Day 188 The Enemy!

Exercise Today: About to go to Spin class this Saturday morning. Must tell you about yesterday's workout.

Vince and I went to Ballys to begin our new weight workout program (doing this ourselves and not with a trainer). Ran on the tredmill afterward. Was embarrassed to mention my  previous running time, but here it goes...I used to run at a speed of 4.6 on the tredmill. My sister (who is an avid marathon and 1/2 marathon runner), would ask, "Are you sure you are running at that speed?" HA! Well, I guess I was jogging. Yes, I know many people can walk at that speed! : )  A year ago I couldn't run an 1/8 of a mile without getting out of breath and without my legs getting tingly and numb so by running at 4.6, believe me, I had come a LONG way. Stepped it up last week and learned I could run at 5.0.

Challenged myself at yesterday's run. Ran mile 1 at 5.0 speed. Mile 2 at 5.2 (still suprisingly running with ease and enjoying it). Then I set it at 5.5 just to see if I could run one lap. I ran the entire 3rd mile at 5.5!! Was so excited and shocked! It became difficult at 5.5. I know I wouldn't be able to talk while running at that speed. Even had a bit of trouble swallowing and my head felt hot, but I really wanted to finish. When I stepped off the tredmill it felt as if I was walking on air. May have overdone it just a bit, but I feel great this morning. No soreness. Plan to try to run at 5.5 for a while and then step it up again. My little sister runs at 6.8!! Go Sissy!

The ENEMY!
After my run, I ate a wonderful salad for dinner. My hubby grabbed what I call "hurricane food." You know..those packaged orange crackers and cookies you eat during a huricane when all your electricity is out and there is nothing else to eat after day 3? I wanted some! We never buy things like that because I WILL eat them. So I endulged in the ENEMY (packaged foods with labels!) Not one package, but 2 packages. I worked hard running earlier only to pack on all those calories and even more! What a waste!!
Enemy calories:
Orange crackers: 240!
Oreo cookies: 140
Total: Extra 380 calories I could have avoided!



The ENEMY: Packaged foods with labels!

 Breakfast: corn tortillas with boiled eggs, green tea
Snack: 1/2 grapefruit
Lunch: peanut butter sandwich, water
Snack: organic strawberries in plain yogurt with blue agave as a sweetner and a few almonds
Late Afternoon Dinner: Salad with sun-dried tomatoes, 1/2 a carrot, 1/2 salmon served on top of mixed greens.
Late Outing: Niko-Niko's Green Restaurant: Gyro with lamb/beef, cucumber sauce, tomatoes, and tons of rice. Couple bites of a brownie.

Vince and I get coupons for free food from what we Recycle at home. You earn points for the amount you recycle. Then once a month we can "cash in" those points online for coupons. Vince likes to get the Niko Niko coupons once a month because he knows I like that place. We decided we might go there once a month. Pre-meditated unhealthy eating choice!

Strawberry/Yogurt snack



Breakfast



Day 187: Dr. Hyman: (Day 1 UltraWellness Videos)

Exercise: Arm weights and ab exercises. Excellent 3 mile run on the tredmill. (challenged myself on speed and time) See story on tomorrow's blog!

Vince and I are supposed to go to Ballys later and both begin a workout program with weights! We both need to really put on some muscle. Very excited to have my hubby go with me. He has a book about doing weights very slowly in order to gain muscle faster. I on the other hand, refuse to lift weights his way. In my mind I am competing to see who gains muscle more. He claims he is not competing, but I'm competing!  : )
Vince is really into this Dr. Hyman and his 30 Day UltraWellness videos. Today is Day 1. Check out the short video. I think it is just a ploy to sell his book, but I think he could have some things to say that I may learn too. So I'm watching the videos too and will give it a shot.

Watch Dr. Hyman's video
 Dr. Hyman stated, "Learn why the calories in, calories out equation is one of the biggest myths about weight loss and blood sugar management perpetrated by the medical industry. And find out how you can lose weight while eating more!"
Here is the link to sign up to see his videos in case you need that to view the videos:
http://www.bloodsugarsolution.com/dhsolutions/30daysultrawellness/?utm_source=WhatCounts+Publicaster+Edition&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Day1+-+Eat+More%2c+Weigh+Less&utm_content=click+here+to+join

Late Breakfast (day off): scrambled eggs with chopped kale and green onions, green tea, 1/2 avacado
Snack: 1/2 grapefruit
Lunch: cereal, cheesestick
Snack: packaged of oreo cookies that I bought for a workshop!
Dinner: : Salad with tomatoes, carrots, fetta cheese, chicken mixed with kale, red onions and plain yogurt instead of mayonaise, water.
Bad Snack: those darn oreo cookies again AND peanut butter crackers.

Day 186 Healthy Snacks At Meeting!/ Dr. Pepper Temptation No More!!!

Exercise: None

Wooohooo! So I presented at a 4th grade staff development and we offered HEALTHY snacks for people. They had a choice to choose fruit or crackers/cookies that were not healthy. Fruit consisted of bananas, red grapes and strawberries.

Today was such an "off" day. Really got off the healthy wagon. Ate my lunch in the morning. Knew I had to pick up something after my lunchtime presentation or I would never make it through the later afternoon presentation. Drove down I 10. On the corner was Whataburger and Subway. Chose Whataburger ,my usual choice for a fast food pick. Grew up in Corpus Christi, which is the home of Whataburger. Seems there was a Whataburger on almost every corner. Maybe eating a Whataburger subconsciously brings back fun childhood memories. Good and Amazing News: As I waiting in the "drive-thru line at Whataburger, I had no desire to order a Dr. Pepper! I couldn't believe it. I thought about it. Questioned myself, "Do I want a DP? Why don't I want a DP? Is this really happening?" I remembered the last few time I had one and how I didn't like it and only took a few sips. I think it has finally happened!!!. It took 186 days to relieve myself from the infamous Dr. Pepper cravings! Later that evening, my hubby asked me to eat at the Spicey Pickle with him. He of course ate a healthy salad and soup. I can't do that when I'm at a restaurant. That is why I try not to go to too many restaurants. We even had plans to get a fun dessert at Starbucks afterward, but I was just too stuffed. I did have a taste of his gross jelly pastry from La Madeline later. Hate fruit or jellies in bread. Another revelation: I usually LOVE Starbucks hot chocolate. Been a while since I had one. Had trouble drinking it. Tasted soooo sweet. I think I am starting to not enjoy items with too much sugar (except for dark chocolate or chocolate candies!) I wonder how long it will take me to lose the taste for those. NEVER I suspect!
Breakfast: one boiled egg in 2 corn tortillas with mixed greens, green tea
Snack: apple slices, one banana, some grapes, peanut butter sandwich
LATE Lunch: The infamous Whataburger with cheese on the way back to work from my meeting!
Snack: bitesize Babyruth candy at the teacher training.
Dinner: Spicey Pickle Restaurant. Loaded baked potato soup with tons of calories! 1/2 a turkey, cheese sandwich on a giant white roll, bite of Vince's jelly pastry.
Snack: Hot chocolate from Starbucks

Day 185 EASY & QUICK Meal!

Exercise: None Today

Made some chicken tacos for dinner last night and had left overs for lunch today.





 Quick meal!
Canned chicken
Frozen corn
Canned tomatoes with basil
Mix together and serve on corn tortillas over bed of mixed greens.
Side of fruit and maybe a stick of cheese.
Done!
Problem: Salt! Canned chicken and canned tomatoes have too much salt. I prefer cooked chicken and chopping tomatoes and adding basil, but was in a hurry and hungry.




Breakfast: oatmeal with raisins and walnuts, little blue agave as sweetner, green tea, corn tortilla with one boiled egg on mixed greens.
Snack: not hungry for one today!
Lunch: Corn tortilla tacos, cheesestick, 6 little Easter egg chocolate peanut butter candies from a meeting. RATS!
Snack: apple slices
Dinner: chocolate almond milk, some left over chicken mixture seen above, cereal, and a peanut butter sandwich. Strange combo, but I was so tired today. My hubby had to fend for himself.

Day 183 Weight Lifting

Exercise: You'd think I'd say weight lifting...no. Just got back from the gym. Went to Spin class with my friend Meredith. 50 minutes on the spin bike. Burned 664 calories!

Okay..that's it. I must make up my mind to workout with weights consistently! Why is that so difficult?
Today is Spin, but I'm hoping to go a bit early and do a weight workout. (well, that didn't happen as I thought it would earlier!) Unless you really want something, there is no motivation to do it. I must want to do weights. I had a couple workout trainers a few years ago and loved it. Easy when someone is at your side pushing you to work hard. Hoping that by writing about using weights, I will actually use them twice a week.

Click: Workout plan to build strength
Click: Weight lifting exercises for women

Breakfast: 2 corn tortillas, one boiled egg, mixed greens all in a taco. Green tea
Snack: few apple slices
Lunch: 1/2 salmon, broccoli, peanut butter sandwich on muli-grain bread, water, cucumbers and tomatoes
Snack: cheesestick
After work: ham sandwich with a little mayo (RATS!), tomato, avacado, mixed greens, multi-grain bread
After work out: Got home and at some cookies I bought for work! See pic.
Dinner: TBA

I'm presenting at a meeting for teacher. Bought these as their snack.
I should know better right?! Why didn't I just buy carrots or something?
I don't think they would eat carrots. So I got home and at the Oreo cookies. Bummer!
Haven't even had supper yet.

Day 182 Chocolate Almond Milk

Exercise: Ran at Memorial Park. Burned 321 calories. Walked/Ran 3 miles (mostly ran).

What can be better than chocolate milk right? How about chocolate milk that is good for you?! Try chocolate almond milk. I would prefer the "light" or low fat, but was unable to find it at Krogers at the time. Now it does have some sugar and that may be why I've heard that the soy milk products aren't always the best for you. Depends why you are selecting them. I selected it because I want to ensure I am getting more calcium. It has 45% calcium. Only 1% protein so you can't get your protein there. Be sure not to drink too much or the calories will add up.

Tasty!

Nutritional Facts

Breakfast: 2 scrambled eggs in 1 corn tortilla, green tea
Snack: few almonds, apple slices (pretty darn full!)
Lunch: salmon, broccoli, plain Greek yogurt, 2 m&ms and 4 crackers
Snack: cheesestick, tomatoes and cucumbers
Snack later: very few almonds and a spoonful of peanut butter
Dinner: cereal before dinner. 1/2 salmon for dinner. Part of the dark chocolate Easter bunny.
Felt a lot less hungry today! The change was the almonds in the morning and the cheesestick in the afternoon. I'm off to my afternoon tutoring session without starving for once.

Day 181: Healthy Picnic At The Park

Exercise: None

What a wonderful day at the park! Picnic in the Galeria area at the waterwall. Beautiful 88 degrees, sunny, blue skies and partly cloudy. Made chicken salad with celery, chopped kale, red onions and plain Greek yogurt instead of mayonaise. All on a bed of mixed greens with tomatoes and cucumbers. Delicious!



Vince at the Waterwall

 Vince and I realized we should have more healthy picnics
at the Waterwall park. What a great way to relax and just
chill out. Only minutes away from home. Amazed we've only
been there once before in 4 years.


Me at the Waterwall



The Williams Tower.
Just across from the
waterwall. Our view
as we laid on the
blanket during our
picnic.



Chicken salad ingredients.




Our picnic meal




Enjoying the afternoon!

 Breakfast: 2 corn tortillas with 2 scrambles eggs, green tea
Snack: no sugar hot chocolate with vanilla soy milk
Lunch: chicken salad seen above with a chocolate brownie from Starbucks...yes, that was premeditated!
Snack: the head of our dark chocolate Easter bunny that was supposed to be for Vince's Easter basket. Woops.
Dinner: Cereal and a cheese stick, water. Feel sort of gross.

Easter Bunny