friday

friday in list format:

1) weigh-in day! this morning i weighed in at 118.2 pounds, which is 2.2 less than last friday, and more than 4 pounds lower than sunday. i'm feeling really fit and i owe it all to a) exercising every day b) oatmeal and portion control and c) having the willpower not to snack between meals and my planned healthy snacks, and at night.

2) this morning i got up early and did 80 minutes, changing intervals on the treadmill. i read two, yes, two, entire people magazines during that time. i am a big fan of borrowing magazines from my mom (who's office has a people magazine subscription) and the library, since i go through them so fast.

3) i am spending tonight on my own, so i am going to canadian tire to buy paint for my apartment. also, i think i'll go to walmart and look for some new workout shorts. i usually work out in pants but lately i've been into the shorts. and i only have one pair of somewhat suitable short and they are way too big for me. can anyone suggest some neat paint colours for me? i have a red couch in the living room, and velvety curtains. here is a picture of the pillow on my couch. see those circles? well i was thinking of using those colours as inspiration. maybe a gray wall colour. silvery-gray, not blah-gray. and then what about a green bedroom. i really like green... it's so fresh. i still have the bathroom, den, and kitchen. i love yellow kitchens... but i don't want my house to look like an easter egg. although i do want it to be vibrant and fresh looking. advice! i also like purple and was thinking about that or blue for the bathroom. also, does anyone have any tips to make a room look bigger? my den is very small and boxy.

4) anybody doing anything exciting this weekend? since it's just me tonight, i might make a pizza (or buy one) and rent a movie, or watch what not to wear. isn't that looking good naked on tonight? is there anyone in canada who has seen the american and not the british version of this show? for some reason whenever i see it on the tv guide channel it's the british version. it's good, but maybe less relevant to north american ways... i don't know. tomorrow night i am going dancing at my favourite 50s and 60s rock n roll night. i haven't been dancing in sooooo long - winter hibernation has been setting in.

today's menu - more oatmeal!

pre-work out:
4 almonds

post work out:
handful of cinnamon shredded wheat
coffee

breakfast:
coffee
weight control maple brown sugar oatmeal
strawberries

snack:
cottage cheese

lunch:
fibre berry medley oatmeal
strawberries
clementine

snack:
cookies and creme oatmeal
banana yogurt

dinner: maybe pizza!

for once

i am nervous and excited for tomorrow's weigh in. i am feeling really good and looking pretty good, but like many the numbers on the scale can have an influence on my mood. sort of. actually if i am back in my maintenance range i'll be happy. i know last friday i was only 0.4 over it, but saturday i was more than a pound over and sunday more than 2 pounds over. i don't even want to think about monday after sundays gorge-fest. i am pretty good about shrugging off bad numbers actually, i just want to see results for the work i put in this week.

last night for dinner we had fast fry steaks, salad, and whole wheat rotini mmmmm. delicious. and a post dinner snack of smartpop mixed with ketchup chips. i managed to eat mostly popcorn which was a victory for me because i loooovvvveee ketchup chips.

this morning i woke up and had a great run on the treadmill. except for that my headphones stopped working in one ear a couple of days ago. yesterday i went headphone shopping but couldn't believe how expensive they were, so i am going to try ebay. i decided to try running with no music, and let me tell you it was a very pleasant experience. i felt really in tune with my body and running, and my thoughts were very clear. until the big guy with b.o. got on the treadmill beside me and i could hear his music through his headphones. so i did some running and stretching, sit-ups and pushups, and i think i will go back tonight for some strength training before tap class. i really love getting cardio out of the way in the mornings. it sets me on a happy track all day long.

here is today's menu:

pre-run
1/2 slice sprouted grains bread

post-run
other half of bread slice

breakfast
banana bread oatmeal with added flax and splash of unsweetened almond joy
blueberries and strawberries
coffee

lunch
low fat coffee yogurt
weight control maple brown sugar oatmeal
clementines

snack
clementine
cookies and creme oatmeal

dinner
maybe oatmeal pancakes and peas. for some reason i am craving these pancakes again. :)

doing well

wednesday and it's FREEZING today. wowee wowee. but it's ok. last night for dinner i had peas, cauliflower with frank's chili lime hot sauce, and mix of tuna, onion, and sun-dried tomatoes mixed with mustard, baked until hot, and served over a slice of multigrain toast. i made way too many veggies so i have a bit left for lunch today YUMMY. i knew i really should eat tuna when i was STILL craving it. maybe i heard john tesh talking about mixing it with mustard or something haha.

so canadian girls, i have a freebie for you. it's a 32 page guide to your health called live well: a woman's guide to optimal health. i can't vouch for how good it is because i just ordered mine this morning. but why not order it? it's free (my favourite price).

i am feeling good about my weight and health, but i'm not stepping on the scale until friday because a) it's tom, which truthfully i don't think affects me as much as other women and b) i don't want to get discouraged.

i got up again this morning and walked for 60 minutes on the treadmill. i bumped my speed up to 3.8 mph and changed the incline from 0% to 11% every 1.5 minutes. EDIT: i also forgot to mention that i actually went swimming in the condo pool last night - only for about 1/2 an hour and definitely not strenuous, but it was fun and i will go again soon.

here is my menu today:

breakfast:
pc blue menu multigrain oatmeal with added flax
clementine
coffee

snack:
toffee yogurt

lunch:
leftover peas, cauliflower and tuna mix
clementine

snacks:
vanilla yogurt
cinnmon roll oatmeal

dinner:
not sure as my boyfriend is coming over tonight.

ps. it turns out my kitchen scale was not delivered because UPS didn't have my apartment number - GRRRRRRR. hopefully it will come soon now that it's cleared up.

cookies and creme oatmeal

this is cookies and creme oatmeal:



i couldn't find ANYTHING about it on the quaker site, and this photo is from a site called "canada only" so.... that sums it up. it's for kids and by the "dino eggs" oatmal... it's ok nutritionally, but not really tasty enough to make the switch. i always thought this one would be super tasty and it's pretty tasty but nothing to write home about.

EDIT: now you can buy canadian products online WTF and have them shipped anywhere. hahaha. for some reason this really amuses me. maybe because i think of canadians being so gung ho for american products. i recommend the swiss chalet homestyle gravy hahaha.

http://www.canadaonly.ca/

feeling better already

i think my oatmeal plan is working. by the end of the workday i had three packs of quaker instant oatmeal and i truthfully i was a little sick of oatmeal. but then for dinner i had oatmeal pancakes (and peas). funny because this morning i got a comment on my last post suggesting oatmeal pancakes. maybe it was the vibes of the universe ;o). i didn't really feel hungry all day, except before my workout and dinner. already i feel really in control and less likely to snack on things that i don't need. i want my stomach to get used to eating small meals, 4 or 5 times a day, and this really helps. and already i'm craving weird things like tuna and mustard.

last night i went for a 4 mile run. i had to stop and start a little because my womanly areas were feeling funny (wed. is t.o.t.m.) - also i had to go to the bathroom. so i walked for 5 minutes, ran for 25, walked for 2, ran for 5, walked 2, ran 3, walked 2, ran 2, cooled down walking for 5. in the end it was more like 4.6 miles but i wanted to get a full 35 minutes of running in. i also did some stretching, sit-ups, and strength training. i went to the bathroom in the women's change room, connected to the pool, and it is soooooo nice. why am i not swimming more? maybe i will swim tonight or tomorrow morning. maybe!

my oatmeal pancakes were delicious - i added flax. a side of peas may seem strange to some people but i figure that i only can eat whatever i want for dinner for so long, without having to think about other people, like "men" or "kids" so i might as well just eat what i want.

this morning i got up early (i also went to bed early which was amazing for me because i love staying up but then always regret it) and walked for 81 minutes on the treadmill. i walked at a speed of 3.7 mph which is really comfortable (not too fast) and changed the incline from 0% to 10% every 1.5 minutes. a good workout for sure, but not necessarily difficult which i like.

so it has come to my attention that when i'm in the car listening to the radio, which is rarely because i usually only ever drive on sundays, i sometimes enjoy the john tesh radio program. the speaking parts, not the music. is this a sign that i'm getting old? anyhoo, yesterday i downloaded his diet and fitness podcasts and i've been listening to them on the way to and from work, on the streetcar. i really recommend them. it's just a bunch of really short tips and tricks for dieters - like things you may not know, or what to eat to feel full, or what foods have more brain power etc. he really is pushing for everyone to eat oatmeal in the morning. maybe that is why i like him so much. and he just seems like a real guy - he mentions his daughter from time to time and says that if he didn't follow his own advice he'd weigh at least 25 pounds more. so i'm recommending his podcasts to you. there are also ones about relationships and other stuff which i will move on to soon.

doesn't he look like a reliable guy?

anyway, i'm oatmealing it up again today, so here is my menu!

breakfast:
1/2 boiled apple, chopped
weight control maple brown sugar oatmeal
cottage cheese cup with mixed berries
coffee

lunch:
banana creme pie yogurt
cookies and creme oatmeal
clementine

snack or lunch 2:
fibre berry medley oatmeal
clementine

dinner:
maybe oatmeal pancakes and peas again. it is really yummy :)

monday, a new start

i have to say despite my best intentions, my eating on the weekend was pretty poor. yesterday i went to a joint birthday party for my dad and sister and ate: caesar salad, spaghetti and meatballs, pillsbury crescent rolls (plural), chocolate cake with cream cheese icing, and mint chocolate *and* heavenly hash ice cream. and THEN i went to an oscar party and ate: indian samosas, other indian things, handfuls of chips, brownies, a slice of homemade pizza, and cranberries. yes, all this food was eaten in relatively small(ish) portions and over a long period of time, HOWEVER, it's not really acceptable eating behaviour. and i should not be in the same room as mint chocolate swirl ice cream. i become a gluttonous savage beast. 

i have gained a bit of weight recently and i'm feeling kind of bummed about it. i'm still exercising, so i must be really overeating to be actually gaining weight. obviously i'm not monitoring my portions correctly, or i'm snacking - a bite here, a bite there, not recording it, whatever. so that's got to stop. especially before spring which is quickly approaching (thank the good lord above).

so i thought to myself, what is a good way to control portions while still eating the foods i love? the answer to that is another question: what food do i love most right now? oatmeal! i love love LOVE oatmeal. it's sweet and nutritious and filling and delicious. so here is my new plan for this week: oatmeal and fruit for breakfast, oatmeal and yogurt and fruit for lunch, then a more balanced dinner, like fish and veggies and yams and rice, etc. oatmeal is so quick and easy to make, and i really look forward to eating it. so here goes nothing - obviously i can only eat like this when i'm on my own and nothing "social" is happening. did i mention that i LOVE oatmeal? i love it. 

breakfast:

weight control maple brown sugar oatmeal

clementine

lunch:

banana bread oatmeal

cappuccino yogurt 

grapes

dinner: ? 

snacks:

clementine

cherries

more oatmeal? just kidding.

also, for a monday laugh, everyone should check out the everyday normal guy on youtube and his second video here . seriously it's hilarious. 

where does the time go?

happy day it's friday! yesterday was the science fair and it was fun. except the gym was FREEZING and for some reason my body (especially my extremities) can't stand any temperature but warm. seriously walking outside my feet are always ice blocks. do other people have this problem? 

some of the science projects were awesome! there were these two super cute girls who tested different types of wool for "feltability" which means they knitted squares of sheep wool and felted (washed in the machine on specific settings) so that the fabric binds together and turns into felt. oh they were sooooo cute. "we are both avid knitters" they said. i hope i have daughters just like them (one day!) another girl tested the effects of chlorine on hair, and another girl looked at different fast food fries to see which ones had the most preservatives (burger king haha). very fun. 

and it was also fun to see my boyfriend in his element. his students asked, "is that your girlfriend?" and he said, "no just a science fair judge" and then they saw us walking together at lunch and accused him of cheating on his girlfriend. :o) hahaha. 

friday is weigh-in day and i gained again even though i was really good this week. i only gained 0.4 but still, now i am above my maintenance range which sucks the big nut. i am not upset about it really, i just want to stay in control. 

i woke up early this morning to exercise but changed my mind. i could have done it but i did work out on tuesday, wednesday, and thursday and my body really needs a break. last night at tap i was the worst tapper ever. i could have fallen asleep standing up. sometimes i think i push it too hard. i hate being idle so i'm always doing something or going somewhere. it's important to relax too!

this weekend is going to be really fun. tonight i am going to challenge my boyfriend to a friendly game of scrabble for a prize ;) and we are going to make chicken soft tacos for dinner (he doesn't know this yet). then we are going to watch kenny vs. spenny episodes that one of his students leant him on dvd. kenny vs. spenny is sooooooo funny. it's these two friends in toronto who just compete with each other doing ridiculous things... like seeing who can not talk for the longest. ha! tomorrow we are going to the leafs game! YAHOO! we are going with his parents. my boyfriend's sister is this awesome young broadcasting talent and she is the in-house host for all of the home games. she is on the ice, on the jumbo-tron, you can even hear her voice (at home on tv) every time the whistle blows. anyway that's going to be really rad. 

on sunday my family is having a double party for my dad and sister - he is 60 and she is 22. and then i am coming back into the city for an oscar watching party! busy but fun. 

and finally, here is today's menu:

breakfast:

clementine (0.5)

berry medley oatmeal with flax (2.5)

(3)

lunch:

coleslaw with ff caesar dressing (1)

1 cup mushroom barley soup (1)

turkey on sprouted grains sandwich (3)

(8)

snacks:

2 clementines (1)

all bran bar (2)

yogurt or cottage cheese (2)

dinner:

chicken soft tacos