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Monday, August 23, 2010

So close to my goal!

After food journaling for a while I got a feel for how much food I really need to eat and how often. Of course there are days that I pig out, or eat a taco bell meal but because I am eating healthy most of the time I have been able to keep this weight off for a month now. I have been hovering at 129, which is still mind-blowing to me. Like I said in an earlier post, I haven't been this weight in 12 years.  I re-evaluated my final goal weight. I had originally planned on getting to 120, but I have already had so many comments from people that I shouldn't lose any more weight, that I am going to plan for 125 and to stick there.  The weight loss has slowed down considerably and that's fine. I don't want to lose it fast, then gain it back. I want to stay where I'm at. I think this weight is pretty darn good. I am going to continue to weigh myself, but more to keep tabs to make sure I'm not gaining everything back. From now on my efforts will be more focused on getting some abs, and some more definition in my legs. I don't want to be crazy muscular, but I don't think there's any danger of that happening.  I only do the kickboxing on 2 days a week, so that's my only real weightlifting type of activity.

Thursday, July 1, 2010

On a Roll!

Holy Crap, I actually asked myself this morning, looking at my progress, if I could break the 130 barrier and get to 129 in the month of July.  And I think the answer is yes! I haven't been under 130 since Freshman year of college.  And that's cause I was playing Lacrosse 2 hours every day and I was lifting weights, and running to cross train.  I cannot believe how eating healthy makes such a difference.  I mean, that feels like a stupid thing to say because, of course eating healthy will help you stay at a healthy weight.  For some reason I feel like now I really do believe it and before I was just saying the words with everyone else.
So the goal for this week, to my unbelieving amazement is to get to 129.  That's only a 2 lb loss.  Which at this point is more realistic now that I am closer to my goal weight.
The other incredible thing that continues to amaze me, is how I am not hungry.  I am eating way less than I used to, but because the food is enriching, and I am eating less more often (ELMO), I am not hungry.  And not in an eating disorder type of way.  In a "I just ate two hours ago and I'll have my next snack before I feel starving" kind of way.  Because I have been paying attention to my body I have a much better feeling for whether I am actually hungry, or thirsty, or just want something to crunch on.  Having something crunchy in my lunch box has been a great technique.  At the 2:00 mark, when I am bored, and school is over, and I'm not hungry, but I want to eat, I can grab whatever crunchy snack I brought, because for me bored = crunchy snack.  I have been trying to make sure I have baby carrots or pretzels.  One time I brought celery, but that wasn't that delicious.  Grapes worked okay on a day that I didn't have crunchy, but I found myself eating much more because I was craving that crunch.
Anyway, I'm feeling awesome today, I'm feeling in control.  Which is good since I don't have much control over other stuff, like finances and doggy healing. 

Sunday, June 27, 2010

Full Moon Hiking

First night time hike for me was last night.  It was a full moon so I planned a Lanikai Pillbox moonlight hike.  It was beautiful. There were a lot of cars parked at the entrance and two huge groups of people at the top, but even with all of those people it was still beautiful and serene.  There is something about being out in nature at night that I miss.  The moonrise was exceptional, it looked huge and I wish my camera could capture it.  I had to pirate some pictures from my friend Shane who joined us on our hike because his camera captured the moon better than mine.  All in all I'd say that moonlight hiking is something I'd like to try more often.

To Journal or Not To Journal?

Okay, so I've lost a lot of weight.  I'm at 133.  I'm keeping my goal at 125, but I'm pretty pleased to be where I'm at.  I know that food journaling had a lot to do with it and I'm sad that I was a skeptic for so long.  The only problem with journaling is that I hate doing it.  And because I hate it, I haven't been doing it recently.  So my question is how to make journaling a little easier, now that I'm on a roll.  How do I keep motivated?  I guess the answer is that it's not easy and that's why it works?  So just keep doing it.  Darn it, I hate it when I'm right, cause usually that means more effort.  I'm going to go pull the old journal out and write down what I ate this morning.  Another reason journaling works, I have to document the McDonald's breakfast, which is never a really smart choice.

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Eating Healthy on a Low Budget

Found this thread on fitness.com and thought I would share the link as well as my thoughts on this topic. The poster is looking for low cost ideas to continue her healthy eating after her husband lost his job. 

I have always had to budget very strictly for groceries and am actually thankful that I grew up poor because now that I'm having a hard time with money again I can fall back on a lot of strategies that my mom used.  You need to find a good balance between your beans, rice, pastas and other long-shelf life items and fresher stuff.  Otherwise you'll get really bored.  Buying frozen, in my opinion, is the best way to save money and still eat fairly fresh.  Now that they freeze things immediately off the farm or the boat, they thaw out really well and taste good.  I always have the huge bags of different varieties of frozen mixed vegetables in my freezer.  You can throw some in a lot of different dishes to change things up.  Put some in soup, in a stir fry, corn or peas can go in a salad, or in your pasta sauce.  Frozen fruit is also really good, although I don't freeze it myself because I have bad luck with it.  It always gets freezer burn.  I just buy bags of frozen strawberries or peaches, or blueberries or raspberries.  These don't seem to last as long as the frozen veggies for some reason, so I have less of these on hand, but you can thaw them out with a little splenda to replace syrups, put them in your pasta and salads, use them instead of salad dressing.  Frozen chicken, shrimp and fish are usually in my freezer.  Plus, I finally purchased a FoodSaver and although it takes some time when you are packaging your meat, it is a huge money saver for us.  I'm a Costco member and you can buy a ton of high quality meat for a low price, but you need to separate it, suck the air out of it, and freeze it immediately.  A permanent marker to mark when you bought it and the stuff lasts a pretty long time. 
If you combine your frozen food with fresher items, it doesn't feel like you are sacrificing.  I always buy either a bag of salad or a head of romaine lettuce.  I also always buy a big bag of onions and a bag of potatoes when they are on sale.  They last pretty long and you can use them in a variety of ways. 
Another great way to save is to have canned stuff on hand.  I am not a big fan of canned veggies, I prefer frozen, but you can't beat canned beans.  They are pretty inexpensive, especially when they are on sale, last forever and can really add flavor to an otherwise tasteless dish.  It can get boring if you stick to the red beans, but there's all kinds out there.  Garbanzo beans, black beans, pinto beans, and beans already in sauce.  You have to be careful with the sauce or flavored beans because they can be packed with a lot of sodium, and hidden calories, but you always have to weigh the health benefits with the risks.  And having flavored beans sometimes is better for you than a bag of chips, so I say splurge sometimes.  Beans are great, but the other day I was browsing the canned goods isle and discovered a whole world of foods that I have been ignoring.  There is canned chiles, tomatoes (obvious, but overlooked), tuna fish, and my new favorite- canned fruit.  They have alternative ways of packing it these days, so it's not all in high sugar syrups. They have all kinds of yummy fruit in cans. This is how it really saves you money: I buy the big container of yogurt, which appears to be a more expensive option, however- mix about 6 ounces of yogurt with some canned fruit, and have a snack.  You will not feel hungry for a while.  That's where it saves you money, and I believe it's why people who eat yogurt lose weight.  I cannot believe how full I feel after a small yogurt snack. It's great for a work snack if you have a fridge. 
Hope some of this stirs some healthy eating in you.  It's easy to buy cheap, unhealthy food because you think eating healthy is too expensive.  I am also looking forward to hearing more ideas about eating healthy at low cost!

Saturday, May 22, 2010

The Food Journal

Weigh in- 138

I finally did it. The last post I wrote I was still stuck at 145.  I was stuck there for quite a long time.  In the past month I have been dealing with a lot of stress in my life.  You know how it works, several things all seem to happen at the same time making you feel like you would just like to curl up into a corner.  Well I didn't.  I stuck with my kickboxing routine twice a week, and I have stayed active at least one other day of each week.  I have been hiking most weeks and this week I went for a run.  That could have been good enough.  I would have been pretty happy to maintain my weight in a stressful time.  Instead I took this time as an opportunity to have control of something (since I felt like I didn't have much control over everything else).  I decided to finally write down everything I was eating. This is not an easy thing for me to do.  I have Kaiser Permanente's healthy living program partly to thank. The online program does a long multiple choice questionairre about what you eat, how many times a week you exercise etc.  It asks you how confident you are about being able to lose weight and how well you think you eat.  Then it gives you a break down and a plan.  I have done questionnaires and stuff before, but this one seemed much more intense and there didn't seem to be a "right" answer like you see sometimes in questionnaires.  Anyway I did the whole thing and it basically told me that I thought I was eating better than I actually am and gave me some pretty sound advice.  I grabbed a black and white lined composition book and started to make a list of what I was eating.  I also took the time to answer the journaling questions they asked in regards to my attitude about food, losing weight, etc.  All in all it was quite worth while.
It seems to me that food journaling is a great weight loss tool for several reasons.  The first, of course, is that you have a record of what you have eaten and can figure out how many calories you've eaten and evaluate objectively.  It also works in a few other ways, too.  Writing down all of the food you have eaten can be a major pain in the butt.  Unless of course, you eat less or simpler so that later you don't have to think so hard.  I've found that I've simplified my food intake so that I don't have to work so hard on the journal later.  Eating simpler is better for you.  I also started measuring out my food so I didn't have to guesstimate on the size or portion.  Again, makes it easier later to journal and is better for you.  I have found myself reaching for the pretzel bag and counting out a real portion and calculating mentally how many calories I have been eating.  I have been thinking ahead about what food I can eat for snack soon and how many calories they have in them before I get home or get to the fridge.  And when you make yourself really sit down and count out how much olive oil you cooked with or how many handfuls of chips you ate, it is an eye opener.  I have been making my calorie intake count.
Journaling was the first thing that got me on a roll this past month and as a side effect I have begun to look at different food at the store to decide where I want to spend my calories.  I have been buying more fruits and vegetables and have started eating yogurt again.  Yogurt is always a good standby because it really makes you feel full.  One cup of yogurt (not the fruit on the bottom kind) only has 120 to 180 calories.  I have been buying the big tub of it and adding in canned pineapple, fruit medley and mandarin oranges.
The last thing that has really helped is that I have finally started whittling down the amount of food I put onto the plate at dinner time.  I have a measuring cup that has been helping me be honest about what my serving sizes are.  I don't think I have to get too crazy, I don't think I will be getting a food scale, although I have heard that it helps some people.  I am going to stick with measuring cups and spoons.  My tupperware also happens to have a one cup mark, so I've been packing lunch in there.  I have eaten two really huge dinners in the past month.  Both times I felt almost sick because I have been getting used to smaller portions.  I have been eating one to two hundred calorie snacks every couple of hours.  And the thing they tell you about after a while you won't be starving because you'll be used to it, it's actually true.  I don't feel starved at all and I've been eating a lot less every day.

Saturday, April 10, 2010

The Dreaded Plateau

I am grateful for the fact that I am still 145 although it means I have lost no weight in quite a while.  It also means that I have not gained any weight, which could be considered a miracle.  I did briefly gain a few pounds when for Lent, Nathan and I gave up sobriety and opened the case of BudLight that someone gave us quite a while ago.  It is absolutely amazing how fast weight can pile on.  Of course beer is a double wammy because I drink a few beers and then not only do I want the chips that are in the cabinet, I want all of them, and my self-control is out the window, so I DO eat all of them.  Luckily this week I made it up with exercise and am back to the same old weight.  That goal of 140 has stayed within my sight, but it takes a step backwards every time I step forwards.  Damn thing is right there, but I just can't get hold.  Of course I was saying this about 145 not too long ago, so I know I can do it.  Since losing weight is about a lifestyle and not about yo-yo dieting, I will be patient.  Nothing is worse than losing weight and then gaining it back again.  It is so crushing to watch your hard work swirl down the toilet.  At least moving at this snail pace I can be sure that it will stay off longer.  Even falling off the exercise and healthy eating wagon several times over the past couple of years the weight has piled on much slower than it used to.  So here's to getting back to fitness.  And here's to tofu and all kinds of crazy food that I have gotten out of the habit of eating.  
I went for a hike this morning, up the pillboxes and followed the path to the end of the Lanikai loop.  Then walked back to the car.  It's a good hike at 5:45am.  Going to kickbox on Monday.  Guess I should think of something to do tomorrow.  

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Is it Gone For Good?

Finally, finally, my scale has rested at 145 for more than 3 days straight.  Does this mean I have finally pushed past that plateau?  Can it be?  Of course, the leftover pizza I packed for lunch today should quickly give me an indication if it is gone for now.  Funny that even though I have been working so hard to drop that pound and I have been so excited to see the scale stick around instead of going up, I still chose such a horrible lunch.  I have better options in the fridge... Anyway, that's another story.  It has taken me since mid August, after my trip to Kona that helped me gain 7 pounds, to get back to 145.  How stinking awful that it could take so long.  I am glad I stuck with it though.  It will be worth it if I can get the scale to dip below 145 now.  That is what I was working on before the vacation.  There are no major breaks, holidays or vacations coming up that should get in the way of this.  Some things that have helped me be succesful recently are 1) my friend Theresa joining me for Kickboxing- it really increases your motivation to work harder and most importantly, show up 2) taking the goal of building an online website business seriously has kept me busy once I get home.  It is amazing how much less I eat when I am not hanging out in front of the TV.  I have been sewing, researching, watching videos and scheduling.  It might not be a big money maker, but so far it has inadvertently helped me accomplish my weight goal. 

Now I need to move on to my next goal of 140.  I need to get down to that and stay there for a few days before moving to my next goal.  I think I can do this in a month if I keep up my momentum.  Sometimes that can be tough, but with Joanna's wedding getting closer and Theresa joining Kboxing with me, it is possible to stay motivated for that length of time.  Wish me luck!

Friday, February 19, 2010

Aloha Run, Check, Swamp Romp Here We Come

This past Monday was my favorite race, the Great Aloha Run.  It is 8.15 miles which seems like a long way to go for some people.  It can be a challenge, but I think the great thing about this race is that people of all shapes and sizes, all ages and all activity levels come out to do it.  People walk in slippers, they get pushed in wheelchairs, moms push their babies in strollers, and some people run it hard.  We missed seeing the military send off this time, but that is usually a blast to watch them run by at the start.
This year Ananda, Joanna and I did it together.  We strategized that we were going to switch every mile, running the first one, walking the second and so on.  Of course we missed the one mile marker, so we ran the first two.  After that we flip-flopped until mile seven. and then we ran most of the last mile.  It felt really good.  I'm glad we walked a few of the miles because my knee didn't hurt while we were running, but it started to get sore afterwards.  I iced it and went to kickboxing the next day and it's feeling fine now.  Our time for the race was about 1:43, ten minutes off of our full Great Aloha Walk last year.  As soon as the opportunity arises I'm going to sign up for next year.
Tomorrow is the Swamp Romp.  I am not sure how long it will be.  It was five miles last year.  The guy on base told Joanna 15 miles this year, but I'm pretty sure he was pulling her leg.  If not, I will not be finishing it, which would suck, but like I said I'm pretty sure 15 miles is crap.  I don't think it will be any longer than 5 miles or there would have been more info on the website about it being a much longer race this year.  We are going as Joanna's Bridal Party.  She has found this great Salvation Army, white dress which she will be wearing over her pants and with a barrette/veil that I am making for her.  The rest of her party will be wearing fancy bridal gowns (read cheap, tacky, flowery, patterned, sparkly and mismatched here) with barrette/tuille veils that I will be fashioning later tonight.  I don't remember having to meet so early last time, but this year it appears we have to meet at 4:30am.  Holy crap that's early.  I feel like we have never had to meet so early, but I guess it's worth it.  We're going to be freaking exhausted when we finish.  I might just sleep the rest of the day away.  So pictures will be coming soon.

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Staying Active

Just checking in.  I've been staying active most days of the week.  I have not been eating well.  Ice cream has been the recent challenge.  I so enjoy having Nate prepare me a meal, it's so wonderful to have food delivered to you in  your chair.  If I could only train him to make something healthier for dessert.  I have not gained or lost any weight, just holding steady.  I realized after checking in with my friend Joanna that I have not been drinking nearly enough water.  I had been tricking myself.  After talking with her I realized that although I have been bringing my water bottle with me to work I hadn't been drinking barely any of it.  That's stupid.  So I'm back on track with water intake.  Back to kickboxing tonight, then maybe an off day tomorrow.  Then running Friday, hiking Saturday and something fun on Sunday.  The Great Aloha Run is on Monday.  I'll walk most of it.  Don't want to re-injure my knee and I haven't trained nearly as much as would have been necessary to run it.  But it will be fine either way.  Hopefully I'll have some good pictures to post soon.  Oh yeah! Then Swamp Romp is in two weeks and we were able to talk two other people into joining us! We're not in good running shape, so it is going to hurt bad, but I'm excited about doing it once again!

Friday, January 22, 2010

Trying to keep at it

So far for 2010 I have been able to at least work out regularly.  It is a challenge to get motivated for a 7:30pm class, but I'm making it work.  I haven't had a drink since New Year's Eve, and that was only a glass and a half.  I have not been able to motivate myself for any kind of strength training, but that wasn't one of my major goals anyway. I haven't quite met my goal for 5 workouts during the week.  I have gotten in at least two weekly classes, and then hiking one time on the weekends. This weekend I am going to run Saturday and hike on Sunday, so I will have gotten 4 workouts in.  (I consider a week Monday through Sunday)  I don't know how I'm ever going to make it to 5 workouts a week regularly, but I've heard it's possible. I've heard it's even possible to continue to have a life even with 5 workouts a week. 

Sunday, January 17, 2010

My Friends are Keeping Me Active

Hiked the Maunawili Trail this morning.  It felt a lot shorter than the last time we did it. Titus and Gizmo kept up and did great.  I am exhausted now though!  Looking forward to relaxing tomorrow for the holiday, then Kickboxing Tuesday and Thursday.  Maybe another hike on Sunday!

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Lost a few

Losing weight is such a strange thing. When you truly make it a priority and truly do a hard workout a few times a week and eat fairly well the pounds come right off.  We always say that losing weight is so hard, but in all honesty, it comes off when you do the right things.  I just don't always want to, or feel like, doing the right things.  My biggest problem is that now I have to continue to workout and eat well. Why is that so hard?  It is so easy to celebrate the pounds lost with a McDonald's breakfast, even though that makes no sense at all.  (This is what I did this morning, how stupid!)  So after 4 pounds lost, I need to workout extra hard this week, not less.
This past week I hiked on Sunday, went to Kickboxing on Monday and Wednesday and ran the Lanikai Loop on Friday. I'm hoping to hike tomorrow and then Kickboxing Tuesday and Thursday this week.  Then hiking again next weekend.
My hope is to lose another pound, I'll be happy to maintain, but I'm aiming to lose.

Friday, January 1, 2010

The New Year

Alright folks, it's that time of year again. I know I've done three posts today, but they each dealt with different subject matter. I want to be able to copy that last post and just update stats.
This year I plan on making a couple of changes.  My resolutions are as follows:

Personal-
  • I will organize my shop and make it look more professional. I will also keep it stocked with items.
  • Lose weight- 20 pounds this year. This will be accomplished by following my other resolutions
  • Workout 5 days a week. I'm going to have to quit kickboxing unfortunately, in March. I will then be able to afford to join the YMCA, where I can stop after work every day.
Professional-
  • Begin to receive supervision hours for licensure.
  • Start a Brag-a-binder for work

Goals for 2010

My Current Stats:

Weight:150
Waist: 36.5

Etsy: 3 Sales
Average Workouts per Week: 3

Goals for 2010

Weight: 130
Waist: 30
Etsy Sales: 12
Average Workouts per Week: 5

The End of 2009


So here we are, 2010, another year has gone by. 2009 wasn't as succesful as I hoped it would be, but I think the country as a whole felt the slump. I didn't get to see my family, I got furlough days at work, I gained some weight. No babies made or had, and no promotions in the professional world. I kind of feel like 2009 was a bit of a life-on-hold kind of a year.
Some things I did accomplish this past year:
I started kickboxing
I learned how to read Tarot cards
I got really good at writing Behavior Support Plans
I figured out how my job works
I hiked Kuliouou Ridge, the Makapuu Lighthouse, Kalauao "Waterfall" Hike, Likeke, Judd, Lanikai Pillboxes, the Koko Head Stairs, Olomana (first peak), Pu`u Piei,
Started my Etsy Shop and sold 3 items
I stopped drinking all the time
I got in contact with some old school friends through Facebook
I got a tennis racket and actually used it a few times
Went to Kona on vacation with Nathan's parents
Learned to scuba dive


Overall, it was a good year, pleasant and fun.  Nate and I didn't do anything crazy, but I think this next year is going to be fun!