Yumm

I've been hitting a home run on food lately!

Forgot to bring a lunch to school today (super stressed about getting this assignment done). So I went to Au Bon Pain which is incredibly over-priced but has a listing of all the nutrition facts and calories for their soups and salads. I've been trying to work red meat out of my diet in lieu of trying to find more balance. So while I gazed at the chicken and tuna options for awhile, I ultimately decided on the Hummus and Olives on Sun Dried Tomato Bread. Holy poo am I glad I did. 300 calories and total deliciousness in my mouth. I also snagged a carton of red grapes that SAYS it's 160 calories, but the net weight is 8grams and to my estimation red seedless grapes are 2 calories per ounce. Hmmm.

Anyway, gaze upon this:

Still ~390 calories left today, before running. This seems alright for a decent dinner. Hopefully no one will bring massive Halloween goodies to class tonight.

Also, weighed in at 158 this morning. I think this massive influx of water is flushing out my system. I've been doing 20 oz every morning with breakfast. Hopefully this'll help something...and who knows, maybe it'll help my skin, too!

Discovered my new favorite breakfast

1 slice of dark pumpernickel bread, toasted (80 calories)
1 large egg, scrambled (90 calories)
1 splash of slim milk - with egg (~20 calories)
1/8 cup - or less - Feta Cheese Crumbles Basil, Kalamata Olive and Sun Dried Tomato (Saladena) (~40 calories)

Total Calories: ~230

I TRY to eat between 250-350 calories for breakfast, figuring 300-400 for three meals = 900-1200 calories in meals and then somewhere between 200-300 in snacks a day, so on the VERY low end 1100 calories and otherwise 1500.

Granted, this is a goal, as I know that I always tend to go over, so while it might seem on the low side, it never really works out that way. For example, this morning, though the above is what I think I want to start doing consistently, today in addition I had: another slice of bread (the heel of the loaf, so more like a 1/2 a slice), and 1/2 a crescent roll w/ two mini marshmellows and a mini resees cup. So, this MORNING I really ate 450. Already over my goal.

Someone I feel more okay being heavy on calories in the morning. Mentally I convince myself that it gives me energy for the day and i can burn it better than if I eat calories at night.

160.8

I don't know what the fuck I'm doing wrong. My days consist of counting calories, making sure I'm getting enough nutrients but not going over. Yesterday alone I ran for 30 minutes, did weights with Evan, did the stairmaster.

I'm honestly sobbing. Yesterday I was feeling good about myself. Today I feel terrible.

New Year's/Semester's Resolution

[cross-posted]


I know a few posts back I created some goals, but here's one I'm going to write down before I forget.

Come the new year (January 1st) I'm going to try and log 50 miles during the spring semester. What I mean by this is that in the spring semester I'm going to keep track of all the miles I run (treadmill, track, etc) and try to run 50 of them. Initially I thought 100, but considering I'm JUST starting to get into running, I thought that might be a bit lofty to start off.

Anyway, still training for a 5k, so I thought this might give me some motivation. I want to give myself a proverbial "carrot on a stick" treat for if I get to those 50 miles by graduation. Any thoughts?

Made this mistake of getting on the scale this weekend.

159.8.

Before the weekend I was 156.

Bollux. I'm really glad I didn't weight myself when I got home then. =/

Ran twice today.

Started week 2 in Couch to 5k program. Did that this morning with much pain -- cramps came early. No bueno. But I still pushed through.

Today ate more than I intended. Really killed it with the meal replacement bar, but I was so hungry I had a headache and it was the least of all evils present at the time. Also dinner consisted of whole wheat pasta. At 8:30 at night. Again, desperation.

Regardless, went and ran again tonight. Another 15 minute run + 2 minute cool down and walk back to my apartment. It's so much easier to run at night after I've run in the morning. No cramps, easier breathing, less people. Good to go.

I so desperately want to be thin and work on this again. Two a days seem to be helping, but we'll see. I gorged this weekend (and don't yet regret it!) so we'll see how it goes in the long run.

Guys Guys Guys

...I ran 15 minutes straight yesterday.

Around 9 or so I did my regular 5k 101 training (so, something like 10 minutes of running 15 minutes of walking). Then I had to go and finish my accommodating essay which lasted 'til about 1030 or 11. Afterwards I was like, what the hell. Let's run again.  It didn't help that at the table next to me a girl was talking about this super stressful "training program" where she was weightlifting for 45 minutes straight a day and all the other days (3 days a week) she was running 5-7 miles without stopping.

Bitches like that always make me feel bad about myself.

ANYWAY, so I got on the machine and was like, let's just go and see how this goes. I put a sign over the time, plugged in my headphones and just went. The machine was only on like, 5.1 (11 1/2 minute mile) but  I just ran. Song ended, keep running. Another song ended, kept running. It felt great. Technically I stopped at 12:31 something cuz I hit 150 calories (which I did see) but when I saw how close I was to 15:00min I started right up again.

Heck yea. Maybe this is actually working. Daily diligence. :)

This! This site!

I stumbled across this when I should have been working on my paper. Oh Pinterest. Thank you!

I've been feeling bad in the sense that I used to love cooking. I mean, I do still love cooking, but being so freakishly aware of whatever I'm putting in my body, I worry that by cooking I'll go overboard and eat unhealthy again.

So this site, SkinnyTaste, shows me lots of recipes I love, what's in them, and how many calories. Woo!

Updaaaaate - ish

I’ve gotta stop focusing on numbers, but stuff like this is pretty exciting. I downloaded “My Fitness Pal” to my phone and I’ve been logging (as best as I can) what I’m eating. It gives me a breakdown in terms of how many sugars, fats, sodium, vitamins, carbs etc that I’m putting into my body, too. I’m almost at 160 now (I was near 153 this summer, poop) but I’m just readjusting to school and schedule and when the best time to fit in fitness will be. Needless to say, it’s frustrating. People don’t tend to think that I weigh as much as I do — I carry myself well and I have a pretty tiny waist (30” - down from nearly 40”+) and I also have a lot of muscle that I’ve been working on in addition to slimming down.

And like I said, I need to stop focusing on numbers, but lower numbers make me feel good. Especially when I can see that I get the low numbers not by starving myself, but by being more conscientious of what I’m actually putting in my belly and by doing a healthy level of exercise and work.

I don’t want a gap in my thighs or anything like that (probably not possible with my father’s family genes) but I do want to see muscles in my legs. I’m gonna keep running and keep being good and only eating “naughty” when it’s a special occasion. This is a life-style change, not a sprint to the finish.  

All things I just gotta remember. Bah. But this handy little app is kinda becoming an addiction. It's so interesting seeing where my diet lands on the spectrum. :)

I realize that I have a diet heavy in sodium. Maybe this is why I'm holding on to so much "water weight"? Even with cutting calories. Make a salad, and olives/banana peppers/dressing/almost anything else you put on salads...all have massive amounts of sodium. Add tuna or chicken or something that you haven't prepared on your own...there's pretty much your sodium for the day.

Any suggestions on cutting the salt while also cutting the calories?

In other news, did BALLER on my calorie intake today (even if I did basically eat a salt lick).

Sad Day Indeed

Just realized that my favorite protein smoothie is ridiculously high in calories.
Now, I will say that I get said smoothie WITHOUT the chocolate syrup. But still.

Peanut Butter Protein™Fat Free Yogurt, Peanut Butter, Banana, Chocolate Syrup & MET-Rx® Protein
FAT (g) TRANS FAT (g) SAT FAT (g) SUGAR (g) FAT % CAL CHOLESTEROL (mg) VITAMIN A (%DV) VITAMIN C (%DV) VITAMIN D (%DV) VITAMIN E (%DV) CALCIUM (%DV) CAL FAT CALORIES CARB (g) PROTEIN (g) POTASSIUM (mg) SODIUM (mg) FIBER (g) PROTEIN % D/V IRON (%DV) THIAMIN (%DV) RIBOFLAVIN (%DV) NIACIN (%DV)	12 0 2.5 74 20 15 100 110 140 110 50 106 540 84 26 850 350 2 52 4 10 40 15

Just thinking about it makes me feel fat and disgusting. :(

Guess I'll be out running. Again. Already worked out with Evan doing legs this morning + 15(ish) minutes/half of my 5k training bit.

I just wanna be thin so badly! I keep telling myself I didn't get this way over night, I won't change overnight. But I'm so tired of always being so vigilant!

So I've been doing this workout the last quarter of the Clemson v. Maryland game. So far I've gotten through something like 3 sets. Pretty decent.

I'm not sure if I'll get killer abs. But it's better than just watching the computer screen.

Additional Goal

Additional Goal:

I was trying to find a dress online for the wedding this weekend, and instead found this. Totally not wedding appropriate, HOWEVER it might be New Years Eve appropriate.

My new goal is to have the confidence to wear this for New Years. Please ignore the super hot/sexy woman in the photo, as I will never be her. :)

I really don't wanna go to Zumba tonight -- I'd rather lounge around and sleep.

...but I'm going anyway.

I feel so effing fat lately, no matter what I do.

Post Workout Update

SO! I did start the 5K 101 program tonight. And I gotta say...I LOVE it! Something like 5 minutes brisk walk warm up, then four intervals of 2 minute run and 3 minute walk. End with another 5 minute cool down.

Now, when I say that I'm not a runner, I hope you guys realize that I mean "I'm not a runner." Running 0.5 miles hurts. I get stitches in my side, my knees hurt, my chest burns. Tonight though, when I went through the running program it seemed like I was working, but at the same time I wasn't dying. At some point in the third set I started to feel the stitch come back in my side, but just like the dude said, it was only two minutes and I could recover correctly in the three minutes of walking.

I'm really hoping that this program works! Even though it says "give yourself a day to rest" I'm going to try and do this every day as part of my cardio workout.

In other news, I'm also starting to get into RPM/Spinning. I'm going to try and make that the class I go to every Wednesday. I meet with Evan for weights on Wednesday and then afterwards I'll go to RPM.

And EXCITING news -- well, kinda. Last week I went to the Zumba class with Jill. I've been meaning to go for awhile, but Zumba is offered generally when I'm teaching or when I'm in class. Therefore, there are few times that I'm actually able to go. Anyway, Thursdays at 7pm is Zumba and this week NOT ONLY are Jill and I going, but so is Kristina and Courtney and Melissa.

I'm stoked. Fitness is catching on. :)

So, I forgot to actually click "sync" option for podcasts, so the podcasts weren't on my iPod when I went to the gym. But I did run(ish) on and off on the treadmill. I guess that's something?

Will try again tomorrow. Hopefully

Also

I'm absolutely TIRED of doing squats and lunges. But I don't know what else I can do to make my thighs any smaller. These things look like tree trunks and I don't think are proportional to my body. At all. :( Does anyone have any suggestions that they've found work well?

I went the the gym this morning and only pushed myself on the elliptical for 20 minutes.

It wasn't going to be my "workout" for the day, but since it was rainy, I was hoping to be able to use it to wake up and get the day started. Only 200 calories burned. =/

But you know, that's 200 calories I wouldn't have burned staying in bed, right?

I've had a scoop of peanut butter and a bowl and a half of raisin bran for breakfast.

Lunch was a petite baguette, small cup of vegetable and lentil soup (low sodium, vegan and soy free -- WIN) and a turkey club. Not the best with the club, since it was on sour dough and had bacon and basil-spicy mayo, but it did also have fresh lettuce, fresh tomato and REAL turkey (not the slimy deli turkey stuff).

I have class from 5-730, I ate my "large" meal of the day for lunch, hoping that it will tide me over during class and I wont have a huge appetite before going to the gym. I'd hate to go back and try to start this running 5k training on an empty stomach.

Yeah, speaking of --
iTunes had the Couch to 5k program podcasts for free. And you know what I say -- if it's fo' free, it's fo' me!

The first week "track" is 27 minutes. So I'm going to try the first week, see how it goes and then pound it out on the elliptical/stair master for the remainder of the hour workout I INTEND to do tonight.

Two-a-days, I keep saying they have to start again, but I need someone to yell at me and keep me accountable. Especially on rainy days like today.

Right now I desperately want to be slim and trim and pretty.
And devour an entire effing pizza. So, so badly.

I want carbs. Cheese and bread.

Get. In. My. Belly.

But, as much as I want pizza, I want this more:

And yes, I do follow "fitspo" (fit + inspiration) blogs that post lots of pictures like this...

Also, I decided Im going to have New Spring Goals. New Years resolutions...well, New Years is awhile away. And I figure it's 6 months (or so) until Spring Break, the next wedding I'm actually *in*, and in the long run, 6 months isn't really that far away. So, here we go.

Goals to Hit for Spring 2012:

• Look good for graduation
• When I graduated from Clemson, all my graduation photos have me and a double chin. 
• Feel confident to purchase a swimsuit/bikini from somewhere other than target/walmart
• After getting said suit, taking cute pictures with friends at the beach
• Getting down to <18% bodyfat
• When I left for the summer, I was at about 20%. Trying to get back to that.
• Be somewhere in the 140s weight wise
• I would LOVE to be in the low 140s, but I'm not going to set an exact number on in
• Get my waist down below 30".
• Right now I'm about 30-31", so if I up the abs, I'm sure I can do it
• Be able to participate in the 5k
• The KKPsi "Live Laugh Run" fundraiser is the beginning of April. I can't run. Obviously I need to work on this.
• Have back dimples
• If you're not sure what I mean, Google "fitness back dimples". It's vain, but I want them.
• ULTIMATE goal:
• Go down another dress size. Right now I'm about an 8 (depending on the brand) so it would be amazing to go down to a 6. My idea is that if I'm a 6, it means I've lost flub and toned up all over, not just at one spot.

I think most of these are reasonable. Thoughts?