ack, one week down and already i am not meeting my goals.
1) i am trying to ease up on myself but it's difficult. last night i was suffering through a bought of poor self-esteem. i wanted to go to the gym but was just too tired from all of the weekend festivities, and then time ticked on and on and it was too late. i am going to get my hair "did" this week and then i'll feel better. i noticed that my roots are out of control and that is probably 75% of my issue!
2) since i didn't work out yesterday as planned, i only completed three out of four 40 minute cardio sessions. i did do two yoga/pilates videos, so all is not lost. i was thinking if i did five cardio sessions this week i could call myself even and move forward. sometimes four is a lot, especially during the the first week back from holiday!
that's that. i already feel better. writing things down really does help. and, even though it's january (the most depressing month), i have a lot to look forward to.
a) the prospect of a new job. nothing is happening yet, but positive thinking will work for me. and of course i keep applying for more jobs!
b) getting my hair done. so worth the money!
c) gossip girl tonight. and last night i finally watched that "being erica" show (new on the cbc) and it's pretty cute!
d) my boyfriend booked us a valentine's weekend getaway to niagara falls. &hearts &hearts &hearts, complete with king bed and jacuzzi tub. swoon! this will be our third valentine's weekend in niagara falls.
e) tonight i am going to get physical. swimming, or a video, or maybe just treadmill walking. something and it's gonna be amazing!
f) the tuna/hummus wrap i have for lunch. 1/2 can tuna (1.5 points), 30g sabra classic hummus (2 points - and if you haven't tried this brand you are missing out, it's seriously AMAZING), on a flat out wrap (1 point), with a side of steamed edamame (2.5 points).
in other news:
1) i have decided to avoid running until the weather is warm. not because i hate the cold (i do), or am lazy (i am not... hmmmm), but because i am still experiencing some bum pain from time to time and i think the only way to make it disappear forever is to refrain from doing any activity that aggravates it until it has been gone for a long time. right now sometimes i can run and sometimes i can't, but it's not enjoyable because i'm out of running shape and each run is such an enormous effort. not worth it. i will revisit this topic later!
2) on the weekend a group of my friends and i went to check out (oh, by the way, this is not for the faint of heart or the easily tempted!) a new quebec-style poutine shop that opened recently. smoke's poutinerie uses real cheese curds from quebec and there is a large variety of types and toppings. i got the mama's poutine, which is traditional poutine with slow roasted chicken chunks and green peas. delicious although afterwards my stomach was sending me a few signals suggesting this poutine should be a rare occurrence. the boys got crazy poutines with italian sausages, bacon, sweet onions... too much! a picture of smoke's poutine can be found here.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Friday, January 9, 2009
when days are hot, when days are cold
do you want to know what really gets my goat? (i don't really have a goat by the way) what gets my goat, is finding the perfect product online, at a reasonable cost, with reasonable shipping fees, only to find out at the very end of the transaction that they don't ship to canada. WHY NOT?!?!?! it's evil. we are part of the same continent as the US. and now that i'm on this subject, why OH WHY does it cost SO MUCH to ship american magazines to canadian addresses? a ridiculous amount more. i'd be willing to pay more for postage, but this goes way beyond postage. not fair not fair not fair.
the product i wanted from the united states was the iposture. this is definitely a "want" not a "need" item. i can imagine the poorest people in africa slapping me in the face for even considering this gadget. it's a little buzzing device that you attach to your skin or bra, and when you slouch for more than a minute, it buzzes until you correct yourself. eventually it's supposed to train you to sit and stand up more straight. i want this because i'm so slouchy. sometimes sitting up straight can be painful. i see those little old hunchback ladies walking down the street, bent over their canes, and i'll be damned if that is going to be me one day. note to self: keep eating dairy! i was practicing the keyboard a couple of days ago, sitting on one of my cheap kitchen table chairs from ikea with a straight back. after five minutes my back was killing me, but i had to maintain a straight posture to play. how many slouchy pianists have you seen? anyhoo, my shipping rejection happened a few weeks ago but it got me thinking. there was a fabulous sale on the device too. boxing week 50% off or something. i wouldn't pay full price!
this morning i got up early for a 40-minute morning swim. i didn't want to (of course) but as soon as i got into the pool all was cool. the water was chilly which is best because a) it wakes you up and b) you are constantly refreshed while working out. here is my standard 40-minute swimming workout. each "length" is about 15 metres - that is going from one side of the pool to the other.
40 lengths front crawl
20 lengths breast stroke
10 lengths front crawl
10 lengths breast stroke
20 lengths of 1 breast stroke, 1 front crawl
and then at the end i do 20 lengths of "cool down" which is five times of this:
1 length breast stroke, 1 length sprint front crawl (as fast as possible... like phelps), 1 length relaxed front crawl, and 1 length back crawl.
i find that if i don't count my lengths it's very confusing. i can't just swim for 40 minutes without a plan because it's so disorganized and unstructured. swimmer's ocd!
the product i wanted from the united states was the iposture. this is definitely a "want" not a "need" item. i can imagine the poorest people in africa slapping me in the face for even considering this gadget. it's a little buzzing device that you attach to your skin or bra, and when you slouch for more than a minute, it buzzes until you correct yourself. eventually it's supposed to train you to sit and stand up more straight. i want this because i'm so slouchy. sometimes sitting up straight can be painful. i see those little old hunchback ladies walking down the street, bent over their canes, and i'll be damned if that is going to be me one day. note to self: keep eating dairy! i was practicing the keyboard a couple of days ago, sitting on one of my cheap kitchen table chairs from ikea with a straight back. after five minutes my back was killing me, but i had to maintain a straight posture to play. how many slouchy pianists have you seen? anyhoo, my shipping rejection happened a few weeks ago but it got me thinking. there was a fabulous sale on the device too. boxing week 50% off or something. i wouldn't pay full price!
this morning i got up early for a 40-minute morning swim. i didn't want to (of course) but as soon as i got into the pool all was cool. the water was chilly which is best because a) it wakes you up and b) you are constantly refreshed while working out. here is my standard 40-minute swimming workout. each "length" is about 15 metres - that is going from one side of the pool to the other.
40 lengths front crawl
20 lengths breast stroke
10 lengths front crawl
10 lengths breast stroke
20 lengths of 1 breast stroke, 1 front crawl
and then at the end i do 20 lengths of "cool down" which is five times of this:
1 length breast stroke, 1 length sprint front crawl (as fast as possible... like phelps), 1 length relaxed front crawl, and 1 length back crawl.
i find that if i don't count my lengths it's very confusing. i can't just swim for 40 minutes without a plan because it's so disorganized and unstructured. swimmer's ocd!
Thursday, January 8, 2009
book talk
do you want to know what i'm reading? i'll tell you, no arm twisting required.
physical books
1. gone with the wind: one of the true epics. i'm just beginning this one. it's overwhelming because it's so huge. i have a really old mass market edition that i picked up for $2.99 in a used bookstore, and i've wanted to read it ever since ponyboy was reading it to johnny in the outsiders. thankfully it is relatively light. when i was a kid at sleepovers, parent's used to put on the movie to make us fall asleep. i don't remember the movie at all, which is how i like it. books are always better.
2. the independence of miss mary bennett: a novel. this one was written by the same author as the thornbirds and it's kind of a sequel to pride and prejudice but the focus is on mary bennett, the only unmarried sister, and it's twenty years later. it's an interesting read so far. the only thing i don't like is that they are implying that elizabeth's marriage to mr. darcy turned sour quite quickly. nooooooooooooooooo! how dare someone ruin my mr. darcy fantasy! anyhoo...
3. the devious book for cats: a parody. i got this book for christmas and it's a bathroom reader type of book. it's hilarious. i'm pretty sure it's a parody on those daring books for boys and girls, but i don't know much about them so i can't be sure. the book is written for cats, by cats, and talks about different things like cardboard boxes, kitty litter, and "your human." obviously you have to have a cat or be a cat lover to appreciate this. there is also one for dogs.
audio books
if you didn't know i listen to audio books in my car, and sometimes load them onto my mp3 player and listen whilst walking on the treadmill.
1. run by ann patchett. i don't think i would enjoy this book if i had to read it, but i like listening to it. it takes place over 24 hours and is a complicated story about a family. a family in which the mother dies, after having one child of her own and adopting two boys. the father (after the mother's passing) becomes the mayor of boston, and so their lives are somewhat public. one night after the two adopted boys are grown, the father takes them to a lecture on a snowy night. after the lecture, one is going to be struck by a vehicle but is pushed out of the way at the last second by a woman. this woman turns out to be the adopted boys' birth mother! she has an eleven year old daughter who is with her. the oldest son (not adopted) has just returned from africa where he was stealing and reselling AIDS medication. see... complex plot. but interesting... and the reader has a very pleasant speaking voice.
2. clara callan: a novel by richard b. wright. this story is neat because it's about two sisters from small town ontario in the 1930s, and it's all written in letters (to each other) and journal entries. one of the sisters moves to new york to become a radio actress, and the other deals with some pretty heavy stuff back at home. there is also more than one person reading, which makes it feel like an old radio program.
for breakfast this morning i made an egg white wrap with 100g microwaved egg whites (1 point), a flat out wrap (1 point) and a TBSP of salsa (0 points). it was a pretty hearty breakfast for only 2 points.
my bum is a little sore from yesterday's goddess booty dvd, and that's excellent. i was never one for derriere exercises so there is no time like the present to start becoming bootylicious.
physical books
1. gone with the wind: one of the true epics. i'm just beginning this one. it's overwhelming because it's so huge. i have a really old mass market edition that i picked up for $2.99 in a used bookstore, and i've wanted to read it ever since ponyboy was reading it to johnny in the outsiders. thankfully it is relatively light. when i was a kid at sleepovers, parent's used to put on the movie to make us fall asleep. i don't remember the movie at all, which is how i like it. books are always better.
2. the independence of miss mary bennett: a novel. this one was written by the same author as the thornbirds and it's kind of a sequel to pride and prejudice but the focus is on mary bennett, the only unmarried sister, and it's twenty years later. it's an interesting read so far. the only thing i don't like is that they are implying that elizabeth's marriage to mr. darcy turned sour quite quickly. nooooooooooooooooo! how dare someone ruin my mr. darcy fantasy! anyhoo...
3. the devious book for cats: a parody. i got this book for christmas and it's a bathroom reader type of book. it's hilarious. i'm pretty sure it's a parody on those daring books for boys and girls, but i don't know much about them so i can't be sure. the book is written for cats, by cats, and talks about different things like cardboard boxes, kitty litter, and "your human." obviously you have to have a cat or be a cat lover to appreciate this. there is also one for dogs.
audio books
if you didn't know i listen to audio books in my car, and sometimes load them onto my mp3 player and listen whilst walking on the treadmill.
1. run by ann patchett. i don't think i would enjoy this book if i had to read it, but i like listening to it. it takes place over 24 hours and is a complicated story about a family. a family in which the mother dies, after having one child of her own and adopting two boys. the father (after the mother's passing) becomes the mayor of boston, and so their lives are somewhat public. one night after the two adopted boys are grown, the father takes them to a lecture on a snowy night. after the lecture, one is going to be struck by a vehicle but is pushed out of the way at the last second by a woman. this woman turns out to be the adopted boys' birth mother! she has an eleven year old daughter who is with her. the oldest son (not adopted) has just returned from africa where he was stealing and reselling AIDS medication. see... complex plot. but interesting... and the reader has a very pleasant speaking voice.
2. clara callan: a novel by richard b. wright. this story is neat because it's about two sisters from small town ontario in the 1930s, and it's all written in letters (to each other) and journal entries. one of the sisters moves to new york to become a radio actress, and the other deals with some pretty heavy stuff back at home. there is also more than one person reading, which makes it feel like an old radio program.
for breakfast this morning i made an egg white wrap with 100g microwaved egg whites (1 point), a flat out wrap (1 point) and a TBSP of salsa (0 points). it was a pretty hearty breakfast for only 2 points.
my bum is a little sore from yesterday's goddess booty dvd, and that's excellent. i was never one for derriere exercises so there is no time like the present to start becoming bootylicious.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
baloney man
last night i went to costco to pick up a few things. a big container of woolite which i haven't been able to find in regular stores lately, a combo pack of larabars, a big box of 100-calorie packs of ritz and cheese nibs, and a box of 12 individual microwave packs of edamame.
i wanted to try the woolite because my clothes are constantly fading and it's driving me crazy. and i kept seeing those television ads with stacy from what not to wear. marketing works on me obviously.
normally i am against 100-cal packs because usually they are grossly overpriced and have no nutrition value whatsoever, but the ritz and cheese nibs called to me. so salty and delicious and sometimes cheesy. how many people do you know that can stop at the suggested serving size of delicious salty ritz? how many crackers is that anyway? three? not enough.
the edamame is such a great idea and very useful. i can bring these packs to work and not worry about having to pre-cook them at home. the only bizarre (and annoying) thing is that each "bowl" is 1.5 servings, and the nutritional information on the box is for 1 serving. outrageous! it's irritating when companies do this. are they just not thinking, or are they trying to make their products seem healthier than they are? like those breakfast cookies at second cup - two servings per cookie. no one eats 1/2 a cookie. also outrageous!
in other news, i recently stumbled across this new funny blog the grandly spectacular and fantastically phenomenal fad diet experiment. this guy is going to spend the next 18 weeks trying 14 different fad diets for one week at a time, with a day off between each diet. it kind of annoys me that he's listed weight watchers as a "fad," but other than that it's very amusing to me and i'm pretty interested to see what happens to him. i'm not too concerned about the danger of this experiment - he's a grown man and can do what he wants!
and finally, this morning i tried the yoga booty ballet series dvd that i took out from the library. this dvd had two discs: goddess booty (25 minutes) and yoga core (30 minutes). the goddess booty workout was tough! my bum was really aching and i had to stop several times. does anyone have an extra pillow for me to sit on? at the beginning of this workout i was not into it, but by the end i came around. the yoga core workout wasn't really for me. i'd say these moves would be very difficult, if not impossible for beginners, and i've had much better core workouts from windsor pilates, and from the carmen electra fit to strip dvd. a few times during this video i felt dizzy and lightheaded... not good. the women in the video are alright, although they are VERY into the meditation-we-are-all-one-with-the-universe mumbo jumbo. sometimes i like it and sometimes it seems like a baloney sandwich.
i wanted to try the woolite because my clothes are constantly fading and it's driving me crazy. and i kept seeing those television ads with stacy from what not to wear. marketing works on me obviously.
normally i am against 100-cal packs because usually they are grossly overpriced and have no nutrition value whatsoever, but the ritz and cheese nibs called to me. so salty and delicious and sometimes cheesy. how many people do you know that can stop at the suggested serving size of delicious salty ritz? how many crackers is that anyway? three? not enough.
the edamame is such a great idea and very useful. i can bring these packs to work and not worry about having to pre-cook them at home. the only bizarre (and annoying) thing is that each "bowl" is 1.5 servings, and the nutritional information on the box is for 1 serving. outrageous! it's irritating when companies do this. are they just not thinking, or are they trying to make their products seem healthier than they are? like those breakfast cookies at second cup - two servings per cookie. no one eats 1/2 a cookie. also outrageous!
in other news, i recently stumbled across this new funny blog the grandly spectacular and fantastically phenomenal fad diet experiment. this guy is going to spend the next 18 weeks trying 14 different fad diets for one week at a time, with a day off between each diet. it kind of annoys me that he's listed weight watchers as a "fad," but other than that it's very amusing to me and i'm pretty interested to see what happens to him. i'm not too concerned about the danger of this experiment - he's a grown man and can do what he wants!
and finally, this morning i tried the yoga booty ballet series dvd that i took out from the library. this dvd had two discs: goddess booty (25 minutes) and yoga core (30 minutes). the goddess booty workout was tough! my bum was really aching and i had to stop several times. does anyone have an extra pillow for me to sit on? at the beginning of this workout i was not into it, but by the end i came around. the yoga core workout wasn't really for me. i'd say these moves would be very difficult, if not impossible for beginners, and i've had much better core workouts from windsor pilates, and from the carmen electra fit to strip dvd. a few times during this video i felt dizzy and lightheaded... not good. the women in the video are alright, although they are VERY into the meditation-we-are-all-one-with-the-universe mumbo jumbo. sometimes i like it and sometimes it seems like a baloney sandwich.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
finding the time
yesterday after work, my mom wanted me to go to ikea for her and return some unwanted christmas presents. i didn't want to, but it's sort of on the way, and way out of her way, so i said alright.
a person just can't zip in and out of ikea. it's impossible. either the line up for returns is really long, or something catches your eye, and suddenly you are looking at things you never knew you needed until that very moment.
and then it's 7:30 already, and you're starving, but motivated, so you wait until you get home to eat dinner and wolf it down like a hungry fox and then feel kind of worn out and too lethargic to exercise? sound familiar? and not to mention your sleeping patterns are all out of wack since you've basically had the last week and a half off so you are very tired but don't want to go to bed early... just veg out and watch four episodes of true blood online.
that's my excuse for not exercising yesterday. i will have to do something today though! and it's the season premiere of the biggest loser again! that is a little too fast for me. i like that show a lot, but i need a season off. and i'm not going to not watch it... heaven forbid. i borrowed yoga booty ballet from the library, maybe i will do that tonight.
in other news, i tried a friend's wii fit on the weekend, and i can't stop thinking about it. it was really quite fun and entertaining. and i was very sore the next day, and the day after, so it must have been working!
a person just can't zip in and out of ikea. it's impossible. either the line up for returns is really long, or something catches your eye, and suddenly you are looking at things you never knew you needed until that very moment.
and then it's 7:30 already, and you're starving, but motivated, so you wait until you get home to eat dinner and wolf it down like a hungry fox and then feel kind of worn out and too lethargic to exercise? sound familiar? and not to mention your sleeping patterns are all out of wack since you've basically had the last week and a half off so you are very tired but don't want to go to bed early... just veg out and watch four episodes of true blood online.
that's my excuse for not exercising yesterday. i will have to do something today though! and it's the season premiere of the biggest loser again! that is a little too fast for me. i like that show a lot, but i need a season off. and i'm not going to not watch it... heaven forbid. i borrowed yoga booty ballet from the library, maybe i will do that tonight.
in other news, i tried a friend's wii fit on the weekend, and i can't stop thinking about it. it was really quite fun and entertaining. and i was very sore the next day, and the day after, so it must have been working!
Monday, January 5, 2009
feeling fine in 09
a new year has began, and so begins a new plan, with new goals and aspirations, for a healthy lifestyle and personal achievements, etc., and blah blah blah. let's get right to it. here are my resolutions and a plan of action for '09.
1) i am going to ease up on myself. accept myself the way i am, no matter if my pants are too tight. life isn't about tight pants. if you are constantly thinking about your tight pants, you won't be able to enjoy life for what it is - a beautiful gift. of course, i am going to try my damn hardest to keep the pants fitting, but i may not weigh myself every friday anymore. i haven't put too much thought into this, but maybe once a month would be better for me at this point, just to make sure i'm on track. i just don't need the ups and downs that come with a small weight gain or loss. i'm not trying to lose a large or even a moderate amount of weight, so weighing in all the time seems unnecessary. i should probably add that i'm sure i gained a couple of pounds over the holidays, but my clothes (including my pants) still fit. i will survey the damage later this week after a few chocolate detox days.
2) my second goal is to enjoy exercise more, and not feel like it's a chore. i always love that post-workout feeling. i'm going to try and incorporate more activities that involve fitness and fun. i don't know what yet. my brain is still a little fuzzy from all the wine i consumed over the holidays. i'm going to set a cardio goal of 4 x 40 minutes or a total of 160 minutes per week. i hope my math is correct. that is very reasonable and a nice minimum goal. i'm sure some weeks i will do more. in terms of strength training i think i'm going to lay off the weights and focus more on yoga and pilates moves. i have tons of pilates dvds that i never use. why not start now? my goal will be to do two pilates/yoga videos per week. some are only 10 minutes, and some are longer (50 minutes).
3) my third goal is to get a damn job. in my field. i have started to consider applying for jobs not in my field, except wouldn't all my training be a waste? i have a university degree and a postgraduate degree from college. there is nothing wrong with being an office assistant, but could i be happy doing something like that if i'm not being challenged? the answer is no. i love my career and need to stick with it.
4) my fourth goal involves personal hobbies. for christmas my awesome boyfriend got me a yamaha keyboard including ABBA and the four seasons songbooks, so my new hobby is learning to play piano. i can play a bit already. in university i lived with a pianist, and bought myself an intro piano book, and practiced all the time. it's really a lot of fun. i would also like to continue sewing, reading, and start writing a bit more.
i think that's about it... for now. if i think of anything else i'll add to the list... don't want to overwhelm myself ;) and now... i have a date with my google reader.
EDIT: i just thought of my 5th goal. i am going to learn how to make my own sushi! YEEHA!
1) i am going to ease up on myself. accept myself the way i am, no matter if my pants are too tight. life isn't about tight pants. if you are constantly thinking about your tight pants, you won't be able to enjoy life for what it is - a beautiful gift. of course, i am going to try my damn hardest to keep the pants fitting, but i may not weigh myself every friday anymore. i haven't put too much thought into this, but maybe once a month would be better for me at this point, just to make sure i'm on track. i just don't need the ups and downs that come with a small weight gain or loss. i'm not trying to lose a large or even a moderate amount of weight, so weighing in all the time seems unnecessary. i should probably add that i'm sure i gained a couple of pounds over the holidays, but my clothes (including my pants) still fit. i will survey the damage later this week after a few chocolate detox days.
2) my second goal is to enjoy exercise more, and not feel like it's a chore. i always love that post-workout feeling. i'm going to try and incorporate more activities that involve fitness and fun. i don't know what yet. my brain is still a little fuzzy from all the wine i consumed over the holidays. i'm going to set a cardio goal of 4 x 40 minutes or a total of 160 minutes per week. i hope my math is correct. that is very reasonable and a nice minimum goal. i'm sure some weeks i will do more. in terms of strength training i think i'm going to lay off the weights and focus more on yoga and pilates moves. i have tons of pilates dvds that i never use. why not start now? my goal will be to do two pilates/yoga videos per week. some are only 10 minutes, and some are longer (50 minutes).
3) my third goal is to get a damn job. in my field. i have started to consider applying for jobs not in my field, except wouldn't all my training be a waste? i have a university degree and a postgraduate degree from college. there is nothing wrong with being an office assistant, but could i be happy doing something like that if i'm not being challenged? the answer is no. i love my career and need to stick with it.
4) my fourth goal involves personal hobbies. for christmas my awesome boyfriend got me a yamaha keyboard including ABBA and the four seasons songbooks, so my new hobby is learning to play piano. i can play a bit already. in university i lived with a pianist, and bought myself an intro piano book, and practiced all the time. it's really a lot of fun. i would also like to continue sewing, reading, and start writing a bit more.
i think that's about it... for now. if i think of anything else i'll add to the list... don't want to overwhelm myself ;) and now... i have a date with my google reader.
EDIT: i just thought of my 5th goal. i am going to learn how to make my own sushi! YEEHA!
Friday, January 2, 2009
happy new year!
happy new year everybody! regular posting will resume on monday, january 5th, 2009. my regular eating has been pretty good, my chocolate consumption has gone way up, and my exercise has been on par. i'm going swimming right now :) and then shopping (to return things!)
i'm sure i have a backlog of a million posts to read in my google reader - i've missed you guys!
ps. i hope everyone is posting their resolutions... with a plan! i'm thinking about mine BIG TIME.
i'm sure i have a backlog of a million posts to read in my google reader - i've missed you guys!
ps. i hope everyone is posting their resolutions... with a plan! i'm thinking about mine BIG TIME.
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