last night went by too fast. i got home from work, cleaned out the food cupboards and the inside of the fridge, behind the fridge, the floor, etc. i re-organized the cabinets and now it seems much more organized... not necessarily spacious but less cluttered with that things-thrown-in-randomly look.
then i made myself another gigantuan salad with spinach, a chopped roasted sweet potato (one of the biggest i've ever seen), spicy thai flavoured shrimp (15... they are little), roasted almond slivers, baby tomatoes, frozen peas (cooked), and honey mustard dressing. sound weird? it was delicious!
and THEN i went down to the gym, did a quick 15 minute walk on the treadmill, did some upper and lower body strength training, sit-ups, and then 15 minutes on the stationary bike.
my pants are feeling tight today and i don't like it. it's also chilly willy nilly again and i don't like that. however, today is wednesday and date night and antm night which is alright with me. my bf is sick so i am going to make a nice warm dinner tonight: mrs. furious's turkey and meatball soup. i have the soup, noodles and turkey meatballs already so it should be really easy and quick. i will probably add more meatballs and noodles... maybe. it depends on how lonely they look in the pot. i have never made this before but hear wonderful things about it.
a quick thing about meatballs. i have been making my own turkey meatballs with ground turkey, egg, bread crumsb, some parm... rolling up that gross raw meat with my bare hands... all in the name of health. i thought these meat balls were the bomb diggity. last friday i walked home from work and passed an m & m's meat shop. i went in to see if they had turkey meatballs and they did, so i bought them. anyhoo, my bf must have said a thousand times how tasty these meatballs are—he never said anything nice about the homemade meatballs i SLAVED over. actually i'm sure i asked him how they were and he said, "good" but that is a big diff from raving on and on about them. so - no more will i put my hands in that meaty goo. i'm going to buy the m & m's meatballs and be done with it.
i forget what else i was going to talk about today. this morning i ran for 4 miles... it was not the most fun but i'm more than halfway to my goal of 15 miles per week. i've added a summer challenge sidebar. today's menu is:
1/2 banana with pb
1/3 fibre source bar
coffee
regular quaker instant oatmeal with flax
added 1/4 cup shreddies
clementine
source yogurt
strawberries
cinnamon spice oatmeal with pumpkin and 1/4 cup shreddies
sugar snap peas with hummus
turkey meatball soup
whole wheat roll
salad
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
in a haze
i'm really out of it this week. is it tuesday already? last night i came home from work, promptly jumped into bed with some giant wheat goldfish crackers (yummy yummy), did a bit of reading, and napped for an hour. then i went downstairs to the gym and walked for 5 miles on the treadmill. i didn't really want to, but i didn't do anything on sunday and the slope to lazyville is pretty fast and slippery if you know what i mean. this morning i went for a 5 mile run. i was feeling really lazy before i did this, so i'm glad it's out of the way.
i think it's so funny how many of you were shocked about my dress-buying experience. i will take a picture of myself in the dress. i was feeling too lazy last night to even think about that. i have to say, i am more dumbfounded than offended. i mean, how could anyone be so ridiculous? that being said, i think i would have a much different reaction if i were still trying to lose weight and having someone say i was popping out of my dress. my coworkers thought it was so funny that she said i should skip a few lunches, especially since we all went out to this mexican place together and i definitely didn't skip lunch. i had a sauteed veggie burrito, and it came with rice and beans on the side. i ate the whole burrito (i think because i was so tired...) and half the rice and beans. i'm sure it wasn't that healthy of an option...
i finished reading lullabies for little criminals already. it was that good... i couldn't put it down. i was addicted. and now i'm so sad that it's over. luckily there are 50 million kabillion trillion other books left in the world for me to read... maybe more. i am 3/4 of the way done this book called the elements of style but i wouldn't recommend it. it's ok... about nyc rich people - a lot of he said she said blah blah blah. i'm only finishing it because i started it.
tonight i am going to do a bit of strength training in the gym downstairs and i am also going to clean my kitchen in a major way. it really needs to be done. last night i accidentally knocked over this nice skinny beer glass my bf got from one of his students as a gift and i noticed that the cabinets need to be wiped. i will clean the stove, the insides of the cupboards, the fridge, the floor, behind the fridge and stove (which won't be too bad because i did this recently), and then i will be happy with myself.
i feel so lazy though. i keep thinking about going back to bed. obviously i can't because... i am... at work. time to take care of business. (TCB)
today i'm eating:
1/4 fibre source bar (pre run)
1/4 fibre source bar (post run)
handful of shreddies (post run)
coffee
(2)
more coffee
blueberry pomegranate nestea single (0)
oatmeal with flax and shreddies (3)
source yogurt (1)
berries (0.5)
(6.5)
yesterday's sandwich (6)
source yogurt (1)
berries (0.5)
(14)
berries (0.5)
source yogurt (1)
apple (1)
(16.5)
dinner:?
i think it's so funny how many of you were shocked about my dress-buying experience. i will take a picture of myself in the dress. i was feeling too lazy last night to even think about that. i have to say, i am more dumbfounded than offended. i mean, how could anyone be so ridiculous? that being said, i think i would have a much different reaction if i were still trying to lose weight and having someone say i was popping out of my dress. my coworkers thought it was so funny that she said i should skip a few lunches, especially since we all went out to this mexican place together and i definitely didn't skip lunch. i had a sauteed veggie burrito, and it came with rice and beans on the side. i ate the whole burrito (i think because i was so tired...) and half the rice and beans. i'm sure it wasn't that healthy of an option...
i finished reading lullabies for little criminals already. it was that good... i couldn't put it down. i was addicted. and now i'm so sad that it's over. luckily there are 50 million kabillion trillion other books left in the world for me to read... maybe more. i am 3/4 of the way done this book called the elements of style but i wouldn't recommend it. it's ok... about nyc rich people - a lot of he said she said blah blah blah. i'm only finishing it because i started it.
tonight i am going to do a bit of strength training in the gym downstairs and i am also going to clean my kitchen in a major way. it really needs to be done. last night i accidentally knocked over this nice skinny beer glass my bf got from one of his students as a gift and i noticed that the cabinets need to be wiped. i will clean the stove, the insides of the cupboards, the fridge, the floor, behind the fridge and stove (which won't be too bad because i did this recently), and then i will be happy with myself.
i feel so lazy though. i keep thinking about going back to bed. obviously i can't because... i am... at work. time to take care of business. (TCB)
today i'm eating:
1/4 fibre source bar (pre run)
1/4 fibre source bar (post run)
handful of shreddies (post run)
coffee
(2)
more coffee
blueberry pomegranate nestea single (0)
oatmeal with flax and shreddies (3)
source yogurt (1)
berries (0.5)
(6.5)
yesterday's sandwich (6)
source yogurt (1)
berries (0.5)
(14)
berries (0.5)
source yogurt (1)
apple (1)
(16.5)
dinner:?
Monday, April 28, 2008
believe it or not
so yesterday mid-afternoon, my bf and i are shopping on queen street. we come across this store that sells vintage dresses and new dresses - i like some that are hanging outside on sale, so we go in. there is a saleswoman there who starts helping me. she is between 50 and 60 years old, tall, average weight, stringy grey hair. for the record i find salespeople who push things on you kind of annoying... shopping is annoying.
so this woman refuses to bring me any dress that is not a size medium. she said, "you look like a medium," like she's been around the block a few times. okay. the dresses are too big, but she doesn't think so. she keeps bringing me dresses that aren't my style, which is fine, but at this point i kind of want to be left alone.
i picked out this cute vintage summer dress and tried it on. the straps attached at the back with buttons, and one was missing. and it zipped up at the back. it was very fitted, but i thought really cute. i couldn't zip it up all the way at the back because i couldn't reach. i don't have gumby arms!
anyhoo, so i come out of the changeroom and my bf says, "cute" and i say, "i like it too." then the saleslady says, "it is too small. you are too big for that dress. look at you. you are popping out of it. you can't even zip it up at the back." i get my bf to finish zipping it up —it's fine. i say, "i like it. i think it looks good," and she says, "well, i think it's too small. i mean, you can buy it if you want, i'm not going to stop you, but it doesn't look good and it doesn't fit." WHAT KIND OF SALESLADY IS THIS? the worst one ever?
so the button is missing and i ask for a discount, but as it turns out the owner of the store found the button on the floor earlier in the day and sewed it on for me, which is great. then as the rude saleslady is ringing up my purchase she says, "oh, so you decided to get this dress, hmmmm? well, i guess you'll have to skip a few lunches!"
skip a few lunches? believe it or not people, believe it or not.
today's menu:
quaker weight control maple oatmeal (2)
1 T flax (0)
clementine (0.5)
(2.5)
coffee (0)
water (0)
source yogurt (1)
strawberries (0.5)
(4)
sandwich:
bread (4)
meat (1)
cheese (1)
lettuce (0)
(10)
clementine (0.5)
strawberries (0.5)
source yogurt (1)
(12)
cinnamon raisin bagel (3)
(15)
veggie burger (4)
salad (1)
(20)
and then something else, ytbd.
so this woman refuses to bring me any dress that is not a size medium. she said, "you look like a medium," like she's been around the block a few times. okay. the dresses are too big, but she doesn't think so. she keeps bringing me dresses that aren't my style, which is fine, but at this point i kind of want to be left alone.
i picked out this cute vintage summer dress and tried it on. the straps attached at the back with buttons, and one was missing. and it zipped up at the back. it was very fitted, but i thought really cute. i couldn't zip it up all the way at the back because i couldn't reach. i don't have gumby arms!
anyhoo, so i come out of the changeroom and my bf says, "cute" and i say, "i like it too." then the saleslady says, "it is too small. you are too big for that dress. look at you. you are popping out of it. you can't even zip it up at the back." i get my bf to finish zipping it up —it's fine. i say, "i like it. i think it looks good," and she says, "well, i think it's too small. i mean, you can buy it if you want, i'm not going to stop you, but it doesn't look good and it doesn't fit." WHAT KIND OF SALESLADY IS THIS? the worst one ever?
so the button is missing and i ask for a discount, but as it turns out the owner of the store found the button on the floor earlier in the day and sewed it on for me, which is great. then as the rude saleslady is ringing up my purchase she says, "oh, so you decided to get this dress, hmmmm? well, i guess you'll have to skip a few lunches!"
skip a few lunches? believe it or not people, believe it or not.
today's menu:
quaker weight control maple oatmeal (2)
1 T flax (0)
clementine (0.5)
(2.5)
coffee (0)
water (0)
source yogurt (1)
strawberries (0.5)
(4)
sandwich:
bread (4)
meat (1)
cheese (1)
lettuce (0)
(10)
clementine (0.5)
strawberries (0.5)
source yogurt (1)
(12)
cinnamon raisin bagel (3)
(15)
veggie burger (4)
salad (1)
(20)
and then something else, ytbd.
Friday, April 25, 2008
tips for the weekend
i bet you are all wondering what i did last night, ha! did i meet bob harper? did i go home and vacuum? my sister called me and said she was coming downtown to see a musical called "a very gay little musical." truthfully i wasn't that into it because it got a bad review in the paper and occasionally, when i'm feeling sensitive, it bothers me when people play up on stereotypes for comedy. but i didn't want her to have to go alone, so i said i'd go. luckily (for me) one of my parent's neighbours agreed to go with her.
so then i thought, do i want to meet bob harper? and as it turns out, i do not. sorry, bob. i decided to ride my bike (from work) to my old neighbourhood, the annex. i lived there (in a few different places) for almost four years, ever since i moved back to toronto after university. i really like my condo and my new location, and up until last night i was surprised that i didn't really miss my old hood. well, as it turns out, going there was a real catalyst for missing it! now i miss it soooooo much. i went to a health food store to find nutritional yeast (could not find it), a few book stores, and my favourite coffee shop, future bakery. oh, so sad. it was weird... i felt like i recognized everyone... every face looked familiar. maybe it's for the best that i did move! my new book club book is lullabies for little criminals and so far it's AMAZING. go get it right now! (it takes place in montreal too.)
so i read for awhile and then rode home, made a tuna/mustard combo and kale chips, and watched grey's anatomy. it was actually pretty good, but i think that can be attributed to the sausage links falling out of some guys stomach more than the actual plot. then i cleaned, did laundry, and vacuumed. now my apartment looks great for the weekend. (i hate starting the weekend with a messy apartment.)
today, friday is weigh-in and i am down 1.4 pounds to 118.6. sounds good to me. this morning i went for a four mile run around the city. it's supposed to rain today so a) i'm glad it's out of the way and b) i had to take the streetcar to work this morning instead of biking. booooooo! but at least i got to read that fab new book!
this week in my email i got a "weekend survival guide" or tips for staying on track during the weekend. i'll post them since so many of us seem to act like wild monkey-children on the weekends. can you follow these tips?
1) plan family activities like bike rides or outdoor games. this helps you spend time with your family and burn calories all at once! no excuse not to now that the weather is warm. finally!
2) carry a water bottle with you to your weekend activities. this will help you get your water for the day and resist the temptation to reach for a soda or other caffeinated beverage. i guess this is a good tip... if you are drinking water you can't be eating...
3) set some "weekend specific" goals for yourself based on the realities of what you’ll be doing. they may look very different than your weekday goals, and that’s okay. agreed... go easy on yourself. you can't be hardcore ALL the time.
4) if you are going to be out all day, pack some healthy snacks in case you get hungry. there is nothing worse than being hungry at the mall, and the only food options are ice cream or pizza. very good idea. i hate being out somewhere and starving. cinnabon anyone?
5) set Monday as your weigh-in day. you are more likely to resist temptation if you have to face the scale first thing Monday morning. nah, that's just depressing. i'll stick to friday thanks.
6) plan ahead!! if you are going out to eat, find the restaurant's menu (and any available nutritional information) online. you’ll have plenty of time to make a healthy choice before you get there. i always try and do this, not just on the weekend, although occasionally it's nice to be at a restaurant and choose off the menu for tastiness, not just healthiness.
7) don't save all of your splurging for the weekends. allowing yourself a few treats throughout the week will help you avoid the mindset that the weekend is an excuse to go bonkers. and by spacing your treats evenly, you're less likely to get sudden, irresistible cravings. bonkers? say what?
today on the menu:
1/4 all bran bar (pre run)
1/4 all bran bar (post run)
handful of vanilla shreddies shoved in my mouth (also post run)
coffee
water
source yogurt and unsweetened almond joy
strawberries
3/4 cup organic puffed kamut cereal
regular quaker instant oatmeal
with 1T ground flax and
1/3 cup crushed vanilla shreddies mixed in
tea or something from starbucks since i'm going there at lunch to read
2 slices sprouted grains bread
tuna/mustard/sun-dried tomatoes mix
sugar snap peas and baby tomatoes
3/4 cup grapes
source yogurt
dinner: another mystery. :)
so then i thought, do i want to meet bob harper? and as it turns out, i do not. sorry, bob. i decided to ride my bike (from work) to my old neighbourhood, the annex. i lived there (in a few different places) for almost four years, ever since i moved back to toronto after university. i really like my condo and my new location, and up until last night i was surprised that i didn't really miss my old hood. well, as it turns out, going there was a real catalyst for missing it! now i miss it soooooo much. i went to a health food store to find nutritional yeast (could not find it), a few book stores, and my favourite coffee shop, future bakery. oh, so sad. it was weird... i felt like i recognized everyone... every face looked familiar. maybe it's for the best that i did move! my new book club book is lullabies for little criminals and so far it's AMAZING. go get it right now! (it takes place in montreal too.)
so i read for awhile and then rode home, made a tuna/mustard combo and kale chips, and watched grey's anatomy. it was actually pretty good, but i think that can be attributed to the sausage links falling out of some guys stomach more than the actual plot. then i cleaned, did laundry, and vacuumed. now my apartment looks great for the weekend. (i hate starting the weekend with a messy apartment.)
today, friday is weigh-in and i am down 1.4 pounds to 118.6. sounds good to me. this morning i went for a four mile run around the city. it's supposed to rain today so a) i'm glad it's out of the way and b) i had to take the streetcar to work this morning instead of biking. booooooo! but at least i got to read that fab new book!
this week in my email i got a "weekend survival guide" or tips for staying on track during the weekend. i'll post them since so many of us seem to act like wild monkey-children on the weekends. can you follow these tips?
1) plan family activities like bike rides or outdoor games. this helps you spend time with your family and burn calories all at once! no excuse not to now that the weather is warm. finally!
2) carry a water bottle with you to your weekend activities. this will help you get your water for the day and resist the temptation to reach for a soda or other caffeinated beverage. i guess this is a good tip... if you are drinking water you can't be eating...
3) set some "weekend specific" goals for yourself based on the realities of what you’ll be doing. they may look very different than your weekday goals, and that’s okay. agreed... go easy on yourself. you can't be hardcore ALL the time.
4) if you are going to be out all day, pack some healthy snacks in case you get hungry. there is nothing worse than being hungry at the mall, and the only food options are ice cream or pizza. very good idea. i hate being out somewhere and starving. cinnabon anyone?
5) set Monday as your weigh-in day. you are more likely to resist temptation if you have to face the scale first thing Monday morning. nah, that's just depressing. i'll stick to friday thanks.
6) plan ahead!! if you are going out to eat, find the restaurant's menu (and any available nutritional information) online. you’ll have plenty of time to make a healthy choice before you get there. i always try and do this, not just on the weekend, although occasionally it's nice to be at a restaurant and choose off the menu for tastiness, not just healthiness.
7) don't save all of your splurging for the weekends. allowing yourself a few treats throughout the week will help you avoid the mindset that the weekend is an excuse to go bonkers. and by spacing your treats evenly, you're less likely to get sudden, irresistible cravings. bonkers? say what?
today on the menu:
1/4 all bran bar (pre run)
1/4 all bran bar (post run)
handful of vanilla shreddies shoved in my mouth (also post run)
coffee
water
source yogurt and unsweetened almond joy
strawberries
3/4 cup organic puffed kamut cereal
regular quaker instant oatmeal
with 1T ground flax and
1/3 cup crushed vanilla shreddies mixed in
tea or something from starbucks since i'm going there at lunch to read
2 slices sprouted grains bread
tuna/mustard/sun-dried tomatoes mix
sugar snap peas and baby tomatoes
3/4 cup grapes
source yogurt
dinner: another mystery. :)
Thursday, April 24, 2008
thursday whoop
my heart rate monitor hasn't come in the mail yet, but i didn't expect it to. i am patiently waiting, in case you were wondering. date night was fun. we sang songs, and then we made gardenburgers on enriched buns and low fat mccain fries, and a yummy salad with tomatoes, sundried tomatoes, and fat free ranch dressing. and these santa fe crispy salad topper strips which are basically ranch doritos packaged as a salad topping. ok if you are careful with portion control.
we watched antm: i was happy with who got the boot. that girl was so awkward, she needed to go. she couldn't even walk (or talk.) i find myself thinking, why can't these girls just change to suit the judges? i would! you are a model—adapt yourself! if your silly voice makes you sound like an idiot, stop talking that way! i don't get it.
tonight is more new TV: ugly betty and grey's anatomy. i don't want to watch any more TV but i don't want to be out of the loop. actually i don't watch ugly betty... i've just always wanted to watch it because it looks super cute. i watched grey's anatomy, but the truth is i am so sick of meredith's whining and pining. maybe i will just tape it and read a book instead. that way i won't have to sit through boring commericals either.
or, i could go to the eaton centre after work and meet BOB HARPER, who is signing books at indigo. i really like bob harper. he seems to genuinely care about making people healthier. and he's so little and cute too. on the other hand i don't really care about meeting celebrities, and i don't like crowds in shopping malls, so maybe i will go home and vacuum instead.
this post is too stream of consciousness. this morning at the gym i walked for 30 minutes on the treadmill, did a bit of strength training, and then 10 minutes on the stationary bike. not a bad work out but i might go for another walk after work. tomorrow is weigh-in and i was up for the last two weeks which has to be nipped. in. the. bud. maintenant!
apparently there is a brand new sobey's right by my office so i am going to go there at lunch and check it out. i don't know why they would put a sobey's here when there is a giant dominion and loblaws just blocks away, but variety is the spice of life, as well as consumer choice, so i'm not complaining. today on the menu is:
1/2 piece sprouted grains bread (pre workout)
1/2 piece sprouted grains bread (post workout)
handful of vanilla shreddies shoved in my mouth
coffee
source yogurt with unsweetened almond joy
1 cup chopped strawberries
1/2 cup organic kamut puff cereal
pc blue menu multigrain oatmeal
with flax and
1/3 cup vanilla shreddies mixed in
carrots and tomatoes with spicy hummus
more yogurt with unsweetened almond breeze
grapes
and for dinner... not sure yet.
we watched antm: i was happy with who got the boot. that girl was so awkward, she needed to go. she couldn't even walk (or talk.) i find myself thinking, why can't these girls just change to suit the judges? i would! you are a model—adapt yourself! if your silly voice makes you sound like an idiot, stop talking that way! i don't get it.
tonight is more new TV: ugly betty and grey's anatomy. i don't want to watch any more TV but i don't want to be out of the loop. actually i don't watch ugly betty... i've just always wanted to watch it because it looks super cute. i watched grey's anatomy, but the truth is i am so sick of meredith's whining and pining. maybe i will just tape it and read a book instead. that way i won't have to sit through boring commericals either.
or, i could go to the eaton centre after work and meet BOB HARPER, who is signing books at indigo. i really like bob harper. he seems to genuinely care about making people healthier. and he's so little and cute too. on the other hand i don't really care about meeting celebrities, and i don't like crowds in shopping malls, so maybe i will go home and vacuum instead.
this post is too stream of consciousness. this morning at the gym i walked for 30 minutes on the treadmill, did a bit of strength training, and then 10 minutes on the stationary bike. not a bad work out but i might go for another walk after work. tomorrow is weigh-in and i was up for the last two weeks which has to be nipped. in. the. bud. maintenant!
apparently there is a brand new sobey's right by my office so i am going to go there at lunch and check it out. i don't know why they would put a sobey's here when there is a giant dominion and loblaws just blocks away, but variety is the spice of life, as well as consumer choice, so i'm not complaining. today on the menu is:
1/2 piece sprouted grains bread (pre workout)
1/2 piece sprouted grains bread (post workout)
handful of vanilla shreddies shoved in my mouth
coffee
source yogurt with unsweetened almond joy
1 cup chopped strawberries
1/2 cup organic kamut puff cereal
pc blue menu multigrain oatmeal
with flax and
1/3 cup vanilla shreddies mixed in
carrots and tomatoes with spicy hummus
more yogurt with unsweetened almond breeze
grapes
and for dinner... not sure yet.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
hello wednesday
i was a bit late for work today. it's not a big deal because i work in a very relaxed atmosphere. if you get here at 9:15, it's early, 9:30, average, 9:40 is pushing it. but of course we stay a big later too. no one is rushing out the door at 5pm. i like it! i couldn't get it going this morning... everything i did was so slow. i went for a four mile run and i did it, but it took a long time. sometimes my strides are long and i'm a speed demon, but today i was inching along like a little worm. i made another big iced coffee when i got home. yabba dabba do!
last night on the ride home from work i stopped at a shoe store and bought three pairs of keds. yes, keds! at first i typed "shore" instead of "shoe store" hahaha can you tell i'm slow today? i will take pictures of the shoes (and my other new shoes, and my painted apartment). a coworker just said, "i like your shoes" this very instant... while i am typing this! i will find photos online of the keds. i got classic canvas white:
these navy slip-ons which i am wearing today:
and these adorable wedges:
i really needed new shoes for summer... ones that do not need socks. last night i made another giant salad. this time i used spinach, some head lettuce, a chopped tomato, 1 cup cooked peas, 1/2 cup cooked corn, 8 chopped almonds, a handful of dried blueberries, 1/8 cup fiber one (the rest of the bag), and a sol cuisine spicy soy burger chopped up. and fat free ranch dressing. it was huge and delicious. i had two glasses of white wine at my book club as well.
today is wednesday, antm and date night! on the menu today is:
1/2 banana with pb2 peanut butter (1.5) pre workout
1 slice sprouted grains bread (1) post workout
giant iced coffee (0)
hot coffee (0)
clementine (0.5)
(3)
oatmeal with flax (3)
1/2 banana (1)
(7)
mini cinnamon bagel (2)
coffee yogurt (3)
grapes (1)
(13)
source yogurt (1)
more grapes (1)
kamut puffs (1)
(16)
dinner ?
last night on the ride home from work i stopped at a shoe store and bought three pairs of keds. yes, keds! at first i typed "shore" instead of "shoe store" hahaha can you tell i'm slow today? i will take pictures of the shoes (and my other new shoes, and my painted apartment). a coworker just said, "i like your shoes" this very instant... while i am typing this! i will find photos online of the keds. i got classic canvas white:
these navy slip-ons which i am wearing today:
and these adorable wedges:
i really needed new shoes for summer... ones that do not need socks. last night i made another giant salad. this time i used spinach, some head lettuce, a chopped tomato, 1 cup cooked peas, 1/2 cup cooked corn, 8 chopped almonds, a handful of dried blueberries, 1/8 cup fiber one (the rest of the bag), and a sol cuisine spicy soy burger chopped up. and fat free ranch dressing. it was huge and delicious. i had two glasses of white wine at my book club as well.
today is wednesday, antm and date night! on the menu today is:
1/2 banana with pb2 peanut butter (1.5) pre workout
1 slice sprouted grains bread (1) post workout
giant iced coffee (0)
hot coffee (0)
clementine (0.5)
(3)
oatmeal with flax (3)
1/2 banana (1)
(7)
mini cinnamon bagel (2)
coffee yogurt (3)
grapes (1)
(13)
source yogurt (1)
more grapes (1)
kamut puffs (1)
(16)
dinner ?
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
not a monster anymore
last night i went to bed early. for me, that means getting into bed about 10pm and reading until 10:30... then lights out. and i feel great today, too. it's beautiful and sunny outside... my favourite kind of day. :o)
yesterday after work i went down to the gym and did some biking and strength training. i finished reading the black book of hollywood diet secrets. i would recommend it, if you get it from the library. it's cute and there are some good tips, but it's not really worth owning. (it's very light and will probably be outdated in a few years.)
for dinner i made a spinach salad with spinach, a chopped tomato, 5 chopped almonds, a sprinkle of dried blueberries, about a 1/4 cup of fiber one, honey mustard dressing, and spicy thai shrimps. yummo! i really have no problem combining weird flavours and textures, obviously. i also had a baked sweet potato with fat free sour cream.
my big news is that i bought a heart rate monitor. i couldn't help myself. i was going to buy it on ebay, but then i found a real company in BC that sold them for a reasonable price, with free shipping, so i bought it from there. it's called "fact canada." i like buying canadian because a) i like to support my home "peeps" and b) the main reason: the shipping is always less hassle. usually things that ship from the US are ok, but sometimes they take too long and once in awhile there will be a duty issue and i'll have to pay more. i hate paying more... cash on delivery is the pits. i got the polar f4 - in cherry red. ooh la la. now i have to wait for it to come in the mail. that's ok. i love getting mail.
this morning i got up and went down to the gym. i walked for four miles at four miles per hour at an incline of four. four four four (i just realized that now... good thing that isn't unlucky). i also did a quick mile on the bike and some situps. i made a giant caramel iced coffee and it was so delicious and refreshing. i made a giant cup of coffee before going to the gym and then put it in the fridge. it was still warm when i took it out over an hour later (weird!) so i put in some ice and some sugar free caramel syrup. yummo.
tonight is my book club and we are discussing suite francaise. fun! today i'm eating:
fat free apple crumble yogurt with fiber one mixed in (pre work out) (1)
10-15 almonds post work out (i really need to not eat these from the bag... very dangerous) (2)
2 dried apricots post work out (0.5)
giant caramel iced coffee (0)
hot coffee (0)
(3.5)
1/2 banana (1)
oatmeal (2)
(6.5)
yogurt (1)
clementine (0.5)
(8)
soup to go (2)
1/2 banana (1)
mini bagel (2)
(13)
grapes (1)
yogurt (1)
puffed kamut cereal (1)
(16)
dinner: maybe a veggie burger. i know i say this every day but i really love veggie burgers and usually don't end up eating one anyway.
yesterday after work i went down to the gym and did some biking and strength training. i finished reading the black book of hollywood diet secrets. i would recommend it, if you get it from the library. it's cute and there are some good tips, but it's not really worth owning. (it's very light and will probably be outdated in a few years.)
for dinner i made a spinach salad with spinach, a chopped tomato, 5 chopped almonds, a sprinkle of dried blueberries, about a 1/4 cup of fiber one, honey mustard dressing, and spicy thai shrimps. yummo! i really have no problem combining weird flavours and textures, obviously. i also had a baked sweet potato with fat free sour cream.
my big news is that i bought a heart rate monitor. i couldn't help myself. i was going to buy it on ebay, but then i found a real company in BC that sold them for a reasonable price, with free shipping, so i bought it from there. it's called "fact canada." i like buying canadian because a) i like to support my home "peeps" and b) the main reason: the shipping is always less hassle. usually things that ship from the US are ok, but sometimes they take too long and once in awhile there will be a duty issue and i'll have to pay more. i hate paying more... cash on delivery is the pits. i got the polar f4 - in cherry red. ooh la la. now i have to wait for it to come in the mail. that's ok. i love getting mail.
this morning i got up and went down to the gym. i walked for four miles at four miles per hour at an incline of four. four four four (i just realized that now... good thing that isn't unlucky). i also did a quick mile on the bike and some situps. i made a giant caramel iced coffee and it was so delicious and refreshing. i made a giant cup of coffee before going to the gym and then put it in the fridge. it was still warm when i took it out over an hour later (weird!) so i put in some ice and some sugar free caramel syrup. yummo.
tonight is my book club and we are discussing suite francaise. fun! today i'm eating:
fat free apple crumble yogurt with fiber one mixed in (pre work out) (1)
10-15 almonds post work out (i really need to not eat these from the bag... very dangerous) (2)
2 dried apricots post work out (0.5)
giant caramel iced coffee (0)
hot coffee (0)
(3.5)
1/2 banana (1)
oatmeal (2)
(6.5)
yogurt (1)
clementine (0.5)
(8)
soup to go (2)
1/2 banana (1)
mini bagel (2)
(13)
grapes (1)
yogurt (1)
puffed kamut cereal (1)
(16)
dinner: maybe a veggie burger. i know i say this every day but i really love veggie burgers and usually don't end up eating one anyway.
Monday, April 21, 2008
yawny mcyawn
why do i do this to myself every weekend? i stay up way too late and don't sleep enough and suffer the consequences in a major way on monday. i feel like a dead person today... zombie-rific! i did have a good weekend though. friday dancing, saturday running and more dancing, sunday parental visiting. my boyfriend and i signed up for an introductory package of dance lessons. on saturday we learned more swing (fun), the foxtrot (fun), and the waltz (boring).
i think i'm going to get one of those heart rate monitor watches. my first opinion was that they are unnecessary and sort of silly, but i find myself thinking about them a lot and looking up prices on ebay and froogle, etc. it would be really neat to know if i'm reaching my target heart rate and find out how many calories i'm burning. i wonder if you can wear it all day to find out how many calories you burn in just a normal day, without exercise. does anyone know if this is possible? what is your opinion about heart rate monitor watches? i'm leaning toward the polar f4 if anyone is wondering. it's about $100 including shipping on ebay. maybe that's a lot... i don't know.
in other news, i went running this morning. i didn't really want to but i sure as hell know that i won't feel like going tonight. ;o) and it wasn't so bad... it felt great to have done it (4 miles). i might do some strength training in the gym downstairs tonight but that's a big maybe.
my nice boyfriend bought me two larabars, one banana something flavoured and a cocoa one, too. i tried the banana one and it was really tasty, but really little for 210 calories. it's only banana, prunes (i think) and almonds mashed together. that's it - not one other ingredient which is pretty amazing. however, i think a) the price ($2.99 each) and b) the size (too small... i like some volume) outweigh the taste and nutritional value for me. i am still excited to eat the chocolately one though. :)
today i'm eating:
1/2 larabar (2)
almonds (1)
(3)
oatmeal with flax (3)
slivered almonds (1)
(7)
yogurt (1)
clementine (0.5)
(8.5)
yogurt (2)
more oatmeal (2)
(12.5)
grapes (1)
yogurt (1)
(14.5)
dinner? veggie burger with peas maybe.
i think i'm going to get one of those heart rate monitor watches. my first opinion was that they are unnecessary and sort of silly, but i find myself thinking about them a lot and looking up prices on ebay and froogle, etc. it would be really neat to know if i'm reaching my target heart rate and find out how many calories i'm burning. i wonder if you can wear it all day to find out how many calories you burn in just a normal day, without exercise. does anyone know if this is possible? what is your opinion about heart rate monitor watches? i'm leaning toward the polar f4 if anyone is wondering. it's about $100 including shipping on ebay. maybe that's a lot... i don't know.
in other news, i went running this morning. i didn't really want to but i sure as hell know that i won't feel like going tonight. ;o) and it wasn't so bad... it felt great to have done it (4 miles). i might do some strength training in the gym downstairs tonight but that's a big maybe.
my nice boyfriend bought me two larabars, one banana something flavoured and a cocoa one, too. i tried the banana one and it was really tasty, but really little for 210 calories. it's only banana, prunes (i think) and almonds mashed together. that's it - not one other ingredient which is pretty amazing. however, i think a) the price ($2.99 each) and b) the size (too small... i like some volume) outweigh the taste and nutritional value for me. i am still excited to eat the chocolately one though. :)
today i'm eating:
1/2 larabar (2)
almonds (1)
(3)
oatmeal with flax (3)
slivered almonds (1)
(7)
yogurt (1)
clementine (0.5)
(8.5)
yogurt (2)
more oatmeal (2)
(12.5)
grapes (1)
yogurt (1)
(14.5)
dinner? veggie burger with peas maybe.
Friday, April 18, 2008
updatey
i know i say this every friday, but thank the good lord above. there is something about a warm, sunny friday, with the promise of a weekend with nice weather, that is so FANTASTIC.
in other news, last night i was riding my bike home from work. for the first tiniest little bit, i am going the opposite way on a one way street, so i ride on the sidewalk. it is not a skinny sidewalk, it is a big one with lots of room or i wouldn't do it. anyhoo, this man is walking right at me looking all around, up in the sky, over there, everywhere but at me, so i give him a little *ding* with my bicycle bell, and he says, "get off the fuckin' sidewalk, dyke!" profanity, fine, whatever... but dyke!? excuse me? what a homophobe! and from a business man, too. a business man! i said, "dykes have feelings too, meany" and pedaled away.
last night i had a pretty good night. i went down to the gym to do some strength-training. i started reading the black book of hollywood secrets while using the stationary bike... 30 minutes later! it's a pretty interesting book... none of the celebrity and trainer tips are silly or unsafe. it focuses on living a healthy lifestyle. i also made those illusive kale chips (yum) and had a GIANT smoothie made of 1/2 banana, peanut butter powder, flax, ice, frozen berries, and frozen tropical fruits. it was sooooooo good. and big. i didn't need to drink the whole thing. i put 1/2 away but kept going back for more throughout the evening. other than that i cleaned my apartment, did all my laundry including washing my sheets, and feel very satisfied about it all. that's the end of that report.
friday is weigh-in and i am up again - to 120.0 which is a 1.6 gain. what in the world? even though this is the top of my range, i'm not really too bothered this week. why? because i did strength training last night, so my muscles are probably retaining water. and i didn't eat dinner until around 9pm or so, which means food is probably hanging out in my stomach. are these valid excuses? i think so. i have exercised EVERY DAY from last saturday, and didn't really overeat. i exercised every day because a) i wanted to and b) i was bored, not because i felt i had to. i really enjoy exercise and when i have nothing to do, i'd rather do something active than turn on the boob tube and watch some lame show that i don't even care about anyway.
tonight i am going dancing with my honey bunny (to this 50s and 60s rock n roll night), tomorrow we have a swing dancing class and sunday i will probably visit my parents in the burbs. today i'm eating:
small bowl of grapes, unsweetened almond joy, and fiber one (1)
1 piece sprouted grains bread (1)
berry oatmeal (3)
coffee (0)
(5)
2 source yogurts (1)
clementine (0.5)
pb blue menu sczechuan meal (4)
source yogurt (1)
grapes (1)
(12.5)
dinner: ?
in other news, last night i was riding my bike home from work. for the first tiniest little bit, i am going the opposite way on a one way street, so i ride on the sidewalk. it is not a skinny sidewalk, it is a big one with lots of room or i wouldn't do it. anyhoo, this man is walking right at me looking all around, up in the sky, over there, everywhere but at me, so i give him a little *ding* with my bicycle bell, and he says, "get off the fuckin' sidewalk, dyke!" profanity, fine, whatever... but dyke!? excuse me? what a homophobe! and from a business man, too. a business man! i said, "dykes have feelings too, meany" and pedaled away.
last night i had a pretty good night. i went down to the gym to do some strength-training. i started reading the black book of hollywood secrets while using the stationary bike... 30 minutes later! it's a pretty interesting book... none of the celebrity and trainer tips are silly or unsafe. it focuses on living a healthy lifestyle. i also made those illusive kale chips (yum) and had a GIANT smoothie made of 1/2 banana, peanut butter powder, flax, ice, frozen berries, and frozen tropical fruits. it was sooooooo good. and big. i didn't need to drink the whole thing. i put 1/2 away but kept going back for more throughout the evening. other than that i cleaned my apartment, did all my laundry including washing my sheets, and feel very satisfied about it all. that's the end of that report.
friday is weigh-in and i am up again - to 120.0 which is a 1.6 gain. what in the world? even though this is the top of my range, i'm not really too bothered this week. why? because i did strength training last night, so my muscles are probably retaining water. and i didn't eat dinner until around 9pm or so, which means food is probably hanging out in my stomach. are these valid excuses? i think so. i have exercised EVERY DAY from last saturday, and didn't really overeat. i exercised every day because a) i wanted to and b) i was bored, not because i felt i had to. i really enjoy exercise and when i have nothing to do, i'd rather do something active than turn on the boob tube and watch some lame show that i don't even care about anyway.
tonight i am going dancing with my honey bunny (to this 50s and 60s rock n roll night), tomorrow we have a swing dancing class and sunday i will probably visit my parents in the burbs. today i'm eating:
small bowl of grapes, unsweetened almond joy, and fiber one (1)
1 piece sprouted grains bread (1)
berry oatmeal (3)
coffee (0)
(5)
2 source yogurts (1)
clementine (0.5)
pb blue menu sczechuan meal (4)
source yogurt (1)
grapes (1)
(12.5)
dinner: ?
Thursday, April 17, 2008
the most beautiful day yet
today it is sunny and it's going to be 20°C. if i didn't have a job i would drag my papasan chair out on the balcony (this is a fantasy of mine that has yet to happen) and read, read, read until my head exploded. i am about 30 pages from finishing suite francaise and then i am starting the assassin's song and today i have another book on hold to pick up at the library. it is the black book of hollywood diet secrets. whoopee! i am interested to read these tips. hopefully some will be useful, if not i'm sure they will be amusing nonetheless.
i boozed it up a little last night on my "date" but went to bed pretty early and woke up early this morning for a great run: 5 miles! in the bright, beautiful sunshine. how nice. i also rode my bike to work. i know any movement at all counts as exercise, but the reason i don't want to include riding my bike to work in my planned workouts (although i do write it in the blog sidebar) , is because it doesn't burn that many calories. sometimes (most of the time) when i workout i get cocky about being able eat more/increase my portions, so in my mind i have to think about riding my bike to work like an after dinner stroll... a light, fun, activity that's nice, just not hardcore.
anyway i've had this blog post open for hours so i'm going to post it. today i'm eating:
1/2 banana with 1t real peanut butter
bite of a bran muffin (homemade)
handful of grapes
coffee
weight control maple brown sugar oatmeal with added flax and fiber one
source yogurt with salba
leftover dinner from last night: smart penne with tomato sauce, baked with onions, peas, red, yellow, orange peppers, and turkey grill 'em sausages
spinach salad with sun dried tomatoes
source yogurt mixed with grapes
and for dinner... ?
i boozed it up a little last night on my "date" but went to bed pretty early and woke up early this morning for a great run: 5 miles! in the bright, beautiful sunshine. how nice. i also rode my bike to work. i know any movement at all counts as exercise, but the reason i don't want to include riding my bike to work in my planned workouts (although i do write it in the blog sidebar) , is because it doesn't burn that many calories. sometimes (most of the time) when i workout i get cocky about being able eat more/increase my portions, so in my mind i have to think about riding my bike to work like an after dinner stroll... a light, fun, activity that's nice, just not hardcore.
anyway i've had this blog post open for hours so i'm going to post it. today i'm eating:
1/2 banana with 1t real peanut butter
bite of a bran muffin (homemade)
handful of grapes
coffee
weight control maple brown sugar oatmeal with added flax and fiber one
source yogurt with salba
leftover dinner from last night: smart penne with tomato sauce, baked with onions, peas, red, yellow, orange peppers, and turkey grill 'em sausages
spinach salad with sun dried tomatoes
source yogurt mixed with grapes
and for dinner... ?
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
a midweek list for "y'all"
breakin' it up list style:
1) i do not say "y'all" in my regular day-to-day life.
2) yesterday i was really gung-ho about making kale chips for dinner. if you don't know what kale chips are, google away. after work i rode my bike home then walked to the grocery store (it is very close... less than 5 mins). low and behold, they are out of kale. they had a sign for kale, but no kale. i've never had kale (or kale chips obviously) before so i thought, maybe i can sub in another type of greeny leafy veg and bake that. i decided that chicory looked like kale, so i bought that. let me tell you people, you can NOT make chicory chips. c'est impossible! waste of time...
3) instead i made sweet potato fries... and burned them a little. but i still ate them because i wasn't about to have two failed side-dish attempts. no sir!
4) biggest loser finale: i am happy with the winner, but thought that the show was really drawn out and boring. BORING! and i realized that i don't really care who wins about 5 minutes into the show. so long as it wasn't crybaby mark. wah wah wah. just kidding. he just won too much during the season. i was especially happy with the $100,000 winner. so nice and cute. :)
5) this morning i walked for 30 minutes (2 miles) on the treadmill, then went swimming for 30 minutes. and rode my bike to work but i don't consider that real exercise, because a) i am hardcore and there is a lot of bicycle coasting b) it doesn't take that long.
6) tonight is date night - woohoo! (no poutine tonight, by the way.)
7) SALBA: today is my second day using it. the texture is not like flax (ground). it is tiny little seeds. yesterday i put in into oatmeal and i was not into it. it made the consistency of my oatmeal different. today i put it into yogurt and that was better. i am not magically a new, healthier person yet... how will i ever know!? HOW!?
8) both jennifer and bi0nic w0man tagged me for a game yesterday, so i gotta play. here are the rules of the game...
link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog. share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird. tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs. let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
i'll have to letter my list, as numbers are too confusing at this point in the game:
a) when i was young i refused to eat any green vegetables. i thought they were so gross. my favourite saying was, "it's not easy being green," by kermit the frog. now i love green food. the greener the better. of course now i am on a super-health kick, but still. funny how tastes change. i used to hate rice too... i mean who hates rice? no one.
b) i have a very romantic boyfriend. for such a rock n' roller cool guy, he really is the sweetest (and cute too). yesterday he surprised me at work by bringing me nice flowers. we went for a walk outside and a pen exploded in his pocket, haha - it was red, too. i can laugh because it didn't mess up his pants or anything, he just had a really red hand. and phone. :)
c) i am most likely going to europe at the end of august. exact places and details yet to be determined.
d) when i was a kid, i was obsessed with barbapapa. i still think it's super rad! my favourite was called barbapapa at work, which was a big fat book seen at the bottom of this page.
e) i like that new miley cyrus song. so what?
f) last summer my boyfriend and his family invited me to go to fabulous las vegas with them. while i was there, i spent $500 on a betsey johnson coat, which (thus far) is my most expensive fashion purchase ever. i usually look for deals and sales, but this coat is soooooo adorable, i couldn't resist. and everyone said things like, "you're in vegas... live it up!" and "now you can tell everyone you got it in vegas..." etc. i have to attach a photo to show "y'all" because it's that cute. this picture was taken in the store and i am also wearing the matching dress which i didn't buy:
g) i am obsessed with vintage ads, especially ones that show women in a negative, demeaning, or old-fashioned light. for some reason they really, really, REALLY amuse me. like the following:
and i tag: anybody who wants play... as i've put far too many links in this post already.
1) i do not say "y'all" in my regular day-to-day life.
2) yesterday i was really gung-ho about making kale chips for dinner. if you don't know what kale chips are, google away. after work i rode my bike home then walked to the grocery store (it is very close... less than 5 mins). low and behold, they are out of kale. they had a sign for kale, but no kale. i've never had kale (or kale chips obviously) before so i thought, maybe i can sub in another type of greeny leafy veg and bake that. i decided that chicory looked like kale, so i bought that. let me tell you people, you can NOT make chicory chips. c'est impossible! waste of time...
3) instead i made sweet potato fries... and burned them a little. but i still ate them because i wasn't about to have two failed side-dish attempts. no sir!
4) biggest loser finale: i am happy with the winner, but thought that the show was really drawn out and boring. BORING! and i realized that i don't really care who wins about 5 minutes into the show. so long as it wasn't crybaby mark. wah wah wah. just kidding. he just won too much during the season. i was especially happy with the $100,000 winner. so nice and cute. :)
5) this morning i walked for 30 minutes (2 miles) on the treadmill, then went swimming for 30 minutes. and rode my bike to work but i don't consider that real exercise, because a) i am hardcore and there is a lot of bicycle coasting b) it doesn't take that long.
6) tonight is date night - woohoo! (no poutine tonight, by the way.)
7) SALBA: today is my second day using it. the texture is not like flax (ground). it is tiny little seeds. yesterday i put in into oatmeal and i was not into it. it made the consistency of my oatmeal different. today i put it into yogurt and that was better. i am not magically a new, healthier person yet... how will i ever know!? HOW!?
8) both jennifer and bi0nic w0man tagged me for a game yesterday, so i gotta play. here are the rules of the game...
link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog. share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird. tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs. let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
i'll have to letter my list, as numbers are too confusing at this point in the game:
a) when i was young i refused to eat any green vegetables. i thought they were so gross. my favourite saying was, "it's not easy being green," by kermit the frog. now i love green food. the greener the better. of course now i am on a super-health kick, but still. funny how tastes change. i used to hate rice too... i mean who hates rice? no one.
b) i have a very romantic boyfriend. for such a rock n' roller cool guy, he really is the sweetest (and cute too). yesterday he surprised me at work by bringing me nice flowers. we went for a walk outside and a pen exploded in his pocket, haha - it was red, too. i can laugh because it didn't mess up his pants or anything, he just had a really red hand. and phone. :)
c) i am most likely going to europe at the end of august. exact places and details yet to be determined.
d) when i was a kid, i was obsessed with barbapapa. i still think it's super rad! my favourite was called barbapapa at work, which was a big fat book seen at the bottom of this page.
e) i like that new miley cyrus song. so what?
f) last summer my boyfriend and his family invited me to go to fabulous las vegas with them. while i was there, i spent $500 on a betsey johnson coat, which (thus far) is my most expensive fashion purchase ever. i usually look for deals and sales, but this coat is soooooo adorable, i couldn't resist. and everyone said things like, "you're in vegas... live it up!" and "now you can tell everyone you got it in vegas..." etc. i have to attach a photo to show "y'all" because it's that cute. this picture was taken in the store and i am also wearing the matching dress which i didn't buy:
g) i am obsessed with vintage ads, especially ones that show women in a negative, demeaning, or old-fashioned light. for some reason they really, really, REALLY amuse me. like the following:
and i tag: anybody who wants play... as i've put far too many links in this post already.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
tuesday, great day!
first off, it's great to know that there are so many other grocery store snobs out there!
secondly, today is a great day!
1) it's beautiful outside.
2) i already worked out today.
3) i biked to work and it wasn't windy (wind is a bikers enemy).
4) the biggest loser finale is tonight (hooray! although i will be sad that it's over...).
5) i got a free square of dove dark chocolate on the street this morning. free chocolate? hoooorrrrraaaaayyyyyy!
i wanted to talk for a brief moment about these videos that sister skinny posted. it's a series of videos posted on youtube, well worth watching by the way, called super slim me. it's about this british girl who tries to get down to a hollywood size 0, or UK size 4. she exercises, and eats 500 calories a day. she does reveal some truths about the diet, fashion, and celebrity industries, but nothing was really shocking to me. the way i see it, is that you are born with a certain type of body. this body has a pretty specific general shape and bone structure. some women have large breasts, curvy hips, a round bottom.... other's don't. you can change a lot about your body but you can't change your bone structure. unless you remove ribs or something - i've heard about some people doing this haha. actually i know a girl who got bum implants in mexico, but that is another story all together! in terms of size zero, i think it's attainable for some women and not for others, although it's not something you should strive to attain if it doesn't come naturally to you. i also think that if you have to eat only 500 calories a day to be a size zero, it's not worth it! don't do it! this video bothered me because she was crash dieting - trying to lose as much weight as possible in the shortest amount of time. who is to say, that if she took it slower and just tried to lose 1-2 pounds a week, that she wouldn't drop as much weight as she wanted without feeling deprived or being unhealthy? hmmmmm? just a thought! obviously crash diets are not the way to go. i felt for her though when she was sooooo hungry and just snapping at everyone. i've been hungry before and trust me, hunger + me = total bitch.
in other news, i got this free sample in the mail. a three day supply of salba. apparently it's some sort of magic superfood, the "richest source of omega 3 fatty acids and fibre found in nature. i am going to try it out for three days and see how i feel. it's recommended that you eat it with breakfast.
today i'm eating:
all bran muffin (2)
cereal (1)
oatmeal (3)
added flax and salba (1)
little orange (0.5)
(7.5)
grapes and yogurt (2)
(9.5)
santa fe rice and beans weight watchers meal (5)
1/2 banana (1)
(15.5)
yogurt and strawberries (1.5)
(17)
chicken veggie burger (4)
bread (3)
peas (1)
kale (0)
(25)
exercise:
4 miles running, 8 miles biking :)
secondly, today is a great day!
1) it's beautiful outside.
2) i already worked out today.
3) i biked to work and it wasn't windy (wind is a bikers enemy).
4) the biggest loser finale is tonight (hooray! although i will be sad that it's over...).
5) i got a free square of dove dark chocolate on the street this morning. free chocolate? hoooorrrrraaaaayyyyyy!
i wanted to talk for a brief moment about these videos that sister skinny posted. it's a series of videos posted on youtube, well worth watching by the way, called super slim me. it's about this british girl who tries to get down to a hollywood size 0, or UK size 4. she exercises, and eats 500 calories a day. she does reveal some truths about the diet, fashion, and celebrity industries, but nothing was really shocking to me. the way i see it, is that you are born with a certain type of body. this body has a pretty specific general shape and bone structure. some women have large breasts, curvy hips, a round bottom.... other's don't. you can change a lot about your body but you can't change your bone structure. unless you remove ribs or something - i've heard about some people doing this haha. actually i know a girl who got bum implants in mexico, but that is another story all together! in terms of size zero, i think it's attainable for some women and not for others, although it's not something you should strive to attain if it doesn't come naturally to you. i also think that if you have to eat only 500 calories a day to be a size zero, it's not worth it! don't do it! this video bothered me because she was crash dieting - trying to lose as much weight as possible in the shortest amount of time. who is to say, that if she took it slower and just tried to lose 1-2 pounds a week, that she wouldn't drop as much weight as she wanted without feeling deprived or being unhealthy? hmmmmm? just a thought! obviously crash diets are not the way to go. i felt for her though when she was sooooo hungry and just snapping at everyone. i've been hungry before and trust me, hunger + me = total bitch.
in other news, i got this free sample in the mail. a three day supply of salba. apparently it's some sort of magic superfood, the "richest source of omega 3 fatty acids and fibre found in nature. i am going to try it out for three days and see how i feel. it's recommended that you eat it with breakfast.
today i'm eating:
all bran muffin (2)
cereal (1)
oatmeal (3)
added flax and salba (1)
little orange (0.5)
(7.5)
grapes and yogurt (2)
(9.5)
santa fe rice and beans weight watchers meal (5)
1/2 banana (1)
(15.5)
yogurt and strawberries (1.5)
(17)
chicken veggie burger (4)
bread (3)
peas (1)
kale (0)
(25)
exercise:
4 miles running, 8 miles biking :)
Monday, April 14, 2008
big winner
hi everybody. another monday! i'm trying to sound really upbeat and enthusiastic here, even though i would prefer to go back to bed. i really have nothing to complain about today... i just went to bed too late and now i'm suffering the consequences. :) i will go to bed early tonight for sure.
the wedding shower on friday night was fun. there were 160 women. yes, that's a lot of wedding women. everything was very nice. a big donation was made to the breast cancer society, and pink (and the pink ribbon) was the theme of the evening. i won a prize - a pink ribbon workout towel. how fitting!
on saturday i went for a four mile run (in the rain, yes i am hardcore) and then my boyfriend and i went to no frills. for those of you who don't know what no frills is, it is a "discount" grocery store, where costs are cut at every angle and you have to buy your own bags at the cash. the good thing about no frills is that the food is cheaper. the bad thing(s) about no frills is that a) it's so crowded b) people are pushing (esp. pushing their carts into me!) c) everybody shopping there feels the need to shop with their five screaming kids. maybe i am a grocery store snob but i want shopping to be a relaxing experience. it was seriously stressful and if i ever go there again, it will be alone (in and out... fast.) i like shopping with other adults, in a relaxed manner, where people say things like "oh, excuse me" or "you go ahead" and "please" and "thank you" etc.
anyway. yesterday i visited my parents in the burbs and went for another four mile run. my goal for this week is to eat a ton of fruit. why? because i really have so much fruit. where did i get it all? very mysterious. this morning i walked for 30 minutes on the treadmill. i decided to do a short workout this morning and then finish it later, after work. why? because i'm very tired today.
today i'm eating:
homemade muffin (2)
(2)
regular oatmeal (3)
strawberries (0.5)
1/2 banana (1)
coffee (0)
(6.5)
grapes(1)
source yogurt (1)
(8.5)
sandwich
whole wheat bread (2)
1 oz. swiss cheese (2)
tomato and lettuce (0)
chicken (1)
(13.5)
strawberries (0.5)
source yogurt (1)
(15)
sweet potato (2)
? something else
the wedding shower on friday night was fun. there were 160 women. yes, that's a lot of wedding women. everything was very nice. a big donation was made to the breast cancer society, and pink (and the pink ribbon) was the theme of the evening. i won a prize - a pink ribbon workout towel. how fitting!
on saturday i went for a four mile run (in the rain, yes i am hardcore) and then my boyfriend and i went to no frills. for those of you who don't know what no frills is, it is a "discount" grocery store, where costs are cut at every angle and you have to buy your own bags at the cash. the good thing about no frills is that the food is cheaper. the bad thing(s) about no frills is that a) it's so crowded b) people are pushing (esp. pushing their carts into me!) c) everybody shopping there feels the need to shop with their five screaming kids. maybe i am a grocery store snob but i want shopping to be a relaxing experience. it was seriously stressful and if i ever go there again, it will be alone (in and out... fast.) i like shopping with other adults, in a relaxed manner, where people say things like "oh, excuse me" or "you go ahead" and "please" and "thank you" etc.
anyway. yesterday i visited my parents in the burbs and went for another four mile run. my goal for this week is to eat a ton of fruit. why? because i really have so much fruit. where did i get it all? very mysterious. this morning i walked for 30 minutes on the treadmill. i decided to do a short workout this morning and then finish it later, after work. why? because i'm very tired today.
today i'm eating:
homemade muffin (2)
(2)
regular oatmeal (3)
strawberries (0.5)
1/2 banana (1)
coffee (0)
(6.5)
grapes(1)
source yogurt (1)
(8.5)
sandwich
whole wheat bread (2)
1 oz. swiss cheese (2)
tomato and lettuce (0)
chicken (1)
(13.5)
strawberries (0.5)
source yogurt (1)
(15)
sweet potato (2)
? something else
Friday, April 11, 2008
bad mood betty
i am not impressed with today. already, it's pouring outside, i was a smushed sardine (against people with b.o.) on the streetcar this morning, my curtains crashed to the floor in my bedroom for no reason, i tried to put them back up (with screws and a drill) and they crashed down again, leaving a stupid ugly hole in my freshly painted wall, i am going to a bridal shower right after work today and had to bring my outfit to work, which means i have to get ready at work, and so on so on so on blah blah blah.
the shower is so far up north that i have to take the subway all the way up to the last stop, where a friend is meeting me and driving us the rest of the way (about 30 mins). it is an italian wedding shower which means a five-course dinner. i am not complaining about that, of course. :o) however, i am not in the mood to play any shower games. and if anyone asks me when i am getting married i am going to wind up my arm like a female baseball pitcher and sock 'em one! yes, i said sock 'em. then i am taking the subway all the way back downtown and meeting up with my boyfriend and our friend who is having a birthday party at a dance club. keep in mind that i won't have gone home all day! obviously i'm going to have to leave clothes and stuff at work. i hate being a dance place and carrying a purse. girls with purses are soooooo annoying. they are always bumping into everything. damn it!
today is weigh in and i am 118.4 up 2.2 pounds from last week. i am not surprised because i could not keep my hands out of the cereal box. seriously i was a snacking fiend. it doesn't bother me at all that i gained, because i'm in the range, but it bothers me that i couldn't stop snacking. i wasn't even hungry. i knew i wasn't hungry and in my mind i said, "close the box, close it right now" and i still didn't. next week my goal will be not to snack on cereal. maybe i will hide the cereal. how ridiculous.
today i'm eating:
1 blueberry fibre waffle
100g source yogurt
weight control oatmeal with flax and a 1/3 package regular oatmeal (i put too much water in)
coffee coffee coffee
ravioli lean cuisine with added red, yellow, orange peppers
an apple
super fabulous dinner
the shower is so far up north that i have to take the subway all the way up to the last stop, where a friend is meeting me and driving us the rest of the way (about 30 mins). it is an italian wedding shower which means a five-course dinner. i am not complaining about that, of course. :o) however, i am not in the mood to play any shower games. and if anyone asks me when i am getting married i am going to wind up my arm like a female baseball pitcher and sock 'em one! yes, i said sock 'em. then i am taking the subway all the way back downtown and meeting up with my boyfriend and our friend who is having a birthday party at a dance club. keep in mind that i won't have gone home all day! obviously i'm going to have to leave clothes and stuff at work. i hate being a dance place and carrying a purse. girls with purses are soooooo annoying. they are always bumping into everything. damn it!
today is weigh in and i am 118.4 up 2.2 pounds from last week. i am not surprised because i could not keep my hands out of the cereal box. seriously i was a snacking fiend. it doesn't bother me at all that i gained, because i'm in the range, but it bothers me that i couldn't stop snacking. i wasn't even hungry. i knew i wasn't hungry and in my mind i said, "close the box, close it right now" and i still didn't. next week my goal will be not to snack on cereal. maybe i will hide the cereal. how ridiculous.
today i'm eating:
1 blueberry fibre waffle
100g source yogurt
weight control oatmeal with flax and a 1/3 package regular oatmeal (i put too much water in)
coffee coffee coffee
ravioli lean cuisine with added red, yellow, orange peppers
an apple
super fabulous dinner
Thursday, April 10, 2008
unrelated
but this made me almost die laughing today. did you know laughing burns calories?
see more crazy cat pics
see more crazy cat pics
crazy man, crazy
i should not be allowed near shopping malls. i hate shopping because i dislike crowds and people who walk too slow and get in my way (it's my german efficiency haha) but i'm really good at it. i can walk into a store and glance around and immediately know what i like/dislike in seconds. no browsing like a chump for me. i can be trying stuff on in the change room of any store just a few minutes after setting foot in the store. but anyway...i digress. i shouldn't be allowed near shopping malls because i buy too much.
i got a really cute pencil skirt at jacob. it is this skirt, but black:
i also got a red t-shirt sweater, but i might return it. so then... i went to h & m and got new skinny jeans and two (yes two) pairs of supercute retro heels. they both have cute t-straps and a little bit of a platform. one pair is white and one pair is red. i was going to return one pair because they were kind of expensive but when i brought them home i knew that was never going to happen! they are made of really soft leather and really comfortable and perfect for summer.
i have a confession to make about the jeans. i got them in the kids section! apparently i have the body of a 13/14 year old girl (this is not surprising to me by the way) :o) i really like skinny jeans because i have no hips and straight legs and they fit me really well. but i've noticed that adult stores (like smart set) are going back to the boot cut. i don't want boot cut! skinny jeans look cute with flats, heels, and fit well under boots. it's a win win win. did you know that jeans from the kids section are only $22.50? it's crazy man, crazy!
last night i asked my boyfriend, "what do you want for dinner?" and he replied, "well, i'm sure you've got something healthy all planned, so why are you even bothering to ask me?" and i say, "well, because i thought for sure you'd be pushing for poutine..." his response was just a drool, haha, so we had poutine and it was yumtastic. i had one too many alcoholic bevs and woke up in the middle of the night so hot with a thirst that couldn't be quenched. and then i couldn't get back to sleep. my mind was racing about cleaning my closet of all things! i had visions of myself sorting everything into piles, and trying on all of my pants, etc. i kept telling myself this was not the time to be thinking about this but my mind wouldn't listen. i guess i know what i'm doing tonight.
when my alarm went off at 6:45 i jumped right out of bed and went for a 5 mile run. i'm sure i'll be tired tonight so i'm happy it's out of the way. here is today's menu:
1/2 granola bar
handful of leftover popcorn from last night (this is why doing dishes before bed is a good idea...)
regular oatmeal with added ground flax and fibre one cereal
frozen mixed berries
pc blue menu shrimp whole wheat pasta frozen microwave meal
red, yellow, orange pepper strips
yogurt and grapes
whole wheat english muffin with peanut butter
dinner ?
i got a really cute pencil skirt at jacob. it is this skirt, but black:
i also got a red t-shirt sweater, but i might return it. so then... i went to h & m and got new skinny jeans and two (yes two) pairs of supercute retro heels. they both have cute t-straps and a little bit of a platform. one pair is white and one pair is red. i was going to return one pair because they were kind of expensive but when i brought them home i knew that was never going to happen! they are made of really soft leather and really comfortable and perfect for summer.
i have a confession to make about the jeans. i got them in the kids section! apparently i have the body of a 13/14 year old girl (this is not surprising to me by the way) :o) i really like skinny jeans because i have no hips and straight legs and they fit me really well. but i've noticed that adult stores (like smart set) are going back to the boot cut. i don't want boot cut! skinny jeans look cute with flats, heels, and fit well under boots. it's a win win win. did you know that jeans from the kids section are only $22.50? it's crazy man, crazy!
last night i asked my boyfriend, "what do you want for dinner?" and he replied, "well, i'm sure you've got something healthy all planned, so why are you even bothering to ask me?" and i say, "well, because i thought for sure you'd be pushing for poutine..." his response was just a drool, haha, so we had poutine and it was yumtastic. i had one too many alcoholic bevs and woke up in the middle of the night so hot with a thirst that couldn't be quenched. and then i couldn't get back to sleep. my mind was racing about cleaning my closet of all things! i had visions of myself sorting everything into piles, and trying on all of my pants, etc. i kept telling myself this was not the time to be thinking about this but my mind wouldn't listen. i guess i know what i'm doing tonight.
when my alarm went off at 6:45 i jumped right out of bed and went for a 5 mile run. i'm sure i'll be tired tonight so i'm happy it's out of the way. here is today's menu:
1/2 granola bar
handful of leftover popcorn from last night (this is why doing dishes before bed is a good idea...)
regular oatmeal with added ground flax and fibre one cereal
frozen mixed berries
pc blue menu shrimp whole wheat pasta frozen microwave meal
red, yellow, orange pepper strips
yogurt and grapes
whole wheat english muffin with peanut butter
dinner ?
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
wednesday
why do things that are bad for you taste so good with coffee? for example: croissants, muffins, chocolate, anything with butter, pastries, etc. i am enjoying a chocolate right now, with coffee. (reheated in the office kitchen coffee but that's besides the point.) did i mention this chocolate is from italy? yes, it's true. it's sort of good but in that "icey square" chocolate kind of way, and i usually prefer harder chocolate. hopefully one square will be enough to satisfy my craving and move on.
this morning i swam for 30 minutes. when i got home from work last night i did 30 minutes on the bike downstairs and really pushed it at the end and now my legs hurt. swimming is a nice break from legs for me because most of my movement in swimming comes from my upper body. i wanted to ride my bike again to work today but it was raining. nooooooooooo! it's supposed to clear up so maybe, if i'm lucky, i can walk home.
it's funny how priorities change, isn't it? now i'm "lucky" if i can walk home, where as my mindset used to think that was one unlucky break. like if i was walking home from somewhere, and someone i knew came by in a car, and drove me the rest of the way, i'd be thrilled. now i would say, "no thanks - keep it movin' buddy!" and keep walking.
so tonight is date night, which means dinner at my bachelorette pad and watching of ANTM, good enough for me. but if my boyfriend suggests making poutine for dinner one more time, i'm gonna lose it. seriously, that is all he EVER wants to eat. and if i give in and we eat it on wednesday, he still wants it on the weekend. don't get me wrong, i love poutine. we even make a healthy (somewhat...) version, so it's not that terrible. but variety is the spice of life people, let's try something new. for those who don't know, poutine is a wonderful dish from Quebec. traditionally it's fries, topped with cheese curds and covered in gravy. mmmm. we use mccain oven fries (the lowfat variety), with part skim shredded mozzarella cheese, and a packet of powdered swiss chalet gravy (which is only about 20 calories for 1/2 cup or something). so really not bad. now that i'm going on and on about it i kind of want it too. if he wants to make dinner then i will indulge his love of poutine tonight ;)
enough blabbing. i am going shopping at lunch because on friday night i am going to a wedding shower and i have nothing to wear. nothing "classy" anyway. nothing that fits! why did i watch biggest loser last night instead of going through my closet?! if i can get a nice high-waisted pencil skirt or something then i'm set. wish me luck.
today i'm eating:
1/2 granola bar
1/2 banana
a few handfuls of honey nut all bran
steel cut oats with some added all bran
chocolate square (from italy!)
grapes and yogurt
oatmeal with added bran (maybe)
red, orange, yellow peppers with spicy hummus dip
dinner - probably poutine
this morning i swam for 30 minutes. when i got home from work last night i did 30 minutes on the bike downstairs and really pushed it at the end and now my legs hurt. swimming is a nice break from legs for me because most of my movement in swimming comes from my upper body. i wanted to ride my bike again to work today but it was raining. nooooooooooo! it's supposed to clear up so maybe, if i'm lucky, i can walk home.
it's funny how priorities change, isn't it? now i'm "lucky" if i can walk home, where as my mindset used to think that was one unlucky break. like if i was walking home from somewhere, and someone i knew came by in a car, and drove me the rest of the way, i'd be thrilled. now i would say, "no thanks - keep it movin' buddy!" and keep walking.
so tonight is date night, which means dinner at my bachelorette pad and watching of ANTM, good enough for me. but if my boyfriend suggests making poutine for dinner one more time, i'm gonna lose it. seriously, that is all he EVER wants to eat. and if i give in and we eat it on wednesday, he still wants it on the weekend. don't get me wrong, i love poutine. we even make a healthy (somewhat...) version, so it's not that terrible. but variety is the spice of life people, let's try something new. for those who don't know, poutine is a wonderful dish from Quebec. traditionally it's fries, topped with cheese curds and covered in gravy. mmmm. we use mccain oven fries (the lowfat variety), with part skim shredded mozzarella cheese, and a packet of powdered swiss chalet gravy (which is only about 20 calories for 1/2 cup or something). so really not bad. now that i'm going on and on about it i kind of want it too. if he wants to make dinner then i will indulge his love of poutine tonight ;)
enough blabbing. i am going shopping at lunch because on friday night i am going to a wedding shower and i have nothing to wear. nothing "classy" anyway. nothing that fits! why did i watch biggest loser last night instead of going through my closet?! if i can get a nice high-waisted pencil skirt or something then i'm set. wish me luck.
today i'm eating:
1/2 granola bar
1/2 banana
a few handfuls of honey nut all bran
steel cut oats with some added all bran
chocolate square (from italy!)
grapes and yogurt
oatmeal with added bran (maybe)
red, orange, yellow peppers with spicy hummus dip
dinner - probably poutine
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
some new goals
hello everybody. yesterday i was a snacking machine. i think those steel cut oats in the morning messed up my "flo." i just wasn't into them. i made four servings, ate one right away (on sunday night) and put three into tupperware for the week. but then i thought that one serving wasn't enough for me, so i divided one into the other two containers, making each portion 1.5 servings. blah blah blah. are these details really necessary? anyway, yesterday at work my stomach was killing me! i couldn't figure out what was wrong, but eventually i pinpointed it as gas. tmi, i know. when i got home from work i lay on my stomach while watching the news and then felt better.
yesterday morning i did a quick 30 minutes on the stationary bike, rode my bike to and from work, and then ran 4 miles after work. my run was brutal. why? i was just too tired. i need more sleep, so i'm going to make that a priority. starting yesterday! i went to bed at 9:30, read until 10:15, and then snoozed until 6:40. it was amazing. i feel great today! full of energy and not like a walking zombie. and i hate looking like death with dark under eye circles. now that i'm in my mid-late 20s i have to worry about this stuff. :o(
this morning i walked for an hour on the treadmill, did some strength training and sit-ups, and rode my bike to work. pretty fun. i have decided that i need to make some new goals for myself, so here they are:
1) get more sleep. sleep should be a priority! get to bed as early as possible, but by 11-11:30 at the latest.
2) ride my bike to work on every weather appropriate day. it's easy, it saves me money (transit) and it's good for health.
3) eat the food in the freezer. my freezer is so full! and full of good, healthy stuff too so i might as well eat it up.
4) go through my closet and divide everything into four piles. (i saw this on tim gunn's guide to style last night which i have never seen before and didn't finish but taped the rest of to watch another time.) one pile keeper, one pile repair, one pile giveaway and one pile nobody on earth should ever wear these hideous clothes again! good advice. i have a lot of stuff that a) doesn't look good b) doesn't fit and c) is super fug. and now with the changing seasons it's the perfect time to do this.
today's menu is:
1/4 all bran bar (pre work out)
1/4 all bran bar with 1 t peanut butter (post work out)
yogurt with grapes
oatmeal with added flax and all bran
pc blue menu frozen veggie lasagna
1/2 cup leftover veggies from last night
red, yellow, orange peppers with spicy hummus
cheese string
veggie burger on whole wheat english muffin
frozen veggies
yesterday morning i did a quick 30 minutes on the stationary bike, rode my bike to and from work, and then ran 4 miles after work. my run was brutal. why? i was just too tired. i need more sleep, so i'm going to make that a priority. starting yesterday! i went to bed at 9:30, read until 10:15, and then snoozed until 6:40. it was amazing. i feel great today! full of energy and not like a walking zombie. and i hate looking like death with dark under eye circles. now that i'm in my mid-late 20s i have to worry about this stuff. :o(
this morning i walked for an hour on the treadmill, did some strength training and sit-ups, and rode my bike to work. pretty fun. i have decided that i need to make some new goals for myself, so here they are:
1) get more sleep. sleep should be a priority! get to bed as early as possible, but by 11-11:30 at the latest.
2) ride my bike to work on every weather appropriate day. it's easy, it saves me money (transit) and it's good for health.
3) eat the food in the freezer. my freezer is so full! and full of good, healthy stuff too so i might as well eat it up.
4) go through my closet and divide everything into four piles. (i saw this on tim gunn's guide to style last night which i have never seen before and didn't finish but taped the rest of to watch another time.) one pile keeper, one pile repair, one pile giveaway and one pile nobody on earth should ever wear these hideous clothes again! good advice. i have a lot of stuff that a) doesn't look good b) doesn't fit and c) is super fug. and now with the changing seasons it's the perfect time to do this.
today's menu is:
1/4 all bran bar (pre work out)
1/4 all bran bar with 1 t peanut butter (post work out)
yogurt with grapes
oatmeal with added flax and all bran
pc blue menu frozen veggie lasagna
1/2 cup leftover veggies from last night
red, yellow, orange peppers with spicy hummus
cheese string
veggie burger on whole wheat english muffin
frozen veggies
Monday, April 7, 2008
before and after
i had a very nice weekend. on friday i just chilled with my boyfriend at home. saturday i went for a run in the morning (6 miles! longest run yet!), then we went to this swing dancing class in the afternoon. a new dance studio opened in my neighbourhood and it was an open house weekend with free classes. yesterday i got my bike out of storage, put air in the tires, and rode to a used bookstore downtown to get the newest book for my book club suite francaise which i will start today as i have only a few pages left of eat pray love which definitely redeemed itself and i definitely recommend picking it up if you haven't done that before.
in other news, i picked up steel cut oats for the first time and made a batch last night and i'm not really sold. they are chewy which is nice, but kind of slimyish. slimy... not so good. and they are completely flavourless. i added some splenda, vanilla, and cinnamon but they are still kind of bland. does anyone have any cooking tips?
some of you wanted to see some before pictures. at first (months ago) i wasn't into posting pics of myself at my higher weights, because a) i'm vain (so what...? ;o), and b) i don't even feel like i am the same person anymore. actually i've always thought of myself as a skinny person in a chubby girl's body... but pictures don't lie! but if it's going to motivate anyone, then i'm all for it. i mean, i'm just a regular person (although by no means ordinary...) so if i can do it, so can you (although it's hard work). and i've come so far... it really is quite a transformation. so let's take a trip down memory lane.
i wasn't always chubby. my weight went up and down a lot. for example, for most of high school i looked like this:
sort of gothy haha. here is another one from high school. i am very tanned because i was a lifeguard at an outdoor pool.
in university i slimmed down again, to about 135-140 pounds:
but then gained some more weight:
in other news, i picked up steel cut oats for the first time and made a batch last night and i'm not really sold. they are chewy which is nice, but kind of slimyish. slimy... not so good. and they are completely flavourless. i added some splenda, vanilla, and cinnamon but they are still kind of bland. does anyone have any cooking tips?
some of you wanted to see some before pictures. at first (months ago) i wasn't into posting pics of myself at my higher weights, because a) i'm vain (so what...? ;o), and b) i don't even feel like i am the same person anymore. actually i've always thought of myself as a skinny person in a chubby girl's body... but pictures don't lie! but if it's going to motivate anyone, then i'm all for it. i mean, i'm just a regular person (although by no means ordinary...) so if i can do it, so can you (although it's hard work). and i've come so far... it really is quite a transformation. so let's take a trip down memory lane.
i wasn't always chubby. my weight went up and down a lot. for example, for most of high school i looked like this:
sort of gothy haha. here is another one from high school. i am very tanned because i was a lifeguard at an outdoor pool.
in university i slimmed down again, to about 135-140 pounds:
but then gained some more weight:
and then this is my highest weight, of 156 pounds:
and this is now:
when i used to try and lose weight, i would just eat less (much less) so obviously any changes were only temporary. now i know how to read nutrition labels, and how to see food as fuel instead of as the enemy. i also understand the importance of exercise in maintaining a healthy weight, and i can definitely say that i will never be a not-active person again.
Friday, April 4, 2008
friday yahoo thank the good lord above yippee skippy!
can you tell i'm excited it's friday? i didn't do any exercise this morning because i needed a break. friday is also weigh-in day and today my big number is 116.2, which is a 2.6 loss from last week. This is my lowest ever adult weight. I weighed 135 in high school and can't remember before that. this number is a little low, but a) I have been exercising more (longer runs) b) I've been painting like a crazy fool c) I've been stressed out at work trying to do the jobs of three peeps at once. yes, i said peeps. also d) it's still in my maintenance range so it's all good. keep in mind i do have very small bone structure.
i'm going to answer jenn's question from the comments yesterday here: yes, my gym is in my building, so it's really easy to work out there. and i have to wake up early in the morning, but not unreasonably so. i don't have to be into work until about 9:30 if i want, so as long as i begin showering around 8:00am then i have enough time to get ready and get to work. if i'm swimming i start around 7am, if i'm running i like to start around 6:45am, and if i do a longer cardio workout (like walking) i like to start at about 6:30am. even when i didn't live in this condo, and had to pay for a gym, it was still a 2 minute walk from my house. i guess that is one of the benefits of city living. i just don't get the point of driving to a gym when you could walk there... of course i hate driving and avoid it at all costs.
i tried to take an ab picture this morning, but the angles were all crappy and i was getting that mirror flash reflection which is not attractive. so i took some photos here. not of my abs obviously... i don't want to be obscene.
this first one is a stomach shot:
the second is more of a body shot:
the third is of my ripped arm, haha:
and the fourth, me... hello!:
today i'm eating:
source yogurt
strawberries
pc blue menu multigrain oatmeal with added flax and all bran
salmon something lean cuisine
orange
more strawberries
more source yogurt
and then dinner. happy weekend!
i'm going to answer jenn's question from the comments yesterday here: yes, my gym is in my building, so it's really easy to work out there. and i have to wake up early in the morning, but not unreasonably so. i don't have to be into work until about 9:30 if i want, so as long as i begin showering around 8:00am then i have enough time to get ready and get to work. if i'm swimming i start around 7am, if i'm running i like to start around 6:45am, and if i do a longer cardio workout (like walking) i like to start at about 6:30am. even when i didn't live in this condo, and had to pay for a gym, it was still a 2 minute walk from my house. i guess that is one of the benefits of city living. i just don't get the point of driving to a gym when you could walk there... of course i hate driving and avoid it at all costs.
i tried to take an ab picture this morning, but the angles were all crappy and i was getting that mirror flash reflection which is not attractive. so i took some photos here. not of my abs obviously... i don't want to be obscene.
this first one is a stomach shot:
the second is more of a body shot:
the third is of my ripped arm, haha:
and the fourth, me... hello!:
today i'm eating:
source yogurt
strawberries
pc blue menu multigrain oatmeal with added flax and all bran
salmon something lean cuisine
orange
more strawberries
more source yogurt
and then dinner. happy weekend!
Thursday, April 3, 2008
z is for zombie
is the week over yet? guess what fellow bloggers? the painting is finished! well, almost. i still have to do touch ups but i did a bit of them last night and it's actually fun. i love precise painting, i just dislike the big scale roller-style painting ya know? but it's over. i took the tape off too soon and it made a bit of a goopy paint mess, but it was fixed with touchups. i didn't go to bed until late last night so i am very tired today. but i wanted to finish painting, clean up all the painting stuff so i didn't have to look at it anymore, and clean the kitchen. i am having a friend over tonight and i want my apartment to be spotless and beautiful, not painty and messy and gross.
so now my bedroom is green. but - i have a red and black plaid duvet cover. oops. it's ugly anyway so this is the perfect excuse to give it the heave-ho. i want something patterned. something yellow and white and black. those specifications only! one more day until the weekend. ;)
in other news, my eating has been going pretty good and i'm exercising a lot, and i'm beginning to see some real ab definition. i may or may not post a picture. on the one hand, i want to show off my awesome new abs (years in development haha) but on the other hand, do i really want a picture of my stomach on the internet? on a blog? for the world to see? and would it be one of those fishing for compliments things? i mean, i deserve compliments because i worked hard! would other bloggers say nice things in my comments but then think mean thoughts in their heads? not that any of you think mean thoughts haha. and i don't like thinking about mean thoughts. what a scattered post. obviously i am not getting enough sleep but that is what weekends are for.
this morning i ran (outside woohoo in the city sunshine) for four miles, then came inside and did four miles on the bike (which really isn't that much... about 15 minutes) and did some ab work. it's another busy day at work and i work best in the morning (as opposed to the afternoon) so i'm gonna tcb (take care of business). today i'm eating:
fibre source granola bar (2) - did you know these have HFCS! i am still eating mine...
yogurt with strawberries (1.5)
oatmeal with added flax and all bran (3)
(6.5)
sol cuisine veggie burger (2)
ww bun (2)
spicy hummus (1)
green beans (0)
(11.5)
yogurt and strawberries (1.5)
(13)
apple (1)
(14)
carrots and hummus (1)
(15)
spaghetti squash (1)
salad with dressing (2)
turkey grill em sausage (2)
(20)
wine with my friend (4)
(24)
so now my bedroom is green. but - i have a red and black plaid duvet cover. oops. it's ugly anyway so this is the perfect excuse to give it the heave-ho. i want something patterned. something yellow and white and black. those specifications only! one more day until the weekend. ;)
in other news, my eating has been going pretty good and i'm exercising a lot, and i'm beginning to see some real ab definition. i may or may not post a picture. on the one hand, i want to show off my awesome new abs (years in development haha) but on the other hand, do i really want a picture of my stomach on the internet? on a blog? for the world to see? and would it be one of those fishing for compliments things? i mean, i deserve compliments because i worked hard! would other bloggers say nice things in my comments but then think mean thoughts in their heads? not that any of you think mean thoughts haha. and i don't like thinking about mean thoughts. what a scattered post. obviously i am not getting enough sleep but that is what weekends are for.
this morning i ran (outside woohoo in the city sunshine) for four miles, then came inside and did four miles on the bike (which really isn't that much... about 15 minutes) and did some ab work. it's another busy day at work and i work best in the morning (as opposed to the afternoon) so i'm gonna tcb (take care of business). today i'm eating:
fibre source granola bar (2) - did you know these have HFCS! i am still eating mine...
yogurt with strawberries (1.5)
oatmeal with added flax and all bran (3)
(6.5)
sol cuisine veggie burger (2)
ww bun (2)
spicy hummus (1)
green beans (0)
(11.5)
yogurt and strawberries (1.5)
(13)
apple (1)
(14)
carrots and hummus (1)
(15)
spaghetti squash (1)
salad with dressing (2)
turkey grill em sausage (2)
(20)
wine with my friend (4)
(24)
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
short and sweet
1) i was at work until 8pm yesterday. i was speaking to people from AUSTRALIA who were just beginning their work day.
2) the work continues today. it is mostly "busy season/deadlines" not really catch-up. woweewowee.
3) i am going to see george michael in concert in july. hooray!
4) i am sick - but am pushing forward. actually i feel better today than yesterday because sickness always just disappears after one half-crappy day for me.
5) swimming this morning (30 minutes) and walked to work (2.3 miles).
6) painted a second green coat in the bedroom last night. two coats - not enough! GAH! today at lunch (if i have time) i will walk to my favourite store (apparently) canadian tire and get more green paint to paint AGAIN tonight.
7) boyfriend cancelled date tonight. sad, but at least now i can paint (like a chump).
8) that's all folks! menu:
yogurt (1)
berry oatmeal with flax and fiber (3)
mixed berries (0.5)
(4.5)
lean cuisine thai chicken (5)
salad (0)
(9.5)
blood orange (1)
carrots and baby tomatoes with hummus (1)
(11.5)
3 mini biscotti (2)
yogurt (1)
(14.5)
green beans (0)
spaghetti squash (1)
veggie burger (4)
(19.5)
popcorns (4)
(23.5)
2) the work continues today. it is mostly "busy season/deadlines" not really catch-up. woweewowee.
3) i am going to see george michael in concert in july. hooray!
4) i am sick - but am pushing forward. actually i feel better today than yesterday because sickness always just disappears after one half-crappy day for me.
5) swimming this morning (30 minutes) and walked to work (2.3 miles).
6) painted a second green coat in the bedroom last night. two coats - not enough! GAH! today at lunch (if i have time) i will walk to my favourite store (apparently) canadian tire and get more green paint to paint AGAIN tonight.
7) boyfriend cancelled date tonight. sad, but at least now i can paint (like a chump).
8) that's all folks! menu:
yogurt (1)
berry oatmeal with flax and fiber (3)
mixed berries (0.5)
(4.5)
lean cuisine thai chicken (5)
salad (0)
(9.5)
blood orange (1)
carrots and baby tomatoes with hummus (1)
(11.5)
3 mini biscotti (2)
yogurt (1)
(14.5)
green beans (0)
spaghetti squash (1)
veggie burger (4)
(19.5)
popcorns (4)
(23.5)
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
a lot to do
well, i'm back at work. hooray! am feigning sarcasm or what? maybe. i'm actually happy to be back at this work because at least here i get to sit in a nice chair instead of being a skilled labourer (painter) all the live long day. i am almost done painting, so no pictures yet. i want it to look somewhat decent before i take any shots. i have one more coat of green to do in the bedroom, and touch ups of course. and i made the mistake of painting part of the kitchen yellow, which really should be grey like the living and dining room. i changed colours at a corner, and it looks really tacky, and it's going to bother me until i fix it, so i'll finish everything tonight.
i have so much to do at work it's crazy. my immediate boss is away on business for more than a week, so i have to pick up that slack as well as get caught up on the stuff i missed during my three days off. all i really want to do is leisurely go through my emails and catch up on blogs, haha. hopefully i can read some at lunchtime today.
yesterday i went for a five-mile run. i am really digging these five-mile runs outside. it's great because even if you want to stop, you are still so far away from home that you might as well keep going haha. i got caught in the rain halfway through. i sort of didn't like it but it sort of made me feel super hardcore - like "so what nature! take that!" haha. anyway...
this morning i woke up early and did four miles (walking) on the treadmill and four miles on the stationary bike. i much prefer working out in the mornings.
today i'm eating:
lemon source yogurt, the dessert kind (1)
regular instant oatmeal with added flax and all bran (3)
1 cup frozen berries (0.5)
(4.5)
pc blue menu microwave dinner - shrimp whole wheat pasta something or other (5)
raw carrots and baby tomatoes with hummus (1)
(10.5)
another source yogurt (1)
3 little almond biscotti (2)
(13.5)
dinner:
green beans (0)
veggie burger (4)
salad (3)
(20.5)
maybe something else too. :)
i have so much to do at work it's crazy. my immediate boss is away on business for more than a week, so i have to pick up that slack as well as get caught up on the stuff i missed during my three days off. all i really want to do is leisurely go through my emails and catch up on blogs, haha. hopefully i can read some at lunchtime today.
yesterday i went for a five-mile run. i am really digging these five-mile runs outside. it's great because even if you want to stop, you are still so far away from home that you might as well keep going haha. i got caught in the rain halfway through. i sort of didn't like it but it sort of made me feel super hardcore - like "so what nature! take that!" haha. anyway...
this morning i woke up early and did four miles (walking) on the treadmill and four miles on the stationary bike. i much prefer working out in the mornings.
today i'm eating:
lemon source yogurt, the dessert kind (1)
regular instant oatmeal with added flax and all bran (3)
1 cup frozen berries (0.5)
(4.5)
pc blue menu microwave dinner - shrimp whole wheat pasta something or other (5)
raw carrots and baby tomatoes with hummus (1)
(10.5)
another source yogurt (1)
3 little almond biscotti (2)
(13.5)
dinner:
green beans (0)
veggie burger (4)
salad (3)
(20.5)
maybe something else too. :)
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