Well first and foremost....so sorry for your loss Nicole. But on the other hand, at least he is no longer in pain or distress.
Secondly, I still have a huge indifference towards my thesis. I'm so far behind and it's sad. This weekend will be crucial for the writing process. Luckily I don't have much to do so I can park my ass and write and write and write. I'm always so tired at night and it leads to napping. I've also been busy with motherly duties.
Thirdly, my eating isn't so great. Due to the work schedule, I've been eating a lot of take-out. We desperately need groceries too. I cannot wait to be done with this crazy research schedule. I just want to stay in Ames and have a consistent routine again. With that being said, I haven't been using the treadmill either. I know I've gained...no shocker. I'm also thinking about getting off the Weight Watcher's program. I'm thinking ahead about my finances this summer and it would be wise to save that money. I'm more than willing to weigh myself and report on here. Just some thoughts.
Safe travels Nicole....I hope to blog about something more earth-shattering this weekend.
Monday, March 30, 2009
FYI...
Hey ladies, I just thought I'd let you know that I probably won't be around the blog world for the rest of the week. My grandfather passed away yesterday and I'm going to be packing tonight and heading back to Iowa right after work tomorrow. I hope that you have a great week and I'll be back soon!
Take care!
Take care!
Sunday, March 29, 2009
p.s.
Oh yeah, I almost forgot. I was looking for things this morning to share. I feel like I haven't been sharing much of anything insightful lately, and I came across this bullseye food chart. It's an interesting way to look at something that I think we probably already know. Take a look and tell me what you think!
http://www.weightloss.com/eatsmart/bullseye.html
http://www.weightloss.com/eatsmart/bullseye.html
Rise and shine it's raccoon time...
It is 7:30 Sunday morning. I should be snuggled up in my bed sleeping and dreaming about my hearts desire. Instead, I am sitting at my computer desperately wishing the I had a shot gun and yearning to kill the raccoons that are trying to invade my apartment through my ceiling!!!
Anyway, I was up and thought what better way to spend the wee hours of my Sunday morning than by blogging!?!?!?
I've been having issues with eating lately, I think I blogged about it last time. I've been eating a lot of Subway lately. Granted, Subway isn't horrible for me but it also isn't fantastic. I have a menu for the upcoming week. I intend to stick to it regardless of my desires to grab a sub. There is a very good chance, however, that I will be headed home by the end of this week. The road trip makes me nervous, not only because I tend to stop on my way, but when I get to my parent's house there will be temptations galore. My parent's usually have a lot of snack type food in the house but I have a feeling that there house will become the gathering place for the family and that means way more food than normal. Granted, with that many people around I will most likely morph into hostess chick which means I will probably be doing a lot more cooking, cleaning, and tending to others than tending to myself. Oh well, I will manage. To be perfectly frank, I'm thinking once I'm home food will be the last thing on my mind. I know that it's almost his time ladies, and that it's good because he won't be hurting anymore but it's really bothering me that I won't get to be there to say good-bye before he's gone. I guess it's all a part of growing up.
Anyway, in preparation for my trip I decided to get some books on tape. The car ride is so long and I just did it not too long ago so I figured that if I got some books on CD from the library, ripped them to my computer and put them on my iPod (the CD player in my car is flaky at times) it would be more engaging and keep my awake on the road. I went to one of the Ypsilanti libraries yesterday and they wouldn't give me a card :( Apparently just having an Ypsi mailing address isn't good enough. So, today I hope to have better luck when I check out the Ann Arbor library. I'll have to let you know if my idea was a good one or not.
Alright ladies, I hope that Alissa's confirmation was a nice time and that you both had a great weekend. Stay strong, eat well and keep up the good work.
Anyway, I was up and thought what better way to spend the wee hours of my Sunday morning than by blogging!?!?!?
I've been having issues with eating lately, I think I blogged about it last time. I've been eating a lot of Subway lately. Granted, Subway isn't horrible for me but it also isn't fantastic. I have a menu for the upcoming week. I intend to stick to it regardless of my desires to grab a sub. There is a very good chance, however, that I will be headed home by the end of this week. The road trip makes me nervous, not only because I tend to stop on my way, but when I get to my parent's house there will be temptations galore. My parent's usually have a lot of snack type food in the house but I have a feeling that there house will become the gathering place for the family and that means way more food than normal. Granted, with that many people around I will most likely morph into hostess chick which means I will probably be doing a lot more cooking, cleaning, and tending to others than tending to myself. Oh well, I will manage. To be perfectly frank, I'm thinking once I'm home food will be the last thing on my mind. I know that it's almost his time ladies, and that it's good because he won't be hurting anymore but it's really bothering me that I won't get to be there to say good-bye before he's gone. I guess it's all a part of growing up.
Anyway, in preparation for my trip I decided to get some books on tape. The car ride is so long and I just did it not too long ago so I figured that if I got some books on CD from the library, ripped them to my computer and put them on my iPod (the CD player in my car is flaky at times) it would be more engaging and keep my awake on the road. I went to one of the Ypsilanti libraries yesterday and they wouldn't give me a card :( Apparently just having an Ypsi mailing address isn't good enough. So, today I hope to have better luck when I check out the Ann Arbor library. I'll have to let you know if my idea was a good one or not.
Alright ladies, I hope that Alissa's confirmation was a nice time and that you both had a great weekend. Stay strong, eat well and keep up the good work.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
It hurts so good...
So I know it's cliche but who says it better than John Melloncamp?!?!? I've done the first 2 workouts of the walk/run program and it has suddenly become painfully obvious just how out of shape I am. Now, don't get me wrong...the workouts are great and I feel fantastic while doing them but my legs are still getting used to the impact of running. It's not a horrible pain but when I stand up or sit down or walk up a hill/stairs my quads are like, remember us?!?!? That's what you get for not using us as we should be for all those years! Yeah I know, my quads are kind of whiny...oh well, I kind of need to keep them around! Anyway, I walked/ran the last 2 nights, will take tonight off so I can get my behind to the grocery store, and will do the 3rd workout tomorrow night after work. I really hope to stick with this program because I think it is a great way to get me where I want/need to be. I still haven't reached my 30 pound loss even though I've been floating in the area for weeks now. I think it was a sign that I needed to get a little more action in. I think this walk/run program is the ticket!
While I'm doing great with my exercising this week, my eating has been mediocre at best. I think my problem was that I wasn't really into the menu that I put together for the week. That lead to poor meals and extra snacking to make up for the lack of my food satisfaction. I am putting my grocery list together today over my lunch and hope to fix that problem. I already have some ideas and Meijer has some good sales on this week!
It's odd, I feel like I am always on in one aspect of this lifestyle change and off in the other. When I do well with food I tend to not be exercising. When I am really active, my eating sucks...I think I should try and rectify this situation.
Anyway, I don't have anything insightful to end with so I figure I'll just share some random tidbits with you...who doesn't love a random tidbit or two!?!? Keep up the good work ladies! Stay strong and press on!
These are all random facts about the human body...
1. A full bladder is roughly the size of a soft ball.
2. Women blink twice as much as men.
3. Men without hair on their chests are more likely to get cirrhosis of the liver than men with hair.
4. There are 10 parts of the human body that can be spelled with just 3 letters (can you name
them?).
While I'm doing great with my exercising this week, my eating has been mediocre at best. I think my problem was that I wasn't really into the menu that I put together for the week. That lead to poor meals and extra snacking to make up for the lack of my food satisfaction. I am putting my grocery list together today over my lunch and hope to fix that problem. I already have some ideas and Meijer has some good sales on this week!
It's odd, I feel like I am always on in one aspect of this lifestyle change and off in the other. When I do well with food I tend to not be exercising. When I am really active, my eating sucks...I think I should try and rectify this situation.
Anyway, I don't have anything insightful to end with so I figure I'll just share some random tidbits with you...who doesn't love a random tidbit or two!?!? Keep up the good work ladies! Stay strong and press on!
These are all random facts about the human body...
1. A full bladder is roughly the size of a soft ball.
2. Women blink twice as much as men.
3. Men without hair on their chests are more likely to get cirrhosis of the liver than men with hair.
4. There are 10 parts of the human body that can be spelled with just 3 letters (can you name
them?).
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
She lives!!!
Hey all-
I should be entering data and/or finishing the dishes that are soaking in the sink but I decided to blog since it's been awhile. I've written down some notes from before my trip to Michigan so I'll be sure to included those at a later date. I'm going to try and keep this entry more condensed and simple. My stress level is high due to daily traveling for work, pessimism about my thesis (it's at a standstill), and poor sleeping. I'm so tired all the time! I usually perk up for work since I need to interact with people but I feel like a zombie the rest of the day. Enough of that.
I took some time to look through my Biggest Loser calendar because I hadn't looked at it since March 11th. I thought I'd include some of the cool tidbits on some of the days since I learned a little. Here is the list of suggestions or hints:
--post a picture of yourself at your worst in the kitchen....preferably on the refrigerator or a frequented cupboard. I've thought about this since I've seen other people do this in their homes. The picture is usually embarrassing because many involve swim suits but I can see how it would be motivating too.
--chose fresh fruit over most fruit juices. Fruit juice usually contains no fiber and does little to nothing to help you control your appetite. It's a concentrate form of fruit sugar and can send your blood sugar soaring....which leads to it plummeting and causes food cravings soon after. Most "fruit juices" are actually a juice concentrate so additional sugar is added anyway. It's actually difficult to find cheap, real fruit juice that isn't a concentrate.
--they actually say to avoid most packaged ready-to-eat breakfast cereals. A good rule of thumb for cereal is to choose brands that have less than 5 grams of sugar per serving and at least 5 grams of fiber.
--Substitute fruit for candy if you have a sweet tooth. Natural sugars in fruit raise your serotonin level and the fiber helps slow sugar absorption. This prevents severe fluctuation in your blood sugar and keeps your cravings in check. Candy does the same thing as most fruit juices and your blood sugar goes on a roller coaster.
--According to the National Weight Control Registry...if you can maintain your new weight for two years, you are more likely to keep it off for two more years. Those that kept their new weight for five years have an even greater chance of keeping it off for more of their lifetime. The registry includes thousands of people that have lost an average of 73 pounds and kept it off for more than five years.
I'll have more information posted at some point. My flights made me think more about my weight so I have things to rant about LOL. Happy eating!
I should be entering data and/or finishing the dishes that are soaking in the sink but I decided to blog since it's been awhile. I've written down some notes from before my trip to Michigan so I'll be sure to included those at a later date. I'm going to try and keep this entry more condensed and simple. My stress level is high due to daily traveling for work, pessimism about my thesis (it's at a standstill), and poor sleeping. I'm so tired all the time! I usually perk up for work since I need to interact with people but I feel like a zombie the rest of the day. Enough of that.
I took some time to look through my Biggest Loser calendar because I hadn't looked at it since March 11th. I thought I'd include some of the cool tidbits on some of the days since I learned a little. Here is the list of suggestions or hints:
--post a picture of yourself at your worst in the kitchen....preferably on the refrigerator or a frequented cupboard. I've thought about this since I've seen other people do this in their homes. The picture is usually embarrassing because many involve swim suits but I can see how it would be motivating too.
--chose fresh fruit over most fruit juices. Fruit juice usually contains no fiber and does little to nothing to help you control your appetite. It's a concentrate form of fruit sugar and can send your blood sugar soaring....which leads to it plummeting and causes food cravings soon after. Most "fruit juices" are actually a juice concentrate so additional sugar is added anyway. It's actually difficult to find cheap, real fruit juice that isn't a concentrate.
--they actually say to avoid most packaged ready-to-eat breakfast cereals. A good rule of thumb for cereal is to choose brands that have less than 5 grams of sugar per serving and at least 5 grams of fiber.
--Substitute fruit for candy if you have a sweet tooth. Natural sugars in fruit raise your serotonin level and the fiber helps slow sugar absorption. This prevents severe fluctuation in your blood sugar and keeps your cravings in check. Candy does the same thing as most fruit juices and your blood sugar goes on a roller coaster.
--According to the National Weight Control Registry...if you can maintain your new weight for two years, you are more likely to keep it off for two more years. Those that kept their new weight for five years have an even greater chance of keeping it off for more of their lifetime. The registry includes thousands of people that have lost an average of 73 pounds and kept it off for more than five years.
I'll have more information posted at some point. My flights made me think more about my weight so I have things to rant about LOL. Happy eating!
Saturday, March 21, 2009
On the road again...
Hmmm...I didn't even realize it but I guess I still have a little bit of Willie on my mind after last night. I was doing great all week and then yesterday, I got detoured. It wasn't even the Fat Friday stuff at work. I had a single doughnut from the Whastenaw Dairy and that was it. I had a cheese sandwich and a big bowl of cut up veggies for lunch (broccoli, cauliflower, carrots)...I was very happy with my resistance to temptation. However, last night I sucked...hardcore! I won't bore you with the details but I was just feeling blue because of the updated news on my grandpa, I was in Holter all day Wed, Thur, and Fri so I was feeling lonely and listening to melancholy music. Needless to say I did an emotional nosedive and my eating and exercising habits did a 180 in response.
However, I am not backsliding any further. It was a silly one night stand and now, I am back on the road moving towards my goals! I am going to stick to my planned menus, I'm going to exercise. I even want to go for a walk today if it stays dry. I have some goals and I really don't want to screw them up because I had one questionable evening.
Anyway, a new day new issues. I simply cannot find out who sings the female vocal in 'Fairytale of New York' the No Use For a Name version and it's driving me crazy!!! Now, I realize that this is not a devastating issue but it's bothering the hell out of me. It's not the same chick they use for 'This is a Rebel Song' and I want to know!!!! Maybe I should just stop worrying about who it is and enjoy her amazing voice.
Alrighty, I should get off my duff and get my apartment cleaned and then go for a walk. I'll chat at you ladies later...I hope all is going well today. Stay strong, remember you're great and keep up the good work!!
However, I am not backsliding any further. It was a silly one night stand and now, I am back on the road moving towards my goals! I am going to stick to my planned menus, I'm going to exercise. I even want to go for a walk today if it stays dry. I have some goals and I really don't want to screw them up because I had one questionable evening.
Anyway, a new day new issues. I simply cannot find out who sings the female vocal in 'Fairytale of New York' the No Use For a Name version and it's driving me crazy!!! Now, I realize that this is not a devastating issue but it's bothering the hell out of me. It's not the same chick they use for 'This is a Rebel Song' and I want to know!!!! Maybe I should just stop worrying about who it is and enjoy her amazing voice.
Alrighty, I should get off my duff and get my apartment cleaned and then go for a walk. I'll chat at you ladies later...I hope all is going well today. Stay strong, remember you're great and keep up the good work!!
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Fat Friday Temptation...
Hey ladies, I know that you probably still have sporadic access to the Internet but I thought I'd blog because I miss it and I want you to have something to read when you do log back on. Things have been going really well this week. Eating is going well, even though I've been thwarted by an undercooked casserole 2 nights in a row, and I've been exercising each night.
When I stepped on my scale on Sunday, I was exactly 1 pound away from my 30 pound landmark. I was hoping to get to 30 by the time spring rolls around and it looks like I'm going to make it if I keep up the good work. The only thing standing between me and my goal is Fat Friday. We don't have clinic on Friday so the girls decided that we should do a treat day in the lab. While I am happy to hang out with the girls and watch them enjoy all of the fattening goodies that will be there, I just can't let myself backslide. I figure I can allow myself to have 1 treat but that's it. I really want to keep on the right track and right now, that means no pig out days. I'll let you know how Fat Friday and the weigh in go this weekend.
OK, that's all I've got for now. I hope the concert is/was amazing and that you're enjoying your break!!
When I stepped on my scale on Sunday, I was exactly 1 pound away from my 30 pound landmark. I was hoping to get to 30 by the time spring rolls around and it looks like I'm going to make it if I keep up the good work. The only thing standing between me and my goal is Fat Friday. We don't have clinic on Friday so the girls decided that we should do a treat day in the lab. While I am happy to hang out with the girls and watch them enjoy all of the fattening goodies that will be there, I just can't let myself backslide. I figure I can allow myself to have 1 treat but that's it. I really want to keep on the right track and right now, that means no pig out days. I'll let you know how Fat Friday and the weigh in go this weekend.
OK, that's all I've got for now. I hope the concert is/was amazing and that you're enjoying your break!!
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Benjamin Franklin...
can kiss my ass!!! Oh ladies, this whole time change bit has managed to kick my butt. I don't know if it's because once again it's dark when I wake up or if it's the fact that while my brain knows it's bedtime my body thinks it's not but this week has hit me hard. I have been so sleepy, I can barely stay awake right now. I haven't been drinking pop but I think my good work is being undone by the fact that I have been guzzling coffee at work. By the time I get home at night all I can manage to do is work out for 30 minutes, eat dinner and then nothing. On a positive note, being tired has done wonders for my mindful eating. Once I clean up at night I don't snack because I don't want to have to deal with the hassle of cleaning up...silver lining?
Anyway, I should stop whining. I haven't blogged in a while so I thought I should hop on here and lay some thoughts out. I know that you are both exceptionally busy so I'll keep it short. I'm actually doing quite well out here in Michigan. I've been exercising, eating well and not snacking. I'm trying to take it one day at a time. I stepped on the scale this morning and I was at the lowest weight I've been at since we started this blog! I am getting tantalizingly close to my 30 pound mark! I cannot wait to get to that next milestone! My original hope was to be at 30 pounds by the start of spring and if I stay on track that should not be an issue!
I am so looking forward to Jenny's visit...I'm trying to come up with a tasty, yet good for us menu while you're here. OK, I should stop here, none of you need to read a novel of my blabbering right now. Good luck with midterms, papers, packing, research, writing, work, life...whatever it may be. Keep up the good work, stay strong, don't get discouraged by small set-backs and press on!
Anyway, I should stop whining. I haven't blogged in a while so I thought I should hop on here and lay some thoughts out. I know that you are both exceptionally busy so I'll keep it short. I'm actually doing quite well out here in Michigan. I've been exercising, eating well and not snacking. I'm trying to take it one day at a time. I stepped on the scale this morning and I was at the lowest weight I've been at since we started this blog! I am getting tantalizingly close to my 30 pound mark! I cannot wait to get to that next milestone! My original hope was to be at 30 pounds by the start of spring and if I stay on track that should not be an issue!
I am so looking forward to Jenny's visit...I'm trying to come up with a tasty, yet good for us menu while you're here. OK, I should stop here, none of you need to read a novel of my blabbering right now. Good luck with midterms, papers, packing, research, writing, work, life...whatever it may be. Keep up the good work, stay strong, don't get discouraged by small set-backs and press on!
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Stress Galore!
Hey all-
Well my anxiety and stress levels are rather high. Things at work are really crashing down on me. I have so many things to do before I leave town on Thursday. My boss is working on my thesis down in Texas so each day I get questions or data sent back to me via email. I have so many emails to sort through and organize. I often don't understand what the results mean because I didn't see how she computed the numbers so it's also hard to write the results. It's also bothering me now that she's just cranking out all the work down there...it's going to suck when I can't understand or explain how things were analyzed during my defense. I just know one of my committee members is going to drill me too. (Paddy)
We also start a grueling 2.5 week research venture the day after spring break. We go to a different school district each day to evaluate school lunch, vending, and PE. My coworker and I are still trying to organize and schedule PE classes to watch but the principals and PE teachers are so slow to respond. I will have limited access to internet in the next week so it's annoying that I'll have to worry about that. I'll probably be asking to use your computer more than I want to or should Nicole.
I've been so busy lately that I'm not even ready to pack for my trip home or to Michigan. I usually take days to pack to ensure that I'm organized and not forgetful. I haven't had time or energy to do this yet. I just know I'm going to forget something crucial. My landlord also started to show our apartment so things always have to be straightened up and clean. I usually let the mess pile up during the work week but can't really do that anymore. My kitchen is horrible right now though. I haven't done dishes in a long time but they'll just have to deal with it if they show my place today.
I was retarded last month and agreed to teach a CPR/AED class tonight. I taught one this weekend too. Last month I thought "oooo, I'll make some extra money!" Right now I'm wishing I had passed up the opportunity because my time seems to be more valuable. Tonight's class will be the last one I teach until May.
I'm still not sleeping well either. I thought the time change would make me more tired at night but no such luck. I'm still up til about 1:30am most nights and getting up is horrible now. I was so slow moving this morning.
And I'm not exercising anymore either. I stopped running last week when my ovarian cyst hurt so bad. I could (and should have) started running on Sunday. Now I've let other days slip past and I can tell my energy level is down. Part of this change is mental....I know I'm not getting weighed this week at Weight Watchers. I've been eating worse and not exercising because part of my brain is saying "just let yourself go a little this week and enjoy some food and rest". I really want to be under 270 lbs next week when I am weighed. I'm not going to accomplish that if I gain a little this week. Why is it so hard to do the right thing and do those right things every day?
Well my anxiety and stress levels are rather high. Things at work are really crashing down on me. I have so many things to do before I leave town on Thursday. My boss is working on my thesis down in Texas so each day I get questions or data sent back to me via email. I have so many emails to sort through and organize. I often don't understand what the results mean because I didn't see how she computed the numbers so it's also hard to write the results. It's also bothering me now that she's just cranking out all the work down there...it's going to suck when I can't understand or explain how things were analyzed during my defense. I just know one of my committee members is going to drill me too. (Paddy)
We also start a grueling 2.5 week research venture the day after spring break. We go to a different school district each day to evaluate school lunch, vending, and PE. My coworker and I are still trying to organize and schedule PE classes to watch but the principals and PE teachers are so slow to respond. I will have limited access to internet in the next week so it's annoying that I'll have to worry about that. I'll probably be asking to use your computer more than I want to or should Nicole.
I've been so busy lately that I'm not even ready to pack for my trip home or to Michigan. I usually take days to pack to ensure that I'm organized and not forgetful. I haven't had time or energy to do this yet. I just know I'm going to forget something crucial. My landlord also started to show our apartment so things always have to be straightened up and clean. I usually let the mess pile up during the work week but can't really do that anymore. My kitchen is horrible right now though. I haven't done dishes in a long time but they'll just have to deal with it if they show my place today.
I was retarded last month and agreed to teach a CPR/AED class tonight. I taught one this weekend too. Last month I thought "oooo, I'll make some extra money!" Right now I'm wishing I had passed up the opportunity because my time seems to be more valuable. Tonight's class will be the last one I teach until May.
I'm still not sleeping well either. I thought the time change would make me more tired at night but no such luck. I'm still up til about 1:30am most nights and getting up is horrible now. I was so slow moving this morning.
And I'm not exercising anymore either. I stopped running last week when my ovarian cyst hurt so bad. I could (and should have) started running on Sunday. Now I've let other days slip past and I can tell my energy level is down. Part of this change is mental....I know I'm not getting weighed this week at Weight Watchers. I've been eating worse and not exercising because part of my brain is saying "just let yourself go a little this week and enjoy some food and rest". I really want to be under 270 lbs next week when I am weighed. I'm not going to accomplish that if I gain a little this week. Why is it so hard to do the right thing and do those right things every day?
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Love Hunger 15
Howdy all-
I'm sleepy yet I cannot sleep yet. I laid in bed and read some more Love Hunger so it's time for some more info from that book. I gave myself way too much freedom today and regret some of my choices. We ordered pizza after Gavin's basketball game and I ate way too much taco pizza. It didn't taste as good as I expected either which was sad.
I've been trying to use the Weight Watcher's site more often and discovered some interesting information about equitably lost pounds to a quantity of food. Here is what they listed for a reference:
1 pound of lost weight =4 sticks of butter
5 pounds of lost weight = 1 sack of potatoes
10 pounds of lost weight = 8 medium cantaloupes
25 pounds of lost weight = 3 gallons of milk
I'm sleepy yet I cannot sleep yet. I laid in bed and read some more Love Hunger so it's time for some more info from that book. I gave myself way too much freedom today and regret some of my choices. We ordered pizza after Gavin's basketball game and I ate way too much taco pizza. It didn't taste as good as I expected either which was sad.
I've been trying to use the Weight Watcher's site more often and discovered some interesting information about equitably lost pounds to a quantity of food. Here is what they listed for a reference:
1 pound of lost weight =4 sticks of butter
5 pounds of lost weight = 1 sack of potatoes
10 pounds of lost weight = 8 medium cantaloupes
25 pounds of lost weight = 3 gallons of milk
The next big section of Love Hunger pertains to eating out. There are 5
main steps.
1) Like usual...plan ahead
If you can, check out the menu online before you go to the restaurant so
you have a better idea of what your healthy options are. If you aren't sure
about where to eat (with other people), make sure
you have numerous options so you can suggest a healthier restaurant.
How have you been affected (negatively) by others when eating at
restaurants? What has contributed to poor choices? I admit I feel
more entitled to order not-so-healthy food if others order it. I usually
tell myself that "you don't eat out every day so go ahead and get french
fries or cheese balls..." and that junk food usually doesn't taste as good
as it sounds when I order it. If most people eat everything on their plate,
I try to eat most of my food too when I should get a take-out box and
take half the portion home.
2) Do not hesitate to make special requests.
Make simple requests like getting your salad dressing/sauces in a
cup on the side, reduce the butter in your food, be picky about
your cut of meat, and ask for no bread basket.
3) Deal with restaurant portion sizes
Immediately put half your food in a take-out container. Request
child sized portions or senior sized portions. This seems tricky
though because i know many places require you to be under
10 to use the child menu and over 65 to get senior meals.
Go out to eat with someone that will split a meal with
you. I find this tricky too because I typically eat with my son.
He and I have very different tastes and rarely order anything similar.
If portion control is that big of a deal, don't go back to that restaurant.
4) Avoid high calorie drinks and desserts
I rarely get alcohol drinks when I eat out. I do like coffee-based
drinks though and those can be packed with calories. I often
refuse to have whipped cream on top to try and reduce that issue.
I've only been getting my "Cafe Mocha" once a week now. I only get
dessert at that same restaurant. Nicole can totally understand why
desserts are so tempting at The Cafe. I don't eat there much though
so that helps.
5) Do not fall for the extras
Some places have those "extras" that draw people in and appeal
to many because it makes you think you're getting more for your
money. Some places have that free bread basket, free biscuits,
chips/salsa, etc. It's ok to refuse those extras...just because
something is free doesn't mean it has to go in your mouth.
Friday, March 6, 2009
Random thoughts...
from a very hungry girl! So, In an attempt to boost my metabolism, I have been trying to eat a little something in the mornings before I leave the apartment for work. I usually have a half serving of cereal and milk. I wasn't sure if it was working to boost anything but I definitely think it's working. Before I started doing this, I was up at 6, got ready and finally managed to get some breakfast by 8:30/9ish. However, now that I'm having a little pre-breakfast breakfast around 6:30, I am usually quite hungry by my normal breakfast time. I tend to just eat a banana or a fiber one type bar at breakfast and either have water or coffee...I know, but I just love coffee! I typically would be 'hungry' for lunch anywhere between 12:30 and 1. However, since I've started breaking breakfast up, I feel like I'm starving by 11...sometimes earlier. I don't just think I'm hungry at this point but my stomach is growling. I've heard my whole life that breakfast is important but who knew that the pre-breakfast breakfast was so important?!?!? Certainly not me, that's for sure!
Anyway, I'll stop boring you with my breakfast habits, I should get my lunch heated up! I probably won't be blogging this weekend because my family is going to be here so, have a great one ladies. Have fun and keep up the good work!!
Anyway, I'll stop boring you with my breakfast habits, I should get my lunch heated up! I probably won't be blogging this weekend because my family is going to be here so, have a great one ladies. Have fun and keep up the good work!!
Thursday, March 5, 2009
The elevator for success is broken....please use the stairs one, one step at a time!
Yo-
Well I am rather disgruntled at the moment. Went to Weight Watchers all giddy and excited, stepped on the scale, and discovered that I gained 0.4 lbs! As a female human being I'm shocked and pissed at myself because I worked out so much this week and watched my food intake for the most part. I did sit and ponder about the extra snacks I had on a few occasions though. Perhaps they added up and counteracted against my desired loss. The scientist in me is telling me to relax because my exercise pattern will catch up with me and I will lose a lot of weight if I keep up with it. Plus I lost 3.6 lbs last week and that is a lot of weight loss for 7 days. I just wanted to get below the 270 mark so bad.
The main theme of the meeting was about the Stages of Change. We talked about precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, and maintainence. There is another section of the stages too and we are all very familiar with it: relapse. I've heard about all these stages numerous times due to my education but it was neat to hear actual examples from the people for each stage. A lot of women decided to move from contemplation to action when they saw themselves in full length mirrors or in pictures. The leader gave us an assignment to do and review each day of the week. Answer the following questions:
1) Why did you relapse in the past?
I have relapsed in the past because I lost confidence in myself or simply thought that all the changes I needed to make were too difficult, time consuming, and/or expensive. I have a tendency to think my life is too busy for health improvements. I've had this reoccuring thought lately, "I'm completing my thesis in the next month and a half....why the hell am I working on weight loss right now?" I've also relapsed when I think I have everything under control and can just do it on my own. I'd then stop going to Weight Watchers and then slowly start gaining again since I stopped weighing myself weekly and journaling.
2) What action steps can you take to make sure you remain in the action stage and move into maintainence?
I need to make sure the treadmill is used almost every night each week. Last night was the first time ever when I was simply too tired to run. I was wiped out at 6pm. I just wanted to crawl in bed and lie down and I did go to bed early for once. I'm also doing a great job of replacing high calorie drinks. I primary drink my carbonated waters, sugar-free kool-aid, and have an occasional coffee. Eating out less has definitely helped me with my food choices and portion control. Homemade meals and leftovers also help a bunch. I also HAVE to keep journaling. I am so lax about it lately because exercise has boosted my confidence.
Here's a personal question...do you think that my choice of flavored carbonated water is a poor one? I've gotten some grief from a few people that think I should drink non-carbonated water. Apparrently the carbonation is bad for me? The water I drink has no sugar, calories, and caffiene. I love it because it gives me the fizz that I miss from soda. I've tried the flavored non-carbonated water from Hy-vee too. I bought a bottle by accident once since its stocked right by my carbonated water. It was awful. I don't think I could switch over.
Well I am rather disgruntled at the moment. Went to Weight Watchers all giddy and excited, stepped on the scale, and discovered that I gained 0.4 lbs! As a female human being I'm shocked and pissed at myself because I worked out so much this week and watched my food intake for the most part. I did sit and ponder about the extra snacks I had on a few occasions though. Perhaps they added up and counteracted against my desired loss. The scientist in me is telling me to relax because my exercise pattern will catch up with me and I will lose a lot of weight if I keep up with it. Plus I lost 3.6 lbs last week and that is a lot of weight loss for 7 days. I just wanted to get below the 270 mark so bad.
The main theme of the meeting was about the Stages of Change. We talked about precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, and maintainence. There is another section of the stages too and we are all very familiar with it: relapse. I've heard about all these stages numerous times due to my education but it was neat to hear actual examples from the people for each stage. A lot of women decided to move from contemplation to action when they saw themselves in full length mirrors or in pictures. The leader gave us an assignment to do and review each day of the week. Answer the following questions:
1) Why did you relapse in the past?
I have relapsed in the past because I lost confidence in myself or simply thought that all the changes I needed to make were too difficult, time consuming, and/or expensive. I have a tendency to think my life is too busy for health improvements. I've had this reoccuring thought lately, "I'm completing my thesis in the next month and a half....why the hell am I working on weight loss right now?" I've also relapsed when I think I have everything under control and can just do it on my own. I'd then stop going to Weight Watchers and then slowly start gaining again since I stopped weighing myself weekly and journaling.
2) What action steps can you take to make sure you remain in the action stage and move into maintainence?
I need to make sure the treadmill is used almost every night each week. Last night was the first time ever when I was simply too tired to run. I was wiped out at 6pm. I just wanted to crawl in bed and lie down and I did go to bed early for once. I'm also doing a great job of replacing high calorie drinks. I primary drink my carbonated waters, sugar-free kool-aid, and have an occasional coffee. Eating out less has definitely helped me with my food choices and portion control. Homemade meals and leftovers also help a bunch. I also HAVE to keep journaling. I am so lax about it lately because exercise has boosted my confidence.
Here's a personal question...do you think that my choice of flavored carbonated water is a poor one? I've gotten some grief from a few people that think I should drink non-carbonated water. Apparrently the carbonation is bad for me? The water I drink has no sugar, calories, and caffiene. I love it because it gives me the fizz that I miss from soda. I've tried the flavored non-carbonated water from Hy-vee too. I bought a bottle by accident once since its stocked right by my carbonated water. It was awful. I don't think I could switch over.
Hello, my name is Nicole and I'm a slacker...
I hear that the first step to overcoming a problem is to admit that a problem does, in fact, exist. So, here I am telling you fine ladies that I am a slacker. I just realized that I have not blogged at all this week...and I was doing so well there for a while! Anyway, I am trying to rectify my slacker ways, not only with this blog but also with my eating and activity level.
I hate to admit that last night was the first time that I have worked out in over a week. I was in a really great groove and then I fell out. I'm getting back on track and hope to keep myself right where I want to be. My eating has been really good all week...as far as I can remember. I've cooked all week and I always forget how much I like to cook when I don't do it. I'm actually really looking forward to this weekend. My brother, his wife, their kids and her mom are all coming to spend the weekend with me and because they're poor and I'm poor we're planning on eating in. I love cooking for other people so much and I rarely get the opportunity out here...I'm pretty jazzed! I'm slightly worried about my activity this weekend, it's not really practical to do my dance DVD with 6 extra people and all of their stuff in my apartment but I'm sure chasing 3 kids under 6 around all weekend will count towards something.
In another attempt to stop slacking I have started a journal that I make myself write in every night. I've only been doing it for 5 nights now but I hope to keep up with it. I've decided that if I have specific tasks to accomplish I tend to get them done. I've decided to use my journal as a personal to do list. Each night before I go to bed I set one or two goals for myself to accomplish the following day. I did one of the dance routines yesterday, which was my goal. Today, my goal is to drink 4 glasses of water at work and do both of the dance workouts on my DVD. I can't wait to get these things accomplished!
Alright ladies, I should get back to work. I don't have anything to scan but apparently I have some MLearning things to do so I can keep working at the hospital! Yay for more blood borne pathogens training and chemical awareness!
I hate to admit that last night was the first time that I have worked out in over a week. I was in a really great groove and then I fell out. I'm getting back on track and hope to keep myself right where I want to be. My eating has been really good all week...as far as I can remember. I've cooked all week and I always forget how much I like to cook when I don't do it. I'm actually really looking forward to this weekend. My brother, his wife, their kids and her mom are all coming to spend the weekend with me and because they're poor and I'm poor we're planning on eating in. I love cooking for other people so much and I rarely get the opportunity out here...I'm pretty jazzed! I'm slightly worried about my activity this weekend, it's not really practical to do my dance DVD with 6 extra people and all of their stuff in my apartment but I'm sure chasing 3 kids under 6 around all weekend will count towards something.
In another attempt to stop slacking I have started a journal that I make myself write in every night. I've only been doing it for 5 nights now but I hope to keep up with it. I've decided that if I have specific tasks to accomplish I tend to get them done. I've decided to use my journal as a personal to do list. Each night before I go to bed I set one or two goals for myself to accomplish the following day. I did one of the dance routines yesterday, which was my goal. Today, my goal is to drink 4 glasses of water at work and do both of the dance workouts on my DVD. I can't wait to get these things accomplished!
Alright ladies, I should get back to work. I don't have anything to scan but apparently I have some MLearning things to do so I can keep working at the hospital! Yay for more blood borne pathogens training and chemical awareness!
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Aww I don't want to go to work.....
I'm currently killing time before I head to work to create tables, analyze stats, and write part of my thesis. I slept like crap again but this time its mainly my fault. I've started watching a show on the A & E Network called "Paranormal State". Based on the title you can probably tell its about supernatural stuff that is supposedly true. You watch investigators from Penn State enter homes and encounter bizarre experiences sometimes they are supernatural...sometimes they can be debunked by other phenomenon. The episodes last night were mighty scary so I had numerous nightmares last night. Lots of waking up and tossing and turning. Go figure.
I'm still doing well with my running/walking regimen. It was a challenge to get on the treadmill yesterday but I did it. I'm now on Week 3 of the program so I run 1:30 minutes and walk 3:30 minutes. I was active for a full 60 minutes last night since the actually program took 50 minutes and I included a warm up and cool down. I've noticed lately that I psychologically start to wear down until 15 minutes remain in the workout. Then I get a burst of energy because I realize that I don't have much time left. I also think I'm sliding too much on my food intake after I run. I'm usually not too hungry an hour or so after I run but then I do truly get hungry for supper. I've allowed myself some extra snacking too thinking that my extra activity will equalize everything out. I need to be more conscious about those choices and write down my points (gaining and using) so I'm not undoing any hard work. I barely used any of the points I earned through activity last week but sometimes eating an extra treat is worth it after consistent workouts.
My homemade meal for the week is chicken manicotti. Last week I made potato chowder and "cheeseless" lasagna. I know many people would critique my manicotti due to the lack of cheese. It should have mozzarella all over the top much like lasagna but you all know me.....white cheeses are the devil. I simply bought a box of the manicotti shells and then created a recipe for the filling. I baked four chicken breasts and shredded them. I mixed the chicken breasts with two cans of mushrooms, a jar of marinara (Super Chunky mushroom), and one cup of fat-free shredded cheddar cheese. Orange cheese is safe. I stuffed the manicotti with the filling after they were boiled and covered them all with another jar of spaghetti sauce (mushroom and onion). It's pretty tasty and filling and it really fulfills my love of mushrooms. Some of the filling actually got put on top because I had excess. And manicotti shells are freaking hard to fill. There was cursing.
I am hoping to read through more of Love Hunger tonight when Gavin has his last basketball practice of the season. He only has one more game left! I'm glad the weather is getting better because I might take his bike out of storage sooner than usual because I don't want his activity level to go down. He doesn't have any structured physical activity until the summer when he goes to summer camp. After this week, it's just tutoring and an art class after school on some days.
Ok, time to get my stuff together so I can head to campus, park legally (I hope), and get some work done so my adviser doesn't fly up here and strangle me. Hope everyone is having a successful week with whatever goals you have created!
My goals:
1) I will continue to run/walk at least 5 days a week on my treadmill. It would be dandy to do my work out in the morning before work but the mornings hate me and I hate the mornings.
2) I will only eat out 1-2 times a week.
3) I will journal both my intake (point usage) and my outtake (gain in points) from exercise. I need to figure out if I actually have points left over at the end of the day or if my snacking cancels out all the points I earn on the treadmill.
I'm still doing well with my running/walking regimen. It was a challenge to get on the treadmill yesterday but I did it. I'm now on Week 3 of the program so I run 1:30 minutes and walk 3:30 minutes. I was active for a full 60 minutes last night since the actually program took 50 minutes and I included a warm up and cool down. I've noticed lately that I psychologically start to wear down until 15 minutes remain in the workout. Then I get a burst of energy because I realize that I don't have much time left. I also think I'm sliding too much on my food intake after I run. I'm usually not too hungry an hour or so after I run but then I do truly get hungry for supper. I've allowed myself some extra snacking too thinking that my extra activity will equalize everything out. I need to be more conscious about those choices and write down my points (gaining and using) so I'm not undoing any hard work. I barely used any of the points I earned through activity last week but sometimes eating an extra treat is worth it after consistent workouts.
My homemade meal for the week is chicken manicotti. Last week I made potato chowder and "cheeseless" lasagna. I know many people would critique my manicotti due to the lack of cheese. It should have mozzarella all over the top much like lasagna but you all know me.....white cheeses are the devil. I simply bought a box of the manicotti shells and then created a recipe for the filling. I baked four chicken breasts and shredded them. I mixed the chicken breasts with two cans of mushrooms, a jar of marinara (Super Chunky mushroom), and one cup of fat-free shredded cheddar cheese. Orange cheese is safe. I stuffed the manicotti with the filling after they were boiled and covered them all with another jar of spaghetti sauce (mushroom and onion). It's pretty tasty and filling and it really fulfills my love of mushrooms. Some of the filling actually got put on top because I had excess. And manicotti shells are freaking hard to fill. There was cursing.
I am hoping to read through more of Love Hunger tonight when Gavin has his last basketball practice of the season. He only has one more game left! I'm glad the weather is getting better because I might take his bike out of storage sooner than usual because I don't want his activity level to go down. He doesn't have any structured physical activity until the summer when he goes to summer camp. After this week, it's just tutoring and an art class after school on some days.
Ok, time to get my stuff together so I can head to campus, park legally (I hope), and get some work done so my adviser doesn't fly up here and strangle me. Hope everyone is having a successful week with whatever goals you have created!
My goals:
1) I will continue to run/walk at least 5 days a week on my treadmill. It would be dandy to do my work out in the morning before work but the mornings hate me and I hate the mornings.
2) I will only eat out 1-2 times a week.
3) I will journal both my intake (point usage) and my outtake (gain in points) from exercise. I need to figure out if I actually have points left over at the end of the day or if my snacking cancels out all the points I earn on the treadmill.
Monday, March 2, 2009
I'm in some serious need of coffee.....
Howdy all-
The weekend went okay for me. I didn't count points but I listened to my hunger and made sure I exercised yesterday. I'll count points now for the rest of the week to ensure I have a loss come Thursday. My main rant today is not about tracking my Weight Watcher points or even weight loss. I'm so sick of my sleep habits. I have been going to bed early so at least I have that going for me BUT even if I'm in bed at 11pm, I'm not falling asleep in a timely manner. Getting up early the past few mornings has been hellish. I cannot get my body out of bed at a reasonable time. I could have gotten so much more done this weekend but I couldn't get up until 10am. Even today, I couldn't get up until 8am. I wish I could go to bed between 10:30-11pm and get up at 7am like a normal person. Heck, I'd like to get up at 6am and use the treadmill in the morning so I can use my evenings for other activities.
Rant completed.
The weekend went okay for me. I didn't count points but I listened to my hunger and made sure I exercised yesterday. I'll count points now for the rest of the week to ensure I have a loss come Thursday. My main rant today is not about tracking my Weight Watcher points or even weight loss. I'm so sick of my sleep habits. I have been going to bed early so at least I have that going for me BUT even if I'm in bed at 11pm, I'm not falling asleep in a timely manner. Getting up early the past few mornings has been hellish. I cannot get my body out of bed at a reasonable time. I could have gotten so much more done this weekend but I couldn't get up until 10am. Even today, I couldn't get up until 8am. I wish I could go to bed between 10:30-11pm and get up at 7am like a normal person. Heck, I'd like to get up at 6am and use the treadmill in the morning so I can use my evenings for other activities.
Rant completed.
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