
2. Participate in and finish(!) the Disney half marathon! I'm still nursing a 2 month old injury, but I feel confident I will be able to finish.
3. Enjoy myself at Disney but avoid feeling uncomfortably full at any point.
4. Drink at least 64 ounces of water every day - this should be easy on Saturday!

The Plan

Plan is used loosely here. My goal is to eat healthy foods, in the right portions, and to move more.

In addition, I've been successful with setting weekly 'mini-goals' in the past, that are more specific and then evaluating each week on how I did meeting them. I like this approach because it lets me plan ahead, but adjust if I know I have certain things going on (like the half marathon coming up this weekend!) or if I need to focus in certain areas (like getting in water). I also like looking at it in smaller blocks of time, because really, there's nothing I can't do for 7 days at a time. So, at the start of each week, you'll see 3-6 healthy mini-goals that I will work to accomplish over the next 7 days and then I'll report on the results the following week along with my weigh-in.

Recent Progress

In the first few months of 2008, I put on about 10 pounds and was maintaining a weight of about 177-178. My husband and I both decided that we wanted to eat healthier and we began training for a half marathon around that same time, in July. While my husband lost about 20 pounds over the next several months, I continued to maintain my weight. I think that although I was eating healthier food, I was simply eating too much of them. In the beginning of October, as our half marathon training was stepping up, I came across a meal plan in Self magazine. We followed this plan for about 2 weeks and I saw the weight start to drop. After those 2 weeks, I continued eating healthier foods, this time in the right portions, and continued to drop weight. Early in November I injured myself running and my exercise scaled back, but I still saw weight drop, to about 164 right before Thanksgiving. Once the holidays started, I got a little sidetracked, but did not gain any weight, I lost about a pound in December.

A Recap

With the start of this new Biggest Loser Blog Edition (BLBE) challenge, I thought I would post a little recap about myself and why I've joined the BLBE.

The basics:
I'm 31 years old.
I've been happily married just over 3 years to an amazing man.
I live in Atlanta, GA.
I have a dog that I adore (Sage, she's a rescue dog that we got as a puppy 1 1/2 years ago).
We have a loving, supportive family and great friends.
I have a challenging job that I enjoy.

I've struggled with my weight basically all my life, generally being about 15-30 pounds overweight since I was a teenager. My motivation to 'diet' has always been to be healthier and feel better about myself. This time around, however, I do have a stronger motivation in addition to those others. I hope to become pregnant within the next year and I really want to be in the best shape that I can be in order to have a healthy pregnancy and to help as I become a new mom. I want to have a lifelong healthy relationship with food and exercise that I can teach my children. That motivation is stronger than any I've had before and I feel really positive that I can achieve that. BLBE promises to provide motivation and inspiration and encouragement and that will help me achieve my goals, while hopefully I can help others do the same.

Biggest Loser, Blog Edition

I'm dusting off this old blog, having been inspired by a blogger that I frequently read, angiealltheway.  Angie has started an online community, called Biggest Loser Blog Edition to motivate, encourage, and support each other to reach healthy goals.  I started this blog over 2 and a half years ago and have used it on and off as I've tried to lose weight, I've been the most successful when I have kept track of my diet and exercise on this blog, but, it's been over a year since I've used the blog.  I'm committed to losing 15 pounds and think this challenge, along with accountability on the blog, will help me do that.

I've been a pretty consistent yo-yo dieter over the last 10 years.  I fluctuate from about 155-170 pounds.  I think the 'right' weight for me would be about 15o.  After gaining weight over the last year, I got up to about 177 pounds and became serious about losing it in October.  So far I've lost about 14 pounds, I'm currently at 163, and I would like to use 13 more.  

Thanks Angie, for being the inspiration to get blogging again and for getting us all together to start or continue on this journey.  I wish all the fellow Biggest Loser Blog Edition members the best!  

Week 2, Day 2 - October 9, 2007

Exercise:

Breakfast: Coffee w/SF creamer (60), pumpkin bread (300)360
Lunch: Moe's chicken salad (350), yogurt(140) 490
Snack: granola bar (140) 140
Dinner: red beans & rice w/turkey sausage (370) 370
Snack: sherbet (200), mallomar (260) 460


Total Calories: 1820

Week 2, Day 1 - October 8, 2007

Exercise: 15 minute walk

Breakfast: Coffee w/SF creamer (60), pumpkin bread (300), yogurt (140) 500
Lunch: Willie's chicken salad (350), apple (60) 410
Snack: granola bar (180) 180
Dinner: sea bass w/spanish sauce (300), green beans w/almonds (50), mashed acorn squash (200) 550
Snack: sherbet (100), mallomar (130) 230


Total Calories: 1870

Week 1 Results

Weigh-In: 166.8
Weekly Change: -4.2
Total Change: -4.2

Week 1, Day 6 - October 7, 2007

Exercise:

Brunch: Coffee w/SF creamer (60), 1 piece French toast, blackberry sauce (300), 1/2 c. papaya-mango-peach smoothie (200) 560
Snack: granola bar (180) 180
Dinner: sea bass w/spanish sauce (300), green beans w/almonds (100), mashed acorn squash (200) 600
Snack: sherbet (100), granola bar (280) 380


Total Calories: 1720

Week 1, Day 5 - October 6, 2007

Exercise:

Breakfast: Coffee w/SF creamer (60), 1 1/2 c. bran flakes(135), 1/2 c. 1% milk(55) 250
Lunch: (Seasons 52) cranberry tabbouleh salad (200), squash rings(100), shrimp flatbread (200), boston cream pie (200) 700
Snack: mallomar(130) 130
Dinner: Ethnic Gourmet chicken tikka masala (200), fruit (80) 280
Snack: sherbet (100), granola bar (280) 380


Total Calories: 1740

Week 1, Day 4 - October 5, 2007

Exercise:

Breakfast: Coffee w/SF creamer (60), Pumpkin bread (300), apple(80) 440
Lunch: Chicken and Rice with Broccoli (350), yogurt(140), 490
Snack: banana (100) 100
Dinner: Moe's steak salad (lettuce, steak, cheese, salsa, jalapenos, cilantro)(350) 350
Snack: granola bar (280), popcorn (100) 210


Total Calories: 1760

Week 1, Day 3 - October 4, 2007


Exercise: None

Breakfast: Coffee w/SF creamer (60), Pumpkin bread (300), yogurt(140) 500
Lunch: Chicken Bruschetta Bake(350), banana (100), 450
Snack: granola bar (140) 140
Dinner: Chicken and Rice with Brocolli (400), fruit (50) 450
Snack: sorbet (300), granola bar (130) 430

Total Calories: 1970

There's a definitely a trend and it definitely has to do with snacking after dinner. I really crave something sweet and I tend to go overboard with it. At least by tracking, I'm aware of the problem and I'm going to try to figure out ways to combat it.

Week 1, Day 2 - October 3, 2007


Exercise: None

Breakfast: Coffee w/SF creamer (60), Pumpkin bread (300), pear (80) 440
Lunch: balance bar (200), banana (100), apple (80) 380
Snack: Kudos bar (100) 100
Dinner: Chicken Bruschetta Bake (350), green beans (35), fruit (50) 435
Snack: sorbet (200), granola bar (140) 340


Total Calories: 1695

So close on calories. The last granola bar, eaten late when I truly didn't need it, put me over. I know that after dinner is definitely my biggest issue. I want dessert and I like to snack while watching TV.

In good news, I made a great casserole last night and it was really fun to be in the kitchen again. It was easy, fast, healthy and tasted great. And I have leftovers for lunch! I got my fruits/veggies in again and my water.

Week 1, Day 1 - October 2, 2007


Exercise: 45 Minute walk with Sage, 2.5 miles


Breakfast: Coffee w/SF creamer (60), Yogurt (140), Balance Bar (200) 400
Lunch: 2 wedges Laughing Cow Light cheese (70), 2 Wasa crispbreads (70), pear (80), banana (100) 320
Snack: FiberOne peanut butter bar (150) 150
Dinner: Fajita (3/4 c. Mexican rice, 3/4 c. black beans, 4 oz. chicken, 2 T queso fresca, onions, peppers, tomatoes, salsa, 1 T sour cream, 1 small flour tortilla) 660
Snack: 1 small square chocolate (65), 2 slices pumpkin bread (600!) 665


Total Calories: 2195

Okay, so it's really easy to see where I went wrong today and I knew it while I was doing it. I finished a huge, filling dinner and was not even hungry. I have a recipe for pumpkin bread I've been wanting to make from Cooking Light and got the ingredients over the weekend. I was kind of bored and in the mood to cook, so I decided to make the pumpkin bread. It was fabulous. Smelled so good, the batter tasted so good, and I just couldn't resist it when it came out of the oven. It was warm and yummy and had a crunchy crust. And then I went back for a second slice.

Aside from the pumpkin bread, I had a great day. I even got in a nice walk with my puppy and got to enjoy the fall weather. I drank my water, ate my fruits/veggies, and tracked everything.
Tomorrow's a new day and I'll be planning on staying in calorie range this time!

Week 1 Mini-Goals

Weekly Goals:
1) Exercise at least 4 times: 1 BodyFlow, 1 BodyPump, 2 Cardio (30+ minutes)
2) Have a loss on the scale

Daily:
1) Eat within calorie range (Less than 1580 a day)
2) Track calories/exercise
3) Drink 8+ glasses of water
4) Eat 3+ fruits/veggies

I think this will get me off to a good start and is not overly aggressive, but will still be challenging.

Wow - I can not believe how long it's been since I updated this blog - 5 months! A lot has happened in those 5 months, several vacations - Charleston, Hilton Head, Greece!, New York City, my 30th birthday, my 2nd wedding anniversary (last night), and a promotion at work. It has been a great few months in general, but dietwise and exercisewise it has not been successful. I actually did pretty well through the beginning of August, but the last 2 months have been all about eating out (including 10 days in Greece and a long weekend in NYC) and very little exercise. I've gained 8 pounds just in the last 2 months alone.

So, I'm making a fresh start. I'm ready to get refocused on eating healthily and working out consistently. My husband has decided he wants to focus on those things too and I'm grateful, because together, I know we'll be successful. My plan is to track calories (aiming for under 1600 a day) and to consistently exercise.

I'm starting this process at 171.0 pounds. Yikes. My goal is to maintain between 145-150 pounds. I know I can do it and I need to do it and I'm returning to my blog for accountability and tracking. I plan to update regularly, tracking food and exercise, as well as weekly goals and weighins. I'm starting fresh today, one day at a time, one meal at a time.

WW: Week 4, Day 1 - April 30

Exercise:

Diet:
Breakfast: balance bar (4), coffee w/creamer (1)
Lunch:
Snack:
Dinner:
Snack:

WW: Week 4 Mini-Goals

1) Blog - everyday, everything I eat
2) Exercise - 3 cardio, 2 BodyPump, 2 BodyFlow
3) Diet - Stay within WW points range
4) Other - Take daily multivitamin
5) Scale - A loss
Same goals again. I haven't accomplished them for 2 weeks and haven't seen a loss in 2 weeks. I know if I stick to my plan, I'll see a loss and this is the basic plan. This week I WILL stick to it!

Week 16 Recap

Weigh-in: 162.6 (maintained)

1) Blog - everyday, everything I eat NO
2) Exercise - 3 cardio, 2 BodyPump, 2 BodyFlow NO
3) Diet - Stay within WW points range YES
4) Other - Take daily multivitamin NO
5) Scale - A loss NO

I'm truly not surprised to not see a loss, because I missed almost all of my goals. I barely stayed in range on my points too, which is the only goal I made. I blogged 3/7 days, got in 3 cardio workouts and only 1 BodyPump/BodyFlow and still have not gotten the hang of remembering my vitamin.

On the good news front, we got a puppy on Saturday! She is the sweetest thing and SO cute! Sage is a rescue adoption and is only 2 months old. I think she'll keep me active once she grows up a little (she'll be about 20 pounds, right now, she's less than 5).

WW: Week 3, Days 4-7

Exercise:
April 27: 20 minutes jogging, 10 minutes walking in neighborhood (4)
April 28: 20 minutes jogging, 10 minutes walking in neighborhood (4)

Diet:
April 26: 29 Used - 0 Earned= 29 Total (7 Flex)
April 27: 31.5 Used - 4 Earned= 27.5 Total (5.5 Flex)
April 28: 37.5 Used - 4 Earned= 33.5 Total (11.5 Flex)
April 29: 26.5 Used - 3 Earned= 23.5 Total (1.5 Flex)

I knew I hadn't posted all weekend, but when I logged on, I was surprised to see that I hadn't posted Thursday or Friday either! I have been keeping track of points and food on the weight watchers site, but my goal is to do it on my blog too, so I need to keep track here as well. It was a rough weekend, although I felt like I did all right, but when I put everything into the tracker on the WW site, I used more points than I had expected. For the week, I about evened out, using all my activity points and flex points, but I want to do better than that next week.

WW: Week 3, Day 3 - April 25

Exercise: BodyPump (3), BodyFlow (2)

Diet:
Breakfast: balance bar (4), coffee w/creamer (1), melon balls (2)
Lunch: turkey wrap - flatout light wrap (1), 2 wedges laughing cow (1.5), 2 Tbsp. hummus (1), turkey (1) with an apple (1)
Snack: laughing cow w/Wasa (2)
Dinner:
Snack:

WW: Week 3, Day 2 - April 24

Exercise: walking 10 minutes, running 20 minutes (4)

Diet:
Breakfast: balance bar (4), coffee w/creamer (1), melon balls (2)
Lunch: turkey sandwich (3.5), carrots (0.5), apple (1)
Snack: laughing cow w/Wasa (2)
Dinner: basil spring roll (2), thai spicy basil noodles with chicken (6)
Snack: sorbet (4.5)

Points: 26.5 Eaten - 4 Earned = 23.5 Total (0.5 Flex)

I asked for my chicken to be not fried in my noodle bowl tonight and only ate a small portion. I was really satisfied and got my spicy thai food with much less points than it could have been! I also got a spring roll (not the fried kind). They are so good and fresh, one of my favorite things!

WW: Week 3, Day 1 - April 23

Exercise: None

Diet:
Breakfast: Balance bar (4), coffee w/creamer (1), melon balls (2)
Lunch: turkey sandwich (3.5), apple (1)
Snack: banana (1.5), laughing cow w/Wasa (2)
Dinner: Moe's steak salad (8) NO dressing!
Snack: sorbet (4.5)

Points: 27.5 Eaten - 0 Earned = 27.5 Total (5.5 Flex)

I realized that with the salsa on the salad that I always get from Moe's, I don't need the dressing too. I was just getting it out of habit and of course it wasn't lowfat. The salad was just as good without it! I didn't earn any activity points, so I had to use more flex than I would like. A good reminder of how beneficial activity is, even if it's just a short walk in the neighborhood.

WW: Week 3 Mini-Goals

1) Blog - everyday, everything I eat
2) Exercise - 3 cardio, 2 BodyPump, 2 BodyFlow
3) Diet - Stay within WW points range
4) Other - Take daily multivitamin
5) Scale - A loss

These simple goals should all work in conjunction to give me the loss I'm looking for. One more week with these goals and then I'll probably get more specific.

Week 15 Recap

Weigh-in: 162.6 (up from 161.8)

1) Blog - everyday, everything I eat YES!
2) Exercise - 3 cardio, 2 BodyPump, 2 BodyFlow NO
3) Diet - Stay within WW points range YES!
4) Other - Take daily multivitamin NO
5) Scale - A loss NO

Hmm...Too many No's, especially that last one.
I have to say that I feel like I had a really good week last week, in spite of what the scale says. It's frustrating a bit because the scale is up, but I'm definitely not discouraged. I had a huge (5.6 pound) loss last week, so maybe it just evened out this week. I ate really well and stayed in my point range (I even had about 16 flex points left). I was lower than normal on water over the weekend, so that may have contributed too. I'll definitely be working on getting that in this week.

I conciously chose not to go to BodyPump/BodyFlow on Sunday because we did so much work on Saturday and I was sore and also because we had to finish the work we started Sunday. I did get in 4 cardio sessions, although one was just a walk. I even went for a walk/run Sunday after we finished our work for the day. The most exciting thing is that I've started running outside. The weather has been beautiful and there's not much traffic in our neighborhood. I'm not able to run as long at one time, because we have some pretty serious hills that I'm just not up to yet, but I can see a huge difference and it's really important to get outside and start conquering the hills! I'm not sure how far my current route is, my GPS never found the satellite one day and ran out of battery the other. I'm guessing around 2.5 miles. I am so glad I have the GPS because I can completely change up the route and get in more or less miles as I continue training and I'll know how far I'm going. My neighborhood is pretty good for running too, there's even a 0.5 mile loop that goes right by house so when I get done with my run, if I need some more distance, it's easy to get!

I bought some new vitamins last week, I just need to start taking them. I need to take them with food and I don't eat breakfast until I'm already at work, so I need to get in the habit of bringing it with me or just leave a bottle there.

WW: Week 2, Day 7 - April 22

Exercise: cleaning (1), jogging 20 minutes (3), walking (1)

Diet:
Breakfast: fiber one bar (2), SF/FF creamer (1)
Lunch: 2 eggs (4), peppers, tomatoes, ham (0.5), mozzarella cheese (1), toast (1)
Snack: 1/2 flat out wrap (0), hummus (0.5), laughing cow (1), turkey (1)
Snack: guacamole & chips (6.5)
Dinner: steak (7), roasted potatoes w/olive oil (4.5)
Snack: melon balls (2)

Points: 32 Eaten - 5 Earned = 22 Used (5 Flex)

We spent some time cleaning our deck to get it ready to use for the summer! We also got a new grill over the weekend that we enjoyed for the first time by grilling steaks. We also made a rotisserie chicken to have during the weeks and it is delicious! We really prefer charcol grilling, but haven't been using our grill very much because it takes so long to get it ready. It's nice to have a gas grill now too so that we can easily grill out during the week. I know we'll be grilling a lot more this summer!

WW: Week 2, Day 6 - April 21

Exercise: cleaning (7)

Diet:
Breakfast: balance bar (4), SF/FF creamer (1)
Lunch: turkey sandwich (5), strawberries (0), carrots (0.5)
Dinner: chips and salsa (4), Fajitas (11.5)
Snack: milkshake - 2 T. SF/FF pudding, 1 c. 1% milk (3)

Points: 29 Eaten - 7 Earned = 22 Used (0 Flex)

I took activity points for cleaning today and I really earned them! We tore down a shed in our backyard that was left by the last owner. It was completely in our way and not what we wanted, so we got rid of it. This was some pretty major demolition, it was really well constructed. We worked hard and it felt great!

WW: Week 2, Day 5 - April 20

Exercise: 20 minutes running, 10 minutes walking (4)

Diet:
Breakfast: balance bar (4), pudding (1)
Lunch: mexican layered chicken (6), salsa (0), carrots (0.5), hostess cakes - 100 cal (2)
Snack: laughing cow (1.5), wasa (0.5)
Dinner: Roadhouse steak salad (11), peanuts (2)
Snack: sorbet (2)

Points: 30.5 Eaten - 4 Earned = 26.5 Used (4.5 Flex)

WW: Week 2, Day 4

Exercise: None

Diet:
Breakfast: balance bar (4), apple (1)
Lunch: turkey sandwich (3.5), carrots (0.5), banana (1.5)
Snack: laughing cow cheese (1.5), Wasa crackers (0.5)
Dinner: Moe's steak salad - lettuce, black beans, steak, cheese, salsa, jalapenos (8), chilpolte ranch dressing (3)
Snack: sorbet (2)

Points: 25.5 Eaten - 0 Earned = Total (3.5 Flex)

WW: Week 2, Day 3

Exercise: BodyPump (3), BodyFlow (2)

Diet:
Breakfast: balance bar (4), apple (1)
Lunch: Mexican Layered Chicken (6), 1/2 c. salsa (0), banana (1.5)
Snack: laughing cow cheese (1.5), Wasa crackers (0.5)
Dinner: chicken tikka (3.5), rice (3), raita (0.5), naan (2)
Snack: 1 c. 1% milk (2), SF/FF pudding mix (1)

Points: 26.5 Eaten - 5 Earned = 21.5 Total (0 Flex)

Perfect day of eating and working out! I'm feeling really on track and I'm proud of my first complete week of WW! I definitely think it was worth it to sign up for WW again. I knew what to do before WW, but I just wasn't sticking to it like I needed to.

WW: Week 2, Day 2

Exercise: 20 minute walk/run in neighborhood (2)

Diet:
Breakfast: balance bar (4), apple (1)
Lunch: Salsa chicken (3.5), rice (4)
Snack: laughing cow cheese (1.5), Wasa crackers (0.5)
Dinner: Hamil (2), Chicken tikka (5), rice (4), raita (0.5), Naan (2)

Points: 28 Eaten - 2 Earned = 26 Total (4 Flex)

I feel like I made good choices tonight at the Bangladeshi restaurant. I stopped eating when I was full and came home with half of my dinner as leftovers.

I also fit in a walk/run in the neighborhood, which I was proud of. I was planning on working out in the morning but didn't wake up in time. So I came home and immediately headed out to get in a few activity points. I almost always run on the treadmill, so it was a nice change to run outside, although it was definitely harder!

WW: Week 2, Day 1

Exercise: 25 minute walk in neighborhood (1)

Diet:
Breakfast: balance bar (4), yogurt (2)
Lunch: Turkey sandwich (3.5), carrots (0.5), banana (1.5)
Snack: laughing cow cheese (1.5), Wasa crackers (0.5)
Dinner: Layered Mexican Chicken (WW recipe -6), 1/2 c. salsa (0), watermelon (2)
Snack: 'milkshake' (3) - 1 c. 1% milk, ice, 2 T. SF/FF pudding

Points: 24.5 Eaten - 1 Earned = 23.5 Total (1.5 Flex)

I found this dessert recipe on another blog and it was really good! I used 1 c. 1% milk, 2 Tbsp. SF/FF pudding (I used white chocolate) and mixed it with ice in a blender. Seriously tasted like a yummy milkshake and only 3 points for a big glass! I'll definitely be making that again!

WW: Week 2 Mini-goals

These worked so well last week, I'm sticking to them this week! Right now I need to get back to basics and these are it:

1) Blog - Everyday, everything I eat
2) Exercise - 3 cardio, 2 BodyPump, 2 BodyFlow
3) Diet - Stay within WW points range for the week
4) Other - Take daily multivitamin
5) Scale - A loss

Week 14 Recap

Weigh-in: 161.8 (down from 167.4!)

1) Blog - everyday, everything I eat YES!
2) Exercise - 3 cardio, 2 BodyPump, 2 BodyFlow YES!
3) Diet - Stay within calorie range (under 1550) - changed to stay within WW points range YES!
4) Other - Take daily multivitamin NO
5) Scale - A loss YES!!!

I am so proud of my 5.6 pound loss! I really think the number last Monday was a little abnormal (it's the highest daily number I saw before and after that weigh-in), but it really motivated me to stick to the plan and to join WW. I did the WW plan almost to the letter and got in all my planned exercise and I definitely saw the results, after only 5 days on WW. My weight the day I started WW was 166, so for my WW weigh-in, I was down 4.2 pounds. I decided to keep my weigh-in on Monday because it keeps me on track over the weekend and I like the idea of the new week starting on Monday. What a great week! Now, I just need to get in my vitamin...

WW: Week 1, Day 5

Exercise: None

Diet:
Brunch: 2 scrambled eggs (4) with 1 ounce ham (1), 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese (1.5), tomatoes, green peppers, 2 slices Nature's Own light bread (1) , coffee w/ creamer (1)
Snack: 2 wedges laughing cow cheese (1.5), 2 wasa crackers (0.5)
Dinner: 2 corn tortillas (1), 1/2 c. pork (4.5), 1/2 c. pinto beans (2), 1 oz. cheddar cheese (3), 1/4 avocado(2), 2 Tbsp. sour cream (1.5), 1/2 c. salsa (0), 6 tortilla chips (1.5)
Snack: 1/2 piece red velvet cake (3.5)

Points: 29.5 Eaten - 0 Earned = 29.5 Total (7.5 Flex)

I had another great day on plan. I did want to get some walking in, but it was so cold and windy out today and I ran out time to get to the gym. We ran lots of errands, got some great, healthy food for the week, made weight watchers mexican lasagna for later in the week, and most importantly celebrated my nephew's 1st birthday! It was a great time and I did something really good for dinner. We had chalupas and we always have them on Fritos (which is so yummy!). But, I took corn tortillas instead and only used 1 point for 2 of those, instead of 4 points for 1 serving of fritos! It was really good and several other people tried to tortillas too. I was proud of myself for staying on track!

WW: Week 1, Day 4 - April 14

Exercise: BodyFlow (2), BodyStep (6)

Diet:
Breakfast: smoothie (3.5) - 1 cup 1% skim milk, 3/4 c. strawberries, 3/4 c. mango, 1/2 T splenda sugar blend
Lunch: salsa chicken (3.5), rice (4), cheese (1.5)
Snack: pudding (1), Hershey's stick (1)
Dinner: salad w/ 1T raspberry vinegarette, 5 pecan halves, tomatoes (5), 1/2 chicken breast - parmesan crusted, baked (7), green beans w/oil (2.5), 1/2 c. mashed potatoes (2), glass white wine (2)
Snack: peach cobbler (3), vanilla ice cream (1.5) - few bites of each

Points: 37.5 Eaten - 8 Earned = 29.5 Total (7.5 Flex)

I had a great workout, BodyFlow and BodyStep, earning me a lot of Activity Points to put towards my dinner out. I also made good choices at dinner and was extremely satisfied. I had to estimate on points, but I tried to estimate on the high side. A great evening out and wonderful conversation with old friends!

WW: Week 1, Day 3

Exercise: BodyPump, Treadmill, 2.5 miles, 27 minutes running (2.25 miles), 5 minutes walking

Diet:
Breakfast: Luna bar (3), yogurt (2)
Lunch: peanut butter sandwich (5.5), baby carrots (1), banana (1.5)
Snack: laughing cow (1.5), wasa crackers (0.5)
Dinner: salsa chicken (3), yellow rice (4), avocado (2.5), cheese (1.5)
Snack: sorbet (2), popcorn (2)

Points: 29.5 Eaten - 7 Earned =22.5 Total (0.5 Flex Points)



I've got another great day planned and should be well within my point range. I'm also going to run at the gym tonight, which should earn me 4 more points. I'm going to try not to use any flex points tonight, because I have dinner plans tomorrow at one of my favorite restaurants. While I can still make healthy choices, I don't want to feel too restricted.

Had a great run and I got in a BodyPump class too! I finally bumped my speed on my run up to 5.0 (I've been doing 4.8). It went well, I ran 1.25 miles before BodyPump and 1.0 after. I feel like I pushed myself and I'm proud that it went so well. I increased my time running earlier in the week and now my speed!

WW: Week 1, Day 2

Exercise: 30 minute walk

Diet:
Breakfast: banana bread (4.5), coffee w/sugarfree creamer (1)
Snack: yogurt (2)
Lunch: peanut butter sandwich (5.5), carrots (0.5), banana (1.5)
Snack: 2 wasa crakers (0.5), 2 wedges laughing cow (1.5)
Dinner: Lean Cuisine Pizza (7), 1/2 grapefruit (1)
Snack: popcorn (2), SF/FF pudding (1)

Points: 28 points eaten - 2 points earned = 26 points used (4 flex)

I have a hair appointment tonight, so I'm not sure if I'm going to fit in any exercise. I'd like to though, so I don't have to use any flex points - I only have 5 points left for dinner/night snack. If it's still light out when I get home I may go for a 30 minute walk or do a Pilates DVD, both would earn me 2 points. Of course I could just forgo my night time snack, but I'm not sure if I want to do that!

I've decided to adjust my headings to reflect my time on WW rather than the time since the beginning of the year. This is a new milestone in my plan, so I'm going to count from here forward. I haven't 'lost' the work I did in those 14 weeks, I'm just adding on!

I did get in my 30 minute walk after my appointment and it felt great. My husband went with me and it was nice to spend some time with him talking about our days and enjoying the nice weather! I'm proud of myself for getting in the walk. Normally on my 'off' days from the gym or running I don't get in any extra exercise, so this sets a good precendent. Even if my motivation was those 2 extra points, it worked!

Week 14, Day 3 - April 11
WW: Week 1, Day 1

Exercise: BodyPump (3), BodyFlow (2)

Diet:
Breakfast: banana bread (7!) , coffee w/sugar-free creamer (1)
Lunch: Roasters - salad w/bbq chicken, cheese, salsa, tortilla strips (8) 1/3 corn muffin (1)
Snack: 2 wasa crackers (0.5), 2 laughing cow cheese wedges (1.5)
Dinner: red beans and rice (3), turkey smoked sausage (4.5)
Snack: sorbet (2), sugar-free pudding cup (1)

Points: 29.5 eaten - 5 earned = 24.5 total (2.5 flex points)

I had to change my lunch plans around. Instead of having my peanut butter sandwich and yogurt, I went out with the VP of my department. Luckily we went to a restaurant with great salads, so it was easy to make a healthy choice. And I only ate a small piece of the (yummy) bread and ended up not using any dressing since there was bbq sauce on the chicken. I guess it was lucky that the chinese restaurant he suggested was closed on Wednesdays!

I'm still going to have my afternoon snack, since I'm planning on two hours at the gym tonight so I won't eat dinner until after 8:30. (UPDATE: great snack, very filling and yummy! I actually liked it better than my usual snack of laughing cow and wheat thins, and the wasa had half the calories of the wheat thins and lots of fiber.)

I did it, I joined Weight Watchers online. I debated it because I thought that I should be able to do this on my own. I know what I need to do and I plan to do it, but I just don't follow through. I did great for the first 6 weeks or so, but the last 2 months have been only so-so. I believe paying for Weight Watchers and using their online tools will help keep me accountable. I'm going to keep blogging and I'll note point values instead of calories. Any activity points I earn (under exercise) can be added to my 22 point daily target. I also get 35 additional points per week, as needed. I'm going to try to minimize my use of the additional points, but it's nice to know they're there for any special occasions that come up and I can use them guilt free!

Week 14, Day 2 - April 10

Exercise: Rest day.

Diet:
Breakfast: banana bread (300)
Lunch: Laughing cow cheese/wheat thins (200), orange (80)
Snack: balance bar (220)
Dinner: Taqueria del Sol - fish taco, sloppy joe taco (500?)
Snack: sorbet (200), pita chips (50)

I'm really close on calories tonight. I did estimate my dinner calories and I'm not really sure how accurate that is. Based on Moe's calories, I think they're pretty close.

So, I've been debating joining Weight Watchers online. I had some success with Weight Watchers before my wedding, I lost about 15 pounds in 15 weeks, and I think the program is really good. I never went to meetings, I did Weight Watchers at work and would just go weigh in every week. It was the accountability that I needed and the plan makes so much sense and is really easy to follow. I can join online for 3 months for $60 and they have some really neat online tools to help with the plan. It's a minimal cost, but I think the fact that I'm paying will help me stay on track. I'm planning on making a decision in the next day or so.

Week 14, Day 1 - April 9

Exercise: Treadmill - 3.3 miles, 38 minutes (3 miles) running straight!, 4 minutes warmup/cooldown

Diet:
Breakfast: banana bread (300)
Lunch: peanut butter sandwich (300), plum (50)
Snack: balance bar (220), orange (80)
Dinner: salad from Moe's: lettuce, black beans, steak, cheese, jalapenos, salsa, cilantro, 1/2 container ranch dressing (500)
Snack: sorbet (150), captain crunch cereal (200)

I almost made it under my calorie goal! Seriously, I have no idea why I snacked on the cereal. It's so good and I kept thinking about it and finally gave in. Otherwise, my diet for the day was really pretty good. Another point to me having zero will power at ngiht. My plan for the rest of the week is to have one snack after dinner (under 200 calories). I have to stop the mindless eating.

I did have a great workout - I really pushed myself and ran for 38 minutes, 3 miles! The most I had done before was 25 minutes, 2 miles. I'm really proud of myself.

Week 14 Mini-Goals

These are familiar, since they're the exact same ones that I had last week. I didn't meet any of them, so I am going to do it this week. I know I can!

1) Blog - everyday, everything I eat
2) Exercise - 3 cardio, 2 BodyPump, 2 BodyFlow
3) Diet - Stay within calorie range (under 1550).
4) Other - Take daily multivitamin
5) Scale - A loss

Week 13 Recap

1) Blog everyday, everything I eat - NO - missed the weekend, away from the computer and I didn't write it down.
2) Exercise - 3 cardio, 2 BodyPump, 2 BodyFlow - NO - got in 2 cardio, 2 BodyPump, 1 BodyFlow - took the weekend off
3) Diet - Write down everything!, estimate calorie counts and try to stay within range daily (under 1550) - NO - didn't write down over the weekend and missed daily range pretty much every day.
4) Other - Take daily multivitamin -NO
5) Scale - I don't like having number specific goals on a weekly basis, but I plan on seeing a loss this week. I'm back on track and I plan on it being reflected on the scale! -NO - while I was weighing in less than last week every day, today I came in at 167.4, a gain of 1.8!

In retrospect, 2 things really got in my way last week - Easter (and 2 Easter dinners/spending the night away from home) and the 1/2 gallon of red velvet cake ice cream that was in the freezer. I didn't plan well for Easter. I definitely could have eaten better and still got my workouts in if I had planned ahead. The ice cream confirmed that I do better when I don't have treats like that in the house. I generally don't keep that in the house when I'm trying to lose weight - if it's not there, I won't eat it! On to week 14 and another try at these mini-goals!

Week 13, Day 5 - April 6

Exercise: BodyPump, treadmill - 2.3 miles, 25 minutes running, 5 minutes walking

Diet:
Breakfast: banana bread, yogurt
Lunch: balance bar, laughing cow (2 wedges) with wheat thins
Snack: plum
Dinner: 1/2 salad, 2 slices thin crust pizza w/ cheese, peppers, tomatoes, sausage
Snack: peach sorbet, captain crunch

I had a nice light dinner with my mom tonight. We went to Little Azio's, they have the best pizza. The crust is extra thin and crispy.

Week 13, Day 4 - April 5

Exercise: none

Diet:
Breakfast: banana bread, banana
Lunch: stuffed pepper, meringues
Snack: plum
Dinner: cheeseburger, fries
Snack: ice cream

I went WAY overboard tonight. I actually had planned to go for a run at the gym and have a healthy dinner, but then my husband asked me to go out to dinner with him and we planned to run in the morning instead. I completely could have still had a healthy dinner, but blew it by having a cheeseburger (and fries!) and then ended with too much ice cream. Not good. But, the good news is that the ice cream is now done and as awesome as it is, I don't plan on buying it again soon because I had NO will power this week. I'll stick to my sorbet instead.

Week 13, Day 3 - April 4

Exercise: BodyPump, BodyFlow

Diet:
Breakfast: banana bread
Lunch: 1/2 cuban sandwich, beans, rice
Snack: banana, string cheese
Dinner: 1/2 chicken breast (breaded), tortellini pasta salad
Snack: red velvet cake ice cream

I love my Wednesday night workouts. I enjoy the instructors and classes so much. Plus, the rest of the week seems downhill from there - only 2 more days until the weekend and I'm usually about 1/2 way through my exercise goals for the week. Definitely a good way to end 'hump' day!

Week 13, Day 2 - April 3

Exercise: Rest day

Diet:
Breakfast: banana bread (300)
Lunch: turkey sandwich (300), string cheese (80), banana (120)
Snack: plum (50), grapes (100)
Dinner: Bangladesh - Halim (veggie/lentil soup), cheese naan (1/4), rice, chicken with sauce, glass of pinot grigio
Snack: red velvet cake ice cream (200)

Week 13, Day 1 - April 2

Exercise: RPM - spin class!

Diet:
Breakfast: 1 1/2 cups captain crunch (180)
Lunch: sandwich - turkey & cheese (300), string cheese (80), banana (120)
Snack: meringues (100), plum (50), 1 orange slice (grabbed from husband on way to gym)
Dinner: stuffed pepper - from Cooking Light (one of my favorite recipes!) (400)
Snack: red velvet ice cream (a lot -500?)

I did so great today...until after dinner. Publix has a 'limited edition' flavor ice cream and it happens to be the best ice cream I think I've ever had. My favorite cake is red velvet and I LOVE icecream and cake together. That's basically what this ice cream is. Last night was the first time I tried it and I went back for a second bowl!

After dinner has always been my hardest time, so I really need to focus on improving that. I believe that it's all about moderation. I can have 1 serving of ice cream and easily stay in calorie range, it's the 3 serving nights that get me!

Week 13 Mini-Goals

1) Blog everyday, everything I eat - I have not done this since before our vacation (over a month ago)! I need to keep track of what I'm eating, because I have not been eating well. I need the accountability.
2) Exercise - 3 cardio, 2 BodyPump, 2 BodyFlow
3) Diet - Write down everything!, estimate calorie counts and try to stay within range daily (under 1550)
4) Other - Take daily multivitamin.
5) Scale - I don't like having number specific goals on a weekly basis, but I plan on seeing a loss this week. I'm back on track and I plan on it being reflected on the scale!

Week 12 Recap

Wow, what a slacker. I had big plans for last week and then did not blog AT all. Needless to say my diet was still not back up to 'healthy' standards. I did continue my exercise progress (although I missed a few cardio workouts):

March 28 - BodyFlow, BodyPump
March 30 - BodyFlow, treadmill - 2.5 miles, 8 minutes walking, 25 minutes running
April 1 - BodyPump

We also replaced our malfunctioning scale. I got a new weigh in this morning to start my new recommitment. I weighed in today at 165.6, which is up from my low, but still almost 6 pounds from where I started. Considering my vacation and then slowness getting back on track during March, I am happy with where I am.

Although my diet has been lacking this past month, I have 2 great accomplishments since the beginning of the year:
1) Working out - averaging probably 5 workouts a week, including cardio, strength and yoga/pilates. I can now run 25 minutes or 2 miles straight! I feel SO good about that and I love how strong it makes me feel.
2) Water - I have cut down to less than 1 12 ounce soda a day. I used to regularly drink 3-4, but I've replaced that almost exclusively with water. That makes me feel great too!

So, I'm focusing on the positive and plan to work on the healthy eating and number on the scale. Starting TODAY!

Week 12 Mini-Goals

1) Blog everyday, everything I eat! - I have slacked off on this the last two weeks (especially over the weekend). I need to keep track of what I'm eating, because I have not been eating well. I need the accountability.
2) Exercise - 3 cardio, 2 BodyPump, 2 BodyFlow
3) Diet - Write down everything!, Estimate calorie counts and try to stay within range daily (under 1550)
4) Other - Clean out closet - I really need to get rid of some things and get organized!

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!