a week of firsts

i think i've finally recovered from my race on sunday. except for the extreme laziness that is lingering over me! i have a training plan (part of the online plan i got when i registered for the race) and it continues for three weeks post race, to help your body get back to a regular work out schedule.

here is what this week looks like:

monday: rest
tuesday: 20 minute cross-training (i swam)
wednesday: rest
thursday: 30 minutes running
friday: rest
saturday: 3 miles running
sunday: rest

i think i can handle it. on monday i was SO STIFF i could hardly move. i wasn't in pain when i was sitting, but getting up after an extended period of sitting, or going up and down stairs (why am i on the second floor of my office, dammit!?) was brutal. i bought some epson salts and took a bath. i felt a bit better.

yesterday (on tuesday) i was feeling less stiff, but i went for a massage after work. my benefits have massage coverage (my boss reminded me) so i thought why the hell not?! i have never had a massage before because i don't like strangers touching me but it was quite heavenly and my masseuse was really nice. i booked it at the same place i went for chiropractic treatments in the summer of 2008 when i had extreme bum pain. very professional and nice smelling too. when i left my contacts were stuck to my eyeballs like i just had a nap, haha!

tonight is date night and i am taking my bf on a surprise date. he doesn't read my blog so i can tell you. we are going to see jerry springer the opera. it's supposed to be hilarious - this review told me. it's being put on by the university of toronto so i bought student tickets for $10 each instead of the regular $25 adult ones. i still look young and my student card doesn't have a date ... mwa ha ha. hey, i'm on a budge here! i hate watching jerry springer on tv (what a waste of time!) but i love musicals and parodies too.

in other news, work is still crazy busy. insane! but good insane. i am going on a business trip next week. for one night. to peterborough, ha! are you jealous?

and finally, i am on a mission to declutter my apartment. i have so much crap - there isn't enough space for everything. i am going through it room by room and deciding what must go! well, first i'm cleaning room by room, then decluttering. i can't declutter a mess ... that's gross. so on monday i did the kitchen and last night the bathroom and vacuuming. the bedroom will be the biggest project because i hoard clothes like they were precious jewels. stuff that's ugly and doesn't even fit. i don't even want to sell this stuff - i will give some to my sister and the rest can go to goodwill. the end. have a nice day.

look at this cat hoarding his toys! hahaha mine all mine. stop looking at me!

rocking it

i'm rocking it this week. i feel back in "the zone." now, if only the zone would produce some results. last night i went swimming and then to book club, where, get this, i consumed only a diet coke and no wine or food, even though there were nachos on the table up for grabs. and it wasn't even hard to resist.

today after work i wanted to do nothing. instead i put on my lululemon pants and my hideous fleece vest with my university logo on it and hit the road for a 3-mile (or 5k if you will) run. this is what my vest looks like. i just think fleece is so dorky. it does serve the purpose of warmth. maybe if i camped or hiked or did more outdoorsy things i'd be into fleece. thankfully i'm past the point where i want to be fashionable while i run. ok, i still do a little bit. but i don't want to be cold!

i was so hungry all day today. i think it's because i had raspberries, a banana and a vitatop for breakfast instead of my usual oats. what is it about oatmeal that is so filling? yesterday i made oatmeal with a scoop of chocolate protein powder ... not so into that. it gave it a weird taste. i'll try half a scoop and report back because i'm sure you all are so interested. tomorrow on the evening news! half a scoop of chocolate protein ... what does it taste like? what DOES it TASTE like!?

right now i am making sweet potato fries with cinnamon and splenda. i know i shouldn't use sweeteners but i am not ready to stop yet. besides, the testing they have done on the animals is a little skewed. they really pump those rats full of aspartame - way more than the biggest diet coke addict would consume in one day. and i rarely even drink pop. i just use an equal in my morning coffee and occasionally afternoon or evening tea. and only those "dessert" teas mmmmmmm i get excited just thinking about them.


so i have to do a spring cleaning in my kitchen. there are crumbs in places there shouldn't be and that isn't acceptable. the fridge is due for a cleaning too. just what i feel like doing on a tuesday night ... NOT!

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.

where the sky meets the sea

 

i haven't really sorted through the photos yet, but here is a nice one. it's somewhere on the road between san francisco and santa cruz. it doesn't look like a real photo because the ocean and beach shouldn't connect like that... i'm actually standing on the edge of a giant cliff (scary). it was so windy but beautiful. this is the just after we drove away from the san francisco fog and gloom. it was so weird how the division between fog and sun was so drastic and obvious. i got these purple pants in san francisco... love them!

yesterday i tried swimming but my leg was really hurting so i had to stop. my mom wants me to visit a chiropractor and i am seriously considering it. my boyfriend and i cleaned his apartment pretty much all afternoon - until about 7. i did the whole bathroom and under the stove elements. we might go back today... i'd rather just get it over with. he is so excited about it and so am i because it's in my old neighbourhood which i miss a lot. it's a bustling area... people are always out doing things on the street.

so i have the choice to see two movies. 1) mama mia and 2) the dark knight. what should i choose?

even with no exercise, my weight is going back down. thank you fibre :) i hate not being able to do hard core exercise. maybe this injury is my body's way of saying it was too much. when i feel better again i will definitely ease into something. being hardcore was fun while it lasted.

i also wanted to mention that the egg on oatmeal was totally delicious. people eat eggs on toast - toast is a grain like oatmeal... what's the difference? it wasn't flavoured or instant oatmeal people - i am not crazy! ;o)

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.

ahoy matey

i am in a much better mood today. last night i went back to the sewing studio and got caught up. i finished putting in the zipper, and sewed the tops of the shoulders and the sides of the dress together. now i just have to add the sleeves and do the trim (i think). then i cleaned my entire apartment. bathroom, kitchen, dishes, den, living room, vacuuming, laundry, bedroom, on and on and on. i like going into the weekend feeling ready to relax. weekends are for relaxing not cleaning.

i was going to go running again today, because i can't go for my usual saturday long run tomorrow because of the everlasting wedding, but then i remembered yesterday's run and how it wasn't fun (rhyme) and my right shin has been bothering me (maybe a splint) so i thought a couple of days off would be the best medicine. there is no point exercising if you don't enjoy it.

yesterday at the library i was getting the new book club book (valley of the dolls), and i saw a yoga/pilates dvd, so i got that too.


it is power yoga plus by denise austin. i did it this morning and it was alright, except denise austin is kind of annoying. but who isn't at 7am, really. she kept saying weird things like, "show me that happy face and smile"... don't you think that's weird? 1) who is smiling? 2) the lady in the TV can't see me! at least i hope not.

it was 20 minutes of yoga and 20 of pilates. my problem with this type of exercise is that i am not that flexible. i never have been. i can remember being in dance class as a young girl and practicing the splits every day for years before i could actually do them. i can't touch my toes... maybe my legs are long. denise austin's legs looked kind of stubby to me. anyway. it was alright. the pilates was more vigorous than the yoga. some of the balancing yoga moves were difficult but not impossible. denise austin's voice is kind of baby-talky though, and i kept thinking of rude things and grossing myself out. if you know what i mean. i hope you don't.

oh, and happy 4th of july to my american friends. i am going to celebrate by eating a twinkie. just kidding! relax.

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.)

takin' it easy, takin' it slooowwwwww

good morning. today i'm doing things a little differently.

1) i did not go to the gym this morning. why? a) bum pain - needs a rest to heal... feels better already and b) i think i needed a mental break from it as well. it's not like i have to go everyday... that would be ridiculous.

2) i decided to have lunch for dinner today and dinner for lunch. usually i eat somewhat light at lunch — yogurt, fruits, toast — because i like to eat a bigger dinner.

3) i stepped on the scale this morning and i never do that (except on friday)... what's up with me? i was feeling particularly thin and fit this morning... unfortunately the scale said i was up from last week. excuse me scale? where do you get off!? the nerve! so anyway, if i switch my meals around today maybe that will help.

here is today's menu:

about 10 strawberries
10-15 raspberries
4-5 blackberries
5-10 blueberries... obviously i am a berry fiend
vanilla hazelnut coffee

1 packet maple brown sugar instant oatmeal
1/2 cup all-bran
1 T ground flax
1/2 cup blueberries
1/2 cup fat free vanilla pear yogurt

gardenburger on a high-fibre pita with
mixed greens
baby tomatoes
honey mustard
small sweet potato on the side

1 cup plain 2% yogurt
2 slices sprouted grains toast
1/2 cup raspberries
1/2 cup pumpkin mixed in

that's about it. i am boring today. my big plans for tonight include cleaning the bathroom. JOY.

it's wednesday

last night went by too fast. i got home from work, cleaned out the food cupboards and the inside of the fridge, behind the fridge, the floor, etc. i re-organized the cabinets and now it seems much more organized... not necessarily spacious but less cluttered with that things-thrown-in-randomly look.

then i made myself another gigantuan salad with spinach, a chopped roasted sweet potato (one of the biggest i've ever seen), spicy thai flavoured shrimp (15... they are little), roasted almond slivers, baby tomatoes, frozen peas (cooked), and honey mustard dressing. sound weird? it was delicious!

and THEN i went down to the gym, did a quick 15 minute walk on the treadmill, did some upper and lower body strength training, sit-ups, and then 15 minutes on the stationary bike.

my pants are feeling tight today and i don't like it. it's also chilly willy nilly again and i don't like that. however, today is wednesday and date night and antm night which is alright with me. my bf is sick so i am going to make a nice warm dinner tonight: mrs. furious's turkey and meatball soup. i have the soup, noodles and turkey meatballs already so it should be really easy and quick. i will probably add more meatballs and noodles... maybe. it depends on how lonely they look in the pot. i have never made this before but hear wonderful things about it.

a quick thing about meatballs. i have been making my own turkey meatballs with ground turkey, egg, bread crumsb, some parm... rolling up that gross raw meat with my bare hands... all in the name of health. i thought these meat balls were the bomb diggity. last friday i walked home from work and passed an m & m's meat shop. i went in to see if they had turkey meatballs and they did, so i bought them. anyhoo, my bf must have said a thousand times how tasty these meatballs are—he never said anything nice about the homemade meatballs i SLAVED over. actually i'm sure i asked him how they were and he said, "good" but that is a big diff from raving on and on about them. so - no more will i put my hands in that meaty goo. i'm going to buy the m & m's meatballs and be done with it.

i forget what else i was going to talk about today. this morning i ran for 4 miles... it was not the most fun but i'm more than halfway to my goal of 15 miles per week. i've added a summer challenge sidebar. today's menu is:

1/2 banana with pb
1/3 fibre source bar
coffee

regular quaker instant oatmeal with flax
added 1/4 cup shreddies
clementine

source yogurt
strawberries

cinnamon spice oatmeal with pumpkin and 1/4 cup shreddies
sugar snap peas with hummus

turkey meatball soup
whole wheat roll
salad

in a haze

i'm really out of it this week. is it tuesday already? last night i came home from work, promptly jumped into bed with some giant wheat goldfish crackers (yummy yummy), did a bit of reading, and napped for an hour. then i went downstairs to the gym and walked for 5 miles on the treadmill. i didn't really want to, but i didn't do anything on sunday and the slope to lazyville is pretty fast and slippery if you know what i mean. this morning i went for a 5 mile run. i was feeling really lazy before i did this, so i'm glad it's out of the way.

i think it's so funny how many of you were shocked about my dress-buying experience. i will take a picture of myself in the dress. i was feeling too lazy last night to even think about that. i have to say, i am more dumbfounded than offended. i mean, how could anyone be so ridiculous? that being said, i think i would have a much different reaction if i were still trying to lose weight and having someone say i was popping out of my dress. my coworkers thought it was so funny that she said i should skip a few lunches, especially since we all went out to this mexican place together and i definitely didn't skip lunch. i had a sauteed veggie burrito, and it came with rice and beans on the side. i ate the whole burrito (i think because i was so tired...) and half the rice and beans. i'm sure it wasn't that healthy of an option...

i finished reading lullabies for little criminals already. it was that good... i couldn't put it down. i was addicted. and now i'm so sad that it's over. luckily there are 50 million kabillion trillion other books left in the world for me to read... maybe more. i am 3/4 of the way done this book called the elements of style but i wouldn't recommend it. it's ok... about nyc rich people - a lot of he said she said blah blah blah. i'm only finishing it because i started it.

tonight i am going to do a bit of strength training in the gym downstairs and i am also going to clean my kitchen in a major way. it really needs to be done. last night i accidentally knocked over this nice skinny beer glass my bf got from one of his students as a gift and i noticed that the cabinets need to be wiped. i will clean the stove, the insides of the cupboards, the fridge, the floor, behind the fridge and stove (which won't be too bad because i did this recently), and then i will be happy with myself.

i feel so lazy though. i keep thinking about going back to bed. obviously i can't because... i am... at work. time to take care of business. (TCB)


today i'm eating:

1/4 fibre source bar (pre run)
1/4 fibre source bar (post run)
handful of shreddies (post run)
coffee
(2)

more coffee
blueberry pomegranate nestea single (0)
oatmeal with flax and shreddies (3)
source yogurt (1)
berries (0.5)
(6.5)

yesterday's sandwich (6)
source yogurt (1)
berries (0.5)
(14)

berries (0.5)
source yogurt (1)
apple (1)
(16.5)

dinner:?

super prepared

last night my run was not good. it started out alright, but i tied my right shoelace too tight and it was bothering me, so i pushed pause to re-tie it and all my settings disappeared. i hate that. so i had to restart but then my leg was feeling all weird, excuse excuse etc., i did it (4 miles) but the last ten minutes of my run went like this: three minutes running, two walking, three running, two walking, and so on.

here is my get this: today i had to be super prepared. i cleaned my bathroom last night, and then found out at 10 pm that my boyfriend's mother would be stopping by my apartment tonight. ah! this is a big deal because she has never been there before, and obviously her youngest son spends a lot of time there, so first impressions are very important. she is a stay at home european mom, so things like having a clean, good looking house (meaning that i am a lovely young woman who can take care of this stuff in the future) are vital.

why is she coming? well, she is coming to drop off food, like perogies and homemade soups and stuff. she is going to europe for a couple of weeks and my boyfriend is coming to stay with me... starting tomorrow (at her suggestion!) she drives him to the subway and stuff in the morning (he commutes to the city) and won't be there to do that. do i need her to bring food? no, but 1) who am i do deny delicious homemade (free) food and 2) there is no point in refusing this for other obvious reasons.

so of course i had to clean like a madwoman! thank god i already cleaned the bathroom so it really wasn't that bad. but i have plans after work today and won't be home until after 9pm, so i had to leave the house this morning with everything immaculate. also i had to remember to bring stuff (books and movies) for my friend (ex-roommate) that i am meeting, set the tape for biggest loser, bring my old remote control from my old house to return, feed the cat, etc. i think i remembered it all. i hope, anyway.

so tonight i am going to my ex-roommate's apartment - we used to live together until december and now we both live alone. should be fun. we are going to order swiss chalet or something.

this morning i woke up early (because i am having mad trouble sleeping lately... mind is racing) and did 60 minutes incline intervals on the treadmill. i changed from 80 to 60 because i needed some extra sleep. still a good workout. if i don't get a good sleep tonight i am gonna lose it.

today i'm eating:

post walk:
1 slice of sprouted grains toast with peanut butter
coffee

breakfast:
more coffee
maple brown sugar weight control oatmeal
blueberries

lunch:
peanut chicken lean cuisine

snacks i brought and may or may not eat:
fibre source bar
clementine
apple
red grapes
fat free yogurt

dinner:
swiss chalet? if so, i'm thinking of a quarter chicken dinner with mashed potatoes and gravy. did you know the mashed potatoes and gravy is less calories than the baked potato? and more delicious? it's true. :)