I thought I'd check in and see where I stand as far as my eating and working out were concerned and see how it measured up to the goals I had initially put down Monday...
Monday after work I didn't go to the gym. In fact, I haven't been to the gym in over a week. I plan to remedy that tomorrow morning. I WILL GET UP AT 5:00 AND GO RUN. I WILL. (I'm trying to get myself motivated) We did have the chicken for dinner with asparagus and salad and it was really good. Probably a keeper.
Tuesday: My legs and abs were so sore from 30 Day Shred and the Tae Bo from Sunday that I took the day off. But I didn't over eat! Yay me :) I did make the chicken parmesan. No salad though...I had a Skinny Cow fudge bar for dessert (100 calories)
Wednesday: I did yoga after work for an hour and then preceded to come home and do another day of 30 Day Shred :) We had turkey soft tacos for dinner. And I had a Jello Mousse and small bowl of Kashi cereal for dessert.
Thursday: Today since I'm making the chicken enchilada casserole for dinner, I think I'm just going to do the tae bo advanced workout while the dinner is cooking and if I'm feeling up for it, the 30 Day Shred again after I eat. Currently, I'm craving something with peanut butter and chocolate. I'm going to see if I can talk my husband into taking us to a yogurt shop by our house around 8:00 so that I can satisfy my sweet tooth to some extent.
Tomorrow: I. WILL. WAKE. UP. EARLY. I want to go to the gym and hop on a treadmill for 35 minutes. Afterwards I plan on doing either some leg work or some arm or chest strength training. I know if I don't get up tomorrow morning and work out, that I won't work out at all and I don't need to be lazy. Steve's former boss and mentor opened a shop and he's having a grand opening party tomorrow night, so we're going to that.
I have really been proud of myself though when it comes to my diet. I've been steering clear of loads of sugar and I'm still not drinking coffee. I don't even crave it. I feel a lot more clear headed and energized without it. I feel like I'm losing weight but I honestly don't know and I won't know until Monday. But even if I don't lose a pound, I know I should be proud of myself for being so determined and for striving to make some changes in my life that make me feel better.
The only thing I need to conquer now is finding a better job :) And I really need to let go of all the fear that comes with that. It's time for me to move on and I just don't know where or what I should move on to. Whatever it is, I'm hoping it will be bigger and better things :)
Thursday, January 28, 2010
The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks
Nicholas Sparks can be predictable. Does that make a book he's written any less touching? I don't think so.
The Last Song is a heartwarming/heartbreaking story about Ronnie and the summer she spent with her father. Ronnie is a good kid, but since her father left 3 years ago she has become rebellious and combative towards her mother and brother. She even hasn't spoken to her father or seen him in 3 years. Her father was once a teacher at Julliard and she has received mulitple offers for her to be a student there, but since Steve (her dad) left, she refuses to play the piano and refuses to go to college.
She feels like she's being punished for having to spend the summer with her father in North Carolina. As soon as they get to her father's house, she immediately walks off, not telling anyone where she is going.
She goes exploring and finds herself near a volleyball tournament, where by an unfortunate/fortunate event (whichever way you would want to look at it) meets Will. Will is a gorgeous guy, who Ronnie assumes would never have anything to do with a girl like her. But Ronnie leaves an impression on Will that he just can't shake.
If any of you know Nicholas Sparks books then you know what happens next ;) It's a great book, that leads you to a heartbreaking/heart warming ending that you can see coming but the way our author writes it is beautiful. I was reading this at work (I know, I know-shame on me) and had to fight back tears for pretty much the last 100 pages. It's a great book and if you loved The Notebook or A Walk to Remember, you'll love this book. It's impossible to put down!
Monday, January 25, 2010
Week of Workouts and food!
I have a problem sticking to a routine. I figure if I put it out there what I want to accomplish, that I'll stick it out more than if I kept it to myself.
This past weekend I managed to go for a run with Steve and Anna and I'm pretty positive I ran over 3 miles. It was a great workout and I was proud of myself for going the distance, even though I couldn't on a treadmill! I tend to like running outside more (I NEVER thought I'd say that!) because I can look around and breathe the fresh air and feel the wind in my face, as opposed to running stagnant with nothing to look forward to.
Sunday, I tried to do it again, but I felt exhausted so we just went for a walk instead and then came home where I put in Billy Blanks Tae Bo work out. I did the "advanced" session, which is an hour long. It wore me out! First you do a warm up and then you do a lot of upper body work out, then you move down to the floor and do about 10 minutes of abs, then you do 10-15 minutes of butt, then 10 minutes of leg, and then a 5 minute cool down. It's a great workout! I probably should have done "basic" but felt like I needed to do a longer workout yesterday. Today I'm a little sore. I'm sure as the day progresses, I'll feel it more.
After work today I plan on going to the gym and getting in a 35 minute run and then maybe some chest, shoulder, and ab work.
Tuesday is another workout, but I plan on getting my lazy a$$ out of bed and going early. I want to do 35 minutes of cardio on the elliptical machine and then some back and arm work out. When I get home from work, I'd like to do the basic workout with Billy Blanks (seriously, I've done this stuff so much I already know pretty much every line he's going to say-so we're pretty tight).
Wednesday I'm doing yoga after work unless plans change. So that's an hour of hardcore sweating. If I can get up a little early, maybe I'll be brave enough to do some Jillian Michael's 30 day shred before work, too.
Thursday is the gym again. Running 40 minutes. Legs.
Friday is just a workout video. Probably Billy Blanks AND Jillian Michaels. I'll probably start out with Jillian because she's my soul mate (<3 her) and then end it with Billy (the Basic workout). That would equal about an hour of workout which is just right to end my week.
Saturday, depending on weather, I'd like to run around the neighborhood again. Maybe go 5 miles instead of 3. I was nervous to go run on Saturday because of my prior bad experiences with the uneven sidewalks and the d*3@ acorns, but running in the daylight was actually quite pleasant. I had no problems, so I'm eager to get back out there.
I'm feeling really good. I haven't had coffee in a week. I've been eating really well. Ok, besides that medium pizza that I inhaled in the span of less than 24 hours, but what can you do? I've been making a ton of salads lately and lots of veggies. Adding to my beloved asparagus, I've been enjoying a lot of zucchini and squash. And to replace my coffee fixation, I've been drinking tea. Green tea with lemon, lemon tea, and chamomile.
Right now I weigh in at 147. I knew that "145" from 2 weeks ago was too good to be true. But I also know that the week off I took because of sinus problems didn't help me. Either way, I've lost 3 pounds from last week and that's even with some bloating caused by our woman friend, PMS. Hey, I'll take what I can get, ok?
I'd like to lose another 3 lbs by next Monday. I think it's highly possible with the workouts I've planned and the meals I've got planned for the week.
And while I'm at it, I'll go ahead and map those out for you guys right now:
Tonight is honey mustard Chicken. Really simple. I put 3 chicken breasts in a slow cooker and topped it with Light honey mustard. I'll be serving it with asparagus and some rice. Maybe even some salad since I've been all about my salad (with fresh lettuce, celery, carrots, boiled egg, and balsamic vinegar dressing).
Tuesday is probably chicken Parmesan and spaghetti. A good carb dinner since I'll probably be needing it at some point.
Wednesday is turkey tacos. Yum is all I can say.
Thursday is Chicken Enchilada Casserole that I'm going to be making in the slow cooker with another helping of salad.
Friday is probably steaks, salad and asparagus. Maybe scalloped potatoes, too.
I've really been enjoying cooking new things. I bought a "busy people's slow cooker recipe book" on Saturday from the Christian Book Store. That's where I'm getting two of my chicken recipes this week. I'll let you know how they turn out. Hopefully, tasty.
Other than that, here's hoping it's a great week! I'm feeling positive and certainly optimistic! I'm debating on signing up for the Rock 'N Roll half marathon in March. I'm not sure how I feel about it yet. Ever since I got burned on BOTH of my half marathon races, I'm nervous to plunk down the money for the race. I guess it depends on how I feel in a month and whether or not the race is still open to new registers.
This past weekend I managed to go for a run with Steve and Anna and I'm pretty positive I ran over 3 miles. It was a great workout and I was proud of myself for going the distance, even though I couldn't on a treadmill! I tend to like running outside more (I NEVER thought I'd say that!) because I can look around and breathe the fresh air and feel the wind in my face, as opposed to running stagnant with nothing to look forward to.
Sunday, I tried to do it again, but I felt exhausted so we just went for a walk instead and then came home where I put in Billy Blanks Tae Bo work out. I did the "advanced" session, which is an hour long. It wore me out! First you do a warm up and then you do a lot of upper body work out, then you move down to the floor and do about 10 minutes of abs, then you do 10-15 minutes of butt, then 10 minutes of leg, and then a 5 minute cool down. It's a great workout! I probably should have done "basic" but felt like I needed to do a longer workout yesterday. Today I'm a little sore. I'm sure as the day progresses, I'll feel it more.
After work today I plan on going to the gym and getting in a 35 minute run and then maybe some chest, shoulder, and ab work.
Tuesday is another workout, but I plan on getting my lazy a$$ out of bed and going early. I want to do 35 minutes of cardio on the elliptical machine and then some back and arm work out. When I get home from work, I'd like to do the basic workout with Billy Blanks (seriously, I've done this stuff so much I already know pretty much every line he's going to say-so we're pretty tight).
Wednesday I'm doing yoga after work unless plans change. So that's an hour of hardcore sweating. If I can get up a little early, maybe I'll be brave enough to do some Jillian Michael's 30 day shred before work, too.
Thursday is the gym again. Running 40 minutes. Legs.
Friday is just a workout video. Probably Billy Blanks AND Jillian Michaels. I'll probably start out with Jillian because she's my soul mate (<3 her) and then end it with Billy (the Basic workout). That would equal about an hour of workout which is just right to end my week.
Saturday, depending on weather, I'd like to run around the neighborhood again. Maybe go 5 miles instead of 3. I was nervous to go run on Saturday because of my prior bad experiences with the uneven sidewalks and the d*3@ acorns, but running in the daylight was actually quite pleasant. I had no problems, so I'm eager to get back out there.
I'm feeling really good. I haven't had coffee in a week. I've been eating really well. Ok, besides that medium pizza that I inhaled in the span of less than 24 hours, but what can you do? I've been making a ton of salads lately and lots of veggies. Adding to my beloved asparagus, I've been enjoying a lot of zucchini and squash. And to replace my coffee fixation, I've been drinking tea. Green tea with lemon, lemon tea, and chamomile.
Right now I weigh in at 147. I knew that "145" from 2 weeks ago was too good to be true. But I also know that the week off I took because of sinus problems didn't help me. Either way, I've lost 3 pounds from last week and that's even with some bloating caused by our woman friend, PMS. Hey, I'll take what I can get, ok?
I'd like to lose another 3 lbs by next Monday. I think it's highly possible with the workouts I've planned and the meals I've got planned for the week.
And while I'm at it, I'll go ahead and map those out for you guys right now:
Tonight is honey mustard Chicken. Really simple. I put 3 chicken breasts in a slow cooker and topped it with Light honey mustard. I'll be serving it with asparagus and some rice. Maybe even some salad since I've been all about my salad (with fresh lettuce, celery, carrots, boiled egg, and balsamic vinegar dressing).
Tuesday is probably chicken Parmesan and spaghetti. A good carb dinner since I'll probably be needing it at some point.
Wednesday is turkey tacos. Yum is all I can say.
Thursday is Chicken Enchilada Casserole that I'm going to be making in the slow cooker with another helping of salad.
Friday is probably steaks, salad and asparagus. Maybe scalloped potatoes, too.
I've really been enjoying cooking new things. I bought a "busy people's slow cooker recipe book" on Saturday from the Christian Book Store. That's where I'm getting two of my chicken recipes this week. I'll let you know how they turn out. Hopefully, tasty.
Other than that, here's hoping it's a great week! I'm feeling positive and certainly optimistic! I'm debating on signing up for the Rock 'N Roll half marathon in March. I'm not sure how I feel about it yet. Ever since I got burned on BOTH of my half marathon races, I'm nervous to plunk down the money for the race. I guess it depends on how I feel in a month and whether or not the race is still open to new registers.
The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
Have I ever mentioned that I'm a BIG dog person? Like, if I could go and adopt every single dog in the city pet shelter, I'd so do it. I love dogs. I love their sweet kisses. I love the way their whole bottom end swings back and forth when they're so excited they're wagging their tail too hard. I love when they look up at you with those eyes that you just can't say "no" to. I love how they know when you're having a bad day and they come over and nuzzle you. I just love dogs. I especially love my dog, Anna. Before I go into the book, I'll tell you about my dog Anna.
Here's Anna the way she looked when we first adopted her:
Anna was supposed to be part black lab part "who the heck knows". Now we're thinking she's more flat coat retriever, than lab. We adopted her from a foster mom that I found on Petfinder back in June 2008. She was a little bundle of fur, only weighing in a 8 pounds when we got her. She was a breeze to potty train and the only problem we had with her, was her ability to chew on the corners of our walls (down by the molding). Now that we live in a house, the only problem we have is her ability to dig holes all in our yard. I'm sure we're around the 15 holes count mark by now. I don't know what she's digging for, but I'm sure it's in rebellion of not taking her on enough walks or just being lonely.
Here's Anna now:
We want to get her a playmate and yesterday we almost did. We found this black lab mix at Petsmart, who is probably double Anna's size and we really want to find her a companion...We decided to wait it out and not make a rash decision (which we're prone to doing-Anna was DEFINITELY a rash decision). When we came home after our trip, I looked at Anna and I got sad. I don't know why but I just did. I looked at her and I thought, "I don't know how I could ever love another dog as much as I love you". I don't know how I could bring a dog home and connect with it as much as I connect with her. I'm sure we will whenever the right time comes and we find a dog that we have to bring home...but it's just hard to fathom at this point.
Anyway, so that brings to me to this story. I seriously loved this book. It was so touching and such a well written book. The book is written from the point of view of Enzo, the dog. He's a Labrador mix and he's very smart. He loves his owner, Denny, and he loves watching TV. He loves the Weather channel, he loves racing. Denny is a race car driver and a mechanic who lives in Washington. The story tells of Enzo and how he believes that when he dies he will come back as a human. It begins with Enzo realizing that he is dieing and then he begins reflecting on his life and his life with Denny and his family. It's a touching story that goes between his story telling, to telling of race car moments and how they relate to the way humans react to life. The book had me in tears, especially at the end, but it was definitely a happy ending and I walked away with a sense of calm.
It definitely made me want to go home and give Anna a hug and tell her how much I love her. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves dogs and loves a good story.
And for those dog lovers out there, I just know you'll love it!
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Let Go
Yesterday, continued to be an amazing day. I don't know what changed in me, I don't know what happened..but it was just a good day.
After work, I did an hour yoga session with some co-workers. I've never really attended a "real" yoga class and usually do a few things on my Wii balance board but nothing like last night. It really relaxed me, I was able to think and focus. And oh my gosh, was it hard. My legs were shaking, my abs were shaking, it was just a great workout. At the end, we laid on our mats and we focused on relaxing every muscle. We were told to inhale "let" and exhale "go". I almost started crying...in the middle of everything, I swear to you, I almost lost it.
I hate this about me-but I tend to hold on to everything. Every little hurt or every little piece of negativity, I hold on to it. I've been holding on to so much, I didn't even realize how much it was affecting me. I wanted to cry about my job. I wanted to cry about not teaching. I wanted to cry because I honestly don't know what I want to do with my life anymore. I wanted to cry because of all the hurt my mom has caused me in the past and present. I wanted to cry because in the reality of it all, I have it so good but sometimes I feel like it's never enough. I wanted to cry because I miss my Nanny and it still hurts to think that she's gone, even though it's been over 3 years.
After the yoga session all I could tell my co-worker (who was teaching us) was that she did a great job. That's all I could get out. I didn't want to break down in the middle of everyone, so I just kept my mouth shut and pushed the tears away. I don't know when I became so afraid to cry. Maybe it's Steven. He never cries. And I don't want to look weak in front of him, so I hardly ever cry. That didn't used to be the case, but now it is. I feel guilty when I want to cry about Nanny. I feel like I should be over it by now. And I feel guilty when I want to cry about mom, because I don't want to cry about it, I just want to get over it. And the whole job thing...I know I should get out of here but I'm scared. I'm scared I'll just end up at another place like this and feel useless. I want to teach but now I don't know what to do with myself. I feel like I've lost touch with my training, my old professors, people who could help me. I guess I'm just scared, is what it all comes down to. I'm tired of being scared.
This weekend I'm going to go and buy a book and I'm going to register to take a general ed test, so that I'll be certified to teach something other than music. I'm going to go to church for the first time in a while and Steve and I are going to start doing a Bible study together. I feel like it's time we did something like that. I'm ready. I'm ready to be scared, and to fight it. I'm ready to do something with myself. To feel like I'm making a difference. I'm ready to be happy. I'm tired of being in a place for 9 hours of my day, 5 days a week, where I don't feel appreciated and I don't feel like I fit in.
It's time to let go and I'm doing it. ::big sigh of relief::
After work, I did an hour yoga session with some co-workers. I've never really attended a "real" yoga class and usually do a few things on my Wii balance board but nothing like last night. It really relaxed me, I was able to think and focus. And oh my gosh, was it hard. My legs were shaking, my abs were shaking, it was just a great workout. At the end, we laid on our mats and we focused on relaxing every muscle. We were told to inhale "let" and exhale "go". I almost started crying...in the middle of everything, I swear to you, I almost lost it.
I hate this about me-but I tend to hold on to everything. Every little hurt or every little piece of negativity, I hold on to it. I've been holding on to so much, I didn't even realize how much it was affecting me. I wanted to cry about my job. I wanted to cry about not teaching. I wanted to cry because I honestly don't know what I want to do with my life anymore. I wanted to cry because of all the hurt my mom has caused me in the past and present. I wanted to cry because in the reality of it all, I have it so good but sometimes I feel like it's never enough. I wanted to cry because I miss my Nanny and it still hurts to think that she's gone, even though it's been over 3 years.
After the yoga session all I could tell my co-worker (who was teaching us) was that she did a great job. That's all I could get out. I didn't want to break down in the middle of everyone, so I just kept my mouth shut and pushed the tears away. I don't know when I became so afraid to cry. Maybe it's Steven. He never cries. And I don't want to look weak in front of him, so I hardly ever cry. That didn't used to be the case, but now it is. I feel guilty when I want to cry about Nanny. I feel like I should be over it by now. And I feel guilty when I want to cry about mom, because I don't want to cry about it, I just want to get over it. And the whole job thing...I know I should get out of here but I'm scared. I'm scared I'll just end up at another place like this and feel useless. I want to teach but now I don't know what to do with myself. I feel like I've lost touch with my training, my old professors, people who could help me. I guess I'm just scared, is what it all comes down to. I'm tired of being scared.
This weekend I'm going to go and buy a book and I'm going to register to take a general ed test, so that I'll be certified to teach something other than music. I'm going to go to church for the first time in a while and Steve and I are going to start doing a Bible study together. I feel like it's time we did something like that. I'm ready. I'm ready to be scared, and to fight it. I'm ready to do something with myself. To feel like I'm making a difference. I'm ready to be happy. I'm tired of being in a place for 9 hours of my day, 5 days a week, where I don't feel appreciated and I don't feel like I fit in.
It's time to let go and I'm doing it. ::big sigh of relief::
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
New Outlook?
Today I feel amazing. And by amazing I mean, I feel like a completely different person. I feel motivated. I feel full of energy. I feel like I could take on the world.
Last week I felt terrible. I felt run down, sick, and just exhausted. I don't know what happened. From Tuesday through Friday I felt like I had been hit by a truck. It took all the energy in the world to get out of bed and it took everything I had throughout the day not to lay my head down on my desk and fall asleep.
I honestly don't know what happened. It started out Saturday when I couldn't shake a headache. At first I thought it was because maybe I had a little too much fun the night before, but it lasted all day. I even thought maybe I just needed a cup of coffee-but even that didn't do the trick.
The headache came and went all last week. And every morning I woke up to sore throat and nasty mucus. I even went to the doctor on Thursday to find out if I had a sinus infection. I had the beginnings of one, so I'm glad I caught it soon enough.
Friday I felt a little better, but not completely well. The rest of this past weekend was actually really good. Steve and I got a lot of stuff accomplished with the house. We bought plywood and put it up in the attic so that we could finally start storing our extra belongings (like Christmas decorations and extra Pyrex dishes that I have no room for). Steve is also making extra shelving for our linen closet, pantry, and kitchen cabinets. We are also debating on having or trying to get into a garage sale. We have a few things that we don't need and don't necessarily want to "give" away. Honestly, I don't think it's worth the hassle of trying to have a garage sale or trying to team up with someone because we just don't have that much stuff and probably wouldn't make $100. But at the same time, some of the items are brand new and I'd hate to think that I could have made $5 on it...But it's nice to do some spring cleaning. We are so blessed, so it would be nice to be able to help others out less fortunate that we are.
We also watched the depressing Cowboy game on Sunday...don't even get me started. My team didn't even show up to play in the game. I felt like I was watching impostors.
Hopefully this next weekend we'll be able to do some more work in our garage. I'd like to be able to finally put Steve's Jeep in the garage, too. It won't take much more work...I think it's going to come down to us agreeing on whether or not we just take our extra junk to Goodwill or not. If it were up to me, I'd be doing that tonight!
So anyway, last night we had dinner at my Aunt Debi and Uncle Darin's house with my Pappaw. That was good. It's always good to be with family. I love them so much. And then we got home around 9:00 and decided that we were going to work out that next morning.
And it never fails. I either can't sleep well or I just can't fall asleep fast enough because I know I have to get up and work out at 5:00 in the morning. Naturally, we ended up talking to each other until about 10:20..but I slept pretty well. But when my alarm woke me up at 5:00, I groaned. I didn't want to work out. At all. I mean, tonight I'm doing yoga with people at work, so why let myself miss out on some sleep? But we both laid there for 5 minutes and realized we weren't going to fall back asleep...so we got up and went to the gym.
This morning I decided to try running again. Except this time I did intervals. It made me feel weak, but I also know it's a good way to build up my stamina again. I walked for the first 3 minutes at a 3.5. Then I ran for 4 1/2 minutes at a 5.9. I walked another 2 minutes and then ran for 5 minutes at 6.0 and walked again for 3 minutes at 3.6. I ran for 6 minutes at 6.0 and walked for another 3 minutes. I ran for 5 minutes at 6.0 and then walked again for the remainder (which was about 3 minutes and then a 5 minute cool down). Each time I do the intervals, I'd like to decrease my walking by 30 seconds and increase my running by a minute each interval. We'll see.
After the cardio, I did some side and back exercises and while waiting on Steve to finish a set, I did some hip abductor weight training.
All in all, it was a great workout and it's got me feeling amazing this morning. I came home took a shower and then got ready for work. I packed myself an amazing lunch and pretty good looking snacks! My breakfast is the same as it has been. Oatmeal with craisens. For lunch, I made a salad: lettuce, 3 cherry tomatoes cut in 4 pieces each, 1 stalk of celery chopped, a handful of alfalfa and bean sprouts. I brought an avocado and jalapeno to cut up as well to put in the salad. I'm pretty excited about it! For snacks I brought some honey nut rice cakes (less than 100 calories) and a small container of baby carrots.
Another cool thing: I haven't been drinking coffee. Instead, I've been drinking hot tea. Sometimes lemon flavored, other times just plain green tea. I think this may be one of the reasons that I'm feeling so good.
So that's it. I just feel great today. It may look dreary outside, but I'm in such a good mood. I honestly can't remember the last time I felt this good-despite having a scratchy voice from coughing last week.
I hope everyone's having a good week so far! It's Wednesday, people! 2 more days until the weekend! :)
Last week I felt terrible. I felt run down, sick, and just exhausted. I don't know what happened. From Tuesday through Friday I felt like I had been hit by a truck. It took all the energy in the world to get out of bed and it took everything I had throughout the day not to lay my head down on my desk and fall asleep.
I honestly don't know what happened. It started out Saturday when I couldn't shake a headache. At first I thought it was because maybe I had a little too much fun the night before, but it lasted all day. I even thought maybe I just needed a cup of coffee-but even that didn't do the trick.
The headache came and went all last week. And every morning I woke up to sore throat and nasty mucus. I even went to the doctor on Thursday to find out if I had a sinus infection. I had the beginnings of one, so I'm glad I caught it soon enough.
Friday I felt a little better, but not completely well. The rest of this past weekend was actually really good. Steve and I got a lot of stuff accomplished with the house. We bought plywood and put it up in the attic so that we could finally start storing our extra belongings (like Christmas decorations and extra Pyrex dishes that I have no room for). Steve is also making extra shelving for our linen closet, pantry, and kitchen cabinets. We are also debating on having or trying to get into a garage sale. We have a few things that we don't need and don't necessarily want to "give" away. Honestly, I don't think it's worth the hassle of trying to have a garage sale or trying to team up with someone because we just don't have that much stuff and probably wouldn't make $100. But at the same time, some of the items are brand new and I'd hate to think that I could have made $5 on it...But it's nice to do some spring cleaning. We are so blessed, so it would be nice to be able to help others out less fortunate that we are.
We also watched the depressing Cowboy game on Sunday...don't even get me started. My team didn't even show up to play in the game. I felt like I was watching impostors.
Hopefully this next weekend we'll be able to do some more work in our garage. I'd like to be able to finally put Steve's Jeep in the garage, too. It won't take much more work...I think it's going to come down to us agreeing on whether or not we just take our extra junk to Goodwill or not. If it were up to me, I'd be doing that tonight!
So anyway, last night we had dinner at my Aunt Debi and Uncle Darin's house with my Pappaw. That was good. It's always good to be with family. I love them so much. And then we got home around 9:00 and decided that we were going to work out that next morning.
And it never fails. I either can't sleep well or I just can't fall asleep fast enough because I know I have to get up and work out at 5:00 in the morning. Naturally, we ended up talking to each other until about 10:20..but I slept pretty well. But when my alarm woke me up at 5:00, I groaned. I didn't want to work out. At all. I mean, tonight I'm doing yoga with people at work, so why let myself miss out on some sleep? But we both laid there for 5 minutes and realized we weren't going to fall back asleep...so we got up and went to the gym.
This morning I decided to try running again. Except this time I did intervals. It made me feel weak, but I also know it's a good way to build up my stamina again. I walked for the first 3 minutes at a 3.5. Then I ran for 4 1/2 minutes at a 5.9. I walked another 2 minutes and then ran for 5 minutes at 6.0 and walked again for 3 minutes at 3.6. I ran for 6 minutes at 6.0 and walked for another 3 minutes. I ran for 5 minutes at 6.0 and then walked again for the remainder (which was about 3 minutes and then a 5 minute cool down). Each time I do the intervals, I'd like to decrease my walking by 30 seconds and increase my running by a minute each interval. We'll see.
After the cardio, I did some side and back exercises and while waiting on Steve to finish a set, I did some hip abductor weight training.
All in all, it was a great workout and it's got me feeling amazing this morning. I came home took a shower and then got ready for work. I packed myself an amazing lunch and pretty good looking snacks! My breakfast is the same as it has been. Oatmeal with craisens. For lunch, I made a salad: lettuce, 3 cherry tomatoes cut in 4 pieces each, 1 stalk of celery chopped, a handful of alfalfa and bean sprouts. I brought an avocado and jalapeno to cut up as well to put in the salad. I'm pretty excited about it! For snacks I brought some honey nut rice cakes (less than 100 calories) and a small container of baby carrots.
Another cool thing: I haven't been drinking coffee. Instead, I've been drinking hot tea. Sometimes lemon flavored, other times just plain green tea. I think this may be one of the reasons that I'm feeling so good.
So that's it. I just feel great today. It may look dreary outside, but I'm in such a good mood. I honestly can't remember the last time I felt this good-despite having a scratchy voice from coughing last week.
I hope everyone's having a good week so far! It's Wednesday, people! 2 more days until the weekend! :)
Tomato-Basil Soup with Ricotta Dumplings
Like I said, I had a busy weekend full of new recipes. Here's another I tried that I truly enjoyed (but my husband did not). Why? Because it didn't have meat. Whatever.
Soup:
1 teaspoon basil or olive oil
1 garlic clove,pressed
1 can (15 oz) crushed tomatoes, undrained (I actually didn't have crushed tomatoes-so I used diced)
1-1/2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup snipped fresh basil
Dumplings:
1/4 cup ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons grated fresh parmesan cheese
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
Thinly sliced fresh basil
1. For soup, combine oil and garlic in a 3 qt. saucepan. Cook and stir over medium heat 1-2 minutes or until garlic turns light golden brown. Immediately add tomatoes, chicken broth and basil. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Meanwhile, for dumplings, combine ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, egg white, salt and black pepper in a small bowl; mix well. Add flour; stir just until combined. Using a small scoop or spoon, scoop dumbling mixture directly into simmering soup. Cook until dumplings float to the surface, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Ladle soup into bowls and sprinkle with thinly sliced basil.
Here's a shot of it in the pot:
And the final product:
I served this with buttery crescent rolls. It was so good. I actually liked it with the diced tomotoes, but I'd like to see what the difference would be with the crushed.
This was just a great soup and it would have been amazing on a nice and chilly day. It was very filling and yet it was so fresh. It just made me feel great. I enjoyed this recipe and it was so extremely easy.
Like I said, my husband likes meat...so he didn't really care for this soup. Maybe next time I'll add chunks of chicken or something..I don't know. I honestly feel like that would just change the whole concept of the soup so, who knows?
It was definitely fun, though, experimenting this weekend and trying new things.
Another thing I made was homemade waffles Sunday morning. I didn't have any bisquick or Aunt Jemima's mix, so I looked through a recipe book and found some easy waffles.
While the mixes in a box are so convenient there is just something so amazing about fresh waffles made from scratch! There were fluffier, tastier and more filling. I may post that recipe soon, too. It was too good not to share!
Hope you guys enjoyed some of these recipes and please let me know if you try any of them for yourselves!
Soup:
1 teaspoon basil or olive oil
1 garlic clove,pressed
1 can (15 oz) crushed tomatoes, undrained (I actually didn't have crushed tomatoes-so I used diced)
1-1/2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup snipped fresh basil
Dumplings:
1/4 cup ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons grated fresh parmesan cheese
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
Thinly sliced fresh basil
1. For soup, combine oil and garlic in a 3 qt. saucepan. Cook and stir over medium heat 1-2 minutes or until garlic turns light golden brown. Immediately add tomatoes, chicken broth and basil. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Meanwhile, for dumplings, combine ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, egg white, salt and black pepper in a small bowl; mix well. Add flour; stir just until combined. Using a small scoop or spoon, scoop dumbling mixture directly into simmering soup. Cook until dumplings float to the surface, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Ladle soup into bowls and sprinkle with thinly sliced basil.
Here's a shot of it in the pot:
And the final product:
I served this with buttery crescent rolls. It was so good. I actually liked it with the diced tomotoes, but I'd like to see what the difference would be with the crushed.
This was just a great soup and it would have been amazing on a nice and chilly day. It was very filling and yet it was so fresh. It just made me feel great. I enjoyed this recipe and it was so extremely easy.
Like I said, my husband likes meat...so he didn't really care for this soup. Maybe next time I'll add chunks of chicken or something..I don't know. I honestly feel like that would just change the whole concept of the soup so, who knows?
It was definitely fun, though, experimenting this weekend and trying new things.
Another thing I made was homemade waffles Sunday morning. I didn't have any bisquick or Aunt Jemima's mix, so I looked through a recipe book and found some easy waffles.
While the mixes in a box are so convenient there is just something so amazing about fresh waffles made from scratch! There were fluffier, tastier and more filling. I may post that recipe soon, too. It was too good not to share!
Hope you guys enjoyed some of these recipes and please let me know if you try any of them for yourselves!
Homemade Scalloped Potatoes and Salmon in Phyllo
This past weekend I made a ton of new things. Making new recipes is always a nerve wracking experience for me because I never know if my husband is going to like them or not. I never have a problem-I love food too much to be picky. :)
Saturday night I decided to make homemade scalloped potatoes and salmon and spinach in phyllo. Steven and I both love potatoes, especially scalloped potatoes. But I didn't want to make the ones that come in a box (even though those are absolutely delicious). So I pulled out one of my many cookbooks and looked up a recipe that looked easy enough and that didn't require a ton of ingredients that I'd have to go out and buy.
I think that's the hardest part about trying new things out. The grocery shopping. I knew our trip was going to be expensive, so the less I had to buy the better. :)
I made the potatoes first since they would require the longest amount of time to cook.
Here's a picture of some of the prep work I did:
I'll go ahead and post the recipe:
3 tablespoons butter, divided
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1-1/2 cups milk
4 cups thinly sliced peeled potatoes
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 small green pepper, finely chopped
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1) In a small saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons butter: stir in flour, salt and pepper. Gradually stir in milk. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.
2) In a greased 1-1/2 qt. baking dish, arrange half of the potatoes, onion and green pepper in layers; cover with half of the sauce. Repeat layers. Cover and bake at 350 for 35 minutes.
3) Melt remaining butter; combine with bread crumbs and sprinkle over potatoes. Bake, uncovered, 40 minutes longer or until potatoes are tender (I was on the safe side and let it cook the entire 40 minutes before testing it to see how soft the potatoes were). Sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
Here are the other pictures:
This is a picture with half the potatoes, onions and pepper
With the cheese on top!
I'll give my final review of the recipe after the rest of the post.
The other recipe I tried was out of my Pampered Chef "Cooking for two & more" cookbook.
Salmon & Spinach in Phyllo
1 teaspoon basil or olive oil
4 cups fresh baby spinach leaves coarsely chopped
salt and coarsely ground black pepper
8 sheets thawed, frozen phyllo dough
nonstick cooking spray
2 skinless salmon fillets
2 tablespoons garlic and herb cream cheese spread
1)Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Heat oil in a saute pan. Add spinach; season with salt and black pepper. Cook and stir until spinach is wilted, about 1 minute. Remove spinach to paper towel-lined plate. Squeeze out excess moisture, set aside.
2)Lay one sheet of phyllo on a large work surface and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Place second sheet of phyllo over first, pressing sheets together to seal. Continue laying down and spraying phyllo sheets to create a stack of four sheets of phyllo. Repeat with remaining phyllo and additional cooking spray to create another phyllo stack.
3) Season salmon fillets with salt and black pepper. Spread each salmon with half of the cream cheese spread and top with half of the spinach. For each phyllo bundle, place salmon spinach side down, on a phyllo stack 2 inches from the bottom edge of short side. Fold long sides of phyllo in towards center. Gently roll up phyllo from bottom to top. Place both bundles on a bar pan (cookie sheet-I used a stoneware from Pampered Chef) seam side down. Using a bread knife, make three diagonal slits across top of each bundle. Spray bundles with nonstick cooking spray. Bake 11-13 minutes or until salmon is fully cooked and phyllo is golden brown. Remove from oven. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
Here are the pictures from the salmon. I only happened to take a picture when they were wrapped-so I didn't get a good shot of the salmon and spinach before I wrapped them in a bundle.
This is a shot of the phyllo
As for dessert, I made a delicious roasted peach in phyllo.
The recipe I used called for plums but I couldn't find any at Walmart-so I just grabbed something I thought would be a good substitute.
You need:
4 plums (or 2 peaches)
1/3 cup sugar
For phyllo shells:
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
12 sheets of phyllo
nonstick cooking spray
1-1/2 cups vanilla frozen yogurt
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Remove pits from plums and cut into 8 wedges and then cut those wedges in half. In a small bowl combine the plums (or peaches) in sugar, toss to gently coat. Arrange the plums on a cooking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Gently stir halfway through cooking. Remove from oven to cool.
Here's the only picture I got of the prep work-I didn't get a final shot.
For phyllo shells, reduce temp to 350 degrees. Combine sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl or shaker. Place one sheet of phyllo on a cutting board. Lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray; sprinkle lightly with sugar mixture. Repeat with second sheet of phyllo. Cut dough lengthwise into 6 strips. Gather dough strips together forming one strip. Form strip into a 4 inch ring (center will be open). Place onto a baking sheet (I used Pampered Chef's stoneware again for this). Repeat with remaining phyllo and sugar mixture for a total of 6 shells (I only made 2 shells). Bake 16-20 minutes or until golden brown and crisp. Remove from oven; cool completely.
To assemble, arrange plums (or peaches) around inside edge of shells. Top with a scoop of yogurt (or in our instance-ice cream since that's all we had). Drizzle with syrup and serve immediately.
This recipe was delicious! I think I actually preferred the peaches to plums, so I think the peaches were a good substitute.
Since I didn't get a picture of the final product for the dessert, I'll at least satisfy your interest with a shot from the final product of our dinner:
Steve loved the scalloped potatoes and I'm pretty sure we'll never buy another box of the easy potatoes again. It wasn't a hard recipe to make and besides it taking a while to cook, it was worth the wait.
As far as the salmon in phyllo. Steve didn't much care for the flaky dough. I didn't mind it. It gave a little bit of something to crunch on, which is sometimes satisfying for me. I liked it. I do have to say that I didn't use fresh baby spinach, I used a pre-frozen package. I'd like to try this again with the fresh spinach and maybe less phyllo to see if maybe Steve would like that better. Also, I made the cream cheese spread myself. I bought regular cream cheese and then added a clove of garlic and probably a teaspoon of parsley. I think it was really good.
So that was our dinner Saturday night. I hope you liked the pictures and I hope you try the recipes! If you do, let me know what you thought about it and whether or not your tried something different!
Saturday night I decided to make homemade scalloped potatoes and salmon and spinach in phyllo. Steven and I both love potatoes, especially scalloped potatoes. But I didn't want to make the ones that come in a box (even though those are absolutely delicious). So I pulled out one of my many cookbooks and looked up a recipe that looked easy enough and that didn't require a ton of ingredients that I'd have to go out and buy.
I think that's the hardest part about trying new things out. The grocery shopping. I knew our trip was going to be expensive, so the less I had to buy the better. :)
I made the potatoes first since they would require the longest amount of time to cook.
Here's a picture of some of the prep work I did:
I'll go ahead and post the recipe:
3 tablespoons butter, divided
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1-1/2 cups milk
4 cups thinly sliced peeled potatoes
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 small green pepper, finely chopped
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1) In a small saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons butter: stir in flour, salt and pepper. Gradually stir in milk. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.
2) In a greased 1-1/2 qt. baking dish, arrange half of the potatoes, onion and green pepper in layers; cover with half of the sauce. Repeat layers. Cover and bake at 350 for 35 minutes.
3) Melt remaining butter; combine with bread crumbs and sprinkle over potatoes. Bake, uncovered, 40 minutes longer or until potatoes are tender (I was on the safe side and let it cook the entire 40 minutes before testing it to see how soft the potatoes were). Sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
Here are the other pictures:
This is a picture with half the potatoes, onions and pepper
With the cheese on top!
I'll give my final review of the recipe after the rest of the post.
The other recipe I tried was out of my Pampered Chef "Cooking for two & more" cookbook.
Salmon & Spinach in Phyllo
1 teaspoon basil or olive oil
4 cups fresh baby spinach leaves coarsely chopped
salt and coarsely ground black pepper
8 sheets thawed, frozen phyllo dough
nonstick cooking spray
2 skinless salmon fillets
2 tablespoons garlic and herb cream cheese spread
1)Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Heat oil in a saute pan. Add spinach; season with salt and black pepper. Cook and stir until spinach is wilted, about 1 minute. Remove spinach to paper towel-lined plate. Squeeze out excess moisture, set aside.
2)Lay one sheet of phyllo on a large work surface and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Place second sheet of phyllo over first, pressing sheets together to seal. Continue laying down and spraying phyllo sheets to create a stack of four sheets of phyllo. Repeat with remaining phyllo and additional cooking spray to create another phyllo stack.
3) Season salmon fillets with salt and black pepper. Spread each salmon with half of the cream cheese spread and top with half of the spinach. For each phyllo bundle, place salmon spinach side down, on a phyllo stack 2 inches from the bottom edge of short side. Fold long sides of phyllo in towards center. Gently roll up phyllo from bottom to top. Place both bundles on a bar pan (cookie sheet-I used a stoneware from Pampered Chef) seam side down. Using a bread knife, make three diagonal slits across top of each bundle. Spray bundles with nonstick cooking spray. Bake 11-13 minutes or until salmon is fully cooked and phyllo is golden brown. Remove from oven. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
Here are the pictures from the salmon. I only happened to take a picture when they were wrapped-so I didn't get a good shot of the salmon and spinach before I wrapped them in a bundle.
This is a shot of the phyllo
As for dessert, I made a delicious roasted peach in phyllo.
The recipe I used called for plums but I couldn't find any at Walmart-so I just grabbed something I thought would be a good substitute.
You need:
4 plums (or 2 peaches)
1/3 cup sugar
For phyllo shells:
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
12 sheets of phyllo
nonstick cooking spray
1-1/2 cups vanilla frozen yogurt
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Remove pits from plums and cut into 8 wedges and then cut those wedges in half. In a small bowl combine the plums (or peaches) in sugar, toss to gently coat. Arrange the plums on a cooking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Gently stir halfway through cooking. Remove from oven to cool.
Here's the only picture I got of the prep work-I didn't get a final shot.
For phyllo shells, reduce temp to 350 degrees. Combine sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl or shaker. Place one sheet of phyllo on a cutting board. Lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray; sprinkle lightly with sugar mixture. Repeat with second sheet of phyllo. Cut dough lengthwise into 6 strips. Gather dough strips together forming one strip. Form strip into a 4 inch ring (center will be open). Place onto a baking sheet (I used Pampered Chef's stoneware again for this). Repeat with remaining phyllo and sugar mixture for a total of 6 shells (I only made 2 shells). Bake 16-20 minutes or until golden brown and crisp. Remove from oven; cool completely.
To assemble, arrange plums (or peaches) around inside edge of shells. Top with a scoop of yogurt (or in our instance-ice cream since that's all we had). Drizzle with syrup and serve immediately.
This recipe was delicious! I think I actually preferred the peaches to plums, so I think the peaches were a good substitute.
Since I didn't get a picture of the final product for the dessert, I'll at least satisfy your interest with a shot from the final product of our dinner:
Steve loved the scalloped potatoes and I'm pretty sure we'll never buy another box of the easy potatoes again. It wasn't a hard recipe to make and besides it taking a while to cook, it was worth the wait.
As far as the salmon in phyllo. Steve didn't much care for the flaky dough. I didn't mind it. It gave a little bit of something to crunch on, which is sometimes satisfying for me. I liked it. I do have to say that I didn't use fresh baby spinach, I used a pre-frozen package. I'd like to try this again with the fresh spinach and maybe less phyllo to see if maybe Steve would like that better. Also, I made the cream cheese spread myself. I bought regular cream cheese and then added a clove of garlic and probably a teaspoon of parsley. I think it was really good.
So that was our dinner Saturday night. I hope you liked the pictures and I hope you try the recipes! If you do, let me know what you thought about it and whether or not your tried something different!
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Blast!
I love that word. I also just watched "Little Women" Sunday morning, so I've got lots of little quotes stuck in my head. I seriously love that movie.
Anyway, I was going to take pictures last night after my workout but I was seriously dead upon arrival home. I did 40 minutes on the elliptical machine and supposedly (who knows how correct these calorie counters are anyway?) burned 480 calories. Afterwards, I was a sweaty mess and tried to find my scale I used last week. That one was broken, so I tried another one...which had me weighing in at 152. I was like, "No freaking way a scale is going to be 7 lbs off". There was another scale that I considered jumping on...but then I didn't want to look like one of those people obsessed with weighing themselves :) so I refrained. So now I have no idea what I weigh. I'd like to believe I weigh 145...But I just don't think I'm there yet, I certainly don't look it (at least to me). I guess I'll just wait until next week.
So after my cardio, I was planning on doing some weights but I just over worked myself and was so hungry that I decided it was time to go home. Plus, I figured I'd be back at the gym this morning, so I could do some cardio and the weights I wanted to do.
Cue this morning. I woke up at 5:00 with a really achy throat and my ears hurt. That's usually a sign that I'm getting a sinus infection-so I rolled over and told Steve he was free to go to the gym but that I just didn't want to go feeling the way I did.
Steve went, while I layed in bed. I feel somewhat better right now...but I'm intending on going straight home and getting into bed after work. I don't need this to turn into something worse.
Anyway, I was going to take pictures last night after my workout but I was seriously dead upon arrival home. I did 40 minutes on the elliptical machine and supposedly (who knows how correct these calorie counters are anyway?) burned 480 calories. Afterwards, I was a sweaty mess and tried to find my scale I used last week. That one was broken, so I tried another one...which had me weighing in at 152. I was like, "No freaking way a scale is going to be 7 lbs off". There was another scale that I considered jumping on...but then I didn't want to look like one of those people obsessed with weighing themselves :) so I refrained. So now I have no idea what I weigh. I'd like to believe I weigh 145...But I just don't think I'm there yet, I certainly don't look it (at least to me). I guess I'll just wait until next week.
So after my cardio, I was planning on doing some weights but I just over worked myself and was so hungry that I decided it was time to go home. Plus, I figured I'd be back at the gym this morning, so I could do some cardio and the weights I wanted to do.
Cue this morning. I woke up at 5:00 with a really achy throat and my ears hurt. That's usually a sign that I'm getting a sinus infection-so I rolled over and told Steve he was free to go to the gym but that I just didn't want to go feeling the way I did.
Steve went, while I layed in bed. I feel somewhat better right now...but I'm intending on going straight home and getting into bed after work. I don't need this to turn into something worse.
Monday, January 11, 2010
A Good Day
Today marks the beginning of our office competition- a version of "The Biggest Loser". While I was nervous about the weigh in, I was also pretty sure I knew what I would see on the scale.
Last Monday, I weighed myself at the gym. I used the dreaded "dr's office" style scale. God, I hate those suckers. The height and weight I'm at, I'm usually always wondering whether or not I'll have to move the big dial from "100" to "150" or the smaller dial up to the "50" marker. It's just a big head game and it usually always leaves me feeling pissed off at myself. I think I can count on one hand the number of times I've been happy with the number on doctor's scales.
Anyway, so that number sucked. A nasty egg. 153. I worked out 4 times last week. Each time was a sweaty, heart pounding success (except of course the crappy run). And I really tried to watch what I ate. I wasn't perfect, but I certainly did a better job than I had been doing.
Today was like a freaking dream. I was expecting the scale to be pretty close, if not more than what I had seen last week. Surprise, surprise when it clocked me in at 145. I looked up at my office manager (who is keeping track of the weight loss for us) in total disbelief and said, "No freaking way". Of course, the only way I can really find out how accurate that scale is compared to the scale I used last week, is to hop back on the scale at the gym tonight when I go work out. I mean, sure it's probably "off", but it certainly can't be 8 pounds off!
And this little nugget of goodness I've been given today, has me totally motivated to kick a$$ and take names at this competition. Granted, I would have rather seen this happen NEXT week when it counts, but it's still got my spirits up.
With that number (and hopefully I'll get the same number tonight on the scale at the gym or at least a few pounds close to what the scale said), I've got 15 pounds to get to my goal and 20 to get to my "you must be kidding yourself" goal.
By the way, tomorrow is also the next "picture" post. Maybe I'll see a difference? I'll take a different picture by the way-less clothing this time. My husband, Steve, looked at my pictures and said, "You should wear just your sports bra and some shorts. Then you'll really see a difference in your legs, your stomach, abs and arms". I agree! No more hiding behind the tops for pictures! If the amazing and inspiring people on The Biggest Loser can get up there and bare it all-so can I! I may not like it, but hey-if you put it all out there, you've got nothing to hide!
Along with taking pictures of myself, I'm thinking about taking pictures of the delicious meals I've been preparing. I might actually tonight. My new favorite thing to prepare as a side dish is anything asparagus. I just LOVE it. Not only is it delicious, it also fills me up. I've wrapped it in bacon and my last attempt I wrapped it in prosciutto. I've prepared it with rosemary and bay leaf and last night I made it with 1 tablespoon of butter, 1 clove of garlic (pressed), and one jalepeno (seeded and chopped). Delicious!
Tonight's dinner is stuffed bell peppers. I made them with turkey, long grain rice, onion, one clove of garlic, diced tomatoes, with some shredded cheddar cheese on top. It looked amazing last night when I cooked it, so I can't wait to try it. So along with the bell peppers, I'll probably make asparagus (since I'm obsessed), and maybe some black eyed peas.
My "desserts" lately have consisted of either hot chocolate, a glass of wine, or a bowl of Kashi cereal.
Anyway, I'm feeling pretty good right now. Really proud of myself-even if the scale is a little "off". Now I just want to hit it even harder!
I just read a few really inspiring blogs about women who have run the Disney Marathon yesterday, and I have to say-it's got me even more motivated to start running again and just do it! I think I can! I think I can! :)
Can't wait to hit the gym!
Last Monday, I weighed myself at the gym. I used the dreaded "dr's office" style scale. God, I hate those suckers. The height and weight I'm at, I'm usually always wondering whether or not I'll have to move the big dial from "100" to "150" or the smaller dial up to the "50" marker. It's just a big head game and it usually always leaves me feeling pissed off at myself. I think I can count on one hand the number of times I've been happy with the number on doctor's scales.
Anyway, so that number sucked. A nasty egg. 153. I worked out 4 times last week. Each time was a sweaty, heart pounding success (except of course the crappy run). And I really tried to watch what I ate. I wasn't perfect, but I certainly did a better job than I had been doing.
Today was like a freaking dream. I was expecting the scale to be pretty close, if not more than what I had seen last week. Surprise, surprise when it clocked me in at 145. I looked up at my office manager (who is keeping track of the weight loss for us) in total disbelief and said, "No freaking way". Of course, the only way I can really find out how accurate that scale is compared to the scale I used last week, is to hop back on the scale at the gym tonight when I go work out. I mean, sure it's probably "off", but it certainly can't be 8 pounds off!
And this little nugget of goodness I've been given today, has me totally motivated to kick a$$ and take names at this competition. Granted, I would have rather seen this happen NEXT week when it counts, but it's still got my spirits up.
With that number (and hopefully I'll get the same number tonight on the scale at the gym or at least a few pounds close to what the scale said), I've got 15 pounds to get to my goal and 20 to get to my "you must be kidding yourself" goal.
By the way, tomorrow is also the next "picture" post. Maybe I'll see a difference? I'll take a different picture by the way-less clothing this time. My husband, Steve, looked at my pictures and said, "You should wear just your sports bra and some shorts. Then you'll really see a difference in your legs, your stomach, abs and arms". I agree! No more hiding behind the tops for pictures! If the amazing and inspiring people on The Biggest Loser can get up there and bare it all-so can I! I may not like it, but hey-if you put it all out there, you've got nothing to hide!
Along with taking pictures of myself, I'm thinking about taking pictures of the delicious meals I've been preparing. I might actually tonight. My new favorite thing to prepare as a side dish is anything asparagus. I just LOVE it. Not only is it delicious, it also fills me up. I've wrapped it in bacon and my last attempt I wrapped it in prosciutto. I've prepared it with rosemary and bay leaf and last night I made it with 1 tablespoon of butter, 1 clove of garlic (pressed), and one jalepeno (seeded and chopped). Delicious!
Tonight's dinner is stuffed bell peppers. I made them with turkey, long grain rice, onion, one clove of garlic, diced tomatoes, with some shredded cheddar cheese on top. It looked amazing last night when I cooked it, so I can't wait to try it. So along with the bell peppers, I'll probably make asparagus (since I'm obsessed), and maybe some black eyed peas.
My "desserts" lately have consisted of either hot chocolate, a glass of wine, or a bowl of Kashi cereal.
Anyway, I'm feeling pretty good right now. Really proud of myself-even if the scale is a little "off". Now I just want to hit it even harder!
I just read a few really inspiring blogs about women who have run the Disney Marathon yesterday, and I have to say-it's got me even more motivated to start running again and just do it! I think I can! I think I can! :)
Can't wait to hit the gym!
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Here We Go!
I finally got some pictures and these will be my pictures of reference and hopefully each week I'll be able to notice a little bit of difference in them.
Last night I went to the gym intending on running 3 miles. Oh. My. Gosh. I've been out of the game for too long. First of all, let me begin with my frustrating experience at the gym last night. Naturally, I'm still having issues with my gym card since it takes forever for things to get fixed in the system. So right when I'm walking in and trying to head straight to machine I get stopped by the front desk attendant. I got a little pissed because she stopped me and said I only had a "one club" access. Dude, that was like 2 years ago. Now I've got an "all club" and it should be corrected by now. So that was frustrating. I just wanted to say, "Look, I'm legit. I just want to work out." but I didn't. She let me go after a minute, though. So then I headed back to the treadmills. I hopped on one and started punching in information, only to realize it was out of order. Great. Put a sign up, guys. I hopped on the one next to it...same thing. What the heck??? By this time, I'm extremely irritated. So I walk to the end. Guess what? That one was broken, too!! FINALLY, after the 4th try, I found a treadmill that wasn't out of order. I realize these guys are busy and that machines are going to go out of order, but 24 Hour should really be on top of that since it is the New Year's after all and they've got a million people trying to stick to their resolutions (at least until the end of the month).
So I hopped on the good treadmill and started my 3 mile quest. It started out good. I felt good. My ankle felt pretty good (still a little iffy), but for the most part, I had confidence that I'd make it 3 miles. At about half a mile in, I decreased the speed from a 6.0 to a 5.8 since I was already feeling winded. And after a mile, I had to slow to a walk for about a minute to regain control of my breathing. Then I barely made it another mile before realizing I didn't have 3 miles in me. So I guess I'm starting back at square one. How depressing. I mean, seriously...6 weeks ago I was running (albeit slowly and with breaks) 13 miles!!
I tried not to let it get me down though. Then I met Becca over at the ab machines and did around 300 or so crunches. Then we got some mats out and a medicine ball and passed it between us as we did sit ups. I'm not sure how many we did, but after we were done our arms were burning! Upper body strength has never been my forte. Then I took us over to a tri-cep machine and then some shoulder presses. We did 3 sets of 12 on the tri-cep machine. I'm not sure the weight we used now...but I do know that for the shoulder press we did 3 sets of 10 with 25 lbs. Not bad, not bad.
Today Steve and I are headed back to the gym before the Texas/Alabama Championship game. I plan on doing about 35-40 minutes of cardio and chest and back with some ab work rolled in there somewhere.
Soo...without further ado. Here are my pictures of my start on this journey:
Don't mind the messy rooms behind me..this was post workout last night. So if I look a little scary, that's why :)
As of Monday evening, I weigh in at 153. Not bad considering...but not good. I'm hoping to lose at least 15 pounds. Anything after that is just icing on the cake.
Last night I went to the gym intending on running 3 miles. Oh. My. Gosh. I've been out of the game for too long. First of all, let me begin with my frustrating experience at the gym last night. Naturally, I'm still having issues with my gym card since it takes forever for things to get fixed in the system. So right when I'm walking in and trying to head straight to machine I get stopped by the front desk attendant. I got a little pissed because she stopped me and said I only had a "one club" access. Dude, that was like 2 years ago. Now I've got an "all club" and it should be corrected by now. So that was frustrating. I just wanted to say, "Look, I'm legit. I just want to work out." but I didn't. She let me go after a minute, though. So then I headed back to the treadmills. I hopped on one and started punching in information, only to realize it was out of order. Great. Put a sign up, guys. I hopped on the one next to it...same thing. What the heck??? By this time, I'm extremely irritated. So I walk to the end. Guess what? That one was broken, too!! FINALLY, after the 4th try, I found a treadmill that wasn't out of order. I realize these guys are busy and that machines are going to go out of order, but 24 Hour should really be on top of that since it is the New Year's after all and they've got a million people trying to stick to their resolutions (at least until the end of the month).
So I hopped on the good treadmill and started my 3 mile quest. It started out good. I felt good. My ankle felt pretty good (still a little iffy), but for the most part, I had confidence that I'd make it 3 miles. At about half a mile in, I decreased the speed from a 6.0 to a 5.8 since I was already feeling winded. And after a mile, I had to slow to a walk for about a minute to regain control of my breathing. Then I barely made it another mile before realizing I didn't have 3 miles in me. So I guess I'm starting back at square one. How depressing. I mean, seriously...6 weeks ago I was running (albeit slowly and with breaks) 13 miles!!
I tried not to let it get me down though. Then I met Becca over at the ab machines and did around 300 or so crunches. Then we got some mats out and a medicine ball and passed it between us as we did sit ups. I'm not sure how many we did, but after we were done our arms were burning! Upper body strength has never been my forte. Then I took us over to a tri-cep machine and then some shoulder presses. We did 3 sets of 12 on the tri-cep machine. I'm not sure the weight we used now...but I do know that for the shoulder press we did 3 sets of 10 with 25 lbs. Not bad, not bad.
Today Steve and I are headed back to the gym before the Texas/Alabama Championship game. I plan on doing about 35-40 minutes of cardio and chest and back with some ab work rolled in there somewhere.
Soo...without further ado. Here are my pictures of my start on this journey:
Don't mind the messy rooms behind me..this was post workout last night. So if I look a little scary, that's why :)
As of Monday evening, I weigh in at 153. Not bad considering...but not good. I'm hoping to lose at least 15 pounds. Anything after that is just icing on the cake.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
The Moment of Truth
Tonight I will run. For the first time in 37 days. I'm hoping for 3 miles, but we'll see how I feel at 6:15. I'd like to do a good run and then work on my arms and abs.
I'm also pleased to announce that tomorrow will be the beginning of picture blogs. Yay! I'm really excited about it. Tonight I'm going to take a picture of myself all dressed up in my workout attire and then begin documenting weight loss and toning. I'm excited because so often we lose weight and yet we don't feel like we see a difference. With this at least I'll be able to look back in a few months and go, "Wow, I can really tell in my face" or "in my legs how much I've changed".
As far as my diet has been concerned, my only downfall has been my Uncle's Chili that he made last night :) I probably had too much of it, but it was so tasty! Except for that, I've kept to my "diet" and have been eating a lot more fruit.
Also, Monday starts off my Office's "Biggest Loser" challenge. I'm sure I won't win, but the extra competition will be nice. I'll keep track of all the weigh-ins here. And ::GASP:: I'll be sharing my weight with the whole blogging community and all those lurkers who check out my blog. Scary, right?
Also, I'm going to start reading again. I've been putting it on the back burner and have been watching way too much TV lately. I'm going to start limiting my TV usage considerably. Most shows I can record on our DVR and watch it on the weekends, but my weeknights should be devoted to cooking new recipes, spending more quality and valuable time with my husband, working out, and trying to broaden my horizons. If I'm going to try to take a test to be certified in general education, I need to turn off the TV and grab a practice booklet and test!
See you guys tomorrow---with pictures!! Yikes!
I'm also pleased to announce that tomorrow will be the beginning of picture blogs. Yay! I'm really excited about it. Tonight I'm going to take a picture of myself all dressed up in my workout attire and then begin documenting weight loss and toning. I'm excited because so often we lose weight and yet we don't feel like we see a difference. With this at least I'll be able to look back in a few months and go, "Wow, I can really tell in my face" or "in my legs how much I've changed".
As far as my diet has been concerned, my only downfall has been my Uncle's Chili that he made last night :) I probably had too much of it, but it was so tasty! Except for that, I've kept to my "diet" and have been eating a lot more fruit.
Also, Monday starts off my Office's "Biggest Loser" challenge. I'm sure I won't win, but the extra competition will be nice. I'll keep track of all the weigh-ins here. And ::GASP:: I'll be sharing my weight with the whole blogging community and all those lurkers who check out my blog. Scary, right?
Also, I'm going to start reading again. I've been putting it on the back burner and have been watching way too much TV lately. I'm going to start limiting my TV usage considerably. Most shows I can record on our DVR and watch it on the weekends, but my weeknights should be devoted to cooking new recipes, spending more quality and valuable time with my husband, working out, and trying to broaden my horizons. If I'm going to try to take a test to be certified in general education, I need to turn off the TV and grab a practice booklet and test!
See you guys tomorrow---with pictures!! Yikes!
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
And So It Begins
Yesterday was my offical day to get my butt back in gear. After severly spraining my ankle over 5 weeks ago, it was time to get serious and start getting motivated again.
So I ate a whole lot better than I have been. I had Quaker Weight Loss Oatmeal with about an 1/8 of a cup of craisin's. That was DELICIOUS. I had half a grapefruit. 1/4 of a slice of a cranberry and cinnamon bagel. 1 Cup of coffee. 1 Fiber One bar for a snack. Minestrone soup and a yogurt for lunch. 1 bag of 90 calorie rice cakes with white chocolate drizzled on top.
Before I went to the gym, I had a 100 calorie Clif bar and then headed out. I did 30 minutes on the elliptical machine. I also decided that yesterday was my moment of truth. The scale. That thing has always been my friend or my mortal enemy. Yesterday, I was pleasantly surprised. Granted, it could be off a little bit, but still. I only managed to gain about 4 pounds since the sprain and the Holiday's. Not bad, not bad. It could be worse! Then I did about 5 minutes of ab work and then that was me calling it a day. I still had to get home and cook dinner, so I decided yesterday would just be a somewhat easy day.
For dinner, I decided to try a new recipe. I made chicken cordon bleu for the first time ever. Also, since we got to go on our first trip to Sam's together (we got a membership for Christmas from Steve's parents), I decided to use some of the asparagus I bought. So I made rosemary asparagus. The night before I had made a batch of Chicken Rice-a-Roni. I know, I know...not the healthiest rice, but it went really well with the meal I planned :) Seriously, it was a delicious dinner. It was so flavorful and so yummy! I'm pretty positive I'll be making it again in the future. After dinner, was a glass and a half of red wine. It's a pretty sweet wine, so I've dubbed it my "dessert" wine.
Today is kind of a rest day. But tomorrow, I'll be back in the gym. I'm planning on running for the first time since my accident, so wish me luck. I'm a little nervous. Ever since the sprain, my ankle has been really tight and I feel like it curves inward. Like when I hop off of a curb or step, I feel like instead of the bottom of my foot hitting ground first, the side of it hits. I don't know...maybe I just have to get used to the feeling again? Or maybe I need to stretch it and strengthen it more. My worst nightmare is to injure it again.
And today is my first day back in HIGH heels. I did some 3 inch heels on Christmas Eve and was really careful on it (naturally, it was also the day it snowed...). And then yesterday I wore 2 inch heels...today is my ginormous heels. I don't know why I decided to risk it. I feel like I'm walking funny. My ankle isn't used to the height and I feel like I'm limping around a little. The natural thing to do would be to retire the heels, right? And I would retire them...it's just that I love them too much! So here's hoping that today I don't kill myself in these shoes and that tomorrow morning I have a great day back to what I've grown to love doing. 3 miles is the goal.
So I ate a whole lot better than I have been. I had Quaker Weight Loss Oatmeal with about an 1/8 of a cup of craisin's. That was DELICIOUS. I had half a grapefruit. 1/4 of a slice of a cranberry and cinnamon bagel. 1 Cup of coffee. 1 Fiber One bar for a snack. Minestrone soup and a yogurt for lunch. 1 bag of 90 calorie rice cakes with white chocolate drizzled on top.
Before I went to the gym, I had a 100 calorie Clif bar and then headed out. I did 30 minutes on the elliptical machine. I also decided that yesterday was my moment of truth. The scale. That thing has always been my friend or my mortal enemy. Yesterday, I was pleasantly surprised. Granted, it could be off a little bit, but still. I only managed to gain about 4 pounds since the sprain and the Holiday's. Not bad, not bad. It could be worse! Then I did about 5 minutes of ab work and then that was me calling it a day. I still had to get home and cook dinner, so I decided yesterday would just be a somewhat easy day.
For dinner, I decided to try a new recipe. I made chicken cordon bleu for the first time ever. Also, since we got to go on our first trip to Sam's together (we got a membership for Christmas from Steve's parents), I decided to use some of the asparagus I bought. So I made rosemary asparagus. The night before I had made a batch of Chicken Rice-a-Roni. I know, I know...not the healthiest rice, but it went really well with the meal I planned :) Seriously, it was a delicious dinner. It was so flavorful and so yummy! I'm pretty positive I'll be making it again in the future. After dinner, was a glass and a half of red wine. It's a pretty sweet wine, so I've dubbed it my "dessert" wine.
Today is kind of a rest day. But tomorrow, I'll be back in the gym. I'm planning on running for the first time since my accident, so wish me luck. I'm a little nervous. Ever since the sprain, my ankle has been really tight and I feel like it curves inward. Like when I hop off of a curb or step, I feel like instead of the bottom of my foot hitting ground first, the side of it hits. I don't know...maybe I just have to get used to the feeling again? Or maybe I need to stretch it and strengthen it more. My worst nightmare is to injure it again.
And today is my first day back in HIGH heels. I did some 3 inch heels on Christmas Eve and was really careful on it (naturally, it was also the day it snowed...). And then yesterday I wore 2 inch heels...today is my ginormous heels. I don't know why I decided to risk it. I feel like I'm walking funny. My ankle isn't used to the height and I feel like I'm limping around a little. The natural thing to do would be to retire the heels, right? And I would retire them...it's just that I love them too much! So here's hoping that today I don't kill myself in these shoes and that tomorrow morning I have a great day back to what I've grown to love doing. 3 miles is the goal.
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