P90X!!!!!
We are most likely starting on Sunday night (Scott, do you agree?)
It is high time that we get in shape. Seriously. 6 1/2 months post-partum, and I am ready to deal with the aftermath of this pregnancy. The scale may be down, but this body I'm left with is not the same one that I started with--you other mamas know what I mean!! The scale can be deceiving.
Now, I want to do the workout while maintaining my milk production, and the milk production takes priority, but I am hoping that John is old enough, and my supply is established enough, that we will be just fine.
Here we go. I have a feeling it's not going to be easy.
edit: I added a link to P90x above, for those of you--mom, and possibly, Mary Ann:)--who might not know what it is. and, by the way, we are borrowing the videos.
Showing posts with label getting in shape one day at a time. Show all posts
Showing posts with label getting in shape one day at a time. Show all posts
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Aching
So, based on my book, House Works, it takes 21 days to form a habit, and I am supposed to pick up one habit at a time.
As I mentioned in the last post, my "habits" for last week were to begin each day by unloading the dishwasher and making sure the kitchen counters are clean, then I move upstairs where I make the bed, and I fold and put away one load of laundry. I also implemented Fridays as clean sheet day and Saturdays as clean bathroom day. So far, so good.
As I also mentioned in the last post, all of these new habits stemmed from a conversation with Ann, in which she asked me what things about my messy house bothered me the most, and I immediately said the bathrooms and kitchen because those involve sanitary issues--they just need to be clean, you know?
All of this to say, that when I began to think about a new habit to form this week, I thought about what bothered me the most, and immediately exercise, or lack there of, came to mind. So, I determined to begin doing tae-bo this week for at least 30 minutes. (I can't do the entire video because I can't do the ab section while pregnant).
I am adoring this new found second trimester energy, and I don't want to lose it when third trimester hits. I predict that if I make exercise a habit now, the energy might remain.
So, tonight when Ada was bathed and bedded, I popped the dvd in, ready to tae-bo.
Oh. my. word. My body is aching. Every inch of it. It's like new muscles have formed due to pregnancy, and they are making their presence known. Seriously...this is a different body than when I am not pregnant.
But, I will not be deterred. I will still exercise for 30 minutes, at least five days a week. I know it will make me feel better. Eventually.
Right now, I am going to find the tylenol bottle.
As I mentioned in the last post, my "habits" for last week were to begin each day by unloading the dishwasher and making sure the kitchen counters are clean, then I move upstairs where I make the bed, and I fold and put away one load of laundry. I also implemented Fridays as clean sheet day and Saturdays as clean bathroom day. So far, so good.As I also mentioned in the last post, all of these new habits stemmed from a conversation with Ann, in which she asked me what things about my messy house bothered me the most, and I immediately said the bathrooms and kitchen because those involve sanitary issues--they just need to be clean, you know?
All of this to say, that when I began to think about a new habit to form this week, I thought about what bothered me the most, and immediately exercise, or lack there of, came to mind. So, I determined to begin doing tae-bo this week for at least 30 minutes. (I can't do the entire video because I can't do the ab section while pregnant).
I am adoring this new found second trimester energy, and I don't want to lose it when third trimester hits. I predict that if I make exercise a habit now, the energy might remain.
So, tonight when Ada was bathed and bedded, I popped the dvd in, ready to tae-bo.
Oh. my. word. My body is aching. Every inch of it. It's like new muscles have formed due to pregnancy, and they are making their presence known. Seriously...this is a different body than when I am not pregnant.
But, I will not be deterred. I will still exercise for 30 minutes, at least five days a week. I know it will make me feel better. Eventually.
Right now, I am going to find the tylenol bottle.
Monday, April 6, 2009
More Diet Talk
So...there is more I want to say about dieting.
One is that I have fallen off the wagon over the past week. I think I was just so stinkin' exhausted from all of the tutoring, that I didn't have time to think about it, and it was hard for me to get my tale off the couch during Ada's nap time to do Tae Bo. I am three weeks away from the beach (I can't believe that we are actually going. It's going to be amazing.), and I have to get it together fast, so I am gathering my thoughts and getting my game plan together.
Earlier I mentioned different overall dieting strategies or philosophies, if you will, but now I want to talk about little tricks that I have for surviving the diet game.
I love that Jello commercial that talks about how, "every diet needs a little wiggle room." I totally get that commercial. It speaks my language. So, here are the ways I find a little wiggle room in my diet.
Night time is my worst dieting time of all. Whether I am tutoring online late at night or sitting and watching television with Scott, I love to have something to munch on. There is the feeling that I deserve a treat at the end of the day, and I have realized that I need to plan for that treat in order to prevent blowing my calorie count at the end of the day. Some of my favorite treats are a cup of hot green or white tea with a little bit of cream and splenda, a snack size pack of M & M's, a 100 calorie pack of popcorn with diet coke, one cookie or brownie or whatever else we might have in the house (remember that portion size is key). My point is that you need to figure out when during the day you are your "weakest," and come up with a game plan for getting through that time. Mine happens to be night time, and morning is my best time. The more tired I am, the less will power I have, and by 8 or 9 at night, my will power level is in the negative range.
I also like to keep healthy snacks in sight at all time. Let me give you an example. Right now I have pretty orange tangelos sitting in my fruit bowl on the counter. So today I walked into the kitchen fully intending to get a handful of chex mix from the pantry, and then I spotted the tangelos, looking much more "attractive" than chex mix, and I changed my mind. If that fruit had been out of sight, I would have ended up eating many more calories and putting a lot more junk in my body. Keep the healthier stuff in sight, and you will more likely grab it instead of the junk. Even better, if there is some sort of "junk" that you just can't resist, don't keep it in the house. For example, I have a huge weakness for chips and french fries. Obviously I can't keep McDonald's french fries in the house, but I can buy chips. If I don't buy chips, and instead tell myself that I can get fries the next time I am at a fast food restaurant, I end up eating a lot fewer calories. I don't like to cut foods out entirely, but I do like to be smart about what I eat.
Finally, because this is once again getting long, I want to close with a work out tip that I read in Runner's World a few years back. If you don't feel like exercising, tell yourself that you only have to do it for ten minutes. I mean, what is ten minutes of exercise? Nothing, right? But once you get started, you most likely aren't going to stop after only 10 minutes. However, ten minutes of exercise is a lot easier to deal with than 45 minutes. It's the same thing I tell my students--tell yourself you are going to study hard for 10 minutes and then take a break. It's the overwhelming feeling that you have to study an entire chapter or four pages of notes that keeps you from studying, and it's the same with exercise. Most days 45 minutes of Tae Bo doesn't seem doable, but ten minutes is always possible. I have never actually stopped after ten minutes. Try it. It gets the exercise done, I promise.
I still much more to write about this subject, but for now I will close. As always, if you have any tips to pass along, please do.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Winning the Diet Game
I have had several people ask me about what I am eating while trying to lose weight, and I have been gathering my thoughts on this for the past few days.
It is certainly true that couponing doesn't exactly lend itself towards healthy eating if we are talking about fresh, clean food, but it is entirely possible to count calories while couponing.
Here's the deal. To lose weight, you must burn more calories than you take in, simple as that. I have tried diet after diet after diet, and the only thing that works is to burn more calories than you take in. I have however, taken a little bit of dieting strategy from each diet that I have done, so I am going to try to break that down.
First of all, I am big believer in recording what you eat for the first few weeks of a diet. Let's say you are dieting for the long haul--and I highly recommend dieting for the long haul, but I will get to that in a minute--I think that for the first three weeks or so, you need to be meticulous about writing down what you eat. And I mean every. single. bite. Why? Because if you don't, it is very easy to have a bite here and there, and without even realizing it, the calories start to pile up. I also think that after three weeks, you can slack off a bit when it comes to recording everything because you have established the habit of not taking a bite here and there. You see? And I am not saying that you should never take a bite. If there is cake or cookies at work, for example, and you are dying to have one, then by all means have one, just be sure to write it down and adjust your calories accordingly. This leads me to my next bit of dieting advice--
Don't cut out any one food. I have tried this before--no potato chips or french fries or chocolate or whatever, and for me it always back fires. I love potato chips and french fries. Love them, and I think they can easily fit into a diet. Again, our focus is on how many calories you eat in the day, so if I choose to eat fries at Chick-fil-a on Monday, then I just eat a low calorie dinner and breakfast. In the past when I have totally cut something out, it back fires because I end up ordering the fries anyway, feeling like I blew it, throwing in the towel, and calling it quits on the diet. However, if I never tell myself that I can't have fries, then if I eat them, I just adjust the day's food schedule. Do you see? This applies to whatever your "weakness" is; mine just happens to be french fries (dipped in ranch dressing, in case you were wondering).
Okay, while I don't believe in cutting out particular foods, I do believe in being smart about your food choices. I tend to get hungry often. Like, I may eat breakfast at 8 am, and by 10 am, I am famished. So, over the years I have learned that it is much smarter for me to eat eggs and whole grain toast than a cereal bar for breakfast. Protein and whole grains (complex carbs) are going to stick with you much longer than simple carbs (cereal bar). An easy mistake to make is to think that all calories are equal, and they are not. In fact, I would rather initially eat more calories at breakfast (omelet vs. bagel), but have the breakfast last until lunch. At the end of the day, I will have actually eaten less calories by being smart about what calories I choose. Does that make sense?
Now, this leads me to dieting on a budget. As you all know, my main priority right now is saving money in every way that I can. This means that my food choices most often reflect price rather than health or calorie count. There have been times, like when I was still teaching, when I could make health or diet my priority over price. So, alter your decisions accordingly. When teaching, convenience also played a huge role. For example, I might only have thirty minutes (or less) for lunch, so I often bought frozen, microwaveable meals such as Kashi or Lean Cuisine. These usually filled me up for the most part without packing on the calories. Now that I am staying at home, those things rarely work their way into the weekly budget. I do like Lean Cuisine pizzas a lot, so I try to stock up when they are on sale and I have coupons, but for the most part it is much cheaper for me to buy a loaf of bread (on sale) and peanut butter and call it lunch. Peanut butter is a cheap protein, and it is especially good for you if you buy Natural Peanut butter, so you aren't getting any added sugar or other ingredients. I use this to make peanut butter toast (on whole grain bread) or peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (on whole grain, using "all fruit" type jellies). Again, the diet secret is no big secret, I just figure out how many calories I can have each day, and I stick to those calories no matter what.
This is getting long, so let me throw in two other things, and I will wrap this up. I suggest aiming for 1/2 lb to 1 lb a week. In college, I gained about ten lbs during my freshman year (which is a lot of weight gain when you are only 5 feet tall), and I tried my hardest to lose that weight over the course of three years. I tried everything, but finally, the summer before my senior year of college I did weight watchers, and I lost maybe 1/2 lb a week, and some weeks passed with no weight loss. It probably took me six months to lose the ten pounds, but I have never gained it back (not counting pregnancy, of course). Even now, I don't carry around that extra 10 lbs. Slow weight loss is the best kind. Don't try to drastically reduce calories. IT WON'T WORK. You will only become obsessive and it will back fire, I promise. (I speak from experience.) Be realistic and stick to a healthy amount of calories, and take it slow. The weight will come off and stay off, but you have to be patient and consistent. Any questions? I love talking about this stuff, so feel free to ask away.
And remember, here is my favorite place for dieting information. At the Daily Plate you will find out how many calories you need to eat each day, and you can record your daily meals and exercise. It is a great tool for staying on track!!
It is certainly true that couponing doesn't exactly lend itself towards healthy eating if we are talking about fresh, clean food, but it is entirely possible to count calories while couponing.
Here's the deal. To lose weight, you must burn more calories than you take in, simple as that. I have tried diet after diet after diet, and the only thing that works is to burn more calories than you take in. I have however, taken a little bit of dieting strategy from each diet that I have done, so I am going to try to break that down.
First of all, I am big believer in recording what you eat for the first few weeks of a diet. Let's say you are dieting for the long haul--and I highly recommend dieting for the long haul, but I will get to that in a minute--I think that for the first three weeks or so, you need to be meticulous about writing down what you eat. And I mean every. single. bite. Why? Because if you don't, it is very easy to have a bite here and there, and without even realizing it, the calories start to pile up. I also think that after three weeks, you can slack off a bit when it comes to recording everything because you have established the habit of not taking a bite here and there. You see? And I am not saying that you should never take a bite. If there is cake or cookies at work, for example, and you are dying to have one, then by all means have one, just be sure to write it down and adjust your calories accordingly. This leads me to my next bit of dieting advice--
Don't cut out any one food. I have tried this before--no potato chips or french fries or chocolate or whatever, and for me it always back fires. I love potato chips and french fries. Love them, and I think they can easily fit into a diet. Again, our focus is on how many calories you eat in the day, so if I choose to eat fries at Chick-fil-a on Monday, then I just eat a low calorie dinner and breakfast. In the past when I have totally cut something out, it back fires because I end up ordering the fries anyway, feeling like I blew it, throwing in the towel, and calling it quits on the diet. However, if I never tell myself that I can't have fries, then if I eat them, I just adjust the day's food schedule. Do you see? This applies to whatever your "weakness" is; mine just happens to be french fries (dipped in ranch dressing, in case you were wondering).
Okay, while I don't believe in cutting out particular foods, I do believe in being smart about your food choices. I tend to get hungry often. Like, I may eat breakfast at 8 am, and by 10 am, I am famished. So, over the years I have learned that it is much smarter for me to eat eggs and whole grain toast than a cereal bar for breakfast. Protein and whole grains (complex carbs) are going to stick with you much longer than simple carbs (cereal bar). An easy mistake to make is to think that all calories are equal, and they are not. In fact, I would rather initially eat more calories at breakfast (omelet vs. bagel), but have the breakfast last until lunch. At the end of the day, I will have actually eaten less calories by being smart about what calories I choose. Does that make sense?
Now, this leads me to dieting on a budget. As you all know, my main priority right now is saving money in every way that I can. This means that my food choices most often reflect price rather than health or calorie count. There have been times, like when I was still teaching, when I could make health or diet my priority over price. So, alter your decisions accordingly. When teaching, convenience also played a huge role. For example, I might only have thirty minutes (or less) for lunch, so I often bought frozen, microwaveable meals such as Kashi or Lean Cuisine. These usually filled me up for the most part without packing on the calories. Now that I am staying at home, those things rarely work their way into the weekly budget. I do like Lean Cuisine pizzas a lot, so I try to stock up when they are on sale and I have coupons, but for the most part it is much cheaper for me to buy a loaf of bread (on sale) and peanut butter and call it lunch. Peanut butter is a cheap protein, and it is especially good for you if you buy Natural Peanut butter, so you aren't getting any added sugar or other ingredients. I use this to make peanut butter toast (on whole grain bread) or peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (on whole grain, using "all fruit" type jellies). Again, the diet secret is no big secret, I just figure out how many calories I can have each day, and I stick to those calories no matter what.
This is getting long, so let me throw in two other things, and I will wrap this up. I suggest aiming for 1/2 lb to 1 lb a week. In college, I gained about ten lbs during my freshman year (which is a lot of weight gain when you are only 5 feet tall), and I tried my hardest to lose that weight over the course of three years. I tried everything, but finally, the summer before my senior year of college I did weight watchers, and I lost maybe 1/2 lb a week, and some weeks passed with no weight loss. It probably took me six months to lose the ten pounds, but I have never gained it back (not counting pregnancy, of course). Even now, I don't carry around that extra 10 lbs. Slow weight loss is the best kind. Don't try to drastically reduce calories. IT WON'T WORK. You will only become obsessive and it will back fire, I promise. (I speak from experience.) Be realistic and stick to a healthy amount of calories, and take it slow. The weight will come off and stay off, but you have to be patient and consistent. Any questions? I love talking about this stuff, so feel free to ask away.
And remember, here is my favorite place for dieting information. At the Daily Plate you will find out how many calories you need to eat each day, and you can record your daily meals and exercise. It is a great tool for staying on track!!
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Menu Plan Monday--eating from the pantry and freezer edition
Monday—tutor at 5:00—dried pintos in crock pot, corn bread (take out chicken to defrost)
Tuesday—tutor from 4-5, cook meat during the day, make tacos (boneless chicken breasts)
Wednesday—tutor all night—corn chowder in crock pot, bread
Thursday—dinner on our own (AKA cereal night), tutoring and bible study (take out stew meat to defrost for fajitas)
Friday—tutor 3:30-4:30, cook meat during the day, fajitas (I think we are actually doing dinner with friends, so this meal may be moved to next week's menu)
Saturday—frozen pizza (take out chicken to defrost for lunch tomorrow)
Sunday Lunch—chicken, rice, veggies in the crock pot
Okay, we have fallen off the budget wagon this month due to trips home, Easter shoes for Ada, car trouble, eating out one too many times, and the list could go on and on and on. So...I am going to be spending a bare minimum at the grocery store over the next month. I am getting back on track with coupons, and I plan to really work the sales as much as possible. So...I planned this week's menu purely on what we already had on hand. I will be buying a few things from the Publix BOGO sales, but I haven't even been to the store for the week. I am seeing how long we can survive without my going. There are only two diet cokes left in the fridge, so we most likely won't survive for long. My tutoring has messed up my dinner plans one too many times, so I have tried to plan crock pot meals for the nights when I will be away from home during the dinner hour, hence the tutoring reminders beside each menu item. That is to help my crazy absent minded self remember what I need to do each day.
Here is what else is on the menu, and Here is where you will find hundreds more menu ideas.
Lunch--pb & j, leftovers, and whatever else I find after I scrounge around in the pantry and freezer
Breakfast--eggs (need to buy these), peanut butter toast, muffins
p.s. we are only 5 weeks away from the beach, and I am down three pounds. Woo-hoo. I am still dieting and tae-boing in full force, and the scale and I are battling it out. Most mornings the scale wins, but this morning I gained the upper hand. The scale has been hovering around one pound lost no matter how much I stuck to calories or tae-boed, but this morning it finally dropped. I was dancing around the house I was so excited!!
We also put Ada on the scale, and she weighed 21.5 pounds!! She has recently hit a growth spurt, and she finally surpassed the 20 pound mark, granted that is with a diaper and clothes on, but still. Usually full clothed, she barely reaches 20.
Tuesday—tutor from 4-5, cook meat during the day, make tacos (boneless chicken breasts)
Wednesday—tutor all night—corn chowder in crock pot, bread
Thursday—dinner on our own (AKA cereal night), tutoring and bible study (take out stew meat to defrost for fajitas)
Friday—tutor 3:30-4:30, cook meat during the day, fajitas (I think we are actually doing dinner with friends, so this meal may be moved to next week's menu)
Saturday—frozen pizza (take out chicken to defrost for lunch tomorrow)
Sunday Lunch—chicken, rice, veggies in the crock pot
Okay, we have fallen off the budget wagon this month due to trips home, Easter shoes for Ada, car trouble, eating out one too many times, and the list could go on and on and on. So...I am going to be spending a bare minimum at the grocery store over the next month. I am getting back on track with coupons, and I plan to really work the sales as much as possible. So...I planned this week's menu purely on what we already had on hand. I will be buying a few things from the Publix BOGO sales, but I haven't even been to the store for the week. I am seeing how long we can survive without my going. There are only two diet cokes left in the fridge, so we most likely won't survive for long. My tutoring has messed up my dinner plans one too many times, so I have tried to plan crock pot meals for the nights when I will be away from home during the dinner hour, hence the tutoring reminders beside each menu item. That is to help my crazy absent minded self remember what I need to do each day.
Here is what else is on the menu, and Here is where you will find hundreds more menu ideas.
Lunch--pb & j, leftovers, and whatever else I find after I scrounge around in the pantry and freezer
Breakfast--eggs (need to buy these), peanut butter toast, muffins
p.s. we are only 5 weeks away from the beach, and I am down three pounds. Woo-hoo. I am still dieting and tae-boing in full force, and the scale and I are battling it out. Most mornings the scale wins, but this morning I gained the upper hand. The scale has been hovering around one pound lost no matter how much I stuck to calories or tae-boed, but this morning it finally dropped. I was dancing around the house I was so excited!!
We also put Ada on the scale, and she weighed 21.5 pounds!! She has recently hit a growth spurt, and she finally surpassed the 20 pound mark, granted that is with a diaper and clothes on, but still. Usually full clothed, she barely reaches 20.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Rainy Thursday Afternoon
Here is my list of things that need to be done--Tae Bo, prepare dinner, fold and put away clothes, clean, clean, clean, clean, and I could repeat that word over and over and it would not suffice because this house is always a crazy mess.
What have I been doing? Oh, you know. Lying on the couch watching Gilmore Girls while the rain pours down outside my window.
Ada and I joined Ashley and Knox for brunch this morning--it was lovely. Eggs Benedict, sweet potato fries, and yummy fruit. Ada and Knox were a little moody, but Ashley and I blamed it on the weather. After enjoying tea, brunch, and conversation at Ashley's, I thought the perfect way to spend the afternoon would be lying on the couch while Ada slept. I can't really enjoy it, though, because that voice in my head is ticking off the things that I need to be doing.
So, off to do Tae Bo. How do you like to spend your rainy days?
What have I been doing? Oh, you know. Lying on the couch watching Gilmore Girls while the rain pours down outside my window.
Ada and I joined Ashley and Knox for brunch this morning--it was lovely. Eggs Benedict, sweet potato fries, and yummy fruit. Ada and Knox were a little moody, but Ashley and I blamed it on the weather. After enjoying tea, brunch, and conversation at Ashley's, I thought the perfect way to spend the afternoon would be lying on the couch while Ada slept. I can't really enjoy it, though, because that voice in my head is ticking off the things that I need to be doing.
So, off to do Tae Bo. How do you like to spend your rainy days?
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Sunday afternoon
It's beautiful outside. Absolutely beautiful. This kind of weather is good for the soul, don't you think?
An exercise video inside my house was not going to cut it today. So...we loaded up the car (Scott, Ada, and me) and headed to the local high school track. Ada played, and Scott and I took turns running. I wanted to run three miles, but I only made it through two miles. I am seriously out of shape. It felt so stinkin' good to be outside in the sunshine getting some exercise, three miles or not.
Exercise and sunshine, it's a healing combination.
An exercise video inside my house was not going to cut it today. So...we loaded up the car (Scott, Ada, and me) and headed to the local high school track. Ada played, and Scott and I took turns running. I wanted to run three miles, but I only made it through two miles. I am seriously out of shape. It felt so stinkin' good to be outside in the sunshine getting some exercise, three miles or not.
Exercise and sunshine, it's a healing combination.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Accountability
It is Saturday night, and I am back from a "my cup overfloweth" kind of day. It was a day spent catching up with old friends, and it was such refreshment. I will talk more about that later, though.
It is Saturday night, Ada is in bed, and I have not done one iota of exercise today. Normally, I would be okay with skipping just one day, but because this is only day three of the diet, I am afraid that if I skip working out, I will lose my momentum, and this is not the time to lose momentum. So, I am telling you right now that I have to do tae bo tonight. I already logged it in my Daily Plate, and after a mexican lunch with friends I need to burn some calories. I tried my bathing suit on today, and these thighs have a ways to go before they are beach worthy. (let's be honest, I am not sure my thighs have ever been beach worthy or ever will be no matter how many hours of kickboxing I log).
So, I will report back tomorrow (or tonight) and tell you if I did tae bo or not. You, my blog friends, have to hold me accountable!!
Update: Tae Bo is done--woo hoo!!! Every five minutes I thought about quitting, but I didn't. I am exhausted, and my body is asking me to stop all the exercising, but I am so glad that I did it. Three days in a row, ya'll.
It is Saturday night, Ada is in bed, and I have not done one iota of exercise today. Normally, I would be okay with skipping just one day, but because this is only day three of the diet, I am afraid that if I skip working out, I will lose my momentum, and this is not the time to lose momentum. So, I am telling you right now that I have to do tae bo tonight. I already logged it in my Daily Plate, and after a mexican lunch with friends I need to burn some calories. I tried my bathing suit on today, and these thighs have a ways to go before they are beach worthy. (let's be honest, I am not sure my thighs have ever been beach worthy or ever will be no matter how many hours of kickboxing I log).
So, I will report back tomorrow (or tonight) and tell you if I did tae bo or not. You, my blog friends, have to hold me accountable!!
Update: Tae Bo is done--woo hoo!!! Every five minutes I thought about quitting, but I didn't. I am exhausted, and my body is asking me to stop all the exercising, but I am so glad that I did it. Three days in a row, ya'll.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Welcome, First Day of Spring!!!
Let's all shout hallelujah that winter has passed and spring has come. Really. I have been craving sunshine for months now. Bring. it. on.
How did Ada and I celebrate? We loaded up the car and headed to Walgreens for some claritin. Claritin and I will be BFFs for the next couple of months. Pollen will not hold me hostage inside my house. I will medicine up and face the sunshine with gusto.
I put a bright pink outfit on Ada, watermelons and all. I placed a big white bow in her hair and pink crocs on her feet. We greet this season with open arms and a foggy head from all the medication. But that is okay. A foggy head does not prevent my face from feeling the sunshine beating down.
p.s. I also celebrated the first day of spring with a 1/2 lb lost. Thank you, Tae Bo. Thank you fresco menu at Taco Bell. Thank you jeans that are way too tight reminding me that I have let the pounds gather over the last few months, and it is way past time to nip it in the bud. I'll keep you posted. For now, Billy Blanks and I have a kickboxing date.
How did Ada and I celebrate? We loaded up the car and headed to Walgreens for some claritin. Claritin and I will be BFFs for the next couple of months. Pollen will not hold me hostage inside my house. I will medicine up and face the sunshine with gusto.
I put a bright pink outfit on Ada, watermelons and all. I placed a big white bow in her hair and pink crocs on her feet. We greet this season with open arms and a foggy head from all the medication. But that is okay. A foggy head does not prevent my face from feeling the sunshine beating down.
p.s. I also celebrated the first day of spring with a 1/2 lb lost. Thank you, Tae Bo. Thank you fresco menu at Taco Bell. Thank you jeans that are way too tight reminding me that I have let the pounds gather over the last few months, and it is way past time to nip it in the bud. I'll keep you posted. For now, Billy Blanks and I have a kickboxing date.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Fun, low-cal, meal on the go
Okay, I am back, and I am done with Tae-bo. Woo-hoo!!! One day down. And the most shocking thing of all, Ada is still asleep. I can't believe it. So...I am quickly going to give you a diet meal idea.
Warning--I have millions of diet facts floating around inside my brain. I have been storing them up there for many years now. Because I haven't officially dieted since my wedding, I have never shared these tips on here. They might show up a lot over the next six weeks. If you thought I was obsessed with coupons, you "ain't seen nothing yet." I will try to contain myself.
Anyway...I have tried every diet under the sun, really, I have. And my favorite, most successful one is Weight Watchers. It is healthy, safe, and sort of fun. The same thing in me that likes the game of couponing, likes the game of dieting. With weight watchers, you get a certain amount of points for the day, and I love seeing how far I can stretch those points. Much like I stretch our grocery money each week. Well, weight watchers costs money, and though I have memorized a lot of point values, I haven't memorized them all, so I am going to do a modified version of weight watchers and count calories. I am using the site, The Daily Plate, to do this. It's a great way to record what you have eaten each day. You can enter your height and weight, choose a certain amount of weight to lose each week, and it will tell you how many calories you can have each day. Then if you work out for a certain amount of time, you enter that into your "plate," and you earn calories for the day. You see?
So...today is day one of counting the calories, and we had nothing to eat for lunch since we just got back into town yesterday, so I headed to Taco Bell for my favorite, low calorie meal. Tutti, who is a walking encyclopedia of healthy eating facts (I talk diet, she talks health), introduced me to the concept of Taco Bell as healthy. Here is what I ordered today--2 chicken soft tacos, fresco style, and an order of pinto beans--no cheese and no red sauce. The tacos have 170 calories each, and the beans have 100 calories. Not bad, right? And it is a very fresh tasting meal. Some people might be able to get away with eating only one taco for even fewer calories. I require a suprisingly large amount of food in order to prevent starvation;), so I ordered two tacos, but I am still coming in way under my day's allowance, thanks to tae bo!!!
Please, please, please, pass on any meal or dieting ideas. Really, that bathing suit is staring me in the face, and it's not pretty.
Warning--I have millions of diet facts floating around inside my brain. I have been storing them up there for many years now. Because I haven't officially dieted since my wedding, I have never shared these tips on here. They might show up a lot over the next six weeks. If you thought I was obsessed with coupons, you "ain't seen nothing yet." I will try to contain myself.
Anyway...I have tried every diet under the sun, really, I have. And my favorite, most successful one is Weight Watchers. It is healthy, safe, and sort of fun. The same thing in me that likes the game of couponing, likes the game of dieting. With weight watchers, you get a certain amount of points for the day, and I love seeing how far I can stretch those points. Much like I stretch our grocery money each week. Well, weight watchers costs money, and though I have memorized a lot of point values, I haven't memorized them all, so I am going to do a modified version of weight watchers and count calories. I am using the site, The Daily Plate, to do this. It's a great way to record what you have eaten each day. You can enter your height and weight, choose a certain amount of weight to lose each week, and it will tell you how many calories you can have each day. Then if you work out for a certain amount of time, you enter that into your "plate," and you earn calories for the day. You see?
So...today is day one of counting the calories, and we had nothing to eat for lunch since we just got back into town yesterday, so I headed to Taco Bell for my favorite, low calorie meal. Tutti, who is a walking encyclopedia of healthy eating facts (I talk diet, she talks health), introduced me to the concept of Taco Bell as healthy. Here is what I ordered today--2 chicken soft tacos, fresco style, and an order of pinto beans--no cheese and no red sauce. The tacos have 170 calories each, and the beans have 100 calories. Not bad, right? And it is a very fresh tasting meal. Some people might be able to get away with eating only one taco for even fewer calories. I require a suprisingly large amount of food in order to prevent starvation;), so I ordered two tacos, but I am still coming in way under my day's allowance, thanks to tae bo!!!
Please, please, please, pass on any meal or dieting ideas. Really, that bathing suit is staring me in the face, and it's not pretty.
Still no time for blogging
I have so much I want to blog about, yet I don't have the time to do it. So, I am stopping by for a quick hello.
The beach is six weeks away, and I could not be more excited than I am. Really, Scott and I thinking we are looking more forward to this trip than we were honeymoon. We didn't know what we had that week of our honeymoon. We thought all of marriage would be like that--ha;) However, I am not looking forward to putting on a swim suit, or anything that shows my arms or legs for that matter because I am quite out of shape. Like, maybe the worst shape of my life? So...I am counting calories and committing to Tae Bo every. single. day. And then, maybe the bathing suit part of the beach trip won't be quite as painful. We'll see. Bathing suit season always catches me by surprise. I am all covered up in winter clothes, and then, boom, it's 70 degrees outside, and I am scrambling to get myself into some kind of shape.
So...on today's schedule, cleaning for bible study tonight, tae bo (which takes almost an hour!!!!!!), keeping up with Ada, tutoring, and the list could go on and on. I will be back in the next couple of days to talk about the grocery plan for the rest of the month.
Preview--Kashi frozen meals are B1G1 at Publix this week, just in time for operation I have to wear a bathing suit in six weeks. Those will make a nice treat at lunch time next week.
The beach is six weeks away, and I could not be more excited than I am. Really, Scott and I thinking we are looking more forward to this trip than we were honeymoon. We didn't know what we had that week of our honeymoon. We thought all of marriage would be like that--ha;) However, I am not looking forward to putting on a swim suit, or anything that shows my arms or legs for that matter because I am quite out of shape. Like, maybe the worst shape of my life? So...I am counting calories and committing to Tae Bo every. single. day. And then, maybe the bathing suit part of the beach trip won't be quite as painful. We'll see. Bathing suit season always catches me by surprise. I am all covered up in winter clothes, and then, boom, it's 70 degrees outside, and I am scrambling to get myself into some kind of shape.
So...on today's schedule, cleaning for bible study tonight, tae bo (which takes almost an hour!!!!!!), keeping up with Ada, tutoring, and the list could go on and on. I will be back in the next couple of days to talk about the grocery plan for the rest of the month.
Preview--Kashi frozen meals are B1G1 at Publix this week, just in time for operation I have to wear a bathing suit in six weeks. Those will make a nice treat at lunch time next week.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Gold's Gym and I are not on speaking terms
Okay, so as I said earlier, I had big plans to buy a "class pass" for Gold's Gym, which would allow me to take classes without actually becoming a member. I was under the impression that I would pay 31.00 and get 20 classes. I figured that I could make that pass last me for six weeks, and I felt like that was a great deal. So, I gathered up two laundry baskets full of pre-baby clothes, and a bag full of shoes, and I headed to Plato's Closet to try to get the 31.00. Well, the workers picked through my stuff and settled on 15 items out of the piles that I brought. When I saw the small pile that they agreed to take, I was sure that it was not 31.00 worth, but they told me that they would give me 42.00 for it!!!! I was, of course, very excited. The story takes a turn for the worse here.
This past week I had a free seven day pass to Gold's Gym, so I have been going to class all week, and Ada has been hanging out in the kid's area. It's been great, and I have already seen an increase in energy. Well, I talked to the worker earlier in the week about the class pass. I really thought that she told me that the pass was for 20 classes, and she certainly never mentioned a registration fee. Plus, Tutti (you remember Tutti, right?) has a class pass, and her's is for 20 classes. Okay, so I go to Gold's Gym today, oh so excited about buying my pass, and the girl tells me that there is a 39.00 registration fee, and that 31.00 will buy 12 classes. TWELVE CLASSES!! Okay, so I mentioned that I really thought it was for 20 classes, and I even asked if they had changed it recently. She said no and I think felt sorry for me because I can only imagine how my face fell in that moment. I came in prepared to pay 31.00 for 20 classes, and they were asking me to pay a total of 70.00 for 12 classes. It wasn't happening, folks. I sadly told her thanks anyway.
So, I got in my car, and I was feeling rather frustrated. It was the kind of frustrated where I felt the need to get a lot of energy out. I even called Scott and ranted and raved for a bit, and he was patient with me as I let out some of the frustration. Then we hung up, and then I called him back and ranted and raved some more. It wasn't my finest hour, ya'll.
But then the wheels in my head started to turn. I knew that I need exercise. I need it for both my mental and physical health--and, let's be honest, the health of my husband and daughter;), so I began to rack my brain. I had 42.00 in my purse, so I headed to Target. And here, the story gets better. I bought a new workout DVD--woo-hoo--The Firm: The 500 Calorie Workout. I spent for-stinkin-ever looking over each of the workout dvds that Target offered, and this seemed to offer the most similar workout to the ones at Gold's. I didn't want some puny little video that left me feeling like I had done nothing but take a stroll around the block. I need to sweat out all of my frustration and anxiety every single day, and those puny 30 minute dvds just don't cut it. But this dvd promises 60 minutes of very hard working out. And it also promises 500 calories burned. So, I snatched it up, along with some new hand weights, because the video said I would need them. And there you have it folks. I am still frustrated with Gold's Gym, but I have come up with a solution. I'll let you know how it goes.
In the mean time, do you have any suggestions for good work out videos? I imagine that eventually I will get tired of doing the same dvd every single day, so suggestions are welcome.
p.s. the reason I need a video is because Ada refuses to sit in the stroller, so running is out. Plus as soon as Scott gets home in the afternoon, I start tutoring, so running is out then too. A video is the best solution I could come up with--after the class pass that is.
This past week I had a free seven day pass to Gold's Gym, so I have been going to class all week, and Ada has been hanging out in the kid's area. It's been great, and I have already seen an increase in energy. Well, I talked to the worker earlier in the week about the class pass. I really thought that she told me that the pass was for 20 classes, and she certainly never mentioned a registration fee. Plus, Tutti (you remember Tutti, right?) has a class pass, and her's is for 20 classes. Okay, so I go to Gold's Gym today, oh so excited about buying my pass, and the girl tells me that there is a 39.00 registration fee, and that 31.00 will buy 12 classes. TWELVE CLASSES!! Okay, so I mentioned that I really thought it was for 20 classes, and I even asked if they had changed it recently. She said no and I think felt sorry for me because I can only imagine how my face fell in that moment. I came in prepared to pay 31.00 for 20 classes, and they were asking me to pay a total of 70.00 for 12 classes. It wasn't happening, folks. I sadly told her thanks anyway.
So, I got in my car, and I was feeling rather frustrated. It was the kind of frustrated where I felt the need to get a lot of energy out. I even called Scott and ranted and raved for a bit, and he was patient with me as I let out some of the frustration. Then we hung up, and then I called him back and ranted and raved some more. It wasn't my finest hour, ya'll.
But then the wheels in my head started to turn. I knew that I need exercise. I need it for both my mental and physical health--and, let's be honest, the health of my husband and daughter;), so I began to rack my brain. I had 42.00 in my purse, so I headed to Target. And here, the story gets better. I bought a new workout DVD--woo-hoo--The Firm: The 500 Calorie Workout. I spent for-stinkin-ever looking over each of the workout dvds that Target offered, and this seemed to offer the most similar workout to the ones at Gold's. I didn't want some puny little video that left me feeling like I had done nothing but take a stroll around the block. I need to sweat out all of my frustration and anxiety every single day, and those puny 30 minute dvds just don't cut it. But this dvd promises 60 minutes of very hard working out. And it also promises 500 calories burned. So, I snatched it up, along with some new hand weights, because the video said I would need them. And there you have it folks. I am still frustrated with Gold's Gym, but I have come up with a solution. I'll let you know how it goes.
In the mean time, do you have any suggestions for good work out videos? I imagine that eventually I will get tired of doing the same dvd every single day, so suggestions are welcome.
p.s. the reason I need a video is because Ada refuses to sit in the stroller, so running is out. Plus as soon as Scott gets home in the afternoon, I start tutoring, so running is out then too. A video is the best solution I could come up with--after the class pass that is.
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