hair day

i am not working today. what a beautiful day, even though it's raining. later this afternoon, i am getting my hair "did". now that i have short blond hair i have to get it done about every 1.3 months. every time i'm feeling a little rough looking i check my outbox to see when the last time i scheduled a hair appointment was, and lo and behold, it's always between 1.3 and 1.5 months. i am trying to grow it but it's hard. two hairdos ago it kept breaking, so last time i had highlites and lolites, and this time... who knows? it's expensive too. i just don't know what to do. do i go back dark or keep it light? i love the way it looks both ways, just when i go dark again i know i will keep it that way for a long time.

here is my exercise update:

yesterday afternoon i tried the 25 minute power yoga #3, from yogadownload.com. it was powerful! after doing sun salutations, then warrior 1, warrior 2 and reverse warrior, my legs were shaking like mad, especially during my last downward dog. i was sweating!

last night i decided to head down to the condo gym and pump a little iron. when i got there i saw that some nice girl had dropped off all her celebrity magazines from february (what!?) and so i took a few onto the treadmill for some juicy reading and a 3-mile walk. i just couldn't resist. i can't justify spending money on those magazines when there is so much awesome celeb gossip online for free, so it was a treat. i like to spend my money on things that can give me pleasure over and over again, like shoes and clothes. after my walk i used some free weights. i read somewhere that one of the exercises jessica biel does to get those ripped arms is holding free weights, and lifting her arms straight in front of her, moving up and down with a series of five circles. five circles up, five circles down.

this morning i did a relaxing 20-minute yoga download, hatha #1. i think this is my favourite one for just relaxing. i like jackie's voice the best, especially when she says, "let go of your day, let go of your agenda." she really draws out the words and i feel so dreamy. i also went for a swim this morning, but i was feeling a bit shaky by the end, so i stopped after 100 lengths, instead of doing my usual 120.

today i'm just going to clean things and go for my hair appointment. happy weekend.

oops

i didn't get a chance to do yoga last night, but i did go for another 40-minute swim this morning. that's four days in a row! amazing! i'm going to make it five tomorrow.

my chicken enchiladas turned out great! i thought they were the best, and my boyfriend thought they were good too. the zatarain's rice tasted pretty good but left us both feeling a little burpy. i think i will stick to rice-a-roni for flavoured rice in the future. or, create my own. haha, yeah right.

here is the exact recipe i followed:

ingredients:
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
green onions, chopped
1 boneless skinless thawed chicken breast, chopped into bite sized pieces (mine was pretty big)
2 flat out flour wraps (if i didn't have these, i would use 4 small tortilla wraps instead)
dried basil flakes
tomato sauce from a jar (i used pc blue menu tomato and basil)
marble cheese, grated
pam cooking spray

directions: preheat oven to 375°F. spray a skillet pan with cooking spray and cook onions over medium heat until they are soft. add the red pepper and when it begins to get soft, add the chicken and a few shakes of dried basil. cut each flat out wrap in two (they are long and oval shaped) so you have four wraps. spread about a cup of tomato sauce into the bottom of a glass square baking pan. i used a round cake pan because that's all i had, and i used a little less (3/4 cup) sauce. you want the bottom of the pan to be coated, but if you use too much sauce it will make your tortillas soggy. soggy tortilla = gross. i sprayed my pan with a little pam cooking spray as well. when the chicken is cooked, it's time to assemble the wraps. spoon 1/4 of the mixture on each wrap, down the middle. add a spoonful of sauce, a few green onions and a sprinkle of cheese to each. fold the wraps over (left and right side) to make a "roll" - surprisingly they will stay in this shape and not open up. magical. place each roll in the tomato sauce baking dish. they should be touching and 1/2 covered in the sauce. cover the whole dish with tin foil and bake for 30 minutes. DING! when that's done, remove the foil, add a small spoonful of sauce to the top of each roll and sprinkle with more cheese. you can be as liberal as you want with the cheese. more cheese = yummier but also more cheese = fattier. keep that in mind. a little goes a lot way. bake for additional ten minutes with no foil and then you have delicious chicken enchiladas. top with green onions and low-fat sour cream if you so desire. p.s. those aren't my enchiladas in the photo.

today my car (and me) had a little accident. OOPS. it was in the underground parking lot in my building. OOPS. i turned a corner and hit a pole. OOPS. my car has a bit of hideous damage but i'm 99% sure it won't affect the inner workings of the car. not the best thing that could happen. i'm trying just to not think about it.

eat and sleep and swim

last night i went for a 40-minute swim, and then this morning i went for another 40-minute swim. it's just so easy and painless. by the end of it, i feel like i've worked hard. i am not dead tired, not really that out of breath, but my muscles are sore. i'm mostly just a bit cold and sick of being wet, if that makes sense.

check out this crazy picture i found of a white tiger swimming:

looks just like me. grrrrrr. how would you like to run into that beast in the deep end? yikes!

in other news, tonight for dinner i am making chicken enchiladas. it's date night and i am in a date cooking rut. my boyfriend is easy to please with the stupidest foods. he is polish and grew up with his mom cooking gourmet meals all of the time so he missed out on things like hot dogs and macaroni and cheese and now it's a big novelty for him. i have never made chicken enchiladas before but i'm ready. i'm looked up a few recipes and have the gist of it down: roll up filling, place in tomato saucy pan, cover with more sauce, some cheese, bake. i think i will fill mine with onions, red pepper, chicken, a bit of cheese, and green onions. i'm starting simple with things i know i like and can experiment next time. i'm serving the enchiladas with a side of zatarain's red beans and rice which i have never made before but seems to be pretty popular based on my google image search.

i'm going to try and squeeze in some yoga before my boyfriend comes over. in other news, i downloaded the new lily allen CD, "it's not me, it's you" and it's amazing. loving it! i got the explicit version but it's also available without swearing on iTunes.

sunny day

today is bright and sunny and i'm loving it. it's still frigid BUT if you notice on the side of my page, on the exercise sidebar, that the end of this week is no longer february. it's MARCH - yippee! february was pretty quick and painless. i love spring and summer. i used to like autumn the best but not anymore... more on that another time.

today is also my sister's 23rd birthday. isn't that nice? oh, to be young and carefree and jubilant again. actually i am still young and jubilant, so there. i bought her some books yesterday at chapters, and i also picked up this awesome gaiam wisdom aluminum water bottle. all of the gaiam products were 20% off. i still have some of those deadly nalgenes and i have been using them much less but it's time to cut them out completely. and the new bottle is fun to drink out of. and blue... like the ocean.

last night i went for a nice 40-minute swim. at the end of it i was feeling a little shaky. i am getting over a cold so that's probably why. i feel fine today. anyway, i was feeling a bit shaky so i decided to sit in the steam room after my swim. i really prefer saunas to steam rooms but there isn't a sauna in my building... woe is me. i like being in the hot steam because it feels like i've just stepped off a plane and into a tropical jungle. the heat is overpowering and it feels good to just sit there and surrender to it. the only thing that really bothers me about steam rooms is the giant water drops that fall off the ceiling and hit you everywhere. giant steam drops = ick.

i had an amazing sleep last night - eight hours and ten minutes, including two ten minute snoozes. i love sleeping but always put it off. being awake isn't so great. i should repeat that mantra every evening.

i was going to work out this morning, but decided not to because my bum muscles are aching from yesterday's "yoga for runners" session. i will wait until after work when i'm more loosey goosey and then hit the gym. i downloaded three new 20-25 minute free yoga sessions from yogadownload.com and i am excited to try them. i am not against paying for longer classes, but i don't want to bite off more than i can chew. right now i don't want to do yoga for longer than 25 minutes at a time.

today for lunch i have a tuna sandwich. i really like eating tuna, but i don't like eating the whole can at one time unless i am just dumping it on a salad. so i have to eat it two days in a row. yesterday i had a tuna and hummus wrap and today, finishing the can, a tuna sandwich. a whole can of tuna in one sandwich is overboard. instead of mixing my tuna with mayo, i used non-fat greek yogurt and it worked just as well with health benefits too. i wrote to stoneyfield farms and asked them to please start selling their organic oikos non-fat greek yogurts in canada, and they said they would pass on the message to their sales team. i like the fage brand too but have actually seen the stoneyfield brand in canada so i figure it's a better shot. i also have a cup of healthy valley lentil soup. yum yum.

a monday list

1) first of all, check out this awesome shout out i got on friday from shirls. you rock too and together, we will grab all the bulls balls.

2) this morning, i did a 20 minute yoga podcast: intermediate yoga for runners. this one is tough. i can already feel the muscles in my bum asking me why i did this to them. the podcast is actually 26 minutes. the poses are difficult, especially the half moon pose. my hamstrings are so tight and my legs are a lot longer than my arms, and i can't touch the ground with my legs straight. i'm working on it! it was good to try something more difficult - lately i've just been doing the gentle hatha which is very gentle and restorative.

3) i might need a new car. can i afford a new car? of course not but i wouldn't buy a new new car, just a newer old car. and i could pay it in monthly installments. my old car is feeling more and more beat down every day. what do you think of the yaris? isn't it cute?

4) check out this amazing link. it's got side-by-side comparison photos of fast food products - how they look in advertisements (yummy) and how they actually look when you buy them in the restaurant (yucky). definite food for thought.

product love

here are some products i am really digging lately:

1) dairyland "creama"

only the fat-free kind, let's not get crazy. i know i've mentioned this before, but the dairyland brand of dairy products is the best in canada, in my opinion. not including organics or one's i haven't tried. the dairyland milk is so creamy and tasty, the yogurts are amazing... there is something else i love but can't remember. oh right! cottage cheese! the dairyland cottage cheese is THE BEST hands down. dairyland fat free creama is also tops. truthfully i detest the name "creama" but there is nothing else wrong with this product. it's fat free, 10 calories per tablespoon, and it really creams up your coffee. i am not into black coffee and why would i ever be with products like this out there.

2) the bag of spinach: the bag of spinach rocks. do you want to know why? of course you do. it's so versatile. it's pre-washed so there is hardly any mess and it's ready to go. no need to get out that annoying salad spinner that takes up a whole cabinet above the fridge (and i have to move all of my cereal boxes to get to it). earlier this week i talked about putting spinach in a smoothie, but i like it many, MANY ways. add it to an omelet, put it in your lunchtime wrap, chop it up and just eat a spinach salad. spinach adds bulk to your food with hardly any calories and a massive amount of nutrients. where do you think popeye got those giant muscles from? and, it's a great source of iron. i have anemia and don't like taking iron pills (cough... constipation... cough) so fills that void.

3) frozen raspberries: i love them! my favourite brand is "europe's best" because they are always so fat and plumpy but i have been known to buy other brands, even noname store brands, and they are good too. sometimes i let them thaw overnight and sometimes i eat them frozen. sometimes i heat them up in the microwave and sometimes i let them warm up in my oatmeal. they seem expensive but aren't really if you compare the amount of berries you are getting in a frozen bag to that of a little puny half-pint container. those are often $3 on sale, and a bag is usually $5 or $6 for thrice or four time that amount. yes, i said thrice. do you like that word?

in other news, it is finally, almost the weekend. i have to clean my apartment SO BAD. it's not "dirty" just "cluttered" because i have a problem with putting things back where they belong. i feel like i'm always accumulating so much stuff and with it comes giant boxes or the need to throw out my old giant things. with a little living space it's difficult to stay decluttered.

the movie last night was cute. it was laugh out loud funny in a lot of parts. it deviated too far from the book for my liking, but that always happens. except in the movie "atonement" - that was very true to the book. the outfits were cute, isla fisher was cute, luke brandon, cute. all cute. that's my review. it's cute.

does anyone have big plans for the weekend? it's my book club on sunday. we read "the independence of miss mary bennett." i am still reading it... eep. i have big plans for yoga and for swimming too.

always the way, always the way

so get this:

close to the beginning of january i went to a wedding. it was about an hour's drive so my bf and i decided to stay in a hotel in town. really small town... kind of dingy, you get the gist. anyhoo, before the wedding i was charging the battery to my digital camera and the only available outlet was behind one of the bedside tables. OF COURSE i forgot it in the hotel room, d'oh. i phoned the hotel to ask if they found it and they told me to phone back when the main maid was working because only she had access to the lost and found box. it is locked with a key. ooooh. so i did and lo and behold, they did find the charger. amazing! i ask her, "can someone at the hotel please mail it back to me?" she said, "no problem" and i thought, great. couldn't get any easier than this. except that was over a month ago and my charger still didn't arrive. i called the hotel after about 3 1/2 weeks to ask if they mailed it, what's up, gimme the scoop, and they told me (with a giggle) that the mail is REALLY slow in their slow poky town and that it's just moving along. i find this a little hard to believe... canada post is canada post. it's not moving by a postman on horseback, is it?

so i continue to wait and wait and wait and finally decided, enough is enough! they probably threw it in the garbage and laughed all the way to the 711. so i bought one on ebay. i couldn't buy the canon exact brand because it was $80 and that's ridiculous, so i bought a general no name charger that works with my camera for $10 and $5 shipping. great. except the VERY DAY I BUY IT WHAT COMES IN THE MAIL? the charger!!! what in the world? isn't that always the way? the very day! it turns out they got one letter of my postal code wrong and that's why it took so long. i guess the mail isn't slow in that town but the staff at the howard johnson are... zing! i'm more bemused by the whole ordeal than mad... i mean, the new charger didn't cost that much and now i can charge my batteries wherever i want, whenever i want. in the car, in the bathroom, at work, etc. oh boy.

in other news, i think i am getting sick. my throat was hurting last night although it doesn't feel too shabby right now. i took a cold fx last night and this morning, even though i sort of believe they are placebos. if i am getting sick, it really explains the laziness and lethargy i've been feeling this week. i just have no energy. this morning i didn't swim but i did do a 20-minute hatha yoga (#1 - our fav) and it felt amazing. my cat likes to rub me with his body while i am trying to be serene.

tonight i am going to the movies with my best girlfriend to see shopaholic. can't wait! i am going to get a sub from subway and sneak it into the movies. i love contraband food.

good news and bad news

the bad news is that i didn't go swimming last night.

the good news is that i went to ikea, bought a new desk (more like a computer workstation), set it up while speeding through last week's biggest loser, set up my computer on the new desk (sort of difficult... many wires and plugs) and organized my office space. i also took my old GIANT metal desk that was the size of half my den (not joking) and brought it down to the main floor of my building to the recycling room. all by myself. yes, i am very strong. i rolled it... on the side, on the back, on the side... etc.

the bad news is that i didn't have the best sleep last night. the wheels in my brain were really turning.

the good news is that i went swimming this morning and it was glorious. and now that i'm reminded of how much i love exercising in every way (during and after), i'll be much more motivated to do it. before this morning, i didn't do any workouts since thursday which is very unlike me. i did a lot of walking, but i don't consider that to be anything above the norm.

the bad news is that this morning, after making a giant thermos of boston creme pie coffee, i knocked it over while making breakfast and it went everywhere - all over my stove, counter, down the cabinets, into the cabinets, on the floor, all over everything on the counter.

the good news is that me in the past decided to shell out for the expensive bounty paper towels instead of the cheap crappy brand i normally buy and it was easy to clean.

i can't think of any more bad news, unless you count the weather, but that's boring and a stretch. this morning before my swim i tried a *new* fiber one granola bar - oats and caramel (US product) for 2 ww points. it was yumtastic. after my swim i made an egg white scramble with 200g egg whites (2 ww points), chopped onion, red pepper, zucchini, cremini mushrooms, and mrs. dash sun-dried tomato seasoning (0 points) on a flat-out wrap (1 points). i could only fit 1/2 of the scramble inside the wrap and the rest had to be eaten al fresco. i know what al fresco means!

last night late into the evening i was feeling hungry. too hungry to just go to bed, so i made a smoothie. i used frozen raspberries, a splash of unsweetened vanilla almond breeze, a splash of low-cal cranberry juice (pc blue menu), and a splash of diet sour apple soda (US product... and so delicious). then i got the bright idea to add some spinach leaves. i think i added too many because then it tasted like spinach and i was a little grossed out. i added more frozen raspberries and it was fine. PHEWF. what a thrilling story.

squishy

the title of this post is how i'm feeling today... wow! i had a great long weekend but there were far too many indulgences. i pretty much did (and ate... and drank) whatever i wanted and now all i want to do is detox, de-bloat, de-booze, re-hydrate, re-exercise and catch up on my zzz's. this morning my cat, oliver, woke me up with wet-nosed headbutts because he was out of food. obviously it's not rocket science, but i still think it's so cute how little animals associate their owners with the food, instead of going straight to the source.

my weekend away to niagara falls was really nice. we played glow in the dark mini-golf, went to the tropical bird museum giant aviary, walked by the falls, went on a romantic horse-drawn carriage ride by the falls, went out to eat, sat in the giant jacuzzi tub... definitely an amazing time. here is a picture of me with "duke," the horse who led our carriage around the falls.


he was a nice guy. on sunday, after checking out of the hotel, we drove across the border for my favourite united states activity, grocery shopping! first we stopped at dunkin donuts because i wanted to try the coffee there. it was pretty good - sort of like a tim horton's, but better and with more non-coffee/donut options.

i really went to town in the grocery store and came home with TONS of stuff: luna sunrise and clif kid z bars, cheddar turkey sausages, turkey breakfast sausages, turkey burgers (do you sense a theme?), light hamburger buns, light english muffins, flat out wraps, pureed sweet potato in a can, different kinds of oatmeal, fiber one bars (in new flavours), yoplait yogurts, fat free greek yogurts (fage and oikos), 40-spice hummus, 100-calorie quaker granola bars, swiss miss 25-calorie hot chocolate packets.... heaven.

the best part is that my boyfriend had an amazing time too. i love a man that loves to grocery shop. i bought him some fiber one pop tarts, ha! he also got a packet of slim jims (no comment!). we also went to target, naturally.

we were home on sunday night, and then yesterday (monday) was the family day holiday. hoorah! i took care of some personal business at home (that sounds shady but it's not) and got ready for the week. i wanted to watch the biggest loser from LAST WEEK that i taped, but i didn't have time. and now it's on again tonight. having four hours of taped biggest loser to watch is kind of obscene. i can do it... i won't let you down, biggest loser!

i have some goals for this week - i'd like to try to avoid junk and de-bloat. cut down on the salt, up the water intake, get in some activity every day. tonight after work i will probably go for a swim, or walk/slow-jog on the treadmill. i can't wait to catch up on all the posts i missed this weekend!

artificial me

i tried the pc blue menu frozen steel cut oatmeal that i bought. it is $2.99 and comes in a box with two bowls. i only got the blueberry flavour but it also comes in vanilla almond. it's about 150 calories per bowl, with 4 or 5g of fibre and 4 or 5g of protein - only 2 ww points. not bad at all. unfortunately i found the flavour to be really bland. i don't know what i was expecting but i thought it would be instantly tasty without adding any sugar.

without thinking i ripped open a package of equal sweetener and dumped it on, and then was a little disgusted with myself. i think my use of artificial sweetener is getting out of control. i use it in oatmeal, in coffee, in tea, on my grapefruits... and why? because i have a giant box of it from costco? i don't even own a bag of regular sugar. isn't that sick? it's pretty strange. a lot of people who want to stop eating artificial sweetener have to ween themselves off of diet pop. i don't really drink diet pop... i just head straight to the hard stuff. i need some sort of plan. maybe if i take it slow i can eventually drink my coffee black. ah, the sweet dark bitterness... in theory that sounds delicious.

this morning for breakfast (in the car), i tried a mint chocolate clif bar. 250 calories, 3g fibre, 10g protein, 5 ww points. the verdict: WAY better than the carrot cake flavour. still a little artificial tasting, but not bad. kind of like a protein-y girl guide cookie. i don't know if i'd buy it again. i still want to try the chocolate chip flavour.

today it's incredibly windy outside. it's shaking the building! my cat is terrified of the wind. he's meowing and running around like a chicken with no head. up on the couch, down, into the bedroom, on the bed, down, into the bathroom, into the tub. what a strange little man.

shshshshopping

last night i went to homesense to do a little shopping. i am going to a girlfriend's birthday dinner tonight and don't want to show up empty handed. everyone always says "no gifts, no gifts" when no one is going to refuse (and not love) a little something. i like homesense because it is the same company as winners. i can go in, find the perfect gift, and not be distracted by the clothes!

i ended up buying more for myself than for my friend... of course. i absolutely LOVE flavoured coffees and i found two amazing ones from a company called "pie in the sky" and distributed by figueroa brothers, inc. although i can't find anything about the coffee on the website. the coffee flavours i got... are you ready for this?... coconut creme pie and boston creme pie. mmmmmmm. of course i haven't tried them yet but am confident they will be sinlessly delicious.

i also bought two bottle koozies. what is a koozie? yeah... that was my question too. it's a little zip up jacket for your bottle. i bought them with the intention of using them for alcoholic drinks. for example, if a person wanted to enjoy a pomtini on toronto island without arising suspicion. but then it occurred to me that they are probably for water bottles. one is bright orange with white polka dots and the other is bright green with white polka dots. each one has a cute little mitten zipper tag. i'm assuming they are being marketed towards women, which is why i never thought they were for beer. but they could be for beer. if you like beer. in a bottle. like a corona... alright i feel better now. they were on super discount for $0.70 each. in these hard economic times i can justify this goofy purchase.

i bought my friend a pretty amazing present, if i do say so myself. it is a Liquid Solutions Tea-zer Tea Brewing Tumbler with Infuser Basket in blue. basically a loose leaf tea thermos. what a great idea not to mention adorable. not everyone likes coffee (did i just say that?) but most people like tea. AND loose leaf teas are becoming more of a mainstream rage. or maybe, when you get to a certain age more people can afford and drink loose leaf teas.

afterward, i went to loblaws to pick up some fresh fruits and veggies. i love loblaws AND their organic section is pretty similar to whole foods market. last night i spotted almost everything i buy at whole foods for cheaper prices. i bought grapefruits, blood oranges, bananas, and this. i know it's overpriced for oats but i have to try it! review to come later.

i didn't do any yoga last night but i did do some this morning. i tried the 20-minute lunar flow. i loved the spine twists but some of the weird backward bending moves made my lower back ache and i'm sure i'll be in yoga pain tomorrow. i am heading down for a swim around noon, and tonight am walking a) to my boyfriend's apartment 2.5 miles away and b) to the restaurant, maybe another mile or so.

contest

head over to the the inner workings of a college graduate's page for an awesome giveaway. (sportsbra for runners!)

to-do lists

bonjour.

having a "to-do" list is the only way to get things done. yesterday at the end of work i made myself a list of everything i wanted to accomplish on monday night. ready? walk 3-5 miles, launder my towels, apply for jobs, pay credit card and cable/phone bills, empty the dishwasher. ALL DONE oh yeah. i love feeling productive. :)

my workout last night was pretty intense. i know i am not supposed to be running but i thought a few intervals wouldn't hurt anyone. and if they did it's my own stupid fault. i warmed up for five minutes walking, and then did a series of six 30-second sprints (8.5 mph) followed by 1-minute of really slow jogging (4.5 mph). afterward i continued to walk (3.8 mph) for the rest of the five miles, changing my incline from 1 to 5 and back to 1 every two minutes. it took a long time - almost 75 minutes BUT i got to read my latest issue of women's health from cover to cover. i finished my workout with some sit-ups, stretches and bum exercises on the mat.

this morning i went for a 40-minute swim, and sat for five minutes in the steam room after my shower. can anyone actually relax in the steam room? my lungs do not like steamy air. every deep breath i took ended up in a coughing fit. i mean two little coughs, not a fit. tonight i plan on doing some yoga. only 20 minutes though.

in other news, last night i also downloaded itunes so that i could download the jillian michael's podcasts i've been hearing so much about. at first i couldn't believe that i didn't have itunes already, but it makes sense since i used to keep songs on my work computer, and now i have a zune which doesn't "do" itunes. i have an ipod but the battery life is so terrible and it doesn't work in cold temperatures at all. lame! i downloaded all of her podcasts (since october 5, 2008) but i haven't listened to any of them yet. i'm thinking... maybe i will put them on a CD and listen in the car. but then again i have three really great audiobooks lined up. such dilemmas! what a hard life... should i listen to the podcast or the book while driving in my car? la dee da doo.

speaking of jillian michaels, who is excited about the biggest loser tonight? i wish i could say that i was, but i'm feeling so-so about it this season. usually i pay attention with one ear and one eyeball and then do other things while i watch, like clean up the apartment or read. the end... i've typed enough today.

this week: the plan

i need a plan this week. i am going out for dinner on wednesday to the college street bar for a friend's birthday, and on friday my boyfriend and i are skipping town for a romantic valentine's weekend minibreak to niagara falls. i need a plan.

goals: i want to get in 4 cardio sessions, 2 yoga/pilates videos, lose some stomach bloat, and of course, grab the bull by the balls (as usual).

here is today's meal plan so far:

carnation strawberry instant breakfast (3)
1 cup skim milk (2)

second cup breakfast cookie (4)

homemade salad with spinach, lettuce, carrot shreds, baby tomatoes, 1 TBSP toasted almonds (1), and 3 TBSP newman's own low-fat balsamic viniagrette dressing (1)

pc blue menu spinach and cheese cannelloni microwave dinner (4)

maybe some fish for dinner? yet to be determined.

exercise plan!
monday: 3-5 miles walking on treadmill (later)
tuesday: 40 minute morning swim, 20 minute evening yoga download
wednesday: 40 minute morning swim
thursday: 40 minute morning swim OR 3-5 treadmill walk, 20 minute evening yoga download
friday: not sure yet
saturday & sunday: i think i'll bring my zune to get in some yoga workouts. i love the stretch and am really trying hard to increase my flexibility.

in other news, this weekend i bought a new coat. it is from canadian spirit and is a dream come true. i am just so sick of being cold in my fashion wool coats. wool does not cut it for canadian winters. this one has: "detachable hood with removable faux fur trim, irregular box quilting, invisible zippered pockets, double welt front zipper closure, extended inner fleece cuffs." and it's black.

500 posts and counting!

this is my 500th post! can you believe it? seems like just yesterday i was writing my first post... actually, what a lie. it doesn't.

first up for this fantastic friday, a shout out to cat and her awesome post on concealer. last night i went straight to shopper's drug mart after work and bought the smashbox photo finish primer. i like it A LOT. thanks cat!

second, bi0nic was asking what kind of bum exercises i do on the mat, so without further ado, here they are:

les exercices du clochard

1) on the mat, get into an "all fours" position like this girl below:



don't pay attention to her movements or her band, just the body position.

2) i do each "exercise" 10 times, and do all the exercises on one leg (to feel the burn) and then switch it up and do the other leg. the worst feeling is putting the first leg down after doing the exercises. here are the exercises:

a) from the "all fours" position, straighten one leg out behind you. flex the foot and with the leg straight at all times, bring it down to the ground so your toe almost hits the ground but not quite. repeat ten times.

b) now, bend your straight leg and bring your knee into the chest without any part of this moving leg touching the ground. from this bent position (like the picture above), straighten your leg up as far back as it will go. repeat ten times.

c) now keep your leg straight out behind you and flex your foot again. this exercise is sort of like the first except when you bring your leg down (keeping it straight), you are going to cross your leg over the other one. so, if you are doing exercises with your right leg, it's going to cross over to your left. remember to keep your foot flexed here. repeat ten times.

d) finally, keep your leg up in the air behind you but bend the knee and keep it bent. for this exercise, you are going to pump your foot up to the ceiling, almost straightening your leg with each pump but not quite. i do twenty repeats of this one. the first ten are not too tough and the last five are brutal.

then, sink back into a child's yoga pose for a stretch
and repeat on the other side.

in other news, i forgot to talk about this amazing product i found at the whole foods market. maple flakes! they are only 10 calories for 2 teaspoons and are absolutely delicious. i have started sprinkling them on my oatmeal for a little added sweetness. amazing!

this morning for breakfast i tried a carrot cake clif bar. i had to use it as a meal replacement bar instead of a snack, because it was 5 ww points and my breakfast is usually around that. it was filling, but not good. too artificially sweet. i only read after that it's a nutritional supplement bar with 10g of protein. i love protein but not when it comes out of nowhere! it had a long list of ingredients too. i bought it because i LOVE the clif kid z bars i bought in the states. sorry carrot cake clif, i don't think i will buy you again.

this weekend should be pretty good. tonight i plan on relaxing and watching this week's episode of project runway canada that i taped. tomorrow, i might be shopping for a new winter coat (a warm one, not a fashion one... any recommendations?) and hopefully going dancing. it's supposed to rain on saturday but be unseasonably warm outside. what are you doing?

contest

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get your own signature

i made my own signature here and now you can too. OH BOY!

taking a rest day

i hate it when people talk about how tired they are in the morning because everyone is tired and no one cares. it's so boring and i'm really sorry, but I AM SO TIRED. seriously, i haven't felt like this (death) in quite a long time. here is my scoop:

i went to stay at my bf's apartment last night for date night, and since i drove i had to park on the street and leave before 7am this morning. all night long all i heard was loud people and loud trucks and i woke up in a panic a thousand times thinking i slept in and the noise was my car being towed away. needless to say it was not a good sleep and i am a zzzzombie today.

i was going to swim this morning, but decided it's a good day for a rest day, seeing as how i can hardly open my eyes. i did 20 minutes of hatha yoga last night, and maybe i'll do some again tonight, but probably not. it's my book club meeting for gone with the wind.

here is today's menu:

quaker reduced sugar oatmeal (2)
1/4 cup all bran (0)

1/2 cup greek yogurt (3)
1/2 cup pumpkin (0)
2 TBSP pomegranate seeds (0)

sweet potato (3.5)
wrap made with:
flat out wrap (1)
2 sliced smoked fat free turkey (1)
mustard, spinach, tomato (0)

yogurt (1)
3/4 cup kamut puffs (0.5)

and then going here for dinner. any suggestions on what to get? i'm thinking maybe the moroccan chili or the vegetarian chili. they are under appetizers. i don't want to eat too much or spend too much.

whole foods

yesterday afternoon i went to the whole foods market here in toronto. i really like it there, but it's ridiculously expensive and i always think it's going to be better than it is and have wonder products. i did get a couple of larabars, lunabars, and clif bars, but not too many.

i did get greek yogurt though! it's full fat which is pretty high calorie but extra delicious. i also, on a whim, got goat's milk yogurt. WARNING WARNING do not get this product. bleh! i love goat's cheese, but i don't want my yogurt to taste like goat's cheese! there was a also sample of some kind of spreadable milk cheese. holy moly, it was sweet and so delicious! i made a point not to check the brand because if i knew what it was there is a large chance i'd become obsessed with the cheese until purchasing it. maybe if i was hosting a fancy party or something.

i bought one portabella mushroom so i could try making a portabella mushroom burger for the first time. i also bought ezekiel hamburger buns. the mushroom burger was pretty good. i melted a babybel light cheese on top. when i'm alone i usually eat my burger bun separately from the burger so it feels like i am eating more, so that kind of defeats the purpose of the mushroom burger. i would try it again, but my one mushroom cost $1.32 and that's a little pricey for a mushroom.

exercise has been going really well. i am following my hunger cues and eating when hungry. last night i walked for three miles on the treadmill (while reading), and then did some sit ups and bum exercises on the floor mat. this morning i went for a 40-minute swim. all this exercise is making me hungry!

quick post today

this morning i had cold cereal instead of oatmeal for the first time in months. i like cold cereal a lot but i never feel full after eating the recommended serving size, it doesn't keep me full for as long as oatmeal AND it takes way less time to eat. i ate kashi probiotic something or other. it was in a giant box at costco. it has bran flakes, graham sticks, and these weird yogurty squares which really make the taste. one serving is 1 and 1/4 cups, but it's less than that if i actually weigh out the 55g it claims to be.

last night i walked for three miles on the treadmill. i kept it fast too, at four miles per hour or one mile every 15 minutes. that's fast walking! i probably could have gone up to 4.2, but that would be speed walking territory and i don't want to push my bum injury at all.

this is just going to be a quick post, because there is a big snowstorm outside and i have places to go and i'm not very happy about it. i don't even have snow tires!
right now i'm going for a swim and tonight i'd like to do a 20-minute yoga download. stretch!

what a coincidence

after posting my piece on weight maintenance last week, i came across this article on yahoo canada which sums things up very nicely. worth reading for sure. i love these yahoo and msn.ca health and fitness articles. many are very redundant, but a few have new and interesting things to say. and it's all free. oh, internet, how i do love you.

i would have to say i went a little overboard on the eating this weekend. especially last night at my girlfriend's house watching gone with the wind. a lot of veggies, some whole wheat pasta with chicken, nachos with taco cream cheese dip (!!!)... that kind of stuff. so some healthier choices but some... not so much. my downfall were these macaroon madness bars from m & m's meat shop. they tasted like butterscotch blondies with coconut on top. heaven!

so now i'm back in healthy living mode. i didn't swim on saturday, but i did go yesterday and this morning. i might go for a treadmill walk tonight as well. i have finished reading thin is the new happy and now i've moved on to chasing harry winston, the latest book from the author that wrote the devil wears prada. exciting! i have to have it finished by the 5th (back to library), so reading while walking on the treadmill is a perfect way to kill two birds with one stone. not that i want to kill birds of course.

my goals for this week are: 4 x cardio sessions, 2 x yoga/pilates sessions, at LEAST 7 hours of sleep per night, following hunger cues, and grabbing the bull by the balls. happy monday.