Eats and Treats

I'm trying to post my food in Sparks again this week. They have some neat new features, such as adding extra meals, copying a meal from another day, and exporting your report to excel. They also still have all of the great tools I remember, such as my 'favourites' list, where I added many of my favourite foods or specific items we buy that are not on the general list, such as my PC foods from Superstore.

For anyone starting an exercise regime, this site is also a great resource on how to properly do certain moves. They'll even design a program for you. And it's all free! That's right - Free! Well, what are you waiting for? Go sign up.

Ditchin' The Clothes

I think I'm going to have to start working out in the mornings. The thought of waking up early certainly does not appeal to me, but with summer such as it is I may not have a choice soon.

I started my lower body workout on the deck last night, with alternating lunges, dumbell squats and bunny hops. Then I made my way down to the basement. It's nice and cool down there. I proceeded with the next superset and, before too long, I decided I didn't reeeeaaally need a t-shirt on. In my last superset I also ditched the shorts 'cause they were sticking to me. My dd laughed and told me that she couldn't believe how sweaty I was. I guess I never really appreciated how much those clothes absorbed. On a related side-note, I also need to vacuum that area before lying down on the carpet again. And another nice thing - I was half way getting ready to jump in the shower afterwards.

So - before all that, I went to meeting last night. I did weigh in - up 1.8lbs. I'm figuring it could be just about anything and am not getting upset. 144.4 is still well within my comfort zone for now. I've been picking up the pace with this new schedule, but not focusing on cardio. I've also been slightly off with my eating for weight loss, and I jogged 15-20 minutes to the meeting. Any or all of that was likely a supporting factor. I am back on an eating plan - by that I mean I actually have my daily eats written out and will stick to that until Sunday when I switch it up. Subbing my protein pancake this afternoon for a grapefruit and 2pts of almonds though, since I ran out of time this morning. So, I expect to be smoothed out a bit again next week.

Take care and have a great Thursday - today is a great day to plan your menu for the weekend so you can make sure you've got the food you need in the house. I call it simple logic - you write what you are going to eat and then just eat it. It works for me.

GARBAGE!!!

A little vent here. I'm a liberal gal - I can lift, lug, and mow a lawn. I don't mind helping move furniture, etc. But, I still like to have the door held open for me by a gentleman AND I like to have the garbage, compost and recycling taken care of for me. So WHY am I the one and only who lugs these things to the curb?

Yes, today was compost and recycling day. Never mind the recycling that hasn't made it out of the basement yet. Is it not enough that I actually put the recycling bags on the deck when they're full for ease the morning of? Is it not enough that I request regularly to take the compost out to the composter? Do I have to drag both out to the curb every other week?

What's good about this arrangement? There are certain things I can get to the curb on garbage day that good 'ole hubby would contest. Yes - I can be evil.

Temptation, etc

Can anyone tell me why, oh why, people want to bring Timbits into work? Oh, and not the yucky plain ones, but chocolate glaze. Gee thanks. Not that I would normally have any - then again, yesterday wasn't 'normal'.

Last night I didn't have a workout planned, but...umm...Burger King wasn't on the plan either. Why is it we just say OK when we're tired. In all fairness, I did get the new Walnut, Cranberry Chicken salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette and a water. Then I had some french fries. Anyhoo - I'm extremely over-tired, so will be doing lower body workout tonight. I'm going to cut down the reps on my lunges and squats and attempt 3 sets tonight. My hamstrings hurt for 4 days last week and I don't think they need to hurt that long. Then I think we ALL need to be in bed early tonight. Being this tired on a Tuesday is bad.

Pictures - Like ya'll need more

Hi - This just in: pictures of the suites. Hubby was kind enough to take them today before my workout. I'm using them as my 'before' pictures and am hoping to be more comfortable in the 2-piece by vacation, which is August 4-17. Meanwhile, Mark loves the 1-piece and I guess I don't mind it. Tried to take the pictures on the deck, but the teenage boy neighbour came checking things out, so I abandoned that.

And of the size 8 jeans. Gotta go - family is waiting for some outside adventure.

It's the Attitude

I've been doing some listening (and reading) lately and this is my conclusion: We are more likely to succeed when we focus on the good. I'm hearing in meeting that "It's so hard." Yesterday I mentioned about people not changing their lifestyle. I know slips happen, but I'm thinking I never struggled this way with food because I embrased the changes wholeheartedly. Sure, I can still scarf down a days worth of points on a Saturday night in potatoe chips - and sometimes we do that. The difference is, I don't do it regularly AND when I realize what I'm doing I try to remove temptation. Really, a stir-fry is SO much more satisfying and those spices, like cajun or 5-spice, have a perfect flavour.

Exercise I DO struggle with. It's about getting into the head-space for it. I REALLY want to get out and enjoy walks, looking forward to the pool opening up in - yikes - 1 week. Overall, I don't think I have a problem with activity. It's my workouts. I admittedly struggle. SO, I have re-focused my attention to some extent. I am committed to 2 strength sessions a week - 1 for lower body and 1 for upper. With the lower body I am only focusing on 2 sets of my routine and with the upper body I will do 3 sets. Last night I did lower body and after my first superset (20 walking lunges with pulse, 20 side squats and 30 calf pulses, repeat) I was wobbly walking down the stairs. I have a long way to go, but I'm still here - 7 months after joining PnP.

Just a weigh

Went to meeting last night. Subject was on the path to success - and all those lovely detours along the way. Bored much? Not changing lifestyle? Anyhoo - scale says I'm down 0.4lbs. And that's the mid-month update.

On-The-Fly

Eating and working out on-the-fly don't usually work for me. It generally turns out badly, actually, with my feeling guilty. So far this week I have done very little planning, so I'm going to do a bit now.

To re-cap, Monday I worked late. Groceries are whatever is in the house. I have a list, but that's it. Tuesday I went home for supper and sent Mark to the grocery store. The girls were whiney, so we cuddled and read - 2 chapters of Scooby Doo to 1 chapter of The Worst Halloween Ever. We got through 4 rounds of that before I just couldn't keep my eyes open any longer.

So - to plan. Food - I think I'm going to keep flying on this one. I had intended to journal this week, but...well...I guess I better start. Plus side - the scale is down a bit today, so I think I'm not doing too badly - BUT, journalling or planning is very important for me as I have a tendency to over-do things.

Exercise:
Wednesday: Strength - lower body followed by 20 minutes on elliptical.
Thursday: Cardio session - I haven't decided yet, but if it's nice I'd like to try a jog - maybe 5K. I know where my 2.5K marker is, so I'll just do a return trip.
Saturday: Strenth - upper body followed by, hopefully, a long walk - pending weather. Otherwise I'll do the lwr body 16 minute workout from h-e-ll that involves my getting sick of looking at my stairs.

Other:
Clear the Clutter: I got rid of 3 bikes and a dresser so far this week. I'm thinking a box of books for Friday.
Meet Peggy Friday night - Her turn to be accountable this week.
Church on Sunday morning. We haven't been going and I think this is a good time to start again.

Weekend Fun

I guess I had lots of weekend fun. Some highlights:

Used clothing: I took the 9yo to Frenchy's and she picked up some tops. I also needed summer clothes - some for work, but I haven't boughten much for kickin' back either. I picked up 3 pairs of shorts, 1 pair of capris, a dress and several tops.

ALSO, I bought a 2-piece bathing suite on Friday night. I'll try to post the suite pictures this week sometime.

Meat: I went shopping at the wholesalers on Friday night and picked up a chunk of pork and a huge chunk of beef tip. I spent some time with the pork on Saturday morning and ended up with 3 pork loin and some other cuts. The beef took me around 1 hour on Sunday and I ended up with 2 roast, some nice steak cuts and a bunch of fast-fry cuts, some beef tips for stir-fry and some stew meat. I decided if I'm going to do this again, I need a better knife. I figure I saved around $15-20 - not great when you're considering the time factor, but it's a learning curve. Also, I decided I'll need a glass cutting board instead of the hunk of wood I use.

Friends: Had friends over Saturday night for a few drinks and chatting. The kids had some fun. Sunday, next door the 4 or 5 yo twins were visiting their aunt. They're always good for some fun - my girls are crazy about them and love it when they visit. Later in the afternoon we went visiting ourselves for a BBQ and swimming. I didn't go swimming, but the kids were in - well, the LO sat on the edge and managed to set down the ladder until under her arms before coming back up - repeatedly. Good times.

Cuddles: Got some great cuddles in last night as we snuggled down and watched Water Horse. Good movie - the 4yo took off near the end and brought back a kleenex box for the tears (hers and others).

Well, it's getting late. Gotta throw on some 'new' clothes and get to work. Have a great day.

TAXES - Ahhhhh!!!

OK, in Canada taxes are due to be filed by April 30th. Umm...yeah. Did I mention that I worked in public accounting for 5 years worth of my career? Hmm. You'd think I'd be organized and psyched to file KNOWing that I get a return every year (childcare fees may be a killer on the budget, but they help on the taxes).

So, I did them late - sometime in May - and made my list of outstanding items. Still waiting on my interest papers from RBC federal student loan, but I can file a T1 adjustment for that. I asked the daycare for receipts, the dance school, etc. OK - all set, right?

Gonna complete them last Tuesday. Duh - have the child fitness stuff, but seem to have lost the daycare receipt. Called the daycare. Got the receipt Wednesday and updated the taxes. Where the heck is our access codes?

Found them this morning. Phew! Filed them today. Not bad - only 1.5 months late. No interest or penalties - both of us are getting refunds. Now to decide if I should do the debt reduction thing or go shopping... Just joking - I think there's room for a bit of shopping. Duh - I still need a 2-piece bathing suite.

Progress and comparison photos

Ohhhh, Ahhhh, I know EVERYone is SOOO excited about this post. Ya'll have been on the edge of your little 'ole seats. I'll try not to disappoint.

No - I wasn't sitting on her. She actually crawled up there and was squeezing in behind me and I was becoming annoyed at being shoved off the couch. Hubby snapped the photo and I'm not a fan, but it's a rare shot of my big butt and how I could fit on the couch with company.

Interestingly, all the pictures I could find of myself I was sitting and had some form of child or other camouflaging my front. Most of my weight was carried in my stomach - this crazy illusion of being flat chested - ahem, anyway...and my butt.

Then here I am able to button up my 14's. Very happy day, indeed.

Gotcha!

I'm just kickin' back enjoying some fun on the weekends. Totally loving the new bod.

Better get my feet off mil's couch before she catches me, though.

Clear the Clutter

I am taking this one to heart. I read a book a few years back - now long since donated to the library or sold to a second-hand bookstore - about clearing clutter with Feng Shui. I was moved, not by the prospect of living in a wider vs. longer home, or having rounded corners for energy to move, but rather by the prospect of digging myself out of the clutter we have.

Have you noticed that those with clutter in the homes also tend to have clutter on their bodies? Or maybe it's just me. Why is that? Is it our desire to hang onto things - or not caring about things - or not having the determination to do something about it? Maybe it's one or more, but what I do know is that I have a lot of crap in my home.

So, I have been able to get rid of some clutter from my body and now I am tackling other stuff (mine and theirs). Yup, you heard me. Mark, if you're reading this, we ALL need to comply. OK, how long does it take to find your keys each morning. I seem to have lost mine last weekend - Mark has them, they're in an article of clothing I was wearing, or I left them at mil's or sil's. Regardless, if they're in my kitchen I've wasted numerous minutes looking for them already this week. HELLO??? Time is either money or time away from my family. What about the bank cards Mark mis-placed. Again, they're either in Truro or 'lost' in our home. This has negatively affected our ability to take the 9yo to Frenchy's and she NEEDS some shorts for Friday. Time's a tickin'. Then there's the 10 minutes I spend every morning looking for various things I need to make breakfasts and lunches for the day. Really? I'd rather sleep, thank you very much.

OK, there's my ramble. Clutter - Be Gone. Need some help? Pick up 'Clutters Last Stand' and get started.

Roller Blading my worries away

The 9yo wanted to head out and do SOMEthing last night, so off we went. In all fairness, I planned to go roller blading with her last night anyway, but hadn't mentioned it. 2.5km with the mild to moderate inclines. This is the third time I've done this route. It's a pretty good one since the hubby can take the 4yo in the car to the playground and we meet him there. It's definately a nice change from walking and left me feeling invigorated. I could have kept going.

Black flies are making a seasonal come-back and MY time in the playground was cut short. On the grocery list this weekend: bug spray and sun screen. Also, the 9yo and I are heading to Frenchy's on Saturday for some much needed summer clothes shopping. She's grown and I've shrunk - neither of us has much that fits well enough, and it's important to look good while you're stumbling over gravel crossing driveways while rolling down the sidewalk.

Cheers, ya'll

Menu planning and Goal updates

Well, I wasn't going to follow Corinne's menu next week, but guess what? I looked at it and am psyched. Wasn't crazy about the chicken again (it was in 2 meals last week and 1 this week and what with egg whites I've started to grow feathers), but she said I could substitute white fish or sirloin for variety if I wanted to. So now I really need to decide when I want to sub what and that means...this won't impact my eating with the family for suppers. They can eat what I eat and everyone is happy.

Well, we're on the third week with asparagus on the menu. I'm enjoying it, too. So is the 9yo. She told me it was the best part of my menu - but she's also putting away her share of chicken breast, too.

I'd say the only thing I'm missing is my soy drinks, so I'm going to work it in. I guess, with subbing stuff, I can kind of still make this menu my own quite easily. I'll stick to the 'as written' version for during the day and just switch up suppers for variety.

My goals are going well. I don’t have my notes with me today, so I’m going by memory here.

28 Inches: I am doing good with my food lately, as you can see from above. I’m really focused and am trying to get energized for ST. This week I am only focusing on my ST sessions, and I’m only concentrating on getting 2 in. Any cardio I do is bonus for this week and next – I am just enjoying life right now, but do want to begin incorporating more cardio in. It’s such a great time of year for it. I am inspired by the ‘Hood’ routine – check out PnP today for a blog post by Becca via Corinne on the subject of incorporating cardio and plyo into your daily walks. Corinne also did a video for this on YouTube.

Debt-Down: I was doing a bit of research for opening debt balances and finally broke down and called the student loan centres. I had guessed around $2K on the federal portion and $500 on the provincial portion. Well, the provincial in now paid off and the federal is just over $600. I felt like I won the lottery. I’ve decided to pay off the federal portion with the tax refund since it has the biggest impact on cash-flow, even though it is the lowest interest and the only interest I pay that is tax deductible. Cost vs. benefit – I’d rather re-direct that monthly payment elsewhere.

Positivity: 1) Find them right; 2) Thank them; 3) Ask them to do something easy. I have really been focused on thanking people lately. It is getting easier. Oh, BTW, thanks for reading meJ

Family time: This involves 1) weekly 1-on-1 time between each member of the family, 2) inexpensive or free family outings each week, 3) monthly family dates. We’ve been doing good on this one. Mark and I need to find time for more 1-on-1, but hey, we’re trying.

Learn to swim: I have done absolutely nothing with this. I mean, I learned to swim in the ocean growing up, but I’ve always wanted to learn proper technique. The 9yo taught me some stuff last summer, so I’m looking forward to learning more this year.

Have a great weekend ya'll

Thoughtful Thursday:

Be warned, this post is a bit lengthy, so I’ve included a summary.

1. Did the virtual post-it note work? You asked, I answer.
2. A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Eating Clean. What happens when you don’t have your cooler?
3. Weigh-In Results Show.
4. Would you consider working for Weight Watchers?
5. What’s a BLT? The act or the food? A musing.
   

1. The virtual post-it note. Did it work? Yes – and No. Or maybe No – and Yes. No, I did not get in my ST session on Tuesday night, but thanks to all my great blogging buddies I felt extremely guilty and put in a session this morning. Superman, Chest press, Overhead press, toe taps, lunges, squats, bicep curls, lat raises and some others. 3 sets of mostly 10 reps using mostly 10 lb weights - 12 activities in total. Check that one off. Next scheduled workout is Saturday.

2. My meals for any given day consist of breakfast, morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack, late afternoon snack – all before going home to supper and evening snack. Well, that’s a full 4 meals I take in my cooler every day. Yesterday I asked my 9yo to take my lunch to the car. I looked around on my way out the door and saw that my cooler was gone and proceeded with the morning kiddie drop-off. When I got to work I looked in the back seat. Hmmm, maybe she put it in the trunk. No – look back in the car, again in the trunk. I’m very confused and really not sure how I am going to get through the day. My yogurt and berries; My chicken, broccoli and asparagus; My tuna, egg and rice cake; My cottage cheese and almonds. All gone. Well, I survived. The 4yo hadn’t wanted her oatmeal, to I ate that late morning, then went around 2pm to Tim Horton’s for chili, ham and cheese roll, coffee and a donut. The donut should have been a don’t, but I’m moving forward. Meanwhile, the 9yo felt extremely guilty for having stuffed my lunch in her backpack so she asked her teacher to keep it in the teachers’ fridge. The teacher asked if it was OK for her to look to see what I packed. Well, I’ve told you what was in there. Her comment was that this was the healthiest lunch she’s ever seen. That comment made me feel very good indeed.

3. I went to weigh-in last night and am in new territory, with a 0.8 lb loss. I am now 143 lbs. Ooooooh, so close to 140, but I am aware these last few pounds are painfully slow to take off.

4. After the WW meeting I was asked to hang back a bit. Would I ever consider working for Weight Watchers? Yes, I would. My leader will put my name forward and I am not to be surprised if I get a call. I have thought about this, but really didn’t ‘think’ about it in reality terms for just yet, you know. It made me feel very good, though.

5. Finally, a musing. The definition of BLT: Bite, Lick, Taste. I kind of laugh, because my musing isn’t really about not BLTing, but the definition of a BLT. It's not about how you shouldn't like the knife after spooning out ice cream for the kids or 'steal' a fry from someone else's plate. For instance, if I am making my snacks in the morning and lick the spoon after filling my container, is this a BLT? The food was measured and is on my eating plan for later today, but is that the point? Or even weekly food prep – if it is my food for the week, does it matter if I taste-test on Sunday? Now, part of me says no it's not a BLT – it’s your food, destined to land in your stomach (I would otherwise scrape the spoon into the container, see). Another part of me says, the ACT is BLT and there is a treacherous path between going from licking the spoon of yogurt in the morning to licking the spoon of ice cream for the kids in the evening. The act is a lick – and the act is mindless and often goes unnoticed. The act is a bad habit that I, for one, need to focus on.

That’s it for today. I had a lot to get out, so I hope you enjoyed some or all of my daily ramblings. Cheers for today.

Gorgeous night to get gorgeous

Tonight is my strength training night. I've actually been in a funk, so I'm posting this note to self.

DO NOT come back here tomorrow and say you didn't do it. No excuses chickie - it's 40 minutes. Go get 'er.

The Food Focus

I'm going to follow my current eating plan for 1 more week. Basically, we eat almost the same thing every day for 7 days. Heck, I usually ate the same breakfasts and snacks anyway and stressed over the other meals. This consists of a lot of high quality protein choices which tend to get rather expensive. You won't find ham or pork on my menu - no sir.

I did 'slip' to some extent this weekend. As much as I tried, my scheduling was off on Saturday. We got home at 10pm from the recitals - yes, the kids were still awake - and decided to have a thin-crust frozen spinach & fettucini pizza. It was tres yummy. I was thinking metabolic boost meal (or cheat, high point, off-plan, whatever), and was going to stick to schedule on Sunday. Then company showed up and we hauled out some sole. I also had a couple beers. I didn't go over-board, but it certainly wasn't the focus I thought I would have.

So, I'm back at it again today. This week we get lots of meat. Steak every day at lunch and chicken every night for supper. It's actually a very good menu this week. My concern is getting to the financial end of this. How can one afford steak EVERY day. Well...it is only 3 oz. I cooked 1 steak this morning and it'll likely last through Wednesday. On Wednesday I'm planning to switch steak to the evening to eat with the family. And likely next Saturday too. Tonight we're all having chicken breasts, brocolli and asparagus. Oh, they'll likely also have some mashed potatoes, but I already ate my sweet potatoe today.

I finally bought some natural pb for the first time ever. I was worried about the oil, but it was amazingly easy to stir up. And the flavour was so much richer than the regular stuff. Very good - highly recommended.

After this week I'm going to do up a regular menu with lots of variety. I'm starting to feel like I'm dieting. But, I will do one of these menus once a month or so. The food is very good and filling - I don't feel deprived. I forgot my jello today - yeah, we get jello, too. I'll have to eat it tonight. I wish meat were half price all the time. I picked up a good fair bit of fish on sale last Thursday. I think our freezer is busting with salmon and haddock right now. Chicken breast was on sale at Superstore this week. Good thing too - what with me eating it every day.

So I'm looking at my weekly grocery bill and thinking: I really hope some of this stuff lasts more than a week. My gas/grocery budget has already pushed its way into next week, so it won't have a choice.