things to do in niagara falls

last night was my valentine's date at the chalet swiss. i had a garden salad with fat free raspberry vinaigrette dressing, a messy chicken sandwich with mashed potatoes, and we split a 1/2 litre of wine. this meal was a lot of weight watchers points but only about 600 calories (not including the wine) which isn't that bad.

sometimes these weight watchers points annoy me. let's say that i was in weight loss mode. i would be eating 19 points per day. not a lot. and if you calculate calories, that could be as low as 950 calories, which puts your body into starvation mode. obviously at 19 points a day you have to find creative ways to eat more food, like 0 point fruits and veggies, and up the fibre... but still. on the other hand...

i see people eating 2,000 calories a day and still losing weight. i think that if i ate 2,000 calories a day, i would gain weight. i know it's true, actually. i mean 2,000 with no exercise at all. i know everyone has different metabolisms but i just don't understand it really. maybe it's best to avoid thinking about it at all.

and as promised, here are some pics from last year's romantic valentine's getaway to niagara falls. there is a lot to do there. including, going through the most terrifying haunted house of all time:

yes, this is my real face and i didn't know they were taking a picture at this time. it was pitch black... i couldn't see those ridiculous gravestones on the wall.

or, you could go to the old tyme saloon:


pretty funny. i think anyway. i just found out that we are going out for lunch today at work... i am still stuffed from breakfast.

here is today's menu:

breakfast:
1/2 cup oats
1/4 cup pumpkin
mixed seeds

lunch:
enchiladas

dinner:
leftover enchiladas i assume

it's only wednesday

it's only wednesday. but that's ok. last night there was ANOTHER major snowstorm. it took me a really long time to get home on the streetcar. it's brutal out there. even though today is cold it is thankfully sunny. i need sunshine in a major way. hurry up summer. i am fantasizing about dragging my new papasan chair out on the balcony and reading in the hot sun, while drinking a calorie-free iced beverage. doesn't that sound nice?

so tonight is my big swiss chalet date. apparently there was a "misunderstanding" and my boyfriend thought we were ordering in, while i thought we were going to the restaurant. don't worry, i cleared it up ;) but seriously, if it's too cold or whatever i'd be happy to order in. although ordering in... i don't know. sometimes it just doesn't do it for me. if i'm going to eat at home in front of the tv (because that's what happens at home) i'd rather have something healthier and cheaper. so we'll see. i like to order in thai food. i used to live near this great thai place but not anymore. boo hoo hoo. they had the best spring rolls and panang chicken. the thai food i like the best uses peanuts and coconut milk which is not the best in terms of health.

i am really looking forward to the weekend. yes, the brock plaza hotel is amazing. marilyn monroe stayed there while filming a movie. and...

"As Niagara’s first luxury hotel it has long been a favourite of Hollywood elite and royalty. Since it’s opening the Brock Plaza has played host to notable guests throughout history including Walt Disney, Shirley Temple, Jimmy Stewart, Princess Margaret, Queen Elizabeth, and perhaps most famously Marilyn Monroe while filming the movie “Niagara”. In recent years the Brock has been graced with appearances from Sylvester Stallone, Matt Dillon, Bruce Willis, Jackie Chan, and has even appeared on film. The ending to “A whole nine yards” starring Matthew Perry was filmed on the balcony terrace on the 11th floor."

we actually went to niagara falls and stayed at the very same hotel last year around v-day, for free because my boyfriend's parents had some sort of points we redeemed. i got a great deal this year though... niagara falls is awesome - there is a lot to do. i will post some pics from last year's trip tomorrow... they are really funny trust me (and not just to me because i'm in them).

in terms of eating, i am not doing that well. did i mention that a printer in hong kong sent my office a huge basket of chocolate and goodies for the chinese new year? hershey's kisses, chocolate pizza, chocolate almonds, chocolate spoons, jujubes, popcorn, lemon butter cookies, shortbread, chocolate mints, peanut brittle. the list goes on and on. thankfully there are no more chocolate almonds as these are my weakness. did i mention there aren't any more because i took them home and ate them all? yeaaahhhhhhh.

today i am focusing on mindful eating. healthy snacks between meals to avoid the crap.

menu:
breakfast:
tea
organic maple nut oatmeal with a few blueberries and 1/3 banana
coffee

snack (only if i'm hungry):
apple
cottage cheese

lunch:
mc frozen dinner
frozen peas, microwaved

dinner:
swiss chalet

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. :)