this and that...

Yesterday I completed week 3 (my first week) of the Couch to 5k program, for the training I am doing for the 5k I signed up for on June 20th.
Here is a picture of me after my run on Saturday Morning. It was pouring rain and I was sweating…hot isn’t it…
Tomorrow I start week 4. I’m a little nervous about week 4. Not the amount of running, the lack of tracking ability of distance that I have.
When you start the C25k plan, it tells you that you can train by distance or by time. (IE run either 200 yards or 90 seconds). I’ve always used the time option, but I realize that the training plan assumes you run 10 minute miles. HAHAHAHAHAHA. I do not run a 10 minute mile. I actually don’t know how fast I run a mile. My pace for the run/walk intervals of week 3 was 14.5 minutes per mile yesterday ,which is not much faster than my walking pace. I run sllllllooooooowwww.
So, I realize, if I really want the endurance to run for a 5k, I have to use the distance factor. The loop around my subdivision is .6 of a mile…..almost a half mile, so I’m just going to wing the distances.
I still feel good about the 5k and I was really feeling motivated after the Biggest Loser last night. If Ron, can walk for 13 HOURS! I can run for 30 minutes…

I’m changing topics with no transition now…..breakfast.
A few weeks ago I posted about how I’d been having green spinach smoothies for breakfast. I continue to do that, but this week my husband did the shopping and got the small box of spinach, so I’m spacing my smoothie eating out.

I’m sick of oatmeal. I just have no desire for another bowl of banana oatmeal with toppings for a while. But…I like oats for their whole grain qualities and their health benefits, so today I decided to attempt the famous “breakfast cookie.”
I used Meghann’s most recent recipe, as a base for mine. Last summer when I didn’t want hot breakfast I tried a bowl of “cold oats” that everyone around the blog world seemed to be eating and it was disgusting to me…cold and gloppy…so I’ve been wary of the “breakfast cookie”

My recipe:
½ cup oats
2 spoonful’s applesauce
1 spoonful peanut butter
Some craisins-didn’t measure..maybe 2 tbsps?
Cinnamon.

I mixed it all together, spread it out on a salad plate and put it in the fridge.
This morning I topped it with 1 spoon full plan non fat yogurt, ½ a banana and some pecans.
I didn’t count the calories in this bad boy….but I’m guessing it was around 500-550?

This was much better than I expected. It wasn’t soggy like overnight oats are, but it wasn’t hard either. Like a thin flat soft cookie…eaten with a fork. I think I’ll be adding this in to my summer rotation of Kashi cereal and Green smoothies.

Creature of Habit

I have a morning routine. It isn’t quite timed down to the minute, but…it’s close.
My alarm goes off at 5:39 am. At this point I have two choices, a) get up, or b) snooze my alarm for 5 minutes. I usually just get up right away. I change my clothes, let the dog out of his crate, bundle up and try to be out the door for our walk no later than 5:50.
Our walks usually end between 6:18 and 6:20 am, depending on how late we get out the door. Between 6:20 and 6:30 I feed the dog, and turn on the TV to watch the news/weather report while I stretch. At 6:30am, I throw the dog in the back yard, and get in the shower. I am done with showering, lotioning, blow drying and putting on my makeup at 7:00am. I need to be eating my breakfast by 7:10. I eat and watch the Today show until 7:20. Then I brush my teeth, warm up the car, scrape the windows (if needed) kiss my husband goodbye, and back out of the drive way at 7:30am.

I am not this type A about anything else in my life. Ever. I don’t plan out my schedule to the minute too cook dinner, or make my lunch for the next day. But, I like to have a plan, a schedule for the morning.
And when it gets thrown off..I know it’s going to be one of those days.

Today, I woke up at 6:07am. My alarm was flashing, but not making any noise. I think it was probably set to “wake up to ipod” (it’s an ipod docking station alarm clock, Thanks Husband!), and my ipod wasn’t docked. So…..that is almost 30 minutes later than I normally wake up! Gah. It shortned my walk and made the whole shebang just feel off.

On our walk, which was exceptionally cold at 24 degrees!, I saw the most incredible shooting star! I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a shooting star “in town.” I’m pretty sure all of the shooting stars I’ve ever seen have been out in the woods, far far away from city lights. Anyway, I was still feeling frustrated about my alarm going off late, and seeing this star kind of put it in perspective for me. A little cheesy…I know.

Ok, on to something relevant…
I posted about the grocery challenge that I am doing this month, in my last post. This week I bought $55.00 worth of groceries. It was only 50, until my husband invited his parents over for dinner tonight, and I needed some supplemental food. Anyway, that brings me to a total of $91 dollars for the month, so far.

I normally buy a bunch of bananas to have for breakfast each week. This week at the grocery store, every single bunch of bananas was bright green. Ick, not oatmeal ready!
So, I found two of the yellowiest bananas, and bought a huge can of pumpkin to have in oats this week.

I’ve decided that I prefer to microwave my oats each morning (it fits better in the aforementioned routine), but if I am going to have pumpkin in my oats, I think I prefer stove top!

Here is today’s bowl of oats. I’m calling it pumpkin pie oatmeal with maple infused whipped cream, topped with nuts.

Here is what is in it
½ cup oats.
Dash of salt
Water, I don’t measure, I just put in enough ot cover the oats.
Microwaved for 1 minute.
Take out, and add in 3 big spoonfuls of pumpkin (see not type A about cooking!)
A few dashes of cinnamon and a splash of vanilla
Stir and microwave for another 1.5 minutes.

Top with plain non fat yogurt, mixed with maple syrup and topped with walnuts.

This was actually really good! The only thing I would have done differently would have been to mix the maple syrup and yogurt in a separate container, and then spread evenly on the oat meal. It really made the flavor combo.

I love vegetables that taste like dessert!

Craving: Satisfied

So, I went back to the break room this morning to get my morning coffee and what do I see on the table? KRISPY KREME DONUTS! TWO dozen. TWO!

Ahhh....the test of healthy eating/ recovery from bingeing/sneaking. Do I have a donut? I'm not hungry (not that I would use a donut as a hunger satisfier), and I don't really need a donut. but I want one. I've wanted one all week. Why..i'm not sure. I know my body wasn't craving the NUTRIENTS in a donut. (ha ha ha)right.

I would have resisted until later, and made it part of my snack, but...they were warm. They had just been dropped off by a contractor.
So I had one. And it was amazing and melted in my mouth. I debated about taking a picture of it....but it was just too good to put down. So I went back and took a picture of the box. And you know what? I didn't take another donut, which I would have in the past. I'm not sitting here thinking about when and how I can sneak another one.

I will admit, that after I ate it, I did a quick calorie count. I don't normally count calories, but sometimes i like to know where I am at for the day. My breakfast was surprisingly calorie low, so even with the donut, I'm about where I normally am after a better breakfast.

So, my task/challenge whatever you want to call it, is to mindfully eat for the rest of the weekend. To not let this be the step up into the self launching catapult into bad eating.

I will eat rationally and out of choice. and I'll have a damn good time doing it!

Cold As Cereal?

For about a year I ate oatmeal for breakfast. Everyday. Hot outside/ cold outside didn’t matter. I was mostly eating at work, as I was working out before work at the gym. Oatmeal is pretty much the easiest thing ever to make at work.
But….and don’t hate me. It gets old. Now, if you are at home and you have wonderful variety at your fingertips, oatmeal can be a truly beautiful thing. So, now that I am eating at home everyday, and I can eat oatmeal with lots of loveley add-ins….I don’t want to.

I know, I know. I probably have it once a week. Sometimes a big bowl of warm carby goodness is just too much for my stomach. So…I’ve been “trying” out other breakfasts. (they are mostly variations on what my oatmeal was anyway: carb, fruit and nuts or nut butter).Anyway, my absolute favorite breakfast this summer was Kashi Go Lean Crunch (Honey Almonds and Flax) with a sliced banana and 3 or 4 walnut halves on top. With milk
I had pretty much given up on cereal as a viable option when I started eating healthy and paying attention to my nutrition. I just didn’t think that I could find one with enough protein/fiber that would keep my full long enough. Wrong. This breakfast keeps me full as long as, if not longer sometimes than oatmeal. And it’s so good.

Do you like my bowl?

It is my favorite bowl to eat cereal or oatmeal out of. About a year and a half ago my husband and I had a date night at one of those ‘Paint your own Pottery” studios. We got to go in and pick out a piece for ourselves, and then the other person painted it. I chose this cereal bowl. Neither of us are artists, so these are really the type of bowls that you love for what they represent. You can see this side says I heart you, if you follow the bowl around it says “ you are my sunshine” using the same “ u” and a picture of the sun to represent sunshine. :)

:)

a whole day?

Ok, it's time for the food update! So, i'm posting a breakfast, lunch and dinner....but they are all from different days. I am so clever. That was sarcasm.

This is my re-discovered love. Oatmeal with walnuts, a pinch of salt and all natural applesauce on top. My dad is pretty much anti added sugar of anykind, unless it's in the form of applesauce, so I ate whenever I had "mush" (what we called it in my family" I had applesauce on top. Applesauce was on sale this week in those cute little single serving, made for lunch sizes. I'm not a huge advocate of single serving packaging...but I couldn't resist. I think with some cinnamon on top, and this would taste like apple pie.

Ok, on to lunch. Lately I've really been enjoying red-leaf lettuce. It keeps for quite a while, and makes great salads for lunch.
Here is a salad I had just yesterday. I used lettuce, a carrot, a red bell pepper, and left over bbq chicken. And Newmans Own All Natural Cesar.

Seriously Yum.

I also had a whole wheat tortilla for some carbs. and my trusty nalgene. No..i'm not stuck in the late nineties...this used to be my brother's nalgene...till he got stationed over seas and I "stole" it from him.

I have one of those "fit n' fresh" salad containers. Really the only thing I like about it is the size, and the little built in dressing container...the "utensils" it came with were complete crap.

Dinner...Calzones! I made these last week. In college Scott and I LOVED this Calzone place, the other night we were talking about them, and I figured I would try to recreate. Let's just say I have a long way to go!

Here is Scott's calzone...it has more cheese than mine, even though I could have happily grated the whole block of mozzerella in my calzone. I also purposely made these huge. I pretty much cook for 3-4 every night. I always take leftovers for lunch, and Scott eats more than I do. Most nights.


Here is mine...I put TONS of sauce in it.

I think next time, I'll work the dough a little more, it ended up being pretty thick.

I also made stuffed bell peppers last week. As I was serving them Scott looked at me and told me " I don't like cooked bell peppers."

Oh, Something that would have been good to know YESTERDAY! Name that movie.

mmmm...now I'm hungry for my snack.

Finally!

I can't believe it is already 2:45pm and this is my first post of the day. I had a three hour meeting this morning, and then it's just been one thing after another today! Although, I'm not complaining, I'd rather it was like this, then the days when nothing is going on.

Breakfast this morning was two mini bagels with peanut butter and a half of a banana and half a glass of milk. I guess that is half of a pint glass..so technically a full glass, if we are counting glasses as 8 oz. I had planned to eat this at my desk after going to the gym, but I just couldn't make my self get out of bed this morning..it was just so warm and cozy. I'm usually pretty good about that..but today..just no.
Lunch was this spinach, walnut, cucumber and carrot salad, with flax and balsamic vin.

Yep, I offcially win the award for ugliest food this week. Yesterday I realized that I had leftovers in the work fridge from last week, so I planned to eat them today. It turned out perfectly that we had turkey burgers last night..I just "crumbled" it into the left over pasta...although there wasn't very much pasta, probably 1/2 a cup cooked.

And finally, at 2:40 I had this LARABAR. I know it's not going to keep me full until dinner at 6.

Speaking of dinner..we are going out tonight with my in-laws to THE MOST DELICIOUS restaurant. We actually just went there last weekend, but it's seriously so good. I'll just admit right now..that I'm not going to take a picture. My in-laws don't know about the blog..and while my Mother and Father in law probalby wouldn't ever look at it, by BIL and SIL (look, i'm a trendy blogger with abbreviations) probably would, and I'm not ready to share this with them.

There are only two people whom I know in "real life" who know how much I weigh. My mother and my husband...and now maybe another friend..depending on how far back in the archives he's read. I know it's just a number, and while I know that the number doesn't have any moral value, to me....it does to other people. My BMI, Height, Weight..shouldn't matter...but we classify people this way, and while I'm making peace with this, not everyone makes peace, and I'm not ready to be judged...I haven't made that much peace.

ruby red

Well, today was my last day skipping the gym, fingers crossed! I'm feeling 90% better, but still a little stuffy. I packed my gym bag last night and my husband just looked at me and said "seriously?" Ugh, he was right, better to stay home and get completely healthy. But I miss the gym, and I'll be honest, the longer I say away from the gym ,the easier it is for me to stop going..and I'm terrified of falling into the "not going" rut. Healthy life style..always taking work!


I decided not to eat breakfast at work. When I go to the gym, I always eat at my desk, but I get there about 20 minutes before my co-workers. When miss the gym, I get stuck in commuter traffic, and get here right around 8am. I don't mind eating infront of my co-workers, but in a shared office, it's not always polite!
I didn't have any fruit with my actual oatmeal (it had cinnamon and walnuts, made with 1/2 water and 1/2 skim milk) but I wanted grapefruit..so I cut one up like an orange and through it in a baggie. I sprinkled with a little sugar and had it around 10:15.

I usually have fruit with my breakfast, and fruit for snack. We'll see what happens today, I might still have an apple before lunch, depending on my hunger level. I need to get some nuts to bring to work to round out my snacks!

a different sort of morning...

Happy Valentines Day!

I really love Valentines Day, and my husband hates it! We compromise by not celebrating on Valentines Day, although we still do buy eachother small gifts, sometimes I get flowers and we always have a special meal. I would say our Best Valentines Day was last year when we were on our honeymoon in mexico. It worked out perfectly, and we were able to get reservations at the "nice" (they were all nice) restaurant at our resort. Nothing can beat spending a day at the beach, taking a nap, and then going out to dinner with the one you love for V-day. ahh...I would love to be in mexico right now drinking bad for me drinks!

But, I'm not. I'm in Idaho..so back to reality.
Last night, I knew that we would'nt get home from our movie until late so I made breakfast and lunch and everything the night before. I didn't feel like oatmeal so I tried something new...
I call them Peanutbutter Pita Roll Ups! It's really just a pita with peanutbutter and jelly smeared on it, rolled up and cut in half. I found these pitas at the store last night...they are whole wheat and dont' have any HFCS! After my last batch of pita's got moldy so quickly, I have to eat these up pretty quick! I also had a tangelo.

I can already tell that this isn't going to keep me full for as long as oatmeal, and that is ok.

I've still been avoiding the gym in the hopes of getting over my cold quickly. I'm feeling much better today!

snow snow go AWAY!

On sunday mornings, my husband and I usually got to church. Today we woke up to 5 inches of new snow. We decided to forgo church (they don't plow the roads here, isn't that insane!?!) and just spend the morning cleaning up the house, paying bills, and getting ready for work tomorrow, so this afternoon we can be lazy...
I decided before breakfast, to tackle the task of mixing the peanut butter we bought yesterday. I hate this job, it was my least favorite chore growing up!

But, even though I hate mixing, I love this peanut butter. I let my husband get the better of me for a few years ad we bought Jiff (shush, don't tell my parents), but when I started wanting to get healthy, I knew that was the first thing that had to go. I do like to use this antique fork from my grandparents house to stire the peanut butter though....i'm not quite sure why!

Last night for dinner we had pizza! (Papa Murphy's Take and Bake). I know that this afternoon will befilled with lots of snack-y not so healthy food, so I passed on the pizza for breakfast and had some oatmeal. I usually make my oatmeal in the microwave at work, so I used this opportunity to make stove top. I also tried my hand at mixing bananas in while cooking, as well as adding them to the top. I also had about 1/2 tbsp brown sugar on there as well.

Seriously...Seriously???

I am so over this snow thing, it really throws off my schedule. I'm still a bit timid about driving in the morning, but it's totally affecting my workouts. I didn't go to the gym AGAIN this morning. I did a Yoga Booty Ballet video at home (pretty good, and fun...not very intense). I think no matter what I"m going to go tomorrow morning, even if it does take me forever to get there, and at least do a GOOD 30 minutes of cardio at the gym.
Anyway, due to the smaller amount of calorie burned..I didn't need too big of a breakfast.

A white breakfast for a white day....1 toasted whole wheat english muffin, cottage cheese with fresh pineapple(seriously, yum) and a grande non fat latte with 2 splendas. I know...fake sugar...
I'm feeling full, and good.
Now if I can just stay away from that left over coffee iceream cake!

crash and burn

This is going to be a dinner, breakfast, workout post all rolled into one.
As you may remember I was STARVING yesterday afternoon. I got home, and didnt' know what to make for dinner..but settled on biscuits and eggs. I found this biscuit recipe on www.everybodylikessandwiches.blogspot.com. Very, very good and buttery. I might type the recipe into www.nutritiondata.com to see what the nutrition info is. Anyway...I made these and my husband made over medium eggs..and we turned them into sandwhiches. after two...I was finally full....probably due to high caloric content and protein in the eggs. Either way...it was delicious. Not a plan for everynight...but last night it hit the spot.
Here are few of the bisquits....one will make an appearance at lunch!

Ok, trying out new breakfasts, and this one, while good DID NOT WORK. One Thomas' whole wheat english muffin (which are by far the best i've tasted) some cottage cheese (2%) and an orange. I ate this at 7:45 and I was hungry by 8:45. Not enough calories or volume. The muffin is only 150 calories, 1/2 a cup of cottage cheese is 100 cal. and I'm not sure what the orange is...I don't think I have a full 1/2 a cup on there. I brought a container to eat througout the day, and I know it had just over 1/2 a cup. So....it looks like if I'm going ot have these..then I def. need some peanutbutter to amp it up!

Pre-workout toast and my lunch tupperwares in the background. Today I had just jam on the bread, as I couldn't find the pb and I was in a hurry.

Today for my workout I did 20 mins on the stat bike and 30 minutes doing free weights. I used the routine from Body By Glamour..month one. It really works me. I used to only do the weights routine...but now I enjoy 20 mins. of cardio before hand.

I've been thinking that I want to try the Couch-to-5k running program again. I started it when I got back into the gym...and it gave me some pretty bad shin splints. I wonder if it would be easier now that I am in better shape and 24 pounds lighter.

something new and different-a little

When I went to bed last night, it was "Warm" out. Ok...it was like 30 degrees...but the sky was clear, and I thought we wouldn't have any snow. Ha. When I woke up this morning it had snowed, and looked just like it did on Friday when I spun off the freeway. I debated going to the gym...but i know that no matter what the roads are better at 5:30 when the traffic isn't as bad. So, I went in and woke up my husband and told him I was going to take is car to work. It's a little honda, with front wheel drive. He carpools to work with his boss, and doens't go farther than a mile from our house to their pick up point...
So I took the back roads (there were already three slide offs or incidents on the 8 miles of freeway I would have need to travel) and it took me 30 minutes...I made it safely, but it severely cut down my gym time. Darn this fulltime job that dictates my schedule. I only got about 16 minutes on the elliptical. I'm going to try to go "walking" in walmart during lunch. Some moving is better than none right?

I didn't take a picture of my pre-work out toast. But it was the usual..only no jelly.



Here is my breakfast, something different! I bought some Thomas' Whole Wheat English Muffins on saturday. We only have a toaster oven here at work, and I didn't wnat to burn them, so they didn't really do anything but get warm. I then put 1.5 Tablespoons of peanut butter on them. I measured the night before and put it in a plastic baggy, cut of the tip and squeezed it out pastry cheft style! Topped with a banana. I have one more banana after this....getting mushy. Ick.
Breakfast was at 7:45 and I was hungry for my orange at 10:30. My tummy is still telling me its a little hungry. I'm going to chug some water..and possibly opt for another little snack in a bit.!

today will be the day

Ok, I am comitting that TODAY I will take a picture of EVERYTHING. :)
Ok, my pre workout breakfast was half of a whole wheat hamburger bun, 1 tsp of peanute butter and a smearing of jelly. I'm not quite sure what possessed me to have half a humburger bun, instead of some toast.
My workout went ok. I'm hitting a "cardio boredom" wall. Today I did 20 mins walking up hill on the elliptical, and 20 minutes on the "cross training" program on the elliptical. And then about 30 crunches on the stability ball. I'm looking forward to my first Pilates class tomorrow. A note on Pilates later I think...

Ok, I am getting sick of taking pictures of this same old breakfast! It just works so well for me. I did find some whole wheat english muffins with out HFCS in the store yesterday...I might grab those and pair them with cottage cheese and fruit for a change up!

I also want to apologize for my short Welcome post to Skinny Jeans readers....just as I was posting, we had a minor "emergency" at work, and I needed to call about 20 people as soon as possible. Things have settled down now....and welcome again!

weights and measures.....

Happy Martin Luther King day! (or here in Idaho it's Idah Human Rights Day) Either way, it's a day of off work for me, gotta love that government job!

Here is my breakfast, 1 oatmeal pancake, with 3/4 of a banana mashed on top, a small handful of almond slivers, and 1/4 cup of milk. It was delicous.

I'm heading to work out now, and then I'll have a snack...and then i'm off to get my hair cut. I loooove getting my hair cut! After that, since i'll be downtown..i'm going to check out the Co-op. I'm hoping to find some great lunch there...

After that I'm heading to the mall. If I don't find decent lunch at the co-op, i'm going to look for something healthy in the mall (ha ha right? I look at is a challenge).

Then i'll be coming home to do some grocery shopping, and dinner preparing..and of course..catching up on blogs!

So, now that you know ALL about my day....I have exciting news to share...!

today was the day for me to take my measurements...and since August 10th 2007..I have lost 19.8 inches! Wowza. I'm trying to decide if I should set an "inches lost" goal...but I'm feeling as if that might be too obsessive.

My current stats are : 23 pounds and 19.8 inches.

Ok, well i'm off to the gym, I've never been at this time in the morning before..so we'll see how it is!

Can't wait to show you pictures of what I find at the co-op!

Finally Friday!

Well, I guess it doesn't feel like it's "FINALLY" friday..this week went by pretty quick, at least it feels that way, now that it IS friday!
I REALLY didn't want to go to the gym today...but I did. 2 weeks of all five work days, and really it does feel good to be back in the swing of things. Today I did 40 mins on the elliptical, and 5 minutes of abs, and uh...not enough stretching! It was a decent workout..but not one of those really great ones..ya know?

Pre-Workout fuel: 1 piece breadlovers multi grain, 1 tbsp peanut butter, and 1 tsp pumpkin "jelly".....This is Soooo good, and a nice break from normal jelly.

The good old standard oats, almonds, cinnamon and banana breakfast. I'm thinking of switching it up. I almost to my saturation point! :)

Well, off to a meeting!

First New Camera Post!!

You'll have to excuse the layout of the pictures and food while I get the hang of how this thing automatically formats etc. But here they are pictures! Yay for pictures!

Post work out Breakfast at my desk. 1/2 cup oats with small handful almond slivers, cinnamon and a banana.

This morning pre-work out I had this piece of toast (Bread Lovers, Multi Grain, all natural-no HFCS) with 1 tsp of that peanut butter and 1/2 a tsp of jelly.

Today was also my weigh in day. And the scale said.....239.6! Down 23 pounds from my highest recorded weight!!! Don't get me wrong...i'm not obsessed with what the scale says..but it's interesting to watch what happens depending on the choices and changes one makes. :)