Day 18 (Sweet Dee) - Starting the day right!

I got up early this morning and hit the gym, but I almost had a heart attack when I was about to leave after my workout.  I couldn't find my keys!  ANYWHERE!  I looked around the 2 machines I had used, but could not find them.  Finally I started searching in the crevices of the elliptical machine, and lo & behold, there they were.  Stuck up under a bottom area where I NEVER would have found them had I not stuck my hand under there.  That would have really sucked big time! 

So I got back a little later than I wanted to, but still managed to get to work on time (on my bike again today)!  Thank goodness.  


Tonight we have softball, which I love*!  I just hope we play against a team that isn't crazy competitive this time -  I like it better when everyone just wants to have FUN! :) 

*We WON our softball game!!  WOOT!  And it was definitely fun tonight. :)  Close game, but lotsa fun.  

FOOD
Brown rice crisps (no sugar added, organic), with strawberries and 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk.

Mixed nuts (about 1/4 a cup)

Veggie wrap (arugula, spicy mustard, olive oil & balsamic vinegar, pinch of salt & other seasonings, diced tomato, unsalted black beans, red onion, mushrooms, zucchini, carrots, and seitan sauteed in olive oil w/ a splash of low-sodium veggie broth) - all in a whole wheat tortilla.

Almond-milk Latte (double-shot), with sugar-free almond flavoring
I know, I know - I need to take a cue from Phoebee & knock this off!  I was craving one today though.  I shouldn't be having sugar OR sugar-free stuff!  Damn this sweet tooth.  It wasn't even that good either... the sugar-free flavoring has such a weird aftertaste.  Blech.

Thrown-together curry (baked sweet potato, zucchini, mushrooms, onions - sauteed in coconut oil, with curry powder, spices, agave, cornstarch, and unsweetened coconut milk).  Served over brown rice noodles with homemade Tulsi iced tea (sweetened with 1/2 a blood orange juice). 
This is just a re-used bottle, it's not really the KeVita stuff.

EXERCISE
20 minutes on the Incline Bike
40 minutes on the Elliptical machine (alternating high intense intervals with low sustained endurance)
20 minute bike ride to work (10 mins in / 10 mins out)
1 hour softball game (I played catcher - although I didn't do a lot of running, I did do a lot of throwing!)

Day 17 (Sweet Dee) - Body & Mind Day

Last night I finished dyeing my hair and went to bed early.  I love the way it came out too! 

Anyway, I got up early this morning and did some yoga.  Not with a video - I just put on Sigur Ros and did my own thing with what I remembered from my classes.  It felt really great, and so relaxing just to stretch.  It was a wonderful way to start the day.  

I was worried that it was going to rain all morning, but the sun came out, so I rode my bike into work!  I haven't done it in a looooong time, and it was another great addition to my morning.  

Tonight I'm going to a Gong Bath* with my mom.  I don't really know what it's all about, but we're supposed to bring a yoga mat and a blanket - and I guess they just ring a bunch of gongs, and we meditate.  So maybe it was appropriate for me to start the day with yoga, and end it with meditation!  Meh, who knows.  It sounds interesting! 

*OK - so I had to write a little blurb about the Gong Bath.  It was very strange, yet really amazing.  We all laid on the floor of the studio on mats with blankets, and Sylvia rang the gongs at different intervals & strengths, and the vibration resonated all over my body.  I was awake & aware the whole hour, but my mind would wander - sometimes it was like I was dreamwalking (I wrote down everything when I got home - some of the dreams were SO vivid), and sometimes my mind was just blank and hovering.  When my mind started to wander & think of things in the future or past, the gong sound would bring me back to the present and back into myself.  I know that sounds like hippie crap, but it was very interesting, and I left feeling exhausted and rejuvenated all at the same time!

FOOD
Tofu Scramble (tofu sauteed in olive oil with red onion, black beans, seasonings) over a bed of arugula, with salsa & 1/4 an avocado. 
1 Kiwi & sliced strawberries.
Cup of coffee w/ splash of almond milk, & a splash of sugar-free caramel flavoring.

Illegal Pete's with Daddy!  What a goofball.  Like father like daughter, I guess! 

I got (my favorite) - vegetarian green chili with corn on top, a side of pesto sauce (they always look at me weird when I ask for that), and a whole wheat tortilla.  I usually get chips, but I'm bein' good!  I can't wait for the day that Illegal Pete's get brown rice... they JUST got whole wheat tortillas, so that's a good start.

Whole wheat Wasa cracker w/ natural peanut butter & fig preserves.

Cup of tea (yes, I had every intention of eating dinner when I got home from the gong thingy.  But it was after 9pm when I got back, and I didn't feel very hungry.  I was pretty tired too, so after writing in my journal and reading a little bit, I just went to bed!) 

EXERCISE
25 minutes of yoga
20 minutes biking to/from work (10 minutes in / 10 minutes out)
15 minutes of arm weightlifting (shoulder press, biceps, triceps, upright rows, side shoulder lifts - 16x, 3 reps each).

Day 16 (Sweet Dee) - Dye, Tuesday! Just Dye!

I'm currently in the process of changing my haircolor.  It has been black / dark brown for SO long, and I'm plain tired of it.  I would normally cut my hair, but I'm trying desperately to grow it long - but I really needed a change, hence the hair dyeing!  

Right now I'm in the process of bleaching the color out, which took 2 rounds (and 2 boxes) - and the ends are still being stubborn and staying pretty dark.  So right now it's pretty blonde at the roots, and kind of a reddish light brown near the ends.  I left the underneath part of my hair alone (dark brown), which I think will add a nice effect.  I always liked the look of dark underneath & light on top!  Eventually I'm going to dye the top part a bright strawberry red color.  It should be pretty (I hope), and very different for me!  I'll take pics, don't worry. :)

FOOD
Brown rice crisps (no sugar added, organic), with strawberries and 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk.  1/2 a cup of black coffee (I just couldn't finish it today!)

Cup of Red Raspberry tea
Mixed Nuts (about 1/4 a cup), unsalted


Tokyo Joes w/ Becca & Geneva! 
I got the Build-your-own Bowl, size small - Brown rice, veggies (zucchini, broccoli, edamame, green onions, mushrooms), and baked tofu - with sugar-free Teriyaki sauce (on the side), and hot sauce.

MAN - look at the size of this thing!  Can you imagine what the larger bowl-size looked like?  Holy crap!  I could only eat 1/2 of this at the time - I saved the rest for later.  I'm glad I just did the dunk-as-you-eat method with the sauce too - I didn't need all that they gave me.  The tofu was so well seasoned it would've been way too much salt. 

Apple

Veggie "Mushroom Lovers" Burger (on 1/2 a whole wheat bun with tomato, red onion, lettuce, cucumber, ketchup, mustard, mayo).  I also had a small handful of nuts, a bagel chip with 1 tsp of coleslaw, a very small square of jalapeno cornbread, 2 green olives, and 2 pasta salad noodles.  (Obviously I was having some trouble resisting all of the other stuff that people brought to John's impromptu cookout, but at least I kept what I munched on pretty darn small!) 

Cup of Calming tea.

EXERCISE
1-hour Body Combat class

Day 15 (Sweet Dee) - Back in the saddle again!

After my lack of willpower yesterday, I'm ready to step it up the rest of this week.  I haven't seen any more weight loss since my initial 5 pounds, but I know that weight loss takes time, and I need to be patient - AND be good!  Keep up my workouts, and stick to eating right.  I think I need to not go TOO nuts on my cheat-day anymore either... I think I've been allowing myself more on those days than I really need to.   Also, it just seems silly to have to overcome sugar cravings just to indulge over the weekend, and have to overcome them all over again when the week starts!  Not saying I'm giving up my cheat day, of course - but I'm going to try to not go so nuts on 'em.

As far as today goes, getting up was really difficult this morning for some reason.  I knew I needed to get some kind of exercise in this morning whether I liked it or not, since I'm planning to go bowling with John after work tonight.  

The big thing that got me to drag my lazy butt out of bed was that I didn't want to put down "none" under my exercise for the day.  That's been a heck of a motivator for me!  ;)

Holy crap!  No pictures today!! 
Here's a picture of a cute lil' kitten to make up for it.

FOOD
Powerball (my last one!  Yikes!) with a banana & a cup of berry antioxidant tea

Big Whole Foods salad (from the salad bar).  Spring greens, spinach leaves, & romaine - with quinoa, black beans, peas, beets, sunflower seeds, raisins, bleu cheese crumbles.  Dressing - homemade vinegarette (with spicy mustard added). 

Mixed fruit (leftover from book club) - strawberries, cantaloupe, white grapes.

Mixed nuts - a little less than 1/4 a cup (man, I'm glad I had these saved in my desk for an emergency!  I was starving when 4:30 rolled around...) 

1 whole grain Wasa cracker w/ 1 tbsp of salsa, and about 5 olives.  I didn't get home from bowling until about 10pm, and wasn't very hungry at that point. 

EXERCISE
20 minutes of arm weightlifting (shoulder press, biceps, triceps, upright rows, back flys, side shoulder lifts - 16x, 3 reps each).
Bowling (3 games!)

(Sweet Dee) Day 13 - Book Club / Cheat Day! AND Day 14...

Saturday morning was another book club meeting - I LOVE book club meeting days!

Needless to say, I ate a little bit of everything that people brought - it was all SO delicious!  

I had some cheese pizza for lunch afterward which was wonderful, and kind of carried over into dinner since I ate so late... but I couldn't resist an arepas at the Kill Scout Bout! 

Sunday I had a pretty relaxing day (getting up late, doing a clothing exchange at the warehouse with some of the girls, grocery store, then watching movies all afternoon / night - although I did hit the gym).  Unfortunately I got a little carried away at the grocery, and ended up carrying my cheat day over a bit to Sunday as well.  I'm a bit dissapointed with myself, but I still felt that in general I ate pretty healthfully (except for the cheese).  I think my big mistake was buying the wine for Saturday.  I had a 1/2 a bottle left on Sunday and hate it when things go to waste.  So I decided it was OK if I finished it the next day - but that also meant I gave myself more allowances on food.  Ugh - I have to knock that off.  Weekends tempt me more than any other days of the week!

Luckily even with all of the indulgences this weekend I still got in lots of workout time!  YEAH!!  I'm proud of myself for that, if not for the weaknesses with food.

FOOD - Saturday
Book Club Brunch (danish, 1/2 a muffin, 2 cups coffee w/ agave & soymilk, baked french toast, breakfast egg & veggie casserole, 1/2 a cupcake)

Whole Foods pre-made tomato & mozzarella pizza, 2 glasses of red wine, small cup of poblano pepper casserole.

Arepas (with plantains, cheese, sauce, and avocado)

FOOD - Sunday
Powerball & a banana, with 2 cups of berry antioxidant tea, and 1 serving of leftover egg casserole.


Whole Foods lunch (yes, I went again today and got some more yummies & other stuff for the week).  Brie Cheese on whole wheat matzo cracker (alternating fig preserves with strawberries & fruits), 2 glasses of red wine, some olives, cup of lobster bisque.  I like to think of it as my European lunch - a little bit of everything. 

Leftover mashed potatoes (about 1 cup) with last of leftover cheese.

1/2 a leftover cupcake

EXERCISE - Saturday 
30 minutes on elliptical machine
20 minutes on treadmill (alternating walking at high incline w/ jogging at a lower incline)

EXERCISE - Sunday
20 minutes on incline bike
30 minutes on elliptical machine
10 minutes on treadmill (walking at a high incline)

Day 12 - Frieeeeday! Frieeeeday!

Whew!  So glad this week has finally come to a close.  What a rollercoaster! 

This morning I hoped to get up early, but the sleep felt so good I gave in.  I feel like I've been really good with my workouts this week, so today is going to be my day off.  I'm planning on getting in my workout time on Saturday & Sunday though for sure!  

Tonight we have my friend Brian's going away party in Boulder.  He's a friend that I knew in Ohio that moved out to Colorado maybe 5 or 6 years ago.  He's moving to Boston now though to live with his girlfriend - and will be missed!  I am being the designated driver this evening, since I'm not drinking - I have 5 people riding in my car down there tonight!  Ha!  It was funny though - I was talking to Stacey yesterday about going to parties & not drinking.  To be honest, it's not that bad - and I kind of like it better than drinking!  A couple of reasons:

1.) You don't end up ready to crash at 11:30.  Alcohol makes you tired.  Der.  

2.) You end up having more engaging conversations.  Even if the other person is drinking I find it much easier to hold up my end of the conversation, and I listen better!  Time is much better spent w/ friends. 

3.) You get to drive yourself home at the end of the night.  Awesome!  And it's nice being a back-up DD if you have a friend that needs a ride.  Yeah, maybe it can seem like a burden having to go out of your way, but it's nice knowing that they got home safely because of you, right? 

4.) You don't have a hangover the next day!! 

5.) You don't have to worry about cleaning your barf off your friend's car.... (yep, that's what I get for being DD!  Ha!)

FOOD
Powerball w/ a banana, cup of black coffee (I couldn't resist today!  When I like somethin' - I keep eating it 'till I'm sick of it!)

Cucumber Water
Salad (romaine lettuce, quinoa, red onion, tomato, seitan pan seared w/ spray oil, papaya poppyseed dressing).  I later added on some of the leftover quinoa, asparagus, mushrooms, and tofu from yesterday's lunch too - just so it didn't go to waste.  I forgot it was still in the fridge at work! :) 

Apple (sliced) with natural (no salt or sugar-added) peanut butter

Here's something I did NOT eat!! 

I'm so proud of myself... I LOVE German chocolate cake too...*drool*.  It was a girl's birthday at work, and another girl's 5-year anniversary.  I took a picture just so that I could say that I resisted temptation!  I'm saving my indulging for tomorrow. ;)  WOOT!

Quorn "chicken" patty (pan-fried) with organic instant mashed potatoes, topped with a pat of vegan butter, a pat of vegan mayo, and some hot sauce.  Side of Kale chips.

EXERCISE
None - takin' a break today.  But lookout weekend!! ;)

Day 11 (Sweet Dee) - It's a new day!

OK, all done whining from yesterday! 
It's amazing how just starting a day right can affect your mood, and the whole rest of your day.  
I think the apartment rearranging last night helped a ton, and John came over to hang out.  We played Quorkle (sp?) which is kind of like Scrabble, but more about matching shapes and colors instead of words.  I kicked his BUTT - and that's the first time that's ever happened! :)  We watched "Evolution" while we played, which is always good for a laugh. 

This morning we got up at 5:30am to meet Stacey in the park again for a walk.  It was chilly and overcast, but it's such a nice way to start the day!  I told them that I would love to get up that early every day, to which they replied "Uhm, so why don't you?".  I really don't know!  So that's something I'm going to work towards.  Getting up earlier, and starting the day right.  

We had softball pretty late (at 9pm!), and John and I tried to go a little earlier so that we could do some batting in the cages - but they were already closed!  So we stopped at a liquor store so that John could get some PBR, and I grabbed a bottle of wine to enjoy on my cheat day this Saturday. :)  It's Cupcake's Red Velvet red wine - I can't wait to try it.  

Since I couldn't play (even just taking a step to pivot & throw the ball made my leg hurt) I sat on the bleachers & cheered with Kris (girlfriend of one of our teammates).  It was SO chilly and windy, I was glad that Stacey gave me her huge blanket!  I cheered my head off, and it was a very close game (we only lost by 1 run).  It was a fun evening though!

FOOD
Powerball & a banana with a cup of green tea (trying not to have coffee every day!) ;)  

Naked Breakfast Burrito (brown rice, salsa, mushrooms & red onions sauteed with spices & pinch of salt in vegan butter, unsalted black beans, 2 eggs scrambled, hot sauce, 1/2 chopped avocado & 1/2 chopped tomato - with a dollop of vegan sour cream)

  
Minneloa Tangelo

1/2 a baked avocado with goat cheese, 1/2 a  grapefruit, over quinoa with a splash of braggs and balsamic vinegarette
Bottle of homemade unsweetened Tulsi Honey Chamomile iced tea

EXERCISE
1 hour 20 minute brisk walk around Wash Park
10 minutes of Arm weightlifting reps (3 reps of 16 lifts each - biceps, triceps, shoulders, upper dorcimus*, back flys) 

*That was for you, wifey! :D
 

Day 10 (Sweet Dee) - When it rains, it pours...

After having a lovely evening with Katy last night for dinner, and going home happy, I woke up this morning to a frustrating start to my day.  

I planned on getting up early and going to a pump class, but could not drag my butt out of bed.  SO frustrating, as I now needed to figure out how I'd fit in exercise time after work.  I woke up freezing because I didn't realize how cold it was going to get overnight, and didn't turn my space heater on.  Then I get a call from my bank saying that my idiot landlord was trying to deposit my rent check (a month late, AGAIN), and I didn't have the funds to cover it.  So even though I thought I had plenty of money to go around this month, it turns out I have to scrape by, because it'll be as though I'm paying rent 2x in one month.  Son of a.... 

It's partly my fault, but I'm still pissed off.  I can just never seem to get my head above water with money, no matter what I do.  I'm trying not to be Debbie Downer and stay positive - shoot, there are people in way worse circumstances than I am that have kids to feed on top of it!  And people that have to worry about whether or not they will be able to find clean water and food every day!  And hey, I'm not Lindsay Lohan.  What a hot ass mess that girl is.  Sigh.  I need to knock it off.

Then I stood up at my desk, and my leg spasmed.  And now my injured leg that I thought was almost healed is hurting terribly all over again.  Goddamn it!! :(

And my mom called saying I got a jury duty summons.  Awesome. 

Luckily I don't feel like turning to food (which is what I would normally do).  I feel like working out.  And hitting something, but working out nonetheless. 

On an up side (yes, there's always an up side!) I weighed myself this morning.  After 10 days, I'm down to 160!  That's 5 whole pounds since I started.  I guess there's a bright side to every sucky day, huh? 

And Quentin sent me this to cheer me up from the Natalie Dee website.  Guess what, it helped. ;) 

FOOD
Same breakfast as yesterday ('cause it was so yummy) - banana w/ a Powerball, cup of black coffee

Apple

Leftover quinoa (w/ asparagus, mushrooms sauteed with onions & spices, tofu chunks, a little bit of goat cheese, last of the leftover black eyed pea croquette crumbles).  I only ended up eating 1/2 of this.  

 

1 whole wheat Matzo with raspberry chipotle salsa

1 large bowl of leftover Pho (rice noodles, broth, onions, basil, cilantro, lime juice, tofu)

Bottle of homemade unsweetened iced tea

EXERCISE

2 hours of apartment cleaning & rearranging*

*My leg was bothering me so badly when I left work that I couldn't imagine going to the gym.  I felt so upset, and so out of control from this whole day, that I had to do something drastic.  Normally this would mean cutting off all of my hair, dyeing it a crazy color, buying something extravagant, or buying a bottle of wine and pigging out all night on pizza.  Since I didn't want to do any of this things, I took to rearranging my apartment.  I scrubbed the floors, dusted everything, and filled a container with books & movies to get rid of that I've been hanging onto for ages.  It felt GREAT!  Somehow it helped me feel powerful again, helped me get control back.  It kinda seems silly, but it made me feel so much better!  

I didn't make any big drastic changes (as you can see), but I like the results.  Makes me feel like I'm getting a bit of a fresh start, you know? :) 

  

Day 9 (Sweet Dee) - holy leg workout, Batman!

This morning I had the opportunity to join Megalops at her gym for "bring a friend" week.  I was supposed to go yesterday morning too for a cardio class, but had to cancel because I was a snot-face. ;)  Cat A Combs came too, and it was an all-legs resistance band workout that was CRAZY intense!  I was dying!  For reals!  It made me realize how much I neglect my leg muscles (I tend to just lift arm weights and leave my legs to the cardio workouts - hoping that will be enough).  All-in-all an awesome class! 

I'm also feeling a lot better today.  Still nose-blowing and hacking, but I can tell it's almost outta my system.  I had a great relaxing evening last night too (cooked dinner, made some Powerballs - I'll explain this later - watched an episode of "Criminal Minds", read some of my Book Club book), and was in bed and asleep by 10pm.  I am going to have to get up early the rest of this week to fit in my workouts which will be hard, but getting to bed early every night should help!  

FOOD
Banana & 1 powerball* with a cup of black coffee (I'm actually getting a little more accustomed to the black coffee, as long as I drink it while eating something naturally sweet, such as the banana.  It seems to even it out a bit!)

Cup of Raspberry Leaf tea

Kiwi

Salad (romaine lettuce, kale, zucchini & onions sauteed in olive oil w/ spices, leftover roasted beets, unsalted garbanzo beans, tomato) with dressing (vegan mayo, mustard, spices, pinch of salt, almond milk, vegan sour cream)

2 Riccola cough drops

Organic minneloa tangelo  (tangerine-type fruit)

Dinner at Katy's new home!  I brought the main dish, and she made the salad.  Everything looked so pretty on her plates that I had to take a few pictures!

Quinoa "Chicken" (Quorn "Chicken", oven baked, and served over quinoa with steamed asparagus, mushrooms sauteed with onions & garlic, seasonings and marinara sauce)
Salad (romaine lettuce, walnuts, raisins, apple slices - w/ olive oil & balsamic vinegar)

Cup of Tea

*These Powerball thingies were actually called "5-minute no bake vegan almond butter chews", but that was wayyyyy too long of a title if you ask me.  I call them Powerballs 'cause they're great for a post-workout snack because of the nut butter protein, and low calories (only about 100 a pop!).  I got the recipe from a great blog called Oh She Glows - you can find it here.  I did make a couple of changes: I used peanut butter instead of Almond butter, substituted dried currants for the cacao nibs, and added a couple of tablespoons of flaxseed for an added boost in nutrition.  You can find MY version of the recipe here!  They are DELICIOUS!


EXERCISE
1 hour leg / lower body weight resistance training  

As a sidebar, I came across this article today about getting your 5 servings of vegetables / day.  It's a great reference for eating healthy, and even has a visual guide of what it should look like on a daily basis!  According to a 2010 survey, only about 26% of American adults are getting just 3 servings of vegetables / day.  Come on, people!  You don't have to be vegetarian like me to fit 'em in.  Read the article.  It's great!  Here's a link to the blog I read when I came across that article too, with 7 easy tips to make sure you're getting enough veggies. 

Day 8 - (Sweet Dee) Time off for stressed-out behavior

Last night I did get a good amount of sleep, besides waking up coughing every now & then throughout the night.  My snot production has reduced a bit I've noticed, but the coughing is reeeedonk.  Usually that means the cold is on the way out though, so that's good.  

On another note, I'm taking the rest of April off from derby.  I don't know why, but the last few weeks have been really overwhelming for me.  I think it's part of the reason I got sick.  I've been so busy with work, getting started with the TBT, trying so balance my social life / family life, trying to balance derby with everything else (even with an injury) - I've been on the verge of tears.  I felt like it was time to take a step back.  As I told Cat (and our derby forum), sometimes that's what you need to take a step forward.  My body is trying to tell me something, so I'm going to listen.  

I am, however, not going to neglect my workouts just because I'm missing practices.  I have a kickboxing class scheduled for tomorrow morning, and I'm going to fit some yoga into my schedule as well (I think that will help me de-stress, but also work on my strength & stretching).  

I am very proud of myself too, as I managed to not eat all of the leftover berry crumble bars from the cookout over the weekend!  I brought the rest of them to work, and everybody loved them.  Although they did ask if I breathed on them though. ;) Here's a link to the recipe, if you're interested!

FOOD
Banana

Leftover hot & sour soup (about 1 cup)

Brown rice with zucchini, potatoes, onion, and shittake mushroom - with spices & a couple of squirts of Bragg's & hot sauce.

Strawberries

1/3 (the rest of the bottle) of strawberry-flavored Pedialite

2 Riccola cough drops / 1 Pedialite popsicle

Whole wheat Matzo "Pizza" (1 matzo square with marinara sauce, tofu "ricotta", mushrooms & onions sauteed w/ spices & pinch of salt, fresh tomato slices) - the tofu "ricotta" is just tofu mashed up with some nutritional yeast, seasonings, and lemon juice.  
Kale Chips (Kale baked in the oven until crispy with spray oil, seasonings, pinch of salt)

Homemade strawberry iced tea w/ agave nectar


EXERCISE
25 minute cardio kickboxing workout video (I remember when this video left me gasping for air, and my muscles sore for days - but I must be in much better shape, because it just doesn't do that for me anymore!  Ha!  I felt like it was a good gradual step though since I've been sick and missed some workout time.)
15 minute yoga video

Day 7 (Sweet Dee) - will this cold ever END?

I felt like crap when I woke up this morning.  Not from the food or alcohol I indulged in yesterday, but my cold seems to have relapsed.  I dragged myself to scrimmage today (not to skate since my leg is still healing up), but after 5 minutes there, realized I shouldn't have come.  


I headed home, but thought that I should at least try and go for a walk in the park to get my exercise in for the day.  I got about 1/3 of the way around my usual loop and had to turn back.  My head was aching, my nose was running, and I felt so exhausted.  And it was SO gorgeous today - what a waste!  Ugh.

I also ate more than I would have liked to today (even though everything I ate was still OK on the plan).  I think it was just being at home all day and having that temptation.  I'm going to have to keep tabs on my non-cheat weekend days from now on, and be sure that I'm not eating just because I'm bored.  I'll have to remind myself to go for a walk or a jog instead!

FOOD
Other 1/2 of tangerine juice
Egg / egg white scramble (1 egg, 1 egg white, steamed asparagus, onions, garlic, seasonings, small amount of goat cheese - topped with 1 leftover black eyed pea croquette, crumbled)

Pho (2 medium-sized bowlfuls - broth, onions, sprouts, fresh basil & cilantro, rice noodles, 3 scallops, sauce)
1/2 a bowl of hot & sour soup (this actually helped clear out my sinuses for about 30 minutes... but it came back unfortunately!)
4 pieces of golden tofu w/ sauce

Strawberries w/ natural peanut butter, small amount of grade B organic maple syrup (ate this on a 2/3 a whole wheat matzo cracker)

3 tbsp roasted veggie cream cheese spread (on other 1/3 of the matzo, plus 1 full one)

Lots of tea throughout the day, with lemon slices

2/3 a container of strawberry-flavored Pedialite (by suggestion of John.  I felt like I wasn't getting enough electrolytes to get better from just drinking water & tea.  I needed to rehydrate and get my juices going.  This has a lot less sugar than soda or vitamin water, so I felt like it was a good option.)

EXERCISE
15 minute walk in Wash Park
Sick day. :(

Day 6 (Sweet Dee) - My first cheat day!

Finally starting to feel back to my old self, I was very excited for my first cheat day.  It was a lot of fun!  And after dropping about 3 pounds in my first week (woohoo!) I felt like I deserved it.  :) 


I also got to go to the Rockies VS Cubs game which was a lot of fun.  Although the Rockies lost, John (a Cubs fan) was thrilled!  We had a great time. 


FOOD
Breakfast at Lucille's with Nikki!  I had the "Eggs Jennifer" - 2 poached eggs on an english muffin with spinach, tomato, hollandaise sauce, and cajun blackened salmon (I added this!) - with a side of potatoes and grits.  I also had 2 cups of chickory coffee with cream and natural sugar.

I made mixed berry crumble bars for a cookout, and ate one after they cooled.  DEELICIOUS!  I ate 2 more of these throughout the day - they were so yummy.

At the cookout I had 2 gardenburgers (black bean chipotle) with 2 slices of cheese.  These were actually frozen together, so I just ate them both on one bun (the bad kind) with ketchup, mustard, relish, and onions.  I had a couple of whole wheat crackers with hummus while there too.

2 glasses of white wine, and 1 beer at the baseball game (which I didn't finish).  And a handful of salted pistachios.

1 slice of cheese pizza at Anthony's on the way home.

EXERCISE
I was motivated to do this today, but got so busy I missed out.  I hate writing "none" for this section though, so I really want to step up my game this week!

Day 5 (Sweet Dee) - gettin' better

Feeling better today, but still not 100%.  My ears are all clogged up for some reason, and my nose is running like a faucet, but I'm definitely much better.  Maybe there's something to be said for choosing natural aids rather than salty soups & sugary sodas!  CRAZY! ;)

Tonight I am planning a nice low-key night with the boy.  We haven't had any QT since he got back from Chicago on Wednesday, so we're just going to stay in, watch a movie, and relax!

FOOD
Echinacea complete care tea  
(I know, no breakfast = bad, but I was at my parent's house last night so that I could take my mom to the airport this morning.  Their options for breakfast foods are sugary cereals....and that's about it.  I had every plan to get a smoothie at Jamba Juice, but ended up getting to work later than expected.  I hate missing breakfast!) 

Leftover "egg" salad (tofu, vegan mayo, mustard, relish, potatoes, etc), over chopped romaine lettuce drizzled with olive oil & balsamic vinegar.

Banana "boat" (banana with natural peanut butter, and a drizzle of agave nectar).

Yerba Mate tea

1/2 a bottle of Tangerine Juice

Black Eyed Pea Croquettes with brown rice syrup & dijon mustard sauce (pureed BEP's with seasonings, small amount of whole wheat flour, fried - used about a tbsp and a half of the sauce on mine)

Mixed green salad with strawberries, red onions, pecans, small amount of feta cheese crumbles, balsamic vinegar & olive oil.

EXERCISE
25 minutes on elliptical machine (alternating level 2 and level 3 resistance)
15 minutes on treadmill - while lifting 5lb arm weights

Day 4 (Sweet Dee) - Sick Day

Today I stayed home sick.  Uck.  I still had to get up early and take Rowdy Roddy Piper to his radio interviews (NICEST guy, by the way), but after that I stopped at the grocery store, then headed home to rest.

Usually when I'm sick I eat lots of very salty soup (such as Ramen), and drink like 5 Vitamin Waters a day - as well as Sprite (which is what my mom gave me when I was a kid).  Since those things are full of artificial sweeteners & sugars, I avoided them like the plague this time and went for the more natural drink choices!

FOOD
Tangerine Juice (all-natural, fresh squeezed, no additives)

Vegetable & Shrimp Curry Soup (w/ 100% buckwheat noodles) - shrimp, Thai yellow curry simmer sauce, 1/2 organic pineapple, shitake mushrooms, onions, fresh spinach, leftover baked potato, low-sodium veggie broth, a couple of squirts of agave nectar. (I had 2 servings of this, since it was pretty much the bulk of what I ate all day - I spent most of the time sleeping!  But boy, talk about hearty & healthy comfort food.  YUM.)

GT's Kombucha (Guava Goddess)

Kevita (Raw Coconut Probiotic Drink)

Herbal teas (throughout the day)

Orange pepper slices w/ about 1 tbsp of spinach artichoke hummus

EXERCISE
None - sick day

Day 3 (Sweet Dee)

When I got home last night I was so exhausted from my Body Combat class that I could barely keep my eyes open.  But I still popped in "Criminal Minds" Season 1 and watched 2 episodes.  At 10pm I decided to turn in.... then I tossed and turned for an hour!  Goodness I hate that. 

But I DID manage to get up at 5:30am this morning to meet Stacey for a long walk in Wash Park!  WOOHOO!!  Stacey is my buddy that is also trying to up her workouts, and quit smoking too.  We are helping each other out and supporting each other on our separate yet similar journeys. :) 

I also woke up not feeling too great this morning... just a little soreness in the back of my throat.  I'm hoping it's nothing (or that it will go away), but I'm feeling the onset of a possible cold coming on.... uh-oh. 

FOOD
Smoothie (1 banana, 1/2 cup frozen strawberries, 3/4 cup frozen blueberries, 1 cup unsweetened almond milk, 2 tbsp natural peanut butter, 1 tbsp ground flaxseed)

Cup of Echinacea Complete Care tea

Cup of Emergen-C, and a cup of Yerba Mate tea (gosh, I felt exhausted today!) 

Faux egg salad (tofu mashed up with relish, onions, mustard, vegan mayo, cubed leftover baked potato, pinch of salt & pepper & seasonings), eaten out of butter lettuce leaves

Apple (Braeburn organic)

Miso soup from a local sushi place (it's all I wanted on my way home - the girl looked at me like I was crazy when I said that was all I wanted), and a homemade Tulsi iced tea (unsweetened).

Banana "boat" (banana with natural peanut butter, and a drizzle of agave nectar).  I was really craving something sweet, and I felt like this was my best option!  It was really yummmy.

EXERCISE
1 1/2 hour brisk walk around Wash Park

Day 2 (Sweet Dee)

Today I was going to get up early and start my day with a light walk.  I'm definitely a morning person, but for some reason getting out of bed in order to enjoy my morning is always a challenge.  In fact I am usually up about 2 hours before I have to leave for work just so that I can take my time, cook breakfast & lunch, etc.  But nonetheless, my mister fella, John, always chides me for hitting the snooze too many times.  Well, I broke a record this morning.... I hit it every 9 minutes for an hour and a half!!  WHY do I do that??  Ugh!  Don't tell John.... ;)

FOOD
1/4 cup whole oats (no sweetener) cooked, topped with 1 banana (sliced).  2 cups of green tea (no sweetener).

Cup of Raspberry Leaf tea, and an apple (Braeburn organic)

Romaine & spinach salad with 1 radish, 1/3 cup garbanzo beans (no salt), onions sauteed with seitan & seasonings, and roasted beets (olive oil, balsamic vinegar, pinch of salt & pepper).  Dressing - mustard with 1/4 cup almond milk, and 1/4 tsp agave nectar.

Americano coffee with a splash of unsweetened ricemilk (this was my first attempt at not putting any sweetener in my coffee, and....BLECH!  I realize now that I was probably just craving the sugar I put in the coffee, not the coffee itself!  It just tastes like a very strong & bitter tea by itself.  Honestly, I have herbal tea that tastes better!  I did finish the whole thing eventually though, I mean, I did spend $1.86 on it.)

1/2 an avocado (baked), onion slices, grapefruit, and goat cheese over brown rice* - drizzled with balsamic vinegar and a splash of Bragg's.  This was SO DELICIOUS that I posted the recipe here!

(*I soaked my brown rice overnight too - soaking before cooking helps to breaks down some of the hard-to-digest proteins, and neutralizes phytic acid, which is an anti-nutrient that prevents absorption of minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, and copper.  Yes, I had to look that up.)

How to soak rice:

1 cup rice
2 tablespoons of an acid*
warm water - the same amount you would need to cook it

Put all into the cooking vessel you plan to use to cook the grain, and let soak at room temperature for a minimum of 7 hours and up to as long as 24 hours. Then cook as usual, skimming any foam or scum that develops on top, as it can contain released impurities.

*For the acid, you can use plain yogurt, whey (from milk, yogurt, kefir, etc.), kefir, buttermilk, vinegar, or lemon juice.

EXERCISE
Body Combat class (1 hour) 

Day 1! YAY!

I indulged quite a bit the weekend before I started (pizza, ice cream, ugh), and to be honest, I felt like crap on Sunday night.  The good part is, that it made me crazy happy to be starting my week healthfully!  Yay!

FOOD
1/4 cup whole oats (no sweetener) cooked, topped with 1 banana (sliced).  Cup of Tulsi red mango tea.

1/2 a pineapple

Cup of Yerba Mate Tea

Quinoa with romaine lettuce, radishes, garbanzo beans (no salt added), and a sprinkling of Braggs liquid amino acids (pictured).  I know this sounds kind of like a strange combination, but it was actually pretty darn yummy!

Apple with natural peanut butter (no added sugar or salt)

1/2 a baked potato with leftover mashed cauliflower, 1 tbsp of marinara sauce, and zucchini sauteed with onions & seasonings (no salt) - and a homemade iced Tulsi Chamomile tea (unsweetened).

EXERCISE
30-minutes "The Firm" arms workout video

2-hour derby practice (I couldn't do a lot of the drills since I'm not supposed to fall for at least a week, so I did a lot of endurance, practiced my form, then did core-strengthening work in the fitness area, and some additional weight lifting)

Commandments

I swear, I'll get to posting about Day #1 first thing tomorrow, but I just found this blog and I loved her "commandments" that she wrote there: 

1) Be Shannon.

2) Carbs trigger sugar cravings, avoid them when possible, compensate when unavoidable.

3) Think it through, before I eat the treat, be sure I won't regret it (guilt is poison).

4) Best to avoid the freezer unless I know exactly what I'm going in there for.

5) Workout first thing, my day will thank me for it.

6) Feed the hunger in my belly, not my head.

7) Don't be a hateful meanie to myself.

8) If I'm cravin' it after midnight, I probably don't need it!

9) Just do the bleedin' cardio already!

10) Know why I'm doing this.

I just thought they were really good things to take with me on my journey!  Thanks, Shannon - whoever you may be! :) 

And so it begins!!

Day 1 has officially begun, and so far so good!  I will make a new post (labeling the days) after this one with my meals / workouts for the day, but I figured it'd be easier to post AFTER the actual day since I don't know what I'm going to eat for dinner yet & such.

I did have time this weekend to take my "before" pictures though (be strong, Beth....)

They're not awful or anything (I've definitely been heavier), but they're definitely not where I'd like them to be.  But that's why I'm doing the TBT!!  ;) 

I weighed myself this morning too so that I could gauge where I am.  At 5'6", I currently weigh 165 pounds.  My ideal weight (which I've been at before) is between 140-145 pounds.  So my goal will be to end the 90 days at 140 pounds, which means I've got 25 pounds to drop.  I don't think it's terribly unrealistic, since that's approximately 2 pounds per week - although I will certainly not be upset if I only drop 1 per week.  I know that weight loss and muscle tone takes time, so I just gotta stick to it! 

Next post coming soon! :) 

Prep for day 1!

I am planning on starting my TBT this Monday 4/11 - I always find it easier to start at the beginning of the work week rather than on a weekend.  

In order to prepare myself, I've ordered an organic produce box filled with goodies that is being dropped off today - WOOT!  I've also been working on finding some motivation, and came across this success story on That's Fit.  

I think what I loved the most about reading her story, is that I have a VERY similar one! 
I grew up in a family that loves food, and I definitely am an emotional eater.... 
I'm so happy!  I think I'll eat to celebrate.  I'm so sad!  I think I'll eat to comfort myself.  I'm so proud of myself!  I think I'll eat to reward myself.  I'm so angry! (etc, etc, etc)... You get the picture. 

What I also love about her story is that you can see in her photos that she wasn't really that overweight to begin with.  Sure, round around the edges and some weight to lose, but not seriously overweight.  That's where I feel like I am now.  And did you SEE her after picture??  HOLY COW!!  

See that right there?  That's some motivation for me!  She went from being round around the edges to being a FITNESS MODEL!  How rad is that?  What's even better is that according to her entry, it sounds like she did the exact same plan that I'm doing!!  TBT, baby!  

I never thought that I could ever look like she does now, but seeing her transformation has really inspired me.  I feel more ready than ever to get this going on Monday!  

Photos from That's Fit website 

Time to start the TBT!!

Well, it's about time I started my Total Body Transformation! 
All of the other derby girls are doing it, so why not me?  :) 

Basically, I'm just sick of having that bit of flab still hanging around that's been there since....oh, gosh... 2 summers ago?  Ugh!  Unacceptable!  

So here are my goals (in no particular order): 

1.) To look damn good in my bikini again.  Damn good. 

2.) To drop 20 pounds.  I'm not sure how much I weigh at the moment, but that seems like a good round number, and right about where I need to be.  (I'll weigh myself this weekend before I start!) 

3.) To become a threat as a jammer.  Right now, my endurance and strength is nowhere near what it needs to be in order to be a jammer.  Although I love blocking, I would also love to jam - and be good at it! 

4.) To get my confidence back.  Sure, I know this will come as I progress - but I'm sick of putting things on that are in my closet and saying, "nope, shows my pooch.  nope, doesn't hide my butt."  I want to feel good everytime I get dressed in the morning! 

5.) To be able to run the full length around Wash Park without stopping to walk!  

The biggest thing to me right now is to really stick to it, and not make any more excuses.  I've been doing that for WAY too long, and really kidding myself about where I am and where I want to be.  I love my body and my figure, but it has come time to take it to the next level.  I have done it once, and by golly, I WILL do it again!