alxynick's Friends

Final check in and new goals
Following

aunt_barb 's lead, doing the final check in on the holiday challenge.

By the time the next to last work week came along, I more or less tossed in the towel. Luckily I kept just enough self restraint and got just enough activity to only have gained half a pound. I'm still trying to get the last of the holiday sweet urges out of the system, which is something I'll work on this week especially.

In other news, I chucked out the non-working scale I had at home. It was actually liberating. My means for checking in is the scale at the gym, which means that in order to check in, I have to get to the gym which works out well. Speaking of the gym, note to self: stopping for a donut after a workout, getting two because the coffee and donut deal works out better, meaning to save one for the next day but eating both of them pretty much negates said workout *facepalm* Eh, at least the abs under my supremely fluffy gut are strong.

So goals. Very short term one is to get a minimum of 30 minutes of exercise in every day for the next two weeks. I have a get-together that involves dance coming up and want to be healthy for it. After the two weeks. I'll shoot for a minimum of 30 minutes at least five days of the week. If I do more, that's fine, but I don't want to set myself up to fail if I miss a day or my body or mind is telling me I need to take one off.

Eating goals are to gradually reduce the intake of sweets, keep the calorie goals better in check and to eat balanced healthy meals. Once work resumes after the break, getting better at packing healthy lunches should be easier since going out for lunch when the weather is cold and nasty is unappealing.

Good luck for a healthy 2010 everyone!

The last week?
( Last (Christmas) Week... )

This Week (New Year's!)
-get more sleep
-spend more time outside of the house, working on my novel, etc.
-work out some?
-~~don't eat too much on New Year's Eve~~ Oh who am I kidding. I'm changing this to don't drink too much on New Year's Eve.
I'm leaving home next Sunday already!

Current Mood: accomplished

Last week of the Holiday Challenge
And probably the most challenging was this past one! At least for me, that is.

( The plan/the performance, Christmas week! )

And now we are staring New Year's week in the face!

New Year's week plan:
1. Food: Let's get back to "normal", if that can be defined.

2. Exercise: 30 minutes a day, all seven days. And see if we can get some strength training other than snow shoveling in. Two days would be nice.

3. The bubble-out has become a permanent goal. No more than one a day, and any day I go completely without, I get a star on the calendar! Amazing, but those little rewards work for more than just kindergartners!

4. Contemplate New Year's goals, and check back in here with a report next Sunday. We're doing good, gang. Last week of the challenge, what are your goals?

Good luck!

Peace on earth and good will towards WOMEN!
In case you had not joined this fair community when I had I had a problem stemming from having got the depo shot. The following is not guy safe and probably not work safe content.( TMI GUYS so not workplace/male gender friendly info )
In Short I am HAPPY to see my friend. Now off to the cousins house for some hanging out.

Current Music: sound of clock chiming half hour

Question and helpful resource
Question: Is eating 5 oz. of baked, no-transfat potato chips in one sitting with a green salad/no dressing for lunch once every three months or so really all that bad?

Helpful resource: I can't get a lot of healthy foods like kamut flour, fructose, raw nuts, etc. where I live now, but I discovered an internet site called nutsonline.com I've ordered from them twice now and both times the product has arrived faster than I was able to go to the grocery store and buy the other ingredients for whatever it was I wanted to make. Also, with this last order, they sent me an adorable plush toy (who doesn't like baby elephant stuffed animals?) and the offer that if I referred any of my friends they could get 10% off their order for the holidays. If anyone wants 10% off an order from nutsonline.com, send me an email to dmyrsta@yahoo.com

Check-in
Well, it's been difficult these past few weeks, with Christmas goodies coming into the office every day. I got a major cold right around finals, partly from stress, and partly because my immune system has a lot of trouble with refined sugars. I'm feeling better now, and hoping to be in top shape by Christmas.

Somehow, through all of the indulgence, I've managed to lose weight. I'm not sure if it was the stress, or being sick, or what. Last time I did any sort of real check-in, I was sitting at 66.5 kg, and I was pretty excited about that. I felt good about both my weight and my shape. This past weekend, I weighed myself for the first time in a long time, and I've gone down to 62.6 kg.

That's 3.9 kg in two months. A pound a week, pretty much. Which isn't unhealthy at all, I know, but it's surprising because I haven't really changed anything, other than I try really hard not to snack after dinner anymore. I haven't set foot in a Bikram class yet, although I'm thinking I might go to a morning class this weekend. It turns out that my manager has a membership at the same studio, which could end up being a little weird. "What happens in yoga stays in yoga," he said. Numerous times. I don't know if he thinks I'm going to make fun of him or what, but really, I'm the one more likely to be embarrassed.

I bought a ten-pass for one of the leisure centers to finish up my Wellness Account for the year. My boyfriend is just starting a membership, so I figure we could go together every now and then. He wants to teach me how to play squash.

Dodgeball starts again in January and I'm planning on playing. Something else to get me up and moving.

If I can actually do all of this, I might actually get fit. I just don't think I want to lose more weight, because I've lost some of my curves as it is.

Weekly Update #1
End of week 1:
SW: 167
CW: 163
GW: 148-152
waist start: 38
current waist: 37

Okay, so I doubt that I really lost 4 pounds and an inch in the last week. Definately at least a couple pounds, as I cut way back on the garbage intake and started keeping a food dary with calorie estimates and fat gram estimates. Most days I've done okay, though there were a couple days I went a tad overboard. *ahem* But, I'm not kicking my self - just remind myself that tomorrow is another day and I can try again :-)

Haven't quite come up with a solid exercise routine, other than I try to go 'hard' every other day and thow some weights in there. I've started going to the gym at lunch, since my body is fresher and more willing to move faster after sitting for only 4 hours rather than 8. The down side to that is, it takes me an hour and a half to change, warm-up, do the work out, cool-down, shower and change back. I've been trying to show up to work a half-hour earlier to compensate. I've done okay with that. (My job is flexible enough this time of year to do that and my boss is also super flexible this time of year, so yay!) So, all in all, after a week, I feel pretty good about myself and my progress.

Goals for the next week: continue to watch portions at parties, continue food diary, keep going to the gym!! And I hope to shed another pound or two and maybe a half-inch from the waist :-) If not, well, we'll just keep going! Hope you're doing well with your plans!

Weekly check-in number one - starting slow
I've heard over and over about the dangers of jumping head-first into loosing weight, how it's better to make gradual changes. Step one for me is just keeping track of what goes in my mouth and how much I exercise. It's hard! I'm pretty sure I'm logging everything incorrectly (I always forget to measure out portions and then have to guess how much it was) and it doesn't feel like I'm doing much, but hopefully this will give me the foundation to actually drop the pounds, eh?

Start: 176
Goal: 160

falling behind :/
This past week I lazed around and ate poorly, which continued until this afternoon with an italian combo on a roll (note: i don't really even like them!). I am staying with my mom and dad for a few days because of work so I did 30 min at a pretty good clip on their treadmill and then did some basic core moves and pushups. My question is how should I go about devising a workout plan for myself so I can get back to where I want to be. I do still have my Biggest Loser workout DVD but right now it's back home with my boyfriend. I have to get back on track or im afraid i'll relapse or slip and purge, which I don't want. Any support, suggestions, etc. VERY APPRECIATED!

weekly accountability (but no numbers?)
I *think* I'm finally reanimating from this zombie-cold I've had for the past week. I'm still a little bit congested, but definitely feeling better.

Another bummer; was still feeling off on Saturday morning, so didn't go trail running.

After only a couple of days of low mileage walking this week (I logged maybe a measley 12 miles total?), I finally went running again on Sunday. 6 cold miles at Point Mallard; felt good to finally be back to it.

I'm REALLY trying to look at this past week as necessary recovery time, post marathon and weathering a sinus cold. Still 5 weeks til my next race, the Mountain Mist; still a reasonable amount of time to ramp back up and be ready.

Nutrition check-in and gym work out (strength training and 3 miles on the treadmill) this Monday morning. Ok, I really am trying this no-weighing thing. The battery in my digital scale at home ran out- so I'm just chucking it in the closet for now. I'm checking in with Anna every two weeks; she's weighing me, but all she's telling me is if I'm still "healthy". I know this probably seems like such a stupid silly thing to most people, but it's kind of a big deal for me to reframe the (compulsive numbers game) way I think and do things.

Freshmen 15
Well, I just gotta say that for all I was ranting about not wanting to put on that Freshmen 15, well it happened. Me and my tendencies to not work out and overeat. *lesigh* Oh well. I'm back at home for a month and have pretty decent faith in myself to lose most of that weight and stop the jigglies around my stomach and thighs. According to most everyone I see, they still say I'm skinny and look great, but I just would rather be 115. That's always been my goal weight, and it will continue to be my goal weight. I'm estimating I'm around 127 right now, but I haven't weighed myself in awhile. I'm scared to, to be honest. Already I started the track to losing the weight. For the past two days I've worked out and eaten minimally, which has been great. Today I was able to exercise self-control and only have one peanut butter kiss cookie that we made, which was also fantastic. I just keep telling myself that I can definetely exercise control and I'm motivated to work out. I'm pretty certain that this month I'll lose the weight. Oh, and I'm cutting out bread. I don't mean all carbs, I still eat wraps, cereal, granola bars, etc. What I mean is bread and rolls. No sandwiches, subs or rolls and Christmas for me this month. Whoopie. Next semester at school I hope to have a structured time to go to the gym six days of the week. I have a group who's willing to join me which is pretty cool. I think I really do have things set up well for the ability to lose 15 pounds. What do you think?

Current Mood: determined

I'm home!
Last Week's Goals:
-GYM. GO. GEEZUS.
I didn't...once again...and now I have to wait until January (when I know for sure what my class schedule is because that's when I get my acceptance or rejection to the Journalism School) to figure out when I can actually work out...ugh.

-easy on the high-sugar caffeine drinks
I had a few more peppermint mochas than I wanted to this week, but I always get them with non-fat milk (and the whipped cream...whoops).

-try to get enough sleep (unlikely, but we'll see)
I did well on this. I made sure I started studying early so I could get to bed at a reasonable hour. yay!

-try not to go too insane during finals
Haha, I did pretty well on this, too.

-mentally prepare myself to go home (two weeks)
Done and done. I was fine, and actually excited to go home, until this morning, when I found out that the chef at my work is in a medically-induced coma. :( :( :( There's a good chance that I won't be home for the whole two weeks because shifts need to be covered.

-go to the store, but only for the essentials (read: cereal and milk)
Done. :)

This Week's Goals:
-use my family's home gym stuff, even though it's old (and some of it is broken)
-not eat as much home cooking as I want to, because I've already gained a few pounds
-get lots of sleep
-don't go insane

That's it, that's all. Merry Christmas to those of you who celebrate it!! :)

Hello New Yorkers!

What are you doing for New Year's Eve?! I know it's hard to figure out which events are going to be cool and which are going to suck (and, frankly, who wants to wind up in a cab at midnight trying to find the right party?), so what I have for you here is a nice little edited list of great NYE events, tickets available on a first-come, first-served basis:

http://saranewyears2010.com/

The event at the Hotel on Rivington is supposed to be especially hot--everyone from Bloc Group (the guys who organize all these events) is going to be there.

Happy New Year's!!

Love,
Sara

Holiday Challenge... Christmas week!
( The plan/the performance, Week with Beethoven's birthday in it )

This next week has a Christmas lunch out with the work team, Christmas eve chili supper at my place, and Christmas dinner with my daughter in law, also at my place.

Christmas week plan:
1. Food: Christmas lunch with the team, I know the restaurant and intend to exercise portion control, not to deprive myself. It is OK to leave food behind, even to NOT take the excess home. I'm repeating that to myself.

Christmas eve, I am preparing the chili from scratch, starting with dry beans soaked and now simmering on the stove. There will be "no flour, no sugar" in this recipe, out of deference to one sister. It will be kosher, out of deference to a couple other folks, and vegetarian, for a third contingent. Aren't my family gathers fun? Oh, and in the process of all of that, it ends up heart healthy for me! And diabetic friendly for the other sister!

Christmas dinner my daughter in law and I have planned together to fit into both of our food programs (we are both Jenny Craig® clients these days). I'm only a few pounds from goal, she's only a couple away from her halfway point.

The only sweets I have on hand are candy canes, which the kids who come can pluck off the tree. Wish me luck!

2. Exercise: 30 minutes 7 days. That's the plan. I am not going to promise strength training, but I will give myself extra credit for doing it.

3. The great American bubble-out continues. No more than one a day, but I won't try to go the whole week without. That turned out to be unrealistic.

Check back in here with a report next Sunday. Less than two weeks 'til New Year's 2010! We're doing good, gang. A plan a week, a check in a week! Thinking about New Year's goals yet? Anybody coming up with a 2010 initial challenge? Have it simmering in the back of your minds... and maybe next week start putting them down.

Current Mood: pleased

Today I am doing ok
I did ok today guys.
Limited Junk
Only food made for me By grandma was eaten by me. I am going to have my salad. They have weird packaging though cause they made them square...hope they did not change the dressing!
Stuff I ate today was:
2 Eggs over easy
1 piece of bread toasted
1 apple
1 Barbecue sauce and meatball sandwhich with two slices of provalone cheese
4 celery pieces with ranch
1 baked potato
1/2 sweet potato
after this I will eat the salad ^_^

Current Mood: accomplished
Current Music: back to my pandora station in a minute or two

Okay. Starting over with a new attitude!
So, my last few posts have been rather negative, and for that I apologize. We're s'posed to offer ENCOURAGEMENT on this site (or so I gather), so we're starting over today! (Actually, it started Sunday night. But who's counting?)

So:

Stats:
5'6" (168 cm)
Age: 31
Sex: Female
SW: 167 lbs (76 kg)
CW: 167 lbs
GW: 146-148 lbs (66-67 kilos)

My goal is to design (or find) and follow an exercise routine and stick with it. Second: to carefully consider everything that has potential to pass through my lips when confronted with mealtime decisions. I will choose portions before starting to cook, and to prepare them so they all get done at the same time, put them on a plate, sit down, and think about what I'm eating and chew it!! If I'm in a hurry and I need a snack instead, it's gonna be FRUIT! (and maybe a small hunk of cheese or other good protein) Lastly, I hope post my stats weekly.

Here's to new beginnings!
Cheers! *clink*

Current Mood: pleased

yay!
I joined Jenny Craig last week 12/8. I had my first consultation and weigh in today. I drop six pounds in one week by following Jenny's 1500 calorie meal plan. The food is good (expensive, but good), and it is very low sodium so it kind of shocks your system. I am very happy. They provide a very positive atmosphere and really want to see you succeed. Six pounds in 1 week is not to shabby. After the first week they aim for you to lose 1-2 lbs. per week.
ST-165
CW-159
GW-120

another week; another race :)

Race results posted: 1256 finishers in the Rocket City marathon at the 6 hour time limit. I was across the line as #1028 with a time of 4 hours 54 minutes. Why do I always feel a little niggling need to apologize for being a back of the pack runner?

Yes, I was creaking around a bit on sore legs post race, and today is going to be a rest day, but actually I'm feeling pretty good!

M 4
T 2
W 5
Th 2
F REST
S RACE 26.2
Sn 3 walk total= 42.2 miles

fyi: looking back over my posts,my weight has stayed in a range between 121-125 for the last two and half months. Gee, does it take marathon training for me to begin to get the hang of maintenance?

YOU FAIL...
Now Start over again. ( Cut for rantiness type update ) I have to fight for both my health and my sanity especially without my thyroid pills. I am not giving up though. Battered but not out! Round 5 starts now!

Current Mood: calm
Current Music: Sounds of Gran doing dishes

Oh.
SW - 151.8 lb
CW - 145.2
GW - 140
Status = (-)6.6

Hm. Well, I was much less vigilant this week. I completely disregarded the first goal on last week's challange/goal. In fact, it's like it wasn't even on the list :( The past two weeks caught up to me as well I guess. But +3lb from last week is a lot :-/

Also, throwing in a rant here, at the end of the semester, I no longer have a free recreation center at my disposal. However, there are 3 (Three!) gyms within walking distance from my parents' house, yet NONE of them have their prices listed online. I figure this is a tactic to get you to come in, but it's annoying. I'm an hour away people, and the internet should not be a waste of my time >.>

( Moving On... )

Current Mood: confused

Snow Week and Finals Week
Last Week's Goals
-make it to the gym this time...
Nope. Not the formal gym, anyway...read on.

-pack lunch for Monday, Wednesday and Thursday (not Tuesday because I'm going home for the day at 11:50a.m., and not Friday because I work...and get healthier food than I have at home, whoops)
I actually got to eat lunch with a group of admitted high school seniors, so I got to eat in the dorms again! HOORAYYY *notice the sarcasm*
Thankfully, though, my stomach didn't feel too hot afterwards because I hadn't eaten in the dorms in two years. :/
I did pack lunch on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, though.

-do my fair share of shoveling on Tuesday night (6-8 inches of snow expected...hooray...)
Actually, while everyone else spent their Wednesday morning (SNOW DAY!!!) drinking or sleeping, my roommates and I got up and shoveled the over a foot of snow that we got. After that, we played in the snow like we were five. :D :D :D

-pick the most active role in our group's act for the upcoming drag show (Friday)
(for those of you who don't know what drag is, it's where a group or one person acts, dances and lipsynches to a song while dressed as the opposite gender. My group is doing "It's Raining Men" and I'm hoping to be one of the Weather Girls!)
I was a Weather Girl. Apparently, my two friends that came had never seen me that sexy. That must be good, right? :)

-start studying for finals! they're already next week for me...eek!!
Kind of...

-try to stay somewhat healthy while Christmas shopping
Well, I didn't go shopping...

This Week (Finals Week!)
-GYM. GO. GEEZUS.
-easy on the high-sugar caffeine drinks
-try to get enough sleep (unlikely, but we'll see)
-try not to go too insane during finals
-mentally prepare myself to go home (two weeks)
-go to the store, but only for the essentials (read: cereal and milk)

Current Mood: calm
Current Music: Spongebob

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