this week the plan

i know it's "humpday" but here is my weekly plan.

according to my marathon training schedule (say shed yule) i should be doing this:

monday: run 40 minutes
tuesday: cross train 40 minutes
wednesday: rest
thursday: run 40 minutes
friday: cross train 40 minutes
saturday: 3-mile run
sunday: rest

since i never listen to what i'm supposed to do (rebellious by nature?) here is my plan:

monday: 5-mile run (about 50 or so minutes), sit-ups and stretches
tuesday: 35-minute swim, 1-hour treadmill walk, sit-ups and stretches
wednesday: 35-minute swim
thursday: 5-mile run, sit-ups and stretches
friday: rest
saturday: 5- or 6-mile run, sit-ups and stretches.

yesterday i swam before work and then did the incline treadmill walk after work. i had nothing else to do! (other than cleaning, etc.) also, i need friday to be a rest day because i am going to see my fav band: depeche mode! woooooooooooopeeeeeeeeee! should be a gay ol' time as the flintstone's theme song used to say. did anyone else watch that everyday at lunch? i always did!

this morning for breakfast i made SPINACH OATS.

do not be alarmed by the following pictures:



i pushed the bloobs over in the second pic so you can truly appreciate the green. here are the ingredients:

1 cup spinach water (made by blending 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup skim milk and 3 cups of baby spinach)
1/3 cup oats
1/4 cup all bran original
1 T flaxseed
1/2 cup blueberries
1 small container fat free vanilla yogurt
1/2 t vanilla
1 T chopped walnuts
dash cinnamon
small spoonful of natural pb

it's not pretty because it's in my to-go office plastic ware, but it works. it tasted a little weird but i think my walnuts have gone bad or something. i don't even really like walnuts that much. i got them for a baking project and really should throw them down the chute. i am also having a spinach salad for lunch today. it's not easy being green!

artificial me

i tried the pc blue menu frozen steel cut oatmeal that i bought. it is $2.99 and comes in a box with two bowls. i only got the blueberry flavour but it also comes in vanilla almond. it's about 150 calories per bowl, with 4 or 5g of fibre and 4 or 5g of protein - only 2 ww points. not bad at all. unfortunately i found the flavour to be really bland. i don't know what i was expecting but i thought it would be instantly tasty without adding any sugar.

without thinking i ripped open a package of equal sweetener and dumped it on, and then was a little disgusted with myself. i think my use of artificial sweetener is getting out of control. i use it in oatmeal, in coffee, in tea, on my grapefruits... and why? because i have a giant box of it from costco? i don't even own a bag of regular sugar. isn't that sick? it's pretty strange. a lot of people who want to stop eating artificial sweetener have to ween themselves off of diet pop. i don't really drink diet pop... i just head straight to the hard stuff. i need some sort of plan. maybe if i take it slow i can eventually drink my coffee black. ah, the sweet dark bitterness... in theory that sounds delicious.

this morning for breakfast (in the car), i tried a mint chocolate clif bar. 250 calories, 3g fibre, 10g protein, 5 ww points. the verdict: WAY better than the carrot cake flavour. still a little artificial tasting, but not bad. kind of like a protein-y girl guide cookie. i don't know if i'd buy it again. i still want to try the chocolate chip flavour.

today it's incredibly windy outside. it's shaking the building! my cat is terrified of the wind. he's meowing and running around like a chicken with no head. up on the couch, down, into the bedroom, on the bed, down, into the bathroom, into the tub. what a strange little man.

quick post today

this morning i had cold cereal instead of oatmeal for the first time in months. i like cold cereal a lot but i never feel full after eating the recommended serving size, it doesn't keep me full for as long as oatmeal AND it takes way less time to eat. i ate kashi probiotic something or other. it was in a giant box at costco. it has bran flakes, graham sticks, and these weird yogurty squares which really make the taste. one serving is 1 and 1/4 cups, but it's less than that if i actually weigh out the 55g it claims to be.

last night i walked for three miles on the treadmill. i kept it fast too, at four miles per hour or one mile every 15 minutes. that's fast walking! i probably could have gone up to 4.2, but that would be speed walking territory and i don't want to push my bum injury at all.

this is just going to be a quick post, because there is a big snowstorm outside and i have places to go and i'm not very happy about it. i don't even have snow tires!
right now i'm going for a swim and tonight i'd like to do a 20-minute yoga download. stretch!

fantastic friday

i am having a really great friday. i have an interview next week. i have a delicious bowl of steel cut oatmeal in the fridge. i found a dime on the street. can't be beat! and my boyfriend and i are going out for dinner tonight to milestones. it's just a chain but a nice one and we have a gift certificate. we usually eat at home so going out is special.

last night i saw the movie "bride wars" with a few girlfriends and it was really cute. a little cheesy, but i liked it a lot. i am the biggest movie critic and never like anything so that's saying a lot. great fashions! jen, i never would have noticed that purse if you hadn't mentioned it in your blog. i loved the outfit emma was wearing while she had that bag.

my week of proteining it up is OVER (thank god - i don't normally eat that much meat) and i am down 4.8 pounds. can you believe it? i can't. that really works for me. actually it's probably protein 40% no salt 60%. it's so hard for me not to use salt. i used so much mrs. dash it isn't funny. so now i'm back in the middle of my maintenance zone and pretty happy about it. last night i made a batch (4 servings) of steel cut oatmeal. it takes 30 minutes to cook on the stove so making just one serving at a time wouldn't be very time efficient. i'm having a serving for lunch with pumpkin mixed in, sweetened coconut and toasted almonds sprinkled on top, and a scoop of PB2 chocolate. it's a dream come true.

this morning i tried the 20-minute hatha yoga #2 download. it was pretty good. a few different poses, some sort of challenging due to my lack of flexibility. i have trouble arching my back. when i was a kid i practiced every day until i could finally do a standing back arch. now? i would probably wind myself falling flat on my back trying. i love yoga because it really focuses on stretching hamstrings.

fun weekend coming up. dinner tonight, tomorrow possibly some dancing (my favourite thing), and sunday... oh boy... getting together with some girlfriends for a GONE WITH THE WIND movie watching party! hoooooray! we are going to watch half, break for dinner (potluck style) and then keep on watching until our eyes fall out. today is such a great day. oh, and after work i'm going to loblaws to shop for a few things. it's my favourite grocery store and i never get to go there since there is a metro literally a 2-minute walk from my building. loblaws has a great natural foods section, and it's all together unlike metro which puts everything with the like products. for example, organic ketchup with the regular ketchup. organic soups with the regular soup. i want it all together in an organic wonder aisle! not spread out! the end. have a nice weekend.

yawn to yawn

i am so beat this morning. it feels like my lips and face are raw. like i've been skiing or in the cold wind for too long. the concert last night was amazing, and my friend really enjoyed it which made me enjoy it more. i was a bit tired but i could tell he thought it was the bomb diggity. and it was of course.

i thought about sleeping in this morning, but i went to the gym, and walked for 3 miles on various inclines, and did some lunges, push-ups (girl ones), sit-ups, and that plank move that is supposed to be good for your abs. i am way more into the treadmill than the elliptical because i can read magazines and i have a stack of about 40 to catch up on. and i can set my mp3 player to radio and get the morning news as well. i didn't want to work out tonight because a) could be too tired, b) have a few minor things to do and c) all i really want to do is drink tea and read twilight. i bought the next book in the series so i don't have to go without. i am resenting all of the awake time i have to go through until i can finally sit down and read the book. and now it's too cold to read while walking outside (frozen fingers).

i really wanted something delicious and carby for breakfast so i made a quaker instant regular oats with added all bran, pumpkin, cottage cheese, banana, splenda, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla. it was really filling and just what i needed. warm and comforting.

the latest audio book i'm listening to in the car is "my life" by bill clinton. it's very interesting even though i don't really know anything about american politics. did anyone know that bill clinton was a rhodes scholar? or that his younger brother went to jail for selling cocaine (to fuel his own habit)? i sure didn't!

that's about it... FOR NOW! i might skip tomorrow's workout but wake up at the same time to clean my apartment. i definitely need to step on the scale since i avoided it last week and all this week so far. but really, i've been feeling pretty good about myself so maybe i shouldn't. nah, i will. or won't. or will... i will. time to face the music... whatever that means. apparently it refers to shamed officers being drummed out of their regiment. hmmmmm the more you know.

much better hair day

today i am feeling much better. last night i got home from work starving. if i am working out at night, usually i like to work out first and then eat dinner (because eating feels like a reward, don’t you think?) but last night i felt so hungry and weak that i decided to eat first and it gave me a lot more energy for the workout. and it’s better that way anyway because then i can avoid eating too late.

at the gym i did 20 minutes on the elliptical, then stretches, sit-ups, lunges with 5 pound weights, and girl push-ups, 10 more minutes on the elliptical, and then i walked up the stairs (10 floors) to my apartment. good workout and it burned about 350 calories. (i was wearing my HRM). i like to break up the cardio on the elliptical because a) it’s really hard! and b) it's better to pause and keep your heart rate up for longer. i don’t know what it is about the elliptical machines in my condo gym, but they are really tough. a lot less smooth than really nice elliptical machines i’ve used at professional gyms, but they work nonetheless. and i know this because my heart rate is out of control. usually around 150-160 and sometimes bordering 170 if i am really pushing it. now i wonder if i just liked other machines because they were easier... who knows, whooo whooo? (owl)

after the gym, my legs felt wobbly and jiggly. obviously i need to do more lunges with weights. i haven’t been doing very much weight training lately because of all of my swimming. my upper body muscles are definitely getting bigger from all of that resistance water training, but i guess since i’m not running (more on that another time) my legs are feeling left out. i’m going to incorporate more leg work at the gym: lunges, squats maybe, some press machines... that sort of thing. anyway after the gym, i felt all wobbly and jiggly and even though i wasn’t hungry, i had a source yogurt with ½ scoop vanilla protein powder. i felt so much better! obviously my muscles needed some protein right away. i’ve read that you should eat a protein-y snack right after doing any muscle-tearing activity to help the rebuilding process.

this morning i did 30 minutes of swimming even though i didn’t want to. i was a bit stiff from my workout last night, but i don’t want to wimp out on exercise during the week. i want to exercise at least five days a week, six if i am feeling energetic.

this morning i also made regular oats (1/3 cup) with tim horton’s pumpkin spice tea that was brewing (steeping?) during my whole swim. with ¼ cup all bran, ¼ cup pumpkin, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice it was a breakfast sent from autumn heaven. i ate some strawberries too.

tonight is date night and we are having poutine and watching top model. my boyfriend begs for poutine. what a sad addiction ;). it’s actually not bad at all. mccain low fat fries, swiss chalet gravy from the powder (pretty light), and served with a turkey grill ‘em or two if you are really hungry and love sausages. sometimes we have cheese (light mozzarella) and sometimes we don’t. it doesn’t make that much of a difference anyway because the gravy is deeeeevine.

what else? i finished last week’s audiobook and went to the library on monday to exchange it for another. i pretty much only listen in the car. i picked up teacher man, by frank mccourt . it’s great but read by the author and his voice can be really annoying when he imitates students. i have read his other books and they are awesome as well. have a great wednesday bloggers.

new bowl

this may be ridiculous but i had to show you guys the new "oatmeal bowl" i got for myself at IKEA yesterday. i love using a huge bowl because then i can just throw everything into the microwave and it doesn't spill out over the sides of the bowl. and it's just fun having a big bowl. it makes me feel like i'm just a tiny person using a regular sized bowl.

i took these photos for comparison. on the far left and second to the left are the dishes that came with my standard corning ware dish set. a small bowl, and a bigger bowl. i like to microwave 1/4 cup egg whites in the smallest one for 47 seconds and out comes a perfect english muffin sized patty.

in the middle we have a colourful blue and yellow bowl. i actually bought this in England when i studied there years ago, which is why it's a loner bowl without anything to match. i like the size of this bowl but when i use it for oatmeal in the microwave, it gets too hot to handle and i have to take it out with paper towels, which is kind of dangerous.

second from the right is the bowl i use the most, since i have four of them. i like the size, and they don't get too hot in the microwave, but they look kind of old and shabby (cracked) because they are plastic. and when i stack them they always stick inside each other and are hard to pull apart which is kind of annoying.

and finally on the right is my new blue IKEA oatmeal bowl. i haven't tried it yet so i don't know how it will handle the microwave but i'm imagining that it will be perfect. :) see how big it is!




oh, i just noticed in the first photo there is a nice shot of my cat's bottom. in the second, his feet. don't let the size of the cat impair your bowl-size-judgment because he is a mammoth beast. also in the second is this cute wall art sticker thing i got for a friend's housewarming present.

my plan worked

yes that's a pogo stick a.k.a. corn dog. it has been a very long week and it's almost over... hallelujah! last night i got a lot of stuff done. it's true, i am very organized. but i have to be because i know myself and i tend to get really flapped out about not having enough time to get everything i want done. i used to have a problem with anxiety and i think the main reason that i'm cool as a cucumber all the time now is because i burn off all my energy at the gym. seriously, like my dad says, if i were any calmer, i'd be dead!

i almost freaked out last night. i got home from work, and decided to clean the inside of the fridge before i went shopping for any party foods. so i cleaned it, and then was taking a coffee break on my balcony, when i realized how much i had left to do. too bad i wasn't wearing my heart rate monitor, because i'm sure my bpm was going up and up. it ended up alright though. i went to the dollar store and the cheap ass no frills for party supplies. then i came home and cleaned until 2am!

the only things i didn't do are a) wash the floors b) sew/fix this tiny hole in my couch and c) windex the balcony doors - there are doors in the living room and the bedroom. i figure why bother washing the floors now when i can do it on saturday, and my boyfriend can windex the doors. "is there anything i can do to help?" why yes, yes there is!

so. all clean, laundry is done, speakers set up and songs uploaded, food and decorations bought. now i need booze. BOOZE.

obviously i didn't work out this morning because i was up so late. but my internal alarm woke me up at 6:45. stupid internal alarm. i tossed and turned for a while and then got up. friday is weigh-in day. last friday i was 121.8, on saturday 123, on monday 122.8 and today.... 117.8! yes people, that's a 5-pound drop from monday to today. i really stopped the madness.

today on the menu is:

coffee
more coffee

cherries

protein oatmeal:
1 scoop protein powder (vanilla)
1 packet pc blue menu multigrain oatmeal
1 T flax
cinnamon
splenda
1/2 banana

carrots with hummus
peanut butter and 1/2 banana sandwich on whole wheat
source yogurt and grapes

granny smith apple (why is called "granny smith" anyway?)

dinner ?
have a great weekend everybody :o)

good morning

hip hip it's saturday. last night i had a "non-scale" victory. i ordered pizza, for myself, and rented a movie (st. elmo's fire). i didn't watch the movie but i did only eat 3 medium slices of pizza, then quickly pack the rest into a freezer bag and put them in the freezer. amazing. pizza is one of those foods that is just so tasty, that normally i would chow down until i was feeling too full. i also had a glass of wine. delicious.

i didn't go to canadian tire and buy paint, the weather was too crappy and i didn't want to drive in the snow. i rarely drive because i do not like driving. it's too much stress. i'd rather sit on the streetcar or subway and calmly read my book. so i'm going to go today. i'm just waiting on my boyfriend to come in from the burbs. i don't think paint shopping is his idea of a fun saturday, but i'm happy because now i'll have a helper to bring it all from the car upstairs. ;)

for your information, right now i am reading "the other boleyn girl" by philippa gregory and it is AWESOME. especially if you like historical fiction (like the outlander series...) you will LOVE this. it's for my book club and for once i think i'll have read it with weeks to spare before the meeting.

i went to the gym this morning and did this routine on the treadmill:
5 minutes warm up walking
35 minutes running on 1% incline
then for 15 minutes i walked at 4 mph changing the inclines from 0 to 10% every 1.5 minutes
then a 5 minute cool down walk
over 5 miles!

i also did sit ups, some upper body strength training and situps.

before my workout i had some peanut butter on a slice of sprouted grains toast, and just now i had a delicious bowl of dessert breakfast:

2/3 cup rolled oats
8 almonds
1/2 cup unsweetened almond joy
1 T peanut butter
and a handful of milk chocolate chips

yummy yummy yummy. now i'm going to read more of my book and wait. happy saturday everyone!

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.

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.