2014- Week 1- Monday

Well, here I am after a vacation, Thanksgiving, and a Christmas season.  I have made some great memories and had wonderful experiences.  I think, though, that I worked out twice- maybe three times in the last month and a half, and I know that healthy eating was not a priority for me.  My body is now letting me know in no uncertain terms that things need to change.  This past week, I've been able to do some preparing.  I didn't want to start working out again the same week I started back to school, so last week I got in to the gym three times.  I'm glad I did because my body was pretty sore and tired afterward.  I made a meal plan for this week, but didn't get to the store for all of it, so I'll need to put everything into place by shopping after work today and then putting together the freezer meals tonight.  Also, a friend of mine is doing an accountability healthy-kick start activity.  You try to get 15 points/day by meeting certain health goals that you set.  Then each week you report back to her and she sends out your progress to the group.  Here is what my chart looks like and where I'm focusing over the next 10 weeks.

With church on the later schedule now from 1-4, yesterday when I got home, I ate, talked to mom, and then took a hot bath and read.  I was in bed by 7:30.  It was awesome.  I think this later schedule where I don't get in a Sunday nap will really help me get to bed early and be ready for the week.  This morning, I got up at 4:30, took Pippin for a walk, ate a healthier breakfast than I have been eating (2 egg omelette with 1 oz. cheese, tomato, yellow bell pepper; the rest of the yellow bell pepper, and 2 pieces of whole wheat toast with light butter), drank 2 cups of water, walked to Curves for my coaching session, and am ready for the day.  My steps are already at 2,621 and it's only 6:30.  All in all, a good start.

Week Twelve Friday

Well, today happened.

Breakfast: usual oatmeal/raisin/almond mix.

Then I fell asleep and woke up 10 minutes before Paul and I were leaving for the movies.  I was going to finish that other chicken breast and the veggies from last night, but instead I ate a bucket of kettle corn and a hot dog at the movie theatre.  Then, after Paul and I went shopping, we stopped at Starbucks for a peppermint hot chocolate.

Afternoon snack: string cheese, 2 pieces bread and butter

Dinner: 6 oz. chicken breast, 2 cups zucchini/squash veggie mix.

Snack at the game: a bag of almonds, dried cranberries, and sunflowers.

When I got home from the football game, I did another one of my rebellious hot chocolates again, but without the caramels this time.

I need to try harder tomorrow.


Oh- I did get my workout in at 5:45 this morning even if it was my day off.

Steps: 8,301

Week Twelve Thursday

Breakfast- 2/3 C oatmeal, 1/4 cup raisins, 1 oz. almonds, cinnamon & nutmeg

Lunch:  Chili with 4 saltines

Afternoon snack: 1 light string cheese, 20 peanuts

Dinner: 6 oz. chicken breast with parmesean cheese, 2 cups yummy zucchini/summer squash/ and other yummy seasonings and veggies and cheeses,  2 pieces light wheat bread with butter

Drink cheat:  12 oz. hot chocolate with 2 squares of chocolate and 2 caramels in it.

Steps: 7,839

I was thinking about my eating habits, and realized I was hardly getting any veggies in.  Good for me in vitamins and good for me in filling me up.  Tonight when I finished with my chicken and veggies and hot chocolate, I didn't want anything else.  I was full and satisfied.  Yay. :o)

Week Twelve Wednesday

Breakfast: 2/3 cup oatmeal, 1/4 cup raisins, 20 peanuts, nutmeg & cinnamon

Morning snack: 1 piece of string cheese, 10 peanuts

Lunch: Taco salad, 4 saltines

Mid-Afternoon snack: 20 peanuts, 1 apple

Dinner: 1 bowl beef/mushroom/carrot stew, 5 pieces of bread and butter, 3 oreo cookies

Evening snack: 3/4 cup honey nut cheerios, 1/8 cup raisins, 1/4 cup milk, 2 TB honey


Physical activity:
Steps: 9294
Worked out after work.


I realize that I'm turning to bread instead of chips and candy.  This afternoon and evening I've been missing the candy and chips a lot.  sigh.

Week Twelve- Tuesday

So things went really well yesterday, too, with one exception.

For breakfast, I did my 2/3 c oatmeal, 1/4 cup raisins, 1 oz. almonds with nutmeg and cinnamon breakfast again.

For morning snack, I had 1 piece of string cheese and half an oz. of almonds

For lunch, I had chili again with 4 saltines.

For afternoon snack, I had 2 pieces of string cheese and an orange.

I had a dentist appointment at 4 to take off my temporary crown and put on the permanent one.  It should have taken 20 minutes.  I didn't get out until an hour and a half later.  Something was strange with the crown and it wouldn't lock into place.  It kept rocking.  The dentist decided to work a little on the base it was sitting on and that's when the fireworks went off in my mouth.  So about 86 shots later, the tooth was still being touchy, I was frustrated with being a bother, and emotional from the stress it brings back to me (4th grade- eyes closed on a trampoline- fell off- broke front tooth in half- root canal that they couldn't deaden all the way= fear of dental work that I'm trying really hard to overcome).

When I left, I was upset and, to paraphrase Lilo and Stitch, "I'm troubled.  I need desserts!"  Food is how I deal with stressful situations.  If I were a smoker, I would have smoked.  If I were a drinker, I would have had a drink.  Since I'm Mormon and don't do either- I wanted to eat.  I wanted to keep my goal of no candy and no chips.  So... oh, man, do I type this?  So I got a loaf of Italian bread and ate 2/3 of it on the drive home.  I also got dessert for dinner- 4 nanaimo bars, so we each could have 2 but then be done and not have a cake or a pie sitting around in the house.

This experience has made me realize that I've taken away my coping mechanism.  When hurt or sad and want to feel better, I eat.  I am going to need to find something to replace it with.

For dinner, we had the crockpot taco soup which was delicious.  I finished the loaf of Italian bread, and had the 2 nanaimo bars.

Activity-wise, you could tell it was a post-program video recovery day for me and my younger grades, because my grand total of steps was 5,784.  I don't remember when they've been that low.  I didn't work out or walk Pip.  Just didn't have time.  I have my workout clothes packed and ready to go so I can stop off on my way home today.  Crockpot dinner ready to go.  Lunch and breakfast and snacks in hand.  Bring on Wednesday.

Week Twelve- Monday

Today was awesome.

Breakfast: 3/4 cup oatmeal, 1/4 cup raisins, 1/2 oz almonds
Morning Snack: 1/4 cup cottage cheese, 3/4 oz. almonds
Lunch: chili with cheese
Afternoon Snack: apple, 1 oz. almonds
Dinner: 2 hawaiian chicken fajitas, 2 pieces of bread with butter

Drinks: 4 glasses water, 1 diet 7up, 1 diet A&W root beer

Steps: 11302

Physical Activity:
Walked to and from the gym in the morning for my coaching session and after school for my workout
Took Pip on a walk around the park after school

No chips, No candy even though both are still in the house right now.

Wa and hoo!

Week Twelve- Disneyland in 10 days

Hi All,

Well, I survived last week and enjoyed a holiday.  I didn't workout, keep my goals, eat sensibly much, and I indulged in way too much Halloween candy.  However, as Anne of Green Gables would say, "Tomorrow is always fresh with no mistakes in it."  This weekend I had time to actually prepare for this week.  Paul was a doll and picked up the groceries for me in between rehearsals and performances.  Now I have six crockpot dinners frozen and ready to just be popped in in the mornings.  I have time to workout and time to walk Pip.  I have time to get my snacks in and read some motivational/why-we-do-what-we-do articles that my fantastic coach printed off for me.  Yesterday I ended the day very worried and scared that I wouldn't be able to get back on track and continue making the choices I've started.  After my coaching, though, I think that I can.  I have 10 days until we leave on vacation.  When we go, all bets are off and I'm not worrying about things and am going to just enjoy.  However, I'm going to use these 10 days to be super focused.  If I look at it as, "I can do anything hard for 10 days," then I think I can do it.

That being said, here are my goals:
1.  Blog daily and post to Facebook.
2.  Workout three times this week.
3.  NO CHIPS
4.  NO CANDY.  (Now if I make a mini pie or a one-serving cake, that's ok with me.  It's the candy that I have no off switch for.)
5.  Eat the food I've planned and prepared to eat.

Thanks to those of you who have contacted me to make sure I was doing ok.  Part of this whole "going public" thing that I dreaded was failing in such a public way.  However, it does motivate me and you all have been so kind and supportive.  Thank you for that.