I’m Ready!

Happy New Year Everyone!!  I can’t believe that we are finally in 2009 - and that it is time to start all over again.  A great time for new beginnings and reflections - which I will be working on today as I am also studying for my exam.  I have no plans for today other than going for Couch to 5K run and studying so that should give me enough time for some good thought!

This blog would be a great place to write my resolutions down so that I can review them continuously and keep them a the forefront of my mind.  I would like to begin/continue working toward each of my resolutions today and so it is important that they be in black and white.  So here goes…

1. Pass the CPA exam.  I have two parts down and two to go.  I have one exam on Saturday (1/3) and the final (hopefully!!!) on 1/24.  Yeah to have that yoke off of my back!

2. Finish the Couch to 5K program - all of the 9 weeks or 27 running workouts.  

3. Once finished with the Couch to 5K program - sign up, run in, and complete a 5K.  Then determine if I want to do a 10K and begin training for that.

4. Lose the weight.  I have about 40 pounds that I would like to lose, which I think is doable if I am diligent in my exercise and disciplined in my eating.

5. I want to post what I eat every day and the calories and stay within my range of calories (1275 - 1525). I think that I am going to shoot for 1400 calories a day before exercise.

6. I want to buy a scale and weigh myself every morning.

I think that those are the main ones.  So here we go - let’s begin keeping a food journal again!

Breakfast: 1 cup Lucky Charms (147), 1/2 cup of FF milk (40),  whole wheat english muffin with oleo and honey (140)

Total: 327/1400

Snack: 3 Hershey Kisses with Almonds (75 calories)

402/1400

Lunch: To be announced.

Dinner: To be announced.

Will check back in for later for lunch and dinner - but now off to fold clothes and begin studying some more!

I haven’t posted for a little while, but I have been lurking and reading other blogs religiously.  Some of blogs are written so well that I am embarrassed because I am not as witty or descriptive.  However, the purpose of this blog is to help in my quest for weight loss and so I will do the best I can.  :)

Eating over the last few days hasn’t been great, but it hasn’t been horrible either.  Okay…well - that is not entirely true.  Yesterday, my husband and I ended up at Starbucks mid-morning before we headed to Wal-mart to do some shopping.  I initally got a mocha without whip topping and fat free milk - not too bad.  But you see last time we went to Starbucks we split an apple fritter and there they were again - looking delicious in the bakery case.  I asked if DH wanted to split one again and he said no - he was going to have pumpkin bread, but then he went ahead and ordered a fritter anyways.  AH!  But it was absolutely heavenly.  Sweet, soft, doughy.  Perfect.  I ended up eating nearly the whole thing, but barely drank half of my coffee. 

And then we went shopping.  And after we got done shopping I knew I wanted something salty.  So we went to Sonic (a drive in) and ordered mozzarella sticks, cheddar bites and these chocolate cheesecake bites.  It sounds like a ton of food I know - but really I had 2 mozzarella sticks, maybe 4 cheddar bites and one choc. cheesecake bite - so not awful, but not great.  Although not great food choices, I will note that this was the first time that I could pinpoint what I wanted.  Monday I wanted sweet and salty and once those cravings were satisfied I was done.  I ate a very light dinner that night and in general didn’t feel too much guilt.

I have also been making progress on my Couch to 5K program which makes me very happy.  I feel good getting so much exercise in lately.  Good for the body, mind and soul!

We are having spaghetti tonight for dinner and a pear and spinach salad.  I need to continue studying and then hope to get to bed at a decent time.  Overall a good day.

Hope everyone is well!

I hope everyone had a great Christmas.  My husband and I ended up just staying around the house this year, and although I missed our extended families (mine in particular) I think it was a good choice.  It was nice to have a quiet day that just involved a lot of relaxing.  

Overall eating for yesterday wasn’t too bad.  I didn’t make a big dinner this year for just the two us, rather we had a very late lunch of stuffed mushrooms (spinach, feta, and fat free cream cheese) and leftover 7-layer dip.  I did snack on some cookies, but overall I think I am getting burned out on all of the rich eating.  I am ready to celebrate fruits, vegetables, lean meats, and whole grains again!  And a little bit of chocolate!  

I did get out yesterday and took the boys for a long walk - I am getting better walking them by myself and I just feel so proud being able to walk them.  Does that sound strange?  I want them to be walked daily and this helps ensure that everyone is getting some exercise in.  Today is Day 2 of Week 1 for Couch to 5K.  I think I am ready - and I am committed to jogging more slowly so that I am not just exhausted by the end.  It is supposed to be in the low 70s today so that should make for it being pleasant outside.  

I plan on making slow cooker lasagna today (a Weight Watchers recipe that I love) with some turkey sausage I had purchased awhile ago.  I think it will be good and I know that my husband loves this recipe.  I would also like to make some butternut squash rolls that I found on allrecipes.com.  We will see.  I also need to do laundry, some studying (for CPA exam), and would like to start putting away the Christmas tree and decorations.  

It should be a good day overall and I am planning on being back on track with my eating.  

Breakfast: 1 cup All Bran Flakes (90), I cup fat free milk (80), I whole wheat english muffin with oleo and honey (140) and a Grapefruit Fizz (100% grapefruit juice with club soda) -  (150)

Total Breakfast: 460 calories total - whoa!  I may have to watch the grapefruit juice.  Oh well - better than soda as it is a fruit serving and all natural.  (remaining calories: 815 calories)

Lunch: TBD

Dinner: TBD

This will help with accountability, I hope (as this running stuff is not much fun - although I feel great once it is done!)

Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2008 - Week 1, Day 1 - DONE!!

Friday, Dec. 26, 2008 - Week 1, Day 2 - Okay - I went for a very long walk today (about an hour) rather than do the run because my legs are just so sore.  I should have been stretching better before I did the run on Wednesday.  Anyhow - I will do Day 2 tomorrow.

Saturday, Dec. 27, 2008 - Week 1, Day 2 - DONE!! (It was a much better day than the first day.  I slowed my pace way down and actually found I could do the running without falling over.  That being said - I was still tired by the time I was done, but at least I did it!)

Monday, Dec. 29, 2008 - Week 1, Day 3 - DONE! (Even better than the second day.  I am still not going very fast, but I have found the appropriate speed for where I currently am in my running capabilities.  Today was the first time I could actually understand how people could enjoy this - and how you could perhaps get lost in the running.  I am so proud of completing the first week and am ready to tackle the challenge of the second week!)

Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2008 - Week 2, Day 1 - DONE! (I was a little scared to move on to Week 2, but overall it wasn’t too bad.  I have made sure that I do not expend too much energy at the beginning of the workout - which has left me with little at the end in the past - and that has worked very well.  I found that running for 30 more seconds at each interval wasn’t too bad and that I actually enjoyed today overall.  The last 30 seconds of the last run were a little difficult but I talked myself through and I am ready for Day 2!!)

Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2008 - I walked 2 miles and did not do any running.  I needed a day off as my legs were just very sore from the previous couple of days.  I am finding though that I need to get out and do something though (either walk or continue on with my C25K as I have energy that needs to be expended.) I was glad to have the day off, but am looking forward to resuming tomorrow.

Saturday, Jan. 3, 2009 - Week 2, Day 2 (This is also the day of my exam!) - DONE! (Although today was not a great run - I made it through all but the last 90 second run.  For some reason mentally and physically it just wasn’t there today.  This may have something to do with the test - I don’t know.  My feet were also really sore today - what is going on?  I know that I need to go and get fitted for some good running shoes which will help a lot.  So overall not the best day.  But there is always another day and I suppose this happens once in a while.)

Saturday, Jan. 24, 2009 - Week 2, Day 1 (I am repeating this week to get back on track)

I can do it!!!

Okay - I just got back from doing the first day of week 1 for the Couch to 5K program.  And I am exhausted.  I did the whole things except for the last minute of running, - what can I say - I was tired.  I did nearly all of it though and I am very proud.  I am currently wondering why I want to take on this challenge - but at the same time I want to defeat my fear of running and I want running to be one of the ways that I reach my weight loss goals.  

I decided about halfway through the interval (20 minutes of alternating 90 seconds of walking/60 seconds of jogging) that I was jogging too fast and therefore wearing myself out too quickly.  My running should be more of a shuffle right now - that is where I am and I need to embrace that.  So we will try this again Friday for the second day of Week 1.  Although I may need to repeat Week 1 again.  I don’t know yet - I have decided though that I will go at my own pace.  :)

Good Evening!  Thought I would post tonight as I have really enjoyed reading everyone else’s posts and appreciate that there are others willing to share their stories.  I have been on vacation for 5 days now (2 weekend days and 3 workdays) and all I can think about is I just want time to SLOW down.  I wish my vacation was a month or two as I just want and need to be away from work for awhile, but alas I have two weeks.  I will say though, that as we begin this new year I am not going to devote so much of my time to work.  There must be a balance in my life and I want to be able to enjoy both my work life and my home life - as equally as possible.  

I must say that eating over the last few days has been hard.  I made peanut butter kiss cookies last night and it has been difficult just to keep my hands off those.  I have had more than I should have had today, but I am human and they are so good.  I have been taking the boys (our two dog - one is about 80 lbs and the other is about 50 lbs) out for walks each day and then once they have endured the cold long enough I have brought them back home and continued on.  

I am wanting to restart the couch to 5K program - I attempted to do it before, but work and other commitments got in the way and I couldn’t finish.  I thought I would start week one, day one again tomorrow and I would also try to put together a weight lifting program that I could do at home.  I will see what I can come up with and will include that with my daily posting.  

I have to accept that I will not be perfect this holiday season, but that I am trying.  

Well - vacation officially began for me Thursday after work - which was wonderful!  But looking back the calorie counting and eating on plan has completely fallen apart.  I am not going to even try to write down the last few days - I will just say that it has not been exemplary.  

That being said I am back on plan tomorrow with a healthy goal of 1275 calories.  I did get out today and did some walking with our two dogs.  As they are both large this was an accomplishment.  We did not walk for nearly long enough - a. my ears were freezing and b. I could only handle them for so long - as we are still trying to figure out how to all walk together (correctly - where I am the one leading everyone).  I think we will try again tomorrow and then once we have all gone together I will drop them off and go back out for another round.  I would like to get about 3 miles in a day.  I need to go back to my aerobics classes - but during my vacation I want to walk with the boys (dogs) and use my ipod.  I would still like to try to complete the couch to 5K program, but one thing at a time.  There is enough time for everything!

I just need to get my calories under control so that any progress that has been made will not be undone.  :)

More tomorrow - good evening!

Today was not a great day.  Went to a luncheon and they had Panera box lunches.  I grabbed a box with a turkey sandwich, chips, and a great big cookie.  The sandwich was good - I ate the smaller half.  The best part about it was the bread, which was focaccia (spelling?) and it was so soft.  I ate a couple of the chips - but then came the cookie.  A great big cookie the size of an open palm.  I ate the whole thing.  The WHOLE thing and it was great.  And a great big splurge.  And quite unnecessary.  But it was great and I never would have purchased a cookie to eat under any normal circumstances.

Oh if it could have just stopped there.  I ended up staying at work until about 7:30 trying to get some things done.  As it got later I just got hungrier and so happened to venture into the break room - where I tried some cheese popcorn (gift from clients) and then had a coke.  What is wrong with me?  How many calories are we up to now?!

Then I came home - and with my time of the month, lack of sleep, a headache that just won’t go away, and lack of any sort of patience - I ate some tortilla chips and cheese dip from a jar.  Not a lot but enough.  Dinner was some leftover spaghetti (I did measure a cup of this) and then some more chips and cheese.  AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. 

It is only one day and I should just let it go and go on.  I can easily be back on track this minute - just keep pushing forward - forgive myself and go on.  

So to sum it up here is my calories for the day:

Breakfast: Weight Control Banana Bread Oatmeal (160), 1/4 cup FF milk (20), WW English Muffin (with a bit of oleo and honey (140)  (Total of 320 calories)

Snack: Granny Smith Apple (80) and 100 calories Cream Cheese Fruit Dip (180 calories)

Lunch: 1/2 Sandwich (400 calories), a couple of chips (60), and the cookie (450 calories)

should I keep going??….

Dinner: I cup spaghetti with 1/4 cup sauce and 1 oz of 99% fat free ground turkey: (250 calories - estimate)

Snack: Tortilla chips (140) and cheese dip (45 - for 2 tbsp), a coke (140), and cheese popcorn (60)

And the GRAND TOTAL:  2045

YUCK.  But I wrote it down so that is a positive.

Tomorrow will be a better day.

Well, got through today without eating anything too awful!  Ended up working most of the day at home trying to get some stuff off of my desk, and with my hands busy I stayed out of the kitchen.  I was thinking though, that I had wished that I hadn’t had to work because I would have liked to work on cooking and baking.  I had plans yesterday that fell through and needless to say I didn’t get any more done today.  Oh well, only 4 days of work this week and then I am done!  Done until January 5th - and I can not be more happy.  All that time to just relax, study, bake, and really celebrate the holiday season.  I am looking forward to getting to see family and sleeping in!

So here it is Sunday night, always a bittersweet night as it means that Monday and work are waiting around the corner.  Overall a good weekend.  It has turned bitterly cold here and there is supposed to be bad weather this evening, potentially lasting through Thursday.  Yuck.  I decided to go to the grocery store tonight so that we didn’t need to worry about navigating that trip.  I went for five items and ended up with nearly $100 of groceries.  At least I won’t need to go again for awhile and we will have plenty of options for dinner!  I was thinking while I was at the store that the secret to controlling my eating is having foods in the house that can be snacked on and that are both healthy and tasty.  For instance - yogurt, carrots with fat free french onion dip (ff sour cream and french onion soup mix), fat free popcorn, etc.  I also realized that I need to have some alternatives for dessert - not that I want to give up chocolate entirely, but I think that there should be a nice mix of traditional “sweets” and healthier alternatives.  I was walking through the produce section and found some 100 calorie containers of a cream cheese dip for apples.  I thought that those would be great to make apples more of a dessert and could take the place of something sweeter for less calories.  

Okay - enough chattering here is what I had today - not a great day but it is the weekend!

Breakfast: Weight Control Banana Bread Oatmeal (160), 1/4 cup fat free milk (20), whole wheat english muffin with a bit of oleo and honey (140) (total: 320 - I must say this was very filling. A piece of fruit for a snack mid-morning would be perfect in the future).

Mid-morning - should have had fruit.  Instead had 4 pieces of Russell Stover (300 - yikes, thank goodness those are gone).

Lunch: 1/2 a baked potato, 2 tablespoons of ff sour cream, salsa, and 1 1/2 tablespoon of jarred cheese dip - for a mexi-potato!  This was not a great meal, but I was in the midst of working and didn’t really want to stop.  I am going to estimate a total of 250 calories.

Dinner: We ordered a small Papa John’s Pizza - with tomatoes, mushrooms, canadian bacon - I had one and a half pieces and 2 pieces of their chicken.  Probably 500 calories.  

I drank several large glasses of water today and have had a glass of ice water next to me all day - so that is good.  Didn’t get my milk or enough vegetables in (almost none - again laziness = no vegetables) - but I did spend some time cleaning up the backyard and we took the dogs on a short walk (very short - was not prepared for the drop in temperature) - will try again tomorrow!

Total: 1370 

I noted yesterday that I could have 1,275 calories a day and hopefully lose about 2 pounds a week.  I can have 1,525 calories and potentially lose 1.5 pounds a week.  I figure I will try to stay within these boundaries.  This week will be better as I will be at work and away from temptation!

9:30 p.m. ——————————–

Our cat Muffin came home tonight.  We are not sure but we believe that another family in the neighborhood has been fostering her - feeding her, letting her inside - because she doesn’t always come home.  Once she was gone for a week and just recently she hasn’t been home since I let her out Friday morning.  But tonight as I walked by the front door there her little face was looking into the window by the front door.  On a night like tonight, with the temperatures falling so low and the wind blowing so hard, I would hate to think of her having to be outside (or any animal for that matter).  I am so glad to have her home!

I am so glad that it is Saturday - I do not have to do go anywhere or do anything that I don’t actively decide to do.  I have household chores like laundry, dishes, and some grocery shopping to do - and of course some work, but I don’t have to be in a terrible rush to get everything done.  

I didn’t wake up early enough to get to the Weight Watchers meeting I had been planning on attending - however,  I have still committed to tracking my points today and getting some exercise in.  I have decided to make the Tuesday night meeting my meeting time.  I think that it will be a much better time than Saturday.  Fridays often present the opportunity to go out for lunch or dinner and I would hate to have those experiences ruined by the fear of the scale the next morning.  Tuesdays would allow for a little breathing room and the meeting time allows for me time to get home from work.

I need to buy a new digital camera - nothing fancy just one that can be relied upon to take pictures.  Our camera stopped working last month and I didn’t realize how much we missed being able to take pictures at all.  I think that I can find something that I need at Walmart and I can knock out my remaining grocery shopping while I am there.  

I would like to make some biscotti and some “dragon ears” (which are flavored flour tortillas baked to resemble tortilla chips) today. I have added both recipes to the site in case these sound interesting.  I thought that the dragon ears could be savory or sweet - so I would like to make a couple flavored with cinnamon and sugar which can be enjoyed for desert.  I also need to start some slow cooker lasagna (so good!) for dinner either tonight or tomorrow.  

Ah food - I honestly believe that it should be enjoyed and celebrated.  And by making it I can control the quality and calories while not eliminating any flavor.  After reading through some of the other blogs I noted that a lot of other bloggers are counting calories as well - and so thought I would give that a try - just to see where I am falling.  

Here is what I have eaten so far today - I will update this again later once I have eaten again.  :)

Breakfast: 1 cup cheerios (110), 1 cup skim milk (80), Whole wheat english muffin (140), and a banana (90) - Total calories 420 ( total points - 8 )

Lunch: Okay, didn’t feel like cooking so had a repeat of breakfast without the banana.  330 calories total and a Russell Stover chocolate for 75 calories ( total of 405 calories)

Dinner: Decided on whole wheat rigatoni with some spaghetti sauce, mushrooms, parmesan cheese and a little bit of mozzarella.  I am estimating the total calories to be around 400.

Dessert: 1/2 cup of Edy’s lowfat ice cream - about 120 calories

Total calories: 1345 calories

Water - actually got two very large glasses in and all of my milk for today - 2 cups!  So that is a very big positive!

(Added at the end of the day…) Not great, but not terrible.  Saturdays are so hard - it is so much harder to not want to snack all day.  And my motivation to leave the house and actually do anything is so low right now.  I honestly just want to lay on the couch and watch movies.  I don’t want to work, clean or do anything.  I think that it is due to my complete and utter readiness to have some time away from work - I need vacation!!

And it is about that time of the month which always throws my hormones out of whack.  

Anyhow - the goal for the rest of the evening is to stay out of the kitchen and relax.  I will work tomorrow and finish up any open chores, but today I needed some time to do nothing - and I refuse to feel guilty about that.

Note: Per the dailyplate.com I should limit my calorie intake to 1,275 a day to lose 2 pounds a week.  I think that this is doable (in correlation with WW).  This will be my goal.