Day 46, 47, 48, 49 (Sweet Dee) - A-Camping we will go!

A bunch of us are going camping this weekend, so I'm getting very prepared with all of my food stuff for the trip.  I have it all planned out, and it's going to be healthy AND delicious!  Lookout! ;)

OK - I just decided to include everything on this post!  I had a great & relaxing weekend camping - it was really wonderful.  I didn't do too bad either!  I brought a lot of healthy & yummy foods with me.  I had a couple of marshmallows, and some wine, but nothing that I felt was overindulging too much.  Yay!  I CAN camp & be healthy too!  WOOT!

We also did some great hikes while we were out.  I am still sore today, and it was wonderful being outdoors and enjoying the beautiful weather! 

FOOD (Days 46, 47, 48 - all together)
Powerball & a banana.
Cup of coffee with grade B organic maple syrup (about 1 tbsp), and unsweetened coconut milk.

Asparagus, shitake mushrooms, onions, garlic - sauteed w/ tsp of teriyaki & squirt of braggs - over quinoa.

Herbal Teas

Breakfast Burrito (vegetarian baked beans, veggies, eggs, Daiya "cheese", green chili, vegetarian chorizo)

Grilled sandwiches - 2 total (Ezekiel bread, low-fat jarlsberg cheese, fake ham, lettuce, mustard, Veganese)

Carrots & Hummus
Apple w/ natural peanut butter
Nuts & seeds
Granola bar
Vegetarian chili w/ vegan hot dogs (2 total)
Low-sodium Minestrone soup
3 large marshmallows
Some wine
Powerballs (2 total I think)

FOOD (Day 49 - cheat day) 
Powerball

Benny's lunch with John (YUMMY!!!) - it was the perfect day for this! 
Modelo Especial, enchilada, chile reillno (sp?), chile con queso, salsa, chips, guacamole tostada.

Sweet Action Ice cream stop! :)  I got a malt made from the vanilla fudge brownie ice cream.  It was AMAZING.

Leftover Benny's for dinner!

EXERCISE (for the weekend) 
2.5 mile hike
2 mile hike (at a high incline - it was a tough one - my calves are killing me!)
3 hour derby practice

Day 45 (Sweet Dee) - Halfway Point!

Holy moly!  I can't believe I'm 1/2 way there already!  Woohoo!  

I'm planning on taking some halfway point pictures soon, I just have to find a working camera.  It may not be until next week, but I'll get 'em up as soon as I can!  I am excited to see the change... even if it's just a small one. 

I pulled out some books the other day (and wrote myself a little note) to help my motivation. ;)  If you haven't read either of these books, you definitely should!  They're full of great information.  I love anything by Michael Pollan too - "In Defense of Food" was a book club book from last year.  It's fantastic and interesting and important!  

And apparently I OD'd on cherries today.  I just ate a bunch of them, and for some reason my body decided - "hey, enough with the cherries already" - and I threw up.  What the heck?  I don't know where it came from or why it happened, but my body just did NOT want cherries in my tummy today.  I'm very dissapointed about that. 

FOOD
Smoothie (strawberries, banana, frozen blueberries, ground flaxseed, cashew butter, almond milk, a drizzle of grade B organic maple syrup)

Cherries (about 1 cup) - although I'm not sure if I should even count these since I barfed 'em up.

Wahoo's Lunch with Daddy!  2 enchiladas w/ cheese & veggies, and fish - side of brown rice & beans.

5oz Kuulture frozen yogurt (Hawaiian Taro) w/ yogurt chips. 
I've been having a bit of a grumpy day today (it feels like a monthly-grumpy if you know what I mean) so this was in order.  I know, it's sugar, but it was a better choice than going for flat-out ice cream! 

Black bean sliders (at Appaloosa Grill) w/ a few french fries, 2 glasses red wine. 

EXERCISE
Apparently I felt that sleeping was more important than working out today.... dang!  I need to step up my workouts!

Day 44 (Sweet Dee) - I LOVE Cherries!

This morning I got up & went to an early yoga class.  It was awesome, and very invigorating!  I don't know how they can list it as Beginner / Intermediate though, as it was definitely more of an intermediate class... there were a couple of poses that I had some trouble getting into (and out of)! 

Tonight John and I went to Harry's Bar for "drinks" and tapas.  My dad gave me a gift certificate good for 4 drinks and 2 small plates.  I ended up having a couple of glasses of red wine, but I didn't overindulge too much.  The plates were small too, and although I wanted more, I think they filled me up just right.  John and I even ended up joining the Cruiser Ride later that night on our bikes... it was very impromptu, but lots of fun!

OH, and I went to the grocery last night and CHERRIES are in season!!  I LOVE CHERRIES!!  

Since I'm so darn upset that my camera is still broken, and my dad's professional camera is too big & bulky to carry around w/ me all the time, and I still want to post pretty pictures, here are some pictures of cherries from We Heart It to celebrate the occasion. :)

FOOD
Cherries (about 2 cups.... I told you I love 'em!).
Yerba Mate tea (didja notice how good I'm being about not having coffee??  'Cause I did!  Yay!)

Nori wraps (I only had 2 left, so they kinda turned into lettuce wraps after that I ran out). 
Toasted nori sheets, butter lettuce, apples, quinoa, thai baked tofu, avocado, squirt of Braggs.

Unsalted nuts & seeds

2 glasses red wine, caprese salad w/ roasted red peppers, 2 shrimp wontons, and 1 1/2 small fish quesadillas.

EXERCISE
1 hour intense yoga class
15 minute walk on lunch break

Day 43 (Sweet Dee) - Mmmmm Watercourse!

This morning I met my very preggers friend Nikki at Watercourse for breakfast (she's the one who we threw the baby shower for 2 weekends ago).  I was a very good girl - surprisingly!!  I knew it would be a challenge to eat out this early back on the plan, but I think I made some very good choices (and it was still really delicious). 

I was going to go to my usual kickboxing class after work today, but I've decided to take the day off.  I haven't had a Tuesday off in a long time (at least from workouts & such), so I'm taking some "me" time.  I'll probably hit the grocery store to stock up on healthy camping foods for this weekend (which I really need to do anyway), then I'm going to yoga in the morning so that's good! 

FOOD
Watercourse breakfast!  Pepe Scramble (vegan - scrambled tofu w/ daiya "cheddar" cheese, green chili, refried pinto beans).  Substituted homemade applesauce w/ strawberries (instead of hash browns), and had corn tortillas on the side instead of toast.  Cup of white tea.

Mixed unsalted nuts & seeds

Rave Salad (from Fine Green Salad Co) - Mixed spring greens, romaine lettuce, quinoa, potatoes, beets, tempeh, leeks, edamame (with curry vinaigrette on the side - I only ate about 1/2 of this).
Raspberry leaf herbal tea.

Whole wheat orzo pasta (about 3/4 a cup) with onions & spinach sauteed in spray oil, & sauce made with red pepper & tomato soup, and about 1/4 a cup of almond milk mixed with corn starch to thicken.  Spices & a pinch of salt & pepper added.

1 small Powerball (brown rice cereal, peanut butter, brown rice syrup, cacao nibs*, dried currants, ground flaxseed)
Calming tea.

*Cacao is where chocolate starts - it's the stripped down bare-bones basic though.  To make chocolate that we know & love, you have to add milk, sugar, and all of those other lovely things.  Needless to say cacao nibs are bitter, and don't really taste much like the chocolate we're used to.  However, they do have a similar texture, and are VERY good for you!  From what I understand, they're very high in antioxidants - and that's a good thing.  It's all the sugar & additives that make chocolate bad for you.  They're a great substitute if you want something chocolate-chip-like, vegan, with all the health benefits, and none of the bad additives.  I got them in the bulk section at Whole Foods!

EXERCISE 
None

Day 42 (Sweet Dee) - Back on the horse that bit me (or something like that)!

After this weekend, I realized I need to take this plan more seriously, and truly hold myself accountable for my choices.  Sure, it's hard!  But it's a short period of my life that I can use towards the future, and it will lead me to longer happiness down the road.  I know now that I don't have to let one moment of weakness screw up my whole plan.  I just need to get right back on the horse again.  I'm not going to quit!  I don't want to gain back the 6 pounds I lost, and I don't want my pooch to start taking over my pants.  Literally.

In the past I've definitely let one day of eating badly cause me to give up entirely.  I'm not really sure why - there's no reason why I can't just start again, and it's not like I ate badly for an entire week.  And even then, it's never too late to start back with eating well!  I mean, what's 2 or 3 days compared to the rest of the 365 days in the year?  What a crazy thought!

I've also decided that I am going to stay away from the scale.  My wonderful derby wife (Quentin) reminded me of that when commenting on my last post (I love that girl)!  And thank you to the rest of the girls that commented and gave me the encouragement I needed - I LOVE you guys too!!  I've decided that the weight loss should just be a bonus - I want to get benefits from everything else!!

Considering that yesterday I got to see one of my most favoritest people ever (Cat A Combs), pass her skills test (YEAH!!), and another one of my most favoritest people ever (Quentin), kick ass in her first Contenders bout - I realized that giving up is not an option.  These girls sure as hell never have!  (SO proud of them!!)

I am getting back on the horse today, and making a new start!

FOOD
Smoothie (strawberries, frozen blueberries, ground flaxseed, acai packet, homemade iced tea w/ agave)


Mashed sweet potatoes

Sauteed veggies (spray oil, asparagus, 1/2 a red potato, onions, mushrooms, low-sodium seasonings, and no-sodium tomato sauce - about 2-3 tbsps)
Mixed unsalted seeds & nuts (sunflower, pumpkin, walnuts, pecans), about 1/4 a cup

Herbal teas throughout the day

Stuffed poblano pepper (onions, garlic, 1/2 a lightly baked potato, & a shredded carrot sauteed in spray oil, mixed into quinoa w/ spices & tomato & corn, stuffed into a poblano pepper & baked) - topped w/ green chili.  The recipe will be up here on my blog very soon!

EXERCISE
2 hour derby practice

Days 40 & 41 - The rest of my relapsing weekend...

Yes, I meant to say "relapsing", and not "relaxing" - although it was certainly both! 

I'm not going to regale you with listing off all of the things I ate*, and all of the exercising I did not do.  I'm not going to whine and talk about how guilty I feel.  I did it, and I'm not proud of it, but you know what?  This process is hard.  I fell off the horse.  Shit happens. 

*some of what was (but not limited to): Pizza, wine, chips, cookies, dips, pastas... you get the picture. 

That doesn't mean I can't start again though.  Tomorrow is a new day, and this plan isn't ruined just because I screwed up for a few days!  Tomorrow I've got a new plan, and a new mindset about this whole thing.  Fo' shizz.

Day 39 (Sweet Dee) - Relapse

This morning I woke up feeling better (until another berating at work - UGH!  Just effing awesome...), and started my day off right... but that didn't last long...


Tonight it was my friend's bachelorette party.  We went to Beauty Bar for mani/martini's then headed out to Rock Bar for dance partying.  I had every intention of having 1 martini, and leaving it at that.  But for some reason I felt the need to let loose.  You'll see how the rest of my weekend went in my next post, but needless to say, I relapsed into some of my old bad habits! 

FOOD
Ezekiel toast w/ tofutti sour cream & jalapeno jelly 

Baby carrots & endive with white bean dip (a recipe I made up - navy beans, onions, spices, a squirt of Braggs, and silken tofu - pulsed in the food processor.  It's pretty delicious, but a little watery.... I probably should've squeezed out the tofu a bit!)
7-Berry Antioxidant tea. 
Vanilla hazelnut tea. 

Leftover pineapple curry (again, I can't let stuff go to waste.  I only brought about 1/2 a cup of the white rice though, and about 1/2 a cup of the actual curry.  I filled the rest of it in with fresh spinach!) 

The rest of the pineapple curry (when I got home).... 1 martini, a whiskey drink w/ OJ, a red bull & vodka, a PBR (yeah, I felt poopy the next day), a homemade vegan pizza w/ veggies when I got home... ugh.

EXERCISE
1 hour walk around Wash Park with Stacey

Day 38 (Sweet Dee) - Plateau

I weighed myself this morning, and I'm SO frustrated.  The scale hasn't budged in 2 weeks.  Not a pound.... not even a half a pound!  I seem to be stuck right at 159.  And yes, it does make me feel like giving up.  I'm less than a week away from my 1/2 way point, and my success feels...well... meh.  I do feel like I'm eating a lot better during the week, getting in a lot more workouts, and that I'm much healthier in general.  But I'm frustrated with where my goals are, and how far away they still seem.  

I keep saying to myself that weight loss takes time... but it's definitely discouraging to not see the scale moving anymore.  Sigh.  

On top of that, my boss has been berating me for stupid shit lately.  I've been working here for over 4 years now, and I've made a couple of silly mistakes that I've never made before - but you know what?  Shit happens.  And my boss has been getting on my case about it.  Hey, you know what?  I'm not perfect.  No one is.  And a lot of other people would have been screwing stuff up over & over again, but this ONE TIME that I mess up, I get reprimanded as though it happens all the time.  BULLSHIT.  I need to find a new job.  I'm so pissed off right now.

Needless to say, I fell off the wagon last night.  Just a bit. 

Yes, I fed my anger and frustration with food and booze, and I shouldn't have.  In fact, it ended with me running to the bathroom during the night because my body wasn't happy with me. 

FOOD
Vegan breakfast sandwich (2 slices Ezekiel toast, slice of pan seared tofu w/ spices, 2 slices fake bacon, fresh spinach, 1/4 an avocado, 1 tbsp Veganese, small sprinkle of vegan mozzarella cheese).
Cup of Vanilla Hazelnut tea.

Strawberries w/ half a sliced pear.

White chocolate macadamia nut cookie.

Subway 6" sandwich (whole wheat bread, all veggies, light mayo, southwest dressing).

Whiskey & OJ drink w/ goat cheese ravioli appetizer (drenched in butter).
Spicy Basil delivery (1 egg roll, vegetable tempura, pineapple / veggie / tofu curry with white rice).
Dirty martini (with 2 bleu cheese olives).
3 large squares of milk chocolate.

EXERCISE
None.  Bummed.... :(

Day 37 (Sweet Dee) - Hello, Seattle? Yes, there seems to have been a mix-up...could you please come & get your weather?

I got a good solid night of sleep last night, which felt great - but honestly I could've slept for a few more hours!  It's kind of a good exhausted though - like I've been earning my tiredness.  If that makes any sense at all.

Today is another rainy and COLD day!  It really just makes me want to curl up under a blanket & watch movies... (and maybe sleep some more). ;) 

Tonight is derby practice, and hopefully we won't get rained out again.  It's supposed to thunderstorm all day, and I really hope our warehouse doesn't start leaking again!  I love how lush and green Denver has been lately with all of the rain, and that it's cutting down on the risk of fires for the summer (I hated those seasons when we couldn't have campfires - it wasn't even worth camping for).  But can we have our sunny days back, please? ;) 

FOOD
Coffee w/ unsweetened almond milk & grade B maple syrup.  I was in a bit of a rush this morning, so didn't have a full breakfast (I wasn't terribly hungry either).  


Roasted beets (olive oil, pinch of salt & pepper)

"Rave" salad from Fine Green Salad Company (mixed greens, romaine lettuce, red potatoes, beets - yeah, I kinda OD'd on these today, huh? -  quinoa salad, fizzled leeks, & tempeh - curry vinaigrette dressing).

Peach detox tea

Apple with 2 cups Calm tea (I was still pretty full from lunch)

EXERCISE
2 hours derby practice

Day 36 (Sweet Dee) - Yoga & Kickboxing (and impromptu cheat day)

Last night John told me that his friends are having a birthday celebration at D-Bar tonight.  If you've never heard of the place, it's all about decadence, desserts, wine, and all kinds of NON-TBT amazingness.  Dangit!!  

So in order to stick to my plan, I've scheduled an impromptu cheat day today so that I can have some fun at the dessert bar tonight.  It could make for a difficult weekend (I do have a cookout on Saturday I'm going to), but then again, it might be a good thing!  Since I tend to go a little overboard on the weekends, maybe it will actually help me stay in line a little better.  Who knows?  

This morning I managed to get up early (even though I only got about 5 1/2 hours of sleep), to meet Stacey for yoga, then I have my Kickboxing Sculpt class right after work before I head to D-Bar w/ John.  Hey, at least I'll have a good workout day on my "cheat day" this time! :) 

By the way, I almost didn't go to my Kickboxing class.  After running on 5 1/2 hours of sleep, yoga, and a 10 hour work day, I was pooped.  But I went.  And I almost quit.  Halfway through the class I thought "Nobody would be mad at me if I just left.  I'm exhausted.  I just want to stop.  My body is tired, dammit!"  Then I thought, I've never quit a workout class in my LIFE.  I will NOT walk out of this class.  My derby name is SWEET DEE TERMINATION goddammit, and I'm not going to let this stupid class stop me!  I will FINISH IT!  And I did. :) 

Still working on getting my camera fixed too (ugh...I hate not having a camera with me at all times!)

FOOD
Breakfast croissant (egg, cheese, avocado, tomato, w/ side of ranch dressing on plain croissant) from the Market.  Milky Way Soy latte (double-shot).... I really needed to wake up this morning, but I'm still falling asleep! 


Illegal Pete's with daddy (Vegetarian green chili w/ corn salsa, whole wheat tortilla, side of pesto sauce). 

Macaroni & cheese (leftovers at John's place), with some mayo and ketchup.  I can be pretty disgusting when I put my mind to it. ;) 

D-Bar (WOW this place is amazing.  REALLY amazing.)  I had the creme brulee w/ orange biscotti, 1 glass of red wine, and 1 glass of port (and a couple of bites off everyone else's plates too!).  The cheat day was worth it for this place!


EXERCISE
1-hour yoga class
1-hour Kickboxing Sculpt class

Day 33, 34, 35 (Sweet Dee) - getting caught up!

This weekend was kinda crazy, but really awesome!  Nikki's baby shower went off without a hitch, and she was so thrilled with how everything came out.  I got to have a lot of hang time with John too which was great!  I'm posting pics of the baby shower on my other blog today too.  So check 'em out!

Yesterday (Monday) I was summoned for Jury Duty, so I couldn't update my blog which is why I'm just now getting caught up.  Luckily I wasn't chosen, but we'll see about next week!  I have to call in again... ugh...

Last night's practice kicked my butt too (literally & figuratively) - we practiced hitting the ENTIRE time!  It was great, but man, am I hurting today.  John came over after I got home and we watched "Cloverfield" together.  Neither of us had seen it since when it first came out in theaters.  I forgot how awesome that movie is! 

SATURDAY (Cheat Day)
FOOD
Scrambled eggs w/ cheese, avocado & peach salsa
Raisin toast w/ butter - and 2 cups of coffee w/ soymilk & honey

Finger foods (throughout the day) - mini sandwiches, appetizers, snacks, fruit, etc - and cupcakes!

Pizza (5 slices - ugh) w/ mozzarella cheese, pineapple, jalapenos, onions, and fake bacon - with lemonade & 1/2 a beer.

3 chocolates & 3 glasses of wine

EXERCISE
None (crap!)

SUNDAY
FOOD
Scrambled Tofu w/ nutritional yeast & spices, onions, corn, mushrooms - topped w/ 1/2 an avocado, green chili, and tofutti sour cream
2 slices Ezekiel toast w/ good soft WF cheese & raspberry jam
Coffee w/ grade B maple syrup & unsweetened almond milk

Zucchini / yellow squash, onions & white beans sauteed in olive oil - mixed with low-sodium tomato & roasted red pepper soup (w/ pinch of salt & pepper) - served over brown rice spaghetti & topped with some leftover low fat cheese & tofutti sour cream
Iced tea / leftover lemonade

Whole wheat crackers w/ cheese & jam

EXERCISE
1 hour yoga class (I almost forgot about this!  Thanks for the reminder Stacey - it was a great class!) 
2 1/2 hour derby scrimmage (it was a long day!)

MONDAY
FOOD
Smoothie (acai packet, frozen blueberries, fresh mango & raspberries, ground flaxseed & homemade iced tea)

Baby carrots

Leftover Zucchini / Squash / Bean stuff over brown rice spaghetti
Whole wheat crackers w/ low-fat cream cheese & raspberry jam

Strawberries

EXERCISE
2 hour heavy-duty-hard-hitting derby practice

Day 32 (Sweet Dee) - Freaky Friday the 13th

Ok it hasn't really been "freaky" - I mean I didn't exchange bodies with anyone.  But it IS Friday the 13th!   

Tonight I'm helping with the Rocky Mountain Rollergirl bootcamp, then tomorrow I have my friend Nikki's baby shower (and cheat day - woot!).  Sunday is for yoga & scrimmage, then I'll probably visit with my grandma & aunt that are in town visiting.  Should be a nice weekend!

FOOD 
Brown rice crisp cereal w/ strawberries, unsweetened almond milk, and a drizzle of brown rice syrup.
Cup of hazelnut herbal tea.

Roasted beets (w/ olive oil, balsamic vinegar, pinch of salt & pepper)

Leftover buckwheat Soba noodles with broccoli, splash of Braggs/Teriyaki/Siracha, topped with a drizzle of hoisin sauce, and leftover salmon sashimi (seared) - only about 1 cup total of all of this.

Sample-size nutty granola bar (about 2oz I think?) and 1/4 a cup of nuts.
Homemade iced tea w/ agave.

Baby Carrots

Tangelo

Quesadilla (whole wheat tortilla, tofutti sour cream, shredded lowfat cheese, mushrooms, spinach, corn, onions), side of salsa w/ 1/2 a mashed avocado w/ lemon juice

1 glass red wine

EXERCISE
1 hour brisk walk with Stacey + continuous arm reps w/ 5 pound weights (I'm so glad I remembered to bring them with me this time!) 

Day 31 (Sweet Dee) - A day for me!

Today marks the first "day off" I've had in a very long time.  I managed to stock up on groceries, get my apartment straightened a bit, and finish Bossypants by Tina Fey (yes, it was friggin' hilarious)!  

I took a break from exercise today - I needed some "me" time more. 

FOOD
Shit.  I don't remember.  That's why I'm keeping this blog, so that I don't HAVE to remember.  I was a good girl for breakfast & lunch though (and healthy).  But Blogger decided to do some "repairs" - AKA, delete some of my posts.  Awesome.  So here's the rest of what I remember...

Cambric (earl grey tea w/ steamed soymilk, & honey)

Apple w/ natural peanut butter

Pizza (whole wheat tortilla, low-sodium tomato sauce, fresh spinach, mushrooms, onions, veggie Italian sausage, daiya vegan mozzarella cheese)

Whole wheat crackers w/ about 2 tbsps of high-quality soft cheese (I indulged a bit on my Whole Foods trip).
Homemade iced tea.

EXERCISE
None (break day)

Day 30 (Sweet Dee) - It's a rainy day parade! (and my third-of-the-way-through point!)

A rainy rainy morning, but I still managed to get out of bed and go for a long walk!  My leg is feeling pretty sore today, so I took it easy (I didn't try to jog), but still got a nice brisk walk going.  It was wet and cold, but it felt great.  

Tonight will probably be a hard practice I'm sure* - I just hope I don't mess up my leg anymore.  It seems to keep getting better, but then I stretch it to hard or strain it a little bit, and it's bothering me all over again.  What the heck, man??

*Just kidding... practice was canceled due to a leaky roof! :( 

FOOD
Ezekiel toast w/ tofutti sour cream, arugula, and baked beans.
Cup of Yogi hazelnut thai tea w/ agave.

Mixed unsalted nuts (about 1/4 a cup)

Buckwheat Soba noodles with broccoli, splash of Braggs/Teriyaki/Siracha, topped with a drizzle of hoisin sauce, and leftover tuna sashimi (seared).  Sprinkled with Gomashio.

Polenta w/ veggie ragout (Polenta seared in olive oil, topped with zucchini, mushrooms, garlic, onion, and red pepper tomato soup w/ seasonings - some whole wheat flour added to thicken). 

For some reason, Blogger decided to not save this post the last time I made it.  So I may have forgotten something here.... I hope not!  Ugh.  :( 

EXERCISE
45 minute brisk walk

Day 29 (Sweet Dee) - An early start!

Holy crap - I can't believe tomorrow marks my 1/3-of-the-way-through point!  Wowza!!  I actually feel like the past 30 days have gone by pretty fast.  At practice last night I had a couple of people come up to me saying that I'm looking really good which felt SO amazing!  That is definitely helping me to keep going - I could feel it, but the fact that people are starting to notice = AWESOME. :D  

This morning I was up super early to meet Stacey for yoga.  It was a really great class - such a lovely way to start the day.  After work I have my first Pump class, so that should be interesting.... and really really difficult.  ;)  What's funny though is that I'm going to just stay in my workout clothes all day - it isn't really worth it to change out of 'em since I'm just going to change right back!  And there's the benefit of working in a small office... in a basement. ;)

After my body pump class (which aggravated my leg a bit... probably shouldn't have done it, but it was still a great workout), John and I went to use my Groupon at a sushi place near my apartment.  I was a good girl (no white rice - I got Sashimi) but I did try a bite of his fried hand-roll.  Yuuuuum.   


FOOD
Breakfast sandwich (egg, tomato, and avocado on whole wheat toast)
Cup of coffee with honey & splash of 1/2+1/2

Leftover Bok Choy w/ buckwheat soba noodles (about 1 cup)


Apple with natural peanut butter

Sashimi (about 2 pieces of each - Salmon, Tuna, Yellowtail) with soy sauce, a clear broth soup w/ mushrooms & onions, simple lettuce salad with dressing, and daikon. 

Ezekiel toast w/ low-fat cream cheese & lemon curd. (I was trying to get that oily fishy taste out of my mouth.... ick.) 

EXERCISE
1 hour yoga class
45 minute body pump class

Day 28 (Sweet Dee) - Another week begins!

This weekend was so beautiful, and a lot of fun.  I am ready to get on my workouts again this week though, and stay good on my food.  I am hoping to drop another couple of pounds by next week, so I need to work hard!  It was really sweet though - at the park yesterday my friend Nikki said that I was looking really good.  That felt pretty awesome that someone else noticed it too! 

FOOD
Leftover tofu scramble (same as yesterday) with Ezekiel toast (same as yesterday), and a cup of coffee (same as yesterday)

Unsalted mixed nuts (about 1/4 a cup)

Arugula salad (with strawberries, caramelized onions with a splash of red wine vinegar, goat cheese, and balsamic vinegar w/ olive oil)

Banana


Bok Choy (boiled), sauteed with onion, garlic, tofu, splash of Braggs, splash of Teriyaki, splash of hot sauce.  Served over buckwheat noodles w/ a drizzle of hoisin sauce.
Sweetened iced tea (leftover from the weekend).

EXERCISE
2 hour derby practice*
*I was going to get up early this morning to at least to a walk, but man, getting up early is hard sometimes!  I'm trying to get better at this... Also, this practice wasn't as endurance-y as it usually is on Mondays.  I WILL STEP IT UP THE REST OF THIS WEEK THOUGH! :) 

Days 26 & 27 (Sweet Dee) - Cheat Day (Slush Jam) and Mother's Day

This weekend I was much better with my food (on my non-cheat-day), but not as great on my workouts.  Geez, it's always somethin' ain't it? 

Anyway, we had a great time at Slush Jam, which I will post about (along with pictures) on my other blog.  I won't be getting too specific with food details on that, because I'm not exactly sure ALL of what I ate.  But I'll do my best!

I had every intention of getting a workout in on Sunday when we got back into town, but alas, it just did not happen.  My friend's baby turned 1, and she had a little birthday party in the park for him (which was really fun, and what a beautiful day for it!) - then I had Mother's day stuff with my mom which was great as well.  It was nice having another day to relax, but I felt a bit lazy about not working out.  Ah well! 

SATURDAY - Food

2 mimosas

Some of my homemade jalapeno poppers

Homemade breakfast burrito (whole wheat tortilla, green chili, tofutti sour cream, shredded cheese, potatoes, veggie chorizo, peppers, onions, eggs)

A vegetarian chicken patty w/ veggies & potato salad

Chips

2 or 3 beers

2 cookies

Cajun pasta w/ cream sauce & seafood

Cup of new england clam chowder soup

SATURDAY - Exercise 

Some runs snowboarding (about 4 or 5 runs total)

SUNDAY - Food

Tofu scramble (tofu, onion, pepper, veggie chorizo, corn), with garnish of arugula & dollop of toffuti sour cream.  Ezekiel sprouted toast w/ light cream cheese & fig jelly.  Cup of tea with agave. 

Cup of coffee (with unsweetened coconut milk and agave) with whole wheat crackers & soft herbed cheese spread. 

Veggie burger w/ no bun (used lettuce leaves instead), ketchup, mustard, relish, onion, tomato.  A very small helping of coleslaw & pasta salad (about 1/4 a cup), carrot sticks, cherry tomatoes, celery sticks.  Small scoop of tapioca-style side dish.  Sweetened lemon iced tea.  Small slice of vegan red velvet cake.*

*this was all at Sasha's baby's birthday!  I did have a couple of non-TBT approved things, but I still feel like I did pretty well.  I didn't have any alcohol either!  

Asian seared tuna salad & 1 glass of red wine**

**and there's the alcohol - dangit!  Only 1 glass though - my mom wanted to buy a bottle of wine for Mother's day, so I had a glass.  The asian salad was delicious though, and very TBT-ok!  Also, we went to Sweet Action Ice Cream after dinner, AND I DIDN'T GET A SCOOP!!!  I can't believe I resisted that, but I did.  It's the little accomplishments, you know? 

SUNDAY - Exercise  
20 minute leisurely bike ride, badminton in the park for about 20 minutes

Day 25 (Sweet Dee) - Off to the mountains I go!

This weekend a big group of us are heading to the mountains for the SLUSH JAM, as I mentioned in my post from a couple of days ago.  I'm leaving straight from work today, and CAN'T WAIT!!  It's going to be so much fun, and I am so ready to get out of town for a couple of nights.  I'm also very glad that I saved my cheat day for tomorrow!  Woot! 

So far I've been really good about keeping my alcohol limited to my cheat day alone, and I'm pretty proud of that.  It's really difficult to be at a concert and not order anything, or to be sitting around a fire with friends that are drinking beers and not having one (like last night).  It's not a huge deal, but sometimes I think "Gosh, it'd be nice just to have one!" - but I'd be tacking on another 200-ish calories to the day, and goodness knows it's not easy to just have one.  The summer will be a challenge, but I'm sure that I can do it!  Be strong! :) 

Oh, and by the way - last night our softball team CREAMED our opponents!  We won 25 to 9 - total blowout.  I was playing catcher and I caught a pop-up too!  It was awesome! 


FOOD
Ezekiel toast w/ herbed cream cheese & jelly (I was in a bit of a rush this morning to finish packing!)


Salad from Fine Green Salad Company (the Chef Jam) - asparagus, beets, potatoes, etc 

Soy Latte (double) w/ 1-pump of coconut flavoring (deeeelicious!) 

Whole wheat crackers with light cream cheese


Chipotle vegetarian burrito bowl with NO rice (why don't they offer brown rice?  Jerks), no cheese or sour cream, and 3 corn tortillas.

Again, the camera is still with the little sis.  So here's a video of ducklings going crazy over a yo yo! :)

EXERCISE
1 hour brisk walk in the park with John & Stacey!

Day 24 (Sweet Dee) - Holy Sore Body, Batman!

Ugh... sore...everywhere!  I'm sure it's the combination of starting derby again, the body combat class & yoga I did earlier this week, etc - but I'm aching all over my body & hobbling around like an old lady.  In a good way, but still. 

I couldn't manage to get out of bed this morning at 5am to workout - surprise, surprise!  Probably because I didn't get to bed 'till 12:30am because we were at the tUnE yArDs show at the Hi-Dive!  It was a lot of fun, and oh-so-happy.  I didn't drink a drop (go me!), and still had a great time.  

Since I couldn't drag my butt outta bed, and I have softball after work tonight, I'm taking a break today from workin' out.  I think my body needs it! 


FOOD
Ezekiel sprouted toast w/ tofutti sour cream & vegetarian baked beans


Brown Rice (with some Braggs mixed in), topped with leftover curry soup, lightly fried tofu (lightly coated w/ cornstarch, fried in coconut oil), onions & red peppers (sauteed with a splash of teriyaki sauce & hot sauce), then drizzled with a little bit of hoisin sauce. 

Banana
Organic strawberry Kombucha

Grilled salmon burger (on 1/2 a whole wheat bun), topped with tomato, lettuce, red onion, cucumber, and yogurt sauce.  Side of grilled zucchini (olive oil, spices, sprinkle of parmesean cheese).  This was all SO delicious!!  *drool*



My sister had to take her camera back today, so I don't have any food pictures!  DANGIT!  Ah, well - here are some pictures of some pretty stuff instead: 

all photos from weheartit.com


EXERCISE
1 hour softball game (rest day)

Day 23 (Sweet Dee) - Happy-Go-Lucky

Last night while doing 1 load of laundry (I actually have 2 more loads to do but my fuckass landlord hasn't emptied the coin slots in ages, and now they're jammed - awesome), I watched the movie "Happy-Go-Lucky".  I've actually seen it before, but wanted to watch it again!  It's super cute, and I love Sally Hawkins in it - she's so hilarious.  Cat asked me what it's about, and I said "It's about this girl who is just a happy person that never really lets anything get her down" - and she said "Oh, so it's a movie about you?" - HA!  Not exactly. ;) 

I woke up this morning early to go to the gym, but just could not get out of bed.  I was exhausted.  My body is aching everywhere (I'm sure I'm sore from derby, yoga, AND kickboxing - oh my!) and I just could not do it.  I don't feel too bad though since I'll still get a workout at derby practice, though.


Tonight is my 2nd practice back after about 3 weeks off of derby.  After giving myself a good ass-kicking on Monday night (I have a bruise under my ribcage where I knocked the wind out of myself), I'm wondering how tonight will go.  I'm hoping it will be better! 

FOOD
Acai smoothie (banana, strawberries, frozen blackberries, ground flaxseed, about 1/2 a cup of unsweetened coconut milk, a drizzle of brown rice syrup & an Acai smoothie packet)

Unsalted mixed nuts (mostly cashews) - about 1/3 a cup

Bok Choy with brown rice (bok choy boiled in water, over brown rice mixed with some Bragg's Liquid Amino Acids, a squirt of Hoisin sauce, and topped with olive oil mixed with 1 smashed umeboshi plum*, splash of balsamic vinegar, and a squirt of agave - sprinkled with gomashio**)
*Alicia Silverstone talks a lot about the benefits of eating umeboshi plums in her book The Kind Diet (which is where I got this recipe).  You can read up on more info about them here too.  I got mine at Vitamin Cottage in the Asian food section. 
**Gomashio is also referenced in The Kind Diet - she has a recipe where you make your own.  It's kind of a salt-alternative, made with sesame seeds.  I just bought mine at the store - so much easier!   

 

Coffee w/ honey & milk (I didn't feel like messing with soymilk today... I hate the way it can curdle sometimes in store bought coffee)

Whole Wheat Wasa cracker with peanut butter & fig jelly (I know this isn't exactly a rounded dinner, but I had to just grab something before a group of us went to a concert!  I'll tell ya about it tomorrow...)

EXERCISE

2 hour roller derby practice

Day 22 (Sweet Dee) - Early Morning Yoga

Today I got up bright & early to meet Stacey for a yoga class at The Yoga Mat.  It was at a very small studio that we both got a Living Social coupon for (10 classes for $40 - not too shabby).  It was great - very relaxing, and lots of stretching.  It wasn't a very difficult class, but I was happy for that.  I am just getting back into yoga again, so it was nice to ease my body into it.  There were only 6 of us there, and the teacher was very good about telling us how to do the poses correctly, and telling us where we should feel the stretches.  I am looking forward to going again soon! 

On another note, my apartment is kind of a mess right now.  I really need to get my laundry done (probably 3 or even 4 loads... ugh), and get my files reorganized (they're sitting in a pile on my floor right now).  I definitely had some free time this weekend when I could have done all of that, but I guess I needed that time to relax instead!  Gosh darn it. 


This weekend we're going up to the mountains for Slush Jam - a party my friend Ryan throws at A-Basin every year.  We all dress in funny outfits, and he gets a spot right on "the beach" where we can all hang out, grill up some grub, drink, and dance.  It's such a blast, and I'm really looking forward to one last weekend in the mountains.  I'm planning to "cheat" on Saturday, but I'll be up there on Friday night too and part of the day Sunday.  SO I NEED TO BE A GOOD GIRL THOSE DAYS!!  Please yell at me if I'm not.  Never thought I'd say that! ;) 

FOOD
English-style breakfast (Ezekiel sprouted toast*, tofutti sour cream, arugula, vegetarian baked beans**, and 1/4 an avocado), with a cup of coffee w/ agave & unsweetened coconut milk. 

*This was my first time trying the sprouted bread, and it was actually pretty good!  I was trying not to buy bread, but I figured that this was the healthiest option if I wanted some.  It's not as scary as I thought it would be. 

**I called this an "English-style Breakfast" because it's not unusual for the Brits to include baked beans with their breakfast food.  I saw the idea in a cookbook once, and loved the idea of a change!  It was delicious!

Yellow Mango & Strawberries (those little yellow mangoes that they're selling like crazy at Whole Foods right now are AMAZING!!  So tender & juicy.  Go buy some!)

"Bag" Lunch with Katy! 
It was so lovely outside that Katy & I met up to eat outside in the park.  We were kind of attacked by bugs, but it was still SO nice to enjoy the sunshine, and catch up!  And Katy has the most awesome European-style commuter bike I've ever seen.  I want one! 

I had Brown Rice with curry soup (homemade from leftover curry veggies, unsweetened coconut milk, and agave), green beans, mushrooms, and red pepper sauteed in a small amount of vegan butter. 


Pizza (same as yesterday, but with less arugula since I'm almost out, and I added some diced red pepper too!), with homemade iced tea (with agave).



EXERCISE
1-hour yoga class
1-hour kickboxing class

Day 21 (Sweet Dee) - Back in the saddle again (and again, and again)...

I just realized that Cat & I have similar post titles today... ;)  Hehe!

OK - I'm determined to make next weekend a more effective one for foodstuff (and everyone - please hold me to it)!  My workouts have been going great, but I can't keep letting the weekends get to me!  I realized on Friday that I'm down another pound (which is awesome), but I am sure that I could be doing even better if I could stay on track with my meals over the weekends. 

Previous weight: 165
Current weight: 159
6 pounds down, 19 pounds to go!  WOOT!
Oh, and I tightened my belt by a notch without realizing it the other day too.  Must mean I'm losing inches! ;)  And I'm not even muffin-topping over my pants because of it either.  Rockin'.

Today I have my first derby practice in about 3 weeks.  I'm a little nervous, but I'm sure I'll be fine once I get back into the swing of things again! 

FOOD 
Acai smoothie (banana, strawberries, ground flaxseed, about 1/2 a cup of unsweetened coconut milk & an Acai smoothie packet*)
*this stuff is packed full of good Omegas - and totally delicious!  I got it on a whim at Whole Foods in the freezer section, and it's pretty darn awesome.

Salad (arugula, romaine lettuce, steamed green beans, chopped unsalted nuts, caramelized onions, 1 pear, goat cheese) with balsamic vinaigrette (mixed with a little bit of mustard & agave)


Apple
about 1/4 cup of mixed nuts

Pizza (whole wheat tortilla, marinara sauce, arugula, mushrooms, red onion, sardines, and Daiya vegan mozzarella cheese)

EXERCISE
2 hour derby practice*
*it was my first one back after 3 weeks - definitely a workout.  And I got my butt kicked too.  Mostly because of my own mistakes (which was ridiculously frustrating), but I'm just getting back into the swing of it again, and my body needs to readjust!  

Day 20 & 21 (Sweet Dee) - Relaxing weekend (and some cheating)

This weekend I had a couple more weak moments - similar to that of last weekend. 

Saturday was my cheat day, but yet again, it carried over into Sunday.  UGH - why can't I just keep it to 1-day?  I've been doing great during the week, but I am struggling to keep it limited to 1 weekend day.  I guess I just have it in my head that weekends are mini-vacations from the rest of the week.  That's not necessarily a bad thing, but when it comes to food it is!  

Saturday - FOOD (Cheat Day)
Watercourse Brunch with some derby girls (Raven, Dangey & Queen)! 
Amsterdam Hash (scrambled tofu, gravy, cheese, sauteed veggies, potatoes) with toast & jam - 2 1/2 cups of coffee w/ almond milk & natural sugar. 
I only ate half of this, but it was SO yummy!

Ice Cream at Sweet Action with Cat & John

Qdoba Bowl (w/ tortilla soup, tons of veggies, beans & rice - chile con queso & side of chips)
2 glasses red wine
Ice cream sandwich (from Sweet Action)

Drinks at Candelight Lounge (I think I had 3 Strongbows, and a Gunniess.  Yikes*)

*which inevitably led to a late-night stop at Taco Bell (ugh)
Mexican pizza w/ no meat, Crunchwrap supreme (no meat), and a cheese quesadilla.  Ugh - that didn't feel too good in the morning! 

Sunday - FOOD
Leftover Amsterdam Hash (I can't let stuff go to waste!)

Grilled cheese sammich at Whole Foods (with onions & apples on whole wheat rye), and a Yerba Mate naturally sweetened tea.

Mellow Mushroom w/ mom (I got the Caprese salad)

1 glass red wine (this was a big mistake, but it was leftover from yesterday.  I felt like crap after I had it!)

About 1/2 a cup of homemade leftover curry soup (I wanted to taste it after I made it - it's delicious!  I can't wait to eat it this week for lunch.) 

Pigging out with John while watching the new Nightmare on Elm Street*
*Included Healthy Pop popcorn (we each ate about a 1/2 a bag, which wasn't too bad), chocolate chip cookies (and some of the dough), Wheat thins with cheese spread & jelly.  I'm sure the pigging out could have been worse, but I was pretty unhappy about my decision this morning!

Saturday - EXERCISE
1-hour Kickboxing Sculpt class w/ derby girls (this kicked my ASS!!)

Sunday - EXERCISE
None

Day 19 (Sweet Dee) - Yay for Friday!

WOOHOO!  Friday has arrived!

This morning I was up at 5:30am to meet my friend Stacey at Sloan's Lake for a brisk walk around the park.  I love our weekly walks that we've started doing.  It's such a nice way to talk about how we're doing with our weight-loss / fitness / food goals, to encourage each other, and to be supportive.  I just love 'em!

Tonight a bunch of us are going to see Mile High Sci Fi make fun of a crappy Steven Segal movie.  If you ever used to watch Mystery Science Theater, it's just like that - but live.  I've been a bunch of times, and they are SO hilarious!

FOOD
Wasa Cracker stack-up* (This invention of mine came out of the fact that I was craving something salty rather than sweet for breakfast this morning, but not really sure what I wanted.  I didn't have any eggs or tofu to scramble, so I got creative.  I also have read that Sardines are ridiculously good for you with the Omega 3's & such, so I got a low-sodium organic version packed in water from Whole Foods, and finally cracked it open to give 'em a try.  I thought they were going to be scary-looking, but they just looked like little pieces of fish!  No eyeballs staring up at me, thank goodness.  They were actually pretty delish!  Yay for rhyming)! 

*Whole Wheat Wasa Crackers (2) with about 2 tbsp veggie cream cheese, arugula, about 2 tbsp of marinara sauce, onions sauteed in a pat of vegan butter, and about 2 sardines (crumbled).

Coffee w/ some honey and splash of 1/2 & 1/2 (OK, this was my last try, and it's awful.  I can't bear to drink coffee without my usual amount of sweetener and "creamer".  It's bitter, and horrible - no wonder I consume so many calories trying to mask the flavor.  And this is supposed to be the "good" stuff!  I wish all coffee was as smooth as the kind we had in Italy - I bet I could drink that without anything in it!  Sigh... oh well.)

Leftover Curry Lunch w/ Cat & Kow!  It was so beautiful outside, and this made for a lovely afternoon! :) 

Goosetown Tavern dinner (Gourmet grilled cheese on Rye with pomegranate jelly, side salad w/ balsamic vinaigrette, pickle).  I used the dunk & eat method for my salad dressing, so I only used about 1/4 of it, which was awesome. Also, I really wanted a drink when we got to the movie, but John was SO good about encouraging me not to do it.  Thanks John, baby!

EXERCISE
1 hour brisk walk around Sloan's Lake
20 minute bike-ride to work