more motivated

you know what bothers me about september? socks or no socks?! some days it's warm enough to wear sandals and no socks. but then other days it's too chilly and really it all depends on things like wind and sun or no sun, etc. i think today i will wear socks.

reading so many of your motivational posts for the BLBE challenge is making me more motivated too. especially since yesterday, when i went to put on my "business skirt" for my interview, it didn't fit. well it "fit," but was tight. too tight for me to wear and sit on the streetcar without it riding up and be generally annoying. so - time for some serious action.

i'm eating within my points and that's good, and i'm eating all of my activity points so i'm definitely eating enough. i think my problem is not spreading out the points over the whole day. the thought of not having enough points in the evening and being hungry isn't a good one to me, and i think i am saving too many for the evening. if i am hungry at bedtime, i will just suck it up. hunger is not an emergency! and really, a little bit of hunger never hurt anyone. i like the feeling of hunger over the feeling of being too full.

the interview yesterday was alright. maybe i was tired, but i wasn't really into it. they kept asking me questions about what i would do in certain situations, and i wanted to say, i don't know, i'll deal with it when it comes, stop harassing me, leave me alone! instead of making up lame stuff in my head. and i'm also sick about having to put on an excited face about crappy stuff. like a "high-stress" environment. who thrives in a high-stress environment? and actually likes it? i like a nice, calm environment. i hardly even get stressed. stress! i mean, really! anyway i think the subject matter might be too boring for me. they didn't tell me how much the job pays, so i don't really know if it would be a perk.

this morning i got up early and went swimming in the apartment pool. in a few moments (after coffee), i am heading to the burbs to help out my mom at work. i might do day 3 of week 2 of the couch to 5k after work if my bottom half is pain free.

also this morning i had a giant breakfast.

1 packet of quaker regular oatmeal (2) with 1/2 cup all bran (1) and 1/2 cup 1% cottage cheese (1.5), and on the side 140g of frozen unsweetened raspberries (0). i am so full, for only 4.5 points.

lunch is fat free turkey (1) on a weight watchers bagel (2) with lettuce and tomato and mustard (0), 1/2 cup of 0% vanilla yogurt (1) mixed with 1/2 cup pure pumpkin (0), 200g of baby carrots (1), for a total of 5 points.

snacks are an apple (1) and a chocolate chip all-bran bar (2), for a total of 3 points.

why oh why

do i never feel that great on mondays? i had a good weekend, and i let myself sleep in a bit today, so i should feel great! but i don't really. i want to go back to bed but i won't because then i won't be able to sleep tonight. i didn't lose any weight this week. i don't know what i am doing wrong. i'm eating within my points, exercising, etc. but nothing. i'm not too concerned right now anyway. this week i am going to keep at it, but maybe try to eat less carbs and more protein. i really do eat a lot of bread. why is it the best food?

yesterday was an active day. i rode my bike to queen's park for the word on the street book and magazine festival. i watched some people speak, subscribed (for cheap) to toronto life magazine, talked to people at my old job's booth, and saw some old friends. and i ate a small twist soft ice cream cone from a truck. it was delicious! anyway it was sort of far away and i did a lot of walking. when i came home i did day two week two of the couch to 5k program and it really hurt my bottom. it's piriformis syndrome which i can't really prevent except by stretching so that is what i'm doing. i feel weird stretching before running because my muscles are so stiff. does anyone else stretch before running or warming up at all?

today i have big plans to apply for more jobs, and i have an interview in the early afternoon. wish me luck!

TGIF

i can honestly say, thank goodness it's friday. i have to make this quick because i am about to drive to the burbs AGAIN to help my mom out at the office AGAIN. not that i mind, because i like having money (as opposed to no money), but i hate hate HATE driving all that way. in the morning it's not so bad, but coming home... bleh. yesterday i was stuck in traffic and was so rushed.

even thought it's not my weigh-in day, i hopped on the scale and guess what people... i am not losing weight! what gives!? i am eating within my points, exercising, doing everything right, avoiding booze... i just don't get it. not cool. at least i am not gaining which is the main thing. and i've been eating some carbolicious things for dinner, sometimes not until 8 or 9 at night, so maybe it's just tummy food.

yesterday for my mom's birthday we were going to go out for lunch, but there wasn't time (busy office) so i picked us up wendy's instead. thank goodness i got my wendy's hungry-girl guide in the email yesterday. ;) i had a chicken grill sandwich with no honey mustard sauce and a side salad. the sandwich is 7 points with the sauce, 5 without. that is a big difference. my mom and her boss also got the sandwich... they were trying to follow my healthy lead which is funny (sort of) and cute.

the bad news is that i ran yesterday morning, and over the course of the day my bum pain started to reappear. and then this morning it felt worse! boo hoo hoo. and i had to ride my bike home from my boyfriend's house at 7am. i can think of more fun things, although it was downhill! :)

the good news is that the finance magazine company liked my article and i am going for an interview on monday. yippee! i will just see how it goes... finance isn't the greatest topic for me to write about, but having a job *writing* for a magazine and getting articles published all the time could be a great stepping stone to writing about something i enjoy, for example, health and fitness, or FASHION.

i am pooped. friday i love you. tonight is the event my boyfriend puts on. here is a flyer for you torontonians. come on down and enjoy the show, it's gonna be rad!

another busy day

today is another busy one! so, here is a list:

1) my interview yesterday was alright, nothing special. the position is a maternity leave 1 year contract with no benefits, and i'd rather have something more permanent if i can help it.

2) i finished my finance article, but not without having to completely revise my topic after interviewing a mortgage broker.

3) i had a great, long swim of 2250 metres.

4) for dinner i made this salad concoction of stuff i had in my fridge. and then in the night i wasn't feeling so hot and i threw up. the salad was kind of gross but i ate it anyway... i tried to make my own dressing, that was the problem. i probably won't be eating tuna, or raw spinach for awhile... :o(

5) today i am going back to the burbs to work at my mom's office.

6) it is also her birthday - hooray! so i'm going to pick up flowers on the way.

7) book club tonight. i didn't finish the book and won't have time to. :(

8) but today my boyfriend comes home - he was away at a camp all week. :)

9) this morning i ran day one week two of the couch to 5k since i knew i wouldn't have time to later.

10) this morning i made the MOST DELICIOUS oatmeal ever. i brewed a cup of gingerbread spice (a christmas tea) and then used that in the regular oats instead of water. it was unreal. and i added some sweetener, 1/4 cup all bran, and 1/3 cup 1% cottage cheese for a giant delicious bowl. and only 3 points!

becky bloomwood

yesterday as a side dish for dinner i made near east taboule wheat salad . it's a yummy Mediterranean dish kind of like couscous but with more flavour. it's bulgar wheat, and the season is onion and garlic and spearmint and citrus. it takes a long time to make but 99% of that time is just sitting in the refrigerator. you pour a cup of boiling water over the mix, stir, and let it sit in the fridge for 30 minutes. then you add a chopped tomato, a tablespoon of fresh lemon (i only had not fresh lime but it still worked), and a tablespoon of olive oil. and then refrigerate for another hour or overnight. the result is an exotic, healthy, flavourful side dish. 1 serving (about 2/3 cup) is 120 calories with 5g fibre (if i'm remembering correctly) so only 2 points.

in other news, i have started running again! i've been feeling a bit better lately and last night i finished week one of the couch to 5k running program. i'm doing the program again because i don't want to push my health. if that bum pain came back because i chose to run too far too fast i wouldn't forgive myself. well i would, but it would be an incredibly stupid thing to do. i love running so much. of course it's way easier the second time around, because i am not completely out of shape yet.

today i am very busy. i have a job interview later (not something i really want, and kind of far away), and i am writing a "test" for another job. the test is difficult. i have to write an article for a finance magazine. does the name "becky bloomwood" ring a bell to anyone? she is the character in the shopaholic series, who wrote for a finance magazine but didn't know anything about finances!

so anyway, that's that! hopefully today i can get a swim in.

hair time! (again)

so here is the big reveal of my blondness. it's fun being a blond, so far. it's not as light as i wanted it but since i had dyed my short hair dark brown (from a box, too) it was chemically processed and harder to bleach. did i already share this story? i feel like i did. anyway, without further ado:

i think if you click on it, it gets bigger. i was going for sort of a madonna/80s look, with the short socks and lace faux gloves. fun!

yesterday i didn't do any exercise, but i had a completely on plan day. i felt like crap for the morning, and then went to the chiropractor and grocery store where i replenished my fruit and vegetable stash. they were out of canned pumpkin which was quite annoying. what kind of huge grocery store has no pumpkin? it's not like it's thanksgiving... then i could understand. i bought a frozen loaf of ezekiel bread (the low sodium kind) which i am excited to try. also these high-fibre pitas which are 1 point for 1/2 and 3 points for the whole thing - a decent size as well.

anyhoo, i made some chocobrans, and had a much needed nap. after that i felt great, applied for jobs, carried on with the day, yabba dabba do.

today i am off to the burbs to do some "work" in my mom's office. it can be very boring but beggars can't be choosers! ps my feet and legs are still bloated but less so. yesterday i drank my weight in water to try and flush whatever it is out, and i'm going to do the same today.

bloaty mcfat feet

i am so pooped today. i have been watching heroes season one on my computer and last night it was too exciting and i stayed up really late watching it. i am paying for it today!

i am so bloated today. number one: my skinny jeans, which fit with lots of room on friday, didn't fit today. they fit in the thighs and waist, but not the calves! isn't that so weird!?!? i am so bloated. i put on sandals to go outside and it's like i was wearing a smaller size of shoe! what could have caused this crazy bloat... i have no idea. today i'm taking it easy and drinking lots of water and hopefully it will be gone by tomorrow.

i finally reached a "happy weight" on saturday, but today i am back up five pounds. there is no way i gained five pounds on the weekend, especially since i didn't drink anything on friday or sunday, and made relatively healthy choices. all of my excess weight must be water that is retaining in my lower legs and feet. seriously, it's so weird!

i got up early today because i thought i was going to help my mom at work (for a little extra cash) but they didn't need me today. i went grocery shopping and bought a lot of fruits and veggies... things i desperately needed! and that's about it. oh right, photos of my hair. i will upload some today and post tomorrow. :) now maybe a nap!

WHAT?!?!

cutting corners

last night i was feeling really sick. my throat was hurting and i felt really weary, so i got into bed around 10 and read until 10:30. i should mention that before i went to bed i slathered my head in olive oil. my hairdresser said i should do this for the good of my hair and my scalp. i put on one of those head towels but took it off halfway through the night because it was stifling me. my hair was dry by then anyway.

i got up early and went swimming. i wet my hair in the shower, put on conditioner, wet the new swim cap i got yesterday, and put that on too. hopefully it made a difference. they didn't have any silicone caps at walmart, only rubber ones and fabric ones, so i got a fabric one. it said it blocks out the chlorine. i can't imagine it blocks out all the chlorine, but i mainly just want something to keep the conditioner on my hair for as long as possible. afterwards i used my new violet shampoo. it was sort of expensive but i got a really big container which was more economical than the little ones. i didn't buy the same brand of conditioner because i thought the shampoo was more important.

since it's still sort of early, i am going to make a to-do list and get things done. i am going to clean and vacuum my apartment, put on tunes and really get in the swing of things, then apply for some more jobs. in the afternoon i am heading to the burbs because tonight i have plans with my mom to bake chocolate chip cookies. my mom makes the best chocolate chip cookies in the world. no cookie rivals her cookies. and i am not just saying this. everyone who tries them is hooked. if her neighbours hear that she is baking cookies, they come knocking on the door asking for a plate. she uses both dark chocolate and milk chocolate chips, and the cookies stay chewy forever. forever! you can break a cookie in two and there will be no crumbs, just two delicious cookie halves. anyhoo. we are making cookies because tomorrow night is my boyfriends birthday party and i thought having cookies would be an excellent party addition. and because i have nothing to do tonight until late and i thought it would be a good opportunity for some mom time. since i have been eating these cookies since the dawn of time i'm not as tempted by them as newcomers. all i need is one or ten still warm and gooey from the oven. i kid!

i am also making egg salad sandwiches for the party, but i'm doing that tomorrow. the thought of serving day-old egg sandwiches is pretty raunch. i personally, don't think egg salad sandwiches are that great, but i made them for my party and they were gone so fast, and my sister raved on and on about them. it was my first time making them too. all of those eggs and mayo... my points tracker shudders at the thought. the trick is to add a dash of curry powder. and omit the chopped celery because celery is sick.

i forgot to ask this question: does anyone feel when they are counting points that they are cutting corners? for example, eating 1/4 cup of 3 or 4 different veggies, all 0 points each, or adding 1/4 cup all bran to your cereal for 0 points (it really is 0 points... but not 0 calories!).

and finally, yesterday at walmart i bought a value pack of 80-100 calories chocolate bars. there are six of each of aero bars, kit kats, and coffee crisps. i'm thinking that if i allow myself one every day, it will reduce my cravings, and i will be less inclined to act upon my cravings since i know i can have another one tomorrow. hopefully this plan works!

blondie

i have blond hair now! it looks amazing! it's more like this shade here:


actually it's probably lighter than that. i wanted it to be platinum blond, or white blond, but since i had recently dyed my hair dark brown, it wasn't possible, even though it faded. but the good news is i can go back in a week, or the when my roots grow in, and another bleaching will give me the colour i want. my stylist (who is amazing) could only do so much and then she was worried about my hair breaking from the bleach. that wouldn't be good. she said the bleach would sting but really, it wasn't bad at all. i have a high pain tolerance though. she put it on and i had to sit under a hot dryer head thing for 20 minutes, then wait until my head cooled, and then she applied this toner stuff to remove the orangeness of the hair.

i don't have any pictures yet but i can post some after this weekend. :)

i have to say, i think gentlemen really do prefer blonds. oh, and by gentlemen, i mean creeps on the street, one of whom asked me if i wanted him to give me a hickey on the back of my neck (wtf?) and a homeless man who called me "sweetie in the purple pants" and said i was still "good looking" even though i didn't give him 40 cents. ooohhhhhkayyyyyy.

today i don't have any major plans. i am worried about swimming so much with my new hair. do any blonds have experience with avoiding green hair? i've done some research online and here's what i've come up with so far: the green isn't caused by chlorine, but by metals like copper in the pool, that shouldn't be there at all if the pool is properly maintained. that being said, i'm going to assume that the pool is not properly maintained. there are some fancy shampoos you can buy, but i've also read that you can prevent the green by applying conditioner to your hair before swimming, and then wearing a swim cap. my swim cap ripped so i will have to buy a new one. do you think i can get one at walmart?

on a completely different topic, yesterday i realized that 1/2 cup fat free cottage cheese is 2 points, and 1/2 cup 2% cottage cheese is 2 points. WHY OH WHY have i been eating fat free cottage cheese?

another big change :)

i have some good news and some bad news. no ugly news, thankfully!

i'll start with the bad news. the bad news is that i couldn't run yesterday. it's like my mind psyched out my bottom and sent pains down there that had me limping all morning. i could have done it in the evening but i didn't want to. i am visiting the chiropractor again today, but before that, I'm going for a swim.

the good news is that i stayed on plan yesterday. i also went to the library and got a book about relationships that everyone was talking about a few months ago (it finally came in) called "the five love languages." i am already finished. it was an easy read but very eye opening. the author says that there are five main love languages in the world and everybody speaks one of them, and receives and gives love in different ways. for example, i think my love language is "words of affirmation." i love being told that my cooking is good, or someone appreciates my clean house, or that i'm pretty. i love it. there is still a quiz at the back of the book to confirm your "language." very interesting. i think my boyfriend's language is "physical touch" like holding hands, touching feet under the table... stuff like that. i am going to "suggest" that he takes that man quiz on our date tonight just to be sure. can i use any more quotations in this paragraph? "can i?"

more good news is that yesterday i applied for six jobs. yes, six. some of which i'd rather not have. i am still waiting to hear back from the company i interviewed with in august. i emailed them to ask if the position was already filled and they said "sorry for the delays, nope, not filled yet, you are still a candidate." more quotations! they said it more nicely than that of course.

more good or rather interesting news is that after my chiropractor appointment, i have another appointment in which i am becoming a blond. i have dark eyebrows so it will (hopefully) look like this very fashionable supermodel agyness dyen.

to-do list for tuesday

i've decided that today i really need to take care of business. yesterday i 1) didn't leave my apartment and 2) didn't put on any makeup or get fully dressed outside of comfy clothes. how depressing! actually it wasn't that bad. i went swimming, finished a book, went through the copy of "veganomicon" that i took out of the library that is due today and copied a few recipes i wanted to try, cleaned up a bit, etc.

but today is a different story. today i am going to:

1) apply for at least 5 more jobs.

2) walk to the library (to return books and get one or two on hold).

3) do day one week one of the couch to 5k program.

yes, it's true. i am going to try running again. for the most part my bum pain is gone. i feel really stiff in the mornings but by the end of the day fine. i could probably run for longer but i don't want to give my body a shock. i want to ease into it. i am really nervous because my bum pain was really the worst pain i have ever experienced in my whole life and i don't want it to happen again. it was worse than fracturing my elbow, worse than piercing my tongue, worse than having an operation on my jaw and having it wired shut. yes, bad! i would gladly do all of those things again to avoid the bum pain. maybe not "gladly" actually.

the biggest loser starts tonight, doesn't it? i am not sure how i feel about the "family" aspect of it. why can't it just be individuals competing? that's still interesting enough for me! who is excited?

i just had a delicous egg muffin for breakfast. one whole wheat english muffin, with 1/4 cup egg whites microwaved in a small bowl for 45 sections, one slice of fat free cheese (kraft) and ketchup. 3 points and very filling :)

monday - week two begins

monday is my new weigh-in day and i am down 2 pounds from last week. yes, this is good, but definitely not as good as friday's unofficial big drop which means that my weekend wasn't that successful. i have mixed feelings about it all. happy to have lost, but a little disappointed in myself that i let it go a little on the weekend. i am still not back in my desired maintenance range.

i did stay within my points. my problem is that i am used to saving the majority of my flex points for the weekend, so of course at the end of the weekend there is a chance i have gained... makes sense. yesterday i went with my family and some family friends to see dirty dancing (the musical), and then we went out for chinese food after. that was probably the kicker. i didn't stuff myself but i'm not going to be the party pooper in a group of eight people. i avoided the sticky sweet sauces and tried to eat more vegetables... although truthfully i find the vegetables at chinese food restaurants really bland and gross.

anyway, time for week two to begin. i am excited about it. the weather is gloomy today and i kind of like it. although i hope it stops raining in the afternoon so i can walk to the library.

not weighing in...

friday would normally be my weigh-in day but since i started the weight watchers online on monday i'm sticking to it. of course i checked, who am i kidding. already the results are very impressive. now, what will be more than impressive, is if i can maintain or even lose weight on the weekend. i am not crossing my fingers but will do my best. this means, no matter what, no late night snacking. lately i have been drinking a lot less and i love waking up feeling without any bad feelings. so far so good!

yesterday it seemed like i had a million points to eat. i kept eating, even though i wasn't that hungry. i wasn't not hungry, just not ravenous like usual. not that i'm complaining. it helped that i earned a lot of activity points. i went for a 70 minute walk in the morning (3 points), then had a 40 minute swim in the afternoon (4 points), and then, around 10pm, i was going to sit and read a magazine, but thought i might as well read it on the treadmill downstairs, so there was another 60 minutes of walking (2 points). that's 9 activity points. i really have no problem not using very much flex during the week because i am pretty active and use all of my activity points.

this morning i woke up early to swim but wasn't having it, so i slept for another 45 minutes before my chiro appointment. my appointment was great... i feel a lot better after it. when i walked there my bum was sore and when i walked away not as sore... amazing! also i was probably in awe because i share the same chiropractor as... are you ready... radiohead! yes, no joke. my chiro goes on tour with radiohead. amazing!

today i'm lunching with a friend, and don't have any real plans for this weekend. i think some karaoke on saturday night. and then my parents might be taking us (the kids) to see dirty dancing (the musical) on sunday afternoon, but i can't remember the exact day. have a great weekend peeps!

some delicious recipes

yesterday i managed to return the bike to the original store (for store credit only) and then go across town to another canadian tire to buy the same bike (this second store wouldn't accept the return on the first bike). it was a big hassle and very annoying but it worked out for the best because the new bike is put together much better than the first bike. you never know about these canadian tire bike mechanics. they never seem to be in the store, and who knows who they are or what kind of bike-putting-together certificate they have.

on to happier things. yesterday i made altered banana oatmeal bread. i found the recipe on weight watchers online but it was 4 points per slice (and 10 to the loaf) so i made some adjustments and my slices are only 2 points each (with 10 to a loaf as well).

banana oatmeal bread

Ingredients:
* 1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
* 1/2 tsp table salt
* 1/2 tsp baking soda
* 1/4 tsp baking powder
* 3 tsp Manischewitz (Canada) Apple sauce, unsweetened
* 1 egg
* 2 items egg white(s)
* 3 medium banana(s)
* 1 cup Quaker Oats (U.S.) Old-Fashioned Oats
* 1/2 cup unpacked light brown sugar

Directions:
* Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, stir together dry ingredients. Add oil and eggs; mix thoroughly.

* In a smaller bowl, mash bananas with a potato masher or fork. Add bananas and oatmeal to batter.

* Spray a loaf pan with cooking spray. Pour batter into pan and bake until top of loaf is firm to touch, 45 to 55 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool in pan for 5 minutes. Flip out and cool on a wire rack for another 10 minutes.

i had a warm piece out of the oven (obviously) and one for breakfast this morning. delicious. and then, for dinner i had pasta with meat sauce. i combined one package ground turkey (450g) with one jar of healthy choice garlic lovers pasta sauce, and onions, red pepper, orange pepper, yellow pepper, basil, 1/2 zucchini... 1/4 of the recipe is 5 points and a pretty generous portion considering there is meat in there. first i sauteed the onions, added the meat, when that was done added the chopped veggies, and then finally the sauce. it was weird only eating 1 cup (3 oz.) of pasta but i guess it's the bigger portions that caused me to gain a bit of weight back in the first place. it's hard to remember that pasta should be thought of as a side dish instead of the main part of the meal.

i'd also like to add that the recipe builder on weight watchers online is totally worth the monthly fee. it's so easy to input anything and much less time consuming than doing everything yourself. and now, when you input an ingredient, you can just input the stats on the nutrition label and then indicate how many servings of that product are going into the recipe. for example, the nutrition info for the pasta sauce was only for 1/2 cup, but i used the whole jar, which was 5.6 servings. interesting, no?

today i am going for a walk by the lake, then working on my job hunt, then some reading, perhaps a swim. is anything good on tv tonight?

not the best day

today i am not having a great day. i woke up to my boyfriend calling me saying he lost his keys on the way to work. i decided to go and help him look but i couldn't find them anywhere (no big suprise). THEN one of his pedals falls off his bicycle. i just bought this bicycle for him on friday for his birthday (which is later in september). how annoying! so i take it to the bicycle repair shop and they say basically the pedal and everything attached to it is a piece of crap and ruined so i better return it and get a new one. great. so i put the bike in my trunk and came home. my boyfriend had to go back to work. i had to come home because the receipt for the bike is here... and now i look on the receipt and it says no refunds or exchanges. well, i am going to blast them so hard for selling me a faulty bike. it's canadian tire too - a reputable store. not to hard core bike enthusiasts but to the general public at least! anyway, i am very hungry now - all i've eaten thus far is half a banana and i'm in the food for food. then i will take care of the bike business. i wanted to swim today but it doesn't look like it's going to happen.

also i woke up having this "dream" that i was flirting with a finnish guy named helinski. now i don't know any finnish people, so how, in my dream, did i know that the name helinski was finnish? how? i just checked online and it is. i must be smarter asleep than awake. oy vey!

the chiropractor

it just occurred to me that i haven't mentioned my visit (now two visits) to the chiropractor. thus far it has been a pretty pleasant experience, although it's a bit scary too, i won't lie.

my first appointment was on friday. i went in and didn't know what to expect. the office was really close to my house so i could walk (of course i arranged it that way... convenience people!). the chiropractor asked me questions about my pain and asked me to move around. bending and stretching really doesn't cause me any pain at this point. it's more the impact of my heel hitting the ground.

she doesn't think it's sciatica actually, which is probably good to hear. she thinks it's a muscle in my bum that is pressing against the nerve. so different cause, same pain. she said it doesn't matter because those two ailments are treated in the same way anyway. she gave me the most intense lower back and bum massage of my life. really, how often does one get a bum massage? don't answer that. and then i had to lay on my back and twist into a pretzel and she popped both hip joints and then one in my back. breathe in.... let it all out... then whammo POP! that's how it goes.

on friday and saturday my back hurt a little but only because of the massage. she was really pressing hard! apparently men complain about the pressure of the massage but women just stick it out and wait for it to be over. that's because we're tough! grrrrr.

i didn't feel pain-free over the weekend but it wasn't so bad. i went back yesterday (monday) and after another bum massage she confirmed that the pain probably most definitely being caused by the muscle hitting the nerve. apparently my bum muscles are very tense. i could tell this during the massage... painfully obviously. she also gave me some stretches to do in the meantime. they are stretches that i already do although i didn't tell her that. it's not like i do them every day and now i will. i am going back on friday for another appointment. it's kind of fun going there, since i never have to wait (on time) and it's only 15-minutes. in and out. it's over before i know it. :) she thinks she can cure my pain as well, in only a few sessions. a very nice woman, too.

yesterday was a completely on plan day. thank you weightwatchers online for motivating me again. also, my weigh in days are going to be mondays. i think this will (might?) keep me more accountable on the weekends. and really, i'd like to base my "regular" weight on a more attainable figure, instead of the skinny friday weight that always disappears by sunday night.

i went to a friend's house last night to watch gossip girl and do a little gossiping of our own. i walked there (about 4 miles) to earn some activity points for a glass of wine. wine is pretty low-point. a cup and a half is only 5 points... that's 1/2 a 750mL bottle!

new week

my weekend wasn't too bad. i ate reasonably well and went swimming on saturday. i was going to ride my bike as well, but couldn't find it. it was in the underground parking bike lot - at least i thought it was. i searched everywhere like a dumbo but nope, no bicycle.

last week in my condo the "management" declared that if you wanted to store your bike in the underground bike lot, you had to register it. that means finding the reg. number at the bottom of your bike, paying $5 and putting a numbered tag on your bike. i did all this even though it really was kind of a nuisance. so on saturday i went down to get my bike to ride it to the ferry boats (going to the island for v-fest) and it wasn't there. after some investigation, i find out that the "management" has cut my lock and transferred my bike to some sort of weird storage locker, claiming that there was no tag on the bike. but there was a tag - i put it on myself. now, two things could have happened. it's possible that 1) maybe the tag fell off somewhere or 2) maybe some horrible monster stole my tag. it's probably number one but you never know. i am mostly peeved that they ruined my perfectly good bicycle lock and i had to buy a new one. and i couldn't ride it on saturday because i couldn't lock it up anywhere. i've asked them to pay for my lock but they have refused. grrrrr. can you believe it? it's not the actual money but the principle and hassle of it all.

in other news, today i rejoined weight watchers online. true i don't really *need* to because i can count points values on my own, but i really love how easy it makes everything. just searching for the foods and exercises in the database, all the counting is down for you, no math involved. and you can look back on the week to see your successes and failures. i just need a bit of extra motivation right now and i think using this online tool will provide that because of the fun factor. it's fun to put in what you eat. and the recipe builder is a great tool as well. plus it's nice to get a firm grasp on points values again. for example, i was counting 1 T ground flax as 0 points, because it's 35 calories and 3g fiber. but on the website, it's 0.5 points. i don't know why, but good to know.

tgif

i stayed up so late last night finishing my book. and i couldn't even really sleep in this morning because.... (drum roll)... i am finally going to the chiropractor at 10:30am! wooooohooooo. hopefully this is the magic i'm looking for. not being able to do "hardcore" exercises like running and HIIT is depressing. i never though i could run and when i finally start (and it's all i want to do) i can't!

so this morning is my inital interview. i am a little scared but looking forward to it!

i had a pretty good week. now the big test is the weekend! as long as i can make it through today and saturday it's fine. sundays are no problem for me because i only eat twice and can make good choices. tonight i think some dancing is in store, and then tomorrow to the virgin concert on the island. if we can get tickets.

i told my boyfriend i'd buy him a bicycle for his birthday. i saw a really retro fab one the other day and we are going back this afternoon to check if it's still there. it's a little late now (at the end of summer) but better now than never!

also i finally broke down and bought allergy medication. the good kind too - i hope it kicks in soon. and finally, i've tried real greek yogurt (although not the kinds featured on most food blogs) it was $1.99 for a tiny container and not healthy... about 200 calories and 14g fat. and attached to it was blue syrupy goo. it was very thick and had the consistency of cream cheese. that's what it tastes like to me. very rich tasting. yummy of course, but not worth the points. i'll stick to regular yogurt in the future.

another good one

yesterday was another good day. i went for an hour walk in the morning, stayed on plan all day, enjoyed TWO hours of top model, and had sushi for dinner. this is a big deal because i've always really hated sushi. i've tried it a few times and each time the outcome was not good. in fact, the last two times i've had it at a restaurant i vomited during the night.

last night i went to my boyfriend's house and we decided to get sushi. we got one vegetarian avocado roll, one chicken something roll (fried, but tiny pieces and delicious), and one order of bulgogi to share, which is a lean prime beef dish with veggies. after eating half of that i was soooo stuffed. perhaps it was the 10,000 litres of water i drank... i was just so thirsty. i must have refilled his brita filter 15 times over the course of the night. it was so hot in there, which is probably why. it made sleeping really difficult and i woke up to a nightmare about being chased by a swarm of bees!

yesterday i also made chocobran muffins mmmmmmm. forgot how delicious these are. i was at the grocery store yesterday and saw weight watchers cookies and was almost tempted to buy them when i realized how silly that was. i could make mandy's chocobrans for cheaper and they would be tastier with more substance. i ate one yesterday right away (of course) and then had another one this morning crumbled into my oatmeal... chocolatey and delicious.

this morning i walked home from which was about 2.5 miles. not too bad. i might go swimming if the pool has cooled down. i emailed the building manager and he was playing up the situation like it had just happened last weekend, but the pool has been getting hotter and hotter all summer.

here is my planned menu for today so far:

source yogurt with sprinkle special k yogurt something (2)
2/19

walk home (-2)
0/19

oats (3)
chocobran (1)
1/2 banana (1)
coffee (0)
5/19

2 slices ww bread (1)
1/4 cup egg whites (0.5)
1 slice ff cheese (0.5)
7/19

1 cup grapes (1)
yogurt (2)
10/19

that's all i know so far.

i did it

i have a lot to talk about today... list time!

1) i actually stayed on plan yesterday. i can hardly believe it, but now that i've done one day i feel like i can really do it.

2) surprisingly i wasn't that hungry yesterday. i was a little hungry before bed, but that's not atypical. maybe my stomach will shrink a little when it's used to eating regular-sized portions again.

3) it's 8am, and i am already up. and i slept for 8 hours last night. this makes me feel great... i don't want to be one of those slobs that sleeps in too late and stays up all night. it's not a good time.

4) i watched 90210 last night. i liked it although i think it's very different than the first one. and did brenda always have a gap between her teeth that large?

5) yesterday at whole foods i bought ezekiel wraps and ezekiel hamburger buns, as well as a greek yogurt, some other liberte yogurt (that i've actually seen in the regular supermarket), some frozen okra, amy's texas veggie burgers, and some milk. i was hoping they would have the greek yogurt i've seen on all of the food blogs lately - either fage or chobani, but they didn't. it must not be available in canada due to some sort of health regulation.

6) for dinner i had a veggie burger on a hamburger bun, with a small side salad and 1/2 a really small spaghetti squash. those hamburger buns are HUGE and so filling. and only 3 ww points. i had to go back and check the bag again just in case the calorie info was for only 1/2 the bun... it wasn't!

7) yesterday i tried to go swimming. i did half my normal swimming workout, which is 60 lengths of the pool. normally i do 120 or so. the pool is about 15 meters, so 120 lengths is roughly 1.8 km or 1.1 miles. so far for swimming... but not that far. i had to stop because the pool water in my condo is too hot. how hot you ask? well i noticed there was a thermometer in the "deep end" and it read 95 degrees farenheit. yes, 95 degrees... just like the boy band... that's hot! (the temp, not the band!) a regular pool is kept between 78 and 82 degrees (and 82 is for the old people who complain about a chilly pool) so you know 95 is killer. it's like a digusting giant bath, and not good for swimming. every 20 lengths i was hopping out of the pool to cool down... that's weird and probably dangerous. i wrote an email to the building manager but who knows how long it's going to take before something happens.

8) yesterday i also went to canadian tire. i wanted a beach chair but they were out even though the website showed them in stock. and the sales people were rude to me as well. as in, i saw one on the phone but not talking, went up to say "hi, can i ask you a question?" he looks at me, then just turns his back to me without saying anything. RUDE! i did buy a new mop and bucket though, as well as some new cleaning supplies. it is this mop here as well as the matching bucket. i had been using the wet swiffers but they just weren't cutting it. and always drying up so fast that i'd have to use two or three. and what a waste for the environment as well. i cleaned my bathroom, kitchen and dining room floor yesterday and it looks (and smells) amazing.

9) i am going to start today by drinking two big glasses of water, eating a fruit of some sort, then heading out for a walk. i found some new jobs to apply to as well.

first day, not so great

well, day one back on plan wasn't so hot. i managed to stay on track all day, eating within my points, exercising, feeling great about myself, then hit the cupboards at 12am. i could have gone to bed too. i made the choice. boo on me!

but today is a new day. it's not like i "failed" yesterday because that would mean giving up and i'm not doing that. but still... the idea that i can't even stay on the plan for one day is pretty disheartening.

in other news, i went rollerblading yesterday and really REALLY shouldn't have because afterward my bum pain (sciatica) which was pretty much gone, was back with a vengeance. it's not feeling as bad today so i think it was just a scare telling me not to go rollerblading just yet.

my mom gave me a package of mccain oven roasted sweet potatoes and they were SO GOOD. and pretty good points wise as well. i think for 3/4 cup or 85g it was only 100 calories. and so yummy. did i mention yummy?

i need some excitement today so i am going to 1) whole foods (yes, there is one in toronto but i hardly ever go and 2) canadian tire to get some sort of beach chair. i want to make the most of the summer we've got left by reading on the beach. with sunscreen and a wide-brimmed hat of course. i just really want to be leaving the house. so i'm doing those two things, then i will come back and go for a swim, and then maybe hit up the beach. by beach i mean lake ontario.

today i will stay on plan. i will i will i will. and my allergies are out of control today. is anyone else experiencing this?

happy new year

it's september first which is like the new year in my books. it's labour day today and i'm home alone. i actually went to bed at a somewhat reasonable time last night, got about 8 1/2 hours of sleep, and woke up before noon. two hours before noon, in fact. can you believe it? i have made some resolutions for the new year. some of them are september specific.

1) i am taking september off from drinking whiskey. whiskey and diet coke/pepsi/any other fizzy bev is my alcoholic drink of choice. i just read in a book that this combo is the worst and can actually double your blood alcohol levels. lately i've been over-indulging (not alone) and it's wearing me down. i feel like i'm looking older and i don't like it. i'm not going to stop drinking, but i'll drink something nicer (and with more reservation - less of it) like wine.

2) i am going to get LESS sleep. really an adult person only needs about 8 hours of sleep each night... i am probably getting more. i'm going to go to bed and wake up at a more reasonable hour as well. hopefully bed by 12-1 and up by 8-9:30am. i think it's doable. now that most people are not on a summer schedule, it would be depressing to keep weird hours.

3) i am not feeling the healthiest. therefore i am counting points again. i have also taken off my exact weight from the sidebar panel. i was becoming too focused on the numbers and how they would appear to other people, instead of my health which really is the main focus. people with blogs dedicated to health and fitness should provide positive motivation for people... not just feed some weird obsessions. i'm still going to check my weight on fridays, and i'll mention what i've gained/lost and if i'm still in my maintenance range. right now i am over it, but by less than a pound. :o|

so today is a holiday which means that not much is going on... nothing is open. i had plans to go to a girlfriend's house tonight to watch the season premiere of gossip girl but she is out of town and won't get back in time so that fell through. i brought my rollerblades here (from my parent's house) last week so i'm going to go for a skate by the lake. i think. hopefully it won't be too crowded. :)