What an eye-opening experience. Have you ever actually written down everything you eat in a day? Then went and found all the nutritional information for everything?
Ok, so, admittedly, I've not only fallen off the wagon, but the horse already trampled me and the cloud of dust from his (of course its a male horse) hooves are but a speck on the horizon. Wagon? What wagon? Seriously, though. I had to write down my daily food intake in a journal. I only got through one day before I could see a pattern. I eat when I'm bored or stressed out. Which has been the most over-consuming part of my life recently. I'm either stressed out because of work, or I'm so tired from work that I have no motivation.
I also haven't been to the gym in 6 days because I have been busy. Planning the company Halloween party (at MY house), and all the cleaning, running around, cooking and other preparations that a party entails; and figuring out childcare for my daughter; working 10 hour days with almost 2 hours of commuting; attending Bible study and church; and trying to maintain my relationships, who has time for an elliptical?
If you ever have a chance to do a food journal - pretty much all you need is a pen and paper - you should totally do it! My challenge to you: write down everything you eat for an entire week. Include the time of day, your mood when you ate, and the social situation you were in when you ate. At the end of the week tally up all your calories, fat, saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium. You can go to www.calorieking.com to get the nutritional information for most foods. This will greatly help in your quest for svelte-dom!
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Monday, September 29, 2008
The holidays are upon us...
Ugh! I absolutely love the holidays, but this is the worst possible time to be surrounded by sweets and all the savory goodies that accompany this time of year.
I have my famous cheesecake that I have perfected over the past few years, but I have also created a (somewhat) healthier version of the delectable dessert. Substituting fat free cream cheese and 1/2 the sugar for Splenda, I've taken a few of the calories out. I'm not too keen on the taste Splenda gives things though.
Anyway, I'm really trying to get this weight off of me. My daughter is now 9 months old and I'm still12 pounds away from pre-preggo weight. My goal is to lose those last 12 pounds by her first birthday. 9 months to gain it, 12 months to lose it. I guess that sounds about right. I'm trying to be more strict with my diet.
I have my famous cheesecake that I have perfected over the past few years, but I have also created a (somewhat) healthier version of the delectable dessert. Substituting fat free cream cheese and 1/2 the sugar for Splenda, I've taken a few of the calories out. I'm not too keen on the taste Splenda gives things though.
Anyway, I'm really trying to get this weight off of me. My daughter is now 9 months old and I'm still12 pounds away from pre-preggo weight. My goal is to lose those last 12 pounds by her first birthday. 9 months to gain it, 12 months to lose it. I guess that sounds about right. I'm trying to be more strict with my diet.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Fell off the wagon!
Well, girls and boys, I'm sorry to say that I fell off the wagon. After getting into a car accident in mid-August I spent two weeks not doing any exercise at all. And of course I was in pain and felt sorry for myself, so what did I do? I ate! I gave myself free reign to eat whatever I want, and boy, did I! After losing six pounds, I gained it all back since the accident.
I had planned on running a race this Saturday, but seeing as I haven't run much in the past five weeks, I don't feel adequately prepared to run a 10K race this weekend!
I'm starting working out again slowly, but man am I disappointed in having gained all that weight back! BLAST!
I had planned on running a race this Saturday, but seeing as I haven't run much in the past five weeks, I don't feel adequately prepared to run a 10K race this weekend!
I'm starting working out again slowly, but man am I disappointed in having gained all that weight back! BLAST!
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Weigh in - August 3, 2008
Weighed in at the gym today. Currently weighing 185lbs. Only 10 pounds to go for pre-baby weight, 25lbs for my goal weight by next June.
Nutrition Log for Sunday
I've noticed I tend to snack on things that are not so good for me, so I decided to start keeping track of everything I eat!
0600: Just getting off work and need a little "pick-me-up"
1 serving of Kozy Shack Tapioca pudding (no sugar added)______________ 80 Calories
1115: Can't sleep and completely starving, feeling a little weak
1 Thomas' whole wheat english muffin ____________________________ 130 Calories
with
1.5 tbsp all natural almond butter ______________________________ 152 Calories
1430: Getting ready to go to the gym
1 medium banana ______________________________ 105 Calories
2 scoops of N.O. Explode mixed w/ water __________________________ 50 Calories
1630: Done at the gym
1 Tuna sandwich w/ relish on whole wheat ________________ approx. 400 Calories
1830: Got to work, need coffee... ____________ 90 calories
1930: Feeling a little weak again, dinner time!
1 Chicken Fajita Pita on whole grain pita (Jack in the Box) _______________ 210 Calories
1 small (20 oz) Iced tea _______________ 5 Calories
1 small side salad (didn't eat much of it, lettuce was brown) ______________ 57 Calories
As of 8 p.m. 1279 calories.
Update: 0040 Hours Monday 8/04/08
I didn't make it, but at least I know why, now...
Between 8pm and midnight I ate about 10 hershey's kisses and numerous other chocolate sweets, a FiberOne bar, 20 chocolate chips, an 8 oz diet coke, a one serving box of Smart Start cereal, and a handful of Cheez-Its. Hmm, I think I got everything...
I also looked up my daily caloric expenditure and to maintain my weight, with my level of activity, I would need to consume almost 3200 calories a day (this also includes 300 calories because I'm breastfeeding). In short, my body craves the extra calories because it puts itself into starvation mode otherwise. It looks like I'm going to have to start packing much bigger lunches so that I don't fall into the hunger trap of eating anything (and everything) around me!
0600: Just getting off work and need a little "pick-me-up"
1 serving of Kozy Shack Tapioca pudding (no sugar added)______________ 80 Calories
1115: Can't sleep and completely starving, feeling a little weak
1 Thomas' whole wheat english muffin ____________________________ 130 Calories
with
1.5 tbsp all natural almond butter ______________________________ 152 Calories
1430: Getting ready to go to the gym
1 medium banana ______________________________ 105 Calories
2 scoops of N.O. Explode mixed w/ water __________________________ 50 Calories
1630: Done at the gym
1 Tuna sandwich w/ relish on whole wheat ________________ approx. 400 Calories
1830: Got to work, need coffee... ____________ 90 calories
1930: Feeling a little weak again, dinner time!
1 Chicken Fajita Pita on whole grain pita (Jack in the Box) _______________ 210 Calories
1 small (20 oz) Iced tea _______________ 5 Calories
1 small side salad (didn't eat much of it, lettuce was brown) ______________ 57 Calories
As of 8 p.m. 1279 calories.
Update: 0040 Hours Monday 8/04/08
I didn't make it, but at least I know why, now...
Between 8pm and midnight I ate about 10 hershey's kisses and numerous other chocolate sweets, a FiberOne bar, 20 chocolate chips, an 8 oz diet coke, a one serving box of Smart Start cereal, and a handful of Cheez-Its. Hmm, I think I got everything...
I also looked up my daily caloric expenditure and to maintain my weight, with my level of activity, I would need to consume almost 3200 calories a day (this also includes 300 calories because I'm breastfeeding). In short, my body craves the extra calories because it puts itself into starvation mode otherwise. It looks like I'm going to have to start packing much bigger lunches so that I don't fall into the hunger trap of eating anything (and everything) around me!
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Rest Day
Yesterday I did a killer back and biceps workout before running the reservoir.
I started with a 16 minute warm-up on the elliptical (burning approx. 200 calories) then went straight to the weight room.
Something about the pull-up machine is equally daunting and sexy to me. While I love the feeling that I'm super-strong by doing pull-ups, the machine is weight-assisted, so I actually look okay performing the exercise, and get a pretty good workout in the process. The way it works is your knees rest on a moving bunch sort of thing and the more weight you put onto the machine, the more of your actual body weight you are lifting. So... I pulled (negative) 120 pounds which would equal only 65 pounds of weight while I was doing the exercise. I did 3 sets of 8 on this machine.
Between sets of pull-ups I did 3 sets of barbell curls. 40 lbs X 10 reps each set.
I then moved to the cable row machine.
75 lbs. X 12/12/10
V-ups (between row sets) @
50/35/25
I started with a 16 minute warm-up on the elliptical (burning approx. 200 calories) then went straight to the weight room.
Something about the pull-up machine is equally daunting and sexy to me. While I love the feeling that I'm super-strong by doing pull-ups, the machine is weight-assisted, so I actually look okay performing the exercise, and get a pretty good workout in the process. The way it works is your knees rest on a moving bunch sort of thing and the more weight you put onto the machine, the more of your actual body weight you are lifting. So... I pulled (negative) 120 pounds which would equal only 65 pounds of weight while I was doing the exercise. I did 3 sets of 8 on this machine.
Between sets of pull-ups I did 3 sets of barbell curls. 40 lbs X 10 reps each set.
I then moved to the cable row machine.
75 lbs. X 12/12/10
V-ups (between row sets) @
50/35/25
Running
http://www.lafayettechamber.org/pages/reservoir.htm
So, the Lafayette Reservoir is my new favorite place to run outside. It is 2.7 miles around the reservoir, with some killer hills and a beautiful view of the lake/reservoir between trees and bushes. There's fun stuff for everyone with a playground, fishing, and I think you can even take kayaking lessons there at certain times.
I used to run cross country in high school, but have since gotten away from running outside. Partly because of a knee injury, but I also like to see exactly how far I've gone and get an estimate on how many calories I've burned.
Of course, there are some down sides to the reservoir. I don't like running it alone because there are some blind spots that the boogey man can jump out of, and if something happens along the route, it can be a long way back to the car! Luckily, I always run with some sort of weapon on me, just in case, and have become a little less clumsy in the past few years. (Fingers crossed) Hopefully no sprained ankles here!
So, the Lafayette Reservoir is my new favorite place to run outside. It is 2.7 miles around the reservoir, with some killer hills and a beautiful view of the lake/reservoir between trees and bushes. There's fun stuff for everyone with a playground, fishing, and I think you can even take kayaking lessons there at certain times.
I used to run cross country in high school, but have since gotten away from running outside. Partly because of a knee injury, but I also like to see exactly how far I've gone and get an estimate on how many calories I've burned.
Of course, there are some down sides to the reservoir. I don't like running it alone because there are some blind spots that the boogey man can jump out of, and if something happens along the route, it can be a long way back to the car! Luckily, I always run with some sort of weapon on me, just in case, and have become a little less clumsy in the past few years. (Fingers crossed) Hopefully no sprained ankles here!
Monday, July 28, 2008
July 28, 2008 - Cardio and full body weights
I started out on the elliptical trainer for 30 minutes and burned about 355 calories. I'm never too certain how accurate these things are with the telling of the burned calories...
Did a circuit for about 45 minutes with weights and plyometrics. I lunges, jumped, stepped up, squatted, and anything else I could think of. Nothing was consistent except that I tried to keep moving, and have a weight of some sort in my hands while I was doing it!
I ended the workout with some abs and 12 minutes on the treadmill doing sprints. 1.18 miles and 171 calories later, I was done with my workout.
For some reason I don't feel like I got a good workout in unless I'm drenched with sweat and have completed a few sprints at the end. Something about seeing the treadmill read "10.0 MPH" that gets me excited about working out. I've gotten up to 11.2 MPH and I felt like I was flying! It was an amazing feeling!
Did a circuit for about 45 minutes with weights and plyometrics. I lunges, jumped, stepped up, squatted, and anything else I could think of. Nothing was consistent except that I tried to keep moving, and have a weight of some sort in my hands while I was doing it!
I ended the workout with some abs and 12 minutes on the treadmill doing sprints. 1.18 miles and 171 calories later, I was done with my workout.
For some reason I don't feel like I got a good workout in unless I'm drenched with sweat and have completed a few sprints at the end. Something about seeing the treadmill read "10.0 MPH" that gets me excited about working out. I've gotten up to 11.2 MPH and I felt like I was flying! It was an amazing feeling!
Sunday, July 27, 2008
July 27, 2008 Active Rest Day
Well, we're in beautiful Lake Tahoe (actually Olympic Valley if you want to be technical about it) and I love the smell of the forest in the summer. Something about the pine trees that really awakens my senses and gets me relaxed. We fell asleep last night with the plan to go running in the morning. We got all ready and headed out on our run around 10 a.m. with Reese in the jogging stroller.
Unfortunately, the smoke, from all the wildfires ripping through northern California, was against us! We barely ran for a mile and we were huffing and puffing with burning lungs. Partially from the elevation (6200 feet!) but also from the thick smoke that lingered in the valley. Well, at least we got out of the hotel room, which was amazing, by the way! We met some friends for lunch (a salad to make up for my lack of exercise this weekend) and headed home. It was a great weekend with friends that are more like family, great scenery, delicious food, and the serene feeling of getting away from the daily grind and city life. Why don't we come up here more often!?!
Unfortunately, the smoke, from all the wildfires ripping through northern California, was against us! We barely ran for a mile and we were huffing and puffing with burning lungs. Partially from the elevation (6200 feet!) but also from the thick smoke that lingered in the valley. Well, at least we got out of the hotel room, which was amazing, by the way! We met some friends for lunch (a salad to make up for my lack of exercise this weekend) and headed home. It was a great weekend with friends that are more like family, great scenery, delicious food, and the serene feeling of getting away from the daily grind and city life. Why don't we come up here more often!?!
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Rest Day - July 20, 2008
I hate rest days. I am very aware that in order to make progress, we must have these rest days in our workout routine, however, I am not a fan. I feel like, once I've hit my stride, I need to stay with it, or my enthusiasm is going to start fading. I've started to see results, which is great. It makes me want to keep going, push harder and workout longer.
In fact, my glutes are still sore from all the lunges and squats I did a few days ago. Now, I know that I need to rest them, but I absolutely love this soreness. I call it my sweet pain. Make it hurt so good! Call me crazy, but I love the feeling because it is the mark of a sincerely serious workout that is helping me to build muscle, in turn boosting my metabolism, which burns more fat when I'm doing sedentary things. You know, like typing on a computer!
So even though I hate rest days, I am well aware of their importance. Because, while I love the "sweet pain" I need to be able to walk up my stairs to go to sleep, eventually. Besides, that just means I'm resting my muscles for another serious beating!
In fact, my glutes are still sore from all the lunges and squats I did a few days ago. Now, I know that I need to rest them, but I absolutely love this soreness. I call it my sweet pain. Make it hurt so good! Call me crazy, but I love the feeling because it is the mark of a sincerely serious workout that is helping me to build muscle, in turn boosting my metabolism, which burns more fat when I'm doing sedentary things. You know, like typing on a computer!
So even though I hate rest days, I am well aware of their importance. Because, while I love the "sweet pain" I need to be able to walk up my stairs to go to sleep, eventually. Besides, that just means I'm resting my muscles for another serious beating!
Saturday, July 19, 2008
July 19, 2008 - Cardio
Well, 40 minutes on the elliptical at 485 calories burned, then another 15 minutes on the treadmill with almost 200 calories burned. at this rate I can burn off a pound every five days in the gym!
Unfortunately, this victory over my evil caloric enemies was short lived when I failed to plan time for making lunch and came to work starving. Only to ruin all my hard work in the gym with a Sirloin Bacon Cheeseburger from Jack-in-the-Box. Complete with medium (um how is 32 oz of anything considered "medium"?) Dr. Pepper and curly fries. Evil temptress that you are, cheeseburger. I will live to fight you another day, cravings!
Unfortunately, this victory over my evil caloric enemies was short lived when I failed to plan time for making lunch and came to work starving. Only to ruin all my hard work in the gym with a Sirloin Bacon Cheeseburger from Jack-in-the-Box. Complete with medium (um how is 32 oz of anything considered "medium"?) Dr. Pepper and curly fries. Evil temptress that you are, cheeseburger. I will live to fight you another day, cravings!
Friday, July 18, 2008
July 18, 2008 - Weight training
Today was my "PULL" day. I was to work my back and bicep muscles.
I started off with 25 minutes of cardio on the treadmill with intervals. 4.3 MPH/7.0 MPH
According to the treadmill's computer, this burned almost 300 calories.
My weight training:
Lat Pull down:
75 lbs X 12 reps ............. 3 sets
Cable Row:
60 lbs X 12/12/10 reps
This was supposed to be followed by two bicep exercises, but I ran out of time and had to jet home so I could take a nap before work! Better luck next time, I guess!
I started off with 25 minutes of cardio on the treadmill with intervals. 4.3 MPH/7.0 MPH
According to the treadmill's computer, this burned almost 300 calories.
My weight training:
Lat Pull down:
75 lbs X 12 reps ............. 3 sets
Cable Row:
60 lbs X 12/12/10 reps
This was supposed to be followed by two bicep exercises, but I ran out of time and had to jet home so I could take a nap before work! Better luck next time, I guess!
Thursday, July 17, 2008
July17, 2008 - Weight Training
"PUSH" Day = Chest and Triceps, with some legs mixed in just for fun!
Cardio: Treadmill Intervals (4.3/7.0)
36:05
448 Calories Burned!!! Woohoo!!
3.16 miles
Dumbell bench press (high reps)
10 lbs X 25/25/25
Dumbell Flye (high reps)
10 lbs X 25/20/20
Lunge with dumbell press (shoulders)
10 lbs X 20/20 (each leg)
Seated Dumbbell Lateral Raise (shoulders)
10 lbs X 12/12/12
Dumbbell Extension (Triceps)
10 lbs X 12/10 (each arm)
Kettle ball (substitute one dumbbell) swing with Squat (full body)
10 lbs X 20/20/20
V-Ups (abdominals)
25/25/25/30
Wow! This was quite a workout! With the running and everything it took about 90 minutes. Afterwards I went home, mowed the lawn and relaxed a little. Then I took my mom and my daughter for a walk around the reservoir, which is about 2.75 miles. Unfortunately my munchkin didn't like the stroller too much, so I held a 17 pound baby for about 1.5 miles of the walk! Man, did I sleep good!!
Cardio: Treadmill Intervals (4.3/7.0)
36:05
448 Calories Burned!!! Woohoo!!
3.16 miles
Dumbell bench press (high reps)
10 lbs X 25/25/25
Dumbell Flye (high reps)
10 lbs X 25/20/20
Lunge with dumbell press (shoulders)
10 lbs X 20/20 (each leg)
Seated Dumbbell Lateral Raise (shoulders)
10 lbs X 12/12/12
Dumbbell Extension (Triceps)
10 lbs X 12/10 (each arm)
Kettle ball (substitute one dumbbell) swing with Squat (full body)
10 lbs X 20/20/20
V-Ups (abdominals)
25/25/25/30
Wow! This was quite a workout! With the running and everything it took about 90 minutes. Afterwards I went home, mowed the lawn and relaxed a little. Then I took my mom and my daughter for a walk around the reservoir, which is about 2.75 miles. Unfortunately my munchkin didn't like the stroller too much, so I held a 17 pound baby for about 1.5 miles of the walk! Man, did I sleep good!!
July 16, 2008 - CARDIO sessions
Yesterday I weighed in at the gym at a whopping 188 pounds. This was on the scale downstairs in the women's locker room where I can generally weigh-in in peace and some privacy. Plus the scale upstairs in the weight room shows that I'm a few pounds heavier. So, we're sticking with the downstairs demon of weight-loss tracker.
This was, of course after spending 20 minutes on the stationary bike and another 30 minutes on the elliptical trainer, I burned a total of 400 calories.
Today is weights. I always feel very powerful after a good weight training session!
This was, of course after spending 20 minutes on the stationary bike and another 30 minutes on the elliptical trainer, I burned a total of 400 calories.
Today is weights. I always feel very powerful after a good weight training session!
Monday, July 14, 2008
Chubby Hands: A Name That Says It All
On an "extended camping trip, at an undisclosed location in the Middle East," I hiked to a little store ran by just one man, with a thick Turkish accent. The man was selling gold jewelry at a discounted price. I decided that I wanted a gold ring for myself and was determined to puchase one. My right ring finger is a size 8.5-9. A size that I never thought was abnormally large before. Well, the gold-guy had me try on every women's ring he had in his store, but none of them fit me. This is when I started to question whether or not we had a situation.
When I got back to my tent area, I engaged in a conversation about my ring buying excursion to some friends and my boyfriend. They all decided that this was the funniest thing they had heard in a very long time. They even went so far as to ask me if I had tried on any of the bracelets instead, so that I might still leave with a finger adornment.
They then proceeded to think up a song for my newfound disability. The name- Chubby Hands. The song, to the tune of "Smelly Cat" from Friends. The lyrics, forever burned into my memory:
Chubby Hands, Chuuuuubby Hands
What are they feeding you?
Chubby Hands, Chuuuuuubby Hands,
It's not your fault!
And thus my persona "Chubby Hands" was born. As the name has stuck over the years, My hands have not gotten less chubby. Unfortunately, I believe they have added some chub. I have a six and a half month old daughter who should never know the shame of her mother's knuckle friendly padding. I gained 50 pounds during my pregnancy, bringing me up to a whopping 225 pounds. At 5'8" I was bigger than a house! And even though I have lost 36 of those pounds, I'm determined to lose the remaining weight, and then some! I'm using this as my diet and nutrition journal. I'm hoping that anyone in my situation (heinously chubby extremities not required) might benefit from my trials and tribulations throughout this experience.
My problem with losing weight has never been a lack of knowledge. With the Internet, everything we ever wanted to know about losing weight is right at our very fingertips! No, my obstacle isn't the absence of knowledge, it's the absence of will-power. I'm finally trying to overcome this horrible battle with my fat cells over my will-power. I'm giving it a good solid year.
My goal is to lose 29 pounds in the next 12 months.
When I got back to my tent area, I engaged in a conversation about my ring buying excursion to some friends and my boyfriend. They all decided that this was the funniest thing they had heard in a very long time. They even went so far as to ask me if I had tried on any of the bracelets instead, so that I might still leave with a finger adornment.
They then proceeded to think up a song for my newfound disability. The name- Chubby Hands. The song, to the tune of "Smelly Cat" from Friends. The lyrics, forever burned into my memory:
Chubby Hands, Chuuuuubby Hands
What are they feeding you?
Chubby Hands, Chuuuuuubby Hands,
It's not your fault!
And thus my persona "Chubby Hands" was born. As the name has stuck over the years, My hands have not gotten less chubby. Unfortunately, I believe they have added some chub. I have a six and a half month old daughter who should never know the shame of her mother's knuckle friendly padding. I gained 50 pounds during my pregnancy, bringing me up to a whopping 225 pounds. At 5'8" I was bigger than a house! And even though I have lost 36 of those pounds, I'm determined to lose the remaining weight, and then some! I'm using this as my diet and nutrition journal. I'm hoping that anyone in my situation (heinously chubby extremities not required) might benefit from my trials and tribulations throughout this experience.
My problem with losing weight has never been a lack of knowledge. With the Internet, everything we ever wanted to know about losing weight is right at our very fingertips! No, my obstacle isn't the absence of knowledge, it's the absence of will-power. I'm finally trying to overcome this horrible battle with my fat cells over my will-power. I'm giving it a good solid year.
My goal is to lose 29 pounds in the next 12 months.
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