Motivating Monday

Danger. This song will get stuck in your head.

Tell-Tale Tuesday

Last week Weight Watchers changed their program and fruit is now 0 points. I am loving it. I reach for fruit to snack on most of the time. As a result of that, as well as not going crazy when we went out to dinner this weekend I am down 2.4 pounds this week.

Tell-Tale Tuesday

Oh dear. It's been a bad two weeks. How bad? Up 3.6 pounds in two weeks bad. I am now back on the wagon.

Tell-Tale Tuesday

I'm down 1.6 this week. It could be a lot better. I didn't count points last week. Whoops!

Motivating Monday

I dare you not to dance.

Tell-Tale Tuesday

Here's the deal. I am sick. I am bloated. I am pukey. The scale said I was up 2.8 pounds, but I don't believe it. I think I could be up one, but not 3. I am confident that once my symptoms subside so will my excess weight.

Motivating Monday

It's been that kind of a day.

Tell-Tale Tuesday

I am down 0.8 pounds this week. I am shocked to be down at all, considering how much I ate and drank this weekend.

Kickboxing was very hard today. I'm worried about being able to walk tomorrow, but it felt great.

Motivating Monday

Don't judge me.

This one can't be embedded, so click here.

weekly update

I'm down 2 pounds as of this morning. I feel great.

Today I had kickboxing, which is my favorite workout. I have friends in the class and the instructor is motivating. Normally I run a mile after class, but today was so intense my legs couldn't take it.

Motivating Monday

I don't like to go see bands I've never seen before. Generally I don't like loud music. I am kind of a grump that way. Yet, for some odd reason, I asked Amanda to go see a new band about 6 years ago. It was All Girl Summer Fun Band. I fell in love with the band. I have several of their songs on my iPod.

If you listen to this song and don't wish you could be in their band I will be surprised.

Today I met Mandee for an AM elliptical workout. At lunch I went for a 2 mile run. It was a good day.

Motivating Monday and Tell Tale Tuesday

I got back from a weekend in Chicago yesterday. I was too lazy to blog, so today is a bonus addition. This week's Motivating Monday is the filthy Christina Aguilera. This is a sing along song that is perfect for working out because she references being sweaty. It makes me feel less awkward about dripping.

Now about that tell tale Tuesday thingy.... Did I mention I was in Chicago last weekend? And we toured 2 breweries? And that there was lots of drinks? And 11 PM burritos the size of my head? I knew I wasn't going to lose this week, but I was still saddened to see the 2.4 pound weight gain this morning. I'm not worried, I know it will come off. This week is busy (two happy hours, one bar crawl, one wedding), but I'll make it through.

Today I did the elliptical at lunch and had only one glass of wine at happy hour. Now I'm headed to the kitchen to make a stir fry.

Tuesday

I am down 0.8 pounds this week. I'm happy with that number considering my weekend.

This weekend I'm taking a few days off and spending a long weekend in Chicago. I'll be wearing comfortable shoes and bringing my pedometer. I might not look cool, but I will counteract some of the great Chicago food and beverage I'll be partaking in.

Motivating Monday

I find it very difficult not to run to this song. It's happy, fun, and makes me run so fast I'm always breathless by the end.

I'm worried about weighing myself tomorrow. I spent the weekend eating and drinking more than usual.

Motivating Monday - Friday Edition

I haven't been very good at posting my Motivating Monday music suggestion. I hope that as crochet grows less stressful I'll be better at keeping it up.

This week I decided a belated Motivating Monday was in order. I like to run to all sorts of music, especially stuff I like to sing or clap along to. This song makes me want to do both.

It's going to be a busy weekend and I had lunch plans today. I decided to step up my workouts by doing a 30 min circuit at 6:30 AM, followed by 15 on the elliptical. I ran 3 miles after work. I feel like a rock star.

Tuesday

Well, here it is, Tuesday. I'm down 0.8 pounds this week. For those of you keeping track at home, that puts me 0.2 pounds heavier than I was a fortnight ago.

I joined Weight Watchers yesterday. I'm not overly excited about tracking points (said the woman that used 9 of my weekly points allowance today), but I am hopefully that a change in how I track food and exercise will get the scale headed in the right direction.

Tell-Tale Tuesday

I'm down 1 pound this week. I'm happy that I am down and that I met my goal. I'm not overly excited because I was up 2 pounds last week, so technically I'm still up one. It's a long road to healthy, so I'll take the pound.

Today I did kickboxing and then I ran a mile. It was a great workout. Tomorrow I'm meeting Mandee at 7 for cardio. I know I need to get my butt out of bed in the morning if I'm going to meet my goals.

Snickerdoodles and Running Shoes

I've been silent again, but I've also been good. I've been better at tracking my calories (even today when I had six snickerdoodes and a slice of ham for breakfast). I've told myself that if I don't start losing weight with tracking calories I'll join WW. I've done it before and lost weight, but I don't really like it. I also don't think it's worth paying for another way to track my food if I'm not doing a good job using the food tracking site I already belong to.

The great news is my hip appears to be better. I tried running on Friday and it felt great. I got three miles in. After my sinckerdoodle breakfast I decided to run again, and I once again got three miles in. I think I'll stick to running at most every other day for a while. My goal is to get up to 15 miles a week and stick with it without injury. I love running, but it tends to beat up my body a lot. I imagine that when I am no longer overweight I will have fewer issues running.

I think the trick to losing weight for me is talking about it. That means that if I know you read this site I'm going to be talking about my efforts the next time we speak. I'm hopeful that I'll be able to tell you how much weight I've lost.

Tuesday I'll be posting how much down (or up) I am. I am going to do it every week. If I don't, please call me and harass me.

I'm Still Here

I am still here and working at it. I was out for a few days last week with a migraine. I have been doing OK on eating and tracking. At the end of the day I don't always feel like blogging, but I am going to be better about blogging.

Today I lifted in the morning and walked outside at lunch. I tracked my calories.

My motivating song this week is from Great Big Sea. I love running to this band. They are coming to Minneapolis in October, and if I didn't have a wedding that day I would be there.

Just one basil martini away from giving up...

I went to happy hour tonight with some co-workers. I had one martini and a few snacks. I did recognize that I need to keep it to one drink. If I had two I'm pretty sure I would have eaten everything on the menu. I try not to go to happy hour when I'm just getting in gear, it is too easy to fall off the wagon.

Today I tracked my calories. I lifted at 7 and did a run/walk combo for 3 miles at lunch. My hip isn't back to normal yet, but it doesn't really hurt. I had to walk much more than I normally do. It will probably take a while to get my running mojo back.

I'm very stressed at work at the moment. I'm actually going to log off of this computer and fire up my work laptop in a moment. I have a hard time focusing when I'm working 10 hour days. What do you do to keep motivated when work is going crazy?

Taco Tuesday FTW!

Today I started off the day by taking a metabolism test at the gym at work. I found out that my metabolism is normal and my caloric goal had been off by a whopping 18 calories. In short I found out that I'm fat because I eat too much. It wasn't exactly rocket surgery, but it did take away an excuse.

So I tracked my calories today. I went to the gym over lunch and ran on the robotic exoskeleton. I left work at 3:30 (getting there at 7 sucks, btw) and put air in my tires. John met me at my house and we rode to Cumming. The Cumming Tap is about 30 miles round trip. The ride, along with healthy eating all day, allowed me to have 3 pints of beer and three vegan chorizo tacos without going over my goal.

I'm feeling pretty good. I feel focused now. I am also thinking about the tacos. They were the best tacos I've ever had. If you ever want to head to Cumming on a Tuesday night let me know, I'll be all for it.

Grief Bacon

According to Jennette Fulda in Half-Assed the German word for the weight you gain from emotional eating literally translates to grief bacon. I've been eating a lot of grief bacon this week, and I've decided it's time to stop. I've been skipping workouts and eating way too much. It hasn't made losing Cooper any easier, but it has made it harder to button my pants.

I've decided to get back on track. Today I was at the gym at 7 to lift and at 12 to do cardio. I met Hot Toddy after work for a 75 minute walk. I tracked my food. In just one week I've expanded my stomach and have lost perspective on what makes a normal meal. It will take a few days to get back on track, but I'll do it (especially because Ivy is back on track now, and reading about her weight loss inspires mine).

My motivating tune today is one of my favorite get your butt working song. The video is poor quality, but it's the best I could find.

Um, yeah, about the past week....

So I lost my mojo. Big time. I'm not going to dwell on that. I'm going focus on the positive.

I did a circuit at lunch. It kicked butt. We did each activity for four minutes, with 20 seconds doing the activity and 10 seconds resting. It actually kicked me back into gear. I tried running after work. I ran about 20 minute and my hip bothered me a little bit (yeah, so I hurt my hip and haven't been able to run - neato). I probably need to stay away from running for a bit.

I tracked my calories, even the dessert and wine ones from the Flying Mango. I did OK, and would lose a half a pound a week if every day was like today. I'm heading into the weekend with a positive attitude and a desire to stay on track.

Blar!

I haven't seen my motivation since Thursday. I tracked my food today. I did the elliptical at lunch. I walked/ran 2 miles. I wanted to run three, but it was too hot.

I think the stress of work is getting to me. I have Thursday afternoon, Friday, and Monday off. I'm hoping to chill, clean my house, and get back on track.

Motivating Monday

A Good Fail

Today I went out to lunch instead of working out. I had spinach and artichoke pizza with an alfredo sauce, root beer, and egg rolls. It was divine. After work I had a work sponsored happy hour. It was my intention to go for one glass of wine. Three hours, three glasses of red wine, a mini crab cake, and some cheese later I was on my way home (note passage of time between drinks and food consumed).

On my way home I decided I shouldn't run. I've worked out 4 days in a row, and my muscles have been really tight. I decided some time off would be good. When I was walking Cooper I realized I was very tired. Either I was going to be asleep before John was done with his bike ride or I was going to have to get moving. I opted to get moving and ran three miles.

These were not the fastest miles ever. Amazingly they were faster than my normal runs two months ago. It kind of sucked. I kept telling myself I could stop after the next song. I did take one walk break, but ran three miles total.

I went over my calorie goal for the day. Running three miles does not make up for my lunch and happy hour. Even though I am at a net gain for the day I feel really good about they day. I know that the next time I go to happy hour I will stick to one glass of wine (running after three *really* sucks). I feel like I'm making progress even if the scale doesn't agree.

Wednesday

Today I tracked my food. I ran at lunch. I don't really have anything interesting to say. I suppose that is a good thing. When I have something to say it's usually because I've eaten something I probably should have.

Dinner Out....Again....

I go out to eat a lot. Usually once or twice during the week and 2-3 times on the weekend. It's my chosen form of entertainment. But it's getting old. It's really hard to eat well when you are at the restaurant where the onion rings were voted best of Des Moines. So tonight, at Maxie's with friends from my old gym, I ate too much. Not so much that I will gain weight, but enough that I won't lose. The worst part is the onion rings weren't that good. They were not worth it. If I knew then what I know now I would have skipped the onion rings and fries and gone with wine instead.

I ran for 30 minutes at lunch. At the end of the 5 min cool down I had exactly 3 miles done. My left hip flexor and hamstring are sore, so running wasn't as comfortable as normal. If I'm still off tomorrow I'm going to do the elliptical and some weights instead of running.

Motivating Monday

Today I did the elliptical with Kelly at lunch and ran about 2.5 of my regular 3.25 route. I tracked my food. I had a great day. I have been living it up on the weekends lately - too much food and wine, too little moving. I'm enjoying myself, but each week it gets harder to get back into routine. I also need to work harder just to maintain my weight, which is really bad when your goal is to lose weight.

I like to think that I'm not the only one that has trouble getting into gear at the start of the week. I decided I would start sharing motivating songs that I love to run to (I'm totally ripping the idea off from Liz and her Tunes on Tuesday). My workout music is a strange mix - hip hop, ska, country, and punk are the most common).

This week it's the Dixie Chicks and Sin Wagon. I can't say enough about how much fun this song is to run to. I sing along as I run down the street. I don't know if it's the banjo or the lyrics. Either way it works.

Sushi, Birthdays, and Over Eating

Today I ran 4 miles at lunch. I totally rocked it out.

I ate like crazy today. Breakfast was OK. For lunch I had a slice of pizza, pretzels, and a peach for lunch. I snacked on a latte and a peanut butter cookie.

We went to the Waterfront for dinner to celebrate Emily's birthday. For dinner I had way too much sushi. There were two packed boats of sushi for four adults and one child. It was delicious, but I should have eaten about half of what I did. I will have to make up for it tomorrow.

Longest Week Ever

This week seems to be dragging on. I'm working on a project at work that needs to be done this week but is about as boring as watching paint dry.

Despite the dull project, I am still great with exercise. Today I did the elliptical with Kelly at lunch and ran 3 miles after work. I tracked my calories (other than the snack mix I took from pricing's food day table). All in all it was OK.

For a long time I avoided running because I think I look like an awkward runner. I clomp along at a slow pace. A few months ago I got over the fear and started running in public - on the treadmill at work and along busy streets in my neighborhood. I really like running outside, because people really like to cheer on the chubby girl running. Every time I go for a run at least one person I work with tells me good job. It is nice to get some encouragement to stay on track....now if I could just get someone to keep me away from the next food day in the pricing department.

Whoopsie

I haven't blogged since Thursday. It's not because I haven't been busy running or tracking calories, it's just because I've been so darn busy.

Today I ran 4 miles at lunch and walked with Allyson after work. I tracked my food. I am ready for a night in so that my dinner calories don't make my jaw drop.

Relaxing a bit

Today I just didn't want to pack my lunch or work out at lunch. I finally decided to cut myself a break and head to Pablo's for a quesedilla. I am glad I did. The food was great, and I was able to catch up with Anna.

After work I went on a three mile run. My route has been feeling a little long lately so I remapped it at USATF.org. My run is about a quarter of a mile longer than I thought it was, which makes me feel better about my slow runs outside.

Tonight for dinner I'm having pretzels and frozen banana ice cream with peanut butter. I'm also going to bed at nine. It's going to be a great night.

Well that is more like it....

I weighed myself again this morning and now I'm down 2.5 pounds from last week. That's right. I lost 2.5 pounds yesterday. If only I could do that every day for 1o or 15 weeks.

Today my two hour lunch meeting got done early so I hit the gym for a 30 minute run. I also squeezed in a walk as a morning break and after work. It was not an ideal day for exercise, but I made it fit.

I did OK with food today. I ate a light lunch in expectation of dinner on the patio of Tally's with Ivy and Hot Toddy. I had a veggie burger with a fried egg on top and onion rings. I went crazy on the ketchup (two little cups) and pinot grigio (two and a half glasses. It would have been three but I'm an animated talker).

Frustrated

I weighed myself this morning and I'm up two pounds. I'm frustrated with the whole thing. I feel like I work hard but I'm not seeing the results I want. I know it's probably a fluke and that I'll be back down tomorrow, but that doesn't stop me from being frustrated.

Today I had five hours of meetings. I worked through my lunch. I left a little early and ran three miles. It was worse than yesterday. I did level 1 of the DVD because I knew if I started level 2 I would get frustrated and turn it off.

I counted calories today. It wasn't hard, as I missed lunch due to meetings. When I got home from work I had eaten 3 granola bars and 2 oatmeal raisin cookies. It's amazing I didn't buy lots of junk food when I stopped at the grocery store on my way home.

Tomorrow I will be in six hours of meetings. I probably won't get a work out in during the day, but I'm hoping to eat lunch. I'll grab a quick run before meeting Hot Toddy and Ivy for dinner. Hopefully Ivy will share her weight loss wisdom with me (after all, she is the girl that lost weight in London).

Darn You, Ivy!

Today I did the elliptical at lunch. After work I ran three miles. It wasn't a good run, but I did it. I was pretty slow. After the run I did level 2 of the 30 day shred DVD. It sucked. Big time. It is so bad that halfway through it I started cursing Ivy for ever telling me about it. I only forgave her once my heart-rate returned to normal and I realized that she was torturing herself by doing the workout too.

I'm taking a break from morning workouts for two weeks. Mandee tore a muscle in her calf so she is taking it easy for a few weeks. I could say I planned on getting up and working out alone, but I know I never would. I'll just relax and make up for it with afternoon runs.

I did OK with food today. I'm hoping to see results on the scale, not just in my fitness level when I weigh myself tomorrow.

Off Day

Today was my off day from working out. In addition to treating it as a work out break, I also took a break from eating healthy. I still tracked my calories, which helped how much I ate over all (even if it was too much).

I'm looking forward to getting back into my schedule this week. I have about 5 hours of meetings every day but Friday, so I will definitely need the energy burst that I get from doing cardio.

Saturday Sushi and Bike Ride

Yesterday I did OK with food. I could have done better with beer, but I did good with food. I rode my bike to Cumming with Foster where we had some beers. It was a very hot ride, with a heat index over 100. It felt good to ride in the heat. I am paying for it today, as I'm worn out from the ride.

Last night we went out for sushi. It was delicious and low calorie. You can't beat that.

Friday

Yesterday I did a 45 minute circuit with Mandee at lunch. I ran three miles after work. My legs are sore today.

Yesterday I did OK with food and ate within my calorie range. I am better off than I planned because John dove his bike over to use my pump to fill his tire. He parked behind my car in the garage. After that he went on a ride and then rode home. With his car keys. So we walked to meet each other in downtown Beaverdale and had a disappointing dinner at Goodsons. After that we walked back. So I got a good 20 minute walk in that I wasn't planning on.

Sick of Dining Out

Tonight I went out for a work dinner again. I had one lambic and fish and chips. We were at the Royal Mile which is delicious but not exactly known for their healthy options. I had planned ahead, so I was OK with calories.

I slept in today and did a 45 minute circuit with Mandee at lunch. She kicked my butt by making me do four kinds of squats. I'm going to have a hard time walking tomorrow.

I've always known I do better when I have a routine. This week has been very busy and I haven't kept to my schedule. I've stood up Mandee twice this week and haven't worked out after work at all. I have stepped up my lunch work out, but not enough. Eating heavy dinners and having cocktails every night is wearing me out. Don't get me wrong, I realize that I have an great life and I am thankful that I get to go out and spend time with my boss and co-workers. I'm just tired. I am not used to this schedule and I'm tired. Very tired. I may actually go to bed before 10 tonight.

I will be back in my routine soon, which will help with my energy level. I don't think it will be too hard to get back into the hard core workout habit as I've still been working out and I have tracked my calories all week.

Abbreviated Run and Extended Happy Hour

Today I had a meeting at noon and 1. That meant that I didn't get down to run until 2. I knew we were headed to happy hour before 5 so I kept my run short. I ran for 30 min at 5.5 with no walking breaks.

At happy hour I didn't have any of the tasty appetizers. I just had two beers. I would be sitting pretty were it not for the mid-morning snack of white sheet cake.

I haven't mentioned it, but my boss is in town. She is normally in Columbus. My boss is awesome. She is fun and smart and if she actually lived in Des Moines I would change jobs so I could be her friend. As it is she lives in Ohio so I can hang out with her when she's here and the whole boss thing isn't too weird. Because she lives in Columbus and I get to see her 2 to 4 times a year when she is here we go out a lot. Yesterday was dinner at the Flying Mango. Tonight was happy hour at Court Ave. Tomorrow is dinner out again. I'm loving it and having a wonderful time. I just don't know how to lose weight while having two or (if I'm feeling crazy) three drinks a night.

Have you ever lost weight while imbibing in work related dinners, cocktails, and cake? How did you do it?

Flying Mango and Whatnot

Today I ran 4 miles. Seriously. I ran 40 minutes at 5.5 MPH. That is pretty darn amazing for me, as I am slow and don't run very far. Also I did the elliptical for 20 min.

Oh, also I had Chex Mix for lunch and had three glasses of wine with dinner. But it was a damn good dinner.

You know what????

This sucks. I am tired. I am hungry. I have PMS. But I logged my food (well, except for the chocolate I took from a co-worker's desk). I did the elliptical this morning and walked for an hour at lunch. Tomorrow will be a better day.

So much Mexican food....

This morning I lifted for 30 min. At lunch I ran with a few walk breaks for 45 min. I ended up doing a little over 4 miles.

I did great with food at work. After work I had to walk Cooper and get right back in the car to head to dinner with friends. We ate at Taco Casa. I had never been there before - it was a fast food place. For $5.08 I got the Mexican platter #2 - a tostada, beans, a quesadilla, and chilaquiles. Thank goodness I ran for 4 miles. I'm now uncomfortably food sipping mint tea. I went to the restaurant too hungry and ended up eating way too much. I may be uncomfortable, but I'm happy I'm still within my target calorie range.

Finding my Stride

Where have I been? I've been at home. Being lazy. Eating too much. I did great on Saturday (getting a 40 mile ride in makes it easy to eat within your calories). Sunday and Monday were another story.

The problem with a day or two off isn't that I cheat on those days. It's that it is so hard to eat a normal amount after just a couple of snack filled days. By 10 AM this morning I'd had peanut M&M's and some Bunny Crackers. I decided to let loose in the morning and make up for it later.

At lunch I met Mandee for some elliptical and catching up (we both slept in). After work I ran 3 miles and did the DVD. I only did level 1 but I upped my weights from 5 lbs to 8 lbs for the second set of weights and the chest fly in circuit 3. Running felt great. It really clears my head and helps me focus on what I need to get done.

I'm headed to Davenport this weekend for another wedding. One bad day won't kill me as long as I can get myself to immediately refocus.

Friday

I didn't enter my food from last night until this morning, but I did OK with food yesterday. I lifted in the morning, ran after work, and did the DVD. Noting new or exciting to report on that front.

Today I went to the farmer's market so I'm now full of papusa and coffee. I'm headed to Cumming for 30 miles of fun on the bike later, so I'm hoping today will be a good day. I'm even going to try making kale chips (because those people at the Grinnell Heritage Farm can get me to buy anything).

Doing Fine

Today I did 30 on the elliptical in the morning. I tried to run at lunch, but after 10 minutes my calves were still painfully tight so I hopped on the elliptical for 20 more minutes. I didn't do the DVD tonight because I was busy getting my hair cut.

I mostly tracked my calories today. I did fine up until dinner when I was too tired to figure out the calories in homemade pizza crust and sauce. Instead of plugging the info in I decided to just pick a frozen pizza to use instead. I'm not sure how accurate it will be, but I figure if anything it is more calories than in homemade pizza.

Tomorrow will be tricky. Instead of working out I'm meeting my friend Derek who up and joined the Army at 33 for lunch. He's back for a week before he ships off for good, so I figure lunch with him is pretty important. I'll try to get a run in after work, depending on how my lower legs feel.

Halfway to Friday

I cruised through another day of tracking food. I cannot believe how much easier it is to be honest with myself and track things when I know that I will be reporting to blogosphere (OK, in all reality probably just Ivy and Claire). I'm sure that it will rub off eventually, but until it does I am happy to take advantage of it.

This morning I met Mandee and lifted for 40 minutes. At lunch I went outside and ran for 40. The run SUCKED. My legs muscles were tight and running was actually painful. I ended up taking far more walking breaks than I normally do. After work I did level 1 of the DVD. I think I'm now at the point where I need to do level 2 unless I run prior to doing the DVD (because I want to die doing level 1 after I run).

Last week Ivy suggested I wear a pedometer around Sturgis Falls so I'm aware of how far I've walked. I ended up not wearing it because I biked 30 miles on Saturday morning. I have been wearing this week at work and my goal has been to reach 15k steps. On my off days I'm going to try to keep it at 10k. So far I've met my goal every day. I'll probably keep track of how I'm doing with steps on the blog too.

Do you have any tricks you use to keep yourself on track?

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can.

I did fine today. I tracked my calories, ran with Mandee at lunch, and did the DVD. I skipped my morning workout. I just couldn't drag myself out of bed. I'm hoping that eating normally for a few days will get me back on track. I think it will also help me to read Half-Assed: A Weightloss Memoir, I like the author's blog a lot, and Ivy was nice enough to volunteer to lend it to me.

Tonight I made what has become a usual dinner for me - scrambled eggs made with plain yogurt instead of milk (it started when I had run out of milk) topped with pickled jalapenos. I've had it for dinner three times in the last 10 days. I tend to get on kicks with food and eat the same thing over and over again. I'm pretty sure it's a result of living alone and having lots of leftovers.

Back into the Swing of Things

The title of this post is a total lie. I did OK today, but I wouldn't say I'm in the swing of things. My car was in the shop today. That meant I took the bus. I was already carrying a laptop and purse, so I decided to leave my lunch sack and gym bag at home. I grabbed a salad and cookie from Palmer's for lunch and walked a bit before eating it.

After work I ran 3 miles and did the 30 Day Shred DVD. Right before I went on my run I had a slice of leftover pizza. It made for an uncomfortable few miles. Obviously I have forgotten how to fuel before a run.

I did track my calories today. I have my car back and I'm looking forward to hitting the gym tomorrow morning with Mandee.

Blar!

I tracked my food, walked two miles this morning, and did 45 minutes of circuit training at lunch. Both of my workouts were with Mandee. I'm impressed she put up with me because I am grumpy. Very grumpy. I met my goals, but I am not overly excited that I did. Perhaps having the most frustrating work day in years broke my spirit. Perhaps having two beers just makes me down the next day. I really don't care why I'm in a bad mood and don't care about my diet, I just want this mood to go away.

So here is my plan. I can bitch and moan as much as I want until 10:17 PM. At that time I will be in a good mood. I will change my attitude tonight. Tomorrow will be a better day.

Dinner, Drinks, and Set to Lose

I forgot to mention that I weigh myself on Tuesdays. As of yesterday I was down 2.5 pounds from last week. As of this morning it was more like 1. Either way I'm happy.

Today I only did a short AM workout - 10 lifting, 10 elliptical. At lunch I did the elliptical. After work I did the DVD. I was stood up for all of my workouts today. Mandee is making it up to me by working out with me in the morning and running at lunch.

I tracked my calories today, and I did great. I kept my breakfast and lunch small because I knew I was heading to El Bait Shop with Claire, Gjergji, and John. I had a huge dinner - fish tacos, beans and rice, two beers, and some of John's sweet potato fries. It was really too much for one meal, but because of my workouts and light meals if every day was like to day I would lose one pound a week (according to myfooddiary.com). One pound a week is my goal, so I'm pretty happy about that.

Tuesday

Today Mandee had an appointment in the morning so I used that as an excuse to sleep in. I ran 3 miles at lunch and did level 1 on the DVD after work. I tracked my calories.

Having a blog to log the sordid details of my weigh loss is helping a lot. It is a lot easier to stay on track when I know I have to report my transgressions to the world.

The next few days will be tough for me. Wednesday I'm going out to dinner with Claire and Gjergji. It will be a blast, but I am always worried about calorie dense restaurant food. Thursday I'll be visiting family for a BBQ. Saturday I'm heading to Cedar Falls for Sturgis Falls, which is when my hometown becomes the land of beer and mini donuts. EEK! I am worried about the challenges, but I know no matter what I'll be OK.

Monday

I think that Monday is the easiest day to do well on a diet. There is something about starting a fresh work week that makes me want to succeed in other areas of my life.

Today I was ditched by two different workout buddies. Mandee overslept, so I skipped lifting and did the elliptical instead. Kelly had to cancel our usual Monday lunch workout, so I ran three miles with Mandee. After work I did the Jillian Michaels DVD.

I did great with food today. I feel like I will easily make up for Saturday.

I love running on the treadmill at lunch, yet prefer running outside after work. I think that is because I usually run with a friend at lunch. We can each adjust our speed and intensity to what we're feeling up to that day. We can talk and get a customized workout in at the same time. After work I run to clear my head. I honestly think I would trip and fall off of the treadmill because I get so deep in thought when I run after work.

New Workout and Amazing Pancakes

Today was a good day. I tracked my calories, ran 3 miles, and did a new workout.

After hearing Ivy talk about Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred DVD I thought I would check it out. I did level 1 and didn't think it was too bad, but we'll see what I say tomorrow when I try to walk up stairs. It's 20 packed minutes of intense activity. I am going to try to squeeze it in a few times a week in addition to my current work out schedule.

I had a salad for lunch because I knew I would have a big dinner. John and I had brinner tonight. We had pancakes so good the bacon paled in comparison. They weren't just regular pancakes, they were blueberry orange cornmeal pancakes with real maple syrup.

I'm feeling good about my weekend, even with yesterday not going so well. I usually do a good job staying on track with tracking my food during the week.

Wedding Fail

I should have squeezed a run in yesterday. After all of my wedding calories were added to my daily total MyFoodDiary.com advised me that if I ate like that every day I would gain a half a pound a week. Whoopsie.

That being said, it was really good food. And cake. Had I stuck with light beer instead of having a margarita I would have been in a better position. Or if I hadn't have had a cookie at lunch.

I made some bad decisions yesterday, but I'm back on track today. I'm allowed to have a day where I don't do as well as I hoped as long as I am back on track the next day.

Sushi and Booze

THANK YOU CLAIRE!! Your advice on pre-exercise and just admitting that you'll probably eat more than you would at home when you go out.

I tracked my calories (guessing when it comes to some of the sushi). I even went out for a drink after dinner and remembered to track it.

I ditched Mandee this morning. I just couldn't get up to work out. I made up for it at lunch with 15 on the elliptical, 30 in a circuit class, and 15 running. After work I lifted for 25 minutes. All in all a good day.

Tomorrow I'm heading to a wedding reception. Any advice about cake and booze? I often convince myself that I will dance of the calories but I know that is a lie.

Office Politics: The Birthday Lunch

I rarely go out to lunch. I prefer to work out at lunch and eat at my desk. Today was an exception to that rule. In my department I am part of a group of women that go out to lunch to for our birthdays, and we celebrated a birthday today.

We went to Django and I ate a huge lunch. I had a veggie burger with fries. Django has fries so good they have ruined fries for me. I only order them at Django. As it was a birthday dinner we ordered one dessert and shared it. I had two delicious bites of a flourless chocolate cake. I was stuffed. And sleepy. It was hard to concentrate in the afternoon.

When I work out I feel energized and awake. I head back to my desk ready to attack the ever growing pile of projects. This afternoon I couldn't focus.

This morning I had a great workout. I did 25 on the robotic exoskeleton and 10 on the elliptical. Mandee overslept, so I pushed myself a little harder.

I wasn't planning on working out tonight, as I was scheduled to donate blood. During the pre-donation screening I found out that you can't donate blood for a year after you go see Mayan ruins. So I came home and contemplated my next move. I opted for running. It was an odd choice, what with the heat index being 100 when I started and all, but I was in the mood to be outside. I was much slower than yesterday and only went two miles. It still felt great.

I tracked my food today. I'm worried about tomorrow, as we're heading to Taki to meet some friends. I have a tendency to eat too much sushi and drink too many saki bombs. I think I'll offer to drive and eat a small lunch. That way I won't do too much damage.

How do you plan ahead when you know you'll be faced with lots of drinking and eating?

A Little Help from My Friends

Last weekend I went on a knitting date with Ivy. She has been blogging about her weigh loss efforts since April. After too much coffee and yarn talk I decided I would join her in her yarn diet. Every 5 pounds I lose I get to buy yarn. The rest of the time I'm saying no to my desire to purchase new wool and alpaca.

My plan for this blog is to share what I've done to help me reach my weight loss goals every day. I'm not following a specific diet, I am tracking my calories and exercising. I won't go into detail over food, I'll just say if I've logged it or not. I will go into a little more detail on my workouts, because working out is one of my favorite things to do. I plan on blogging every day, even if all I do is eat pretzels and sit on the couch.

This morning I lifted with Mandee for 45 minutes. I ran 3 miles after work. I tracked my food. It has been a good day. Honestly, if it was a bad day I would have never started this thing.

Mandee is my workout buddy. We meet at 7 every work day at the gym at work (OK, some days it is more like 7:30). Monday, Wednesday, and Friday we lift. Tuesdays and Thursdays we do cardio. The cardio is kind of weak, as I'm not a morning person and can't get my feet to move before 10. Working out with Mandee is nice because there is someone to hold me accountable, which I need (duh, people who hold themselves accountable don't have blogs where they share with the world that they are trying to lose weight).