Let's Talk Food - Shall We?!

I feel like I've been posting a lot about exercise lately, so I thought I would take time today to post about some of the foods that I have discovered or have just been eating a lot of lately....

(1) Crazy Bowls & Wraps - my favorite fast food chain. I get a Chicken Teriyaki Superbowl (smaller size) with white meat and brown rice. I choose the steamed veggies for my side (and they are amazing). The website lists the calories as 325 with 5 g of fat. I'm thinking that may not include a side and seems low to me because it is a lot of food, so I count it as 375 cal. It is very filling and great if you are having a 'hungry' day.

(2) Frosted Mini Wheats. 24 biscuts is 200 calories - so kindof hefty for cereal but it is packed with fiber and is very filling. I add a scoop of ground flax seed and about 1/4 cup of frozen wild blueberries (very high in antioxidents) to the bowl and top it off with about 2/3 cup of skim milk. Another very filling meal that also satisfies my sweet tooth!

(3) Ground flax seed. I have about a tablespoon of this stuff per day (usually in cereal but you can add it to anything). It is high in Omega 3's which are very good for a number of health issues. It is also have read that it is a natural anti-inflammatory which is great for helping with the aches and pains of exercise!

(4) Shrimp. Speaking of Omega 3's, I love coctail shrimp. Also high in protein and low in calories so a great dinner with a big salad for days when you have overeaten. I do splurge with a bit of coctail sauce, but try not to use too much. I buy about a pound in my grocery store (already cooked then frozen) I thaw the shrimp and serve it in a chip-n-dip tray with the coctail sauce in the middle. It's gone in about 15 minutes in this house.

(5) Morningstar Farms Garden Veggie Patties. I've mentioned these before - they have been a staple of my diet for years. Served on a wheat bun with a dab of ketchup for lunch several times a week. Love these. Can't go wrong with any of their offerings really. Just recently discovered their chicken grillers which are only 80 calories but very high in protein and fiber.

(6) Apples. I love Del Monte (I think?) Apple bites and Apple-Grape bites. Already washed and cut and in individual packages. These are great to take to work and I plan to keep them on hand for the boys lunches when school starts back. I read a study in Prevention magazine a few years ago that Pectin (found in apples) is a natural appetite suppressant too. Don't skimp on the fruit!!

(7) Fresh Broccoli. Last but not certainly least. I eat this just about every day. It is one of those super foods that is so healthy for you. I eat it raw, steamed or blanched (my favorite way but that takes a bit of work so I don't have it that way too often). I found that you can buy a bag of precut broccoli (ready to steam in the plastic bag) in the produce section so that is great to eat raw out of the bag, or just add a handful to a salad. I DO NOT steam anything in a plastic bag (due to the risk of toxins getting into the food). I steam in a stainless steel steamer on the stovetop - not as fast as the microwave, but still quick and the taste is way better.

Ok, I'll add more if I think of it, but these things have really helped me over the past several weeks. PS - did I mention that I was 126 on the scale this am!?!?! Woot-woot but not going to count it yet until I get on the scale Tuesday am. Just need to get through the weekend (holding my breath and keeping my fingers crossed)....

Did You See Her???

My Nike Mini-me - look over on the right hand side of my blog and scroll down.....do you see her now?? I just joined Nike+, which I hope will become my new obsession! I wear Nike shoes and realized that if put a Nike+ chip into my shoes and wear this arm band when I run... ...that later I can pop it into my computer USB port and all of my running data will upload to my Nike+ profile!! So today after work I am going to purchase the armband as a reward to myself for sticking with my plan for 9 weeks! I'll let you know how it works after my first run with it tonight.

My Mini-me is getting irritated that she hasn't gone on any runs yet - haha - she keeps changing and is pretty funny. There is so much you can do on Nike+ (in addition to tracking your running) - you can participate in challenges, find or create running routes, chat with others, and more. Check it out at http://www.nikeplus.com/ !!! If you are already set up on there, add me as a friend - I am JenninMO.

Happy Running!!

Circle of Friends Blog Award!

Thanks so much again to Dot for awarding me a Circle of Friends blog award! Here it is:Now the fun part - I get to pass this on to 5 blogs! Here are the blogs I selected because I they are a fabulous resource for ideas and inspiration!!
1. Veronica http://www.leiasblogg.blogspot.com/ - fabulous blog of my Sweedish friend, with great scrapbooking ideas (even though I can't read Sweedish, I can look at the layouts - LOL!).
2. Cameron http://www.createbeautydaily.blogspot.com/ - a great blog for all things crafty - this girl makes everything and takes amazing photos!
3. Shar http://www.scrapendipity.blogspot.com/ - a great blog for scrapping and die cutting inspiration!
4. Karen http://www.helmkahappenings.blogspot.com/ - a great blog for scrapping, die cutting, and amazing photography.
5. And last but certainly not least, to Robyn, a huge inspiration to me in my gettin' skinny quest! Her amazing blog can be found at: http://thepinkloser.blogspot.com/

So ok selected bloggers, here are the rules for this award: To pick up the Circle of Friends Blog Award cut and paste the award logo and use it on your own blog. Nominate 5 other bloggers you feel have become part of your circle of friends. Link to your nominees within your blog post. Include these instructions on how to pick up the award in your blog post. Link back to the person who gave you the award in your blog post, to show your appreciation.

128 and Holding!!!

Ok, I actually accomplished my goal this week of maintaining my weight - woo hoo! This was quite good for me because I spent most of the week visiting family (and their cooking) out of town. I allowed myself to 'splurge' on whiskey slush, red wine, 2 cookies and a sliver of cake at one meal, but other than that I did well. I even went to the local high school track one day with my hubby and ran 3 miles. I'm running 3 miles in a row quite comfortably now.......it took a while to get there, but I did it. For everyone out there who thinks it will never get easier, keep hanging on and it will happen! When I started out on this quest, I couldn't run a mile outside and now I'm up to 3 - it is a great feeling!

Another great feeling is the first blog award I received from Dot!! It is a Circle of Friends one and I am so flattered!! Thank you Dot! She has a great crafting blog - check it out at: http://dottiemaes.blogspot.com/!! I get to pass the blog award on to five other blogs, so I'm excited to do that - I almost have them all picked out so I'll post again later when I do!

Down 10 Pounds!!!!

I was 128 on the scale this am!! I can hardly believe it. That is a total of 10 pounds lost in 8 weeks. Only 2 pounds away from my goal weight now. It has been a lot more difficult than I anticipated, but I am proud of myself for hanging in there. This week was tough - I did great but the scale kept fluctuating between 129 and 131 - soooo frustrating when you are doing all of the right things. I ate a low amount of calories yesteray and ran 3 miles last night because I was afraid the scale would show me gaining the pound I feared. So my goal for this week is to just maintain the 128 weight. I am visiting family this week, so I know it will be challenging - anytime I am out of normal routine it is difficut. Wish me luck!

Adventures in Running

A few things I have learned the hard way........

(1) If you decide to take your Siberian Husky on your run with you, be prepared that she will think you are training her for the Iditarod (especially if she is used to going on fast and long runs with your 6'2" husband).

(2) If you decide to run on a warm summer night and trash pick-up is the next morning, remember to go on your run as early in the evening as possible........eeeeewwwww!

(3) If you are feeling bloated and decide to wear your 'fat' shorts on your run, do a test jog first in the house so you don't end up having to hold them up the whole time (although it is a good problem to have in the grand scheme of things -haha).

Beyond the Points

My younger sister reminded me that I never posted a picture of my new food journal. I started to keep track of my daily intake of actual calories, fat, fiber, and protein instead of in terms of Weight Watchers points. Don't get me wrong, I am a big WW fan and the points system helped me maintain a reasonably healthy weight for a long time. But as I get closer to my 'skinny' goal I realized I need to be a bit more detailed about my food journaling. I always was able to do a pretty good job estimating calories, but had gotten away from that with the WW points so much so that I was just thinking in terms of points.

So here is the journal I picked up at the bookstore to help me get back to the nutritional breakdown mindset:
It is great - fits right into my purse and has a small index of food in the back. My older sister got me hooked on http://www.calorieking.com/ to look up the details of food. So far, so good. I'm averaging about 1250 calories per day, which is a good level for me for weight loss.

Here is what I am reading at the moment. It is written by the physician who is in charge of monitoring The Biggest Loser contestants. The plan is written to target obese people, however, there is a ton of great information about exercise and body composition in this book. I'm about half way through and enjoying it.
Did a 3 mile run this evening and passed up on the family trip to Dairy Queen tonight (after the 16 point birthday cake slice episode I can't step foot in that place again). The scale seems stuck at 129 but hopefully I will see it move for Tuesday's weight check in. Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Still Going...and sensing a pattern!

Ok, I'm a day late on my checking in, but in my defense yesterday was CHA day and I was trolling all MB's and blogs for sneak peeks of new crafting supplies!

Anyhow, I was status quo for the week - nothing gained, nothing lost. I had a good week eating and exercise-wise though, so I'm not down about it. But look at my weight tracker on the right side of the screen.........-3, -2, -0, +1, -3, -2, 0...........hmmm very interesting! Now my goal is to not repeat the +1 that comes next in my pattern! That was 4th of July week and I was way off on my eating and exercising, so if I can keep on truckin' I should be good!!

Weekly Weight Check In!

WOW. Where did the week go??? I pushed myself a bit harder on my exercise this week and it paid off. Today I stepped on the scale and could hardly believe that 129 was staring back at me! That is 2 more pounds lost, for a total of 9 pounds! I can tell that my clothes fit better and I finally feel more energy. A few weeks ago I was frustrated because I still had to drag myself to exercise - but this week I actually felt like doing it. I hope that feeling continues!

Another thing I started to do this week was to look beyond the points (the Weight Watchers points, that is). I've been thinking in terms of points for so long, I lost touch with calories. I also wanted to see how my carb and protein breakdowns were. I am a partial vegetarian so getting enough protein is a concern for me. I'll post again later today or tomorrow with a photo to show the cool food journal I purchased to help me keep track this way.

Down 3 lbs this Week for a Total of 7!!

Just a quick check in to say I was down 3 pounds this week to 131!! So I lost the pound I had gained the week before and 2 more - woo hoo! Total weight loss to date is 7 pounds!

Benchmark 2 & some random 5k thoughts!!

I ran in the MLB All-Star 5k that was held in St. Louis yesterday morning. I was so worried I would find an excuse not to go that I barely slept the night before. But I got up and did it! I had a great feeling of confidence and pride just driving there, because a few months ago I couldn't imagine myself doing that! Here I am about 6:30am Sunday: Yes, I am wearing the same outfit as I did for the Race for the Cure 5k - except without an extra five pounds! I beat my time as well, clocking in at an official time of 34:14 - woo hoo!!

Here is the scrapbook layout I did for that race for comparison:

So I have running shorts, but no running shirt. I would love to get one of those running tank tops, but I have a thing about my arms. I've been working with arm weights and doing push-ups, so for my next 5k I hope to buy and wear a running tank (weather permitting of course).

Another goal for my next 5k is to lose the "neurotic runners hip-pouch" I've worn for each race. Here it is (next to my commemorative medal!):

I'm the first to admit that I am generally a nervous person - I can think of every "what if" scenario in the book. Enter the neurotic hip-pouch...

* A chunk of hair falls in my face...no worries I have bobby pins!

* A dust particle flies into my eye...no worries I have contact drops!

* My allergies get the best of me and I have to blow my nose...no worries I have tissues!

* I pass out on the course and get rushed to the hospital...no worres I have my driver's license!

* I need to buy something at the event...no worries I have a credit card and a bit of cash!

* The port-a-johns don't have sinks or anti-germ lotion...no worries I have wet wipes!

* Ready to get back in the car...no worries I have the key!

My husband gets the biggest kick out of me taking this hip-pouch to a 3.1 mile race. I had to search high and low just to find one (finally picked it up on a clearance rack at Sports Authority - probably left over from the 80's). Anyhow, I really don't need any of this stuff except the car key and my running shorts have a small internal pocket for that (which could also hold a wet wipe). I can stick an extra bobby pin in my hair, tuck a tissue in my sports bra, and if I pass out on the course, they can identify me by my race number. So I hope to leave the pouch behind for the next race!

It's funny because the one "what if" scenario I didn't anticipate for this run was "what if they don't have water on the course" - GASP! Seriously - there was only one hydration break at the half point and it was Gatorade, not water, and it tasted like they put twice the amount of powder as necessary - it was like syrup! I need water, just a few sips, preferably every mile - so only one break was very difficult for me. The Race for the Cure 5k had water available every 1/2 mile, which was nice. So for the next race I'll be sure to know the water situation in advance so I can plan accordingly. The other thing the Race for the Cure did was mark the course every 1/2 mile with large signs up high so you could see them from a distance and pace yourself. This course had the miles marked but small and low so by the time you saw them you were almost there, which made it difficult to pace myself. I had my ironman watch set to cronometer for timing so I could see how I was doing along the way. If you are thinking about running a 5k for the first time, I recommend keeping your own time. I also recommend the Race for the Cure because it was so well thought out. This was the first year for the MLB All-Star 5k, so maybe they will make some changes for future races. The one thing I did like is that we wore 'chip' tags on our shoes so we got an official time from start to finish (with a big race, it may take a minute before you even get to the start line so it is nice to figure out your exact race time).

I'll be back tomorrow with my weight check-in! Thanks for stopping by and hope everyone has a great night!!

The Silver Lining Exists!

I was feeling down about my bad week, and on top of that I was feeling sick. I felt that the worst part of my cold was over and I wanted to go out and exercise but I worried that I was too sick. My son had baseball practice at a high school with a nice track so it would be the perfect opportunity. But questions were spinning in my head - Would it make me sicker? Is my cold just an excuse? What about the 5k this weekend?

Ok, so I decided to just go and see what happened, and guess what? I was FINE!!!

I covered 5 whole miles - powerwalking and running mixed, and here were my times (rounded to the 5 second):

Mile 1 - 12:35
Mile 2 - 12:20
Mile 3 - mostly walked and don't have a time because I pushed the wrong buttons on my watch and got all mixed up - probably 14 or 15 minutes
Mile 4 - 11:45! This was the easiest for me - maybe exercising longer is the key for me - I find this so interesting that running this mile was easier than the first two - I only powerwalked a small portion of it.
Mile 5 - I didn't time this one because I intended it to be a 'cool down' walk, but I felt so good I decided to run the last lap and felt like I could have continued. Who knew?

I took water breaks between miles and wished I would have brought a notepad to record my times or even laps - it is easy to lose track when you are going in circles. I would switch direction on the track for each mile so I would only have to count 4 laps!

I woke up all congested again this morning, but it didn't bother me at all when I was on the track last night. I was really proud of myself for getting out there and just doing it. I couldn't help but step on the scale this am and it was so nice to see 132 looking back at me. I'm not recording the loss yet because I am only going to do so weekly, so I sure hope I keep those pounds off!

Weekly Weight Check In

Ok, so the damage turned out to be 1 pound - I can live with that. If I would have taken just a bit of time to plan for the weekend activities, I could have avoided that pound. I'm moving forward though, and this week is off to a great start. My points were low yesterday and I ate mostly fruits and veggies, and a veggie burger for dinner. It is nice to be back in a routine after taking several days off work. My cold is starting to subside and I hope it goes away for good soon!

From Bad To Worse, To Even Worse....

The week started off with a 15 point birthday cake, and let's just say it went downhill from there. I took part of Wednesday and all of Thursday and Friday off of work to have some family days. We ventured out and about around town, and I didn't record my food. Of course, it is hard to find anything non-greasy when you are at places like 6 Flags. From there tack on a 4th of July day long celebration, filled with potato salad and other treats. Top it all off with a nasty cold (and I mean 'can't breathe without Afrin' nasty) and you have a week of disaster from a diet and health perspective. I think I exercised only one time this week, and still feel ill this morning.

I decided to move my weigh in day to Tuesday of each week to give my body a day to readjust from the weekend. Not sure if that is the right or wrong thing to do, but I just couldn't bring myself to step on the scale this am. I thought of changing it to a day later in the week, but decided against it to help me keep accountable over the weekends.

Anyhow, I'm going to try to have a 'detox' day today - mainly vegetables and fruits to eat, and lots of water - and I will get on the scale tomorrow to see what the damage is. Sigh.....I am not looking forward to that.

Hopefully this cold/virus will subside soon and I can get back to my running. The second 5k is this weekend for me. This past week was supposed to be my big training week to get to try to run the whole 5k. I'm still going to do the 5k, trying to run as much of it as I can, with my goal being to beat the time on my last 5k. I sure hope we don't have a heat wave this weekend (that would be just my luck). So I'll check back in tomorrow to record the damage and I'll just go on from there...........hope everyone else has had a better week!!

Note to Self......

Never check the WW points after you have eaten something bad. Monday was my husband's birthday and he wanted a Dairy Queen cake - so that's what he got. I had a piece and figured I'd record the points later. How bad could it be - there is no cake in a DQ cake - all ice cream, which is actually ice milk, right? Can't be that bad, can it?
So I looked it up on line, figuring that it would be about 5-6 points.
Wrong.
Oh.so.wrong.
15
Yes 15 points! That's practically a days worth!!
Ok, so I ate it. What's done is done. Good thing it was at the beginning of the week. Time to move on...