Fabulous Food Finds!

I am totally stoked about recent food finds in the new neighborhood!

First there is an all-vegetarian restaurant less than two miles form my house. This doesn't excite Kevin at all, but I am totally thrilled! I can see some girlie lunches in my future!

Last night we discovered Rudy's Tenampa, a Mexican food restaurant just a few blocks from my door. Normally, this would prove a challenge to my diet, but they have a wonder item on their menu: A La Carte Fajitas!

Usually, fajitas are super expensive, right? But, most often, chicken fajitas are the healthiest option on a menu. Well, lovely Rudy's offers one chicken fajita for only $3.69!!!

They also offer ceviche as an appetizer and I gave that a try with my fajita since I was kinda hungry. It wasn't what I was expecting exactly, and I may not order it again, but it's nice to know the option is available for calorie-conscious friends.

Rudy's also offers low-carb options and vegetarian and Lent-friendly foods. And, as an added bonus (to me, not the boyfriend) chips and salsa aren't complimentary. You have to specifically ask for them. Skipping that temptation is fine by me!

Determined!

Last night was Bedroom Night for me in the unpacking process.

As I went through my clothes and decided what goes in what drawer and what goes in the closet I also decided to create a donate pile.

I filled an entire trash bag with clothes that are too big!!!

I'll be honest, there is a part of me that wanted to save the clothes in case I gain the weight back ... but that's crazytalk, right?

I AM NOT GAINING IT BACK!!!

Moving pains

Oh. My. Word.

I am so exhausted I can't even tell you ...

I moved this weekend and it was one of the longest moves ever. I have no idea how I accumulated that much stuff living in an attic, but apparently, I did.

I pushed my muscles to their breaking points and am just now feeling the kinks go away.

I ate horribly - ordered pizza, Chinese and cooked up bacon and mac n cheese. But I'm fairly confident I worked it off.

Since I don't have access to a scale, however, I won't know for a bit.

Bless my stress

As I said yesterday, I threw the diet aside for the sake of stress eating (aka a junk food binge).

But, it's isn't as bad as I thought it would be thanks to my body's reaction to (1) stress, (2) lactose, and (3) sugar overloads.

I was sick to my stomach most of the night - even woke up and had to dash to the potty room.

I know it sounds bizarre to be happy about getting sick, but when I stepped on the scale this morning to see just how bads things were I was pleasantly surprised that it stopped at 179.

Throwing the calorie count aside - for one night

Tonight, I am not counting calories - I'm counting words. To 1600.

I have a paper due in the morning and am completely stressed because I haven't written much at all. So, in preparation of a late night, I went to CVS and raided the 50% off Valentine's aisle. I bought gummy hearts, Twizzlers and a heart-shaped cookie. Then, I came home, made pop corn, poured milk into a wine glass and sat down to write.

Dinner will be pizza.

I know this isn't the answer ... turning to food for even a modicum of comfort is not the solution. But it's also just easier this way!

At least I'm ordering thin crust.

Here's hoping I burn the binge off this weekend. But oh well. I gotta get back to my word count!

Can I give more?

Today I went for a run for the first time in a week. I ran a little under 3 miles (as I had kind of a time constraint issue since I was going out of town for the week). It felt great. The TV on my treadmill wasn't working so I just put on my iPod and ran.

And boy did I run. Faster than I have in months. About 1 minute faster per mile. Which in the grand scheme of things could add up pretty quickly. I can see my marathon time going down as we speak.

I am still awaiting test results, which I hope to God come tomorrow. But the whole reason behind me going to run today was that I wanted/needed to think of something else besides being sick. And there it was: running.

Along with my new fresh outlook on running I have given up fried foods for Lent. I figure this will jumpstart some weight loss so I can actually weigh in and feel good about myself. It was all Natalie's idea. She's smart, that one.

My friend Caleb, who is a crazy ultra-marathoner, gave me this quote the other day from Kenyan marathoner, Paul Tergat:

"Ask yourself: Can I give more? The answer is usually: Yes."

It's now my mantra. I can always give more. Give more, not give up. I can make my goal time in this marathon, I can drop the weight in order to do it, and I can beat whatever it is I'm up against.

Can I give more?

You bet your ass.

Cross-train day!

Since today is my first cross-train day, and I have a major paper due tomorrow morning that I have barely started, I am excited to go home and get some yoga into my system.

I need a good stretch session, anyway, and I am a yoga nut.

Already, this weekend is going to be weird for my training because I'm moving Saturday and I supposed to walk 3 miles. I am not sure the actual mileage will happen, but you know I'll be doing a lot of moving around! Maybe I should get a pedometer for kicks to measure how much I walk ... hm.

Second step was a doozy

I almost didn't do it.

Honestly, I didn't think I would be able to make it.

It was quite a day for defining commitment.

But I did it.

I went to the gym.

It was a crazy, hectic day full of places to be and things to do at certain times. I knew I wouldn't be able to fit in the three miles I was supposed to walk today (it takes 45 minutes at least!).

But, I decided some was better than none and I went to the gym between stuff and managed to get a bit more than half of my distance.

Why do I call this a day to define commitment? Well, this is technically the second day of Week 1 in my training plan. The gym isn't yet part of my routine and it hasn't quite become routine. Not going to the gym would have been easy.

But I went ... Today's mini work out was definitely a thousand steps in the right direction!

RMR has it

I just learned a new weight loss term: Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR). Apparently, this is an estimate of how many calories we burn a day based on height, weight, age and gender.

By doing a quick online search, I found a calculator online and was told that my RMR is 1535 Calories per day. Further online research has taught me that this estimate isn't based on your activity level ... it is based on your body AT REST (hence the name!). This fascinates me.

When I started 50n50, my RMR was 1603 calories per day ... and as I've lost weight that has decreased as well. Makes sense. At my goal weight (145) I will be burning 1373 calories per day. Again, fascinating.

Since I don't generally spend my days in complete rest I like to think this allows me some leeway for days like yesterday (aptly named Fat Tuesday) during which I consume almost 1500 calories.

So sorry

I owe you all an apology. I have been very lax on Weigh Days.

I know I am the only one that really keeps up with them, but my schedule has been crazy lately and I just keep forgetting to step on the scale in the morning!

I am moving this weekend and will be buying a new scale asap. I promise I will get back on it asap!

Also, I think it's time to take some measurements ... maybe tomorrow?

Training Blog

I just started yet another blog (the third for those keeping track) that will chronicle my training for the 3-Day.

There's just too much!

Man oh man. There is just so much going on in my world, I can barely keep track!

I have a paper due Friday, am moving this weekend, am learning to fit hour-long workouts into my school days and am trying to maintain my usual school routine. Plus, I have an internship interview tomorrow and more resumes to send out for a summer gig. Then there is the usual meal planning, boyfriend coddling and animal care taking my life requires.

AHHHHHhhhhhhh!

I am close to losing my mind and truly can't wait until this weekend is over so that I can get some order back to my life. I will be able to control my groceries better and organize my life in a much bigger space.

I live my life by To-Do lists and am feeling the weight of a long one right now. Usually, I take care of personal business matters on Friday afternoons, but my internship interview last week threw all of that off. This Friday afternoon will be spent packing and getting things ready for my move.

I am hoping to take some time tonight to clear off ... I am caught up for my reading in one class for tomorrow so that means less reading tonight. Woohoo! I love it when I accidentally read too much.

Also, Miss Abigail and I are meeting tonight to discuss fund raising for the 3-Day. She is a marketing guru. With her marketing skills I hope raising the requisite $2300.00 will be easy!

Ok, back to work!

Somedays I just can't.

I haven't worked out for 5 days. Which is abnormal.

After my doctor's appointment two weeks ago I had to go back for a second round procedure this past Friday. One that had some physical reprocussions that caused me to spend the entire weekend lying down on the couch taking it easy. At one point I thought I felt better. Enough to clean, do laundry, play with the dog. But then I pushed it too far and had to lie down again. Ugh.

I won't get the results of the second test until Friday. But I think I'll go back to working out tomorrow. I was having some knee issues last week anyway, so in retrospect I guess it was good that I took a few days off. They are feeling much better.

I just wish I did. Ugh.

Training Day 1

Less than a mile into my first session on a treadmill in a couple of years and I was calling myself many names - none of which was very nice.

However, after 53 minutes and a grand total of 3.2 miles ... and an hour-long drive home, I have changed my mind.

This is going to be fun!

Questions for you active people: Can you explain why I started bloating up after about a mile and why my last vertebra hurt like crazy?

Dinner depression dilemma

So, as is my habit these days, I was checking out my dietary patterns and have noticed something peculiar.

As alluded in a previous post, I am not eating very many carbs - and this is not intentional. I love carbs! This needs to be fixed, but I want to do it right.

I love dinner. I cook it myself just about every night and love sitting down with someone to enjoy a good meal. However, I'm thinking this is a problem.

In order to "save" calories for my lovely dinners (they only average 600 calories, including dessert and/or alcoholic beverage), I only eat about 150 calories for breakfast and 400 for lunch.

Take today's menus, for example:

I started the day with egg whites, turkey ham and Laughing Cow cheese: 148 calories, 1 carb, 6 fat grams, 22 protein grams.

Lunch is 3 ounces of turkey ham, a half-inch slice of fresh pineapple and celery: 137 calories, 13 carbs, 5 fat grams, 15 protein grams. This is, admittedly, a lighter lunch than usual (grocery issues ... no bread in the house), but at the same time, it isn't that far off.

Add a couple slices of bread and you'll have what I would normally eat. (Adding bread will make the meals stats: 393 calories, 60 carbs, 10 fat grams, 22 protein grams.)

Now that I am adding an afternoon workout, I wonder if this will work. Carbs provide the energy needed for an adequate workout. Today, sans bread, is clearly a day of missing carbs. However, should I take a meal like this and use it as dinner instead? I usually eat at 7 p.m. and really have no need for carbs that late in the days. Should I eat a larger lunch and a lighter dinner? Something in me thinks I should!

Usually, I use leftovers from dinner for lunch. However, my thought is to eat the "left over" amount for dinner and save more for lunch.

I'll be honest, that really bums me out. Lunch is usually spent at my desk in the library, alone, with headsets in to listen to music while studying (or blogging).

I still enjoy food and have had a blast learning new ways to cook that were delicious AND healthy. I LOVE sharing those new recipes with others and am saddened at the thought of cooking new foods for myself alone.

Can someone offer a solution that will make it so I can still enjoy my dinners with others?

If the shoe fits ...

Ok, Ladies, tomorrow is the big day!

Training Day 1.

Yep, tomorrow I start training for the most athletic event of my life: the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure!

Since August 6 will find me stretching my muscles in Chicago, prepping to walk 60 miles in three days, tomorrow will find me starting the first workout of my 24-week training.

In order to be fully prepared for training (and limit the possible medical issues I may encounter), I visited a specialty store for runners this afternoon. For the first time in YEARS, I was fitted for a new pair of training shoes. The sales woman was a VERY pregnant former cross country coach who told me all about the issues I might encounter (including chafing on my boobs ... ouch). She also taught me things I never knew about the way running shoes should fit. It truly was fascinating.

Apparently, I have been buying the wrong size all along. Traditionally, I am a size 8.5. However, this means that I should buy size 9.5 in running shoes. Reasons: feet swell and you need more wiggle room for toes in running shoes.
Most of the shoes I tried were just too loose in the heel. I felt like my feet were flopping around, but there was a certain pair that fit almost perfectly. Toe room was great, width was perfect (apparently, I am an 8.5 wide - the idea of having fat feet is depressing), but the heel was just a tad too loose.

Then I was shown a trick ... using the last eyelet hole, make a loop of the shoe string to make a hole for lacing. Lace the string through that and it will tighten the fit on the heel. Kevin, who has run 4 marathons, didn't even know this trick, so I made a slide show to share.



Perfecto!

So, new shoes in hand, gym bag packed for a week of workouts (that way I can't say I forgot my clothes and skip a day), I am ready to start this newest challenge.

Labels of love

Oh yes ... Valentine's Day ... a day to celebrate love ... and chocolate.

Sigh.

Last night, Kevin surprised me by disappearing while I was in the basement. I had no idea where he had gone until I received a phone call from him. "I'll pick you up at 7:30 for our date."

Our date?!?

It was already 7 so I raced around the house getting cuter than I'd been just 15 minutes before (hard to do, ha!). My roommate and I crowded into the bathroom with me sitting on the edge of the tub while she styled my hair and I shaved my legs. Good times.

When he returned, he handed me flowers, the annual Valentine's Day coffee mug he chooses for me, and some chocolates. Luckily, he remembered how I hate those cream-filled abominations. He bought me Belgium chocolates instead.

Then he whisked me away for a night of singing at a piano bar in my new neighborhood. On the ride to the bar, he told me I'd have to be careful of the chocolates because he's forgotten to look at the calorie stats before he bought them. While waiting for me to finish getting dressed he finally read it and was shocked.

I was just shocked he thought about it at all!

He has been very supportive since I started the endeavor and I really appreciate it. He doesn't judge me on days like Friday when I say, "Take me somewhere bad." He listens when I talk about how fascinating I find the amount of calories in certain foods (this morning it was sugar free syrup vs. regular). Also, he is always game to try out my new recipes.

He's a cutie though, because honestly, he chose the perfect chocolates for me. They are only 20 calories each! He doesn't exactly understand reading nutrition labels since his skinny butt is actually trying to gain mass! He saw 200 calories and was afraid I'd be disappointed. I saw 200 calories for 10 pieces and was stoked! What a great answer for the chocolate cravings I get sometimes.

Oh yes ... Valentine's Day ... a day to celebrate love ... and chocolate.

Yay!

No foul play here!

The NFL gives penalties for collar boning a player. I don't really know what that means, but I know I'm fascinated by collar bones.

Sure, it sounds strange, but, for me, seeing my collar bone is a goal - and a point of pride. It always has been. Look at the girls in the magazines. All of them have prominent collar bones.

And now, Ladies, look at me! I have collar bones too!!!

Last night I went suit shopping with Miss Abigail and found a great power suit - IN THE JUNIOR'S SECTION! Honestly, I haven't been able to shop in that section since I was in junior high!!! Admittedly, I am a 15 in those sizes, but who care? I'm not wearing plus sizes anymore - I CAN FIT IN JUNIOR'S CLOTHES!

Weigh Day ...

I was asked not to be at my house last night so I was unable to weigh on my scale this morning.

Numbers will be posted tomorrow!!!

In PurSUIT

In the next two weeks, I will be sitting down for two pretty big interviews. I also have some other resumes out and am hoping to have a couple more interviews in the coming weeks.

This means I need a good suit. A lawyer's suit.

So, I have to go shopping. I was once a perfect size 14 petite at Ann Taylor, now, however, I'm not so sure about my sizing.

Also, as we know, I'm broke.

So, I face a decision: buy a good suit knowing (hoping and working) I'll have to buy another one in a couple of months or buy a cheaper suit and risk looking less professional.

Mom says to buy a nice suit. Mom is almost always right :-)

Geaux Saints!

As we know, I love football games because they give me a chance to cook themed foods.

Today's Big Game was no different. In honor of the Saints, I made a Super Bowl of Texas Jambalaya.

Super yummy, full of sausage and ham ... and only 207 calories a serving!

I uploaded it to Sparkpeople to share with the masses ... Here it is for y'all!

No reason to toast

I'm not on a no- or low-carb diet and honestly, I just ate a cup of rice ... but I am totally craving toast. I want to eat an entire loaf of bread toasted. Don't even want butter or jelly.

Weird, huh?

My wish list ...

So, it looks like I'm moving to a rent house all my own at the end of the month - and I couldn't be more excited!

It's a one bedroom - technically - but has a great bonus room that thrills me to no end. What should I do with it? Make is a game room for the boyfriend that is choosing not to live with me? Make it a play room for the animals that seriously need to keep their paws (and teeth!) off my stuff when I'm not home? Or make it a home gym?

To be completely honest, I will probably turn it into the playroom for my kids, BUT the bedroom is super big and I have grand plans of dedicating a section of it to a home gym.

To that end ... I have a wish list (and a birthday coming up ... hint, hint!)

1. Yoga mat
2. Swiss ball
3. Dumbbells - 2-5 lbs.
4. Nintendo Wii with Wii Fit
5. Subscription to Womens Health (I'm going to set this up once I get moved - smiley face)
6. Gym bag
7. iPod charger (can't find mine!)
8. iPod speakers
9. Full-length Mirror (2)
10. Jump Rope (I might actually have one of these packed away ... hmmm)

No, I'm not angling for birthday gifts ... I'm really just documenting a plan I have for my new house :-) Hold me accountable, Ladies!

A new scale?

I'm pretty sure it is time I get a new scale.

Currently, I use one of those scales that involve a turning dial/wheel thing ... and it's accuracy just doesn't give me confidence.

This morning I stepped on it and read 180. Stepped off and back on: 179. Repeat: 180. Repeat again: 181. When I stepped off, the dial never landed back on 0 - it went back to 3 pounds, making me think it was adding weight to me. I'm saying 179.5 as a compromise.

So, I'm in the market for a new scale.

I'm looking at several models and most have a BMI calculator. Wouldn't that be cool???

Now I just have to decide whether to wait for my birthday or use some credit card points for a Bed, Bath & Beyond gift card.

Joys of womanhood

Because we are women and are all trying to get healthier, I see nothing wrong with talking about menstrual health here.


For as long as I've been visited by my womanhood, I have had agonizingly painful periods. The first day can be so bad, I remember times curled up writhing in pain, tears streaming down my face, guzzling painkillers as if my life depended on it.

As an adult, I have tried many different ways to lessen (or just endure) the pain. Narcotics, booze, exercise. Nothing worked. The closest I ever came to a pain-free Day 1 was taking 6 Advils and eating banana milkshake for breakfast. Apparently potassium helps - and, well, I like milkshakes so it seemed perfect. Seriously, it's the best I've found.

I haven't had a banana milkshake since going on this diet and am wishing I had grabbed one this morning (yes, I suppose just a banana might also work, but I think milk has good effects, too ... and a milkshake for breakfast is a positive amidst so much pain!)

Lately, I've been trying diet. I eat more iron nearer my period in order to make up for that which I lose and admittedly, I notice more energy (less shakiness during the day). But the cramps are still there.

As part of the 50n50 life style, I now eat more fresh fruits and veggies. I have read many articles suggesting this worked and have been waiting for it to kick in with it's magical solution. After three months, I can assure you this crap didn't work for me!

Next month, assuming I survive today, I am going back to my milk shakes!

Nice legs.

First off... my doctor's appointment went fine. I won't get the results for a week or so, hence I have decided to not think about it. Thank you, Nallie, for giving me a ring. But until I get the results (which cross your fingers are normal) I can't do much of anything. End of story.

Secondly, last week I had posted about my boyfriend Josh noticing that my body was changing. Well today, for the first time, I noticed it was changing. As I put on my new bright orange Nike Tempo running shorts (the cadillac of running shorts), I noticed my legs were slimming down and getting back to their normal muscular look. The past 2-3 months they hadn't had that. But now I'm seeing definition.

And I'm freaking stoked about it.

Yesterday I was supposed to do 8 miles but at my 3 mile mark my IT band started acting up. I ran another 1/4 of a mile and called it quits. No use straining it. So today I rode the bike, did my IT band exercises, and a short core workout. It all felt pretty good until my last 3 wall sits. Wow. Those were painful. But honestly are probably what is giving me leg definition.

Since I didn't get a long run in last week I just readjusted my schedule.
This weekend: 8 miles
Next weekend: 10 miles
Weekend after that: 12 miles

Hopefully it begins to warm up so I can do these runs outside. My new iPod is on its way and screw Punxatawny Phil and his stupid shadow. I'll be training outdoors before you know it. With my nice new legs carrying me along the way.

Eggcellent!

I have been baffled by the size of my appetite last week. It just didn't make sense.

I hadn't made any major changes to my routine so nothing explained my body's desire for more fuel.

So, I decided to look back at my food diary to see if there was a change there - and I found it: Breakfast.

A big part of the successful in this program for me can be found in breakfast. I never used to eat it - not regularly at all. However, since starting this life change, I eat breakfast everyday.

So, looking back over last week I noticed that I shifted from eating egg whites and protein for breakfast and was eating oatmeal and yogurts. I wasn't starting the day off full and, therefore, wasn't ending the day full.

Today: back to my egg white breakfasts. Think it's an egg-cellent idea? Check out some egg mug recipes that I use!

Confiding.

Today I have a bunch to do:
1. Monday morning paperwork/emails (takes about 4 hours)
2. 8 mile run
3. Doctor's appointment.

It is item 3 I wish to talk with you all about today.

About 15 months ago I had an abnormal pap. Which normally people think nothing about. However mine was abnormal to the point where I had to go in for further testing. Three weeks post-abnormal pap I had what is called a colposcopy. Basically it is a giant garden tool that is placed in my woman parts and it cuts out pieces of my cervix and uterus for biopsy.

After this particular test last December it also came back abnormal. I have mild displasia. Which means that 1/3 of my cells in my cervix are abnormal. This doesn't mean the big C... but they wanted me to come back every 3 months to check so it doesn't get to that point. Once you get to moderate or severe, it is pre-cancerous. But as I was between jobs the last year, I didn't go back. I just let it sit there and stew. And at the end of October I started having some odd symptoms. Symptoms I've never had before.

My doctor's appointment today scares me. I'm afraid things have progressed. I'll keep you all posted.