Day 332

Exercise: Ran around the school gym with the kids for 5 minutes. Fun times! Walked ALOT around campus today making deliveries etc. Gym: Did 25 minutes of weights and Vince actually went.  Yay!

Breakfast: 1 boiled egg, 1/4 cup oatmeal, green tea, frozen blueberries
Snack: green grapes, 2 bitesize chocolate candies
Lunch: Whataburger and fries! (couldn't find my lunch at work in the fridge!!!)
Snack: flax milk/coconut milk with unsweetened cocoa and vanilla drops.
Dinner: salmon, salad with mixed leafy greens, spinach leaves, orange and yellow bell peppers, cabbage, cucumber, tomatoes, fetta cheese, 1 carrot, olive oil, salt, basil, thyme, oregano, water, and pineapple on the side.

Day 331 The Dreaded Cafeteria Lunch!

Exercise: Still debating. Really want to pull the covers over my head and lay on the couch today.

Didn't take the best lunch to work today. Just a peanut butter sandwich, 1/2 a carrot and some grapes. Not sure why I thought that would be enough for 9 hours. Was strangely hungry by 9:30am and the carrot didn't hit the spot so I ate the entire peanut butter sandwich. Problem? No lunch left. Considered running to Subway again, but had too much to do and who wants to constantly spend money on eating out. Then it hit me! The cafeteria. Hmmmm. You remember that school cafeteria food don't you? Limpy pizza, fried whatever, mystery meats! LOL. I discovered today was pizza. I stared at the slice of greasy cheese pizza, pineapple and greenbeans. Interesting combo. So I ate it.

...and here is lunch.

Tried something new today for dinner. Made it up. Won't be making it again. Mixed 1 egg with 2 cans of tuna. Chopped up spinach and mixed it in. (needed bread crumbs or something to make it stick together).
Cooked on stove top.

Tuna with spinach, 1/2 avacado, cauliflower and broccoli.

Snack after work: few raw, unsalted almonds, spoonful of cottage cheese, little cheese squares from work.

Evening snack: pineapple

Breakfast: 1 boiled egg, 1/4 cup oatmeal, frozen blueberries, green tea

Day 330 Healthy Chicken Cucumber Yogurt Recipe

Exercise: Walked/Ran at Memorial Park. Mainly walked. 97 degrees this evening. So humid. Used to the tredmill at the gym. Difficulty getting used to running at the park again. I can't believe how much harder it is in the heat vs. the cool gym! I need to practice at that park more to prepare for the "Firefly Run!" 

Ready for a cool grilled chicken with cucumber recipe surprise? Check this out: Chicken Recipe website
I'm going to try this out this weekend.

Breakfast: 1 boiled egg, 1/4 cup oatmeal with milled flax and rice and vanilla soymilk, frozen blueberries, green tea

Snack: green grapes, 1/2 peanut butter sandwich, water

Lunch:  Subway sandwich: grilled chicken, spinach leaves, tomatoes, cucumbers, , pickles, olives, banana peppers, water

Snack: apple slices, small orange

Early Dinner (4pm): peanut butter sandwich on spouted bread (new bread that Vince bought) Very tastey!

Very late Dinner (9pm): salad with spinach, mixed greens, tomatoes, green onion, red onion, radishes, avacado, cheese, olive oil and spices, water

Day 329 Firefly Run!!

Exercise: Gym: ran/walked 1 mile (not feeling it today), weights: thigh, shoulder, arm, back, abs

I so excited to run in the Firefly Run in early November here in Houston! Check out the youtube video. Everyone dresses up in LED lights and runs at night. So fun!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNXEG5AU4jM&feature=plcp

Firefly Website

Breakfast: scrambled eggs with diced squash and spinach leaves, frozen blueberries, green tea
Snack: few grapes
Lunch: left over lunch from PTA: the king ranch chicken and a salad with lettuce and tomato
Snack: apple slices
Dinner: left over king ranch chicken (last of that), mixed greens with tomatoes, carrot, fetta cheese, water
Snacks at Toastmasters: 1/2 egg roll, 1 fried chicken piece, pineapple, grapes

Cooking my scrambled eggs with squash and spinach leaves. The Best!

Dinner: Salad and King Ranch Chicken from work

Our Toastmasters event food. Nibbled on some things.

Day 328 Back To School First Day Meal

Exercise: Lots and lots of walking around the school checking on people, running errands, making deliveries, etc. My office is at the far Northside of the school. Wish I had a pedometer with me.

The PTA (Parent Teacher Association) provides the entire staff with a take home frozen meal at the end of the first day. It is a wonderful treat! People are tired and don't have to go home and cook for a family and they have left overs for their lunch tomorrow. It really relieves a great deal of stress. The meal may by absolutely delicious, but it isn't healthy and I guess isn't meant to be. Since Vince found he is allergic to so many things he won't have any due to the cheese, dairy products, chips, dressing, sauce etc. They included a very large brownie in the meal, which I devoured quickly before the meal even made it home. I was so hungry at work today. Better pack more food for myself. Got an instant headache after all the sugar in the GIANT brownie. I know better, but didn't care at that moment. It was quite tasty I might add. My stomach feels totally huge right now and is major poochy after eating all that. I hate that feeling.


The PTA meal feeds a family of 4. Here is the Giant brownie I devoured!



PTA meal: Salad ( I took out the cheese and put olive oil and salt, oregano,
King Ranch Chicken Casserole), water

 Breakfast: 2 scrambled eggs with spinach leaves, green tea, 1/8 cup of oatmeal with milled flax
Snack: apple, few bites of watermelon, lots of water during the morning
Lunch: sweet potatoes, 1/2 salmon, cauliflower, broccoli and carrots, water
Snack: red grapes, raspberry zinger tea
Snack: Giant brownie
Dinner: Salad and King Ranch Chicken Casserole, water

Day 327 Whole Foods Market

Exercise: Ran 1.5 miles and walked .5 miles. Some leg weights.

Went to Whole Foods Market today in search of gluten free pizza crust for Vince. Turns out it has egg whites in it, which he is allergic to. It also has corn syrup! Don't eat corn syrup. Ended up eating dinner there. They have the best buffet full of interesting healthy foods as well as different ethnic foods. I always like to try different things.

On a different note, see the new recipe in the pic below. The recipe is on the previous day blog on the video. They use shrimp instead of the salmon.

Hollow out a cucumber. Put salmon and pico de gallo
mixture in it on a bed of spinach leaves.
Pico: diced tomatoes, red onions, little lemon juice, cilantro,
cumin spice, salt and pepper (let sit for a day)

From Whole Foods Store: Orzo with tomatoes, some yellow rice,
mushrooms, some Indian dish that I loved, avacado with edemame mixture.

Some of the items in the buffet

Day 326 Exercise, Gardening & Shrimp BBQ News Video

Exercise: Gym: Spin for 15 minutes, ran 1 mile, weights

Wooohooo! Back into working out this week. Slacked off earlier this week. So glad to be back! Did arm, back, and ab weights first, floor stretches. Then ran 1 mile at a faster than normal pace and felt great. I find it is much easier to run after a weight workout since my heart rate is higher. Did Spin bike class for only 15 minutes.

Ran home and worked on planting some flowers and plants in the front yard. Burned more calories and always enjoy seeing the finished product. Funny, I used to always wonder how people could possibly stand to garden or work in the yard. Now I find myself doing it.

Planted the Foxtails and pink flowers on the left and right
side of our entrance. Hoping our front door will be finished
in the next couple of weeks. Waiting for Vince's townhome
sale to go through soon. 

Here is a video I watched on T.V this morning. Shows how to make shrimp BBQ the healthy way.

We enjoyed a bit of ice-cream after church today. Stopped at Baskin and Robbins and got a small chocolate fudge sundae. Trying not to eat much sugar, but I really wanted one.

Breakfast: oatmeal with flax, flax milk and little vanilla soy milk, green tea (out of eggs!)
Snack: grapes, raw unsalted almonds, water, small orange
Snack: unsweetened cocoa in vanilla soy milk
Lunch: mixed greens, spinach leaves with a can of tuna, 1/2 avacado, 1/2 carrot and gluten free noodles with zucchini on side, water
Dinner: broccoli, chicken, water
Bad Dessert: chocolate fudge scoop ice-cream with chocolate fudge, whip cream and a cherry.
Late Night: popcorn cooked on the stove, grapes, water

Lunch

Dinner

Day 325 Sweet Tomatoes Restaurant

Exercise: None. Vegged on the couch and went to bed at 8pm!!

I enjoy going to Sweet Tomatoes every now and then. It is a great healthy restaurant if you select from the giant buffet salad. I wish I had taken photos! Then there is the "bad" buffet area around the corner. Scrumptious chocolate brownies, pizza, pastas, breads...bla blaa blaa.
I usually get a great salad with a bit of olive oil and vinegar, a healthy soup and one chocolate brownie. Then I must go exercise that brownie off! : )

Click: Sweet tomatoes nutrition guide



Lunch: zucchini, cauliflower, broccoli, mushrooms, lettuce,
spinach, tomatoes, cucumber, beets, squash, water




Gave in the the brownie. When I go to
Sweet Tomatoes I sort of already know
I will have that brownie.


Students go back to school on Monday. I'm sure I will get adjusted to the hustle and bustle soon and have more energy. A sore throat seems to keep trying to come on, but never really does. Just sneaks its way in a bit at night. Fine the next morning. I think I just needed some rest and lots of sleep.

Breakfast: oatmeal with milled flax, green tea, frozen blueberries (really need to buy some eggs!)
Snack: none (no groceries!)
Lunch: Sweet tomatoes restaurant: salad piled with goooood stuff, 2 brownies (woops!), soup, water, couple bites of macaroni and cheese( not good for you!). Okay...and 2 bites of cornbread. Wow!
Snack: grapes
Dinner: peanut butter sandwich. Too tired to cook.

Day 324

Exercise: None. Just tired. Maybe if I would exercise I wouldn't be tired. 

Had a meeting after work so I was missed Spin class. If you are late you may not get a bike and all the beat up bikes are left. I sometimes end up with the one that has the crooked seat and I hate that one! Then there is another one that makes a clicking sound with every turn of the pedals. Talk about annoying! Okay, and there is a man that is a bit stinky that I always try to avoid sitting by. I know, that wasn't too nice, but it is a fact.

Breakfast: oatmeal with quinoa, green tea, frozen blueberries
Snack: none (no food in the house!) Water
Lunch: Our PTA provided lunch: salad with tomatoes, turkey sandwich, 1/2 cookie, tea, water
Dinner: salad with canned tuna, 1/2 a carrot, cabbage, red onion, side of gluten free pasta with squash and seaweed, water

Dinner

Day 323 How Do You Deal With Stress??

Exercise: None AGAIN! Home late again and 100% beat!

Have had several presentations to give last week and this week. Busy week, but very beneficial. Today was a presentation to all the 3rd grade teachers in the district. Really enjoyed working and planning with all the other Instructional Coaches. Stress level was high lately. Noticed how that dramatically affected my eating and workout habits. Must find time to prepare healthy meals no matter what and to make exercise my priority. I do feel like I am doing my best, but I know I can do even better. You can't make excuses and say, "Well, it will be better next week." It won't be better next week. There is always something stressful to deal with  and deadlines to meet so you need to eat healthy and exercise no matter what and learn to deal with the stress. Maybe I should take up meditation. Might start researching that one.

I've found some helpful ideas online to releave stress.

Click: Stress Management

Click: Relieving Stress

Part of the room we presented in. Stress. Funny how I stress
out days before, but when I get there it is always fine.
How does one get rid of the stress before hand? Experience?
Visualization? Attitude? Practice? I'd almost pay for the answer
if it worked!!

A day of bad eating choices. Looking forward to getting back on track tomorrow with better 

choices and hopefully Spin class tomorrow evening. Really need to go to the grocery store soon too! Also ate a few chocolate Hershey Kisses as well.



Margie and I ate an entire
bag of chips just because we
were tired and stressed out.
The horror! She always has
some kind of  yummy goodies
for us all.

 

Went to Happy Hour at Guadalajara Mexican Restaurant
with co-workers this evening. Had 2 fajita tacos and 1/2 a Dr. Pepper.
Didn't even like my Dr. Pepper. Stress eating.

Breakfast: oatmeal, green tea

Lunch: peanut butter sandwich, part of a carrot, grapes, chips

Day 322 Sleep

Exercise: None. Working very late, Toastmaster meeting and preparing for a big speech for tomorrow. Not proud of this weeks lack of exercise.

Got very little sleep last night and for the past few days. Did you know that sleep deprivation can cause you to gain weight? Yes! Your body needs lots of sleep to stay healthy. Adults need 7-9 hours of sleep!!

Want to improve your mood?  SLEEP
Want to lose weight? SLEEP
Want to have more energy? SLEEP
Want to live longer? SLEEP
Want to improve your memory? SLEEP
Want to help your heart? SLEEP

Check out this site:  Benefits of Sleep 

Breakfast: 1 boiled egg, 1/4 cup oatmeal, green tea
Snack: a whole carrot, grapes
Lunch: hamburger from Sonic, water (no time for lunch so had to eat on the run in the car!!)
Dinner: grapes and plain Greek yogurt (no time for dinner)
Midnight: 1 boiled egg and 1/2 an avacado.

Had to eat a burger in the car on the way to a meeting. No choice.
Disappointed.

Home after 6pm and on my way to Toastmasters. No time
for a real dinner.

Day 321 For Sale Sign Went Up!

Exercise: None, unless you count house chores. Spent most of the day cleaning the townhome Vince is selling. Mopping, washing windows, sweeping.

As of 7pm tonight....For Sale sign went up! Yippeeeee! Vince and I are happy campers. Several people went over and are already interested. Wow, someone just called about it as I typed this sentence. Such a relief to have the townhome complete and ready to sell.

Breakfast: 1 boiled egg, 1/4 cup oatmeal, pineapple, green tea
Snack: unsweetened cocoa in rice milk and vanilla soy milk
Lunch: peanut butter sandwich, water
Dinner: veggies, chicken, salad, grapes
Snack: Starbucks marble pound cake slice.
Snack: 1 boiled egg, water before bed

Went to Starbucks to get some work done. Kept getting side tracked at home. Felt like I had to get something since I was there. Looking forward to running at the gym tomorrow!



Dinner: avacado, carrot, mixed greens, cauliflower, squash,
broccoli, green beans, chicken, water, grapes



Day 320 Vegging Out Today

Exercise: None today.

Enjoyed some time with Sandia (Sandy) at Olive Garden today. She lives in the Woodlands and I live off I-10 so we are about an hour apart. We usually meet in the middle around the 1960 area. I had soup and salad. Wasn't too hungry since I had just eaten breakfast a few hours before. Other than that I have rested and enjoyed the rain today. Meant to go to Spin class this morning, but woke up feeling extremely tired. Didn't sleep too well last night. Took a nap and did some work. Where did the day go??
Tomorrow we will have an Open House at the townhome Vince is going to try to sell so I am very excited!!

Vince cut some delicious pineapple for us to snack on.

Breakfast: 1 boiled egg, 1/4 cup oatmeal, pineapple, green tea
Snack: none
Lunch: Olive Garden: couple bites of Sandia's lasagna, 2.5 breadsticks, healthy soup and salad, water
Snack: vanilla soymilk with unsweetened cocoa
Dinner: salad with chicken, lettuce, spinach, avacado, carrot, cabbage, bell pepper, pineapple, veggies. Squash

Day 319 Losing Weight Again

(Friday, August 17th)
Exercise: Ran at the gym, arm and back weights.

Clothes starting to get lose again. Must be from the step up in running. Really enjoying the runs. Get so much energy after a long hard day! I don't know what I would do now without exercising and trying to eat well. I feel like a different person than I was a year ago. The exercise is truly a part of who I am now. I don't "MAKE" myself exercise. I WANT to exercise! I never thought I would be at this point. Yes, I eat deserts at times, but fatty foods and desserts just aren't hard to pass up anymore. I pass them up because I want to or I eat them because I choose to. I don't feel as if I need them anymore.
The secret to my success: As long as I have a big breakfast, drink plenty of water throughout the day and eat healthy meals, I honestly do not crave all the other things. I even think better and can stay more focused when I eat better and exercise. Throw in a good night sleep and I am good to go!!

Breakfast: organic raspberries, eggs with spinach,
green tea

Snacks: apples, grapes, 1 carrot

Lunch: Mexican restaurant with Karen and Dorothy.
Had 2 corn tortilla tacos with chicken, lettuce, tomato,
did have some corn chips and salsa this time, water, about
5 Peanut M&Ms from the little candy machine.

Late Night Snack: peanut butter sandwich.
I think I am addicted to them. Must be a bad habit. 

Early Dinner: Subway sandwich.
The meats are processed and not
healthy. I was hungry so I made
a bad choice! Usually I get the
grilled chicken at Subway. 

Day 318 The Power of Leftovers

(Thursday, August 16th) A little behind on the blog this week. I hate when that happens!
Worked very late...no Spin class.  : ( 

I know, I know...No one really like leftovers! If you are on a tight schedule, leftovers is the answer to your prayers. I don't feel as if I have cooked that much this week. Last Sunday I made enough chicken for 3 meals and made 2 extra meals of fish. Froze some. During the week just whip out the meat and pop in the microwave. No waiting around to thaw meat or cook it. Takes 30 minutes off your preparation time! I throw frozen veggies in a container with a little water and put in microwave. Set on "frozen veggies" and they are ready in about 2.5 minutes. Throw the sweet potato in the microwave and set on "potato" and it is ready in about 4 minutes. Throw on a plate and dinner is served! So quick and easy. Fruit for dessert and some water. No fuss meal. Just change up the veggies and starch item each day or add a salad.

There is not much time to cook any grand meals with work and then getting exercise in as much as I do. Vince and I like to eat dinner together so meals are a nice part of our day.

Breakfast: 2 egg tacos with
spinach and mushrooms, frozen
blueberries, green tea

Dinner: broccoli, cauliflower, squash, sweet potato,
chicken, water

Snack: apple, grapes
Lunch: I can't remember, but I think I had fish and veggies, water
Late snack: peanut butter sandwich, water

Day 317 Colleague Get Together

Exercise: Stepped up the running pace of my first mile. Felt great. Slowed during the 2nd mile. Felt a pull in my hamstring. Stopped immediately and walked a bit. May be too early to step up the pace. 

Enjoyed a get together with colleagues today! Got together at Cheryl's beautiful home for lunch and to plan our future presentations. What a GREAT bunch of gals! Of course she had some treats and goodies for us all. Tried to stay away from the sweets, but the dark chocolate Hershey kisses candies called my name.

The Gang's all here! Best bunch of ladies ever! 

Breakfast: 1 boiled egg, 1/4 cup oatmeal, frozen blueberries, green tea.
Snacks: some grape tomatoes, grapes
Lunch: 2 servings of lasagna, pasta with 2 meatballs and sauce, salad with dressing, about 5 chocolate candies.
Dinner: fish with almonds, large salad with radishes, cabbage, mixed leafy greens, fetta cheese, tomatoes, carrots, water
Snack: popcorn cooked on the stove.
                                                                                       Snack: cantaloupe wedge, grapes

Lunch at Cheryl's Home

Morning and Afternoon snacks. Never ate the apples. 

Day 316 Gardening

Exercise: Really wanted to exercise! Swamped at work and had Toastmasters tonight. No exercise!  : ( 

Smoothie of the Day: Bummer...didn't have time to make one. Working on a presentation!!

Vince and I finished landscaping the townhome he is going to sell. He put in all the sod in the front year and I planted the flowers. Sore hamstring muscles after all that.

Working hard to pretty up the place.

Breakfast: 1 boiled egg, 1/4 cup oatmeal, green tea, frozen blueberries
Snack: apple slices, water
Lunch: fish with mushrooms, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots (my sweet potato was rotten so threw it out)
Snack: whole carrot, water
Snack: vanilla soymilk unsweetened cocoa
Dinner: Stressed: grilled cheese sandwich, salad
with greens, tomatoes, and orange bell peppers.
Snack: grapes, strawberries, raspberries in yougurt, peanut butter sandwich.




End result. Can't wait until they grow.



Beginning



End



Fun hot pepper plant.

Must be a walking stick bug.
Interesting critter.

Day 315 My Smoothie With Radishes! Really!

Exercise: Gym. Ran 2 miles, walked some and did upper body weights.

After seeing "The Life Changing Video" a few days ago, I made it my goal to incorporate lots more veggies/fruits in my diet through smoothie snacks. Here is our first smoothie:

Smoothie had spinach, cabbage, 2 radishes, grapes, strawberries, 1 small orange, piece of watermelon, little soy milk, little water and ice.

Didn't follow a recipe. Just threw
stuff in. Needed to be sweeter.
Tasted vegetable-like at first.
Added in some blueberries and it was
a bit better. Need to find some real
recipes for our next smoothie.

This one was better. The first one looked
as if a child had thrown up. (Recalling
those teaching days!)  : )
Better after adding the blueberries.

Ate some healthy food today.

Veggies: cauliflower, carrots, broccoli,
fish with mushrooms, and sweet
potato, water

Our first smoothie that looked
like throw up!

Breakfast: green tea, raspberries, egg white, 1/4 cup oatmeal.
Now that we know Vince is allergic to egg whites, he leaves
them for me.

Our Principal took the new teachers and their mentors along with our Administrative team out to
lunch. We went to La Fiesta. Tried to select the healthiest thing on the menu. Had corn tortillas with chicken, side of guacamole/lettuce/tomato and some beans. (the beans were not healthy). Proud that I didn't eat any chips.

Breakfast: 1 boiled egg, 1/4 cup oatmeal with little RiceMilk and Vanilla SoyMilk, organic raspberries, green tea
Snack: apple slices, cantaloupe wedge
Lunch: School function at La Fiesta.
Meal before 4pm workout: large salad with 1 egg white, mango slices, red bell pepper slices, mixed leafy greens, tomatoes, olive oil, water
Dinner: sweet potato, fish with mushrooms, mixed veggies, water
Fun Snack: Smoothie and some watermelon
Snack: peanut butter sandwich

Day 314 New Recipe With Ancho Chili and Mango

Exercise: If you count gardening.
Worked most of the day at the townhome Vince is going to sell very soon. Planted around the tree and in the front of the house. Ran out to buy mosquito spray and ended up getting an ice-cream sandwich to cool off. Rats!!

Made a new recipe today. Inspired to add plate fulls of more veggies from that video. (see blog couple days ago). Changed up the recipe below a bit. Didn't have fajitas. Had chicken tacos in corn tortilla, but with similar ingredients. Added the ancho pepper (chopped), red bell peppers, mango slices and a little feta cheese with leafy greens all in a taco. The sweet mango and hot pepper went well together.
Ancho Chile Recipe

Dinner: Mango, red bell pepper, ancho chicken corn
tortilla tacos. Salad with similar ingredients along with
tomatoes and sunflower seeds, water

Breakfast: 1 boiled egg, 1/4 cup oatmeal,
green tea.
Lunch: peanut butter sandwich, water
Snack: ice cream sandwich
Snack: Greek plain yogurt with raspberries.
Snack: watermelon slice, few almonds
Dinner: See photo.






That video I mentioned above also inspired me to start making smoothies so I went out and bought items I NEVER buy. Plan to incorporate them in my smoothies starting tomorrow.

I've never bought turnips, cabbage and rutabaga. Never
even eaten them except for cabbage maybe twice!
Can't wait to incorporate them into my diet.

These fruits will add sweetness
to my smoothies.