Well, it’s been a really crazy week. My sister was here until yesteday, so things were really busy - but lots of fun! Now that she’s gone though, time to get back into things. We walked a lot while she was here, and I didn’t go crazy on the food, but I certainly ate more grains and sugar than is optimal - so it’s time to get back on plan …
I’ve joined a group on the forum that is centered on the Primal lifestyle, as developed by Mark Sisson. It’s a lifestyle that I think would be very beneficial for me, and for many others. I am not up for eliminating absolutely all grains right now, but as I’ve said before, I am serious about eliminating wheat in particular. For now, my focus is to eliminate wheat, limit all other grains and starches, “lift heavy things”, get in some long slow cardio, work on sprints and SLEEP!
Here we go!
Posted on April 5th, 2010 by cheekymonica
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I’m incredibly sore from my workout yesterday with a personal trainer. It was our first session, and I really enjoyed it - but it was tough. My arms are killing me from all the boxing!
I’m exhausted tonight, was up late working, and will be up late again tonight after a tutoring session … all after my day job … man, all of this work better be worth it! Time off, REAL time off, is just around the corner. Ok well, not exactly right around the corner, but hey, it’s already almost April! That’s something 
Posted on March 29th, 2010 by cheekymonica
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Ugh, so annoyed! Just lost a post. I don’t want to type it all up again …
Long story short - week was both good and bad, but this week, I want to do much, much better. My goals:
1) At least three workouts this week, and lots of walking and biking otherwise.
2) No bread or pasta. Keep other starchy carbs to a minimum.
3) Limit sugars otherwise to bits of dark chocolate. If out at dinner and want dessert, SHARE IT!
4) Alcohol - No more than 1-2 glasses of wine. This is going to be tricky, as my sis is in town this week, and we have dinner/social plans every night this week from Wednesday through the weekend … I’ll have 1-2 glasses wine on Wednesday, nothing on Thursday, maybe one glass on Friday night, and loosen up a bit on Saturday night (but not too much!).
Hope that all is going well for anyone who’s reading!
Posted on March 28th, 2010 by cheekymonica
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Wow, I haven’t posted for a full week. I know that I have to keep on doing this though, because it will keep me on track.
I ate too much this past weekend, but more than that, I drank too much. Wayyyyy too much. I haven’t exercised enough either.
So, here are my goals for the rest of this month:
1) No bread or wheat products.
2) No more than 2-3 drinks on the weekend - stick to wine, drink a glass of water in between each glass of wine. And really, just try not to drink!
3) At least 2 strength workouts, and 2 cardio workouts.
Posted on March 24th, 2010 by cheekymonica
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Today, I just felt so positive and light-hearted. There are lots of reasons for this. I woke up and put on a new top and felt really cute in it. It was bright and sunny out. I had a great time with my friends at work today. I am planning all sorts of fun things for the future. For the first time in a long time, I really feel like there are lots of good things to look forward to And I mean, I actually feel it.
Today’s food went pretty well. Eating some chocolate right now … but resisted the bread once again today, so overall, things are good. I already feel like I’m looking and feeling better and healthier.
Didn’t make it to the gym this morning again … this whole time change has thrown my wake up time off track, again. I am going to work for another hour or so, go to bed early and then WAKE UP at 6am tomorrow and go to the gym and do weights!
Hope you’re all well (well, anyone who’s actually reading!).
Posted on March 16th, 2010 by cheekymonica
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Today went pretty well over all … except for a frigging mini egg binge tonight. Well, probably didn’t amount to more than 300 calories, so it’s not the end of the world. But - no bread! And honestly, the mini eggs weren’t a physical need - it was mental - which means that it will be that much easier to say no to in the future
Walked home from work. It was beautiful!
Tomorrow morning, I am going to the gym - have to make sure I get up early enough, so better set the alarm.
Posted on March 15th, 2010 by cheekymonica
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I had a pancake at brunch, some champagne. Then I polished off the remainder of the Haagen Daaz (wasn’t even that good) and had some mini eggs.
Tomorrow’s a new day. I will measure myself first thing, and then it’s onto a new week!
Posted on March 14th, 2010 by cheekymonica
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No alcohol this week - except maybe a few drinks this weekend, when I’m out of town with two very good friends. And even then, I’ll keep it in check. I know much of my weight gain in the past year has been alcohol related. So, time to cut it back out …
Posted on March 14th, 2010 by cheekymonica
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I started a blog last week, but got really freaked out that people who know me would someone find it and *know all about me* … sounds nuts, I know, but I deleted the blog I’d started and am now just starting this new one. The new blog name makes me feel more safe, more anonymous.
Anyway, just in case anyone is out there reading, here is the introduction that I’d posted in the first blog:
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For my entire life, my weight has defined me - or rather, I have defined myself by my weight.
About ten years ago, I weighed over 260 pounds. I was at that weight for another 2-3 years or so, until I was diagnosed with PCOS and metabolic syndrome. Over the course of 1.5-2 years, I lost about 60 pounds. I successfully kept most of that weight off until I started law school 4 years ago. Ever since then, I’ve played around with anywhere from a 15 to 30 pound weight gain. Right now, I’m fairly certain that I’m about 230 pounds. I wear a very tight size 16. I’m 5′7″, and built for heavy duty farm work (under all the chub, that is 
).
I consider myself a success for having maintained a weight loss of anywhere from 30-60 pounds for over the last five years - but at this point, I also know I’m in trouble if I don’t seriously tackle my food and weight demons. I struggle with depression, anxiety and binge eating. I have strugged with those things for my entire life. I have been diagnosed with an eating disorder, possibly bulimia, although I’m not sure about that yet. I’m on an anti-depressant and I just started metformin. This is all very complicated, but suffice it to say, I know that I would be significantly better off if I made my health THE priority.
For the last year, I’ve avoided dealing with my weight, due to sheer burnout on a number of fronts. Now though, I’m starting to feel that it is time to rebuild my mental, physical and emotional strength. I turn 30 this year. I will be called to the bar this year. It’s a year of new beginnings - and I want to face it with strength and optimism.
Tomorrow, I will sit down to write about my plan. The plan will involve no calorie counting and no weigh-ins. I’ll track my progress in other ways, and I’ll focus on other things that matter to me much more at this point than the actual number on the scale. That isn’t to say that I don’t want to lose weight. I do. But I want to measure my progress in ways that don’t feed into my obsessions. I think that is the best idea for me for now.
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In general, I do much better on a lower carb way of eating. It balances me out, and makes me much less prone to bingeing. In fact, the first time I went lower-carb, I didn’t binge at all for months and months and months … just no urge to do so, period. But somewhere along the way, my food obsessions came back, and with the knowledge of just how poorly I tolerate carbs came a much more profound sense of guilt for ever consuming them - and this has just driven my eating out of control.
Here’s what I know. I just cannot eat bread in moderation. Once I start eating bread, things get out of control. So, bread is something that I cannot kid myself into thinking I can have. Sure, if I go out for a really special burger meal every once in a while (and I mean real burgers - NOT McD’s!), then I will have it. Otherwise, it is something I just can’t have in my daily life. And that is ok.
Sweets are a huge problem for me. I caved last night and bought some Haagen-Daaz. Ate about a third, after eating far too much food anyway - but I didn’t eat more. So, now it’s just sitting in the freezer. The only sweets I can eat without going overboard are dark chocolate based - and I mean, SERIOUS dark chocolate. Like 70% at least.
I also know that eating a starch first thing in the morning sets me up for hunger the rest of the day. So, no starches in the morning. And otherwise, starches cannot be the focus of any of my meals.
I don’t want to go overboard with setting up limits and counting carbs or carb servings, etc. Instead, I am going to tackle things week by week, setting up goals and checking in each day to see how I am doing in achieving those goals. Here are my goals for this week:
1) No bread or sweets, apart from a piece or two of dark chocolate in the evenings.
2) Protein in the morning! Have to work on this one …
3) Walk to work at least one way every day.
4) At least 2 strength workouts.
Tomorrow, I’ll measure myself in the morning and post those measurements. I am not going to weigh myself to track my progress. I am too obsessive about it. But, I’ll measure myself monthly and see how things are going that way. I also have a goal to fit back into a suit, a pair of jeans, and a silk dress that I have. These goals make me feel good
Happy Sunday all!
Posted on March 14th, 2010 by cheekymonica
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