HYC Check In: The Food Edition

I have to say that I'm much more on track with my eating and exercise than I have been in weeks. Last night I wrote in my journal (you know the one that I physically write in, not just my blog here for all to see!) that I've been having some body image issues. I'm only four pounds heavier than what I was at the end of June, and yet those four pounds weigh on my mind like the 44 that I've lost. It's so annoying. I think that hitting the gym and putting my body to the test day after day helps me feel better about myself. Funny, but when I was sweating and out of breath on the elliptical this morning, I didn't think to myself, ew, you're disgusting and fat and you can't do it. Instead, I finished my elliptical 5K in 36 minutes and gave myself a mental pat on the back, preparing myself for my next C25K run tomorrow. I'm definitely sore, but at the same time, no pain no gain, right??

Food... my favorite topic. I'm not going to talk about the pint of Ben and Jerry's that somehow snuck into my house over the weekend and disappeared in less than 24 hours. Whaaat??? Kroger sent me a free B&J coupon. Did you really think I was going to pass that up?? No, instead, I'm going to talk about some of the healthy foods that I tried while I was gone, and love to no end.

Fiber One Strawberry Bars I'm in heaven when I eat this bar. This bar is better than the chocolate. Even better than my beloved peanut butter F1 bars. They are sweet and good and filling. I also tried the Apple Struessel bars, but they weren't for me. Not that they didn't taste good, but the Strawberry ones had my attention. Sorry Apple Struessel.

Fiber One Yogurt I love the commercial with the lady that says, I have to eat the box to get the fiber? Nope, not in these yogurts. I really like the strawberry flavored ones. My big complaint is that the yogurts themselves are 80 calories a pop, but they are in such tiny portions! I can buy my Kroger light yogurt for the same 80 calories and have a much bigger portion. I would say that those of you that need help in the fiber department should definitely check this out, but if you have enough fiber in your diet, then just eat the regular light yogurt and have more of it!

Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken I've seen this recipe floating around the internets (haha) and since I finally bought myself a slow cooker for one (or I guess two), I thought I'd try some thing out. This is what you need if you have a regular sized crock pot: four chicken breast, boneless and skinless; one jar of salsa (I used medium for some kick but be careful because your chicken is going to be cooking in this stuff); and one packet of low sodium taco seasoning. Throw it all in the slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours. The chicken was so tender when it came out of the slow cooker that it literally fell apart. I topped with a teaspoon of low fat shredded cheddar (I hate fat free cheese) and ate it with a side of corn. YUM. According to the Sparkpeople.com recipe calculator, each serving (which is one chicken breast) has 337 calories, 3.4 grams of fat, and 3 grams of fiber. So, those of you on WW, that's 6 points per serving. Not bad for dinner time!

I've also taken to liking these roasted peas that I found at my mom's local grocery. I can't find them here where I live, so I'm lucky enough to stock up on them when I'm at home and bring them back with me. They are crunchy and perfect to snack on at night when I'm in a noshing mood. I also loooooooove roasted chick peas, so these aren't too far off of those. Happy munching!!

Lions and Dogs and Goats... Oh My!

Yesterday E and I went for a walk around my neighborhood. Um... it must have been a full moon last night because the dogs were WILD. On one block, a collie literally threw itself against the fence to try to get at us (and we were on the other side of the street) and next door, a big black lab mix got himself into a barking frenzy. Next block over, a huge brown dog who was in his yard with no fence and not on a leash also barked at us until his owner walked over to the door and told him to shut up. On the other side of our loop, a brown lab came up and sniffed at us, and seemed kind of skittish. And a terrier basically ignored us as he crossed the street on his own. Um... where are these dogs' owners?? Seriously, do people just let their dogs wander around like this?? The best part of the walk was when the goats were loose. Yes, those darn neighborhood goats. So on my way home, I tried to avoid the eye of the billy goat whose head comes to my shoulders. Getting rammed by a goat is not something that I want to experience in my life time.

Today, I went to the gym. I've decided to start a routine in order to get me back on track fitness-wise. This is what I plan on doing:

Monday, Wednesday, Thursday: 30 minute run, weights for arms and legs
Tuesday and Thursday: 45 minutes of cardio on various machines (elliptical, stairmaster, rower) and abs
Saturday: Whatever I feel like doing!
Sunday: OFF

It's similar to what I was doing before the ill-fated month of July, and plus I won't be at the gym for longer than two hours each day. Completely doable. Today, I started back on the C25K program since it's been so long since I ran that I don't want to hurt myself. I started back on Week 5, Day 1, which is a 5 minute warm up, then three intervals of a five minute run followed by a three minute walk, and then a cool down. I kicked up the intensity on the treadmill by running at a faster speed. I was so proud of myself for getting through 2.5 of the intervals at that speed... the last 2 minutes of my last interval was at a slower pace, but I'd rather make it through the interval than just quit. Wednesday's run is 8 minute intervals, so I'm going to make sure that I can just keep chugging through this. Weeks 7, 8, and 9 are timed runs, not intervals, so I want to ease into that transition than just failing miserably by trying to get my butt going for 20 minutes straight the first time out of the gate.

I Get By With A Little Help From My Friends

Wow guys! Thanks for all the supportive and positive comments that you've left for me. I have to say that you guys are and always have been a motivational bunch, between what you leave for me here as well as reading your own blogs and emails you send me. Thanks for the good vibes!

So... October 19th. Nine weeks away. The day that I plan on running my first 5K. I've been running on and off since April, and I figure that running towards something is good idea. This afternoon, while I was at a coffee shop with a friend, I got a phone call so I walked away from the table not to disturb him and stood at the front of the store, where there was a poster about 5 and 10Ks in my area! Just the information that I've been looking for!!! This should definitely help me get out of bed and to the gym tomorrow.

Okay, there is one other thing that's been motivating me to get to the gym. Dates. Dating. Yeah, that whole shabang. For some reason, since I've come back from Mom's and gained these 5ish pounds, my self-image has declined ridiculously. I feel fat. Why I was more self-confident 45 pounds ago is beyond me, but this little voice keeps visiting me saying, who's going to want to date some girl who's size 14s are fitting a little tight? I'm playing the online dating game again, not that I had a superb experience the first time around with it. May's guy was such a bust... one of those "I should have dumped him long before he stopped calling me" situations. August brings two guys around, but it's still in the early stages. No real dates yet, but a bunch of back and forth on the website. I'm a big believer in the necessary "click". I don't care how great you sound on paper, but if there is no "click" when we meet, then let's not waste our time. Here's hoping for some clicks this time around!!!

Weekly Weigh In: The Summer of My Discontent

I gained. Again. I think this is a more accurate reading of how much I gained while I was home. For some reason, my weight is always "off" the day after I travel, which I why I thought I had only gained 2 pounds while I was home. Nah... the real number is closer to 4.2 pounds. It still isn't that bad for being at home for five weeks and not exercising. I think coming back here made me take off my rose colored glasses and see things for what they are. The muscle and toning that I gained while I worked my booty off in June is gone. I have a tire around my middle which looks less flattering in certain clothes. It needs to be gone by the time I go to Boston in 18 days. I think if I follow a routine, I'll definitely lose these 4 pounds by then. I hope they go off as easy as they came on.

Today, I finally received the motivation necessary to get my butt out of bed and to the gym at 7AM. They're called McWives. These are the type of women who are on the Real Housewives of Orange County... pampered little princesses that drive ridiculously expensive cars when they emerge from their ridiculously expensive McMansions. Every town has them. I got to the gym today, and was walking from my car to the door when this huge Suburban-esque type SUV came careening around the corner and slammed to a stop about 15 feet from me. A woman, about 110 pounds, talking on her cell phone, was driving. Two kids got of the back and walked military style into the gym (there's a basketball camp going on in my gym for kids right now). I guess I would be silent too if my mom talked on her phone while I sat in the back of the car.

Then, in the gym, another McWife comes in, carrying IN HER HANDS the following: her wallet, her designer sunglasses, her cell phone, and (I don't get this) a little container of what I think is salad dressing. It takes her five minutes just to arrange them safely around the ab machine that she is going to use. I don't really pay attention to what happens next, but when I move from the machines to the free weights, she's standing at the counter with the bleach wipes WIPING DOWN ALL HER THINGS. Huh? So, I stand in front of the mirror and do my bicep curls with my usual 8 pound weights, and she comes over and picks up these 20 pound weights and do bicep curls a little down from me, but she does them in HORRIBLE form. I can't imagine she's going to get anything out of it other than injured. Then, some dude who she knows comes in, and they stand in front of the free weight rack having a conversation. I'm done. I want to put my weights away and go. I say, excuse me, and I'm hardly acknowledged (it must be my Walmart and Old Navy workout gear). So, I push through, put my weights back on the rack, and walk away, only to receive a mouthful of McWife's expensive perfume. Who puts perfume on to come to the gym??? Seriously??

Okay, I'm done venting. But seriously, no more mid morning exercising for me. I liked my early bird crew from last semester, people who looked like they had jobs and things to do during the day and that's why they were there early. Those are my kind of people. No McWives need apply.

My Fancy Shoes

While I was at home, I finally broke down and went to a running store to be fitted for running shoes. I had planned on doing it, but as someone who is on a nine month contract at work, summers make my finances a little tighter than most. But what really started pressing me to find a new pair of shoes was that when I started running at home, I began experiencing some knee pain, not in my actual knee, but kind of behind it. I actually had to ice my knee down a few times (which again, contributed to my five weeks of laziness and weight gain!). One night, I went to the mall with my mom, and figured I should just buy another pair of New Balance, since that's what I've always worn, because I get them on the cheap side at a Shoe Depot type store. Well... they just didn't feel comfortable. Plus my mom was really getting on my case about my knee pain (doesn't help when your 55 year old aunt just got a knee replacement and a cousin who had ACL surgery at 15 and still experiences knee pain). So, I figured since I would be paying $80-100 for a new pair of good sneaks, why not just go to the running store?

And so I did. Luckily for me, there is one in my hometown, but I'm not sure if there is one where I live now. Anywho, the guy measured my foot, told me that because my foot was so flat, I had a pronation problem (which is true, just by looking at how my normal shoes wear, you can see that when I walk, my foot is twisty), and recommended four pairs of shoes for me to try on. I ended up going with the Asics. These are them. Aren't they pretty??

Today was my first run with them. My body is already crying. It's been a good month since my last run. Let's just say that it's time for me to pull out my C25K podcasts again and see what I can and can't do. I woke up this morning, stepped on my patio and said, "What a beautiful morning for running outside!" So I drove to my university's track and proceeded to loop around 3 times before I was dying (that's about 3/4 of a mile). I ran/walked for about 1.5 miles, which was about 30 minutes. Then I came home and did some lower body and ab exercises (still on the Swizzlepop plan from earlier this summer). Now, I'm sucking down coffee, hoping that my body doesn't want to crawl back into bed instead of heading into the office to put a few hours in.

Starting Over Yet Again Redux

"The triumph can't be had without the struggle." This is a quote from Olympian Wilma Rudolph, which I picked up in one of my many Sparkpeople emails that I receive every day. However, this quote really hit home with me today, as I stepped on the scale to find a number that I wasn't really expecting. At this point, it would be really easy to just give up. I've already been off with my eating and non-existent exercise. Yesterday, I wore a shirt that earlier this summer was really flattering... yesterday, I looked like a sausage in it. I went to do my usual Tuesday trivia with some friends at a local bar. All summer, I usually ordered a Killians and sipped it all night. I'm not a beer drinker at all, and one beer lasts me about two hours. However, last night, I threw caution to the wind and ordered a Malibu and Coke. And then another. And then another. I figure that by ordering regular Coke with it instead of diet Coke, I probably wasted around 500 calories. Not only that, but all that caffiene between 8 and 11PM threw my sleep schedule off and I woke up this morning with a headache. Classic. I've definitely learned my lesson.

So, this morning, I decided to really commit. I pulled up my SP page and planned my meals for today. I had been doing that throughout June and it worked. I skipped the gym this morning because I'm feeling a little sore after yesterday's workout, and plus E and I are going to walk the RailTrail later as long as the weather holds up. I even checked with the next season of the Biggest Loser is starting (Sept. 16!!!) because that show really inspires me.

And if that isn't proof enough that I'm raring to go, how about my horoscope for today: If you've been waiting for the right time to get started on that big project, go for it now! You're feeling pretty restless in some ways, so a new distraction might actually be perfect for you. That's all the motivation I need :)

Starting Over... Yet Again

This is me having a cafe con leche in a cafe in Spain!! I love how thin I look here!

The hardest thing about falling off the horse is getting back on, right? Well, that's what I'm faced with this week. I fell off the horse while I was home, big time. We're talking about nightly bowls of ice cream (I'm sorry, but Turkey Hill Eagles Sundae ice cream is da bomb), occassional trips to Rita's Italian Ice for their famous gelatis (YUM), and of course, my mom's great home cooking. What goes best with that home cooking? Bread. Lots of bread. And of course, since I was on vacation, I didn't exercise. Okay, that's not completely true. I think I went for three runs while I was home, but then my knee started to hurt (more on that in a later post), and I did also occassionally go for a walk with my mom at night. But most of my days were spent sleeping until 9, watching the Golden Girls, Frasier and Will and Grace on Lifetime, and then working in the afternoons until my mom came home from work.

Surprisingly enough when I weighed myself this morning, I was only two pounds heavier than what I was when I left in June. Sure, it's frustrating once again to move away from that 50 pound mark (I swear, this blog is going to have the biggest party once I hit 50 pounds gone!!), but it could be worse. When I left, I weighed in at 182.4. I'm now 184.4. When I weighed myself at home, the highest I got to was 186.6. That was my worst nightmare... that I was going to come back here and weigh myself on my "official scale" and find that I had gained 5 whole pounds. Luckily, that didn't happen. Phew! I can't tell you how relieved I am about that!

Last night I went grocery shopping and bought foods that are going to help me get back in the saddle again. I even went to the gym this morning and did 30 minutes on the elliptical and 15 minutes on a bike. Now I'm off to spark people to plan my food for the day, and then I'm heading into the office for a half day of work... I gotta ease back in after being gone for so long :) I'll leave y'all with a picture of me standing in front of a wall in Spain that dates back to the 1200s: