full of veggies

for the umpteenth time: day one

2008-03-21T19:11:00.002-04:00

Breakfast: Smoothie (spinach, berries, banana, flax seeds, soy milk)
Lunch: Salad (green leaf lettuce, red onion, balsamic, hummus and falafel spiced walnuts)
Walk with Cammie
Dinner: Springtime Soup

It's gonna stick this time.

2008-03-11T20:31:00.002-04:00

FatFreeVegan Green on Green Soup

Well, detox isn't fun. I'm kicking a soda/pop/pepsi/whateveryoucallit habit (not a bad habit, but a habit nonetheless) as well as working on getting back in the [good] habits of working out daily and eating better. It's not easy but I know I need to do it because I really want to feel good about my health and my body.

Eating well isn't a prison sentence - it can be tasty (like Susan V's soup pictured above). And being active and athletic isn't a chore, it's fun and a great stress reducer.

The last few days have been sunny and beautiful, and I must be solar powered because I feel like a different person. :)

♥♥♥ sunshine ♥♥♥

2008-03-09T18:07:00.003-04:00

Even though we got 12+ inches of snow Friday and yesterday - today is a beautiful celebration of the return of the sun to my waking life.

Cammie and I went for a cold and breezy but sunny walk today and it was amazing. I cannot explain how much better I feel now that we have the extra daylight in the evenings.

Going to work on being around here more. Summer is coming and I want to feel and look my best!

running update

2008-02-15T15:40:00.003-05:00

Confession: I didn't work out last night. I know I said I was going to but I got home and just wanted to sit on the couch and hug my doggie. I'm not proud of it, but it's pretty much how I've been feeling lately.

I've decided to hold off on my 10k training for now. Knowing that I have to do 5 or more miles on the treadmill negatively motivates (de-motivates? I can't think of the correct antonym) me and I end up not working out at all. I can handle 2 or 3 miles but more than that just seems like too much boringess for me. Running outside is just a totally different thing, for one, once you get so far away from home/where you parked you pretty much don't have a choice but to get yourself back there and running is the quickest way to do so, plus there's stuff to look at Cammie can come with me which are both big bonuses.

Working out tonight after work seems so much more manageable now that I am not trying to impose a 5 mile run on myself. I'm still going to run, but for maybe 30 minutes and then hop on our under-used bike for a little bit and then do some abs. It'll be a good workout and I'll be doing lots of stuff that will keep me fit and ready to pick up training for the 10k when the weather gets better and Cammie and I can get outside again.

Winter please go away soon!

happy valentine's day

2008-02-14T11:56:00.001-05:00

I'm looking forward to 5 miles on the treadmill tonight!

298th post, an appropriate time to start over

2008-02-12T13:08:00.000-05:00

I'm getting to the point where I am getting sick of myself again. I see my face in pictures and think it's looking a bit puffy - this makes me think of how I would look at myself before I started to lose weight and hate that I had a double chin. I am starting to not feel good about my body and not feel good about my clothes. It's not a fun place to be, and I don't want to be here any more.

I need to really commit to the 6 week plan and stick to it for the long haul. I have been too laid back with myself and it's catching up to me both physically and mentally. I don't enjoy feeling bad (and who does), and know exactly what I need to do to stop. So I'm going to.

We got a beautiful KitchenAid stand mixer for ourselves as a Christmas present, and I love it and I love to bake, but it's just not doing me any favors. I need to put the mixer into storage and get it out for special occasions only. No more of this weekly baking stuff.

I need to post daily my food and exercise. Studies show (no, not really) that I lose weight when I'm faithful about blogging, so it's got to start happening again.

I'm NOT going to be one of those people who starts out really strongly and then fizzles out and then slides into the "used to blog" black hole of failure. I'm going to reach my goals, and I'm going to show that anyone can do it - no matter how long it takes or what roadblocks come up. I've done a disservice to myself for letting the holidays and the weather give me an excuse, and the reality is that there are so many things that I want to look good for and so many reasons why I want to feel good and there are so many things I want to be able to do or do better that I just can't screw around anymore.

It's going to be tough, and it's not going to be fun. But it's not going to be the worst thing in the world either. There is delicious food that I can eat, and it makes me feel so much better than I do right now. I'm not sentencing myself to a life of misery, I'm doing the exact opposite.

Positive Changes

2008-02-04T15:21:00.001-05:00

An exciting new series!Where I report on small positive changes I'm making to live better, be healthier and happier.

- I started wearing my glasses (almost) all the time. My perscription isn't very strong but it's amazing how much more clear and crisp everything is with them on. Plus, I think they look really good with my new haircut.

- Straightening up the kitchen daily. It's so much easier to deal with just a few minutes every day than having a humongous disaster that I have to chip away at for the better part of a weekend day.

- Cooking a lot and freezing it for multiple weeks worth of lunches. VEST has sparked an interest in cooking, and these days I want to be in the kitchen much more than I used to be, but it's good to be stocked up for weeks where I may not test something, or if what I test doesn't turn out.

- Cutting way down on the plastic and being mindful of the packaging that we bring into the house. A friend reminded me recently about all of the garbage that floats around in the ocean and converges into these massive floating garbage dumps the size of a state (I forget which one). This thought and it's impact on wildlife as well as the rest of our environment really pisses me off and makes me sad. So I finally have one of those reusable shopping bags which I am using for my groceries and also to bring stuff to and from work in. It's a small step.

- Running every day (except Saturdays). I'm working on a training schedule from runner's world to prepare for a 10k in April which will segue into training for the Utica Boilermaker (9 miler) this July. On days that aren't scheduled running days I'm making myself get out there and run even a short distance.

2008-02-03T18:02:00.000-05:00

Salad with Falafel Spiced Walnuts, Red Onion and Balsamic Vinegar.

Although my overall behavior has been far from perfect lately, I am noticing that my behavior is changing. One of the changes that is most interesting to me is that I don't eat as much as I used to.

Before making the decision to finally lose weight, I would come home from work hungry and snack and then eat dinner or even eat two dinners. These days if I choose to snack after work I usually don't then proceed to eat dinner. I'm finding that I don't need to force myself to eat less, it just happens. I think that is pretty cool.

There is a lot about my life now that I never thought I would have or be able to do. I never thought that I would look at myself in the mirror or in a picture and not feel ashamed about what I see. Even though I don't have doubts about my ability to meet my goals, I am still a little amazed that I can now buy clothes in the "normal" section of the stores.

Probably my favorite change is the fact that I can run. For a long time I thought it would be cool to be a runner, and envied those who do. I can remember less than a year ago thinking that I would be happy if I could run the entire length of Cammie and my standard walking route around the neighborhood, which is less than a mile and a half - well I can now run twice that easily, and am improving all the time. It's a great thing.

It feels good to feel good about yourself!

I haven't quit!

2008-02-01T10:34:00.000-05:00

Hi, sorry to have been gone for so long. Winters are a tough time for me. The cold makes it really tough to want to be outside and all the dark makes it tough to get up in the mornings.

BUT I am working on it! This week I have either run or taken Cammie for a walk every day, and it's a trend that I plan to continue. I am getting back into the trend of better eating as well, and even made the delicious soup that you can see above, which you can read more about soon on the VEST Blog.

More soon!

little things that make your day

2008-01-10T12:55:00.000-05:00

One of the things that keeps me going during the winter months is that even though on most days the weather sucks, the days are getting longer - most days it's a modest 1 minute increase over the previous day, but every few days we're rewarded with a 2 minute increase in the amount of possible daylight (ever-present clouds permitting). It's just one of those little things that can help make your day.

Sorry for my mini absence, we had some glorious weather on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday and you had better believe that Cammie and I took as much advantage of it as we could. The more seasonal weather is returning, which is ok I guess because it IS January... Yesterday and today I have been feeling a little under the weather, like I'm getting a cold - or maybe I actually have a really slight cold/virus something that just feels like I'm getting a cold, I don't know, I haven't had a real cold in at least 3 years...

Anyway, I'll be back with more actual content and motivational points (because there are TONS of them) soon. Hope you're week is going well, and if it's not - tomorrow is Friday!

don't stop, believein'

2008-01-02T19:23:00.000-05:00

Day 2
Today's Motivation of the Day is brought to you by Valerie Bertinelli.

I came home from work today and was struggling with motivating myself to work out. I know I need to get into the habit of working out in the morning but the first day back to work after a week and a half off was not the day to do it. So I was sitting on the couch with Cammie, not really planning on working out (even though I had put my workout clothes on) when one of Valerie Bertinelli's Jenny Craig Commercials came on, I think she is so much more sincere about her weight loss and her success than Kirstie Alley and it is very inspiring, seeing her talk about meeting her goals gave me that little push that I needed to get on the treadmill. Thanks Val!

In general, it's tremendously inspiring and motivating to see the success of others. It makes me think of how great it feels to set a big goal and meet it. Thinking about feeling accomplished, fulfilled and that awesome sense of closure one gets when a big goal goal is met or obstacle is overcome really gets me focused on meeting my goals.

A quick note about food: I had Susan V's Green on Green soup for lunch today, one of the three soups I made this past weekend to freeze and stock up on for the next few weeks. This is the second time I've made this soup, and while it came out a bit differently this time - it's still delicious! Definitely try this one!

Goal Weight in '08

2008-01-01T17:53:00.000-05:00

Day 1
Today I had a good day, great food and an awesome workout and just a little bit of temptation. :-)

For as much of January as I have topics for, I am going to focus on things that motivate me. Today's motivation point is clothes... I know it's shallow but it's one of the things that has motivated me all along and is something that continues to do so.

In 2003 or 2004 (I'm sorry I can't remember), when a good friend got engaged and asked me to be a bridesmaid in her wedding, I tried to lose weight and was sort of successful because I knew that I'd be the biggest bridesmaid but I didn't want to feel totally horrible about it - fitting into that bridesmaids dress was a big motivational factor for me.

When I first started ETL all I could think about was being able to buy regular clothes. I couldn't comprehend what it would be like to become a runner or all of the attention I would recieve for losing the weight, but I could relate to how good it feels to buy clothes that you really like and feel great in them. It had been a long time since I had felt that way and I was eager to get that feeling back.

I've had to shop in the plus-size stores/departments since I was a young teenager, and I've always wanted to be able shop in the "normal" stores and look ok in the "normal" fashions. In some cases I can do these things now, but I am at the upper limit of being able to do so - it's surreal to go into a store and be able to pick up a blouse in the "Ladies" section and have it fit, I never think it will and I end up surprised every time. I need to reach my goal so I can shop in any store that I want to and not worry if the clothes will fit me.

Clothes motivate me because I want to stop window shopping and start actually wearing.

2007-12-31T15:21:00.000-05:00

I did not have the most successful holiday season diet wise. But I'm not going crazy over it. I'm also not too upset over my lack of progress since getting to the -100 mark.

Why? Because even now, after gaining some pounds back over the holidays I know that I am in better shape than I have been in my entire adult life. See above, that's me when I was a senior in high school - noticeably bigger than I am now. I also know that I have the tools and drive to be able to lose the holiday weight plus that last 50ish pounds to reach my goal weight.

It is going to happen.

2007-12-26T20:52:00.000-05:00

getting back to business

2007-12-19T13:05:00.000-05:00

a little motivation

2007-11-27T11:56:00.000-05:00

I'm sure many of you have seen this already as it was one of those featured stories on Yahoo today, but I found it to be very inspirational.

If in your past you experienced cold (or hot) weather as a deterrent to working out, this season holds the opportunity of a lifetime for you.

Make this year different. Adopt a true athletic archetype and feel your desire for fitness success emerge. You can use old obstacles as opportunities to gain strength - mental and physical.

Breaking through – that is your focus.
Not giving up – that is your motto.
Making your training a priority rather than a dispensable activity – that is your goal.
"Success is only a word, but achieving it is a lifestyle."

Make the decision - that’s what you have to do first. Decide that you want to maintain, begin, or improve your training this winter, then take steps to support (and reinforce) your decision.

Then, don’t give up no matter what. Act and think, in all areas of your life, like the athlete you want to be (and look like). Making your health and fitness a priority will be the best gift you give this winter to you and everyone else in your life.

"Try These Cold Weather Workouts" Debbie Rocker

This really helps me feel motivated to eat the right food today and make sure that I get my workouts in tonight... actually I wish I could go out for a run right now!

"You're a runner now"

2007-11-22T19:51:00.001-05:00

Webster Turkey Trot, ~4.4 miles, 11/22/07Sunday night: I check the weather for Thursday, there’s a chance of rain and the high temperature is predicted to be 51. The chance of rain isn’t ideal, but at least the temperature is going to be decent.

Monday: Thursday will now be in the low 40’s. Slightly more chance of rain. Great.

Tuesday: Temp will be in the high 30’s. It’s going to rain. Am I cursed?

Wednesday: It is currently pouring outside and tomorrow it’s going to be raining and snowing. Temperature between 9 and 12 is predicted to be in the low 30’s. Oh, and there’s also a winter weather advisory from 4am to 4pm. Do I even have the right gear for that kind of weather? I’d better go get a wind/rainproof jacket.

Thursday, 7:00 - It’s raining out but the temp is in the upper 30’s. That’s not too bad. I think I can get away with my technical shirts and my new coat – I won’t wear the fleece I had also thought I’d need.

8:00 – Breakfast. Greens & beans.

8:30 – Get dressed: short sleeved tech T, long sleeved tech shirt (with sleeves that turn into mittens), good running pants and another pair of pants over them. Grab new jacket and fleece headband on the way out the door. It is raining really bad. Cammie wants to come with me but has to stay home 

8:50 - Driving there I wonder if I haven’t bitten off more than I can chew. Am I really ready for this race? Can I do it? I decide that I can. Last week I ran 4.25 miles and felt decent, just a few days ago I did 3.1 miles on the treadmill in just about 35 minutes. I’m prepared for this. But I still feel a little nervous.

9:15 – Arrive at the race. By the time I get my timing chip and head into the lodge to grab some safety pins I’m shivering. Fantastic. I spend most of the rest of the time before the race standing under the side of the lodge just trying to stay out of the wind and the rain. I wisely decide to go to the bathroom and when I come out there’s about 10 minutes before the race starts, I need to make my way to the starting line. My pants are pretty wet already…

9:58 – There are about 1500 people running today between this race and the 2.5 miler that I thought more than once I should have signed up for instead. But nervous as I was, I start up my ipod and get pumped. I am ready for this and I just want to start running already!

10:00 – Finally! We’re off. With all the people, it takes a while to get sorted out so there aren’t so many people around. The race starts off down a hill and then right back up and around a corner. I know I just need to keep going and I’ll be ok.

We run along the lake for a bit, it’s still raining and windy but doesn’t seem so bad now that I’m moving and generating heat. The main pack of faster runners finally gets far enough ahead of me that I can run without too many other people around me but I can tell that this race I am going to have at least some people near me, which is good to keep me motivated. I choose another runner who is a little bit ahead of me and tell myself that I’m not going to let her get away. We round the second corner and I take a quick look behind me. There’s a respectable number of people that I can see behind me and that feels good.

Before I know it I pass the 2 mile marker. It’s felt like a very short amount of time and I feel strong. As we head down the road I pass the runner ahead of me that I’ve been keeping in my sight, wooo!

And it’s mile 3… “Almost there! Well, just barely” I think and I feel so good that I try to kick up the pace. I don’t know if I really did but that’s ok. We head back toward the park and somewhere along the like my running buddy passes me again. It’s ok… but I’m not going to let her get away.

We enter the park and I know it can’t be too much further. We follow a park road around and go up another hill “keep going keep going keep going” I think to myself when I make it to the top. We round a bend and I can see the beginning of the “off road” portion I had heard about. It’s rained here for the past two days so I’m prepared for mud. We try to get down the short hill as fast as we can without slipping too much on the mud, cross a little bridge and then it’s still muddy and puddle-y and slippery but at least its still flat.

I do my best to stay out of the really muddy areas as we run across the field. I get so preoccupied that I forget how close we must to be to the finish line, until I look up and there it is! At this point I don’t care about avoiding puddles or mud. I take a straight line toward the finish (which surprisingly wasn’t too slippery) and splash through puddles and get totally dirty soaking wet feet and cross the finish line feeling completely awesome.

There’s no big clock at the finish line so I’m not sure what my time is but I’ll be able to guesstimate my time. It takes a few minutes to get back to the car. I take care to walk through as many puddles as I can in the parking lot to get the mud off my shoes. When I get to the car I put the keys in and it’s 11:01. It’s been easily 4 or 5 minutes since I finished… I’d be happy with 56 minutes!

And that’s the time I’m going with. I checked the race organizers’ website this afternoon to see my real time and due to all of the rain and mud, my finish didn’t get recorded. It’s ok though because I’m much more interested in feeling strong throughout the race and just running my best.

After the race I went over to my boss’ house for some tea, she had run the race as well but is a much faster and more experienced runner than I am so we didn’t run together. As I was on my way out to go home we were talking about how this race is a tradition and I mentioned how I know I can run in pretty much any weather now that I made it through this stuff and she says, “Oh yes, you’re definitely a real runner now.”

This Thanksgiving Day, I am thankful for all of the usual stuff (a great family, awesome friends, Cammie, etc) but I am especially thankful for my new(ish) body and athletic abilities; it just feels so great to be able to do these things that not so long ago I never thought I would do.

Friday Check-In

2007-11-16T15:27:00.000-05:00

So this morning I am back down to where I was the last time I posted my weight (198), which is good :-) BUT I have the rest of today and all Saturday and Sunday before I "officially" weigh in on Monday morning. I am very committed to sticking to my challenge plan so I don't have to drive hubby's winter beater to work for a week... if it's not a Mini, I really don't want to drive it, I guess I am a snob like that!

Germaine posted a comment about craving bread-y types of things lately and I can completely understand what that's like! For some reason lately I have been wanting rice or a sandwich or something along those lines quite frequently. I know that this craving is related to my non-ETL detour and remember how that lingering desire for bread stuck around a lot longer than cravings for other things did. Other than salt, I think that giving up the refined grains was one of the toughest things for me to get over initially.

I now know that I can live (happily too!) without them. Sometimes you just get tired ot have a bad day and want to revert back to those old comfort types of food though. I have noticed though, even in just this past week, that those bad days are greatly diminished when one is working out and eating well - good reason to stick with the plan.

I'm trying to think of something tasty and nutritious to have for lunch next week, since it's a short work week it doesn't have to make too much, but I am kind of getting tired of eating a cold salad at every single meal. I've been craving garlicky greens & beans for a while now, I think that would be a good option, plus it's kind of like warm salad which means that it'd be the best of both worlds.

"don't get cocky"

2007-11-14T16:42:00.000-05:00

Thank you to everyone who has commented this week, your encouragement has been very very encouraging!

I am happy to say that I am 1/2 way through losing the weight (obviously a lot of it was water weight) that I put on in my 2ish weeks of not caring/business trip in San Francisco. Say what you will about losing water weight and that it's not actual loss of fatty tissue and all, but it does feel good to step on the scale in the morning and see the scale going down. This kind of thing is what I need to feel re-dedicated. It makes me look forward to seeing new "lowest adult weight ever" numbers in the near future.

Food for this week has been smoothies for breakfast (except for this morning, I had carrots because I just didn't feel like making one). Hubby found me some frozen no sugar added mandarin orange segments which I've been putting in my smoothies for a little something different. I need to get into the habit of putting at least an ounce or two of kale into my smoothies for the added nutrient punch.

Lunches and dinners have been salads, lunches have been salads because we've had a series of business lunches with other colleges this week, and dinners have been salads because, well, I really really like my lettuce - red onion - walnut - bleu cheese - balsamic combo.

Running! The Turkey Trot is a week from tomorrow and I'm feeling good. I'm slower than I'd like to be but I think that as I continue to train and lose weight I will get faster. No matter what, it's cool to think that I can now go out and run 3 or 4 miles continuously when just this past summer I was running in 3 or 4 minute time blocks.

I'm not dead yet!

2007-11-11T18:22:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow morning I have a doctor's appointment and I know I'll have to step on the scale. At that realization, the past two months of waffling around not being able to stick to the diet came crashing down in an avalanche of self loathing. I really have to work more on my self control and committment to being healthier and sticking to this way of living and eating.

The only thing that I've kept up with has been running, but even with that I've allowed myself to skip runs all to easily.I've just felt burnt out about spending so much time cooking and preparing food each weekend, I haven't felt like I have anything worth writing about lately either. I've just felt sick of trying and just want to go with the flow.

BUT... I don't want to go back to feeling horrible all the time and bad about myself. I want to be happy and feel good. I want to stop feeling so lazy and be full of energy and I want to know that I am putting 100% into achieving my goals.

So it's time for a challenge. A challenge that will get my confidence back and my spirits up that I can meet. There are 10 days from tomorrow to the day before Thanksgiving. I will eat perfect ETL (with the exception of the 1/2 oz of bleu cheese on my dinner salads) for those 10 days and will make all of my planned runs (Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday) and will walk Cammie (or use the treadmill) and do Yourself!Fitness on the non-running days. Hubby will keep me accountable and as a penalty for not completing the challenge I will have to drive his winter beater to work for a week and not my beloved Mini.

I feel better about myself already.

quick and random

2007-10-25T17:20:00.000-04:00

Thursday:
Breakfast: Smoothie (Spinach, Mandarin Oranges, 1/2 banana, strawberries, flax, water)
Lunch: 1/2 blueberry bagel, curried split pea soup with greens
Exercise: Will Run - speedwork
Dinner: Will eat Salad (lettuce, red onion, walnuts, balsamic, bleu cheese), raw brownies
Fuhrmometer: 8ish - eggplant-ish

I weighed the bleu cheese that I put on my salad last night, it was just barely 1/2 oz. I really don't feel bad about it - at least diet wise...

I had a really good run last night, 50 minutes with no walking! Running with my ipod shuffle has made a big difference. I am looking forward to tonight's run too - it's been a stressful day!

Today's weight: 197.8 (I think, it may have been 197.6 but I can't remember for sure and I'm all for under estimating).

2007-10-24T12:40:00.000-04:00

Hi.

So, I haven't been as bad as my absence would indicate. I have been trying to be good (usually breakfast and lunch are ok) but then lose my momentum for dinner. This morning I was at 199.6, so while I am up I'm not up too much, and a lot of it is due to salt. So I'm confident that I can get back into new weight loss territory soon.

And I feel myself coming out of my funk. I decided that even though it's not the best thing to do for a variety of reasons, I am going to put a little bit of the bleu cheese on my salads. If it's what gets me excited about eating the salad for dinner instead of real bona fide junk; it's what I'm going to do for the time being.

I haven't felt like I have anything to say lately, but I will make a better effort to post more often. I know that when I am better about posting I am better about everything I need to do to lose weight, and I really want to get my s%*t back together.

things to work through

2007-10-09T19:53:00.000-04:00

I'm struggling.

This happens to me after I meet a milestone for some reason and I don't really know why, I have a hard time (to say the least) maintaining my momentum and end up floundering for a while until I get sick of it and get a renewed sense of motivation and get back on track.

I'm sick of the cycle. It took me 3 months to lose the first 50 pounds and then a year to lose the second 50. I don't really want it to take me another year to lose another 50. I know that as I continue to lose weight the weight loss will slow; but I'd rather it slow and still be working on it instead of it not going anywhere because I can't stick to the plan.

I'm in a sick of salad mode. Well, actually I would eat salad if I could have my favorite romaine/red onion/walnut/blue cheese/balsamic combo - but I know how bad cheese is for me and the salad just isn't the same without it. Is it ok to have just a little bit of the blue cheese with my salad if it's helping me get my greens in? I just don't know. Part of me says that a small amount of the cheese is ok if it means that my diet otherwise is on point, but the other part of me doesn't want the cheese. I know there are other salad combos, but nothing is getting me excited about eating my salads and I end up finding a way to avoid them - which is not good.

The holidays are starting - there are lots and lots of food-related events and celebrations happening now and they'll continue into December. I don't want to put my weight loss on hold this year like I ended up doing last year. I want to keep going and find myself in January weighing less than I do now. I'm not sure how to strike the balance between staying faithful to my weight loss goals and not feeling like I am depriving or ostracizing myself.

I read the first couple of pages of the Pleasure Trap yesterday (finally) hopefully it'll be just what I need as the season of eating begins.

And on a positive note - the jeans I just got 2 weeks ago are too big, I should have gotten a smaller size but it didn't even occur to me to try on a smaller size while we were at the store. I wear them now and I need to wear a belt with them, which is slightly frustrating but definitely cool.

Race Report: Scarecrow 5k 10-6-07

2007-10-07T09:27:00.000-04:00

It's Friday night, and I'm trying to go to sleep. I keep on thinking about the race and my heart thumps in my chest with excitement and I resort to drawing numbers in my mind to calm down. I have a much easier time falling asleep tonight than I did before the Glen Iris.

Saturday morning I get out of bed at 7:15, let Cammie out and make my smoothie. I've had breakfast and have left for the race by 8:00. I still feel that just-woke-up queasiness in my stomach and look at the sunny, foggy/hazy morning and feel just the slightest bit of trepidation about the race. But I brush it away and enjoy the beautiful morning as I drive to the race.

I turn down main street toward the race location and see tons of runners jogging around... did I miss the start of the race? No, the race starts at 9:00 and it's 8:30. I'll be fine. Woah, that guy just ran across the street in front of my car! Crazy runner!

I find a too good to be true parking spot and head over to the registration area. There are a lot of people here. I find the bathrooms, get my timing chip and walk around and stretch and just generally wait for the race to start.

Finally, it's time to go. After standing at the starting line for what seems to be an eternity they blow the air horn. I start out at a decent pace and predictably people are passing me, I don't even notice if I am passing other people, I'm just concentrating on keeping going and on my pace.

We turn the first corner, and I think about how cool it is to be running on these closed off roads in the town that I grew up in. There is a slight hill down and then another slight hill up as we turn the corner to cross the bridge over the canal. We head down along the canal and I can hear the guy with the bullhorn giving splits for the first mile... 8:32! 8:35! I can't see him so I know he's probably a little ways off from where I am, but I'm feeling good about my pace.

I finally get to the one mile point slightly after 11:00, which is consistent with my one mile time in the Glen Iris and also on Thursday night when Cammie and I were out for a normal run. I feel good about my time and am confident that I will be able to beat my personal goal of beating my time from the Glen Iris.

And then it got hot. There was no shade and the sun was beating down on us. I was happy that I had worn my technical running gear and not anything cotton. I run for a good long time to the turn around and can see all of the people that are ahead of me, but it's ok. I pass a couple of people who have stopped running and just keep going.

Finally, we reach the turn around. I welcome a slight breeze in my face that I didn't feel before and keep going. I pass more people who have stopped running and keep going. Finally I can see the bridge we crossed in the distance and focus on that. I know that once I get to that one I'll be able to see the next bridge which is really close to the finish line.

Before I know it, I'm under the second bridge and I can see the finish line. I feel good and finish much stronger than I did at the Glen Iris. I can't see the time until I am right at the finish line. First I see a 3 and then an 8 and then a 0... WOO HOO I beat my time at the Glen Iris! My official finishing time is 38:08, 1:05 faster than at the Glen Iris, with no walking!

All in all, I'm really glad that I did this 5k. Now I need to focus on increasing my mileage so that I'm ready for that 4.4 mile Turkey Trot!

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

2007-10-02T13:44:00.001-04:00

Tuesday:
Breakfast: Smoothie (spinach, blueberries, strawberries, 1/2 banana, flax, and water)
Lunch: Everything Soup
Exercise:(planned) 35 minute run, short flexibility workout with Yourself!Fitness
Dinner:(planned) Salad (romaine, balsamic, chickpeas, marinated portobellos, red onion, walnuts), raw brownies
Fuhrmometer: 9.5 brocco-kale

Yesterday while I was posting I had a ton of good ideas that I wanted to write about today; but I didn't make a note of them and now I've forgotten what they were. Nice huh?!

A while back someone requested my Pumpkin Smoothie recipe and I never got around to posting it, so instead of all the stuff I was planning to say yesterday and because it's now officially Fall and October, here it is:

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie
3 small dates
1/2 cup soy milk
1/2 cup plain canned pumpkin (or more)
1/2 banana
cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger (or pumpkin pie spice)
splash vanilla extract
ice cubes (maybe 1 cup)

If you're planning ahead of time, soak the dates in the soymilk overnight. Other than that, toss everything into the blender and blend it up! Change the quantities of items to match your thickness/pumpkinness preference.

5k countown part 2

2007-10-01T16:50:00.000-04:00

Monday:
Exercise: Walk with Cammie
Breakfast: Smoothie
Lunch: Everything Soup (green split peas, barley, kale, tomatoes, minestrone veggies, spices etc..)
Exercise: Walk with Cammie, Core workout (Yourself!Fitness)
Dinner: Salad (romaine, chickpeas, marinated portobellos, red onion, walnuts, balsamic), raw brownies
Fuhrmometer: 9.5 brocco-kale

First things first: I last week I lost the weight that I gained the week before. Phew! It was really good to get on the scale this morning and see 197. At first when I got below the 200's it felt weird; almost like I was in territory I didn't belong in. But all it took was floating back up there for me to fully realize that it is where I belong and seeing 200 on the scale is NOT a comfort zone at all. Seeing 140 on the scale will be my comfort zone and I ~~need to~~ will actively pursue it.

Today I signed up for my second 5k, it's this Saturday and is in my hometown, so I know the route and am really excited about it. Since I've been training all along I feel very prepared. My run yesterday was 45 minutes with a good deal of hills (and Cammie trying to chase squirrels the entire time) and even though I stopped twice to walk, I ~~think~~ know I could have kept going if I needed to.

I love how knowing that I have a race to run (and now a time that I want to beat) helps me feel super extra committed to eating well. I don't want to have any off plan meals this week because I want to feel as good as I possibly can. Luckily, I did spend part of my day in the kitchen yesterday putting together my smoothie kits, and prepping stuff for my salads. I made my soup last week and froze enough for this week's lunches so I am all set to go!

I need to buy some more running clothes - any recommendations for what I should buy/where I should go? I don't need too much in the way of really cold weather gear because once the snow flies I can't run outside, my neighborhood is not very well plowed and the roads get icy, but I do plan to run outside until it gets snowy and then stick it out on the treadmill for the dark months...

knowing thyself

2007-09-27T16:45:00.001-04:00

I have good days and I have bad days. A lot of what goes into making a good day for me is being well prepared. This is why even though I really don't like to, I need to spend part of my Sunday in the kitchen preparing food for the upcoming week. I'd much rather spend some of the last precious days of nice weather outside all day, but I can't always do that...

This past Sunday I knowingly rebelled, I knew I had food that would get me through Monday but no further than that and I still decided not to make anything. I came to regret it on Monday when I was faced with even less of a desire to cook but knew I had absolutely nothing to eat.

As I dragged myself through the grocery store I found myself wishing I could just be one of those people who has a beer and some chips and salsa and calls that dinner.

"But," said the little angel on my shoulder, "you know better and you won't do that."

It's true, I do know better and I am getting better all the time with not pushing aside healthy food for fast and easy (and bad for me) junk. I feel like my knowledge of what eating for nutritional excellence is has instilled within me a little bit of a failsafe, when I want to eat a doughnut I start thinking about all of the refined junk and saturated fats and how bad it all is for me and I don't want it anymore because I really do know better.

I've also realized lately that when I do have an off-plan meal I am satisfied with eating much less than I used to. And it's not forced, it's definitely a more intuitive thing. I think that this is a benefit of having so much to lose and it taking time; I am evolving into these things and not forcing myself. I think that because of this it will help me out quite a bit when I finally get to my goal weight and have to start maintaining it.

the running update

2007-09-26T21:06:00.000-04:00

My next race is/was supposed to be a 4miler on October 13th. I don't think that I am going to end up running in that race this year (even though I'd like to) for a number of reasons. It's ok though, I am going to see if there is another 5k I can do in October. I will also keep on training for the 4.4 mile Turkey Trot since Hubby is working on Thanksgiving and my parents and Grandpa will be golfing in Arizona - it'll be a decent way to spend at least part of the day.

Last week Rochelle (my awesome coach) had me start doing speedwork (running sprints). It is actually really fun for the first few sprints - you get to just run as fast as you can and fly over the terrain... and then your legs start feeling it and that's awesome too because you know you've gotten a really great workout.

Sundays are my long run, this past week I drove to a park that isn't too far from where we live and ran across a pedestrian bridge that goes over a river gorge and up into the park I was running in earlier this summer. It was an awesome run, firstly because there were some decent hills that used to kick my butt but this time I kept going and also because for the entire 45 minute run I only stopped to walk for about 90 seconds... and I don't think I even really needed to do that.

I'm impressing myself with how my stamina has improved since I've started running; but it just makes me want to be able to run faster and for more miles. I know that with time it will happen :-)

highs, lows, in-betweens

2007-09-25T20:34:00.000-04:00

Wow, I didn't realize that it's been nearly a week since I last posted. Things have been hectic lately between work, going away last weekend, and trying not to get too despertely behind on housework it's been tough to find time to get online and check everyone's blogs and update my own. Hopefully soon things (especially at work) will get under control and I will be able to be a much more consistent blogger.

Thursday I worked a 12+ hour day, went home and took a nap and was then back at work on Friday before 8am. Luckily, I had taken a half day so that Friday and Saturday Hubby and I could take quick and breezy tour of New England. We drove to Massachusetts Friday afternoon/evening and had dinner with some friends and then got up really, really, really early on Saturday to drive to New Hampshire to do some Mini stuff. We took back roads through New Hampshire and Vermont all the way to Albany on the way home. It was a long day, but it was really nice.

But my eating wasn't so nice. So when I stepped on the scale yesterday morning for my weekly weigh in; I had gained weight. I was expecting it but it still sucked to see. Hubby asked me what my weight was, and usually I just tell him; but I felt pretty crappily about it and couldn't bring myself to say it out loud. "It's ok, you'll lose it" Hubby said and gave me a big hug. It was just what I needed. I haven't been perfect yesterday or today, but I have been much better and this has been a faster rebound than others I've had.

Motivation: There is a person on the member center who has lost 120 pounds since last September, and she hasn't gone off Eat to Live (like NO CHEATING, at all!). Isn't that amazing! That kind of dedication is something I'd like to aspire to.

Also, Dr. Fuhrman's office contacted me (Hi Susan!), to ask if they could use my pictures and story to be this month's success story in Dr. F's newsletter and if they could put me on the Success Stories page on the website... how awesome is that! It's great to hear how excited other people are for me and really helps me to keep going and stick with it when those moments strike when I'd rather not do what I should.

Enough babbling for now, I will be back tomorrow with a running update!

2007-09-19T15:38:00.000-04:00

Wednesday:
Breakfast: Smoothie
Lunch: Susan V's Green-On-Green Soup
Exercise: Run with Cammie
Dinner: Wrap with baba ganoush, falafel, romaine, carrots, onion, cucumber
Fuhrmometer: 9 - broccoli

Earlier today in the Dr. Fuhrman forums...

Paige wrote:
I'm most impressed with you because you are able to mess up one meal and then pick back up at the next, or mess up for a week and then pick up the next.

I responded to her that I think that part of my reason for being able to do this is that I do my best not to view ETL as an "all or nothing" diet. I try to be the best that I can, but if there are days where I don't eat a good meal, or I have a bad day or a bad week I don't view myself as an ETL failure. Every time I start up again after going astray I feel stronger and more dedicated to the plan.

I'm also finding that as time goes on, I am naturally becoming more "in tune" with the plan as written. When I first started ETL I didn't want to give up cheese - these days I may still have it occasionally, but most of the time I don't want it at all.

A similar thing has happened with salt. I used to feel the need to add Braggs to soups to make them taste "right" but after finding some excellent recipes that taste good without it (Quinoa Paella, Springtime Soup, Susan V's Green on Green Soup), I've realized that I don't miss it in other things and when I have expected to think that I would need it, I haven't.

I think that these developments are in part due to the fact that they sort of evolved - I didn't force myself to eat food that I didn't think tasted good to kick the salt habit - that one is really all about having good recipes that genuinely don't need it. My growing lack of interest in dairy is very similar, it's not something forcerd; it's just happening that way, and that is because I have allowed myself to have some meals (or whatever) that are not perfectly ETL, but I've done my best to get back on the plan as quickly as I can, and I know that my next meal is always an opportunity to be back on track.

Compare. Contrast.

2007-09-18T11:34:00.000-04:00

To anyone out there that might be embarking on their own weight loss adventure:
Be consistent with your progress pictures. Be anal retentive about it. Take the pics in the same place, have the photographer stand the same distance away from you, etc. I regret that we've been as relaxed about it as we have been...

BUT ANYWAY...

It doesn't really matter! I've lost 101 pounds :-)

(Click on the picture to see it bigger... if you dare!)

2007-09-17T10:59:00.000-04:00

So close to the -100 point! I was 199.0 this morning. I have lost 99.6 pounds... darn that 0.4 of a pound! I will wait to post side by side comparisons of then v. now until I am officially under 198.6 but for now you can see me in the pants I wore in my "before" photo. How fun it was to take the quintessential weight loss picture!

I must admit, for as long as I have been looking forward to seeing the number on the scale start with a 1 it's kind of freaky (in a good way). Like I've said before, the last time I was around this weight I was in middle school, which was 14-15 years ago (creepy!).

I anticipated feeling euphoric when I got to this point; and I am happy, very happy, I feel quite proud of myself and all - but it's not like on tv when balloons and confetti fall from the ceiling or anything. Which is somehow what I thought it would feel like... but I'm not complaining or anything - I just wanted to say that it's different. But still great.

Another thing - I'm noticing that I don't totally hate myself in every. single. picture. anymore... I know I sort of posted about this before but it bears repeating. There are so few pictures of me as a teenager and young adult because I always hated how I looked, but now it's not so bad. I am proud of what I've done and feel much more confident in my appearance than ever before. I know I still have a lot to lose, but I can see that it's more achieveable now then it ever has been before.

no need for words...

2007-09-15T10:26:00.000-04:00

weighing in and scared straight

2007-09-10T20:51:00.000-04:00

Monday:
Exercise: walk with cammie, ab workout (yourself!fitness)
Breakfast: smoothie
Lunch: eggplant zucchini tofu lasagna
Exercise: walk wiht cammie
Dinner: salad (romaine, chili pinto beans, salsa), graham cracker with peanut butter
Fuhrmometer: 8.5 - eggplant

Well, I am up 2 this week. Yuck. Hopefully it's mostly water weight and I'll lose it quickly.

I did eat some junk last week. It's was challenging to rebound from taking the day off on my birthday and thinking I could eat whatever I wanted. I had thought about it for so long and planned what I wanted out in my head - and much of the food that I thought I was going to have that day didn't work out, so I ended up feeling deprived and like the day didn't live up to what I wanted it to be food wise. Looking back on it now, it seems stupid to have put so much thought and care into food - and seeing as how things I used to really enjoy aren't so enjoyable any more it's something that I want to work on caring less about in the future.

Another thing, I've had Disease Proof Your Child and The Pleasure Trap sitting on my table for weeks now waiting to be read. I finally picked up DPYC yesterday and started to read it. Reading about how all the years I spent eating junk and being so very very overweight have predisposed me to cancers and heart disease (which I knew) really hit home. I feel even more dedicated to sticking to this diet/lifestyle to do anything I can to combat disease in the future. I gotta eat my greens!

5k report

2007-09-08T13:50:00.001-04:00

Edit: Official time 39:13!I did it! And I didn't walk! And I wasn't the last to finish!

Where to start...

Last night I couldn't get to sleep for the life of me. I knew I needed to go to sleep but I was just wide awake. I think I tried to go to sleep at about 10:30 but it was at least 1:30 before I actually fell asleep. It wasn't that I was particularly nervous about the race, it was more that I knew how important it was to get a good night's sleep and was trying to hard to fall asleep...

This morning I woke up right when the alarm went off, got up and got dressed in my new technical top and made my smoothie. Hubby wisely advised me to pack a change of clothes for after the race, so I went back upstairs to grab some things and we were off. But I remembered that I didn't have my cell phone. So after going back inside to get it, then we were off.

The weather here this morning was in the mid-70's but humidity was about 90%, making it feel quite a bit warmer than it really was. The forecast was for some scattered showers; but nothing to be worried about. I actually wore my sunglasses most of the way down to the state park where the race was held. As we were pulling in (and I was getting really nervous) it started to sprinkle.

I got out of the car and my boss (she ran the race with me) met us. I put on my socks and sneakers and was freaking out about having enough time to sign in and go to the bathroom before the race. I was fine - we went and I got my number and got to go to the bathroom. All was fine.

By this time the sprinkles had turned into a pretty steady rain. It wasn't torrential downpours or anything but it was enough to get us pretty wet on the walk to the starting line. We waited under some trees until the race people told us to go line up and we were just standing there and "CRACK!" it was time to go...

My boss (L) is an avid runner, and is much faster than me. She told me that she'd let me set the pace; so I took off at what felt good to me. I know I was faster than I should have been but the whole thing kind of goes to your head at the beginning of the race.

For most of the first mile it was raining, but you could tell it was letting up. by the time we got to the first mile marker it had stopped raining completely and the sun was peeking out of the clouds. It was getting hot and steamy - fun! We passed a guy with a bullhorn who told us that we were just after 11:00 at that point. Pretty good for me, I was happy with that. I knew it probably wouldn't last but I was feeling good.

Mile 2 - lots of hills, and also a section of unpaved gravely stuff and a big hill... I was starting to feel it by this point and when I saw the big hill I had an intense urge to walk. But i kept going. L and I discussed how the race description had said "Flat and scenic" and how they were right about the scenic but very wrong about the flat part.

Mile 3 - we finish the gravel point and get back on some asphalt. There is a brief section of flat and a small hill down. By this time I was really beginning to huff and puff, but I knew I was close to finishing so there was no way I could give up now. 600 yards is a lot longer than you might think it is. Especially if it begins with another lovely hill.

We leave the asphalt for the last leg of the race and are happy to be out of the sun. We can hear people cheering in the distance and know we're really close. We round a corner for the last leg and can see the finish line. I see Hubby and Cammie, miss smiling for the picture (above, how lovely do I look) and then notice that the clock says 38minutes and some odd seconds. I am desperate to finish, but am happy that I am going to make it under 40:00, and that there are people behind us. We cross the finish line shortly after 39:00.

I was so happy to finish without walking but I was also really feeling it (and I had to pee REALLY badly) I stood at the finish line for long enough for hubby and Cammie to walk over to us and then pretty much took off for the bathroom. I can't even describe how I felt at that point - spent is a pretty good word for it. After going to the bathroom hubby and L and Cammie were waiting for me outside with our lunch tickets - I was feeling really dizzy and things were going all white - I felt like I was going to pass out. We found a place to sit and after a minute or two I felt a lot better.

It was a tough course, and definitely not ideal conditions - but I'm glad I did it and I'm pleased with the results. I'll be working on training for my 4miler in October next!

things to read

2007-09-06T12:28:00.000-04:00

20 Ways to Stick to Your Workout

I think I'll stick with healthy eating and exercise, tyvm.

Actual posts to come :-)

2007-09-03T13:52:00.000-04:00

So close! My weight this morning was 200.2, which is fine but a little frustrating. I know I'll get there soon ;-)

Since today is my birthday I am eating pretty much whatever I want (bagel for breakfast, veggie turkey sandwich for lunch, who knows what for dinner). Cammie and I went for a nice long walk in my favorite local park this morning and hubby and I are going out and about soon when he gets home from work. I'm just taking it easy and having a relaxing day.

Tomorrow is my second to last run before the 5k. I'm really excited about it and looking forward to the runs I have planned in October and November. Cammie and I walked for about 6 miles today and my legs were pretty tired by the time we were done - I do want to work up to running 10k's but it's going to take a while.

on the doorstep of ONEderland

2007-09-02T20:41:00.000-04:00

Sunday:
Breakfast: Smoothie
Exercise: 3+ mile run with Cammie
Lunch: Graham Cracker with Peanut Butter
Dinner: Salad (romaine, chili pinto beans, salsa), a couple cinnamon spicy almonds
Fuhrmometer: 8.5 eggplant/broccoli

Yesterday we went out with my parents and grandpa for my birthday dinner with them (my real birthday is tomorrow). We went to the Cheesecake Factory – I wouldn’t go there again. I’ve been there before but it just wasn’t as good as I remember. That’s been happening a lot lately – things not tasting as good as I remember. I think I really am evolving to prefer healthier foods. I like that.

Naturally, this morning when I weighed myself my weight was higher than yesterday morning – but not too much. I was at 201.2. I had breakfast, went for my run, came home and had some lemon water and decided to weigh myself again before jumping into the shower… 199.8! Just barely under 200 and after a workout so it’s not “real” but it was cool to see. It will be interesting to see what the scale says tomorrow when I wake up.

Also cool – I went shopping today and bought a bunch of much needed shirts for work, all from the “normal” section. I still feel like I don’t really belong there, but when I found myself in the “women’s” section I was glad I don’t need to shop there anymore – those clothes are not as fun as the ones I picked up!

a peculiar day

2007-08-31T20:50:00.001-04:00

Friday:
Exercise: 40 min run plus warmup and cooldown
Breakfast & Lunch: what?
Dinner: potato chips, salad (romaine, onion, almonds, veggie chikn, balsamic)
Fuhrmometer: 6 - blueberry

3:30 am - The remote alarm for hubby's truck goes off because the battery is low. Hubby gets out of bed to take the battery out of the remote and notices that the flood lights are on in the back yard and he hears noise. He goes to look out the back window and it looks like someone is in his truck. "Honey I think someone might be in the truck..." He grabs a flashlight and goes to look again. "They're in the Mini - call 911." He yells out the window at the punk(s?) and they take off down the street. I call 911 and try not to freak out too much so I can speak clearly to the operator. We really want to move out of this part of town.

Luckily, they didn't damage the vehicles at all - just rifled through them looking for small valuables. In the middle of the night just after it happened we didn't think that they had gotten into hubby's truck and we also didn't think that they had taken anything from the Mini either.

We were both wide awake and waiting for the police to get here and I said something about it being to early for me to go for a run since it was going to be a while before the sun came up. I ended up doing my run on the treadmill at like 4:45 while we waited for the cops to arrive. After working out I stretched and took a shower and tried to stay awake rather than go back to sleep - but that didn't last.

10am - Wake up after a "nap" take our sweet time getting out of bed and getting dressed. I come down stairs to check email and such while hubby is upstairs shaving and I hear a "pink... pink pink... ... pink" in the kitchen. It takes me a couple of minutes to relize that it sounds like something is dripping out in the kitchen. The floor is covered with water and it's dripping from one of the recessed lights in the ceiling, right under the bathroom.

After a trip to Home Depot - when we realized that the jerks from last night had gotten into the Toyota as well as the Mini and that they had taken some stuff: a $2 scratch off and our walky-talky radios, we think they might have also taken some Rolaids out of the truck too - how strange is that?!?

Anyway, after a trip to Home Depot, the plumbing was an easy fix (thank goodness) there was a leak in the pipes for the shower but it turned out to be pretty simple to fix - once we ripped out a panel in our linen closet. ;-)

3pm to 7pm - We trade in hubby's truck for another Mini (the one pictured above). It's an '05 convertible (but you could tell that). Getting a Mini has been something he's been thinking about for a while now, but yesterday after looking at some other options we decided we would wait until spring to make a decision. Despite a crappy morning things seemed to actually work in our favor this afternoon, and getting the Mini seemed like the right thing to do. Hubby is really excited about it and so am I.

Needless to say with all the stress and adrenaline of the morning we weren't very hungry. By the time we were at the car dealer we were starting to feel the effects of not really eating anything all day. I know that the veggie chickn and chips weren't the best choice but I am happy that I went for the salad instead of pizza or fast food.

I know I'll sleep well tonight - I'm exhausted, it's been a crazy day.

2007-08-30T20:37:00.000-04:00

Thursday:
Breakfast: Smoothie
Lunch: Salad (romaine, casinera's ceasar, almonds, wasabi wonton strips)
Exercise: walk with Cammie
Dinner: eggplant and zucchini lasagna with tofu ricotta
Fuhrmometer: 9 - broccoli

things i will never say... (and hope I haven't already)

2007-08-29T20:49:00.000-04:00

Wednesday:
Exercise: 60 min run/walk/run with Cammie
Breakfast: Smoothie
Lunch: Springtime Soup with lentils
Exercise: walk with Cammie
Dinner: Spinach-Berry Smoothie, Cinnamon-Cayenne spiced Almonds
Fuhrmometer: 10 Kale

In my opinion, anyone who says "the weight just melted off" is delusional. Losing weight is hard work, and if it were as easy as weight just melting off, people wouldn't struggle so much with being overweight. i think that if there is a term that needs to be erased from the collective conscious of the world (when it comes to weight loss), it should be that term.

it is easy to look back on a year or whatever and think that things were a lot easier when looking back than they actually were. it is easy to look back and have your memory distort how long something may have taken. it is definitely easier once one has lost weight to reflect on the process and (whether correctly or not) feel like it required as much dedication and discipline as it did. But no, the weight never melts off.

For me, losing weight requires a fairly high level of compliance - eating exactly what i'm supposed to and putting some effort into exercise. I've proven it to myself time and time again. I can eat a decent breakfast and lunch, but if i have a dinner that doesn't fall in line i've broken even for the day. there's nothing wrong with breaking even - if you're goal is to maintain your weight - but we're not at that point yet.

Day to day, meal to meal it's about keeping the end result in mind. yes, I could have had a "bad" dinner, I could have raided the vending machine, BUT those things won't help me get to my goals and i actually kept that in mind today, making deciding to eat the right stuff much easier. The weight doesn't effortlessly melt away, but it's having motivated and dedicated days like today that make it a little bit less effort.

2007-08-27T20:21:00.000-04:00

Monday:
Exercise: Walk with Cammie
Breakfast: Smoothie
Lunch: Salad (lettuce, pinto beans, tofu, salsa, cucumber, onion)
Exercise: big long walk with Cammie
Dinner: Salad (lettuce, strawberries, onion, almonds, balsamic)
Fuhrmometer: 8.5 eggplant/broccoli

202.2 today! 2.4 pounds and I will be in the 100's and in 3.6 I'll have lost 100 pounds all together. It's pretty exciting! I feel very focused and motivated right now.

I was thinking the other day about how all of these numbers really don't mean anything to my body. My body doesn't really care that I am almost to the 100 pounds lost mark. Of course, it's happy with me that I have lost weight; but it's not so fixated on the round numbers. As long as I keep on treating my body the right way it will keep on losing until I get to a healthy weight.

My head however, cares about round numbers A LOT. Try as I might not to care about them, but I do. 100 pounds lost is a big deal in my head. It is a big accomplishment and it is something I will be proud of. There were times in the beginning where I doubted that I would be successful and this is proof that I am and will continue to be successful to reach my goals.

i choose to believe those are veggieburgers

2007-08-26T20:09:00.001-04:00

Sunday:
Exercise: 48 min run with Cammie
Breakfast: wasn't hungry, didn't have any
Lunch: Salad (romaine, Casinera's Ceasar dressing, red onion, LightLife chickn strips [yuck!], wasabi wonton strips)
Exercise: walk with Cammie
Dinner: Standard Smoothie
Fuhrmometer: 7.5 lentil/eggplant

And that's not a steak either, it's a... hmm... rutabega...

ten

2007-08-23T20:50:00.001-04:00

Thursday:
Exercise: 40 min run with Cammie
Breakfast: Smoothie
Lunch: Springtime Soup with lentils
Exercise: 30 min walk with Cammie
Dinner: tvp tacos, graham cracker with peanut butter
Fuhrmometer: 7 - lentil

The past few days here have been unseasonably cool; which for the most part I don't like; I definitely prefer the warm weather. At least while it's still summer! I have enjoyed running in the cooler weather though. Sunday I had one of my best runs ever and Tuesday's run was pretty good too.

Today the weather was supposed to get up to 88 again and when I woke up this morning and could feel the humidity in the air. I really didn't want to go running. I wanted to go back to bed. But I went out anyway, and my warmup was kinda sketchy... I felt nauseous and then that went away but my hip started hurting. Luckily the longer I kept moving the better I felt. I ended up having a pretty good run today despite the less than perfect conditions and rough start.

I'm glad I got out there and got started and didn't give up before trying. I am really enjoying running and am happy that I've kept it up even though there have been times when I haven't wanted to. I definitely think I'm catching the runners bug. :-)

eight

2007-08-21T20:26:00.000-04:00

Tuesday:
Exercise: 35 min Run with Cammie
Breakfast: Smoothie, 1/2 slice of zucchini bread
Lunch: Springtime Soup with lentils
Dinner: Salad (romaine, red onions, walnuts, blue cheese, quorn naked cutlet, balsamic)
Fuhrmometer: 8 - Eggplant

Dear Zucchini Bread in the office kitchen,

You are not my friend. I do not like you. You are a waste of good zucchini. Please stop calling me.

Love,
Nicole

seven

2007-08-20T19:55:00.000-04:00

Monday:
Breakfast: Smoothie
Lunch: Springtime Soup with lentils
Exercise: walk with Cammie, 30 min upper body workout (Yourself!Fitness)
Dinner: Salad (romaine, red onion, walnuts, blue cheese, balsamic), graham cracker with natural peanut butter
Fuhrmometer: 8.5 eggplant/broccoli

Back on the losing track! I lost 5.2 pounds last week and have kissed the teens goodbye forever. I'm confident that I'll be under 200 by my birthday. After two months of basically being in the same place it feels really good to see some change. Today was the first day in a long time that I didn't feel tempted to eat off plan, and even though peanut butter and graham crackers aren't ETL - I feel like it was an ok way to end the day.

A Sunday drive

2007-08-19T19:48:00.000-04:00

at the racetrack...

Sunday:
Breakfast: McDonalds Fruit & Walnut salad (didn't eat the yogurt), red grapes
Lunch: veggies with hummus, veggie ham sandwich with cheese :( , a cookie and a couple chips
Exercise: 40 minute (3.1 mile!) run with Cammie
Dinner: didn't eat, wasn't hungry
Fuhrmometer: 7.5 - lentil/eggplant

three

2007-08-16T21:13:00.000-04:00

Thursday:
Breakfast: Smoothie
Lunch: fruit, bean salad, a dab of pasta salad, 1 cookie, and 2 brownies...
Exercise: 40 min run with Cammie
Dinner: Salad (romaine, red onion, walnuts, balsamic, blue cheese)
Fuhrmometer: 7.25 - lentil+

Today was a growth experience.

As you can see, lunch sucked. We were at a whole-campus event and lunch consisted of some scary looking potato salad, a bean salad, pasta salad, fruit salad, cold cuts and sandwich fixings along with assorted cookies and brownies. I wasn't expecting anything great out of lunch today but in a way this was worse than I could have guessed. In retrospect, I could have made a decent lunch out of the fruit salad and some lettuce and tomato etc from the sandwich stuff but I didn't think of it at the time... ANYWAY... I did spend most of the afternoon feeling guilty about it and being upset with myself.

I waffled back and forth for a good part of the afternoon if I was going to say "screw it" for the rest of the day or if I was going to make an effort to make the rest of the day as good as I could. You've already seen that I DID workout and I DID eat salad for dinner, so I did make the best out of the day. Reading the blogs of my buddies and reading the forums helped out tremendously and was extremely motivating.

Today was a growth experience for me because I took the "high road" and didn't give up on the day like I have been so prone to in the past. It wasn't easy to come home and go for a run, but I made myself do it. It also would have been easier to make a sandwich or something for dinner; but I actually wanted my salad. I may not have been perfect today but I am still very happy with myself.

two

2007-08-15T16:46:00.000-04:00

Wednesday:
Breakfast: Smoothie, 1/2 bagel
Lunch: Springtime Soup with lentils
Exercise: long walk with Cammie, 30 min Core workout (Yourself!Fitness)
Dinner: Salad (romaine, red onion, walnuts, blue cheese, balsamic), 1 graham cracker with a wee bit of peanut butter
Fuhrmometer: 8 - eggplant

Five is the new One

2007-08-14T20:37:00.001-04:00

Tuesday:
Breakfast: Smoothie, some of those small fruit flavored tootsie rolls
Lunch: Springtime Soup with lentils
Exercise: 45 min run with Cammie
Dinner: Salad (romaine, red onion, walnuts, balsamic, blue cheese)
Fuhrmometer: 9 - broccoli

Well this morning I was Debby Downer, I was in a crappy mood and it was no fun at all. I got up and got dressed to go for a run before work, but all I ended up doing was walking Cammie up to the corner and back and then I got back into bed for another hour.

But some time this afternoon I snapped out of it. I don't know when and I don't know why but I felt better. Woo Hoo! I came home and Cammie and I went for a tough but rewarding run.

Food today was much better than yesterday too. Except for the tootsie rolls I stuck to my plan and enjoyed it. I feel much better about today and like I am breaking out of my rut. I am especially proud of myself for coming home and going for a run. Go me!

four

2007-08-13T19:09:00.000-04:00

Monday:
Exercise: Walk with Cammie, 30 min Upper Body Workout (Yourself!Fitness)
Breakfast: Smoothie
Lunch: Springtime Soup with lentils
Dinner: ~~Salad (romaine, red onion, walnuts, blue cheese, balsamic)~~ vegetarian sloppy joes
Fuhrmometer: ~~8 - eggplant~~ 6 - blueberry

Busy busy weekend! I'm sad to say that Saturday didn't go very well food wise. Poor planning on my part. But we finished the flooring in the kitchen, dining room and living room. Just a little more to do to finish up the project. I'm very happy with the way that it came out.

Sunday was a much better day, I had a 40 minute run and was pretty happy with the distance I covered. I'm more excited than ever about the race in September (3 weeks from Saturday)! My food was kind of off yesterday as I just wasn't hungry for much of the day so my calories came from sparkling grape juice, salad, and Easy Mac... well I guess yesterday wasn't too good either.

I did do some good planning and preparing of food yesterday so this week I don't have any excuse not to eat well all week.

Edit: Well I am a big hypocrite. I posted my entry before dinner and then decided I wanted to try the vegetarian sloppy joe stuff we picked up the otehr day (I knew it was a bad idea at the time). Tomorrow I start from day one again.

One

2007-08-10T20:37:00.000-04:00

Friday:
Breakfast: Smoothie (spinach, blueberries, strawberries, 1/2 banana, flax and water)
Lunch: Salad (lettuce, onion, walnuts, blue cheese, balsamic)
Dinner: ???

Hubby and I spent all day today working on installing laminate floor in our kitchen, dining room and living room. We've got more to do tomorrow but we think we've got it figured out pretty well. It's definitely not as bad as last weekend when we were tearing the old flooring out!

I have no idea if I will eat dinner tonight or not. I don't have any more lettuce here and I don't have any other food here that is ready to go and is ETL unless I make myself a smoothie - which I might do... but then again I might not have anything at all since it is almost 9pm right now.

No matter what, I had a good breakfast and a decent lunch today; and that is pretty good! (Not to mention that we were up and working all day and not sitting around!)

library list

2007-08-09T20:48:00.000-04:00

I've recently realized the awesomeness of the library; and here's what I'm looking forward to reading during my 101 Days of (near) Perfection:

Eat to Live by Dr. Fuhrman (re-read, I own this)
Disease Proof Your Child by Dr. Fuhrman
The China Study by T. Colin Campbell
The Pleasure Trap by Lisle & Goldhamer
Twinkie, Deconstructed by Steve Ettlinger

Does anyone have any other recommendations?

Starting Over, Again.

2007-08-08T15:25:00.000-04:00

I can't even count how many times I've felt like I'm starting over. Although, I am starting 85-90 pounds less than I did the first time; so it doesn't truly feel like starting over. It feels more like renewing a commitment.

So here's what I am going to do this time. 101 Days of (near)Perfection. Starting this Friday I'm going to commit to the 6 week plan (allowing myself an extremely small amount of chocolate or cheese or something if I want it) for 101 days with 3 planned days off: 1- Day of Birthday dinner with Family (most likely not on my actual Bday because Hubby has to work), 2 - My actual Birthday and 3 - Our wedding anniversary in October. This will actually end up being 104 actual days but I'm not counting them as part of my "challenge."

I thought about doing the six-week challenge again, but that's 42 days and I feel like I need a longer amount of time to really internalize the plan, mind and body. I think that if I prove to myself that I can follow the plan for 101 days that I will be able to keep it up and really and truly make it into a lifestyle.

So I'm starting on Friday. With the planned break days my 101st day will be the day before Thanksgiving. In that time I am going to try to post my food every day, no matter if it's good or not and I will go back to updating my weight every Monday.

Here's today's food so far:
Wednesday 8/8/07:
Breakfast: 2/3 smoothie, piece of cinnamon raisin bread
Lunch: Hummus with carrots, cucumber and fritos
Exercise: ?
Dinner: ?
Fuhrmometer:

i li-i-i-ike my bi-i-i-ike, it's not like other bikes

2007-08-01T14:44:00.001-04:00

Wednesday:
Breakfast: chocolate cherry smoothie (spinach, cherries, banana, flax, cocoa powder and water)
Lunch: Susan V's Quinoa Veggie Paella
Exercise:
Dinner:
Fuhrmometer:

This week I have been all about the bike ride. For the past two nights I've gone on a bike ride with Cammie after work and it has been very relaxing. I'm sure that Cammie likes to go now because she recognizes "bike ride" and gets really excited about it, and reaches up for me to pick her up to put her in the basket. Hubby also picked up a neat wireless bike computer/speedometer which is a lot of fun - I can see how fast I'm going and my mileage as well as what time it is, the temperature and even how many calories and fat I've burned. Good stuff!

runnning, salad, t-shirts, and I was tagged!

2007-07-30T16:03:00.000-04:00

Well nothing much has happened since I last posted. Workouts have been decent. Sunday I had a pretty good workout of 4 minutes of running followed by 1 minute of walking repeated 10 times. Cammie and I covered over 3.6 miles in the whole workout; sweet! I'd like to run the 5k in September in a slow but respectable for a newbie 40 minutes or less and I think I'll be able to do it.

Overall though, my weight is staying the same. I've been managing to have a good breakfast and a good lunch - but then when it comes to dinner I haven't been able to convince myself to eat a salad. Even though I pretty much have all of the stuff to make my favorite salad with walnuts red onions and balsamic... ok I think I am jazzed enough about it to have it for dinner tonight :-)

It's fun to find inspiration in places you wouldn't suspect. This weekend I was looking for MINI tshirts and found many that I'd like. Two of my favorites are this one and another one that says "think small". On my run yesterday I was thinking about the shirts and figured that I should wait until I am close to my goal weight before getting a shirt that says "think small" because in my life I've been the subject of jokes and ridicule for far too many young a$$hole boys and most likely grown-ups alike. However, since my ~~obsession~~ interest in MINI culture seems to still be growing (Because who thinks about checking out the library for books on Mini's? I do.) it's fun to have something to tie two of my biggest interests (MINI and getting/staying healthy) together.

Speaking of other interests; I've been tagged for the first time! Woo Hoo! Bazu tagged me and said something that made me smile, she tagged me for "setting an example for healthy eating and living." I know that for the past year I have been trying to do these things but I guess I never really thought of it that I was setting an example. After a little bit of reflection I realize that by blogging about my goals and trials and tribulations I am setting an example; and that is really very energizing! I want to be one of the examples of the fact that it is possible to lose a lot of weight without surgery or medication, and that diet modification and exercise really do work AND that Eat to Live is an excellent lifestyle with more benefits than just weight loss.

So here's the meme:
It’s very simple. When this is passed on to you, copy the whole thing, skim the list and put a * star beside those that you like. (Check out especially the * starred ones.) Add the next number (1. 2. 3. 4. 5., etc.) and write your own blogging tip for other bloggers. Try to make your tip general. After that, tag 10 other people. Link love some friends! Just think– if 10 people start this, the 10 people pass it onto another 10 people, you have 100 links already!

1. Look, read, and learn.
http://www.neonscent.com***

2. Be, EXCELLENT to each other.
http://www.bushmackel.com******

3. Don’t let money change ya!
http://www.therandomforest.info****

4. Always reply to your comments
http://chattiekat.com**

5.Blog about what you know & love.
http://sugar-queens-dream.blogspot.com**

6.Don’t use filthy language-buy a dictionary.
http://shinade.blogspot.com ***

7.Blog about something educational
http://climateofourfuture.org*

8. Always give a link back when using others' info.
http://thevegandiet.blogspot.com/ *

9. Veganize favorite recipes from your childhood!
http://www.wherestherevolution.blogspot.com*

10. Use words and visuals to make your blog represent the real you.
http://fullofveggies.blogspot.com

Ok - now I get to tag other people! Fun!! I tag my ETLin' blogger girlfriends: Carla, Bree, Mary, and Steph

2007-07-25T15:02:00.001-04:00

Wednesday:
Exercise: 30+ min walk with Cammie, 15 min Yourself!Fitness
Breakfast: Smoothie
Lunch: Roasted Veggies with Hummus and Quinoa
Exercise: (hopefully) bike ride and walk with Cammie
Dinner: (planned) salad (romaine, red onion, walnuts, balsamic vinegar)
Fuhrmometer: 9 - Broccoli

Well today I really don't have too much to say but I did want to share another blogger's account of her first Triathlon with you. I found it very inspiring. Read about it here. Please. Thank you.

It really makes me look forward to going home and going on a bike ride tonight.

slinking back into blogtown

2007-07-24T15:13:00.001-04:00

Hi. It's me. Is anyone still out there?

I didn't intend to be gone for nearly two weeks. I guess my best excuse is that I just feel burned out by everything. I haven't felt patient or driven enough for anything the past couple of weeks. I have been running; but have been kind of inconsistent with the rest of my workouts. I've been eating anywhere between really good and not good at all (but have been trying to be really good). And I just haven't felt like I've had too much to say.

Often I wish that I had a limitless supply of motivation and drive because it's really not fun to feel like you don't want to do anything but you know you've got to and then that thing becomes a big ordeal and is no fun at all which then makes doing that thing again even less fun plunging you deeper into not wanting to do anythingness...

Run-on sentences aside, I really do wish that I could feel that burning drive and motivation that I had last summer. What happened to it? I'd really like to get it back. But then I think about this post on Half of Me (a superb weight loss blog) and Jennette is right, it's not about motivation, it's about consistency. Sometimes you have to eat salad even though the thought of more lettuce is the last thing you want. Sometimes you have to drink that smoothie for breakfast even though you've had one pretty much every morning for the last year and it's getting a little old. Sometimes you have to make yourself workout even though you'd rather sit in the backyard and read or watch a movie.

As much as you (and I really mean me) can get sick of whatever trait of a healthy (or responsible or adult) lifestyle, sometimes it just needs to be done because when you consider the alternative, namely gaining weight back or staying at the same (above goal) weight - eating that salad doesn't really seem too bad.

i think they call it confidence

2007-07-12T14:18:00.000-04:00

This is my back side.

I don't in any way feel that it is a flattering picture of me. My pants are a bit on the small side, my hair is a mess, I think I'm standing crooked, I've got weird objects in my hands (a rubber duckie and the dog leash), etc. There really isn't anything good about how I look in this picture at all. Why am I posting it then?

Let me provide a little bit of back story (no pun intended) to show why I'm broadcasting this less than stellar image of myself across the internet for (potentially) anyone and everyone to see:

Remember how Hubby, Cammie and I went to the drive-in this past weekend with some fellow Mini owners? Well people were taking pictures, including one guy and his sister who took a bunch of really great shots of the cars and of the drive from the dinner place to the drive-in. Yesterday the guy who took the pictures posted a link to the pictures from the drive-in and I was looking through them, there were lots of great pictures of my car and the other Minis, some decent pictures with my face in it, an awesome picture of Cammie's little head sticking out from between my Mini and a another one with more Mini's in the background... and so on. Then the picture popped up featuring a full on shot of me from the back.

"Wow, I don't want to crawl into a hole and die." I thought to myself. Like I said, I don't love the picture, but the fact that when I look at it I wasn't (and still am not) filled with shame was something to write about, I even think my legs look kind of decent. A year ago, a picture like this would have mortified me but I'm feeling ok about this one and that really makes me happy.

Even though all last week and last weekend I was seeing friends and family members who were telling me how great I looked, it didn't really do as much for me as not being disgusted by the picture did. I do appreciate the comments from others very much; but sometimes you just have to see things for yourself. My body has changed into something that I'm not terrified of taking out into public, running in public, or even having photographed. That's a form of progress I wasn't anticipating; but am really happy I've discovered!

Wednesday:
Exercise: Walk with Cammie, Yourself!Fitness Core workout
Breakfast: Smoothie
Lunch: None (wasn't hungry)
Exercise: Walk with Cammie
Dinner: Veggie Spring Rolls with rice
Fuhrmometer: 7.5 Lentil/Eggplant

Thursday:
Exercise: bike to park, run with Cammie, bike home, stretch
Breakfast: Smoothie
Lunch: Blueberry Almond Muffin
Exercise:
Dinner:
Fuhrmometer:

2007-07-10T20:37:00.000-04:00

Tuesday:
Exercise: 35 min Bike, 45 min walk/run, stretching
Breakfast: smoothie, muffin
Lunch: none
Exercise: 30 min walk with Cammie
Dinner: noodle salad (rice noodles, shredded cabage and carrots, spinach, basil, scallions), raw brownies
Fuhrmometer: 9 - broccoli

Hubby gave me a much needed kick in the butt yesterday about really getting my act together and getting back into the losing phase. I was doing really well until we went to Maine a month ago and I've been struggling since then.

In while we were in Maine I think I gained about 5 lbs and I'd lost about 3 of them before I started running, and then last week picked up a couple more. I didn't weigh myself this morning but I will tomorrow so I know where I am. But basically I've maintained for the past month. Not really what I was going for there.

I need to stop being so relaxed with my food. I need to cut out the sodium. I need to stop being lazy and get back to cooking. I'm so motivated with my workouts right now that I'm doing myself a disservice by not matching that with my food.

weekend in review

2007-07-08T18:32:00.000-04:00

Mini's at the Drive-In last night! We met up with some other Mini owners for dinner and then all drove over to the drive-in. It was a lot of fun! (My mini is the light gray one second from the front).

This weekend was a weird one for food. Friday night dinner ended up being some macaroni salad and chips and ice cream... that has got to be the worst meal I've had in a long time! Saturday food was a little better but still nothing great and I didn't get in any exercise. It's nice to go out and do things but sometimes it's absolutely impossible to eat a healthy meal!

So this morning I was dreading my run thinking I was going to suffer the entire time. It was disgustingly hot and humid outside so I took Cammie for a quick walk around the neighborhood and then came back to run on the treadmill in the cooler and slightly less humid basement. The walk outside was kind of torturous; but my run ended up going much better than I thought it would.

Today's run was 45 minutes of 3 minutes running / 2 minutes walking (lather, rinse, repeat). I felt really good for the first 15 - 20 minutes; and then minutes 20 -30 were kind of tough and I wanted to stop at 30. But I perservered and kept going and the last 15 minutes were pretty good. It was nice to see all those big numbers on the TM that I don't see when I'm running outside, and today's run showed me that I can complete the 5k in a time that will be toward the back of the pack but will still be respectable (by me).

Busy Weekend!

2007-07-06T13:36:00.000-04:00

We're leaving in about 20 minutes to go to a family reunion tonight and tomorrow morning/afternoon. THEN tomorrow evening we are meeting up with some fellow MINI Cooper people for dinner and the drive-in. It's going to be a fun weekend but I won't get to post again until Sunday.

So I leave you with an assignment: What should I make to eat next week for my cooked veggies? It may include beans and/or grains but it doesn't have to. BUT it should be easy to make because Sunday is going to be a busy day and it's supposed to be 93 here (and humid, which is absolutely lovely).

I look forward to your suggestions! Have a superb weekend!

2007-07-05T21:06:00.000-04:00

cursor:hand;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_xqHZA-ZAbB8/Ro2V92pxjoI/AAAAAAAAARI/1BYo5Krm2Ys/s400/hisnibs.bmp" border="0" alt=""id=""/>Thursday:
Exercise: Training Run, Stretching
Breakfast: Smoothie, Muffin
Lunch: some salad, popcorn
Dinner: stir fry and rice
Fuhrmometer: 7.5 Lentil/Eggplant

Well Dr. Fuhrman responded to my question. He said that for now I should cross train and run on grass and as I lose weight I can add more running into my routine. I think that I am cross training now, I am running, walking, biking, stretching and strength training, and also doing some step aerobics with Yourself!Fitness. That's cross training right?

It is added incentive to work harder to lose weight because I am really enjoying running. This morning I actually got up at 6am to run before work, and was glad that I did. I think his response is great because it's going to push me to bike more and make sure that I get in a variety of types of exercies and don't neglect anything in favor of running. If only I could find an inexpensive place to swim!

i ♥ nature

2007-07-03T20:12:00.001-04:00

Tuesday:
Breakfast: Smoothie, Blueberry Almond Muffin
Exercise: Training Run/Walk with Cammie (~45 min), 15 min Yourself!Fitness Flexibility workout, 10 minutes stretching
Lunch/Dinner: Falafel Salad
Exercise: Walk with Cammie
Fuhrmometer: 8.5 Eggplant/Kale

Cammie and I ran in the park today; and it was awesome! I love taking walks in the woods and running was even better. The time flew by and even though there were some nice hills in the park it was easier and more enjoyable to run there. I'd really like to run in the park as much as possible, if only we lived closer!

2007-07-02T20:30:00.000-04:00

Monday:
Exercise: Walk with Cammie
Breakfast: Smoothie, Carrot-Rasin-Walnut muffin
Lunch: Salad (romaine, scallions, mandarin oranges, almonds, ginger-lime-sesame dressing)
Exercise: Walk with Cammie, 30 min Yourself!Fitness Core workout, 15 min stretching
Dinner: Salad (romaine, falafel, cucumber, scallions, tahini-lemon dressing)
Fuhrmometer: 9.5 Broccoli/Kale

Short post tonight for I am exhausted, but in a good way! This whole running thing has really remotivated me to eat more on point and I feel very good about my food today.

Hubby is worried that I am still too heavy to run and will get hurt and that I'll end up back where I started. Well I have to first say that I don't want to get hurt either! I want to do it right (hence the starting slow, taking extra care to stretch, and sticking with strength training) so I can keep doing it. I also want to be good about my food so that I can lose weight and get even healthier and keep on running! Just to make sure that this is an ok thing for me to be doing I am going to ask Dr. Fuhrman his opinion (I really hope that he says that it is!).

I am going to keep close tabs on how my knees are doing, and if they do start to bother me I will back off; because while I don't want to wait until I've reached my weight loss goal to start living, I do want to be able to live when I reach it!

first "official" training run

2007-07-01T19:45:00.000-04:00

Yesterday hubby and I went to the triathlon/running store and I got a pair of running sneakers, I did the whole run on the treadmill while they videotape your feet thing - I was a bit nervous about that but it wasn't bad at all. I got a pair of sneakers that feel great and I'm really happy with them. Then we went to Dick's Sporting Goods and Kmart and Target in search of non-cotton socks and a wristwatch with a stopwatch in it.

So finally this morning I did my first training run; it was tough at times but overall it was great! After a warmup walk I alternated running and walking in a pyramid pattern, 1 minute running followed by 1 minute walking and then 2 minutes of each, 3 minutes, then 4 and then back down. With the warmup and cool-downs it took about 42 minutes. There were a couple of times that my body wanted to walk instead of run, but I pushed on and ran all of my running segments.

According to mapmyrun.com (thanks Ruthie!) my entire trip was about 2.7 miles. Less than another 1/2 mile and I would have had travelled 5k which is really cool when I consider the time it took and how much walking I did. :-)

Don't eat cookies for breakfast

2007-06-29T20:59:00.000-04:00

because you'll be sorry later! I have no idea why I did it, but I know that I never will again. I had 2 chocolate chip cookies this morning before going to work and I knew it was a mistake pretty much immediately. I made my smoothie and got a muffin and took salad stuff for lunch to work with me but I just felt horrible. I finished only about half my smoothie and wasn't even hungry for lunch. The good part is that I have no desire to have any more of those cookies. ever. again.

Running stuff: I ran outside yesterday morning! I ran about 1/3 of my usual walk with Cammie which is I'm guessing around 1/2 mile or maybe a little more. I'll have to check it with the car or something to see. I think our route is about 1.5 miles total. I'm glad I did it because I'm not nervous about running outside anymore.

Also - I picked out 2 more races: a 4 miler in October and a 5k trail run in November. A fellow member on Dr.F's member center is helping me train for the first 5k, I'm very excited.

And my third unrelated (sort of) thing that I wanted to tell you all. I feel like I had a breakthrough today. Friday I'm supposed to be to work by 8:30ish, which is earlier than the rest of the week for me. So this morning I was tired from being out running around (practicing driving my car etc) last night and didn't get up to walk Cammie and then the whole cookie thing... So that all manifested in me being a complete zombie all day. I felt like I was going to fall asleep in my office chair and wanted to come home to take a nap (which I never do anymore). But when I was on my way home I realized that I didn't want to take a nap and I'd actually feel a lot better if I took Cammie for a walk, so I did, and by the time we got home I felt awesome. I think that for me this is a key to being a thinner healthier person - realizing how great being active makes me feel physically AND preferring to do it over just loafing around. :-)

more on running

2007-06-27T20:12:00.000-04:00

Wednesday:
Exercise: AM walk with Cammie, 30 min Yourself!Fitness Cardio workout
Breakfast: Smoothie, Blueberry Almond Muffin
Lunch: Cabbage Tofu Veggie wraps
Exercise: 10 minutes on the Treadmill
Dinner: Spinach Artichoke Twist
Fuhrmometer: 8 - Eggplant

Well we picked a 5k to run in this morning - the Purple Foot 5k. It's on September 8th and is part of the grape stomping festival at the vineyard in my hometown where hubby and I got married. It seems like it's meant to be! It also means that I have 10 weeks from Saturday in which to train.

And I am going to need those 10 weeks! I got on the treadmill when I got home from work today to see what I could do. I had been telling myself that I could run the entire 3.1 miles right now and that was all there was to it. WOAH was I in for a rude awakening! I got off the TM telling myself that maybe the Couch to 5k plan was the better way to go.

BUT I want more time than just one or two weeks running the 5k distance before the actual 5k. I could start at week 3 on the Couch to 5k and go from there, and I might do that but I still have to work out how I'll measure time or distance when I'm running outside.

Which brings me to my other hangup - RUNNING OUTSIDE. I know I just have to get over worrying about what other people think of me and just do it but I'm still feeling apprehensive about it. I know the only way to get over it is just to get out there and do it and not worry about other people so much, because after all; I'm doing this for myself and not other people.

I'm still feeling excited about this, just realizing that I am not Super Athlete (just yet).

r-u-n-n-o-f-t

2007-06-26T19:00:00.000-04:00

Tuesday:
Exercise: AM walk with Cammie, Yourself!Fitness - flexibility workout
Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch: Smoothie
Exercise:
Dinner:
Fuhrmometer:

In Dr. Fuhrman's forums one of the members has been reporting about his training for his first marathon. He made a comment about how he had been into running a few years ago when he weighed more than he does now. I've been wanting to start running but have been hesitant because I don't want to hurt my knees and hips by starting to run while I am still so substantially overweight, and also because I thought it would be easier to run when I am lighter. I asked this other member if he thought that it is easier to run now that he has lost weight from where he was before and let him know my concerns about starting to run now.

To paraphrase his response, he feels that he's putting as much effort into his runs as he did before but has realized that he runs quite a bit faster now. He also related something out of a running book about how Oprah started out to run her first marathon when she weighed 222 pounds (or something close to that).

"Hey! I weigh less than 222 pounds! AND I'll bet I'm a lot younger than Oprah was too! AND I eat better!" I said to myself. "It's true. PLUS there are other non-Oprah people out there who run marathons and compete in triathlons who have pounds to lose, so why not me?"

So I am going to start running. I thought that I would try the Couch to 5k running program on CoolRunning.com, which gradually builds you up over 9 weeks from very little running to running the 5k. When I looked at the program I got a little scared, it wants you to aim to run the 3 miles in 30 minutes. That's a 10 minute mile, or an average of 6 miles per hour. I know to some that doesn't sound like very fast but I run S L O W - 5mph is fast for me. Sure I could do the C25K at my own speed but I wouldn't want to, I would want to complete the program as written.

My boss is an avid runner and has been very supportive of me as I lose weight, eat better and become more active. I told her I was going to start the C25K program and she thought it would be better to work on running the 3 miles now (I know I've done at least 2 without stopping so I could probably do 3) and then as I practice I'll get faster. It makes sense, but then again C25K does too.

She also said that she'd run a 5k with me around my birthday (Labor Day weekend) - so that's my goal. Run a 5k by/on Labor Day weekend. I know I can do it, but I want to feel confident and do it well.

I'm not sure what my specific plan is going to turn out to be, but I do know that I am going to start running 3x per week (in addition to walking Cammie, bike rides, and Yourself!Fitness). I think I'll need to do some outside running as well as on the treadmill. I want to get on the TM and just run 3 miles first to show myself that I can do it, no matter what the time and then go from there. Any advice from the runners out there?

things i've been thinking

2007-06-25T17:13:00.000-04:00

Monday:
AM 30 min walk with Cammie
Breakfast: Smoothie (spinach, blueberries, strawberries, 1/2 banana, flax, water)
Lunch: Pita Sandwich (whole wheat pita, falafel, lettuce, tomatoes, spinach, onions, little bit of tzatziki)
PM walk and bike ride with Cammie (I have a doggie bike basket with a harness, it's hilarious and I think that she secretly likes bike rides even though she may tell you different)
Dinner: Salad (romaine, scallions, mandarin oranges, almonds, balsamic), raw brownies
Fuhrmometer: 8.5 - eggplant/broccoli

I've been thinking lately that I should stop counting my walks with Cammie as exercise, but I've also been thinking that I shouldn't. I'm still not sure what I officially think.

Reasoning for not counting it:
- Our route is pretty flat and while we walk at a decent pace; it's not like we're jogging or even speedwalking
- I should just use the time for waking up in the morning and de-stressing in the evening
- I can work out harder on the treadmill and therefore build more muscle etc.

Reasoning for counting it:
- I am being active when I walk her
- It's summertime and I am really enjoying being outside so much
- (When I eat well) I am losing weight at this level of activity
- It's not like I don't do anything else, I've been riding my bike and I do Yourself!Fitness too (although I should do it more than I have recently)
- The treadmill can be a bit boring.

Ok, so I think I've decided to keep things as they are for the time being. BUT - I will be more faithful with doing Yourself!Fitness 6x per week and I will do at least 1 workout on the treadmill per week while it's summer and the weather is awesome.

MINI & muffins

2007-06-24T20:30:00.000-04:00

Hi. Sorry it's been so long. We picked up the new car on Thursday... I love it! I can't wait until I am practiced and confident enough in driving manual to drive it all the time :) Until then I am content to be a passenger most of the time.

Not too much news. I've was ok this past week but not super. This week things are much more stable and normal so I know I'll be able to do a lot better. I haven't felt much like cooking lately but I did make some muffins today:

They're based on these muffins (scroll down for recipe), but I adapted it somewhat to make it a bit healthier. They're definitely not perfect ETL but they work for me because I can eat one without feeling guilty and it also doesn't hurt my tummy like a full-fat/refined sugar & flour muffin would.

I think that the recipe needs a little tweaking (more applesauce, use ww pastry flour, add some orange zest...) but here it is:

Blueberry Almond Muffins
Yeilds 12 muffins

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and combine in large bowl:
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
½ cup all purpose flour
½ tsp salt (optional)
2 tsp baking powder

Stir 1½ cups frozen blueberries into the dry mix

In food processor combine:
1/3 cup apple sauce
2 bananas
½ cup dates (chop and soak dates for better blending)
1 tsp vanilla or almond extract
2 Tbsp water

Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients, spoon into lined muffin tins.

Crumb topping (combine with fork)(optional, but definitely include the almonds):
3 Tbsp sugar
3 Tbsp slivered almonds
2 Tbsp flour
¼ cup Earth Balance

Sprinkle crumb topping over muffins and bake for 25 minutes.

2007-06-19T16:48:00.000-04:00

Tuesday:
Exercise: short walk with Cammie
Breakfast: Smoothie
Lunch: tiny bag of croutons (?)
Dinner: roasted veggies with basil and pine nuts with reduced balsamic and tortillas
Fuhrmometer: 7.5 - lentil/eggplant

Well today was much better than yesterday detox - wise; so that's good. I didn't realize it but sometime in the last few days I changed my alarm clock from the beep to the radio - and it's not actually radio but static. With the fans/ac on, I can't hear the static and have slept later than planned the past few days which has made it impossible for me to get my workout in before work.

But still, I'm trying and I'm not letting little things like not getting my usual workouts in throw me off course. I have been making an effort to eat better and will continue to eat better and better and I will also get my workouts in when I can.

I don't have to be perfect every day, but I do have to do my best every day.

back to business

2007-06-18T20:56:00.001-04:00

Monday:
Exercise: 30 min walk with cammie
Breakfast: Smoothie (spinach, mixed berries, 1/2 banana, flax, water)
Lunch: Thai Coconut Soup with Tofu and veggies
Exercise: bike ride, 30 min walk with cammie
Dinner: sort of fajitas kind of
Fuhrmometer: 8 - eggplant

After FINALLY having a decent food day following a week and a half of not eating very well I am feeling like crap right now! Detox is not fun!

I did get a bit angry at myself this weekend over being tired of feeling frumpy all the time. It seems like most of my clothes are too big or just a little bit too small and here I am, Goldilocks with nothing to wear. Boo hoo for me! (kidding)

However, I do want to stick with the losing trend so that I can fit into the clothes I have that are on the snug side and buy more clothes that are on the snug side so that I have something to work for until I reach my goal.

Also, as hubby so rightly pointed out to me; it can take me a while to get back on track after vacation and we don't want to fall into that deep crevasse of a rut that I was stuck in over the winter.

Because summer is my time to shine. And I plan on doing just that.

small car for a smaller me

2007-06-15T21:12:00.000-04:00

I'm getting a new car!

A 2007 Mini Cooper S to be exact.

I've wanted a Mini for a while, but before starting to lose weight I never would have even taken one for a test drive - I thought that I would be such a joke - a BIG person in a small car.

But now that I feel like I am approaching a normal size and feel much better about myself in general, I had no problems with looking at the car and not feeling self conscious about it at all.

It does have a 6 speed manual transmission - which is really really fun, but I am not so good at driving standard (YET!). So I'll have a lot of fun learning.

We're picking it up on Thursday after work (!!!) and I'll post more pictures of my actual car when I get it. This is just another way that life has become so much more enjoyable and fun since I started to take care of myself and my body.

Year One Review

2007-06-14T16:49:00.000-04:00

Monday marked a year since starting Eat To Live, and I’ve been reflecting on all the things that have changed in that year. One of the most significant changes for me has been the food that I eat:

Breakfast:
Then: Luna Bar (or two) on work days, egg sandwiches on the weekends
Now: Smoothies with 8oz of spinach with berries and banana on work days, Smoothies with 8oz of spinach with cherries and banana and cocoa powder on the weekends

Lunch:
Then: frozen veggies with sauce, or fast food
Now: healthy veggie soup; usually skip lunch on the weekends because I’m busy doing stuff and don’t want it!

Dinner:
Then: veggie burgers, other frozen junk-vegetarian food, take out
Now: salads with beans and veggies

Dessert:
Then: You name it! Usually ice cream…
Now: raw brownies

I’m not perfect in my eating now, but I have vastly improved. I used to buy fruits and veggies and lettuce and so much of it would go bad in my refrigerator. These days I go through a bag of salad in a day and have to make extra trips to the grocery store during the week because I’m out of lettuce! I used to hardly ever eat fruit – now I eat it every day. Beans – I didn’t have a problem with them before but I didn’t seek them out; and when I did use them I used canned beans. These days I try at all costs NOT to use canned beans.

Getting take out has gone from once or twice a week to once or twice a month - if that.

I used to be addicted to starchy foods – breads, rice, etc and ate way too much cheese and oil/butter/margarine – I still have starchy foods from time to time but I’ve also learned that I don’t really like cheese too much anymore and have realized that I don’t need oil or butter to cook or flavor my food.

Before I thought I knew a decent amount about nutrition, I was so wrong! I think I have learned a lot about what is good for me and what is bad for me and why. But I also have learned that I have a lot more to learn.

Hunger – I used to suffer from toxic hunger so badly; but there were also many times that I would eat or overeat so constantly that I would never feel hunger. These days I don’t feel discomfort when I’m hungry – I just feel hungry – it’s controllable, and it’s nice to actually feel hungry for a meal and also to not be constantly thinking about food when I’m not hungry.

Physically – Well, I’ve lost a good amount of weight. I know if I had been more disciplined over the holidays and during the winter that I could have lost a lot more than I have but it’s ok. I think that I have lost more than I thought that I could when I started this thing. In the beginning I used positive self-talk to create a positive self-fulfilling prophecy. Now – I’ve seen that I am successful in losing weight and I know that I will continue to be and will reach my goal, there’s no doubt in my mind.

I don’t have to shop exclusively in the Women’s or Plus Size section anymore.

I am SO much more physically active now than I was a year ago. There was a period of time when I was in college and grad school that I was very diligent about working out and being in shape, but when life changed and I started working full-time those things changed (and so did my eating habits). When I first started ETLing I can remember being worried about using my treadmill because I thought I was too heavy for it (I still don’t know if I was or not).

When I first started working out I walked 2.5 or 2.7 mph at 0.5% incline on the treadmill for 30 or 35 minutes. Today I sometimes jog (not very fast but nevertheless) at 3-4% incline or walk at least 3.0mph at 12% incline when I use the treadmill, but lately Cammie and I have been taking two walks a day in addition to my workouts with Yourself!Fitness and bike rides with hubby. In general I do about 90 minutes of exercise in a day and really feel like I’m missing out when I don’t.

I can do pushups now, the girly kind – but it’s better than before.

There are so many things that I can say about how things have changed over the last year and why they are so much better now that I could go on and on. Bit I’m going to leave it with this – last year I didn’t know if I could do this and I think I’ve proven that I can. This next year I’m officially challenging myself to do even better than I have in this past year – to be more dedicated to eating ETL foods and to develop myself even more into an athlete, and finally to reach my weight loss goals.

Excuses...

2007-06-13T15:18:00.000-04:00

Wednesday:
Breakfast: cereal
Lunch: Thai Soup from fatfreevegan
Exercise:
Dinner:
Fuhrmometer:

Hi, I'm back.

Well, actually I was back on Sunday evening but I just haven't felt like writing too much; and I didn't take any pictures when we were in Maine so I don't really have any good new pictures to post eiter. PLUS we've had network issues at work the past few days (where i do most of my blogging) and I don't like spending my evenings with my laptop instead of my doggie or hubby so it's been tough to find time these past few days.

While we were gone I didn't stay on plan too much. I had some decent food but mostly bad junk-vegetarian type food. I've been getting myself back into the groove this week as much as I can; it's been tough because I didn't have any time to make smoothie kits to last me all week or salad dressing or the raw brownies. Plus my work schedule this week was a little strange so that's also made things challenging. Tonight I have time to do the prep that I need to do so I should be back in my groove soon.

I think that one of the best things about going away was coming back and getting to catch up on everyone's blogs and the forums that I missed out on; it's been very inspirational and a good kick to get back on track. You guys are awesome.

Road Trip!

2007-06-06T15:06:00.000-04:00

Wednesday:
Breakfast: Smoothie
Lunch: Thai Coconut Soup with Tofu and Mushrooms (and more veggies!)
Exercise:
Dinner:
Fuhrmometer:

Tomorrow morning we are driving to Massachusetts to visit the area where hubby lived as a little kid and then we are going to Maine for the rest of the weekend where we will meet up with Hubby's Mom and stepdad and nephew. Hopefully we will have a good time, not miss the doggie too much, and have nice weather :-) I am going to take my camera (it'll actually get to take pictures of things that aren't food or the dog for once!) so hopefully I will have some fun pictures to post here.

This morning I was at 210.0 - which I know isn't such a drastic change from what I posted on Monday but it still makes me excited, partly because I like these even, round numbers and partly because what comes next will be 209 or 208, the most important part of that being the 0. It just makes me happy.

2007-06-05T16:40:00.000-04:00

Tuesday:
Exercise: none, I slept in
Breakfast: Smoothie (spinach, mixed berries, 1/2 banana, flax, water)
Lunch: fresh garden rolls (from Thai restaurant, steamed not fried)
Exercise: 30 min walk with Cammie and 30 min Y!F (flexibility I think)
Dinner: salad (romaine, mandarin oranges, scallions, almonds, sesame ginger lime dressing)
Fuhrmometer: 8.5 - eggplant/broccoli

My poor doggie! She missed out on our morning walk yesterday because it was raining and this morning because I slept in. I feel pretty guilty. But I'll make it up to her this evening.

Since I've been eating healthy and have gotten myself used to getting up in the morning to work out it hasn't been so bad. I used to be the anti-morning person but for the last few months I've been doing ok.

I used to pretty much always feel horrible when I would first wake up - have a headache and feel nautious, but that's pretty much gone away now. Most mornings I wake up and even though I would rather stay in bed it's not a chore to get up. It's just another benefit of eating well and feeling all around better in general.

But this morning I just didn't want to get up, so I didn't and slept in an extra two hours. I must have needed it because last night I was feeling pretty sore and tired and went to sleep earlier than normal but today my body does feel rested and I am looking forward to a good workout when I get home.

2007-06-04T20:43:00.000-04:00

Monday:
Exercise: 30 min core workout (Y!F)
Breakfast: none
Lunch: plain gardenburger with tomato, lettuce, red onion (no roll or ketchup or anything), tiny bit of pasta salad, one cookie
Exercise: 70 min walk with Cammie
Dinner: salad (romaine, mandarin oranges, scallions, almonds, sesame ginger lime dressing); raw brownies
Fuhrmometer: 8 - eggplant

Weight this morning was 211.4, down 2.2 pounds from last week. Not too bad.

Today we had a town meeting and faculty & staff picnic at work. I rememembered from last year that there wasn't too much in the way of vegetarian options from last year but I thought at least I'd be able to get a green salad and some fruit, I was so wrong! I did my best and don't feel too bad about the choices that I made (maybe except for the cookie) considering the choices. Next year I'll bring my own lunch or something.

Only two more days of work and then we have a 4 day weekend in Massachusetts and Maine!

2007-06-03T20:24:00.000-04:00

Sunday:
Exercise: 30 min walk with Cammie, 30 min upper body workout (Y!F)
Breakfast: Smoothie (spinach, cherries, banana, flax, cocoa powder, water)
Lunch: veggie dog
Exercise: Salad (romaine, scallions, mandarin oranges, sliced almonds, ginger lime sesame dressing); raw brownies
Fuhrmometer: 8 - eggplant

2007-06-02T21:33:00.000-04:00

Saturday:
Exercise: 30 min walk with Cammie, 30 min cardio workout (Y!F)
Breakfast: Smoothie (spinach, cherries, banana, flax, cocoa powder, water)
Dinner: Salad (romaine, scallions, mandarin oranges, almonds, ginger lime sesame dressing)
Exercise: 30 min walk with Cammie, bike ride with Hubby
Dessert: raw brownies
Fuhrmometer: 9 - broccoli

Hubby got a new bike this week and we went for an innaugural ride this evening; it was very nice. I'm looking forward to more :-)

Helllooooo June!

2007-06-01T15:57:00.000-04:00

Friday:
Exercise: 30 min walk with Cammie, no Y!F today - it's rest day
Breakfast: Smoothie
Lunch: Orange, 3 crackers
Exercise: 30 min walk with Cammie
Dinner: Weekly OP dinner
Fuhrmometer: 6.75

Big things are going to happen in June for me! My one year ETL anniversary and I think I have a good shot at also hitting the -100 mark. Lots of awesome things and great weather to go with it! Oh June, if only you could stay all year!

2007-05-31T22:16:00.000-04:00

Thursday:
Exercise: 30 min walk with Cammie, 30 min flexibility workout (Y!F)
Breakfast: Smoothie (spinach, mixed berries, 1/2 banana, flax, water)
Lunch: 1/2 bowl Thai Coconut Soup with tofu and veggies
Dinner: mozzarella sticks, salad (romaine, green onion, mandarin oranges, almonds, ginger lime sesame dressing), raw brownies
Fuhrmometer: 7.5 lentil/eggplant

2007-05-30T11:40:00.000-04:00

Wednesday:
Exercise: 30 min walk with Cammie, 30 min core workout (Y!F)
Breakfast: Smoothie (spinach, mixed berries, 1/2 banana, flax, water)
Lunch: 1/2 bowl Thai Coconut Soup with veggies
Exercise: walk around the neighborhood with Cammie and Hubby
Dinner: Salad (romaine, scallions, mandarin orange sections, almonds, ginger-lime-sesame dressing); raw brownies
Fuhrmometer: 9.5 Broccoli/Kale

Writing is a funny thing - either you love it or you hate it. I think that most of the time my feelings regarding writing revolve around if I have anything to say or not, it's so much easier to write when you actually have something you want to say. One of my favorite thoughts about writing is from the book Sophie's Choice where the narrator is a young writer, he states that (paraphrase) "the most insulting thing to a writer is the blank page." Isn't that the truth when you have to sit down to write something and have no idea what on earth to say.

Lately I haven't had too much that I really felt was worth writing about, that and I feel like I've been really busy lately with stuff around the house and whatnot... at least that's what I was telling myself. I thought about it some more and the real reason is that for the last week and a half I've been feeling like I don't want to try so hard with the eating - I've felt like my workouts have been good and consistent and I don't want to be so strict with myself when it comes to food.

I know that this really is crap. It's not doing anything good for my weight loss (although luckily it hasn't done anything negative either). I don't want to maintain the weight that I am at but I am kind of behaving like it.

BUT I still feel like I want to be more relaxed with my food - I don't know... I think maybe if I allow myself one planned "off plan" meal a week, like dinner on Fridays with Hubby, then that will be something I can live with without starting to feel deprived or stressed out about things. Yeah, I can do that.

2007-05-30T11:05:00.000-04:00

In Review:

Monday:
Exercise: 30 min walk with Cammie, 30 min cardio workout (Y!F)
Breakfast: Smoothie (spinach, cherries, banana, flax, cocoa powder, water)
Lunch: 2 veggie dogs, no salt chips, coleslaw
Exercise: ~60 min walk in the park with Hubby and Cammie
Dinner: 2 veggie dogs, no salt chips, corn; raw brownies
Fuhrmometer: 4.5 brown rice/ potato

Tuesday:
Exercise: 30 min walk with Cammie, 30 min upper body workout (Y!F)
Breakfast: Smoothie (spinach, mixed berries, 1/2 banana, flax, water)
Lunch: Springtime Soup (how I love thee!)
Dinner: 1 veggie dog, some cheese & crackers, salad, broccoli with a little pasta, strawberries, raw brownies (WOW! I totally blew it there!)
Fuhrmometer: 6 - blueberry

2007-05-27T20:20:00.000-04:00

Susan V's Thai Coconut Soup with Tofu and Mushrooms (and some extra veggies, cause hey; I gotta live up to this blog's name ;-)

Sunday:
Exercise: (throughout the day) 30 min walk with Cammie, 30 min treadmill, 30 min flexibility workout (Y!F), 30 min walk with Cammie
Food: not awesome, but not horrible

2007-05-26T21:22:00.000-04:00

Saturday:
Exercise: 30 min walk with Cammie, 30 min core workout (Y!F)
Breakfast: Smoothie (spinach, cherries, banana, flax, cocoa powder, water)
Activity: Yard Work
Lunch: a couple salt potatoes with ketchup
Dinner: Salad (romaine, quorn naked cutlet, sliced almonds, raspberry balsamic dressing); mushrooms; raw brownies
Fuhrmometer: 8 - Eggplant

slight improvement

2007-05-25T21:12:00.000-04:00

Friday:
Breakfast: Smoothie
Lunch: pizza crusts...
Dinner: Salad (romaine, raspberry balsamic, quorn naked cutlet, almonds); 3 small salt potatoes with ketchup, raw brownies
Exercise: rest day
Fuhrmometer: 6 - blueberry

can i have a do-over?

2007-05-25T09:20:00.000-04:00

Thursday:
Exercise: 30 min walk with Cammie, 30 min upper body workout (Y!F)
Breakfast: Smoothie
Lunch: mock chicken salad wrap from HFS
Dinner: eggplant parmesan sub, ice cream sandwich
Fuhrmometer: 3 - Cashew

Thank you Mary for keeping me accountable and making me post - I was attempting to slide under the radar but you are too good!

I don't know what happened yesterday, I have no good reasons or excuses for eating the way I did and I do feel bad about it and wish I could take it back. I can say that I noticed two things - 1. the food isn't worth it and I get much more enjoyment and "feel good" out of eating healthily and 2. I don't really like cheese anymore - I peeled most of it off of my sub - so that is some progress.

Today I am back on track and I will post again tonight to prove it.

2007-05-23T13:41:00.000-04:00

Wednesday:
Exercise: 30 min walk with Cammie, 30 min cardio workout (Y!F)
Breakfast: Smoothie (36ish oz) Spinach, blueberries, strawberries, 1/2 banana, flax, water
Lunch: 1/2 Bowl Springtime Soup
Exercise: 30 min walk with Cammie
Dinner: Salad (romaine, raspberry balsamic dressing, quorn naked cutlet); Raw Brownies
Fuhrmometer: 9 - broccoli

Today I am craving Thai Food, I'm not going to have it but I do want it... really badly. I know that there are many things that are more important than Thai Food, including the fact that I can realistically meet the -100 lbs mark within the next few weeks if I am extremely dedicated and diligent and that is something that will be really exciting. I don't want to eat anything that will lead to me feeling guilty or defeated or set me back in any way to meet this milestone.

2007-05-22T20:10:00.000-04:00

Tuesday:
Exercise: 30 min walk with Cammie, 30 min flexibility workout (Y!F)
Breakfast: Smoothie
Lunch: 1/2 bowl Springtime Soup
Exercise: 30 min walk with Cammie
Dinner: Salad - lettuce, hummus, wasabi wonton strips; Raw Brownies
Fuhrmometer: 8.5 - eggplant/broccoli

Today I realized that I can be satisfied on less than what I planned to eat, and that I don't have to force myself to realize that. For someone who has been an over eater for pretty much all of her life this is pretty cool. I was eating my lunch and just came to a point where I was satiated and realized that I could save the other half of my soup for lunch tomorrow.

It's not that I would or should feel bad if I had eaten the entire thing - but the fact that I don't have to force myself to stop if I want to or need to and can listen to what my body really wants/needs. I've never been one of those people who could stop eating a restaurant meal in the middle just because. It always was a conscious effort to not look like a pig in front of others. I never understood how people could do that or leave food on their plate but now I am starting to get it. And that's really cool to me.

Weigh In

2007-05-21T11:24:00.000-04:00

Monday:
Exercise: 30 min walk with Cammie, 30 min core (Y!F)
Breakfast: Smoothie (spinach, blueberries, strawberries, banana, flax, water)
Lunch: some portobello - onion - broccoli rabe soup
Exercise: 30 min walk with Cammie
Dinner: Salad (field greens, shredded carrot, hummus), quorn naked cutlet on 1/2 whole wheat pita with tomato and onion, ice cream sandwich
Exercise: 15:20 running on tm
Fuhrmometer: 8 - eggplant

Weight today is 215.0 which is down 2.8 from 2 weeks ago and down about 5 from last Monday (after 4 or 5 days of junk and no workouts). I'm pleased with it and since a lot of the craziness at work is over for now I know that I'll have no excuses for not sticking with the program. :-)

Edit: I wish I had remembered what I wrote this morning when I decided to have an ice cream sandwich after dinner! I did remember about half way through eating it and decided to go run it off on the treadmill. I'm glad I did [decide to do that], it felt good to really work hard. However, in the future I want to eat without feeling guilty about it (because it's good food and not crap) and work out hard because I can and am fit enough to do it.

weekend flog

2007-05-20T17:47:00.000-04:00

Weekend:
Saturday:
Exercise: 30 min walk with Cammie, 30 min Cardio workout (Y!F)
Breakfast: Smoothie (spinach, cherries, banana, chia seeds, cocoa powder, water)
~~Exercise~~ Strenuous Activity: 5 hours of gardening/yard work
Dinner: sesame tofu and rice
Fuhrmometer: 6.5 blueberry/lentil

Sunday:
Exercise: 30 min walk with Cammie, 30 min upper body (Y!F)
Breakfast: Smoothie (spinach, cherries, banana, flax, cocoa powder, water)
Lunch: fresh spring rolls (not the fried kind), curry rice with veggies
Dinner: Salad (Quorn Naked Cutlet with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, red onion and balsamic)
Exercise: 30 min walk with Cammie
Fuhrmometer: ?

Edit: For some reason comments aren't appearing for this post... strange!

the superiority that is the salad

2007-05-19T11:14:00.000-04:00

The college I work for had graduation yesterday, this was me!

I felt awesome all day despite runs in my stockings :-) At lunch/dinner in between the Graduate and Undergraduate ceremonies we went to an Italian restaraunt where their most popular dish is spaghetti parmesan - yup, pasta with sauce covered in tons of mozzerella cheese and broiled. I am happy to say that I had a salad and it was wonderful - mixed greens with big chunks of apple, dried cherries, walnuts, red onion and a little bit of crumbly blue cheese (I picked off a bunch of the blue cheese) and balsamic vinegar for dressing! When the server brought me my salad everyone at the table (there were 14 of us) oohed and aahed over my salad. It was awesome. The best part was after dinner when we were heading back for the evening ceremony and everyone was complaining about how stuffed they felt and I felt awesome :-)

How to Smoothie

2007-05-16T19:11:00.000-04:00

Thursday:
Exercise: 30 min walk with Cammie, 30 min flexibility workout (Y!F)
Breakfast: The Smoothie
Lunch: none
Dinner: Salad (lettuce, hummus, cucumber, red onion), 1/2 whole wheat pita with Quorn Naked Cutlet, tomato and red onion; raw brownies
Fuhrmometer: 8 - eggplant

Yesterday Tara asked for more details about my smoothies. So here goes:

On the weekend I put together my smoothie kits for the week, so in the mornings all I have to do is quickly defrost the kit in the microwave for 1 minute and then throw everything in the VitaMix and viola!

I use a digital kitchen scale to make sure things are roughly the same and that the finished product fills up my Nalgene wide-mouth bottles:

8 oz frozen spinach (Dr. Fuhrman says to count the same as fresh)
5 oz frozen blueberries
1/2 banana
enough strawberries to make 1lb 4oz or 20oz total weight
flax (1Tb ground or 2Tb whole)

2 cups of water or 1 16.9 oz bottle

Sometimes I do change things up but this is what I stick with most of the time due to the ease of getting the ingredients goodness from the berries and spinach.

desserts and dresses

2007-05-16T11:51:00.000-04:00

Wednesday:
Exercise: short walk with Cammie (it started raining), 25 min on treadmill, 40ish min Core workout (Y!F)
Breakfast: Smoothie (spinach, blueberries, strawberries, 1/2 banana, flax, water)
Lunch: 1/2 bowl of mushroom - onion - broccoli rabe soup
Exercise: 30 min walk with Cammie
Dinner: Salad (baby greens, cucumber, red onion, greek inspired dressing), Raw Brownies
Fuhrmometer: 9 - Broccoli

The other day I had a Lara Bar with lunch. It was a chocolate coconut Lara Bar to be specific. I can remember the first time I had a Lara Bar and how it was the most awesome thing that I had ever tasted and I couldn't believe that it was all natural and (kind of) allowed on ETL. It really did taste like a brownie to me.

Then a while back I read about Raw Brownies made with dates, walnuts and cocoa powder. I made them and again could not believe how good and decadent they were. The other day was the first time since discovering the Raw Brownies that I had a Lara Bar, and as much as I love Lara Bars and the fact that they are out there creating all natural food - I have to say it just didn't compare.

I think that I prefer the Raw Brownies to pretty much every other sweet that exists, which is cool because it's a really sensible way to not feel deprived of "normal" food (junk) which I still struggle with from time to time.

Like recently with all of the stress of work I would go home and want to share a meal with hubby - which last week meant things like pizza, or burgers (veggie burgers for me) on the grill, and ice cream. It is something that I need to figure out how to get over.

To completely change topics but not really, this morning when I was on the treadmill I tried to visualize how I want to be/look/feel when I reach my goal to help get me refocused and motivated. I couldn't think of anything in particular but did think about how I don't want to be stuck where I am for long - clothing wise I'm on the very edge of being able to shop in the "normal" stores and I'd really like to get firmly into that territory sooner than later. I can see a huge milestone (100 lbs lost) in the distance and would really like to get there and to "Onederland" soon as well. I'll be seeing family this summer that I haven't seen for a year or two and it would be really nice to say "yeah, I've lost 100 pounds since June 06..."

But then when I got to work this morning and checked one of my favorite non-food or weight loss blogs A Dress A Day, and I saw it, a beautiful dress that I could just picture my goal self in and I knew that I have to have that dress and that I have to get to my goal so that I can feel good in a dress like that. It's the entire motivational package.

Now I just have to remember that dress before giving in to eating the kind of junk that I have been eating, because a cookie may provide a few minutes of pleasure - but dresses definitely last much longer.

Sorry!

2007-05-15T16:56:00.000-04:00

Tuesday:
Exercise: 20 min treadmill, 30 min upper body workout (Y!F)
Breakfast: Smoothie (Spinach, blueberries, strawberries, 1/2 banana, flax, water)
Lunch: small package of croutons (no clue why), 1/2 bowl of mushroom - onion - broccoli rabe soup
Exercise: nice long walk with the doggie
Dinner: falafel sandwich, ice cream sandwich
Fuhrmometer: 7ish

Ok, so mid last week I gave up. I was just too stressed out to deal with anything and gave in to eating for comfort. Since Sunday I've been trying to get back on track and today I'm doing pretty well; I feel confident that I'm back from this stumble - I need some new clothes and have decided that I'm going to go shopping when I hit the 90 pounds lost mark. ;-)

2007-05-13T21:24:00.000-04:00

Recipe coming soon!

Sunday:
Exercise: 30 min walk with Cammie, 16 min jogging on TM, 30 min Flexibility (Y!F)
Breakfast/Lunch: Smoothie (Spinach, Cherries, Banana, Cocoa Powder, Flax, Water)
Dinner: potato chips, Salad (mixed greens, greek inspired dressing, falafel), small bit of ice cream
Fuhrmometer: too tired to decide right now

I have stuff to say, I'm just too tired to say it right now. I haven't given up, things have just been a little out of control lately. I promise I'll be back tomorrow with a better post.

2007-05-09T10:16:00.000-04:00

Wednesday:
Breakfast: Smoothie (spinach, blueberries, strawberries, 1/2 banana, flax, water)
Lunch:
Exercise:
Dinner:
Fuhrmometer:

It’s just disgusting. It’s got to stop. Eating processed, prepared, dairy/salt/oil/sugar laden foods that is. I’ve had enough of being involuntarily drawn to their evil effects and I’m done.

Yesterday I would classify as a binge. I had one tiny bite of that sweet either pumpkin or orange bread with chocolate chips in it and it was like a switch was flipped and I had to have more. It was the same thing with the chips and salsa – which in theory aren’t too bad but contained way way way too much salt and oil I’m sure and made me feel really ill after eating them. I scolded myself for not eating my soup which I had brought for lunch and I know would have made me feel good instead of feeling like I wanted to vomit. I did not like myself much yesterday.

Today those same foods are available. Today I am just as busy (if not busier) than I was yesterday. Today I’m not going to eat that crap. I’m not going to tomorrow either. It’s just not worth it. I’ve got perfectly tasty food of my own to eat which I know will make me feel good and feel good about myself too.

I know that there will be times when I will choose and plan to eat “off plan” foods; but it’s more of an issue of control than anything else. Yesterday I felt like the choices I was making were out of my own conscious control and that totally sucks. I know that if I plan something ahead and am in full control of it I will make better decisions about what to eat and won’t feel as psychologically bad about it and won’t adopt the “screw it” mentality.

But for now and for 98% of the time I’m sticking to ETL friendly food only. There’s no other way to do it when considering that if I don’t I’m hurting myself in more ways than one.

chaos!

2007-05-08T11:34:00.000-04:00

Tuesday:
Breakfast: Smoothie, Some Orange or Pumpkin bread thing
Lunch: tortilla chips and salsa, more of that bread stuff
Exercise: 30 min walk with Cammie, 30 min Core (Y!F), 5 minutes running on TM
Dinner: Smoothie (Spinach, raspberry, mango); falafel
Fuhrmometer: 6.5

This week my professional life is completely out of control. My hours are all messed up and I have more things that need to be done than I can count. I am determined to do my best and stay as normal as I can with my eating and working out. I probably won't have too much of a chance to get to comment for anyone this week - but I am thinking of all of you!