december 27th

tomorrow i am going to weigh in and see what the damage is. i've been doing pretty good with exercise. i did 4 miles on the treadmill on the 24th, 26th, and today the 27th. tomorrow i will get back in that gym for more.

i hope everyone is enjoying their holidays! =D

merry christmas eve

i have been neglecting exercise in the past couple of days so today it's back to the gym. i did a lot of jumping around on friday and my muscles have been really sore. still, i feel like someone has kicked me in the ribs. ouchy.

i'm going to try and run on the treadmill for 30 minutes. maybe i should check the temp and see what is going on outside. my bf got me this really cute lululemon workout outfit which is nicer than my regular clothes.

today i'm eating

a few things i shouldn't (but already have)
reduced sugar apple cinnamon oatmeal
soup probably
maybe a salad - i should go grocery shopping

and now on to the gym.

bonjour

today i am a modelka (that's polish for model). are you excited? i am! i am more excited about christmas break starting tonight actually. and the office is going here for lunch. hallelujah! crepes and french onion soup and more delicious yums. and then finally a break from work.

this week i travelled 24 miles in the gym.

monday:
1 mile walking
3 miles running
4 miles biking

same on wednesday and last night.

i had peanut butter on whole wheat toast for breakfast. i hope everyone has a healthy and happy friday!

coworkers

i work in an office with all women. i get along with everyone. partly because i've only been working here for a year and a half and partly because i'm really laid back and would never dream of causing trouble with anyone. do your work and let it go. after all, i consider work to be just work. yes i come here monday to friday and enjoy the work i do (as much as anyone can) but my main life, the more important part, is all about home and family and friends.

anyway. on monday i brought in some of those dark chocolate cookie mounds that i made on sunday. delicious right. and then one of my coworkers says, "you must not eat any of your baking" and i said, "actually i had two today and about six yesterday, and she just looked at me like she didn't believe me and said, "okaaayyyyyyyyy." long and drawn out okay? not okay!

there is this other woman in my office who is doing a "medically supervised" weight loss plan, basically atkins. great time of year to be doing that. anyway, people are bringing in treats and stuff and she is whining on and on about how "hard" we are making it for her. we are going out for lunch on friday and she wanted to change the restaurant to accommodate her ridiculous diet. doing a "diet" like atkins is a choice. it isn't hard. do you want to know what is hard: eating well and making the right choices AND pumping it out in the gym 3-5 or more times per week. it's hard putting in the effort all/most of the time and waiting to see results. it makes me laugh when people think they can sustain weight loss without activity. you fools!



anyway, i probably sound bitter but i don't care that much. last night i went to the gym as planned and did 4 miles (3 running) on the treadmill, some weights, squats, situps, and then 4 miles on the stationary bike. two more days of work including today and then HOLIDAYS!

today i'm eating:

1 lemon social tea cookie
2 almonds
coffee
oatmeal with blueberries, chocolate chips, and almonds
a tv dinner (homestyle meatloaf with mashed potatoes) - not healthy but not too high in points, and in my freezer and i want it to stop looking at me every day.
dinner is a mystery.

what's the point

what is the point of eating too many holiday sweets, exercising less, gaining weight, and then complaining about it later, feeling fat and frumpish, wondering why it seemed okay to stuff it in at the time? there is no point really. in my mind there are two options for the holidays. okay three. actually four.

1) eat more, exercise more, and maintain a nice weight.

2) eat more, exercise less, and gain weight (double f=fat and frumpish).

3) eat less, exercise less, and maintain weight.

4) eat less, exercise more, and lose weight (ha ha ha).

i would choose, in order: 1, 3, 2, 4.

i have made plans to go to the gym (plans = made time and definitely will go, since it's just downstairs ha) tonight and tomorrow night. i also went on monday so that's pretty good for the week. i am now loving this condo gym. it's always empty enough that i can get on any machine i want. and having those TVs is a huge bonus because now at the end of my workout sometimes i'll just ride the stationary bike for 20 minutes watching a program of my choice... it's like nothing!

three more days of work until christmas break - yabba dabba doooooooo!

today i'm eating:
2 slices of whole wheat bread with PB2 peanut butter
fat free cottage cheese with mixed berries (already in the bottom)
pc blue menu whole wheat penne with roasted vegetables

and hopefully that's it until dinner time. :)

dark chocolate cookie mounds

for cara i'm posting this recipe. seriously they taste like those two-bite brownies that i can never bring myself to buy, with good reason.

i modified the recipe a bit and added crushed white chocolate (like chips) from a past-failed bark baking attempt. also i only baked them for 10 minutes because that is when the tops cracked and they were nice and chewalicious inside. the way all cookies should be.

from homebasics:

Skill: Easy
Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 12 mins
Makes: 48 cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup Hellmann's Real Mayonnaise
4 squares (1 oz each) unsweetened chocolate, melted
2 tsp vanilla extract
confectioners sugar or decorative sugar

Preheat the oven to 350° F (180° C). In a small bowl, combine the flour and baking powder; set aside. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat the eggs, granulated sugar, mayonnaise, chocolate and vanilla for 2 minutes. Beat in the flour mixture until blended. Shape the dough by level tablespoonfuls into balls then place on ungreased baking sheets, 2-inches 5 cm) apart.

Bake 12 minutes or until tops crack. Immediately transfer the cookies to a wire rack and cool completely. Sprinkle with confectioners sugar or decorative sugar while still warm. Store in a tightly covered container.

guess what?

my life is pretty awesome. i'm friends with this photographer guy - mostly through facebook - he shoots for the globe * and *mail and ma*clean's * magazine (i'm trying to derail search engines here haha - will it work?) anyway... he contacted me because he is shooting the cd cover of this disco-pop-funk band from que*bec and wants ME yes ME to be on it. at first i thought it was pretty ridiculous and that someone like ME shouldn't do that, but then i thought - why not!? i felt a bit shafted after i didn't become an aveda hair model a couple of months ago. and it should be really fun. i am going to jump on a bed in short shorts or something - which might seem a little weird to some, but i've been assured that it's going to be "cute" not "risque" and really, i'll only be young once so now is the time.

that's pretty much it - except the biggest loser finale is tonight.

today i'm eating:

cheerios with soy milk
a chocolate toffee treat
coffee coffee coffee
oatmeal with raspberries and blueberries
chili
2 slices whole wheat bread
edamame

let me end this post by saying that i love edamame. for those who don't know - it's soy beans in the pods. they come frozen in a bag and you boil them for just a few minutes until you have warm soybeans (still in the pods). then you make a yummy dip consisting of a) soy sauce and b) memories of thailand president's choice sauce. be warned - that thai sauce is spicy! so you dip, then you suck (out the beans.) mmmmm.

p.s.

i got the closed toe shoes from my last post. they are very nice!

back on monday

it's a winter wonderland out there today. the snow on the weekend was insane. i only left the house yesterday to walk to the grocery store (it's very close.) my anniversary went very well. i made my bf a photo scrapbook with this awesome backgrounds. he really liked it! we went skating and to the ballet and to a comedy show - recreating our first date. oh, young love. so nice.

another rad thing is that my couch was delivered on saturday - yahoo! having somewhere to sit is really something you don't think to appreciate until you don't have it haha. i will take a photo because it's a very attractive piece of furniture.

one more week of work - and one more week until christmas! ahhhhh! i got my bf tickets to the nutcracker, and since that was his surprise for our date on the weekend i'll have to think of something else.

weight wise everything is going well even though i've been eating holiday treats. i've been pretty active and usually only eat two bigger meals on the weekend. tonight i will hit the gym for treadmill cardio.

today's menu:

fat free cottage cheese with mixed berries
dark chocolate cookie mound (i made these and brought them to work)
oatmeal with raspberries
carrots and dip (homemade fat free sour cream and french onion dip powder)
2 slices whole wheat bread
chef boyardee microwave NHL pasta cup. mmmmm.

it's thursday

thanks for all of your nice comments about my view. last night was the condo's first annual christmas party. it was fun but free booze and i'm not feeling my usual self this morning. i didn't overdo it *too* much but i normally like to save boozing-it-up for the weekend when i can sleep in until noon. i have a day off in lieu of moving so i might take it tomorrow. before the weekend i want to:

1) run on the treadmill/pump it up at the gym once more.

2) make that white chocolate blueberry almond bark for my bf's staff party.

3) maybe make these chocolate mound things i saw in a recipe today. i don't really have a problem with christmas treats - usually they are so decadent i only want one or two. and, really, that's what the condo gym is for - to work it off.

4) make my bf a one-year anniversary present. i won't say what it is yet in case he stumbles upon this blog, which i highly doubt he would but you never can be too careful. anyway it involves "arts and crafts."

5) go to the naturalizer shoe store because i saw some super-hot shoes. these ones or these ones. although truthfully i don't need more shoes especially heels so maybe i can *not* get any. maybe.

6) finish unpacking (books mostly) and bring boxes down to the storage locker. it would be nice to have this done before the weekend starts.

here is what i'm eating today:

fat free vanilla pudding cup
oatmeal
carrot soup
2 slices bodywise bread
social tea cookies, what else
for dinner, not sure yet

the view

i just wrote a big entry and deleted it by mistake before posting - argh! this morning i managed to drag my bum out of bed at 6:50 am to go downstairs to the condo gym. i did 20 minutes on the elliptical, some weights, 10 minutes on the bike, and sit-ups. good enough. then i came back upstairs and noticed that the view was quite "breathtaking," so i took some pics.

east view


closer look at downtown


south view and lake ontario


another city scape


last night at book club i had a stella (beer) and a creme brule. it was delicious and worth it. tonight is the first annual condo christmas party - wine and cheese yum yum. here is what i'm eating today:

fibre granola bar
oatmeal with blueberries
pc blue menu vegetable lasagna
wine and cheese
and for dinner - je ne sais quoi.

hello lover

i can't wait for the sex and the city movie. next topic!

last night i tried out the condo gym. it's not great, but not that bad. i hate how all the weight machines are just one super giant weight machine - it feels very contained. also, not the same quality as all of the individual machines at my old gym. i ran on the treadmill for 30 minutes as well. there are two big flat screen TVs - one positioned in front of the bikes, and one in front of the elliptical machines. in front of the treadmills there is... a big white wall. actually it's a window but the blinds were pulled down. not the most exciting but still better than nothing. i think these machines are telling me i'm burning more calories than i'm actually burning - because i can't enter my weight at the beginning of the workout. i'll have to judge my workouts by time instead of calories burned.

today is the first of many holiday parties. it's my book club and this month we read "atonement" by ian mcewan. it is now a movie out in theatres, which i haven't seen yet but plan to eventually. the book is quite nice so i would recommend it.

tomorrow there it is the "first annual" christmas party in my condo, so i'm going to that and hope to meet some new peeps. yes, i said peeps - friends, not easter peeps if you are confused. friday is my bf's staff party - i was thinking about making some chocolate bark with blueberry bite that i saw in the paper yesterday. i love blueberries. saturday my couch is being delivered and it's also my one-yearaversary. swoon! in addition to all of that, my best friend who has been living in australia for the past year is coming home this week and i'm going to visit her on sunday. ho ho holy moly busy week!

today i'm eating:

1 slice of bodywise bread
1 clementine
pc blue menu cinnamon and spice oatmeal with blueberries
carrot slices
chef boyardee macaroni and cheese
2 slices of bodywise bread
1 clementine

and for dinner - i'm thinking a big salad with chicken. that way maybe i'll order dessert at bookclub.

moop it's monday

i am totally moved! yayayayayayayayayayay. my bf and i loaded up my car on friday and went over to check things out. very exciting and the view is amazing. i should take some pictures of it tonight - it's "breathtaking" - remember when elaine's dentist called her breathtaking on seinfeld - and then the ugly baby too, haha. anyway - on saturday i woke up around 8 and packed/organized some more. our moving friend came over around noon and the boys did a great job of loading up the van - it was packed to the brim. my mom was already at the condo cleaning stuff up and getting things ready. i carried over some breakables in my car and took two trips - the van took three trips, the last one just a big chair and my bicycle.

yesterday i put stuff away like all of my clothes - very important! the kitchen is also set up as well. kitchen, bedroom, bathroom are the most important rooms. last night i checked the mail for the first time and also peeked in the storage locker - it's a lot bigger than i thought it would be which is great because now i can "cut the crap". i hate useless clutter more than anything.

yesterday the cable guy came and set up the cable tv and internet, phewf! actually i didn't miss it at all for one day. and i was receiving cable anyway. my couch is arriving next saturday, and then the transformation will be complete. almost. except for painting and blinds - it's a very bright morning. i'm gonna get some sleeping masks like audrey hepburn in breakfast at tiffany's in the meantime. tonight i have to bring my bike down to one of the bike lockers. they all look pretty full to me. also, i'm going to test out the new gym. i am a little nervous about going which is ridiculous. i feel like i'm arriving late to the party or something.

meals could have been better on the weekend but i can justify my poor eating by all of the moving around! i had a bagel (this never happens - white flour oh god!), pizza, pasta, tortilla chips with salsa... i guess not that bad but not my typical healthy fare.

today i'm eating:

pc blue menu oatmeal with blueberries
2 social tea cookies
lean cuisine
2 more social tea cookies
fat free vanilla yogurt

that's all for now. i'm pretty hungry though! this day needs to hurry up and end so i can get back to my fabulous new living space. pictures to come, but i want to wait until it's semi-presentable. happy monday!

friday aka the first day of my new life

guess what today is my fellow bloggies? it's CONDO day! hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah! my mom (who conveniently is a real estate law clerk) is going to courier the keys over sometime today, and then tonight i'm heading over to run around in it like a chicken without a head. or a bat out of hell. yikes. i just got this email from my mom:

"should I send courier soon - if no parking - can they call you and you can
come down ??? Are you going to unit for sure tonight ?? Don't want to waste
money on courier if you are not going to go to new apt. and dance naked ;o)"

ha. of course i'm going - GOSH! (like napoleon dynamite would say)

packing is sort of mostly done. all my stuff is up from the basement, the kitchen except for fridge contents is all packed - turns out 99% of the kitchen stuff was mine. interesting for a few reasons... some of my bedroom is done. all the books and videos etc are packed. anyway, talking about packing is boring me.

yesterday i went to the gym and ran for 30 minutes on the treadmill without stopping. i have to really push myself to do this. after that i hike up the incline and pump until i've burned about 400 calories total (ocd). i also picked up a few necessary items for the move including: toilet paper, cat litter, cat food, a new litterbox scooper (i want all poo-related items to be new), and most importantly dishwasher liquid. this is a big deal for me because i've NEVER had to buy this before. why? because i've never had a dishwasher. and now i finally do!

today i'm eating:

pc blue menu multigrain oatmeal with blueberries
clementines
lean cuisine meat lasagna
social tea cookies
latte from starbucks maybe. i just got "the almost moon" by alice sebold in from the library and hope to read it at lunch.

home today

i am at home today. good because i can do a major packing job. it's a lot of work. i am washing all the blankets and stuff. i don't want a) anything crappy or b) anything dirty in the c) fabulous new condo. so anyway. short post today because i want to read all of your blogs and get back to work. maybe i can make it to the gym around 3pm - it's heaven so empty before all the working stiffs get there.

for breakfast i am having a pc blue menu multigrain oatmeal with a 1/4 cup of hollynog soy and 1/2 cup fat free vanilla soymilk. and coffee. yum yum. i'm trying to use up stuff in the fridge. maybe i'll post more later.

vanity sizing

vanity sizing

this really annoys me.

why? because i am a reasonably sized person. when i shop in thrift stores i have a hard time zipping up dresses (i have wide shoulders) but at the joe fresh loblaws store, an xs is much too large. i am swimming in size 4 pants. this is ridiculous.



yes, i am a thin person and generally have small bone structure but i'm not a little elf or anything. i understand that sizes in stores vary and that's fine, but what is the purpose of convincing ourselves we are not as large as we actually are? vanity? doesn't seem worth it to me.

wednesday

hi everybody. i'm in a great mood today even though i missed my alarm and had to rush around like a mad fool this morning. i drank a cup of tea in three giant gulps - glug glug glug mmmm. my bf took his coffee on the road in a plastic cup. the rock show at tattoo was fun - it's a REALLY nice new bar/club. they serve food and have these long gothic style tables. and the hand dryers in the bathroom have "extreme power" and almost blew me right out of the room. tonight is another gig - this time at grace o malleys and is a holiday fundraiser. should be funtastic!

i have discovered a great new meal for when you want something filling, comforting, and chocolate. mix one packet pc blue menu multigrain oatmeal with light silk soymilk or skim milk and one packet sweetener. microwave and then add 1 tbsp of chocolate chips. yummmmmmm. that's what i had for dinner last night and it was really good. i also went to the gym and did another 30 minutes running on the treadmill, although not continuously. running is REALLY trimming my stomach. if i ever get a "pack" of abs i'll be sure to take a picture. maybe. ;o)

today i'm eating

a lemon tea social cookie
tea
coffee
clementines
oatmeal
chocolate
lean cuisine meat lasagna
fat free vanilla yogurt

and for dinner not sure yet.

chart attack

i found this chart maker thing on Roni's blog and i couldn't help but plug in my food today (at work). very neat :o)

Food	Units
1/3 cup old fashioned oatmeal	2
1/3 cup pumpkin	0
clementines (3)	1.5
whole wheat penne with vegetables	5
2 slices sprouted grains bread	2
apple	1
4 social tea cookies	2
Total:	13

soft opening tuesday

weird title? maybe. last night i went to the gym right after work. i ran on the treadmill for 30 minutes non-stop and then walked on an incline until i burned 400 cals total. i have a weird obsession about burning a rounded number of calories, or going a certain distance (even numbers only). ocd? maybe. anyway, i kept my eyes on the screen and i am running 5k in just over 29 minutes, which i am really happy with. i did the usual weights and got back on the elliptical for 20 minutes because i know i won't have a lot of gym time this week. i wasn't feeling too good - all shivery. i blame my office because the heat doesn't work and it's freezing. yesterday i wore my coat all day.

last night i packed up all the books and videos in my living room. and washed towels. i have a lot of books. at least 6 boxes full of them—it's always the biggest pain when moving. i think my best bet is to go from room to room and pack one room at a time, that way i can just leave each room behind. it's hard packing because my roommate isn't moving out until the end of the month, so i'm sorting between both of our stuffs.

today i brought my gym stuff again to go right after work. i'm only going maybe and if i do just the elliptical, no running. i want to give myself a day off between runs and tonight is the "soft opening" of the tattoo bar and i'm going to see my bf's band play.

here is what's on the menu today:

old fashioned oatmeal with sweetener brown sugar and cinnamon, and pumpkin
3 mini clementines
microwave meal of whole wheat penne and vegetables
2 slices sprouted grains toast
apple
probably some social tea cookies (yum)

and dinner is a mystery. i have 1/2 spaghetti squash left from last night so probably that and something else.

manic monday

this week is going to be crazy. not only am i moving on saturday, but my boyfriend's band is playing three, yes three, shows this week. on tuesday, wednesday, and friday. friday is this vip industry party club opening for this new tattoo rock bar. apparently that girl from la ink on tlc is going to be there - oooooohweeeeee. so tonight i am going to the gym right after work and starting to put things into boxes. i'm hoping tonight i can get all of the books and video tapes done. maybe i should try to tackle part of the kitchen as well.

this week i am going to try counting points in my head, without tracking on the blog. i am feeling pretty fit lately, but am up a bit on the scale.

here is what i'm eating today:

bran flakes and light vanilla soymilk
second cup granola bar
fat free vanilla yogurt
smoked meat sandwich with swiss cheese
apple
two clementines
almonds
spaghetti squash