Ahhh, what a great day! Had lunch downtown at the Loft w/ Gayla (mom-in-law) and Whit (sis-in-law) which was pretty good- lobster bisque w/ half a ham and cheese croissant. We did a little shopping at Under One Roof. If you live in Abilene and you haven't been to this store, its a pretty cute little find. I got some new sun glasses,- white and pink with stars. They match my scooter helmet tehe. Afterwards we went to Sweet Celebrations down the street and Oh my goodness, sweet tooth heaven!!!! Yummmmmy cupcakes. I already know where I'm going for my birthday (in less than a month, can't believe I'll be 25!!) Anyways, I tried the "hummingbird" which is a pineapple, cinnamon, and coconut cupcake. It was delicious.
So, not so much of a healthy lunch, but I have been snacking on fruit today; grapes and an orange and not a one Christmas goodie, go me! I don't regret indulging in treats though- I know if I don't have something occassionally I'll just go crazy later and if its in moderation, who cares? Not me.
I had some Kohl's cash, and a discount coupon, so of course we had to do a little shopping. I got some new workout clothes, which I am now wearing. It was such a glorious day I couldn't resist a bike ride. It felt so good to exercise outside in the sunshine. I've been doing all my workouts at home or at the Y since it got cold and it is rejuvanating to play outside. Also got a jumprope and pedometer today from Gayla. The jumprope is pretty nifty, it shows the calories burned and miles jumped on the handle.
Annnnnd....got another book in today! Still not the official book, its an Italian weight watcher cookbook. I haven't had time to flip through it yet, but I'm looking forward to marking some recipes later. I made tilapia parmesan and chicken parmesan (for Greg) tonight and I have to say it turned out pleasantly non-fishy. Greg said he couldn't even smell the fish, and I really couldn't taste it. I got the idea from the first WW cookbook, except they made a turkey cutlet parmesan. I figured if it could be done w/ turkey and chicken, why not tilapia? Dobby liked it too ;)
I'm feeling pretty stiff right now from yesterday's workout....yoga, shower, then bed time I think!
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Winding down
So not so much of a successful day. While I did do an intense Denise Austin workout, I was pretty listless today which meant....lots of snacking :( An unfortunate habit of the bored- mostly we just had a lot of tasty christmas goodies.
I tried a swedish meatball lean cuisine meal for lunch. NASTY. Dobby seemed to enjoy it though.
Good news, one of my books came in! I got the 5 ingredient weight watcher cookbook, and some of them look pretty do-able though some have a lot more than 5 ingredients! I guess they were pretty flexible with the definition....toppings, oils, and canned items must all be freebies haha.
I also checked out the point value of a quarter pound cheeseburger (just preparing....). It was 12 points, which seems low to me, but I guess if you skip the mayo and its a small burger that may be right. However, its loaded with saturated fat- 26 grams, so maybe a very occasional and very well planned for treat.
Time to make out a meal list for the rest of the week, and hopefully that'll help keep from mindless snacking. I'd like to use up what we've got in the fridge and cabinet before going to the grocery store so we don't have to make a million trips. We've still got some soup left (I've had it 3 times, Greg once) and at least 2 more servings out of it. We're trying to save money, and actually eat our leftovers, but it really is the never-ending soup! I've never tried freezing soups, but maybe it'd be better to just throw it out after a certain date and not be a slave to it. Tomorrow I'm going to make tilapia parmesan, see if it can stand up to chicken parmesan. I think we have some frozen ravioli we need to get rid of too which may pair nicely.
On another note, our wii came with a free month of netflix. Soo addicted to Psych right now :)
I tried a swedish meatball lean cuisine meal for lunch. NASTY. Dobby seemed to enjoy it though.
Good news, one of my books came in! I got the 5 ingredient weight watcher cookbook, and some of them look pretty do-able though some have a lot more than 5 ingredients! I guess they were pretty flexible with the definition....toppings, oils, and canned items must all be freebies haha.
I also checked out the point value of a quarter pound cheeseburger (just preparing....). It was 12 points, which seems low to me, but I guess if you skip the mayo and its a small burger that may be right. However, its loaded with saturated fat- 26 grams, so maybe a very occasional and very well planned for treat.
Time to make out a meal list for the rest of the week, and hopefully that'll help keep from mindless snacking. I'd like to use up what we've got in the fridge and cabinet before going to the grocery store so we don't have to make a million trips. We've still got some soup left (I've had it 3 times, Greg once) and at least 2 more servings out of it. We're trying to save money, and actually eat our leftovers, but it really is the never-ending soup! I've never tried freezing soups, but maybe it'd be better to just throw it out after a certain date and not be a slave to it. Tomorrow I'm going to make tilapia parmesan, see if it can stand up to chicken parmesan. I think we have some frozen ravioli we need to get rid of too which may pair nicely.
On another note, our wii came with a free month of netflix. Soo addicted to Psych right now :)
Should I be doing something?
Christmas vacation has me all messed up. I feel like I need to be doing something, but I don't really feel like it. I woke up this morning and thought it was about 8:30....wrong! 10:15. It felt great, I probably needed it, but now I just want to be a slug :)
Soooo....anywho! Need to find some sort of schedule to keep for the rest of the holidays so when school comes around it's not a tough adjustment. Discipline.
I didn't post yesterday, still haven't gotten my books so just trying to make good choices in the meantime. My parents and sister came into town (brought me a new vacumn....yayyy!!!! Speaking of, anyone want my old one?????) So we went to Bogie's, a local sandwhich shop and McKays bakery for cookies. I'm sure neither one were very healthy but I did have a banana later and some leftover soup w/ tamales for dinner. We still have leftover soup, so when I figure out my weight watcher points it is definitely going to be a staple- so cheap and makes so much! Oh I also had ice cream for dessert last night....whoops. It was one of those mini ben and jerrys. Looking back on yesterday, I had quite a sweet tooth! Definitely something I need to work on, not cutting out sweets completely, but limiting myself to smaller and less frequent servings.
I took dad for a scooter ride yesterday, I can't wait to get pictures from mom so I can post them here or on facebook. It was so much fun, he loved it! It reminded me of Sunday bike rides. When Greg and I lived close to ACU, and the weather was warm, we used to ride around ACU campus on Sunday afternoons when it was empty and quiet. I really miss doing that, now we live across town and have biked up to S 14th and around the Abuelos and Hobby Lobby parking lot, but not since last summer.
Ok, this post is wayyy too long, and now I am just rambling and reminscing! Plans for today: clear out old vines and weed garden, work out at the Y(MCA), laundry, maybe tilapia for dinner...
Question: anyone know any GREAT ways to prepare fish so that it doesn't taste quite so fishy?
Soooo....anywho! Need to find some sort of schedule to keep for the rest of the holidays so when school comes around it's not a tough adjustment. Discipline.
I didn't post yesterday, still haven't gotten my books so just trying to make good choices in the meantime. My parents and sister came into town (brought me a new vacumn....yayyy!!!! Speaking of, anyone want my old one?????) So we went to Bogie's, a local sandwhich shop and McKays bakery for cookies. I'm sure neither one were very healthy but I did have a banana later and some leftover soup w/ tamales for dinner. We still have leftover soup, so when I figure out my weight watcher points it is definitely going to be a staple- so cheap and makes so much! Oh I also had ice cream for dessert last night....whoops. It was one of those mini ben and jerrys. Looking back on yesterday, I had quite a sweet tooth! Definitely something I need to work on, not cutting out sweets completely, but limiting myself to smaller and less frequent servings.
I took dad for a scooter ride yesterday, I can't wait to get pictures from mom so I can post them here or on facebook. It was so much fun, he loved it! It reminded me of Sunday bike rides. When Greg and I lived close to ACU, and the weather was warm, we used to ride around ACU campus on Sunday afternoons when it was empty and quiet. I really miss doing that, now we live across town and have biked up to S 14th and around the Abuelos and Hobby Lobby parking lot, but not since last summer.
Ok, this post is wayyy too long, and now I am just rambling and reminscing! Plans for today: clear out old vines and weed garden, work out at the Y(MCA), laundry, maybe tilapia for dinner...
Question: anyone know any GREAT ways to prepare fish so that it doesn't taste quite so fishy?
Monday, December 27, 2010
Soup Surprise!
Well, I am souper pleased with myself today. I created a sort of chicken taco/tortilla soup and it is DELICIOUS and CHEAP and virtually no clean up! I spent less than 4 dollars on a small can of lean chicken, ranch style beans, taco seasoning, and a spicey ranch packet. My mom sent home about a dozen assorted cans of rotel tomatoes w/ chiles, corn, and black beans so I added one of each, some water, brought it to a boil and let it simmer. It smelled heavenly and tasted great. With the other cans, it probably cost less than 5 dollars, and I would bet it would feed 4 easy. I don't know the calorie count/fiber content/protein, but from what I've learned in my freshman nutrition class, it was a high fiber, high protein, and low fat meal (except I added fritos, light sour cream, and reduced fat shredded cheese to mine....yumm!).
Still haven't gotten my weight watcher materials, but I did eat some healthy soup and a banana today. I have some fruit in the fridge later for dessert, but right now I am pretty full! I worked out at the YMCA this morning- did the elliptical for about 35 minutes while reading this book "Rich Dad, Poor Dad". Its a fascinating book. I've never really thought about money and cashflow in this way before and I am interested in learning more so I can start investing in somethings (especially since social worker salaries are absolutely dismal!) Anways, I'm almost done reading it and hopefully I'll learn enough this year to buy some real assets and all that jazz. Rambling.....yes, after the Y I did about 20 minutes of a Denise Austin video. How in the world is that woman always so perky? I did arms, legs, and about 2 minutes of abs before I decided it was time for a burger. That brings me to my biggest weakness:cheeseburgers. Ahhhh, love them, but I suspect once I start counting points I will not be able to have them as much!
Apparently, I feel the need to write today- since my life is so exciting (har har, joking ;) ) Greg and I got generous gift cards to the mall- just about any store, and we walked around tonight. I really didn't have anything in mind that I really wanted, so I decided to wait and use it as incentive for losing weight. After I reach my target goal, I'll treat myself to some new clothes, like skinny jeans wahoo! I'm actually really excited about being healthier and kinda pumped to start making some changes too-yay!
Still haven't gotten my weight watcher materials, but I did eat some healthy soup and a banana today. I have some fruit in the fridge later for dessert, but right now I am pretty full! I worked out at the YMCA this morning- did the elliptical for about 35 minutes while reading this book "Rich Dad, Poor Dad". Its a fascinating book. I've never really thought about money and cashflow in this way before and I am interested in learning more so I can start investing in somethings (especially since social worker salaries are absolutely dismal!) Anways, I'm almost done reading it and hopefully I'll learn enough this year to buy some real assets and all that jazz. Rambling.....yes, after the Y I did about 20 minutes of a Denise Austin video. How in the world is that woman always so perky? I did arms, legs, and about 2 minutes of abs before I decided it was time for a burger. That brings me to my biggest weakness:cheeseburgers. Ahhhh, love them, but I suspect once I start counting points I will not be able to have them as much!
Apparently, I feel the need to write today- since my life is so exciting (har har, joking ;) ) Greg and I got generous gift cards to the mall- just about any store, and we walked around tonight. I really didn't have anything in mind that I really wanted, so I decided to wait and use it as incentive for losing weight. After I reach my target goal, I'll treat myself to some new clothes, like skinny jeans wahoo! I'm actually really excited about being healthier and kinda pumped to start making some changes too-yay!
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Resolutions
Merry Christmas all!! As my wise sister-in-law Shelley said, its useless to start a new diet right before the holidays. I think if you are in the groove of the diet and have changed some eating practices, its a different story. But, as I haven't gotten my weight watcher books yet, no official weight losing starting yet. (But I have been eating more fruit, and even a carrot yesterday!)
So I've been thinking about some new years resolutions that I'd like to work on....
1. Lose weight- of course ;)- I'd like to ideally lose between 15 and 20 pounds. I'm too much of a chicken to post what I weigh on the internet, but my mom (in-law) invited me to join her weightloss group at church and they weigh in every monday....scary! But I dunno maybe I need that added pressure! Anyways, I digress, 15 to 20 pounds to lose. That puts me in the healthy range for my height and back at a pre-grad school weight that I was most comfortable with. I'd like to work it off before graduation in May, so in four months time.
2. Save money! We could definitely cut back on our grocery spending- especially going out to eat so much, which is probably why I gained weight in the first place haha! I would like to learn how to cook healthy, budget friendly meals, that don't take a lot of time in the kitchen or a lot of clean up. I'd also like to start a savings account for a trip fund-I love to travel :)
3. Watch less TV. Like, a lot less. Its not like I watch TV and do nothing else. I just like to have the background noise while I work. I'd probably get a ton more work done in a lot less time if I didn't do that anymore, so I am going to try to cut back to predetermined TV watching each week when my favorite shows come on. Maybe just Thursday nights, but we'll see.
4. Keep a daily devotional. Mom (in-law) got me a daily devotional book that goes through the year after "My Utmost for his Highness" (I think....). Anyways, it starts Jan. 1, so that would be something good that I'd like to keep up with.
5. Uh....graduate! With my license, and a job. Losing weight will be a cinch compared with all the work ahead in this last semester. Moment of truth, I'm actually the least confident about this goal! I've done well so far, a lot better than I'd thought I'd do. It's just the last big haul, the last barriers to being a grownup (hardy har har!) and its kinda frightening! Maybe I'm just afraid my thesis will be rejected- I have been having a lot of writers block and I have been really reluctant to work on it, or finish my IRB application (requesting permission from the university to conduct a research project). I also feel really behind, a lot of people are already starting on things, have gotten approval, etc. etc. Whats funny is I always get so much encouragement and success at things I didn't expect to do well at and I can't seem to get it to stick with me. People tell me I'm smart all the time, and I know that on some levels but I still worry a lot and stress about it. I sound ridiculous, but its good to get some of those fears out so I can see how silly they look.
I guess its important to follow mom's advice and not compare myself to others. That kinda rings true with this whole weight loss thing either. I shouldn't try to compare my successes or disappointments with others b/c we're made differently, and everyones diet and weight loss/gain whatever is going to be different. I know I'll never be a size 0- my body is just not made for that. I'm too tall and my bones would look funny. But I'd really be ok w/ a 7 or 9. Oh yes, that brings me to my last goal, or reward- get a pair of skinny jeans and wear them! This may be a while, maybe something to focus on, but I've really been wanting some and I already have the boots to match :)
Ok, this post was a lot longer than expected, but oh well it was good to write! Happy Boxing Day everyone :D
So I've been thinking about some new years resolutions that I'd like to work on....
1. Lose weight- of course ;)- I'd like to ideally lose between 15 and 20 pounds. I'm too much of a chicken to post what I weigh on the internet, but my mom (in-law) invited me to join her weightloss group at church and they weigh in every monday....scary! But I dunno maybe I need that added pressure! Anyways, I digress, 15 to 20 pounds to lose. That puts me in the healthy range for my height and back at a pre-grad school weight that I was most comfortable with. I'd like to work it off before graduation in May, so in four months time.
2. Save money! We could definitely cut back on our grocery spending- especially going out to eat so much, which is probably why I gained weight in the first place haha! I would like to learn how to cook healthy, budget friendly meals, that don't take a lot of time in the kitchen or a lot of clean up. I'd also like to start a savings account for a trip fund-I love to travel :)
3. Watch less TV. Like, a lot less. Its not like I watch TV and do nothing else. I just like to have the background noise while I work. I'd probably get a ton more work done in a lot less time if I didn't do that anymore, so I am going to try to cut back to predetermined TV watching each week when my favorite shows come on. Maybe just Thursday nights, but we'll see.
4. Keep a daily devotional. Mom (in-law) got me a daily devotional book that goes through the year after "My Utmost for his Highness" (I think....). Anyways, it starts Jan. 1, so that would be something good that I'd like to keep up with.
5. Uh....graduate! With my license, and a job. Losing weight will be a cinch compared with all the work ahead in this last semester. Moment of truth, I'm actually the least confident about this goal! I've done well so far, a lot better than I'd thought I'd do. It's just the last big haul, the last barriers to being a grownup (hardy har har!) and its kinda frightening! Maybe I'm just afraid my thesis will be rejected- I have been having a lot of writers block and I have been really reluctant to work on it, or finish my IRB application (requesting permission from the university to conduct a research project). I also feel really behind, a lot of people are already starting on things, have gotten approval, etc. etc. Whats funny is I always get so much encouragement and success at things I didn't expect to do well at and I can't seem to get it to stick with me. People tell me I'm smart all the time, and I know that on some levels but I still worry a lot and stress about it. I sound ridiculous, but its good to get some of those fears out so I can see how silly they look.
I guess its important to follow mom's advice and not compare myself to others. That kinda rings true with this whole weight loss thing either. I shouldn't try to compare my successes or disappointments with others b/c we're made differently, and everyones diet and weight loss/gain whatever is going to be different. I know I'll never be a size 0- my body is just not made for that. I'm too tall and my bones would look funny. But I'd really be ok w/ a 7 or 9. Oh yes, that brings me to my last goal, or reward- get a pair of skinny jeans and wear them! This may be a while, maybe something to focus on, but I've really been wanting some and I already have the boots to match :)
Ok, this post was a lot longer than expected, but oh well it was good to write! Happy Boxing Day everyone :D
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
New Beginnings
Welcome to my new blog!
First off, I started this blog with the intention of losing weight and generally being healthier. Since I got married and started grad school, the pounds have been inching on and my diet has changed drastically. It just kinda happens when you get busy and health takes a cut on the priority list. I used to eat a fruit or veggie with every meal and exercise at least a few times a week. I think the only healthy thing I had today were the raisins in my bagel!
I've been inspired by some friends and family who have made some healthy life changes and lost some weight too. So, I ordered some used weight watchers books (the official book and some cookbooks) and I'm determined to make some real changes despite a busy schedule and a husband who is actually trying to gain weight! I know I can do this- I've seen some other people do amazing things, I just need to stick to it and hopefully this blog will help.
I guess I need to keep in mind the reasons for doing this...especially when things get hard. First of all, I know that genetics has predisposed me to high cholesteral and diabetes and there is no time like the present to improve that. Also, I got some really cute clothes for Christmas (yup, we got to open presents early!) and I'd really like to wear them and have them hang in all the right places. Most important though, I operate under the theory that people generally feel better and more positive about themselves when they eat healthful foods and are active. I find this is most true after a good workout session and some of my favorite fresh fruit (pineapple, mango, strawberries, and peaches....yumm!)
Sooo...here we go! I hope to start soon, officially after my books come in 4-14 business days, so after Christmas.
First off, I started this blog with the intention of losing weight and generally being healthier. Since I got married and started grad school, the pounds have been inching on and my diet has changed drastically. It just kinda happens when you get busy and health takes a cut on the priority list. I used to eat a fruit or veggie with every meal and exercise at least a few times a week. I think the only healthy thing I had today were the raisins in my bagel!
I've been inspired by some friends and family who have made some healthy life changes and lost some weight too. So, I ordered some used weight watchers books (the official book and some cookbooks) and I'm determined to make some real changes despite a busy schedule and a husband who is actually trying to gain weight! I know I can do this- I've seen some other people do amazing things, I just need to stick to it and hopefully this blog will help.
I guess I need to keep in mind the reasons for doing this...especially when things get hard. First of all, I know that genetics has predisposed me to high cholesteral and diabetes and there is no time like the present to improve that. Also, I got some really cute clothes for Christmas (yup, we got to open presents early!) and I'd really like to wear them and have them hang in all the right places. Most important though, I operate under the theory that people generally feel better and more positive about themselves when they eat healthful foods and are active. I find this is most true after a good workout session and some of my favorite fresh fruit (pineapple, mango, strawberries, and peaches....yumm!)
Sooo...here we go! I hope to start soon, officially after my books come in 4-14 business days, so after Christmas.
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