2012 Will be THE Year!!

Holy crap! It's 2012! How did that happen so quickly??  I hope this is going to be a big year for me.  I made it through my first class last semester so I feel confident going forward.  (coming up next semester is biology) Anyway,  I actually really like math now! It's a lot of fun.  I got an A in the class and a perfect 150 out of 150 on my final exam haha. (Yes, I studied a LOT).  Functions, log function, ln functions, the quadratic formula, i, e, radical equations, and graph transformations were my BEST friends.  The funny thing about me is I couldn't do basic math with out a calculator (don't ask me to add with out one because I will use my fingers!), but when I look at an equation (and if you study them enough) you start to see patterns of how to "attack" and solve.  You learn the rules, where to move the numbers to make everything work...and it all just sort of clicks into place.  At least it did for me.  I miss math, I kinda want to have a puzzler book of math problems, like some people have sudoku books, I want a book of algebra problems.  Call me crazy but I really liked that class. 

The biggest lesson I've learned though is that attitude makes a BIG difference.  Ten years ago you couldn't pay me to take a college level math class.  Now I want a puzzler book of problems to do in my spare time!   And this relates to all aspects of life, a positive attitude will take you places...like losing weight or crossing the finish line of a race...or getting an A in a subject you hadn't studied in over ten years.  Being negative never got me anywhere in the past.  So my motto for 2012 is keep my chin up, and keep a smile on my face and good things will come!

So with all that being said I will do one of my "Current Status" posts since I haven't done one of those in a while.

Current Mood: Optimistic


Current Weight:  Not really worried about it.  I'm on a mini vacation visiting my friend Ashley, the shoewhore.  When I get back THEN it will be time to buckle down.  In the mean time I'm still exercising and eating healthy most of the time.  Spent 2 hours at the gym yesterday, plan on going climbing today, and trying out boxing for the first time.

Currently Thinking about:The fact that I'm turning 30 this year, and the fact that this year will be THE year I finally get myself on a maintenance diet.  Once I get home it's really time to push myself, I am giving up sugar for two months (that includes all sweets, refined carbs, dairy and yes alcohol....so long delicious wine.)  I am also thinking of really challenging myself in the exercise department as well by trying two a days for a week off and on.  ALSO a little spark has entered my head...I was thinking about maybe trying to run my first full marathon.  I'm still trying to wrap my head around how to go about the whole training thing.  I've successfully completed two half-marathons, although not at fast as I would have liked to...so maybe I should shoot for a full?  I'll have to ask my knees first and get back to you on that one haha.

Currently NOT Thinking about:The fact that I'm turning 30 this year.  I used to have such a negative attitude toward turning 30 because when I was in my mid-20s I had always hoped that by the time I turn 30 I'd have a real career not just a "job", I'd have my own house and I'd be in a good relationship.  And although I have neither of those... yet being the key word, I am still remaining positive because going into my 30th year I am healthier, happier and I am more motivated and determined to make things happen than I was when I was younger.  The rest will come with time and effort.

Currently looking online at: uefa.com.  Yup the soccer addiction is still alive and well.  This year is the euro cup!  My German boys will be on television again... winning I hope ;).  I wonder if Spain still has what it takes to stay the top team?!  Will the germans (2nd euro 2008, 3rd worldcup 2010, and 2006)  rise to the top again!?? Or will there be a new star on the euro stage??  I am eagerly waiting for this to start.  I need a fix of good international soccer!

 They beat the Dutch (who were #2 in the 2010 world cup) just recently...

really looking forward to this tournament.

Currently looking forward to: Besides above...Losing the last of the fat on my body and going on a maintenance diet.  It will happen this year.  I'm going to make it happen!


Currently listening to: M83's latest album.  Haven't listened to these guys in ages.  Midnight City is a pretty good track.


Currently Realized: Holy Crap it's 2012!!! And it's going to be my year!

So that's what's going on with me... please share any goals you want to reach in 2012 below!!

Things That Piss Me Off...

I know I haven't written in a while, and I'm not trying to be a downer on this blog, but sometime I have to rant!! Just to preface, I'm just dandy lately and I will write more on that in another post...but there's been some stuff that I keep reading about weight and body image on the internet that infuriates me so MUCH I had to blog about it.

I have a bit of a celebrity gossip addiction.  I read a few celebrity gossip blogs and one of my favorites is Cele|bitchy.  So in the past week alone there's been a lot of stuff that I've read of celebrities talking about their bodies and it pissed me off enough that I wanted to write this post.  I know I know, I shouldn't care about what these people are saying because "celebrity" is a strange bizarre world completely disconnected from the rest of the world, BUT they are putting it out there to the public and what they say is downright harmful...and misleading to many many women who struggle with their weight and their body image!

WHO ARE YOU TRYING TO KID??

Kristie Alley... I have nothing against her, and I'm very happy for the weight loss she did achieve on dancing with the stars...but what the HELL are these claims that she's making that she's a size 4 now?!?  If that's what a size 4 looks like at 5'8", then based on my real size in her world I'm a size 20 at 5'9" (I'm a size 10-12 depending on the cut of the pants). She claims that she went from a size 8, and after losing 100lbs, she went to a size 4. WHAT? When I lost 100lbs I went from a size 22 to a size 10-12.  Who is she trying to fool besides herself?

Here's my advice to her/her publicist, STOP WITH THE DELUSIONS!! Be proud of the weight, you DID lose it's a great thing, you're 60 years old and your skin looks damn good...  but please...please stop being dishonest about how much weight you actually did lose and your "size 4" pant size. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say she's a 12 and she's carrying her weight around her middle and her hips just like I do, hence the the smaller upper body.

Moving on...

SHE WANTS TO EAT MY BRAAAAIINNNS....

I had never heard of this woman before, but she's the heiress of the Guinness fortune and she's some sort of "fashionista"  Looking at her here I'd say she's pushing 75+....she's only 43.  That's scary.  What's more frightening is the things that come out of her mouth...

In a recent interview with New Yorker Magazine style icon and international heiress Daphne Guinness, whose couture is currently on display at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City, has revealed her stay skinny mantra – and it is sure to shock eating disorder groups.
“I’ll eat when I’m dead!” the startling thin and pale-faced fashionista exclaimed when offered lunch during her photo shoot with the magazine.

According to the publication, the 43-year-old Brit, who is the daughter of brewing heir Jonathan Guinness and the ex-wife of Spyros Niarchos, keeps her stick-thin figure through a diet of Red Bull and Ensure shakes.

She defended her diet by simply stating, “If I eat, I can’t work.”

A few years ago, Kate Moss created controversy when she coined the phrase “nothing tastes as good as skinny feels.”

Jesus... I'm not even going to pretend to understand whats going on inside the head of someone with an eating disorder, but I do understand what it feels like to have no control over what you eat and to want to have that control.  I was having a discussion the other day with a co-worker about the very FINE line that dieters sometimes straddle between eating healthy, eating the right amount of food vs. not eating enough because you  keep cutting back little by little.  I can see how women fall down that rabbit hole. After struggling with my weight my entire life I understand the mentality of someone who thinks I can't I can't I can't when it comes to certain types of food.  I have that struggle myself daily sometimes, and sometimes I even feel a resentment towards junk food laying around the office and towards people who eat what ever they want all the time.  Because I can't eat what I want all the time and that's just part of my life and my metabolism.  I know by now how my body treats excess sugar and junk, it turns it straight to fat that takes a heck of a lot longer to burn off than to gain.  I need to reach that point in my life where I stop thinking how unfair it is to have to be diligent about the way I eat.  My struggle may be for a while finding my happy place with food.  My goal is to get to a place where I'm ok being around bad food and snacking every once in a while with out feeling guilt!  Anyway, that being said although I do have my hangups with food, I'm in no way heading towards having an eating disorder like surviving off of ensure and redbull.  I feel bad for people who deny themselves the food that is good for them, I understand giving up snacks and junk food, but all solids??     It's sad and these people need help. It really is sad that she thinks that she has to live her life this way, and that some women think that this is how you might have to eat to get "skinny".   


JUDGEY GOOP...

Goopy tries to be this I'm every woman type on her website...you know by blogging about stuff most women can't really afford and sharing her experiences that most women will never experience (again the celebrity disconnect)...like presenting at the emmy's and walking the red carpet...or winning an Oscar and hanging out with Beyonce and Jay-z...or having a guest appearance on a hit TV show and singing at the grammys...why does she try so hard?  She already had most people's admiration with her acting and beautiful looks and figure... now she's everywhere and it's annoying.  But she really did prove she's just like every woman out there...no not by blogging about how she's better than you, but because she's insecure about her appearance just like 99.9% of us.  Oh, Goopy, here I was thinking you were so far above... well, everything for that matter.. Here's what Goop had to say:

I live for Tina Fey and I love Kenneth from 30 Rock! Wait ... why does my arm look like that and since when do I have 9 chins?

Ok. So I'm looking the picture over closely.... Dear god in heaven....does this mean Goopy is human and has flesh that moves and flattens in certain angles like the rest of us? She's not a robot slowly taking over the our movie theaters, tv's, kitchens and mark my words radio and broadway will be next! NO ONE is safe from the Goop... But she is right about one thing... Tina Fey.  Now she's someone to admire all around.

On to the next thing that pisses me off...


ONCE AGAIN I HAVE BEEF WITH THE BIGGEST LOSER...

I get asked pretty often if I watch the biggest loser, I don't, but I previously I wrote my mixed feelings on the show after seeing one episode.   Well one of my co-workers mentioned they were having a new season so I thought maybe I'd give it a chance and check it out again now that I'm moving to the "other side" (ie losing the last few and maintaining) of this weigh loss journey.  I watched the first episode of the new season Battle of the Ages... and once again.  I have issues with this show. 

1. They take people completely away from their home life which could be the root of 90% of their problems with poor diet and lack of exercise.
2.  They exercise exercise exercise all day long.  realistically how many of us can dedicate more than an hour at the gym?
3. They never show the participants refueling with protein or banana's or some kind of healthy snack even though they spend hours working out and burning hundreds of calories.
4. In fact...they didn't show them eating AT ALL in the first episode.  
5. People loose ridiculous amounts of weight in a short period of time so it leads me to wonder what their diet is and how is that diet maintainable for the long term.
6. If someone loses the least amount of weight they aren't rewarded for the hard work it took to even lose the amount they were able to lose, they are instead punished and possibly booted off the show.

I will give the biggest loser credit for showing that it DOES take hard work and dedication to lose weight, but so far it's a lot of smoke and mirrors and it completely glosses over the fact that realistically 2lbs of weight loss a week is healthy.  I'm going to stick around and try to give the show a chance to redeem itself, but for now my opinion remains firm that just like Kristie Alley, the Biggest Loser is spewing out a lot of myths and misinformation about weight loss.

I don't think people realize how damaging the media is to someone struggling to lose weight.  Magazines are airbrushed, XXS is the new Small, celebrities are botoxed, nipped and tucked on camera projecting a image of what an "ideal figure" or an "ideal face" should look like.  Everywhere you turn there's a new fad diet a new fad work out...there's SO much misinformation out there its hard to process fact from fiction.  Fact: Eat vegetables, eat whole grains, eat lean proteins, eat occasionally some nuts...eat the diet that the human body was meant to live off of before cheetos and twinkies and coca-cola and McDonald's was invented.  Fact: watch your portions.  Fact: Exercise at least three times a week, even a long walk is enough if you're watching your diet.  That's that trick to being healthy and the pounds will come off in the process.  BTW... you know what tastes better than skinny feels.  Chocolate.  Just saying.  It won't kill you every once in a while.

Just so this entry doesn't end on a completely negative note, I'm going to write about a few people I admire for their recent comments on tv about their weight and body image.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

I loved this woman's story.  Her sense of humor is awesome and she really does prove that confidence makes you a beautiful person no matter what your size.  I just want to give her a fist bump and say I wish I had as much balls as she does!!

Also, I want to give much love to Hope Solo.  Hope Solo and Abby Wambach were on Letterman after the world cup final this summer and Hope was talking about her shoulder injury around the 5:30 min mark in the video:



She mentioned her weight on the air and then she said "Yes, as a woman I just gave all of you guys my weight!"  I was stoked when she said that on national television and then pretty much said yea I weigh 150 what of it!?  And she said "I'm proud of it" !!  I LOVED HEARING THAT.  I dare anyone to say she looks bad. She just proves that weight is just a number on the scale, it is not a reflection of our physical appearance. Plus, she's my height!!  150lbs is totally an obtainable and realistic weight for me but I also have to remember she's a professional athlete and I'm just a pretend one on the weekends ;).

Treadmill "Backpacking"

This is actually what the Fitness Dweeb command center looks like...

I just wanted to share this little exercise I do with you all. The nutritionist I've been seeing for the past two months told me about it. He's an old school body builder and knows how to shred the fat. I've not seen much of a drop in scale weight since I started following his meal plans, BUT that doesn't mean I haven't dropped any body fat. According to his caliper measurements I've dropped a ton of fat and built up a ton of muscle at the same time. When I went to him two weeks ago I was only seeing a 1lb drop on the scale, well it turned out that I lost 10.5lbs of body fat, but gained 9.5lb of muscles, so there would be my one pound scale difference. See, it's not always about the scale.

Anyway, he introduced me to a new exercise that is guaranteed to make you sweat your butt off and shred body fat. It's not a cardiovascular exercise.  The point of this exercise is not to get your heart rate up, but to make you work your muscles hard over a long period of time at a slower pace and lower impact.  This is an exercise that should put you in "fat burning zone".  I've been curious what exactly  "fat burning zone" meant so I had to search it:

The fat-burning zone. Yes, it exists, but it has been misinterpreted. The fat-burning zone is a concept that the body burns a greater amount of fat at lower-intensity aerobic exercise than it does at higher intensities. Actually, the body burns a greater percentage of fat at lower intensities than at higher intensities. At lower intensities the body may burn 50 percent of the calories from fat, while at higher intensities it may only burn 35 percent. But at higher intensities you burn way more total calories—and more fat calories overall—than you do at lower intensities.(from active.com) (Further reading: another article on Fat Burning Zone in USNews)

So basically it's a long slow burn, and you're targeting the fat calories more effectively than doing high intensity training (which is basically anything like kick boxing, bootcamp work outs, sprint intervals etc.), but you also have to do these exercises for a longer period of time...so seems to me it's a toss up as to what type of exercise is absolutely 100% efficient.  I do this exercise in ADDITION to my bootcamp work outs, running, and soccer, so while I may shred fat with this activity the other exercises I do help me tone muscle.  

I like this treadmill work out because it really is a great sweat...I'm sweating out the toxins as they say :) and it's an exercise anyone can try.  You don't need to be fast or strong or coordinated, you just need to be willing to put in the effort and the time!

Anyway, here's the exercise:

TREADMILL "BACKPACKING"

All you need is a backpack, access to a treadmill and some free weights.

Try this out with out the backpack first...

• Set the treadmill at the highest incline which is 15.

• Don't let your speed go over 2.5, try to stay between 2.3-2.5

• If walking uphill at 2.5 is too easy, add weights to a backpack and walk on the treadmill with the backpack. Try starting out at 10lbs, increase to 15 or 20lbs if necessary (I use 15lbs).

• Walk "uphill" for a minimum of 45 minutes, 3x a week.

• DO NOT HOLD ON TO THE TREADMILL, that is cheating and you are not using your muscles to get yourself up that "hill".

Your heart rate should not spike or get high for a long period of time as if you were running or sprinting, but you WILL sweat so so much! This activity is supposed to feel like walking up a mountain.  I promise you that's what it will feel like.  You will be tired and worn out.  Make sure you have a water bottle with you to stay hydrated....also it can get kinda boring on a treadmill for 45minutes so have some good music handy or grab the one in front of the tv and catch up on the news.

Also, make sure you have a good backpack.  I actually didn't own one since I'd been out of school for so long, but I went out and bought a bag that I think will be pretty versatile for me.  I can use it for school, hiking, travel and these exercises :)

I bought this Kelty bag...because it was extremely comfortable, it has a waist belt to keep the weight off my shoulders (if you have a bad shoulder like me this is a BIG plus...probably a MUST have for your next backpack purchase), and the shoulder straps are contoured and very comfortable.  The back of the pack has an aluminum "spine" for even more stability.

I asked my resident backpacking/hiking/all things outdoors expert (my cousin's hubby...we'll call him Bearded Vegan) if this was a good bag and he said that Kelty bags were good middle of the road packs, and he also recommended that I use sand bags instead of free weights because they won't wear out the fabric as easily and it will extend the life of the bag...Really good advice!!  Plus I have a lifetime warranty which I didn't know because clearly I don't read tags.  So thanks Bearded Vegan!  I'm happy with my purchase :).

Ok, so now that we've gotten the technical part of this post out of the way...I just wanted to share an email from my cousin (she's the one who married Bearded Vegan ...we don't hold that against her), anyway, I told her I hadn't given up on the blog...and this is her response... she knows me TOO well: 

"Imagine how excited you would get if the characters from true blood made a guest appearance on Game of Thrones and played a soccer match with their characters.  That is how excited I am that you are blogging again."

!!!!!!!!

Like I said she knows me TOO WELL.  AND did you actually picture what that soccer match would be like between these characters??  If you're anything like me of course you did! But what advantage would Game of Thrones characters have over the super naturals of True Blood.  If true blood had a mixed bag of players, no more than two vamps on the field at one time, none could be keeper.. .and also no shape-shifting allowed on the field..hrm, well I'm thinking the only way Game of Thrones characters could have an advantage is if they wore silver pinnies to stop the vamps.

Welcome to my brain!
It's a strange place to be.

Anyway, this post needs more soccer so I'm stealing this video off of Kickette because it's awesome... and this is how the game of golf should be played...  Here's Diego Forlan, Uruguayan national player, kicking ass on the links.

p.s. Even if I played this way I'd still be shooting like 5 or 6 over par every hole. MULLIGAN!

p.s.s. Half marathon training is chugging right along. I'm improving my time a lot this year. I finished 8 miles in 1hr23mins on Saturday before that "little storm" called Irene hit our area.

Where Has the Time Gone?!

See that little counter widget on the side of my page?? It says only 10 DAYS TIL RACE DAY!?!... I'm not freaking out nope, not gonna freak out....even though I'm quietly screaming on the inside...I'm not gonna freak out. I'm ok... I'm cool. I swear.

Why am I kinda sorta not really freaking out? Because even though I haven't been blogging I've still been working hard at my fitness levels to make sure I own this race!...If owning that means I finish in 2hrs and 30 minutes (which is almost a 12 minute mile and compared to some that makes me a slow poke) WHAT the freak EVER!! I'm going to OWN it!

My furthest training run has been 12 miles, which I completed last weekend in about 2hr and 15mins (oh and yes it was ALL hills baby), this weekend I ran 9 miles and then took a much needed yoga class to work on some of my muscle tightness. I went to bootcamp 4 times last week and played soccer last week and this week as well. I kinda haven't been doing my shorter runs but I know between the bootcamp and soccer and the training runs that I have the endurance to finish.

Plus I know the 2nd half of the course, I ran it last year in the team relays. Everyone keeps trying to scare me and say the first half is hilly as shit, but guess what, all i've been doing for the past month on my training runs is hills. I'll get past them. The second half is pretty much flat ground. Guess who loves running on flat ground? This chick. So yeah, I'd say I'm pretty well prepared for the race at this point :)

This weekend I will be running a charity 5k for children with learning disabilities, and then I have to tack a few more miles on top of that and it will be my final training run!

I am also still trying to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma society for their Light the Night Events so PLEASE if you can, donate to my page so I reach my goal of raising $655 ($50 per mile I run in the half marathon). I am $430.00 away from reaching my goal. So if you're reading please donate if you can... if you can't please help me spread the word!!





Also in the middle of all this I've decided I really needed to push to lose those extra pounds to reach 100lbs of total loss. I'm anywhere from 3-5lbs away depending on when I weigh myself (I know I'm only supposed to do it first thing in the morning I will from here on out). It's been rough trying to kick start my metabolism again. For two weeks I eliminated (almost completely there were some weddings thrown in there that I enjoyed myself and the open bar at a little too much) but anyway, for two weeks in early September I completely cut out sugar (including fruit), salt, saturated fats, refined carbohydrates and dairy from my diet. I was on 1100 calories / 6 meals a day. Yes, I finally went to a nutritionist (after 2.5 years of doing it myself) to seek this advice.

I know what you're thinking 1100 calories a day that's impossible to live off of that... it's not trust me, if you limit your diet to only the good foods, whole grains, lean proteins, and lots of veges you'd be amazed at the amount of food you can eat. I felt like I was force feeding myself at the end of the day...I just couldn't eat that much food.

I've practically perfected every type of egg white and vege omelet I could think of.

Try this out for a relatively quick, filling and delish breakfast:

(my portions are 4 egg whites and about 150g or more of the veges this number could be more or less for you)

egg whites
mushrooms
red and yellow peppers
Mrs. Dash (salt free) grilling spice

saute the veges with a spritz or two of olive oil and the Mrs. Dash seasoning, then add to the eggs.

PLAIN instant oatmeal. (my portion recommendation is 2pks)

The oat meal can be cooked with water, or try Original Almond Breeze milk if you want some added creaminess and a little sugar 7g in a cup, or go with the Unsweetened version for NO added sugar, just a creamy texture for your oatmeal. Add a ton of cinnamon and enjoy!

I promise you will be FULL and you will be full for a LONG time!

After two weeks i lost 4lbs of body fat and increased my lean muscle mass. Two lbs a week of loss is healthy. Since then I've lost 6 total. I took a week off from being so strict but now I'm back on.

Here's an idea for a lunch you can cook completely in the microwave! Perfect for gals on the go, slackers like myself that hate taking the time to pack a lunch, or those of us stuck in the office.

This product has been a life saver for my diet:


No, I don't own stock in their company, and I'm not being paid to promote this product. They cook food quickly and the food is healthy!!

So here's my idea for a lunch:

Buy individually wrapped frozen tilapia (white fish) fillets.
Add two slices of lemon and squeeze a little bit of juice to the bag
Add salt free seasoning to taste, my recommendation: Mrs. Dash

Frozen broccoli (can be steamed in the bag, but you might want to use a separate one than the one you cook fish in to avoid a fishy taste)
1/2 sweet potato (also can be cooked in a microwave, pierce with a fork several times - I haven't tried cooking these in the bag) sweet potatoes are naturally sweet but also rich with complex carbs, dietary fiber, and Vitamins A, C and B6, add cinnamon for more delicious flavor...cinnamon is also very high in antioxidants!

You will have a complete meal with lean protein, veges and a carbohydrate in less than 10 minutes.... I'm all about quick and easy. (Ash if you're reading this DON'T even go there! Hooka! ;))

So yea that about sums up my life since my last post... I'm still here, I'm still running, still going to bootcamp, still playing soccer and still focused on my diet.

Once race day gets here though I will be SO happy to have my Saturday mornings back...AND once I lose that 100lbs I think I'll crack open an expensive bottle of wine and go to the Indian buffet... maybe not in that order but I can't WAIT! Then I need to refocus and lose another 5lbs because I know I'll gain it back through the holidays because I will enjoy a few cookies and slices of pumpkin pie, then I need to lose that after the holidays. It's a life time commitment, but SO worth it especially when you see that little dress in a shop window and you go to try it on and it looks FAB-U-LOUS on you... or when you reach a new running goal/weight loss goal and you have that extreme sense of accomplishment. It's worth it just to try for that feeling alone!

Ok, enough philosophizing from me...off to cook up my lunch! (Chicken, broccoli, carrots and a small portion of whole grain pasta! lean protein, veges and a whole grain!)

Half Marathon Training: Run 1

I have officially signed up for the Baltimore Half so that means on Oct. 16th my ass is running that 13.1 miles because I'm not wasting that entry fee!

This morning I set out for Day 1 of my half marathon training with my boot camp groups starting at 8am. Which means my alarm was going off at 6:50 in the morning on a Saturday. FTW.



We're starting out an hour earlier next week because of the heat so I better get used to it. I was armed with some new running shoes, arch hugging socks and some new shorts I couldn't resist buying....they were on sale and super light weight! (I'm not one of those runners that needs the newest gear even though I sound like it lol, my shoes were a year old and worn to crap, and it's hot as balls out hence needing light weight shorts...good shoes = good support and less chance of injury my friends :))


I can't speak highly enough of my Brooks running shoes... they're like love for my foot. My last three pairs of shoes have been Brooks. No matter what other brands I try on these always work out best for me.



So anyway...

The run: completely flat trail and it was shaded...soooo nice. The second I stepped off the trail into the sunny parking lot to stretch after the run... buckets of sweat, it was sweltering!

Distance: 5 miles, run/walk 4 mins/1min. I think we will be run/walking for the actual race because honesty I would probably keep the same time if I ran straight through.

My time: about 56 minutes which is an 11 minute mile. I kept pace with our leader and one other guy so I felt I did pretty well for our first run. Basically I was the first chick, but I backed off at one point because I heard one of the guys talking about how his kid vomited all over his back. Seriously why do all parents do this... making us non-parents suffer through their stories of their children's bodily fluids. I felt like I was going to puke on the side of the trail. fml. Shoot me if I ever become that kind of mom.

Problemas?: Nope, felt great. Really glad I went out this morning. A little sore in the right hip still from when I pulled it several weeks ago playing soccer but LOOOOOOOTS of stretching afterward.

Motivational Songs: I was kickin' it old school listening to an old mix on my ipod that had some of my favorite songs from highschool and college on it. This mornings songs on the way to the trail were:

Rebel Rebel - David Bowie
Bittersweet Symphony - The Verve (there are rules for listening to this song in my car...I must have control of the volume at certain moments for maximum crescendo factor ;))
Lucky Man - The Verve
Words - Doves
High and Dry - Radiohead
Someone Great - LCD Soundsystem. (2006...just after college)
1976 - Smashing Pumpkins (can't ever get over this song... ever.)

Good songs for a nice Saturday morning. Nothing fast paced or dancy for me this am. It was too early for that, and since I killed my shuffle I don't run with music...just the sounds of pounding feet.

p.s. Also... follow this blog! http://halfasstohalfmarathon.blogspot.com fellow fans Fat Girl Slimmed and Muffintopped (LOVE those names) are also training for a half marathon!

How Important is Exercise??

So I've been reading a lot of articles lately about the importance (or lack there of) of exercise. It seems that some studies say exercise is very important, others say diet is more important. I think what all researchers agree though is that exercise is necessary but how much and how often is the question.

Remember it used to be suggested 30 minutes a day three times a week that was enough? Well clearly that did not help stop obesity rates from soaring. Now the CDC is suggesting the following for adults:

Adults need at least:

	2 hours and 30 minutes (150 minutes) of moderate-intensity aerobic activity (i.e., brisk walking) every week and
	muscle-strengthening activities on 2 or more days a week that work all major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders, and arms).

	1 hour and 15 minutes (75 minutes) of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity (i.e., jogging or running) every week and
	muscle-strengthening activities on 2 or more days a week that work all major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders, and arms).

	An equivalent mix of moderate- and vigorous-intensity aerobic activity and
	muscle-strengthening activities on 2 or more days a week that work all major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders, and arms).

For "greater" health benefits they suggest 500 minutes a week of exercise! So that number has increased greatly over the years...but lets face it America has a lot of excess calories to burn!



The how and why of weight loss is pretty simple burn more calories than you take in and you're going to lose. So exercise works hand in hand with diet:

The mathematics of weight loss is, in fact, quite simple, involving only subtraction. “Take in fewer calories than you burn, put yourself in negative energy balance, lose weight,” says Braun, who has been studying exercise and weight loss for years. (Source: New York Times)

But the same article says that women's bodies are prone to want to maintain fat stores! Because of... you guessed it, reproduction. Ugh it's always an uphill battle for us isn't it ladies...Essentially, when we exercise we want to eat more! And I know this is true I was just complaining about my appetite when i'm at my most active. In spring and fall when I'm working out 6 days a week playing lots of soccer I'm always hungry!! This must be why:

A study that Braun oversaw and that was published last year by The American Journal of Physiology had a slightly different outcome. In it, 18 overweight men and women walked on treadmills in multiple sessions while either eating enough that day to replace the calories burned during exercise or not. Afterward, the men displayed little or no changes in their energy-regulating hormones or their appetites, much as in the other study. But the women uniformly had increased blood concentrations of acylated ghrelin and decreased concentrations of insulin after the sessions in which they had eaten less than they had burned. Their bodies were directing them to replace the lost calories. In physiological terms, the results “are consistent with the paradigm that mechanisms to maintain body fat are more effective in women,” Braun and his colleagues wrote. In practical terms, the results are scientific proof that life is unfair. Female bodies, inspired almost certainly “by a biological need to maintain energy stores for reproduction,” Braun says, fight hard to hold on to every ounce of fat. Exercise for many women (and for some men) increases the desire to eat.

But this doesn't mean you should throw your hands up in the air and say it's impossible for you to lose weight because your body wants you to be curvy with a little too much junk in the trunk. Just because things are the way they are doesn't mean it's the way they have to be! It will take work but Exercise is STILL incredibly beneficial...it's proven that exercise helps keep the pounds off!

In one representative experiment from last year, 97 healthy, slightly overweight women were put on an 800-calorie diet until they lost an average of about 27 pounds each. Some of the women were then assigned to a walking program, some were put on a weight-training regimen and others were assigned no exercise; all returned to their old eating habits. Those who stuck with either of the exercise programs regained less weight than those who didn’t exercise and, even more striking, did not regain weight around their middles. The women who didn’t exercise regained their weight and preferentially packed on these new pounds around their abdomens. It’s well known that abdominal fat is particularly unhealthful, contributing significantly to metabolic disruptions and heart disease.

Scientists are “not really sure yet” just how and why exercise is so important in maintaining weight loss in people, Braun says.

I hope you're not scratching your head saying well great I have to lose the pounds first before I start working out to maintain the loss.... Not true! You should start a routine as soon as possible... this Harvard study shows that at a molecular level people who exercise show more metabolic evidence that their bodies are burning fat... so essentially if you think dieting alone will help you lose weight think again!

These findings suggest that exercise has both “acute and cumulative” effects on your body’s ability to use and burn fat, says Gregory Lewis, a cardiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and an author of the study. After only 10 minutes of exercise, even the least fit showed evidence that their bodies were burning fat; the more fit, the more metabolic evidence of fat burning.
The researchers then took a number of the metabolites that had been elevated by exercise and infused them into mouse muscle cells in a laboratory dish. Almost immediately, the metabolites, in combination (but not individually) ignited a reaction that resulted in increased expression of a gene involved in cholesterol and blood-sugar regulation. In other words, the metabolites weren’t just marking activity that was happening elsewhere in the body; they also may have been sparking some of that activity directly. (Source: New York Times)

If for no other reason exercise because it makes you feel better!! I guarantee you this is true!! I always feel better about myself after I exercise. If there is a time where I'm feeling down, where I'm doubting myself and starting to feel fat and lazy exercise yanks me right out of that mind set. I always say I NEVER regret exercising...EVER! How many of us can say the same about eating a few cookies??

How Exercise Combats Anxiety and Depression from the MayoClinic:

Exercise probably helps ease depression in a number of ways, which may include:

• Releasing feel-good brain chemicals that may ease depression (neurotransmitters and endorphins)
• Reducing immune system chemicals that can worsen depression
• Increasing body temperature, which may have calming effects

Exercise has many psychological and emotional benefits too. It can help you:

• Gain confidence. Meeting exercise goals or challenges, even small ones, can boost your self-confidence. Getting in shape can also make you feel better about your appearance.
• Take your mind off worries. Exercise is a distraction that can get you away from the cycle of negative thoughts that feed anxiety and depression.
• Get more social interaction. Exercise may give you the chance to meet or socialize with others. Just exchanging a friendly smile or greeting as you walk around your neighborhood can help your mood.
• Cope in a healthy way. Doing something positive to manage anxiety or depression is a healthy coping strategy. Trying to feel better by drinking alcohol, dwelling on how badly you feel, or hoping anxiety or depression will go away on their own can lead to worsening symptoms.

Want to read more?? Check out these articles:


A Work Out for Your Blood Stream - New York Times

Weighing the Evidence on Exercise - New York Times

Depression and Anxiety: Exercise Eases Symptoms - Mayo Clinic Online


p.s. The world cup is now winding down.  I was pouting and throwing a fit like a two year old when my German Boys lost today...they worked so hard and played so well for so long!! But such is the luck of the game it only take one goal to make a difference...and seven Spanish players playing defense. *grumbles* Now I'm going to go pout again. I'm muttering this under my breath right now:

Stupid Spanish team,Stupid La Liga players...even though I love you FCBarcelona and Charles Puyol I'm a fan of the German team and they deserved to win they proved to have better defense with less men playing back but that fucking undeserved yellow card on Muller made a big difference and I want to see Klose beat the record for most career goals in the world cup...Stupid Spanish!

*end grumble*

It is Not in Your Character to Give Up

That was my fortune in my fortune cookie yesterday. I had a 1/2 dish of pad thai with chicken according to calorie king that's roughly 560 Calories..but that's also all I had for lunch...It was a rush meal kind of day because I had to run an errand for the boss man and I had to make an important stop at REI....I needed a new toy :)

I got a sports watch :)

It's purple :)

I know a certain fashion conscious friend of mine is cringing right now... *cough*shoewhore*cough*... I like purple :). Plus I needed this kind of watch for a specific reason... I needed it to be light weight and have a stop watch... because I'm running with this baby.

Yesterday I got one of my co-workers motivated to go run with me. She's not a regular exerciser or runner for that matter so I told her don't worry we'll do a run/walk. I've talked about run/walks a bit on the blog. I really like them because it's a good way for beginners to mentally prepare themselves for a run. The idea is to run for 4 minutes walk for 1, then repeat. I think it helps beginners to push themselves because they know that little break is coming soon.

But even if you're not a beginner the break actually helps you to run a little faster..so even though you stop to walk you end up keeping the same pace you would if you had jogged straight through because you usually don't slow your jogging pace. It's a good way to train and build up your endurance.


She actually said to me a few days ago when we were talking about going for a run that she shouldn't run with me because she's not a runner and she felt like she shouldn't even bother trying to run...that maybe she should try it some other time.

My only response was well if you don't start now when are you ever going to?

To me it doesn't matter if you're not the best, it matters that you try!

What bothers me is that people give up before even trying..that my friends gets you no where!

So my new handy dandy little stop watch kept time for me. We made sure to stop every 1.25 miles to stretch and rest a bit, but by the end we completed 3.75 miles with hills. For me that's not much of a run anymore (a year ago I would have laughed at you if you asked me to run that far though), but for my co-worker it was a major accomplishment and she felt so good afterward! She said she never would have done it with out me, but I didn't do anything. I couldn't make her run with me she did that on her own...I just kept time ;)

So we're going to try and do this once a week and I'm working on getting a few other co-workers motivated to join in. Trust me ANYONE can try a run/walk.

I've also noticed my new stop watch will be handy for other things... office chair races, timing how long a windbag boss talks on the phone.... and in my case measuring timing myself to see how quickly I can blog. :)

Legs and Ass

As opposed to tits and ass... this post is dedicated to Legs and Ass :)

You know who's ass that is... don't ask, just enjoy it.

and if by chance your ass is that tiny... kiss my you know what
(however if you happen to be owner of said ass... call me ;))

So there's lots of muscles in the legs which means lots of different spots to tone... quads, hamstrings, inner and outer thighs, calves and glutes.


So how can we tone each of these muscles and what all women want to know particularly is how do we get rid of the cottage cheese around our thighs? Well I hate to tell ya there is no magic cure like hundreds of google ads claim there to be, the cure is diet and exercise ladies. Burn off the fat and tone the muscle underneath and you'll see definition in some areas and smooth curves in others. Slowly but surely I'm seeing definition in my leg muscles and my hips are becoming more trim. They're not where I want them to be yet, but I've learned a lot of exercises to help tone and trim.

First things first... make sure you warm up! You want to warm up before trying any exercise, it's important for several reasons:

A proper warm up can increase the blood flow to the working muscle which results in decreased muscle stiffness, less risk of injury and improved performance. Additional benefits of warming up include physiological and psychological preparation. (source)

Some warm up exercises you can do are a light jog on the treadmill for 5-10 minutes, or the elliptical for the same amount of time. If you don't have access to exercise equipment you can warm up with jumping jacks, running in place, mountain climbers, high knees, jumping side to side or front to back on your toes, or even a brisk jog around the block..what ever you do you want to move around, get your heart rate up and break a bit of a sweat first and then you know you're warmed up.

Ok, so here's some exercises so you can get those toned sexy legs! (rawr!)

Lunges:

Starting Position

Stand with your feet about 6 inches apart from each other toes pointed forward.

Action

INHALE: Step forward with one leg and lower your body to 90 degrees at both knees. Don't step out too far. There should be 2 to 2.5 feet between your feet at this point. Keep your weight on your heels and don't allow your knees to cross the plane of your toes.

EXHALE: Push up and back to the starting position to complete one rep. Repeat all reps on one leg, then switch to complete one set.

Special Instructions

Keep your back upright. The further you step, the more you work the glutes (buttocks) and hamstrings. The closer you step, the more you work the quadriceps muscles on the top of your thighs. Place your hand on a chair or wall or balance if necessary.

Muscles Worked: Quads, Glutes

If regular lunges are too boring for you, or you want to change them up and make them more difficult then here's a few things you can do to modify your regular lunge:

Add some weights

Add and oblique twist with a medicine ball

Add a step

OR use a paper plate and do a reverse lunge. Place one foot in a paper plate instead of stepping forward you will slide the foot in the plate back behind you doing a reverse lung. The paper plate will reduce any friction and you'll see that it works your muscles more trying to balance yourself and slide back at the same time.

Lateral Lunges.... for those thighs!

Starting Position

Begin by standing with your feet shoulder width apart, hands on hips.

Action

INHALE: Step out to the right and shift your body weight over your right leg, squatting to a 90 degree angle at the right knee. Try to sit down with your butt, keeping your back as upright as possible.

EXHALE: Push off and bring your right leg back to center to complete one rep. Finish all reps on this side, and repeat on left side to complete one set.

Special Instructions

Keep your weight on your heels and make sure your knees don't go over the plane of your toes. Hold your arms out in front of you to help with balance.

Muscles Worked: Quads, Glutes, Inner thigh

Here's some ways you can modify your lateral lunge:

Add a dumbbell press

Add a resistance band. We use resistance bands in bootcamp to increase the intensity of our leg exercises. You can get bands that comfortably strap on the ankle and don't dig into the skin for under $20.



With these bands you can increase the intensity of leg lifts or lateral lunges. They will definitely do a lot more to tone your hips and thighs! You can also do a standing oblique sit up with these to add a little ab action into the mix.

Squats!! (these also come in handy for when you need to do the drunk bar-toilet hover ;))


(image source)

Starting Position

Begin this exercise by standing with your feet wider than shoulder width apart and your toes pointed forward.

Action

INHALE: Slowly lower your body and remember to bend slightly at your hips. Keep your weight back on your heels and your back as upright as possible. Make sure your knees don't cross the plane of your toes. (don't extend your knee past your toes)

EXHALE: Straighten legs and come up to the starting position to complete one rep.

Special Instructions

Do not go past 90 degrees at the bend in your knees because this causes additional stress on your joints. If you feel pain in your knees, just go down to where you don't feel pain and come back up. If you have difficulty performing this exercise you can also use a chair or wall to help with balance and the movement until you build sufficient strength.

Muscles Worked: Quads, Glutes

Here's some ways to modify your squats...

Single Leg Squats (use a chair for balance)

Wall Squats with an Exercise Ball

Wide Leg Squat with a Dumbbell

Or you could do a squat but hold in the down position for ten seconds before coming back up.

Or... you're legs will hate me for this one... Do a wall sit. Trust me you use a lot of muscle control trying to hold your self up and sit still against a wall. Hold these for one minute...want to challenge yourself even more... Lift one leg off the ground!

Bridges... now these (when done properly) will tighten that ass! Bridges will also tone up your hamstrings and the back of your thighs.

Starting Position

Lie with arms at sides, feet on floor, knees bent. Press into heels.

Action

EXHALE: Slowly lift hips off of floor toward ceiling, squeezing the glutes.

INHALE: Return to starting position.

Special Instructions

Squeeze glutes through entire rep. Try not to let butt touch ground when lowering between reps.

Muscles Worked: Hamstrings, Glutes, Quads

Just remember to squeeze everything when you're doing these, suck your belly button down to your spine and tightened your glutes towards your belly button, nothing should be hang out loosey goosey.

If you want to modify this to make it more challenging.... lift one leg off the ground. Trust me your hamstrings will be screaming at you later for that ;)


So there's just a few toning exercises you can do to tighten up those legs, thighs and ass. Remember you want to keep doing cardio as well so you burn those calories. So go for a jog, use the elliptical, or play some soccer! Soccer (in my opinion) is the ultimate leg work out. You're constantly cutting, back pedaling, shuffling, shifting, turning, sprinting...basically you're going to work every single muscle in your legs playing this sport and get a great cardio work out as well.

No wonder soccer players have such sexy legs.

Mmmm Iker Casillas you sexy beast you... shame he plays for Madrid.

All images/exercises can be found on sparkpeople.com unless otherwise noted.


p.s. This post is dedicated to shoewhoreninja (holy crap look at the LAMB shoes she posted!!)... who will probably tell you that walking around in a sexy pair of heels will do wonders for your legs and ass as well... and guess what she's right, heels give your tush a nice lift.

Kick Starting Your Work Out Routine

Hello to my new readers! I've had a few new peeps follow my blog lately and some new comments too which is AWESOME!! Thanks so much for coming around to hang out! Welcome aboard!

So if you're new to the blog, new to trying to figure out all this weight loss stuff you probably have a lot of questions. Don't worry, I did as well when I started and I'm certain everyone does... I still have lots of questions, so I'm always looking for more info.

If you're wondering how I got started with my diet I have an older post on that topic. Read about it here!

So what's next? You've read up your diet, learned a bit about healthy eating, but what about working out?

17foreverlisa asked me what she could do to kick start her work out routine, which is a great question! So how in the world do you make the change from being a couch potato to getting fit?

Ask yourself this question...

What motivates you?

There has to be something that motivates you to want to get in shape... think about what that is...is it your family, is it your future family, do you want to do it for yourself...

What is your favorite physical activity?

You might not be in shape right now but maybe there's something you've always wanted to try, always wished you could do, or wanted to start doing again after adult life got in the way...


Did you play a sport when you were younger that you really enjoyed?

Do you like being outdoors?

Do you like riding a bike?

Hiking?

Swimming?

Running?

Skiing/snow boarding?

Dancing?

Do you work well alone? Or with others?

I'm asking all these questions for several reasons:

• Boredom kills your work out! Plus, if you associate working out with being painful and exhausting instead of fun and invigorating then honestly do you think you're going to work out? Probably not.
  
  Find a fun activity that you enjoy that's going to get you out there, and make that part of your routine.
  
• If you like being with a group, then group fitness classes or rec sports are definitely for you!
  
  Even if you don't like being in a group I would recommend trying to push yourself out of your comfort zone! If you don't push yourself out of your routine, out of your existing everyday comforts then you won't see results.
  
• A benefit of group fitness classes is that you have a set time to meet. If you're the type of person that says "oh I'll just go to the gym whenever" but never actually set a time to go, do you think you'll actually make it to the gym?
  
  If you take a group fitness class or join a sports team that has set times to meet and a set schedule for games, then chances are you're going to be there because you've made the time for it.
  
• Working out with a group gives you the added benefit of camaraderie and motivation. You'll see once you get out there that you always feed off each others energy and you'll push yourself harder as a result.

For me, it was soccer. I LOVE soccer! But I was really bad at soccer when I first started playing so I wanted to get better. Soccer has always been part of my routine and every day I work out I feel like I work towards improving my game.

Here's an example of how I boosted my work out routine which helped improve my soccer game:

I needed better cardiovascular endurance... So I started taking regular spinning classes.

I needed to be faster... So I started running and doing sprint intervals on the treadmill.

I needed to improve my ball skills... So I started kicking the ball around after my runs.

I needed to be stronger to have more powerful kicks... So I started lifting weights.

Start Small, Baby Steps!

Note: To be on the safe side I would consult with your Dr. before starting any work out routine. Get a physical and make sure everything is running smoothly! :)

Do you think I was able to get out there on my first soccer game and bend it like Beckham? Hell no! I'm still not even remotely close and never will be at that skill level, but now I feel like I can hold my own out on the field and that I've gained the respect of my team mates as a reliable defender.

But that didn't happen over night. It took time. Achieving fitness is going to take time, remember this is a life style change not a quick fix.

If you're trying to start a work out routine, start small. Set small goals for yourself. Here's an example:

Let's say you have access to a treadmill...even if you don't you can try this outside...

Start off doing 30 minute walks at least 3 - 4 times a week.

If you can handle that, it's time to add a little bit of jogging to your routine.

Try to jog for intervals of 30 seconds to 1 minute, then walk to recover...and again set small goals for yourself to improve the length of time as you grow used to it...before you know it you'll be able to run a mile straight!

If you want to read more about doing run/walks, check out this article on runners world.

Just remember having to stop an activity to take a breather does not make you weak or less of an athlete! What does make you weak is if you had never gotten up off the couch that day in the first place...never get down on yourself for getting out there and trying!

Which leads me to my next segment... ;)

Discomfort is OK, Pain is not!

Remember the expression, no pain, no gain? Forget that expression! PAIN IS NOT GOOD! What you want to shoot for is discomfort, which should happen anyway if you're pushing yourself harder than what your body is used to. Make your self sweat, get your heart rate up...but if you experience severe pain STOP what you're doing. I'm not saying be a total wuss...Just make sure you know your limits.

Experiencing soreness after a work out is normal though. This is often referred to as delayed onset muscle soreness. It's very important to stretch after each work out and to keep yourself moving the next day to minimize your recovery time. For example if you did cardio yesterday and your legs are sore, make sure you do a different activity today such as lifting weights. Remember to stretch, or do a light activity such as walking...don't just sit around.

I've found working out over all has not been a smooth process. I've had minor muscle pains, bumps/scrapes/bruises, a shoulder injury (which has been on going since I was 22 I have to modify my work outs around it) and a foot injury from soccer and not laying off of it. Don't expect everything to be smooth sailing, but also don't let a little soreness make you stop! Listen to your body, listen to your doctor, do what you think you can, but above all keep active!

To summarize my advice... keep it fun, push yourself out of your comfort zone, do your best and most importantly don't give up!!!

Now it's time to put away the lap top and get started!

Hope this helps, and let me know what your favorite way to work out is!

Don't Beat Yourself Up

The alternate title of this weeks entry would have been how to gain five pounds in a week....but the reason I didn't have a post at the beginning of this week was because I needed to give myself a few days to cool off, clear my head, and try to remember that it's not always about the scale!

As I posted in the last entry I tried a week of low carbs to shock my system and start weight loss again. Well, this week was low glycemic.

The low glycemic diet allowed me to add fruits and whole grains back into my diet.

My daily range was 1700cal 148g protein, 191g carb, 47g fat

I could eat carbs again but I had a list that I needed to chose from, I couldn't just go balls out and eat what ever I wanted.

Acceptable carbs included fruit (except bananas, dates, figs), sugar-free applesauce, light yogurt, beans (all types, black, kidney, chickpea etc.), other veggies like squash, beets and artichokes, some grains - limited to one meal a day (100% whole wheat bread and tortillas, oatmeal, sweet potato).

Here's an example of meals I ate for Low Glycemic week:

Monday:
Breakfast
Hard Boiled Egg, 2 large
Cottage Cheese, 2% Milkfat, 1 cup (not packed)

Lunch:
Apples, fresh, 1 small (2-1/2" dia)
Baby Carrots, raw, 10 medium
Guiltless Gormet - Blackbean Chipotle Wrap,
Romaine Lettuce (salad), 2 cup, shredded
Cider Vinegar, 1 tbsp

Dinner:
Cauliflower, cooked, 6 flowerets
Chicken Breast, no skin, 4 ounces
Bread, whole wheat (including toast), 1 slice
Butter, salted, 2 pat
Cornbread, 1 oz (I cheated with this... sister made some corn bread and I love the stuff!!)
Milk, nonfat, 1 cup

Snacks:
Mixed Nuts, dry roasted (salt added)1/5 oz (I wasn't paying attention when I grabbed nuts for a snack...last week nuts were ok, this week I need to watch my intake because I could only have 47g of fat.)
Apples, fresh, 1 medium (2-3/4" dia)

Tuesday:
Breakfast:
Quaker Instant Oatmeal, prepared with water, 1 Packet
Quaker Instant Oatmeal, honey nut, prepared with water, 1 packet,
Yogurt, plain, low fat, 1 cup (8 fl oz)

Lunch:
Chicken Breast, no skin, 0.5 breast, bone and skin removed
Oranges, 1 fruit (2-5/8" dia)
Cauliflower, cooked, 4 flowerets
Bread, whole wheat (including toast), 1 slice Applesauce, unsweetened, 1 cup

Dinner:
Bread, whole wheat (including toast), 1 slice
Skippy Natural Creamy Peanut Butter, 2 tbsp
Trader Joe's Chicken Tikki Masala (1 Tray), 1 serving (I screwed up here. I was tired, didn't feel like cooking so I had a frozen dinner which had white rice.

Snacks:
Cheddar Cheese, 1 oz
Dill Pickles, 2 spear
Apples, fresh, 1 large (3-1/4" dia)



Cons of this diet:
1. you give me an inch... I take a mile. I admitted last week to my carb addiction now looking back at what I ate it's no wonder I gained some weight back. Towards the end of the week I made a big batch of whole wheat pasta with roasted peppers and onions added to the sauce and sweet Italian turkey sausage... sounds yummy right? Well I made it with the hopes that my sis would eat the left overs, but I forgot sis was leaving town so I had multiple portions of left overs that I wasn't going to let go to waste.


Pros of this diet:
1. It's more realistic.

2. You eat a larger variety of healthy foods.

3. Once again it made me look at my carb addiction and it made me realize that while I can still eat carbs I need to make an effort not to allow them it to be a part of every meal I eat!

Results of this diet:
Truth. I gained some of the weight I lost on low carb week back. This however should not be viewed as a reflection of the diet, but just proves my theory once again that the low carb diet does not work. As I said before when you go off of it you gain the weight back! I talked to one of the girls at my bootcamp who is doing the same diet and started before me. She told me she also gained some weight back after she got off the low carb week. I felt better hearing this knowing it wasn't just me. She also told me that once she stuck to the low glycemic diet she did see the weight fall off again after a little while. Ahh, the joys of dieting. I swear it's a rollercoaster some days.

I allowed myself a cheat day on Saturday because I went to NYC to see this amazing exhibit at the Morgan library about Jane Austen...yes I'm still fan girling. I'm allowed a cheat day every two weeks so it was convenient mine fell when I went out of town. I had what I normally had for breakfast since I was on a bus to New York...I ate two cereal bars and an apple. I allowed myself a vanilla latte once I got to the city because it was ff-f-f-f-ffreeeeezing last Saturday!! For lunch I ate at Franchia a vegetarian Japanese tea house. I highly HIGHLY recommend it. Everything was delicious even the $5 cup of plum tea. I had crispy scallion pancakes and spicy Malaysian ginger "chicken" fried rice, I tried a sesame and seaweed porridge but it was just "eh" not bad but not great so I only had a few spoonfuls. The meal was more than filling, probably more than I should have eaten, but damn did I enjoy every bite!

However that was where the eating should have ended. But I was craving pizza. When I got back home around 10 at night I hadn't eaten since lunch except for some nuts and an orange on the bus. I wasn't really hungry, but I told myself on cheat day I was having pizza and damnit!! I wanted pizza! So I had pizza.

And boy did I regret it. But Sunday the scale had shot up, all the weight I lost the week before was back and then some. I was freaking out...did one cheat day hurt me that much??! Did I really eat too many carbs last week?? I hit the gym on Sunday and I've worked out every day since. I beat myself up for a little while about my weight gain...I just didn't know what I did wrong. But as I said above I talked to one of my fellow dieters/bootcampers and she assured me that the weight would probably come back off soon.

I am happy to report this morning that when I weighed myself that I was back with in 1-2 pounds of where I was at the end of my low carb week. It's difficult to tell on my dial scale.

Another Lesson I learned this week.

DON'T GIVE UP! I'm not going to give up, I'm not going to stop eating healthy (even if I thought about if for a split second then I said to myself..Um WTF was that thought coming from have you gone mental!?) No, not me I'm not giving up! I have to keep thinking of the bigger picture I might have a bad day and then a good day, but I know over all I always have more good days than bad. I'm healthier and happier than I was before so I'm just going to keep working hard at it every day.

I'm going to try my best to stop obsessing over the numbers and deadlines I've mentally set for me reach my goal and just remember that this isn't something that has an expiration date once I reach my goal. This is for life!


This week's work outs:

1/25 Mon - Rest

1/26 Tues - Boot camp and indoor soccer

1/27 Wed - Boot camp

1/28 Thurs - gym: treadmill jog 3 miles, abs, weights

1/29 Fri - Bootcamp

1/30 Sat - Rest - went to NYC to be a Jane Austen Fan Girl

1/31 Sun - Gym: treadmill jog 2 miles, elliptical 10 minutes high resistance, abs

How to Lose About 5lbs in a Week

Update: Please read the follow up post to this (above) so you can see how unrealistic a low carb diet is for healthy weight loss.

Note: Please remember that we are all different, our bodies store fat and metabolize differently so we will all lose fat and metabolize food differently. So if you see your results in weight loss not going as quickly as you like don't get down on yourself. Be proud of what you can achieve and keep working to achieve more. End note :)

Ok, that being said over the fall I hit a major plateau with my weight loss. I was still dropping inches from all my work outs, but the scale was staying the same and the fat wasn't coming off as fast as I wanted to. So I got fed up and decided to give up sugar and get really strict with my diet Jan 1. I did that for a week an half while I stuck to my low calorie diet and STILL the scale didn't go anywhere even eating 1500 calories a day. Normally I probably should have lost about 2lbs or more a week.

So I set up a meeting with my boot camp trainer to discuss my diet and he put it in pretty simple terms for me. My body was too used to my diet and my metabolism slowed down. I need to make a big change in what I was eating in order to shock my system and jump start my weight loss.

His solution: A weekly rotation of Low Carb, Low Glycemic, and Low Calorie/higher carb diets.

When I heard the words low carb I wanted to freak out! Low Carbs! I'm part German and Italian!

Give me my potatoes and wheat beer and my spaghetti, Italian bread and wine and I'm a happy girl!! I was raised on spaghetti and meatballs!

I'm also a firm believer that the Low Carb diet does not work. I don't need to be an expert to say this, I've seen it first hand happen to my father. He did the Atkins diet for months lost the weight really fast, went off the diet and gained it all back. Slow and steady wins the race and all things in moderation is my motto.

Needless to say I was actually a little afraid to try the low carb because of this, but what did I have to lose? I wasn't losing anything currently with my diet the way it was that's for sure, so I had to give this a try. What gave me the motivation to give this a try was that the diet rotated weekly. So essentially my body wouldn't adjust too much to the low carb's. When I switched my diet up after a week I wouldn't gain all the weight back right away and I wouldn't go crazy from not having some oatmeal or spaghetti :) WIN!

So far I've only done week 1: Low Carb. Yesterday was my last day and I'm happy to report I survived the week. Today I start low glycemic index, so I'll be posting about that next week.

Instead of focusing on what I couldn't have I was happy with the list of foods I was allowed:

-meats/dairy: beef, chicken, fish, eggs, cottage cheese, cheese, shellfish.

-unlimited veggies including asparagus, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, cucumber, onion, lettuce, mushroom, pepper, snow peas, radish, spinach, tomato and zucchini. no carrots or green beans.

Mmmm... unlimited vegeeees!
(oh, but no fruit allowed for low carb week... sorry delicious apple!)

-allowable fats: cream/milk, canola and olive oil, nuts (almonds, brazil, peanuts, pecans, walnuts), avacado/guacamole, all natural peanut butter.

I was very happy that I could eat handfulls of nuts for a snack... if you recall I love nuts!

My daily goal was to eat 1600 Calories, 40g of Carbs, 89g of Fat, 160g of Protein

Here's an example of meals that I ate.

Sunday:

Breakfast - 3 egg omelet w/ salsa & cheese

Lunch - grilled chicken Caesar salad, no croutons

dinner - pork chop & salad

Monday:

Breakfast - two hardboiled eggs, 1 cup cottage cheese

snack - mixed nuts, dry roasted 1 oz.

Lunch - grilled chicken breast, salad w/ balsamic dressing, 4 celery sticks w/ peanut butter

snack - mixed nuts

dinner - 5oz Tilapia, asparagus

The Con's of this diet:


1. I don't recommend this diet to anyone who is just starting out with making a change in their lifestyle. It has a LOT of restrictions as to what you can and can't eat and you need to plan every meal. If I did this as a Newbie dieter I probably would have given up and that would have gotten me no where. If I had to follow a diet that said NO you can't eat this and NO you can't eat that then I would have had a very hard time because it would have been giving up too much too soon for me and I would have gotten overwhelmed.

I believe it's important to learn how to make healthy choices on your own with out restrictions first. Learn what foods (from all food groups) are healthy for you and learn how to properly portion your food before trying something like this. This is what sparkpeople.com teaches you. I had no restrictions on my diet starting out, technically I could have eaten what ever the hell I wanted to. But what I learned very quickly was well, I can't eat what ever I want beauce I won't see results. I had to learn on my own what healthy foods would fill me up instead of wasting my calories on an empty snack that would leave me hungry.

Now that I've learned all this, it was the right time for me to analyze my diet again and cut more out. Which is why I tried this low carb/low glycemic/low calorie rotation.

2. Removing carbs from your diet causes a HUGE DROP in energy. Carbs were my main source of energy before I gave them up. I would eat a cereal bar before working out and at 5am it really gave me that boost I needed to get through bootcamp. Eating protein for breakfast doesn't enter my system as quickly, so I found myself tired through my work outs, tired in the middle of the day, crashing at the end of the day and taking long naps.

3. I had to eat protein shakes some days to make sure I got enough protein. Can we say... blech!

The Pro's of this diet:


1. I learned that it wasn't so terrible to cut carbs from my life. I survived the week, granted I was tired a lot, but I did it. I've also realized that when I reach my weight loss goal and go off of this rotation diet, I don't need to depend on having carbs in my daily diet. I can go a day or several days with out toast, oatmeal, or pasta. And I figured out a scoop or two of peanut butter with a cup of milk will give me enough energy to get through my work outs.

2. I saved money, learned to plan ahead and ate better. At the grocery store I only bought chicken breast, fish, vegetables, nuts, cheese, cottage cheese, eggs and milk. I didn't eat a single processed, over salted frozen meal, and I didn't go out every day and buy a salad for lunch. I am a self proclaimed microwave queen and I usually buy salads for lunch or even frozen organic meals like Amy's brand. This week I prepared breakfast, lunch and dinner for myself and I learned to experiment more with some seasoning and I cooked a mean dish of tilapia! YUM.

3. I SAW RESULTS!!! After months of the scale not budging in either direction I FINALLY saw it go down again and it felt AMAZING!! I was so excited that after only a few days I saw the scale drop. After a week, my new jeans are already fitting me better! And people at bootcamp told me they saw a difference already!

But it's not just about the diet ladies!!

You got get up, get out there and exercise as well!

This was my work out schedule this week:

Monday: Spinning 1hr, Yoga 1hr

Tuesday: Bootcamp, 1hr (no soccer this week *sadface*)

Wednesday: rest (got a massage ;))

Thursday: Bootcamp, 1hr

Friday: Bootcamp, 1hr

Saturday: Run/walk (run for 4 min, walk 1), 6 miles and lots of hills!

Sunday: Run, 3 miles (not much hills)

Best part about my Saturday run was that I got a compliment for doing a good job from a cute stranger runner guy....who happened to pass me once when I was going down hill (enjoyed the view though) and when I was near the end he was already running back up hill (enjoyed that view too...I'm bad). But he was cute and said I was doing a good job so I forgive him for putting me to shame.