The motivation train just keeps on rolling....

What a day. Today was my last day of “bumming” around before stepping back into reality tomorrow, bright and early! That’s right, as of tomorrow morning at 8 AM I will once again be a member of the working class! I’m excited and nervous all at the same time. As I mentioned previously, this is a temporary position meaning at the end of my 4 months there is no guarantee that I will be offered a permanent position. We have our fingers crossed, but no guarantees. So, like with this journey to a healthier me, I’m going to take it one day and one step at a time. I’m looking at this opportunity as a great “foot in the door” and an inside look at the world of Marketing to determine if this is really what I want to do the rest of my life or if at the end of my time I return to school to pursue my graduate degree. Only time-and the good Lord-can tell! I’m just going to work as hard as I can work and see where that leaves me!

So how did I spend my last day of “freedom”? Well to start, I didn’t sleep in. I decided that since I have to actually begin waking up at a decent hour, like a large portion of the population, I should start today. That’s right I was awake at 7 AM! Now, I didn’t do much. In fact, I laid in bed for another 2 hours watching Netflix, but the point is-I was up. I eventually made my way out of bed to walk the dog, make breakfast, and get dressed. I even got dressed up because I went to have lunch with the hubby (we went to Pho Bac because last night’s homemade attempt just didn’t cut it) and it was so nice to be able to see him in the middle of the day! After lunch I decided (once again on that motivation train) to journey over to Whole Foods and check out their offerings from that list mentioned in yesterday’s post along with a few other items from a second article I read (don’t worry, I’m going to post on that SOON). I picked up some quinoa (my first time purchasing it EVER-check tomorrow’s post to see how it turns out because we are having it for dinner), some all natural organic almond butter, and some steel cut oats (another first). From there I decided to continue my motivational shopping and ventured over to Publix where I filled my cart with fruits and veggies galore! (definitely keep checking the food breakdowns because Michael and I are going to be trying lots of new dishes) It was by far the “healthiest” cart of groceries I’ve ever rolled out!

As if that wasn’t enough of an adventure for one day, I headed home and cleaned out the fridge and rearranged the pantry-I’m telling you, these last few days have just been awesome. I have had this urge to rid our home of most of the foods it once held and replace them with yummy, delicious, good for you ones instead. When Michael made it home we went for our daily run; today’s mile was the toughest yet, but I am determined to kick its butt and move to mile two! I then cooked dinner, cleaned the kitchen, got tomorrow’s dinner started, tomorrow’s breakfast started, and did a sculpt workout. Oh yea, and picked out clothes for work! Again I repeat: WHAT A DAY! What kind of things motivate you to have days like that?

But, reverting back to my earlier statement of nerves and getting back on track, another reason for my nerves going into tomorrow is a change in routine. While my days haven’t exactly been “routine” in the last month (reference the above novel), in a sense they have been. They’ve been a non-routine routine for me. I know this doesn’t make sense, but just go with me! Generally a break in my “norm” throws me for a loop. Knowing that was what gave me that extra boost to do the grocery shopping I did today-a chance to set myself up for success! What ways do you set yourself up for success when you know you are going to have an obstacle (holidays, birthdays, change in routine, etc…)?

I’m excited to see what comes of the new motivation (and the new job)! Stay tuned for new recipes, break downs, and results! Until tomorrow: good eats!

Wednesday Food Break Down:

Breakfast was a bit of a change-up from the last few days. I had a big bowl of blackberries, blueberries and bananas with 1 T walnuts and 1/8 cup of Greek yogurt for 2 points.

Lunch was delicious Pho with my wonderful hubby at our favorite little Vietnamese soup kitchen off Buford Highway! It had chicken, broth, rice noodles, onions, bean sprouts and hoison sauce and was 9 points. I paired that with my FAVORITE drink ever-milk black bubble tea for 8 points.

Dinner was an old favorite (and quite the money saver)! Michael and I love Hibachi grills but we HATE paying for it. You can’t come out of those places for cheaper than 50 bucks and that’s on a cheap night! Luckily, the other day while I was at our local Publix I found gourmet Japanese White Sauce (our favorite part of the entire dish) and decided to bring it home. So, for dinner tonight we took some rice we had left over, added 2 eggs (scrambled) and “fried” it with a little EVOO and some teriyaki. I paired it with a mix of squash, zucchini, mushrooms, onions and broccoli and ribeye cut into pieces. I had a cup of rice for 5 points, veggies, and steak for 4 points. I had 4 T of White Sauce for 4 points for a total of 13 points. That put me over my total by 3 but with my run and my sculpt it balances out.

Victories big or small are still victories

On that motivation train! I already posted today’s piece but something about our workout tonight, the planning of the perfect date “day” Saturday, and a conversation I had with a friend via text message just has me going! A second wind if you will! As for the workout, it was ahhhhh-mazing! We were going to do the power 90 sweat 3-4 tonight but instead opted for the power 90 fat burner and it kicked my butt. It was a constant motion, no breaks, 38 minutes worth of hardcore workout! Following that 38 minutes we did our Ab Ripper 200 and somewhere between the inability to walk and the pain in my tummy I got a second wind to clean the kitchen and write tomorrow’s post!

While I was cleaning the kitchen I was having a texting conversation with a friend of mine (a pretty frequent occurrence with this particular friend) with regards to points. We often text when we are curious about the points value of a food or when we need help with a calculation-most often because one of us is near a points calculator when the other is not. Anywho, she and I were having our usual conversation (do you think that bean soup would be this many points and what not) when she mentioned a conversation she’d had with someone else during the day where she shared her “celebration” of this week’s weigh in. I was sad to read that this person not only decided not to celebrate with my friend but also made light of her victory. Now, I know there are many people out there that don’t struggle with food, weight, over indulgence, or image (interestingly enough I was actually reading about this today in my daily reading of “The End of Overeating”) but to just be downright rude, I don’t understand. Does that ever happen to you? Have you ever shared a victory with someone and gotten a response that you weren’t expecting?

WELL NOT HERE. I say: who needs ‘em! I am so proud of my friend and her celebration this week. In fact, I am so proud of all you for sticking with your goals and staying on track. Another friend of mine and follower of this blog is rocking out with a new journey also. She recently made the decision to become a vegan and get on the exercise train. She’s been plugging along for nearly 3 weeks now and she’s been such an inspiration. Keep up the great work lady! And mom, if you are reading this, I’m uber proud of you also because I know you are getting back in the swing of tracking and you are doing amazing! You too RoseMary!

I know this isn’t my usual entry but I just wanted to take the time to celebrate with all of these friends, and the rest of you. If you are like me, this DOESN’T come easy. For me it’s a one-day-at- time journey. Don’t let those people who don’t understand or who need to make themselves feel better by making you feel worse affect you and your journey; they aren’t worth it!

Please take the time to share your celebrations with us in response to this post! I’d love to see your progress-even the baby steps!

One last thought, tomorrow is my last day of “freedom” as I start a temporary position (which we hope turns into a permanent one) on Thursday! As such, these posts are going to start coming at night-much like this post! I just want to make you aware so you’ll know to look for them the next morning! And one final thought, after my post this afternoon, I was reading an article in Real Simple and came across a list of the 30 best foods for you to be eating-look for a post about that later!

Remember: there will always be those people that try to put you down, just keep your chin up and keep putting one foot in front of the other. Until tomorrow: good eats!

Today’s (Tuesday) Food Break Down:

Breakfast was the usual blend of oatmeal with chocolate chips, bananas, walnut and blueberries. I don’t know what it is about blueberries but I suddenly can’t get enough of them. I’ve always eaten them in muffins and bagels but I’ve never been a fan of them by themselves until girl’s night a week and a half ago. Thanks, Hoover, for getting me hooked (this also reverts back to today’s early post with giving things a second try)! Points total for breakfast was 8 points.

Lunch included a LARGE bowl of fresh berries and 1/8 c of Greek Yogurt for 1 point. Followed by, you guessed it, 2 T of chocolate chips for 4 points.

For dinner I was feeling adventurous and decided to attempt to make Pho Ga-a Vietnamese noodle soup that Michael and I discovered at a place on Buford Highway called Pho Bac (GO THERE if you live in the Atlanta area). Let’s just say, I’ll gladly pay $6/bowl to go and have it served to me by the professionals! Anyhow, my soup included ½ of rice stick noodles (4 points), chicken-sliced thinly (2 points), chicken broth with Hoison sauce-store bought just isn’t the same (3 points), and onions and scallions and a jalapeno in the broth. For dessert I had another piece of the Pudding Pie (for the recipe look back to a few days ago) with a few extra berries and cool whip for 6 points.

My daily total was 28 points. I’m attempting to save all my extra points this week for Saturday and our date day! Michael got a gift card from work today and we are going to treat ourselves to the Atlanta Fish Market. Several years ago when I was working as a nanny for a family in Marietta I got this same gift card ($100-to restaurants Michael and I would never pay to go to ourselves) and we took full advantage. We went during lunch and had an appetizer, entrée, dessert-the works! We’ve decided to do the same with this card! I can’t wait. They have the yummiest, freshest (seems like the weirdest word) seafood and we LOVE it! AFM, here come the Foxes! As if that wasn’t a great enough date, Michael and I decided to check out the local entertainment and we bought tickets to see the Gwinnett Gladiators (Hockey)! Here’s to looking forward to the weekend!

Inspiration and Motivation

I’ve been feeling really inspired and motivated lately. I know I keep saying this, but this blog has done wonders! I spent the better part of last night (after dinner was cooked and cleaned up, we had already run our daily mile and we had completed our power 90 sculpt workout, of course) searching the World Wide Web for new food ideas. I searched for vegetarian recipes, I stumbled upon great new blogs, I read articles about “power foods” and I stumbled across EatingWell and signed up for their FREE trial offer! I started creating a word document for all the delicious recipes I was finding fully expecting it to only be a few pages and wound up with 53 pages. CRAZY! This was all brought on by a friend who ventured out and found a yummy recipe she found and used last night-yup, Sarah, you were my inspiration. Granted, all the rest of you were my inspiration to keep searching, she just got the fire going!

I think I’ve mentioned it in a previous blog but I really want to attempt to add MORE fresh produce and way few processed foods into my diet and I even want to take it a step further and try to eat “vegetarian” style 3-4 days a week. Last night on my web journey I found so many delicious, easy to prepare meal ideas that will help me with that step. If you are anything like me I am always searching for new recipes because I hate falling into the rut of eating the same meals week in and week out. Have you tried anything interesting lately? Do you have a favorite dish that (even if you eat it a lot) you want to share?

In the next few weeks you will be seeing loads of new recipes because I’m going to begin working those yummy recipes I found last night into our menu. If you are in need of inspiration-for meal ideas, snack ideas, or just nutritional information-you should check out www.eatingwell.com. I can’t tell you how many hours I spent on that site last night just absorbing it all.

Another site I stumbled upon last night included an article discussing foods that will help you reach your goals and attain a flatter tummy. One of my biggest “problem” areas tends to be the belly-I do ab workouts but a little extra help couldn’t hurt! The site suggested the following 10 foods to help with the midsection flab:

1. Almonds because they contain filling protein and fiber, not to mention vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant. It suggests adding 1 oz of almonds to your daily routine-about 23 nuts and 160 calories!

2. Eggs-recommended that you add one egg a day. The article mentioned that a study found that people that eat eggs for breakfast tend to be less hungry throughout the day-interesting thought!

3. Soy. The article mentions that soybeans are a great source of antioxidants, fiber, and protein. Plus, they're incredibly versatile. Ways to incorporate soy into your diet could be: snacking on dry-roasted soybeans, toss shelled edamame into soups, or even slip a spoonful of silken tofu into your morning smoothie.

4. Apples. They recommend you eat an apple or two a day.

5. Berries. Berries are a great source of fiber and packed with antioxidants. They recommend adding at least ½ cup of berries to your daily routine.

6. Leafy greens because even though their cancer-preventing carotenoids won’t help shrink your waisteline, their low calorie count definitely will. They are also a great source of calcium which is great for fueling workouts! Ways to incorporate more into your life include: keeping a bag of prewashed baby spinach in your fridge to toss a handful into soups, salads, pasta dishes, stir-fries, and sandwiches. When you get sick of spinach, reach for a bunch of arugula, broccoli rabe, or broccolini, a cross between broccoli and Chinese kale. They suggest adding 3 servings per day.

7. Yogurt. The article recommends adding 1-3 cups daily of low-fat or fat free yogurt to your diet. They also recommend that you choose unsweetened yogurt that contains live active cultures. Add a handful of fresh chopped fruit for flavor and extra fiber.

8. Veggie soup. They suggested adding 2 cups of veggie soup a day. What better way to get in your veggies, right? The article also suggested that it helped people stay fuller and avoid snack foods.

9. Salmon. The article read: Seafood, especially fatty fish like salmon, tuna, and mackerel, is an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids. These uber-healthy fats may help promote fat burning by making your metabolism more efficient, according to Kleiner. An Australian study showed that overweight people who ate fish daily improved their glucose-insulin response. Translated, this means that seafood may help slow digestion and prevent cravings. If that doesn't hook you, consider this: Seafood is an excellent source of abs-friendly protein. They suggested you try to add: Two four-ounce servings per week. Wild salmon, though pricey, contains more omega-3 fatty acids than farm-raised. (If it doesn't say wild, it's farm-raised.) If seafood's not your thing, you can get your omega-3's from flaxseed (grind and sprinkle on your cereal) or walnuts.

10. Quinoa. Pronounced KEEN-wah, this whole grain contains 5 grams of fiber and 11 grams of protein per half cup. Cook it as you would any other grain (although some brands require rinsing). Quinoa's nutty flavor and crunchy-yet-chewy texture are like a cross between whole-wheat couscous and short-grain brown rice. Try for: At least one half-cup serving (a third of your whole-grain requirements) per day. Try substituting AltiPlano Gold brand instant quinoa hot cereal (160 to 210 calories per packet), in Chai Almond and Spiced Apple Raisin, for oatmeal. Look for it in health-food stores. In SEVERAL of the recipes I found last night they made mention of this grain!

I know some of you reading this may be thinking: that’s a lot to try to add to my diet all at one time. Some of the rest of you may be thinking: I’m never eating that food. To the first group, try maybe adding just one per day or even per week. That’s what I’m going to attempt. In the last week I’ve been eating several berries and that was an easy add so this next week I’m going to attempt to add almonds, and possibly eggs. Baby steps. To the second group, I totally understand. I haven’t always been the most adventurous eater. Working with kids helped a bit but trying to overcome the thoughts I had for those foods as a kid and giving it a second chance as an adult has also been great. I’ve been able to add so many more vegetables to my diet because of it, it’s been great! Now, I’m absolutely no expert, I’m simply taking this article and sharing it. Take it as you will.

Before we get to the food break down I want to take a paragraph and celebrate! Last night Michael and I were discussing this morning’s weigh in and he was asking things like, “are you excited” and “don’t you think it’ll be a great weigh-in.” To be absolutely honest I wasn’t excited and I didn’t have any sort of expectations for this morning. Granted, neither of those feelings were related to my food choices from last week and solely based on my body and Mother Nature (and her sick twisted sense of humor!). So, last night as I was calculating my dinner points in the section of the tracker where it says “thoughts for the day” I wrote down: Don’t be discouraged by the number on the scale in the morning. Keep pushing forward. I’m happy to report that I was down .5 lbs. I rejoiced. I took it a step further and got out the measuring tape (I did body measurements 4 weeks ago before I started this journey) and I’m even happier to report that I am down at least 1 inch in all areas, in some areas as much as 2, I measured-except the arms which are the same but I believe I’m seeing a difference there too. Talk about non-scale victory! I immediately texted my husband-my number one source of comfort seeking and reassurance, and my number one supporter! He called me back like 10 seconds later with an excited “baby that’s awesome” and it just made my day! ONE DAY AT A TIME! Do any of you have celebrations you want to share (scale or non-scale)? Well, until next time: good eats!

Monday Food Break down:

Breakfast and lunch sort of comingled yesterday as I was out of bed at 9:30 (the joy of not starting work until Thursday) and then immediately started doing house stuff (I know Suzi, I skipped breakfast, don’t shoot me). I had a ham sandwich which consisted of 2 slices of Nature’s Own WhiteWheat bread (3 points), 6 slices of ham (3 points), and 1 T of light mayo (1 point) and 2 servings of tortilla chips (7 points) for a total of 14 points.

Snack included strawberries (0 points) and 3 T chocolate chips (6 points).

Dinner (following our run and prior to our sculpt workout) consisted of a 5 oz ribeye (7 points) that the hubby salt and peppered and rub with EVOO and then cooked in the cast iron skillet, ½ sweet potato (2 points) with 1 T brown sugar (1 point) and 1 T butter (1 point) and cinnamon, and fresh green beans made with mushrooms and onions for 0 points.

Following our workout, as a snack, I had a banana. I should have turned into a monkey a long time ago!

For the day that was 31 points (2 over) and 2 “workouts”!