Vacation...SHORT(s)!

One day of leisure before I have to suck it up and return to the ball and chain that is my desk and email.

*sigh*

But going back to the grind is always a good thing for me. My routines go out the window with no schedule to wrap them around and although I've only had one episode of all-out frivolity (yes, that means too many calories consumed by way of wine glass) since Friday, I know that I won't be seeing a loss when I get on the scale Friday morning. I'm aiming for a maintain.

I got a few miles in this extended holiday weekend on top of buying that fitness ball and....
running shorts!

There goes the neighborhood.

I haven't worn shorts since around 1998. I hate the way they ride up from my thighs rubbing together and I always end up walking like a cowgirl to prevent that from happening. Well, they still ride up. I have thighs. Always have, except for a brief moment around 140 when I was taking a fitness credit ballet class in college. But I have to find a way to continue running in this humid Georgia climate, so I found myself in Target trying on shorts Saturday. Not as horrible of an experience as I imagined it would be. Even the clothed view from the rear wasn't especially horrifying. Hurray!

Tomorrow I will end my vacation with a trip to the Farmer's Market with Joe to buy a few nice cheeses for a dinner we're hosting Saturday night and maybe pick up some in-season produce - whatever looks good. My goal of eating more fruit would certainly be more easily acheived if I actually bought some. Can't wait to see what I come home with!

Catch up with you all on the other side (the work side, that is).

Helloooooooooo 150's! (part II)

Yo silly, elusive number on the scale!
I'm baaaaaaaaaaack!

158.8

2 pounds lost this week!
Take that, pesky 160's.

The secret to my success this week has no doubt been the continued journaling of every bite of food during the week in my spiral notebook. Here's what else I improved on from last week:

1. Measured most everything. (I feel that measuring peanut butter is more trouble than it's worth. Can I get an amen?)

2. Ate a 1/2 banana every morning. That's more fruit in a day than I got at all last week. It's a start.

3. My workout tomorrow will put me at my (silent) goal of 4 workouts this week.

4. I have included the strength training routines after my runs twice this week.

5. Looking back over my food journal, I don't see too many huge setbacks. This is mainly due to my lack of journaling over the weekend. I will admit, Saturday was pretty rough: I had 4 or 5 beers at the lake. That doesn't even include the nibbles of junk here and there throughout the day. The purchase of a large bag of Doritos "for Joe" on Sunday wasn't the best idea I've had, but I managed to hold it down to a serving and a half the entire week. AND they're the hotwing/blue cheese combos. GOOD lordamercy tasty!

6. I substituted healthier side dishes with my dinners every night. Tons of veggies instead of something starchy.

7. I just realized that this 'clean out the pantry' project I've been on for almost a month now has discouraged my snack intake (since there are no snacks around to be eaten). And to be honest, I'm hardly missing the 100-cal packs and puddings! That's huge for me. I think I'll just skip that aisle at the grocery store when I finally go this weekend.

THINGS I CAN DO BETTER NEXT WEEK

1. More fruit, more fruit, more fruit. Otherwise, I feel my diet right now is pretty stellar! Wow, I can't believe I can say that!

2. Eh, what's one more workout gonna hurt. I am DYING to sign up for a yoga class or a gym. I need something new, but money is tight for now. So on the to-do list, I think I'll buy that exercise ball I've been wanting for ages. Way cheaper than yoga class.

3. Enjoy my vacation and time away from work! (without finding myself back in the 160's next week)

Happy Memorial Day!

Favorite Finds

I can't believe I've had 20 packs of these in my pantry since January and I'm just now trying them!

These have surged ahead of the competition in the race for my favorite afternoon (or sometimes morning) snack. They're perfectly sweet and salty, really fill me up and keep me from pantry raiding when I come through the back door at 5:17. I thought I would have to resort to hiding the last few bags from Joe or challenge him to a duel if he tried to take them. Lucikly, the shipment arrived today to replenish our stock and has likely saved our engagement.

These perfectly sized bags of soy nut mix Crum Creek's Brilliantly Blended Soy Nut Mix are:

Organic
High in fiber
High in protein
Just 6 net grams of carbohydrates per serving
Conveniently packaged in 10 single-serving packs(1 oz. each)
Trans fat and cholesterol-free
Kosher
Vegan

Soy Nut Mix Ingredients:
Organic Non-GMO Soy Nuts, Organic Chocolate Chips (organic cane sugar, organic chocolate liquor, organic cocoa butter, organic vanilla beans, soy lecithin), Organic Sunflower Seeds, Organic Pumpkin Seeds, Organic Raisins, Expeller-pressed Canola Oil, Sea Salt.

130 calories per bag or 2 points.

You can order them here individually or as I prefer, in the Hungry Girl Super Snack Duo containing soy bites and soy nut mix. 12 bags of soy bites, 20 bags of soy nut mixes all for $20 including shipping.

Reminder to Self

For later this week when I am finding any excuse to not workout:

DO IT!
YOU'LL FEEL BETTER!
NO. YOU'LL FEEL AMAZINGLY AWESOME!
YOU'LL FEEL STRONG!
YOU'LL THINK CLEARER!
YOU'LL SLEEP BETTER!
YOU'LL BE CLOSER TO YOUR GOAL ON THAT CRUISE SHIP!
YOU'LL BE A HOTTIE!

Now get off your ass, future me. Feel as good as you do right now!

yeah yeah

Steady at 160.8 this morning. (I was 160.0 yesterday morning - Again I say, stupid scale!)

I imagine the demolishing of tuna salad AFTER dinner last night did not help. I had only eaten 400 calories by the time dinner was on my plate, so I was famished. Not a good plan.

Ah well. I still feel back on track. Still writing everything down. Trying to workout as much as possible, including strength training additions to my runs this week. I found the perfect circuit training set in a Fitness magazine that kicked my butt with squat/dumbell combos and planks.

Looking back over my food journal for the week, here are my observations:

• I desperately need to buy groceries. This 'emptying the pantry' mission is starting to limit my healthy eating options.
• I'm averaging around 1400 calories a day. I think. See next bullet point.
• I'm still not measuring exact sizes. I'm eyeballing. This is something I need to work on next week.
• The lack of fruit appearing on these pages is appaling. The grocery excursion will definitely need to include a selection of 'new' fruits I haven't had in a while - grapes and bananas might be good. Perhaps a smoothie for breakfast will help with the fruit intake. Any other ideas out there?
• I need to ditch the pretzel snack I go for at around 3pm and go back to nuts or a Fiber One bar instead. Those wasabi almonds are really calling my name.
• Clearly, I love vegetables. But I tend to think of them as free foods that I don't have to measure. Do I really need to?

So the goal for next week is to incorporate these into my food plan AND be in the 150's by next Friday. I'm gonna kick me some 160's ass next week!

On a side note, taking our puppies to the lake tomorrow. It's their first time (that we know of) being in water. Should be a blast!

old school

I've figured out what to do. Desperate times...

I'm going old school and journaling my food & activity in a little spiral notebook...

And it's working!!!

It's been since last November since I've really, seriously, truly journaled everything. I'm always conscious of my choices, but sometimes you do forget and underestimate what you've eaten throughout the day. I like to blame that on a combination of my thirty-something year old memory and ADD - but placing blame certainly doesn't help the case of my fifty-something year old looking ass.

Joe and I have booked a cruise to Mexico leaving August 30. What a perfect time to start a new goal - for my 35th birthday! And this, my friends, will be my last scale-related goal. After I reach the 145 mark, I plan to stick to fitness goals and measurements. I don't want to be obsessed with the scale anymore. I feel chained to it.

But don't worry. That doesn't mean I'll let go of it all. Oh hell no. I love my newly purchased size 10 jeans (or maybe an 8 when I'm finished)! The exercise is now a part of my lifestyle. And I love having legs that I'm kinda proud of for the first time EVA in my life! The scale hasn't budged for me in a few months now, but my body still has. So I feel confident in declaring 145 as the stopping point. It's practical and healthy for my height and frame. I graduated high school close to 170 - so suffice it to say, I've never been skinny. I wasn't born skinny. I don't care if I ever AM skinny. I just want to FEEL good.

I love to pieces how some of you have posted your bikini pics. I'm jumping on the bandwagon and embracing my body! I plan to have one for the cruise and of course I'll also have a camera in hand. No better time than then, right?

So expect to see me in all my dimply glory on September 8th. Mark your calendars!!

Off My Ass

The motivation is slowly dwendling. I can feel it.
It's been 2 weeks since my last run.
It's been 2 weeks since my last loss.
The last loss was a desperate attempt to lose some of the 4 pounds I've gained.


I need a kick in the butt.

I need a plan. I need a new plan. The old plan is no longer working.

I have but 15 pounds left to lose. I've been sitting at this number on the scale for pretty much the entire year. I'm ready to be DONE with it.

*sigh*