I was able to get out for a nice 4-mile walk today with my friend Laura. We had to dodge some ice- and snow-covered spots, but it wasn't too bad. By the time we got home, I could see the sun peeking through the clouds, a wonderful sight!
We ran two tiny bursts -- both of us were suffering tight shins -- and while it was mostly a walk, it was so nice to get outside again. I was going to wait to go out again Friday, but I may try tomorrow, as the forecast has a sun as tomorrow's icon and more stupid raindrips/snowflakes Friday and Saturday.
I'm proud to say I have still managed to go this whole time without eating one bad thing, and it's getting easier. Still -- and I know I keep saying this -- I really, really need to start upping my exercise. I fear the next two weeks will be light on it, though, as I have a book to proof and I'm already behind. I just have to do what I can and remember I'm in no rush to lose weight (though in my head I am!!).
Still feeling no difference in my clothes, but I hope to feel better in general tomorrow when I get my hair cut and colored. I've been looking rather rough lately, and it's time to spruce up!
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Week 4 weigh-in
Beginning weight: 216
Last week's weight: 208
This week's weight: 206
This week's loss: 2 pounds
Total loss: 10 pounds
Left to lose: 40 pounds
Woo-hoo! I was so worried last Friday when I stepped on the scale and it suggested I was back to 210. Today, when I stepped on, I saw it jump to one of the big points, which I assumed was the 210-point mark, and I wanted to kick myself. Then I looked closer and it was at the 205 mark! Well, more like 206.
So I'll take it!
That's 10 pounds in a month, and while I'm frustrated at myself for still being over 200, I know I'm making progress and just need to remain patient.
I had yet ANOTHER eating dream last night, but I can't recall what food it was. I just remember the frustration at "cheating."
So, with regard to the scale: I will probably purchase a new one soon. I bought a digital scale a few years back, but every time I stepped on it, it gave me a different number. Like four times in a row different. So I ditched it and went back to my dial scale, because at least it was consistent. A friend recently passed along a Consumer Reports story on scales, which suggested the Taylor Glass Electronic Scale as being the most accurate. I am going to try to buy it as soon as this snow melts and I feel comfortable going out. But beware: It means my weight will likely jump back up. Maybe I'll wait till NEXT YEAR'S snow melts! Hee hee.
Last week's weight: 208
This week's weight: 206
This week's loss: 2 pounds
Total loss: 10 pounds
Left to lose: 40 pounds
Woo-hoo! I was so worried last Friday when I stepped on the scale and it suggested I was back to 210. Today, when I stepped on, I saw it jump to one of the big points, which I assumed was the 210-point mark, and I wanted to kick myself. Then I looked closer and it was at the 205 mark! Well, more like 206.
So I'll take it!
That's 10 pounds in a month, and while I'm frustrated at myself for still being over 200, I know I'm making progress and just need to remain patient.
I had yet ANOTHER eating dream last night, but I can't recall what food it was. I just remember the frustration at "cheating."
So, with regard to the scale: I will probably purchase a new one soon. I bought a digital scale a few years back, but every time I stepped on it, it gave me a different number. Like four times in a row different. So I ditched it and went back to my dial scale, because at least it was consistent. A friend recently passed along a Consumer Reports story on scales, which suggested the Taylor Glass Electronic Scale as being the most accurate. I am going to try to buy it as soon as this snow melts and I feel comfortable going out. But beware: It means my weight will likely jump back up. Maybe I'll wait till NEXT YEAR'S snow melts! Hee hee.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Please melt already!
The snow was pretty on Saturday. Even on Sunday. Perhaps today. But, really, it has to melt already. I need to go running outside. And right now that's not possible.
Today, I did get exercise, however. In fact, according to most calorie counters, I burned like 1,200 calories. Doing what you ask? Shoveling snow. And ice. My back is killing me -- I've had heat on it ever since -- but it was good to do something. And I was able to partially clear the driveway, though probably not enough to actually get out.
At least my arm feels better. For the longest time I couldn't even type....
Today, I did get exercise, however. In fact, according to most calorie counters, I burned like 1,200 calories. Doing what you ask? Shoveling snow. And ice. My back is killing me -- I've had heat on it ever since -- but it was good to do something. And I was able to partially clear the driveway, though probably not enough to actually get out.
At least my arm feels better. For the longest time I couldn't even type....
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Random thoughts
While I'm a little scared about what Tuesday's weigh-in will show, it won't be because I've slipped. It feels so good to have gone almost a month without eating a forbidden food. But I did have yet another food dream last night...this one involved me buying Girl Scout cookies and, again, thinking, "What about the streak I'm on? Oh forget it!"
I admit it has been a little hard eating well while being snowed-in. Not that I could eat bad...I don't have anything bad in the house. But volume does worry me a little. I've managed to be just fine, though, and I always go to bed when I feel like I'm about to venture into the kitchen after all my calories have been used up.
Unfortunately, I didn't exercise today. I was going to try to run/walk, but the ice is making it too hazardous.
A funny side-note to dieting: I was balancing my checkbook today and noticed I have the same five-dollar bill in my wallet I've had all week. With the exception of my Saturday Subway lunches (minus this week b/c it was closed due to snow), I haven't been spending cash at all. I used to have to stop at the ATM pretty regularly after spending all my cash buying snacks at Walgreens after my shift ended at midnight or buying a snack from the vending machine at work, etc. It's nice to see that the lack of spontaneous eating has saved me some money.
I thought maybe my face looked thinner today, but it could just be that my hair looked bigger....
I admit it has been a little hard eating well while being snowed-in. Not that I could eat bad...I don't have anything bad in the house. But volume does worry me a little. I've managed to be just fine, though, and I always go to bed when I feel like I'm about to venture into the kitchen after all my calories have been used up.
Unfortunately, I didn't exercise today. I was going to try to run/walk, but the ice is making it too hazardous.
A funny side-note to dieting: I was balancing my checkbook today and noticed I have the same five-dollar bill in my wallet I've had all week. With the exception of my Saturday Subway lunches (minus this week b/c it was closed due to snow), I haven't been spending cash at all. I used to have to stop at the ATM pretty regularly after spending all my cash buying snacks at Walgreens after my shift ended at midnight or buying a snack from the vending machine at work, etc. It's nice to see that the lack of spontaneous eating has saved me some money.
I thought maybe my face looked thinner today, but it could just be that my hair looked bigger....
Saturday, January 30, 2010
A new temptation...
...right now.
They ordered pizza at work. A lot of pizza. My favorite kind of pizza. And it has just been delivered. And everyone around me has loaded their plates up with cheesy goodness. And I want it.
But I brought my Weight Watchers pizza, anticipating the snow-day pizza delivery, and I will slowly munch on it, and pretend....
They ordered pizza at work. A lot of pizza. My favorite kind of pizza. And it has just been delivered. And everyone around me has loaded their plates up with cheesy goodness. And I want it.
But I brought my Weight Watchers pizza, anticipating the snow-day pizza delivery, and I will slowly munch on it, and pretend....
Walkin' in a Winter Wonderland
Didn't plan on exercising today, but Mother Nature has changed my plans!
Going to walk to and from work (about 3.5 miles total) in the snow. It's still falling so we shall see how high it gets by 7 p.m. when I return home!
Going to walk to and from work (about 3.5 miles total) in the snow. It's still falling so we shall see how high it gets by 7 p.m. when I return home!
Friday, January 29, 2010
Blah blah blah
One of these days I'm going to have a blog post full of optimism and excitement and good news! I just know it!
But not today.
So, I'm already abandoning my goal of five days of 1-hour workouts this week. I don't want to. But I truly feel like I need to rest my leg completely. Even walking may be putting too much strain on it. I'm going to rest for two days (but keep doing my leg exercises) and hope for the best on Sunday. Even bike riding and cross trainers, in the past, have hurt my shin.
Every Friday, I step on the scale to see where I'm at (I only step on it Fridays and Tuesdays, the weigh-in day). Today just brought me down again. I was back up to 210 and it just makes no sense to me. I have stayed within my allotted Weight Watcher points for nearly four weeks now. I have not eaten one forbidden food. I drink tons of water. I eat my fruits and veggies every day. I eat fiber. I have resisted EIGHT days of temptations at work. And I have gotten in a good amount of exercise (though not too high-intense b/c of my leg). Even take away the exercise and I should be losing something. I want to believe that at some point that scale is going to move, but this is bordering on ridiculous.
I'm facing the prospect of having to walk the 14K in two weeks and perhaps even walk the half marathon in March. That would stink. I'm determined to be healthy enough to run the Cherry Blossom 10-miler in April, but what if this weight won't budge?
I'm not motivated right now. But I will tell you this, and it's something I am so grateful for: I haven't been tempted to eat bad foods lately. Three solid weeks have helped me mentally focus on what I'm eating and why. So, if anything, I'm at least putting good foods into my body.
A big part of me wonders if I'm just sitting too much (which will get even worse when a new book-proofing job arrives tomorrow). There are times my work shift is so bad, so hectic, that I literally don't get out of my seat for six hours or more. That can't be good for me. And those are the hours when I eat most of my food. Perhaps I need to focus on eating half my points before I start my 4 p.m. shift. Right now, it's usually more like a third.
I swear to you that I'm trying to be optimistic and not worry too much. I know that worrying and stressing just produces cortisol -- the stress hormone -- which will make me fatter and fatter.
I really just want to run again soon. Somehow I think that will help me so much.
But not today.
So, I'm already abandoning my goal of five days of 1-hour workouts this week. I don't want to. But I truly feel like I need to rest my leg completely. Even walking may be putting too much strain on it. I'm going to rest for two days (but keep doing my leg exercises) and hope for the best on Sunday. Even bike riding and cross trainers, in the past, have hurt my shin.
Every Friday, I step on the scale to see where I'm at (I only step on it Fridays and Tuesdays, the weigh-in day). Today just brought me down again. I was back up to 210 and it just makes no sense to me. I have stayed within my allotted Weight Watcher points for nearly four weeks now. I have not eaten one forbidden food. I drink tons of water. I eat my fruits and veggies every day. I eat fiber. I have resisted EIGHT days of temptations at work. And I have gotten in a good amount of exercise (though not too high-intense b/c of my leg). Even take away the exercise and I should be losing something. I want to believe that at some point that scale is going to move, but this is bordering on ridiculous.
I'm facing the prospect of having to walk the 14K in two weeks and perhaps even walk the half marathon in March. That would stink. I'm determined to be healthy enough to run the Cherry Blossom 10-miler in April, but what if this weight won't budge?
I'm not motivated right now. But I will tell you this, and it's something I am so grateful for: I haven't been tempted to eat bad foods lately. Three solid weeks have helped me mentally focus on what I'm eating and why. So, if anything, I'm at least putting good foods into my body.
A big part of me wonders if I'm just sitting too much (which will get even worse when a new book-proofing job arrives tomorrow). There are times my work shift is so bad, so hectic, that I literally don't get out of my seat for six hours or more. That can't be good for me. And those are the hours when I eat most of my food. Perhaps I need to focus on eating half my points before I start my 4 p.m. shift. Right now, it's usually more like a third.
I swear to you that I'm trying to be optimistic and not worry too much. I know that worrying and stressing just produces cortisol -- the stress hormone -- which will make me fatter and fatter.
I really just want to run again soon. Somehow I think that will help me so much.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
1 hour, 37 minutes
There's nothing like a sunny, warm day -- and the threat of bone-cold weather and snow in the days ahead -- to make you get out and exercise.
I walked 5 miles. It. Took. Forever. I was afraid to go too fast b/c that made my shin uncomfortable. But I so wanted to run. I walked for 1 hour, 27 minutes. Prior to that, I did a 10-minute Biggest Loser ab workout.
Was feeling pretty good. Then got dressed for work. Jeans still damn tight.
Whaddaya gonna do but keep plugging along...
I walked 5 miles. It. Took. Forever. I was afraid to go too fast b/c that made my shin uncomfortable. But I so wanted to run. I walked for 1 hour, 27 minutes. Prior to that, I did a 10-minute Biggest Loser ab workout.
Was feeling pretty good. Then got dressed for work. Jeans still damn tight.
Whaddaya gonna do but keep plugging along...
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
40 minutes
Well, I didn't get in an hour, but I got in about 40 minutes of exercise today, all trying to avoid my left shin. I did two Biggest Loser 10-minute routines (upper body and cardio) and did a bunch of leg stretches, hip stretches and a 30-second wall sit to finish it off. My legs were very wobbly at that point.
Even though the BL exercises are only 10 minutes a day, they seem to be a nice way to get in some extra stuff I tend to neglect. The routines are very similar to the exercises in the Body Pump class I used to take (which was an hour long).
Early work shift today, so I better get moving.
Even though the BL exercises are only 10 minutes a day, they seem to be a nice way to get in some extra stuff I tend to neglect. The routines are very similar to the exercises in the Body Pump class I used to take (which was an hour long).
Early work shift today, so I better get moving.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Good news, bad news
Let's start with the good news:
I discovered a wonderful recipe today. I found it in a Biggest Loser pocket cookbook that came with my workout DVD. At first I was skeptical: It served two, and each serving had four pancakes. I figured the pancakes would be the size of my thumb, but they weren't! They were a decent size (like bagel-size) and were so tasty.
Here's the recipe. Like I said, it's two servings and each serving is 165 calories, 1 gram of fat and 4.5 grams of fiber (the book says it's 140 calories, 3 grams of fat and 3 grams of fiber, but I counted all the ingredients and I came up the the 165). That's 3 Weight Watchers points for one serving; 6 points for both (I had the second serving for a snack later on). You can double, triple, quadruple the recipe and the batter will stay good in the fridge for up to three days, the book says.
1/2 cup reduced-fat buttermilk
1/2 cup whole-grain oat flour
1 large egg white, lightly beaten (I used egg beaters)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract (I used 1/2 teaspoon)
1/4 teaspoon salt
I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spray (I used Pam)
1/2 cup fresh or frozen (but not thawed ) blueberries (I used fresh)
In a small bowl, combine the first six ingredients. Whisk until blended, then stir in the blueberries. Let stand for 10 minutes.
Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Briefly remove pan from heat to mist lightly with butter spray. Return the pan to heat. Pour the batter in 1/8-cup dollops to form 3 or 4 pancakes. Cook for about 2 minutes, or until bubbles form on the tops and the bottoms are golden brown. Flip. Cook for about 2 minutes.
You can serve it with a sugar-free pancake syrup or orange marmelade but I just had mine plain. YUM!
Some more good news: I actually put the workout DVD into the player and pressed play and did a workout! It's a Biggest Loser 30-day plan and the workouts are only 10 minutes long.
Now the bad news: When I was doing the workout, one exercise was jumping rope (fake) only jumping on one leg. Right leg was fine. But when I did it on the left leg, the one where my shin has been bothering me, the pain was intense.
So I knew I couldn't run. But I decided to get out anyhow and walk the three miles. I attempted to run a few times (I am very impatient and hate walking) but there was discomfort/pain. So, I'm sidelined from running for awhile. I will continue to exercise and strengthen my legs and walk the distances my running sked has outlined.
Just another reason I'm furious at myself for gaining this weight. It really affects my ability to run injury-free.
But, yes, I did an hour of exercise today. And the foods I've eaten have been tasty and within my points range. So despite the shin pain, I'm chalking it up to a good day.
I discovered a wonderful recipe today. I found it in a Biggest Loser pocket cookbook that came with my workout DVD. At first I was skeptical: It served two, and each serving had four pancakes. I figured the pancakes would be the size of my thumb, but they weren't! They were a decent size (like bagel-size) and were so tasty.
Here's the recipe. Like I said, it's two servings and each serving is 165 calories, 1 gram of fat and 4.5 grams of fiber (the book says it's 140 calories, 3 grams of fat and 3 grams of fiber, but I counted all the ingredients and I came up the the 165). That's 3 Weight Watchers points for one serving; 6 points for both (I had the second serving for a snack later on). You can double, triple, quadruple the recipe and the batter will stay good in the fridge for up to three days, the book says.
1/2 cup reduced-fat buttermilk
1/2 cup whole-grain oat flour
1 large egg white, lightly beaten (I used egg beaters)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract (I used 1/2 teaspoon)
1/4 teaspoon salt
I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spray (I used Pam)
1/2 cup fresh or frozen (but not thawed ) blueberries (I used fresh)
In a small bowl, combine the first six ingredients. Whisk until blended, then stir in the blueberries. Let stand for 10 minutes.
Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Briefly remove pan from heat to mist lightly with butter spray. Return the pan to heat. Pour the batter in 1/8-cup dollops to form 3 or 4 pancakes. Cook for about 2 minutes, or until bubbles form on the tops and the bottoms are golden brown. Flip. Cook for about 2 minutes.
You can serve it with a sugar-free pancake syrup or orange marmelade but I just had mine plain. YUM!
Some more good news: I actually put the workout DVD into the player and pressed play and did a workout! It's a Biggest Loser 30-day plan and the workouts are only 10 minutes long.
Now the bad news: When I was doing the workout, one exercise was jumping rope (fake) only jumping on one leg. Right leg was fine. But when I did it on the left leg, the one where my shin has been bothering me, the pain was intense.
So I knew I couldn't run. But I decided to get out anyhow and walk the three miles. I attempted to run a few times (I am very impatient and hate walking) but there was discomfort/pain. So, I'm sidelined from running for awhile. I will continue to exercise and strengthen my legs and walk the distances my running sked has outlined.
Just another reason I'm furious at myself for gaining this weight. It really affects my ability to run injury-free.
But, yes, I did an hour of exercise today. And the foods I've eaten have been tasty and within my points range. So despite the shin pain, I'm chalking it up to a good day.
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