monday list

1) it's lunchtime munch time. i just ate a full-fat fruit-on-the-bottom yogurt that expired on May 5. IT WAS STILL GOOD. i brought two yogurts just in case. i hardly ever eat full-fat yogurt. actually the tub says 2.5% milk fat which is hardly full fat. still, it was very creamy and delicious. fruit-on-the-bottom is bad for you because it's loaded with sugar but what do i care? i don't.

2) i've thought about it and decided that raspberries are my favourite fruit. they are just so damn good. i like them fresh, frozen, thawed, hot, cold, sour, sweet - gimme gimme gimme. i even like them at the bottom of my full-fat fruit-on-the-bottom yogurt.

3) on saturday i took my new garmin out for a spin and it was the GREATEST THING EVER! except it's very large on my wrist - my only complaint. i had already set up the hrm part but didn't load the satellites until saturday. load the satellites? i never thought i'd be typing those words... what a geek. anyway - i had a great run. some of it was rainy but i was so into tracking my speed and pace and distance that it didn't matter. my bf leant me this super old megadeth hat so the drops wouldn't hit my face. i bet i looked really hardcore - running in the rain (hardcore) AND wearing a megadeth hat (extra hardcore).
4) i am going to run tonight after work by the lake unless i am exhausted. i got 5.5 hours of sleep last night and waking up this morning was BRUTAL.

5) i have to get to sleep early tonight because tomorrow night i am going to a bachelorette party. i don't think it will go too late and i don't think there will be much drinking involved HOWEVER i need stamina.

6) eating was NOT good this weekend. candy, a burger, fries TWICE, late night pizza ... ugh.

7) long weekend coming up - HOORAY!

8) thank you all for the nice comments on my hair. i am really digging it :)

le sigh

i am now a brunette again. hooray! i feel like a completely new person even though i've only been blond since last september. my bf doesn't know i changed it up. he will be so surprised (evil laugh). and so will my co-workers who have only known me as a blond. the haircut is very catherine zeta jones in chicago.

WHAT IS UP WITH THE ANONYMOUS COMMENT IN MY LAST POST???

seriously? i shouldn't be wearing short shorts at age 27? number one, that's the dumbest thing i've ever heard. number two, jealousy is a very unattractive quality. zing! number three, anonymous comments are so lame. insults without real people to back them up are meaningless and number four, even stacey and clinton say you can wear miniskirts until age 35, and the only difference between a miniskirt and a pair of short shorts is a little flap of material. AND number five, i never felt comfortable wearing short shorts until i was about 25 years old so you better believe i'm going to work it as long as i can. so there. i think i've made my point.

to the rest of you with nice questions and comments, here are my answers:

1) no, i didn't have to keep moistening the strap. it just worked all day (and night!) i did wear an old sort of loosey sports bra to bed, just to make sure it didn't slip out of place.

2) my daily burn is less than the average woman's (i think) for a few reasons. number one, i just don't think my metabolism is that fast. ever since puberty i've had a problem with weight gain. (this runs in my family as well.) if i even look at or smell a chocolate chip muffin i seem to be heavier. not joking. also, it seems like some of my friends can eat a lot more than me and put on weight slower. these are really good friends that i know well (and know their eating habits well), not those people who eat a lot in public and then are very diligent about watching their food in private. also, number two, i am quite light (now that i've lost weight) so obviously in my natural day-to-day movements i don't need as much energy to move around and that means less calories and less food.

3) trying out a hrm for a whole day is AWESOME! i have come to peace with the numbers - they really aren't THAT bad, especially when i compare the calories of my daily points to what i'm apparently burning.

4) i also prefer writing my points down in a book. my book is so little and cute too - fits in my purse and sits on my desk at work without looking conspicuous.

5) everyone's metabolism rate is different based on genetics (inherited metabolism), age, sex, weight, height, activity level... blah blah blah. that's why in weight watchers, the heavier you are, the more points you get. and then when you are me and want to drop a few pounds that you gained, you are stuck with 18 points a day which is inhuman and impossible if you are working out or doing any activity other than sitting all day.

6) i wonder if i have a thyroid problem. since right now i am able to control my weight (somewhat) i won't get it checked, but that's something to think about in the future.

now i have a VERY interesting question. maybe someone knows the answer. apparently, the average resting heart rate for a woman is about 70 beats per minute. mine is 58 - that's very slow. now apparently, the more athletic you are (the more you've worked out especially with cardio), the slower your heart rate is. now, slow is good because it means your heart does not have to work as hard to keep your blood pumping HOWEVER a fast heart rate burns more calories. so as someone with an athletic heart rate, does that mean i am burning fewer calories because my heart beats slower than your average bear? riddle me that! AND i know that having more muscle speeds up your metabolism because a pound of muscle burns 50 times more calories than a pound of fat, but does having more muscle affect your heart rate at all? how would my heart rate monitor detect muscle mass? i don't think it can, but it definitely is raising some questions that make my brain hurt!

now i have to vacuum my apartment. JOY!

HRM stats

bonjour. i have some info for "y'all." yesterday i wore my heart rate monitor from 7am until 6:30am - that's 23.5 hours, almost a whole day. i couldn't leave it on for 24 because i had to shower before work. you know how it is. anyway. i recorded my calorie burn almost every hour on the hour. here are the gory details:

total calorie burn: 1930

average calorie burn while awake: 72 per hour

average calorie burn while asleep: 58 per hour

calories burned during my 3-mile/32:24 minute (in the heart rate zone) run: 300

**** more stats ****

at the end of my awake day (7am to 11pm) including running, i burned 1494 calories.

on lazy days where i do nothing, sleep for 7 hours and am awake for 17 hours, i burn 1630 calories.

on days that i run 3-miles, i burn 1930 calories.

if i run three times per week, i have to eat an average of 1762 calories per day to maintain my weight.

now, of course i really should wear it for more days to have a more accurate average. and i will, but i needed a break from that chest strap. throughout the day, i didn't do too much. i sat on my bum at work and after dinner went out for dinner and then to the movies, which involved more sitting, which is somewhat atypical for most of my evenings (usually i am cleaning or doing something around my apartment).

**** to conclude ****

i was a bit maddened to find out that i only burned 1500 calories on a day that i burned 300 calories running, but i didn't think to add in the calories burned in sleep. i always knew that i didn't burn 2000-2500 calories a day, like the average woman (apparently, according to tv). i feel like my eyes are more opened. obviously i can't change the way my body works but now i can eat with the knowledge of when to ABSOLUTELY STOP. i could work out more or every day but that's unrealistic as well.



i am feeling pretty motivated. i am counting points in a little notebook (online subscription cancelled - do not need it), running three times a week and now i am more aware about what's going on in my own body. i am really inspired by my boyfriend's brother's girlfriend, who recently lost about 40 or 50 pounds by counting ww points herself, without the help of meetings or online resources. she said she was up about six pounds so is tracking again to get back down and avoiding alcohol. it's very inspiring - i can do that too. i really don't need to be drinking any of my calories on the weekend while i'm trying to reach my summer weight. if i just stay strict for a couple of weeks, i'll be there and then i can enjoy the summer and fit into my short shorts again. one of my friend's mottos is: tomorrow is a new day. that used to be my motto too until i got too comfortable with things. when the calories (or points or whatever) are eaten, it's time to stop even if you are still a bit hungry. a little bit of hunger isn't the end of the world and tomorrow is a new day to start again - preferably with delicious oatmeal.

BAD BLOGGER

i am a bad blogger. take me to the garage and shoot me! my mom used to say that - i don't know why. i always thought it was really funny until just now when i thought of it literally and literally it's not funny at all. wow, emo! it's still funny if not taken literally. i can still take a joke ... i hope.

things have been really busy. last thursday i was out of the house from 7:15am (when i leave for work) until 11pm. i went to work, went running at lunch, went to the library after work, to a group meeting, then to see the dears with my boyfriend. long but pleasant day. on friday i came home after work and napped, woke up to eat and watch a bit of tv, then back to sleep at 11. i am battling this throat illness now. what is up with me contracting all of these sicknesses lately? thankfully it's not swine flu. oink oink! i can deal with the throat - it's sinus problems that are killer. head stuffed up = can't think = can't work but still have to work! look - here we are on thursday at the concert in the pouring rain - the radio station was taking pictures of people with neat umbrellas. mine is a monet - my mom gave it to me for easter ... thanks mom!

yesterday we went to see franz ferninand and i didn't get home until midnight. i had a nap before the show but still. it's concert city lately =D spring is here and so is the music.

i went for a run today at lunchtime. work is over but i'm still hanging around. i'm meeting my mom and sister at swiss chalet for dinner and then meeting some girlfriends at the movies here in the burbs. we are going to see ghosts of girlfriends past.

running is going well. today i am monitoring my calorie burn a la shirls. i am tracking it on my HRM from 7am this morning until about 11pm tonight - that's probably when i'll go to sleep. i will share the results tomorrow but can tell you right now that it pains me how low it is.

i forgot to share the big news with you all. are you ready? really? ok here it is. 1/2 scoop of protein powder in the oatmeal is tastier than one full scoop, but not as tasty as ZERO scoops, hehe. i do like protein powder mixed with fat free plain or vanilla yogurt though - yum. i had some today for lunch with raspberries mixed in.

i better get going! i am going to canadian tire to buy myself this zero-gravity chair for summer reading on my balcony. i was also going to buy this breadmaker because it's 45% off but changed my mind. i will never bake my own bread. i've used my rice cooker ONCE and my crock pot ZERO times. these are things i'm sure i'll use when i have a family, but i don't need more stuff collecting dust in my tiny condo. the end. thank you and goodnight.

monday madness

a few things:

1) i bought a garmin forerunner 305! i bought it last night. i can't wait to use it because i live very close to lake ontario and now i can go for runs by the lake without being scared i'll run too far and collapse in heap and die from thirst and tiredness. (i couldn't track the trails correctly on mapmyrun). i don't have it yet though... being shipped.

2) i guess i'll sell my cute cherry ladies polar f4 on ebay ... unless anyone here wants to make me an offer. nudge nudge wink wink.

3) vitalicious.ca is having amazing incentives. if you buy $100 worth of products before April 30, and you live in ontario, shipping is free AND you get a skipping rope with a jump counter and calorie counter (regular $20) thrown in for free. i think the skipping rope is free no matter where you live, but i think the free shipping is limited to ontario and quebec. sorry, rest of cananda. i got a 24 pack of triple chocolate vitatops, a 24 pack of blueberry bran and a 24 pack of multibran. yes the chocolate ones are good, but i prefer to eat the bran-ier ones in before a morning workout, or as a mid-morning snack. they feel really hearty and delicious.

4) i am going swimming in the next ten minutes. i have book club later tonight so i've got to boot it!

5) i am going to cancel my weightwatchers online subscription before May 8 (when my month runs out). i like it but i'm just not using it and i could be using that money for other things. i can count points without the online tracker, it just takes a bit more effort.

6) i bought tempeh to try today. should i make a tempeh and pb sandwich a la kath?

get out of the pool

i am not working today because i have a hair appointment. great excuse, right! ;) it's kind of a sad appointment because i'm having some major hair trouble. my bleached hair has been breaking off in giant chunks, and only on the top of my head. luckily i can style it in a way so that it's not noticeable, but i feel terrible about it because i'm used to having nice, soft, shiny hair. just my luck lately...

so i don't know what to do. i'd like to stay blond, but i don't want hair like a roll of hay in a field on a farm! i was growing my hair too, so now i might have to cut it super short again, dye it as close to natural as possible, and then just let it grow. maybe i can go blond again after i grow it to the style i want. what a bummer though. and super short hair in the winter... brrr. i better invest in some new scarves. actually i already have lots of scarves haha, i just said that for emphasis.

so that is this afternoon. i'm sure i will feel better when it's over. if not, i will just buy some paper lunch bags and wear one every day over my head. with eye and mouth holes cut out. my new "shtick" will be jumping out from behind corners and scaring people with my scary mask face. booga booga!

enough about that. oh, one more thing. i think that i am not being offered jobs because of my blond hair. and i don't think it's in my head either. i'm sure thinking that is not helping. the power of thought. but i really believe that as a platinum blond i'm being judged and not in a good way. i asked my bf about this last night. he usually tells it like it is, so i can trust his opinion to be on the ball, and he agrees with me. alright - back to brown... maybe.

now, i mean it. enough about that. this morning i went for a 40 minute swim but it was cut back to 30 minutes as i was kicked out of the pool. it wasn't that harsh. the security guard asked me to get out because the cleaners clean from 11am-noon. no big deal. when i started swimming today, i could really feel my ab muscles, which means that the pilates videos from yesterday had an effect. alright! i might go back to the gym later if i have time.

for those who asked about my HRM, i have the polar f4, in red. it's very cute and i'm happy with it.

workout songs

great workout songs can really make all of the difference. or a great magazine. last night i added two new songs to my playlist:

1) all the single ladies by beyonce, and

2) live your life by ti and rihanna

amazing! nothing like getting your groove on to make working out fun. it will be heaven when no doubt releases a new album. HEAVEN.

last night i did about 36 minutes on the elliptical (burning 300 calories), and then moved to the mat for some stretching, sit-ups, and more bootylicious exercises. my bee-hind is definitely feeling the burn.

i wanted to write a little bit about heart rate monitors. mine has really opened my eyes to three important things:

1) the number of calories i'm actually burning. i find the estimates on the treadmill and the elliptical to be grossly overestimating how many calories i'm burning. i used to walk for an hour and think i burned 600 calories. HA! of course, the number of calories you burn doing any exercise varies based on your own weight, height, and age. i burn a lot less calories than a 200-pound man would doing the exact same exercise.

2) the level of physical exertion i should be aiming for and maintaining. after you input your stats into the monitor, it gives you a range to aim for and maintain during cardio exercise. for example, my resting heart rate is in the upper 50s. this is pretty low. my "cardio" zone is between 125 and 165 beats per minute. when i used to run, my heart rate would stay around 140 beats per minute, unless i was running up hill. on the elliptical, it's about 150 because i'm pushing myself hard. sometimes it goes up to 165, and i know it's time to back off a little.

3) what exercises are good for cardio and not as good for cardio. i'm not saying bad, because any exercise is good. but i now know that even walking on an incline doesn't pump me for maximum burn. and that tony gazelle machine (my parents have)... worthless! unless there is some way to turn up the resistance that i don't know about (there probably is).

my dinner last night was ridiculously low in points. i roasted an entire acorn squash, scooped out the insides (1 point for the whole thing) and covered it in 1/2 cup cottage cheese (1.5 points). since i had leftover points i enjoyed a 50 oz. glass of wine. 50! and now i'm dead. i meant 5 oz. i measured it on my kitchen scale and 5 oz. is a lot. i was underestimating my wine consumption before. not anymore haha.

this morning i thought about swimming but that didn't seem very appealing, so i did two pilates videos instead. the first was a beginner 25-minute "band exercises" workout, and the second was the 20-minute circle workout. my hips are very flexible but my hamstrings are NOT and both these videos stretched them out a bit.

blah blah blah

last night was my book club. you can see the book in the posting below. this book was awesome! it was about this young man in the 1920s (i think) who joins the circus. it is very exciting and descriptive... the idea of a traveling circus is really interesting to me. our next book is the 1966 classic "valley of the dolls" and i'm really looking forward to reading it.

last night after my book club i came home and ate leftover birthday cake. why? i don't know. i should just throw it out. i didn't get home until 11:30 (late!) and i hadn't been home all day long, because i had to finish the book in time for the meeting. i had two glasses of wine at the restaurant and maybe that's why i thought the cake was such a good idea. 1) it didn't even taste that good (but i can recall it tasting amazing at the party) and 2) it make me feel too full and like a giant tub of blob which is not a good feeling either. i am going to commit this feeling to memory and the next time i want something like leftover cake, try and remember how it didn't really do it for me.

today is another long day because it's my sewing class after work until 9pm. when will the madness end? just kidding. i don't mind but my apartment is très sale. thankfully i do not care (yet) because i am not having any parties this weekend :). and i can clean tomorrow. or friday. or whenever. who cares? not me.

today i got up and went for a quick 4-mile run. i didn't wear my hrm, but when i do wear it, i assume it's accurate. i mean, why wouldn't it be? the heart rate goes up when i go up hills or work harder, so i assume it's giving me the correct calorie burn (p.o.m.) but maybe it isn't. i guess it's not a bad thing to be burning more calories than i think i am, right? i've heard that people burn roughly 100 calories per mile, but i do have really low blood pressure. does that matter? and you know, to assume makes an "ass" out of "u" and "me." i know, i'm so funny...

i think my body hates extreme amounts of sugar! blah blah blah...

eating new stuff

the title is what's going on, i'm eating new stuff. i've heard a lot about two different super-grains. the first is quinoa and the second is the wheatberry.

QUINOA:
A recently rediscovered ancient "grain" native to South America, quinoa was once called "the gold of the Incas," who recognized its value in increasing the stamina of their warriors. Not only is quinoa high in protein, but the protein it supplies is complete protein, meaning that it includes all nine essential amino acids. Not only is quinoa's amino acid profile well balanced, making it a good choice for vegans concerned about adequate protein intake, but quinoa is especially well-endowed with the amino acid lysine, which is essential for tissue growth and repair. In addition to protein, quinoa features a host of other health-building nutrients. Because quinoa is a very good source of manganese as well as a good source of magnesium, iron, copper and phosphorous, this "grain" may be especially valuable for persons with migraine headaches, diabetes and atherosclerosis.


WHEATBERRY:
The term wheatberry or wheat berry refers to the entire wheat kernel (except for the hull), comprising the bran, germ, and endosperm. Wheatberries have a tan to reddish brown color and are available as either a hard or soft processed grain. They are often added to salads or baked into bread to add a crunchy texture; as a whole grain, they also provide nutritional benefits since they are an excellent source of dietary fiber.


last night i made a bunch of quinoa and a bunch of wheatberries. the wheatberries took a whole hour to cook on the stove. that's a long time in my world. they are pretty good though. i am going to add some to oatmeal and yogurt. the quinoa is alright... i used it until red lentil curry in place of brown rice. it wasn't bad but i prefer the rice. i am going to look into cooking it a few different ways, which might help as well.

my weekend was pretty good, but too short. exercise-wise, on saturday i went for a 5-mile run, and on sunday i swam lengths for about half an hour. i wore my HRM in the pool (i checked online if i could do this first) and it was pointless. i only wore it for about 5 minutes, but it said my heart rate was about 69 bpm. obviously that's a false reading. i stood up and it shot up to 126 or so. i just wanted to look at my heart rate in the pool. even though the polar website said i could wear it in the pool, today it was acting all funky and stupid, giving me inaccurate readings. i am going to clean it with soap and water and see what's up. otherwise i'll have to cause a scene and nobody likes that.

this morning i just did a quick workout. 3 x 10 minutes running on the treadmill, with some arm-weights in between. it's monday and i'm kinda pooped. today on the menu is:

strawberries
4 organic animal crackers

cinnamon oatmeal
1 T flax
1/2 cup all bran
2 T pumpkin
1/4 cup wheatberries
fat free strawberry yogurt

1 cup plain 2% yogurt
strawberries
carrots with hummus
regular oatmeal

red lentil curry on quinoa with mixed veggies

monday whoopah

i need this week to recover from the weekend. on saturday night i didn't go to bed until 5am and then slept until 1pm on sunday. what am i, a teenager? i mean, come on. i am really enjoying coffee this morning. other than that things are pretty good.

so my summer challenge week two vegetable was... eggplant. i have had eggplant before but haven't cooked with it. i don't even know if i can say i "cooked" with it. i cut it into slices, brushed it with oil, and then bbq'd the slices. not the most exciting. i probably wouldn't make it again. it was chewy and not in a good way, although the taste is nice. i've heard of eggplant parm, and once i had eggplant stuffed peppers which was quite nice as well. did i mention i charred them a little? oops. it was my first time using the condo bbq and it wasn't the best time i ever had.

so onto this week. for breakfast today i made "overnight muesli" which is: 1/3 cup oats, 2 x 100g fat free yogurts, 1/4 cup skim milk, 1/2 chopped banana, 4 blackberries, and 1T slivered almonds, all stirred up and covered with plastic wrap overnight. then this morning i chowed down. it was cool and refreshing. i missed hot oatmeal a little but it's good to switch it up. variety is the spice of life. i ate really crappily all weekend—not overdoing it, but not healthy and poor nutrition choices—so this week i want to do a detox of crap, if it can be avoided.

my menu today is:

breakfast:
overnight muesli described above

snack:
1 string cheese
1 royal gala apple

lunch:
lean cuisine chicken cacciatore

snack:
1/2 cup baby carrots
1/2 cup baby tomatoes
1T hummus
1/2 banana

dinner:
not sure yet actually.

today i wore my heart rate monitor on the bike ride to work. from leaving the door to my apartment, to coming in the door at work, it took 25 minutes, 0 minutes in the optimal heart rate zone (not surprising), 91 bpm average, 116 max bpm, and 61 calories burned. how interesting is that. i will wear it again on the way home. today was a really pleasant ride - no wind, nothing weird. fun times. su

summer challenge

5 miles today completing this week's runs.

and 5 miles from start to finish - from my condo, walking 5 minutes, stretching a bit at the end, and running up 10 flights of stairs, took 59 minutes, burned 453 calories, and put my in my optimum heart rate zone for 49 minutes. :) i even went above 165 (my max.) on some hills. yipadeedooda!

the cold, hard truth

first things first: friday weigh-in... 120.0 pounds, gain of 1.2. that isn't a big gain, but it puts me at the top of my desired maintenance range. so this weekend i will have to watch it, sort of. what does that mean? i don't know... smaller portions maybe? or stopping when satisfied, not full.

secondly, i FINALLY got my polar F4 heart rate monitor in the mail and i have to say it's awesome. although the cold, hard truth has shown its hideous face to me. i can't decide if i like this hideous face or not.

this is what it looks like (i got this pretty cherry colour):


here is what i've learned so far:

1) last night i wore the monitor for 1/2 an hour, just to set it up and test it out. in 30 minutes of pretty much doing nothing, i burned 25 calories. i did the math and that's 1200 calories burned a day when i'm doing nothing. sleeping is probably less. obviously "living" is more, but not sitting at my desk at work.

2) my regular heart rate is between 56-58 beats per minute. i checked online what was normal, and the average resting heart rate for a woman, aged 26-35 is 73 to 76 beats per minute. at first i was worried, until i found this chart, which tells that i am not going to die, but instead, am better than excellent, have the heart rate of an ATHLETE, otherwise known as being HARDCORE.

3) i went downstairs to the gymbo this morning and tried it out. sometimes when i go to the gym, as opposed to running outside, i like to do an incline walk on the treadmill. i usually walk at 4 mph, at an incline of 4.5% or so, for 60-75 minutes. when i put in my weight, the treadmill tells me i burned between 600-615 calories for this time period. the treadmill is a LIAR!
walking at 4 mph at 4.5% didn't even put me into my target heart rate zone (126-165 beats per minute). i upped the incline to 5.5% and the speed to 4.2 mph and still my heart rate wasn't in my target zone. 4.2 mph is a really, really, REALLY speedy walk people. in about 40 minutes i burned 200 calories, maybe 5-10 more. that's the cold, hard truth.

4) moving on. after the treadmill i did a bit of free-weights, then tried out the elliptical. normally i don't use the elliptical, because the ones at my gym really poop me out. but i went on, and my heart rate rose, up to 155-160 which is pretty amazing. and of course when your heart rate is higher, you burn more calories. so i stayed on for about 11 minutes, which took me up to 300 calories burned. for the record - i'm sure i always won't pay so much attention to the amount of calories i'm burning... right now i am a supernerd with a new toy.

5) continuing... i did a few more free weights and then got on the stationary bike. i kept my heart rate around 130 bpm, and i really had to focus to keep it there. i went up to 400 calories burned on the bike. then i did some sit-ups and stretches which brought me up to 425 calories burned.

6) i was at the gym for 1 hour and 20 minutes, and none of this time was slacking off at all. here is what i learned: a) i really have to push myself in a major way to get into my target zone. b) gym machines over-estimate calories burned big time and c) ok i only learned two things. but aren't they interesting? i am excited to see what my heart rate stats are during an outdoor run.

in non HRM news, it's friday! HOORAY! things are still weird at my office (with the roof caving in), so i might go home after or at lunch. tomorrow i am going for a run, and then my boyfriend and i have a dance lesson at the new dance studio near my pad. so far we have learned swing, rumba, tango, waltz, and foxtrot. by learned i mean we can do the basic steps and forget most of it every time we walk out the door. actually we practice swing the most and have learned some pretty rad moves that we put into action last saturday night. on saturday night we are inviting some friends over, then going back to the dance studio for the grand opening party. there will be champagne and some food, and the 3-time canadian dance champions are performing. ooh la la. and then after it will be early still so we'll go out somewhere else. time to par-tay!

today the menu is:
1/2 fibre source bar

instant regular oatmeal
2 fat free yogurts with frozen berries

and then i don't know... i didn't bring a lunch which is unlike me. happy weekend!

thursday, back at work - and book reviews

hello. it's thursday and i'm back at work. i don't technically *have* to come in, but i want to. why? because my heart rate monitor is here! i have it in my hands - finally! it's been so long. now i have to read the thousand page instruction booklet it came with. and i wanted to come in because a) i don't have any more work at home to do and b) yesterday i didn't leave my building once and that's depressing. i am a person that can easily become a hermit.

first things first - here is my haircut. it actually looks cute in these pictures. i think i look a little like a shakespearean boy who is playing a female in a play, but that's probably ridiculous. it sounds ridiculous! anyway, now i'm more cool with the length... it flips under my chin if i don't straighten it which i hate so i'll just have to straighten it... every day. and my bangs are too short but they will grow so fast.




and now for some book reviews:
1) Making the Cut: The 30-Day Diet and Fitness Plan for the Strongest, Sexiest You by Jillian Michaels.

my review: this book is interesting. it's for people who really want to shape up and lose that last 0-20 pounds and get a really defined, toned, strong body. the idea is good, except it's too rigid. you have to follow a specific exercise program and meal plan, right down to the recipe. and it's mostly about strength training, not cardio. i like strength training but i really like cardio. so all in all, i think this book is good for advice, and i'm going to copy some fitness moves and recipes, but there is no way in hell i would follow a plan like this for 30 days. maybe if i lived alone on top of a mountain and had a personal chef and didn't have to interact with any other humans... then and only then would this plan work for me. and there is no booze allowed. :o(

2) How Not to Look Fat by Danica Lo

my review: this book is supercute. personally, i think the title is eye-catching and hilarious but i think some people may be turned off by it. i showed this book to my sister and she looked at me in disgust and said, "you do not look fat, why are you reading that?" but then, after she flipped through the book, she was really into it. i didn't pick this book up because i think i look fat. i don't. this book is a funny guidebook for women. it wants you to accept and embrace the shape you have and then accentuate your best assets by wearing things that flatter you the best. it talks about underwear, suits, shoes, bathing suits, jeans, shirts... everything. for example, did you know that a three-quarter length sleeve is the most flattering for all women? it's true. even my boyfriend liked the idea of this book (i left it in the bathroom). he said the illustrations were really cute. and they are. a worthwhile read and nice classic style guide in my opinion.

this morning i ran 5 miles bringing me to 10/15 for the summer challenge (this week). i still need a vegetable. today on the menu is:

all bran bar (2)
astro yogurt (1)
shreddied shoved in my mouth (1)
(4)

apple cinnamon oatmeal (2)
added flax and pumpkin (1)
added shreddies (2)
2 clementines (1)
(10)

pc blue menu lasagna (6)
carrots and hummus (1)
(17)

apple (1)
source yogurt (1)
(19)

peas (1)
veggie burger on pita (3)
(23)

hair postpone

i'm supposed to post a photo of my new hair today but i'm not going to. why? i just don't feel very cute today. maybe it's because i just put on the tightest jeans of all time and can barely breathe. i shouldn't complain - they always have been tight, and i just washed them. they are black guess jeans i got from the junior department in winners. hot stuff. but damn, so friggin' tight. i worked up a sweat doing those stretch-your-tight-ass-pants lunges that all girls do, unless you are sensible enough to buy jeans that fit properly of course.

i woke up at 9:30 after 10.5 hours (!!!) of sleep and had to start working (at my kitchen table) right away so i could courier something out.

i didn't shower until about an hour ago and my hair is... ok. before straightening it's all poufy and going in all directions and not the best. after straightening it's a bit better.

i am going back to work tomorrow (for sure) and my computer at work has a built in camera so i will take a photo then. right now i want to vacuum before my bf gets here for date night. i wanted to do some reading with a coffee, but between showering, and laundry, and going to the gym, and vacuuming, there just isn't time. wah wah wah.

today i went to the gym around 2pm and did 30 minutes incline walking on the treadmill, and 4 miles (about 12 minutes) on the bike. i just wasn't feeling the long workout today. i wanted to be feeling it, but my body said, "take a break buddy" and i said, "ok." speaking of work outs my heart rate monitor is DEFINITELY at my office right now so i'll have it tomorrow. about friggin' time! i've said "friggin'" twice in this post. weird, because i don't say it in real life. i don't swear really either so i don't know where i got "friggin'" from. anyhoo.

today on the menu is:

1/3 cup red river cereal
2 clementines

1 fat free astro yogurt (yes, i'm switching up the source)

1 source yogurt with unsweetened almond breeze, an equal sweetener, and chopped strawberries

pita sandwich with:
one pita
tomato paste
mustard
lean deli chicken
1 slice swiss
lettuce
tomato
shredded carrots

and carrot chips and garlic hummus on the side. that reminds me, i better brush my teeth. see you tomorrow for a better post, promise!

not a monster anymore

last night i went to bed early. for me, that means getting into bed about 10pm and reading until 10:30... then lights out. and i feel great today, too. it's beautiful and sunny outside... my favourite kind of day. :o)

yesterday after work i went down to the gym and did some biking and strength training. i finished reading the black book of hollywood diet secrets. i would recommend it, if you get it from the library. it's cute and there are some good tips, but it's not really worth owning. (it's very light and will probably be outdated in a few years.)

for dinner i made a spinach salad with spinach, a chopped tomato, 5 chopped almonds, a sprinkle of dried blueberries, about a 1/4 cup of fiber one, honey mustard dressing, and spicy thai shrimps. yummo! i really have no problem combining weird flavours and textures, obviously. i also had a baked sweet potato with fat free sour cream.

my big news is that i bought a heart rate monitor. i couldn't help myself. i was going to buy it on ebay, but then i found a real company in BC that sold them for a reasonable price, with free shipping, so i bought it from there. it's called "fact canada." i like buying canadian because a) i like to support my home "peeps" and b) the main reason: the shipping is always less hassle. usually things that ship from the US are ok, but sometimes they take too long and once in awhile there will be a duty issue and i'll have to pay more. i hate paying more... cash on delivery is the pits. i got the polar f4 - in cherry red. ooh la la. now i have to wait for it to come in the mail. that's ok. i love getting mail.

this morning i got up and went down to the gym. i walked for four miles at four miles per hour at an incline of four. four four four (i just realized that now... good thing that isn't unlucky). i also did a quick mile on the bike and some situps. i made a giant caramel iced coffee and it was so delicious and refreshing. i made a giant cup of coffee before going to the gym and then put it in the fridge. it was still warm when i took it out over an hour later (weird!) so i put in some ice and some sugar free caramel syrup. yummo.

tonight is my book club and we are discussing suite francaise. fun! today i'm eating:

fat free apple crumble yogurt with fiber one mixed in (pre work out) (1)

10-15 almonds post work out (i really need to not eat these from the bag... very dangerous) (2)
2 dried apricots post work out (0.5)

giant caramel iced coffee (0)

hot coffee (0)
(3.5)

1/2 banana (1)
oatmeal (2)
(6.5)

yogurt (1)
clementine (0.5)
(8)

soup to go (2)
1/2 banana (1)
mini bagel (2)
(13)

grapes (1)
yogurt (1)
puffed kamut cereal (1)
(16)

dinner: maybe a veggie burger. i know i say this every day but i really love veggie burgers and usually don't end up eating one anyway.