The Blog Post About Nothing

Oh look. It's Tuesday. And I have nothing exciting to share - just photos of my food and tales of how today isn't my gym morning (Husband gets T,H,F mornings). I have an appointment this evening so no evening gym time for me today. I can't take the kids for a walk because - surprise, surprise - it is raining again. And I just don't want to go walk on the treadmill so today might get a big fat zero in the exercise department. In other news, the Wii my husband brought home the other day doesn't work so the Wii Fit issue is moot for the moment. Not sure if Best Buy will let us return it or if we have to send it to the Wii folks.

Food:

Yesterday's lunch was a salad as predicted. Lettuce, raw broccoli, feta, sunflower seeds, halved red grapes and 1.5 T of dressing.

Dinner was fish and shrimp and peas.

Breakfast today was a little wild and crazy. My oldest asked for pancakes - meaning Trader Joe's Pumpkin Pancakes.

I can't resist them so I had 2 (inexplicably football shaped) pancakes (that is a salad plate so while they weren't small, they aren't as gigantic as they look) dusted w/powdered sugar instead of syrup and a couple of strawberries for breakfast this morning. No protein and certainly not a low calorie breakfast. But it wasn't outrageous and it tasted yummy. Unfortunately, the lack of protein and meaningful calories meant that by lunch I was ready to chew off my own arm. Lunch was the same chicken salad as yesterday's breakfast and a slice of cheddar cheese. Dinner is unclear at this point. I probably ought to go dig something out of the freezer to throw on the grill tonight.

Monday. We meet again.

Karen gave me an award just because I came back to my blog. Makes me feel all warm and tingly and welcome in this corner of the blogosphere. I have another blog. One that I don't abandon for 9 months at a time. One where I talk about everything but my weight and fitness struggles. One where I've been writing for 4 years now. I feel quite at home in that corner of the blogosphere but it is weird/hard/awkward to hang out in a new corner. Kind of like being the new kid at school and not knowing what table to sit down at in the cafeteria.

Weekend recap

Food wise I didn't do my Fit Day log either day because we were busy and I was lazy. I didn't eat fabulously but I did watch my portions. Sunday I had coffee in the morning but didn't eat anything until 3:30pm. I don't know why. But I managed to graze a little rather than inhale 2 meals worth of food because I was so hungry.

Saturday I went to the gym. I did 25 minutes on the bike w/ the arm poles. I did all of the weight machines except a couple of leg ones because my quads are still sore. Then I finished with 12 minutes on the True Stride (kind of like an elliptical w/o the incline and with arm poles). Amazing that 12 minutes on it burned more calories and claimed almost the same distance as 25 minutes on the bike.

Sunday I didn't do much of anything exercise wise.

Today

Food: Breakfast looked like this. It is a little more than a cup of chicken salad (made with shredded, poached chicken breast, a little light mayo, green onion, a little juice from the dill pickle jar, and a mix of dried cranberries, cherries, blueberries, and golden raisins) and coffee with 1/2 cup of skim milk (and probably a second cup just like the first to follow). Assuming the second cup of coffee, I'm at about 365 calories for breakfast.

Lunch will likely look like the salad posted last week. I bought a big bin of baby spring mix at Sam's Club this weekend so lots of salads in my future.

Exercise: Today was one of my gym mornings (husband and I are trading off mornings before he goes to work). I don't have as much time during the week because I have to get back home so my husband can get going to work but I managed 20 minutes on the bike w/ the arm poles. I did a circuit of the weight machines except a few of the leg ones again - still babying my quads. I finished with 12 minutes on the True Stride.

Weigh in: I think I will make Mondays a weigh in day. I've always been adamantly anti-scales. I don't own one. I know when things are going well and not going well by how my pants fit. But obviously that isn't working for me because my fat pants are pretty darn snug. So I'm going to try this weigh in thing and see if it helps motivate me. If I get too caught up in the numbers, I will change to bi-weekly or monthly but I'll start out with weekly and see how it goes. We'll call today the first one since I just started back at this trying to get in shape thing last week and my last known weight was in December when I was at the doctor. This morning, I weighed in at the gym: 225.

Finally, a question. Does anyone have/use the Wii Fit? Thoughts? Is it worth the money? My husband just bought a Wii and we've been trying to decide if we want to invest in the Wii Fit for the mornings that are our off days for the gym.

Let's not talk about it

My quad muscles are really bothering me so I skipped the gym this afternoon. I'm torn between thinking I am making excuses and knowing that I legitimately don't want to make it worse so that I have to take a week off of the gym. We'll call it a toss up.

Friday nights are usually take out/order in night in our house. I thought we might skip it tonight since we ordered in last night but my husband wanted to go out. We ended up at an Italian place and let's just say it wasn't pretty. I got veal parmesan it was yummy. And we got cheesecake. Lots of bad food decisions but we had a fun evening out as a family. My only saving grace was that I was only at about 600 calories when we left the house for dinner. Calories still ended up much higher than I would like for the day but the damage could have been worse if I hadn't been eating well up until then today.

It is all good. In the past, I might have used tonight as an excuse to just throw the whole weekend (or week or month) out the window food wise. I mean, I already messed it up so why bother? But I'm not feeling that way tonight. I am feeling fine. I will go to the gym tomorrow. I will stop at the store to stock up on salad fixings and keep plodding along. This is life. I like food. I'm not going to stop enjoying food...I just need to stop abusing it.

Look! The next day not 9 months later.

I did my best to be accurate about last night's take out dinner and then night out with girl friends. But honestly, I have no idea how much rum I drank. I had 2 short rum and diet coke with a lime wedge. So that is a total guess. And the chips? They were on the table and I munched but have no idea exactly how many I ate. I didn't eat the whole basket...but it was more than a couple. And the ribs for dinner weren't spareribs - they were babybacks but I couldn't find that in the Fit Day menu. I tried to compensate by adding 2 more ribs because I ate 5 but the calories didn't seem high enough. So this is how yesterday looked - or my best estimation of it.

And as I mentioned before, I am always fascinated to see how other's eat. I will continue to share pictures as I snap them. Breakfast today (and yesterday but no banana yesterday - coffee instead). Just an egg in a nest or hobo sandwich - whatever you call it. I use cooking spray instead of any butter or oil so it is just 1 egg and 1 piece of bread. (It is the only way I can fry an egg without breaking the yolk.)

And yesterday's lunch. A yummy salad and 1.5 Tablespoons of dressing. (I make my own dressing and it is rather potent so I don't need a lot of dressing.)

Today is another rainy day so I won't get outside to walk with the kids. I will either get on my treadmill during their nap again today or I will go to the gym when my husband gets home from work. Just depends on how the day works itself out. I will update food and activity later.

Can we add Schmuck to my name? Or I'M BACK!

Let's see...when we last left off in JULY. Ack! And I haven't even looked at this blog so I didn't realize some of you came back to cheer me on. I suck. Thank you for checking in on me.

I did fall off the band wagon. For a variety of reasons or excuses depending how you wish to see it. I didn't make it 30 days with the shred. I started alternating it with a strength video and then some medical things came up that prevented me from doing anything that strenuous for awhile. Then I got lazy. Then medical crap again. Then the holidays. Then I got lazy. And I find myself almost 9 months later trying to get back to it.

First? I quit the shred. I hate it. I might pull it out now and then if I can't do anything else because it is quick. But I just hate it too much to make myself do it regularly. BUT I will say that I started doing the strength video of my husband's that I mentioned in my last post (ahem...9 months ago) and it seems ridiculously easy. Then I quit doing anything for a little while and tried to do the strength video again and WHOA it wasn't so easy any more. So I may hate Jillian but I was getting results even if I didn't see them.

New plan. I'm not making any promises. I'm treating this like AA - One Day At A Time. (No, I'm not an alcoholic, I'm a former addiction counselor. Addicted to food - irony?) So I hope to post here regularly again but I can't promise I won't disappear. Let's just hope it is for days rather than most of a year.

We've joined a gym. My husband and I are alternating mornings before the girls are up and before he goes to work. I used to go to the gym almost daily when I was single and before kids. I do enjoy it more than a video or treadmill at home. Well maybe enjoy isn't the right word. I'm cheap and I don't want to waste my money. Plus once I'm there, I feel all of the eyes judging me if I quit too soon. So frugality and peer pressure for the win. Whatever works.

On the days I don't go to the gym, I'm going to try and do SOMETHING at home. Today it was the treadmill because it is raining outside. That something might just be a stroll with the kids - but I need to get my ass off the couch.

Yesterday (3/10/10) was my first day at the gym. I did 12 minutes on the cross trainer thing (like an elliptical). I hate that thing - always have. It kicks my butt (or my quads to be more precise). Then I did all of the weight machines minus the quad one because they were already burning and I have a tendency to rip them and then not be able to do anything for a week - including get off the toilet without whimpering. And finished with 15 minutes on the bike that also has arm poles. I was there for just over an hour.

Today
FBS: 243

Breakfast: 1 egg, 1 piece of wheat bread (no butter), 2 cups of coffee with about 1 cup of skim milk total (I like it light and my mug is huge).

Exercise: 31 minutes on the treadmill here at home. I burned 195 calories and walked 1.4 miles.

Lunch: big salad with turkey, feta, and a small amount of sunflower seeds, pepitas, and dried cranberries and dried cherries. 2 T dressing

Snack: will be Smart Pop Kettle Corn

Dinner will be unhealthy BBQ pork take out. And margaritas. It is girls night. I'm not giving up the good stuff just hoping to watch my portions.

Final confession: at my last doctor appointment I was 226 pounds (I am 5'8 not 6'5 so that is an ugly number). Short(ish) term is to get under 200. We'll go from there.

Permanent Shred Fail?

I am over 20 days in and still hate the 30 Day Shred. A lot. Enough that I am starting to lose motivation. I am making excuses to not do it. I dread it. I curse my way through it. I feel like a failure after each work out because there is always something that I have to modify or can't keep up with. I feel rubbery and tired after doing it.

I want to feel bad ass after I do my work out. I want to feel empowered and strong not just thankful it is over.

I tried my husband's new DVD: SWAT Workout Ultimate Body Definition. I loved it. It is strength training with hand weights (I have 3 lb but think I need to pick up 5 lb) and an intense little 10 minute cardio piece toward the end. I feel good after I do it. I feel good while I do it. It is longer than the shred - 45 minutes if you do the whole thing - but it flies by. My basic issue is that I need to find a way to get cardio in as well. I don't have time to do a 45 minute DVD and then hop on my treadmill. I'm thinking about alternating this DVD with my treadmill and maybe some days of shredding thrown in. I just can't face doing the 30 Day Shred every single day any more. Maybe after I get a little stronger and fitter I will return to it and do it in 30 days straight as intended. But right now I think I'm going to mix it up. I'm afraid of completely losing my motivation and returning to my old lazy ways.
As for food, I've had good days and bad since my last check in. My husband started a Biggest Loser competition at work yesterday with a monetary prize so he is motivated. I think his motivation will keep me from picking up too much crap at the store and from going back for seconds at dinner - I can't eat more than my husband without feeling like a heifer.

Here is my breakfast today: 1/2 cup low fat cottage cheese, 1 cup cantaloupe, 1/4 cup blueberries, and 2 slices grilled pork loin. I find breakfast the most challenging meal to stay away from processed carbs - I want cereal, bagels, and toast. So I try to make it more of a lunch type meal with lots of protein. I will readily admit this is easier now that I am a stay at home mom. It was much harder when I was working and tended to just grab something that I could eat in the car.

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That is where my head is at now. I am struggling with whether my decision to back off of the 30 Day Shred is a failure or a smart choice. Maybe I should stick with it since it is so challenging. Maybe this is just an excuse to slack off and do something easier. Time will tell.

Catch Up

Yikes...sorry for disappearing! Let me quickly catch up.

Tuesday: Shredded Level 2 (Day 21) but ate a lot of crap.

Wednesday: Ate okay all day but had a burger and fries for diner. I didn't exercise. I got busy and didn't make it a priority. I had a headache and used that as my excuse.

Thursday: Didn't exercise and didn't eat very well (not horrible but not great). My husband, as I feared, was exercising during the time I had carved out to do it in the morning so I didn't get a chance before getting the kids up. I didn't manage to get them both napping at the same time so I didn't get a chance during naptime. I did run around all day so at least I was active and not sitting on my couch.

Friday: Back on track I hope. I Shredded this morning. Because of my 2 day break, I did Level 1 this morning. I will return to Level 2 tomorrow.

I had this big and quite yummy breakfast this morning for 204 calories. I haven't had cottage cheese since I was pregnant and forgot how much I like it when I find a decent low fat variety. We've been getting the best cantaloupes at the farmers market - I'll be really sad when they aren't in season any more. And Healthy Ones chicken breast was on sale at the deli this week - 4 thin slices for only 50 calories. I have left over grilled chicken breast and steamed broccoli for lunch so I shouldn't struggle with a healthy lunch.