Monday, March 31

body for life & turbo jam

ok, so i broke down and got the body for life book this weekend. i've known about this book for many years and since everyone seems to be mentioning it to me lately, i figured it was about time i got it. now, the premise is fairly simple: do weight lifting 3 x's a wk & do cardio 3 x's a week; eat 6 mini meals a day (1 portion ea. from three groups of food: protein, carbs, veggies = a meal) & have 1 "free" day a week. all well & good, though i'm not planning on eating "protein" (i.e., meat...nevermind that there's tons of protein in veggies) every day. i don't mind eating fish once a week or so, but that's probably going to be it for me. and frankly, that will probably only occur on my "free" day. but, i could see how this would work for others....i was on a diet/fitness regimen many yrs ago when i lived in fl, and i was basically eating 6 meals a day, drinking lots of water, etc. of course, i was SUPPOSED to exercise only 6 days a week, but i was a bit obsessed and i did it every day. his thing w/the weights (and cardio) is to build up the intensity of each set (or cardio) w/lower reps/greater weight...blah blah...i'll have more to talk about once i actually start it. i plan on doing cardio every day though. so far, i tend to do it four days a week. so, we'll see how this works out. :) which leads me to....

beachbody sent me an email letting me know that my turbo jam order was on its way! :) yay!!! i'm really excited about trying this one out. again, as i stated earlier, i will probably start out doing this every other day - so, 3-4 x's a week...i figure, between the bfl & the turbojam, i should drop another 20-30 lbs in the next 12 weeks (the length of the bfl program)...wish me luck!!

food log...03.31.2008

am = banana & orange
pm = tried to eat some crackers...stomach still very painful :( will probably eat nothing further today

yes...yes...

i know i didn't log my food intake for two days, but you know what? i'm allowed...it was my bday weekend...i didn't exactly eat a lot of bad foods...just wasn't feeling well all weekend, so opted not to log anything. :P

anyway, that's all i have to say about that!

Saturday, March 29

Friday, March 28

food log update...03.28.2008

pm = snowpeas & waterchestnuts w/steamed rice

:-S

well, i don't know what it is, but i feel totally lethargic today...didn't want to get out of bed...don't want to do shit right now...am debating forcing myself to exercise b/c it usually makes me feel better...maybe i'll just go for a walk, or pop in one of my yoga dvds...*le sigh* ever have one of those days?? :-\

food log...03.28.2008

am = one banana
noon = 1 c whole grain pasta w/veggies (see below for recipe & photo) & grapes
snack = cashews (unsalted, of course...lightly toasted)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
veggie topping:
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 c sliced mushrooms
  • 1 large (or 2 medium) red bell peppers
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1/2 tsp tarragon
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp canola oil
  1. sautee onions in 1/2 tsp canola oil til translucent; add peppers & sautee an addtl min.; add mushrooms & garlic & continue sautee until mushrooms start to look soft
  2. add spices/seasonings & cover pan to finish cooking mushrooms
  3. after 5 mins or so, remove lid & allow to cook for an addtl min to reduce liquid in pan
  4. can be used to top pasta or steamed veggies - or can even be put in wrap w/spinach or other leafy greens...serves 2-4 depending on how much you like veggies ;)

Thursday, March 27

food log update...03.27.2008

snack = grapes & pineapple
pm = sm baked potato, butter buds & scallions; head o' romaine, roma
tomato, 1/2 red bell pepper, 1/2 cucumber, scallion & same dressing as
yesterday...it's my fave!!! :)
late night snack = more grapes & a few crackers

woohoo!

down another pound! yeah, bay-bee!!! I knew that hour of cardio yesterday would pay off!! haha
today, my thighs are killing me though...must've been all those squats! (eep!)

i've already gotten my core stability workout in...will do an hour of walking today (nothing crazy! no power walking, dangit!) to get a little cardio in, but i'm gonna give my thighs a break

today's danger is going out to lunch w/a friend...haven't seen her in ages...but you know...eating out is never easy when you're trying to eat "clean" (as i put it) here's proof!!

anyway, i shall do my best...maybe i can convince her to go to the mall...i can get my walking in & they have an awesome salad bar there...*crosses fingers* we shall see ;)

food log...03.27.2008

am = 2 oz. pom + some pineapple + handful of grapes + 5 strawberries
noon = grilled caribbean salad @ chili's - barely used any of the dressing and asked them to leave off the tortilla strips...yes, i ate the damned chicken, don't beat me up about it :( it wasn't much & it was lean & grilled (it was either that, or the firecracker tilapia - both end up around the same calories, but you get much more veggies in the salad, which is why i opted for that instead)

Wednesday, March 26

vegan organic food bar

well, this one isn't as bad as the active greens bar i ate...i didn't feel like making my usual salad (will probably grab some fruit in a bit), so i grabbed one of my organic food bars. the vegan one isn't too shabby...a slightly funny aftertaste, but otherwise it's pretty damned tasty! a little fruity...you can definitely taste the sesame seeds...all in all, one of the better flavours i've tried...it's got:

300 cal - 120 fat cal (but all from healthy fats) - 90% raw - 6g dietary fiber - 14g organic protein - 2000mg bio-sprouts(tm)

and here's the ingredient list, for those interested, all certified organic:

Organic Almond Butter, Organic Dates, Organic Agave Nectar, Organic Brown Rice Protein, Organic Bio-Sprouts(tm) - Flax, Biodynamic(tm) Demeter Raisins, Organic Bio-Sprouts(tm) - Quinoa, Organic Sesame Seeds and "Lots of Love!" (hehe)

anyway, i'd definitely recommend this flavour - though the cranberry & blueberry ones are still my favourite. i'm debating trying the chocolate "active greens" flavour, but i think it might kill me! ha!!

again, you can find these at allstarhealth.com, or if you don't want to buy bulk before trying, check out your local supermarket (better off trying to find them at whole foods/wild oats) ;)

finally!

finally saw the numbers going down this morning (and yesterday, a little, but that was recovery from the debauchery of this weekend past)...that was a relief...

i actually did a little over 1 hr of cardio today...w00t!! :D i popped in the Crunch Fitness Dance Party dvd first...made it thru about 15 mins of that before i wanted to kill the dancing bitch in front of me (hahaha)...and then popped in my Walk@Home dvd & did the whole workout...maaaaaan, my legs were KILLING ME...the dance dvd is kinda challenging, and i definitely moved around more...but it was fun! :)

ooh, ooh! and i ordered the Turbo Jam Maximum Results set from beachbody.com today!! weeeeeee!!!!! I can't wait to get it...i know that it will totally kill me and that i will barely be able to finish the "learn & burn" starter dvd, but it will soooo be worth it...i've heard so many great things about this set, i couldn't resist. :) w/the bonus pkg i'm getting a total of 6 dvds, plus weighted gloves and some other fun stuff...i'll definitely let you know how it goes - what i can do, and what kills me! hahaha

anyway, that's all the news that's fit to print right now ;) gonna see if i can squeeze in my core exercises today as well...wish me luck! ttfn

food log...03.26.2008

am = 2 oz. pom juice & a banana
snack = senna tea, abt 20 almonds
noon = vegan organic food bar (and LOTS of water to get it down...haha)
pm = head o'romaine, 1/2 red bell pepper, 1 cucumber, 1 green onion & dressing (balsamic vin., horseradish, garlic & dijon mustard) plus abt 1 c of carrots
late night snack = finished off the peas my kids left behind from THEIR dinner...god, i love peas!!! oh, and i had a handful of grapes, too

goals...

i so wanted to write "we don't need no stinking goals", but yeah...we do...now, i have one really long term goal, but i don't have many short term ones. i don't know if that's deliberate or not, actually...

you see, i'm mostly focused on improving my health. i want to be able to withstand standing for 10+ hrs/day while at FCI and i want to be healthier re: my blood sugar & cholesterol...

i mean, i've planned on rewarding myself (NOT with food! lol) for each 20 lbs lost, but that's about it....

right now, i'd just be so happy to get under 260 lbs....that particular weight seems to be my plateau point & it's always so hard to break thru that i end up giving up....but i refuse to give up this time, dang it!! :( i NEED to lose this weight...

so, there you have it...that's my current short term goal - get under 260 :P wish me luck!

**updated to add** as of today (3/27) i'm only 16.2 lbs away!!! weeeeee!!!!! maybe i'll be able to hit it by the end of april?? especially since i've got that turbo jam dvd set comin' in...woohoo!

Tuesday, March 25

food log...03.25.2008

am = pineapple
noon = tea & salad
pm = snowpeas & waterchestnuts w/steamed rice...sm cup o' soup
snack = a few pretzels and half a banana

Monday, March 24

move

all weight loss posts will now occur over here...exercises in futility will be shut down eventually...thanks ;)

food log...03.24.2008

am = senna tea, pineapple
noon/pm = crawfish bisque, citrus crusted tilapia, zucchini ribbons & a little garlic bread (pappadeaux)
snack = grapes & a few pretzels

Sunday, March 23

ashamed...

i feel so ashamed over the crap i ate today...i have no right to complain abt slow weight loss...ugh...i suck :(

brekkie

2 cinnamon rolls & 2 egg & potato tacos

i'm not eating again til tmrw...oy!

Saturday, March 22

food log...star date 03.22.2008 :P

what? i love Star Trek...anyway...

a.m. = toasted bun, 1 egg, 2 veggie sausage patties w/a bit of ketchup (i had a craving, it was the best i could do under the circumstances) approx. calories ~ 450*
noon = veggie delight & sm. wonton soup (w/1 wonton)

*normally, i could care less how many calories are in what i eat, b/c i'm eating so healthy...but when i eat like this, I need to notate it for future reference. The veggie sausage patties were actually pretty tasty. I mean, I could tell they were veggie & not meat, but they still tasted pretty good :)

Friday, March 21

Time to eat! *last update of the day*

So, here goes for today:

a.m. = Smoothie (banana, pineapple, bag o'mixed froz fruit & 1/2 c van soymilk)
noon = spinach, tomato & a small bag of froz strawberries thawed and tossed on top (w/splash of rasp. balsamic vin.)
p.m. = Saltgrass steakhouse...yeah, sinning again...7 oz. filet (rare), house salad (honey mustard dressing...couldn't resist!), abt 5 fried mushrooms, & less than half of my romano potatoes...NO DESSERT! (you should be proud of me)
snack = don't think i'll be eating a snack today, after that giant dinner...

I should really fast today, especially after that huge ass sandwich last night. I don't know how the man forgot lettuce. I always make it simple when I tell him what I want - turkey, lettuce, tomato. That's it...Yes, I like onion, too. And those yummy little banana peppers. But, I feel like I'm testing his ability to remember shit if I mention more than three things. From now on, I'll just get my own sandwich! haha...(and I really should stick to the veggie sandwich too :( *sigh*)

No cardio today...my body hurts :( But, I'm fully planning on doing my core & weight workout.

That's it for now...ttfn!!

Thursday, March 20

accountability... *updated*

So, as a way of keeping myself accountable for:
  1. what I eat
  2. actually eating
I'm going to start logging what I eat here...I can just update the post whenever I eat something else that day...1 post a day...what do you think? Shouldn't be that bad...though it may be hard to post over the weekend, as I don't get online much...However, I can post from my phone. So, maybe I'll do that on weekends...or maybe I'll just do that whenever I can't get to the computer right away. (Expect "dinner" posts to be made this way...heh)

So, here's what I got for today:

Breakfast: Smoothie (pineapple, strawberries & a banana + 1/2 c vanilla soymilk)
Snack: 1 slice of salami (bad :( *sigh*), small bunch grapes & a shot of pomegranate juice
Lunch: small bowl (maybe 1 cup cooked) pasta w/ 1/2 cup homemade sauce (diced tomatoes, onion, garlic, mushrooms, v. little oil)
Dinner: I was kinda bad...had a whole Turkey & Provolone sub...yeah, all 12"...nothing bad on it...the man forgot the lettuce, but it had tomatoes & onions w/lots of vinegar, just like I like :)

I'm still kinda hungry...I think I'll go drink some water...ttfn!

p.s. at least I didn't have any cookies today! lol

retarded...

My weight loss, that is...I think I've been sabotaging myself. Not necessarily w/what I've been eating (though that could certainly use a bit of improvement), but w/the fact that I haven't been eating breakfast right away (and sometimes not at all). I haven't been drinking my fruit smoothies and I think that's why my weight hasn't been going anywhere lately. (Plus, the kitty had a nosebleed last week, but w/e...that's just water weight.) Anyway, I need to drink my smoothies!!! I just can't handle working out after I eat...but for whatever reason, I haven't wanted to eat after working out either. Gonna hafta fix that and see if that helps w/the weight loss. :) ttfn!

well, this is it...


This is the closest you will ever get to a "before" picture from me...I hate how short I am...really. Though, I think the angle of the camera phone doesn't help me any...

I am but a hair away from 24 lbs. lost right here...definitely a "pear", eh? lol...damn, my hips are huge. Then again, my ASS is huge! haha...Boobies are squished by the exercise bra :( booo!! lol

Anyway, I look better in jeans, but I figured I'd give y'all a look-see as to how I look pre-workout...finally gonna finish that up now (did my core stability work just prior to the pic & typing this up). Off to do my daily cardio...ttfn!!

Wednesday, March 19

yesterday...

I think yesterday was probably one of the worst days I've had in a very long time. Just seemed like people were attacking me left and right. And I know they really weren't, it's just that's the way it felt.

I came across this quote the other day, and it really made me stop & think:

“All blame is a waste of time. No matter how much fault you find with another, and regardless of how much you blame him, it will not change you. The only thing blame does is to keep the focus off you when you are looking for external reasons to explain your unhappiness or frustration. You may succeed in making another feel guilty about something by blaming him, but you won't succeed in changing whatever it is about you that is making you unhappy.”

Wayne Dyer
This is so fuckin' true, it's not even funny...goodness. So, there it is...gotta keep working on fixing myself and fuck the rest of the assholes in this world. ;)

I'd write more, but I'm at a loss for words right now. Basking in the glory of sweet, kind friends. ttfn!

Wednesday, March 12

wtf am i eating?

As I'm chewing my lovely "active greens" raw food bar I'm thinking...what the fuck am I eating??? Reminder to self: stick to the cranberry ones...please!!

Ingredient list (certified organic, thankyouverymuch): organic almond butter, organic dates, organic agave nectar, organic brown rice protein, organic biodynamic (demeter) raisins, organic bio sprouts - flax, organic bio sprouts - quinoa, organic wheat grass juice powder, organic barley grass juice powder, organic sesame seeds, organic spirulina, organic blueberry, organic raspberry, organic broccoli sprouts, organic beet juice, organic carrot juice "and lots of love!"

Now, the label also states that it is 90% raw...7 g dietary fiber (no shit...ha! i made a funny)...12 g organic protein...alkaline forming (very important, btw)...non-GMO (really important)...no refined sugars...4000 mg phytonutrient rich superfoods....

sounds healthy, doesn't it? and i'm sure it is...but chomping on this muthafucka is like chewing on rabbit pellets (not that i KNOW, but that's what i'd guess it's like)...yeesh...

Flavours tried:

Cranberry vote: thumbs up!
Active Greens vote: thumbs down!

If you wanna try 'em for yourself, here's the linkage: Organic Food Bars
(can also be found at allstarhealth.com - though I found mine at the local HEB ;) heh)