Hangriness abounds February 28, 2009

Friday, oh Friday, why did you tease me with your lack of hunger until now?  After getting home from my workout I’ve been hungry…and two little snacks can’t seem to make it go away!  I just need to plug it at this point.

The day started off a little later, and I ate my breakfast at home, outside actually while playing with Lily   I totally forgot to prep my oats last night, and was sad when I remembered this morning.  I opted to have shredded wheat with a whole banana and almond milk, and quite enjoyed it while standing outside on this brisk, sunny, clear morning.

After dropping Lily off at my mom’s I proceeded to Starbucks for my Friday coffee fix.  The office uses Folgers to make coffee on Fridays, and I just about gag thinking about how gross it tastes.  Today I forgot my own cup, and decided I could scour the store for one on clearance and treat myself to a new one.  I found a really pretty red, sparkly mug and filled it with a skinny vanilla latte.  Yay!

My day at the office was busy!  But not that productive   Whatevs.  At some point I had my light lunch of: sando with one slice ww bread, one slice turkey, and green leaf lettuce; a Fuji; and some grapes.

My afternoon was really busy, too, and I kinda forgot to snack because of it.  By the time we left to head to Si Senor to meet my mom I was getting pretty hungry. 

Tonight I felt like having something different…that’s one thing about visiting Mexican restaurants 3 times a week while trying not to spend too much or eat poorly–I get kinda bored of the selection at times.  I opted to split a chicken quesadilla with my mom, had a whole giant Diet Coke, and of course chips & salsa. 

I at the two pieces on the right with jalapenos, avocado, and that sour cream smeared on top (!), and felt satisfied and a little full. 

My ass was dragging a bit when I got home.  Maybe a little emotionally tired and weighed down from my richer-than-normal meal?  I didn’t want to skip the gym, tho, so I changed and headed out.

I had to get my blood flowing a bit when I got there, so I warmed up on the treadmill for 5 minutes.  My ass was still dragging pretty bad, but I managed to bang out a decent weight session.  Then I headed down to the cardio zone for 30 minutes on the elliptical, followed by 15 minutes on the stair mill.  Somehow all of that wasn’t too hard, and I rather like doing 15 minutes on the mill as the last bit of my cardio. 

After I got home and cleaned up I tried on (brace yourselves) bikini swimsuits!!  Holy shit, it didn’t go too badly either.  I felt okay about what I look like in the two I tried on, and do feel like I look better than last year, and a lot better than this summer, when I last wore one. 

Hanger kind of took over after that, but I felt like I’d consumed enough cals for the day so I had half of a Luna Iced Raisin Oatmeal bar warmed in the microwave.

Uh, yeah, that didn’t cut it.  Reading the Trader Joe’s circular probably didn’t help either, as it seemed like an especially tasty issue.  So I prepped my oats for the morning and dressed a fig with 1/2 a tbsp of Maranatha.  That helped, but I still feel a little hungry…in fact, a bit hangry.  The anger here comes from not feeling satisfied, and from looking at all this yummy food and not being able to eat it (um, feta tapennade?! sign me up!).

And now…a fitness progress update

I think I’ve lost about 12-15 pounds now on my quest to be fit!!!  I am amazed, actually, and kind of don’t believe it at times.  I think I’m around 140-143 now   Better than that, though, I’m smaller, feel leaner and tighter, and am still motivated and plugging away to lose the last 5-10 lbs.  Since I tackled the bikini tonight I’ll have to check out some other clothes, esp. since the vaca is just over two weeks away!!! 

Do you keep clothes that are too small in the hopes that you can fit back into them one day?  I know I have over the last 2-3 years, and I’m glad I did.  I can understand getting rid of clothes that are way too small or too big, but when you’re overweight it is really sad to get rid of the “ideal” clothes just b/c your ass is too big to fit them currently. 

When I was skinny 4-5 years ago I got rid of all of my bigger clothes, so when I gained weight over the last 2-3 years I was forced to wear just one small part of my wardrobe.  I’m really looking forward to fitting into a cute dark, slim pair of jeans I used to wear.  When I fit into those I think I’ll feel like I’ve conquered the world

I don’t want to sound crazy or obsessed with being skinny; I hope you don’t think I am.  I guess I remember what I felt like 4-5 years ago (confident, fit, empowered, pretty, sexy) and I want to have that again.  Is being thin addictive?  Is that how we venture into unhealthy territory with our eating, body image, and exercise?  I know it is kind of sad that many of us include being thin in part of our definition of ideal, but I suppose being thinner and fitter is kind of a secondary thing to the primary goal of feeling better about myself.  What do you think?

Tomorrow is going to be busy, so I’m heading to bed to get my zzz’s.  Send Andrea well wishes on her race tomorrow!  I can’t wait to hear how she and her daddy do!!  Good luck, girl, go get em’

Happy Days February 26, 2009

I totally thought of that title while thinking of the days of the week and then the “Happy Days” song came into my head.  That’s like the tenth time “Happy Days” has come up in the last week!

Sorry I’ve been MIA the last three days; work schedule, working out, being tired…didn’t really have the energy to blog at the end of the day.

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday definitely had their ups and downs, but today has ended up happy somehow.  I’ve been rather sleep deprived and working my booty out in preparado por mi vacacion, and I think I’ve lost a few more pounds!  Yayayayay!

Here’s a gallery of my rather typical eats the last few days, with a few exceptions:  I added part of an apple to my oats rather than fig or raisins (yummy!), and I mixed yogurt with protein powder and banana (kinda like puddin’!).

On to Friday tomorrow!!!  I had a really unproductive work week   Today I was so tired I just felt like staying home in my poopy mood, but Chris told me he needed my help on a project and got my grumpy ass to go in to work. 

Nothing much new in my world, how about you?  I really need to get on some personal projects, and the tons of work I have hanging out there.  Anymore it seems like time flies and there’s hardly enough hours in the day to fit in a few projects, working out, eating, and sleeping.  Guess that’s life!

Happy Friday to you all   Catch ya later.

Posty post February 21, 2009

Great title, I know.  Seriously going blank.

How was your Saturday? Mine was pretty good.  Let’s get back to Friday first, though…

Friday

Totally forgot to prep my oats even though I reminded myself while blogging :shocked:  As I got our lunches ready I put some vanilla Dannon Light’n'Fit and shredded wheat in a tub.  Some banana sounded good, too, so I brought one and a knife along as we left for Chris’ dental appt.  It was supposed to be quick, but totally wasn’t so I was starving by the time we got to work.  This was a yummy breakfast, though!  I forgot cinnamon…that would have made it perfect.

Lunch involved integrating some leftovers from our workshop the night before.  I can’t let the leftovers go to waste, can I?!  My sando had a little bit of goat cheese, a few slices of dry salami, and spinach.  I wasn’t that hungry when we ate so I didn’t eat all the apple or grapes.

Friday was a beautiful day in Portland…unseasonably gorgeous…. so I had no problem leaving work early   I ate a little snack of a Clif Nectar bar as we walked out to the car, since I knew I’d need something to fuel our next activity.  It is so weird…chewing the nut pieces in these usually makes my teeth hurt.  No, it’s not the bar, it is my TMJ; I clench my jaw and my teeth are a bit sensitized b/c of it.  Yummy bar tho!

We hit up 24 Hour, where I knew I had to do an hour of cardio to make up for the lack of it earlier in the week.  My goal is to do 225 minutes of cardio per week (45 min 5 times per week), and since I was behind I needed to catch up a tad.  I did 45 minutes on the stair mill (whoa, that was hot and hard!), and finished with 15 minutes on the elliptical.  A nice ab session followed, and then I had fun watching Chris finish up his hoopin’ in progress.  Considering he hasn’t played much in a long time he is doing really well!  White men really can jump

After cleaning up we hit up Fajitas for dinner.  I had like an 1/8th of a Casuela, some chips & salsa, and tortilla soup sin crema y queso.  I was SO full after consuming this that I couldn’t even have a sip of my La Casa.  I threw in a piece of gum and called it good.

I did a few household things once we got home, and we went to bed at 10:30!  I didn’t fall asleep until after 11 I think, but it was nice to get in bed earlier than usual.  I think I’m going to aim to do that again tonight

Saturday

I got up around 7 for my second Master Recycler field trip:  Reuse in Action (or so I will call it…).  After getting ready I had my typical oats, but with a small twist:  I used chocolate almond milk instead of vanilla.  The chocolate flavor really didn’t come through, but that’s okay.  This was a yummy combo that I enjoyed with coffee con Silk vanilla creamer.

The field trip was great   First stop was Free Geek, a charity dedicated to helping the needy get nerdy, as they say.  Basically you can donate any computer related item and they will test it, then refurb it or recycle it.  They build computers for schools, needy people, and their volunteers.  Pretty cool reuse in action!

Next stop was Community Warehouse, a charity dedicated to providing basic housewares to families in need.  They also have an estate store with various donated high end furniture or non-necessary items for sale.  The store helps fund about 1/3 of their operating budget, and had lots of cool retro and newer stuff in it.  I think I’ll donate to this organization in the future rather than Goodwill; I didn’t know that Goodwill dumps off unsold stuff to overseas locations where it is more of a burden than a help

Third stop was SCRAP, School and Community Reuse Action Project.  This is another specialized organization whose mission is: “to inspire creative reuse and environmentally sustainable behavior by providing educational programs and affordable materials to the community.” They accept items that can be re-purposed in arts, crafts, and hobbies, which they then sell to the public in their store.  Really cool!  And super cheap…they aim to sell the stuff for 1/4 of what you’d pay retail, so it is a really affordable and fun resource for art centers, teachers, and others looking to find supplies or inspiration for their creative projects.

Fourth and final stop was The Rebuilding Center, which is the biggest construction & demolition (C&D) re-use seller in the country!  They collect re-usable/excess C&D items like cabinets, sinks, tubs, light fixtures, tile, doors, windows, and so much more.  This is a candy store for those doing renovations, remodels, or other projects around the home and yard.  The Center is run by Our United Villages.  Such a great place to visit!  Makes me want to re-tile the bathroom, do a new kitchen counter, and more.  The offices are really amazing, as they use mostly old doors to create the floors and walls, along with lots of other stuff to create the tables, beams, and more.  So cool.

I got home around 1, feeling a little delirious from not eating yet, and made up a plate of goodies:  hummus, spiced feta, kalamata olives, pita, strawberries, grapes, goat cheese, swiss cheese, apple, dolmas, and a slice of dry salami. This was a yummy sampling of tasty goodness, but I restrained enough that I didn’t feel full afterwards

After letting that settle and waiting for laundry I was off to the gym for another mega cardio sesh and some weights.  My sports bras weren’t dry yet, so I ended up wearing a semi-wet one to work out in.  I figured I was going to sweat it up anyway so what did it matter, right?!

I started on cardio since Chris put me on a time budget, cranking out the same hour of cardio as yesterday:  45 min on the mill, then 15 on the elliptical.  Considering it was after 4 at that point I headed out.  I know I haven’t done a weights/resistance workout in the last few days, but I think burnin’ it up on the cardio is going to help me lose a few more pounds sooner for my vaca, so I’ve kinda put that as priority one lately.

Dinner was an exact repeat of last night:  small part of a casuela, chips & salsa, and tortilla soup w/o cream or cheese.  Tonight I wasn’t as full so I did drink about 1/2 of my La Casa

Fo’ shizzle, yo.  I bet some of you out there think we’re crazy b/c of our Mexican food addiction…sometimes I think we’re a little crazy, too! 

What are your Sunday plans?  I think The Driz may be joining me in yoga!  Fun!  Haven’t seen her for awhile, so I get to check out her new haircut and catch up.  We should totally hook our men up to play basketball, as they’re both two tall white guys who play like no one’s business, or so it sounds like   I think Chris will be out for awhile though since his ankle doesn’t seem any better today   It is really weird…no swelling or sensitivity to the touch, but pain when weight is put on it and he flexes his foot while walking.  Tendon issue?  Ligament issue?

I be outta here.  I’m looking forward to a nice yoga sesh in the morning, and some good weights as well.  Hopefully the workout will motivate me to get all my housework done, too!

Later!