Back on the Wagon!

I am so happy to say that I am back on the dieting bandwagon. The last few days have gone pretty well for me. Saturday I was successful in having a good workout at the gym. Those darn fiber bars were not so nice to my stomach during the week. I gave the last two away to a co-worker today, who agreed they were delicious. Hopefully they agree with her stomach!

Sunday FI and I went out to breakfast. I was reluctant to go at first because it is so hard to make good choices when tempted with so many tasty options, but I promised myself that I would order something 'good'. I spotted an old favorite, Eggs Florentine. Basically, it's an English Muffin with spinach, sunny side up eggs and hollandaise sauce. I even asked for fruit instead of hash browns. It was delish and I thought I had made a healthy choice (despite the white bread). Calorie King says that it is almost 900 calories and nearly 60g FAT!!! I guess it is not as bad of a choice as other items, but I was amazed at that. The rest of the day on Sunday I tried to stay with the plan:

Lunch: Lentil Soup & 60 cal Jell-O snack
Snack: fruit leather
Dinner: Quinoa with venison, peppers and onions (FI cooked!)

I had every intention of going to the gym on Sunday but the heavy breakfast caught up with me in the afternoon and I ended up taking a nap instead. Oh well- that's what Sundays are for, right?

Monday I had off work, but did very well for a day of sitting around at home.
Breakfast: 2 whole wheat low cal waffles with peaches and lite syrup- 5 WW points

Snack: coffee 2 WW points
yogurt- 2 WW points

Lunch: Veggie pesto pizza (okay, not so great) 8 WW points

Snack: banana- 2 WW points

"Dinner": Vanilla protein shake- 3 WW points
Cherri-Os cereal- 2 WW points
60 cal Jell-O- 1 WW point

Total: 25 points

Exercise: 20 minute run, 10 minutes on the 'hard' elliptical (this is the kind that is not on a 'track' and is truly difficult to operate!)

Tuesday was quite successful, as well.
Breakfast: 1/2 whole wheat lite English muffin, almond butter, banana slices- 3WWP
Skim milk- 2 WWP

Lunch: Dried cranberry and chicken strip salad, no dressing- 4 WWP
60 cal Jell-O- 1 WWP

Snack: 90 cal raspberry chocolate bar- 2 WWP
banana- 2 WWP

Dinner: Caprese Salad- 8 WWP (I'm guessing because I can't find the info)
1 Wasa cracker & lite laughing cow cheese (yes, I know that is a lot of cheese in one sitting but you must know that I love cheese and I was very excited to have just brought the Laughing Cow home from the store!)

Total: 25 points
Exercise: 40 minutes running, lifted shoulders

I am hoping that I can continue to be consistent with my blogging- it helps me stay on track. Thanks for reading!

Back after a long hiatus!

Finally! I thought I would never see the day! Our computer got a virus some time ago and we just kept trying to use it like always- until one day it just stopped all together! She was out of commision for about 2 weeks total- including the week that the IT guy had her. She just came home this morning and I have been giving her some well-deserved attention! It is so nice to feel 'connected' again!

Now for the dieting updates- things have been going, well.....just okay. I have been trying my darnedest but I think that the new Fiber Plus bars that I introduced into my diet on Wednesday have thrown me a curve ball. At the store on Tuesday I thought- how can one go wrong with a nice, filling, fiber bar of only 120 cal, 5 g fat and 9 g fiber!?!?! (All only 2 WW points- and delish!) Well, I guess when one already has problems with fiber (I was diagnosed with IBS a few years ago- sorry if that is TMI) processed, tasty fiber bars can wreak havok on one's internal systems!!! Luckily, I was feeling well enough to get a good workout in on Wednesday afternoon, but Thursday and Friday did not turn out as well. Yesterday I tried running for about 10 minutes and my stomach was so cramped up that I had to stop- so I tried the eliptical for another 10 but had to get off. I am going to try again today- but so far my stomach is just so-so this afternoon- it has been a little sketchy to say the least, although not as bad as yesterday, so I am hopeful!

Today's diet
Breakfast- 2 Kashi whole wheat frozen waffles with berries and low-cal syrup on top, glass of skim milk
Snack- Teavana tea
Lunch- Lentil soup, 1 small apple, 2 peices dark chocolate
Snack- Teavana tea & banana

I am back on the bandwagon now. Three books that I have been reading that have been VERY helpful are "How the Rich Get Thin" by Dr. Jana Klauer, "Making the Cut" by Jillian Michaels (from Biggest Loser) and "The Daily Fix" by Alexa L. Fishback.

I have read the first two cover to cover but I like to keep them around for reference. "How the Rich Get Thin" is very inspirational and is mostly a nutrition- based book. "Making the Cut" includes more exercises and suggestions for losing the 'last few pounds', whereas "The Daily Fix" is more of a book on how to be healthy and make good choices every day. I recommend them all to anyone interested in losing weight or simply good health!

Only 58 days to go! WOW!

Dieting in the Deep Freeze

Today is the second day that I have had off work because of the frigid temps. With actual temps around -15 and wind chills around -35, it is not safe to have the kid-os waiting outside for the bus. This will turn into a 5-day weekend for me because we already have Monday off for MLK. Since we have been back after Christmas, we have only had two 3-day work weeks now! And next week will be 4 days. I could get used to this!

I have to admit, it is VERY hard to be super-motivated during the deep freeze. Yesterday I did not want to leave the house so I did not go the gym. Bad dieter!!! Today will be different, however, as I have to leave the house to go get the poor cat catfood. Yesterday we fed her straight tuna! (She loved every second of it, though!)

Yesterday's Diet:
Breakfast: oatmeal, clementine, Matevana tea

Snack: 100-cal yogurt

Lunch: WW Tortellini Soup, Skinny cow sandwich

Snack: slice of cheddar cheese

Dinner: Trader Joe's Kung Pao Chicken , 60 cal pudding




Today's diet:
Breakfast: 2 blueberry, whole grain Kashi waffles with blueberries and sugar-free syrup, Matevana tea

Lunch: leftover Trader Joe's Kung Pao Chicken

No time for blogging!

UGH! The past week back at work has been more hectic and stressful than I have ever known! The new year at work hit me like a brick wall- and I'm feelin' it! I started my new semester of grad school, only to realize that taking two grad classes plus a crazy job plus planning my wedding is TOO MUCH ON ONE GIRL'S PLATE!!! Bart offered to hire his mom as our cleaning lady, but I took the stress level waaaaaay down by simply dropping one of my classes. That seems to have lowered my blood pressure level for the meantime. To boot, our computer seems to have caught a virus and has been pretty much inoperable for the last few days...hence, no blogging.

I have been doing my best to stay on the 'healthy wagon'- and you're just going to have to believe me on that one because I am far too stressed to remember what I've eaten and post about it!

Starting Over (again!)

The last few days have been some of the most stressful I can remember! I went back to work on Wednesday and found myself buried in work. To boot, I had to start my new trimester of grad classes on Monday and Wednesday nights, and it looks as if those are going to be much more work than I had anticipated. I'm even debating dropping one of them so I can maintain my sanity! All of this stress tackled my immune system, and made me feel (again) like I was getting a cold. I didn't want to develop a full-blown cold like I had just before Christmas, so I have not been working out.

I am very disappointed about this setback, but I am hoping that this weekend and this week I can shake the stress and get back on schedule. I am super embarassed about the things I have eaten (Ghiradelli squares and wine yesterday) so I don't even want to post them- not to mention I can't remember all the details of the last few days- they would be best forgotten!

I will 'start over' with today...
Breakfast: 1/2 bran muffin- 2 WW points
1 clementine- 1 WW point
Matevana tea

Lunch: stuffed pepper (not the best choice- but it was left-overs and it had to be eaten)
60 cal Jell-O

Dinner: stuffed orange roughy, broccoli and sweet potato
60 cal Jell-O

Exercise: 45 minutes elliptical, 12 minutes stairmaster, obliques/hams/quads

Looks like I'm back on the wagon!!! I took a picture of myself the other day in a swim suit- I hoping that will be my 'before' picture =)

I cheated today

Today was not the best, but also not horrible. I was super busy today so that was probably the reason I caved...I do better when I have lots of small meals.

My mom and I left at 8:15 a.m. to go for my first dress fitting- I have to say (IMHO) I looked pretty good in the dress, but my arms could be a little more toned. Then my mom and I went to lunch and we went back to my house to finish up the invitations. I finally finished them at 5 p.m., and then I set in to get some grading done, which I finished at about 8:30. Considering everything I had to do today, I knew I was not going to have a chance to get to the gym.

Breakfast: I wanted to have scrambled eggs with veggies, but we were out of eggs! (I need to go to the store!) so, I ate a Jimmy Dean 1/3 calorie breakfast sandwich. WW points=6

Lunch: Mongolian Barbeque Stir-Fry with shrimp and scallops, veggies and sweet and sour sauce and brown rice. Raspberry Lemonaide

Dinner: left-over stir-fry

Snack: apple with peanut butter

It would have been great if I would have just stopped eating there, but I did not. At about 8:30 p.m. I was soooooooo hungry so I threw a chicken quesadilla in the micro. I know that 'ruined' my day, but I have to allow myself every once in awhile.

All in all, I took in way too many calories (without even counting, I know for sure!) and I did not exercise today. We will see how tomorrow goes...it is the first day back at work for me since xmas break and I have grad class. My goal is to get up early and do the Shred and to go to the gym after class if I get out of class early.

Monday, January 5

I woke up this morning feeling better than yesterday- I'm really good at kicking a cold in the butt before it gets too far with me. Tons of Vitamin C, Zinc and Echinacea do it every time. I am feeling a little 'off' this morning, though. Wondering if I should try and complete the 30-Day Shred today or not. I have grad class later this afternoon, so going to the gym is not an option today with all the other wedding-related things I want to accomplish (and the blogging I have to do!!!)

I did end up doing the 30 Day Shred right before lunch. Now I'm feeling more like myself again!

Breakfast: instant organic oatmeal- 4 WW points
skim milk- 2 WW points
Matevana tea

Snack: blueberry and strawberry smoothie- 3 WW points

Lunch: tuna melt (on multigrain light English Muffin, no mayo, cheddar cheese)
celery sticks

Snack: apple, almonds, dried cranberries

Dinner: chicken quesadilla with avacado

I got all of my errands done for today- I was so happy because school is starting again on Wednesday. I started my new trimester of grad classes- we only had class for about 30 min and then I took advantage of getting out early and went to the gym where I did 25 minutes running and 10 minutes on the stairmaster. I hadn't done that in a loooooong time, I'm predicting sore legs tomorrow, especially after doing the Shred today, too!

Tomorrow is my first dress fitting! I can't wait! The big day will be here in no time...