The Amazing Shrinking Girl - P90X style!

Cheat meals vs. cheat days: Part I

2012-01-31T02:41:00.008-10:00

Thank you so much for all the birthday wishes on my last post. It was a great weekend that was filled with so much food! Italian, Mexican, sushi, desserts, alcohol, Chinese and fast-food. No pictures because I was too busy stuffing my face but let's just say this is the most I've eaten in a L-O-N-G time.

Don't get me wrong, I indulge in stuffing my face at least once a week - in fact, I promote having a high calorie filled meal once in a while - but this weekend was gluttony overkill and my body is hurting from it.

My goal of seeing the 120's by the end of this month are pretty shot but is it because of my one weekend of bad eating? I think so.

With the end of January comes the end of many New Year's resolutions so it's a good time to revisit cheat meals and their place in the weight-loss journey.

Notice i said cheat MEAL, not cheat DAY (like the two days I just had). In my opinion, there is a huge difference: one will keep you sane on this journey and the other will destroy you! (Okay, not really destroy you, but if it helps keep the cheat days away, then yes, it will DESTROY you)!

I've touched on this subject before and as we know, weight-loss comes down to calories in vs. calories out. A cheat meal once a week will put you over your calories for one day, but if your nutrition and exercise are on-point the other days of the week, there shouldn't be that much damage done. For example, I've steadily lost about a pound a week since November and you better believe I take full advantage of my cheat meals (half a medium pizza... sure).

Some people might say I could have lost more than a pound a week if I didn't include the cheat meals, and that's true, but I'm comfortable with my progress so far. It's not a race to get to my goal weight... it's about finding a balance that I can do FOR LIFE. Including a cheat meal once a week is my way of balancing out my cravings and I believe it helps my body "recover" from a week of lower calorie days... simply put, it kinda shocks the system to keep it guessing.

On the other hand, depending on how bad your cheat days are, it can have major consequences. Let's take a look at my birthday Sunday:

Breakfast: pancakes, eggs, bacon, toast (839 cals)
Snack: yogurt and almonds (200 cals)
Lunch: Chinese dim sum (estimating 1000+ cals)
Snack: popcorn (300 cals)
Dinner: pizza and Mexican (1200+ cals)
Dessert: ice cream (350 cals)
TOTAL calories for the day: 3889+ calories

That's over 2300 cals just to maintain my weight... not even lose weight! That also means all the hard work I put in to create a nice calorie deficit is washed clean within a day, setting me back another week to reaching my goals. Totally not worth it if it wasn't my birthday.

Some tips to stay clear of cheat days: Cheat meals vs. cheat days: Part II (coming soon).

One year left!!!

2012-01-29T00:20:00.000-10:00

Today is my birthday, the big 2-9, which means I have exactly one year left in my twenties!! OMG! OMG!! OMG!!!!!!!

(insert freak-out here)

Okay, okay... so instead of freaking out over the fact that I'll be 30 in less than a year (insert mini-freak-out again), I thought I'd look back on my journey and revisit 29 accomplishments I never thought I'd do:

1. After seeing a recent picture of myself (below) and feeling disgusted, I made the decision that changed my life: I decide to get my health back. September 17, 2008.

2. Lost my first 10 lbs. October 31, 2008.
3. Cranked out my first push-ups... from my toes! November 26, 2008.
4. First Thanksgiving I went through with a weight loss. December, 2, 2008.
5. Lost my first 20 lbs. January 20, 2009.
6. According to the standard BMI chart, I am no longer in the "obese" category! January, 23, 2009.
7. Changed my mindset from "lose weight" to "get healthy". This decision changed the course of my journey permanently. February 10, 2009.
8. Completed my first race E.V.E.R! 8.2 mile Great Aloha Run in 1:45. February 16, 2009.

9. Lost my first 30 lbs. March 13, 2009.
10. First time I got up early - 5:45 am - to exercise before going to work. March 25, 2009.
11. Started my blog... probably the biggest tool to my success so far. April 4, 2009.
12. Literally counting down the minutes till I get off work and get to exercise! Really, me? YUP! April 16, 2009.
13. Joined a gym. June 3, 2009.
14. Hired a personal trainer... another one of my "top 5 tools for success". June 4, 2009.
15. Signed-up for, went to, kicked-ass in, and completed my first boot camp! July 1, 2009.
16. Not really an accomplishment, but going hiking with Dr. Dre and Eminem... priceless! July 18, 2009.
17. Tried my first green monster and fell in love. Have had one almost everyday since. August 2, 2009.

18. Lost my first 40 lbs. September 9, 2009.
19. Held my first blog challenge and you guys helped me KILL it! September 22, 2009.
20. Admitted my greatest fear which helped me put ice cream eating in-check. November 2, 2009.
21. Broke up with the love of my life... food. December 28, 2009.

22. I discovered the secret to weight-loss!! January 14, 2010.
23. Viva Las Vegas... and maintained my weight without tracking calories, exercise, food, etc. Portion control for the win! February 24, 2010.

24. Exposed myself on the internet. March 17, 2010.
25. Started the super controversial HCG diet in April 2010. Lost 10 lbs. in 3 weeks... then regained it plus 20 lbs. more! Ended 2010 at 155 lbs. Not an accomplishment, but it was something I thought I'd never do. On the positive side it did teach me a big lesson: nothing trumps eating healthy and exercise! 2010.
26. Totally upped my strength training and started powerlifting with my trainer. Nothing else like it and I'll continue to do it for as long as my body lets me. November 16, 2011.
27. Spent the entire 2011 working my ass off (literally and figuratively) to lose the 30 lbs. I regained and ended the year with 25 of those pounds gone... FOR GOOD!

28. Down to my lowest legit weight to date. January 25, 2012.
29. I can back squat more than my weight! So don't ask me how much weight I squat, ask me how many plates I use (the 45 lbs. barbell weight-plate is called a "plate", the other weight-plates - 10#, 25#, 35#, etc. - are just called weight).

Here's to making the last year in my 20's my best one ever!

Flashback Fridays: Selling myself short

2012-01-27T01:10:00.000-10:00

Flashback Fridays are a re-posting of my previous blog entries. Sometimes I need a good kick in the butt and these old posts remind me of how to get it done.

Why I flash-backed to this post: With the GAR race coming up in less than a month, I've been having a hard time with my trainings. I do pretty okay for the first two or three mile, but after that I sell myself short. I tell myself I'm not a runner and that I can't do this so instead of pushing through the run, I just stop and walk. I've done 6 miles with my GAR training group but on my own, I have a really hard time pushing myself.

This flash-back is to remind me that I CAN do it.

_______________________________________________

Original post date: 9/26/09
Original post found here.

It was my plan to go to the gym tonight and do my cardio there but decided I wanted to get outside and run. So I dropped the boyfriend off at work and went running. The route that I chose took me around Diamond Head and along the beach so the views and sunset were amazing!

This is part of the route: Around that big brown crater on the right and around the green fields to the left.

Please remind me that I live in Hawaii and we have gorgeous sunsets daily outside... I tend to take it for granted!

Anyway, the route is a little hilly and at one particular area, it's a good incline for about a mile. I've never run the entire way before, BUT I DID IT today! Even as I was doing it, I didn't think I'd make it. Talk about selling myself short! What kept me running the entire way...
"I'll just run to that mail box"
Then when I got there, "I'll just run to that street light."
Then when I got there, "I'll just run to that fire hydrant."
Then when I got there, "I'll just run to that parked car."

And before I knew it I reached the top of the incline and I felt good! So good that I just kept on running instead of giving myself the break that I kept promising myself I would get if "I just run to that... whatever."

AWESOME!

I'm not a runner... never really enjoyed it... and over the past year or so I've really avoided it because I used to get shin splints - come to think of it, I'm pretty sure the shin splints are the only reason why I don't like running - but since I started to consistently lift weights, I've noticed (knock on wood) that I don't get them any more. Could be a mix of mostly running of the treadmill at the gym instead of on the pavement so these next several weeks I'll be getting in more runs outside to see if the pain comes back.

Weigh-in Wednesday: 129 lbs. by 1/29

2012-01-25T02:27:00.049-10:00

Starting weight: 176.4

Last week weight: 132.0

Current weight: 131.4

Current loss: -0.6

TOTAL LOSS: -45.0

45-pound benchmark reached!!

Not too bad considering TOM is here and this motivates me even more. I'll keep going in the right direction, whether or not the scale shows it won't get to me. One more week to try and reach the 120's... 129 by 1/29... 129 by 1/29!

__________________________________________________

Click pict to enlarge.

You see that?! I finally hit all my weekly goals! Third week into January but I did it! There's only one more week left this month, have you met your January goals yet?

"But being healthy is too hard!"

2012-01-24T13:35:00.000-10:00

Lunch time at my office has become somewhat of a circus. My office is right next to the kitchen so I hear everything that goes on and being that we're still in the New Year resolution "high", a lot of talk has been health/food/weight-loss talk. It's amazing, and a little sad, how much "old school" information - Atkin's Diet, 'fat buring zone', Richard Simmons (!!) - I hear being passed around in that kitchen.

What's even worse is that people have noticed that I've been losing weight so they stop in to see what I'm eating for lunch... E.V.E.R.Y S.I.N.G.L.E D.A.Y!

A lot of times this food-stalking leads to small talk and the inevitable question, "How are you doing it?"

When I answer them, they can't believe that I watch my food portions, count calories, monitor my macro-nutrients, make it a priority to get in my workouts, etc. Most people tell me "That's crazy!" or "It's too hard to do all that".

Really, people? REALLY?!?!

You're telling me it's too hard to make an effort to be more active or watch what you eat?

Isn't it harder living with joint pain?

Isn't it harder to be uncomfortable in your skin?

Isn't it harder to get around in the world?

Isn't it harder to keep having to take medication on top of medication to keep your cholesterol/blood pressure in check?

Trust me, it's much easier living healthy than it is to be overweight. Or in my case, obese (by America's standard BMI chart).

5'0" and 176 lbs = BMI of 35 = OBESE!

I always tell my food-stalker co-workers that they don't have to do things the way I do. I do things the way I do because it worked for me. They still brush off the information as if it's something they will never do... like they were expecting me to tell them that I take some kind of magic pill. One co-worker even said, "Damn it! So exercise and diet actually work? I guess I should listen to my doctor".

I say give exercise and healthy eating a one month chance.

I did back in 2008. In one month I lost 10 pounds and I haven't looked back.

Salad over ice cream for the WIN

2012-01-23T10:37:00.000-10:00

~~Blah~~ Happy Monday! Hope you had a good weekend.

I received an email the other day from a reader who wanted to know how I "keep it together so well" in regards to exercise and nutrition. The truth is... I don't.

I admit, I feel confident in what I'm doing in the exercise department (GAR training and power-lifting keep me consistent with cardio/strength) but when it comes to nutrition, that's a whole different story. I mean, we all know what we should and shouldn't eat but that really doesn't mean anything unless it's put into practice.

Case in point, this weekend.

On Friday, I ate dinner earlier than normal because I had a gym date and by 10:00pm that night, I was starving!! And even though I have healthy grab-and-go snacks - think whey protein, yogurt, hard boiled eggs, grilled chicken breast - all over the house, this is what happened:

But strawberry ice cream has strawberries in them...

Yup, ice cream... straight out of the container... with a big spoon.

Even if I only had ~~four~~ several spoonfuls, it's several spoonfuls of calories, sugar and saturated fat my body didn't need. FAIL!

So when Saturday night rolled around and I had to eat dinner early again because I had another gym date, I planned ahead. Instead of using my normal big salad bowl, I decided I would fill up on salad (instead of ice cream) by busting out my HUGE mixing bowl.

Huge mixing bowl and half-eaten salad that could have served a family of four!

This is my "normal" salad bowl and although it's wider, it's much shallower than the mixing bowl I used.

Salad over ice cream... never thought I'd be that person but so happy to say I am... sometimes.

The rest of the weekend was pretty low key.

Yesterday I skipped GAR training - to do a full-body workout - however I planned to miss it from last week. My schedule was going to be a little tight this week so I had to rearrange my strength/cardio days but I plan to knock out a 5-miler this afternoon.

I also spent time catching up on some reading:

Finding, trying and not loving a new trail mix:

I love ginger in almost anything - food or drink - but crystallized ginger is just not my thing.

And prepping my grab-and-go snack for the week:

Eggs, ground pork, spinach, garlic, onions, tomatoes and herbs.

Recipe I used follows my egg 'cupcakes' recipe but turned into a 'pie' instead.

Overall a good weekend. Here's hoping this week is just as strong.

Goals... goals... goals

2012-01-18T11:02:00.000-10:00

Click picture to enlarge.

Quick January goal update.

Last week I didn't reach my weekly totals - missed my calorie goal by 9!! - but I got 2 out of 4 of them... better than the 1 out of 4 I did the first week of Jan.

Right now the one goal I see slipping away is my weight goal BUT I'm in no way giving up on being in the 120's by this month!! 14 days to lose 3 lbs. is totally doable and it will force me to tighten up on my nutrition and make every workout count.

Weigh-in Wednesday and spiral slicing

2012-01-18T03:44:00.061-10:00

Starting weight: 176.4
Last week weight: 133.0

Current weight: 132.0
Current loss: -1.0

TOTAL LOSS: -44.4

I can't say it enough... consistency with training and nutrition pays off! Even though this weekend consisted of sushi, dim sum, and a Chinese New Year treat, weigh-in went well today and I attribute that to consistent weight and GAR training - even though I missed one weight session this Saturday. Here's to making this week even better!

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This is for my friend, Kyle, who is doing a great job with his new vegan adventure.

Joyce Chen veggie spiral slicer.

I have had this little piece of equipment for a couple of months now - found it a discount store for under $10 - and I love it! Although I haven't used it for anything except zucchini, it does an amazing job at creating "spaghetti strands", ribbons, and round slices.

Last night I used it to make spaghetti noodles for Gina's Crock-pot Italian Turkey Meatballs recipe:

And I know nothing can replace the chewy, starchy, carby goodness that is real pasta, but this is a good substitute for my non-cheat meals... even Anthony likes it and that's saying a lot. Now to try it on a lot more veggies...

Weekend recap

2012-01-17T11:17:00.000-10:00

Good morning... long weekends are the best, right?!

Saturday
Tried to sleep in but I was up by 8:00. I hit the mall with Anthony to do some Christmas gift returning, eat some sushi for lunch, then went home early because I had an afternoon planned with my family. We hit up Chinatown for the Chinese New Year celebrations:

Crowds of people, food booths, and vendors of all kinds.

Super colorful shirts...

... to super colorful candied popcorn. This booth was pretty amazing. They had no-kidding over 50 different flavors of popcorn! My dad got the sampler and even though we didn't know what flavor was what, it was yummy!

Of course there was a parade (only got one pict cause short-little-me couldn't see much of anything).

And the only thing I ate (besides some of the colorful popcorn) was something called fried milk. Never had it before, in fact I've never seen it before, so I had to try it. It was basically an egg roll with a custard filling... fried custard is always good.

And remember this cute lil' gal I ran into at the 2011 Honolulu Marathon?

I ran into her in Chinatown, decked out in a custom made Cheongsam doggie dress!

So cute!

After the celebration in Chinatown, I went home because I was so tired. Worse part about going to sleep early... not being able to fall asleep. I was tossing and turning the entire night and before I knew it, my alarm rang.

Sunday
Woke up by 5:30 am and headed out to my GAR training. We did a 5.5 miler and it didn't go so well.

I was recovering from a blister I got on one of my runs earlier in the week, so I was taking it slower. I don't know if the slower pace or because I was tired, but two miles into the run I got the worse side pain. For the next 1.5 miles I was barley running and it was so sad to see everyone pass me by. By mile 4, I just went for it and finished the last mile and half at a good pace minus the side pain. My GAR coach was there at the finish cheering me on cause he knew I was having a hard time.

After the struggle of a run, I went home and got ready to have a mad shopping spree with my mom at one of our local used clothing stores. When there's a holiday, they have all their clothes marked down 50% so for $65 I came home with:

Nike dri-fit shirt
Nike dri-fit tank
Under Armour running capris
Arden B top
Bisou Bisou tank
2 Bebe dress shirts
BCBG silk tank
2 Banana Republic skirts
Ann Taylor collared shirt
Annie Klein silk halter

Not too bad for two hours of shopping! After that, I went home and napped for four hours... waking up at 5:30 am when you hardly slept the night before is not a good idea. Wasted the rest of my day!

Monday
Finally got to sleep in, met up with friends for lunch (dim sum!), then came back home to do nothing for the rest of the day.

Last night was a different story though. I hit up the gym (Monday's are usually my days off but I missed my Saturday workout) then I spent about 2 hours prepping all my meals for the week.

I have a feeling this week is going to be awesome!! Nutrition-wise, anyway. =)

Progress stats from the beginning

2012-01-13T02:11:00.052-10:00

It's Friday! And not just any Friday, a Friday before a 3-day weekend!

After posting my measurements on Wednesday's weigh-in post, I had several emails that asked what were my starting measurements like.

I don't have exact starting stats from 2008 - back then I was taking my own measurements and pretty sure they weren't consistent - but I do have stats my trainer took from a year ago when I was 158 lbs., which is 20 lbs. lighter from my original starting weight of 176, but 25 lbs. heavier than Wednesday's weight... it's always good to look back on where you've come from anyway:

Some progress from last year but not as much as I'd expect with a 25 lbs. difference. Body fat % is the main thing I track and there seems to be a significant loss.

38% body fat at 158 lbs = 60 lbs of fat and 98 lbs lean mass

31% body fat at 133 lbs = 41 lbs of fat and 92 lbs lean mass

I feel like I could have done a lot more to maintain my lean mass but can't complain about what I coulda-woulda-shoulda during the past year. I can make a decision on what I'll do NOW!

Tasty Thursdays: Yogurt dip!!!!!

2012-01-12T03:27:00.040-10:00

Good morning! This isn't a recipe post like most "Tasty Thursdays" but I have to share this new-to-me find:

I've read about it on other blogs but could never find it here in Hawaii but at last... my Costco finally brought it in (and with the coupon in this months coupon book = SCORE)!

This jalapeno yogurt dip is so yummy. And not just "healthy" yummy, but yummy-yummy! It almost taste like cream cheese and has a little kick to it cause, DUH, it's jalapeno. Anthony and I bought this huge 24 oz. container this past weekend and it's already half-way gone.

It's a good thing my parents are Costco members - and don't like spicy things - cause we stole their coupon so we could buy more. And by "stole" I mean call-my-mom-the-second-the-yogurt-dip-touched-my-lips-to-see-if-she-still-had-her-coupon.

So far, I've used it on eggs, as a veggie dip, as salad dressing (thinned out with some salsa)...

... and on top chipotle spiced chicken breast.

If you have a Costco near by, go there now and buy it!

No Costco coupon? Who cares... it's fricken worth it (and not expensive at all). We'll be going back to buy TUBS of these later this month.

Weigh-in Wednesday and growing thighs?

2012-01-11T03:02:00.081-10:00

Starting weight: 176.4 lbs.
~~Last~~ Two weeks ago weight: 137.4 (major water retention from Christmas food)
Current weigh: 133.0
Current loss: -4.4

TOTAL LOSS: -43.4 lbs.

I didn't even realize a weigh-in wasn't done last week. That's what happens when you're sick and your throat feels like a cheese grater was taken to it.

Moving on... this week I'm not surprised about my weigh-in.

A loss when you're on a diet of mostly liquids will result in the scale moving down... and it's most likely not fat but not complaining at all about the loss (YAY!). I have been back to a normal eating routine for the last 5 days so hoping it's a true loss. We'll have to see next week.

_________________________________________________________

Yesterday at my PT session, my trainer took my measurements - something we do monthly - so we'd know where I'm starting in the new year:

Neck - 13.5"
Chest - 36.0"
Right bicep - 12.5"
Right forearm - 9.75"
Waist - 30.75"
Navel line - 31.75"
Hip - 40.0"
Right upper thigh - 23.75"
Right calf - 14.0"

See my thigh measurement? It's up from last month (almost an inch more) and he's convinced that the running and my lower body workouts (which consist of heavy barbell squats/deadlifts and plyo work) have to do with it... in other words, muscle!! He and I are not worried about the gain, in fact I'm thrilled if it is muscle, but I just found it super interesting that it was such a huge difference. We'll take thigh measurements next week just to compare yesterday's results.

All said and done, lots of work to still do!

Goal changes/updates

2012-01-10T14:08:00.000-10:00

Second week into January already?! That was fast!

And I've faltered from my goals... ALREADY. Check it out below (click to enlarge):

Didn't meet my Great Aloha Run training or weight training goals (or my water goal for the week) but I blame it on being sick. Remember the other week I was sick and then blogged about how happy I was when it was done... yeah, it wasn't done at all and I just got worse.

sore throat + horrible cough = lost voice + no exercise

Totally bummed to start the year like that but I did get my first 2012 workout - an upper-body weight session + a 3-mile run - done last week Wednesday.

Sweat makes the sick germs go away. =)

By the way, I added a 7th goal to my original 6... taking pictures of my food. I'm documenting my eats with pictures (when I remember to) and posting them on my Weekly Meals & Exercise page. So far it's helping a lot. I noticed I need a lot more color in my meals and I snack too much. At least twice a day I have an unhealthy snack... Cheetos, cookies, ice cream... so that needs to get cut down. Even if it's only 100 calories worth of crap, it's still crap. It's not doing my body any good so why eat it?

Yeah, as if it were that simple!

Anyway, moving on. This past Sunday was the 4th official in-training run put on by the GAR volunteers. I've said it a million times, but running is hard. I never considered myself a runner. Even when I played sports, I not only hated the 1 or 2 mile warm-ups we would do before practice or a game, but I H.A.T.E.D them!

But the hardest part of in-training runs: waking up at 5:15am on a Sunday morning. I keep going because I know if I miss one training... I can kiss the rest good bye. The training is broken up into groups:

jogger group - run the entire time
10 min/mile jog, 2 min walk group (I'm in this group)
5 min jog, 2 min walk group
2 min jog, 5 min walk group
1 min job, 5 min walk group
walker group

We did a 5-miler and by the end of the 5 miles, our "10 min/mile jog, 2 min walk" group of 15 was down to 4. I considered it a HUGE victory (and NSV) when I finished with the other three people. =)

GAR is in about a month so hope my knee can stay pain-free and I hope to crush my 2008 GAR time of 1 hour and 45 mins.

Tasty Thursdays: Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies

2012-01-05T03:12:00.001-10:00

Ingredients:
(this recipe makes about 40 1-Tbs. size cookies)

1c flour
2c quick oats
1t baking powder
1/2t baking soda
1/2t salt
1/2t cinnamon
2t pumpkin pie spice
2T butter, room temperature
1/2c white sugar (I used stevia in place of white sugar. Be sure to use the correct conversion if you decide to go this route)
1/2c brown sugar
1 egg
6T pumpkin puree, fresh or canned
2t vanilla extract
1/2c cacao nibs (or chocolate chips)

1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice.

3.) In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugars. Beat in egg, pumpkin puree and vanilla.

4.) Stir flour mixture into pumpkin mixture, mixing until no flour streaks can be seen. Stir in cacao nibs.

5.) Drop dough onto baking sheet in 1T amounts. This dough doesn't spread out so you can place them fairly close together.

6.) Bake 12 - 15 minutes or until tops are slightly brown. Cool on baking sheet 3 - 4 minutes then move cookies to a cooling rack. ENJOY then store in an airtight container.

And what better way to enjoy your pumpkin cookie baking than to drink some pumpkin spice tea? YUMMY!

New Year's Eve in pictures

2012-01-02T02:21:00.000-10:00

Fresh and always yummy make-your-own sushi bar.

Best.Salad.Ever!! Romaine with mixed roasted veggies.

<3 Friends!

Sake for the new year.

... 5... 4... 3... 2... 1...

CHEERS!!

Happy New ~~Year~~ You!!!!

Happy New Year/Month = GOALS

2012-01-01T07:32:00.010-10:00

Good-bye 2011... hello 2012!!

Today is the first day of a new year and a new month. As you may or may not know, I am not a fan of New Year's resolutions - why wait till Jan. 1 to start getting healthy - but I realize there is a "New Year's" high that goes around. People get super pumped for a clean start to undo the wrongs of their past and there's nothing wrong with that. Heck, a new week, or even a new day, gets me pumped up. But as far as New Year's resolutions... they just don't work for me. I tend to make these huge goals I want to accomplish throughout the year but once I start to fall short on any of the goals, I lose all motivation and just quit everything.

(source)

So I'm just continuing on with my monthly goals. As a recap, here were my December goals:

~~K.I.L.L. my upper body with weights (same routine as above)~~ CHECK!
limit eating out to 2x/week

I know it's not an excuse, but it's the holidays! I hardly ate in this past month.

~~reevaluate why I'm on this healthy journey~~ CHECK!
~~train for the Great Aloha Run~~ CHECK!
lose 5 pounds

Started the month at 139 and the lowest I got was 135. Missed it by one pound!

And here are my new goals for January:

Make weekly schedules to stay on track with everything, not just fitness
Weight train to a new program (P90X, CLX, Body for Life, Insanity, etc.) 3x/week
Get into the 120's by my birthday (end of the month) - 1.5 lbs./week
Continue training for the Great Aloha Run - minimum 3x/week
Average of 1300 - 1500 calories/day
Water intake no less than 72 oz./day

Kind of going back to the basics (calorie counting, water intake monitoring) but I'm determined to hit my goal of weighing in the 120's. My birthday is 1/29 so if I can get to at least 129 lbs... AWESOME!!!

Reason 31: To never forget

2011-12-31T00:02:00.002-10:00

(The list of "31 Days of Reasons" is not in any particular order)

Having goals is super important on this journey but what's equally important - and sometimes forgotten - is the actual journey, itself. How we got to where we are now, the hardships and roadblocks we've come across, and the events/people/things that make you who you are.

The journey itself is just as important as the destination we're headed to.

To help remember my journey, I'm recapping all the reasons why I'm doing this:

I'm on this healthy journey to never forget how far I've come or where I'm headed.

Reason 30: To be here longer

2011-12-30T20:45:00.000-10:00

(The list of "31 Days of Reasons" is not in any particular order)

For the first time in our history, Americans are expected to have a shortened life span due to health related deaths. Per Professor Google, no other time has humans ever reached a peak life-expectancy and then decreased it. Isn't that crazy?!

I want to be here, alive and healthy, for as long as I can. For myself, the people who love me, the people I love, and for my future family.

Many health related problems are preventable, even curable in some cases, with proper nutrition and physical activity. If I have the tools to increase the number of years I'm around in this world, why wouldn't I want to take advantage of that?

I'm on this healthy journey to live the longest I possibly can.

Reason 29: To improve all areas of my fitness

2011-12-30T19:06:00.000-10:00

(The list of "31 Days of Reasons" is not in any particular order)

Every part of fitness you can think of, I want to improve.

flexibility
strength
agility
coordination
speed and quickness
functionality
power
cardiovascular
body composition
endurance
balance
reaction time

I'm on this healthy journey to improve my overall fitness as a whole.

Reason 28: To not get sick

2011-12-30T18:57:00.000-10:00

(The list of "31 Days of Reasons" is not in any particular order)

Yup, I realize today is the 30th and I haven't done reasons 28, 29 or 30. Why? Because I've been sick. I woke up on Wednesday with a sore through, congestion and sinus pain so I've been in bed for the past two days. Last night I had cold sweats and think that's when my sickness "broke" because today I woke up feeling much better!

Still have a slight sore throat but I'm able to swallow food now - I've been on a liquid diet for the last couple of days and even liquids were hard to swallow. Hoping tomorrow I feel WAY better not only because of New Year's Eve but I have an early Great Aloha Run training to go to.

I'm on this healthy journey so I decrease my chances of getting and staying sick.

Weigh-in Wednesday and turkey meatballs

2011-12-28T03:41:00.087-10:00

Starting weight: 176.4
Last week weight: 135.2
Current weigh: 137.4

Current loss: +2.2

TOTAL LOSS: -39.0

Tough Christmas weekend with LOTS of food. Back to it this week...

__________________________________________________

Italian Turkey Meatballs (in the slow cooker)

This recipe came from a website which is quickly becoming one of my favorites: SkinnyTaste.com

Why do I love this recipe? It's fast, easy, and you don't have to brown the meat on the stove before you put it in the slow cooker (I know it gives it added flavor and crusty-ness but I'm more of a one-pot kinda cook). I did change some things in Gina's original recipe (like switching out parsley for baby spinach in the meatballs) but this was super yummy!! Definitely made it into my regular recipe rotation.

Ingredients:
(this recipe makes 10 servings of 5 meatballs each)

20 oz. ground turkey breast
20 oz. lean ground beef
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 cup baby spinach leaves, finely chopped
2 eggs
2 cloves of garlic, diced
2 tsp black pepper
2 tsp salt

For the sauce:

2 tsp olive oil
8 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
56 oz. cans crushed tomatoes
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp black pepper

1.) In a large bowl, combine first 9 ingredients. Mix well with your hands and form 1/8 cup meatballs. For this, I used a 1/4 measuring cup and just divided each scoop into two... and I employed the boyfriend to roll the meatballs for me. =)

2.) In a small sauce pan, heat olive oil over medium heat and brown garlic.

3.) Add browned garlic and olive oil to your slow cooker. Add remaining ingredients for the sauce into the slow cooker and mix.

4.) Add uncooked meatballs into the sauce, cover and cook on low 4 - 6 hours.

Before cooking...

... and after cooking.

5.) Serve over pasta or zucchini "pasta" and ENJOY!

Reason 27: Increase my flexibility and mobility

2011-12-27T23:35:00.000-10:00

(The list of "31 Days of Reasons" is not in any particular order)

As we get older, flexibility, mobility and functional strength decrease. By staying active and healthy, I'm hoping to maintain and increase all the movements I need to stay injury-free. Example: lifting heavy items off the ground.

I'm on this healthy journey to stay mobile longer.

Reason 26: To improve my wellbeing

2011-12-26T19:07:00.000-10:00

(The list of "31 Days of Reasons" is not in any particular order)

It goes without saying that your wellbeing is just as important as your physical health and in my case, they work hand in hand.

(source)

When I exercise and notice a change in my body, the change improves my wellbeing, which in turn keeps me motivated to stay on track with losing weight. It's a catch 22.

I'm on this healthy journey to feel good about myself inside and out.

Reason 25: Best gift ever

2011-12-25T10:44:00.011-10:00

(The list of "31 Days of Reasons" is not in any particular order)

Because being the healthiest I can be is the best gift I can give myself!

Merry Christmas!!

(source)

Reason 24: To see what I REALLY can do

2011-12-24T10:47:00.027-10:00

(The list of "31 Days of Reasons" is not in any particular order)

Whether it's physically, mentally, or emotionally, I can't wait to see what I'm capable of doing.

Squat double my body weight?

Get to my fitness goals?

Compete and finish the Warrior Dash?!

(source)

That's right!! The Warrior Dash is coming to Hawaii for the first time and I'm trying to get a team together. It's a "hellish" 3.01 mile course filled with fire jumping, mud crawling, cargo net climbing, barbed wire army crawls, log jumps, and MUCH more!

From the website, all fitness levels can participate because you can skip obstacles if you need to - you just won't qualify for prizes.

I'm on this healthy journey to push myself physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Reason 23: To wear the clothes I want to wear

2011-12-23T10:47:00.042-10:00

(The list of "31 Days of Reasons" is not in any particular order)

Like most girls, I love shopping... used to like shopping... hope to like shopping again. Being on the bigger and shorter side of the scale, it's much harder to find clothes that fit well. I can't really shop in the "regular" women's departments because the clothes are too long. In the petites department, the clothes fit nicely length-wise, but not width wise.

If I was at a healthy weight/body fat percentage for my height, I could easily get away with shopping in the junior's department - which would save me some money, too.

Plus, a lot of clothes just look better on a fitter body.

Athletic clothes, work clothes, casual clothes... I would feel a lot more confident if I didn't have to worry about what to wear everyday... if I didn't have to worry about being uncomfortably too tight in some areas... if I didn't have to worry about my arms or legs looking like sausages.

(source)

I'm on this healthy journey so I can start wearing all the clothes I want to wear... and look good doing it!

Reason 22: To bring my sexy back

2011-12-22T08:00:00.000-10:00

(The list of "31 Days of Reasons" is not in any particular order)

I wanna start by saying I have a GREAT boyfriend who loves me no matter what and I can't imagine life without him (I got his "okay" to write this as my Reason 22).

That being said, I would love to be at a healthy weight, fit as hell, and know I'm attractive to the opposite sex. Not just in an attractive way, but in a "holy-hell-how-did-she-get-arms-like-those".

At my lowest weight and when I was the fittest, guys would come up to me a lot. I made a lot of friends this way and met some great boyfriends (of course, the occasional douche bag was in there too).

Now, guys still come up to me (a lot less often) but they're usually the creepy/weird kind. It's mean to say, but I'm not joking. One guy approached me at the gym a couple of months ago and started to talk to me but he was so into himself. He looked at himself in the mirror behind me about 98% of the time, casually flexing his muscles. The other week, a guy came up to me when I was eating lunch with Anthony, stopped by our table, and just started waving at me and kept asking what my name was. Luckily, mall security was walking by so they asked the guy to keep moving along... good thing so Anthony didn't have to say anything.

Anyway, I'm totally not looking for another boyfriend or anything like that, it would just be nice to be appreciated by guys again...

I'm on this healthy journey to bring my sexy back!

Reason 21: To walk the walk, not just talk the talk

2011-12-21T05:45:00.002-10:00

(The list of "31 Days of Reasons" is not in any particular order)

For the last three years, I've read hundreds of different articles/books/magazines/blogs/research papers and I believe I have a pretty good sense about what kinds of things - exercise and nutrition - work for the body. Of course I'm not an expert and I don't know all the scientific details about why some things work and some don't, but I can talk your ear off about health and fitness.

I know what and how much you should or shouldn't eat. I know how to put together a decent workout schedule. I know what works for me and I know it's different for everyone.

It's time I really start doing what I preach and get to my goals... no excuses.

I'm on this healthy journey to not only talk the talk, but to walk the walk too.

Weigh-in Wednesday: !!!!!

2011-12-21T03:44:00.060-10:00

Starting weight: 176.4
Last week weight: 138.6

Current weigh: 135.2

Current loss: -3.4

TOTAL LOSS: -41.2

Don't freak out... it's not a true 3.4 lbs lost. Remember I had a tough couple of days before weigh-in last week? Well, today's weight puts me right on track (1-1.5 lbs. a week) from two weeks ago when I was at 137.6. Hard work, right nutrition, and consistency pays off, people!!

Speaking of hard work, remember I started power lifting/training with a barbell several weeks ago? My PT sessions have been going awesome and every week we would work on my form and adding weight to four major moves: squat, chest press, shoulder press and deadlift. Today I back squated 145 lbs. for 8 reps!! May not be a lot but for me that was a huge NSV! I still suck at chest and shoulder press (which is why one of my Dec. goals is to work my upper body) and deadlift is getting there.

Hmmm... now to join a power lifting team so I can train all week long (vs. once a week)? That is the question!

(source)

Reason 20: To take care of me

2011-12-20T12:48:00.000-10:00

(The list of "31 Days of Reasons" is not in any particular order)

Since I was little, I've had many pets. From fish to guinea pigs to chameleons to birds, my parents were always afraid of what I'd come home with next. Sometimes I wouldn't even ask if I could have the animal, I would just bring it home, set up the cage, and let them "discover" my new friend.

Right now I don't have children, but my fur, feather and scaly babies get the royal treatment. They get the best food my money can buy, exercise is top priority for them, their living areas are much bigger than what people consider normal (my guinea pig cage was 3' x 7'... in my room!) ... and I would cook for them! Even my fish would get steamed leafy veggies and I would hunt for my chameleon's food.

They had the best of everything.

While all this was going on, I would feed myself junk food, exercise was never a priority and in no time I gained weight. It's time I started taking care of me!

I'm on this healthy journey to put me first and take care of myself.

I'm free!!!

2011-12-20T01:41:00.000-10:00

What a weekend!! I helped my mom make Christmas treats, went to a play, visited a brand new grocery store opening, finished Christmas shopping, and woke up early for my first "official" Great Aloha Run training. This was a L-O-N-G weekend and I probably couldn't have done it all but I don't have work for the next two weeks!!! I work for the State and for the past couple of years we've had to take furloughs and the last two weeks in December are part of it. I'm so excited... don't have anything planned but just to have the time off is GREAT!!!

I'm free!!

Friday night I went over to my parents' house to help my mom make Christmas goodies. And when I say make I mean use store bought goodies and decorate them. We chocolate-dipped oreo's, red vines, pretzel sticks, and cookies... it was so much fun I kept asking my mom for more stuff to dip!

One of the best parts of visiting my parents (besides seeing my family) is I get to see this old lady...

... my old dog Dustee. She's 14 years old and my first dog ever. When I moved out of my parents' house, I couldn't take her with me cause even though I moved into a pet-friendly condo, she's not dog friendly so it was going to be too hard to worry about running into other dogs in the hallways and elevators. But my parents live super close by so I see her often.

Saturday Anthony and I walked down the street to visit the grand opening of a new Safeway. It's the biggest in Hawaii but I wasn't that impressed.

This one didn't have a lot of the things another Safeway several miles away has - like a salad bar, hot bar, bulk items like nuts and grains, and a nut-butter station. It does have a TON of selection/variety so can't complain about that.

Saturday afternoon I attend a play put on by our local theater... Cinderalla! (No pictures, I forgot my camera in a different bag). It was good, but since it was based on the original Rodgers and Hammerstein (instead of Disney) I missed all the cute Disney-esque qualities.

Sunday I woke up early for my first GAR training (you can read about it here). So how'd it go? Hint: it went awesome!

Here's to another great week - work-free!!!

Reason 19: To join the Army

2011-12-19T16:02:00.040-10:00

(The list of "31 Days of Reasons" is not in any particular order)

First of all, I want to say that I am very thankful to all our service men and women who put their lives on the line for our country. I have the highest respect for them and this post is not meant to offend, insult, or otherwise reflect negatively on any of our armed forces.

That being said, did you know the army has a weight restriction? And at the current state I'm in, I can't join the army even if I wanted to. From Army.com (click on the picture to enlarge):

For my height of 60 inches, I cannot weigh more than 131 lbs. From what I was reading on the site, if you don't fall into the required weight category, the Army then looks at your body fat % and you probably guessed it... I don't qualify there either... just by 1%. Very sad that my weight is keeping me from having a choice of serving our country.

I'm on this healthy journey so my weight doesn't hold me back from anything.

Reason 18: To find a balance

2011-12-18T16:02:00.074-10:00

(The list of "31 Days of Reasons" is not in any particular order)

Having balance is necessary for every aspect of your life. Whether it's financial balance or family life, you need to have it to keep things sane. Since this is a weight-loss/fitness blog, I'll keep my reason of balance to nutrition and exercise.

(source)

Right now, I'm teetering between neurotic and normal. And normal to me, means not thinking about food or exercise 24/7. Not worrying about whether or not I measured or weighed my food correctly. Not eating something at a party because I don't know the exact calorie count of a serving. Not worrying about my workout: upper body or lower body today?

I wear a Bodybugg (LURV it!) and count my calories religiously. I'm constantly checking my calories burned for the day to see if I can eat an extra two ounces of salmon or if I can fit in that extra apple. My brain is constantly on my activity level and I find myself going for short walks throughout my work day just to boost my levels. There's nothing wrong with that and it's worked for me, but is this something I can keep up for the rest of my life? Counting calories everyday? Worrying about getting a high enough calorie burn? NO THANKS!! I don't want my life to be run by the fact that I'm trying to get healthier and fitter.

I'm on this healthy journey to find balance between exercise, nutrition, and life in general.

(source)

Like how I used a fitness related pict for my "balance"?

Runner's high... at only two miles?!

2011-12-18T09:41:00.001-10:00

YUP!!!

I just got back from my first "official" Great Aloha Run training session and it was awesome (I say "official" because this morning was the first training session put on by Great Aloha staff... I started training on my own since I signed up for race a couple of weeks ago). Woke up super early...

... put on my new shoes...

... and headed to Kapiolani Park for the 6:45 training.

Last night I was dreading waking up early and going by myself (Anthony works late on Saturday nights and works Sunday morning so he wasn't going to make it), and thought of about 50 excuses why I shouldn't go but I said SCREW IT, JUST GOOOO!!!!!! So that's what I did. =)

Since it was the first training session, we did a quick 2-miler and I ran with the 10 minute/mile group. Only two miles but I felt so good after! Runner's high after only two miles... for me it was! Can't wait for next weeks 3-miler!

Reason 17: To run Koko Crater

2011-12-17T14:01:00.011-10:00

(The list of "31 Days of Reasons" is not in any particular order)

When I began this journey, hiking was a major part of my workout routine. I figured if I was killing myself, I'd rather die out in nature than on a treadmill. I quickly learned to love it and there was one hike I liked to do often because it was pretty brutal. Now, one of my goals is to run this:

Koko Crater (Stairs) Hike. The hike is pretty much straight up the side of a mountain and is made up of old railroad tracks that were used to transport artillery material to a bunker at the top of the mountain. The hike is 1000+ steps up and my fastest time walking with breaks is about 22 minutes.

I want to get out to Koko Crater - haven't been there in over a year - to see where I stand now... and see how much I have to train to be able to run it.

I'm on this healthy journey to do one of the things that make me say "WTF?!" - in a good way - when I see someone else doing it.

It always goes to sh*t!

2011-12-16T15:17:00.000-10:00

I know it happens to everyone and I know how to keep it from happening to me but I still do it. Why does one bad food decision cause the rest of the day to go to sh*t?

The other day was the office holiday party and I went in SUPER confident. I signed up to bring a tray of fresh veggies - because no one signed up to bring anything remotely healthy - so no matter what was served, I had something I could fill up on and still be on track.

(source)

Started the day strong. I woke up, had my normal breakfast and didn't pack my mid-morning snack (which I usually eat at 10:30ish since the party was at 11), got tons of work done in the morning, then it was party time.

Filled my plate with veggies, brown rice, steamed Chinese white fish (!!), and sauteed shrimp. I was allowing myself to eat anything I wanted but only if I wanted it REALLY bad. I didn't, so I stayed clear of all the fried foods: chicken, eggplant, gyoza, rice, and noodles.

Or at least I did on my first round of food.

After I was done eating my first plate, I walked around and did the polite talk-to-all-your-coworkers-and-pretend-you-like-them-cause-it's-the-holidays bit but I was still hungry. Headed over to make my second plate and before I knew it, I was carrying back a plate full of fried rice, noodles, sushi, fried chicken and gyoza.

At this point it's already in my head that today is shot to sh*t so "What the hell?" I'll have some dessert too.

Kahlua rum cake, butter mochi, and two chocolate drop cookies. @$%*!!!!!

When I went home I was already feeling so guilty about everything I ate. I even planned ahead for dinner and had the crock-pot cooking my healthy eats but noooooooo! Day's already ruined so might as well eat out and stuff my face with sushi.

Why is it so hard to just leave it at one bad meal? Why does it ALWAYS have to carry over and ruin the entire day?

(source)

Reason 16: To be comfortable in my own skin

2011-12-16T04:01:00.003-10:00

(The list of "31 Days of Reasons" is not in any particular order)

I'm half-way through my "31 Days of Reasons" already!! That was fast!

Anyway, back to the topic...

My 16th reason for being on this journey to lose weight and get fit is so I can be comfortable in my own skin. Being comfortable and self-confident about how I feel and look has always been a problem for me. Even when I was in high school and at my smallest, I was still the "chubby one" out of all my friends. I weighed 115 then! Feeling big at 115 lbs? Yup, REALLY!!

Circa 2001 - 115 lbs.

I know it's more than "just being skinny" and I'm more confident about who I am and what I can do today then I've ever been in my life, but I still have work to do. This reason is not about looking good in a certain size, it has to do with improving how I view myself - physically and mentally.

I'm on this healthy journey to be comfortable being me, at a size 10 or a size 2.

Reason 15: To save money

2011-12-15T04:59:00.001-10:00

(The list of "31 Days of Reasons" is not in any particular order)

Healthcare is a major $$$$$-sucking industry. According to Wikipedia " In 2007, the U.S. spent $2.26 trillion on health care, or $7,439 per person, up from $2.1 trillion, or $7,026 per capita, the previous year."

$7,439 per person in one year?!!! Almost 5 years ago?!?!!!!!? That's insane!

If an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, I'll take the prevention.

With $8,000 a year I can travel the world!

(source)

I'm on this healthy journey to save me thousands of dollars down the road.

Reason 14: To have a nice set of "guns"

2011-12-14T10:59:00.001-10:00

(The list of "31 Days of Reasons" is not in any particular order)

Kind of along the lines of Reason 7, I know I'm strong but you can't tell by looking at me. And I look a little unproportionate because my lower body has some nice definition but my upper body... not so much.

(source)

I'm on this healthy journey so my arms complement my defined legs.

Weigh-in Wednesday and progress picture

2011-12-14T01:35:00.000-10:00

Starting weight: 176.4
Last week weight: 137.6

Current weigh: 138.6

Current loss: +1.00

TOTAL LOSS: -37.8

Plenty of activity but a tough couple of eating days this past weekend. Saturday included too much sushi and Sunday... oh Sunday. Breakfast at Denny's, lunch was basically salt with some Japanese food on the side, and lots of snacking in between. Whoever invented peppermint bark is an evil genius! And if I ever meet them I will either have to hug them... or beat them.

__________________________________________________

I admit... standing next to a super fat mushroom was my way of looking "skinny".

Honolulu Marathon, December 11, 2011.

Reason 13: To relieve stress

2011-12-13T03:58:00.045-10:00

(The list of "31 Days of Reasons" is not in any particular order)

(source)

Without going all scientific on you - partly because I don't know all the facts - physical activity is a great way to deal with stress, especially since this is the crazy time of year.

Being active - and healthy in general - allows your body to better cope with stress on a chemical (yay to endorphins!) and mental level.

From what I understand (thanks to Dr. Google and Dr. WebMD):

stress = higher level of cortisol
higher levels of cortisol = getting sick

physical activity = less cortisol
physical activity = more endorphins

less cortisol + more endorphins = happier you

I'm on this healthy journey to improve my physical and mental health.

Reason 12: So what I do becomes a habit

2011-12-12T13:57:00.000-10:00

(The list of "31 Days of Reasons" is not in any particular order)

We've all heard the different names people call this journey - lifestyle change, diet, getting healthy, etc. - but whatever you call it, this journey has to be a permanent change. Anyone can lose weight by doing things differently but keeping that weight off is the key and often times is the hardest part.

When I first started to lose weight back in 2008, I did things s-l-o-w-l-y. I would change one bad habit of mine and wouldn't move on to the next one until that bad habit turned into a good one. The very first thing I changed was my water intake. I upped my intake to meet or exceed the recommended 64 oz. and once I did that on a daily basis without even thinking about it, I moved on to reducing my sodium, then cutting my calories, then upping my exercise, etc.

(source)

Yes, this has taken much longer than what most people would like to do (cause it can take anywhere from days to months to change a habit) but this is what worked for me.

Even today, three years since I began, there are still areas that need work... heck, even the areas that I have changed need to be worked on. I want my current ways of being healthy to be second nature, from intuitive eating to getting my workouts done. It shouldn't be a battle with myself about the right choices I should make, but it is... everyday it is.

I'm on this healthy journey so my healthy ways become a part of my everyday life.

Honolulu Marathon 2011

2011-12-12T05:09:00.118-10:00

Yesterday was the 2011 Honolulu Marathon here in Hawaii. My dad is a runner - this is his 35th marathon! - and for the past couple of years Anthony and I have been waking up early on marathon morning, heading down to the start line to meet my mom (by this time my dad has already started so we don't see him off), walk the 4 miles through Waikiki, stop for breakfast, see the Christmas decorations in the hotels, then walk to the finish line and see my dad come in.

The amount of people who come out to watch the runners is amazing and the atmosphere is amazing. For some reason, I usually get pretty emotional when I first see the runners. There's no tears but I get choked up and I think it's because what these people are doing is just beyond my comprehension... running 26.2 miles?!?! It's awesome! And everyone running is an inspiration to me... finishers or not.

Early morning started at 5 am with fireworks...

Santa sends his wishes to all the participants. By this time, most of the runners are long gone.

The before...

... and the after.

I'm proud to say I contributed to this "white Christmas" with a paper cup one of the volunteers handed me.

Last year we brought Poki and Beans with us but we didn't this time - so we could spend time in the hotels - so this lil' Santa had to fix my puppy craving. He kept sniffing and looking at me but we finally got a picture of his cute dogoggles.

Totally random but this guy was just passed out on the street. He didn't look like a runner but rather a guy who had too much to drink. If I were running the marathon, this is how I would feel before it even started...

Stopped off at Denny's for breakfast. YAY for an egg-white spinach omelet, turkey bacon, fresh fruit, and a toasted English muffin.

Huge gingerbread display with many of Oahu's major landmarks.

This...

... is supposed to be this. Not bad for a bunch of yummines!

The most pavement my shoes get. They're spoiled with the indoor gym settings.

Faster Dad!!! The finish is r.i.g.h.t. there.

"Shower" area for the finishers to cool off in.

What better way to recover from 26.2 miles than with red velvet pancake puppies with cream cheese icing? I didn't run 26.2 miles but you can bet I had one of these.

So proud of my Dad! Another marathon under his belt.

Not really marathon related but it is running related. The other day I picked up some new shoes to start training for the Great Aloha Run. I've been interested in going the minimalist shoe route so this is the shoe to use as a stepping stone to go from your regular shoes to minimalist. As if it's not obvious... it's pink. Not my favorite but the only color in my size the store had. So to make ~~pink~~ lemonade out of lemons I'm planning on ROCKING an entire pink outfit! Shoes, socks, shorts, shirt, and headband. Just need to find all these items in the exact pink color and I'm ready to be the running Pepto Bismo bottle!

Reason 11: To feel achievement...

2011-12-11T17:25:00.001-10:00

(The list of "31 Days of Reasons" is not in any particular order)

... like these guys do! Honolulu Marathon finishers, December 11, 2011.

Including one exceptional inspiration to me: my dad!

I'm on this healthy journey to be this proud of anything I do.

Reason 10: So people stop judging me

2011-12-10T15:55:00.002-10:00

(The list of "31 Days of Reasons" is not in any particular order)

Let's face it. As much as we try not to, we judge people... a lot! Would you rather sign up with the personal trainer that looks ripped and athletic or the trainer who has a little fat on his bones? What if you found out that ripped trainer can lift weights like there's no tomorrow but they can't run a mile faster than 15 minutes or do any type of cardio for more than 30 minutes? What if you found out the "chubby" trainer can squat twice his body weight, run an 8-minute mile, and is a certified dietitian? I'd go with the "chubby" one because it seems like he's more well-rounded when it comes to health but you'd never know that by looking at him.

Most people will automatically assume the "chubby" trainer isn't as good as the ripped trainer.

On my blog, I try not to preach about things because 1.) I'm no where near a professional and 2.) who would believe me, a "chubby" girl? You want fitness advice? Don't go see the chubby girl. But if you want restaurant suggestions... go see the chubby girl.

I'm tired of people judging me and assuming they have me figured out because of the way I look. People assume I have no will-power when it comes to food and I must eat all day. They assume I don't workout. They assume I can't go up a flight of stairs without getting winded. I know it shouldn't matter what other people think but living in a society that has rules about how women are supposed to look... it makes it tough. I'm definitely getting healthy for myself (it's the only way to do it!) and I know people will always judge me, no matter what, but I want it to be because of something other than my weight.

I'm on this healthy journey to free the fit girl inside the fat girl... and try to stop caring about what others think of me.

(source)

Reason 9: To be an inspiration to others

2011-12-09T02:54:00.000-10:00

(The list of "31 Days of Reasons" is not in any particular order)

(source)

Enough said!

I'm on this journey to inspire others to get started. If I can do it, anyone can!

Reason 8: So my weight doesn't control me

2011-12-08T03:53:00.007-10:00

(The list of "31 Days of Reasons" is not in any particular order)

Looking and being overweight has made a pretty big (no pun intended) impact on what I do... especially looking overweight. I've never been one to like attention so doing anything that could bring it my way was a definite no-no especially if it brought bad attention to me.

Even today, at 35+ lbs. less than my heaviest weight, I'm still pretty self-conscious to try any of the free fitness classes at my gym - oh, Body Pump, you call my name so loudly! I just have it in the back of my head that the "veterans" of the class will be thinking to themselves, "Let's watch the fat girl for entertainment today." Not that I think I'm so important that people even pay attention to me, but the thought is always there.

(source)

I even get self-conscious walking into my favorite - yet over-priced - athletic clothing store. One day I was shopping around and I started talking with one of the workers. We spent a good 15 - 20 minutes talking about everything from our favorite exercises to awesome healthy eating places around the mall and at the end of the conversation, the worker mentioned that they are hiring for the holiday season and I should apply. Her comment caught me off guard and I left the store feeling complimented and confused.Was she being sarcastic? How could an overweight person work at a store where the clothes look the best on a toned, athletic body?

I'm on this healthy journey to do what I want to do... no matter what.

Reason 7: To have the body I deserve

2011-12-07T15:10:00.000-10:00

(The list of "31 Days of Reasons" is not in any particular order)

When I set out to make this list of reasons why I'm on this healthy journey, I didn't want them to be based on looks, however building a better body - functional and physical - is one of my goals.

(source)

On a weekly basis, I work out 6 days a week mixing heavy lifting, plyometrics, and interval training. I cross-train, circuit-train and change up my routing about every 3 months to keep things interesting for my body.

I can do over 20 standard push-ups (from my toes).

I can run a mile under 9 minutes.

I can leg press over 220 lbs.

I can box jump with the best of them.

I push my body H.A.R.D. yet you would never know it by looking at me.

Achieving a "nice body" - whatever that means to you - involves consistent workouts and the right nutrition. If you're familiar with my blog at all, you know I struggle with the nutrition part of the equation the most. For me, exercise paired with the right nutrition and having a body I deserve is a catch 22... I can't have one without the other.

I'm on this healthy journey to look like all the hard work I put my body through.

Weigh-in Wednesday: 137.6

2011-12-07T04:55:00.008-10:00

Starting weight: 176.4
Last week weight: 138.6

Current weight: 137.6

Current loss: -1.0
TOTAL LOSS: -38.8

Happy, Happy!!!!!

Reason 6: To run a half-marathon

2011-12-06T03:51:00.001-10:00

(The list of "31 Days of Reasons" is not in any particular order)

Let me start this post by saying that I am not a runner. In fact, I've convinced myself that I don't like running. So why would I want to do a 1/2 marathon?

1.) Never really gave running a chance
2.) It would be a huge goal to accomplish (see Reason #3)
3.) It's in Las Vegas!!

Vegas 2010... I miss you already!

Yup, Vegas! I love me some Las Vegas. For the last couple years, Anthony and I have been eyeing the Las Vegas 1/2 marathon (it's also a full marathon). How awesome would it be to run in Vegas... down The Strip... at night?! I want to turn into a runner just to do this course...

That being said, it leads me to the love-hate relationship I've had with running.

Running and I have never been friends. During my elementary and high school years, I was pretty active playing soccer, volleyball and basketball and the one thing they all had in common was running. And running was the only thing that gave me problems during those years. I was prone to shin splints all season long, every year, year after year. I can't even count how many rolls of athletic tape I went through taping up my shins at every practice and game.

This was running's first strike out.

When I started this journey back in 2008, I signed up for - and completed - an 8-miler and just hated it. I trained for it and pushed through the shin splints, but being overweight was still really tough on my knees and lower body.

Strike two, running!

Day of the race came and I was so pumped to do the 8-miler! The first 3 miles went really well but then the course changed. The course took a turn and went under a freeway overpass for almost 4 miles straight. The same scenery... the same runners... the same EVERYTHING for almost 4 miles killed me. It put me in such a bad mood.

Strike three, and you're out, running!

But did you notice that all the things I "hated about running" almost had nothing to do with running itself? My thoughts exactly! So I can't blame running for being junk... I never even gave it a chance. Like I mentioned in a previous post, I once again signed up for that same 8-miler so I'm hoping that going into the race knowing what to except (as far as the course goes) will give running another chance.

In the end, if I do sign-up for the Vegas 1/2, spend the $$$ to get there and decide not to do it... at least I got to visit Vegas again!

I'm on this healthy journey to run an un-thinkable 1/2 marathon.

Reason 5: To prove to others that I can do it

2011-12-05T13:51:00.044-10:00

(The list of "31 Days of Reasons" is not in any particular order)

When I decide to get healthy and lose weight, a lot of people didn't think I could do it or they thought I was crazy for trying to lose 50 lbs. One lady in particular, looked me up and down and said in the most sarcastic voice ever, "Don't you think that's a little ambitious?"

Wow!

(source)

To this day, that comment has stuck with me. In fact I've had plenty of comments/emails similar to this sent my way over the years but these only fuel my desire to keep going. Haters are always going to hate but what you do with the hate is up to you.

I choose to use it as a form of motivation every time I start a workout. It definitely allows me to push harder, run faster, and lift heavier.

I'm on this healthy journey to prove to "my haters" that I can do it. And really, if I can, they can.

It's starting to look like Christmas

2011-12-05T08:18:00.000-10:00

Welcome to Monday again!

This past weekend was filled with holiday doings. We started out Saturday morning bright and early and met our friends at The Original Pancake House for breakfast. I don't have pictures but just imagine a plate full of warm, buttery silver-dollar sized pancakes. Like a kid, I asked if I could turn my ~~boring~~ regular pancakes into dollar-sized ones... so much more fun to eat!

After breakfast, we went Christmas tree shopping.

I'm dreaming of a purple Christmas! This tree isn't the one we bought and if flocking (spraying the tree with "snow") wasn't so expensive, maybe we would have gotten it.

After driving around to a couple different places - trees are really cheap this year! - , we found a nice tree and went home. We set the tree in the stand, gave it plenty of water, then went over to my parents' house to decorate gingerbread cookies. My mom had a party to go to the next day and wanted cookies to take as favors... I think she regrets asking us to help. Our gingerbread men weren't so Christmas-ie.

There was a sad Adam and Eve.

A decapitated cookie complete with blood.

Sexy gingerbread cookies with front AND back views.

And a ghost!

So much fun! And I still managed to pull off all my workouts and stick to my goals. Here's hoping to a good rest of the week!

Reason 4: To avoid diabetes

2011-12-04T15:50:00.001-10:00

(The list of "31 Days of Reasons" is not in any particular order)

If you don't have it, guarantee you at least know someone who does.

Diabetes is a disease that seems to be taking over America (along with a ton more diseases), with the number of affected Americans steadily increasing every year. Per Dr. Google, a normal reading for a fasting plasma glucose test is about 70 mg/dL - 99 mg/dL. My last reading (done this past August) sits at 94 mg/dL. Way to close to the edge for me!

Fortunately for me, there are some risks factors that I can control like eating right and exercising.

Unfortunately for me, diabetes runs in my family, my ethnicity is considered a "higher risk" group, AND and I'm overweight (but working on it).

(source)

I'm on this healthy journey to battle against a disease that affects over 25 million Americans.

Reason 3: Learn to achieve goals

2011-12-03T04:04:00.000-10:00

(The list of "31 Days of Reasons" is not in any particular order)

I know I'm not the only one to admit this but I hardly set goals in my life. Sure, I have things to accomplish in my daily routine, but getting specific, setting an attainable goal and accomplishing it hardly happens.

Goals have been happening a lot more since I've been losing weight but those goals always get pushed back or adjusted because I don't achieve them in the time frame I set. And I know that's okay but rather than change the goal, I need to be the one to change.

I need to get it in my head that even though there aren't consequences to pushing my goals back, there's no reason to do that. The goals I set are realistic and completely doable in the time frame I give myself, but an extra 500 calories here, another missed workout there, and BOOM... it's in my head that they are now impossible.

I need to start doing some math: impossible - im = possible

Once I fail a little bit, I mentally give up and instead of trying to work harder in my next workout for the one I missed, I'll go the easy route and just push my goal back by another week or two. I need to start treating my goals like deadlines and doing as much as I can to achieve them... no matter what!

I'm on this healthy journey to strengthen my goal-setting and goal-achieving abilities.

Reason 2: To believe in myself

2011-12-02T14:04:00.001-10:00

(The list of "31 Days of Reasons" is not in any particular order)

When I gained weight - between the years '01 and '08 - I don't know exactly when it started to affect my self-esteem.

Yes, I was conscious that I was bigger, but I don't remember feeling bad about myself... at least not in the beginning. I still went out with friends, drank until the early hours of the morning, went to bed, and did it again several days later.

I was in denial for most of my weight-gain but once I saw this picture, everything changed... everything.

2008

How could I let myself get like this?

Don't I have self-control?

I'm so embarrassing to be seen with!

I immediately stopped going out with friends. Not because I needed to stop the weight-gain, but because I was humiliated. Defeated, inside. I even convinced myself that if/when I got married, I would elope because no way would I want my family and friends to see me like this. Plus, I felt like I didn't deserve it.

As much as I hate the picture above, it's the picture that made me change my life... possibly even the picture that saved it.

As I started to lose the weight, I slowly got my self-confidence back. I slowly started to think I was worth something. I slowly started to be proud of who I was. I still have a ways to go but at least I'm headed in the right direction.

I'm on this healthy journey so I can start believing in myself again.

Reason 1: To keep up with my fur babies

2011-12-01T18:44:00.001-10:00

(The list of "31 Days of Reasons" is not in any particular order)

Poki and Beans are super active dogs who love being outdoors. Whether it's running around all day at the beach or going hiking, these two girls could easily spend double the amount of time they get outdoors.

I'm on this healthy journey to gain the ability to keep up with their endurance... so they can get healthier too.

Goal updates and changes

2011-12-01T12:30:00.002-10:00

(source)

SERIOUSLY?! Last month of 2011 already?! Guess it's time to look back at my November goals and set some new ones for December.

Last month my goals were:

K.I.L.L. my upper body with weights
jump rope for 20 minutes straight
increase max push-ups from 17 to 20
limit eating out to 2x/week

Of those 4, I hit 2 of them. I spent 3 days/week focusing on upper body strength training and over the last month, increased the weights I used for all exercises. I also passed my goal of maxing out my standard push-ups to 21! As a refresher, here is the circuit I did last month:

As for the other two goals I had for November, I actually "forgot" about them and didn't even attempt them. Jump roping is still part of my cardio workout, but I just didn't remember to work on this goal. As for eating out only 2x/week... yeah, who was I kidding? I probably only ate in 2x/week during November... moving on!

December Goals

K.I.L.L. my upper body with weights (same routine as above)
limit eating out to 2x/week
reevaluate why I'm on this healthy journey
train for the Great Aloha Run
lose 5 pounds

As a repeat of last month, here are the detailed versions of my goals.

4.) Train for the Great Aloha Run (Yup, I'm jumping to goal #4 first!)

I didn't mention it on the blog yet, but I signed up for an 8-mile run during President's Day weekend 2012. It's called the Great Aloha Run and I did it one other time back in 2009. Although somewhat successful (13-minute miles) the last time, I want to improve by a T.O.N. This time around I'm in better shape, over 10 lbs. lighter (hopefully even lighter by race day), and I have more time to train. Just hope my sore knee holds up to the running.

1.) K.I.L.L. my upper body with weights (cont. from November)

A lot of times my full-body weight workouts are very lower body focused. For example, I usually run through a circuit of alternating lower-body and upper-body movements, but a lot of times my upper-body movements also involve my lower body, ie. squat curl to presses, squat and dumbbell swing, etc. I focus on my lower body on purpose because it's the first place I see muscle definition so I love to work it out. This month I'm going to dominate my upper body with a killer circuit workout 2x a week (third day of lifting will be full body). My lower body will get enough of a workout from HIIT/plyo/hiking/cardio.

2.) Limit eating out to 2x/week

Pretty straight forward. Losing weight and getting healthy is 20% exercise and 80% nutrition.

3.) Reevaluate why I'm on this healthy journey

Recently I've been really focused on the short term goals so reevaluating why I'm doing this makes me look at the long term goals as well. Every day in the month of December I'll be posting one reason why I'm getting healthy... I'm calling it my

5.) Lose 5 pounds

I don't normally like to put a scale/weight goal, however this month I am. I'm not gonna go into details about why my current weight of 139 is way too much for 5'0" me, instead you can read these posts. Long-story short, I'm still overweight. My birthday is the end of next month and my goal is to be in the 120's by then.

Sweet Potato Pie recipe

2011-12-01T03:24:00.002-10:00

This recipe came from a website which is quickly becoming one of my favorites: SkinnyTaste.com

Every recipe I've tried from Gina's site (I've made about 6 so far) has turned out supper yummy! Check it out!

______________________________________________________________

(source)

For this recipe, I used purple Okinawan sweet potatoes because they are readily available in my grocery store, so don't be thrown off by the purple color of the pies. Your pies will come out to whatever color potatoes you use.

Ingredients:
(this recipe makes 1 pie, I doubled the recipe in the pictures because I needed to make two pies for Thanksgiving)

2 lbs. sweet potatoes
2 tbsp butter at room temperature
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup milk (I used almond)
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp ground pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust

1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees and start washing those potatoes. Once washed, place potatoes in a large pot with water, making sure all potatoes are under the waterline. Cover the pot and set on high heat to bring water to a roaring boil. Lower the heat (but keep the water boiling) and boil sweet potatoes until completely cooked (30 - 45 minutes). A fork comes in hand to poke the potatoes to check for "doneness".

2.) When potatoes are cooked, run under cold water and let them cool for about 10 - 15 minutes. Once cool enough to handle, peel and discard the skins off the potatoes, throw naked potatoes into a bowl, and mash them up.

Note- You will be using a hand mixer to mix the rest of the ingredients together, but it's easier to get out the lumps by now.

3.) Add butter, sugar, milk, eggs, spices, and vanilla. Using an electric mixer, mix until smooth.

4.) Pour mixture into a frozen, unbaked pie crust and spread evenly.

5.) Before putting the pies into the oven, Anthony helped me make a pie shield to protect the crust from burning. Simply take a piece of foil, trace the BOTTOM (not the top) of a pie dish and lay foil over the crust (like first picture in step 6, below).

6.) Bake at 350 degrees for about 55 - 60 minutes. Remove the pie shields with about 10 - 15 minutes left of baking to brown the crust edges. Use a knife to pierce the middle of the pie to check if completely baked (knife should come out clean).

7.) Let the pie(s) cool completely on a cooling rack (about an hour or so) and refrigerate - longer the better - before serving. ENJOY!

Weigh-in Wednesday and Nut-butter Banana Wrap

2011-11-30T03:34:00.033-10:00

Starting weight: 176.4
Last week weight: 139.0
Current weight: 138.6
Current loss: -0.4
TOTAL LOSS: -37.8

With Thanksgiving this past weekend and T.O.M (which makes me gain anywhere from 0 - 3 lbs. of water) this week, I'll totally take the 0.4 lb weight loss. Hoping next week is a loss, too.

_________________________________________

Nut-butter Banana Wrap
A recipe really isn't needed for this simple snack.

Instead of using a tortilla, I used swiss chard leaves, smeared them with a tablespoon of almond butter, a drizzle of honey, and wrapped them around half a banana. The swiss chard leaves don't add much flavor, it's just another sneaky way I like to get in more veggies (and less processed food/carbs).

Thanksgiving weekend

2011-11-28T12:35:00.000-10:00

Welcome to Monday! Hope you had a great Thanksgiving weekend... besides having to go in to work on Friday, mine was awesome.

Wednesday night Anthony and I got busy making dessert for Thanksgiving day. Running around to the different grocery stores trying to find frozen pie crust was my workout for the day! The last store we checked had TONS of a name brand frozen pie crusts and I'm guessing they had more than they knew what to do with cause they were on sale for $1.25 each! If they weren't so unhealthy for you, I probably would have bought 20 of them.

Who says a girl from Hawaii can't make a super yummy sweet potato pie?! Recipe coming soon.

Thursday
Thanksgiving morning started out with an early lower body session at the gym and apparently everyone on the island was there trying to burn some calories before the feasting began. The gym was packed!

On a side note, as I was leaving the gym, I found out they were holding a Crossfit boot camp for trainer clients only... and I was pissed because my trainer never told me about it! I've been super interested in Crossfit and I'm wondering if my trainer purposely didn't tell me because he might lose a client. I need to talk to him when I see him tomorrow.

Anyway, on to the Thanksgiving feasting. Lunch was spent with Anthony's family and every year they have pizza and homemade Chinese food. Sorry no picts... I was too busy stuffing my face! I totally look forward to the pizza with them every year.

Dinner was spent with my dad, brother and Anthony and we went out to a steakhouse.

I passed on the bread but helped myself to fried calamari (one of the best I've had in a long time) and enjoyed every bite of my 9 oz. filet mignon. And see the steamed asparagus? That was my one healthy eat for the day.

Friday
Missed out on the Black Friday madness because I had to go into work this morning. I was able to leave around lunch time so I hit up the gym to do my killer upper-body session.

Saturday
Took it really easy because my left knee has been really sore. It's been bothering me off and on for the last several months but I think my lower-body session on Thursday somehow tweaked it. Usually a lower-body session makes my knee feel much better, but it felt wonky after I tried to set a new personal record on the leg press.

So we went walking around Waikiki and stopped for lunch at one of the hotels. Seared ahi with mixed veggies and cauliflower garlic "rice". So yummy and way less starchy/carby than mashed potatoes.

Sunday
Woke up at 8:30 but wasn't feeling it... so back to bed I went and didn't get up till after 12. It felt awesome. Did my normal Sunday routine (grocery shopping for the week, cooking for the week, and house cleaning) and spent the night with Anthony, watching The Next Iron Chef and The Walking Dead midseason finale... OMG!!!!

Weigh-in Wednesday and "Big and Bulky?"

2011-11-23T03:07:00.044-10:00

Starting weight: 176.4
Last week weight: 140.2

Current weight:139.0

Current loss: -1.2
TOTAL LOSS: -37.4

Feeling good... feeling great! Especially considering this weekend there was a bit of a binge (my super-cheat meal of the week) at an all-you-can-eat Korean food buffet. So yummy!!

So how did I do it? I made sure to stay really strict with my trainings and nutrition the other days of the week. I'm also pretty convinced that my cheat meals actually help my body. I've been lifting pretty heavy 3-4 days a week now and I swear, for the last two months, I've actually seen positive effects (strength gains and fat loss) of my cheat meals. Several months ago, a cheat meal just half the size of this weekend - 3000+ calories on Saturday! - would stall my weight-loss but for the last couple of months it hasn't. Of course there are many other factors that can contribute to this consistency but gotta look for the silver lining with cheat meals, right?

Speaking of muscles and lifting heavy, I came across "20 Fitness Myths" on Livestrong.com and had to share one of the myths:

If I Lift Weights I'll Get Bulky (http://www.livestrong.com)

If you were to look at 1 pound of fat, and 1 pound of muscle side by side, you would notice how much smaller the muscle is even though it’s the same weight. Meaning, the more muscle you have on your body, the less space you will take up. Many people -- both men and women -- think that lifting weights will make you look like a bodybuilder. That’s like saying studying physics will turn you into Einstein. The amount of time, food and discipline it takes to get huge from weights is almost a full-time job -- and sometimes influenced by illegal substances. So embrace weight training. You’ll feel and look leaner and rev up your metabolism.
Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/slideshow/550678-20-fitness-myths/#ixzz1dv92gF95

I love the comparison of looking like a bodybuilder by lifting heavy and turning into Einstein by studying physics... both won't happen unless you put in A LOT of work (and I still doubt you'll turn into Einstein)!

(source)

Like the quote says, it's almost a full-time job to be bodybuilder. Getting big and bulky is most definitely a type of "formula" and if you're missing even one component of it - time to workout (sometimes several sessions a day), calorie amount, type of food, discipline, etc. - it ain't gonna happen.

So pick up those weights and lift H.E.A.V.Y!

Weigh-in Wednesday, barbells and a delivery!

2011-11-16T03:24:00.010-10:00

Starting weight: 176.4
Last week weight: 141.6

Current weight:140.2

Current loss: -1.4
TOTAL LOSS: -36.2

What a relief! My trainer has been gone for three weeks and I was determined to pull a good number the next time I saw him and I did. He actually didn't believe the number and had me jump on the scale again. Such faith.

Today I also started barbell training. I'm really comfortable with dumbbells and have used them for the last three years but this past weekend I did some light barbell work on my own and LOVED it! My lower body has never felt so strong! With dumbbells, my grip gives out before my legs get tired so I was never able to push my lower body to fatigue by weight (changing the tempo of your lift with lighter weight gives a good fatigue too). Enter, the barbell! I asked my trainer to teach me more but because he already had my workout planned for today we went over the easier barbell moves like chest and shoulder presses. Next week we'll hit deadlifts and squats. I can't wait!

And to change the topic a little, my mom's work building just started FarmRoof. FarmRoof is exactly that... farming on the roof of buildings. I know it's nothing new but the concept is pretty new to Hawaii and her building is the first building in downtown Honolulu to have it.

Picture from FarmRoof website.

She signed up to receive weekly boxes of veggies delivered to her at work and because the delivery comes with two boxes, she emailed me right away to see if I would be interested in buying one of the boxes. Fresh veggies weekly for $5... OF COURSE I'll take it!

I really hope this concept catches on because the rooftops of so many buildings are pretty much wasted space. Plus, everyone could use more veggies in their life.

Mall workout

2011-11-15T03:02:00.046-10:00

So following up on my post yesterday about my workout at the mall...

On my active rest days or if I'm in the mood to get in low-intensity cardio - but not have it feel like a workout - Anthony and I head to the mall called Ala Moana. Yup, the mall. Ala Moana is the world's biggest open-aired mall and walking down and back on all three floors, without stopping to shop, takes a little less than an hour.

Over the weekend the mall was super empty because of APEC so it was extra nice. No fighting pushy shoppers or trying to out-walk the elderly that also exercise at the mall.

It's actually a good way to shop cause I pass by all the stores first, then decide where I want to spend my money. =)

This time we actually wanted a more intense workout so we added intervals whenever we came across stairs. Sprinting/running up five stories worth of stairs = KILLER! Just don't make it too obvious that you're exercising or the mall security will ask you to stop because you might get hurt and sue them... really!

The top three floors of stairs...

Another good thing about working out at the mall... the farmers market held in the parking lot. Exercise and nutritious food. Can't even get that at the gym!

Again super slow like the mall. On a normal day this place would be packed!

Long weekend recap

2011-11-14T10:51:00.000-10:00

It was a long and productive weekend and even with the craziness that is APEC, Anthony and I were brave and headed out to face traffic and road closures. 20+ presidents and delegates from across the globe = M.A.J.O.R. delays everywhere.

I took off on Thursday (because three-day weekends aren't long enough) and Anthony and I were out and about from the morning. We hit up the hiking trail with these two girls... Beans and Poki! It's been a while since we went hiking because I was having knee problems but decided to give it a try. Beans and Poki had vet appointments early in the morning but once that was done we were off.

Beans and Poki... tired before the hike even started.

Beans loves to be the leader... it's actually really cute because she'll always look back at us to make sure we're keeping up with her.

View from the top.

Heading back down the "easy" side of the trail. It's paved going back down.

Tired and waiting to get home!

Friday was filled with shopping at the thrift store (50% off already super low prices for Veteran's Day), cleaning around the house and seeing a movie: Immortals. I don't recommend it. I'm a huge action movie fan and L.O.V.E.D. the movie 300 but this was nothing compared to it. Wait for the dvd... or better yet, cable!

Friday night I got in my killer upper body workout and at one point I walked away from my workout bench to get my sandbag and when I turned around I found Beans sitting on the bench. She has a habit of wanting to sit/lay where ever I am and once I get off she jumps up and takes my spot. What a brat.

Saturday we headed to the mall to get some ideas for Christmas gifts (only about a month left!) and stopped by the farmers market. It was so weird because the mall and market were dead! Hardly anyone around which actually made it perfect to get in a workout at the mall - more on that in a future post.

Other people weren't so brave to fight the delays so the farmers' market was so slow! Usually it's hard to even walk around in this place.

This is what it looks like when the mall is closed... not two hours after it opens!

Sunday was pretty low key and since Anthony works during the day, I usually reserve Sunday's for "me time". I headed to the gym in the morning and got in my full body workout, went grocery shopping for the week, did more housework, washed my car, and cooked for the week. To say the least, I was tired by 9:00.

Four and a half more days until the weekend!

Weigh-in Wednesday and Protein Ball Recipe

2011-11-09T03:23:00.083-10:00

Starting weight: 176.4
Last week weight: 142.4
Current weight:141.6
Current loss: -0.8

TOTAL LOSS: -34.8

Weighing in on a different scale than normal so can't really tell if this is a legit loss. Next week I will be back to my normal scale.

I have noticed physical changes over the past month or so... most notable in my hands and legs (weird, right). My quads and hammies are definitely getting back their definition and I can slowly start to see my wrist bones and veins on my hands. This can most likely be because of my recent workout (muscle pump) but I'll take it!

And this baby is slowly making it's way back too!!

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Protein Peanut Butter Ball

This recipe was originally found on this website but here's my version. My version is a little too sweet for me so I'm constantly tweaking it till I get the taste and consistency right. Right now this is my most recent recipe.

Ingredients:

1 scoop chocolate protein powder
1/4 cup nut butter (I had plenty of peanut butter to use but normally I stick with almond butter)
1/4 cup shredded coconut
1/4 cup agave

Mix all ingredients together. Scoop out 1-tablespoon size portions and store in the refrigerator for about an hour to set. THAT'S IT!! Using the recipe above, it will make about 10 protein balls, or 5 servings. I always make them in batches of 20 balls or more... the boyfriend and I like them a lot. =)

What's a sandbag?

2011-11-08T02:25:00.004-10:00

***I am in no way connected to or sponsored by any of the products or people listed in this post... I just love sharing a ~~good~~ ~~great~~ awesome thing when I find it.***

After my post last week with the picture of my sandbag, I got several questions about it.

First of all, I love it.... L.O.V.E. it!!!!

I first got inspired to get a sandbag because of the fitness goddess known as Zuzana. If you don't know who she is yet, educate yourself here. She has an amazing community of people, known as Bodyrockers, and her daily workouts are AMAZING!! High intensity cardio intervals mixed with full-body strength moves. Please, please check out her website called BodyRock.tv.

Anyway, she uses a sandbag - literally a bag filled with sand - to do a lot of her workouts. I did some research into other workouts I could do and came across so many different variations, I had to get one. The bag that Zuzana uses is The Ultimate Sandbag but it's a little pricey at $99 so I found a cheap one on Amazon for half the price. Although the one I bought has been surviving 3 - 4x/week useage for the last two months, if/when the one I have breaks, I will spend the money to get The Ultimate Sandbag.

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Notice all the different handle placements?

That's what makes the sandbag such a good tool for me... it's so versatile and strength training is totally different with shifting weight.

Most sandbags are sold by weight (0-40 lbs., 20-70 lbs., 50-100 lbs., etc.) and come with heavy duty filler bags that you fill with sand (you have to buy the sand... any home improvement store will sell it for cheap).

So what can you do with a sandbag? Besides work your core like no other weight-lifting routine, almost any strength move you can do with a dumbbell/barbell or kettlbell... and some that you can't:

deadlifts
squats
rows
throws
presses
swings
cleans
drags
windmills
get up's
etc, etc, etc

Just Google or YouTube some sandbag exercises or workouts and I think you'll be pretty impressed. Gotta go get my sandbag training on in a few... you should too!

New month = new goals

2011-11-07T11:40:00.000-10:00

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Already a week into November and I haven't mentioned my goals. For this month (and most likely next month, too) my goals are very "performance" based rather than scale based.

In a nut-shell, here are my November goals:

K.I.L.L. my upper body with weights
jump rope for 20 minutes straight
increase max push-ups from 17 to 20
limit eating out to 2x/week

In a kinda-long-not-so-much-a-nutshell, here are my November goals:

K.I.L.L. my upper body with weights

A lot of times my full-body weight workouts are very lower body focused. For example, I usually run through a circuit of alternating lower-body and upper-body movements, but a lot of times my upper-body movements also involve my lower body, ie. squat curl to presses, squat and dumbbell swing, etc. I focus on my lower body on purpose because it's the first place I see muscle definition so I love to work it out. This month I'm going to dominate my upper body with a killer circuit workout 2x a week (third day of lifting will be full body). My lower body will get enough of a workout from HIIT/plyo/hiking/cardio.

Feel free to throw in some cardio moves like jumping jacks, squat jumps, and high knees in between circuits.

jump rope for 20 minutes straight

If you've never tried jump rope as a cardio workout, DO IT!! There's a huge difference compared to just running on the treadmill. For the last couple of months I've been using my jump rope for interval training (30 seconds speed roping followed by 60 seconds jogging in place) but I would love to be able to jump rope for 20 minutes straight. Right now I'm up to about 8 minutes straight so we'll see how far I can get by the end of the month.

increase max push-ups from 17 to 20

Pretty straight forward... I want to increase the number of push-ups I can do in a row from my toes. I've never really trained for endurance (max reps) as far as push-ups go, instead, I've always trained for strength, maxing out a 10-12 reps with a weight plate on my back. I can't wait to work on this.

limit eating out to 2x/week

Again, pretty straight forward. Currently I eat out about 4-5 meals a week and even if those meals include a salad, it's an extra expense (and hidden calories!) I could do without.

Cheese... what cheese?

2011-11-06T13:49:00.000-10:00

Who needs cheese when you can have avocado?!?!?!

Turkey Veggie Chili Recipe

2011-11-04T02:20:00.000-10:00

As promised, here is the turkey chili recipe. Sorry there aren't many pictures... forgot to take them while I was making the chili.

Anthony and I use double the amount of red pepper flakes and throw in some cayenne pepper because we like things spicy. If you use canned beans, I would suggest not adding any salt until you're ready to eat because we use dried beans in our recipe and don't need any salt.

We usually top off our chili with a little bit of cheese and greek yogurt... totally taste like sour cream and adds a super nice creamy taste to the chili.

Ingredients:
(this recipe makes about 8 servings)

1 tabelspoon olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1.5 lbs. ground turkey
1 can (15 ounce) no salt added diced tomatoes with chilies
2 cups water
3/4 cup dry kidney beans (or 1 15-ounce can kidney beans)
3/4 cup dry black beans (or 1 15-ounce can black beans)
2 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 tabelspoon garlic powder
1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
1/2 tablespoon ground pepper
salt to taste, but I skipped on the salt and you can't tell the difference
whatever veggies you have lying around that need to be used like TODAY (I rolled with half a zucchini, a hand-full of mushrooms, half a red bell pepper, and about 5 cups of baby spinach all chopped)

1.) If using dried beans, rinse well and soak kidney and black beans overnight.

2.) In a medium pot, boil enough water to cook your ground turkey (this is not the 2 cups of water called for in the ingredient list. After draining out the water you used to boil the ground turkey, you still need to add 2 cups when you combine all ingredients). Yup, boil it.

I learned that this is the best way to get ground meat to cook in the smallest pieces as possible... so you have more meat pieces in your chili. Thank you, Food Network!

3.) Drain out the water and throw ALL ingredients into a slow cooker (don't forget your 2 cups of water). Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or cook on high for 4-5 hours.

4.) That's it!!

Before cooking...

... after cooking.

Nutrition info (will be different if you use canned beans and different veggies) for one serving: 269 cals, 9g fat, 2g saturated fat, 56mg cholesterol, 352mg sodium, 21g carbs, 9g fiber, 22g protein.

Weigh-in Wednesday: Yay!

2011-11-02T03:15:00.003-10:00

Starting weight: 176.4
Last week weight: 143.5
Current weight: 142.5
Current loss:-1.0

TOTAL LOSS: -33.9

This week I'm sticking to my goals extra hard because my personal trainer (PT) is gone for three weeks. Which means he probably thinks I'll maintain or gain weight. He never said that to me but I can't blame him if he thinks it because he's just basing this on past experiences. The last time he was gone for about a month, I did this "Surprise the PT" challenge with myself, and didn't do too well.

So this time I'm out to show him I can do this... with or without him! =)

Lazy weekend recap

2011-10-31T01:58:00.001-10:00

Still recovering from the weekend so going to cheat with a picture post:

Halloween party over at my friend's house. Her little girl is ADORABLE... even cuter with the ladybug costume!! She was trying to share her toys with Beans, our dog.

Following the idea I got from this awesome blog, Anthony and I taped up a pumpkin for my friend's lil girl to paint. And by paint I mean make me and Anthony do it.

Me and the little ladybug painted her pumpkin.

Finished pumpkin after the paint dried and we took off the tape.

Pumpkin oatmeal cookies... yummy and only 50 calories each! Recipe can be found at my foodie blog, Kitchen Adventures.

Had a date with these three guys (sandbag, weights, and elliptical).

Made some protein balls.

And cooked up a big batch of turkey veggie chili for the rest of the week. Recipe coming soon!

A little more info

2011-10-28T02:39:00.133-10:00

Got some emails about one of my last posts about my workout schedule and thought I'd try to address them here. The main thing I wanted to say above everything else... I do NOT workout for hours on end. On average I exercise less than an hour a day, give or take depending on how much time I have. Some days my 30 min of steady state cardio is broken down into 3 or 4 short walking sessions. A couple of 5 or 10 minute sessions throughout the day count!

Here's what my weeks have looked like:

Sun: 30 min steady state cardio + 30 min circuit weight-training(WT)
Mon: 25 min HIIT
Tue: 60 min circuit WT
Wed: 25 min HIIT + 30 min steady state cardio
Thr: OFF =)
Fri: 45 min full body heavy WT
Sat: 25 min HIIT + 30 min steady state cardio

steady state cardio - any type of cardio to get your heart rate up, with not much variation in intensity.
Example: jumping on the treadmill and keeping the speed and incline level around the same for the entire workout, going for a walk, etc.

circuit WT - doing a strength moved followed immediately by a cardio move.
Example: bicep curl followed by 30 jumping jacks followed by shoulder presses followed by 30 high knees followed by one-arm rows followed by 30 mountain climbers followed by push-up followed by 30 jumping squats. Rest 1 - 2 minutes and repeat 3 or 4 more times.

HIIT - short burst of high intensity work followed by a longer lower intensity recovery period
Example: 45 seconds of sprinting followed by 90 seconds of a slow jog/walk and repeat 10 times

heavy WT - using enough weight so you can only crank out 6 - 8 reps per set
Example: 8 reps of 20 lbs. bicep curls, 6 reps of 40 lbs. chest press, etc.

Right now, my circuit trainings are made up of upper body strength sets followed by lower body cardio sets because my lower body gets a good workout when I do HIIT 3x a week and the full body heavy WT.

My HIIT workouts get rotated between the treadmill, elliptical, stairmill, running stairs and jump roping.

This is what works for me. As with any exercise or workout program, I believe the best program is something that you will do and more importantly enjoy.

Weigh-in Wednesdays: Bringing it back

2011-10-26T10:48:00.000-10:00

That's right... bringing back "Weigh-in Wednesdays"! It kept me accountable back then so it should do it now too... right?!

Starting weight: 176.4
Last week weight: 144.5
Current weight: 143.5
Current loss:-1.0

TOTAL LOSS: -32.9

The only thing I can say right now is that hard work and consistency are paying off. I have changed up my workout routines to include:

1 day rest
2 days circuit weight training
1 day heavy weight training
3 days 25 min high intensity interval training (HIIT)
3 days steady-state cardio

Yes... that doesn't add up to 7 days but it's because I double up on some days. For example, my Fridays and Sundays are always made up of an early cardio session in the morning then a circuit weight training in the afternoon.

I gotta say, HIIT and circuit-style weight training has changed my life in the past two months... if you're not familiar with HIIT, definitely look into it and add it to your routine, like, NOW! It's basically a short burst (anywhere from 20 seconds to a minute) of high intensity activity followed by a slightly longer (1 to 2 minutes) recovery period... wash, rinse and repeat. Because HIIT is high-intensity, it's usually recommended that you keep the session short (about 20 - 30 minutes)... and if you're doing it correctly, that should be all you can handle. =)

A lot of people think HIIT is for the elite athlete or someone in super good shape but that's not so. The great thing about HIIT is that it fits into the fitness level of the individual doing it.

If you're new to exercise or a beginner, start out with 30 seconds of power walking - swing those arms to get your heart rate up even higher - followed by 2 minutes of walking.

If you're in pretty good shape, sprint as fast as you can for your intensity portion and jog it out at a slow pace for your recovery.

Hope you give it a try!

Always want what we can't have

2011-10-18T10:13:00.000-10:00

One thing I find super interesting is the fact that when we can't do or have something, we want it more.

Tell me I can't have food for 12 hours before my blood test and food becomes this "I'll-give-up-one-year-of-my-life-to-have-a-bite-of-anything" sort of thing.

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Gym is closed today? But I can't go on with my life without getting my workout in today at the GYM right NNNOOOOWWWWW!

Recently, like for the last several months, I've been having knee problems and my desire to get in a good intense workout has never been this strong... E.V.E.R. It's crazy! I've had all the time in the world before my knee was hurting to get in all the crazy plyometric workouts I wanted but of course, I always had the option of "putting it off until tomorrow".

But now that I don't have the option to do them at all... that's all I want to do!!!

The up-side to all of this is that I've really focused on making sure my nutrition is good (since I can't get in the cardio sessions I'm used to) and weight-lifting has never been so consistent in my routine before. For the last two years, weight-training has been a 2x, maybe 3x, a week thing for me, but for the last month or so it's been more like a 4x, maybe 5x, a week thing (doing splits each day so each muscle group has at least 48 hours of rest).

The awesome thing about doing this much weights... the muscle definition is definitely coming back. Even though I'm 10ish lbs. heavier then my lowest weight of 135 last year, the way 145 lbs. looks on me now is totally different then what it looked like the first time I was at 145. In fact, the boyfriend has said right now I look almost like I did at 135.

I can't wait to cut down more fat and see even more definition... talk about motivation!

Wow...

2011-10-14T15:55:00.000-10:00

... I know I said I'd be back in the AM for a post... guess I should have specified which AM. :)

Anyway, if you're still following me I'm hoping to really start blogging again... like for real this time.

Reasons why:

1.) Motivation is back BABY! The past month or so has been pretty good... in fact, pretty amazing. Nutrition is down to a consistency and workouts... oh, workouts... how I've missed you! Motivation is such a funny thing because to have it, you kinda have to have a reason to have it (follow me?). But to have a reason to, you kinda have to have motivation. I hate catch-22's, but when they work, they work.

2.) Check out my stats to the right... notice that the weight has F.I.N.A.L.L.Y. started to come back down? I've lost 10 of the 30 lbs. I regained from the 50ish I originally lost. As a recap...

college years = MAJOR weight gain

2008 = heaviest weight ever at 176 and decided that was it

2009-2010 = lost about 50 lbs.

2010 = put 30 of those lbs. back on

2011 = fighting the good fight ever since

Yup, being consistent with exercise and nutrition will get you back on track... who knew, right?

3.) I really miss the people and support I found from the blog world.

4.) Blogging was fun for me and now I have more time to do it. Over the past year I was super busy with work related stuff and just never wanted to be on the computer if I didn't have to. Plus, when you regain weight, how fun is that to talk about?

So here's hoping that you'll be seeing me more often!

Hi...

2011-08-16T22:49:00.002-10:00

... still fighting the ~~fat~~ good fight! Be back in the A.M. with an update... and maybe a picture?!

Weekend Challenge!

2011-07-08T20:46:00.001-10:00

When my friend Annalisa called me out for a weekend challenge, I told her

IT'S ON!!!!!

I realize it's been a while since I last logged on but really nothing exciting has been going on. Same struggles with food even though exercise is pretty consistent but weight is coming off slowly. And I mean SLOW! Right now I'm looking at a 0.2 lbs. loss every two weeks or so. But a loss is a loss. Anyway, on to the challenge!

Weekend Challenge

July 8 - 10, 2011

0/240 exercise minutes
0/1800 calorie deficit

Goals are going to be kept pretty modest compared to my normally Weekend Challenges because I've been struggling with a slight knee injury. Nothing too major (I hope! I have yet to see the doctor) but it gets tweaky when I'm moving a lot.

It's 8:45pm on a Friday night right now but I'm getting ready to head out the door... and go to the gym! Thanks, Annalisa... you instantly inspired me! Bring it on, girl!

Out of touch

2011-06-12T12:20:00.000-10:00

Haven't posted in a while because I haven't had much going on.

Since my last post about me being sick, I've recovered but had a cough for the next several days that kept me from the gym or any hard cardio workout. Since then, I've been back at it but once again, the food part of this journey is killing me. I'll be so good all day long but once it's time for the boyfriend and I to decide what to have for dinner, everything gets blown!

I just don't get it because I've lost this weight before so why can't I just do it again?! I know what to do. I know how to do it. I just won't do it. No one to blame but myself!

On another note, I've been going to the gym during my lunch hour at work and LOVE it! I only get in a quick 30 minute HIIT training but it feels so good. I think what makes the biggest difference is time flies by when I go to the gym during work vs. going after work. I'm pretty sure it's because I don't want to go back to work so I want my time at the gym to be longer vs. being done with work, fighting people at the gym for the machines I want, and knowing that after the gym, I get to go home and relax.

Anyway, weight is still coming off S--L--O--W--L--Y but I can't complain... at least it's coming off, right?!

Sick, sick, sick!

2011-05-27T19:47:00.000-10:00

I have been sick as a dog for the last couple of days but LOTS has been happening!!

Stay tuned for an update!

Lurv it!

2011-05-02T14:06:00.000-10:00

This weekend was amazing! Had lots to do and stayed busy all day everyday but...

... I made my Weekend goals... well I made one of them but only missed my calorie deficit goal by 4 calories!!! Had I known that last night I would have done 30 jumping jacks before bed.

F: 478 calorie deficit and 115 min exercise (45 min cardio + 70 min upper body)
S: 642 calorie deficit and 120 min exercise (90 min hike + 30 min elliptical)
Su: 826 calorie deficit and 135 min exercise (60 min walk + 75 min full body)

TOTALS:
370/330 exercise minutes
1,946/1,950 calorie deficit

But I'm totally happy with my results because the challenge kept me on track. Shoot for the stars and land on the moon, right?

And so what about the other half of the exercise goal - the part about 120 minutes coming from brand new exercise. Well I fell short on that too but I did try some new machines out at the gym and think I may have found some new loves!

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Bringing it back... join me!

2011-04-28T11:46:00.000-10:00

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Weekend Challenge

April 29 - May 1

Remember, this is a challenge so it's supposed to be something hard to achieve... hence the word challenge. Go out of your comfort zone, tighten the reigns on your nutrition, or just get in more exercise than you normally do. Either way, keep it fun and safe.

My goals for this weekend are to get in a boatload of exercise and to make nutrition super clean. I'll be shooting for a 650 calorie deficit per day and have a 2+ hour hike planned for Saturday which is why my exercise minute are so high.

0/330 exercise minutes
0/1,950 calorie deficit

But not only will I shoot for those 330 exercise minutes, 120 of those minutes have to come from a *new* exercise. Whether it's an exercise machine I've never used, a class I've never tried, or a workout dvd that hasn't even been opened yet... two hours have to come from something new. Who knows... I might just find a new love again!

Bring it on!

Recommitment to my health

2011-04-26T15:24:00.000-10:00

Lots of emails asking how or what caused me to get my motivation back, and I don't have one simple answer - if it were simple, we'd all be all goal already, right - but a lot of has to do with my change in mindset.

Here are a few examples of what changed:

tired of feeling like it was "okay" to gain the weight back cause everyone does it, but then hate getting mad at myself for doing it
tired of feeling like a complete failure
tired of breaking promises to myself everyday about getting exercise in
tired of feeling like living healthy was a chore

These are just a few of the things I've tried to change over the past weeks but if you take a look at my daily food intake, I'm still not making the best choices... some choices aren't even close to bad - they're HORRIBLE!

Taco Bell, ice cream at night, fries, etc. BUT by refocusing on one thing at a time, I'm able to balance the bad eating. My exercise has been great over the past couple of weeks and although I'm not down a ton of weight, my weight is down and in my book, that's a huge win!

Now I know some of you might be rolling your eyes at me and saying "Had you not eaten like crap, you would have been down a lot more". And yes, that's true, but again... baby steps. Right now I'm focusing on my exericse habits (or lack of habits) and once I'm comfortable with that, I'll move on to taming the calories.

No matter WHAT!

2011-04-21T08:52:00.000-10:00

No matter how many times you fall...

No matter how hard you think this journey is...

No matter how many times you have a "bad" day...

No matter what difficulties you face...

... never forget how far you've come...

... or where you're headed next.

Keep fighting and moving forward in this battle.

Calories AS exercise minutes

2011-04-14T04:14:00.001-10:00

This is a conversation I had the other day with Anthony:

Me (shouting to Anthony in the kitchen): Can you bring me back a cookie, please?
Anthony: Are you sure you want one? (He has been assigned to be my nutrition boot-camp instructor at home which is why he's being difficult about the cookie.)
Me: Yeah, but only bring me one, not the entire container unless you want there to be no cookies left.
Anthony: You sure? One cookie is like being on the "dreadmill" (our word for treadmill) for an hour or more.
Me: Sh*t, forget that! I don't want it that badly!

Is that genius or what?! To think of snacks, drinks, and all other food I don't need as exercise minutes.

I love it!

So for example, have one of these:

And you'll have an awesome date with this guy for about two hours:

Thinking of treating yourself to this bad boy:

Well this guy is going to require about an extra hour and a half with this:

Thinking of an extra slice of pizza for dinner:

You might as well walk to the Pizzaria cause it'll cost you about three hours of walking.

Kinda not worth it when I look at my favorite foods like this. It's all about perspective and now that I started to get my exercise groove back I'll totally be thinking of food as exercise minutes. That should totally keep me away from my Ben & Jerry's... or at least it will keep my serving size down to a bite or two.

Can't stop... won't stop

2011-04-12T09:44:00.000-10:00

Hey Bloggies...

I'm still going at it but took an unexpected day off because I wasn't feeling good.

Fri: day off (yay!)
Sat: no exercise =(
Sun: 45 min circuit training
Mon: 45 min elliptical

On Saturday I had a lovely wedding to go to and the reception was at a restaurant known for their buffet. To say the least, I ate too much in too little time so I was sick, sick, sick for the rest of the day. It even carried over to Sunday but I manage to get in my circuit training in the afternoon.

So last night, I got on the computer to check some emails and catch up on my favorite blogs. The first blog I pulled up was from Jen, A Prior Fat Girl. It was a pretty normal post for her but as I got to the end of the post, something clicked inside of me. She wrote:

"I used to just nod my head at people who made a bunch of food towards the beginning of the week, like “yeah yeah, that sounds nice” but I PROMISE it sets you up for success."

She is so absolutely right!

When I was consistently losing weight last year, it had a lot to do with meal planning. The minute I read that sentence (I didn't even finish the rest of the post because I was so motivated) I shut down my computer, and headed to the grocery store to buy ingredients for my planned week of meals... at 10:15 pm.

I quickly avoided the drunk people looking for a late night snack in the store, grabbed a bunch of stuff and headed back home. By 11:45 I was done with my lunches for the rest of the week and tonight Anthony and I will cook dinner for the rest of the week. THANKS, JEN!

Failing to plan is planning to fail... keep it in mind, people!

OMG! Miss this!

2011-04-08T09:03:00.000-10:00

Believe it or not, I've been staying away from blogging on purpose. Didn't want to jinx myself or anything so I haven't been on too much but this is what my last week and half looked like:

Tue: 45 min elliptical + 45 min circuit training
Wed: 60 min walk
Thu: 50 min circuit training
Fri: full body weight training
Sat: 75 min walk
Sun: 90 min hike + 60 min walk
Mon: Full body weight training
Tue: 35 min HIIT
Wed: 45 min hike
Thu: lower body weight training

Do you see that?!

My workouts have been on point and even when I was 20 lbs. lighter, I never got in weeks like this! And I know I'm due a rest day but that's coming up this weekend... I'll have two because I'm pretty busy the next couple of days. Plus, I really count an only-walking-exercise-day as a break day.

And since we all know that nutrition is 80% of this fight, here are my recent eats and nutrition breakdowns.

Anyway, now that I put it out there, I hope I can keep it up. Tonight I have an upper body weight training workout and a short cardio workout planned. CAN'T WAIT!

Liar, liar...

2011-03-28T15:54:00.000-10:00

OMG so sorry I wasn't back sooner than I thought. Time really got away from me last week... being off of work for a week will do that to you!

So where have I been?

What have I been doing?

What's been going on in my life that's kept me from blogging?!?!?!

(source)

Actually... nothing much.

I'm still in my rut - how long can you call it a rut before it turns into a lifestyle - and just didn't think it was worth coming on the blog to b*tch and complain. You can read plenty of those kinds of posts in the previous several months.

Just a quick update that I'm still maintaining my weight at around 155 (fluctuates between 157 and 153) which isn't bad but definitely not good. It took me over two years to drop 40 pounds and only about 6 months to gain 20 of those pounds back.

My biggest weakness is still food. I've been tracking my calories again with my beloved MFD and looking over the last couple of months it's obvious where I'm messing up but still so hard to fix when I'm starving and craving pizza. I'm thinking it might be time to start posting my daily eats again to stay accountable. And since I started baking, it's been extra difficult. Still looking to find that balance between losing weight and making yummy treats...

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WOW!

2011-03-19T21:05:00.000-10:00

Been a month since my last post... still here... just keeping busy with LIFE!

Will be back to write a real post in the next couple of days!

Awesome weekend and green inspiration

2011-02-28T02:26:00.002-10:00

This weekend was amazing! Not because I did anything special in particular, but because I was an exercise phenom! Nutrition could have definitely been better but working on them baby steps, right?

Friday
Got off of work and when I got home, the boyfriend was just about to leave for his job so I quickly got changed into my workout clothes and went with him... not to work but to walk/jog home. He works about 4 miles away from our condo so it's a decent route. By the time I got back home, the sky was looking like this:

A.M.A.Z.I.N.G, right?!

Saturday
Started the day kinda early (for a Saturday anyway). We still have several weeks of doggie school left for Beans so Anthony leaves our place around 8 am.

Instead of catching a ride with him and walking around the park while class is going on, I leave our place about 15 - 20 minutes after him with our other dog, Poki. The park is a good two or three miles away from our condo so again, a decent walk, but Poki and I usually take the scenic route which will take us about an hour and a half to walk/jog.

Sunday
Got up early again to take the girls on a hike but forgot that Sunday's are hunting days in our mountains. Packs of hunting dogs and wild boar running around on the hiking trails isn't something we wanted to deal with so instead, we went for another walk. This time a six miler that took us to the beach. It was blazing hot but another good workout! Got home in time to wash the dogs, shampoo the carpets, scrub the bathroom and do three loads of laundry!

Hopefully I can get the exercise routine down again and slowly work in more cardio and weight sessions. I have been lifting weights about two times a week but want to increase that to three or four split routines. BABY STEPS!!

_________________________________________________________

Remember last month I posted about some green inspiration I was hoping would help me eat from my kitchen instead of out of a take-out container? Well look how much it's grown in about a month!!

Before after

And 'after' includes cutting and using the herbs several times a week!

The herbs are doing awesome... almost to point that I can't use them in time but that's nothing to complain about. I've used them in sauces, quiches, soups, breads, eggs, meats, salads... almost everything! And we have our first chili pepper coming up. We only have one but I can't wait to use it.

Diet vs. lifestyle change

2011-02-24T11:40:00.000-10:00

Trying to change your lifestyle is hard... trying to change it when you have 5 months straight of special occasions is REALLY hard.

November - Thanksgiving
December - Christmas
January - New Years and my birthday
February - Valentine's Day
March - Anniversary

But that's life. I know this. You know this. So why does it become an "excuse" to not try as hard? As you know I've been in kind of a rut lately with exercise and especially nutrition. I keep thinking to myself that I need to get this weight off by my class reunion and I don't give much thought to what comes after that. HUGE MISTAKE! This has put so much pressure on myself! Two months ago I had 7 months to try and lose 40 pounds. One month ago I had 6 months to lose 40 pounds. Now I have 5 months to lose 40.

The closer the date of the reunion comes, the more I feel like I shouldn't even try anymore because I can't possibly do 40 pounds in 6 months... 5 months... 4 months... etc.

My friend Dayne left me a comment on one of my last posts and it's something I need to keep reminding myself of:

Dayne Gingrich said...
"So much work to do (again)!" is an illusion. That type of thinking is very common, and speaks to a SHORT TERM mindset.

This isn't a diet-thing... or a losing-weight-thing. That's short term thinking. This journey is a LIFE CHANGE, with fluctuations forever. Some days we'll slip, other days we'll be as discipline as ever.

Accepting of these fluctuations is absolutely key. Short term diets or weight loss don't work because there's an unconscious finish line.

Instead, making it a life long walk, knowing we'll be up and down forever will take the pressure off, and allow it to become more consistent.

You DON'T have more work to do (again). There's not "again." There's only now. Today now and the next day now. Enjoy this journey.

And he's so right... I'm not trying to diet in the sense of what everyone thinks a "diet" is, but I'm trying to change my unhealthy habits. Need to view things as a decision vs. a restriction.

I'm gonna eat a salad for lunch because I choose to not because I have to.

Makes it a little easier, ya know?! Gonna end with pictures from this past weekend's Christmas/birthday/Valentine's brunch. Gorgeous views and awesome food... can't go wrong!

Cookbook Adventure: 3/60

2011-02-23T03:29:00.002-10:00

Please check out my new food blog with pictures and recipes.

Kitchen Adventures

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As part of my cookbook adventure here is recipe 3/60:
coconut banana bread

Updated picture and WC V

2011-02-22T07:51:00.000-10:00

You ask and you shall receive. I've had several people comment/email me about an updated picture of myself since the last picture on my site was from M.O.N.T.H.S. ago! So here it is.

155 lbs.

Christmas 2010

This is what a 20 lbs. gain looks like on me and I guess I'm still far from how I looked when I first started (Sept. 2008) but still... it's really far from what I looked like 20 lbs. lighter (March 2010). =(

So much more work to do (again)!
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Weekend Challenge V

Update to this past Weekend Challenge!
Here were my goals for the long weekend, Feb. 18-21, 2011:

390/420 exercise minutes
1395/1500 calorie deficit

I didn't make either goal but I still got in a ton of exercise. 390 minutes over 4 days comes out to almost 100 minutes a day. YAY me! Calorie wise I didn't make it because of some last minute get-togethers with friends but this Challenge kept me moving and kept me conscious of everything I was eating. It's a start!

'T' is for Tomato + recipe 2/60

2011-02-20T18:13:00.004-10:00

Please check out my new food blog with pictures and recipes.

Kitchen Adventures

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As part of my cookbook adventure here is recipe 2/60:
upside-down tomato tart

... as in upside-down tomato tart!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup and 2 tbs. butter, divided
1 tbs. honey
1 lbs. cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1 clove garlic, diced
2 tsp. white wine vinegar
1.75c flour, sifted
1 tbs. fresh oregano, chopped
5 - 6 tbs. cold water
salt and pepper to taste

1.) Preheat oven400 degrees. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a pan and add honey. Stir till honey is completely melted and turn off heat.

2.) Quickly add garlic, tomatoes, and white wine vinegar, stirring to coat the tomatoes evenly. Season with salt and pepper.

3.) Turn out the cooked tomatoes into a pie pan and spread evenly.

4.) For the pastry, place the flour, salt and oregano into a food processor. Pulse and slowly add 1/2 cup of chilled butter until mixture looks like breadcrumbs. Don't over process because you don't want to melt the butter.

5.) Add cold water, tablespoon but tablespoon to bind the flour mixture into a soft dough. Roll out the dough to the same size as your pie pan and place over tomato mixture.

6.) Bake in the oven for 30 minutes until golden brown. Rest in the pie pan 5 minutes, then run a knife around the edge and turn out onto a plate. Sprinkle with more chopped oregano and ENJOY.

Mini-Review
Hmmm.... kind of torn between this recipe. On one hand, it has MAJOR potential to be something really good but Anthony and I just didn't like it. I think because the recipe calls for honey and vinegar. Tomatoes are both sweet and acidic as is so to add MORE of each really made the tart too sweet and acidic. We tried this again without the honey and used white wine for cooking and it was SOOOO much better! On the plus side, the herbed crust was delicious!!

Weekend Challenge V

2011-02-18T15:41:00.000-10:00

Thank you for all the support from my last post.... I loved all the reassuring comments and especially the tough-love comments! You have all inspired me to think of this"failed" experience as something different... MOTIVATION!!!

So I'm bringing back the Weekend Challenge! Who else is in?!

Here are my goals for this weekend, today until Monday:

0/420 exercise minutes
0/1500 calorie deficit

F.A.I.L.U.R.E

2011-02-18T01:14:00.001-10:00

I find myself once again struggling with this journey. I cannot, for the life of me, figure out why this time around it's so hard to do. I know the system - eating right and exercising - works and I know how to do it AND I've done it before. I have all the resources and time I need to get it done - yet I just cannot get myself motivated like I was before.

For me the hardest part is controlling the eating. All day I'm on track but once I get home it all goes to hell! I keep telling myself the same thing almost every afternoon:

"I'll really start watching my nutrition tomorrow. Today I'll enjoy this piece of cake now and pizza for dinner since I won't be seeing that kind of food for a while."

Saying and doing this every afternoon keeps the weight on even with exercise because it basically undoes all the "good work" I've done in the beginning of the day. I've been getting really frustrated and upset with myself so I really want to figure out why I act like this. You know how you gain all these positive things when you lose weight - self-confidence, happiness, determination, success - well you lose them all when you gain the weight back. So this is definitely part of the problem. And I think another part of it is because I feel like a failure.

Pun intended!

Because I lost the weight once and was able to maintain it, I feel like a complete failure that I've gained back half of it. Yeah, it's better than having gained back all + some, but I can't get my mind around the fact that I failed.

Failed at something I was so passionate about.

Failed at something I thought was a permanent lifestyle change.

Failed at becoming healthier.

Failed at something I knew I deserved.

It's been almost two months since I knew about my class reunion this summer and I haven't lost a single pound. How do I get around this "failed" mind-set?!

A post I wrote almost a year and a half ago sums it up nicely. And now I'm living it:

My greatest fear is becoming who I was at my heaviest weight.

Unhappy
Unhealthy
Unfit
Unattractive
I've been there, done that, so to go back to something I hated will only make it ten times worse. Imagine being in the darkest, scariest place you can think of. Imagine working hard everyday to get yourself out of that hellhole and how happy you are to finally be out. Now imagine you (and only you!) willingly let yourself walk through the door back into that dark place... not because you want to go back, but because you choose to go back. How do you feel?

EXACTLY!

I've worked my tail off to get healthy again and if I let myself go back to who I was, it'll make me feel even worse!

The Amazing Shrinking Girl - P90X style!

Cheat meals vs. cheat days: Part I

One year left!!!

Flashback Fridays: Selling myself short

Weigh-in Wednesday: 129 lbs. by 1/29

"But being healthy is too hard!"

Salad over ice cream for the WIN

Goals... goals... goals

Weigh-in Wednesday and spiral slicing

Weekend recap

Progress stats from the beginning

Tasty Thursdays: Yogurt dip!!!!!

Weigh-in Wednesday and growing thighs?

Goal changes/updates

Tasty Thursdays: Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies

New Year's Eve in pictures

Happy New Year/Month = GOALS

Reason 31: To never forget

Reason 30: To be here longer

Reason 29: To improve all areas of my fitness

Reason 28: To not get sick

Weigh-in Wednesday and turkey meatballs

Reason 27: Increase my flexibility and mobility

Reason 26: To improve my wellbeing

Reason 25: Best gift ever

Reason 24: To see what I REALLY can do

Reason 23: To wear the clothes I want to wear

Reason 22: To bring my sexy back

Reason 21: To walk the walk, not just talk the talk

Weigh-in Wednesday: !!!!!

Reason 20: To take care of me

I'm free!!!

Reason 19: To join the Army

Reason 18: To find a balance

Runner's high... at only two miles?!

Reason 17: To run Koko Crater

It always goes to sh*t!

Reason 16: To be comfortable in my own skin

Reason 15: To save money

Reason 14: To have a nice set of "guns"

Weigh-in Wednesday and progress picture

Reason 13: To relieve stress

Reason 12: So what I do becomes a habit

Honolulu Marathon 2011

Reason 11: To feel achievement...

Reason 10: So people stop judging me

Reason 9: To be an inspiration to others

Reason 8: So my weight doesn't control me

Reason 7: To have the body I deserve

Weigh-in Wednesday: 137.6

Reason 6: To run a half-marathon

Reason 5: To prove to others that I can do it

It's starting to look like Christmas

Reason 4: To avoid diabetes

Reason 3: Learn to achieve goals

Reason 2: To believe in myself

Reason 1: To keep up with my fur babies

Goal updates and changes

Sweet Potato Pie recipe

Weigh-in Wednesday and Nut-butter Banana Wrap

Thanksgiving weekend

Weigh-in Wednesday and "Big and Bulky?"

If I Lift Weights I'll Get Bulky (http://www.livestrong.com)

Weigh-in Wednesday, barbells and a delivery!

Mall workout

Long weekend recap

Weigh-in Wednesday and Protein Ball Recipe

What's a sandbag?

New month = new goals

Cheese... what cheese?

Turkey Veggie Chili Recipe

Weigh-in Wednesday: Yay!

Lazy weekend recap

A little more info

Weigh-in Wednesdays: Bringing it back

Always want what we can't have

Wow...

Hi...

Weekend Challenge!

Out of touch