Randomness

I cannot believe how time flies.  Its been awhile since I last posted.  Things have been crazy, hectic, busy, but I'm sure I am not the only one experiencing these things.  Sometimes in life you feel like you are on a roller coaster and you just cannot stop.  Its all good though.

I have been exercising and watching what I eat.  I indulged a few times.  For example, my cousin turned one and I knew there would be lots of good food at the party.  Not to mention cake and ice cream ( I have a profound weakness for ice cream).  At any rate, I ate what I wanted but did not gorge or make myself feel uncomfortable.  I just nibbled here and there on what I wanted and made sure that I saved room for that cake and ice cream.  Let me tell you it was worth it.  :-)

On Monday and Tuesday I went to the gym.  Tuesday I had my Spin class with my buddy.  He really worked me into a sweaty mess!  It was great!!!!  I didn't go to the gym yesterday because I decided just to take off.  Also, I wasn't feeling too good (hope I am not getting that nasty stomach virus that is going around).  I plan to go to the gym after work today while I wait for my colleagues to get finished working.  We are supposed to be going to a Happy Hour.  I haven't been out in so long, I am probably not going to know how to act.

Well, I have to go so.....until next time, stay strong and eat healthy.

Sunshine Makes It Better

I am so happy that we have had a couple of nice days. Sunshine makes evrything better! I went to the gym on Monday and yesterday I had my Spin class. Today I am hurting a little, but it is ok. I know that this pain is worth it. I took my daughter swimming on Sunday and was able to get some water exercise in. I can't wait to get outside to ride my bike. Soon!! I have been using MyFitnessPal to track what I am eating and also my exercise. Since last week I have lost a pound so I am happy about that. I am also being mor concious of my portion sizes. I am drinking more water and am packing my lunch so I know what I am eating and not guessing while standing in the food line at the cafe during my lunch hour. Anyway, here is some of what I have been eating

Early Spin Class Just For Me

I just want to say that I love Spinning!!! I haven't been able to get to a class in a while, but a friend of mine said that he would be willing to give me a one-one-one class that suited my schedule just fine. So it was at 630am that he told me to hop on the bike and get ready!!! Let me just tell you that I was not prepared for the beating that he was about to give me!!! We did soooo many hill climbs that I thought I was going to puke. Sweat was pouring down my face and all I could do was hold up my hand when he was trying to talk and ask me questions. I was getting my butt kicked, but you know what??? When we were finished at 705am I was so greatful for my friend. I really and truly needed that butt kicking. I felt so invigorated throughtout the rest of my day. It even made me more conscious of what I was putting in my mouth. So, every Tuesday morning, he is going to kick my butt. And every Tuesday morning I will be cursing him under my breath. However, when its all said and done, I will be worshipping the ground he walks on because he is willing to help me out on this long weight loss journey. I have been having issues with uploading pictures. Hopefully I get it worked out soon. So although I cannot show you what I have been eating, let me tell you.... I have been trying to eat clean so I have been eating a lot of chicken and fish. I have been snacking on veggies, fruit and nuts. I will occasionally have some yogurt with cheerios. My drink of choice these days has been water. I am trying to make it a habit to bring my water bottle with me wherever I go. I'm struggling but I have not given up. Well,I gotta go for now. So, until next time, stay strong and eat healthy.

A Day Of Food

I might be a little late, but I was searching blogs and came across this one called Peas and Crayons.  A lot of people post pictures of what they ate on a given day, so I decided to join in.   I don't have too many pictures to post, but here goes.  On the drive in to work I had this smoothie that  consisted of blueberries, blackberries, banana, strawberries, flax seed, chia seed, and kale with some pre-made green juice and water.

It isn't the greatest picture, sorry.  Then for snack I had some fruit that I forgot to take a picture of....oops, I will get the swing of taking the pics soon.  For lunch I had this veggie sandwich from Subway because I had to stop by the Mall and didn't know what else to get.  I thought it was my healthiest option available.  Also, this fits in with the whole "green" theme for WIAW.

For dinner I just had some chicken and steamed broccoli.  Of course I drank plenty of water throughout the day.  I am really trying to up my water consumption.  So, I really like this whole WIAW idea and plan on doing it again.  Until next time, stay strong and eat healthy.

Some of what I ate....

I figure if I start the day eating right, it will hopefully keep me eating healthy throughout the day.  This is what I had for breakfast

Waffles (although I would prefer homemade ones since they would be less processed) with almond butter, blackberries, plain non-fat greek yogurt, chia seeds, and some agave syrup.  This kept me full for quite some time.

For snacks I had these: a banana and some clementines with water throughout the day.

Clean Eating..Just The Beginning

A little while back I mentioned some goals that I was going to try to work on.  The one that I have been focusing on the most is pack a healthy lunch at least four times a week.
How have I been doing?  Well, I have been really concentrating on clean eating and making sure I have a "clean" lunch has been working well.  I been having turkey wraps with mustard, cut up carrots and celery.  I will either have an apple or a clementine to go along with it.  My Mom also made this really good lentil soup so I was able to pack that a few days.  I haver been having smoothies for breakfast.  I usually mix in protein powder, spinach or kale, chia seeds, flax seeds, yogurt, and either some store bought green juice or some water.  It usually keeps me full for several hours.
I've been setting time aside on Sundays to cut up veggies for my snack and to also put some aside for my daughters lunch.  I have been drinking plenty of water and I have also cut out the cream in my coffee.  I am still using splenda, but I hope to get rid of that soon also.
I have lost 2 lbs since last week and I am pleased with that.  I haven't been exercising much at all, but I know I will get back to it.
I have been searching the internet for lunch and dinner ideas and have found some really good recipes.  I think as long as I plan ahead and prepare, I will be able to continue on my healthy journey.
Its a struggle, but I feel like its one that will be well worth it.  So, I plan to keep this clean eating going and hope to incorporate it into more meals and snacks as the time goes on.

Until next time, stay strong and eat healthy.

Any ideas or suggestions for clean eating?

Trying to keep it going

Time is just flying by!  I cannot believe we are in the middle of February.  I've been busuy with work, but I have been verymindful of what I have been eating.
I have been doing excellent with packing a healthy lunch for most days of the week.  I have also been drinking a protein shake/smoothie on my way into work so that I am not starving by the time I arriove.  It has been helping to keep me full and out of the cafeteria.
I haven't been doing so great in the exercise department, but I will get back at it.  I always have my bag packed with my workout clothes so that I can be prepared at any moment.
I have just felt so run down lately.  Not sure if I am coming down with something or if I just need some rest.  I'm trying to get to bed at a decent hour since I have to be up at 430 or 500am each morning, but sometimes there is so much going on in the evenings that its 1000pm before I know it.  Oh well, one thing at a time.  I need to get the scale to move DOWN....can't keep seeing the same num,ber because its so frustrating!
Off to work!
Until next time, stay strong and eat healthy.
Any tips on getting out of a workout rut?

Made It Through

Since I started back on my Weight Watcher's Points Plus, I am down 2.6 lbs!  I am so happy!  I know that this can work, but I am my own worst enemy.  If I stick to counting the points and exercising I will be ok and well on my way....once again.
Speaking of exercising, a friend of mine at work wanted me to take a SPIN class with her.  So, I said ok and she signed us up.  Now I do love spinning, but the class was during lunch hour and as the time drew near, I was making every excuse with myself not to go.  You know, its too crowded at the gym during that time, I will have to wait for a shower, its going to keep me away from my desk for more than an hour and I don't want to get in trouble with my boss, etc.  Well, I threw all of that out the door and went to SPIN with my friend.  I am so glad that I did!  It was awesome and I just loved the instructor.  I made it through!  I left a little early to get back to my desk at a reasonable time, but the workout was invigorating and I managed to work up a pretty good sweat.  I plan on attending the class again.
I managed to make it to the gym 3 times this week....yea!  Which is one of my goals anyway.  I was also very mindful of what I ate.  I did have a couple of chocolate turtles that someone brought into the office, but hey, at least I did not eat the whole box.
I was good with packing my lunch 3 out of the 5 days.  I want to get up to packing it everyday, but it is small steps that will get me there.  At any rate, I am happy with the way this week has gone.  Now bring on the weekend!
Does anyone have any big plans for this weekend?  My daughter received roller skates for Christmas so since the weather is supposed to be nice here I am going to try to teach her how to skate.  Wish me luck and all I can say is...Lord, give me patience.
Until next time, stay strong and eat healthy.

New Year and Some Goals

It has been awhile since I last posted.  Work, holidays, and life just happened and time got away from me.  I enjoyed the holidays tremendously!  I always love spending quality time with the family.

In short, a few of my goals are:

1. Pack a healthy lunch at least 4 times a week
2. Go to the gym at least 3 times a week
3. Take some time each day to just sit back and reflect

I will start with these and see how things progress.

Until next time, stay strong

What A Vacation

They say its the "Happiest Place On Earth" and I am beginning to believe them.  We took my daughter to Walt Disney World and it was the BEST time ever!!!!  I've mentioned before that she is four years old now, and let me tell you, she was at the perfect age to enjoy everything.  She is a BIG fan of the Princesses so she was in awe to meet them and get their autographs.  She even had breakfast\brunch with Pooh and Tigger and Alice from Alice in Wonderland.  
Of course she had to dress up in her Princess outfits and she was even able to get her hair and nails done up like Belle at the Princess Boutique (I forget how to spell it correctly, but it was called something like Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique).  All I can say is they really know how to make children (and adults for that matter) happy!  Needless to say, I am in need of a vacation after the vacation!
I weighed my self before we left because I wanted to see what the damage would be when I returned.  Now mind you, I was on vacation and told myself that I would have what I wanted but I would not overdue it and make myself sick.  So, that is what I did.  I enjoyed chocolate and ice cream and french fries.  I did, however, start everyday with a healthy breakfast of a multigrain cereal.  So, when I came home, I stepped on the scale and you know what???  I LOST 3 lbs!!!!!  Yes!!!  I know it had to do with all of the walking we did.  I mean at the end of each day  I was COMPLETELY wiped out!
I told myself that now I just need to keep the activity levels up.  I have not been to the gym in weeks so I need to get back to my daily routine.  Even if its not the gym, I just NEED to move somehow.  It just reminded me how important physical activity is.  
Well, that's all for now.  Until next time, stay strong and eat healthy!

Holiday Temptations

Well the holidays are upon us.  I just love this time of year!  We spend a lot of time with family and friends and it seems like something is always abuzz.
I have to make sure no to overindulge at every party\gathering that we have.  I know that at work there will be delicious temptations everywhere.  I will try to be mindful of what I am eating, but I also want to enjoy the food and festivities at the same time.  Maybe I will try to implement the rule that its ok for me to sample several things as long as I don't eat all of everything.  I think that way I will still be able to feel like I am enjoying myself and not depriving myself.
How do you intend to handle the Holiday season with so many delicious temptations around?
Until next time, stay strong and eat healthy.

Hurricane Sandy

All I can say is Thank God we made it safely through the storm!  Let me tell you that it was scary to say the least.  The wind and the rains were horrendous.  My prayers go out to all of those that were affected by the storm.  There is some major damage out there.  I just saw on tv where one family had a tree destroy their house and two cars.  Its so sad.  Its going to take awhile for people to recover from this.  Mother Nature is really something else.
The New Jersey shore has been hit relly hard.  The pictures are devastating.  Words cannot express my feelings when I look at the pictures.
I just wanted to make a quick post to express my feelings.  I hope everyone stays safe!

Cold, Damp, and Dreary

I can't believe how cold it is today!!!  Well I guess its not really cold but Fall is definitely here.  Its dreary and damp too....which I do not like!  This is the time of the year when I seem to constantly put lotion on my hands.  I cannot stand that dry feeling.  I probably lotion my hands every 5 to 10 minutes!
Anyway, I have been really conscious of what I am eating lately.  I have been tracking everything and it seems to be helping with the choices that I am making.  I just came back from a trip to Whole Foods.  I only needed to pick up a couple of things, like oatmeal, milk, salad, green juice and some yogurt.  Oh, and I also got some non fat frozen yogurt.  I am going to use that as my treat when the rest of the family is eating ice cream.
Last week I went to the gym three times and this week I am on track to do the same.  So far I have been warming up by walking on the treadmill and then I ride the stationary bike.  I am still easing myself back into the routine so I have not done any weights yet.  I would also like to work my way back up to going five times a week.
I have been drinking plenty of water and I have also been incorporating my protein shakes into my daily food intake.  Last week I used all of my points plus the weekly points that I get.  I am only weighing myself on Wednesdays.  So, that means tomorrow is a weigh-in day.  I can only hope that I am down some!
Time to go pick up the little one!  Until next time, stay strong and eat healthy.

Meal Planning

Well today is Sunday and this week I am aiming to try something new.  I am going to plan/write down all of my meals for the week.  I am determined to eat what I have planned out.  I am hoping that this will make me have better choices.  I need to have the will power to stick to the plan.  I am back to counting points as that is what worked for me in the past.  I am still working with the nutritionist too.
I am going to the gym tomorrow morning.  My bag is already packed....there is no turning back! I have to stop this madness.  I looked in the mirror and DID NOT like what I saw.  I am the only one who can fix this.  I am struggling but I am getting my will power back to where it needs to be in order for me to succeed.
Tomorrow I will have a Protein Shake for breakfast, yogurt and cheerios for my mid morning snack, a turkey and cheese sandwich on whole wheat bread for lunch, string cheese for my afternoon snack, baked chicken and broccoli for dinner, and if I need an evening snack I will have a Protein Shake or Protein bar.  The plan is also to have endless amounts of water.  I will keep you posted.
Until next time, stay strong and eat healthy.

The Scale Can Go Down

Hello all!!!  Its been awhile.  I am still here and struggling to get the weight off.  I am still dealing with a medical issue, but I am making steady improvements.  I will be able to get back to the gym in about 10 days so I am looking forward to that.
I was down and out for a little bit last week and lost about 6lbs, but that was only because I wasn't really eating.  When I did manage to eat, I was eating soup and plain bagels.  I believe I gained about 2lbs back, but let me tell you....it was really nice to see the scale goind down for more than a pond or two!  I was beginning to think that something was wrong and that I woulnd't be able to lose anything. I tell ya, this weight loss thing is frustrating.
Anyway, my nutritionist emailed me and said that I have been doing really great with my evening meals for the most part. I still have a tendency to slip up (hey, I'm human) with somethings throughout the day.  This is a work in progress.  He said that as long as  I continue to make steady improvements, he is happy.
Well, I must go!  The rest of the week is going to be crazy.  We have swimming lessons, tennis, dance class, and a birthday party!!!!  Should be fun!!!
Until next time, stay strong and eat healthy

Must Get Back To The Gym

I cannot believe how the summer has flown by! We have had a blast with some nice road trips in the past couple of months.
I have been doing well with my eating.  The frustrating thing is that the scale is not moving much at all!!!  I have to get to the gym more often to see if that will help things along. I mean I am teeting back and forth with the same 1-2 lbs gained\lost.  I need to get out of my rut!!!
I have to take care of a medical issue and when that gets resolved within the next two weeks I really plan to bump up my game again in the gym.  I might even start back up with the personal trainer to kick start some things, but we will see.
At any rate, I am in this for the long haul!  I just have to keep myself motivated.  I have been reading a lot of blogs that are helping me too!  Gotta go for now!
Until next time, stay strong and eat healthy.

Weekend Whirlwind

Whew what a weekend!  We went on a little getaway to D.C. and what a blast we had.  I took my daughter to see her first ever WNBA game and she loved every minute of it.  The highlight of the game for her was when she was dancing and they put her up on the big screen!  I think at that moment she was the happiest little girl in the world.  Seeing her face and feeling her hug me just made my day!
I made sure to keep myself aware of what I was eating.  Some friends had us over to their house before the game for some lunch.  I had chicken salad with some delicious pita chips.  I had a couple of pieces of tortellini and salami from the pasta salad, and I had two (maybe three) deviled eggs.  I watched my portions and managed to not over do it.  For dessert we had some out of ths world sweet watermelon.  What a way to cap off a meal.  During the game I had some popcorn and some water.
I really do need to get back on the exercise track!  I can definitely feel myself slipping.  I did manage to take a little walk around the parking lot at work yesterday and it felt good.  I can tell though that I have lost some of my cardio that I worked so hard to gain.  I will get ther again...I am determined!
Well, gotta go get some work done.  Until next time, stay strong and eat healthy.

Small Victories, One Step At A Time

I am making progress and getting used to my new eating plan.  I have been having protein shakes for breakfast around 630 or 700 am and then around 1000am I will have a piece of fruit or some greek yogurt.  I am also working on my water consumption and although it has not been great, it is improving.  I still have my one cup of coffee in the morning.  That is something that I just don't want to get rid of.  At least not right now.  I managed to get to the gym yesterday morning and although I was only able to squeeze in 20 minutes on the bike, I was proud of myself for at least getting there.  I had been on this terrible procrastination streak with the gym.  Every evening I was saying that I would go to the gym the next mornng.  Sadly, 9 out of 10 times I never made it.  It is easy to get out of your routine and make excuses as to why you cannot make it.  

I was so proud of myself last night.  My daughter had tennis lessons and she did excellent.  She is really doing well and she really likes it too.  Anyway, she wanted a cheeseburger for dinner so I stopped on the way home to get her one.  I wasn't really hungry so instead of allowing myself to eat something that I shouldn't I just opted to drink a protein shake.  YES!!!  It was a victory for me!!!  I felt great about my decision too.  It may have been a small victory, but it was a victory non the less. Hey, I am taking things one step at a time these days.  Slow and steady will win this race!!

Until next time, stay strong and eat healthy.

Protein Shakes

I cannot believe that it is August already.  Where has the summer gone?  I still have a couple of vacations lined up for this year so I am happy about that.  Since I met with the nutritionist I have been meaning to go pick up some protein powder for my shakes.  I wasn't sure which one to get so I asked a couple of people and the nutrtionist suggested some. Yesterday one of my co-workers\gym buddies suggested Pure Protein.  So last night, off to the store I went.  I picked up a 2lb container of it.  Normally I would mix my protein shakes with almond milk, but the nutrtionist wants me to just use water. So last night I decided to give it a try.  And you know what???  I liked it!  I got the frosty chocolate flavor and it was smooth and creamy.  It didn't taste chalky to me at all like some of the other ones have.  I will have a shake for my 10am and my 3pm snacks today.

Not much else is going on.  I went to the gym yesterday and did some cardio.  I did the elliptical and the stationary bike.  It felt good.  Tomorrow I will do cardio and weights.  I managed to eat a good meal for dinner last night as I am continuing to concentrate on bettering that meal.  I had a turkey burger without the bun and some mixed veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots) with some iced tea.

Gotta go for now.  Until next time, stay strong and eat healthy.

Disclaimer: These are my own opinions.  I did not get paid to promote any products.

Positive Thinking

I can't believe I wrote a post for this and TOTALLY lost it!!! So, let me try to think of what I said and redo it.....
I met with the Nutritionist on Wednesday and I must say that I was very excited and impressed by him and the things he was telling me.  We met for about 30 minutes since we both had to get back to work.  He does the nutrition thing on the side.  Anyway, he said that we are going to start slowly since this is a lifestyle change and not some "fad" diet!  I absolutely agreed with him.  We are going to work on getting me some healthier snack options and also work on my evening meal.  It seems that I am eating too many carbs in the evening.  Which is not good since I do not do any activities in the evenings to burn them off.  So, we will see what happens.
On another note, has anyone been watching the Olympics?  I just loved, loved, loved watching the Women's Road race.  I can't believe how fast they were going!  Especially since the conditions were so treacherous.  Amazing athletes.  I also like to watch the swimming and the basketball.  Actually, I just love it all!!
Time to get to work.  Until next time, stay strong and eat healthy!