Long overdue

Well, the title says it all. I'm long overdue for an update. But that'll come later.

For the last year or so, I've been searching for meaning in my life, trying to figure out what I really want to do with it and how I can work to live a happier life. Last night, I wrote this down on paper:

If I could do anything I wanted to do, I would illustrate, design, and craft for myself. I'd sell my goods on Etsy. But that might be boring after awhile, so maybe I'd do communications and graphic design on the side. Oh, and maybe I'd also be an interior organizational consultant, too. 

So there. I said it. What I've wanted to say for a long time: that I don't love working 40 hours a week for an employer, despite the benefits that employer affords me.

At the same time, I'm not saying that I'm going to make this plan an end goal. I have no idea if it's viable. I've got college/grad school loans to pay off and I want to travel. I'll have to think of those logistics, do some math, but for now, the fact that it's on paper and here for you all to see is good enough.

Oh and PS: In October I started an AM workout routine and have lost 7 pounds. I'm regularly attending Weight Watchers meetings, generally seeing a trainer twice a week, and trying my best to eat well. I falter most at parties, ordering in, and going out to eat. But I'm truly in this for the slow, long haul!

Revelations

So, remember how I kept blabbing on about how I couldn't tell you just yet about some things I was doing? And how I'd tell you soon but never did? Well, I was interviewing around. There were a bunch of false starts. And I'm not interviewing anymore. Because I'm beat. And I found a new direction. And learned a lot about myself. And I met a bunch of new amazing people through AIGA Baltimore. And without them, and without my current role there, I wouldn't have come to this revelation. So, this is where I've been, and quite possibly where I'm going: http://katereeez.tumblr.com/post/58160327598/potentially-life-changing-revelations-a-study-of-the.

In two months

Well hello! It's 7am and I just came back from my morning walk. It was very cool when I started out at 6:20 this morning, but I'm definitely warmed up now and ready for the shower. I did a little light jogging and walking around the neighborhood and marveled at the beautiful old houses, each one different than the next. I've done this a few times recently and am going to keep it up, too. In the morning. At 6AM.

It's tough, but I think it's going to fit better in my day than in the evenings, when I really just want to go home and crash--or better yet, do some personal work or AIGA work and then crash. I'm lucky Dave makes me dinner so often. :)

This weekend, I went kayaking for the first time and loved it. I'm thinking about going again soon. I really want to organize a hiking day with friends, too....and a bike riding night around Druid Hill Park... One thing at a time! Next week I think Dave and I will going hiking at Patapsco. I'm trying to prove to him that after 3 hours of hiking he will be tired the next day, which means he will need to walk with me every day in preparation for walking around Italy! He may also need another pair of shoes... but we'll see.

So, in the past two months I've sorta dropped the ball on this weight loss goal, but I'm picking it back up slowly. This time, I probably won't be blogging as much. I just wanted to drop in and say hi today. I just really don't have time to keep blogging all the time, and I'm not trying to be superwoman, just trying to meet some core goals here. I'm also not going to worry about any structured program or rewards. I don't have time to worry about it. I'm just gonna DO IT.

However, I did make a new weekly worksheet that I think will fit better into my life than the one I originally created. I'll print it out each week and post it on the fridge. I'll check off boxes every day that remind me to log food daily and workout 4 times during the week and 1 time on weekends. I'll use it to plan my nights and weekends, too, so I make sure I stay on top of things like planning for Italy, boosting my portfolio, and AIGA work. Oh, and relaxing. I had to fit in 2 nights per week (at least!) of relaxing. I know how much I need it. (It goes without saying that I'll relax on weekends a bit, too. That's a given!)

What else? Oh right! I have a personal trainer at the YMCA now. Her name is Jenni and she's super energetic and pumped to train and counsel me. We're starting off with two 30-minute early morning sessions a week, supplemented by my own walking and workout-ing.

So, while I haven't met any milestones and while I haven't really altered too much of my diet lately, I'm still making a little bit of progress at a time. My goal right now is to loose 20 pounds by the time my 31st birthday gets here in October, when I have to renew my license. I want to be the same weight I was when I first got it. I'm about 16 pounds away from the mark and am confident I can make it. I'm hoping I'll either supersede this goal or meet it early. If anything so I can go renew my license ahead of time.

Ok, time for a shower. Till next time!

Quick Update

So, I just wanted to let you guys know that, no, I haven't fallen off the face of the earth. Life has just been flying by so fast! Meanwhile, I'm still losing weight a little bit at a time. It's still a struggle, but I think I make pretty good decisions in terms of work outs and food consumption. By the end of this month, I hope to be 'out of the weeds' in terms of being super busy. And I'm soooo ready for that! The last two months have swept me off my feet--fun, a little stressful--but all good. I haven't been 100% concentrated on my weight loss goal, but it's ALWAYS in the back of my mind.

Anyway, more updates soon, once I get my shit together!

Since We Last Spoke

So, it's been about forever since I've written in this blog. I've been keeping pretty busy with my new AIGA commitment, among other things, but overall, I've been doing pretty well.

I fell off the wagon in March. It was right as Dave and I were about to go on a brief vacation to celebrate our 3-year anniversary! But the night beforehand, Dave got a bad cold and we had to reschedule. I was super depressed and that weekend I really just didn't do anything aside from watch TV. I think, too, the cold end of winter was really starting to nerve me. It was so dreary and cold and windy and I desperately just wanted to be in the sun.

I got back on the wagon the second week of April 1st, after we returned from our rescheduled weekend getaway. (Rehobeth! A little chilly, but lots of fun. We went to Dogfish Head Brewery, did some shopping, went to a lookout point on the beach, and out to a very nice dinner at a restaurant called Espuma. Highly recommended if you want to eat delicious food and don't mind dropping some cash.)

Anyway, I've been really good the past few weeks. I dropped 2 pounds while 'off the wagon'. I couldn't believe it! My nutrition coach said that while I wasn't tracking food everyday, I was still conscious of what I was eating and how I was being active--a good indication that this new healthy lifestyle is really happening, changing me. So exciting!

I'm noticing that I'm a little busier with spending time working out after work on weekdays, but otherwise, I don't really see all that much difference from life previously. Like, I'm still planning food every week, but it's not that difficult. Neither is packing fruits and veggies in snack bags.

Anyway, I dropped 3 more pounds last week, so 5 pounds down since March and I'm OK with that.

I think I may even be ahead of schedule considering my 10% weight loss milestone is only about pounds away and isn't scheduled until June. I think maybe I should re-check my milestones on the calendar... but whatever, I'm losing and doing great!

I'm actually writing to you from Johnson City, TN, which as you may recall is the trip I'm taking as a reward for my 5% weight loss milestone! We are going hiking today, and even though it's chilly out, I think it'll be some great weekend activity. My nutrition/weight loss coach wants me to work on weekend activity, so "I'm right on top of that, Rose!" The next few weekends should be filled with outdoor activities. Who wants to go for a hike?

I'm still doing Body Pump and want to do more of it. I'm thinking of adding on Thursdays to my weekday evening routine, which will make for 3 workouts mid-week. But, we'll see. May is fast approaching and I'm looking forward to a bit more of a flexible schedule. April has been busy but really fun! And it's not over yet! My cousin is getting married next weekend and Dave's birthday is soon after.  Lots of awesome things are happening and I'm happy to be part of them. Life is awesome.

Signing out (and I hope to be back more often!)

Motivation

So, I really want to hear from you guys. I want to hear what you're thinking and I need some challenges to keep me going. I need a little more accountability to someone other than myself and ChickenCow, who cannot hold me accountable like you guys can. :)

I have a workout partner that I see on Mondays. I looooove working out with a friend cos its really motivating and keeps things interested. And we get to chat throughout. That's the bestest part. I really can't wait until it gets warmer and we can all start walking and hiking together. And Wednesday evenings when we can 'rent' bikes at Druid Hill Park for a small donation and ride them around the loop!

I made this sign awhile ago to keep me motivated. I think it needs a redesign, because I keep walking past it in my house and in my offices (work and home) and I barely look at it. If you think it's a recent picture in which I look skinnier, that's because I took it and photoshopped it a bit. There's this cool took I learned how to use. It took me several tries to get it "right", but it was a sloppy job. You can definitely tell if you look closely at the background behind me, like where the truck is on the right and the grass line on the right and left towards the middle of the photo. But anyways... the focus wasn't really on the background. The focus was on me. So I have something to look forward to.

So, what do you think? I want to know more about what keeps you guys motivated? What inspires you on your own paths? Whether that path is healthy living, building a business, or developing your career...whatever--I want to know what keeps you going.

By the way... if you think a photo edit like this might help you, I'd be happy to do some more photoshopping for friends. Just email me at kjlawless at gmail dot com!

Dangling Carrots

Whoop Whoop! I'm down another 3 pounds this week! So pumped about that. :)

My nutrition coach told me I'm doing a great job by bringing a positive attitude towards change to this journey. And she really likes how I'm 'dangling carrots' in front of me. Speaking of which, I finally got my chair today!! It's awesome and has all the bells and whistles on it. But I've only sat in it once when it arrived, and I won't sit in it again until March 31st when I bring it upstairs to my office and swap it with this hard dining room chair I can't stand. I think that'll be excellent motivation in the next week!

Also, today is the first day I'm using the WW ActiveLink. I JUST realized that I forgot to wear it on my long walk with Dave so the activity wasn't (and won't be) registered. That's a BIG BUMMER. Wow I'm so sad. I guess this means I'll be remembering to take it everywhere all the time from now on?

I've been realizing that I carry a lot of stuff around with me for the specific purpose of weight loss. I think it helps keep me focused. 95% of the time, I have a water bottle glued at the hip. Now I'm adding my ActiveLink, too (about the size of a pedometer, but I keep it concealed). And, more often than not, I'm starting to carry a bag of fresh fruit and/or vegetables.

Do you guys carry anything around with you? The water bottle can be a bit obtrusive, but water is super important. Side note: I need to track my water intake better, so I've made myself a reminder on my calendar--and I'll get an email everyday--until it's a habit. '

Okay, one more thing! I found this interesting infographic on obesity today and wanted to share it. Click the image to re-direct to Visual.ly!

From http://visual.ly/cost-obesity

What is Low Sodium?

I recently was looking at a food label for something. The sodium level for the serving was 400 mg, 17% DV. I realized I really had no idea what these numbers meant. Were they low? high? Had I already consumed any sodium that day?

I finally stumbled upon an answer today.

According to the American Heart Association (by way of the US Dept of Agriculture, and a few other resources like the CDC, too), Americans consume 3,436 mg of sodium on average daily; that's well over the recommended 1500mg milligrams. It seems most of that comes from highly processed foods, but could also include addition of table salt to meals as well as ordering food/take out.

So, a low sodium serving is considered to be 5% DV or less OR less than 140 mg per serving. So the next time I'm checking nutrition labels at the grocery store, I'll pay close attention to this one!

Awesome super healthy cookies

YOU GUYS!!! I just made the BEST cookies ever, all thanks to Pinterest. 3 ingredients, 10 minutes of prep (probably less), and 20 minutes in the oven. Bananas, quick oats, chocolate chips. That's it!!

Amazing cookies from The Burlap Bag.

So I modified the original Burlap Bag recipe a little bit. I used 4 frozen-then-thawed bananas. (I'm not sure how the original recipe calls for only 2 fresh bananas, but I think probably something happens in the freeze/thaw process that makes it so you need more of them.) And I added 1/3 cup chocolate chips. The whole recipe made about 16 medium-sized cookies. 

I baked them for 17 minutes and they came out very nicely! A little soft though. I'm curious to see whether they'll harden after sitting out a little bit. If not, that's OK cos I like the texture anyway. They're delicious warm, and 2 WW+ points each. A little high for what you get, but I could probably take out the chocolate chips next time and they'd be 1 point each. Or maybe try mini chocolate chips instead. Either way, I think these are SUPER easy and much healthier than the thousands of store-bought cookies. 

I also made banana peanut butter chocolate ice cream (added a little chocolate syrup), but these came out to 5 WW+ points per 1/4 cup. I'm sort of surprised by that, especially since I used this new PB called "Better N Peanut Butter", which is SO MUCH better for you than 99% of the peanut butters I've come across. (It's at TJs in Columbia, if you're looking for it!)

Anyway, the ice cream'll probably taste good (the batter did--guilt-less spoon-licking!), but maybe a little less peanut butter/syrup next time. Oh well. I'm siked for now anyway. :)

I cheated

So, some of you may remember when I was searching for and bought a new office chair this past fall. But it never arrived because the business went bankrupt. My credit card company (thank goodness I bought it via Citi!) refunded me and I stopped looking, feeling hopeless. I really wanted a nice ergonomic chair with a mesh back and lots of adjustments. I had finally found it and it didn't cost $1k like those Hermann Miller chairs do. I was so excited to get it, and then lost all hope thinking I'd never find it again anywhere else....

And then...EUREKA! The other day, I thought... why don't I just look up the manufacturer? DUH. They've still gotta be selling the chair, right? And so, I emailed them. And I got a call back from a guy close by. He actually used to work for the bankrupt business, but now works for a larger, much more stable company. So today I was on the phone with him and he had most of my information got my order and made the sale for the original price (which was marked down by $100 from the original catalog entry!!). I expected the arrival date to be more like '2 months' like it was the last time...but nope! 1 week!!

My new chair!!

So, I cheated a little bit. My new office chair was supposed to be my month-end reward, and I just bought it (well, half of it) today. And it will arrive sometime next week. And it's only the middle of the month. So what does this mean? It means that I'll pick it up when I can after it arrives and pay the difference. And then it means I'll take it home and sit it in the dining room until the month is over. I think that may be even more motivating cos it'll be in my way and very much in my daily sight and I'll really want to take it upstairs with me at the end of the month.

Also, if anyone out there is looking for a chair (or office furniture)...this retailer in Towson could help! I know Staples and Office Depot has chairs, too, but I really wanted to find a place that had great customer service and chairs with all the features. Not many chairs at either of those stores had really what I wanted, and every time I walked into the stores I never seemed to get much help. Anyway, I had a hard time finding a place like this (they don't yet have a warehouse), and was really happy to find this chair, finally.

Weigh Days

So, I never posted last week's weigh in. Mostly because I didn't make time until now, and partly because it was a measly .6 pounds lost. This week, I'm down another .4 pounds, so now that we're in whole numbers again, I can say I've lost another pound! While I've ramped up my workouts, I've probably over-indulged a few times. I really really really need to be much more careful (as opposed to carefree) when it comes to hanging out with friends. 

I think it's the alcohol. UGH I hate to say that! But... oh well. I have to do what I have to do, so I'm instituting a 2-drink limit from now on. I need to see better progress than .4 pounds in a week and hard (but fun!) times are ahead. There's a lot coming up in the next few weeks. Lots of birthdays, parties and events, so I really need to be uber-focused. I hope you'll excuse me if I'm late because I'm at home eating a salad before I come over. :)

Pessimistic Punch

So, since I started this whole thing (recently, I mean)...since I sent out emails and created the Facebook group, I've heard this little demon talking to me. It's the demon of doubt. That thing in the back of my head that says I can't do what I'm setting out to do, no matter how hard I try. Sometimes, it even assumes the voice and shape of friends. I can't be sure where this voice comes from, or why it takes up the shape of some and not others, or why it takes up space inside my head, but I can tell you that it's there.

I see it roll its eyes at the back of my head. I hear it say things like "I've seen this all before, don't you remember? You did this last year and look how that turned out. You got no where. You ended up worse than before. Why are you even bothering again?" And then there's a whole lot of "Why do you write about yourself the way you do? It's just so self important. What did Brad Pitt say in Fight Club...? 'Self improvement is masturbation.'? Well, that's where you are." And that's not even the worst of it.

I really hate this demon. I want it out. I want to cast aside all its negativity and shove it to the ground. And then I'll be surrounded by smiles, sun light and complete positivity. But before I get all yogi up in this blog, I have something to tell you: I think the demon pushes me, perhaps by mistake.

While it tries to pull me back, it pushes me forward. It's my devil's advocate that I'm destined to prove wrong. It can roll its eyes all it wants. It can try its best to shake and rattle me from this path, but I will not sway. I will not waiver. Stumble or fall, I will move forward.

So to this demon voice, I say: keep pushing. Keep driving. Scream at me all you want. Terrorize as you will, and later...I might just thank you for doing so. ... Right after I thank all those amazing cheerleaders who are excited for me and who are on the path with me. You are my guiding light, and some of the most amazing people I know.

What's for dinner!?

Fruit, veggies, grains and proteins, and healthy fat!

If you google the title of this recipe, you'll find a few variations. But I'm willing to bet these bloggers are Clean Eating subscribers and found the original recipe in a magazine in the 18 months. I did! I made this last year with my sister on a cooking day where we planned and cooked 4 meals for us to freeze (in preparation for my final semester in grad school). I really liked this recipe and thought it froze relatively well. It's sort of a wet meal--the couscous cooks in orange juice and broth and stores up a lot of liquid, so re-heating was easier. Or maybe I just added a tad of water to re-heat...Either way, it worked well!

So, this time around, I added about 3 cups of spinach (packed into the 3 cups!) It was the perfect amount, even though it looked like way too much going into the pot. There are several really great things about this meal. For one, its got a lot of major food groups! For two, its SUPER healthy. 9 WW+ points! For three, after the prep is done, you use 1 large pan with a lid to cook it all in--which makes for a super nice and easy clean up. (Dave appreciated that!)

Anyways, the link I'm sharing calls for 3 tangerines or fresh juice. The original recipe calls for a 1/2 cup of mandarin juice AND 3 sectioned mandarins. I like the latter better, I think because you *see* the oranges and taste them throughout the dish. Also, I wouldn't use frozen broccoli or onions in this one (unless you cook them ahead of time before placing them in the large pan) because I think frozen veggies often have extra water in them, and that will throw off the flavors.

Enjoy!

A very successful crock pot meal

I could probably live on chicken tacos for the rest of my life. They are so yummy and the best part is that you can add so many veggies and flavors in them!

I used this recipe on Friday to make chicken tacos for a small party of girls at the house. (Thanks Alicia, for sending me to skinnytaste.com, which has WW point values for all recipes!) The tacos were DEEEELICIOUS. And so fun to build. I use medium-sized whole wheat taco shells and heat them up in the mini-oven. Then I slather on about a tablespoon or so of Greek yogurt (I have started using it in place of sour cream because a) they taste almost the same [and you can't really taste the sour cream once you pile on the spices--its just there for texture and helps keep things together, I think], b) the sour cream always goes bad, and c) I always have Greek yogurt in the house). Then shredded lettuce, taco filling, cheese, salsa or adobo/chipolte sauce. AND THEN I EAT IT.

Now I'm hungry. See what you did?? This weekend, I infused jalapeno margaritas. They were good, but I think next time I'll buy more than 1 jalapeno for the bottle... the recipe I read calls for 4 per 750ml. I'll go in that direction next time.

Umm anyways... what do you think of the recipe?? I added some onion to it and some peppers. I might just put in a crap-load of spinach next time, too, to fortify it with iron. :)

Do you guys have any other favorite healthy crock-pot recipes? I doubled the batch and it made a lot! I might just freeze some. I'd really love to get in the habit of making big dishes so week nights can be a little easier from time to time!

Progress and Assess

So it's been 4 weeks since I've started this journey and I'm feeling pretty good about my progress so far.

I lost another pound last week, which means I'm .4 pounds away from my 5% goal. And I'm already planning a weekend trip to see some friends in Johnson City, TN as a result of this level-up! Thanks for the motivation kick, guys!

So the total weight lost? Drum roll please?! 9.2 pounds!! Incredible progress for the first month. I didn't expect that at all, especially so fast. I think it will slow down eventually, though. This really interesting motion graphic video explains why:

Neat, huh? Stupid metabolic adaptation! Oh well. Those Epipheo video production guys are pretty awesome, though, right?

Anyways, onwards with vigilance! So this week I've taken some time, as planned, to reassess my plan. (You should see the massive spreadsheet I'm dealing with. It's got at least 8 tabs. If you're interested, I'll show you...just ask.) I've learned this month that I really like circuit strength training with people in a class, with a friend. Having a specific plan and someone(s) working with me is really motivating, and having a routine and an expectation of fulfilling it is really important.

So, instead of 20-minute daily workouts (which haven't been working at all lately), I'm scheduling 4 workouts a week this month (and maybe next month, too). Tuesdays are Body Pump, Thursdays are ZUMBA!, and Mondays are for working out with a friend. Finally, I have a flexible workout scheduled for the weekend. It can be anything, with anyone or anywhere. As long as it happens! I'd prefer a Saturday morning gym class, but it will depend on what's happening. I'm also going to buy a new electronic tool from Weight Watchers called Active Link. It's sort of like a pedometer but it tracks all activity and syncs to the WW account! It's supposed to be a really motivational tool to help you level-up your activity.

Let's see, what else? Oh yes, meditation. I haven't been meditating the past two weeks. So I'm going to get back into that. I'm working on increasing my wake-up time to 7am every morning. I think that'll give me more time to meditiate and perhaps work on personal projects and prepare for the day's events. Plus, hopefully I'll remember to make my own coffee in the morning so I don't buy any at the crappy spot near my office. This also means, though, I need to be better about going to sleep earlier. And I've set an alarm on my phone to remind me at nighttime. :) #nerdface

I think I've been pretty good about journaling this month, but I do want to blog more than once a week! A friend was talking to me about making this blog more relevant to YOU guys and less about me, me, me. So I want to start sharing more things that will engage and inform you all. And maybe make you laugh?

I have a series of links (mostly from Lifehacker) that I'm going to start sharing more of. They helped me develop my plan and understand how to (and how not to) achieve goals! Maybe they'll help you, too. By the way---how are all of you doing on your resolutions so far? Also, if you see something relevant to this blog, please share it with me! Email me, facebook me, or type it up in the comments section. I'm also excited to potentially have some guest posts....more to come on that!

And then there's planning and organizing! Two things I love.love.love! I'm going to start grocery shopping on weekdays when fewer people are at the grocery store. I'm sooo sick of going with the masses to the grocery stores on weekends. It takes too much time out of the weekend, waiting in line and all, and I'd really like to use my weekend time a little differently for some other professional goals I have. (I'm freelancing now!!)

Finally, in my original plan I set out to design motivational/affirmational posters for myself. I still want to do this, but it's not something that is *crucial*. It's still in my goal list, but if I don't get to it I'm not going to feel guilty or punish myself. I'm a busy girl so squeezing in a workout and food prep/planning is pretty much good for me!

So, this month, I'm going to continue meditating, logging the food I eat and workouts I do, plus workout 4 times a week with people/friends. I'm giving myself 1 reward a week, and a bonus award to look forward to at the end of a successful month: a new office chair! (Dave will be so happy when I stop stealing his!) My next 5% goal (which would be 10%), should be reached by June or July. That seems to be FOREVER away, so I'm hoping my month-end goal will push me further!!

Getting closer!!

GUYYYYYYS, guess what?! I'm 1 pound closer to my 5% loss goal! Last week wasn't a fluke afterall! Things are WORKING.

I totally kicked ass this week in Body Pump. I forgot how much I like strength training, and that slight muscle ache the next day reminding you of your accomplishment. Refreshing, really.

I haven't been meditating as much as I have wanted to lately, though. I need to keep that going. And sadly, I haven't had time to design a motivational poster like I planned, either. But I'm still trying to get some ideas.

I just need to remember to keep my head up. I battled some self-esteem demons last week while I was sick. Even though I stayed on track food-wise, I couldn't really work out. I think I crashed from endorphin withdrawal and started feeling pretty badly about not being able to get physical. So, I'll add that to the pile of reasons to continue working out! I'm celebrating success this week by online shopping for 2 pillows for my office futon.

ZUMBAAAAA!

I signed up for Zumba today at the Y. I don't get to go until the first week of March, but I'm really looking forward to 1 Zumba class per week for 2 months!! So Pumped! I wish you guys could join me!!!

Also, I'm probably going to hit my 5% weight loss goal faster than I projected!! I thought I'd hit it by mid-March, but I only have 3 more pounds to go,  if last week's weigh in was a good one (I'm still skeptical). We'll see on Wednesday. Cross your fingers for me!

Making a date

Okay, I think I'm finally almost back to normal from being sick. Only took a week. Anyway, time to make a gym date. Tuesday, Body Pump 6-7pm. BOOM. I'm back in this shit (work-out wise; I've been pretty good about keeping up healthy eating habits this week!) And, sorry Dave, I'm going to be eating a hell of a lot more garlic to keep up my immune system so I don't get sick every time the weather flops.

Happy Surprise!

Uhhh, guys? I must have been retaining a hell of a lot of water last week when I weighed in cos I am down 6.2 pounds this week! I'm a little shocked, especially since this weekend's Chicken Tikka Masala and...uh, too many cupcakes to tell you about should have overblown my WW points budget.

Although, I have been sick for the past two days...my appetite has been pretty low and I haven't really eaten lunches. Unless you consider grapes and a hard-boiled egg a lunch. WW does not really approve/recommend light fasting, but it's something I want to research a little bit. I'm wondering if it will help every now and then. One person I know is doing two 600-calorie days per week right now. I'm thinking about doing something along the same lines but with WW points. What do you think? Has anyone done this before or something similar? I guess it's time to go researching the health blogs...

Anyway, regardless of the bit of shock, I can't say I'm unhappy about losing 6 pounds. I just don't really feel like I've done much to deserve it, recently. But it's a nice mood booster and hopefully it will go a long way for my motivation, which has sunk a little bit in the past few days.

By the way, I got a text and an email last night from two of you that really perked me up. I've been in a funk for the past few days, but that little bit of reaching out helped lift me out of it. I don't want to name any names, but I do want you guys to feel appreciated! So thank you!! so much! :)

Whirlwind Weekend, and a head cold

So, I didn't get any exercise in on Friday or today (Monday). I was on my feet for most of Sunday hosting a fabulous bridal shower for my cousin though. I was exhausted and hurt from head to toe afterwards... it was fun and busy, but tiring. Can that count as a 'workout'? Or being 'physical'? I'm not sure. Of course I want to say yes, but... it doesn't feel like I should.

I also didn't really keep track of my intake this weekend. I *sorta* did, but its really hard (or impossible, actually) to determine how many points the Indian Delight Chicken Tikka Masala dish is. I mean, who knows what and how much stuff they put in that delicious sauce of their's? And there's the Naan and the mini appetizers... forget it. I have a 'weekly' point allowance as well as a 'daily' one, so this weekend I just considered my entire 'weekly' balance to be zeroed out, though I think I probably went a little overboard.

I think I'm noticing a life-long pattern here, since the days of living on my own: being too busy or stressed often leads to ordering take out. How do you guys resolve or handle that??

Anyway, I got a head cold over the weekend and it reared its ugly head as the party was dying down yesterday. I debated for an hour this morning about going into work and finally decided I was clear-headed enough to go in, and that it'll probably get worse before it gets better later on this week sometime, so I might as well save up the sick day until I actually need it. On the plus side, I was fairly productive at work and barely ate anything today.

So, I posed the question on Facebook about working out when you get head colds. I got a couple of answers which lead me to believe its OK to get a light workout in, preferably at home, when you've got a head cold. Do you guys concur? What sucks is that I never made it to the gym for a class this week!! What should I do?? Tomorrow awaits.... I guess time will tell?

Also, Facebook poll results: so far, 6 of you voted 'yes!', 5 of you voted for a FB 'page', and 5 of you voted for a FB 'group'. No one voted 'No'! Thanks guys :) So, Facebook it is, but it'll be hard to chose between a page and a group. I'm leaning towards the latter only because it allows for more flexibility and interaction. I will have to manually publish my blog posts to it (as opposed to automated feed push), but I will probably not post each one to the group. I'm thinking like 1 per week so you guys are not bombarded with notifications... The poll is still opened until this weekend, though, so if you haven't voted one way or the other yet, please do so and help me decide!

Thanks!!

Whoops.

I hit a few buttons and changed my template. :( This new one is the best I can do for now. But, it's a little more peaceful now, don't you think? Just an FYI: I know I'm a designer and all, but this is all just blogger's cookie-cutter templates. Maybe someday I'll maneuver it more but right now, I've got workouts to do.

Stats are Whack

Hey guys, thanks to what seems like the 8 of you who are reading my blog! Yeaaay! Funny how I got at least 70 hits when I sent out my first email awhile ago. Although, I'm not altogether sure what I'm looking at in the Blogger admin panels regarding the stats, so I'll have to figure that out.... The 8 of you must be using an RSS reader or something.

Anyway, a few people have recently mentioned they'd like to keep track of my progress, but don't often remember to visit my blog. And I understand completely. It's frustrating, isn't it?

I'm guessing that most of you probably keep up with things via Facebook (or maybe Twitter) like me. But I want to confirm that to be sure. I've thought about creating a new Facebook page for my blog and hooking it up so that Facebook publishes each blog post every time I publish something. Or, maybe I can create a closed Facebook group and publish the links manually.

The difference between a page and a group: interaction. Pages let the owner publish and receive all notifications, but unless you comment on those posts or write one yourself on my page, you won't get any notifications. Groups allow for more flexibility and collaboration, there's an administrator role, but for the most part everyone in the group shares the ability to post. You can opt to receive (or not) notifications every time someone posts to the group, too.

Anyway, getting to the point... you can now subscribe to get my blog posts via email! And you can also vote on the Facebook options, too. Voting closes on FEBRUARY 16th!! See the sidebar to let me know what you think -------------------->

Thanks guys!

Insanity Work Out Moves

Hey guys,

So remember how I said I was going to do cycling today? Well, I missed the morning workout and couldn't wait till late this afternoon so I went on my lunch break to the Y and got on the Expresso cycle trainer. Pretty awesome! I rode for about 12 minutes, 2.4 miles. It felt pretty good, but man... the seat is really hard. You'd think I'd have enough padding, but nope, that hurt!! If I am going to keep doing that, I totally need a cushion or something.

Anyway, I got on the Arc trainer (thinking nordic track + eliptical) for 20 minutes after and then stretched. Since I'm not having the best time at work right now, getting out and working out really helped my mood a bit. It definitely removed my focus for awhile. Also, middays at the gym are so nice cos no one is there. When I went Monday, it was really crowded and I ended up waiting around a lot. Boohiss!

Okay, so I just found this awesome video series of Insanity workout moves. I think this must be similar to the P90x workout, but check it out:




You can view the other 5 moves from the Self.com article. What's your favorite? I like Stance Jacks best, but the Heisman looks good too. I don't think I'm up for jumping quite yet, but maybe later. These would be good to add to that circuit training my friend and I did the other night. *hint hint* :)

So what do you think? Would you guys add any of these to your workouts/warm-ups? Do you do any similar moves?? Share them in the comments!!

Week 1: Complete!

As of this afternoon, my first week is complete! Results are in. Down a measly .2 pounds. I knew this was gonna be slow, but damn! I think Superbowl kinda screwed me up. Okay, it's my decisions that were screwy; and that Orange Chicken take out... I knew that was a bad, bad idea. But, I'm not beating myself up about it. I'm forging ahead and trying to do better.

The only big thing I've got going on this week is bridal shower my mom is hosting for my cousin. There'll be a decent amount of healthy food there. However, we'll be tasting wine. So, my goal is to taste and maybe drink 1 glass. I need to eat a lite breakfast with filling eggs that day and save up points for the shower, too. I doubt we'll be ordering out aside from

Anyways, I consider this past week to be a success. I struggled a little bit, but moreover I came through it having worked out for 20 minutes or more every day, even though I didn't always feel like it. I think that sooner or later after keeping up this practice, I'll enjoy it and look forward to work outs like I've done in the past. And, by prepping raw veggie and fruit snacks this week, I think I got a really great thing going on that I want to keep up.

So, tonight was the official start of my 2nd week. I started it off right and went to a friend's house where she taught me her circuit training (that she got from a personal trainer). It was really fun! And then she fed me tofu stir-fry, which was totally awesome and very few points. Love love love! I'm hoping I can set up a routine on a week night with her once a week... another weekend routine would be good, too. I wish it was spring already so we could go walking or hiking!!! arrgh. I'm really excited to just walk on a track or something again with a friend(s), but it's just too cold out right now. Anyone know of an indoor track anywhere??

The only thing I didn't accomplish this week that I wanted to was a drawing for a motivational sign. Just a quote, purely typographical. I want to work on it more extensively this weekend. I'm still going to reward myself for a job well done, because the 'core requirements' were met this week. Friday evening = mani/pedi happy hour (no wine, just nail polish!)

Oh, and before I go, tomorrow I'm going to a cycling class at the Y. It'll be my first time ever and I'm both nervous and excited. It's a 45 minute class, so I know I'll be sweating like a champ by the end of it!

Ok see ya!!

Post-weekend post (and tuna fish salad)

Well, how's everyone feeling after SuperBowl Sunday? I think the city of Baltimore is on a all-time high. I'm excited to be a part of it! Tomorrow I get to take some pictures of the parade...I'm going to have to layer up because it's probably going to be very cold!

Anyway, I just wanted to drop in and tell you that I saved up all my WW points for SuperBowl Sunday  and was able to eat what I wanted there. I used up the rest of my 'weekly point' allowance (which is totally legit to use for special occasions like these!). I have 2 more days left until the 'new' week begins and I'm doing really great. I doubt I'll even need to use my 'activity' points.

Yesterday was a whirlwind kind of day. I worked out in the morning, cleared the sidewalks and cars of snow, then got a shower, went to Kinko's and then to 2 grocery stores. I didn't get back until about 2:45 or so. And then, I had about an hour to prep food for the week. I peeled and chopped carrots and celery, and then bagged them and a big bag of grapes up into individual portions. Then, I hard-boiled some eggs for snacking, cooked 3 chicken tenders (plain, not breaded) for a homemade chicken salad (I'm replicating Potbelly's Uptown salad because it's delicious!).

Finallllly, I made some tuna fish salad. I substituted Greek yogurt (Fage 0% is my go-to!) for the mayo and it's practically the most awesome thing ever. I always add relish to my tuna fish (passed down from my mom), but a co-worker told me curry seasoning is a really nice spice to use. Anyway, I love-love-love the tuna salad; next time, I'm going to chop up some spinach and mix it in. The tuna is great for dipping with the celery and carrots, too.

All of that preparation took me 45 minutes!! I couldn't believe it. I thought it would take much longer, but not so! I couldn't be more pumped to have healthy foods prepped for the week and to have saved a bunch of time, too! Woo!

Okay, that's all for now. Over and out.

Bending Resolve

My resolve was tested today. Twice. The end of the week has left me a little frazzled because I had to cancel my weekly Thursday remote working day for a meeting. I am lucky that I'm able to work remotely, and I have to say what a blessing that is. It's not just about the time I save by not traveling to work; it's also about the energy saved. I'm not saying it takes a tremendous amount of energy to wake up, get dressed, and travel into work every day; but on days that I can wake up and log on from home, I feel like I can breathe easier. I'm more relaxed. It's not about physical energy, but about mental energy, too.

Luckily, I was able to work remotely this morning, but this Friday didn't have that same relaxed feeling my usual fridays do, due to having gone into work Thursday. I feel like I sound like a snob, complaining that I didn't get my usual work-from-home day this week. Perhaps I am. But it really does a lot for my personal life balance, which is very valuable to me. I wish that it was a more popular concept in traditional companies. I wish the technology was cheaper, easier to figure out and monitor, too. I wish all employees could be trusted like I am to get work done from their desks at home. That's my bubble...but I digress

About my resolve: I ate some mini cupcakes at work, thanks to the Tailgate party my floor hosted yesterday for the superbowl this weekend. I'm all for the Ravens being in the Championship, but man... I'm not for the cupcakes being left in the kitchen for two days. Oh well. So I ate some cupcakes. I'm logging it. And that just means that I can't have something else later in the week (my weeks, by the way, are Wednesday to Wednesday, since I weigh in on Wednesdays through WW at work).

Anyway, my resolve was weakened and I was considering not going to my planned gym class after work. I just wanted to be home before it got dark. But, I think I felt a little guilty about the cupcakes. I thought... you know, I could just go home and workout for 20 minutes there and get to the gym sometime in the next few days... but then I realized I didn't want to break the chain. (Do you know about breaking the chain?) I was already invested in this plan, already made the commitment with myself AND WITH YOU GUYS! I didn't want to just back down so easily right after I started.

So I went to the gym, as planned. Instead of doing the step class, the timing worked out that I was there for Body Sculpt. We worked out arms and abs. It was a quick 30 minutes, and I stayed for half of Step afterwards! So after loosing resolve, it strengthened to last through 1 1/2 quick classes! I surpassed my original 1-class goal!

Anyways, now that I'm home and showered, I think it's time for dinner and relaxation. I'm going to the Y again tomorrow to get set up and registered on their FitLinxx program. It's a software that allows you to scan your gym card at every machine--weights or cardio equipment--and tracks your work for you. How cool is that? I think I can log in and get reports and stuff, too. What is most exciting is that it'll remember my weights and reps for the weight machines. That'll be very helpful.

Okay, more on that later. Have a restful weekend, ya'll!

"When you are inspired by some great purpose..."

"When you are inspired by some great purpose, some extraordinary project, all your thoughts break their bonds: Your mind transcends limitations, your consciousness expands in every direction, and you find yourself in a new, great, and wonderful world. Dormant forces, faculties and talents become alive, and you discover yourself to be a greater person by far than you ever dreamed yourself to be." —Patanjali

Just in Time

My Wii JUST DANCE 1 came today!!! That was really fast. I think I just ordered it on Monday. When I got home, I immediately plugged it in and got started. 20 minutes went by fast. It was SO fun. 80s and 90s tunes, man! Cyndi Lauper, Blondie, Rednex (yeah, Cotton Eyed Joe!), BLUR, PotUSA, and this fine, fine JAM:

So, I'm totally PUMPED.

The only problem is that its 7:30 and it's going to take awhile to make dinner...I bet Dave wouldn't mind making a frozen pizza for himself so I can have leftovers... Hmm.. I should pull chicken out for tomorrow's dinner tonight.

Anywho, today was a great first day. I weighed in this afternoon at WW At Work, had a good breakfast and lunch (leftover alfredo squash pasta!) and healthy snacks, got my meditation in this morning and had a pretty productive work day. Time to chow down (slowly, mindfully) and relax.

It's a Good Morning for a Pep Talk

Not Cool, Robert Frost! But what if there really were two paths to take? I wanna be on the road to awesome.

What if Michael Jordan had quit? He would have never made Space Jam... And I looove Space Jams.

Cutuest video ever.

Also, my new meditation jam: calm.com.

On the brink of change, thank you.

Tonight, on the brink of change, I say goodbye forever to mindless eating and slovenly ways. May my future days contain whole and delicious foods in appropriate volumes, lots of physical activity, and a mindful presence!

For the past few days, my email has been inundated with all for your incredible messages of support!! Thank you!! I'm so excited to embark on this journey and love knowing you're right there with me. You guys really know how to make a girl feel loved. I'm totally and truly in awe of your support and am so glad to have found a few of you that are ready to ride! Hiking and biking are right on top of my list of activities to do this coming spring, so I'll be ready to take you all up on your outdoor offers when the time comes.

Last night, a good friend called to congratulate me on starting this journey and to give me my first challenge: to visit him and his wife and go hiking with them on the Appalachian Trail in Tennessee. I couldn't be more happy to take on this challenge because it coincides with one of my pre-established rewards. In mid-March/early April, once I achieve several weeks worth of food logging, workouts, journalling, etc., I should reach my 5% weight loss mark; this check-point goal will be rewarded by a trip to TN to visit the challengers!

Meanwhile, I still want a few more challenges. What have you got for me?? BRING IT. I'm ready to go.


PS - If I haven't responded to you yet, don't worry I will soon!

Yum Yum - Spaghetti Squash

I made the best meal tonight and I couldn't wait to tell you all about it! Spaghetti squash makes an awesome substitution for pasta, and when you add shrimp, broccoli, spinach, and a little bit of whole milk alfredo sauce, it makes for a very nice, 8 WW+ point meal!

Because I haven't officially kicked off yet, I had toast and 2 (yiiiikes!) glasses of wine with it. Without the wine, I would have made my point goal today. Oh wells, I'm soaking up my last days. :)

Committing to a gym class this week

I'm not sure why, but YMCA charges money even to members to go to ZUMBA, and they are only scheduling classes from 8-9pm at night twice a week, and once on Thursday mornings from 8-9am. I don't think I could ever work out that late at night, and I really don't want to pay. This week, I'm I have scheduled meetings at work every day, which means I'm skipping the one opportunity (usually Thursday) to work from home this week. Well, maybe next week I'll try ZUMBA on Thursday morning, but this week I think I'll go with Step class on either Friday evening or Saturday morning. (Friday evening's is only 30 minutes...is that cheating? I didn't give the gym class goal a time requirement...hmmm.)

What do you think? Is there anything else on this list I should try? I'm thinking about Cycling,  CXWorX, and Yoga, too. Maybe Body Pump. Or maybe I should just concentrate on one thing at a time? I hate being bad at things, so I think it's going to be frustrating for the first few classes trying to learn the routines, especially for Step. I've been through Step classes before and think they're pretty fun... but you can easily look or feel like a complete idiot noob until you really get used to the routine. It's hard enough to get the very basic Wii Fit step workout perfected. haha. At least I'm the only one around when I do it, though.

This is it! The big KICK-OFF!

This is my big week! The time has finally come, after a month or so of reading up and planning, to KICK-OFF my journey into healthy living and weight loss. You can read more about my goals for this journey on the About page.

I'm so excited to get started that I can hardly wait (and I'll probably end up starting a few things a bit early, anyways!). Starting Wednesday, January 30th (because I weigh in on Wednesdays via Weight Watchers at work), I will be logging all the food I eat into WW tools, exercising for 20 minutes, and meditating for 3 minutes every day for 4 weeks. Each week, I'll also go to 1 gym class, meditate for 10+ minutes three times, write 1 blog post, take 1 photograph of myself, plan meals and shopping lists, create an exercise plan, and work for 1 hour towards designing a motivational or positive affirmation poster.

So after 4 weeks, I'll have logged food for 28 days, exercised for 21.3 hours, meditated for 3.4 hours, written 4 blog posts, taken 4 photographs of myself, planned delicious healthy meals 4 times, created 4 exercise plans, and designed 1 motivational poster! Oh, plus, I'll be rewarding myself with a mani/pedi, new gelish nail polishes for DIY mani/pedis, fun new pillows for my office futon, and a hair cut and color by the end of the month.

Then, I'll plan for the month of March, tweaking my goals and rewards, creating another monthly meal plan, adding to my exercise regime, and writing a month recap blog post, and more. Over time, my workouts will increase in length and intensity, I will develop an arsenal of WW-approved recipes, I will complete 12 motivational posters, and get better and better about planning and implementing for my new healthy life. I'll be writing on here much more often than I have in the past year or so, too.

I have been thinking a lot about how to involve my friends and family. I know I can't do this alone and I need a good support system! Of course, Dave is going to get on board and help make meals that are WW friendly, but he's not too interested in going to the gym or exercising. He'd take walks and hike with me, but it's FREEZING outside right now so that won't happen until spring or summer. So, since I don't live near many of my friends and it won't be easy to get together and work out often, I would like to open up a conversation with some of you near and far about how we can connect to support and motivate each other.

First, there's one simple way you can participate with me: give me your own advice and tips, send  encouraging well wishes, or forward me great healthy recipe ideas or workouts, etc. Feel free to share them publicly or privately, on Facebook, Pinterest, email, comment on this blog (MAKE SURE YOU SIGN YOUR NAME to your post!), or any other method you choose. By doing this, you can help me stay on track, inspire and motivate me to continue achieving my goals. I would be so glad to do the same for you, too! Just let me know what I can do!

Secondly, give me a workout challenge. I have the Wii Fit and have already started some of the games and exercises on it. I'm also in the process of purchasing Just Dance for Wii. I'm thinking about finding some yoga and other workout videos.games, too. Plus, I belong to the YMCA, where there is plenty of treadmills, ellipticals, strength training equipment, bikes, and classes (ZUMBA!). I love to go on walks and hikes (when it's warmer), especially with friends. So, now that you know what I have (and what I don't have?) at my disposal, challenge me to a workout of your choosing. It can be as simple as "come over and workout with me at my gym" or "complete 4 ZUMBA classes". I just ask that you just give me an achievable/appropriate deadline for said challenge and your name. Once I receive the challenge, I'll make plans to achieve it, and when I do, I'll give you a gift of some kind. If I know you personally, I'll make sure it's something you'll love, too!

Finally, as I work towards achieving my goals this year, I plan on hosting a few brunches, lunches, or dinners focused around healthy living. I hope to see you at one, a few, or all of them!