Monday, July 12, 2010

Monday again!

I could not sleep last night! I think it was a combination of all the food I ate mixed with a 9pm run. I tossed and turned until 2am. I was not a happy camper this morning. I actually plan on going to bed by 8 tonight. I like to wake up early in the morning to enjoy my breakfast and the quiet before getting my day started. The kids and I were headed to the YMCA today so I made a quick breakfast.
This mess is actually a Van's Waffle (70cal,1wwpt) with 1/2 a cup of Fage O% (60cal, 1pt) and 34g of SF strawberry jam (20cal, opt). This is a really great combo. I usually add some oatmeal on the side, but I was in a hurry this morning.

I got the kids off to science camp at the Y and took a spin class. I am really enjoying spin. I like how much I sweat in it. It is great cross training and I feel like my legs look different already.

After spin we went to Cool Cut's to get Ryan a haircut. I tried to grow it out, but was tired of trying to untangle the rats nest in the back every morning. Now she looks like she has a home.


She wanted me to show you all the back.
I am about to eat my lunch of broccoli, brussel sprouts, and an Earthgrain sandwich thin (100cal,1pt) with a Laughing Cow Light Garlic and Herb wedge (35cal,1pt) and 1/2 cup of egg whites (60cal,1pt).
I need to get off the computer because my kids are making a fort in their room and need my chair. Have a great afternoon!


Sunday, July 11, 2010

Back to my old self

I wanted to share another picture of Vegas. Someone just emailed it to me. Let me just say I had been drinking for quite a while at this point so I do understand that I look a little scary. At least I am smiling!
Thanks for being patient this last week or so. I can say that I am back to my old self again. I was really struggling this week with my OCD. An obsession comes back every now and then and the only way I can explain it is that it is like a cloud that suddenly comes over you. Sounds corny, I know, but that truly is what it feels like. It is almost like my head gets foggy and I have a hard time differentiating between what is "real" and what is my OCD. An obsession seems so real, that I can't tell if it is true, or my disease talking. My therapist used to teach me to say "it is not me, it's my OCD", but when you are in the middle of a really good obsession those words hold no meaning. Anyway, I prayed that God would just take this from me quickly, and I feel so much better. In some ways my OCD is a blessing. It teaches me to appreciate the times I feel good or normal. I can enjoy the little things so much more. I have also learned that I have to take very good care of myself or my OCD will flare up. First, I have to sleep enough. I also have to eat right. Hormones play a role too. Unfortunately I have been struggling with a balance lately. I have been working out constantly without rest, and I think I have messed up my system a little. I have not had my cycle in almost 6 months and as much as I would love to be menopausal at 30, my Dr. says it is too young. I am trying to add some more healthy fat into my diet and hopefully that will start some estrogen. I am starting to lose my hair, and I am always cold, both signs that my body fat is a little low. It is just hard to have lost weight, only to have to gain some back. I need to learn balance. That should also help my control my OCD.
I will start showing meals and exercise schedules tomorrow. I have actually had a pretty bad day of eats. It started well, but then after eating too much Greek food for lunch (can you say baklava) and then proceeding to eat my weight in pretzels, chips and salsa this afternoon, followed by a funfetti cupcake (or 3) and ice cream, my tummy is pretty upset with me. I was going to take today as a rest day from exercise but after coming home tonight from Jeff's parents I knew I needed to burn off some of the sugar I consumed. I went on a slow and uncomfortable 4 1/2 mile run. Did I say how slow and uncomfortable it was? First off, I don't usually run at 9:00pm so I spent my entire run trying not to trip and fall. Second, my tummy was so full that I almost stopped to get sick in the bushes. I barely kept under a 9min mile and that is slow for me. My long runs are usually an 8:30 or better so it was kind of sad. At least I maybe worked off 1/2 a cupcake. I haven't had a rest day in almost two weeks, but I have been spinning instead of running some days and I think I am hooked. I actually find I get just as good of a workout in a spin class with HIIT work as I do on a long run, plus my legs aren't as achy afterwards. I have also started body pump which at first I didn't like, but now I really enjoy it. I am off to read and then go to bed.

Bring on the new week!

Thursday, July 8, 2010

Struggling

I just wanted to apologize for not being around. Unfortunately, my OCD has returned. I felt it coming on and now I am in a full-blown obsession. I can't explain it other than saying it feels like I have no idea what is "real" or what is my obsession. I am praying this will pass soon. It is really, really scary. I will post with updates and hope to be back to my old self soon. Everything happens for a reason, so I am hoping this will be another experience to grow from.

Friday, July 2, 2010

Spinning into the weekend

I hope you are all having a wonderful Friday so far. I just got back from a spin class at the Y. It is really nice to have a membership there as well as at 24hr fitness. I like the Y because childcare is free and it is a smaller, friendlier place. I ended up meeting a friend for class and I am glad she came. I was debating whether or not to go, but if you know you are meeting someone, then you can't flake.

Last night's dinner was tasty, but the pictures are ugly. I had a Whole Wheat La Tortilla Wrap with Trader Joe's Meatless Meatball and light provolone cheese. I added some romaine and tomatoes to bulk it up.
Along side I had a salad with mixed greens, carrots, mushrooms, tomatoes, snow peas and balsamic.
Yesterday's lunch was 2 pieces of Sarah Lee Light Bread (45cal a piece) with a Laughing Cow Light Swiss Wedge and SF Jam.

And the usual broccoli and brussel sprouts.




We ended up going to the Y yesterday afternoon so I had a Fiber One Yogurt and TJ's High Fiber Cereal as a snack. Since I ran in the morning I just warmed up for 10min on the bike and did arms, back and chest.



Today's breakfast before spin was my usual oats, Fage 0%, SF jam, cinnamon and almond milk.




Nothing too exciting, but it is pretty good.
I am off to pick up the kids at their last day of Vacation Bible School. It is Jeff's birthday today so we are going to think of something nice to do for daddy.
Have a great Friday afternoon!



Thursday, July 1, 2010

Balance

http://health.yahoo.net/experts/weightloss/diet-type-or-calories-lost-whats-best-weight-loss

I just read this article and thought it was interesting. I am a firm believer that if you want to lose weight, then you have to decrease your calories. 3,500 is a pound. I really don't think that you have to eat certain foods (or not eat them) to loose, just find a way to cut out some calories and/or up your activity. I am not saying to eat donuts (although the occasional won't hurt you), but the basic premise for losing is pretty simple.

I choose to eat certain foods because of the way I feel when I eat them and to keep my body as healthy as possible. I would much rather eat a giant salad for the same amount of calories as a small serving of french fries. I sometimes think that people get so hung up on "low carb, high protein" diets that they don't realize that too much of anything is not good. As a runner I could not imagine eating a low carb diet. I try to find a balance. I try to eat plenty of veggies to get my vitamins and whole grains for fiber. I don't like to eat white bread often, but I am going out to dinner to celebrate Jeff's birthday tonight and you better believe if they have thick, white rolls I will have one (or 3). It is about balance. If I am going to have a big meal out, then I will try to cut calories in other meals. I won't starve myself or restrict, but I just try to keep my daily total calorie intake at a certain point. I also am planning a long run tomorrow, so I know all the food I eat tonight will help fuel my run tomorrow. It is all about balance and not restriction. That is the only way any weight loss and healthy lifestyle will work for the long run.
I am off to eat breakfast and try my first body pump class at the Y. I don't like first classes because I never know how much weight to use. Wish me luck!

Not to Rest!

I did it. I did not feel like working out at all today. I really just wanted to lay back down in bed and sleep the morning away. When I got home from dropping my kiddos off I decided to have a snack and see how I felt. I had a PB Cup VitaTop. This is not my favorite flavor. I prefer the Deep Chocolate Ones with a little pb spread on top, but this is what I had in the freezer. I already had my workout clothes on and was debating whether I should go to the gym, the YMCA or on a run. I figured the outdoors would do me the most good and since I didn't need daycare at the gym I should take advantage of running at the beach. I put the Garmin on and headed out. I was wondering whether I should even run with the Garmin on, but I forgot to press start again at a stoplight on my run on Monday and it drove me crazy having to estimate how far I went, so I decided to wear it. The first 1/4 mile was tough. My body felt heavy. I just prayed that God would bless my run and get my through it. I started to warm up after about a mile. It was not an easy run, some days are harder than others, but I am glad I went. Here are my stats:
Splits:
Mile 1 8:43
Mile 2 8:21
Mile 3 8:08
Mile 4 8:19
Mile 5 8:22
Mile 6 8:22
Mile 7 8:22
Mile 8 8:25
Mile 9 (.26) 8:13
All in all, not too shabby. I am going to clean up and head to get myself a Diet Coke at 7 eleven. Yes, it's bad for me, but I have three kids that I am planning on taking to the grocery store on the way home from VBS and I need all the caffeine I can get. Summer time requires a lot of caffeine for mommy. Have a great day!

To rest or not to rest?

I am getting ready to take my little Vacation Bible schoolers to VBS this morning. The theme is Super Giga World and "Wii Serve".

I got up this morning pretty sore. I am not sure why my body is so tired, but it is dragging. I made my normal oats with Fage.

I am hoping the protein and carbs will kick in soon. If not I might need to take a rest day today. I am tired!
Last night's dinner was an oldie but goodie.
Sweet potato, light string cheese and a la tortilla.


With a giant, gorgeous salad. Mixed greens, grilled asparagus, tomatoes, mushrooms, carrots and snow peas. Drizzled with Balsamic dressing from Whole Foods.
Have a great Thursday!



Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Worn out Wednesday

I am so tired today. I think I am still recovering from the weekend. I also wonder if my "two a day" workouts are wearing me out. The kids and I got up early this morning to get ready for another day of Vacation Bible School. Our church has over 2,000 kids attending, so you can imagine how crazy drop off is. I made my usual Rye, steel cut oats and Fage bowl this morning.
All mixed up. I was hoping that would fuel me through my S.E.T class at the gym today, but I was dragging. I made it through (barely) and headed back to pick up the kids.
When we got home I made them change out of their VBS shirts so I could wash them for tomorrow. I really wish they weren't white as that means they are already stained and I have to wash them every day.
I dug into my freezer for lunch and pulled out Meatless Meatballs from TJ's. I put them on a La Tortilla Low Carb Tortilla with provolone, tomatoes and romaine. Super tasty.


Alongside my wrap I had my usual broccoli and brussel sprouts.


Last night's dinner was a new one, but nothing fancy. I bought this bag of stir-fry veggies from TJ's.




I just microwaved two cups in a bowl with a little water on the bottom.



I put them on top of this rice and added a little pepper and soy sauce.








It was a pretty good dinner.




I am off to do dishes, laundry and to try to keep the children from destroying the house. Have a great afternoon!





Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Vegas Weekend




What a fun, exhausting weekend. Jeff and I headed to Vegas Friday afternoon to attend his sister's wedding. I was overwhelmed because it was the last day of school for Jake and Ryan and I had to get them packed to spend the weekend at my mom's. I ended up waking up early that morning, going to a 6:00am spin class and then coming home and packing. It all worked out and we were on the road by noon.


We stayed at the Paris Hotel for the weekend.This is probably the closest I will ever get to the Eiffel Tower after paying three sets of college tuition, so I just pretended I was in France. C'est La Vie!

The hotel was nice, but I thought it was a little pricey for what you got. The rooms were nothing exceptional. The restaurants were very expensive and just breakfast alone was $10 for oatmeal.

When we got to the hotel room we had a couple of hours to kill before heading out to Toby Keith's Bar and Grill for dinner with the family and friends of the bride and groom. Jeff and I had a few beers and just enjoyed being with adults.

The bar was fun, but it was incredibly noisy and hard to talk to anyone at the table. That is the groom I am sitting next to and next to him is his Great Grandma who just turned 104! We stayed at the bar pretty late and got back to our room at about 2am. Jeff and I stopped for another drink and desserts at the cafe in the hotel before heading back to the room. I had big plans to work-out in the hotel gym the next morning, but they wanted $25 to use it. I decided to run the strip instead. Poor Jeff agreed to go with me, but he is not a runner, it was HOT, and I think the smoke from the casinos was stuck in our lungs. I can't believe I was running by 8am, but I ended up running about 45min. Jeff went back to the hotel after about 20min and I continued on. I was amazed by how many runners were out running the strip. I probably passed 10-15. One thing that was cool is there were lots of stairs so I would run ahead of Jeff, do stairs, then run and meet him again.


We just hung out on the rest of Saturday. We went to the pool for a little bit, but I didn't want to get burnt and it was pretty hot. The ceremony was that evening at the hotel. After the ceremony the bride and groom rented a big Limo bus for the "under 40" crowd. It was really fun. We drank and stopped at the Welcome to Las Vegas sign for pictures.





You can tell I had been drinking quite a bit at this point.





I had never seen the Vegas sign, so I was pretty excited to stop.




We all went to a German restaurant for dinner. I wish I had a picture of the giant homemade pretzel I ate. It came with a brie cheese spread, sweet mustard and spicy mustard. So, so good.
After dinner we went to the casinos to gamble. I only had $5 to gamble with ( big spender), but thanks to the Roulette table I walked away with $65.00. You would have thought I won thousands with how excited I was.

I went to bed about 3:30am and I slept the entire drive home. We had to pick the kids up at my mom's on the way home and then I had to get them unpacked and ready for Vacation Bible School this week.
I am trying to get back to normal now, but I still feel tired. I did do a 9mile run yesterday and felt all the alcohol sweating out. Jeff and I went back to the YMCA that night and I did arms, shoulders and back. After I dropped the kids off at VBS this morning I did an ab class and ran 5.5miles. We went to the Y again tonight and I rode the bike for an hour and did 19miles. I love the Y because there are TV's on each piece of equipment. I am still getting used to running with a TV in front of me, but I really like it for biking.
I am off to eat dinner and then go to bed. I am hoping one more night of good sleep and I will be all caught up.
I can't believe it is Wednesday tomorrow! This Summer is already flying by.

Congratulations Kristen and Mike and many happy years together!











Back from Vegas

I am back from Vegas and still recovering. We had a great time. I will give a full recap this evening, but I have to go pick up the kids from VBS right now. Here are a few pictures until then.





Thursday, June 24, 2010

One More Day

Pack, pack, pack. Those are my plans for today. I have to get myself and three little ones packed and ready to go. Jeff and I are leaving tomorrow for Vegas at 11:15. I am actually looking forward to just sitting in the car and doing nothing for the drive. I am going to hit up at 6:00am spin class in the morning, so I want to get everything done early tonight so I can go to bed at a reasonable hour. It is Jake and Ryan's last day of school tomorrow too. Next week is VBS and they are very excited.
I woke up today and had a filling breakfast. Cream of rye, steel cut oats, almond milk, sf jam and Fage 0%.
I love this combo and by putting the cooked oatmeal in the fridge overnight, it really expands and makes for a huge bowl.
Conner and I are going to try and tackle our to-do list today. I make lists because it is the only way I can feel sane. It also feels great to check off things that get done. We are going to hit up a strength class at the gym at noon and then it is back to packing. I hope you all have a great Thursday.
PS. Last night's dinner was a sweet potato burrito and salad. You've seen the pics so I thought I would spare you some more.




Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Sing it Loud, Sing it Proud!

The show today was absolutely adorable. I will be honest and say that generally I don't enjoy these things. Yes, it is my child and I feel blessed that I am able to attend these events, but sometimes I wish I was at home doing laundry instead. Today though, I laughed the entire time. So very cute!
I was rushed to get there, so unfortunately I was unable to sit in the front, but Ryan could still see me so she was happy. Before the show I went to the gym and did 60min on the Elliptical. My gym has a different kind of elliptical that simulates running. My leg was bothering me, so I decided to do that instead of the treadmill. I did 60min at level 16-20. It actually felt pretty easy, but I had a good sweat going, so it must have been doing something. I rushed home, washed my face, put on all my make-up (all being mascara) and cut up oranges for the party at the park afterwards. They did sack races, relays and played on the jungle gym. All and all, a great afternoon.
Jeff got home early from work so we decided to hit up the local YMCA. We really want to join, but I am not sure we can swing the monthly family membership. It is great because kids club is free and Summer is coming. They also have great programs for the kids. I ended up running 5.5 easy miles on the treadmill while we were there. I kept the incline at a 2% and ran at about and 8:37mile. They have televisions attached to each treadmill and I am not sure I like that. It kind of made me dizzy, but it did make time fly.
Here are some photos of my food over the last day and a half. Pretty typical.
Broccoli, brussel sprouts, cauliflower and carrots (this pic is before I learned how to work my camera).


Ezekiel Pita Pocket (100cal, 1pt) with Laughing Cow Light Swiss Wedge (35cal, 1pt)



A big juicy peach (~50cal, 1pt).





Fiber One Yogurt (50cal, 0pt) with 1/3 Cup TJ's High Fiber Cereal (40cal, 0pt) plus a little Reddi Whip (15cal, 0pt)





My favorite breakfast. 36g of Rye (110cal, 1pt), 20g Steel Cut oats (75cal, 1pt), 1/4 cup Unsweetened Vanilla Almond milk (10cal, 0pt) and cinnamon. I topped it with 34g SF Strawberry Jam (20cal, 0pt).



To get some protein in I added 1/2cup Fage 0% (60cal, 1pt).
This is just some of the food I have had over the last day and a half. Some have escaped my camera due to how hungry I might have been :).
Tomorrow is Thursday! Two more days until school is out and Jeff and I are off to Vegas.
Have a great night!






Over it

First of all, let me say thank you so much to a reader who gave me a tip on my camera. It works and from here on out my pictures looks great! I will post yesterday's eat and this morning's later today, but right now I have to go to an Earth Day performance at Ryan's school. Well, actually I have to drop them off, go to the gym, buy oranges for party after said performance, and be at school by 10:30. I am ready for the end of the year festivities to be over. Jake had his graduation and play yesterday, Ryan has Earth Day concert and her party today and then I need to start packing the kids for Grammie's this weekend so Jeff and I can go to a wedding in Vegas on Friday. I need a drink already.

I know my neighbors will be glad to have Earth Day performance over too! Ryan spends hours swinging outside and practicing. One more rendition of "What a Wonderful World" sung by a tone deaf, hearing impaired (therefore incredibly loud) Ryan is starting to wear on all.
I am off to make breakfast (and take a good picture of it). Have a great morning!

Remember, as I am told by my kindergartner, Every day is Earth day!

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Caution, crummy photos!

Happy Tuesday Morning. I need to apologize for the pictures you are about to see. They are not well shot. I am still figuring out this new camera and cannot find the manual, so it is practice and learn.
After I picked up Ryan from school yesterday I had a Fiber One Strawberry Yogurt (50cal,opt) with 1/3 cup Trader Joe's High Fiber Cereal (40cal,0pt). I then made a veggie wrap for lunch. La Tortilla Whole Wheat Tortilla (100cal,1pt) with TJ's Light String Cheese (60cal,1pt), carrots, romaine and sprouts. I added a little Annie's Horseradish mustard (10cal).


I also had a bowl of broccoil and snow peas, but I was so hungry that by the time I sat down to take a picture, the snow peas had been consumed.
Dinner last night was simple. I had a La Tortilla Low Carb Tortilla (80cal,1pt) with Light Provolone (50cal,1pt) and a Tbsp SF strawberry jam (10cal).





I also had a big salad with mixed greens, tomatoes, mushrooms, asparagus, sprouts, 14g goat cheese (40cal, 1pt) and Whole Foods Balsamic (20cal,0pt).


Dessert looks really gross, but it is my new favorite. 36g Cream of Rye (110cal,1pt) with 16g Better N' PB from TJ's (50cal,1pt) and a Kozy Shack No Sugar Added Chocolate Pudding (60cal,1pt). I also added a little Reddi Whip (15cal,0pt). It tastes like a chocolate cream pie. The picture is horrible (sorry) and the bowl had much more in it, but dessert doesn't last long in front of me.




I am off to take the kids to school, and then Conner and I are heading to the gym for a Strength Class. After that Jake has a Charlotte's Web play at his school, followed by 3rd grade graduation.
I will see you all sometime this evening. Have a great Tuesday!