I've read Christy's post this morning, and that got me thinking...
In the past two years, I had made significant changes to my diet. I have to admit, though, that it was my DH's initiative, not mine. We started reading labels on all kinds of foods that we were eating, and with that, eliminating and substituting some of our staples. It started simple enough - we looked for hydrogenated oils and other yucky stuff that shouldn't be consumed (like trans fats, etc). And then, it was anything artificial in the ingredients list that would turn us off from any particular item: artificial flavours, colours, added sugar, glucose, fructose... you get the idea.
And then I realized that I have to give up eating sweeteners. Mind you, I wasn't even eating that much, just one with my one cup of coffee a day. But I learned to love coffee with just milk. That's it, just milk. I really didn't want to go back to adding sugar.
Since we moved to Ottawa a year and a half ago, we started eating more organic food as well. And fish. (We live close to downtown, so we are very close to the Byward Market, where we go to a fish store to buy fresh fish, and veggies from the farmer's market, when they are in season).
So we are eating fairly well overall, I think. (If you're wondering why I'm not stick thin.... well, it's because my sweet tooth doesn't give me a break, but I'm dealing with is as best as I can). And my husband is in a very good physical shape - he is actually always worried that he's loosing weight! I wish I had that problem...
Anyways, since we decided to try and get pregnant some time in the future, I decided to give up a couple of other things that I know are not doing my body any good. Alcohol. It's been about three weeks. I know that I could have it in small quantities (I only had a glass of wine on Fridays, really), but I now choose not to. I figure, it will be easier later. And caffeine. Buy buy my one cup a day of coffee! I've been coffee-free for two weeks... and I'm actually okay! I drink a bit of green tea in the morning, and that's it. My latest drink of choice had been a piece of lemon and hot water... it actually tastes good, I get to drink something hot, and it's good for me!
In the next post, I'll write about my next challenge - re-thinking animal products.... :)
Thursday, January 31
Tuesday, January 22
ouch and other things
My gluteus maximus is in serious pain today. I did a new variation on the lunges yesterday (see here), and I did it with a 15lb weight in each hand. So today I hurt.
The pain didn't stop me from going to my lunch workout, where I did my circuit training. I feel good (mostly when I sit.. lol).
Today is also Day 5 of my "no more coffee" regime. I'm doing okay, I just wish I was just a bit warmer, so that I wouldn't crave something hot to drink (I really want a tea, but the kettle at work is broken).
Also, I'm soooo hungry today. It seems like some days I'm okay, like yesterday, and some days I could eat everything in site. The funny thing is that I'm not as hungry after my workouts, although, I go into them starving... what's that all about? I'm hoping it means that I'm burning fat! lol :) but I'm not really sure...
DH and I are going to our very first French class tonight! I'm worried about buying food for dinner (I'm usually starving at five o'clock, and ready to eat just about anything in sight), so this morning I made lunches, snacks, AND dinner for myself and DH. I just hope it's going to be enough.
Here's my food for today:
B: 1c kefir, 30gr cereal, 1/2c milk, 1/2 grapefruit
S: carrots, pressed cottage cheese with flaxseeds
L: salad with white beans, 1/2 pita
S: apple
D: tortellini salad (modified from ESBM)
The pain didn't stop me from going to my lunch workout, where I did my circuit training. I feel good (mostly when I sit.. lol).
Today is also Day 5 of my "no more coffee" regime. I'm doing okay, I just wish I was just a bit warmer, so that I wouldn't crave something hot to drink (I really want a tea, but the kettle at work is broken).
Also, I'm soooo hungry today. It seems like some days I'm okay, like yesterday, and some days I could eat everything in site. The funny thing is that I'm not as hungry after my workouts, although, I go into them starving... what's that all about? I'm hoping it means that I'm burning fat! lol :) but I'm not really sure...
DH and I are going to our very first French class tonight! I'm worried about buying food for dinner (I'm usually starving at five o'clock, and ready to eat just about anything in sight), so this morning I made lunches, snacks, AND dinner for myself and DH. I just hope it's going to be enough.
Here's my food for today:
B: 1c kefir, 30gr cereal, 1/2c milk, 1/2 grapefruit
S: carrots, pressed cottage cheese with flaxseeds
L: salad with white beans, 1/2 pita
S: apple
D: tortellini salad (modified from ESBM)
Monday, January 21
so cooooold!
My god, it's freezing today! As I'm typing, my fingernails have a lovely bluish tinge to them...
Despite it being -22c in the morning, I walked to work... and was laughing (in my head) at all those suckers that were jam-packed in the passing buses. :) I usually walk so fast, I get a sweat going most of the time - today, I was just barely warm (if I walk fast, I can get to work in about 35 min, about 45 if there's snow on the ground). The good news is that I have all of my toes intact!
This weekend I got back to planning the meals for the week - yay! I feel much better when I go home to make dinner, and I know what I'm going to make. Also, DH and I signed up to take a French course at Algonquin College, so two nights a week we are going to have dinner "on the run". There's no way that I'm going to be buying crap to eat... so that gave me the extra push to get back to meal planning.
Also, today is my 4th day without coffee. I've decided to quit caffeine completely. I still have a cup (or two) of green tea in the morning, and I'll probably have to cut that out eventually as well. I was never a big coffee drinker, I would just grab one cup before I go to work, and I would have a couple of espressos on the weekends. But since we are going to start trying to have a baby in a few months, I thought I might as well get rid of this habit now. I'm doing okay so far, although I did have a pressure-like headache at night yesterday, and the same today.
Food for today looks like this:
B: millet porridge, 1/2 orange
S: pressed cottage cheese with a couple of teaspoons of yogourt
L: green salad w 1/2c beans, 1sm tortilla
S: carrots, apple
D: flank steak, green salad, 1/2c spaghetti
APs: circuit workout at lunch-45m, walk to work and back-60m
Despite it being -22c in the morning, I walked to work... and was laughing (in my head) at all those suckers that were jam-packed in the passing buses. :) I usually walk so fast, I get a sweat going most of the time - today, I was just barely warm (if I walk fast, I can get to work in about 35 min, about 45 if there's snow on the ground). The good news is that I have all of my toes intact!
This weekend I got back to planning the meals for the week - yay! I feel much better when I go home to make dinner, and I know what I'm going to make. Also, DH and I signed up to take a French course at Algonquin College, so two nights a week we are going to have dinner "on the run". There's no way that I'm going to be buying crap to eat... so that gave me the extra push to get back to meal planning.
Also, today is my 4th day without coffee. I've decided to quit caffeine completely. I still have a cup (or two) of green tea in the morning, and I'll probably have to cut that out eventually as well. I was never a big coffee drinker, I would just grab one cup before I go to work, and I would have a couple of espressos on the weekends. But since we are going to start trying to have a baby in a few months, I thought I might as well get rid of this habit now. I'm doing okay so far, although I did have a pressure-like headache at night yesterday, and the same today.
Food for today looks like this:
B: millet porridge, 1/2 orange
S: pressed cottage cheese with a couple of teaspoons of yogourt
L: green salad w 1/2c beans, 1sm tortilla
S: carrots, apple
D: flank steak, green salad, 1/2c spaghetti
APs: circuit workout at lunch-45m, walk to work and back-60m
Friday, January 18
Friday
I'm glad it's Friday! It wasn't a particularly stressful week or anything, but it's always nice to be off work, isn't it? :)
It was a good week too. Today was the 5th (!) day in a row that I went to the gym. I'm happy and sore. :)
My workout buddy (aka co-worker) even went for a run on wednesday! The weather was beautiful, sunny and crisp. The workout today was "arms and abs". Let's just say I'm looking forward to the weekend for some recovery time...
My eating has been reasonable. I still can't bring myself up to writting things down... but my chocolate intake had decreased drastically since last week (mainly due to the fact that I almost finished off the last basket of goodies in our office... :S ).
I even stepped on the scale this week as well. It was scary. Terrifying actually. I had no idea what kind of damage I've done during the holidays. But it looks like I'm 'only' up one pound since the last time I weigh myself, which was about two months ago. I really don't think that I didn't gain any weight, I think I must've lost some already, since I've been pretty good about going to the gym and not overeating at dinner and after dinner snacks.
But I need to get serious about dropping these nine pounds. I've been going back and forth between 145 and 147 for ages now! I have a bit over three months to do it. 3lbs a month doesn't seem unreasonable, but I do know how hard it is for me to loose once I get to 145lb. My body just doesn't want to be any lower (this kind of sounds like an excuse, but it's true...). So, starting next Wednesday, I will post my weigh-ins here... to motivate myself. I will also start posting more of my food intake.
Also, today is my Day 1 of "no more coffee" regime! I was drinking half regular and half decaf coffee for about a week and a half now, so today was my first day of no coffee at all! I'll keep you posted on how the next week goes. :)
It was a good week too. Today was the 5th (!) day in a row that I went to the gym. I'm happy and sore. :)
My workout buddy (aka co-worker) even went for a run on wednesday! The weather was beautiful, sunny and crisp. The workout today was "arms and abs". Let's just say I'm looking forward to the weekend for some recovery time...
My eating has been reasonable. I still can't bring myself up to writting things down... but my chocolate intake had decreased drastically since last week (mainly due to the fact that I almost finished off the last basket of goodies in our office... :S ).
I even stepped on the scale this week as well. It was scary. Terrifying actually. I had no idea what kind of damage I've done during the holidays. But it looks like I'm 'only' up one pound since the last time I weigh myself, which was about two months ago. I really don't think that I didn't gain any weight, I think I must've lost some already, since I've been pretty good about going to the gym and not overeating at dinner and after dinner snacks.
But I need to get serious about dropping these nine pounds. I've been going back and forth between 145 and 147 for ages now! I have a bit over three months to do it. 3lbs a month doesn't seem unreasonable, but I do know how hard it is for me to loose once I get to 145lb. My body just doesn't want to be any lower (this kind of sounds like an excuse, but it's true...). So, starting next Wednesday, I will post my weigh-ins here... to motivate myself. I will also start posting more of my food intake.
Also, today is my Day 1 of "no more coffee" regime! I was drinking half regular and half decaf coffee for about a week and a half now, so today was my first day of no coffee at all! I'll keep you posted on how the next week goes. :)
Friday, January 4
More on goals
Ok. It's official. I'm training for Ottawa ING 1/2 Marathon! Yay!
The "week 1" of my training will start January 27th... so I have three more weeks to go. Meanwhile, I have to see how I can fit in the runs into my schedule. I have a feeling that I'll do the weekday runs in the morning, before work. I really think it's the best time. I will probably need more winter gear, though... because I think it will get colder before it gets warmer. Wednesday we had -23c in the morning! (made my morning walk to work fun, I tell ya!). Even my iPod is beginning to think this is ridiculous temperature!
Anyways, my second fitness goal for this year is to do a real pull-up (well, I want to go for, like, ten... because I don't think "1" pull-up is a serious goal). I'm talking a real pull-up here! with a bar and me hanging on it! I know it doesn't seem all that challenging... until you try it. Right now, I'm ashamed to admit, I can't do even one! I just, kind of, just hang there... it's bad.
So, I've included tons of arm exercises in my weight-training routines. I can do a lot more push-ups than I used to. I also do chest press with dumb bells, as well as lat pull-down machine (I can do 60lb comfortably, 80lb if I try and push it... but, I gotta tell you, I weigh more than 80lb!). :)
Today I'm doing the "arms and abs" routine, that I made up all by myself! (with the help of some books and google, of course). I'm really big on full-body exercises, and try to use the machines very rarely. Here's what it looks like (take about 30min, plus warm-up and cool-down):
-> full body "get-up" (basically, I can do this very ungracefully, with a 10lb dumbbell in my hands.)
-> sit-ups on the ball
-> push-ups
-> chest press on the ball
-> triceps press
-> "wood chop" with a cord machine
-> squat thrusts (sometimes substituted by just jumps from the floor up... 'cause it gets very hard, very quickly!)
-> biceps curl
-> plank
-> sit-ups
-> triceps push-ups
-> throwing of medicine ball with squats
I don't know how I'll do today, since I'm sore from yesterday's workout, plus I'm in other kind of pain too (tom). But I do have to work-off all the chocolate that I've been eating lately... well, somebody's got to finish it*! lol
*note to self: start cleaning up your diet... hm... starting Monday... I think...
The "week 1" of my training will start January 27th... so I have three more weeks to go. Meanwhile, I have to see how I can fit in the runs into my schedule. I have a feeling that I'll do the weekday runs in the morning, before work. I really think it's the best time. I will probably need more winter gear, though... because I think it will get colder before it gets warmer. Wednesday we had -23c in the morning! (made my morning walk to work fun, I tell ya!). Even my iPod is beginning to think this is ridiculous temperature!
Anyways, my second fitness goal for this year is to do a real pull-up (well, I want to go for, like, ten... because I don't think "1" pull-up is a serious goal). I'm talking a real pull-up here! with a bar and me hanging on it! I know it doesn't seem all that challenging... until you try it. Right now, I'm ashamed to admit, I can't do even one! I just, kind of, just hang there... it's bad.
So, I've included tons of arm exercises in my weight-training routines. I can do a lot more push-ups than I used to. I also do chest press with dumb bells, as well as lat pull-down machine (I can do 60lb comfortably, 80lb if I try and push it... but, I gotta tell you, I weigh more than 80lb!). :)
Today I'm doing the "arms and abs" routine, that I made up all by myself! (with the help of some books and google, of course). I'm really big on full-body exercises, and try to use the machines very rarely. Here's what it looks like (take about 30min, plus warm-up and cool-down):
-> full body "get-up" (basically, I can do this very ungracefully, with a 10lb dumbbell in my hands.)
-> sit-ups on the ball
-> push-ups
-> chest press on the ball
-> triceps press
-> "wood chop" with a cord machine
-> squat thrusts (sometimes substituted by just jumps from the floor up... 'cause it gets very hard, very quickly!)
-> biceps curl
-> plank
-> sit-ups
-> triceps push-ups
-> throwing of medicine ball with squats
I don't know how I'll do today, since I'm sore from yesterday's workout, plus I'm in other kind of pain too (tom). But I do have to work-off all the chocolate that I've been eating lately... well, somebody's got to finish it*! lol
*note to self: start cleaning up your diet... hm... starting Monday... I think...
Thursday, January 3
happy new 2008!
I know... it's January 3rd, but Happy New Year anyways!!!
I have big plans for my New Year's resolutions. I actually want to sit down on the weekend and write out my long-term and short term GOALS. So, not just "I want to be a better person next year" thing that I do every year. I think right now is as good a time as any to see what I really want from life and make a plan to make it happen.
In terms of my fitness goals, I'm going to start training for a half marathon again (I'll do the one in Ottawa). I'm still undecided if I want to repeat the Running Room clinic again, or just do it by myself this time. And I'll continue my lunch-time HITT training, since that is working out for me.
I know I have to track my food. I know I do. But I have not done it consistently for so long! The evenings are my downfall. As soon as I get home, I completely forget about it! I don't know if I should put journaling as one of my goals, since I have this feeling that I'm just not going to do it... Aw well, I'll give it a try!
I have big plans for my New Year's resolutions. I actually want to sit down on the weekend and write out my long-term and short term GOALS. So, not just "I want to be a better person next year" thing that I do every year. I think right now is as good a time as any to see what I really want from life and make a plan to make it happen.
In terms of my fitness goals, I'm going to start training for a half marathon again (I'll do the one in Ottawa). I'm still undecided if I want to repeat the Running Room clinic again, or just do it by myself this time. And I'll continue my lunch-time HITT training, since that is working out for me.
I know I have to track my food. I know I do. But I have not done it consistently for so long! The evenings are my downfall. As soon as I get home, I completely forget about it! I don't know if I should put journaling as one of my goals, since I have this feeling that I'm just not going to do it... Aw well, I'll give it a try!
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