this week the plan

i know it's "humpday" but here is my weekly plan.

according to my marathon training schedule (say shed yule) i should be doing this:

monday: run 40 minutes
tuesday: cross train 40 minutes
wednesday: rest
thursday: run 40 minutes
friday: cross train 40 minutes
saturday: 3-mile run
sunday: rest

since i never listen to what i'm supposed to do (rebellious by nature?) here is my plan:

monday: 5-mile run (about 50 or so minutes), sit-ups and stretches
tuesday: 35-minute swim, 1-hour treadmill walk, sit-ups and stretches
wednesday: 35-minute swim
thursday: 5-mile run, sit-ups and stretches
friday: rest
saturday: 5- or 6-mile run, sit-ups and stretches.

yesterday i swam before work and then did the incline treadmill walk after work. i had nothing else to do! (other than cleaning, etc.) also, i need friday to be a rest day because i am going to see my fav band: depeche mode! woooooooooooopeeeeeeeeee! should be a gay ol' time as the flintstone's theme song used to say. did anyone else watch that everyday at lunch? i always did!

this morning for breakfast i made SPINACH OATS.

do not be alarmed by the following pictures:



i pushed the bloobs over in the second pic so you can truly appreciate the green. here are the ingredients:

1 cup spinach water (made by blending 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup skim milk and 3 cups of baby spinach)
1/3 cup oats
1/4 cup all bran original
1 T flaxseed
1/2 cup blueberries
1 small container fat free vanilla yogurt
1/2 t vanilla
1 T chopped walnuts
dash cinnamon
small spoonful of natural pb

it's not pretty because it's in my to-go office plastic ware, but it works. it tasted a little weird but i think my walnuts have gone bad or something. i don't even really like walnuts that much. i got them for a baking project and really should throw them down the chute. i am also having a spinach salad for lunch today. it's not easy being green!

this week the plan

monday: 3-mile run, stretches, sit-ups

(i had planned a longer run but the back of my thighs is very tight and sore for some reason. i went running on saturday, and biking and swimming on sunday, so maybe that's it?)

tuesday: 40-minute swim, stretches, sit-ups

wednesday: pilates workout video (cardio plus actual pilates), stretches, sit-ups

thursday: 3- to 5-mile run, stretches, sit-ups

friday: 40-minute swim

(i have friday off of work and i am going to a cottage for the weekend, but i can still squeeze in a workout before we leave, and after i go back to the dentist ... i have a chipped tooth that re-chipped.)

saturday: 5-mile run

(i will be away but i'll just bring my garmin and hit the pavement.)

sunday: rest

i'm happy you all liked my post on motivation. those little things really do add up. this week i'm setting a goal for myself. i have this bad habit of having to eat something every time i come back from something. for example, i go to work, eat breakfast at my desk. i take my lunch hour and come back and eat at my desk. i come home from work and immediately open the fridge to snack. i need think about whether i'm actually hungry at these times. obviously at meal times i will be, but usually i don't need a snack after work and before dinner. that's crazy. i've also noticed that now that i work really early in the morning and go to bed by 10:30 or 11, i don't feel the need to snack after dinner. maybe i was just staying up too late before ;)

this week the plan

my weekend was great but of course it went by way too quickly. i have another busy week this week (what a surprise!) so i have to schedule my workouts and extra curricular activities in advance.

monday: 40 minutes of swimming/extra work to do at home

tuesday: 5-mile run/acting group rehearsal

wednesday: nothing/acting group performance, yikes

thursday: 5-mile run/regularly scheduled thursday apartment cleaning

friday: probably nothing, maybe swimming ... that's a big phat maybe/relaxing with boyfriend

saturday: 5-mile run/helping a friend move/boyfriend's bro's birthday party

i think it's manageable. on saturday my boyfriend rode his bike beside me while i ran and it was so much fun (for me, he complained about going slow). for some reason i was running really slow. i don't know why! maybe to maintain a conversation. i was not going any faster than a ten-minute-mile and usually i am between 8.5 and 9.5 minute miles. we did make some stops. we went from my house to his house, and then to kensington market, and then back to my house. having a garmin is so rad. i took POMs suggestion and put a sweat wrist band under my garmin and it really made it a lot less annoying.

last day of freedom

this is a real time post! i am sitting in my own den - it's so lovely and quiet with just me and my cat and not a thousand other family members. ;) family time was very nice, but i'm happy to get back to my regular life. i still feel out of the loop so here is a list:

1) posting in advance is easy! all you have to do is type up your post as usual, and then adjust the date and time in the "post options." i can see the post options link right below the words i am typing right now.... to the left of the labels for the post. this description is only for blogger users - not sure about wordpress or typepad or the other hosting sites.

2) new job tomorrow! excitement =D

3) winnipeg trip over! winnipeg was cold at first, but warmed up by the end of the trip. my cousin's hockey team in the US won the weekend tournament - that was a lot of fun. they player's are treated like movie stars - booths and free bottle service in the dance clubs. it really blew my mind because here in toronto you really have to be a somebody to get that kind of service. something i have never experienced despite my obvious somebodyness! hmph.

4) i didn't do too much shopping if you can believe it - i only got clothes in winnipeg from rickis (they don't have that store in toronto, although they do in the GTA). i got some of the regular food staples (25 calorie hot chocolate for my commute coffee, kashi fruit bars, peanut butter cookie larabars!)...

EDIT: i saved this post this morning and now it's nighttime. i have been rushing around trying to get everything organized and ready for tomorrow. how exciting! i'll continue on.

5) food on the trip: not great but not terrible. last night after i came home my bf and i ordered pizza and NOT the healthy kind. thankfully tomorrow begins my "routine" and i already have an awesome lunch packed: hummus veggie wrap, apple and yogurt, and a kashi bar if i get hungry.

6) exercise on the trip was not great either, but not-not existent. double negative means i did yoga three or four times and went swimming once. but the swimming was in the hotel pool which wasn't big enough for laps (and freezing) so i did maybe 20-minutes of bouncing and diving around before deciding enough was enough. i did go swimming today and maybe will tomorrow before work, we shall see.

7) wish me luck. =D

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.

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!

time to get it together

whoops, i forgot to post on friday. i was having lunch with a friend, that must be why i forgot. we went to a restaurant/pub and i ordered a cheeseburger and fries. wooooooo let me tell you how sick i felt ALL afternoon. i mean not good. i used to get this feeling quite regularly - the feeling like you need a bathroom NOW so there better be one in the immediate vicinity feeling - but not for a couple of years since i changed my eating habits. i think it's all of the greasy trans fats. oh trans fats, you taste so good but are bad in every way.

my weekend was good. on friday night it was my boyfriend's bi-monthly music and art showcase. this time can.adian ido.l finalist moo.kie mor.ris was performing and it was really really packed. it was a good night and we went out for last night chinese food with friends after the show. i didn't get to bed until almost 5, and slept in until 1:30... can you believe it? needless to say saturday went by way too fast.

i was feeling a bit chubb all weekend. when my new jeans were a bit tight last week, i knew something was up so i bit the bullet and got on the scale this morning. after the weekend and everything. i was repeating in my head, "please not more than 5 pounds about maintenance, please not more than that" and it wasn't that bad. only about a pound over. but still. in december i was happy at the low end of my range and i can feel the difference in the fit of my clothes and my body confidence.

i have decided to use the same plan of attack that i used at the beginning of december. eating on a schedule (8am, 11am, 2pm, 5pm, 8pm) and sticking to higher-protein options so that i won't feel hungry. this really was effective last time. whatever works! i'm also going to keep exercising and drink more water.

workouts have been pretty awesome. on friday morning and saturday afternoon, i went for 40 minute swims, and then yesterday i did a 20 minute "yoga for runners" download from yogadownload.com. it was really hard and i didn't like it. afterwards i realized that it was an intermediate program, level 3, and since i'm a beginning i should be sticking to level 1s only. i downloaded a few of those and this morning i did the 20 minute gentle hatha #1 download. a lot of the 20 minute downloads are free. i am going to try them out and if i like them, i'll purchase longer versions. one of my main goals is to increase my flexibility, especially hamstrings.

tonight my plans are doing some exercise probably (either biking, swimming, or walking), and watching gossip girl. and reading gone with the wind of course. 800 pages down, 224 to go! ;)

yawn to yawn

i am so beat this morning. it feels like my lips and face are raw. like i've been skiing or in the cold wind for too long. the concert last night was amazing, and my friend really enjoyed it which made me enjoy it more. i was a bit tired but i could tell he thought it was the bomb diggity. and it was of course.

i thought about sleeping in this morning, but i went to the gym, and walked for 3 miles on various inclines, and did some lunges, push-ups (girl ones), sit-ups, and that plank move that is supposed to be good for your abs. i am way more into the treadmill than the elliptical because i can read magazines and i have a stack of about 40 to catch up on. and i can set my mp3 player to radio and get the morning news as well. i didn't want to work out tonight because a) could be too tired, b) have a few minor things to do and c) all i really want to do is drink tea and read twilight. i bought the next book in the series so i don't have to go without. i am resenting all of the awake time i have to go through until i can finally sit down and read the book. and now it's too cold to read while walking outside (frozen fingers).

i really wanted something delicious and carby for breakfast so i made a quaker instant regular oats with added all bran, pumpkin, cottage cheese, banana, splenda, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla. it was really filling and just what i needed. warm and comforting.

the latest audio book i'm listening to in the car is "my life" by bill clinton. it's very interesting even though i don't really know anything about american politics. did anyone know that bill clinton was a rhodes scholar? or that his younger brother went to jail for selling cocaine (to fuel his own habit)? i sure didn't!

that's about it... FOR NOW! i might skip tomorrow's workout but wake up at the same time to clean my apartment. i definitely need to step on the scale since i avoided it last week and all this week so far. but really, i've been feeling pretty good about myself so maybe i shouldn't. nah, i will. or won't. or will... i will. time to face the music... whatever that means. apparently it refers to shamed officers being drummed out of their regiment. hmmmmm the more you know.

cooking rice

it’s a nice gray autumn day today. and it’s friday which is always good news. i went swimming this morning for 30 minutes AND i did 30 minutes on the elliptical yesterday before book club which means that this week i was five for five on weekday exercise. whoo – pee.

for some reason i decided to step on the scale last night. i was feeling pretty skinny and good about myself until i was up about four pounds. i know it’s a night time weigh in but wtf, seriously? i have been on the ball all week long. how frustrating.

i decided that i couldn’t face friday morning weighing in today so i’m going to live in denial and pretend that it doesn’t exist this week. sometimes a girl needs a little denial.

this weekend is going to be great. after “work” today i am going to canadian tire because are selling rice cookers for 50% off ($9.99) and i want one. i am also going to linens and things because i have a gift card i need to use up before they go out of business.

tomorrow i am going on a hunt for halloween costume accessories, and then out for dinner and to a lounge for a friend’s birthday. in little italy too. have a great weekend!

moving in and santa cruz

not much is going on. last night i met up with a girlfriend for drinks. it was fun because we had so much catching up to do. this morning i decided not to go swimming because my hair is beginning to feel like straw. i need a haircut really badly anyway but i'm waiting because i might decide to change my hair style and want to grow my bangs out more just to have that option. instead i did a 50-minute fat burning windsor pilates video and the additional 10-minute sculpting video, which was not very intense.

i am making a point of NOT wearing my heart rate monitor until i can run again. i'm positive i am not working out as hard as before, and that's fine, i just don't want to see the actual number and become unmotivated. once i tried my HRM on my mom's tony gazelle and it was pathetic. hardly a workout at all.

tonight my boyfriend is moving into his new pad - moving some stuff anyway, so i am going over to help. very exciting!

and even more exciting... more vacation stuff. this time - santa cruz! santa cruz is the perfect family vacation spot because of the oceanfront amusement park boardwalk - the oldest one in california. it's also where the movie "lost boys" was filmed. we also took surfing lessons which was so much fun. it was hard to stand up but i caught a few waves. here i am on the wharf pier - there were sea lions at the bottom barking and swimming:


here i am with a giant bird (pelican?):


here is a sea lion below:

boring weekend

wow, what a boring weekend! except for the olympics of course. did anyone else see Michael Phelps win his first gold? i am not american but i found myself cheering for him anyway. what a great story... raised by a single mom... now the best swimmer in the world, etc. i love swimming and used to teach which is probably why i'm so into it. i also like to watch gymnastics.

it was raining for most of the weekend. and really nothing was going on. just hanging out. saturday i watched tv (sports) all day, and fell asleep TWICE on the couch. how boring! i don't like doing that at all. there were plans to go to this greek festival here in toronto, called taste of the danforth, but it was pouring rain ALL day. i am not into standing outside eating souvlaki on a stick in the rain, that's for sure.

i did get in some ab work and a swim on saturday. i tried to swim on friday, but as soon as i dunked my head in the pool, the condo maintenance people said i had to get out so they could clean the pool. so i showered and stuff and didn't want to re-wet later and then have to go through all the hair-doing motions again.

my sciatic pain is feeling A LOT better, although i am still limping a little bit and am not going to try any strenuous activity until i'm positive nothing will happen. does anyone have any good low-impact exercises i can try. i have been swimming, and doing one or two (lame) exercise videos at home. i can't really do pilates or anything that involves rolling or too much floor work at the moment. any suggestions? i'd say walking is a bit too high-impact at this point as well.

today in my inbox i got an email from women's health that detailed some workouts female olympic athlete's are doing. here it is... very cool.

sleep in

i finally slept in today (until 11) and it feels good. actually i still feel a bit "out of it" but i'm sure that will pass.

yesterday i had a pretty relaxing day after my interview. i just hung around, caught up on blogs, watched "the last kiss" while i ate dinner (and after) and cleaned the grout between half of my kitchen tiles. yes, only half... it's a big job with all of that scrubbing. it involves vim which i ran out of, and a brush with super hard bristles. and lots of rinsing because vim residue is gross and chalky and surely not good for humans or animals. i can't believe how good one side of the kitchen looks now. vacation one week - kitchen grout the next... the joys of life. i am going to finish the kitchen and do the bathroom... why not? although not today.

today i am meeting my boyfriend at his new apartment and we are going to clean it since it's empty. more cleaning? wah wah wee wah! the good news is he is bringing my camera so i will finally have pictures to show! :o)

yesterday i tried my new pilates video, the 50-minute fat burning part. it is more like aerobics to jamaican drum beats with some pilates at the end. i had to do the modified moves (for seniors and people with bum pain) but it was still alright. today i am going swimming, and i better get moving if i am going to get the cleaning party on time.

yesterday for dinner i made oatmeal with a runny sunny side up egg on it. i was inspired by something i saw on Kath Eats. here is the recipe:

1/2 cup dry oats
1 egg
1 string cheese
hot sauce (to taste)
1 T fat free sour cream

make the oats as normal. while they are cooking, cut the string cheese into tiny pieces. i like to peel it into four pieces, then chop with a knife. when the oats are almost done, make the egg and leave the yoke runny (unless you are opposed to this). serve the egg on the oats (in a bowl), sprinkle the cheese and top with sour cream and hot sauce.

re-ci-poo re-ci-pee

spicy sweet potato and quinoa salad

last night i made this dish but with a few modifications of course. here is a yumtastic recipe.

ingredients:

1 cup quinoa, uncooked
2 cups vegetable broth
1 sweet potato, pre-baked and diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green zucchini, diced
1/2 pack of pre-cut and pre-washed white mushrooms
1 onion
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tbsp lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

preparation:

simmer the quinoa in the vegetable broth until liquid is gone and quinoa is light and fluffy when stirred. remove from heat and allow to cool. while this is happening, chop your onion and red pepper. spray a frying pan with cooking spray and heat the the onion and pepper until soft. add mushrooms. when they are cooked, remove from the heat. meanwhile, microwave your sweet potato until cooked then bake it in the oven until the outside is crispy (like a baked potato should be... just not soggy from the microwave). slice the zucchini into half-circles or quarters and add to the now empty fry pan. when the potato is ready, dice it.
toss together the quinoa, sweet potato, onions, peppers, mushrooms, and zucchini in a large bowl.

in a separate small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil and cayenne pepper. i added more lemon juice (i just squeezed a lemon). gently toss this dressing with the quinoa. season with a generous amount of salt and pepper.

i would say this makes about 4 generous servings. delicious. i had one serving of this for dinner along with a spinach salad, topped with light feta and newman's own light thai sesame dressing.

in other news, i did go for a run yesterday at lunch. it was 4.7 miles... not too shabby at all. and this morning i got up and ran for 40 minutes (not all at once) on the treadmill, with arm weights in between the cardio sessions and situps at the end.

tonight is my book club. i didn't finish the book but that's ok, it's long, and we are having a bbq and watching the movie. fun times. i have a skinless boneless chicken breast marinating in my fridge right now. i put some chicken bbq sauce, mustard, and catalina dressing in a ziplock bag and threw in the chicken. i hope it tastes good. i want to get some other vegetables to put on the bbq but i'm not sure what to get (or how to grill them)... any suggestions?

slaughterhouse

sew i didn't finish my dress in sewing last night but it's ok. i put in one sleeve. i have to go back and finish the rest some other time. here is a bit of an nsv. my sewing teacher made ice cream sandwiches for everyone with homemade strawberry ice cream. at first i wasn't going to have one but really, denying yourself pleasures like homemade ice cream is not living, it's deprivation. so i took one, ate the ice cream from the middle and threw out the cookies. they were just chips ahoy or whatever. yah good tasting, but available to me whenever i want so i'm not really depriving myself of anything there.

when i got home i cleaned up a little, and then did the denise austin power yoga plus video i got at the library last week. i wanted to feel stretched and relaxed. i find that my posture feels improved every time i do yoga or pilates and i really like that feeling.

this morning i got up early and had a 4-mile run. it wasn't the best. i tried a new route in order to spice things up, but my right shin was bothering me. i am going to have to stay off it. i'll ice it tonight and see if that helps. i find it doesn't hurt if i just run for 10 minutes at a time on the dreadmill, only when running longer distances outside.

this is totally unrelated, but i live right by a pig slaughterhouse. not joking. one of the main streets near my abode is sort of an off ramp from the highway, and when i turn on it (on my bike... going to work or whatever) i often see a) a giant truck full of pigs with their snouts poking out of holes snorting at me or b) the same truck heading the other way but empty. if you wanted to know, pig slaughterhouses don't smell too good. also i have heard the poor little piggies screeching before. my writing style can be flippant but i am really bothered by this. i really don't eat much pork - maybe a pork chop once in a while at my parent's house. i think that if i lived in close contact with other animals, i would be hesitant to eat them as well. like chickens or cows.... how do farmers do it? seeing those poor little snouts... heading for death... sad.

it bothers me. lately i have been bothered by something else. there is this crazy woman who begs for money and food by my work. she is really crazy - always sobbing hysterically and sitting in the pouring rain even when their is an awning nearby. sometimes i give her food. she is in her twenties but looks older due to the harsh elements. anyway, i just noticed this week that she is six months pregnant. i can't stop thinking about it. how did she get pregnant? what is going to happen to that poor baby? was she raped? was she forced to sleep with someone for money or drugs? it's very upsetting. i think these things happen as a result of poor family situations. i am lucky to have nice and supportive parents. :(

on that note... in addition to my regular workouts, i've been doing 100 situps a day in order to prep myself for bikini weekend. normally i do 80 situps, maybe 3-4 times a week. i went to this same cottage around the same time last year and i was 127 pounds. some of my pictures from that time are flattering, although i remember feeling really... what's the word... um... well i wished my stomach was flatter and that the sides of my stomach were tighter. although that was my lowest weight to date so i felt pretty good about myself. this year is definitely a huge improvement so i'm looking forward to taking some comparison shots.

today for lunch i'm having a tuna sandwich with light mozzarella and tomato slices. the tuna is clover leaf lemon and pepper flavoured... delicious. :o)

some random thoughts

first thought: this morning whilst riding my bike to work, i was really reminded of the weather on vancouver island. it was humid and foggy, but not hot. i miss victoria. my grandparents used to live there but not anymore as they are all deceased. it's weird how times and places and people in live change. yes i am very deep. the point is victoria is a wicked city.

second thought: last night there were crazy thunderstorms. the lightning was so bright that i think it hit the ground right outside of my building several times. my cat oliver was so scared, he was doing the snake walk haha. somehow his legs disappear and he slithers on the ground to some hiding spot. maybe he thinks he is safer being so close to the ground. anyway it looks ridiculous.

third thought: my mexican dinner was a huge success. for me anyway. i was really impressed with myself. my boyfriend liked it too, but he's not as familiar with mexican-type food as i am. he said, "what is this mushy hunk?" about the refried beans. ha! the best part is i have leftovers for lunch today.

fourth thought: i drank way too much white wine last night. normally i am a red girl, but i wanted something cool and refreshing. i think it kind of made me toss and turn in the night and i am not feeling that hot today. not hung over at all, but whenever i drink too much, i feel overly sensitive.

fifth thought: i still got up and hit the gym because i am hardcore. i did three times ten minutes running on the treadmill with arm weights in between and then stretches and 100 sit-ups of different varieties at the end. whenever i do arm weights and look in the mirror at the gym i feel like a real beefcake... you know when you are lifting weights and right after your muscles are kind of plumped up (in a good beefcake way). it always makes me think about being a female boxer. i am sort of tuff, i could do it maybe. i am way tougher than any other girl in my immediate circle of friends/family. kapow!

sixth thought: tonight is my last sewing class. i hope i get everything done in time. and then i hope i continue to make things outside of class.

seventh thought is today's menu:

fiber one with almond butter

pc multigrain oatmeal with flax, cinnamon, pumpkin, 1/2 banana and blueberries

fat free yogurt

vanilla protein shake

leftover mexicano

plum

fat free yogurt with blueberries

cocoa mole larabar

ZUNE ZUNE ZUNE

ok. today i'm going to do a bit of a product push.

a couple of months ago i filled out this online survey to get a free mp3 player. i am always filling out tons of surveys and i love free stuff. i don't even care what it is. if i don't need it, i'll give it away to my friends or family. well anyway, someone from the mp3 player company called me, and decided i was a good candidate to receive this player, because i could talk about it on my blog. isn't that wild? it kind of blows my mind actually.

anyway. the mp3 player is from the brand microsoft and is called ZUNE, and basically it's the greatest thing of all time. i think it's already available in the states but new to canada, although i've already seen it in stores. if you think your ipod is a good mp3 player, you need to check out zune, because it really blows ipods out of the water. i like my ipod, but the battery life is SO BAD. seriously, if i don't unplug it directly from the charger before working out, it stops working during my workout/run. crappy!

this is what the zune looks like:


so why is the zune so great? here is a list of reasons:

1) it's little and cute. mine is black.

2) it comes with different storage. mine is 8G.

3) the screen is colour.

4) it plays video.

5) it stores pictures.

6) there is an fm radio which picks up stations from the area you are in. (really good feature.)

7) the battery life is LONG.

here is where it becomes really cool...

8) it has some sort of wireless technology that allows you to download songs from your (or any) computer without a plug or wire.

9) it has wireless sharing capabilities which means that if you and your friend "greg*" both have zunes and are standing within range of each other, you can up and download each other's music to your player. *could be any name.

so anyway. i am really enjoying my zune. and obviously this company wants me to talk about it and spread the news. but seriously, if i thought it was not a good one i would say so. after all, i already have it and stuff.

and now, if you want to (only if you want to please), you can log on to ChatThreads.com and type in Conversation ID 102 986 0145. there is a short survey and you can have ChatThreads donate up to $5 to charity OR enter to win $500 in amazon.ca gift certificates. the point of the survey is word of mouth... this company just wants to know how word of mouth spreads. but seriously, only do it if you want to. and honestly i really love my zune. although i wish they sent me a sports arm-band!!!!! (that would be very useful.)



in other news, last night i walked for 5 miles on the treadmill, then did some strength training. this morning i had a quick 3-mile run and then did situps. it is so hot now, even in the mornings (not complaining), that running outside can be really draining.

tonight i have a "date" and i am making my boyfriend dinner. we are having quick carne asada and instant mexican rice... i think it is that brand. yes, i'm all about the instant. maybe some refried beanies too. from a jar. :) it's "mexicali" to prepare us for our upcoming cali vacation.

short and sweet

today's menu:

quaker weight control maple brown sugar oatmeal
1 T pecans on top
1 fat free yogurt
1 cup red grapes

coffee with milk

100 calorie pack of quaker maple brown sugar oatmeal squares

fat free yogurt
1 T ground flax
1 cup green grapes
sprinkling of fiber one

tuna steak in a wrap or perhaps on a bun
spinach salad

exercise:
3 x 10 running, arm weights, situps... (i am going to do this now). and sewing tonight. we are putting in zippers. :)

i see the light

this week i am very busy. not so much at work but in my home life. i am throwing myself a birthday party on saturday and am really anal about a) having a spotless, immaculate apartment (who am i, my mother?) b) providing drinks and a delicious spread c) looking hot and fabulous and d) being able to accomplish everything without feeling stressed at all. the pressure is on people!

i made myself a to-do list at the beginning of the week and am crossing things off as i go along. the list includes EVERYTHING i have to do... from cleaning the bathroom, to buying plastic cups at the dollar store, to finding a new party dress, to shaving my legs, to windexing the giant window/doors to my balcony, to cutting up veggies for a veggie platter, to losing my above-maintenance extra weight. there are about fifty other things on the list. not kidding.

last night was my sewing class and it was fun. we talked about using patterns and then cut them out and pinned them to the fabric and cut out the fabric. when i got home (at 9:30!) i cleaned my entire bathroom and did an inventory of the party supplies i already have. it doesn't help that on friday i am going to a different birthday party. getting my friend a present is on my list of to-do things!

anyway that's boring. my boyfriend told me last night that he booked our tickets yesterday. we are flying out on the last sunday in july and coming back the next sunday. i am really excited. and i really need a vacation!

this morning i did a 4-mile run around town, then came back to the condo gym for some arm weights and sit-ups. i am still following my plan of breakfast being the biggest meal of the day, then lunch, then dinner. it's working out well for me... since i am so busy in the evenings this week i don't have time to think about making anything exciting for dinner. the protein powder is still working in my favour... this morning i made one with 1/2 banana, unsweetened almond breeze, and frozen mangos and peaches. tropical yum!

now to get on with thursday! (i am actually happy it's thursday not friday, because i need tonight to do more party prep.)

best present ever

thanks everybody for your nice birthday wishes yesterday. i didn't stay on plan but i'm fine with it. and i said i wasn't going to eat cake but i did anyway. it had a sparkler on top, how could i resist?

i can't believe that i actually thought my boyfriend forgot my birthday. he really is very sweet and thoughtful and it would be very unlike him. he made me dinner and we had fast fry steaks, sweetened cooked carrots, and this rice that was flavoured like chicken. then he brought out this little round cake (like the size of a baseball) with a sparkler on top. it was chocolate but had orange mousse inside... yummy. we didn't finish the whole thing but i still ate a pretty decent portion.

and he gave me the best present ever. wrapped in paper was a rice a roni box (that's when i realized we had rice a roni for dinner.) and i said, "ah, rice a roni, the san francisco treat." and then i opened the box, and inside was a card that said he is taking me...

on a roadtrip vacation...

down the coast of california...

from san francisco to LA. AMAZING! i'm soooooooo lucky!

california! the land of dreams haha. see? best present ever. we'll be at the corner of haight and ashbury soon enough!


i drank WAY too much wine last night and am feeling the effects today. but i still got up and did 30 minutes of fast running on the treadmill. why? because i am back on the plan today... and it includes exercising everyday. i didn't think it was strange to exercise on my birthday. i really love exercising, especially in the morning. it makes my body feel charged up and puts me in a great mood (most of the time anyway).

i got this email this morning about why exercising in the morning is tops. here are the reasons:

1) Exercising early in the morning "jump starts" your metabolism, keeping it elevated for hours, sometimes for up to 24 hours! As a result, you'll be burning more calories all day long--just because you exercised in the morning.

2) Exercising in the morning energizes you for the day--not to mention that gratifying feeling of virtue you have knowing you've done something disciplined and good for you. (Much better than a worm!)

3) Studies have shown that exercise significantly increases mental acuity--a benefit that lasts four to ten hours after your workout ends. Exercising in the a.m. means you get to harness that brainpower, instead of wasting it while you're snoozing.

4) Assuming you make exercise a true priority, it shouldn't be a major problem to get up 30 to 60 minutes earlier--especially since regular exercise generally means a higher quality of sleep, which in turn means you'll probably require less sleep. (If getting up 30 to 60 minutes earlier each day seems too daunting, you can ease into it with 10 to 20 minutes at first.)

5) When you exercise at about the same time every morning--especially if you wake up regularly at about the same time--you're regulating your body's endocrine system and circadian rhythms. Your body learns that you do the same thing just about every day, and it begins to prepare for waking and exercise several hours before you actually open your eyes.

and 6) Exercise Extra: More than 90% of those who exercise consistently have a morning fitness routine. If you want to exercise on a regular basis, the odds are in your favor if you squeeze your workout into the a.m.

so there you have it. i have my first dress sewing class tonight until 9 so i had to bring all my food to work, which is kind of annoying but alright. for breakfast i am trying something new: pumpkin carrot oatmeal. i'm mixing 1 packet of quaker regular instant oatmeal, with 1/3 cup shredded carrots, 1/4 cup pure pumpkin, splenda and cinnamon. hopefully this will be a good combo!

wednesday book review

the title of my post suggests that every wednesday i make book reviews, however, that just isn't the case. i am today though!

what have i read lately? well... in the past couple of days i read losing it: and gaining my life back one pound at a time by valerie bertinelli.


i liked it, although it's more of a life-story than a weight-loss memoir. it goes into details about her personal life, and then mentions in a by-the-way kind of way, i weighed such-and-such at this period of my life and felt like crap. i would recommend it, because it's a really fast and easy read, it's cute, and neat if you want to know any details of the sordid life of eddie van halen.

this morning i did a quick workout at the gym. 3 x 10 minutes running, and arm weights in between, finishing with sit-ups and stretches. i have decided to continue working out almost every day because it makes me feel really good all day. however, i'm not going to push it too hard every day. like today for example, i had a nice workout, burned about 300 calories, and feel energized and optimistic about life in general. great success :)

tonight is date night, yippee! i am thinking about making pasta for dinner. mmmm pasta, the gluttony of it.

today on the menu is:

1/2 cup shreddies

berry medley high fibre oatmeal
1 T flax
1/3 cup all-bran
1/4 cup wheatberries
1/2 small banana

1/2 can chunky chicken gumbo soup
ezekiel english muffin
1/2 cup plain 2% yogurt with no sugar added jam mixed in
cherries

dinner - pasta?