Breakfast:
Breakfast trail mix - 4 points
Lunch:
Fresh Express Medittearanean Supreme salad mix (I ate the whole bag, but why not? It's lots of veggies & good for you!) - 6 points
100 Calorie pack of Cheetos - 2 points
Dinner:
Tuna Melt - 8 points
Snack:
Quaker Cheddar Rice Cakes - 3 points
So, I have been such a failure with this blog- mainly because I have been crazy busy with exams, my wedding planning stuff, etc. But I also have just felt so whatever about weight loss efforts lately. I feel like, not a single person has even mentioned to me that I look any better, or that I've lost weight, my wedding dress still looks the same on me as when I first tried it on (i.e. I look terrible in it). So, I just feel like, I'll only be truly happy if I can get down to like 160 by the wedding, which won't happen. So now I am in the mode of just having to accept the way I am now. I mean, I have still been eating well & exercising lately, but I dunno, I just feel like it doesn't even seem worth it sometimes.
I know, this isn't a very inspiring post for a diet/exercise blog - I apologize!
So, at first, I said to myself that I would work out every single day in the 60 days left until the wedding. But then I was reminded of something Kerry (my trainer) said, which is that it is often the days off in which your body really loses the weight and kinda catches up to what you've been doing to it, etc. and that they are really necessary. So, I have changed my plan to 6 days a week, with my 1 day off being Friday, because that is the day after my personal training when I generally want to die. And I used to just go to the gym 5-6 days a week, and do the elliptical every time, which wasn't working.
Kerry mentioned as such to me, saying that doing the same workout all the time, no matter what that workout is, is nowhere near as good for you as switching things up. So, taking that into consideration, here's my new weekly workout plan:
Sunday: 1 hour circuit training at the gym
Monday: Elliptical, 1 hour
Tuesday: 1 hour circuit training at the gym
Wednesday: Swimming, 1 hour (this is gonna be my new thing next semester, because I don't have class until 3pm on Wed. and I'll have time to walk to the undergrad gym to use their pool):
Thursday: 1 hour strength training/circuit training with Kerry
Friday: Day Off
Saturday: Running on the treadmill, 30-45 min; 30 min. strength training at home
Breakfast:
Yogurt - 1 point
Lunch:
I ate out at Harvest today and the only vegetarian thing they had was pasta which looked really unhealthy, so I had a grilled cod sandwich (I generally don't eat fish anymore, but have decided to make exceptions when there is nothing else to eat). And I had a salad on the side, not fries! I have no idea on points, but I thought it was a good healthy selection :)
Dinner:
Boca Italian sausage w/bun - 4 points
Chips - 2 points
Exercise: 1 hour of strength training with Kerry, it made my whole body ache the next day but was actually pretty fun at the time, which is like the perfect workout! We did squats, push-ups, bicep curls, shoulder presses, tricep kick-backs, some super painful ab work, etc.! I am so proud at how I have progressed physical fitness wise, the first meeting with Kerry, I couldn't even do one good push up, and today I did three sets of 10!!!
So I thought I would spruce up the blog design a bit, so I added a Weight loss ticker (from www.tickerfactory.com) and also added some gagdets. For the record, my goal weight of 155 on the weight loss ticker is definitely NOT a goal I am trying to acheive by the wedding, I am not crazy or planning to starve myself or anything! It's just the weight I would ideally like to be at, and I know it's a healthy weight, I have weighed it before (actually, senior year of college, which isn't so long ago, I was 157 to start the year).
And the WW points thing is helpful to any of you who have no idea what I mean when I calculate everything in terms of points. The points system is close to calorie counting, but with some differences. 1 point roughly equals 50 calories, but if something is high in fat, the points value goes up, and if something is high in fiber, the points value will go down. And under the WW system, vegetables are always 0 points, even though they do of course have some calories. And also, WW recommends you get a requisite # of servings of fruits, veggies, dairy, etc. so it's a good way to calorie count and also be healthy. Basically, you can just use the WW points calculator here and it's about the same thing I get by paying for the online membership, lol!
Breakfast:
Nature Valley Oats n' Honey granola bar - 2 points (I was proud that i ate one of them and threw the 2nd away - why do they have to come in packages of two? It's just tempting me, lol!)
Lunch:
So I didn't have a second for lunch today because I went straight from the gym to court, and from court to class, so I hate to say this, but I had to have my lunch out of the vending machine (I know, I know, I should no better!). So yeah, lunch was Baked Lays - 3 points.
Dinner:
Since I was starving from not eating lunch, I ate dinner at like 4:30 :) I had two vegetable maki rolls, yum! I of course do not know the exact nutritional info for these rolls in particular, but it's probably about 400 calories/8 points for both rolls.'
Snacks:
More Snyder's chocolate covered pretzels - they're so good! - 3 points
Exercise: 50 min/600 calories on the elliptical.
I went to the gym with Andrew this weekend (it's so frustrating because I am a morning gym person but he always wants to go at like 2pm, at which point my motivation to work out is pretty much gone, lol!) and he has been pushing me to try to get better at running, and so he hopped on a treadmill next to me and did his 5 miles at some ridiculous 8 mph pace or whatever he does, while I did my more leisurely 5mph pace - I often wanted to get off but he kept giving me the thumbs up, telling me to keep going, it was nice :)
And although I had to take a couple 30 second breaks, I did manage to run 2.25 miles! I am so proud of myself! I am never going to be a runner, nor am I really trying to be, but i figure it's good to switch up my exercise between the elliptical, running, strength training, classes, etc. I definitely had a hard time, and wanted to get off after a mile, but I somehow made it! I've just got to try to get better at stopping less! (I have made a pact not to slow down & walk at all because then I never can get started again, but if I really am failing, I will press the stop button and take 10 seconds to get a sip of water and then get back on).
Lunch: Healthy Choice Panini - 6 points
Breakfast:
Breakfast:
Apple - 1 point
Lunch:
Fresh Express Ensalada Supreme - 5 points
Dinner:
PF Changs Lettuce Wraps - 6 points
Spring Roll - 4 points
Snacks:
Weight Watchers Ice Cream Sandwich (so yummy, definitely try them!) - 2 points
Goldfish - 4 points
But sometimes, I just feel like I wish at least someone noticed all the hard work I have put into losing the 18 pounds I have lost so far since last year (well, besides Andrew, but he's too biased to count, lol). I just am beginning to feel like it's not even noticeable, and I am still wearing almost all the same clothes/sizes I was wearing before, and because I am tall, maybe this weight loss on me looks like 5 pounds would look like on someone 5'2", I don't know.
And I just feel like, looking at pictures of myself, I still think I look really overweight, I just don't look different to myself either. I mean, if I get down to 155, then I think I'll look better, but right now, I don't know, my initial excitement about being 174 has kinda died when I think about how that is still 10-20 pounds heavier than I was in college. Basically, I just feel blah, like I haven't done enough to really amount to anything, and I basically have to lose 20 pounds in 2 months to really be a fit bride.
Breakfast: WW English Muffin Sandwich - 4 points (I love these things, and they're a great healthy alternative to the delicious Egg McMuffin - I actually found a whole article comparing the two, lol http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/238678/weight_watchers_smart_ones_english.html?cat=51). 
Since I knew I'd be eating tons of junk during the weekend, I thought I'd try to eat a healthy lunch Friday afternoon - problem being that I was at the airport food court. I really wanted McDonald's, but I found a place I had never seen before called U Food Grill. They have lots of burritos & rice bowls and some sandwiches, fries, etc. They even have fliers with the nutritional info. right at the counter, which is pretty cool.
Sorry for my failure/lack of food recaps for the last few days, but I was out of town for my bridal shower & bachelorette (SO much fun!!!). I wouldn't dare recap my food for these days, as it basically consisted of pizza, fries, cake, mexican food and lots of alcohol units (as Bridget Jones would say, lol).
The crazy thing is, by some miracle of miracles, I lost a pound this weekend - perhaps my scale is broken, ha ha! So I am so excited to finally be firmly in the low/mid 170's. I spent a good 8 months just wavering between 177 and 183, every time I'd get into the 170's, I'd go back up again to the 180's, and I was honestly about to just give up! So, I am very excited to now be down 18 pounds, SO close to the 20 pound mark! I am going to try to get to 170 by the end of January, and 165 by the wedding, but even what I have done so far is pretty great I think :)
Today was a day of great success, diet/exercise wise. In addition to my awesome workout this morning, I feel like I am really getting somewhere in terms of how fit I am - the exercises seem easier to do now, and my arms feel much more toned, I feel like I am beginning to see the results!
Today was my return to personal training, and it was my favorite workout ever, Kerry's new plan for me is circuit training and I LOVED it!! See, before, we'd been doing things like doing all my bicep curls all at once - 3 sets of 10 or whatever; and by the last set, my form was bad and I was tired. So now I'm doing 1 set of bicep curls, then one of triceps, one of sit ups, etc. and then repeating, and doing it all consecutively without breaks. For me, it seemed much easier even though I was doing the same things ultimately; and I actually did much better on the 2nd & 3rd sets of each thing as opposed to doing worse and being tired. So, anyways, here's the entire workout - aside from the cardio warmup, the only equipment needed is free weights (pretty cheap to get at Wal-Mart, Target, etc.) and a mat would be helpful.
Overhead Press w/free weights (I did 7.5 pounds), 12 Reps - we did this with a step (also can just be done on stairs) where I would step onto the step, do the press, then go back down & repeat - to make it harder, don't let the weights all the way down to your side, always keep them like what you see in the picture on the left above, and when you step up, press them all the way up like the picture on the right.
Bicep Curls, 12 Reps (I did 10 lb weights) - Kerry had me do these while in a half-squat position which makes it a bit more difficult.
Tricep Kick-backs, 12 Reps (I did 7.5 lb weights) - I also did these in a half-squat position; you can see above what you do, you hold the weights by your side like the first picture, then move then straight back til you feel it in the triceps.
Breakfast:
Apple - 1 point
Lunch:
Salad - fat free italian dressing, lettuce, veggies, black beans & cheese - 5 points
Dinner:
Green Giant Microwave Steamer (it's broccoli, rice & cheese, so yummy) - 6 points
Snacks:
Goldfish - 4 points
Pirate's Booty - 4 points
I really shouldn't be using as many points on snacks as I do on real food, but I mean,cutting out snacks entirely just doesn't work for me -so at least I have been doing well on points lately, I am really proud to be sticking to a much healthier diet and workout plan (I am almost down to 175 pounds for the first time since 2006, I am SO excited to be almost there, only one pound away!My ultimate wedding goal is 165 which I think is definitely doable, I mean, I'd love to be 155, but I am trying to be realistic here people!)
So, I definitely judged when I first heard the radio ads for Lifetime's DietTribe - I mean, the title itself is already pretty ridiculous. However, I watched the first episode tonight and thought it was pretty good. It's about five overweight friends all trying to lose 30 pounds in 90 days.
They have a personal trainer, but they are on their own other than that (I think people somehow imagine a personal trainer just makes you fit magically, and I also used to be one of those people who said "Oh, well, if I had a personal trainer/nutritionist, I would be fit too!" - but I mean, you have to sit there and do the hard work - and for me at least, I only go once a week, so the other 6 days, and for all the nutrition aspects, I am on my own). So, I like that it is much more like what people deal with in real life as compared to the Biggest Loser. Anyways, it's a fun thing to watch if you're into reality tv!
Breakfast:
1/2 Apple - 1 point
Lunch:
Fresh Express Ensalada Supreme - 5 points
Dinner:
Fresh Express Ensalada Supreme - 5 points
Snacks:
Pirate's Booty Organic White Cheddar Popcorn - 4 points
Cracker Crisps - 3 points
Exercise: Elliptical for 30 minutes/350 Calories; 20 minutes of strength training
Breakfast:
My adorable fiance made me breakfast, and it was healthy too! (I feel like having a healthy/fit fiance is nice when you're trying to lose weight, but I really hated it in those times I weighed more than him!)
Omelette w/ Egg Beaters, Red Peppers, Broccoli & Low-fat cheese & veggie sausage - 5 points
2 Pieces Light Toast - 1 point (yes, seriously, I found white bread with only 40 calories per piece!)
Lunch:
Subway Veggie Wrap w/Swiss Cheese & Mustard - 10 points (now, I must say, this was surprisingly high, much higher than I thought, especially since I got mustard instead of southwest sauce or whatever; but apparently the wraps at Subway have 7 points just for the wrap itself, yikes - I won't make that mistake again, I'll get the regular bread!)
Dinner:
Fresh Express Ensalada Supreme (this is quickly becoming my favorite meal!) - 5 points
Snacks:
Cracker Crisps - 3 points
Exercise: I ran again today, and I not only ran a mile again, but I cut my time down by 25 seconds in just one day - yay! I also did strength training after that :)
Breakfast
Egg White & Vegetable Omelette - 4 points
Home Fries - 5 points
Lunch
Fresh Express Ensalada Supreme - 5 points (this is so so good - it's a healthy version of taco salad, and the pack comes with everything - cheese, sour cream salsa dressing, tortilla strips, etc. - to put on the salad).
Dinner
Boloco Buffalo Burrito (definitely not healthy, but ya gotta cheat sometimes!) - 10 points
Exercise: Running 1 mile!! (this was only like 100 calories of exercise, but I just wanted to see if I could do it, so that was all I did for the day)
On Friday, like I mentioned, I decided to try some running just to switch things up. I generally have always been terrible at running - it makes my heart rate go up really fast, and it gives my stomach cramps, and no matter how much people said I would get used to it if i just did it enough, it didn't happen. I have done the treadmill for like an hour before, but that was like walk 1 minute, run 1 minute - the furthest I had actually consistently run without stopping was like 1/4 mile. So on Friday, I did "run" a mile - but it was a walk/run situation, so I only really ran 1/2 mile, and not all at once either.
Anyways, so I went to the gym yesterday and decided that perhaps the walk/run thing just wasn't helping me at all, and I needed to just go for it. I got on the treadmill, set it at 5 mph, and then, somehow, I just ran a mile. I have no idea how I did it, b/c I have tried this many times before and never gotten even to a 1/2 mile. But somehow it just happened, and I was very proud of myself - no stopping, no walking - I am going to try to see if I can keep increasing this :) I think the whole walk/run thing actually makes it harder for me personally, because once I slow down, it's so hard to get going again.
Breakfast:
Broccoli, Cheese & Egg White Omelete - 4 points
Home Fries - 6 points
Lunch:
Veggie Maki Roll - 5 points
Dinner:
PF Chang's Vegetarian Lettuce Wraps (yumm - I would eat these every night if possible! They are truly delicious and nutritious!) - 5 points
Snacks:
WW Ice Cream Sandwich - 2 points
Activity: (I realized I should add this in too, since WW lets you eat more if you exercise and gain "exercise points) - I actually ran today, shocking I know - I did the elliptical for 30 minutes, and then Andrew pushed me to very slowly run a mile, I am going to try it again today so I can truly run the whole thing eventually at like a 5 mph pace.
Ahh, the first day of a new year, perfect time to start being diligent about my diet! (especially since my dress fitting is at the end of January!). I am proud, because I already went shopping and gots lots of healthy food; and I even made a new WW recipe last night :)
Breakfast:
Egg Whites & Tomatoes - 3 points
Roasted Potatoes - 4 points
Lunch
Mediterranean Salad Mix - 3 points
Dinner:
Weight Watchers Vegetable Quesadillas - 3 points
(I can't find this recipe online, but I'll copy if from my book later on today, I promise!)
Snacks:
Lay's Cracker Crisps - 4 points
Weight Watchers Ice Cream Sandwich (so yummy, you can get them in the frozen foods) - 2 points
So, 19 points, pretty good for starting a new year :) I was a bit wary of the quesadilla recipe when I realized that all they had was veggies, flour & milk and no cheese, but I thought they were really good - they have a little kick since they have cayenne and green chilis; and for a whole quesadilla, it's only 3 points!
One of the hardest things for me to do diet-wise is to find something to eat for lunch besides frozen meals - while Lean Cuisine & WW meals are low in calories, they often have lots of salt and really not very nutritious or filling (that's not to say I don't eat them, but I am really trying my best to cut down!). I actually like salad, if it has more than just plain lettuce, but I almost always buy it out somewhere, b/c it is way too much trouble to keep enough ingredients for salad at your house, and to use them before they go bad.
My mom bought me this book for Christmas, and it is based on the popular http://www.hungry-girl.com/, a site that gives out tons of recipes and diet tips totally free. The best thing is, it's written by a lady who is not a doctor, nutritionist, chef, etc. - it's just her own personal super simple recipes for healthy versions of almost anything out there - eggs benedict, pizza, cake, nachos, etc. I especially love it because, although she is not a vegetarian, she is a big proponent of fake meat as a healthy alternative to regular meat, so she uses it in quite a few recipes.
I haven't made anything out of it yet, but my mom has and has loved everything so far. The best thing is, compared to Weight Watchers, you need far less ingredients and cooking skills, so if you just want to make something simple & healthy without going to the store for 10 new spices, this seems great! I am currently writing out my weekly food plan, and am going to be trying some new WW recipes as well as some Hungry Girl recipes this week, so I will report back on all of them! (one of my new years resolutions is to try to stay away from frozen dinners & other processed foods, and make more things myself).
