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.

product love

here are some products i am really digging lately:

1) dairyland "creama"

only the fat-free kind, let's not get crazy. i know i've mentioned this before, but the dairyland brand of dairy products is the best in canada, in my opinion. not including organics or one's i haven't tried. the dairyland milk is so creamy and tasty, the yogurts are amazing... there is something else i love but can't remember. oh right! cottage cheese! the dairyland cottage cheese is THE BEST hands down. dairyland fat free creama is also tops. truthfully i detest the name "creama" but there is nothing else wrong with this product. it's fat free, 10 calories per tablespoon, and it really creams up your coffee. i am not into black coffee and why would i ever be with products like this out there.

2) the bag of spinach: the bag of spinach rocks. do you want to know why? of course you do. it's so versatile. it's pre-washed so there is hardly any mess and it's ready to go. no need to get out that annoying salad spinner that takes up a whole cabinet above the fridge (and i have to move all of my cereal boxes to get to it). earlier this week i talked about putting spinach in a smoothie, but i like it many, MANY ways. add it to an omelet, put it in your lunchtime wrap, chop it up and just eat a spinach salad. spinach adds bulk to your food with hardly any calories and a massive amount of nutrients. where do you think popeye got those giant muscles from? and, it's a great source of iron. i have anemia and don't like taking iron pills (cough... constipation... cough) so fills that void.

3) frozen raspberries: i love them! my favourite brand is "europe's best" because they are always so fat and plumpy but i have been known to buy other brands, even noname store brands, and they are good too. sometimes i let them thaw overnight and sometimes i eat them frozen. sometimes i heat them up in the microwave and sometimes i let them warm up in my oatmeal. they seem expensive but aren't really if you compare the amount of berries you are getting in a frozen bag to that of a little puny half-pint container. those are often $3 on sale, and a bag is usually $5 or $6 for thrice or four time that amount. yes, i said thrice. do you like that word?

in other news, it is finally, almost the weekend. i have to clean my apartment SO BAD. it's not "dirty" just "cluttered" because i have a problem with putting things back where they belong. i feel like i'm always accumulating so much stuff and with it comes giant boxes or the need to throw out my old giant things. with a little living space it's difficult to stay decluttered.

the movie last night was cute. it was laugh out loud funny in a lot of parts. it deviated too far from the book for my liking, but that always happens. except in the movie "atonement" - that was very true to the book. the outfits were cute, isla fisher was cute, luke brandon, cute. all cute. that's my review. it's cute.

does anyone have big plans for the weekend? it's my book club on sunday. we read "the independence of miss mary bennett." i am still reading it... eep. i have big plans for yoga and for swimming too.

always the way, always the way

so get this:

close to the beginning of january i went to a wedding. it was about an hour's drive so my bf and i decided to stay in a hotel in town. really small town... kind of dingy, you get the gist. anyhoo, before the wedding i was charging the battery to my digital camera and the only available outlet was behind one of the bedside tables. OF COURSE i forgot it in the hotel room, d'oh. i phoned the hotel to ask if they found it and they told me to phone back when the main maid was working because only she had access to the lost and found box. it is locked with a key. ooooh. so i did and lo and behold, they did find the charger. amazing! i ask her, "can someone at the hotel please mail it back to me?" she said, "no problem" and i thought, great. couldn't get any easier than this. except that was over a month ago and my charger still didn't arrive. i called the hotel after about 3 1/2 weeks to ask if they mailed it, what's up, gimme the scoop, and they told me (with a giggle) that the mail is REALLY slow in their slow poky town and that it's just moving along. i find this a little hard to believe... canada post is canada post. it's not moving by a postman on horseback, is it?

so i continue to wait and wait and wait and finally decided, enough is enough! they probably threw it in the garbage and laughed all the way to the 711. so i bought one on ebay. i couldn't buy the canon exact brand because it was $80 and that's ridiculous, so i bought a general no name charger that works with my camera for $10 and $5 shipping. great. except the VERY DAY I BUY IT WHAT COMES IN THE MAIL? the charger!!! what in the world? isn't that always the way? the very day! it turns out they got one letter of my postal code wrong and that's why it took so long. i guess the mail isn't slow in that town but the staff at the howard johnson are... zing! i'm more bemused by the whole ordeal than mad... i mean, the new charger didn't cost that much and now i can charge my batteries wherever i want, whenever i want. in the car, in the bathroom, at work, etc. oh boy.

in other news, i think i am getting sick. my throat was hurting last night although it doesn't feel too shabby right now. i took a cold fx last night and this morning, even though i sort of believe they are placebos. if i am getting sick, it really explains the laziness and lethargy i've been feeling this week. i just have no energy. this morning i didn't swim but i did do a 20-minute hatha yoga (#1 - our fav) and it felt amazing. my cat likes to rub me with his body while i am trying to be serene.

tonight i am going to the movies with my best girlfriend to see shopaholic. can't wait! i am going to get a sub from subway and sneak it into the movies. i love contraband food.

a test of wills

today i feel a bit like a fatty mcbutterpants. last night my boyfriend and i went to see the new james bond movie (it was only ho hum compared to the last one) and we shared swedish berries and popcorn. i asked him TEN times not to get butter on the popcorn, and he got butter because he thought i was joking. joking? what kind of joke is that? i can't even wrap my head around it. obviously i still ate some because i'm not going to be a jerk who refuses to eat the popcorn that someone bought for me.

so i got up really early this morning and went for a 30 minute swim. i didn't really feel like swimming, but it's one of my quickest workouts, and i can shower in the pool change room which makes for an even faster time because there are no comforts of a home shower. no choice of body wash or shampoo, no relaxing stream of water from the rainfall shower head... just in and out.

tonight i am going to the movies again. i don't go for six months and then go twice in two days. apparently that's how i roll. some of my girlfriends and i are going to see twilight, and meeting for dinner at shoeless joe's first. i looked at the menu online, and it's really the worst thing ever. luckily the NI is posted, and I've narrowed it down to two options. 1) french onion soup (5 points) with a large house salad (3 points) and balsamic dressing (1 point) or 2) something called a salmon skillet which is salmon with veggies and rice (10) points. both are pretty good options. they have some things that sound yummier like the goat cheese burger, but i'm not compromising on the points after the butterfest of yesterday. it's only shoeless joe's, not a gourmet restaurant, and tomorrow i won't care what i ate for dinner tonight.

star studded

today is all about film and television. not really, but i was trying to think of a theme. i say that because i won two free tickets to see ferris bueller's day off at a small cinema tonight. i didn't even enter a contest. i just belong to some random facebook group or something. it's one of those "membership" theatres where you pay $3 for 6 months and then each movie only costs $6. i am not a member yet but i guess i'm becoming one tonight.

and last week i was in the dominion grocery store, now called "metro" and i saw this man in the produce section. i thought i recognized him but couldn't place him. it was only after i got home that i thought... is that that guy from catwalk? for some reason no one i talk to in real life remembers catwalk, but i used to watch it all the time. neve campbell was on it! anyway, i have verified it and the guy i saw is paul popowich. you should google image him to see if you recognize him. and just think, he must live in my neighbourhood wow wa wee wa.

yesterday was a good day food and exercise wise. i went for a 30 minute swim, rode my bike to the library and kensington market (where they have unsweetened almond breeze 5 for $10 and larabars 2 for $3), and did day 1 of week 3 of the couch to 5k program. lots of activity. it must have pooped me out because i fell back asleep after my alarm this morning and didn't have time to go swimming before leaving for suburbia.

here is today's menu:

maple high fibre oatmeal (3)
1/2 cup pumpkin (0)
1/4 cup all bran (0)
coffee (0)

1/2 cup 1% cottage cheese (1.5)
140g frozen raspberries (0)

1 can amy's pea soup (2.5)
3 light wasa crackers (1)
1 wedge laughing cow (1)

baby carrots (0)
light hummus (0.5)

apple pie larabar (3)

and then tonight my bf is making "lean italian meatballs" and whole wheat spaghetti. yum yum. :) hopefully i can avoid movie temptations.

fruit

yesterday i dyed my hair dark brown. this is the colour i normally dye it. it's so dark this time i really look like a goth. this is emphasized by my hair sticking up everywhere crazy when i get up in the morning. i love my new short hair, but i have to make more of an effort to be feminine all of the time. i'm talking makeup and clothes. i don't mind because i am into that kind of stuff.

this morning i made (boiled) a batch of wheatberries. a batch (for me) is 1 cup dry. this time i let them soak overnight, then rinsed this morning, then boiled for an hour with some salt. they are so chewy and tasty but time consuming to cook, which is why i've been putting it off. i like to eat them in yogurt or oatmeal. yummo!

the topic of today's post is fruit. what is your favourite fruit?

i love all berries the best. raspberries, blueberries, blackberries and bloobs.

i also love bananas because they are so filling and feel so substantial.

peaches are so delicious but i hate when they are too juicy. my mouth likes it but my pants (drip drip) do not.

green seedless grapes... the bigger the better. i like to mix vanilla yogurt with a bit of soymilk and then eat grape soup. weird but the grapes taste really good coated in a milky yogurt.

apples are alright. they taste good but are a little boring to me. sorry apples.

clementines... who doesn't love these since they remind you of the christmas season.

i'm trying to think of what other fruits i eat on a regular basis. not melons because i loathe the taste of all melons. yes, even watermelon... gross. kiwis are good. mangos are good too but have the same juicy problem as peaches. anything else to add?

oh, i almost forgot about the movie last night. it was good to see those girls again all in one movie, but it was too confusing. they combined the last three books into one movie and there just wasn't enough time for all of the plots. they left stuff out, added weird stuff... the movie was too long and the actual movie time was wasted. i am a tough movie critic so take that as you will.

time flies

i just finished my pilates 50-minute fat burning workout. i always am sweating at the end of it, but i'm not sure just how good of a workout it is. i guess any workout is better than no workout, right?

it's a windsor pilates dvd and on it is the 50-minute cardio style workout, a 20-minute "circle" workout, and a 10-minute boost workout, if you are in a rush or something. i've tried them all. the 20-minute is alright... definitely needs to be paired with some cardio. the 10-minute one is a total joke. but the 50-minute one seems to be worthwhile. the whole package including the circle and a suggested meal and exercise plan only cost $9.95. that's cheep cheap like a little bird.

so i think my bum pain is finally gone. i'm able to jump on that leg without feeling any pain which is amazing to me. i'm going to wait until september before trying to do any running, and i think that i might do the couch to 5K plan again instead of running my usual distance. i'm sure i could just do it, but i don't want to injure my body and easing into it is always the best plan. the bad news is that i think i'm feeling leftover shin splinty pain in my right shin. what gives body?!?! what gives! does anyone know how to combat this annoying pain?

in other news, lately i can't get enough cottage cheese. there is this brand called "dairyland" which i've found in walmart and shoppers drug mart and the fat-free version is suprisingly thick. i've stirred cottage cheese into my oatmeal, and i also like it plain with added chopped fruits. i've heard of making pancakes with cottage cheese but i've yet to try it. maybe tomorrow.

last i went to see "mama mia" the movie. it was really cute, but i didn't think that meryll streep was a good enough singer to sing ABBA songs. ABBA songs are really REALLY good and i cringed a few times, especially during "the winner takes it all" which was painfully long. tonight i am going to the movies again... this time to see "the sisterhood of the travelling pants." i've read all the books so it should be good. and since gilmore girls is over, this is as close as a fix as i can get!

of all the things we need...

here is a tip: don't watch the movie "valley of the dolls"... it's absurd. it makes no sense, especially if you haven't read the book. the characters are all over the place. not a good movie. the book, however, is amazing.

in other book news, today my "hungry girl" recipe book has to go back to the library. i flipped through it one time (one time!) and made nothing. the thing with recipe books is that they are meant to be bought, not borrowed. i also have vegan with a vengeance and it's awesome. much better than the hungry girl book. no offense, hungry girl. your book is great too. it just serves a different purpose and doesn't meet my culinary needs right now. who knew i had culinary needs?

my book club bbq was great. i made grilled zucchini (not boats), a sweet potato, and a pre-marinated chicken breast. delicious. i also had wine, veggies with dip and those chocolate lady fingers.

this morning i was going to walk on the treadmill, but i wanted to give my shin a break. i want it to heal and recover but i loathe being inactive. it makes me feel like sloppy sloth sally. instead i went for a swim in the pool. i did 50 lengths front crawl, then alternated 10 lengths breaststroke and 10 lengths front crawl three times. keep in mind my condo pool isn't a full sized pool. the whole thing took me about 30-35 minutes with no stopping. a pretty good workout except i can still see faint goggle rings around my eyes..... looking good!

this morning at work i got this "brookstone catalogue" which is basically full of expensive things that no one really needs.

exhibit a: the golf drink dispenser. "here's the discreet way to enjoy hot or cold drinks right from your golf bag!"


for you dog lovers, exhibit b: the car dog booster seat. so your small dog can have a comfortable view of the road. this dog does actually look pretty happy.


exhibit c: the doggie dining table. now your dog can eat in a healthier, more comfortable position. is this really necessary? i've never known dogs who had a problem eating off the floor!


time to work. tonight is date night (at home) and we are booking our hotels for california! we already have plane tickets, rented a car, and the first night's hotel. and pretty much decided on what cities to stay in (and what we are going to do in those cities). surf city here i come. :o)

HUNGRY LIKE HIPPO

it would be a lie to say that i'm not feeling the effects of drinking too much wine last night. yikes. and right now i'm sooooo hungry - i think my stomach is eating itself. hungry like a hippo!


i was so close to going to tim horton's and getting a big chocolate chip muffin but instead i will get an iced cap with chocolate milk and eat my berry oatmeal with a peach instead. i'll save the debauchery for the weekend.

i'm feeling very incoherent today. ummmmm the movie was good although there were some parts i wasn't that impressed with. just too cheesy. but i still would recommend it to anyone. very cute.

today i'm taking a rest day from exercise. i still rode my bike to work so it's some activity. and it's such a nice day. it's going to be sooooooo hot. i love it. finally i love hot weather.

today i'm eating:

berry oatmeal with flax
chocolate milk iced cap
peach
banana
raspberries
yogurt
ezekiel english muffin with peanut butter
and a mystery dinner.

oh, weigh in 119.2 down 0.4 from last week.

finally the day has arrived

what day is that? the day i am going to see sex and the city with my girlyfriends, that's what. i wanted to avoid the crowds in the theatres on opening weekend because i can be easily bothered at the movies. and in life. people doing things like talking too loudly or hitting the back of my seat really puts me into a rage. food noises don't really bother me (at the movies haha).

i brought my dinner to work (to avoid eating a giant popcorn) and then i'm going to walk to the theatre. the show starts at 6:50, which is good because we are going to my friend's house to have a few drinks after, and i heard that the movie is 2 and a half hours long. that's long! but good... almost like 5 episodes of the show. :)

i got new running shoes in the mail yesterday. yahoo! the bad part is i had to pay $25 duty tax on them... crap! but still, even with the duty they are less than $50 than what i would have paid in store. i got the mizuno wave inspire 4's.

aren't they pretty? they are just like my mizuno wave inspire 3's, but the blue is less teal-like, and more of a dim aqua. at first i was put off by this but then i realized i was put off by the colour of my old shoes when i first got them. i love my running shoes and i have grown to think they are pretty, but really, i think running shoes in general are ugly. they are so big and bulky and not fashion. if i could give anyone fashion tips i would say (to start) the following two things: 1) unless you are doing physical activities (for example, running, any sports, even walking to work...) there is no need to wear your big, bulky, running shoes. i know they are comfortable but still, come on. what would stacey and clinton say? i know what they would say... she would be appalled and he would be horrified. and please don't wear them with jeans... oh, the horror! (it's like every dad's style... along with the jean tuxedo) and 2) no khaki pants. if i went on a date with a man who was wearing khaki pants, it would be a deal breaker. harsh? maybe.

now that i have that out of my system... this morning i went on a 4-mile run around town. it wasn't hot out but it must have been humid because when i came back i was a sweaty betty. i then turn on the tap to take a shower and realize that there is NO HOT WATER... ahhhhhhhh! this is very rare since i live in a condo and there is always hot water. i could be running the dishwasher, the laundry machine, and taking a bath and there would still be hot water. not that i wash my clothes in hot... just saying. i stuck my head under the tub tap to wash my hair... brrrr.... talk about brain freeze. i wash my hair everyday anyway, so the thought of not washing it after it's soaked with sweat isn't that appealing to me. then i did a wash-cloth wipe down everywhere else. i hope the hot water comes back soon...! although it is supposed to be 30°C tomorrow and all this weekend so maybe i need some cool refreshing showers.

yesterday i bought peanut butter and co. natural peanut butter. i've never bought natural peanut butter before. it's amazing. the only ingredients are peanuts, and salt. it's all oily at the top so it has to be stirred. for the past year or two i was using PB2 because it is only 50 calories for 2 T and regular peanut butter is 200 cals for 2 T... big difference. but i think now that i am at a pretty stable weight i can "live it up" with regular peanut butter. also i'm trying to incorporate more healthy fats into my diet. filling fats... so that i can eat less but feel more satisfied overall. and isn't the jar so cute? those kraft bears have nothing on this jar!


enough blabbing! today's menu is:

1/2 small banana with 1t natural pb

1/4 cup cheerios with 1/2 small banana and 1/4 cup unsweetened almond breeze

1/2 cup cherries

quaker weight control cinnamon oatmeal
with 1 T ground flax
1/2 pack regular oatmeal
1/4 cup wheatberries

1/2 cup plain 2% yogurt
1 t no sugar added raspberry jam
1/4 cup wheatberries

3/4 cup quinoa
1 serving red lentil curry with spinach and tomatoes
1/2 cup mashed sweet potato/cauliflower mix

and i'm bringing a rebar to the movies just in case. a rebar is " a blend of 20 different fruits and vegetables with no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives - each bar is made with 2 cups organic fruit and 2 cups organic vegetables to make for the most nutritious pocket-sized snack available." and 160 calories, 6 g fibre, 2 g protein. i have never tried this before... but it sounds great!

easter monday

nobody should have to work on easter monday! what's going on!? actually i think most people are working. and i'm happy to be back to work today because being at work really helps me stay on track with eating during the day. despite my gain on friday, i still ate like crap on the weekend. i went to a girl's sleepover on saturday night and on sunday went to easter brunch/lunch/dinner at both my boyfriend's parent's house and my parent's house. it could have been worse but it wasn't great. anyway, now is the time for action.

lately (the past month or so) i've been feeling really lethargic. maybe it's because it's STILL cold outside, and i just want to run outside and ride my bike to work again and that isn't happening yet, or maybe because i'm stressed about all of my home improvement projects that just seem to loom over my head all the time. i need to slap some sense into myself. and this is my plan.

1) count everything (points) during the week, and be sensible on the weekend. by sensible i mean not going overboard by drinking too much, not going to mcdonalds (not that i ever do that anyway haha), eating more healthful meals, etc.

2) get more sleep, especially during the week. i love staying up at night because it feels like my own personal quiet time. sleeping personal time is good too.

3) try to become less ocd about working out. run three times a week, and vary activities for the other days.

4) create a to-do list for home stuff and knock stuff off the list that way.

this morning i walked to work (2.3 miles) and after work i am going to get movie tickets for a saturday canadian film fest screening of spencer rice's new movie. spencer is spenny from that showcase show "kenny and spenny" which is really funny. he should be at the movie on saturday which is neat to the o.

and today i'm eating:

source yogurt (1)
(1)

regular oatmeal with added flax (2)
5 oz. strawberries (0.5)
(3.5)

source yogurt (1)
(4.5)

lean cuisine (6)
5 oz. strawberries (0.5)
(11)

source yogurt (1)
1 cup grapes (1)
(13)

dinner: ?

swimming

good morning everyone. another rainy day in the city! last night my book club went to the movies - to see the other boleyn girl... it was alright but i was not that impressed. it was really different from the book, which is always the case. i should see the movie before reading the book.

one of my friends in the club leant me the boleyn inheritance so i am looking forward to reading that after i finish eat pray love.

last night after the movie we went out for drinks and dinner. i ordered a personal pizza. red curry sauce on thin crust with zucchini, apples, and goat cheese. it was so good and hard to stop at just half (but i did). i didn't get home until 11:30 though - taking the transit home late at night in the cold wet rain really is the pits.

on the way to book club i walked to canadian tire to get more paint brushes. they had packs of five brushes on for 75% off ($2.50). i can't pass up a deal like that. and now after i paint i can just throw out the brush and not wash it out (i hate that - it never gets clean enough and takes so long). i also got new swimming goggles. i actually just got a pair of $10 speedos but returned them because they really hurt my face. i looked like a victim of abuse. so i spent $20 and got a pair of speedo vanquisher for women googles. i had this kind before and it is superior to all other brands and types i've had in the past. i used to have blue but this time i got pink. seriously people it's the best.


i also found this sugar-free caramel syrup for coffee. yes, at canadian tire. they had more flavours but only sugar-free in caramel which really i'm not complaining about. :o) i forget the brand but it was there.

this morning i went swimming for about 45 minutes. i'm not sure about the distance because i don't know how long the pool is. i'm looking into it though! it was fun.

today i'm eating:

banana bread oatmeal and frozen berries

yogurt and grapes and carrots and baby tomatoes with hummus
cheese sandwich

lean cuisine skillet sensations for dinner
and probably popcorn too

good day today

today is going to be a good day. why? because tonight is my book club meeting and since we read the other bolelyn girl, we are meeting early to see the movie, and then having drinks afterward to discuss the book. i love going to the movies but i don't seem to go that often... i have a short attention span and fall asleep in the theatre about half the time. weird? maybe!

this morning i was going to get up early and work out, but i fell back asleep after my alarm went off. i headed down at about 7:20, and ran for 3.5 miles (30 minutes running, 5-6 minutes walking) and used the stationary bike for another 10-15 minutes. i thought i would be late but i just had a really fast shower and made it to work for my regular time.

f.y.i. on hungry girl today they have a recipe for 1 point chocolate chip cookies. the best part of this recipe is that it only makes 8 cookies, so you don't feel overwhelmed by having a thousand delicious cookies staring at you through every tupperware container in your house.

today i'm eating:

1/2 granola bar (1)

pc blue menu oatmeal (3)
with flax and pumpkin (1)
banana (1)
blueberries (0)

yogurt (1.5)
strawberries (0)
oatmeal (2)
grapes (1)

and for dinner? probably going out to eat. :)

freitag (that's german for friday)

i have a lot to talk about today, so i'm going to do it in a list format.

1) friday weigh-in day: gained 1.6 and now am 120 pounds. note to self: stop mindless snacking immediately.

2) yesterday i bought this online. it is a starfrit electronic digital kitchen scale. it was only $19.99 with free shipping, and it has a tare function. my current kitchen scale is not electronic, not digital, has no tare function, and is so tiny. so can't go wrong.


3) last night i had an excellent run: 5 minutes walking, 35 running at a 6.2 mph pace, then 5 minutes walking cool down. and then i went to tap class for an hour.

4) after tap last night, i hit up shoppers drug mart and the grocery store. i noticed that the dominion has lean cuisine paninis now, but i didn't buy any because my freezer is full. i did buy diet chocolate cherry dr. pepper though. i don't drink pop on a regular basis, just when mixing drinks and stuff.

5) at shoppers drug mart, i bought this clearance oil of olay in-shower body lotion. you put it on in the shower and rinse it off. i've only used it once (this morning) but seriously people it's wonderful.


6) this morning i did A LOT. i woke up at 6:13 am, walked on the treadmill with interval inclines for 80 (yes 80!) minutes, made a giant pot of homemade soup, made oatmeal (the kind that takes 15 minutes), showered, got ready for work, and here i am.

7) i made a modified version of a hungry girl 0-point soup. i made this soup to have with meals, in a hope that it will deter me from stuffing my face unnecessarily.

ingredients:
1 onion, chopped
1 can plum tomatoes, diced
1 can sliced carrots
3-4 cups cabbage (i used bagged)
leftover adzuki beans
4 cups (i used 900mL) fat free vegetable broth
salt
pepper
mrs. dash original
many shakes of frank's chili lime red hot sauce

directions:
in a large pot sprayed with non-stick spray, cook onion for 2-3 minutes, chop the tomatoes from the can, add everything including tomato juice. cook for 2-3 minutes on medium. add carrots, cabbage, beans, broth. bring to a boil, season accordingly, reduce heat and cover for 5 minutes, and voila! the original recipe made five 0 point one cup servings. mine made a lot more than that and probably 1 point per cup, or something because i added the carrots and a few beans... maybe. does it matter? no, it does not. the hot sauce made it really good.

8) tonight i am going to see 27 dresses with my main gal pal. am looking forward to it!

9) my mom wants me to take her car (instead of mine) to niagara falls this weekend. hers has automatic doors and windows, an automatic starter (from a remote), and heated seats. mine has none of these things and makes funny sounds.

10) what does everyone think about these?

11) today's menu:
1/2 cup oats with milk and pumpkin
orange
homemade soup
turkey and swiss sandwich on rye
caramel yogurt
more soup
grapes
popcorn
something chocolately

frigid monday

WOW it's cold today. -15°C or feels like -24°C with the windchill. i am wearing leggings underneath my pants and it's making me feel a bit chubby. this weekend was alright although i was a real grumpy gus for no reason. 

friday night i went to a bar for my friend's birthday. there was a good band playing but the venue was SO SQUISHY. seriously couldn't move. and there were mirrors on the walls that gave the illusion of a big space but alas that was not the case. 

saturday i went for a run at the condo gym. it was alright except i felt asthmatic and it was hard to breathe. i normally don't have this problem. in the day my boyfriend and i went grocery shopping and picked up a movie - the heartbreak kid with ben stiller. it was funny in parts but mostly stupid. at night we were supposed to meet my boyfriend's friends at a dance bar, but the line was too long. we went somewhere else but not for long. both friday and saturday night i passed out big time - from exhaustion! i don't know why i am so tired lately.

on sunday i met some of my girlfriends at the movies. we saw persepolis which was amazing! we read the books in our book club. i really recommend both the books and the movie. i visited my family in the burbs and watched the jane austen book club with my mom and sister. it was cute. i sure watched a lot of movies this weekend... i don't even like watching movies that much because i have a short attention span. 

food wise i didn't make the best choices. shall i list them? poutine, licorice in large quantities, movie popcorn, ketchup chips, pillsbury turnovers, pasta with alfredo sauce. :( this week i need to get back on track with healthy eating. for me, that means only eating when hungry. the body is very smart and will tell me when it's time for more food. i hope anyway. 

today's menu:

1/2 weight watchers bagel (1)

tea

coffee (0.5)

pc blue menu oatmeal (2)

banana (2)

campbell's butternut squash soup (4)

goldfish crackers (1)

2 clementines (1)

fat free yogurt (1)

1/2 weight watchers bagel (1)

and for dinner... i have leftover pizza so maybe that and a salad. 

pictures of my pants

my review of ps. i love you (the movie) = depressing! some parts were funny but on the whole it was slow moving and very depressing and i hope to never see it again!

some of you want to see pictures of my high-waisted wide-legged turquoise jordache pants. well, here they are! i didn't get a good shot of the entire pants, but there is a picture of me getting ready, and one of me sitting on a giant light-up tiger. don't ask. yes, it was at the end of the night... so what?





i am really busy at work today, writing stuff about new books for sales reps. i woke up early again this morning at did another 80 minute treadmill incline walk. hardcore! actually it wasn't that hardcore. i started reading this new book called "the cement garden" by ian mcewan. my boss leant it to me. it's short so i am about halfway done. it's bizarre, and the subject matter is kind of... creepy... but worth reading.

this weekend should be good. tonight i am staying in with my lovely boyfriend (who i forgot to say sent me a dozen long stemmed roses at work this week!) and watching borat (again) and tomorrow maybe some dancing. i am looking forward to relaxing with a capital R.

today i'm eating:

some honey nut all bran with silk soy (before workout)
some almonds and dried apricots (post)
coffee
strawberries
yogurt
weight control maple brown sugar oatmeal

and for lunch
a fat free turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread with a processed mozzarella cheese slice
blackberries
an apple
a cup of instant soup

and for dinner... je ne sais pas!

you're the reason i'm leaving

that's just a line from a franz ferdinand song. they are a great band to work out to and so hip it hurts me a little.

last night i went to the gym and ran 4 miles, did weights, lunges, ab work, and then rode the stationary bike for 5.7 miles. i was finishing a book (the fourth sisterhood of the traveling pants - don't judge me, i like to read all sorts of books) and just kept going. then i made a big spinach salad which consisted of spinach, balsamic vinigrette spray, frozen corn (thawed), a sol cuisine spicy bean veggie burger (cut up), some green onion, chopped carrots, and 2 slices of weight watchers bread (toasted and chopped like healthy croutons). it was good and pretty filling.

this morning i got up early to hit the gym again. i like to get in three weekday workouts and one on the weekend. i tried a mrs. furious cardio session. i walked for 80 minutes at 3.5 mph, changing my incline from 0 to 9% every 1.5 minutes. it was a pretty good workout. i can feel it in my bum for sure. since i am taller than she, i upped the speed. i probably should have upped the incline more, but it was early in the morning and i didn't want to push it so hard that it might deter me from doing it again. i liked it though. i read almost an entire issue of chatelaine, and learned about rrsp's, women who regret their "compromise" not to have babies, and the sex canadian women aren't having. fascinating!

tonight i am going to the movies with my best girlfriend. i have to meet her in mississauga which sucks because a) i have to drive and b) its 30-40 minutes away. damn it, i hate driving. i like riding my bike, walking, and taking the transit in that particular order. we are going to see "ps i love you" which i am pretty pumped about. girl movies? hell ya!

here is today's menu:

brown sugar maple weight control oatmeal (2)
small banana (1)
3/19

yogurt (1)
strawberries (0.5)
honey all bran flakes (0.5)
5/19

lean cuisine pizza (7)
12/19

yogurt (1)
strawberries (0.5)
all bran flakes (0.5)
14/19

dinner (?)
popcorn at movie (4) i'm bringing my own because a) i'm cheap cheap and b) movie popcorn is a weekend treat. one more day until the weekend.