Daily Fit Girl

I'm in a size 12, but my waist didn't get the memo.

2010-05-17T20:17:00.000-07:00

Happy News! I'm in a size 12! From the hips down. Bought my first pair of size 12, hip-slung jeans since losing weight. Remember the pics I showed of my waist? Well it's still being stubborn and refuses to let me be great. No photo update until there is no mushroom top in my skinny jeans picture. I made some adjustments to my core and upper-body workout though, so it's only a matter of time before I reach my NEW goal of getting back down to a size 10...top to bottom. Stay tuned. Not-So-Happy News: I did some serious damage over the past few weeks on trips to Chicago and New Orleans, which are probably the two hardest cities to go to and eat clean. I indulged in every way made available to me on both trips and my routine has suffered. My 2 Week Plan for shedding a few pounds and making up for lost time: But tomorrow, I'm back! To make up for lost time, I'll be back on my beans kick, eating mostly veggies, beans and chicken breast to get my metabolism working on my stored body fat. I'm also going to decrease my cardio from an hour to 45 minutes and will do strength training on different body parts daily. Working out for 6 days a week.

I Got Rhythm!

2010-04-07T13:50:00.000-07:00

So I have settled quite nicely into a workout regimen and am starting to see and feel results. I'm not taking measurements other than my weight, which has only gone down 3 pounds, but 3 pounds of fat makes a difference. And I'm lifting weights and building muscle, which is heavier than fat, which is why the scale's slow movement isn't making me panic. My everyday size 14 jeans are saggy and could slip over my hips without opening them...with some work, but still. I haven't make it into my dream size 12s yet but I see the light at the end of the tunnel and it is within reach! Here's the workout video I've been doing pretty frequently mostly on days that I miss Body Pump. It's 4-Week Body Makeover video (click to view) from FitnessMagazine.com and y'all it is the TRUTH! Each exercise has a separate video, but they automatically play back to back, so you can follow along as if it were a regular DVD. Enjoy! And kiss your flab goodbye!

Food Diary Time

2010-03-20T10:43:00.000-07:00

I'm doing a pretty good job in the gym these days. Except for the last 3 days, I'm going every day. Alternating weights and cardio 6 days a week. My weight hasn't dropped, but my jeans and shirts fit better, so something is happening. I'm going to step up my workouts. Add a little more weight onto the bar for my squats and lunges in Body Pump and get in touch with my inner Sasha Fierce in my dance classes. I've been keeping a sketchy food diary in my planner for the past 2 weeks and have decided to make it official. It has helped a lot to see what I'm putting into my body every day and throughout the day. So I'm going to keep an actual pen and paper food diary. I've read about folks who have kept them for years and how it has made the difference in the level of fitness they've been able to achieve and maintain. I envy you guys and girls who manage to just get fit without all this extra hoopla. But I'm doing it, and I think it's working. it's hard as hell to keep from going on another fat-burning diet though. I want to cut carbs and drink lemon juice concoctions and eat only vegetables and just get skinny quickly, but I know I couldn't maintain that long-term and I am SICK of talking about my weight loss goals. I'm ready for this whole conversation to be over. Here is a video that has inspired me to step up my lower-body workout game. "Work" by Ciara. And boy is she workin' it. This isn't the first Ciara video I have posted on here for inspiration. Can't help it. Her body is insane and she just makes me want to do better. Be inspired! Until next time...

Ok. So here's my plan to get ready for poolside by summer...

2010-03-10T07:03:00.000-08:00

1. Clean eating (i.e. no processed foods, plenty of grilled lean meats and steamed fish, lots of fresh fruits and veggies, whole grains) 2. Weight lifting (mostly Body Pump 2-3 times a week) 3. Dance classes (Zumba and Body Jam) 4. Lots of cardio! Right now, it really helps that my son LOVES the gym play area. I see it as an hour of playtime for him and, honestly, a break for me. So I'm at the gym everyday, even when he's at daycare. The past week and a half has been great. I really think I can sustain this level of clean eating and activity. My legs are already responding to all the exercise. I'm looking forward to seeing and sharing my results. Wish me luck!

This Comment has inspired me to get back on the beans wagon...

2010-02-13T20:30:00.000-08:00

Jack Reynolds said...

"I've been slow-carbing it since October and have lost 50 pounds. Like you, I got sick of beans and started to stray from the diet around Christmas. Since then, I've slowed from three pounds a week to a still reasonable 1-2 pounds. I just made some sausage and bean soup this week that I liked a lot, so I'll probably get back on a stricter slow carb diet after I pig out on Superbowl food. I don't buy that the slowcarb diet is successful because of cortisol and insulin and all that crap. Basically, beans have more nutrients and fewer calories than the same amount (by mass) of white pasta or white rice. They have lots of fiber and fill you up, so you're getting full on fewer calories. They're packed with protein, which helps you preserve muscle mass while you're in caloric deficit and losing weight. The reason slowcarb works for a lot of people is that it naturally tends to put you in caloric deficit without doing any stressful calorie counting. The nutrition density of legumes also helps you avoid some of the rhythm-busting complications that other people experience when they're eating less to lose weight and often not getting enough nutrition, like lethargy or increased susceptibility to the common cold. Tim Ferriss, basically the first proponent of this beany version of slow carb, said one could eat simple/bad carbs as long as it was within a certain amount of time of a weightlifting workout, on account of your insulin sensitivity being particularly high up to two hours after lifting weights. There's lots of silly information on the internet about this kind of thing. A lot of it comes from bodybuilders, honestly some of the dumbest and most dogmatic people you can come across. It's why you see some guys at the gym mixing a protein shake with water from the drinking fountain right after they finish working out. The truth is that after any adequately vigorous physical activity, your insulin sensitivity is high for the next 24 hours, so it doesn't matter when you have that bowl of pasta or slice of pizza as long as it hasn't been a full day since you worked out. It's good that you're going to get back to the gym. For a couple months, I was doing cardio twice a day and lifting weights almost every day. I stopped that almost a month ago and switched to a single HIIT workout a day, and I'm losing the same amount of weight in less than half the time at the gym. Interval training (alternating bouts of low-intensity and high-intensity cardio) boosts your metabolism by increasing your HGH and testosterone (You're not going to start growing a beard or anything, don't worry) so you burn fat while watching TV later that night, eating strawberries and sipping wine. I've been doing 3 minutes slow cardio (heart rate around 120-130), then 7 minutes of fast cardio (with my heart rate 165-175). I do three or four of those in a row in a workout, and it's been working great. The increased energy is giving me insomnia though. Clearly."

Thanks, Jack!

First day off Slow Carb Diet and I STILL ate slow carb foods...could be a good thing.

2010-02-04T22:27:00.000-08:00

So this is the first day off my most recent diet plan and I'm still sort of acting like I'm on it. I hadn't really thought about what I was going to do next, but today, I made some pretty interesting choices... Breakfast: Mixed nuts and Coke Zero. I got caught out with Zack most of the morning and afternoon and didn't plan on food for myself. Normally I would have hit Chik-Fil-A, but this time I just grabbed some mixed nuts and Coke Zero around 11:30 and that was my first meal of the day. Lunch: Progresso Light Southwest Veggie Soup. I ate the whole can. It was awesome! And light. Dinner: Chicken breast and veggies. Lots of veggies today, but not much other nutrition. Glad to be able to look back at today though and see no fast food choices. I was away from home from 9:30 am to 1:30 pm and didn't hit a drive through. That's like a total first.

Slow Carb Diet: Day 16 of 30

2010-02-03T14:37:00.000-08:00

Pounds lost: 10 I quit. And not because I haven't lost any weight in the past few days, but because of the reason I haven't lost. Reasons like, drinking a couple glasses of wine and eating a few strawberries. I know that threw off the chemical balance of what makes this diet work, but nobody should be restricted from eating strawberries and sipping wine, I'm sorry. Plus now, I'm so over beans. I use to love beans, now I can't stand the smell of them. So I quit this diet. But 10 pounds...10 real pounds of fat ain't too shabby. Even the lure of that extra 10 pounds is not enough to get me back on the beans train. So what's next? When I look at the end of this weight loss trip I'm on, I want to look like I have worked at it. I want muscles and tight arms and legs. I don't just want to be thinner, I want to be tighter too. So it's time to hit the gym hard again like I had before. I haven't found a workout challenge to start yet, but I'm kinda over challenges too. I had some pretty good success when I winged it to lose the first 30 pounds. And now with 20 (actually 50--long story) more to go, I'm feeling optimistic. So far since I've started this thing, I've lost 41 pounds. I cannot complain. Here's to moving forward with good old fashioned sweat...without beans! Summary: Start Weight: 254 Current Weight: 214 New Goal Weight: 165 Onward to minus 49!

Slow Carb Diet: Day 14 & 15 of 30

2010-02-02T17:53:00.000-08:00

Pounds Lost: 10 (I think I have hit a wall! No weight loss since Friday. Still met half of goal so far. 15 more days to go.) Notable about the past two days: Alcohol. More than usual. A friend hipped me to moscato wine and I can't put it down. :( Meals (both days): Breakfast: eggs, black beans and salsa Lunch & dinner: chicken, tossed salad, black beans and salsa Exercise: Nope. Might have to really start working out consistently. Especially cardio. Two more weeks of beans and I'll be back to eating more variety. I have to get back into the habit of working out if I am going to continue to lose weight.

Slow Carb Diet: Day 13 of 30

2010-02-01T06:19:00.000-08:00

Pounds Lost: 10 This is post cheat day. My tummy still feels a bit icky and I'm ready to get back to my veggies, legumes and protein. Big plans today to drink TONS of water. Meals on Day 13 (x2): Chicken and veggies Also had coffee on the road back from Dallas Exercise (none)

Slow Carb Diet: Day 12 of 30

2010-02-01T06:16:00.000-08:00

Cheat Day! I was in Dallas this weekend and my cheat day could not have fallen on a better day. The Menu: Cheese pizza from Sam's club (my fave) Fries and burger from 5 Guys Caramel Delights Girl Scout Cookies Coffee with milk White wine Yes, I totally had heartburn by 4:30 AM, but it was worth it. Now, back to the beans!

Slow Carb Diet: Day 11 of 30

2010-01-29T07:32:00.000-08:00

Pounds Lost: 10! Notable on day 11: I weighed in at 214 pounds this morning! My waistline is disappearing rapidly. I'm glad that's where most of my weight is so I can see actual results. 10 pounds is a lot of weight to come primarily off the middle. So 2 weeks and I'm halfway to my goal of 20 pounds of fat in 30 days. This crazy diet is actually working! Meat, beans ad veggies and one cheat day a week! Today's Meal (x1): scrambled eggs, black beans and salsa Meal (x2): Pork loin, black beans and cabbage I already have my cheat day foods planned out and will be counting down the hours until chow time.

Slow Carb Diet: Day 10 of 30

2010-01-28T12:26:00.000-08:00

Pounds lost: 7 Notable about Day 10: Another person noticed my weight loss in y face! Today's Meal (x3): Curried chick peas, spinach and chicken breast Exercise: 30 minutes of cardio. Finally got to the gym...late for Body Pump, but got in a great 30 minutes on the elliptical. Didn't have a lot of energy, but pulled out a 337 calorie burner. Hoping to repeat or better that on Day 11.

Slow Carb Diet: Day 9 of 30

2010-01-27T14:29:00.000-08:00

Pounds Lost: 7 Most important thing to note about day 9: I'm over beans. 21 days to go and I'm so over beans already. Glad I get cheat days. Counting down to Saturday, aka cheese pizza/5 Guys fries/several mixed alcoholic beverages day! Today's meal (x3): Chicken, veggies, beans, yadayadayada Exercise: Nope. But hoping to make it to Body Pump on day 10. Hubby has to make it home from work in time for that, so...

Slow Carb Diet: Day 8 of 30

2010-01-26T13:42:00.000-08:00

Pounds Lost: 5 Most important thing to note about day 8: Meh. Starting to feel a little guilty...an lazy losing weight this way. Psychologically I feel like I should be working out, but every morning I wake up and see a little bit less of myself, I'm not motivated to do cardio. Trying to convince myself that I need cardio for my heart health too, not just for the sake of my thighs. Today's meal (x3): Chicken, veggies, beans, you know... Exercise: Hot date with my DVR weeks worth of Grey's Anatomy. Worked my right hand overtime pushing FF through commercial breaks.

Slow Carb Diet: Day 7 of 30

2010-01-24T22:02:00.000-08:00

Pounds Lost: 4

Most important thing to note about day 7:

Didn't gain anything back according to my morning weigh-in. Jumped right back into things after my glorious cheat day. Had no appetite, but ate my food anyway and drank tons of water.

Today's meal (x4):

Green salad, sautéed and curried cabbage, black beans, chicken breast

Exercise:

None

Slow Carb Diet: Day 6 of 30, CHEAT DAY!

2010-01-24T21:52:00.000-08:00

So I chose Saturday as my cheat day since, I eat more on the weekends anyway because I'm usually hanging out with and/or cooking for my husband. I thoroughly enjoyed my day of sugar, "bad" carb and dairy debauchery, and will tell you all about that, but first things first...Weigh In! Drumroll...

After 5 days on this strict version of the slow carb diet, I have lost 4 pounds of fat. No, I'm not peeing on ketosticks, nor did I take a measurement of my body fat with skin fold calipers. I'm just taking for granted that this is a fat burning, muscle preserving diet. Plus my husband said he could see the difference in my face already and my gut (the place where most of my body fat is accumulated) is smaller.

Start Weight: 224

Current weight: 220

Cheat Day Rundown (in no particular order...I just ate randomly all day):

Tortilla chips with black bean salsa

Thin-mint Girl Scout cookies

Caramel Delights Girl Scout Cookies

Cheese Pizza

Coffee with milk

That's is. That's what I ate during the course of my cheat day. It was glorious.

Slow Carb Diet: Day 5 of 30

2010-01-24T21:27:00.000-08:00

Most important thing to note about day 5:

Day 6 is cheat day!

Today's meal (x3): chicken breast, lettuce, black beans, green salad

Exercise: None

Slow Carb Diet: Day 4 of 30

2010-01-22T06:18:00.000-08:00

Most important thing to note about day 4:

Went out with son from morning until afternoon, so ate different meals instead of all the same meals throughout the day. I felt really normal too. I don't know why I impose these extra restrictions on myself when it comes to dieting. You don't have to eat the same thing all day to lose weight, but here I am, adding extra work. But, you know what? I haven't cheated once. Haven't even been tempted to. Part of that is also that my nose is stopped up so I can't really enjoy food all that much, so cheating would be a total waste. So the meal repeating is working for now.

Official weigh-in Saturday morning before the start of my first cheat day! I already have my meals planned. I'll be reporting my total pounds lost this week and giving you guys the scoop on my cheat day debauchery Saturday.

Today's meal (x1): egg whites, black beans, roasted bell pepper salad.

Other meals (x2): chicken breast, lettuce, black beans, green salad

Exercise: None, but I did do my morning full body stretches. Dr. Oz recommended full body stretching every morning, so I do that generally.

Slow Carb Diet: Day 3 of 30

2010-01-20T20:18:00.000-08:00

Most important thing to note about today: I had no appetite today. Allergy issues have me jacked up right now. But I did eat. I am seeing/feeling a difference. Snuck and weighed myself and 3 pounds are gone! Decided to take pictures of the scale everyday instead of my body...less depressing. Today's meal (x4): egg whites, black beans, roasted bell pepper salad.

Snack: unsalted peanuts Exercise: None. I have sinus issues and my son barely napped today.

Slow Carb Diet: Day 2 of 30

2010-01-19T21:25:00.000-08:00

Most important thing to note about today: Again, was not hungry after first meal. Ate all others though. And drank tons of water and a Coke zero. I think I'm cutting coffee for this thing because I cannot enjoy my coffee without forbidden milk. Looking forward to a glorious latte on my cheat day. Today's meal (x4): Chicken breast, chopped salad, spicy guacamole, black beans Snack:

unsalted peanuts

Exercise:

Pilates

10 Minute Total Body Pilates Routine

2010-01-19T12:36:00.001-08:00

This is what I do when I can't make it to the gym. Today I snuck off with my laptop and did it while my son was watching Yo Gabba Gabba.

Slow Carb Diet: Day 1 of 30

2010-01-18T20:27:00.000-08:00

Ok. So, because I have tried a million different diets with varying amounts of success, I decided to fool-proof this one. To keep me focused on putting what I'm supposed to put into my body, I am picking one perfect slow-carb meal and eating it 4 times throughout the day. I know it sounds insane, but I'm a stay at home mom and I move around a lot, so starting the day out knowing what I'm going to eat helps. Plus, repeating meals is supposed to really kick up your body's fat consumption so I seasoned the meat well and curried the beans and enjoyed my food all day long. I portioned my fully-cooked meals out the night before to make it even more convenient.

Most important thing to note about this first day: After my first meal at around 11:30, I was not hungry the rest of the day. I ate regular sized servings, too. I had to force myself to eat my other meals. The combination of lean meat, beans and veggies is very filling. I drank tons of water and a couple of cups of black coffee. No cravings or temptations. Just focus. Today's meal: Chicken breast, curried kidney beans (sauteed in a bit of olive oil, curry, salt and green onions), frozen mixed veggies--mostly brocolli. Snack: unsalted peanuts

Exercise:

Pilates, basic mat workout. You don't have to exercise to lose weight on this diet since you're basically tricking your body into using stored fat for energy, but I do plan to lift weights 2-3 times a week via Body Pump and a couple of days of Pilates. Thanks to all the protein, muscle is preserved. I have a lot of lean muscle and build muscle easily, so I'm hoping to capitalize on the extra fat burning.

*I'll report weight and inches lost weekly on video. Also taking body shots every day and will make a final video of my body morphing at the end of the 30 days...but only if I look cute at the end.

Slow Carb Diet

2010-01-12T17:07:00.000-08:00

And I'm back. My original effort to lose 60 pounds was paused for a bit (for more on that click here), but is officially back on. So this is the diet I have chosen to start this month. The Slow Carb Diet. I was supposed to start today, but I explained why that didn't work out so well in the video. What is possible on this diet? 20 lbs of fat loss in 30 days Why the hell would I try to do that? I don't know. I'm addicted to dieting I think. Which is why I never lose all my weight. Which is why I probably shouldn't be doing this one, but I can't help it. What the hell do I have to do to accomplish that? Follow 4 simple rules. Rule #1: Avoid “white” carbohydrates This includes bread, rice, cereal, potatoes, pasta, and fried food with breading, BUT they can be consumed within 1.5 hours of a weight training session, since they would be used rather than be stored as fat. Talk about incentive to go to Body Pump...oatmeal! I will not PLAN to break this rule after every workout, but it's nice to have the option.

Rule #2: Eat the same few meals over and over again The fewer meal options, the easier it is not to cheat...I guess. Each meal must consist of Proteins (eggs, lean meat), Legumes (peas,lentils, beans), and Vegetables (preferably green ones). SO basically, I'd have a Mexican breakfast pretty often of eggs (or egg whites), black beans and salsa. And I'd fill out the day with salads topped with beans and chicken breast mostly.

Rule #3: Don’t drink calories Tons of water, tea and an occasional diet soda

Rule #4: Take one day off per week One free day a week to go insane and eat whatever I want. Somehow the idea of saving up all week with plans for one day a week of food debauchery appeals to me. The idea is that the caloric overload will keep your metabolism from slowing down...to tell your body you're not starving, so it will keep consuming stored fat.

That's the short of it.

Watch the video to see my "before" stats and to hear why I was supposed to start this thing today, but what had happened was...

I'm back!

2010-01-11T23:39:00.000-08:00

The next 30 days should be very interesting. Details of my latest crazy weight-loss plan and daily video updates start tomorrow. Until then...

Farewell for now...

2009-09-25T11:12:00.000-07:00

You know you saw it coming. I've lost 36 of the 60 pounds I had hoped to lose by now. Which is WAY more than I would have lost had I not started this blog. Thank you for following along and for the encouragement I received from some of you. I'm still on track to lose the remaining 24 (or more) pounds and will delight the readers of my other blog, HomeGirl, with updates on the remainder of my journey. And, yes, there will be skinny jeans progress pictures. 5 inches to go. Whenever I do finally get them on, watch out. Fye! That's all I'm gonna say. LOL. Seriously, thanks for humoring me. See y'all on HomeGirl!

So close and yet so far...

2009-09-09T17:01:00.000-07:00

I'm still making progress, but nowhere near where I started. I've lost 36 pounds since starting this effort. Had hoped to be closer to -60 by now, but obviously won't be hitting that mark. I'm pleased though with the progress I'm making. I've decided to be vegetarian for a while. The biggest impact it has had on my weight loss is that is significantly limits the number of drive thru trips I am able make. So where I use to struggle to drive pass a fast food place, now I breeze by because I can't get anything other than fries at most places anyway. I did not, however, breeze pass Chick Fil A the other day--had to have fries. It was one of those days. Tried on my skinny jeans today. Not ready to take another "during" pic yet. Give me a few more weeks...

Working Out Relationship

2009-09-02T15:21:00.000-07:00

Last might was the first time in a long time that I actually enjoyed a workout. Not sure why. Actually, I think it's because I feel cuter. Actually, I know that's why. I have found that the thinner I am, the more willing I am to try things in the gym that I might not have before. Like the row machine. 32 pounds ago, I would not have tried it. Now, because I have less boobs and belly to interfere with executing rows, I feel less awkward doing it. So a whole new section of the gym has opened up to me. I like.

Weekly Reflection

2009-08-30T20:24:00.001-07:00

I'm over posting about everything I eat. I don't think you guys really care anyway. And frankly it's hard to remember everything by the day's end. The most important things about this past week:

I lost 3 pounds!
I think I'm a vegetarian now.
My size 14 pants where sagging like crazy today! Time to shop for cute gym clothes. :)

Progress pics on skinny jeans progress coming soon! Recipe: Qinoa Salad Quinoa, Pumpkin seeds, diced tomatoes, grated Parmesan cheese, corn, cumin, cilantro. The perfect vegetarian meal--protein (Quinoa is a protein an omega rich grain), vitamins, carbs, fat--I eat it for breakfast, lunch, dinner or snack. It's SO easy to make. And SO cheap--I buy the grain and seasonings in bulk at Whole Foods. I keep it on hand like I use to keep tuna salad on hand when I was on the Atkins diet years ago.

Just checking in...

2009-08-27T13:07:00.000-07:00

It's been a couple of days, but they have been good days. I'm seriously toying around with the whole vegetarian thing. It's really healthy eating. The past two days have been vegetarian days for me. I've missed the breakfast hours lately, so my meals have been more like, Brunch, Dinner and Snack, instead of the regular three squares. For example, the past couple of days have looked something like this... Brunches: tofu scramble (tofu, spinach, mushrooms, onion, garlic, tomato, cheese) and/or oatmeal with cranberries and walnuts, or simply a banana and coffee Dinners: tofu scramble, or fish with veggies or curried chic peas with cabbage and plantain--usually with rice Snacks: hummus and baby carrots or fresh fruit, or pumpkin seeds and raisins I haven't been hungry and am feeling quite skinny--lots of fiber in this diet--no need to explain more there. I haven't lifted weights this week, but plan to add them to my cardio next week. Been drinking tons of water and loving the way I'm feeling.

Daily Update: August 24, 2009

2009-08-24T20:12:00.000-07:00

Eggplants are divine. I cook about 1 or 2 a week. In a stew. Always with the same ingredients: cousa squash, zucchini, diced tomatoes, onion, and garlic. Tonight I ate it over basmati rice with tilapia. That was dinner. Breakfast, skipped it. Lunch, tofu and spinach scramble and oatmeal with cranberries and walnuts. I didn't drink as much water as I should have today and I am not going to the gym...where I'd be right now if I weren't writing this. I'm sleepy. So I'm skipping the gym to sleep. I'll try really hard to get up and go in the morning though. Today was a goodish day.

Daily Fit: Weekly Reflection

2009-08-23T06:11:00.000-07:00

Probably the most important thing about this week s that resisted the draw of the evil French fry. Normally, the most important thing would have been that I lost weight, which is the whole point of this thing, but alas I did not this week. I'm not sure why. I think maybe I didn't eat enough--especially on that one watermelon day. Also, my workouts where not as high-energy as they had been. I'd burn fewer calories doing the same workouts on the elliptical. Plus I didn't make it to my usual Saturday morning 3-hour cardio-weights-cardio session. Current Inspiration: The track and field ladies in the World Championship contests. Mainly in the thigh region. I'm obsessed with getting my thighs back on track to their prior awesomeness. So I'm adding some flab-blasting running to the squats, lunges and walking I'm already doing. It's passed time to step things up. Looking forward to getting that sports bra I blogged about (for well-endowed gals--I ordered the pink Hope one to support breast cancer research) in the mail. In the meantime, as some friends have suggested and as I have tried, I will be wearing two bras, one of my cotton, no-wire, everyday bras with my current sports bra on top. Big boobs...a blessing and a curse.

Daily Update: August 19 Watermelon Day!

2009-08-20T13:42:00.000-07:00

Breakfast: Watermelon and coffee Lunch: Watermelon Dinner: Watermelon and roasted chicken with mashed potatoes Snacks: I give you three guesses. I bet you're right. Exercise: An awesome walk/run. Hopefully this is the start of a running thing. Couch to 5k kinda thing. I know this looks like The Watermelon Diet (which I totally just made up, but will google it after I post this just to be sure), but it's not what it looks like. I had intended to only eat a slice of the watermelon, but it was SO good! I ended up eating just over half of the whole thing. I couldn't stay away from it. I kept telling myself, just this small slice every time until most of the watermelon was gone. It's like that sometimes when I get a good one, which is RARE!

Sports Bras For Biguns

2009-08-20T12:00:00.000-07:00

I seriously need to improve my sports bra situation. I tried to run yesterday and it was not comfortable. I have relatively large boobs and have had a hard time finding a sports bra that supports me comfortably regardless of the workout I'm doing. I wear one that I got at Academy Sports called Moving Comfort--great name for a sports bra for larger boobs, but it's just not that comfortable while jogging. There are some really good ones out there, but the ones everybody raves about are never in my cup size (DDD since you asked). One person told me to wear two bras at once for extra support. Two sports bras?! Maybe I should just wait until I lose 10 more pounds, get back to a respectable DD cup size and then shop around. :( I'm trying to become a runner--perpetually--and always in starts and stops. Hopefully I won't let my boobs stop this time. I joked with a friend once that I'd be a runner if it was socially acceptable to run around the lake trails while cupping my boobs. I know...I could have worse problems. ***** Before I saved this post, I thought to myself, "Wait! What does Oprah have to say about sports bras for big boobs?" Whenever in doubt about these things, it's usually beneficial for one to think, "What would Oprah do?" and google accordingly...which I did! I googled "Oprah sports bra" and here's what I found! http://www.enell.com. Oprah never fails. I'm going to order one and will keep you guys posted.

Daily Update: August 18

2009-08-19T12:32:00.001-07:00

I didn't make it to the gym this day, but that's fine. I did a lot of shopping yesterday--lots of walking. at every store, I made sure to walk through every department or aisle and remembered to maintain great posture and to hold my stomach in (it burns calories, y'all). And I ate well, but not that much, so it's actually a good thing that I didn't make it to the gym. Breakfast- coffee (Not on purpose. My day just went on after my first two cups and then it was 2pm!) Lunch- Kashi pilaf (whole wheat, Buckwheat and sesame seeds), eggplant, squash and potato stew. Dinner-Same as lunch, but with white fish I'll make up for missing last night's workout tonight. Oh! And weigh-in on Sunday!

Daily Update: August 17

2009-08-18T11:06:00.000-07:00

I had an active day, ate clean, snacked on fresh fruit and drank plenty of water. SCORE! I was not enthusiastic at all about my workout, but I did it and that's what counts. I spent the first half of the day outside with my son--this is a good thing because my kitchen (i.e. snacks), nor my sofa where nearby. When we got back home it was all about wind down/lunch/bath and nap time for my toddler and toddler/lunch/internet/shower time for me. Breakfast: Tofu/spinach scramble with hash browns (Amy's frozen), coffee Lunch: Stuffed bell pepper (rice and beans), with hot sauce Dinner: Veggie stew with Kashi whole grain pilaf (whole buckwheat, barley, brown rice and sesame seeds--very nutty! ) Snacks: calcium fortified soy milk, a plum, a clementine and a few Brazil nuts Did you notice, I totally had a vegetarian day?! Yum! I feel skinny already. Haha.

Back at it

2009-08-17T07:43:00.000-07:00

So, Monday seems like the perfect day to start. Or start again. Or start over... I'm still only halfway to achieving my weight loss goal of 60 pounds by my birthday in September. Do I think I can lose another 30 pounds in less than 30 days? Heck no. But what I can do is work hard everyday to be healthier and get more fit, so that's what I'll do. If that results in 30 pounds of weight loss (which it won't) then, awesome. If not, that's fine too...but I am going to lose this last 30 pounds and get into my skinny jeans and soon. While I was away, I didn't lose any weight. Not surprising at all, since food/fitness journaling kept me focused. When I stopped blogging about my weight loss, I stopped losing weight. I'm still going to the gym and am eating relatively healthy most days. I have been eating whatever I wanted, including the "bad" stuff, but balanced it out with a generally healthy diet. Yadda yadda yadda, I'm back. My Diet/Exercise Goals for the next 30'ish days: -Cardio daily -Weight training (alternating muscle groups) 3-4 days weekly -Food for fuel. No intake of useless calories. -Lots of water I'll be experimenting with some tofu dishes, since I'm trying to introduce it to my toddler. His food choices are limited and I'm doing what I can to get food in him. I loved tofu and ate it regularly years ago, so you'll be seeing it in a lot of my meals. I'll be sharing some recipes with you guys too. Be back tomorrow with daily updates. Until then...

Daily Fit: Daily Break

2009-06-20T20:59:00.000-07:00

I'm taking a break from updating this blog every day. I haven't been updating daily anyway. I just have other projects that need my attention right now, and this blog is a temporary casualty. I have been a little obsessed with my workouts and am doing a great job with my eating. I'll be back with updates and pictures and all in a little bit. Trust me, I'm going strong and making great progress towards my weight loss goal. In the meantime, check out my main blog at www.HomeGirl.typepad.com. Be back soon.

Daily Fit Update: Fried what?

2009-06-15T20:48:00.000-07:00

Catfish. I started my day out with an awesome weight lifting class first thing this morning, on an empty stomach, like you're supposed to do. Drank tons of water during my class. I increased the weight on my bar this time and did ALL my reps. Downed a protein shake when I got home, it started out so perfectly. Then there was the catfish. We NEVER fry food in my house. EVER. Until yesterday when Billy invited male, fried catfish eating individuals over to watch the Lakers game. He fried things and thee were left overs and I ate them for brunch today and dinner and it was glorious. I will be awesomely clean with my eating for the rest of the week. Back tomorrow...

Daily FIt: The Rundown & Weight Lost Update

2009-06-15T10:48:00.000-07:00

Weight Lost Update Officially 24 of 60 pounds GONE baby GONE! The Rundown So my 5 lbs in 7days experiment failed. I only lost 3 pounds (which I will totally take), but it's not because the science of what I wanted to do was wrong, it's just that counting calories consumed and burned is obnoxious. So around day 5, I kinda winged it when counting calories that I ate and likely overdid it in my workouts. The past couple of days have been all about hummus and turkey sandwiches on wheat and apples. Sometimes I even ate that for breakfast. I ate other things too, just that I ate that meal a LOT. The bright side: I'm lifting weights 3 days a week now without fail and am doing TONS of cardio 6 days a week. I'm officially in a zone. AND my son is enjoying the gym nursery again. This morning I actually got my WHOLE hour of Body Pump in! I'll go back tonight after he's asleep and after I've walked my dogs for about an hour of cardio. And I'm still working on that skinny jeans picture...

DailyFit Update: 5lbs in 7 days--Day 4

2009-06-11T07:51:00.000-07:00

So I've created a 1300 calorie deficit in my daily calorie intake by cutting half of that from my food intake and burning the other half off on the treadmill. As of yesterday, according to the digital scale at the gym, I've lost 2 pounds in 3 days! Today starts the 4th day so I'm working really hard to stay on point. The best thing about calorie counting that I can tell is that I can eat whatever I want as long as it's within my calorie count. Of course I'm not eating anything too high in fat other than mayo--can't live without real mayonnaise sorry. I've been eating PB & honey English muffin sandwiches, turkey sandwiches, rice, broccoli and chicken. It's been pretty easy and I haven't been hungry. The one thing I have missed this week is my Body Pump classes. Until my son can stay peacefully in the childcare at the gym, I won't be able to take classes while I have him with me. I've been able to maintain my workouts by lifting weights on my own (which I hate--I work much harder in the Body Pump class) and late-night dates with the elliptical and treadmill machines at the gym. I didn't start the early A.M. cycle classes yet because I am eating fewer calories and don't want to pass out or anything. But with 6 days of cardio and 3 days of weights, I'm making awesome progress in general. Next weigh-in and skinny jeans photo coming soon!

DailyFit Update: 5 pounds in 7 days Experiment Day 1)

2009-06-08T21:19:00.000-07:00

So I counted calories for the first time today. It was easy because I had all my meals at home. I was successful at creating my calorie deficit and am one day closer to losing 5 pounds this week--if my calculations were correct. I missed my early morning exercise class, so I cut the calories I had expected to work off from my food intake today. Breakfast: wheat English muffin with natural peanut butter and honey, skim milk, banana Lunch: turkey sandwich on wheat bread, skim milk Dinner: curry chicken breast, basmati rice, broccoli I'm taking my first cycle workout class in the morning, so should be able to eat more food tomorrow. We shall see...

Daily Fit Girl: The Experiment

2009-06-07T10:36:00.000-07:00

Then again, this whole thing is an experiment isn't it. I'm always changing my game plan, I know. I'm just so impatient. Period. I lost one pound last week. I know it's because early in the week, I didn't eat enough and probably worked out when I shouldn't have, and later in the week I ate too much and didn't work out enough. My unscientific guess it that my body was like, what the eff? and my metabolism malfunctioned. I'm getting really sick of this last 45. So I did this scientific calculation of my BMR and then I poked around the Internet and figured out how many calories my body uses to digest food and how much I burn during exercise. All those combined gave me my Total Daily Caloric Expenditure. It's all explained <<HERE>>. I figured out what kind of daily calorie deficit I need to create to lose about 5 pounds every 7 days by using a combo of cutting calories and exercising. It's insane. But I'm also a little insane about this weight stuff, so... But don't worry; I created a spreadsheet so that as my weight decreases, I can plug it in and update all my "counts" and make adjustments. That way I can keep up with the weight loss and still get in enough calories for like, my organs to work and stuff. Keep you posted.

Daily Fit: Busy Weekend =Not-so-fit Eating

2009-06-07T06:48:00.000-07:00

I'm not slacking though. I just can't help the busy schedule over the past couple of days. They went something like this... Friday Exercise: Body Pump first thing, then straight home to shower/change/picnic by the lake. Breakfast/Lunch: talapia, salad, veggies and rice After about about 6 hours at the lake, NAP! Dinner: turkey sandwich on wheat Saturday Garage Sale @ 6am, followed by another 4 hours of picnicking in the park Breakfast/Lunch: BBQ (brisket & chicken breast), corn cob, coleslaw and about a half-gallon of sweet tea and half-gallon of water. Dinner/Drinks Out: chicken tacos on soft corn tortillas, tortilla chips, coffee and chocolate cake, mango margarita...just one...and one mixed drink. Exercise:OK. Technically, I didn't exercise today, but I did stand up and walk around the whole time at the garage sale (on purpose), and stood up most of the time and danced a little after dinner last night. I think that counts. *Gym tonight for some make-up cardio...about an hour and ab work.*

Daily Fit Update: Early Weekly Reflection (busy weekend ahead)

2009-06-04T21:36:00.000-07:00

OK. So I haven't posted over the past couple of days. I did this stupid low-carb things that felt really silly and I was a bit embarrassed to share with you guys what I was actually eating. It's much easier to deprive myself of perfectly good food in the privacy of my own dark corners than to do it out in the light of day for everybody to see. Still, to keep myself partially honest, I will give a quick rundown of what the past few days looked like: Food intake: protein shakes, herbal teas, skim milk, grapefruit, fish, eggs, turkey breast chicken and green veggies. Of course I drank tons of water and took my vitamins too. The combination and distribution of the foods on that list is way too pitiful to be specific. I'm sure I ate about 1000 calories a day which is insane. My energy was low, but I still got my workouts in... Exercise: I usually go to the gym every day to do cardio and Body Pump(2-3 classes). This week, I went all but one day--and that day, I did a Pilates Mat workout followed by upper body barbells at home. I only made it to one Body Pump class, but am taking one in the morning and another one on Sunday, so we're keeping the ball rolling. I have lost some weight, which is the whole point, but I'm going back to eating normal food. This "diet" gave me a little more motivation (because of the visible results) to keep up with my daily efforts to get fit and get rid of these last 40 pounds. Stay tuned for another installment of my skinny jeans "during" photos next week!

Daily FIt Update: June 1

2009-06-02T12:47:00.000-07:00

This was day one of my "diet week" and it went something like this.. Breakfast: Scrambled eggs and tea Exercise: About 25 minutes of Body Pump class before the childcare people called me out of class to get my son) Snack: apple,cheese, turkey breast Exercise: Back to gym for 30 minutes of cardio (after my son went to sleep--dad was home) Lunch: Protein shake Exercise: Body Pump (full class this time) and 15 minutes of cardio to top it off. Dinner: chicken and bell peppers Tons of water. Prenatal vitamin. Yeah, definitely a diet day.

Daily Fit: Weekly Reflection 14- Time for a "diet" week.

2009-05-31T07:28:00.000-07:00

No weight loss this week. But, just as important, no weight gain. I had a hard time keeping up with eating 6 times a day and ate way too many ribs and slices of pound cake to lose anybody's weight this week. I had a good talk with the instructor of the Body Pump class I take and am ready to step up my workout game. The past couple of weeks, I've done cardio everyday and Body Pump twice a week. I'm feeling great, but really need to SEE some results from all the work I'm doing. My instructor gave me these exercise guidelines if I want to see results in the next few weeks:

Increase weight lifting (Body Pump or circuit training) from twice a week to three times a week.
Ab work daily. The important thing here is to work a different ab section on a 3 day cycle: Day 1-Upper abs, Day 2-lower abs, Day 3-obliques and continue daily to see fast results. Since we do ab work in Body Pump, I'll focus on working my lower abs and obliques on off days to really work off my mom-pouch.
Since abs are invisible under fat, and Body Pump only burns about 300 calories per hour she said to keep challenging myself with the cardio I'm doing, and to watch my eating. Done and done.

I've already scheduled all my workouts for next week and am looking forward to starting more intense ab work. As for my eating, I'm going to do a "diet" this week to boost my weight loss. I'm not going to do a specific diet, but a combination of detoxes I've done in the past. Basically, I'm going to cut bread, pasta and processed sugar. I'll restrict my fat intake and eat mostly lean meats, eggs, skim milk (with whey protein powder), veggies and grapefruit. If I MUST, I'll add berries, oats and brown rice as needed. My weight loss goal this week is 2 pounds...of course I'm hoping/expecting to lose more.

Daily Fit Update: May 27

2009-05-28T18:36:00.000-07:00

Breakfast: barbecued ribs and OJ Snack: apple and string cheese Lunch: turkey sandwich on wheat with mustard Snack: mixed nuts Dinner: lentils with rice and plain yogurt, cabbage Exercise: None. I fell asleep after putting my son down at 8pm and woke up this morning at 5am...and went to the gym. So technically my workout was not for this reported day, but for today...the 28th. And I'm going tonight too for a makeup session so...

Daily Fit Update: May 26

2009-05-27T09:19:00.000-07:00

Breakfast: a slice of half-wheat pound cake and OJ Snack: half of a grapefruit and string cheese Lunch: turkey sandwich on wheat with mustard and an apple Snack: two slices of half-wheat pound cake Dinner: cottage cheese and an orange Exercise: Since I was still in holiday mode and eating pound cake for breakfast and such, I saved my workout for late-night so I could go to the gym without my toddler and get a full hour of cardio in without potentially getting interrupted. I did an hour on the elliptical walking hills, burned 652 calories and went to bed for some guilt-free sleep. More veggies and no ~~less~~ no pound cake tomorrow.

Daily Fit: Weekly Reflection 13

2009-05-26T07:39:00.000-07:00

20 of 60 pounds off! I reached my goal from last week of 3 pounds. I weigh at different times of day now, since my home scale sucks and I'm using the one at the gym. When I weighed early in the morning, the scale said I was 4 pounds lighter, but I'll go with the 3 pounds, which is what it reads during most hours of the day. I'm pleased with the amount of exercise I've been able to do since joining the gym. I do cardio every day, weights twice a week. My weights are packed into a one-hour Body Pump Class and I follow it up with 30 minutes on the elliptical when I can. At first I thought that was overkill, but twice I've seen the class instructor jump on the treadmill after class so I'm following suit. We cooked a of food yesterday for Memorial Day and had some people over. I knew I would eat what I wanted, so I started my day with: Breakfast: lf cottage cheese, lf vanilla yogurt and a banana (pre-workout) Exercise: one hour of Body Pump and a half-hour on the elliptical Snack: Vanilla Whey Protein shake (post-workout) After that, I ate meat. Lots of smoked brisket, and barbecued chicken with coleslaw and potato salad on the side. And one of our guests brought over a half-wheat flour pound cake that really rocked my world. I tried to get the guys who came over to watch the game later to eat cake and asked my husband to take some to work to share with coworkers, but there is still cake in my kitchen. Problem with that is, when a good cake like that is sitting in my kitchen, it speaks to me. Calls my name all day. Every time I'm in there. It's going to take a LOT of work for me to not indulge. With that in mind, I'm giving myself a smaller weight loss goal this week. My weight loss goal for this week is 2 pounds. And if I can, I'll fit in a couple of dance classes for cardio this week too.

Daily Fit Udate: May 23

2009-05-23T20:45:00.000-07:00

Today was awesome! Breakfast: PB/Vanilla protein shake (made with Vanilla Whey protein powder, lf vanilla yogurt, and natural peanut butter)--before I hit the gym this morning. Snack:Scrambled eggs, spinach, mushrooms and cottage cheese Lunch: lamb, lentils and rice with lf lain yogurt, cabbage Snack: string cheese and strawberries Dinner: apple with natural peanut butter and flax and whole wheat crackers Exercise: Body Pump! I'm working with 2.5 pound weights on my bar, but that's OK. I'm enjoying the challenge my body gets with every workout and am looking forward to watching myself get stronger and stronger. Pretty soon I'll be loading 10 pound weights on my bar like, what?

Daily Fit Update: May 22

2009-05-22T22:33:00.000-07:00

I've been really busy the past couple of days. Yesterday was a good food day and I did a pretty good 40 minutes on the elliptical machine. Today was my free-food day and I did OK, I think... Breakfast- scrambled egg and turkey bacon sandwich, coffee No lunch or snacks- busy day Dinner- lamb, rice, cabbage, pigeon peas, tomato salad, cherry pie and apple pie and baklava, and tea sweetened with high fructose corn syrup. Exercise- a 10-minute almost-mile on the elliptical machine. Not because I'm insane, but because I got to the gym 15 minutes before it closed and needed to burn off the cherry pie and baklava I ate at dinner. Then I went home and ate another piece of pie...a small piece, but still.

Daily Fit Update: May 20

2009-05-20T15:46:00.000-07:00

Breakfast: dry turkey sandwich on whole wheat toast and skim milk Snack: banana and peanut butter smoothie with vanilla whey protein Lunch: baked fish, broccoli and strawberries Snack: banana and peanut butter smoothie with vanilla whey protein (because it was SO good) Dinner: whole wheat English muffin, Canadian bacon, spinach, kale & mushrooms Snack: string cheese and an apple Exercise: 2.5 miles on the elliptical machine in about 40 minutes. Eating 6 times a day forces you to be done eating by 8p.m. As someone who use to eat dinner around 10, I can dig that.

Daily Fit: Locker Room Revelation

2009-05-20T14:56:00.001-07:00

After my workout today, I went into the ladies locker room to wash my hands and pee...and wash my hands again. I decided to go further into the locker room than I ever had to see what it was like for folks who actually removed and replaced their clothing in there. I was alone, so I felt free to poke around. It's pretty posh. There's even a pretty big lounge area complete with sofas and chairs and a big screen television suspended from the ceiling. Today it was tuned in to Oprah. On the way out of the lounge area and past the showers, I saw it. A digital scale. I did not hesitate to step on it since I weigh myself everyday at home. I was sure I knew how much I weighed, I just wanted to see if I had lost any weight so far this week--my goal is three pounds. When the numbers stopped moving, I just stood there on the scale and looked down for a good long moment. I weigh myself everyday. And according to that scale, either I had gained 7 pounds since breakfast or my home scale sucks. I was only slightly bummed, because the number doesn't change the fact that I have lost 17 pounds. I'm just not as close to my wedding day weight (not my ultimate goal, but a pretty big milestone) as I thought I was. I weighed in on my scale when I got back home and confirmed that it was a big fat liar. If my jeans weren't sagging on me, I'd see this as a setback, but fortunately my bathroom mirror and the mirrors at the gym do say the same thing---I'm slimmin' up! And that's my real goal anyway.

Daily Fit Update: May 19

2009-05-19T11:29:00.000-07:00

Breakfast: eggs, Canadian bacon, whole wheat English muffin Snack: tbsp natural peanut butter and an apple Lunch: chicken breast with green beans, half of a grapefruit Snack: string cheese and strawberries Dinner: dry turkey sandwich on whole wheat toast and skim milk Snack: vanilla and blueberry smoothie Exercise: Body Pump! I thought it would be more like intense aerobics, but it was actually just weights to music. I LOVE it! But I'll never do weights two days in a row again. It was a mistake this time and it will not happen again. I have a feeling the soreness is about to get me in a headlock tonight.

Daily Fit Update: May 18

2009-05-18T16:49:00.000-07:00

Breakfast: oatmeal cooked with skim milk, nuts and a banana Snack: half of a chicken breast, slice of whole wheat toast and an apple Lunch: cottage cheese with almonds and strawberries with lettuce Snack: string cheese and half of a grapefruit Dinner: chicken breast, whole grain pasta and spinach Snack: smoothie with rasp/blueberries, vanilla whey protein powder, lf vanilla yogurt, skim milk Exercise: CIRCUIT TRAINING! YAY! I said I would start slow, but that section of the gym was just calling my name. I didn't do any cardio today, but I'll get it in tomorrow. Eating six times today was pretty cool. It basically felt like snacking all day. I was never hungry because I was eating something every 2-3 hours. Pretty cool. It was also easy to drink tons of water too since I drank it every time I ate. It's going to take a while for me to replace my coffee with green tea (as suggested by the Abs Diet). I don't ever fully expect to do that, but I can do coffee in the morning and green tea the rest of the day. That's doable.

Daily Fit: Weekly Reflection 11--Checklist!

2009-05-17T06:33:00.000-07:00

Gym membership. ✓
Awesome sports bra.✓
Abs Diet Power 12 foods stocked.✓
Replace multi-vitamin with a OTC prenatal (just in case).✓
Omega 3 gel tablets stocked.✓
Optimistic attitude about workout plans this week.✓

I've decided to use the Abs Diet way of eating, especially over the next 6 weeks, because all the remaining weight I have to lose is primarily in my gut. I'll use the gym primarily to take Body Pump classes and Pilates classes at first. Eventually I'll add weights. Daily food diary and exercise updates will start again tomorrow. My weight loss goal this week is 3 pounds.

Daily Fit: Ch-ch-changes

2009-05-13T15:33:00.001-07:00

If you've been following my blog for a while, you've noticed a change lately. I've written less about my daily food intake and physical activities. And I haven't lost any weight in the past month. Of course those things are related. The less I write about what I'm eating and doing, the less I care about what I'm eating and doing. So, I'm making some changes. I won't write about them until I do them though. Another trend here is that I've written a lot about what I plan to do, but usually just end up planning to do something else. Lots of planning. Not so much with the doing. I was going to post about joining the gym today, but I was going to go after my son woke up from his nap and he didn't wake up until almost 5 and I have other after 5 activities to do at home today. I won't say that I'll just join in the morning because I probably won't and then there we go again with the planning. I do have plans though. Big plans. But you won't know what they are. You'll jut notice me logging my super healthy meals and super fitness activities and losing super amounts of weight. Hopefully.

Daily Fit: Weekly Reflection Week 10

2009-05-09T20:14:00.000-07:00

By now I should have lost 20 to 30 pounds. I've only lost 17. I went to Memphis, my hometown, for a week last week and ate out at local restaurants (fried chicken, Memphis style hot wings, Philly subs and friend fish) everyday and whenever I wanted. I'm SO lucky that I didn't gain any weight. This week, I'm going into detox mode. I'm looking around for a good detox plan (maybe a week of the master cleanse?) to start on Monday. I'll keep you posted...

Daily Fit: Weekly Reflection 9

2009-05-03T09:15:00.000-07:00

It has been brought to my attention that I spend over thirty dollars a month on Coke Zero. That is jst a bit more than a gym membership would cost. I need to make some changes. Where to start. Well. I'm totally off the wagon...or on the wagon...however the phrase goes. Yes, I'm on vacation, and yes, I do have plans to workout with a friend, but in my mind...I'm over trying to lose weight. I don't want to work out. Sofa time is way more enjoyable. I don't want to eat right. Fried chicken tastes better. I don't want to drink water. Coke Zero is more appealing. I've been here before. I've lost some weight. People are noticing. I'm getting comfortable and pulling back. The difference this time, is that you guys are watching and I'm determined to not look like a total flake if I'm not successful at something as simple as losing weight.Yes, I said simple. Eat less, exercise more. That works for me. I know it for a fact. So, it is simple. *sigh* I've done all my Memphis eating for now--I still have one big breakfast to go though. I have a few days left here, and for the next three days, I'm going to eat very clean...fish, veggies and tons of water. If the rain ever stops, I'll go waling with Zack and my mom. Maybe by the time I get back to Austin, I'll be back on track.

DailyFit: The Hometown Visit

2009-04-30T22:16:00.000-07:00

Today was my first day in Barbecue town. I managed to eat really well today! I know it's only the first day, but I actually surprised myself. Thanks to the scrambled eggs and toast I made at my mom's house and the chicken salad my friend made for dinner, I managed to go the day without barbecue, no fried chicken or fish from my favorite spots, no hot wings...yet.Trust me, all of the above are on my To Eat list along with my mom's and aunt's homemade favorites. What's the use of denying myself my hometown favorites? I'll be frustrated and prob'ly still not lose any weight this week when it's over. I DO have plans to workout with a friend of mine next week a will be working out on my own in the meantime. The summer is still approaching after all. Wish me luck!

Daily Fit: Information/Inspiration

2009-04-27T11:24:00.000-07:00

Although I am hoping to workout more, psychologically, I'm stuck on eating less to lose weight more than anything. I see working out as "finishing touches" to weight loss---for toning and tightening up--and not so much a a means to burn calories for weight loss. Yes, I understand how flawed that is, but it's my deal at the moment. I found this article on the Mayo Clinic website. It's just what I needed to get me back on track...I hope. Energy density and weight loss: Feel full on fewer calories

Daily FIt: Weekly Reflection 8

2009-04-26T09:05:00.000-07:00

Almost no water + insane amounts of coffee + two sort-of-workouts + cheesecake = no weight loss this week. However, I took wonderful long baths and enjoyed the company of a very dear friend who was in town for three days, and spent a few hours yesterday just sitting on the ground, lakeside, enjoying beautiful weather. So I actually had a pretty good week. Now, on the for really-real, I needs to get back on my weight loss game. The neighborhood pool opens in a few weeks, and I am not tryin' to be layered up in mom-pool gear. I have my eye on a very cute swimsuit, but I need some inches off my middle before I feel right enough to wear it. Unfortunately, I'm not one of those people who is so comfortable in my skin that I can just wear any swimsuit to the pool and be fine. I'm not. Maybe I need to work on that too, but in the meantime I need to get back to slimming down. I'm meeting some gals for fondue tomorrow night, so I already know I'll need to hit my treadmill pretty hard to work those calories off. I'm also going home to Memphis soon and would like to lose as much as is humanly possible before the plane hits down, because I'm not going all the way to Memphis to turn down hometown staples like BBQ, hot wings, my mama's grits, etc. So this week, I will focus on getting back into my workout groove. Walks outside with my son or dogs daily, treadmill nightly and I'll be introducing some light weights for back and arms exercises that my friend showed me this week. Contemplating adding evening planks and hundreds instead of basic Pilates workout.

Daily Fit: To Master Cleanse or not to Master Cleanse?

2009-04-22T09:42:00.001-07:00

A friend of mine posted this video on Facebook:

This lady is so cute. She's all excited about losing over 30 pounds in 30 days on the Master Cleanse program. It's a fast, from what I could tell from her video. 30 days of drinking a lemon juice concoction. She talks about how it's not about the weight loss, but about the journey towards a healthy lifestyle. I'm really happy for her. She seems so happy and optimistic. If I did the Master Cleanse, it would be all about weight loss. If imma go 30 days without eating, it's definitely going to be about the weight loss...and nothing else.

I found their official website during a quick search just now. Haven't had a chance to read it yet, but will after I post this--don't want to taint my current state of mind until after I get my thoughts out...

Now I am thinking about fasting one day a week...on Sundays. I'd do a one day detox type thing complete with dry brushing my whole body before a therapeutic hot soak in the tub. At most, I'd do two days, but that's it. That can't do anything but good for my body, inside and out. I found this cool article on NPR, which breaks down what water-only fasting does to the body. It's very informative. I haven't listened to the podcast, but reading this short article is enough to discourage me from fasting for more than a day or two--mama likes her muscles.

Mini-update My weight loss is going really well, so now I'm focusing on getting my glow on. I'm taking my Omega 3's, and eating really well. I'm looking for some good OTC prenatal vitamins to start taking again. I stopped a few months ago after I quit breastfeeding, but I want to get back in the habit of taking prenatals. I have a multivitamin, but want to make sure I'm getting everything I need, since I am in my chilbearing years and all.

Daily FIt: Weekly Reflection 7, On My Mental Health

2009-04-20T06:49:00.001-07:00

I lost a couple of pounds this week, to minus 17 pounds, which is great. But I'm really tired, and not from working out. I'm a mom. A stay at home mom and I'm tired. I'd like to have a little more energy. I'm eating enough and sleeping enough, but based on what I've read, I'm sure I would have more energy if I could fit more cardio into the early a.m. hours. I'll need to restructure my morning activities...maybe go to Zack's story time/playgroups in my workout clothes and walk with him at the park after. That's looking like the best option right now. Also zapping my energy is the mental conversation I've been having with myself for way too long. I'm a classic Virgo, so I'm awesome with the planning and list making and organizing. I don't know, maybe because of my sun or moon or whatever, I'm just not that great at executing. All that planning and not executing is mentally exhausting. I always feel like I've accomplished nothing at the end of the day, although I've actually done a lot. This week, and moving forward, I'll try to work on not planning so many projects--to stop making my ongoing To Do list way longer than it needs to be, causing myself to feel overwhelmed with the huge task list and unaccomplished at the end of the day. This week, I will focus on taking a mental rest, continuing to enjoy the gift of time I have with my son and enjoying the time I use taking care of myself. No real workout/diet goals this week. Because mental health is way more important than being skinny...this week, anyway.

DailyFit: Snack Day

2009-04-16T18:37:00.001-07:00

I didn't have a long enough moment to cook, because I was busy with my toddler all day. So I ended up snacking, rather than eating actual meals all day long. I was all about black grapes, hummus and flatbread and strawberries. I did manage a cup of coffee and lots of water. Other than that, nada. I'm planning fish, kale and pasta with cherry tomatoes and garlic for dinner. I'm positive I didn't take in enough calories today...or maybe I did. I don't know. New Discovery: Reebok Easy Tone sneakers. I saw an ad in a fitness magazine while browsing in Barnes and Noble the other night. They're supposedly engineered to give key leg muscles a workout during normal walking activity for a muscle toning effect. Since I walk more than anything else, I'm looking for less expensive competition brand sneakers in my size. Looks like a gym membership is more likely for my toddler than me at the moment, so every little bit of extra leg work helps--it's almost shorts season! Wish me luck.

Daily Fit: Ch-ch-changes

2009-04-16T09:15:00.000-07:00

Daily progress reports have gotten kind of boring. So I'm moving to weekly updates instead. On Sundays. Of course I'll continue to post regularly during the week, only my weight-loss progress report will be on Sundays. FYI, surprised and pleased that I'm still losing weight. For the first time in a while, I feel like I might actually make it back to my old weight and stay there.

Daily Fit Update: Drive By April 16

2009-04-16T08:36:00.000-07:00

17 pounds down! This puts me 20 pounds away from my wedding day weight. Secondly, ouch. See previous blog post for details.

My workout for the next 4 weeks

2009-04-14T20:51:00.000-07:00

A reader sent me this link and this workout is a head-to-toe toner. I like that it's online and that I can workout from my laptop in my bedroom, which is the place in my house I'm most comfortable doing exercise. I'll aim to do it 2-3 times a week along with daily hour-long cardio sessions. I think having one ~20 minute workout like this one to work on for one month will keep me focused and working out. Pilates is so challenging because posture and breathing are so important, that the challenge to keep perfect form will keep me motivated. I will admit that I have never stuck to one Pilates workout for longer than 2 weeks, but neither have I attempted a full-body workout as challenging as this one. Specifics from ExerciseTV.com:

Pilates Power

Free Full Length (21:38) Part of the College Crunch Time Series

Jessica's powerful Pilates routine will spark up every muscle in your abs, back, legs, hips and arms, while lengthening these muscles and joints to give you a long, sleek dancer's body. Her clear cues will ensure you get the most out of some classic Pilates moves. Ease back pain and achieve perfect posture to help you look pounds lighter...instantly!

Daily Fit Update: April 13

2009-04-14T07:16:00.000-07:00

Pounds lost: holding steady @ 15 of 60 Breakfast: veggie soup, half avocado, coffee Lunch: veggie soup, chicken breast, half avocado Dinner: scrambled eggs, goat cheese, wheat English muffin and hummus Snacks/Other: Coke zero, half of a Mounds bar Exercise: walked for one hour Skinny-jeans on? you know....

Daily Fit: The Pudge

2009-04-12T21:44:00.000-07:00

Many people have wondered where the 60 pounds I wanted to lose was since I'm generally slim from the hips down and chest up (Chest up, not boobs up. I have a bony chest, but the boobs are genetic and will not be going anywhere.) So. Here it is. The first of four "during" photos I'll be posting after every 15 pounds I lose. The remaining 45 pounds I have to lose are mostly all in my gut, which is why my weight loss looks so dramatic. And which is also why I will look GLORIOUS when I'm done.

And since this picture is marginally embarrassing, I invite you to view my "before-before" picture once more to wash this pudgy taste out of your e-mouth.

Daily Fit Update: Weekly Reflection 6

2009-04-12T21:38:00.000-07:00

This is the first week since I've started this blog/weight loss effort that I lost no weight. I'm not surprised. I was really busy and really lazy this week. Fortunately I didn't gain anything back, thanks to my new kid of awesome eating habits, but I'm still very disappointed that I didn't work out. I'll continue to make weekly goals, because that's the whole point of this thing. This week I'm nervous to, because I don't want to make yet another week of goals that I don't even half-way meet. Even thought the past couple of weeks have been sucky, I remain optimistic and motivated to keep progressing toward my goal. This week, my goal is to simply do some form of exercise everyday. That's as specific as I'll get. No pressure this way. We'll see how it goes. Fifteen down...

Daily FIt Update: Good Friday

2009-04-10T12:35:00.000-07:00

Fish, chicken breast, brown rice beans and veggies. My life for the past couple of days.
I haven't worked out since my last report...I feel myself getting comfortable being 15 pounds lighter and slacking up, so I know I have to get it back in gear.
I do want to make today a "good Friday"--I have plans to walk/jog tonight and Abs of Steel is still on the list. I really need to end this week having given a really good effort to get a good workout in.

On the bright side, I have continued to eat and rest really well and feel great. And am holding steady at minus 15 pounds!

Daily Fit Update: April 7

2009-04-08T07:35:00.001-07:00

Pounds lost: 15 of 60 Breakfast: leftover dinner (salmon and smashed potatoes) mashed together with green onions and 2 raw eggs then baked into a breakfast pie of sorts, sauteed spinach and more scrambled eggs, coffee Lunch: hummus, strawberries and flat bread crackers Dinner: @Mangu Caribbean Bistro: Cuban--King Fish, rice and peas, sauteed veggies and salad. White Zinfandel, Tres Leches cake for dessert Snacks/Other: none Exercise: cardio Skinny-jeans on? Still squeezing in...

Daily Fit: Minus 15 = Plus Pic

2009-04-07T08:27:00.000-07:00

I'm 15 pounds down! Working on the first DailyFitGirl full body progress pic. I promised to do this after every 15 pounds lost, so this will be progress picture number 1 of 4. I'll likely post unofficial pics in between along with my Skinny Jeans pics as I start seeing changes. I'm pleased with my progress so far. Looking forward to adding some fitness classes to really get me working it. I'll try to have the pic posted by the end of this week.

Daily Fit Update: April 6

2009-04-06T21:29:00.000-07:00

Pounds lost: 13 15 of 60 (original weight taken at night. I weighed again this morning 4/7) Breakfast: plain, non fat yogurt with strawberries, honey and, All Bran cereal and green tea Lunch: Greek salad with goat cheese instead of feta and pita bread Dinner: salmon and potatoes and salad Snacks/Other: pumpkin/sunflower seed/dried cranberry mix, fruit juice Exercise: No exercise. I took a 3 hour nap with my son this afternoon and was out with the fam until after 7. My energy is still pretty low, but I'm breathing and feeling better. Skinny-jeans on? 7 inches to go...

Daily Fit: During Pics

2009-04-05T20:58:00.000-07:00

I haven't forgotten about my promise to post pics of myself, The Biggest Loser-style, after ever 15 pounds lost. I'm think I've either reached that point or will this week. I'll know fr sure when I weigh in the morning....

Daily Fit: Weekly Reflection 5

2009-04-05T20:17:00.000-07:00

Last week was not awesome. I did not exercise very much and I did not eat very much. My appetite was shot near the end of the week because I was ill. I was tired and could not breathe through my nose and my energy was zapped. The past couple of days, when I did eat, it was flat bread crackers, fresh fruit and homemade chicken soup (high calorie soup with one whole chicken, veggies, pasta and potatoes, topped with fresh avocado) that my husband made for me. I also drank lots of water, no coffee because my throat was sore, green tea and cold/flu medicine. I was shut in this weekend, but my husband took up the slack with my mommy duties and I slept A LOT. I went to the doctor this morning and turns out what I thought was the flu or pneumonia or something turned out to be allergies taking their toll on me. I hate the idea of taking medicine on a regular basis, but I need some relief. I'm on three at the moment and feeling better already. I haven't weighed today, but am sure I dropped some pounds. I'm pleased with the results I'm seeing, but really want to tone up. I will weigh myself in the morning and update then. I'm looking forward to getting my energy back up and working out again this week. I will be adding the abs and buns of steel workout from Exercise TV. My goal is to do each workout at least twice this week. I'll continue aiming to walk at least an hour a day and to do my Pilates basic workout daily.

Daily Fit Update: April 3 aka flat bread and goat cheese day

2009-04-04T20:39:00.000-07:00

Pounds lost: 13 of 60 Breakfast: flat bread crackers, goat cheese, black grapes, cantaloupe, coffee Lunch: @ The Blanton Museum Cafe: flat bread pizza with goat cheese and roasted veggies Dinner: scrambled eggs with veggies Snacks/Other: pumpkin/sunflower seed/dried cranberry mix Exercise: No exercise. I got really sick while we were out today. Flu-like symptoms--very tired and achy. Skinny-jeans on? 7 inches to go...

Daily Fit Update: April 2

2009-04-03T07:22:00.000-07:00

Pounds lost: 13 of 60 Breakfast: whole wheat blueberry muffin bites, coffee Lunch/Dinner: awesome homemade "refrigerator" stew I made including eggplant, zucchini, red onion, garlic, spring onion, ground beef, potatoes, cilantro, celery--basically whatever 2-week-old produce I had in the fridge before going grocery shopping for fresh produce. Snacks/Other: grapes, sesame flatbread with goat cheese and golden raisins, string cheese, pumpkin/sunflower seed/dried cranberry mix Exercise: no exercise (horrible workout week, I know--will discuss in weekly reflection Sunday) Skinny-jeans on? 7 inches to go...

Publish Post

Daily FIt: Weight Loss Supplements

2009-04-02T18:57:00.001-07:00

A couple of readers have asked if I am using any supplements to help with my weight loss. The answer to that question is yes, no and maybe.... Yes. I'm taking Omega-3 fish oil gels. I took them before and during my pregnancy and while I was nursing. I stopped for a few months and now, because of the loooong list of health benefits I've started taking them again. I also read that adding Omega-3 fish oils daily increases the amount of fat calories burned in one day, especially belly fat. Some say the jury is out on that, but after losing 12 pounds last month, my jeans are fitting right nicely across my middle. So I'm on the Omega-3 train. No. I'm not taking any herbal supplements like hoodia or whatever else is out there. I was taking them during a few previous attempts at weight loss, but it didn't feel good physically (it was like I was on speed) or emotionally to be putting that stuff in my body. Especially since it's the only body I'll have this go-round on earth and since I want to have more babies. Gotta treat it right. Maybe. I've been thinking about adding whey protein powder to my diet. I'm fancying putting in a couple of "vegetarian days" a week and I figure I can add whey powder to my oatmeal, for example, to maintain/support building my lean body mass. I have a lot of lean muscle under my jelly, which is why you would not believe how much I actually weigh. I won't reveal my before weight, until I've reached my goal.

Daily Fit Update: March 31

2009-04-01T07:35:00.000-07:00

Pounds lost: Will post Milestone weight loss in the morning Breakfast: Oatmeal with nuts and golden raisins, coffee Lunch: salmon fishcake and Coke Zero Dinner: shrimp and penne protein pasta with zucchini, red peppers, kale and red onions Snacks/Other: grapes, hummus with raw red bell pepper Exercise: no exercise Skinny-jeans on? 7 inches to go

Daily Fit: Milestone

2009-04-01T07:26:00.000-07:00

I'm officially 12 pounds down today! This has nothing to do with April Fools. ;) I give 85% of the credit to Beyonce. Her B Day album has increased my stamina on the treadmill. When I'm listening to that album, I can stay on that incline, and at jogging, yes--jogging, speed for a little bit longer. The music is insane and it slows up at just the right times to give me time to rest/regroup at a slower pace. When "Freakum Dress" comes on, I walk to the beat at a crazy uphill incline and envision myself strutting, Mr. Jay (from America's Next Top Model) style, down a runway in my own freakum dress. Why Mr. Jay and not Naomi? Cause nobody brings the fierce on the runway like Mr. Jay. Also, I'm remembering to hold my abs in and tight while I'm walking. Loving how I'm feeling and looking...

Daily Fit Update: March 30

2009-03-31T07:28:00.000-07:00

Pounds lost: Don't trust the scale right now. I'm a little bloated. Will update later. Breakfast: Oatmeal with nuts and golden raisins, coffee Lunch/Dinner: salmon fishcakes and Brussels sprouts Snacks/Other: grapes and cheese and coffee Exercise: walked for thirty minutes uphill Skinny-jeans on? negative 7 inches needed to close those puppies.

Daily Fit: Skinny Jeans !

2009-03-30T21:25:00.000-07:00

7 inches of me to get rid of before I can fasten my Gap Long and Leans again.

Moving on.

Daily Fit Update: March 29

2009-03-30T08:08:00.000-07:00

Pounds lost: 9 of 60 (I'm a little bloated right now, and think I'm down more than 9 lbs. Time will tell.) Breakfast: Oatmeal with nuts and golden raisins, coffee Lunch: grilled chicken and corn Dinner: scrambled eggs, spinach, lentils w/plain yogurt Snacks/Other: plan, non fat yogurt with All Bran and honey Exercise: walked for thirty minutes Skinny-jeans on? I'll post a progress pic in my skinny jeans later this afternoon.

Daily Fit: Weekly Reflection 4

2009-03-29T17:33:00.000-07:00

I put my son to bed early tonight, so I'd have time to update my blogs, edit a newsletter, reply to some emails, record my latest Clinique video review and top off my weekend cleaning so I can get an extra hour of sleep tonight. So, without further adu... I made some pretty tough plans to workout and eat well this past week. I accomplished less than I thought I would, but because the goal was so lofty, I actually got some pretty good workouts in. Next week, I'll focus on being active every single day (walking and Pilates) and drinking more water--way too much coffee and Coke zero last week. Sunday-Wednesday were awesome. Thursday, Friday and Saturday were very busy for me and I struggled to get my perfect meals and workouts in on every day. I only exercised three consecutive days. Still, I feel good about them. I still managed more weight loss too, which I'll announce tomorrow. Here's the highlights: Thursday, March 26: I had three engagements, one of them unexpected, and I ended up not working out at all and eating out for a late breakfast. I was invited to an impromptu play-date after story time at the library that morning and instead of eating at home, which I usually do, I found myself in the drive-thru at McDonald's at 11am. I ordered a grilled chicken wrap snacker with no sauce and a small OJ. I had a late lunch/dinner of fish, kale, brown rice and cantaloupe. Friday, March 27: Again, I had a last minute get together and combined breakfast and lunch--eggs, tons of veggies, a potato, toast and coffee. Again, no workout. I went to a party at a neighbor's house that night from like 7pm until after midnight, and consumed only party food instead of dinner--red wine, one chocolate covered strawberry, more bacon wrapped dates than I care to mention (about 5) and some grapes. We sipped on hot lemon water towards the end of the night. Saturday, March 28: Again, no workout. Scrambled eggs and coffee for breakfast. Snacked on nuts, cheese and strawberries. Dinner was oatmeal with nuts and golden raisins with Canadian bacon (still can't believe my husband a.k.a. Mr. Meat and Potatoes for dinner agreed to that).

In case you were wondering...

2009-03-28T10:58:00.000-07:00

I am making great progress, but I've been really busy wrapping the newsletter for one of my favorite moms groups! That and mothering in general have kept me away from posting here for the past couple of days. I will update on the past couple of days during my weekly reflection on Sunday.

Daily Fit Update: March 25

2009-03-25T21:40:00.000-07:00

Pounds lost: making progress, but just for dramatic effect, next weigh in on Monday, March 30 Breakfast: cheese and toasted wheat bread, strawberries, coffee Lunch: tuna, salad, cantaloupe, strawberries, sesame crackers Dinner: chicken, lentils w/spinach, rice and cucumber yogurt Snacks/Other: coke zero Exercise: walked in uphill intervals on treadmill for one hour Skinny-jeans on? Skinny jeans progress pic coming on Monday, March 30

Daily Fit Update: March 24

2009-03-25T08:43:00.000-07:00

Pounds lost: making progress, but just for dramatic effect, next weigh in on Monday, March 30 Breakfast: plain, non-fat Greek yogurt with All Bran cereal and honey, coffee Lunch: scrambled eggs with spinach, mushrooms, green onions and cheese, half of a whole-wheat pita flat bread Dinner: white fish and dinner salad with avocado and homemade vinaigrette Snacks/Other: mixed nuts, strawberries, coke zero Exercise: walked with stroller for about an hour; Pilates--I made it through half the video then my son woke up from his 25 minute nap. Skinny-jeans on? Skinny jeans progress pic coming on Monday, March 30

Daily Fit: The Dream

2009-03-25T08:02:00.000-07:00

Last night I dreamed I was skinny again. I was talking to my sister in-law about why my bed was so comfortable (random) and she commented on how skinny I was and how much I looked like I did when she first met me (back when I was 20). I don't have plans to see her at the moment, but I'm hoping this dream turns out to be prophetic.

Daily Fit Update: March 23

2009-03-23T20:44:00.000-07:00

Pounds lost: 7 of 60 Breakfast: coffee, plain nonfat Greek yogurt with All Bran cereal and honey Lunch: salad greens with low fat mozzarella, dates, a boiled egg, oil & vinegar Dinner: shrimp pasta, Brussels sprouts Snacks/Other: mixed nuts, orange Exercise: walked uphill intervals for a total of 1.5 hours on treadmill; Pilates Skinny-jeans on? Skinny jeans progress pic coming on Monday

I spent a lot of time on the treadmill today. Surprisingly, I enjoyed it. I read two magazines, which made the time fly by. I read this great piece in the April 2008 issue of Women's Health magazine that had all these tips on how to cut 100 calories from every meal/snack and lose 2 dress sizes in 2 weeks. I don't really need to cut calories, but I enjoyed the little nuggets of information. Like, did you know that a small fries from Wendy's has fewer calories than a baked potato with sour cream and chives?! Who knew? And yes, I'm aware that I mentioned nuggets and fries just now, and yes they are on my mind--love me some Wendy's nuggets and fries kids meals.

Daily Fit Update: March 22

2009-03-22T21:24:00.000-07:00

Pounds lost: 7 of 60 Breakfast: coffee, wheat toast Lunch/Dinner: chicken breast with sauteed onions and mushrooms, brown rice, Brussel's sprouts Snacks/Other: two dates, mixed nuts, string cheese, coke zero Exercise: walked for 1 hour Skinny-jeans on? 5 pounds down as of last weigh-in! Time for another skinny jeans progress pic...

Daily Fit : Mark your calendars!

2009-03-22T11:16:00.000-07:00

On Monday, March 30th, I'll be posting the second installment of my skinny jeans in progress pics. Trust me, you don't want to miss it...

Daily Fit: Weekly Reflection 3

2009-03-22T10:46:00.000-07:00

I lost a pound this week, which feels great. It would have been nice to drop 2 or 3, but I'll take what I can get. I'm 5 pounds away from my 10 pounds a month goal, so next week might be a little tricky. Between today and next Monday, March 30, I'm going to try to drop the 5 pounds. I'm going to try to accomplish this, not by dieting excessively for the next week, but by eating insanely well (by that I mean whole, unprocessed foods and reduced sodium, fat and sugar) drinking tons of water and exercising twice a day. My focus this week will be on exercising. I have a couple more gyms to check out before deciding which one to join, so I will have to dig deep and find the drive to meet my exercise goals at home everyday-huge challenge. If I can manage to get these workouts in every day, I'll be convinced that I can fit daily exercise into my life long-term. More importantly, I'll be able to justify the monthly expense of a gym membership (to my non-working self and to my very-working husband). The Plan Daily a.m.: Power-walk for one hour Daily afternoon: Power-walk for one hour Daily evening: Pilates MWF: 30-minute toning workout videos during my son's nap TTh: 30-minute cardio workout videos during my son's nap SS: Combine a.m. and p.m. power-walks into one 2-hour walk The goal to lose 5 pounds in 9 days might be a little much, but the workout plan is totally doable. I have Zack's playdates and reading groups, but other than that, my days are mine to do with what I please. And over the next 9 days, I please to focus on putting my lazy bone on hiatus, getting my arse in gear and moving It. As usual, I'll report back daily. No excuses.

Daily Fit Update: March 21

2009-03-22T10:10:00.000-07:00

We had a long day out at the park playing soccer w/Zack and eating BBQ. Not the best "diet" day (I'm sure I did not take in enough calories or fresh produce), but a wonderful day otherwise. Pounds lost: 5 of 60 Breakfast: scrambled eggs, coffee Lunch/Dinner: smoked brisket (made by my hubby aka Master outdoor cooking artist), coleslaw, potato salad, 2 chocolate chip cookies Snacks/Other: raw bell peppers with hummus, grapes Exercise: walked 30 minutes Skinny-jeans on? 5 pounds down! Time for another skinny jeans progress pic. Brace yourselves.

Daily Fit Update: March 20

2009-03-20T21:21:00.000-07:00

Pounds lost: 4 of 60 (I'm getting so bored of this friggin' 4) Breakfast/lunch: tuna on pita with lettuce, coffee Dinner: salmon & brown rice with mushroom sauce and steamed kale Snacks/Other: hummus, pita chips, strawberries, grapes Exercise: walked for almost 2 hours with a neighbor Skinny-jeans on? Just above the knees

Daily Fit: Tweaking

2009-03-19T19:07:00.000-07:00

I think I'll go back to eating bran cereal with skim milk, a boiled egg, orange and coffee for breakfast. I recall eating that daily during one short successful stint at weight loss a few months ago. I don't remember what I ate the rest of the day, but I remember feeling really good after starting the day with that meal...like I wanted to keep the "good" eating up throughout the day. Plus the only real prep was making the coffee 'cause I boiled eggs and stored them in the fridge. In one second, I'm going to up my exercise game. I think I mentioned that I'd be joining the gym this week--haven't done it yet. I had one picked out, but have been encouraged to shop around to see who offers the best corporate discounts. These pictures of Ciara in from her new video with Justin Timberlake, "Love, Sex, Magic" are this close to inspiring me to hit some squats and lunges real hard right now. Stay tuned...

Daily Fit Update: March 19

2009-03-19T19:03:00.000-07:00

Pounds lost: 4 of 60 Breakfast/lunch: tuna w/olive oil and lemon juice on pita with lettuce, tomato and spinach, with strawberries Dinner: ~~tilapia & brown rice with mushroom sauce and curried cabbage~~ (changed cooking plans after post) scrambled eggs with spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes and green onions, orange Snacks/Other: raw bell peppers with hummus, a delightful sweet dish called coffee driver Exercise: walked 30 minutes Skinny-jeans on? Just above the knees

Daily Fit Update: March 18

2009-03-19T07:55:00.001-07:00

Two steps back...

Daily Fit: March 17

2009-03-18T07:30:00.000-07:00

I had an almost perfect Fit Day yesterday. I say almost, because I didn't do my Pilates, but I did take a pretty good hour-long trail walk with a friend. I haven't lost anything in the past couple of days, but I'm drinking plenty of water, eating well and feeling good. I'm actually looking extremely unpuffy too, which makes not having lost a pound sort of ok. Pounds lost: 4 of 60 Breakfast: oatmeal, egg whites (I gave the yolks to my dogs...waste not.) Lunch: curried shrimp, protein pasta, Brussels sprouts Dinner: salmon with a bell pepper salad Snacks/Other: pickled grapes (homemade recipe from Joy of Cooking), low fat string cheese, apple, nuts Exercise: walking outside, 1 hour Skinny-jeans on? Just above the knees