tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76776775328795708752024-03-05T08:01:39.108-08:00Big Red Gets FitLaurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04819627484596808731noreply@blogger.comBlogger41125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7677677532879570875.post-85224773686586023352010-02-24T12:44:00.000-08:002010-02-24T12:44:11.119-08:00Meds UpdateWell, I didn't weigh in last week because I didn't want to see the damage. I wrote a bit ago about starting on some anti-anxiety medication which killed my appetite and was the reason for three solid weeks of 2+lb losses. I loved it! However, this medication also dropped my already low blood pressure level and I couldn't get out of bed without passing out. A day of bed rest, lots of fluids, and stopping that medication ASAP was their cure. Well, my appetite came raging back and I was also dealing with the emotional shift from the abrubt stopping of the medication. It has not been pretty. <br />
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They started me up on a new medication and I know that this is a terrible thing to say, but I was hoping I would have some appetite loss like I did with the other medication to get my weigh-ins back on track. Can't believe I said that out loud, because that is totally not the reason I was taking the meds, but it was a fun side effect (until I stopped and it came right back so I KNOW it is not a good thing). I'm working on getting in exercise and busying myself with projects around the house when I'm home from work so I don't stuff my face, and I'm hoping that this new medication will help with the anxiety without knocking me out again.<br />
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I don't really want to weigh in on Friday because I loved seeing those numbers go down but maybe it will motivate me. It was SO nice to see a number in the 150s!Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04819627484596808731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7677677532879570875.post-61521071008716647812010-02-12T21:50:00.000-08:002010-02-12T21:50:33.673-08:00Third place!In December I was up really late, catching up on my Reader and watching trashy TV because I couldn't sleep. I ended up reading a just posted post on Charlotte's <a href="http://www.thegreatfitnessexperiment.blogspot.com/">The Great Fitness Experiment</a> about online personal training in January with Lindsey from <a href="http://leanbodieshf.com/">Lean Bodies Health and Fitness</a>. The first 30 readers to send Lindsey an email would get one month of online personal training from Lindsey and I was one of them! Things like this rarely happen when you live on the West Coast because I'm usually sawing logs while East Coasters are catching up on blogs with their coffee and breakfast.<br />
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In the end of December (but before the holidays, unfortunately for me) I submitted measurements, pictures, and info to Lindsey about my fitness goals. She then created this awesome workout plan that included strength training, HIIT, and constant cardio. We were to track our workouts and report back each week. There was also a Biggest Loser component that everyone could participate in, based on percentage of weight loss weekly and overall for the month.<br />
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The beginning of January came and I had gained a few pounds through lots of emotional eating and did not feel great about it. I updated my first weigh-in weight to reflect this and felt like crud admitting the pounds I gained over the holidays - hey, I hate being a cliche! The first part of the month was a struggle as I dealt with job changes, taking classes part time online, and other general family/friend stress that always comes along. I let Lindsey know that while I was committed to working out and eating healthy for my personal goals I could not commit to the time that the tracking and planning of the workouts was taking. Some days all I could fit in was 30 min on the stationary bike in the garage, and I would stress because I didn't do the planned exercise I was supposed to. Lindsey was so understanding, and let me know I could still be part of the Biggest Loser challenge.<br />
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By the end of January I was going full steam ahead with eating right and getting in exercise. I was craving the good for me foods and was able to easily resist the not as good for me foods. Finally, the scale started cooperating, once I stopped emotionally eating.<br />
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I submitted my final weigh in for the month and a few days later got the email with the winners of the Biggest Loser contest. I won third place!! I couldn't believe it, but apparently I lost 4.9%! My prize arrived a few days ago:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ69BX9b7AfomD9DmOZ1Rry9BtiUKXoa1eWiCokkJalDCODjdyl7Ha2-9EkbTrceoT_i0OQXsv6PTGZzCFPo9sc628j-oZ2h8dzDtWSG0HXIuXRJvzrgQXmM9xINn7hw4oGc2ivBYI/s1600-h/18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ69BX9b7AfomD9DmOZ1Rry9BtiUKXoa1eWiCokkJalDCODjdyl7Ha2-9EkbTrceoT_i0OQXsv6PTGZzCFPo9sc628j-oZ2h8dzDtWSG0HXIuXRJvzrgQXmM9xINn7hw4oGc2ivBYI/s320/18.jpg" /></a></div>A <a href="http://www.bandzz.com/">Bandzz</a>! While I haven't tried it out yet, and I'm still not 100% sure how it stays like that on your pants I think it is fun and the zebra pattern is funky. Now if only wearing the Bandzz made my abs look like that...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZwDsyi5Dn4BPwlnUQDuhp3cUlApR8SCXOD2OAcZB0GFwdcAQNpSS67BZogADxNF4MWeKuDmDPwm1PnTPlSOESYe0SaGsYdadUkUB9QXSHsfYuu7Vw2Hg_l43S9DQe5EDrCgdOEJjA/s1600-h/single.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZwDsyi5Dn4BPwlnUQDuhp3cUlApR8SCXOD2OAcZB0GFwdcAQNpSS67BZogADxNF4MWeKuDmDPwm1PnTPlSOESYe0SaGsYdadUkUB9QXSHsfYuu7Vw2Hg_l43S9DQe5EDrCgdOEJjA/s320/single.JPG" /></a></div><b> </b>A <a href="http://www.smallworldbeauty.com/">Small World Beauty</a> protein bar, in coconut coco cream! I loooove coconut so I am excited to try this out!<br />
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The best part of the prize was winning another month of online training with Lindsey! I'm not going to start that this month but once my schedule calms down a bit and I can give it 100% I'll start working with Lindsey again. I can't wait!Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04819627484596808731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7677677532879570875.post-72608917882950448362010-02-03T10:27:00.000-08:002010-02-03T10:27:27.500-08:00It's a team effortA couple of great things have happened this week!<br />
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1. I got new running shoes! I was fitted and found these beauties which have made all the difference in the world:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQy7gxXNx5Va_6vZ5mdkqnrfvDyH2A05mi4kP2EJkYGztn7Fy662W4FTirs4hwkU0YK6Ldf-o6d48I_DxlV55pPISFXQEEhbpXagwaSZWbxWlj4_9RJx8jO6V3H5VuAMMFVyUExJ49/s1600-h/_5837851.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQy7gxXNx5Va_6vZ5mdkqnrfvDyH2A05mi4kP2EJkYGztn7Fy662W4FTirs4hwkU0YK6Ldf-o6d48I_DxlV55pPISFXQEEhbpXagwaSZWbxWlj4_9RJx8jO6V3H5VuAMMFVyUExJ49/s200/_5837851.jpg" width="195" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I love them! The day after I picked them up I ran two miles on the treadmill. TWO MILES!! I need to name them, I love them so much. I never would have been able to imagine running one mile and now I'm up to two. It's just incredible to me!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2. I added my husband onto my gym membership and we went together last night. It was really nice to have a gym buddy! We did cardio separately and then did strength training together somewhat. It is great that he's getting into fitness as well and that we can go together now. I felt bad leaving to go to the gym instead of spending the evening with him the past few weeks. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">3. The scale is going in the right direction, finally! </div>Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04819627484596808731noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7677677532879570875.post-90515487628174291482010-01-22T11:54:00.000-08:002010-01-22T11:54:57.079-08:00Potato SoupI made dinner yesterday from scratch! <br />
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Let me tell you, I am no chef. I'm not even a cook and I'm barely a baker, but I want to be. Only very recently have I started yearing to cook more and I've gotten that high from creating something delicious. Friends would tell me they love to cook, that it soothes them, makes them happy, and I never got it. Cooking stressed me out. I would get super scientific, needing the exact measurements and ingredients and if I couldn't follow the directions exactly I wouldn't do it for fear of ruining the food and wasting my time. Over time my fabulous husband has tried to help me out and loosen me up in the kitchen, showing me that it doesn't need to be exact (except in baking a lot of the time) and it will still turn out yummy. If it isn't yummy, you can tweak and fix to make it at least edible the majority of the time.<br />
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I'm still not confident, but I'm learning and making an effort. Last night, right before I left work, I was going through my Google Reader and found <a href="http://ohsheglows.com/2010/01/21/quick-and-easy-potato-soup/">this recipe</a> from Angela at <a href="http://ohsheglows.com/">Oh She Glows</a>. I thought about the recipe all the way home and kept going back and forth in my head about whether or not I should try to make it. By the time I got home and was pretty hungry I had worked up the courage to make the attempt. With my husband in the other room, I followed the recipe as best I could and improvised where I needed/wanted to (I only had chicken broth, not vegetable; I didn't have rosemary so I used something else in our spice cabinet that I don't remember now; I wasn't in the mood to add nut butter; and I didn't have nutritional yeast). It didn't turn out perfectly at first, but I was able to fix it and I think it turned out wonderfully! My husband wasn't a huge fan which means I was able to bring leftovers to work today and continue to be proud of myself. Baby steps, right?<br />
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In other news, it is Friday, which is my weigh-in day. I slept in gym clothes last night because I had to go in early today if I wanted to work out before work, which meant I didn't take them off to weigh in this morning. I was on the treadmill for 45 min working on building my running endurance by loosely following <a href="http://www.c25k.com/">C25K</a>. Afterward, I was in the locker room and it was empty so I weighed myself on the doctor's office looking scale with my gym clothes on. I didn't particularly like the number and I knew that the clothes were adding some weight so after I showered I snuck over to the scale again and noticed that the locker room (and gym) was still totally empty so I took a <b>big</b> risk and jumped on the scale, sans towel, to get an "accurate reading!" I was so nervous someone was going to come in that I was on and off in a matter of seconds but I think I can record 165.5 for this week. I'm not going to beat myself up for such a small loss, actually I am going to do the opposite. I ate crap Fri, Sat, Sun, Mon nights before I finally snapped myself out of the funk, pulled myself up and decided to get help. I'm just starting <a href="http://www.beckdietsolution.com/Library/InfoManage/Guide.asp?FolderID=1&SessionID=%7B29D4BD4B-D3BE-42E7-A6C8-FF76038FDDE5%7D">The Beck Diet Solution</a> that I picked up at the library on Tues and I have started working toward processing and overcoming the anxiety and stress that is ruling my life. I'd say losing .5lbs is an accomplishment!<br />
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(Note to self: Long posts need pictures! All posts need pictures!)Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04819627484596808731noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7677677532879570875.post-40374275571163614872010-01-20T08:25:00.000-08:002010-01-20T08:25:31.923-08:00Here comes the sun...A pretty comical title if you ask me, considering we're having "the storm of the year" right now and I can feel the windows in the house shaking from the wind.<br />
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Regardless, my butt is leaving for the gym in 15 minutes and I am going to kick some butt (mine, of course!). I've started off with 1/2 banana and some PB and I'm bringing oatmeal with raisins, dates, walnuts and soymilk to work to heat up after. I also packed some soup and a mini pack of pita chip samples, a pear, and another banana for work.<br />
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I made an appointment yesterday with Kaiser psychiatry yesterday after picking up The Beck Diet from the library. This was a big step for me, but my husband had been commenting that my anxiety has been getting higher and higher as the months go on and my outlook on life has become more and more negative, which is not what I want for myself or my family. I spoke with the woman there about everything and she feels I could benefit from anti-anxiety medication, in addition to a group class that helps people work through and manage stress and anxiety. I have another appointment tomorrow to work out all the details, but I have two fears regarding the medication (which I will discuss with them at that time):<br />
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1) Dependency - I have a history of substance abuse in my family, which I know ups my likelihood of having an issue myself. Although I have not had an issue with drugs/alcohol/pills before I worry that the medication will really work and I will become someone else while on it and not be able to be "me" anymore. <br />
2) Weight gain - for obvious reasons! The woman yesterday said she does not think I will since I have already been working on a healthy lifestyle for some time and I am overeating/eating junk when I am unable to cope with my anxiety/stress so hopefully it should help with that. I'm going to ask about it anyway though tomorrow.<br />
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I know that medication can be a tricky topic and I am not sure that this will even work for me, but I am willing to give it a try as everything else I have tried has not adequately reduced my anxiety (breathing techniques, exercise, thought exercises on my own, etc). I hope that the combination of the medication and the classes will really make a difference in my life and I can get back to "normal" again, whatever that is :)Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04819627484596808731noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7677677532879570875.post-34582579030176868452010-01-19T10:20:00.000-08:002010-01-19T10:20:10.447-08:00I need to admit I have a problemI have a problem.<br />
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Now, fixing the problem is the hard part. I have a problem with emotional eating and it seems to be getting worse, or maybe I'm more aware of it. I have lost 40lbs and while I have been maintaining that (miraculously considering my up and down eating) the way I deal with my issues and food is not healthy.<br />
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When I'm stressed, I eat. When I'm bored, I eat. When I go out with the girls, I eat. I have been having a serious sweet and salty and carby tooth lately too, so it's not like I'm cramming my face with fruits and veggies. I seem to go up and down, half the week I listen to the angel on my shoulder and half the week I listen to the devil.<br />
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I really need to address this ASAP because although I've lost weight, this is about my health and this is not something I should be putting my body through.<br />
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I'm heading off to the library to get some books. I've been reading about a lot of people who are reading the Becks book so I'll try to find that and others that focus on overcoming emotional eating.Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04819627484596808731noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7677677532879570875.post-57092984102322334252010-01-15T13:52:00.000-08:002010-01-15T13:52:33.472-08:00166.0Ok, I'm not gonna lie. I am <i>not</i> happy about my weigh-in this morning. I stayed below my calorie range and worked out and I still saw a gain. I'll have to look on my computer at home, but I think I was at 165.something last Friday.<br />
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I know, I know, I know, I didn't gain that weight. I weighed myself during the week and I was at 164.4, I was just looking for a little boost and I definitely did not get it.<br />
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I have a few theories...<br />
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1) I wasn't eating enough. Crazy, but I think that I'm not doing so well with my calories. I barely make it to 1200 most days when Daily Plate is recommending 1350 and I've been working out. I feel satisfied and I don't go to bed hungry, but I plan out my day so I will have room to eat a nice sized dinner and then I usually end up coming in way under my recommended calories. I know the solution would be to eat more during the day, but I am always worried that I'll feel deprived at night.<br />
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2) Water intake. I have not been as good about drinking water as I have been in the past. I really need to be consistent with my water and I love it, so I don't know why I've been slacking lately.<br />
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I'll just keep chugging along, keeping up with the exercise, water, and eating healthy food, just a little more than that, I guess.Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04819627484596808731noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7677677532879570875.post-38140970659315739802010-01-12T13:46:00.000-08:002010-01-12T13:46:40.989-08:00I'm back, for real this time!I quit for a bit. Over the holidays I just quit. I was lazy, I ate whatever I wanted (and then some) and I felt like crap. I had no motivation and my mood was souring as each day went on. I didn't want to blog or write about my feelings because I did not want to address them. <br />
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Finally, I pulled myself up by the bootstraps and started working out and eating healthy again and I feel 100 million times better. I have been back to the lifestyle I want for a little over a week now and my mood has improved and my outlook is brighter. I want to be a healthy, active, happy person. Weight loss will be an added bonus, but I really need to address the issues in my life that stress me out and why I turn to food and laziness to cope with those feelings. Being skinny won't make me feel better, but exercise and eating right obviously do. <br />
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I received Jillian Michael's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Jillian-Michaels-More-Trouble-Zones/dp/B001NFNFMQ">No More Trouble Zones</a> for Christmas and I tried it out for the first time on Saturday morning. I only made it through 75% of the DVD but I was SORE! J and I have decided to have a Sunday morning tradition of going on this 2 mile hike with our dog before work and I completely forgot about that as I let Jillian kick my butt. The actual hike felt great but afterwards at work on Sunday and all day Monday I could barely walk. Seriously, I just hobbled around very slowly and had to raise and lower myself with my arms. Slight exercise fail, but it was funny because all day Monday I could feel my body itching to exercise even though I had almost zero mobility. My body likes it!<br />
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I am going to try and structure my workouts for the week so that I don't run in to this problem again. Right now I am thinking:<br />
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Mon- Cardio DVD at home<br />
Tues- Step + Sculpt class @ gym<br />
Weds- Cardio at gym before work<br />
Thurs- Strength Training DVD at home<br />
Fri- Cardio DVD at home<br />
Sat- rest day<br />
Sun- 2 mile hike<br />
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In regards to my eating I am focusing on eating lots of fruits and veggies and trying to stay away from processed and artificial food when possible. I have not been entering my food into The Daily Plate but I have been counting calories in my head and keeping within the range they have suggested for me. I am working on intuitively eating, eating because of hunger not emotions.<br />
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As for my weight, I am committing myself to only weighing in on Fridays. I do not want to be attached to the scale and I will not let the number dictate my outlook on the day.<br />
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I feel refreshed and ready to start my healthy lifestyle!Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04819627484596808731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7677677532879570875.post-35742451886471485822009-11-18T10:30:00.000-08:002009-11-18T10:30:55.547-08:0019 weeks and a new goalWhat is there to say? The past month was a roller coaster for me with my eating/working out. I'd be on track for a few days, then off, then on, then off. Throw in some vacation eating and you've got me feeling all sorts of bad about myself and my progress. March 31st will be one year and I'd love to be at my goal weight. I know I can do it, people have lost 100 lbs in a year for goodness sakes!<br />
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Weighing in Saturday morning (I wrote this then and forgot about it!), I have 25ish lbs to go (which freakin' sucks because I got down to 21 lbs to go and threw that out the window), and 19 weeks until the end of March. Obviously, this is totally doable, just over a pound a week and I'll be there. I CAN DO IT. Duh, I know I can do it, but will I let myself succeed? Will I push myself and make the right choices when I'd rather sit on my butt and eat pumpkin pie and wine (ahem, Friday night...)? Yesterday I flubbed it up again, but I'm human and this is real life, and I made the choices yesterday, even though they were bad ones. I can and will make the good choices.<br />
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I am going to start doing weekly weigh ins, putting it out there for the world to see. Notice I didn't post on here this last month? It's because I was gaining weight! I need to hold myself accountable and put it in writing even though I hate that. <br />
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Here's what I'll be doing to reach my goal:<br />
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*20-30 min morning walk with the dog every day<br />
*Alternating cardio/strength training in evenings, at least 30 min 5 days/week - combo of elliptical, stationary bike, or 30DS at home, treadmill and stair stepper at gym, and Sparkpeople strength training videos<br />
*Sticking with The Daily Plate daily calorie guide of 1,331, adjusting to eating more if I feel my body needs it if I have an extra long workout<br />
*Tracking with The Daily Plate<br />
*Weigh in weekly and postLaurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04819627484596808731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7677677532879570875.post-15692648706509681372009-10-14T12:37:00.000-07:002009-10-14T12:37:40.242-07:00Starting Over. Again.I may have to go back to tracking, ugh. Not forever, but to get myself back on track because I've been crazy again with my eating. Late night snacking, no portion control, candy, you name it. Why? I don't really know. I think maybe it's because I feel good about how I look and I don't have those 'I really need to lose weight' thoughts chasing me. I think it was easier when I was heavier and had more weight to lose, because I was really, really motivated. I made it into the healthy BMI range and I think I gave up. I still have 20+ pounds to go, and I do feel like I'm still carrying around excess weight, so giving up now really isn't an option. Plus, weight aside, I know how much better I feel when I eat right, and I know how energized I am when I get regular excercise. I can't let myself get sidetracked again because this is about my health and that is the top priority. I need to treat my body with respect and give it what it needs, and everything else will come with that.<br />
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I left home early this morning to go to the gym (new development, free gym membership through work!) where I powerwalked with a high incline, then did the stairmaster, and back to the tradmill before rushing off to work. It was great! I ate my breakfast of oats, dates, PB, and walnuts and now I'm snacking on grapes - delicious! Why do I even think that crap food will make me feel better? THIS is what makes me feel good!Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04819627484596808731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7677677532879570875.post-18639035854648690452009-10-08T13:11:00.000-07:002009-10-08T13:11:45.224-07:00Comments and other good stuffComments now work, just in case anyone out there in the crazy large world of blogging finds their way over here and wants to say anything :)<br />
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I made a decision - I am going to be a weekly weigher! I weighed myself this morning and that's it until next Thursday. I'm taking a cue from <a href="http://www.livesmilerun.com/">Syl</a> and hiding the scale, although I don't think I can hold out for a month. Maybe, we'll see, but I'm taking it one step at a time. Obviously, I'm stressed out, and I started thinking that maybe weighing myself every day isn't helping that. I need to focus more on 'me' and how to relate to food in a healthy way rather than thinking of food with a weight loss mindset. <br />
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I've been doing good with not tracking - I eat basically the same amount, but I'm not stressing out at the end of the night about whether or not my calories are on par with the all powerful <a href="http://www.livestrong.com/thedailyplate/">DailyPlate</a>. It's working really well so far, I've still been losing weight (although my little candy freakout didn't really help at all), but if it stops working for me (I start gaining weight or something) I will definitely go back to counting and tracking. I think that the 6 months of almost daily tracking really helped me get an idea of what I'm eating and correct portion sizes and that is what has enabled me to not need to track currently.<br />
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Yesterday, I was really healthy with my meals, but I did not exercise. At lunch I chose to read a book and at night I chose to knit instead of doing some cardio. That's fine, I can make choices, and that worked for me last night. This morning however, I was feeling the need to exercise and it started my day off great! I did some <a href="http://www.sparkpeople.com/">Sparkpeople</a> videos, a mix of cardio and strength training, and I think I'm going to take a long walk during my lunch break. <br />
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I feel a million times better than I did at the beginning of the week and I think a lot of that has to do with some of the stuff that was majorly stressing me out being resolved, but I really think that my negative changes in behavior kept brought me down even more and when I started eating right again that helped bring my spirits back up. If only I could remember this kind of stuff when I'm headed down the rabbit hole into stressville. I need to remember to come back here and read this and not give into the temptation to eat my feelings next time stress hits because it just makes me feel worse.Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04819627484596808731noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7677677532879570875.post-3188148913002383482009-10-07T19:55:00.000-07:002009-10-07T19:55:36.006-07:00CommentsHmmm, for some reason the comments aren't working. Heather at <a href="http://heathereatsalmondbutter.com/">HEAB</a> clued me into this a few weeks ago and I thought I fixed it by getting rid of the word verification. Just tested it and NOPE! Must figure this out...Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04819627484596808731noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7677677532879570875.post-69853104636943648152009-10-07T19:44:00.000-07:002009-10-07T19:44:25.781-07:00Feeling BetterSo, I feel a little more normal now, but the majority of that is most likely related to one of the things that was majorly stressing me out being mostly resolved as of this morning. Why do I have to be one of the 'I eat crap food when I'm stressed people' and not one of the 'I exercise and feel better because of the endorphins' people? Maybe the exercise people are really the food people who have trained themselves? Will I always be a food stress person? Can I overcome that, can I switch over? I hope so, and I'd really like to. I wonder if there's a book on that or something...Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04819627484596808731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7677677532879570875.post-69150566917436935782009-10-07T11:13:00.000-07:002009-10-07T11:13:02.555-07:00Bad DaysI feel a little better now, but I've got a massive stomach ache and I'm royally pissed at myself. Why? Because for the past three nights I've eaten my sorrows in the form of complete crap, mostly candy, and I hate that I did that. I've hit a wall with all of the stressors in my life and I just lost it. Totally and completely lost it. I know how it happened, I was stressed to the max about things I cannot control and I can control what I eat so I did that. I didn't control it in a healthy way, of course. Why do I turn to crap food when I feel bad/stressed? It doesn't help me with my goals and it doesn't even leave me feeling good. I went from feeling like I could accomplish anything on Friday to feeling like the weakest person on the planet today. I know that I need to cowgirl up and dust myself off but right now I almost don't want to. Today I will eat healthy and get in some exercise tonight, but I don't really feel like it, and that is what I hate. I want to want to eat healthy and exercise, like I did before, I just don't know how to break out of this funk and stop stressing out. All I know is that this is not a solution to my problems and it's not helping me out at all.Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04819627484596808731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7677677532879570875.post-63670253759231701202009-10-02T20:43:00.000-07:002009-10-02T20:43:53.867-07:00I did it!I did something I never thought I'd do.<br />
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I did something I joked about never doing my whole life and instead of doing something about it I figured I'd never, ever do it.<br />
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I did something that even when I started working toward it seemed unattainable.<br />
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I did something that some people (including my husband) may not fully appreciate the amazingness of.<br />
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<b>I RAN A MILE</b>!<br />
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I can't even believe it, and I'm still a little in shock, but most of all I am SO proud of myself!<br />
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I have never run a mile. Ever. Not in middle school, or high school, or when I played tennis or soccer. When I was younger, I had a big growth spurt that messed up the growth of my knees so if I ran they would bang together and cause swelling and bruising. That created a big note for P.E., and combined with pretty bad asthma (that I, again, had a note for) meant that I never had to run the mile. I enjoyed not running the mile, I loved that I didn't have to do it. In high school I didn't have to take P.E. because I was on the tennis team and when we had to run before practice I'd totally fake it because we ran around the school and out of sight. Whenever I had to run, I'd sprint, and I was actually pretty fast, but I couldn't sustain it.<br />
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Yesterday, I did it!<br />
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The reason I'm so shocked is because I have not been very dedicated to my C25K program and I don't think I've ever tried to run for over a week because of the heat (excuses, excuses). I went out on my lunch break with the intent to walk around this old track by work. <br />
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I walked 1/2 mile and suddenly had the urge to run, so I did, with no timer or goal or plan. As I passed 1/4 mile I still felt good, so I kept at it. I thought to myself, wouldn't it be great to run 1/2 mile? I couldn't believe it as I was running. I couldn't believe I was still moving and I didn't feel like dying. At 3/4 of a mile I could feel myself wearing down a bit, but the fact that I was still running made me feel amazing. Amazing! <br />
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As I passed the mile point I was literally talking to myself, congratulating myself, telling myself how proud I was. Thankfully no one was around, but really, who cares? I honestly don't know if I've ever been more proud of myself. <br />
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I know that to a lot of people running a mile is just a warm up, and I hope that someday I will be one of those people, but right now I feel so amazing for accomplishing something I truly never thought I'd be able to.Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04819627484596808731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7677677532879570875.post-54131883144897562562009-09-30T11:00:00.000-07:002009-09-30T11:00:22.451-07:00Would you like some tea with that sugar?Now, I'm not from the south, but I like my iced tea sweet. Not sweet tea sweet, but I definitely put a pack (or 2 or 3) of sugar in each glass. I then moved on to Splenda, not so much for the reduction of calories, but because it mixed in easier. Hot tea, on the other hand, I can drink plain, no sugar necessary. Why is that? That's the question I finally asked myself on Monday night when I decided to not sweeten my iced tea. It was just fine! Sure, I still like it sweetened, but that can be a once in a while thing when I really want something sweet, not every time and every glass. I know there are people out there who think Splenda and other no-calorie sweeteners are evil, and although I'm not one of them, I do recognize that putting artificial ingredients into my body isn't the best thing.<br />
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Another thing I started trying to do this week is listen to my body more. While I haven't been able to stop the mental calorie counting, I haven't been tracking it online and I'm trying to eat what I want, when I want, no more, no less. With tracking online, I would see that I could still eat a certain number of calories left and I'd either eat something to make the 'quota' even though I wasn't really hungry, or I'd worry that I wasn't eating enough. On other days, if I knew I ate too much I wouldn't track at all because I didn't want to see the numbers staring back at me and the words "you were over your calorie limit for the day." I like tracking and I think it's very important to be conscious of what you're eating and how that fits in with your goals, but I think I'm ready to try doing it on my own. I've done pretty well so far, I think. Last night I mentally approximated everything and had a few hundred calories left over, but I wasn't hungry, so I didn't eat anything. I hope this keeps working for me, although I definitely still look up nutritional info before I go somewhere new or eat something that isn't labeled because I feel the need to still have an idea, and I do mentally still tally things up.<br />
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This post is brought to you by Jamba Juice for fueling my morning with their delicious oatmeal after Starbucks' Vivanno smoothie was yucky and I didn't have anything to eat breakfast at work.Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04819627484596808731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7677677532879570875.post-10960068149233476102009-09-28T12:03:00.000-07:002009-09-28T12:16:22.331-07:0040/25This past week I've done well with both exercise and nutrition, but I've been feeling a little blah. Don't really know what that's about, but I'm keeping with it and I'm sure my funk will resolve shortly. <br /><br />Today is my day off of work and I've been sitting on my butt for way too much already today. I almost like days that I work because I always make sure to exercise beforehand and if not I always push myself to move more during the day and then exercise when I get home. On my off days I don't really have any structure and I don't think I move around as much. I like that I can do longer, different, more fun exercise sessions, but I usually stall all morning instead of doing it first thing which would energize me. Must work on that! I'm not sure what the plan is for today, I was thinking about taking the dog for a hike but its still pretty hot here and part of me wants to just stay inside where it is a lot cooler.<br /><br />My ticker shows a 40lb loss right now which is amazing! It has me thinking a lot lately though because I don't feel like I weigh 40lbs less, or I should say that I don't feel like I ever weighed 40lbs more. I feel really good but I think most of that comes from the increase in exercise vs the weight loss. It seems overwhelming that I have 25 lbs left to lose, but I've broken it down into smaller sections in my head. All I'm concentrating on is the first 5lbs because once I cross that line I'll start having less than 20lbs to go. That seems a lot more reasonable to me. Last week the scale bumped up after my not so awesome few days of eating crap and when it didn't bounce right back I freaked out a little bit. Once the numbers went back to normal I breathed a sigh of relief but then caught myself. This isn't a race. I don't have a date in mind that I want to lose the weight by and I need to realize that the closer I get to my goal the longer it will take for those last pounds to come off. I need to relaaaaax and focus on my overall health and the weight loss will come with it. I'm writing that down so I don't forget!Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04819627484596808731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7677677532879570875.post-75238978498140804882009-09-23T16:34:00.000-07:002009-09-23T16:49:02.052-07:00Me - 1, Movie Theater - 0Yesterday was my two year wedding anniversary! We went to a cute little coastal town and cashed in a gift certificate we had for a semi fancy Italian restaurant and I didn't count calories. I probably ate way too much carbs, but I decided not to worry about it, but to also not go overboard. I was really full, but not stuffed to the brim and I don't fell like I went overboard at all. We drove home afterward and contemplated going to a movie. By the time we got home and picked a movie time it had been a good 5 1/2 hours since lunch. That will tell you how filling the meal was!<br /><br />So, I know that going to the movies is a big overeating trigger for me. I know this, and as much as I try to avoid that nagging feeling as I walk into a movie theater that I need to buy/eat something, I usually give in. Even if I just ate dinner, which is totally ridiculous.<br /><br />Yesterday, I decided, was a different day. No slacking off because I'm celebrating. No overeating because it's a special day. No way, jose.<br /><br />With an hour to go before the movie I decided to exercise! My husband might have given me the side eye for that one, but I did some strength training and about 20 min of cardio. It felt great!<br /><br />As I got dressed and ready to go (red face and all), I thought about how I'd feel once I got to the theater. Why do I have the need to eat something while watching a movie? I know it's a bad habit, but the second the previews start I have the urge to stuff my face. I know I can get through two hours without eating, it's not mission impossible. I figured I would have the craving once we got to the theater even though I still wasn't hungry, so I took some time and grabbed a yogurt, some grapes, and, don't kill me, the very last bit of licorice in that massive bag. I also filled up my water bottle so that soda wouldn't be my only option if I was thirty. I ended up making us a few minutes late with all of this advance planning, but we still made the beginning of the movie. It worked! I think just having healthy snacks with me cut down on the urge to head to the snack bar, but I didn't even eat them. I listened to my body and I still wasn't hungry. I drank my whole bottle of water, so I must have been really thirsty, but man am I proud of myself. I will definitely do this again, so that if I do get hungry I can reach for something that won't kill me and not give in to the snacky craving. I just need to plan a bit more in advance so that we can see all of the previews!Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04819627484596808731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7677677532879570875.post-82161339899891179392009-09-22T22:50:00.000-07:002009-09-22T23:14:47.349-07:00OopsSo...I post all about motivation and then totally abandon the blog for 4 days.<br /><br />I was a little discouraged because I went a little crazy at the drive-in the night before that post (finishing off the rest of that giant bag of licorice) and then even after I jumped back on the healthy train the scale stayed put at a higher #. Usually if I have a bad day/night the next morning the scale is up but then it goes back to normal the second day. Not this time. It really discouraged me, and I got to thinking about how much I rely on the scale. Now it is back to normal as I've been back on track for 4 days, but maybe weighing myself every morning isn't the best. I can't seem to not though. When I was on vacation I didn't weigh myself for almost two weeks and I wasn't freaking out, and I've contemplated doing the once a week thing, but honestly, I like seeing the numbers every morning. I like seeing that when I eat well, drink lots of water and get some exercise the number goes down. When I'm lazy or eat crap the number stays the same or bumps up temporarily. I think it helps keep me on track every day in a way. Maybe I'll try out once a week and see how it goes, because I know everyone is against daily weighing.<br /><br />Speaking of the scale, I'm almost to the "normal" BMI range, which I know is a BS way to judge health but it's an important milestone, at least in the eyes of Kaiser. It will be so nice to not get a little note at the bottom of any medical printouts that mention that I'm overweight and therefor at serious risk for everything under the sun. The only problem is that I've always said I'm a certain height and now I'm thinking I may be closer to an inch shorter from the last time the Dr. measured me. I'm so uncool, but if I can find a ruler or tape measure I might have my husband check for me. An inch is a big difference in the magical BMI scale, ya know.<br /><br />In non-weight news, I have been upping my daily exercise and it feels great! In the past few days I have come upon a lot of situations where I am given the opportunity to sit and read a magazine and wait for 20-30 minutes. What have I been doing? Walking instead! Setting an alarm and just walking around and exploring instead of sitting on my butt. I know that it is little changes like this that will help with long term weight maintenance and I'm enjoying it so far. Sure, sometimes I just want to sit on my butt but I do enough of that at night when I'm watching t.v. with my husband. I need to move more and I might as well do it when I have nothing else to do for 20 minutes. Also, I've started watching <a href="http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/fitness_videos.asp">SparkPeople</a> fitness videos again for cardio/strength training when it has been too hot to exercise outside. My running hasn't really been happening this week. I just can't do it in the heat, so I've been sticking to inside stuff for now.Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04819627484596808731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7677677532879570875.post-14101073648830748302009-09-18T16:17:00.000-07:002009-09-18T16:51:22.412-07:00MotivationWhat motivates you? That was the question Annabel at <a href="http://www.feedmeimcranky.com/">Feed Me I'm Cranky</a> asked last week. You can read the answers <a href="http://www.feedmeimcranky.com/2009/09/14/who-or-what-motivates-you-you-said-pt-1/">here</a>, <a href="http://www.feedmeimcranky.com/2009/09/15/who-or-what-motivates-you-you-said-pt-ii/">here</a>, and <a href="http://www.feedmeimcranky.com/2009/09/16/who-or-what-motivates-you-i-say-pt-iii/">here</a>, including mine:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">"I have a lot motivating me, but I’d say my #1 motivation is…me! I decided to start getting fit and healthy for myself and I love how much better I feel and how much more energy I have. That’s what really keeps me going, although my dog and being a good role model for my future kids motivates me as well!"<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">"Me"...does that sound weird? I thought about it a lot, and it's true. I decided to start this journey for no one other than myself. Sure, I was thinking about the family reunion in June where I'd most likely be persuaded into a bathing suit, but last July I went to Mexico for a reunion of sorts and was on a beach in my suit for a week and I didn't even attempt to get fit for that. I did it for me, I wanted to feel better and feel better about myself and I'm the one pushing myself every day, stopping myself when I want to chow down on crap (most days), deciding to go work out on lunch instead of sitting and reading for an hour.<br /><br />I love my husband, I love him so much and I love that he has never made one comment about my weight. I met him when we were both a lot thinner and when I look at him I don't see him as any bigger than the day we met. Maybe that's what he thinks about me? Maybe he's just really nice? Thankfully he's honest enough to tell me the truth when I ask him if something isn't super flattering or if the pockets on a pair of jeans I like make my butt look enormous. I love him for that, and so I want to believe answer #1, that he sees me the same as when we met. Anyway, he never made me feel any less attractive as I gained the love pounds, the moving in together pounds, the engagement pounds, or the newlywed pounds. As much as I love him for that, it wasn't much of a motivator to get up and lose the weight I needed to lose.<br /><br />I actually didn't feel bad about my weight 90% of the time. I felt loved and happy and confident, and when I looked in the mirror, I didn't see myself as fat, overweight, obese. I got sick and tired of feeling winded though, of only having a few shirts I'd feel comfortable wearing, of feeling cute and confident but then seeing a photo of myself and realizing I'm so much bigger than what I see in the mirror. I went to the doctor for a checkup and got a talk about needing to lose weight, especially from my thighs. I tried to get a prescription refill for an inhaler and the doctor insisted I was just out of shape, that I didn't have exercise induced asthma. I was outraged, but I didn't make any changes for a while. I think it all built up and I finally reached my breaking point. <br /><br />My dog keeps me going now too because he's become my exercise partner and he's gotten used to more walks and more exercise. I can't let him down!<br /><br />My future kids - not even really on the horizon yet, but I want to set a good example. I want to be a fit mom and I want to lead them by example. I want us to have move around and get fun exercise and eat healthy because it is delicious and good for us, not because mommy want to lose weight. I don't want weight to be an issue. I want to teach my kids positive body image and to love themselves. I want my kids to thrive. One of my goals is to be at my goal weight and be able to maintain that for a while before we try to have kids. I want exercise to be a solid part of my daily routine so that I can have a fit, healthy pregnancy and hopefully bounce back faster. <br /><br />I feel so motivated now just by writing this! I feel so, so, SO much better since I have started this journey and that is the #1 think motivating me right now. Looks aside, I feel like a totally different person. I feel like I can bike 6 miles (like we did on that family reunion) or hike for three hours, or RUN! I can't wait to see where this journey continues to take me, but I know that it will just keep getting better and better.<br /><br /><br /></div></div>Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04819627484596808731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7677677532879570875.post-54956866388959974192009-09-17T14:58:00.000-07:002009-09-17T15:16:54.893-07:00Jumped off the wagonI didn't just fall off the wagon last night, I jumped off. It was bad. <br /><br />I was hungry all day and even though I drank tons of water and ate when I was hungry (healthy snacks with protein and fiber) I was still hungry afterwards. I kept thinking I was bored and I didn't really feel stressed, so I figured it couldn't be emotional hunger.<br /><br />My husband came home and suggested we head to Chevy's. Now, I know Chevy's is a weakness for me, with the endless chips/salsa, the delicious margaritas, the build your own shrimp fajitas. We used to go there a lot over the past few years until we realized how much $ we were spending on eating out, and what it was doing to our waistlines. It sounded delicious though and I've never left there feeling hungry so I knew it would solve my endless tummy problem.<br /><br />We get there and I go right for the chips. I let myself, I didn't even try to hold myself back. I order water, but then notice that they have my favorite mango margaritas as their seasonal special so we get one of those to split. I get the shrimp fajita like the good old days and savor every bite. It was goooooood. Calories counting has been out the window from the first salty warm chip. I didn't finish everything on my plate because I felt stuffed. I haven't felt stuffed like that in a long time and really it's not a great feeling at all, although I liked not feeling hungry anymore. <br /><br />Did I stop there? You'd think, but you'd be wrong. <br /><br />We had to stop into Target and the candy section pulled me over. Can we get licorice, I asked my husband, part of me hoping he'd say no. They only had a giant bag and he tried to convince me that maybe I wanted to get the tiny bag of red swedish fish instead. No way, I could taste the red vines already, there was no stopping me now. I ripped into the bag in the car and ate away, even though I was full. Now, I recognized that I was emotionally eating, but it didn't stop me. I had some more licorice once we got home and finally put the bag away.<br /><br />Then it hit, the feeling of being so upset with myself for giving in to emotional eating. Looking back and realizing I have been dealing with it all day and I totally gave in at dinner and with my licorice frenzy. My tummy hurt, I was mad at myself, I was not fun to be around. Why do I do this? It is so frusterating and I feel like I'm sabotaging myself. I am sabotaging myself. I have been so good with not giving in to emotional eating, and I've come so far, but this is not going to help me at all. I keep thinking that I'm under a lot of stress and in the next few months everything will clear up and this will be a lot easier, but I know that this is something I need to overcome for good. I think I'll head to the library to pick up some books on emotional eating so I can work toward kicking this thing to the curb for good. <br /><br />Today is a new day, I got in a walk with the dog this morning and I did C25K week 2 (most of it at least) and ran up and down some bleachers a few times. I feel good, I just wish every day could be like this, and days like yesterday wouldn't exist. I worry that I feel so much better today because of what happened yesterday, because I got out all of my frustrations and got mad at myself. I don't want to have to go through a big emotional eating blowout every time to feel cleansed and ready for a fresh start. This is definitely something I still need to work on.Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04819627484596808731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7677677532879570875.post-27863692077996875992009-09-16T15:54:00.000-07:002009-09-16T16:27:35.232-07:00Time for some froyo!So, I have a slight obsession with the new Froyo craze. It's basically what I want for lunch every day and I'd say I have it about once a week. I used to work right next to a <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/pinkberry-san-jose">Pinkberry</a> so that was my place of choice, but now I've branched out to other places in the area. My current favorite froyo joint is near my work and is a tiny little place called <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/frutti-gelato-and-yogurt-saratoga-2">Frutti</a>. Why they're my favorite? I almost always get plain tart yogurt with fruit, usually mango and strawberries, and when I ordered mango here the woman behind the counter realized they were getting low said "I'll go cut up a fresh mango for you" and she did! It was SO delicious and I have yet to have toppings that good since. The actual yogurt was creamy and amazing too.<br /><br />Today as I was driving around I got that feeling in my tummy, that "I need something to eat and that something is froyo" feeling and of course there are froyo places on every corner so it wasn't hard to satisfy my craving. I'll just get a little, I said to myself as I <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/yogurt-twist-san-jose">entered</a>. Once I started using the self serve machines I shifted my thinking and decided this could be part of my dinner. <span style="font-style: italic;"> </span>I went all out with original tart, taro, lychee, and green tea yogurt flavors and added strawberries, kiwi, mochi, and red beans. As I walked out I had a mountain of froyo and boy was I excited.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGuT3omkkjOR8LOAHzF-eG1987vrremY0NuuVwSrxk3NU2Cg4pMx9_QTkAL6jwUnGovS6mKuxw2m2cB0g7tIDty3P23JBrbyCOaeXwLQu2ziZw6C4fbeql0bo73gw2cpwQzrz_3aA0/s1600-h/P9160115.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGuT3omkkjOR8LOAHzF-eG1987vrremY0NuuVwSrxk3NU2Cg4pMx9_QTkAL6jwUnGovS6mKuxw2m2cB0g7tIDty3P23JBrbyCOaeXwLQu2ziZw6C4fbeql0bo73gw2cpwQzrz_3aA0/s320/P9160115.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5382204962840569538" border="0" /></a>It was not good, at all :( None of the flavors were spectacular and half weren't even edible really. The strawberries and kiwi were good, so I ate that, and the beans and mochi tasted really stale. There is still more than half of it left and the cup is now in the freezer because I didn't want to waste it. Maybe my husband will eat it? <br /><br />So far I've visited <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/pinkberry-san-jose">Pinkberry</a>, <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/frutti-gelato-and-yogurt-saratoga-2">Frutti</a>, <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/penguin-froyo-san-jose">Penguin</a>, <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/yogurtland-san-jose-2">Yogurtland</a>, <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/blush-organic-frozen-yogurt-milpitas">Blush</a><span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span>, <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/froyo-cupertino">Froyo?</a>, <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/fraiche-yogurt-palo-alto-2">Fraiche</a>, and now <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/yogurt-twist-san-jose">Yogurt Twist</a> which is the only one I wouldn't go back to and unfortunately (or fortunately!) the closest one to my house.<br /><br />The one thing that bothers me about the froyo thing is that every time I visit a froyo store they are touting it as a miracle food. Helps weight loss/management! Boosts metabolism! Regulates your body! Probiotics! What they're not talking about is the calories or sugar content, or that there is a huge difference between the original tart yogurt and the cookies & cream soft serve nutritionally. I always look up nutritional info online before I go to a new froyo place, or I ask when I get there because it can really add up. I'm fine eating a lot of froyo, but I have to know if its a snack or most of my meal. There were two families there when I went this afternoon and in both the kids were topping their froyo with gummi worms, chocolate sauce, cookie crumbles, and I really hope the parents aren't thinking its a healthy snack just because it says so all over the walls.<br /><br />My husband actually makes froyo from scratch at home, and it is delicious, but it doesn't have the same smooth consistency. Maybe I'll have to work with him to perfect the recipe, it'll save me some $ and dissapointment!<br /><br />Gosh, I love froyo.Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04819627484596808731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7677677532879570875.post-24995184437006100702009-09-16T12:09:00.000-07:002009-09-16T12:31:57.363-07:00I'm going mad, mad about pumpkin!I made a comment to my husband yesterday about realizing I'm going to to gain all of the weight back this fall. My reason: Pumpkin! Pumpkin pie and bars, pumpkin muffins and bread, pumpkin smoothies and lattes!<br /><br />I love pumpkin and I love fall, and as I see the slow introduction to pumpkin mania starting I am getting excited, although a little hesitant. I know I can hold myself back and not eat every pumpkin flavored thing in sight but do I <span style="font-style: italic;">want</span> to? Of course I want to, I want to continue losing weight and getting healthier, but I also want to stuff my face with pumpkin bread as I consume a pumpkin spice latte (non fat, no whip, of course haha).<br /><br />So there's my dilemma, and I think the only solution I can come up with is that I'm going to have to improvise at home and make healthier versions of the pumpkin goodness I love. With this solution comes another dilemma though - now, instead of having one slice of pumpkin bread available I will have a loaf. This will be a big test in self control!<br /><br />So, here are the recipes that I've found so far to make, most of them from <a href="http://greenlitebites.com/">GreenLiteBites</a>, an awesome, healthy recipe blog by the wonderful Roni of <a href="http://ronisweigh.com/">Roni's Weigh</a> (such a great blog if you haven't checked it out before):<br /><a href="http://greenlitebites.com/2008/12/17/quick-pumpkin-smoothie/"><br />http://greenlitebites.com/2008/12/17/quick-pumpkin-smoothie/</a><br /><a href="http://greenlitebites.com/2008/10/28/pumpkin-pie-oatmeal/"><br />http://greenlitebites.com/2008/10/28/pumpkin-pie-oatmeal/</a><br /><a href="http://www.hungry-girl.com/chew/chewdetails.php?isid=1261"><br />http://www.hungry-girl.com/chew/chewdetails.php?isid=1261</a><br /><br />I'm really not a cook, but I do like to bake so once the weather cools down just a little bit more I'll start trying these out and post back with how it goes!Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04819627484596808731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7677677532879570875.post-28840806411843112842009-09-14T19:51:00.000-07:002009-09-14T20:04:12.495-07:00Feelin' GroovyI got my hair cut today and I feel fantastic! It's not even that different, just a trim (trying to grow it out) and some layers added around my face, but it definitely put a bounce in my step. I need to remember to pamper myself more often, whether it be taking the time to paint my nails, getting a trim or putting together outfit I feel great in. It really gave me a boost, and it's nice to take some me time.<br /><br />Speaking of feeling good, I need to get more jeans. Since I started losing weight I've given myself a $10 limit for jean purchases because they tend to start getting baggy and I start feeling frumpy. I don't want them to be super tight, but when they're baggy in all the wrong places after a while I start feeling, hate to say it, fat. I hate feeling that way and generally I have pretty good self confidence, even when I weighed 40lbs more, but that always signals that it's time to get some new pants. I've been going to Goodwill and finding cute jeans in great condition but when I went today I didn't find anything :( I'm going to head to another nearby one tomorrow but if I don't find anything I may break my "budget" and head to Target or something. I plan on splurging on some really great, super amazingly flattering jeans and dropping the cash once I reach my goal weight but it doesn't make any sense to me to keep spending $$$ on something I'll outgrow in a month or so.<br /><br />We went to Costco tonight and stocked up on lots of delicious, healthy goodies. I love going grocery shopping, it always gets me psyched for the week but sometimes I get overwhelmed with all of the choices I suddenly have!Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04819627484596808731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7677677532879570875.post-86119337295849060922009-09-10T14:16:00.001-07:002009-09-10T14:43:38.794-07:00Ugh, what a failureI know I'm not a failure, I know, I know, but calorie wise this day is a total failure and its only 2pm. <br /><br />How did I let this happen, you ask? <br /><br />It all started off this morning when I drove 30 miles north before work to help my dad with a project. Afterward I went to my favorite little smoothie joint for breakfast. Calories listed on the wall, score! I made my decision, the 320 cal fruit filled beauty known as the Very-Berry. I debated the bars and breakfast sandwiches and at the last moment added on a scoop of protein powder because I had doubts that the smoothie would keep me full through my morning meetings and into lunch time. I tried to guess how much protein powder would add... 50 cal? 70? I had no idea so I asked and they said they buy the powder at Costco and dump it in a container so they don't have the bag with the nutritional info. Fine, I said, it can't be <span style="font-style: italic;">that</span> bad for me. I mean, it's protein. Protein is always good, right?<br /><br />I had some time to kill before driving back to work so I walked around the cute downtown area. Go me, getting in some extra exercise! As I walked I past not one, not two, but three donut shops. I don't eat donuts, except for the very rare occasion when I am absolutely craving them (always comes out of nowhere, like today). I love carbs, I love bread, but I don't really love donuts. Today I wanted donuts. My mouth was nearly watering as I peeked in and then kept walking, each donut store creating a bigger pull. Miraculously, I resisted! I got in the car, still enjoying my smoothie, and I felt confident and proud.<br /><br />Until I got to my meeting. Donuts in a box may have lured me, had there been any. No, my very favorite coworker sat down next to me with an unmarked white bag. "I brought you something," she said with a smile as she pulled the largest donut I've ever seen out. A s'mores donut, no less, topped with marshmallow fluff, graham crackers, and a drizzle of chocolate. I ate it. I didn't shove it down my throat but over the course of the two hour meeting it dissapeared and I am to blame. It was absolutely amazingly delicious and will satisfy my donut craving until next year but here it sits, still in my stomach hours later, my body confused about what to do with so much sugar. That thing probably contained more sugar than I eat in a week. I can tell you this, as much as I enjoyed it in the moment I am not the picture of alertness right now, I am definitely in some sort of food/sugar coma.<br /><br />So, I look up protein powder - 150 cal/scoop! That brings my smoothie to almost 500 cal, holy moly! I tried to look up nutritional info for the donut shop online, but no dice. I called them (how lame am I?) and the owner will be getting back to me with the nutritional info. So now, I wait, but I'm pretty darn sure that I'm at or over my cals for the day. I looked up Krispie Kreme and found their info, but I really think that this monstrosity was twice the size of one of theirs and piled with way more stuff on top. Ugh.<br /><br />I'm not falling into one of my old habits though, a habit that I've heard many people have - just because I messed up the beginning of my day does not give me license to give up on the rest of the day. I can't just pig out because "it doesn't matter anyway" or "I'm already over my calories, what does it matter what I eat now?" I'm not hungry for lunch yet (how could I be? I have a pound of donut sitting in my belly!) but when I am I will eat a smaller, healthy lunch with a lot of veggies. When I get home I'll work out, and then have a nice, healthy dinner... and maybe work out some more, haha :)Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04819627484596808731noreply@blogger.com0