A whole new level of UGH...

I was doing pretty darn well, then Christmas came.  Sigh...
I really need to figure out how to handle these things better next year! 

I WILL be getting back on the horse again, I just need to figure out a better plan of attack and how to keep this going for the long run.  I feel awful, and tired, and almost sick to be honest.  I have been eating a ridiculous amount of cookies & sugar, and I know that I'm crashing.  Blech.

Anyway, tomorrow is a new day, and 2012 is almost here!  No better time to start again, right?  Even if it is for the 100th time.... ;)

Wednesday - Another early morning!

I met Stacey early this morning for a run again - we jogged around City Park, and it was great.  SUPER cold, but great!  I rode my bike into work today too, and it actually wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.  It was definitely chilly, but I bundled up!  Any way to keep moving! 

FOOD 
Scrambled tofu w/ nutritional yeast over arugula, about 1 tbsp organic ranch dressing, 1/4 an avocado, diced tomato, and salsa.
Juice: 3 carrots, 1/4 a sweet potato, 1 apple, 1 orange, about 6-8 strawberries

Stove-popped organic farmer's market popcorn!  (I was so proud of myself for making it this way!) Sprinkled w/ nutritional yeast, and some flavored popcorn seasonings.

Leftover whole wheat lasagna noodles (cut into strips) topped with tomato / red pepper soup, 1/2 a fake italian sausage link, black beans, tomatoes, 2 thin slices of polenta (cubed & seared), some spinach, and about 2 tbsp of Daiya vegan mozzarella cheese.

Takeout Chinese food (rice, veggies, curry sauce, egg rolls)
2 whiskey-gingers

EXERCISE
30 minute jog with Stacey
Bike ride into work

Tuesday - skatin' around

Sunny & I met up early this morning to do some more skate training at the warehouse.  It was pretty rough (as usual) - my feet need to build up their calluses again, and I was exhausted.  It was great though, and I really really needed it! 

Only thing about these mornings is that I don't have much time when I get home to get ready for work.  Hence I grabbed kind of an unhealthy breakfast on my way out the door... but at least I ate breakfast, and I didn't get something fast-food-like!

FOOD
Coffee w/ splash of soymilk & maple syrup.
Amy's organic Mac & Cheese TV dinner w/ hot sauce (hey, it's probably still better than getting a breakfast sandwich or burrito somewhere!)

Brown rice topped with fresh arugula, tomato / red pepper soup, 1/2 a fake italian sausage link, black beans, red onion, 1/4 an avocado, some firm tofu cubes, and about 2 tbsp of Daiya vegan mozzarella cheese.

2 beers
1/2 a cheese & veggie quesadilla
4 jalapeno poppers
I kinda felt like crap after eating all that cheese... probably a good thing that John ignored my request to stop at Dairy Queen so that I could get a vanilla milkshake! ;)

EXERCISE
40 minutes of skating drills, sit-ups, and leg lifts.
Bowling with John!  3 games total - that's a lot for me.

Monday - Christmas will be here SOON!

I just realized that Christmas is only 2 weeks away - holy cow!  Crazy how time flies... 

Stacey & I met for a very cold run this morning, but it felt great.  I've been running without music lately, and I actually think I like it better.  I feel like I'm calmer, and that I'm using it as kind of a time to meditate in the morning.  Also, the last 10 minutes or so of our jog, we actually had a CONVERSATION!!  It was pretty awesome!  First time we've ever been able to do that. :) 

FOOD
Fresh spinach topped with salsa, black beans, 2 small slices pan-seared polenta, 1 egg + 1 egg white (mixed with about 1 tbsp ricotta cheese).
Juice: Strawberries, 2 carrots, 1/3 a sweet potato, 2 apples

Brown rice topped with fresh arugula, tomato / red pepper soup, 1/2 a fake italian sausage link, black beans, and about 1/4 a cup of shredded mozzarella.

1 bottle of Guayaki Yerba Mate tea (Peach Immune support blend)

Tortilla Pizza - large tortilla, canned tomatoes / sauce (no salt), fresh spinach, mushrooms, red onions, garlic salt, mozzarella cheese.
2 glasses red wine, 3/4 a beer.
Wheat Thins with 1/4 cup of ricotta cheese & maple syrup. (uhm, night-time snacking, wha?)

EXERCISE
25 minute jog
20 minutes on Wii Fit 

Oh the weekend...

This weekend I was a bad girl (again).  Why do I struggle so badly on the weekends?  Because it's "relaxing" time? 

This is an area that I will definitely need to work on when January comes, and really focus on.  It's my biggest weakness!!

Otherwise, I did get in a good workout on Saturday because I snowboarded for a good 5+ hours!  Woohoo!

YEAH!! Friday has arrived!!

I struggled like a whiney 4-year-old to get out of bed this morning.  I planned to do a run at 6am, but hated the idea of leaving my warm bed for the cold outdoors.  But after hitting my snooze about 5 times (sorry, John!) - I did get up.  And I went for a run.  And it felt GREAT.  :) 

FOOD
1 egg over polenta with gravy.
Juice: 1 apple, 1 pear, 3 carrots, 1/3 a sweet potato, 1/2 a lemon

Brown rice, kidney beans, black beans, splash of Braggs, spinach, salsa / diced tomatoes, scrambled tofu (with seasonings & nutritional yeast), red onions.

Leftover carrot soup (about 1 cup)

1/2 a veggie burrito from Qdoba, and 1/2 chile con queso w/ chips.
1 small cherry dr pepper.
2 beers, 1 glass wine
Nachos (that was a BAD idea!)

EXERCISE
27 minute jog w/ stretching

Thursday....ugh... why Wine? WHY??

Ugh... a little bit hungover from the freakin' bottle of wine I drank last night.... *facepalm. 

In turn, I didn't get up and workout this morning, and I'm kicking myself for both counts!  Dammmmmit!! 

FOOD
Juice (2 apples, 2 carrots, 1/2 a lemon, 1 orange)
Leftover spaghetti squash alfredo (about 3/4 a cup)
Cup of tea with honey & splash of unsweetened soymilk

Brown rice, kidney beans, splash of Braggs, spinach, salsa / diced tomatoes, scrambled tofu (with seasonings & nutritional yeast).

Pecans with some chocolate chips.

Carrot soup (about 2 cups), chips & salsa, pistachios.
2 oatmeal raisin cookies. 

EXERCISE
None.  I suck!

Wednesday (Why is it not Thursday yet?)

I feel like this week should be going by faster... I'm ready for the weekend! 

FOOD 
Salmon patty, fresh spinach, sliced tomato, 1/4 an avocado, hot sauce, 1 egg.
Cup of coffee w/ soymilk and maple syrup.

Leftover spaghetti squash alfredo (made w/ chickpeas & spinach) - a little over 1 cup.

Satsuma.

Tortilla pizza (large tortilla, tomato sauce, spinach, tomatoes, onions, about 2 tbsp of Daiya Mozzarella cheese)
1 bottle of Chardonnay (yes, an entire freakin' bottle.  Why do I do this to myself?)
...and in turn, another freakin' bag of popcorn.  Ugh.  That was pretty silly of me!!  At least I'm all out of popcorn now...


EXERCISE
None today - I needed a break!

Tuesday (BRrrrrr!!!)

It's damn cold outside today - I think it got down to the double-digits below zero last night.  I always think about homeless people when it gets this cold, and I worry - I always pray that they have somewhere to go to find warmth.  I can't imagine anyone trying to spend their night outside in sub-zero temperatures. 

Anyhoodle, I met with Cat & Sunny this morning at the warehouse for some MUCH needed skating.  We did some endurance training and squats, and it felt really great.  I have been so out of shape with skating, and it felt amazing to be doing it again - even though my ankles & legs were aching!  I'm going to be feeling it tomorrow for sure! 

FOOD
1 egg over-easy, 2 thin slices of polenta - over fresh spinach, leftover gravy, and 1/4 an avocado.
Juice (1/2 an apple, 4 carrots, 1 pear, 1 orange)

Coffee (I really wanted it today!), with 1/2 cup of Soy Egg Nog and honey.

Illegal Pete's with friends!  Cup of vegetarian green chili w/ corn salsa, side of chips and pesto.


Dinner at Lops & Denny's place!  1 1/2 glasses red wine - 1 plate of sweet potatoes, chili, spaghetti squash alfredo, pesto pasta.  A slice of pumpkin pie, and 1/2 a cookie. 

EXERCISE
About 30-40 minutes of endurance skating

Monday - Back on Track!

Today I got up early and used my Wii Fit!  Stacey & I decided with it being less than 0 degrees outside and a fresh layer of snow on the ground, that indoor workouts would be better today.  :) 

I'm definitely getting better at the games, and it was fun!  Only problem is that it told me I've gained 1.3 pounds since last time I did the Wii - I was kind of bummed about that.  I have a feeling it was because of my indulgences over the weekend, but I also weighed myself at a different time of day too!  So we'll see about the next time - here's hoping it's a drop!

FOOD
Vegetable juice (carrots, celery, zucchini, sweet potato, tomato, 1/2 an apple, 1/2 a lemon, splash of hot sauce)
1 slice of tofu, and 2 small slices of polenta - with sauteed zucchini, onions, garlic, and leftover gravy

1 Christmas cookie (whoops - they're SO good though!)

Salad (romaine lettuce, 1/4 cup leftover chili, black-eyed peas, 1 morningstar veggie patty, 1/4 an avocado), with about 2 tbsp ranch dressing, 1/8 cup soymilk, splash of hot sauce, and nutritional yeast.

1 cup of leftover butternut squash soup

1 small plate of Thanksgiving leftovers (finally the last of it!)
1 3.2oz bag of cheddar popcorn
2 glasses red wine
(yeah, I wasn't a very good girl... this is damn hard!)

EXERCISE
25 minutes on Wii Fit (aerobics, yoga, weightlifting)

The weekend...

I'm not going to try & track my weekends, as I make it a point to not go online on weekends - and tracking things would just be too difficult.

However, Saturday was my "flexible day" and it went pretty well!  I managed to only eat 1/2 of my eggs benedict for brunch for Kendra's b-day, and I actually kept things pretty under control most of the day.  I did have some drinks on Saturday night though, and I didn't really stop eating poorly on Sunday (as I was in a cookie-making mode that day, and I had to sample my creations)! 

I also didn't get any workouts in over the weekend (bad girl!), so I'm not too happy with myself about that.  Ah, well.  Back on the horse again today!

Hope you had a great weekend!

Finally Friday!

My abs are KILLING me today from the Wii Fit yesterday!  I guess it did what it should do - I have a feeling it was the hula-hooping game.  My sides hurt the most, and that's probably a good thing!  I'm going to do it again tomorrow, that's for sure. 

It was ridiculously cold this morning (the news said it would get down to like 7 degrees), so Stacey & I planned to workout indoors on our own.  Instead I bundled up and went for a run anyway.  I was so proud of myself!  It was damn cold, but I really layered up - I figured if our 5k in 2 weeks is a cold day, then I'd better get used to it!  It was a bit slippery in areas, and kind of difficult to get through the areas where the snow wasn't shoveled, but I totally did it, and felt great afterward.  *Self high five / self chest bump! 

That was a big first for me (jogging when the weather isn't perfect), and I'm so glad I did it.  Also, a sunrise over everything blanketed in snow?  Beautiful!

FOOD
Juice: Apple, 1/2 a lemon, 1/2 an orange, celery, 2 carrots, 1/4 a yam
1 egg over-easy with tomato, siryacha sauce, and 2 slices of polenta (about 1/3" thick)

Brown rice, black eyed peas, onions & green peppers (lightly sauteed), red pepper, arugula, tomatoes, 1/2 a can of organic vegetarian chili.

Satsuma orange.
1/4 a cup of pecans.
2 beers (at Denver Beer Company)
1 small plate of Thanksgiving leftovers. 


EXERCISE
22 minute jog in the bitter cold!

Also, they say that you should use a picture of YOURSELF when you were in better shape / weighed less as a motivational tool.  A while ago I got down to 138 pounds, and could wear anything I wanted to!  You can see a picture of myself at that time here (in my first post on this blog).
Again, I was not as healthy as I could have been (I was eating ONLY meat & veggies - no carbs or fruit), and I was a smoker.  But if I can get there once, I can do it again!  

One small step at a time... 

Snow day!!

Happy December!! 

Last night John helped me get set up on Wii Fit so that I could do it this morning.  That system is total crap when it comes to measuring you - it said I was overweight (ok, that part is true), and that my "Wii Age" is 44!?!?  WHA?  Bunch of baloney.  Ah, well!  

FOOD
Juice (apple, orange, 1/2 a yam, 1/2 a cucumber)
1 egg over-easy (w/ spray oil), side of brown rice with 1/4 an avocado, sliced tomatoes & siryacha sauce

Cup of blackberry green tea

Brown rice with black-eyed peas, arugula, tomatoes, zucchini, red/green peppers, onions.
About a tbsp of ranch dressing with 1 tsp mustard, unsweetened soymilk, and nutritional yeast.

Snack: About 3/4 cup of Taryn's leftover butternut squash soup (with fake sausage)

Juice: Cucumber, lettuce, orange, lemon, apple, pear, carrots, celery.
Thanksgiving leftovers (on a small plate) - the usual!

Cup of hot cocoa with whipped cream (okay, this probably wasn't the best choice.  But I almost went to the store and got a bottle of wine, but resisted!  I figured this would be the lesser of two evils!) ;) 

EXERCISE
30 minutes using the Wii Fit - running in place, hula hooping, some yoga, some strength training - it was actually pretty fun, and I got my heart rate up too!

Wednesday - Day #3

A little motivation for myself (and you, maybe?) - So true... why not start now? 

I always put things off... It's my birthday!  It's cookout season!  It's Thanksgiving!  It's Christmas!  It's New Year's!  - ending all of that with "I can indulge as much as I want", but it just ain't true.  Sure little indulgences are fine, but I tend to just give up (especially around the holidays).  Why not be healthy year 'round?  Sure, have a little more than usual to celebrate things, but don't keep doing it or those occasions won't seem quite as special.  See what I'm sayin'? 

FOOD
Fresh juice (apple, strawberries, pear, kiwi, ginger)
1 egg over-easy (w/ spray oil), side of brown rice with 1/4 an avocado, sliced tomatoes & siryacha sauce

Cup of vanilla spice tea.

Lunch with Daddy at Euclid Hall!  Simple salad (greens, sweet / salty dressing), lobster soup.

Snack - cup of minestrone soup (guess it was a soup kinda day today!)

Juice (apple, pear, orange, and 1/2 a yam)
Leftovers (small plate of mashed potatoes, mushrooms, gravy, tofurkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce - a little bit of everything!)

Chamomile Tea

EXERCISE 
25 min jog with Stacey - it was a hard one today!

photo from www.weheartit.com