I decided on Friday to try out some yoga. At my other gym I had taken a couple a Pilates classes. I enjoyed the classes but felt a little out of place since I had never done that before. Fridays yoga class was just as strange. The movements were hard for me to do, and I felt awkward. I think going to the classes will help me with flexibility! Just wondering what others prefer?
Also on Friday I took a muscle class which felt great! I hadn't really done a whole lot of lifting and figured I should work that in. I cannot even tell you how sore I was on Saturday! This was not good as it was a run day! Bahhhh. I woke up around 10 and was starving! After a quick google search about what I should eat before I went downstairs and had some toast with peanut butter. I waited about an hour half before I went out on my run.
The weather was overcast when I started. I set up my run app, got the music going, and was off! The first part of my run was downhill. I felt good as I made it a mile again! I didn't stop exactly at one mile! My app on the phone is hard to operate so I wasn't sure how long my first run was. I'm afraid to get a watch because I know I will keep looking at it. Since I was so sore I decided to take a different route but still do 3 miles. This run was not as hilly. I ran 3.22 miles in 48:58 with a pace of 15:11. Consistent with what I ran with Cori on Thursday! I was so sore after this run,but I think it had to do with the fact that I had taken the muscle class the day before.
A few questions I have after...
-what are good things to eat before a run and after? Any set time I should wait after eating? If I know I have a run to do is it wise to take a muscle class before the run?
So far I have kept to my workout schedule for the week! I didn't make it to my class today because tennis didn't get done it time and I played for 2+ hours and was exhausted! Tomorrow I am going to take a kickboxing class with a run scheduled for Tuesday and Thursday.
Hope everyone had a great weekend!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Friday, May 11, 2012
BREAKING NEWS! First goal accomplished!
Yesterday I embarked on my second run with Cori! I was excited to run with her today. I know I know, I can't believe I thought that either. After feeling confident about my first solo run, I was excited to see how I would fair today! Before we started I asked if we could run the opposite way just because I didn't want to run by the spots I made it to last time.
We started running and it felt great! My pace was good! So good in fact that I ran for 1 mile (13 minutes) without stopping!!!!! WAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I was so excited. Never before in my life had I ever run a mile without stopping. This accomplishment feels amazing! I am so proud of myself. Knowing that I can do one mile only means that two, three, and four are not far behind!
Throughout the rest of the run Cori continued to push me. She would let me rest for one minute (maybe two depending on how I did before). I would run and then when I needed a break I would tell Cori pick a spot to stop. That way she knew I was going to need a little break and I had a stopping point in mind!
As We were nearing the end of the run she informed me we were almost done, and all I had to do was make it up the hill. Ummmm did you just say hill? She did! Little did I know by running the opposite way as last time there was a hill at the end of the run! No wonder she didn't put up a fight when I asked to go the opposite way! She knows those route like the back of her hand! I should have known that! Anyway I went into the hill ready to conquer it. I had just run a full mile so there was no way that a "little" hill was going to stop me. In the end I had conquered the hill and my run.
Yesterday we ran 3.14 miles for 48 minutes with a pace of 15:25. I almost knocked a whole minute off my run!
I had another strange feeling after my run. I felt excited to run again on Saturday! Crazy right? I never would have thought that I could get excited about running! Tomorrows run is going to be good because I know I will be able to make it to the one mile mark on that run!
I am so thankful that Cori came to BCES! I know it has only been two sessions, but she has already inspired me so much. During the runs she makes me not want to give up and keep going. Cori helps me not think about the fact that I am running which helps get me through! She is inspiring me to work hard everyday, and not just the days I am with her!
I feel excited to run and I have really been watching what I eat. I am not drinking alcohol, soda, and coffee (minus my Friday stops). Tonight I am going to do a muscle class and beginners yoga class at the Y!
Everyday I get up I feel stronger! A big thanks to my sister who loves to listen to me and is so encouraging! I wish we lived closer because this would be a fun thing to do together! I am sure when I am out there in July we will be doing lots of fun things together!
I also want to thank all my family and friends for the constant flow of encouraging words and support. Near and far, it means a lot and keeps me going!
Have a great weekend!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
We started running and it felt great! My pace was good! So good in fact that I ran for 1 mile (13 minutes) without stopping!!!!! WAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I was so excited. Never before in my life had I ever run a mile without stopping. This accomplishment feels amazing! I am so proud of myself. Knowing that I can do one mile only means that two, three, and four are not far behind!
Throughout the rest of the run Cori continued to push me. She would let me rest for one minute (maybe two depending on how I did before). I would run and then when I needed a break I would tell Cori pick a spot to stop. That way she knew I was going to need a little break and I had a stopping point in mind!
As We were nearing the end of the run she informed me we were almost done, and all I had to do was make it up the hill. Ummmm did you just say hill? She did! Little did I know by running the opposite way as last time there was a hill at the end of the run! No wonder she didn't put up a fight when I asked to go the opposite way! She knows those route like the back of her hand! I should have known that! Anyway I went into the hill ready to conquer it. I had just run a full mile so there was no way that a "little" hill was going to stop me. In the end I had conquered the hill and my run.
Yesterday we ran 3.14 miles for 48 minutes with a pace of 15:25. I almost knocked a whole minute off my run!
I had another strange feeling after my run. I felt excited to run again on Saturday! Crazy right? I never would have thought that I could get excited about running! Tomorrows run is going to be good because I know I will be able to make it to the one mile mark on that run!
I am so thankful that Cori came to BCES! I know it has only been two sessions, but she has already inspired me so much. During the runs she makes me not want to give up and keep going. Cori helps me not think about the fact that I am running which helps get me through! She is inspiring me to work hard everyday, and not just the days I am with her!
I feel excited to run and I have really been watching what I eat. I am not drinking alcohol, soda, and coffee (minus my Friday stops). Tonight I am going to do a muscle class and beginners yoga class at the Y!
Everyday I get up I feel stronger! A big thanks to my sister who loves to listen to me and is so encouraging! I wish we lived closer because this would be a fun thing to do together! I am sure when I am out there in July we will be doing lots of fun things together!
I also want to thank all my family and friends for the constant flow of encouraging words and support. Near and far, it means a lot and keeps me going!
Have a great weekend!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
My First Solo Run/Walk
Well folks, I completed my first solo run/walk!! Wahoooooooooo! This run took place on Monday! After getting home from work and relaxing (my eyelids were so heavy!) I mustered up the energy, got dressed, and set out! Before my workout even started I saw a co-worker of mine finishing her run and chatted with her for about 10 mins. She gave me advice on a good 3 mile route to go on. I was off!
The first part of my run was down a hill. It felt amazing! I was going at a good speed. I am not sure how long I ran for but I feel like I made it a good distance. After walking for a few minutes I started to run again and got to a big hill! It was my intention to make it up the hill! This was a big hill and I made it a 1/3 of the way. At least I attempted it!!
Most of my run was uphill then down then uphill then down. During my first run with Cori it was flat! This was definitely a change!
I used the app Map My Run so I could track where I went and how far! Every mile the nice lady would updated me about how far I had gone and my pace. After the first mile I had a 20 min pace! Don't worry, I didn't run that slow! As I stated before I was talking to a friend while the app was running. After each mile I noticed that my pace was going down! This felt good to know that I was still working even toward the end!
Overall I ended up doing 4.16 miles! HOLY MOLY! My thoughts exactly! I honestly had not planned to go that far! I was amazed! After the run I felt tired but also good! I was so happy and impressed! Here is a picture of the run I took!
(I will insert picture later...couldn't figure out how to work it :( )
Compared to my first run I felt better! With my first run I felt like I ran shorter amounts, walked shorter, then ran again. I was super tired after that one. I am not sure if it was because I was walking less in between or the heat. With this run I recovered more in between the runs, but felt after more recovery I was able to run more and with more pace. For you runners out there, is there a better way? Run shorter, walk shorter so you get more "runs". Or is it better to run longer, walk longer so you have less actually run times but run longer and a bit faster. Thoughts?
Yesterday I continued my exercise! I went to a cardio muscle class at the Y which was a combination of muscle work and cardio. We listened to 80's music the whole time! This was my first class and I really enjoyed it! After the Y I went straight to playing tennis! Another great workout!
Today is going to be a rest day. I am so exhausted from work and being super busy! Here is my plan for the rest of the week!
Thursday-run with Cori
Friday-Class at the Y
Saturday-run
Sunday-Class at the Y/tennis
Monday-run
Tuesday-Class at the Y or run
Hope everyone is having a great week!
The first part of my run was down a hill. It felt amazing! I was going at a good speed. I am not sure how long I ran for but I feel like I made it a good distance. After walking for a few minutes I started to run again and got to a big hill! It was my intention to make it up the hill! This was a big hill and I made it a 1/3 of the way. At least I attempted it!!
Most of my run was uphill then down then uphill then down. During my first run with Cori it was flat! This was definitely a change!
I used the app Map My Run so I could track where I went and how far! Every mile the nice lady would updated me about how far I had gone and my pace. After the first mile I had a 20 min pace! Don't worry, I didn't run that slow! As I stated before I was talking to a friend while the app was running. After each mile I noticed that my pace was going down! This felt good to know that I was still working even toward the end!
Overall I ended up doing 4.16 miles! HOLY MOLY! My thoughts exactly! I honestly had not planned to go that far! I was amazed! After the run I felt tired but also good! I was so happy and impressed! Here is a picture of the run I took!
(I will insert picture later...couldn't figure out how to work it :( )
Compared to my first run I felt better! With my first run I felt like I ran shorter amounts, walked shorter, then ran again. I was super tired after that one. I am not sure if it was because I was walking less in between or the heat. With this run I recovered more in between the runs, but felt after more recovery I was able to run more and with more pace. For you runners out there, is there a better way? Run shorter, walk shorter so you get more "runs". Or is it better to run longer, walk longer so you have less actually run times but run longer and a bit faster. Thoughts?
Yesterday I continued my exercise! I went to a cardio muscle class at the Y which was a combination of muscle work and cardio. We listened to 80's music the whole time! This was my first class and I really enjoyed it! After the Y I went straight to playing tennis! Another great workout!
Today is going to be a rest day. I am so exhausted from work and being super busy! Here is my plan for the rest of the week!
Thursday-run with Cori
Friday-Class at the Y
Saturday-run
Sunday-Class at the Y/tennis
Monday-run
Tuesday-Class at the Y or run
Hope everyone is having a great week!
Monday, May 7, 2012
Where is the time?
For all you runners/super active people out there, I have a question for you. With having a job, and life events how do you find time to get in a workout? I feel like I need a personal running assistant to look at my schedule with all my events and tell me to run here or that I have time there for a run! Life is crazy!
After my awesome run with C on Tuesday, I am ashamed to say that I haven't run run since then! On Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday I had almost 2 hour tennis matches! Great! Right? My mind is thinking many things! Thumbs up to me or getting some exercise! But is playing tennis really going to help me prepare for my 5k?
The race is 26 days away! Ahhhhh! I am worried I am not doing enough! How do I find time when I feel like my calendar is booked with so many other events. This weekend my best friend got married and I was booked to the max. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday were booked to the max. No run then :( As someone who is not accustomed to making running a priority, how do I start?
I have tried the get up before work thing, I hit snooze a lot! My break at work is so early in the morning and there would be nowhere to shower. Do I really want to be sweaty and smelly? (even though some students are). After work is the best time (here comes the excuses) but I tutor and have tennis and get tired! I need to find another way to motivate!
This is going to be a weird comment but I wish I had a friend that was in the exact spot I am in so I could have someone to join me at all times! I need to clone myself! Don't get me wrong, I have a million and one friends that are offering to run with me but I feel like I do them a disservice by dragging them along my slow path.
No one told me about the mental games I would be playing with myself! It's time to get even more serious!
At the wedding this weekend I felt so pretty in my dress and was all dolled up! However I looked at some of the pictures and I was ashamed! I thought I looked horrible!!! (I'm typing on my phone so I will post a picture later). People say to use a bad picture as motivation! Well I think I just found 50 of them!
After school I am going on a run! I am going to do the 3.1 miles and use the new map my run app that my sister an AA informed me of! I hope to post after the run to let you know how it went! Till then send me your positive thoughts :)
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
After my awesome run with C on Tuesday, I am ashamed to say that I haven't run run since then! On Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday I had almost 2 hour tennis matches! Great! Right? My mind is thinking many things! Thumbs up to me or getting some exercise! But is playing tennis really going to help me prepare for my 5k?
The race is 26 days away! Ahhhhh! I am worried I am not doing enough! How do I find time when I feel like my calendar is booked with so many other events. This weekend my best friend got married and I was booked to the max. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday were booked to the max. No run then :( As someone who is not accustomed to making running a priority, how do I start?
I have tried the get up before work thing, I hit snooze a lot! My break at work is so early in the morning and there would be nowhere to shower. Do I really want to be sweaty and smelly? (even though some students are). After work is the best time (here comes the excuses) but I tutor and have tennis and get tired! I need to find another way to motivate!
This is going to be a weird comment but I wish I had a friend that was in the exact spot I am in so I could have someone to join me at all times! I need to clone myself! Don't get me wrong, I have a million and one friends that are offering to run with me but I feel like I do them a disservice by dragging them along my slow path.
No one told me about the mental games I would be playing with myself! It's time to get even more serious!
At the wedding this weekend I felt so pretty in my dress and was all dolled up! However I looked at some of the pictures and I was ashamed! I thought I looked horrible!!! (I'm typing on my phone so I will post a picture later). People say to use a bad picture as motivation! Well I think I just found 50 of them!
After school I am going on a run! I am going to do the 3.1 miles and use the new map my run app that my sister an AA informed me of! I hope to post after the run to let you know how it went! Till then send me your positive thoughts :)
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
I look like a strawberry and feel like and elephant!
*Author's note....I know it has been light years since I have posted, but I am choosing to address that and say that a monkey came and blog napped it! The monkey has since returned my blog!
In 33 days I will accomplish something that has never been done by me before! I will officially run in my first 5k!! Don't hit the refresh button you read it correctly.... I, Molly Elizabeth, have signed up for my first 5k on June 3rd! I think while the monkey was blog napping my blog, he also messed with my brain! This whole idea to run a 5K started when I was in FL visiting my parents a month ago. I downloaded an app on my phone called couch to 5K and decided to see what it was like. After completing the first day I thought, "not too bad." Then came day two, and three! After the first week I was thinking hmmmmm maybe I should see this thing out!
A few days after returning from FL I was meeting with the nutritionist. We were talking about how my workouts were going and I told her about the app and how I completed week 1 and thought about signing up for a 5k. She thought it was a great idea! My nutritionist could tell that I am a competitive person and thought that this would be a great mini goal for me! After asking putting some feelers out there and asking some friends about doing a possible one in DC, my co-worker Cori told me that there was one June 3rd in Raleigh.
My first thought was that June 3rd was too close! Then I realized that if I didn't pick one that I would have the excuse that any of them were too close and at that point I would never sign up! June 3rd is a perfect date because it was 7 weeks away and would allow me to complete the full 8 week app training program. I got the info, signed up, and knew there was no turning back!!!
Starting the app is not the sole reason I decided to embark on this journey. I have some friends and family around me that were trying new things and I thought if they can do something why can't I! My sister signed up to run her first sprint triathlon in July in CO! (You can follow her blog). I have been so proud and amazed with how active she has become!! My good friend Ginnie decided that for her 10 year anniversary that she and her husband were going to run a half marathon to celebrate!! Ginnie has run before but never this far!! I am proud to say she reached her goal this past weekend! Ginnie has a hilarious blog that you can follow as well! My dear college friend Chris has been a runner her whole life! She was my inspiration for starting a blog about my new healthy lifestyle that I thought it would be fun to run one with her! Chris has a great running blog about her runs. (I follow both Chris and Ginnie)
As you can tell I have a lot of inspiration around me! Enough about the back story, now onto the title of this post! Ginnie asked Cork, a co-worker , to help her train for her half-marathon. After months of seeing the progress that Ginnie was making and hearing her talk about how inspiring and helpful Cori was, I decided to ask Cori to help me as well. I have to admit that I was afraid to! Cori is an amazing runner who has completed a marathon and numerous halfs. My fear was that I would be too slow or boring for her! (I was wrong) Cori accepted and after a scheduling conflict last week we had our first run today.
I somewhat knew what I was getting myself into! I wanted someone who was going to push me and not let me make excuses about anything. Cori is not going to let myself or any excuse stop me from reaching this goal!! Cori and I went on our first run/walk today!! As most of you know I am not a runner at all! The program I started has me alternating running and walking. Each week I run a little more. While we could have followed my next day, Cori that it was best that we worked on the 5k distance! Before we starting I told her I didn't want to know how long I had to run or anytime info. I felt like if I knew I would just keep dwelling on it!
We started the run and I was feeling good! My first "leg" of the run I ran for 7 minutes. Again, don't hit refresh! I have never run this long in my life!!!!! Up to this point my running app only had me run 2 min! Go me go!! At the beginning I ran until I needed to walk. Cori was good about just letting me stop! After the first mile I started to slow down tremendously. At this point Cori talked about picking a point, running to it, walking, and then starting over. This is what we did for the remainder of the time. After the first running distance I gave the street sign a high five because I was so excited I made it! We continued this trend of picking a point to run to, walking, and then starting over all the way back to the car!
As you can guess, the later runs were slower and harder but I kept going! Cori gave me a lot of advice while running! A few things I remember was to not think about me while I ran. Meaning think about everything around me, the smells, sights, and sounds. I am gonna need to practice this one! Cori also mentioned to not look down while I was running as it might make it seem like the time was going slower! These were the big ones I remember and are good ones to work on even if Cori is not with me!
In the end I ended up running/walking 3.11 miles with an average pace of 16.22! Not bad if you ask me! Even Cori was proud. I have a LONG way to go!! However I can't use the excuse of "I can't!" Running with Cori was proof that I can!!!!!!!!!!!!
As I got into my car I started to cry! Good tears :) I could not believe that I just went 3.11 miles and ran some of it! This is a huge accomplishment!! I was so overcome with emotions that I just cried. Honestly it felt good to cry!!
One day down many more to go!!
As for the title....I look like a strawberry because my face is so pink!!!!!!! I feel like and elephant because my legs are so tired and heavy!!
From here on out I am going to post updates on the runs and food part! I was so good about tracking my food for awhile. However I moved onto the exercise part and let the food part go. Cori told me today that being healthy is 30% exercise and 70% nutrition! I am thinking about trying nutrasystem to see if I can jump start a balanced meal. Anyone have any thoughts?
Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy the long overdue post!!!
In 33 days I will accomplish something that has never been done by me before! I will officially run in my first 5k!! Don't hit the refresh button you read it correctly.... I, Molly Elizabeth, have signed up for my first 5k on June 3rd! I think while the monkey was blog napping my blog, he also messed with my brain! This whole idea to run a 5K started when I was in FL visiting my parents a month ago. I downloaded an app on my phone called couch to 5K and decided to see what it was like. After completing the first day I thought, "not too bad." Then came day two, and three! After the first week I was thinking hmmmmm maybe I should see this thing out!
A few days after returning from FL I was meeting with the nutritionist. We were talking about how my workouts were going and I told her about the app and how I completed week 1 and thought about signing up for a 5k. She thought it was a great idea! My nutritionist could tell that I am a competitive person and thought that this would be a great mini goal for me! After asking putting some feelers out there and asking some friends about doing a possible one in DC, my co-worker Cori told me that there was one June 3rd in Raleigh.
My first thought was that June 3rd was too close! Then I realized that if I didn't pick one that I would have the excuse that any of them were too close and at that point I would never sign up! June 3rd is a perfect date because it was 7 weeks away and would allow me to complete the full 8 week app training program. I got the info, signed up, and knew there was no turning back!!!
Starting the app is not the sole reason I decided to embark on this journey. I have some friends and family around me that were trying new things and I thought if they can do something why can't I! My sister signed up to run her first sprint triathlon in July in CO! (You can follow her blog). I have been so proud and amazed with how active she has become!! My good friend Ginnie decided that for her 10 year anniversary that she and her husband were going to run a half marathon to celebrate!! Ginnie has run before but never this far!! I am proud to say she reached her goal this past weekend! Ginnie has a hilarious blog that you can follow as well! My dear college friend Chris has been a runner her whole life! She was my inspiration for starting a blog about my new healthy lifestyle that I thought it would be fun to run one with her! Chris has a great running blog about her runs. (I follow both Chris and Ginnie)
As you can tell I have a lot of inspiration around me! Enough about the back story, now onto the title of this post! Ginnie asked Cork, a co-worker , to help her train for her half-marathon. After months of seeing the progress that Ginnie was making and hearing her talk about how inspiring and helpful Cori was, I decided to ask Cori to help me as well. I have to admit that I was afraid to! Cori is an amazing runner who has completed a marathon and numerous halfs. My fear was that I would be too slow or boring for her! (I was wrong) Cori accepted and after a scheduling conflict last week we had our first run today.
I somewhat knew what I was getting myself into! I wanted someone who was going to push me and not let me make excuses about anything. Cori is not going to let myself or any excuse stop me from reaching this goal!! Cori and I went on our first run/walk today!! As most of you know I am not a runner at all! The program I started has me alternating running and walking. Each week I run a little more. While we could have followed my next day, Cori that it was best that we worked on the 5k distance! Before we starting I told her I didn't want to know how long I had to run or anytime info. I felt like if I knew I would just keep dwelling on it!
We started the run and I was feeling good! My first "leg" of the run I ran for 7 minutes. Again, don't hit refresh! I have never run this long in my life!!!!! Up to this point my running app only had me run 2 min! Go me go!! At the beginning I ran until I needed to walk. Cori was good about just letting me stop! After the first mile I started to slow down tremendously. At this point Cori talked about picking a point, running to it, walking, and then starting over. This is what we did for the remainder of the time. After the first running distance I gave the street sign a high five because I was so excited I made it! We continued this trend of picking a point to run to, walking, and then starting over all the way back to the car!
As you can guess, the later runs were slower and harder but I kept going! Cori gave me a lot of advice while running! A few things I remember was to not think about me while I ran. Meaning think about everything around me, the smells, sights, and sounds. I am gonna need to practice this one! Cori also mentioned to not look down while I was running as it might make it seem like the time was going slower! These were the big ones I remember and are good ones to work on even if Cori is not with me!
In the end I ended up running/walking 3.11 miles with an average pace of 16.22! Not bad if you ask me! Even Cori was proud. I have a LONG way to go!! However I can't use the excuse of "I can't!" Running with Cori was proof that I can!!!!!!!!!!!!
As I got into my car I started to cry! Good tears :) I could not believe that I just went 3.11 miles and ran some of it! This is a huge accomplishment!! I was so overcome with emotions that I just cried. Honestly it felt good to cry!!
One day down many more to go!!
As for the title....I look like a strawberry because my face is so pink!!!!!!! I feel like and elephant because my legs are so tired and heavy!!
From here on out I am going to post updates on the runs and food part! I was so good about tracking my food for awhile. However I moved onto the exercise part and let the food part go. Cori told me today that being healthy is 30% exercise and 70% nutrition! I am thinking about trying nutrasystem to see if I can jump start a balanced meal. Anyone have any thoughts?
Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy the long overdue post!!!
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
It's time to "Take out the trash"
Ash Wednesday is upon us and it is time to reveal what I have decided to give up for Lent.
First off, I looked up the time of mass at school and thought it was for 6:30. Little did I know that this was the mass time for a church in CA. After arriving at the church and realizing I had the wrong time I sat in the parking lot for a bit. I decided that if I went home then there was a good chance that I wouldn't make it back!
The priest tonight talked about Lent being a time to "take out the trash" or get rid of all the sinning we have done over the past year. I could really relate to this. He also talked about what we would be giving up. The priest asked us to think about this, is the thing we are going to give up going to make us a better person after or the same. He talked about someone giving up alcohol. If that person stops drinking for 40 days are they going to be a different person after or the same grumpy one. What's the point of giving something up if we are just going to be the same after? Lent ti s a time to learn and grow into someone we want to be!!! I really enjoyed listening to the priest tonight. I thought he had a great message and I was able to relate to it!
With that being said I have decided to do two things during lent. First, I am going to give up drinking! I figured this was a great way to not have unwanted calories on my plan. Second, I am going to volunteer during this time. When I was on a wine tour (ha ha) a few weeks ago, I met a a guy who works for a nonprofit organization called "Playworks." This local organization works with local schools to provide recess games and after school programs. I found it very interesting!!!! I love PE and kids so I think this will be a great chance to give back to others. A few weeks ago I emailed the organization. I recently received an email asking to set up a meeting for find some opportunities to volunteer.
All in all it was a great day!! I am excited about the next few weeks and to keep up with my Lent promises!!
The plan has been good this week!! Feeling back on track :) Went to bosu ball class last night and am going to attempt a 5:45 am class!!!! Hopefully I can make it!!!!
First off, I looked up the time of mass at school and thought it was for 6:30. Little did I know that this was the mass time for a church in CA. After arriving at the church and realizing I had the wrong time I sat in the parking lot for a bit. I decided that if I went home then there was a good chance that I wouldn't make it back!
The priest tonight talked about Lent being a time to "take out the trash" or get rid of all the sinning we have done over the past year. I could really relate to this. He also talked about what we would be giving up. The priest asked us to think about this, is the thing we are going to give up going to make us a better person after or the same. He talked about someone giving up alcohol. If that person stops drinking for 40 days are they going to be a different person after or the same grumpy one. What's the point of giving something up if we are just going to be the same after? Lent ti s a time to learn and grow into someone we want to be!!! I really enjoyed listening to the priest tonight. I thought he had a great message and I was able to relate to it!
With that being said I have decided to do two things during lent. First, I am going to give up drinking! I figured this was a great way to not have unwanted calories on my plan. Second, I am going to volunteer during this time. When I was on a wine tour (ha ha) a few weeks ago, I met a a guy who works for a nonprofit organization called "Playworks." This local organization works with local schools to provide recess games and after school programs. I found it very interesting!!!! I love PE and kids so I think this will be a great chance to give back to others. A few weeks ago I emailed the organization. I recently received an email asking to set up a meeting for find some opportunities to volunteer.
All in all it was a great day!! I am excited about the next few weeks and to keep up with my Lent promises!!
The plan has been good this week!! Feeling back on track :) Went to bosu ball class last night and am going to attempt a 5:45 am class!!!! Hopefully I can make it!!!!
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Southwestern Chicken
My house smells so good right now!!!! I wish I could attach something that demonstrates how good it smells.
This was one of the easiest receipes to make!!!!! All you need is two cans of corn, one can black beans, jar of salsa, chicken, and cheese.
This was one of the easiest receipes to make!!!!! All you need is two cans of corn, one can black beans, jar of salsa, chicken, and cheese.
Drain the corn and beans and place in slow cooker with 1/2 cup salsa. Add chicken halves in and cover with remaining salsa.
Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours. Add cheese for the last 5 min and presto....Southwest Chicken!!! Each serving is 300 calories. I added some brown rice and I thought some mexican rice would also taste yummy!!!
Such and easy receipe and yummy!! While corn is probably not the best option it tastes yummy. Usually I am not a fan of black beans but they sure did taste good in this dish. Enjoy :)
I turned left when I should have gone right...
Let me start off by saying I know it has been along time since I have posted. This by no means correlates with the fact that I have stopped my plan. I find that I am best at blogging when I have something big to write out. I wouldn't want to read a blog about what someone ate everyday. With that being said, let's talk about this week.
For the first time since I have started down this path I was faced with a lot of challenges. To start the week off I was just coming off being sick. This didn't help matters as I had very low energy. With such low energy it was VERY hard to cook. Breakfast and lunch all week were great. These meals require very little prep work and it was easy for me to grab the stuff and go. Two thumbs up for me during those meals. I only had one cup of coffee this week!!!
Now dinner on the other hand is a different story!! I went out to dinner way too many times. Not only did I not need to spend money, but I would have made better choices had I stayed home. Going out to eat is just so much easier then cooking!! Cooking is hard for me because most times I cook meals for me and only me. If I had someone to cook with then I would probably be more inclined to do it more. Would it be weird to advertise for a cooking partner?
When I was out to dinner I have to give credit to myself for not going for the burger and fries! I went for sandwiches and salads which is more then I would have done in the past. One night I had to go for the pizza!!!!! Instead of ordering water I went for a beer. On the plus side I went for a lighter beer and not a heavy one, and I only had one. The few nights that I was home I thought it was a good idea to have wine at home to keep me from snacking. Bad idea!! Alcohol has just as many calories as food so in the grand scheme of things it's not any better.
I am not sure why this week was so hard for me! My classes this week were completely full so I worked all day. Two days after school I tutored which I am not used to. If a change in my week can throw me off that much, what will the future bring? It scares me!!!! I knew this was going to change my life all around but I wasn't sure how much!!!
At this point I don't have the answer as to how I can continue to make changes and improve. I am proud of myself for being able to reflect on the week. Also, I am happy with the fact that I didn't turn to fast food.
At school when a student has poor behavior we put them on a behavior contract and then reward them when they meet their goals and have a successful day. It may be silly to say but I feel like I need to put myself on a life contract. Everytime I cook a healthy meal or workout I reward myself. Who knows!!
With lent coming up I was trying to think of what to do. Should I give something up, should I make an effort to do something more? Here are my thoughts so far.....
1. Give up alcohol
2. Get to the gym more
3. Go to church once a week
These are my thoughts so far. I will keep you updated on my final decision!
Hooray moment of the week!!
I went to David's Bridal to buy a dress for a wedding I am in in June. I went 3 weeks ago to try on dresses and found I needed to order a size 16. When I went back today to buy and try on, I found out I needed a size 14! Might be a small accomplishments but at least it is something!!!!
Check back tonight for another blog! I know what you are thinking....two in one day!!! Tonight I am trying a new recipe in the crock pot. Plus I need to update all the amazing quotes my sister has been sending me :)
Happy Reading!
For the first time since I have started down this path I was faced with a lot of challenges. To start the week off I was just coming off being sick. This didn't help matters as I had very low energy. With such low energy it was VERY hard to cook. Breakfast and lunch all week were great. These meals require very little prep work and it was easy for me to grab the stuff and go. Two thumbs up for me during those meals. I only had one cup of coffee this week!!!
Now dinner on the other hand is a different story!! I went out to dinner way too many times. Not only did I not need to spend money, but I would have made better choices had I stayed home. Going out to eat is just so much easier then cooking!! Cooking is hard for me because most times I cook meals for me and only me. If I had someone to cook with then I would probably be more inclined to do it more. Would it be weird to advertise for a cooking partner?
When I was out to dinner I have to give credit to myself for not going for the burger and fries! I went for sandwiches and salads which is more then I would have done in the past. One night I had to go for the pizza!!!!! Instead of ordering water I went for a beer. On the plus side I went for a lighter beer and not a heavy one, and I only had one. The few nights that I was home I thought it was a good idea to have wine at home to keep me from snacking. Bad idea!! Alcohol has just as many calories as food so in the grand scheme of things it's not any better.
I am not sure why this week was so hard for me! My classes this week were completely full so I worked all day. Two days after school I tutored which I am not used to. If a change in my week can throw me off that much, what will the future bring? It scares me!!!! I knew this was going to change my life all around but I wasn't sure how much!!!
At this point I don't have the answer as to how I can continue to make changes and improve. I am proud of myself for being able to reflect on the week. Also, I am happy with the fact that I didn't turn to fast food.
At school when a student has poor behavior we put them on a behavior contract and then reward them when they meet their goals and have a successful day. It may be silly to say but I feel like I need to put myself on a life contract. Everytime I cook a healthy meal or workout I reward myself. Who knows!!
With lent coming up I was trying to think of what to do. Should I give something up, should I make an effort to do something more? Here are my thoughts so far.....
1. Give up alcohol
2. Get to the gym more
3. Go to church once a week
These are my thoughts so far. I will keep you updated on my final decision!
Hooray moment of the week!!
I went to David's Bridal to buy a dress for a wedding I am in in June. I went 3 weeks ago to try on dresses and found I needed to order a size 16. When I went back today to buy and try on, I found out I needed a size 14! Might be a small accomplishments but at least it is something!!!!
Check back tonight for another blog! I know what you are thinking....two in one day!!! Tonight I am trying a new recipe in the crock pot. Plus I need to update all the amazing quotes my sister has been sending me :)
Happy Reading!
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
I was stressed today so I decied to....
2011-Eat, eat, eat
2012-The gym!!
Big step today!! Instead of grabbing food and sitting in front of the TV, I went to the gym and tortured myself with the bosu blast class again!! During class I was so focused on not falling off and keeping up that I didn't think anything about my day!! When I got home I made dinner and thought of how proud of myself I was!!
I would definitely characterize myself as a stress/emotional eater. Now I am calling myself a stress gymer!! It felt so good to let out some steam. The class was a big help as I didn't have to think about what exercise to do. There was someone else there to show me what to do. In this situation I think it helped to have a class tonight.
(Sorry if this post rambles. I am trying to type during the commercials of Glee!)
What are your thoughts? What do you do to let stress out?
Plan is still holding strong. This weekend was not quite where it should be, but I didn't eat as bad as I used to. My problem this weekend was I didn't really balanced the diet out. I slacked on the fruits and veggies. Saturday night was our staff party and I had a healthy dinner before hand and then only 1 cake pop! Since I ate before hand I didn't find the need to eat just to eat at the party!! Wahoooooo
Superbowl Sunday had to be the one exception!! My team, the Giants, were in it and I was going to celebrate!!! I cooked a Palermo pizza which has a thinner crust and whole wheat which means less calories. I made some tomato, mozzarella, basil, and low fat balsamic. Using my crock pot I cooked cream cheese potato soup. At 220 calories per serving it was amazing!!!!!!!! The fridge has been stocked with random beers so I told everyone they had to help me get rid of them. I indulged in a few wheat beers just to help out the cause :) Overall I keep my portion sizes down. Too much of my time was spent pacing back and forth that I didn't have time to eat!
Cream Cheese Potato Soup
5 medium potatoes diced fine
1 small onion, chopped,
1 cup ham, diced
1 8oz. package low fat cream cheese
1 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp black pepper and dill weed
3 cups water
Combine all ingredients in crock pot and cook on high for 4 hours. If you need to make the soup thicker you can add a little more cream cheese! This is a yummy recipe and I highly recommend it!!
Quote of the day: "You must begin to think of yourself as becoming the person you want to be."
Sunday Quote: "The elevator to success is out of order. You'll have to use the stairs....one step at a time. "
February 4th: "Can it be a mistake that 'STRESSED' is 'DESSERTS' spelled backwards?" This one should really be the quote of the day as in the past that is what I would have turned to!!!
My favorite quote of the past few days from the lovely AA is "Everyday is a GIANT step forward!!" I had to add to colors :)
2012-The gym!!
Big step today!! Instead of grabbing food and sitting in front of the TV, I went to the gym and tortured myself with the bosu blast class again!! During class I was so focused on not falling off and keeping up that I didn't think anything about my day!! When I got home I made dinner and thought of how proud of myself I was!!
I would definitely characterize myself as a stress/emotional eater. Now I am calling myself a stress gymer!! It felt so good to let out some steam. The class was a big help as I didn't have to think about what exercise to do. There was someone else there to show me what to do. In this situation I think it helped to have a class tonight.
(Sorry if this post rambles. I am trying to type during the commercials of Glee!)
What are your thoughts? What do you do to let stress out?
Plan is still holding strong. This weekend was not quite where it should be, but I didn't eat as bad as I used to. My problem this weekend was I didn't really balanced the diet out. I slacked on the fruits and veggies. Saturday night was our staff party and I had a healthy dinner before hand and then only 1 cake pop! Since I ate before hand I didn't find the need to eat just to eat at the party!! Wahoooooo
Superbowl Sunday had to be the one exception!! My team, the Giants, were in it and I was going to celebrate!!! I cooked a Palermo pizza which has a thinner crust and whole wheat which means less calories. I made some tomato, mozzarella, basil, and low fat balsamic. Using my crock pot I cooked cream cheese potato soup. At 220 calories per serving it was amazing!!!!!!!! The fridge has been stocked with random beers so I told everyone they had to help me get rid of them. I indulged in a few wheat beers just to help out the cause :) Overall I keep my portion sizes down. Too much of my time was spent pacing back and forth that I didn't have time to eat!
Cream Cheese Potato Soup
5 medium potatoes diced fine
1 small onion, chopped,
1 cup ham, diced
1 8oz. package low fat cream cheese
1 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp black pepper and dill weed
3 cups water
Combine all ingredients in crock pot and cook on high for 4 hours. If you need to make the soup thicker you can add a little more cream cheese! This is a yummy recipe and I highly recommend it!!
Quote of the day: "You must begin to think of yourself as becoming the person you want to be."
Sunday Quote: "The elevator to success is out of order. You'll have to use the stairs....one step at a time. "
February 4th: "Can it be a mistake that 'STRESSED' is 'DESSERTS' spelled backwards?" This one should really be the quote of the day as in the past that is what I would have turned to!!!
My favorite quote of the past few days from the lovely AA is "Everyday is a GIANT step forward!!" I had to add to colors :)
Thursday, February 2, 2012
MyFitnessPal
For the first 10 days of my plan I was keeping track of the foods I ate in a little notebook. While in theory that was a great way to see what foods I was consuming, this was not an accurate way to count my calories. Counting calories is the whole idea!
I remembered a while back I had downloaded this app called MyFitnessPal because it was one of the top apps. At the time I hadn't really explored it too much. I knew it was a place to enter food, but I had no idea how much it could actually do! I had an extra break today so I decided to explore. I was amazed at how many brand name foods they had! Other calorie counters I looked at have a generic food name and number. This app is so specific that it had my exact brand and flavor of yogurt. As I explored more I quickly realized how specific the foods were! Incredible!
The settings page allows you to enter goals for calories, weight, workout days, and much more. I was able to enter my 1700 calories a day goal. As you enter your food you pick whether it was for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snack. The program will deduct the calories you have and break it down by each meal. I am able to see exactly how many calories I have had and where!
The coolest thing about the app so the bar code scanner feature. Tonight I was able to scan the code on the lettuce, cheese, salsa, sour cream, and chips I used for my taco salad. When you scan the bar code it will bring up the calories based on the serving size on the package. From there you can adjust the serving size to fit what you had! This is an amazing tool because it takes time away from searching through a list of foods (not that searching the list takes forever).
Another fun feature of the app is that once you have entered a food, you will be able to select it again. I also have the app on my iPad so anything i enter on my phone is shared and sent to the iPad app. These are the features I am most familiar with at this point.
Today was a great day food wise! I am really getting the hang of this:) I am excited to start cooking next week! I spent a little time tonight going through and looking for some recipes!
Quote of the day: Everyday do something that will inch you closer to a better tomorrow!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
I remembered a while back I had downloaded this app called MyFitnessPal because it was one of the top apps. At the time I hadn't really explored it too much. I knew it was a place to enter food, but I had no idea how much it could actually do! I had an extra break today so I decided to explore. I was amazed at how many brand name foods they had! Other calorie counters I looked at have a generic food name and number. This app is so specific that it had my exact brand and flavor of yogurt. As I explored more I quickly realized how specific the foods were! Incredible!
The settings page allows you to enter goals for calories, weight, workout days, and much more. I was able to enter my 1700 calories a day goal. As you enter your food you pick whether it was for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snack. The program will deduct the calories you have and break it down by each meal. I am able to see exactly how many calories I have had and where!
The coolest thing about the app so the bar code scanner feature. Tonight I was able to scan the code on the lettuce, cheese, salsa, sour cream, and chips I used for my taco salad. When you scan the bar code it will bring up the calories based on the serving size on the package. From there you can adjust the serving size to fit what you had! This is an amazing tool because it takes time away from searching through a list of foods (not that searching the list takes forever).
Another fun feature of the app is that once you have entered a food, you will be able to select it again. I also have the app on my iPad so anything i enter on my phone is shared and sent to the iPad app. These are the features I am most familiar with at this point.
Today was a great day food wise! I am really getting the hang of this:) I am excited to start cooking next week! I spent a little time tonight going through and looking for some recipes!
Quote of the day: Everyday do something that will inch you closer to a better tomorrow!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Butt Kicking and Re-Assurance
Tonight's post is going to be about getting my butt kicked yesterday and the re-assurance that I am on the right path to a healthier lifestyle!!
Bosu Blast was what kicked my butt yesterday! I went to the YMCA to take this new class. I have never done it and thought it would be fun! Well it was fun meeting new people who helped me get set, not so fun on my calves!!! For those of you who don't know what a bosu ball is.....here you go!
Bosu Blast was what kicked my butt yesterday! I went to the YMCA to take this new class. I have never done it and thought it would be fun! Well it was fun meeting new people who helped me get set, not so fun on my calves!!! For those of you who don't know what a bosu ball is.....here you go!
This fun little squishy blue thing may look friendly, but it's not!!! Man o man did it give me a good work out! I have used a bosu ball with a trainer before. I would do push ups by putting the blue side down or balance on it and do some squats. We did both of those in the class so I was able to do that!!!! The first part of the class felt like a step class. I couldn't quite get the basic step down, but the other ones were not a problem. After ten minutes of trying to gain my balance I finally felt like I was keeping up! I started at with a very squishy bosu and at some point in the class the lady behind me offered to switch bosu's with me since hers was a little studier. She thought it might help me and it did!!! After class was over my face was as red as my Camry!!! I felt great after and was excited to take the class again!! My feeling is that with some practice I will be in much more control next time :)
After school I headed over to meet with my nutritionist for the second time. Going into the meeting I felt really confident about my work over the past 10 days. We sat down and she asked me how everything was going. After admitting that the first weekend was a total wash, I informed her of my progress. I showed her some of the choices I was making, talked about the timing of day, and how the prep was going. She was very pleased at my progress!! Wahooooo!!! We didn't talk about all the foods I was eating which was nice. Today we focused on dinner. After the first meeting I had indicated that sometimes it was easier to go out and grab something then cook a meal for one. My trouble with cooking is that I would have all these leftover and then either forget to eat them or not feel in the mood for them! One of her many great suggestions today was cook meals on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday then have leftovers on Thursday and Friday and then for lunch! I loved this idea!! Even though it meant cooking for three days, I liked that I would have leftovers days later and not feel like I was eating the same meal three nights in a row!!
We came up with meal ideas for three weeks!! She started by giving a suggestion and then having me say yes for I would eat it or no I won't eat it. At first I thought I was going to have a lot of no's. The only one I said no to was meatloaf!!! Maybe I am not such a picky eater!!! We didn't go through and make specific recipes but talked about how to make most of them. She even gave me some suggestions to make some of the healthier!!
Week 1-spaghetti (whole wheat), stuffed red peppers, roast beef in crock pot, grilled shrimp on a salad, BBQ chicken, Palmero ultra thin crust pizza.
Week 2-tacos (cummin and chilli pepper in place of taco seasoning) soup and grilled cheese ( on whole wheat bread), grilled salmon, pork loin, chicken in a crock pot.
Week 3-chicken fajita, chili, steak, Mrs. Dash marinated chicken, chicken casserole, chicken soup.
I hope as you are reading these you are saying "wow these seem easy to make." I liked the fact that a good amount of them can be made in the crock pot and then frozen for later!! Next week I hope to blog about my cooking experiences with the week 1 meals.
In week three you will see something called Mrs. Dash. We talked today how Mrs. Dash is seasoning and marinade that was created after a study was done. Mrs. Dash has no salt added. My nutritionist raved about how she uses this stuff on everything! Meats and veggies!! She gave me some great ideas for green beans and asparagus!!!
Overall it has been a great few days!! I am excited to go shopping this weekend for some of my new dinner ideas!
Goal Update: Cook new meals next week and blog about the experience!!
Book Recommendation: Healthy Homestyle Cooking by Evelyn Tribole
Tuesday's Quote: "My advice is to go into something and stay with it until you like it. You can't like it until you obtain expertise in that work. And once your are an expert, it's a pleasure."
Wednesday's Quote: " You've got to say, I think that if I keep working at this and want it badly enough I can have it. It's called perseverance."
Have a great Thursday!!!!!
Monday, January 30, 2012
Just Cause I Am On a Diet Doesn't Mean I can't Eat Out!!
This weekend was the first true test about whether or not I could eat out! I am here to report that it can be done!!!!
Friday night a friend asked me to go out to dinner. We went to a local restaurant to visit her sister and hang out. Before going to dinner I had a piece of fruit as I knew that I needed to have some with dinner. For dinner I had a delicious salad with lettuce, tomato, cucumbers, feta cheese, grilled chicken, and some pita slices. I had the dressing some on the side as I knew I did not want everything drenched in it. The dressing was low fat balsamic. Yummmmmy!! I had one small triangle of the pita and then put the rest to the side. Since the pita seemed to be white bread instead of whole wheat I figured one piece would be good. The portion of the salad was a big one, however I did not eat the whole thing. Just because it was there doesn't mean I needed to eat it all! I did also have a couple of light beers. I might have gone over my fat intake for the day, however I was proud of myself for not ordering a burger and french fries!!!
My nutritionist gave me a great app to download on my phone. It's called "restaurants" and has a picture of a fork, spoon, and knife. This is a fantastic app that lists most major restaurants. In the app you can select what restaurant you want, select the food, and see how many calories each food item is. The app has everything from Subway, Starbucks, California Pizza Kitchen and many others!! This is a great way to plan ahead to see what meal you might want and how many calories it is. At my first appointment we took a look at what I had that day (coffee from Caribou and a cinnamon raisin bagel with cream cheese from Brueggers). We pulled up the total calorie amount which was around 800!!!! Next we plugged in a coffee with skim milk no whip and light cream cheese on the side. This amount was more the half the original!!! I believe it came in around 400 calories. The reason for sharing this is to show that even if I wanted to have the same breakfast that day there were other options I could have selected to not have as many calories. This option would still be able to work as long as I remember to have my dairy, protein and fruit with it!!
My nutritionist also writes a blog. On her blog this weekend she talked about Chili's and how they have a newer lighter menu. You can go directly to their website and look at the menu. She also wrote that the menu has a QRC bar code that you can scan and it will bring up all the nutritional information! I love Chili's so to know that they have a fairly bigger healthier option menu, I know that next time someone says dinner I am going to suggest there!!
Big shout out to my college roommate Chris! She writes the blog Traditional Life on Hold and was recently tagged in her first post. Chris wrote a post about seven things people didn't know about her and then had to tag 15 people. She was so kind to tag yours truly!!! I meant to follow the trend but lost track of time this weekend (hence why this post is so late). I feel so honored that she mentioned me!! Little does she know that I copy ideas from her blog all the time!!! Thanks Chris :)
Wednesday is my follow up appointment! I am excited to go back and she what other advice she has to share. In the back of my food record I am keeping track of all the questions I have. Look for the questions and answers on Wednesday!!
Quote of the day "Always concentrate on how far you have come rather than how far your have left to go" So true!!! If I was to look at how far I have left to go then I would probably stop. Since I am just beginning my path might seem like it will never end. If I look at how far I have come already that I am excited!!!
Hope everyone had a great Monday :)
Friday night a friend asked me to go out to dinner. We went to a local restaurant to visit her sister and hang out. Before going to dinner I had a piece of fruit as I knew that I needed to have some with dinner. For dinner I had a delicious salad with lettuce, tomato, cucumbers, feta cheese, grilled chicken, and some pita slices. I had the dressing some on the side as I knew I did not want everything drenched in it. The dressing was low fat balsamic. Yummmmmy!! I had one small triangle of the pita and then put the rest to the side. Since the pita seemed to be white bread instead of whole wheat I figured one piece would be good. The portion of the salad was a big one, however I did not eat the whole thing. Just because it was there doesn't mean I needed to eat it all! I did also have a couple of light beers. I might have gone over my fat intake for the day, however I was proud of myself for not ordering a burger and french fries!!!
My nutritionist gave me a great app to download on my phone. It's called "restaurants" and has a picture of a fork, spoon, and knife. This is a fantastic app that lists most major restaurants. In the app you can select what restaurant you want, select the food, and see how many calories each food item is. The app has everything from Subway, Starbucks, California Pizza Kitchen and many others!! This is a great way to plan ahead to see what meal you might want and how many calories it is. At my first appointment we took a look at what I had that day (coffee from Caribou and a cinnamon raisin bagel with cream cheese from Brueggers). We pulled up the total calorie amount which was around 800!!!! Next we plugged in a coffee with skim milk no whip and light cream cheese on the side. This amount was more the half the original!!! I believe it came in around 400 calories. The reason for sharing this is to show that even if I wanted to have the same breakfast that day there were other options I could have selected to not have as many calories. This option would still be able to work as long as I remember to have my dairy, protein and fruit with it!!
My nutritionist also writes a blog. On her blog this weekend she talked about Chili's and how they have a newer lighter menu. You can go directly to their website and look at the menu. She also wrote that the menu has a QRC bar code that you can scan and it will bring up all the nutritional information! I love Chili's so to know that they have a fairly bigger healthier option menu, I know that next time someone says dinner I am going to suggest there!!
Big shout out to my college roommate Chris! She writes the blog Traditional Life on Hold and was recently tagged in her first post. Chris wrote a post about seven things people didn't know about her and then had to tag 15 people. She was so kind to tag yours truly!!! I meant to follow the trend but lost track of time this weekend (hence why this post is so late). I feel so honored that she mentioned me!! Little does she know that I copy ideas from her blog all the time!!! Thanks Chris :)
Wednesday is my follow up appointment! I am excited to go back and she what other advice she has to share. In the back of my food record I am keeping track of all the questions I have. Look for the questions and answers on Wednesday!!
Quote of the day "Always concentrate on how far you have come rather than how far your have left to go" So true!!! If I was to look at how far I have left to go then I would probably stop. Since I am just beginning my path might seem like it will never end. If I look at how far I have come already that I am excited!!!
Hope everyone had a great Monday :)
Thursday, January 26, 2012
The Plan
People have been asking me about the new plan I am following. Basically I am eating 1700 calories a day and make sure I have a balanced meal each time. Now I have heard eat a balanced meal before, however I never completely understood how important it was.
Here is the plan.....
1700 Calorie Plan
Daily goals: 2 low fat dairy, 4 fruit, 5 vegetables, 4 whole grains/starch, 12oz protein, 3 healthy fats
Breakfast (220 calories) 1 whole grain, 1 low fat dairy, 1 fruit, 2 protein
Snack (130 calories) 1 whole grain, 1 oz protein
Lunch (495 calories) 1 whole grain, 4 oz protein, 2 vegetables, 1 fruit, 1 fat
Snack (110 calories) 1 oz protein, 1 fruit
Dinner (585 calories) 1 whole grain, 4 oz protein, 3 vegetables, 1 fruit, 2 fats
Snack (80 calories) 1 low fat dairy
40% carbs (170 grams)
30% protein (128 grams)
30% fat (57 grams)
I know what you are thinking....what the fudge does that mean? The idea behind this is to make sure I eat a little bit of everything and not cut nothing out. I'm hitting all the food groups!
When tennis picks up in the spring and I am playing more I will obviously eat more since I am burning more. This plan is based off of one day of tennis and two days in the gym.
My big goals for the plan is to eat more whole wheat stuff and more veggies! Looks like a lot of stuff but I found with the right size proportion you will be really full!
This weekend I will discuss some of the options I have been picking for each, and how going out to dinner has been. I still do eat out but have found that with new insight I am making better choices!
Today was another successful day!
Quote of the day is " The biggest weight loss secret? Manage your emotions or they will keep mismanaging you."
I feel like I could go on for days about my personal experiences with this quote. Sometimes I feel like I am on an emotional roller oyster! Then again who doesn't when they are trying to change their lifestyle. What's different about this time is I feel like since I am taking myself serious other people are as well and are continuing to give me encouragement and support! This is not to say that they didn't before, maybe it's that I am accepting it and taking it to heart!
Note to readers, this might be the only time I write two blogs in one day! I deserve a (healthy) treat :)
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Here is the plan.....
1700 Calorie Plan
Daily goals: 2 low fat dairy, 4 fruit, 5 vegetables, 4 whole grains/starch, 12oz protein, 3 healthy fats
Breakfast (220 calories) 1 whole grain, 1 low fat dairy, 1 fruit, 2 protein
Snack (130 calories) 1 whole grain, 1 oz protein
Lunch (495 calories) 1 whole grain, 4 oz protein, 2 vegetables, 1 fruit, 1 fat
Snack (110 calories) 1 oz protein, 1 fruit
Dinner (585 calories) 1 whole grain, 4 oz protein, 3 vegetables, 1 fruit, 2 fats
Snack (80 calories) 1 low fat dairy
40% carbs (170 grams)
30% protein (128 grams)
30% fat (57 grams)
I know what you are thinking....what the fudge does that mean? The idea behind this is to make sure I eat a little bit of everything and not cut nothing out. I'm hitting all the food groups!
When tennis picks up in the spring and I am playing more I will obviously eat more since I am burning more. This plan is based off of one day of tennis and two days in the gym.
My big goals for the plan is to eat more whole wheat stuff and more veggies! Looks like a lot of stuff but I found with the right size proportion you will be really full!
This weekend I will discuss some of the options I have been picking for each, and how going out to dinner has been. I still do eat out but have found that with new insight I am making better choices!
Today was another successful day!
Quote of the day is " The biggest weight loss secret? Manage your emotions or they will keep mismanaging you."
I feel like I could go on for days about my personal experiences with this quote. Sometimes I feel like I am on an emotional roller oyster! Then again who doesn't when they are trying to change their lifestyle. What's different about this time is I feel like since I am taking myself serious other people are as well and are continuing to give me encouragement and support! This is not to say that they didn't before, maybe it's that I am accepting it and taking it to heart!
Note to readers, this might be the only time I write two blogs in one day! I deserve a (healthy) treat :)
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
I'm Back in the Game
I have an excuse, a good one! (I promise) Last night I picked up the trusty racket again and played some tennis! This was the first time since mid December I had played. Let me tell you it felt soooo good! I haven't been intentionally not playing, I was up in NY then on my cruise so I really have not had the time. I played women's doubles and mixed and won both!! My shots were not perfect but they worked farely well for someone who hasn't hit in a month!! The team won in dramatic fashion! Due to the fact that we lost on court but were up by 1 we had to play a super tie breaker!! Two of my teammates played awesome and won!! Wahoooooooo!
After the match six of us went out to celebrate being undefeated and clinching a trip to regional! I had one light beer and two pieces of nachos. I was a little hungry and hadn't had the chance to have my last snack. While in retrospect I probably could have passed on both, I figured I made a good beer choice and only snacked a bit. This is a hug step up as opposed to have two beers and eating a full meal!! Small victories make big changes!!
Another full day of eating went great! I prepared everything the night before so I didn't have to do much. For breakfast I had a bowl of whole grain peanut butter Cheerios which were delicious!! This was the first time in years that I had cereal and milk! I probably could have gone without the peanut butter kind but they were yummy!!
The rest of the day went great as well!! Had a good amount of food that I enjoyed!
Yesterdays quote was "Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out."
Another great quote!!! I am starting to put all of the small efforts together! If I keep repeating them and making good choices then I know I will have a lot of success!
After the match six of us went out to celebrate being undefeated and clinching a trip to regional! I had one light beer and two pieces of nachos. I was a little hungry and hadn't had the chance to have my last snack. While in retrospect I probably could have passed on both, I figured I made a good beer choice and only snacked a bit. This is a hug step up as opposed to have two beers and eating a full meal!! Small victories make big changes!!
Another full day of eating went great! I prepared everything the night before so I didn't have to do much. For breakfast I had a bowl of whole grain peanut butter Cheerios which were delicious!! This was the first time in years that I had cereal and milk! I probably could have gone without the peanut butter kind but they were yummy!!
The rest of the day went great as well!! Had a good amount of food that I enjoyed!
Yesterdays quote was "Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out."
Another great quote!!! I am starting to put all of the small efforts together! If I keep repeating them and making good choices then I know I will have a lot of success!
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Mini Hiatus Over
I'm here, I'm here! I know it has been a few days since my last post! This weekend was all about a 30th birthday celebration. I was so consumed with getting ready for it and recovering from it! I think I am way past my partying prime! Plus it really got me off to a bad start.
I have to be honest and say I didn't follow the plan this weekend. I wouldn't say I went back to my old habits. I was conscious about my choices, however they weren't within my calorie range.
Monday was a better day. I still up to that point had not gone shopping. I was able to make due with what I had in my house. I was a little short on my vegetable in take. After school on Monday I did a BIG shopping trip. I ventured into Walmart in order to save a little $. Ooooops! I spent way more then I planned. Despite the overspend I was ale to get a lot of good and healthy stuff.
Today was a great day! I was really able to follow the plan. I made good choices all day. At this point I don't feel hungry! I wrote down everything i ate today. My entries did have the calorie amount. Not sure if I should write that down as well. Thoughts?
Since I am backed up a few days on quotes, I decided to put my favorite one down. " Get rid of the negative people in your life-surround yourself with positive people who believe in you and inspire you." this quote has a lot of meaning to me. I feel very blessed and fortunate and have all positive people in my life! The support system around me is outstanding. I have two great parents, an awesome sister, and an amazing aunt. Each and everyday that encourage and support me in all aspects of my life. I am also very fortunate to have amazing college roommates that I keep in touch with constantly. My coworkers keep me going everyday! There are so many wonderful people in all aspects of my life!
Well that is enough rambling for tonight! Until tomorrow :)
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
I have to be honest and say I didn't follow the plan this weekend. I wouldn't say I went back to my old habits. I was conscious about my choices, however they weren't within my calorie range.
Monday was a better day. I still up to that point had not gone shopping. I was able to make due with what I had in my house. I was a little short on my vegetable in take. After school on Monday I did a BIG shopping trip. I ventured into Walmart in order to save a little $. Ooooops! I spent way more then I planned. Despite the overspend I was ale to get a lot of good and healthy stuff.
Today was a great day! I was really able to follow the plan. I made good choices all day. At this point I don't feel hungry! I wrote down everything i ate today. My entries did have the calorie amount. Not sure if I should write that down as well. Thoughts?
Since I am backed up a few days on quotes, I decided to put my favorite one down. " Get rid of the negative people in your life-surround yourself with positive people who believe in you and inspire you." this quote has a lot of meaning to me. I feel very blessed and fortunate and have all positive people in my life! The support system around me is outstanding. I have two great parents, an awesome sister, and an amazing aunt. Each and everyday that encourage and support me in all aspects of my life. I am also very fortunate to have amazing college roommates that I keep in touch with constantly. My coworkers keep me going everyday! There are so many wonderful people in all aspects of my life!
Well that is enough rambling for tonight! Until tomorrow :)
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Friday, January 20, 2012
And were off!
Well it is safe to say that day number 1 went pretty well!! After thinking through things last night I realized that I was going to be able to get things done. As long as I keep a positive attitude through the good times and bad things are going to work out!!
Today was hard to follow the plan! Not because I didn't like the food, but because I didn't have any of the foods I needed in my house!! Ooops!! Kinda important Molly!! I got home late last night and then had to get up this morning and go to a meeting and then work!!!
I had some eggs in my fridge that I put in the microwave with a few red and green peppers. I cooked them in the microwave for way too long! I tried a few bites and they just weren't edible!! FAIL! My plan also suggested having a piece of wheat toast (had none), yogurt (just ran out yesterday), and fruit (check). Well there goes breakfast!! Not to self....make sure to have plenty of options!!
Lunch was the same. I didn't have any of the proper food in the house. I ventured over to Jason's Deli to see what they had. I can report that I found something that follows the plan!!! My lunch plan was to have 4oz protein, 2 veggies, 1 fruit, and 1 fat. I got a Mediterranean wrap with turkey, red pepper hummus, cucumbers, tomatoes, and lettuce!! The meal was only 320 calories! Success!!!
Snack times went well! I did have some cheese and protein around!! Then came dinner....well not to (start) make any excuses but 1) I still hadn't been able to go grocery shopping and 2) one of my dear friends turned 30 today so we went out to dinner!! This was def hard. I know I did not do the best job of sticking to my plan. The restaurant we picked did not have the best of options. Lesson learned, when going to dinner make sure to pick a places that has options for me to follow!!
Despite the lack of food, I felt that if I had the proper things I would have done a good job today. First to do in the AM.....grocery shopping!!
Tomorrow should be better!!
My good friend Ginnie and I made plans for this next week to go to the gym!! We planned three days together and are going to do a swim class, cycle class, and muscle class. Very excited!! Thanks Deaton :)
Not sure if I mentioned this but my sister is going to send me a motivational quote each day. Her first quote was "Instead of giving myself reasons why I can't, I give myself reasons why I can" This was a PERFECT quote for the first day. I feel that in the past all of would do is say why I can't. With a new change in attitude I know that I need to keep saying CAN, CAN, CAN!!
Her second fun quote was from Ellen DeGeneres "You have to stay in shape. My grandmother, she started walking five miles a day when she was 60. She's 97 today and we don't know where the hell she is." I love this quote!! Ellen is one of my favorite actresses. Plus it goes to show that it is NEVER too late to start!!!
Summary:
-Make sure house is properly stocked with the right food choices
-Plan ahead when going out for a meal
-Word of the day is CAN!
Today was hard to follow the plan! Not because I didn't like the food, but because I didn't have any of the foods I needed in my house!! Ooops!! Kinda important Molly!! I got home late last night and then had to get up this morning and go to a meeting and then work!!!
I had some eggs in my fridge that I put in the microwave with a few red and green peppers. I cooked them in the microwave for way too long! I tried a few bites and they just weren't edible!! FAIL! My plan also suggested having a piece of wheat toast (had none), yogurt (just ran out yesterday), and fruit (check). Well there goes breakfast!! Not to self....make sure to have plenty of options!!
Lunch was the same. I didn't have any of the proper food in the house. I ventured over to Jason's Deli to see what they had. I can report that I found something that follows the plan!!! My lunch plan was to have 4oz protein, 2 veggies, 1 fruit, and 1 fat. I got a Mediterranean wrap with turkey, red pepper hummus, cucumbers, tomatoes, and lettuce!! The meal was only 320 calories! Success!!!
Snack times went well! I did have some cheese and protein around!! Then came dinner....well not to (start) make any excuses but 1) I still hadn't been able to go grocery shopping and 2) one of my dear friends turned 30 today so we went out to dinner!! This was def hard. I know I did not do the best job of sticking to my plan. The restaurant we picked did not have the best of options. Lesson learned, when going to dinner make sure to pick a places that has options for me to follow!!
Despite the lack of food, I felt that if I had the proper things I would have done a good job today. First to do in the AM.....grocery shopping!!
Tomorrow should be better!!
My good friend Ginnie and I made plans for this next week to go to the gym!! We planned three days together and are going to do a swim class, cycle class, and muscle class. Very excited!! Thanks Deaton :)
Not sure if I mentioned this but my sister is going to send me a motivational quote each day. Her first quote was "Instead of giving myself reasons why I can't, I give myself reasons why I can" This was a PERFECT quote for the first day. I feel that in the past all of would do is say why I can't. With a new change in attitude I know that I need to keep saying CAN, CAN, CAN!!
Her second fun quote was from Ellen DeGeneres "You have to stay in shape. My grandmother, she started walking five miles a day when she was 60. She's 97 today and we don't know where the hell she is." I love this quote!! Ellen is one of my favorite actresses. Plus it goes to show that it is NEVER too late to start!!!
Summary:
-Make sure house is properly stocked with the right food choices
-Plan ahead when going out for a meal
-Word of the day is CAN!
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Goals
Here is a list of goals to work towards...
-Go to the gym four times a week or three if I play tennis one night.
-Try one new recipe a week.
-Lose 20 lbs by June 1st.
-Hike a 14er in Denver this summer with my mom and sister.
-Keep my blog updated!
I am not putting a deadline on these goals! I know going into this that these are something to work towards. Ask long as I strive each day to do my best then I know that I will reach my goals before I know it!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
-Go to the gym four times a week or three if I play tennis one night.
-Try one new recipe a week.
-Lose 20 lbs by June 1st.
-Hike a 14er in Denver this summer with my mom and sister.
-Keep my blog updated!
I am not putting a deadline on these goals! I know going into this that these are something to work towards. Ask long as I strive each day to do my best then I know that I will reach my goals before I know it!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Let The Games Begin!
Welcome to my first blog post. I have decided to start a blog about my journey to become a healthier person. I have friends that blog and I enjoy reading theirs so I figured I would give it a shot.
Today I took the first step to help me start to live a healthier lifestyle. I visited Triangle Nutrition Therapy. I was very scared and hesitant to go. I didn't want another person judging me!
Let's just say I had one of those big Aha moments. I will spare you all the details but lets just say this was the second time in my life I have experienced something life changing.
For the first time in a while I felt that the steps my coach provided for me was something that I could manage. It felt like she provided me with changes and goals that would be reachable. This is going to be one of the hardest things to do. I am lucky that I have supportive friends and family to surround me with encouragement! Hopefully this blog will hold me accountable!
Look each day for a new quote. My sister is going to give me a new one each day! Enjoy the first read :)
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