Friday, April 28, 2006

The Plan

Month 7

My weight gain has slowed down to 1/2 a pound per week (grand total of 12.5 lbs.) -- exactly where the pregnancy books say I should be, and I'm starting to look forward to after the baby comes. It will be bliss when I can sleep on my stomach or back again.

So, here's my fitness/eating plan for the rest of the pregnancy.
1. Increase walking, pilates and weights -- I have more energy at this point and should take advantage of it.
2. Increase veggies and get more protein for babies brain.
3. Quit eating crackers.

Weird details
I crave lemons. I slice them up and eat them like oranges.

Thursday, April 27, 2006

I am trying something different this week. I still keep my food journal almost every day, not as strictly as I did at first but I still pretty much keep up with daily calories. This week along side my column of food/calories I wrote a column for exercises that I plan on doing each day, then at the end of the day I either mark them off as done or feel like a loser...

it's weird but it is helping.

Just knowing I would have to leave an empty spot on my check list has helped me stay on track a little better this week.

I haven't really given up, I'm still staying within my calorie goals, still doing most of the exercise but I kind of have given up hope that it is ever going to really change anything.
To be honest, I just don't have the time or the energy to do any more than I am already doing and week after week of not seeing any change is bringing me to that point, once again, of not caring.

Off track

Do you ever feel like if you get off track for the day (or the week), you just feel like saying, "Ah, screw it!"?

It seems like every time I am really motivated and focused, something gets in the way: I get sick, I get injured, I accidently sleep in, I forget my lunch at home and have to eat gas station food, I forget I'm trying to eat healthy and eat a gigantic, sugar-filled 600-calorie blueberry muffin--just because it's sitting there!

What the heck!?

Anyone else find themselves there?

--------------

I'm also trying to figure out ways women can come to peace with their body type. Doesn't it always seem that we want to be exactly what we aren't? The curvy wish to be willowy; the big-busted wish to be flat. We fixate on our arms or thighs or stomach when another body part is the envy of our friends. Sometimes the area we fixate on is even the envy. (Not that we should seek to make each other jealous, but...you know what I mean.) How can we learn to accept ourselves? And how can we do this while still striving to lose fat, gain muscle and eat well (which does have an effect on our physiques) for health purposes?

Tuesday, April 25, 2006

We purchased a weight bench this weekend. In keeping with true Davidism, he picked one that was much larger than I wanted. The price was good. I started my workout routine yesterday by working my chest and back.
3 sets of 10 bench presses @ 65 lbs
3 sets of 10 incline bench presses @ 65 lbs.
3 sets of 10 One arm dumbbell rows @ 8lbs (we have to get more weight for these.)
3 sets of 10 barbell rows @ 45 lbs ( I could only do it with the barbell and no weight.)

Today I am going to do a HIIT session and tomorrow I will work legs & back. I'm not sure if I should be doing a full body routine three days a week or stick with the muscle groups split up like this for a few weeks and then switch to a full body routine. What's the best for a beginner? Also, over at Oxygenmag they talk about lifting heavy with a lower number of reps rather than lifting light and doing more reps. Is what I have above considered heavy and low? At the end of the third set I can barely lift the bar back up. I understand what they are saying, but the numbers are so relative and it's difficult to know where I should start.

I started off the morning with scrambled egg beaters and oatmeal. I hope the rest of the day stays under control. My weekend eating was not so good.

Monday, April 24, 2006

How was your weekend?

Mine included lots of walking, quite a few deadlifts and lunges (woo-hoo!), not enough sleeping (I've got a bad cough--which means sleeping in the guest bedroom and sucking on cough drops all night to get some sleep), and a little too much apple pie and strawberry lemonade. We're having some amazing weather. I couldn't lift weights this morning (had to take J to an early morning appointment), but I'm hoping I'll get to run tonight in this sunny, cloudless weather we're having!

Hope you're all peachy! How was your weekend?

Saturday, April 22, 2006

Yep, It's Me

Hi All,
I'm still here. Alive. Just not doing really well with "Finding Skinny." Apparently, one of us is really really lost. Heh heh.
This week Jerry is gone and I'm hoping to get myself back on track. The truth is I've got to...I can't function much longer the way I've been going.
As you know, life is full of the usual stuff. Seems that never changes.
I read your postings and pray for each of you, just haven't posted back. Sorry if you feel abandoned. Forgive me?
Talk to you soon.

Friday, April 21, 2006

Per Kristens advice, I made old fashioned oatmeal in the microwave this morning. I was in such a hurry that I didn't watch it and it bubbled over. What was left in the bowl was still okay. This may sound completely wierd, but I put a spoon full of natural peanut butter in it and sprinkled some splenda on top. It was very yummy and kept me full all morning, so full in fact that I couldn't eat the hard boiled egg I had planned to have with breakfast. I just had it with my string cheese and pear.
I purchased all of the ingredients to make Beckys breakfast recipe. I'm planning on making them this weekend so I will have them for next week. I also bought a new protien shake mix which has more protein and less carbs than the one I was using. I went out on a limb and bought Wasa bread, a.k.a. cardboard. It's not so bad when I put Laughing Cow light cheese on it. In fact, it was a yummy snack yesterday.
I've realized that I tend to think I need to have everything in place and be perfect at "dieting". In reality, I just have to take it one step at a time. I know this theme has been repeated over and over again here, but sometimes I just have to stop and remind myself that 90% is really okay.
Thanks for all the support ladies!

Thursday, April 20, 2006

Baby Update

Thanks Kristen for reminding me to post.

86 days to go.
Total weight gain -- 11 1/2 pounds
waist - 36 inches (you have no idea how huge that feels, very close to having belly button pop, which isn't something I'm looking forward to)
chest - 44 inches
approximate times the baby moves an hour -- 2,899,976,134
complaint department -- leg cramps that make me feel like I've been on the squat machine
money spent on tent clothing -- $70.00 all from second-hand shops
money I need to spend to get ready for this baby -- a trillion dollars
number of times a day I cry for no reason -- one
number of hours my body and Sam let me sleep per night -- four
number of yoga poses it takes to relieve back pressure -- ten
minutes I walk per day -- 45
number of times I mumble prayers -- on the minute
number of times I talk to unborn child per day -- almost every time he moves
number of time I look at my husband and give thanks -- everytime

Two month goal

I feel so much better when I exercise in the morning! It's crazy--I feel more attractive, I feel happier, I feel more prepared, I feel more kick-butt! I can do anything!

Today I biked to my mom's house (about a 10-minute ride), lifted weights (upper body), and biked back home. It's exactly two months until my 25th birthday (June 20), so I'm looking at that as a short term goal to get consistent and healthy. I've kind of been ho-hum with my workouts lately (just running when I feel like it and the weather is nice), but I'm trying to kick my booty back in to gear. The eating has been great (other than a cookie here and there), but getting up early is just not my thing. Sandra is my inspiration--she gets up so early!

Erica, how is the getting up early thing going for you?
Becky, how's everything going now that you're heading for the home stretch?
Aola, how long are you walking now?
Cheri, how's your new eating plan?
Jeanne, are you working out, girl?
Sandra, don't be overwhelmed! I'm coming to help!

Love you all-Kristen
A Typical Day

This is what a normal day of eating looks like for me. Please, someone let me know what I'm doing wrong and how to fix it.

Thanks ladies!

Sandra
Help! I'm drowning in a sea of information. I started reading the threads at Oxygenmag and I have no idea where to start! I increased my calories, but still am not getting enough protein and I'm not even sure if what I'm eating is really okay. My first question, is two slices of flaxseed toast with 2 tablespoon of all natural peanut butter and an orange a healthy breakfast? A friend recently suggested to me that having bread of any kind might not be a good idea. Is this true even if it's sprouted grain and flaxseed? I have tried waking up early to make an omelet or oatmeal and I just can't do it. I already wake up at 5 ish and I just can't force myself out of bed any earlier so anything that requires more than 2 minutes prep and cook time is out of the question.
Then there is the issue of weight training. To start, lets just decide what are the most important items that I should buy to get going.
I'll ask more later.
BTW, I've gained about 2 lbs since I started increasing my calories 3 weeks ago, but my inches are the same. I have not checked my body fat yet.

Tuesday, April 18, 2006

sort of health related .............

I am the biggest weenie in the world when it comes to going to the dentist. I had my 4th appointment today. For two day before I have knots in my stomach. I knew this one was going to be a rough one.He was supposed to pull a metal post that had been put in a couple of years ago, insert a new post, build up the tooth around it getting ready for a crown and do two more fillings.
I was a wreck by this morning.

As I was doing my yoga this morning while in warrior pose I breathed deep and could feel the breath working its way through my body. I asked God to help me find that place of strength and peace of a true warrior.

It helped.

The visit turned out to be much better than I expected. He didn't have to replace the post after all. He was much more gentle than he was the last visit and even a little more personable. He does beautiful work and I don't really care if he has a personality or not... not why I go.

So, one more appointment over............... 7 to go.

Monday, April 17, 2006

GETTIN' BUSY

Well, girls, How did we do?

I actually did pretty good this weekend...... if it just hadn't been for all that cheesecake I ate :)

No, really, for Sunday dinner (knowing that Levi and Charlie's families would be going else where later to eat again) I only made ham, a large salad (with lots of veggies in it), deviled eggs, and rolls.
Saturday night's dinner wasn't quiet as healthy. I fixed baked (breaded) chicken strips, mashed potatoes and corn ... oh, the carbs. But, I ate very small portions. (1 piece of chicken, no potatoes, 1/2 cup corn).

I did not indulge in any of the Easter candy laying around but I did eat a couple of pieces of key lime pie and a couple of pieces of cheesecake over the course of the weekend at a whopping 450 calories per slice. OUCH!! (and not good calories either)

I missed most of my exercise time last week (because of the horrible cramping that accompanies my period) I did walk this weekend but that's all.
I miss the exercise, which still just amazes me, but I do miss it when I don't do it. My body literally aches.

SO, today I am gettin' busy.... we still have company but I am going to get back to my normal eating and exercise routine as much as possible.

Friday, April 14, 2006

Smooches

This week hasn't been the most consistent--either eating was good or exercise was good. And never the two shall meet! :)

But there's always Monday!

We're heading down to Oregon to visit family this weekend; I might get to see my best friend, Carissa, when we go through Portland for lunch! I hope so!

Have a grace-filled Easter, y'all.

Wednesday, April 12, 2006

Oh, my, gosh.

I recently went from a 10 pound weight to 15 pounds for doing my curls, over-the-head lifts (upper body work outs). Seth is using the same amount of weight that I do. Last night I did 7 reps of 10 or 70 lifts each arm with 15 pounds. I was tired but not hurting by any means. So, tonight Seth and I decided it was time to go to a 20 pound weight.

Big, big difference (which kind of surprised me). We both just barely got thru 1 rep of 10. Barely.

Now when I can do that 70 times... LOOK OUT!!

and BTW, the 5 pounds was just water, I started the next day. I am right back to where I have been for the last 2 months.
I'm still eating around 1600 calories a day. I am walking twice a day now. I haven't done my yoga but once this week because of the cramping.

I still think that the increased activity of summer will help.
I may remain fat but I'm sure gonna be strong :)

Tuesday, April 11, 2006

Pine nuts?

Thought you guys might be interested in this -- Magic seeds? Pine nuts suppress appetite.

Remind myself again

In fitness, you never really "arrive." It's a marathon for life.

Even if you are as fit or healthy or lean as you ever want to be, you have to keep working to maintain it.

Even if you are working on building healthy habits, you never get to a point where you are beyond failure. You still have to make the right choice consistently. And you need to make good fitness choices every single day.

Monday, April 10, 2006

I Heart Junk Mail

If it weren't for junk mail, I would not have worked out today. When I don't eat well, I have a tendency to toss out the workout. For whatever reason I think that both have to be spot on or why bother.
Today I had all but talked myself out of working out when David brought in the mail. There at the bottom of the pile was an offer for a free subscription to Fitness magazine. Because they use these to entice new customers, the envelope was stuffed with inspirational quotes and pictures of hot bodies. It was this quote that got me off my duff "I don't always want to workout..but after I am done, I feel like I could conquer the world!"
I did a 7 minute HIIT session with a 5 minute warm up and cool down followed by 25 minutes on the total gym. My arms were so tired afterwards that it was hard to shampoo my hair. It feels good to know that I can workout in spite of myself. It feels good to know that HIIT won't kill me even though I think it came pretty close tonight. Like an idiot, I bent over right after my session and got light headed. Don't worry, I won't do that again.
I added a protein shake after my workouts. It has 15 grams of protein. When combined with 2% milk (I'm all out of skim.) that's 25 gram
s.

Doin' some reading...

on self-discipline. I used to consider myself pretty disciplined back when I was in school, but not so much any more.

I realized today that sometimes I eat junky food or sleep in because it's my way of "getting what I want" at that very moment, when so much of what I want is beyond my control right now (not having a baby, job-related issues, etc.). I'm only hurting myself when I do stuff like that. The instant self-gratification makes me feel good in the moment, but not later.

Some other thoughts I read:

-"All the perseverance you need is already inside you, waiting to be exercised."

-"If you set goals, you first must decide what to sacrifice to get them." (H.L. Hunt) For me, that would be chocolate chip cookie dough blizzards--a whopping 730 calories for a small one.

-The more you exercise self-discipline, the stronger your self-discipline becomes.

I also did an exercise where I wrote out my excuses for sleeping in and eating poorly. They ended up looking pretty lame on paper. Hopefully I can remember this when I am tempted again.

Mucho love-o, girls!

Sunday, April 09, 2006

Good Protein list

Protein can help you shed those unwanted pounds and keep your belly full. But it's important to eat the right amount and the right kind of protein to get the health benefits.

Fish & SeafoodSeafood is one of the best sources of protein because it's usually low in fat. Fish such as salmon is a little higher in fat but it is the heart-healthy kind: omega-3 fatty acids.

White-Meat PoultryStick to the white meat of poultry for excellent, lean protein. Dark meat is higher in fat. The skin is loaded with saturated fat, so remove skin before cooking.

Milk, Cheese Yogurt Not only are dairy foods excellent sources of protein but they also contain valuable calcium. Choose skim or low fat dairy to keep bones and teeth strong, prevent osteoporosis and enhance weight loss.

Eggs Eggs are one of the least expensive forms of protein. The American Heart Association says normal healthy adults can safely enjoy an egg a day.

Beans One-half cup of beans contains as much protein as 3 ounces of broiled steak. Plus, these nutritious nuggets are loaded with fiber to keep you feeling full for hours.

Pork Tenderloin This great and versatile white meat is 31% leaner than 20 years ago.

Soy Twenty five grams of soy protein daily can help lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease. Combine soy protein foods like tofu with a healthy low fat diet.

Lean Beef Lean beef has only one more gram of saturated fat than a skinless chicken breast. Lean beef is also an excellent source of zinc, iron and vitamin B12.

Protein on the Go Grab a meal replacement drink, cereal bar or energy bar. Check the label to be sure the product contains at least 6 grams of protein, and is low in sugar and fat.

Saturday, April 08, 2006

I haven't had much to say lately except in the comments sections, probably because not much is happening with this "finding skinny" way of life.
I lost 14 pounds in the first two months ,11 the first month, 3 the second and then nothing. The scale wouldn't budge.
After talking with you guys and doing some reading on MSN health and other places I decided to try to jump start my metabolism by increasing my calories a little.
I went from eating 1200 - 1400 calories a day to eating 1400 - 1600 a day. I also increased my exercising a little to compensate.
Rocked along for about a week with no weight loss, no weight gain.
Then I got up yesterday morning and the scale had jumped UP 5 pounds.
Now, why couldn't it have gone down 5 pounds that easily?
That really sucks!!

Everything I read said there would probably be some weight gain at first so I'm trying not to panic or throw in the towel.
I printed myself a list of the best proteins to eat and posted it in the kitchen along side my Super Foods list. I am trying to increase my protein intake.
I'm hoping that with all the extra activity in the summer and sticking with this routine that I will lose some weight by the end of summer.

I will be starting on the new supplement, gugulipid, next week.
I go back to the doctor in June to have my lipids checked again.
My goal is to have my lipids in the normal range by then and to, at least, be able to say I have lost some weight.

Friday, April 07, 2006

We have a Winner

I received this email from Steph this morning...


While I'm thinking about it, did I ever tell you that I started losing
weight? I started Jan. 2nd and decided I was changing my eating habits
and I was going to start exercising and get this weight off! So as of
today I am 29 1/2 pounds lighter! I'm so excited. I've been needing
new clothes and such, but that comes slowly. I did buy one pair of
jeans that fit perfect and show off my new figure. But don't get me
wrong my figure is forever changing, I have 36 pounds to go to get to my
goal weight. So wish me luck on my venture and hopefully I'll get to
where I want to be.


CONGRATULATIONS STEPH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thursday, April 06, 2006

I ended up the day yesterday fairly well. I consumed a whopping 1695 calories (65 short of my goal) with 211 grams of carbs, 95 grams of protein, and 55 grams of fat. I had no idea I was skimping on the protein. Perhaps that is why I'm always craving protein?
When the craving for sweets hit me, I had a mini dark chocolate Hershey bar. It completely killed the craving.
Today is off to a good start. I had scrambled eggs with my oatmeal to try and squeeze in some more protein. I've got to go to Trader Joe's to get some all natural peanut butter at some point. It won't be today though. The sun has made an appearance and I plan on taking full advantage of it. Let's hope the clouds don't over take it before I get off of work.

Wednesday, April 05, 2006

Finally I run!

It felt good to run today. I haven't posted on my running blog for a while (the weather and my foot injury kept me indoors), but here's my latest post.
It's raining again or more accurately, it hasn't stopped. My knees and elbows are so achy.
According to my brain, an increase in calories means I can eat whatever I want. Obviously that is not a good thing. I'm going to be posting my food journal here for the next few days to see if that will help keep me on track. For some reason I am craving sweets in the middle of the day. Anyone have any idea why? My thoughts are that I feel tired and my body thinks something sweet will give me a perk which it does for about 30 minutes and then I crash. Anyone have an alternative option? Today my goal is to not give in to the craving. If I have the craving I am going to make a healthy shake.

Breakfast:
2 Whole Wheat Grain waffles 210
1/8 cup syrup 100
2 slices turkey bacon 70

9 a.m. snack:
Zone bar 210

Post workout snack:
Pear 98
String Cheese 60

I haven't planned the rest of my day yet. I'll add it once I do. My workout plan is a HIIT session and an upper body strength training session.

5:30 am for eight weeks

Desperate times calling for

5:30 am so that I am sure to get a workout in. Chasing a toddler all day is practially a guarantee I won't feel like it any other time, once I am spent on him.

Chris is in this with me and it is great to have a partner.
I am committing to eight weeks because I need some sort of goal, limitation to the pain.

After eight weeks, we'll see what the plan becomes.
Erica

Tuesday, April 04, 2006

In Support of Stretching

In my rush to start a new workout routine, I completely forgot to stretch after my workout last night. This morning, my back won't let me forget.
I'm working on healthily increasing my calories to 1760. Yesterday the calories were increased but I didn't stick to the healthy part. Today I will do better.
Last night I tried out HIIT which is what Kristen does. I did intervals of intense running (about 8 mph) on the treadmill for 20 (a few times I only made it for 15) seconds and lower intensity for 60 seconds. I only managed to do 5 intervals. I was pouring sweat!
It's raining here again. If I didn't know any better, I would think we had moved to Seattle. The sky today is a strange milky green hue. The clouds coming in from the West hold promise of more rain. All this rain is sucking the life out of me. I could barely get out of bed this morning.
Please forgive me if my attitude seems less than positive.
It's been a week and 3 days since I've had any coffee.

Monday, April 03, 2006

I did it! I did it!

After 3+ months of doing yoga I can now go from a Stretch to the Son pose, bend over at the waist legs straight and touch palms down on the floor.

Ladies, this is an accomplishment of major proportions for me!!

A competition

I was talking to my sister-in-law's sister-in-law (did you follow that?) this weekend. She just organized a "Biggest Loser"-type competition, complete with some very stringent rules, among 13 of her friends and family. They are all pitching in $100 and whoever wins, gets $1,000. Second and third places receive $200 and $100 respectively.

I'm not suggesting we do that here at all. :)

But I thought it was kind of a fun thought...it made me wonder how motivating it would be to have a $1,000 prize to stick to a diet and exercise plan. I felt my competitive juices flowing! (I always say I'm not competitive, but sometimes I really am!) I wonder how we could motivate ourselves like that. I'd love to have a fire lit under my butt like that! Hahaha!