back it up

let me set the record straight here: the cleanse i'm doing IS PERFECTLY SAFE. you go about your exercise and healthy eating as usual, but take 2 cleansing pills each morning and 2 each evening for 15 days. this is the exact one i'm doing. it's all herbal and there are no laxative-like properties. it's so gentle that i don't really notice much of a difference because i consume a fair amount of fibre and things like flax seed which are known to flush out the system anyway. so really - it's more for fun than anything else. i do feel less bloated ... sort of. it's hard to tell.

i haven't weighed myself in a while so i don't have anything to report on that front. perhaps i will weigh myself on friday. i don't want to know but it won't be that bad i'm sure. i know i probably am above my happy maintenance zone but it's definitely not by more than 1 to 5 pounds.

the good news is that i have been running again and consistently. i go three or four times per week (not on consecutive days) and have run 3 or 4 miles each time. sometimes i have to stop and walk and sometimes not. i'll regain that endurance if i keep it up. last week i ran monday, wednesday, friday and yesterday (sunday). i went swimming on tuesday and today (monday). i think if i keep up with the running and throw in some cross training activities AND watch my diet on weekdays i'll be able to get down to wear i feel the best.

tomorrow at work we are having a potluck for an upcoming cookbook we are putting out. if you remember last month i spent some days at a food photo shoot. so now we are all testing recipes and recording things like prep time, taste, ease, etc... just to make sure. i made these oatmeal banana bars with walnuts and crazy flours like brown rice flour, barley flour, spelt flour and kamut flour. it's very tasty and my mission tonight is to AVOID EATING ANY MORE so i have some to offer tomorrow.


my other mission for this week is to think about my hunger after exercising. i am in the mindset where i eat after every workout, regardless of whether or not i'm hungry. i think this affected me less in the past because i always worked out before a meal, but now that i work crazier hours it's harder to do that. maybe i should just try to work out before a meal ... thoughts?

do you eat something after every workout? you are supposed to eat protein after a weight training workout, but what about cardio?

crazy week coming up!

good morning. this week is going to be crazy. let's start at the very beginning.

monday: today is my two year anniversary (with my boyfriend). exciting! we are going somewhere or doing something but it is a surprise. i love surprises! i made him a scrapbook with photos from our year together and love quotes on fancy paper. the "glitter stack" of cardstock. i am fairly certain he doesn't read this blog so the surprise won't be ruined. ALSO, today i am definitely (i think) going to hear about one of the jobs. for some reason, instead of being excited about it, it has turned me into a nervous wreck. all weekend the hamster wheel in my brain was whizzing around at a thousand times a second. as soon as i woke up in the morning, no matter how early or how late i went to bed the night before, i was up because i couldn't stop worrying. i need to calm down.

moving on. tuesday: actually this day is nice and chill. i have to clean my apartment, bake the festive meringues, and watch the season finale of the biggest loser. nice!

wednesday: i am hosting my book club's holiday potluck party. so far i have made the chocolate clusters (amazing!), the no-bake holly cookies (interesting but a bit weird... they look good anyway), and this morning i made the teddy graham marshmellow chocolate bark. it is cooling in the fridge right now. i am planning ahead. so that's going to be really fun. i'm "bringing" a shrimp ring to the potluck. "thaw" - it doesn't get any easier than that. it even came with the sauce.

thursday: my boyfriend's work party. it's also a potluck, and a kris kringle gift exchange. luckily we already got our gifts. funny how everything can be stress free with a little planning and organization. except waiting to hear about jobs! gah!

friday: i am going to a bachelorette party. then finally i can relax. in a heap, on the floor.

my weekend was pretty good in terms of exercise, but not that great in terms of eating. i saw the sound of music (the musical), and had another sewing class where i learned to make a men's tie. it is so adorable and the best thing i've made so far. on saturday i went for a 40 minute swim and on sunday i did 2.5 miles on the treadmill, 20 minutes of which were running. so far... no bum pain.

my goals this week are a) try to eat sensibly while still enjoying myself. it's fun time and i'm going to try things don't get to try everyday. other things like store bought cookies and chocolates... i don't need. b) try to get some exercise in everyday. today i am going to walk to and from the library, and hopefully get a swim in. that would be the ultimate. c) drink and be merry, but don't drink too much. maybe i will pace my alcoholic beverages with water. 1 booze 1 water. or is it 1 booze 2 waters? d) get enough sleep. this is probably the key for keeping the other goals. when you are tired it's hard to think sensibly.

and finally, here is a picture of my coolio wall decal, and one of my little weenie christmas tree. the lights aren't on in this picture, so it isn't looking that festive.

severe candy corn shortage

well. i can't find candy corn anywhere in this city. yesterday in the burbs i went to the bulk barn, expecting to find a giant tub of it ready for the scooping and they didn't have any. SOLD OUT. loblaws at lunch today didn't have any either. i am going to try the dominion by my office after work today because they have a pretty solid bulk section.

i have decided to make 1/2 vampire cookies and ice the other half. just for kicks. i forgot my camera USB cord so my baking photos will have to wait until tomorrow.

until then, i got this neat cereal info in my inbox this morning.

how to choose healthy cereals:

1) Remember the "Rule of Fives": Choose cereals with at least 5 grams of fiber per serving, and less than 5 grams of sugar.
2) Look for each serving to contain at least 3 grams of protein.
3) Read the ingredients list. The top ingredients should be "whole wheat", or "wheat bran"--not just "wheat". These whole grains are naturally low in fat, and high in fiber.
4) Avoid cereals that list hydrogenated oils, artificial dyes or colors, and chemical preservatives as ingredients--these have no place in a healthy diet!