I know, I know. I didn't even post Weight Loss Wednesday posts. There are a few reasons for this.
1) There has literally been nothing to report. I am holding steady at -16 pounds. Not gaining, not losing. Just hangin out. I think I might have lost 1/4 pound this week but that could have been because I peed right before I weighed myself. 1/2 pound or more is what gets recorded around here, people! None of that sappy Weight Watchers stuff like "YAY! You lost .00000000000001 pounds this week! Good for you! Keep up the good work, you're doing so well!". Ugh.
2) I have, quite literally, been running around like a chicken without her head. I'm loosing track of weeks. What day is it? Where am I? What is this?
So anyway, I'm back. So here's the deal. I'm kind of sick of this plateau. It's not surprising. I knew I would plateau a few times in my weight loss journey. But it's been 4 weeks and I'm over it! I have started drinking a TON of water which is supposed to help boost your metabolism as well as flush your system of toxins (that for some reason, Diet Coke is just unable to flush. Weird.).
I started (this week) to improve my gym attendance and activity. Two of the last three gym visits have included much more than just the elliptical. My friend K80 (you know the one...) sent me a 10 week workout program that increases the intensity, as well as gives a balanced work out each day. It's 5 days a week, so it is ambitious. But I think it's great! In an effort to really jump back in the saddle and get moving, I decided to try out this work out. Day one is a program that starts off with a 7 minute cardio warm up, then moves to push ups (on a stability ball but.. HA... no.), sit ups/ crunches on a stability ball, squats, and some arm machines. So... that went... ya know... OK...
Ugh.
I made it through the warm up, 20 push ups, 60 sit ups, and 30 squats. And I died. My leg muscles started cramping and I knew that to keep going would be a mistake. I stretched out and walked... verrrrrryyyy slllloooowwwwwllllyyyy home as my cool down. I couldn't walk right for 3 days. I was sort of shocked and appalled by how weak my legs are since I am constantly walking in this city. Whatever.
But I was not deterred. When I could finally pick my feet more than one inch up off the ground, I went in and did an elliptical work out. Just to get the muscles going again.
Then I went home for the weekend. So not much in the way of working out over the weekend. But that's OK! Last night, Tuesday, I went back to the gym. I got myself into the weight room. I did some shoulder and chest presses, some vertical rows, some leg press, and then did 30 minutes on the elliptical. What can I say? I like the elliptical! I thought I'd be more sore than I am, but apparently I have more upper body strength than I was aware. I will tell you that I worked my arms to exhaustion so... I'm glad I'm not sore!
So the plan is to keep up with the water and the gym. I will probably need to work my way up to be able to successfully complete the 10 week circuit but I'm working on it!
But that doesn't feel like enough. So I went ahead and did some research and checked out some websites. This one sounded most like me. Like, each bullet point I could pretty well relate to. But I found the article a bit frustrating. Since it basically said "Hey stupid, stop eat big plates of bad stuff and get your butt back in the gym".
Yes.
Thank you.
Helpful.
Moving on.
This article was much more informative about BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) and why you reach plateaus. Basically, you've lost weight which means your body is burning less, which means even if you are cutting out extra calories to lose that weight, you have reached an equilibrium within your body. You have to throw off that equilibrium to start losing weight again. Muscle building is definitely helpful (Yay! Point for Connie for doing the right thing!), so working out with light weights can help your body to burn more calories.
It also suggests upping your protein intake, but not to overdo it. No more than 20% of your daily calories should be from protein. If I look back at the last week, my protein has gone from 16% of my daily calories up to 24.59% of my daily calories. So I should start watching that I hover at 20% or below in coming weeks. Just to make sure those extra calories aren't turning into fats or something else they shouldn't.
Shaking it up is also known to help keep your body thrown off. Apparently the trick is to actually fool your body, which is tough. Because... ya know... your brain, inside your body, is trying to trick your body from the inside... it's like some crazy double agent sci-fi stuff that is way to complex and this is probably where black holes are created. So, I guess just don't think too much and try to keep changing up your schedule and work out and what you consume.
From there the articles seemed to get a little repetitive. Yes, thank you, I realize that I should decrease calorie consumption and portion size and I should get my ass to the gym regularly and lift light weights. On one hand, I'm tired of hearing it because YES I KNOW I SHOULD WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM WHY ARE YOU BADGERING ME ABOUT IT?!
On the other hand... "ooooh... you mean MORE of the less calories and smaller portion sizes and gym. oooooooooh..."
So since I eat breakfast at the office in the mornings and I know for a fact that I am eating more than 1 cup (or less) of cereal and I have no idea how to calculate the amount of milk I put on that cereal (I dunno? Enough to saturate it? How much do we think that is?) I am going to bring a measuring cup into the office to make sure I only have the serving size. I will keep up with my gym stuff. I will fight and claw my way off this plateau. You know, if this was a REAL plateau, getting off of it would be much easier. I'd just jump, you know? And then I'd be lower? That's a terrible metaphor. It should be more like "I'm experiencing a weight loss swinging net trap. I wanna get down, but this stupid thing won't let me!"
So there's that. We're just hanging out over here on -16 pounds. Which is awesome, but I was hoping to be 9 pounds lighter within 2 weeks. So I need to get this program up and running STAT. If I can get to -20 pounds I will be quite proud of myself.
Speaking of 2 weeks, that's when I am heading to Florida with the family! I have to go get new bathing suits because the 2 that I have that I LOVE LOVE LOVE... um... don't fit me anymore? So that's an exciting shopping expedition. Oooooh, I'm gonna head on over to Victoria's Secret now to see what their bathing suit options are. Could be exciting! And on SALE!
See you tomorrow (I SWEAR) when I share with you my (very very tardy) opinions on the Casey Anthony trial. :)
The trivial happenings of my daily life and thought process...
Showing posts with label Weight Loss Wednesdays. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Weight Loss Wednesdays. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Weight Loss Wednesday!
I'm pretty sure my gym thinks that I have a membership solely for use of their scale. They are happy to take my $29.99 every month for that, but they still think I'm weird for it.
I will get back to the gym at some point.
I swear.
Anyway. As you've heard pretty much every week since I started this little WLW column thing... I was sure, yet again, that this was the week. The week I wouldn't lose. Or I would gain. Or I'd only lose 1/4 pound. Or god forbid I'd start a plateau. UGH! The worst! I knew it. I stripped down as far as I would dare in a new gym with lots of people in the locker room and stepped on the scale.
And yet again I was shocked into bursting pride and happiness.
DOWN 3 POUNDS, BABY!
That makes for a total loss of 14 pounds! Which is amazing! In 6 weeks I'm down 14 pounds! Geez! That's still just over my 2 pounds per week goal. My next goal is to have a total of 25 pounds gone by the end of July when we go to Florida. Which means that I have exactly 7 weeks to lose 11 pounds. I feel like this won't be a problem, but you never know. I don't want to get too over-confident.
I just need to get myself into the gym so that I'm toning while I'm losing. I don't want all that skin hanging off of me, or to still look out of shape once I've lost my total amount I am trying to lose, you know? So that's something I need to concentrate on again.
I told Maria last night that I felt like somebody was playing a trick on me. Like every time I go in to weigh myself and see that I've lost, I feel like somebody has tampered with the scale to make me think I've lost, when in fact I haven't. I don't know why a stranger at the gym would do that to me. But it seems logical because I just don't feel like I have to try hard this time.
My mom thinks it's because I finally decided that this is something I really want to do. So thanks to being superficial and a shopaholic, I'm losing weight? Does that seem a little too.... easy?.... to anybody else? I don't know. I'll take it and keep doing what I'm doing. And just hope and pray that Livestrong.com doesn't flake out on me at some point. Because so far it's been a champ!
OK, I'm sorry to cut this short but work just keeps getting so busy and yet again today I'm the only assistant in the office because, really, in 6 months, being completely alone in an office of 25 needy execs for a total of about a month and a half is COMPLETELY ACCEPTABLE! Grrrr!!
OK back to work. Have a nice heatwave!
I will get back to the gym at some point.
I swear.
Anyway. As you've heard pretty much every week since I started this little WLW column thing... I was sure, yet again, that this was the week. The week I wouldn't lose. Or I would gain. Or I'd only lose 1/4 pound. Or god forbid I'd start a plateau. UGH! The worst! I knew it. I stripped down as far as I would dare in a new gym with lots of people in the locker room and stepped on the scale.
And yet again I was shocked into bursting pride and happiness.
DOWN 3 POUNDS, BABY!
That makes for a total loss of 14 pounds! Which is amazing! In 6 weeks I'm down 14 pounds! Geez! That's still just over my 2 pounds per week goal. My next goal is to have a total of 25 pounds gone by the end of July when we go to Florida. Which means that I have exactly 7 weeks to lose 11 pounds. I feel like this won't be a problem, but you never know. I don't want to get too over-confident.
I just need to get myself into the gym so that I'm toning while I'm losing. I don't want all that skin hanging off of me, or to still look out of shape once I've lost my total amount I am trying to lose, you know? So that's something I need to concentrate on again.
I told Maria last night that I felt like somebody was playing a trick on me. Like every time I go in to weigh myself and see that I've lost, I feel like somebody has tampered with the scale to make me think I've lost, when in fact I haven't. I don't know why a stranger at the gym would do that to me. But it seems logical because I just don't feel like I have to try hard this time.
My mom thinks it's because I finally decided that this is something I really want to do. So thanks to being superficial and a shopaholic, I'm losing weight? Does that seem a little too.... easy?.... to anybody else? I don't know. I'll take it and keep doing what I'm doing. And just hope and pray that Livestrong.com doesn't flake out on me at some point. Because so far it's been a champ!
OK, I'm sorry to cut this short but work just keeps getting so busy and yet again today I'm the only assistant in the office because, really, in 6 months, being completely alone in an office of 25 needy execs for a total of about a month and a half is COMPLETELY ACCEPTABLE! Grrrr!!
OK back to work. Have a nice heatwave!
Thursday, June 2, 2011
So where do I even start??
Please stop giving me that look.
I know!
... I KNOW!
I suck.
... what? Of course I still love you! This is a me thing, not you!
Look, I meant to write, and then things just kept happening. And I have barely had time to breathe let alone put together a coherent thought.
... well if you're gonna be like THAT forget it!
... No, I'm sorry! Come back, I'll write, I promise!
OK, on a serious note, I'm not even sure where to start. It has been such an insane month. I guess the last time I wrote it was Weight Loss Wednesday. So... since then... let's see. I'll go day by day if I can even remember how to separate the days.
Thursday night I packed up a lot. I was getting boxes from the liquor store downstairs, so EVERYTHING I own was in wine and liquor boxes. It looked kind of amazing. I estimated that I didn't have that much stuff, maybe I would have 20 boxes or so at this point...
Yeah... it turned out to be a little more like this:
So. Yeah. Lots of boxes. But two or three liquor boxes equal one regular box... right??
I got rid of TONS of stuff too! I cleaned out my closet and got rid of probably half of my wardrobe. I also threw out tons of miscellaneous stuff that I just hadn't used and didn't need. I sold Puka's Cat Condo because that bitch just refuses to use it.
Oh there's a story! The guy that picked up the cat condo was talking about his kids who were like, 9 years old, and the fact that his car wouldn't start the day before due to the heat (it had been like 80ish. I can understand when we get up into the 100s. But 80s? You drive a POS, and I know it!) and then tried to hit on me. Like seriously. To the point where he was blushing and I was like "haha yeah thanks buh bye now!"
Creeper.
Anyway. Friday I was up until 4:30 in the morning packing. I didn't want the move to take any longer than 3 hours. For $85/hour, I was getting 3 guys and a truck, plus a flat 30 minute travel time, and my moving estimate was $297 total. It would be $20-$25 to pack up the TV extra carefully. And I had budgeted around $400 for the move, so I would have plenty to tip them with.
Friday afternoon I took Puka over to the new place. FYI: Puka does NOT like the subway. AT. ALL. She will bunker down inside her cat carrier, and meow like someone is ripping hairs out of her tail one by one. Everybody kept giving me looks like "what are you doing to your cat??" Thank god I had Ana and her adorable and sweet sister (Happy Sweet 16, Holly!) to help me carry the pissy cat to the new place. Once we got there, Puka pretty much stayed in her carrier the whole day. No big deal. I went home to finish putting the last few things in bags and boxes.
The movers arrive at 6:30, which was within their time frame. I booked them late (literally the day before) so 5-7pm was the only time slot they had available. I showed them everything I had, and then my day went downhill. First he said that I didn't have much, and that it wasn't a bad move. YAY! And then this started:
"OK so it's $35 to pack up the TV..."
"They told me $20-25?"
"Nope. $35. And it's $15 to wrap each mattress. So you have a mattress and a box spring, that's $30"
"Oh, my stuff is old, I'm not worried about it. You don't have to wrap it."
"Nope, it's the law. Due to bedbugs, they have to be wrapped. OK, and the mirror is $25 to wrap it."
"OK, no. Don't wrap the mirror. Just put it in blankets and if it breaks, it breaks. No worries."
"OK if you say so. And everything has to be in a flat bottom box. They are $13 per box to rent. All these bags have to go in a box. And the artwork too."
"Really? I wasn't told everything had to be in a box. You can't just take the bags?"
"Nope."
"Can you fit it in one box?"
"I can try. And we have to box up the artwork. I can't carry one piece at a time, and if I try to stack them they'll fall. You're attached to the art right?"
"I mean... the most expensive one was $20 at Century21, so... I mean... I like them but they are replaceable."
"No. They have to be in a box."
I wasn't able to ride with them to the new apartment, so I had to trust that 3 Russian guys were going to deliver all of my earthly possessions to me in one piece. I rode the subway over and thank GOD Flo was there. They started moving my stuff in before I got there and were done in under the 3 hours minimum mark. Perfect! But all those extra charges...
I had contacted the company before the move and asked if a tip was included in the hourly price, or if tip was expected. I was told that tip was not expected. That I could if I wanted to, but no, not expected.
The end bill came and I was charged ......
$418!!!!!!!!!
What?! How is that even possible! That's all the cash I have! I have $10 left to get myself some dinner (since all I've had today was peanut butter and jelly on pita bread which was gross and so I only ate half of it). But the mover wasn't done yet. I hand over the last of the money that I have to him and he says:
"Usually on a job like this a tip is expected..."
"I spoke to the company before the move and they said tip WASN'T expected."
"Who said that? Jon?"
"Yeah."
"Well of course he said that. All this money goes to the office. We don't get any of it. Each guy was expecting $50 for a job like this..."
"What?!? That's a 50% tip on the original estimate! Are you kidding me?! You had 1 flight of stairs at each place! This was not a tough move as New York apartments go!"
"This isn't a bar or restaurant. That's a customary tip for us."
I gave them each $15, which the mover scoffed at and said that he couldn't go to the truck with something that pitiful. He made me feel awful! And over something that I was told I didn't even have to pay! I said I could meet them later in the week and give them more of a tip, but that I wasn't guaranteeing $50 per person. He agreed and left. I was really uncomfortable. So I'm calling the company today to see what they say. First, I was getting conflicting information, which is why I asked in the first place. I have heard of companies adding $18 to the total automatically. But 50% is outrageous! I just don't want to be murdered by a disgruntled Russian mover in the middle of the night, what with them knowing where I live and all. Awkward...
I'll keep you updated on that situation.
So my entire apartment worth of stuff fit into my new bedroom. This either means that I have a very large bedroom, or I have a very small amount of stuff now. Maybe both?
and from the OTHER direction:
Clearly I was unable to get the exact position as the before pictures because of all the STUFF EVERYWHERE. But it's all there!
And there it is! My new home! Those 2 windows with the lights on are Flo's bedroom windows. We have half of the second floor. AMAZING. You don't find places like that in NYC! But we did!
Puka was a little nervous. So she spent Saturday night, Sunday and most of Monday in this closet:
I know!
... I KNOW!
I suck.
... what? Of course I still love you! This is a me thing, not you!
Look, I meant to write, and then things just kept happening. And I have barely had time to breathe let alone put together a coherent thought.
... well if you're gonna be like THAT forget it!
... No, I'm sorry! Come back, I'll write, I promise!
OK, on a serious note, I'm not even sure where to start. It has been such an insane month. I guess the last time I wrote it was Weight Loss Wednesday. So... since then... let's see. I'll go day by day if I can even remember how to separate the days.
Thursday night I packed up a lot. I was getting boxes from the liquor store downstairs, so EVERYTHING I own was in wine and liquor boxes. It looked kind of amazing. I estimated that I didn't have that much stuff, maybe I would have 20 boxes or so at this point...
Yeah... it turned out to be a little more like this:
So. Yeah. Lots of boxes. But two or three liquor boxes equal one regular box... right??
I got rid of TONS of stuff too! I cleaned out my closet and got rid of probably half of my wardrobe. I also threw out tons of miscellaneous stuff that I just hadn't used and didn't need. I sold Puka's Cat Condo because that bitch just refuses to use it.
Oh there's a story! The guy that picked up the cat condo was talking about his kids who were like, 9 years old, and the fact that his car wouldn't start the day before due to the heat (it had been like 80ish. I can understand when we get up into the 100s. But 80s? You drive a POS, and I know it!) and then tried to hit on me. Like seriously. To the point where he was blushing and I was like "haha yeah thanks buh bye now!"
Creeper.
Anyway. Friday I was up until 4:30 in the morning packing. I didn't want the move to take any longer than 3 hours. For $85/hour, I was getting 3 guys and a truck, plus a flat 30 minute travel time, and my moving estimate was $297 total. It would be $20-$25 to pack up the TV extra carefully. And I had budgeted around $400 for the move, so I would have plenty to tip them with.
Friday afternoon I took Puka over to the new place. FYI: Puka does NOT like the subway. AT. ALL. She will bunker down inside her cat carrier, and meow like someone is ripping hairs out of her tail one by one. Everybody kept giving me looks like "what are you doing to your cat??" Thank god I had Ana and her adorable and sweet sister (Happy Sweet 16, Holly!) to help me carry the pissy cat to the new place. Once we got there, Puka pretty much stayed in her carrier the whole day. No big deal. I went home to finish putting the last few things in bags and boxes.
The movers arrive at 6:30, which was within their time frame. I booked them late (literally the day before) so 5-7pm was the only time slot they had available. I showed them everything I had, and then my day went downhill. First he said that I didn't have much, and that it wasn't a bad move. YAY! And then this started:
"OK so it's $35 to pack up the TV..."
"They told me $20-25?"
"Nope. $35. And it's $15 to wrap each mattress. So you have a mattress and a box spring, that's $30"
"Oh, my stuff is old, I'm not worried about it. You don't have to wrap it."
"Nope, it's the law. Due to bedbugs, they have to be wrapped. OK, and the mirror is $25 to wrap it."
"OK, no. Don't wrap the mirror. Just put it in blankets and if it breaks, it breaks. No worries."
"OK if you say so. And everything has to be in a flat bottom box. They are $13 per box to rent. All these bags have to go in a box. And the artwork too."
"Really? I wasn't told everything had to be in a box. You can't just take the bags?"
"Nope."
"Can you fit it in one box?"
"I can try. And we have to box up the artwork. I can't carry one piece at a time, and if I try to stack them they'll fall. You're attached to the art right?"
"I mean... the most expensive one was $20 at Century21, so... I mean... I like them but they are replaceable."
"No. They have to be in a box."
I wasn't able to ride with them to the new apartment, so I had to trust that 3 Russian guys were going to deliver all of my earthly possessions to me in one piece. I rode the subway over and thank GOD Flo was there. They started moving my stuff in before I got there and were done in under the 3 hours minimum mark. Perfect! But all those extra charges...
I had contacted the company before the move and asked if a tip was included in the hourly price, or if tip was expected. I was told that tip was not expected. That I could if I wanted to, but no, not expected.
The end bill came and I was charged ......
$418!!!!!!!!!
What?! How is that even possible! That's all the cash I have! I have $10 left to get myself some dinner (since all I've had today was peanut butter and jelly on pita bread which was gross and so I only ate half of it). But the mover wasn't done yet. I hand over the last of the money that I have to him and he says:
"Usually on a job like this a tip is expected..."
"I spoke to the company before the move and they said tip WASN'T expected."
"Who said that? Jon?"
"Yeah."
"Well of course he said that. All this money goes to the office. We don't get any of it. Each guy was expecting $50 for a job like this..."
"What?!? That's a 50% tip on the original estimate! Are you kidding me?! You had 1 flight of stairs at each place! This was not a tough move as New York apartments go!"
"This isn't a bar or restaurant. That's a customary tip for us."
I gave them each $15, which the mover scoffed at and said that he couldn't go to the truck with something that pitiful. He made me feel awful! And over something that I was told I didn't even have to pay! I said I could meet them later in the week and give them more of a tip, but that I wasn't guaranteeing $50 per person. He agreed and left. I was really uncomfortable. So I'm calling the company today to see what they say. First, I was getting conflicting information, which is why I asked in the first place. I have heard of companies adding $18 to the total automatically. But 50% is outrageous! I just don't want to be murdered by a disgruntled Russian mover in the middle of the night, what with them knowing where I live and all. Awkward...
I'll keep you updated on that situation.
So my entire apartment worth of stuff fit into my new bedroom. This either means that I have a very large bedroom, or I have a very small amount of stuff now. Maybe both?
 |
| Here's the before... |
 |
| Here's the after... |
and from the OTHER direction:
 |
| Before... |
 |
| and after... |
 |
| The New Building |
Puka was a little nervous. So she spent Saturday night, Sunday and most of Monday in this closet:
... Just in general being scared and skittish. But she has seriously warmed up and is making her presence known. I'll include more pictures of the finished place once it's... ya know... finished. Last night I did laundry which is good since I was down to 2 pairs of underwear and some mis-matched socks. I was pleasantly surprised to see that all of my clothes somehow are going to fit in the new closets. I didn't see that happening, but I didn't know what else I could do. At least I won't have to find a new solution for that! I am still waiting on my mom to send me my bed frame so I can get that done. I'm also waiting on my next paycheck so I can get a few things that I need around the place. Money is a little tight until the 15th which is unfortunate since it's only the 2nd. But you know... whatever....
By Sunday I was pretty stressed out. I had secured a girl to come pick up my coffee table and couch on Saturday during the day only to find out that she couldn't make it. Then she wanted to reschedule for Sunday which was fine. I had been up until 3:30am, but I could TOTALLY be in Queens so she could pick up the couch and coffee table at 9am. Except when she showed up she didn't want it. Awesome.
Also? THE MOVERS DIDN'T MOVE MY MIRROR! Ya know, the mirror? The one that they wanted to charge $25 to wrap up and when I decided they could just wrap it in blankets, they opted to JUST NOT MOVE IT. Along with my clothes hang-drier, and a couple other odds and ends. So I had to pay for a cab (which I paid for with the money that I had gotten from creepy cat condo guy) to take it back over to Manhattan. UGH!
So that was an entire Sunday morning wasted. I got home and made myself some leftover pizza for lunch. I called my mom and told her I was a little upset with how poorly I was handling the stress. She told me that I had dealt with a lot over the last months between roommates, failed apartments, missing $1150, moving, the whole DJ break-up and dealing with everything on my own thing... whatever. She told me to just relax. Finish my lunch, take a nap (since I had gotten about 15 hours of sleep over 4 days) and everything will seem better when I wake up. Of course she was right. I slept from 1:30 until 3pm. Flo was out doing a walk-through of her old apartment so I had the place to myself. It was lovely. I got up, and finished unpacking. EVERYTHING. That made me feel better. I decided that I wanted to just relax on Monday. That I couldn't do another day of moving stress since it had been about 3 straight weeks of constant stress.
Monday I slept in late. Like... noon. Flo was already gone getting her nails done. I washed some dishes, but as soon as I heard from Miranda that we were going to Central Park for the afternoon, I was outy! (Holy throw-back phrase...) I met Miranda, Natalie, Josh and Matt at the Great Lawn. I had missed the end of the softball game, and subsequently a lot of my old restaurant friends. But I was outside and stress free. I laughed... like a for real laugh! I felt happy and not on edge or annoyed with people. I felt great! I could feel my skin soaking up the vitamin D (a little too much because I got a little burn on the tops of my arms and chest. But I am no longer iridescent which is a nice change)!
I brought everybody back to the apartment to check it out, which they just loved (the boys loved the Wii more than my apartment I think. But whatever... I'll take it!) after I introduced them to 16 Handles which they just couldn't get enough of. I even got a "job well done" high-five and hug from Matty and Josh over the sweet treat. So let that be what convinces you of the amazing powers of 16 Handles... you will be hugged by boys! Which I guess can be good or bad...
Monday night I went to see Bridesmaids. It wasn't exactly what I thought it was going to be. It was funny, I enjoyed it. But it wasn't, laugh out loud, pee in your pants, squirm in your seat, laughing 10 minutes after the movie ends because it's so funny, funny. It was just good to get out.
And THEN. It was Tuesday. First day back to work. I am the only assistant in the office this week, so it's a bit busier (and I should probably NOT be writing this right now, but I had to! I missed you guys!) than normal. I met Terri for dinner at Blockheads. This was the first real meal I had in 4 days. I wasn't sure what this was going to do to my weigh loss for the week, but I had to eat. I was so hungry! Now... the frozen peach margaritas on the other hand... maybe I didn't HAVE to have those. But... in a way I did... and so I had them. And they were phenomenal. And I loved it.
My couch and coffee table still weren't sold as of yesterday. I put them on Craigslist for free yesterday morning just to try to get rid of them. I got somebody to come get the coffee table last night (after 2 separate people canceled at 6:30pm to come get the couch and coffee table. Bastards.), and I found somebody to take the couch tonight. They aren't paying anything for it. I just need it gone. They are coming to take a look at the couch tonight before they officially move it. So barring any "craziness", I'll be done with the couch as of tonight. Keep those fingers crossed Internet! After that, it's just the DirecTv issue that I have to deal with, which , to be honest, I can't even talk about right now. I'll have to fill that all in on Monday because MY GOD THE STRESS IS EATING ME ALIVE OVER HERE!
OK, so you are seeing that, yet again, it's Thursday and not Wednesday. And I owe you a Weight Loss Wednesday. As you may recall, this was to be a big week. I needed to lose 1 pound to reach my weight loss goal of losing 10 pounds by move-in. If I did, then I was treating myself to a massage. If I didn't... well... I only believe in positive reinforcement here. I have been punishing myself for too long. Time for some feel-good vibes!
I moved my gym from the 33rd street location to the 82nd street location since it's within walking distance of my apartment now. Good warm-up or cool-down walk. This gym does not have one of those old scales with the little single pound weight that you push over ever so slowly as you become more mentally prepared for the outcome. Nope. This one you stand on and the little dial shoots to your weight and ready or not you're staring at the number! It's like doing the Polar Bear Swim, or taking a shot of tequila! Ready or not, here it comes!
So I step on the scale, hold my breath and watch as that bright red dial zings to my weight...
I LOST 2 POUNDS!!!
So not only did I reach my goal of losing 10 pounds, I very nearly blew it out of the water by having now lost a total of 11 pounds in just 5 weeks. Which means I am actually ahead of my goal of 2 pounds per week! And I owe myself a massage!
My next weight loss goal is to be down 15 more pounds by the end of July. That's 8 weeks away, so if I keep going the way I have been, I should be able to make it. But I am aware that plateaus and rough weeks happen. But I have a goal, and I know I can do it if I can just stay focused!
So there you go. Now you have a little window into my most recent life and why I've been so distant. I'm sorry, I'll really try to stay more on top of keeping our relationship a top priority from here on out.
Hopefully tomorrow I will have something really light-hearted to write about! Here's hoping!
Friday, May 13, 2011
Weight Loss Wednesday!!... etc. etc. etc....
I admit it. I've been sucking royally at posting this week. If I told you I was drowning in a sea of invoices would you excuse my absence? No? Not so much? How about if I give you a nice long entry filled with pretty pictures and fun updates? Better? All forgiven? OK good.... here we go!
So Saturday I had brunch with Alice and Bethany. It was just wonderful! We ate at Bond45 in Times Square which is not my typical location choice, but I was pleasantly surprised! A bunch of the old Planet Hollywood gang works there now, so it was great to see all of them! Marvin kept the mimosas flowing (surprisingly not terrible for the diet as far as alcoholic beverages go) and a thin crust pizza with Ricotta and Mozzarella cheese, roasted tomatoes and arugula. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.
The pizza was probably not the best thing for the diet, but I was careful the rest of the day.
What?
I was!
OK, so then I went aaaalllllllllllllll the way out to Astoria at the end of the N train which is actually only about 25 minutes. Really not that far. But it's at the end of a line so that makes it SEEM far. I got off the train and was pleasantly/disappointedly surprised at how much I liked the area. It was really adorable. Lots of little shops and boutiques and restaurants. There was a Dunkin Doughnuts in the neighborhood which is a must-have for any future neighborhoods. There was a nice mix of people of different races, ages, life styles. I really loved it. Unfortunately, I knew none of my people were going to come that far to see me. Which was sad. But I figured if I could get into a livable place for hundreds less than the 2 places I've seen so far, then I could suck up the 30+ minutes it would take to visit them.
So I walked down to Liz Realty only to be just terribly disappointed. First, the places was a madhouse. Nobody seemed to know what was going on. I couldn't tell who worked there and who was a potential client. I was told that no, they didn't have anything for under $1300 available at the moment, and that they get very few EVER.
This cannot be possible. All the way out here in East Jabip, Queens and I'm still expected to pay Manhattan prices?! Who do these people think they are?!
I bet you think something great is going to happen now, don't you? Like an apartment of my dreams just happens to open up 15 minutes closer to Manhattan and now I have pictures of the place and my signature on a lease to share with you?
You're wrong.
NOTHING. I filled out an application and left. On my way to the train a tiny piece of something blew into my eye and I couldn't see. My eye was watering, my incredibly perfect makeup was smudging... horrible! I got home and rinsed out my eye, went to the couch and closed my eyes to let it rinse out naturally.
I fell asleep for 2 hours. It was glorious!
Sunday was a much better day! Ready for some pictures??? READY?!?!
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| What has 2 non-opposable thumbs and hung out at Central Park with me on Sunday? |
 |
| THIS GUY! And there's my incredibly white foot and odd looking calf to prove I was there! |
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| It got a bit sunny for Mr. Ollie... |
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| Ollie and his mommy, Terri :) |
After the park, we went to a late brunch at Gina la Fornarina, and amazing and adorable little cafe on 82nd and 2nd ave. We got to eat outside since it was so beautiful! We both had paninis, Terri had a veggie panini and I had a salmon and creme fraische panini with mescaline salads and a passion fruit and citrus iced tea. I would have taken a picture, but that would have meant putting down my food for any length of time...
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Edited to add: BLOGGER sucks, and deleted the rest of this post so I'll do my best to fill in the rest...
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So, then we met up with two of Terri's friends, Jessie and Tammy. Lovely ladies who were coming from the Met where there is an Alexander McQueen exhibit which you can read a bit about here! Although we had just devoured amazing Paninis, I had been looking forward to 16 Handles for.... like.... WEEKS!
Terri keeps telling me about this place she goes for fantastic frozen yogurt and how she has it for dinner and the last, like, 20 times I've asked her to go, she's JUST had some! So unfair! So I was NOT allowing this opportunity to pass me by! 16 Handles works like this... You grab yourself a bucket. They call it a cup, but that hardly does it justice. Then there are 16 flavors of frozen yogurt in soft-serve machines. You choose however many different flavors and amounts you'd like. (Get it 16 flavors... that you pump with the machines that have those handles... 16 Handles.... you get it.) All of their frozen yogurt is non-fat, low-fat, sugar free, premium low fat... it's really amazing! And you don't even feel bad for indulging! And they have screens above each flavor describing the flavor and it includes a nutrition chart... AWESOME! From there you move on to the toppings. They have EVERYTHING! Fresh fruit, cookie dough, cake, graham cracker crumbs, whatever you would put on ice cream. At the end they weigh your bucket and that's how you are charged. AMAZING! So delish! And I have now found my guilt-free snack for this summer!... and beyond obviously...
OK, so we finish that and are sufficiently full. Terri is lacking work-appropriate attire, so we decided to head to a boutique called Pookie and Sebastian. Adorable! And right now they are having a sale so Run, Don't Walk! While most of the clothes and accessories there were WAY out of my price range, there were a few items that were very reasonable. Terri got 3 wrap dresses, the most expensive being around $60, which is totally do-able. And they were great basics to add to her wardrobe. So it was successful. I also tend to enjoy that boutiques are very doggie friendly, and even carry dog treats for their doggie patrons... adorable!
After shopping I headed home. I gave myself a mani-pedi. I watched some TV. I just relaxed. After being so discouraged about the apartment thing I decided it was time to start looking for a roommate. Not my top choice, but I'd rather have another human being in my house than live in the slums. So I posted a roommate wanted ad to Craigslist.com. Here's hoping that pans out!
Monday I got to work and was just sort of wading through invoices. They weren't overwhelming yet, but they were starting to build up... high tide was coming! (Did I take this too far?)
Here's where it drives me crazy that this post was deleted because I KNOW I wrote something about Monday, but I can't remember. Because in my old age my mind is slipping. GRRR!
OH WAIT I REMEMBER NOW!
After work on Monday I went and had drinks with my very first client in NYC, Sanaa Hyder of ZH Collection! Sanaa is the designer and mastermind behind this handbag company, and is just a total sweetheart. We had drinks at The Modern, which is a super cool space. The wine was Delicious, the company superb. We talked about some potential future events for her new line coming out this summer (So keep your eyes open, it's sure to please!). Mostly it was just great to catch up with her.
OK, then Tuesday came along. I wasn't feeling great, nothing major just a little off. And I couldn't really shake it all day. But I did have something... a bright snarky light at the end of my Tuesday tunnel! It was Jen Lancaster's book signing! YAAAAAAAAY!!! If you aren't familiar, help yourself out by checking out Jennsylvania.com. She is lovely and funny! And snarky to perfection.
My original intention had been to buy the book AFTER the move. Save some money, and not move yet another book from one apartment to another. I took "Such A Pretty Fat", my favorite book by Jen, for her to sign instead.
This is where I was foiled. And whoever came up with this sales tactic... bravo. You got me. I got to Barnes and Noble in Union Square. I rode the escalator to the 4th floor. And I was a little surprised. The event was roped off..... WITH SECURITY GUARDS?!
Wait, what? This is serious. This is no joke. So I approach one of the security guards to ask how this whole thing worked because, honestly? I didn't realize the security risk associated with book signings! Good to know!
The security guard asked me "Have you bought the book yet?" "Not yet", I replied. "Oh." She said, sort of looking at me strangely. " Well, people that actually BUY the book get preferential seating and can go into the seating area now. But if you choose not to buy the book like THESE people," and she points to a short line of individuals, "You'll be let in maybe 10 minutes before the event starts. IF there is still room."
And I was in an instant panic. What if Jen saw me standing in that line?! I had bought the rest of her books and was planning to buy this one! Just not tonight! Would she think I was cheap? Or not a great fan? Would she reject me when I took my old and tattered book up for her signature?? AND FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, THE PREFERENTIAL SEATING?!? I NEED PREFERENCE! I NEED TO BE SPECIAL! POINT ME IN THE DIRECTION OF THE NEW BOOK PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!
$27.00.
On a book so I could sit in uncomfortable seats longer. On a book that I was going to get in a month when it was a bit cheaper. On a book that was in hardback when I prefer paperback.
Just take my credit card. Do it. Before I change my mind and lose my "Special" "Preferred seating"-ness. God.
Just take my credit card. Do it. Before I change my mind and lose my "Special" "Preferred seating"-ness. God.
There it is. The book.
So I sat on the uncomfortable "preferred" seats, trying to figure out what so damn "Preferential" about them, while three really awful girls behind me spoke horrible probably-not-truths about mutual friends and people they were observing in the general audience. Including, but not limited to, the girl sitting a row over from me who was nothing short of perfectly beautiful with long blond hair, sun tanned skin, an adorable and classic outfit and a handbag I might actually kill for. The girls behind me were saying something about it being last season's Betsey Johnson dress... um... really Humpty Dumpty? You're trying to pass those shoes off as something more recent than 1997 and failing. How are you going to judge that adorable and stylish girl! The negativity was nearly overwhelming and..... I mean.... you've read the blog. You know how I am. They put me to SHAME. It wasn't snarky as they were trying to pass it off, laughing snidely at each others "clever" anecdotes. No, it was just bitchy and uncalled for and made them look awful to everyone within earshot. Which, in case you were wondering, was basically the entire store, because the woman in the middle would SCREAM IN A LOUD SCREAMY VOICE OVER ANYONE TALKING WHEN SHE DECIDED SHE HAD SOMETHING TO ADD. Horrific.
But then it was all better, as Jen Lancaster came out and read a excerpt from her book. She was hilarious and I loved hearing her voice reading her own words as she intended them to be heard. Of course, the horrible girls behind me said something about her not being a great reader. Really? Are you on the New York Times Best Sellers list? No? Then STFU!
She answered a few questions from the group, and was hilarious, of course. Then we all got in line for her to sign our books. I got to meet Jen 2 years ago in DC, but hadn't been able to attend the actual reading. Such a shame. It's totally worth it. We got closer to the front. Jen is really good at this kind of thing (I'm not calling her Jen because I feel incredibly close to somebody that probably doesn't remember my face. I actually call her Jen Lancaster in regular conversation. But It's a long name to type repeatedly... that was probably more of an explanation than you needed. Moving on...), and she talks to each person that gets up there. So it's my turn, I put my books on the table next to her, hand the lady from Barnes and Noble my phone to take a picture. Jen immediately compliments my necklace (What up buy-1-get-1-75%-off from NY and Company!) and then this is snapped:
Please ignore my ghostly look and terrible hair. I TOLD YOU I DID NOT FEEL WELL!
Anyway, we chatted about the blog that Jen, in part, inspired and she encouraged me to keep writing and I would find my voice. I admitted I wasn't sure where I fit in when people like herself, and amalah and The Bloggess were the people inspiring me. They are just such funny ladies! And have such unique styles! I... should probably gain a little confidence at some point. I digress.
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| There it is! |
... and she was even kind enough to sign my old tattered book too. I am telling you, people. PEOPLE. Get these books! I used to have to put the book away on the Metro in DC because I'd be laughing so hard I'd be crying, and people would start to stare. But even after I put it away, I kept remembering what I'd read and laughing harder and harder and it looked even WORSE than having the book out and laughing at IT! Then I was just.... laughing to myself.... Ugh. So worth the public humiliation! I'm telling you!
So anyway, after that, it was after 9pm. I was beat, not feeling great, and still had to stop by the gym to weigh myself for today's post. I was just gonna go in, get my weight, and head home. But then I got there and I convinced myself that I was THERE which is a major part of the battle, so just do SOMETHING! Even if it's just 15 minutes. Do something. So I changed.
If we're being honest, and I like to think we are, I was dreading this. You guys. I had PIZZA. I had 2 brunches! I skipped the gym over the weekend! AND Livestrong.com had added 400 calories to my daily intake after I recalculated things. I felt certain there was no way I had lost anything. In fact, I was horrified that I had gained, and in my second week on this thing I'd have to report a gain! To... like... EVERYBODY IN THE WORLD. And that was awful. But I had to do it. I promised myself no more excuses. I'm doing this, and I'm going to do it until I achieve my goal. So get on the scale, dammit!
And I did. I stepped on, and slowly bumped the one pound marker until it leveled out.
-2 pounds baby!!!
Which makes it -4.5 pounds total! That's fantastic! I was so happy! Livestrong appears to really know what it's talkin about!
So this news inspired me to work out for 35 minutes! Granted, it was all elliptical. But we take what we can get!
For this week, the plan is to try to get out of my elliptical rut. So I came across this workout on Pinterest.com, which I am going to have to tell you about in a later post because it's just too fabulous to try to cram into this already over-stuffed post. But I digress... here's the workout that I found:
Kind of cool, right?? Definitely good for the lower body and core, which is awesome. Should pull me out of my rut if I can keep doing this at least once a week. Good times! Now must be on the look out for upper body workouts...
I don't know why, but that reminded me of this:
Fast forward to the bit where Carrie is making a mental note at 1:03. If you had heard what "...must be on the look out for upper body workouts..." sounded like in my head, you would get it. No call me crazy, smile nicely and walk away.
OK, now I'm off to write the NEXT post about my little project I finished that blogger ALSO did away with. Is it bad that I'm taking this as a personal attack on my writing? Like maybe Blogger doesn't think I'm worthy of posting so it's just deleting my stuff? Is that weird? Are you calling me crazy and smiling nicely again?
Okey dokey then.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Weigh Loss Wednesday!
OK kids, it's the moment you have ALL been waitng for! I know... sitting on the edges of your respective chairs/couches/futons/milk crates. You've probably been pretty anxious the last few days just WAITING for this news! Am I right?
No, don't answer that.
OK people. Just to catch you up if you are new to the pool party: I'm trying to lose weight. Not a small amount. A LOT. It all came about when I was trying to decide where to get a tattoo and decided my foot was the only place on my body I was OK with getting inked up or having anyone see. And that made me realize that... yeah... not good.
So armed with my arsenal of knowledge, K80 helping me get motivated for the gym, Maria helping me by chatting about our goals and what we're doing, and Natalie supplying me with caloric information on the Livestrong.com website, I dove in.
This is my first week of my new lifestyle. It's not a diet. It's actively looking at what I'm eating and getting responsible when it comes to my body. One of the most important things for me when it comes to starting to lose weight is trying to find some motivation. My motivation consists of a few things:
1) The little lady that added an un-Godly expensive zipper to a dress that still doesn't fit around my hips. She was very kind, but said that I should just do it now, lose the weight, and it will all be so much easier for me. She's quitting smoking, so I figure that is about as tough as losing weight for me. So we're in it together, although she doesn't know it.
2) The tattoo issue. My brother is 18 and getting more and more ripped by the day. Right now, I'm the chubby sister. We should both look hot when we go get tattoos so people can marvel at how great the genes in our family are.
3) Just like I take responsibility for my finances, my job/career, Puka and relationships, I need to take responsibility for my body. I'm proud of the way I handle those aspects of my life. And I know I'll be proud once I am managing my weight.
4) Shopping. I'm not kidding. It's important to me! I LOVE to shop. And the fact that I am in NYC and unable to enjoy some of the best shopping in the continental US is devastating to me. And I like to think I'm getting more adventurous in my fashion and style, so I'd like to be able to take advantage of that. Also? I want Kate Middleton's dress. Um. Fat arms wrapped in lace is NOT attractive.
So now that I had my motivation, and my team of friends, I was all set to go. And so I did.
I went to the gym Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I am failing at doing anything other than the elliptical at the moment, which I need to work on. But I do try to push myself a little bit on there. I try to jog, or move faster, or stay on longer. On Friday I did 5 miles on the elliptical, and kept my pace up pretty well. So that's good. But definitely a goal for me is to start incorporating maybe a class or two and some other activities at the gym into my routine. On Saturday Miranda, Ana, Natalie and Natalie's friend Malinda went with me to bike ride through Central Park. This was one of the best activities I've done in a long time. It was fantastic! The ride wasn't terribly challenging. There's a bit of an incline on the East Side of the park that gets rough but is do-able, and a hill on the West Side that Ana and I actually had to walk up because it was so steep and long. But otherwise it was great! I definitely got a good work-out in. So that made for 4 work-outs. And I could really feel it in my butt, so we all decided we wanted to do it again.
Unfortunately I didn't make it to the gym on Sunday. But 3 days in a row is a lot, and I did get some good workouts in so I was OK with that.
I tracked everything I ate and my fitness stuff on Livestrong.com. You should really check this site out, even if you aren't trying to lose weight. I am better understanding what I am putting into my body and how it effects me. There are links to all kinds of helpful weight management tools, and information about dietary supplements. It's a great site.
The only issue I have had with the site is the calorie calculator. When I put in my height (5'4"), weight (yeah. Right.), age (27), lifestyle (sedentary) and my weight goals (Lose 2 pounds per week), it calculated the number of calories I should be taking in each day. Originally it was about 860 calories. This number fluctuates depending on whether you add anything to the fitness tracker. So on days that I went to the gym I was actually consuming about 1100+ calories. Which I was really comfortable with. But on days when I couldn't go to the gym, 860 calories is tough to stick to. When I put in my new weight for this week, the website cut my calorie intake per day nearly in half! I'm no nutritionist, but I don't think there's any way that it's healthy to only consume 464 calories in a day! But when I went in to update my calorie goals, and put in the same information I outlined above, the new caloric intake because 1234 calories per day. Which seems more correct.
So this week I will be focusing on 1234 calories. I'm a little nervous because that's almost 400 calories per day more than I was consuming last week. I don't want this to make me gain back any of the weight I successfully lost last week. But one thing I learned on Weight Watchers is that you have to eat to keep your metabolism running. So as long as I stay as focused on eating the right kinds of foods and being conscious about what I'm putting into my body, it should be OK. Since I am not looking at this as a diet, and rather a new lifestyle for myself, I'd rather do a little trial and error to see what works for me.
My diet for this week has been normal for me, just better. For example, I had enchiladas. My friend Mike nearly lost his shit when I said that because "Enchiladas are so bad for you! I thought you were working out and stuff??" Until I explained how I made them. Each enchilada had:
4oz. grilled chicken, shredded
1/4 cup black beans
1 oz. cheese of your choice (I used pepper jack)
1 whole wheat tortilla
1/4 cup low sodium enchilada sauce
If you want to, add some grilled peppers and onions in there too. And I only had 1 enchilada at a time and was really happy to see that that's all I need. I was completely satisfied, and it was a pretty healthy dinner. I also had grilled chicken over brown rice with 98% fat free cream of mushroom soup on top. Delish. I upped my veggie and fruit intake. So in the mornings after I had my cereal, I would have a banana. Then after lunch (I chose healthy soups from Au Bon Pain or a salad with protein and veggies and vinaigrette dressing) I would have a sliced apple with low fat peanut butter. Also? I went up against the office candy box, and I came out on top! Rather than hitting that thing up every day, I think I had maybe 2 pieces of candy last week, and now don't even really want any.
BIG sugar tip: every time you eat something sweet, your body's blood sugar goes haywire. This is what makes you crave more sweets. Because you get this high off the added sugar, and when it dips back down to normal levels, you feel run-down and want more. So go a couple of days without and you'll feel totally fine without it. The issue is that Reese's are still my kryptonite. But I'm resisting.
So. After all that rambling on and on about what I did this week to work on my goal... are you ready for how I did??
Ready??
-2.5 pounds!
So I know that doesn't sound like much. But it really is. And this is how I'm quantifying it:
I lost half of that blob of fat. And that, my friends, is amazing. And who knows how much of that little red muscle that I gained!
So what do you think? Was this a little over the top? Or was it OK? I promise I will only talk about this stuff on Wednesdays. Because I like the way Weight Loss Wednesday rolls off the tongue. But just like with the apartment thing, I like the idea of being able to look back and see how I've done. It's holds me just that much more accountable.
If you have any tips for gym stuff or healthy recipes to keep my diet interesting I'd love to hear them!
No, don't answer that.
OK people. Just to catch you up if you are new to the pool party: I'm trying to lose weight. Not a small amount. A LOT. It all came about when I was trying to decide where to get a tattoo and decided my foot was the only place on my body I was OK with getting inked up or having anyone see. And that made me realize that... yeah... not good.
So armed with my arsenal of knowledge, K80 helping me get motivated for the gym, Maria helping me by chatting about our goals and what we're doing, and Natalie supplying me with caloric information on the Livestrong.com website, I dove in.
This is my first week of my new lifestyle. It's not a diet. It's actively looking at what I'm eating and getting responsible when it comes to my body. One of the most important things for me when it comes to starting to lose weight is trying to find some motivation. My motivation consists of a few things:
1) The little lady that added an un-Godly expensive zipper to a dress that still doesn't fit around my hips. She was very kind, but said that I should just do it now, lose the weight, and it will all be so much easier for me. She's quitting smoking, so I figure that is about as tough as losing weight for me. So we're in it together, although she doesn't know it.
2) The tattoo issue. My brother is 18 and getting more and more ripped by the day. Right now, I'm the chubby sister. We should both look hot when we go get tattoos so people can marvel at how great the genes in our family are.
3) Just like I take responsibility for my finances, my job/career, Puka and relationships, I need to take responsibility for my body. I'm proud of the way I handle those aspects of my life. And I know I'll be proud once I am managing my weight.
4) Shopping. I'm not kidding. It's important to me! I LOVE to shop. And the fact that I am in NYC and unable to enjoy some of the best shopping in the continental US is devastating to me. And I like to think I'm getting more adventurous in my fashion and style, so I'd like to be able to take advantage of that. Also? I want Kate Middleton's dress. Um. Fat arms wrapped in lace is NOT attractive.
So now that I had my motivation, and my team of friends, I was all set to go. And so I did.
I went to the gym Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I am failing at doing anything other than the elliptical at the moment, which I need to work on. But I do try to push myself a little bit on there. I try to jog, or move faster, or stay on longer. On Friday I did 5 miles on the elliptical, and kept my pace up pretty well. So that's good. But definitely a goal for me is to start incorporating maybe a class or two and some other activities at the gym into my routine. On Saturday Miranda, Ana, Natalie and Natalie's friend Malinda went with me to bike ride through Central Park. This was one of the best activities I've done in a long time. It was fantastic! The ride wasn't terribly challenging. There's a bit of an incline on the East Side of the park that gets rough but is do-able, and a hill on the West Side that Ana and I actually had to walk up because it was so steep and long. But otherwise it was great! I definitely got a good work-out in. So that made for 4 work-outs. And I could really feel it in my butt, so we all decided we wanted to do it again.
Unfortunately I didn't make it to the gym on Sunday. But 3 days in a row is a lot, and I did get some good workouts in so I was OK with that.
I tracked everything I ate and my fitness stuff on Livestrong.com. You should really check this site out, even if you aren't trying to lose weight. I am better understanding what I am putting into my body and how it effects me. There are links to all kinds of helpful weight management tools, and information about dietary supplements. It's a great site.
The only issue I have had with the site is the calorie calculator. When I put in my height (5'4"), weight (yeah. Right.), age (27), lifestyle (sedentary) and my weight goals (Lose 2 pounds per week), it calculated the number of calories I should be taking in each day. Originally it was about 860 calories. This number fluctuates depending on whether you add anything to the fitness tracker. So on days that I went to the gym I was actually consuming about 1100+ calories. Which I was really comfortable with. But on days when I couldn't go to the gym, 860 calories is tough to stick to. When I put in my new weight for this week, the website cut my calorie intake per day nearly in half! I'm no nutritionist, but I don't think there's any way that it's healthy to only consume 464 calories in a day! But when I went in to update my calorie goals, and put in the same information I outlined above, the new caloric intake because 1234 calories per day. Which seems more correct.
So this week I will be focusing on 1234 calories. I'm a little nervous because that's almost 400 calories per day more than I was consuming last week. I don't want this to make me gain back any of the weight I successfully lost last week. But one thing I learned on Weight Watchers is that you have to eat to keep your metabolism running. So as long as I stay as focused on eating the right kinds of foods and being conscious about what I'm putting into my body, it should be OK. Since I am not looking at this as a diet, and rather a new lifestyle for myself, I'd rather do a little trial and error to see what works for me.
My diet for this week has been normal for me, just better. For example, I had enchiladas. My friend Mike nearly lost his shit when I said that because "Enchiladas are so bad for you! I thought you were working out and stuff??" Until I explained how I made them. Each enchilada had:
4oz. grilled chicken, shredded
1/4 cup black beans
1 oz. cheese of your choice (I used pepper jack)
1 whole wheat tortilla
1/4 cup low sodium enchilada sauce
If you want to, add some grilled peppers and onions in there too. And I only had 1 enchilada at a time and was really happy to see that that's all I need. I was completely satisfied, and it was a pretty healthy dinner. I also had grilled chicken over brown rice with 98% fat free cream of mushroom soup on top. Delish. I upped my veggie and fruit intake. So in the mornings after I had my cereal, I would have a banana. Then after lunch (I chose healthy soups from Au Bon Pain or a salad with protein and veggies and vinaigrette dressing) I would have a sliced apple with low fat peanut butter. Also? I went up against the office candy box, and I came out on top! Rather than hitting that thing up every day, I think I had maybe 2 pieces of candy last week, and now don't even really want any.
BIG sugar tip: every time you eat something sweet, your body's blood sugar goes haywire. This is what makes you crave more sweets. Because you get this high off the added sugar, and when it dips back down to normal levels, you feel run-down and want more. So go a couple of days without and you'll feel totally fine without it. The issue is that Reese's are still my kryptonite. But I'm resisting.
So. After all that rambling on and on about what I did this week to work on my goal... are you ready for how I did??
Ready??
-2.5 pounds!
So I know that doesn't sound like much. But it really is. And this is how I'm quantifying it:
I lost half of that blob of fat. And that, my friends, is amazing. And who knows how much of that little red muscle that I gained!
So what do you think? Was this a little over the top? Or was it OK? I promise I will only talk about this stuff on Wednesdays. Because I like the way Weight Loss Wednesday rolls off the tongue. But just like with the apartment thing, I like the idea of being able to look back and see how I've done. It's holds me just that much more accountable.
If you have any tips for gym stuff or healthy recipes to keep my diet interesting I'd love to hear them!
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