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.

come on shoes, get here already.

i am waiting patiently for my shoes. since they were sent usps, i only have a number that tracks the shoes until they leave the united states. this was at the chicago airport on october 14. that was a few days ago, so hurry up shoes! i was going to run again this morning but couldn't bring myself to get out of bed. oh boy. i went to the gym last night and rode my bike to work, so that's probably enough activity so long as i step it up tomorrow.

i got new batteries for my scale yesterday. i went to this battery store in the underground scotia plaza and they tried to sell me batteries for $24.99 each! (i needed two.) not having that. after work i rode to the source by circuit city where they were only $6.99 each. very strange price difference. i really like the source by circuit city. at first i wasn't into it, because i thought it would be just another radio shack, but the prices are very reasonable and the sales people have always been really helpful to me.

last night at my book club i was all pumped to have a pint of amsterdam framboise beer—but they took if off tap! thanks jerks! they replaced it with pumpkin ale, which i had. it was alright. i seem to be on a mission to want to really like pumpkin, even though i only sort of do. like pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin pie, pumpkin oatmeal pancakes, pumpkin ale... i think it's because i know how good for you pumpkin is. there are many foods—like green beans for example—which i used to hate but now love because i know how good they are for me.

tonight i have a stay at home date which is nice. here is today's menu up until dinnertime.

breakfast:
oatmeal with a bit of milk and strawberries (3)
3/19

lunch:
microwave meal of chili (3)
leftover greenie beanies (0)
2 slices ww bread (1)
7/19

i have grapes and a pear hanging around work, but chili is so filling i don't think i'll be hungry. ok back to work. :o)