My new love: Bicycling

It has been a while since I last posted! Here is an update on my life thus far...I started riding my bike and I LOVE it. My husband and I made a goal to go on a long ride once a week. On our first ride, we rode about 16 miles (whoop!). The key for me was having music. Initially, I chose a moderately upbeat workout station on my iPhone, but I just wasn't getting that energy boost I was looking for. I then changed it to Rage Against the Machine radio and my intensity level skyrocketed! I couldn't believe what a difference music made in my workout. Last weekend we ended up riding almost 30 miles! One of the perks about riding or running outside is that you have to get home. I felt pretty tired at our halfway mark, and typically I would've stopped working out at that point. However, without that choice, we made a stop in the park to rest and got a popsicle from the Ice Cream Man. That break made such a difference in how I felt on the way back. My goal is to ride from Spokane to Coeur d'Alene and back, which is about a 50 mile round-trip ride. I like having distance goals because it feels less arduous than to say, "I want to burn 1,000 calories today". That feels so BORING to me! I got a new seat made for ladies and it's much more comfortable. I also need to get a pair of biking shorts for some padding. 

In other news, I bought a Fitbit. I have been looking for a device to monitor my activity level. I got the idea from watching The Biggest Loser and seeing the contestants with their Body Bug. I looked online and it was over $200! The reviews also didn't look very good. I decided to go with FB because it is under $100, is very small and discreet, and has access to free software online and a free iPhone app. I am a very visual person and being in psychology, am very driven by quantitative (measurable) data. The FB has a flower that grows as you engage in activity, and shrinks as you sit on your ass. It also records steps taken, distance traveled, and stairs climbed. You can log your weight online, record your food intake, and it even tracks your sleep (well, your movement during sleep). This is my first day using it, so I'm still working out the kinks. I tested it to see if it was accurately counting my steps and it was overshooting by about 40%. That means that when I walked 10 steps, it counted it as 14. To fix this, I simply went online and manually adjusted my distance between each step, which is about 14 inches. Fixed! I wore the FB last night to see how soundly I slept and apparently I sleep pretty soundly, although I didn't feel like it this morning. I will keep you updated on whether this was a waste of $ :)

My current weight is 151. I'm not surprised by this because I haven't been watching what I eat. My goal is to drink 64 ounces of water each day and have oatmeal each morning for breakfast, and lean proteins, fruits, and veggies throughout the rest of the day. School has been hectic and I find myself becoming more apathetic as the day progresses. Today I'll go to Trader Joes and get some healthy stuff! 


Good luck on your own journeys and feel free to give me words of encouragement, as I have finals in about 3 weeks and I find that as my stress increases, so does my eating!


claire

Dave's Killer Bread

Well it has been a while! School has been crazy and my workouts have suffered! I only worked out once this week and my diet has been, well, not ideal. I have substituted certain snack in my life, so that I'm reaching for an apple over chips, but there is still work to do! My current weight is 149.6...I have maintained, but am not losing. I need to work out. I need to blog. It keeps me accountable and motivated. What helps you? Any tricks I need to know about? I tried posting a pic of Jennifer Aniston on my fridge and it worked for a while..it was that one SmartWater ad where her abs look amazing. I vow to work out today! I recently bought a few Advocare products from my sister and they are amazing! I was having really low energy while working out and needed a boost. One is called Spark and it is a powder that you mix with water. I got the Strawberry Mango and it is delicious! It has given me so much energy. I also got Catalyst, which is an amino-acid mix to preserve muscle while working out, so you are losing the fat. The problem I'm having is that I want to work out in the afternoon and when I take these products past 3p, I can't go to sleep at night. So..I must start working out in the morning (I am definitely not a morning person). But, having a healthy body doesn't come from wishes and pills, it comes from hard work and sacrifice; otherwise, we would all have our ideal bodies :)

I just received a bread-maker from my wonderful aunt (THANK YOU!!) and would like to use it to make some healthy breads for sandwiches. Any recipes I should know about? I'm thinking I'd like to make something that tastes like Dave's Killer Bread..I LOVE that stuff! Lately, I've been wanting lighter dishes. Recently, I made true cod and it was amazing. I took a 5 oz. filet and sautéed it in a little olive oil with the McCormick's steak seasoning and finely chopped garlic. Keep the heat on about a medium to medium high setting to get a nice browning on it. Flip after about 4 minutes, depending on the thickness. You can kind of tell if it's ready by looking at the edges of the fish. If they turn opaque, it's probably good. After you flip, put in a little chopped parsley, some capers, and a few splashes of white wine. I just use a wine that I have open in the fridge (the bottle down below..it's crisp, slightly citrusy/sweet and usually about $6!). The wine sauce should reduce down a bit and thicken up slightly. I served this with roasted broccoli, cauliflower, and sweet potato. Delightful! I also had a small glass of wine with it :) And by small, I mean the entire bottle (j/k).

Have a wonderful day and good luck on your own health journeys!


claire

Twinkie's

Good Morning! This past week has been full of mixed results for me. I got 3 of the 6 workouts in, which is an improvement from last week. On Tuesday, I weighed in at 151 lbs. Now, initially I was quite pissed to see this, as it means I gained about 2 pounds. However, after cursing the scale, I realized that my clothes are fitting looser and I feel smaller. A friend of mine posted this reminder on Facebook just hours after my weigh in. Coincidence? You decide. 

On this note, I will chalk it up to a victory for muscle (which increases metabolism) and continue doing what I'm doing. 


The diet is going fairly well. I have identified some danger zones in my life, which are: stress, fatigue, late night, and social gatherings. Those are my main 4 weak zones, where my chances of eating unhealthy foods rises dramatically. It's important to identify them because when you are prepared, the damage can be minimized. The difficult thing for me is having to grocery shop more often. I want to buy everything, spend too much money, and buy too many perishables that I end up throwing away. I'm like a crack addict with food. The problem with me not going often enough, though, is that I don't have enough healthy snacks on hand and I end up scouring the cupboards for food and choosing sometimes unhealthy options. While doing this the other day, I found a rogue box of Twinkie's hidden in the back of the cupboard. It was unopened, which stopped me from eating one (and I don't even really like Twinkie's). So where did this mystery box come from? According to my husband, Hostess is going out of business and he wanted a souvenir. At that point, I asked him to please please pleeeeasssee hide his souvenirs! 


So the goal this week is to work on making more meals in advance, having healthy snacks on hand, and going to sleep when I'm tired, instead of eating. 


Yesterday for dinner, I made this deliciousness..I took 4 large chicken breasts (bone-in, skin on) and (lifting the skin up) rubbed with a few Tbsp of olive oil and covered them in McCormick's steak seasoning, dried herbs provence (could use an italian blend as well), and smoked paprika...PUT THIS DIRECTLY ON THE CHICKEN and put the skin back down. Spray the skin with a little Pam or cooking spray. I baked them on a cooking sheet at 400 F for about 45 minutes. Baste a few times throughout cooking. If they are big pieces, it will take a little longer. When they are done, juices will run clear and the internal temp reads 165 F...there is a "carryover cooking" that will happen after you take them out of the oven. While the chicken is resting, I baked a medium-sized sweet potato in the microwave (poke potato with a fork a few times and wrap in a damp paper towel) for about 3-4 minutes. When finished, carefully cut open (it's hot!) and add about 4 ounces of cooked chicken on top (do not eat the skin). Visually, 3 ounces is about a deck of playing cards, or the size of your palm. Then add salsa on top, and some nonfat sour cream, if desired. I had a side of roasted broccoli. Yum!

Thank you for the continued support everyone! Keep up the good work and remember to take it one day at a time and, most importantly, be compassionate toward yourself when slip-ups occur!!!! Focus on your goal, whatever that is, and remind yourself WHY you are doing all of this. You are worth it.


claire

Trust & Goals

Happy Saturday! Finals are over!!! I survived, if not barely. I can't wait to read The Hunger Games now. As the diet goes, things are getting easier. It's so difficult in the beginning because you are craving everything and not really seeing any results. But trust me, once you get past that, it is totally worth it. You have to trust in the process. I've officially passed the "Eff My Life And This Stupid Diet" stage and have entered the "Your Face Looks Thinner" stage. My clothes are starting to get baggier. Ah!! I'm waiting until the end of the first month to try on my favorite pair of jeans that haven't fit me in months..


The exercising is by no means easy, but I can feel myself getting stronger. My endurance levels are rising and I only feel like passing out half of the time now :) I'm definitely not at the point where I look forward to exercising (will I ever?!), but I do look forward to the feeling of accomplishment after having done the workout. My back fat is also disappearing. I can't tell you how excited I am to say goodbye to the hotdog packs in the back. I wanted to start this journey with enough time to see results by the summer. Not only am I seeing results already, but I have a feeling that I may hit my goal before summer. My goal, btw, is to hit and maintain 135 lbs. I don't want to be a stick. I'm going for the Jennifer Aniston, long and lean, look. A body like that does not just happen; it's made to happen with hard work. In the videos, Jillian talks about defining your goals. She says that you must find your "Why" and then, when you do, you can endure any "How". I LOVE this.


The food portion of my diet has actually been kind of fun. I've been making a lot more meals at home and experimenting with different ingredients. This morning for breakfast, I broke away from my oatmeal safety net and modified a recipe from Jillian's cookbook. I sautéed thinly sliced onions in about 1 T of olive oil on medium heat and added chopped red bell pepper. I took a small yukon gold potato and microwaved it for 2 minutes in a paper towel. I then chopped it up and added it to the pan. I let the ingredients brown up, adding rosemary, parsley, S & P, cayenne, and garlic powder. I browned up a chicken apple sausage and fried an egg. The meal was under 300 calories and was delicious! I served it with roasted corn salsa, but found it wasn't needed.

I love the feedback I'm getting from this blog. Keep it coming! It keeps me motivated, which keeps me motivating!! I have before pictures that I will post in a while, once I have worked up the courage :)


Have a wonderful day! 


claire

Stress = Diet Sabotage

I have to admit, I haven't been completely following my diet this past week. I MAY have had a slice (or two) of pizza yesterday, but it was thin crust!! I also may have had a cake pop (THE cake pop!!!). And I only got two workouts in. Today I weighed in at 149.8, which is a .2 gain from last week. However, I did eat very well MOST of the time, and I did two more workouts than I would have normally done. And I'm still in the 140's, but just barely. I knew I'd be stressed with finals coming up this week, but this has been nuts. I find I'm still turning to food for comfort..something I must continue working on. I also disdain the taste of water, so I need to start getting creative to get my water in.


So today is a new day. Starting fresh, with my delicious oatmeal and black coffee, followed by a workout. I'm going to start week one's workouts again. I also went food shopping and stocked up on healthy foods, such as fish, almonds, fruits, and veggies. Trader Joe's has some amazing prices on produce (.19 each for bananas!) and $1.99 for two heads of fennel..try quartering, coring, and roasting it in olive oil on a sheet pan at 400 degrees for about 20 to 25 minutes. It's an amazing side dish. 

Have a wonderful day everyone, and remember that it's never too late to start making healthy changes to your lifestyle! 


Life is good.


claire

Banana Smoothie

Alright, so I just had the most amazing smoothie of my life. Minutia, I know, but you must try this. I always throw my bananas in the freezer when they are too brown, so I had some on hand. Take the frozen banana (peel it!) and put it in a blender with 1 cup almond milk, 1 T almond butter, 1 tsp vanilla extract, and blend. If your banana isn't frozen, make sure it is really ripe and add some ice as well. Blend. The recipe called for ground flaxseed as well, but I couldn't find mine. Anyway, the most amazing smoothie. It makes 2 servings, but I had them both. So I guess that means a little less dinner :) Thank you Jillian for that treat.

On another note, workout 2 is finished. Even harder than yesterday! I like how the Body Revolution system is set up. Yesterday I worked the front muscles of my body, and today I worked the back. I probably won't be able to climb stairs tomorrow. Lunges are my new nemesis. Tomorrow is cardio, then back around to front of the body muscles. One day at a time. I can do this. So can you. 

         "Action is the foundational key to all success." -Picasso

Life is good.

claire

First Workout/ First Weigh-in

I did not expect it to be that difficult. First workout finished, and I am already sore. It was only half an hour, though it felt like much longer. I can't believe how out of shape I am! Should my knee click like that when I lunge? I really do think I have masochistic tendencies, since it's the week before finals, I have 3 large papers due, and now is when I decide to start a complete lifestyle transformation?! Well, I guess now is as good a time as ever. One workout down!

So I had my first weigh-in today since I've started the program. Last week, I only focused on the cleanse portion of the BR program. I started out last week at 155.8 lbs. and today I weighed in at 149.6 lbs! I feel like that is a little too much to lose in a week, but I followed the program very closely so I guess I'll take it. I already feel a little smaller :) Now to work on endurance.

As for the meal plan, I can have SUGAR again!!! And bread!!! And pasta!!! The recipes actually sound really good. For breakfast this morning, I had oatmeal. I know what you are thinking.."Ohhhhh, oatmeal! Yeah!!" Well. let me tell you, this was no ordinary oatmeal. I cooked down some apples in a sauce pan with cinnamon, water, and maple syrup. I also toasted some chopped pecans. After mixing the oatmeal and goodies together, I drizzled some maple syrup on it (about 1 tsp). After not having sugar for a week, it was the most freaking amazing oatmeal I have ever eaten. And it was meal-plan approved. I feel like my tastebuds got a reboot because everything tastes MUCH sweeter.

I'm just focusing on taking one step at a time right now. The end goal seems a little too overwhelming at the moment. I have a pizza that my husband brought home in the refrigerator that taunts me every time I go in there. From my favorite local pizza place. I can do this. I bypassed it today for some salad. Small victories. I heard a saying that goes, "Every day, you are either working toward health or toward disease". I think this will be my mantra.

Life is good.

claire