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. :)

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 :)

:)

thanks everyone for all of your nice comments yesterday - you are very thoughtful - all of you! :) i am feeling more like myself today... less in a hazy daze. my uncle wouldn't want anyone to mope around feeling too sad. now he isn't suffering, and is in a better place. 

last night my finance planning seminar didn't take place. i walked for 60 minutes on the treadmill and did some really good stretching and sit-ups. then i watched biggest loser. i won't ruin it for anyone who didn't see it yet but i have to say, i really loved the challenge this week - the cooking one. it was awesome. they prepared these really nice dishes and they were pretty low calorie. not to mention that chef rocco was so cute. and i loved how he taught them how to cook afterwards instead of just making a meal. the vote-off was not that surprising... what do these people expect?

since it was pancake tuesday, i also made pancakes! oatmeal ones of course. 

ingredients:

1 banana, mushed

1/3 cup oats

1/3 cup egg whites

1 t vanilla

1 t baking powder

1 t cinnamon

1 T splenda

1 T peanut butter

1 T jam, any flavour

directions:

mix 1/2 mushed banana, oats, egg whites, vanilla, baking powder, cinnamon, and splenda. let sit for a few minutes. turn on pan and spray with non-stick cooking spray. pour in 1/2 mixture and form into a pancake. flip when needed. makes two. then top one pancake with the peanut butter and the remaining mushed banana, and the other pancake with jam. SO GOOD. 

that's about it. today i'm taking a break from exercise (for sure!) and spending a quiet night in with my boyfriend. nice! today on the menu is:

fat free yogurt, with strawberries and all bran sprinkled on

maple nut organic oatmeal

2 clementines

campbell's healthy request herbed chicken noodle soup

1 slice sprouted grains toast

maybe some carrots and hummus

and dinner, as always, unplanned