checking in

So yesterday was my reboot day - it wasn't a full success, but I think if I weigh it against today it was better. 

Somehow last week I dropped 3 pounds or so.  I'm down to 230.8.  I have no idea how that happened.

Tomorrow I have to buckle down.   I admit I am thoroughly addicted to Orange Leaf frozen yogurt - it is evil - but oh so good.  And fortunately all the flavors are nonfat or lowfat, I just have to worry about sugar. 

Tuesday my new workout comes in the mail.  I broke down and got P90X.  Some friends of mine and their friends and family have been using it and speak nothing but praises about it.   So I have it and it will begin to kick my ass on tuesday. 

I will fill you all in tomorrow, but I did run/walk Saturday and today I went for a hike at the nature center - they put the building and parking on the top of the hill on purpose - all the trails start by going downhill so by the end of your hour walk you have to go uphill the whole way - it is evil, but a good workout and beautiful scenery.  Tomorrow I am powerwashing the back of my house which I hope will be able to count as exercise, if not we will see.  

struggles and positives

Well this week has not been my strongest, but its okay.   It's that time of month and I'm not sure why but maybe its b/c my kitchen is not 100% clean, or I don't have much in the fridge, but cooking is just not in the stars this week.  I haven't been horrid, i've been on track for breakfast, snacks and lunch - dinner is the killer.  I'm also working a bit more this week.  I work 10 hours OT per paycheck, but since next week is a holiday week only this week has OT hours so I'm working the full 10 hours of OT this week instead of just half of it.  

Although my eating isn't 100% on point, my exercise is (okay except for last night).  But monday and tonight run/walk.  This week I'm doing 5 minute walk warm up then 20 minutes of running for 90 seconds and then walking for 2 minutes then a 5 minute walking cool down.   The running is getting easier - I don't think i could go out and run a full 5 k, but its not overly painful or exhausting and I don't hurt too much after in my shins and calves.   Next weeks plan is an interesting shift (10 sec r, 10 sec w, 20 sec r, 20 sec w, 30 sec r, 30 sec w, 40 sec r, 40 sec w, 50 sec r, 50 sec w, 60 sec r, 60 sec w, 70 sec r, 70 sec w, 80 sec r, 80 sec w, 070 sec r, 70 sec w, 60 sec r, 60 sec w, 50 sec r, 50 sec w, 40 sec r, 40 sec w, 30 sec r, 30 sec w, 20 sec r, 20 sec w, 10 sec r and 10 sec w) My trainer gave it to me b/c the other plan I was following was calling for running for 3 minutes and I'm not sure I'm up to running for a full 3 minutes yet.  

Weights I've fallen behind on.  I was supposed to go last night and do weights - a biceps and leg routine from Oxygen magazine, but instead, well, I went shopping.  JC Penny's had a 70-80% off sale.  I actually did pretty well - I have been buying a 22 W pants and jeans - they are a bit big on me, but always worried about the 20 being too tight, well I decided last night I was going to try on a 20W and they fit, and well they were a little loose so I said, oh heck, lets try and 18W and boom - they fit, and they weren't tight and I did a little dance and bought them.  happily they were on sale, not 70-80% off, but about 50% off.   YAY!

Tomorrow I will be planning next week's menu.  Next week's goal is to stick to the menu plan and the exercise plan.

hmmmm still EC

Lost track of time and days.  not really sure what day this is.  I have slipped but am slowly regaining my footing.

My weight today is 232.  I had lost my small gain last week and this week I'm down 2 more pounds.   So slow  but a loss is better than a gain.

I signed up to do the Eat Clean Body makeover challenge.  I'm not off to a good start.  been naughty recently.  Have to find some way to stop thinking about those things that are not so good for me.  

anyway, this week food will be iffy, didn't really get much at the grocery and i didn't do a menu plan so it will be a fly by the seat of my pants.  however, I do have an exercise plan laid out.  Next week will be back on track with the menu and we will see then how a combo goes.

Day 35-39

I'm having some focus issues the last couple of weeks.  I need to refind my focus for both exercise and diet. 

Day 35 (wk 5): Meal 1 - grits w/1/2 T butter and salt, Meal 2- carrots and cucumber w/hummus, Meal 3: 1/2 6" ham and turkey sub on whole wheat w/pepperjack cheese, spinach, tomato, onion, red bell pepper, olives and spicy mustard (Subway); Meal 4- 2 slices banana nut bread (clean recipe) w/ small glass milk and 1 T sugar free nestle quik; Meal 5 - 1 egg white and 2 eggs w/ 3 baby potatos and onion and tomato; Meal 6: frozen yogurt w/ orange bursts

Day 36 (wk 6): Cholesterol = 181, Weight = 235.2 (gain of 1.2) - Meal 1: eggs, potato w/onion and tomato; MEal 2: orange and almonds; Meal 3: Milk w/sugar free chocolate and grits w/1/2 T butter; Meal 4-6: 4 slices french bread w/butter, salad w/house vinegrette; pasta in meat sauce w/cheese, coffee w/splenda and cream and 1 slice carrot cake; gym = 30 minutes run/walk (1:15 run and 1:15 walk)

Day 37: Meal 1- cottage cheese blueberry whole grain pancakes w/ home made blueberry syrup; Meal 2: pasta leftovers; Meal 3 - yogurt w/mango; MEal 4- stuffed bell pepper; Meal 5: Frozen chocolate banana; MEal 6: chocolate milk (Sugar free)

Day 38: Meal 1 - strawberry mango protein smoothie; Meal 2: orange and cashews; MEal 3: 1 and 1/2 stuffed peppers and 10 york peppermint pieces; Meal 4: cottage cheese w/pineapple; Meal 5: home made sloppy joe on whole grain bun w/ mushroom, celery, parsley and parm salad; MEal 6: frozen banana w/ chocolate milk

Day 39: MEal 1: left over pancakes from day 37; Meal 2 - carrots and cucumber w/hummus; Meal 3  1 stuffed bell pepper and mushroom/celery salad; MEal 4 - small oreo concrete made w/chocolate custard (yup downhill from here); Meal 5: beer battered tilapia, 3 baby potatoes roasted and red cabbage slaw (no mayo); Meal 6: sugar free chocolate milk; gym - weights adn walking

Day 40: Meal 1: left over pancakes from day 37 (I freeze in batches of 2); Meal 2: fat free greek yogurt w/honey, banana and clean granola; MEal 3: stuffed pepper and mango; Meal 4: orange and 1 T peanut butter; Meal 5: onion rings (home made) and beer battered tilapia; Meal 6: 1 chocolate cupcake and 1 glass milk (I looked at my gym bag this morning and decided I would forget it at home and so I did)

day 31-34 EC

This was a bad week for me.   I had a lot of cheat days and while I get back on track for most part, I have those little moments.   I think I will have a gain at the end of this week.  The funny thing is I think I've really increased the intensity of my exercise - whether this plays a part, I don't really know. 

Day 31:
Meal 1: smoothie - strawberries (fresh), skim milk, ice and protein powder
Meal 2: yogurt w/ 1 tsp honey, raspberries and 1/2 c clean granola
Meal 3: 2 crab cakes w/lemon juice and a salad w/ vinegrette
Meal 4: carrots and cucumber w/hummus
Meal 5: red beans and brown rice w/ pickapepper sauce
Meal 6: blueberry crisp (blueberries, splenda, cornstarch, cinnamon, water and granola) and chocolate skim milk
Gym: walk 5 minutes, run/walk 25 minutes (1:15 run and 1:30 walk)

Day 32:
Meal 1: 1 whole egg and 2 egg whites scrambled w/ 1 slice whole grain toast (lightly buttered) and 1 orange w/strawberries
Meal 2: cottage cheese w/ mango
Meal 3: 1/2 hamburger (lean ground meat) w/ 2% cheese, on a whole grain bun w/ lettuce, tomato, yogurt, cheese and homemade ketchup
Meal 4: chocolate milk
Meal 5: red beans and brown rice w/ pickapepper sauce
Meal 6: frozen yogurt w/ orange bursts

trainer for 55 minutes - walking, mountain climbers, push ups, sit ups, crunches, squats, lunges and more

Day 33:
Meal 1: smoothie (strawberries, mango - both fresh - ice, skim milk, and protein powder)
Meal 2: orange and cashews
Meal 3: red beans and brown rice w/ pickapepper sauce - 1 dove pb chocolate square
Meal 4 - 6: 1/2 reuben, onion rings, iced tea and 1 slice apple pie (Village Inn) - this was a really, really bad day
Gym: walk 5 minutes, walk/run 30 minutes (walk 1 lap, run 1 lap) - I forgot my stop watch

Day 34:
Meal 1: chocolate milk
Meal 2: yogurt w/ raspberries and honey
Meal 3: whole wheat bun w/pulled pork and coleslaw w/ bbq sauce - 25 york pieces
Meal 4: 2 slices banana nut bread and 1 orange
Meal 5: 6" ham and turkey sub on whole wheat bread w/ pepperjack cheese, spinach, pepper, tomato, onion, olives and spicy mustard
Meal 6: 1 piece of dark dove chocolate and chocolate milk
gym: trainer 55 minutes - squats w/weight, romanian dead lifts, upright rows, crunches, step ups, back extensions, bench press, calf raises, lat pull, tricep pull down and one hand rows and punches and crab walks and walked 1/2 a mile (I will not be able to move tomorrow, I could barely move this morning)

Day 28-30 end of wk 4 start of wk 5

Friday was my cheat day and the last day of week 4.  I usually do one restaurant and frozen  yogurt, but springfield restaurants have a 3 course special this month for 20$ so I decided to go for it.  Especially since I found a restaurant that focuses on using local ingredients prepared fresh - Farmer's Gastropub.  It was well worth it, though I went with the more expensive 3 course prix fixe.  

Meal 1: grits w/ 1 tsp butter

Meal 2: cottage cheese w/ 1 peach

Meal 3: 1 slice whole grain bread toasted w/ blue cheese crumbles and cucumber w/ oil and vinegar

Meal 4, 5 and 5 combined: Farmer's Gastropub: grilled veggie salad (onion, zucchini and red pepper w/ greens and goat cheese and an orange sage vinegrette), trout crusted and panfried with an almond tomato pilaf and green beans, lavender creme brulee.  I also had a glass of reisling and a peach sangria.

Saturday was the start of week 5.  Measurements:
Weight: 234 (only down .6 this week, but overall its a loss of 11.6 lbs in 1 month)
Waist: 42 1/4" (down 2.25")
Hips: 49" (down 1.5")
Thigh (L): 26 1/4" (down 1.25")
Calf (L): 17 1/4" (down .75")
Chest: 44" (down .5")
Upper arm (L): 14" (down 1")

So overall I'm going down.  I've slowed down, but this last week was my monthly week so may be retaining etc, and I was not 100%.   So the goal for this coming month is to really focus on getting the proper amounts of protein, carbs, whole grains for the day.   Menus are planned.  Today was not my greatest day but that's okay we have 2 on top of it weeks coming and I meet with the trainer this week. 

Meal 1: smoothie (strawberries, banana, milk, protein powder, ice)

Meal 2: carrots and cucumber w/ hummus

Meal 3 & 4: (this was where the downhill momentum started for the day) 1 slice watermelon, 1 red potato boiled w/ salt and pepper, 1/4 of an orange, 6 fig newtons (3 w/ peanut butter) - did I mention this was while I was volunteering for a bike race.  I was at one of the pit stops and this was the layout and as we were there we munched and it was contageous and bad.   I have to admire these people though, not sure I could stand to sit on a bike for 42 or 62 miles (the 2 course options)

Meal 5: pulled pork on bun w/ mustard vinegar sauce, coleslaw and side of cheesy corn

Meal 6: frozen yogurt w/ orange bursts and later a glass of chocolate milk

1 dove dark chocolate square

Sunday:  Today was my back on track day.  Easier since was at home all day, but really need to focus again.  I want to keep seeing the weight line going down.

Meal 1: 1 whole egg and 2 egg whites scrambled served w/ 1 orange, and potatoes cooked w/ onion (It was 2 small red potatoes and 1 small yukon gold)

Meal 2: 1 orange w/ handful of almonds

Meal 3: pulled pork on whole wheat bun w/ vinegar mustard sauce and coleslaw.

Meal 4: cottage cheese and 1 mango

Meal 5: 2 crab cakes w/ salad greens and vinegrette

MEal 6: banana smoothie w/ hershey's syrup, milk and ice. 

day 27 EC

Today was a good day.  I didn't want to go to the gym, but I did.  

I want to do some times with a trainer there - and I put down the girl I've worked with before, and she was suppossed to call me - I know she was on vacation Mon - Wed.  But I'm still waiting.  We'll see if I get a call tomorrow.   It'll only be every other week, but it'll give me some variety.

Meal 1: banana nut bread and a banana (I know....)

Meal 2: cucumber and carrot w/ hummus

Meal 3: 2 slices whole wheat pizza w/ green pepper, onion, mushroom and green olives

Meal 4: cucumber w/ vinegrette, 1 spoonful of peanut butter (needed some protein) and 1 bag cocoa roasted almonds (found these after the peanut butter and figured why not)

MEal 5: 2 whole eggs and 1 egg white scrambled with potato cooked w/ onion

MEal 6: smoothie - banana, almond milk, ice and chocolate syrup. 

Run/walk - walk 5 minutes, run/walk for 30 minutes and then stretch and walk.