Lest you think I am somehow above temptation or that I have some kind of never ending source of energy . . . I, too have my moments. Maybe you can relate to this moment.
Yesterday at work I was feeling a little tired and run down after my yoga class. I had my lunch and later my afternoon snack . . . but I just felt so tired and my head was foggy feeling and I had just the slightest twinge in the back of my ribs that had be concerned that I might be developing pleurisy again (I have had it three times in the past two years).
At 4:15 I started getting the desire for a Cherry Pepsi. Now this is just odd, because I have never been a soda drinker at any time in my life. A soda a week would be a lot for me. the last time I had a soda of any kind was the day of my marathon, November 13, 2010. So, I started thinking, there must be a reason I NEED a soda. Is it the sugar? Are my carbs too low today? A quick check of my carbs tells me, no, it is a higher carb day, I should be fine.
So, I decided that I will just drink some water and put off the NEED for a while to see what happens. Well, the NEED for a soda added a DESIRE for Ruffles and french onion dip. WHAT?!!! Why? I could not even tell you when the last time was that I had either on of those items. But they were on of my favorite binge items to torture myself with back at the height of my eating disorder days.
So, it is settled. I will 'allow' myself to have the Cherry soda . . . I don't really do sugar and I don't do 'diet' anything because of artificial sweeteners. Of the two I take real sugar. I go to the break room and pull a regular Cherry Pepsi out of the fridge and look at the label. WHAT!!!!! 160 calories!!!! I don't think so. I am not drinking 160 empty calories. There are nutritious foods I cuold be eating that have less calories than that! Then I pull out the 'diet' version, ) calories. I squeeze my eye shuts and pretend not to see the list of ingredients.
As I am driving to town, sipping my soda, I start thinking about the chips again. Maybe instead of Ruffles and dip, I could just stop at the convenience store and get a small bag of Sunchips. Could I do that? Could I walk in the store and just get the Sunchips? I'm not feeling my resolve is that strong today, the Combos are right beside the Sunchips and I haven't had Combos since the marathon.
Okay, okay, I don't need the Sunchips or the Combos. I will go in the store and just pick up a pack of sugar free gum. That is what I will do. I can do that. I can make wiser choices, I am strong enough to do this. I don't have to cave and crumble. I have made awesome choices all month and have amazing results for those choices. Surely I am strong enough to ...
....just drive past the convenience store girl. You got bigger goals than getting a little 'fix'. Dinner will be ready when you get home. Tilapia, steamed veggies and a sweet potato.
...you don't want to feel bloated. You are at a good weight and a good calorie deficit for the day. You have stayed on track and only have 42 more days in this countdown. You have walked away from food MUCH more tempting than chips, dip or combos....really. How amazing will it feel to slip on that little size 10 dress on the day of your son's wedding and have it fit perfectly? Better than eating chips? Better than eating combos? Which is harder doing a pull up or over coming this temptation? You know what hard work feels like, this should not even be hard. Which will get me close to my goal?
Nope, I don't wear a cape and I do not have super hero strength....but I am exercising my better judgment to overcome temptations that do not serve even on of my purposes or goals.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Monday, January 24, 2011
Sexy Breakfast That Heals
I love food. Good food. Food that not only nourishes my body and fuels my workouts, but food that nurtures my soul. Today I am recovering from a little bit of a head cold and my body just needed certain nutrients and I listen to that and honor that. One of the foods a body needs to heal is carbs. And because I am feeling a little puny I have a desire for 'comfort' foods. I want to honor that feeling without violating what I know to be healthy nutritious eating. So, I wanted to have something that would 'stick to my ribs' you know those starchy substantial foods. I usually have steel cut oats in the morning. But this morning I selected a mix of grains I had made over the weekend. It is a mix of whole wheat cous cous, bulgar wheat, and red quinoa. Morning is a good time for me to have those higher carb meals.
I sauteed up some sliced portabella mushrooms, green onions, asparagus and fresh spinach. Then I tossed in the grain mixture to warm it up.
After the grains and veggies were warm and delicious looking, I scooped them over into a bowl. Then I used the same skillet to fry up a couple egg whites and one whole egg. The egg was then placed on the top of the grain mixture in my breakfast bowl. I love this style of cooking. It really requires no salt or seasons. The texture, color and crunch of the veggies, the creaminess of the egg, just adds up to all kinds of yumminess.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup of cooked grain mixture (whole wheat cous cous, red quinoa, bulgar wheat)
1/2 cup of sliced portabella mushrooms
6 asparagus spears
3 green onions
2 egg whites
1 whole egg
Cals: 375
Fat: 9.8
Carbs: 47.5
Protein: 27.8
If you want to cut your carbs more on this one you could go for 1/4 cup of grain mixture. I probably over estimated how much of each grain was in the mix, so the carb level could be lower. It was delicous and I feel better already!
I sauteed up some sliced portabella mushrooms, green onions, asparagus and fresh spinach. Then I tossed in the grain mixture to warm it up.
After the grains and veggies were warm and delicious looking, I scooped them over into a bowl. Then I used the same skillet to fry up a couple egg whites and one whole egg. The egg was then placed on the top of the grain mixture in my breakfast bowl. I love this style of cooking. It really requires no salt or seasons. The texture, color and crunch of the veggies, the creaminess of the egg, just adds up to all kinds of yumminess.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup of cooked grain mixture (whole wheat cous cous, red quinoa, bulgar wheat)
1/2 cup of sliced portabella mushrooms
6 asparagus spears
3 green onions
2 egg whites
1 whole egg
Cals: 375
Fat: 9.8
Carbs: 47.5
Protein: 27.8
If you want to cut your carbs more on this one you could go for 1/4 cup of grain mixture. I probably over estimated how much of each grain was in the mix, so the carb level could be lower. It was delicous and I feel better already!
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Burning the Candle and Melting the Fat!
Life has been a new level of crazy busy! This transition time that I am in right now is super tough. I'm still working full time as a secretary, teaching yoga during my lunch break, training a couple clients in the weight room, taking care of my own workout, study for my personal trainer certification AND try to remain in contact with the people who make my life fun to live and whom I love dearly. Most days I can do pretty good, but once or twice a week things just get a little piled up and threaten to pull me off track.
I remind myself to inhale fully, exhale completely, focus and absorb only this moment and this moment only. This, a cup of chamomile tea and a couple friends who remind me of why I am doing all that I am doing gets me through these moments. My hubby can be a great support, if I take the time to communicate to him what I need. He is home this week and was sweet enough to bring me a protein shake to work when I realized that I had miscalculated my caloric needs for the day and I was not going to be home after work.
So, there is the burning the candle at both ends, trying not to get stuck in the middle and scorched.
Melting the fat. I started this 12 week transformation program on January 1. I love my workouts! I was concerned that being my own trainer might slow my progress. Just the opposite is true. I love the workout program I have myself on and the fat is melting away! I'm lifting weights in a full body circuit of super sets three days a week, teaching yoga twice a week, doing High Intensity Interval Training (HiiT) twice a week on a cross trainer, and running twice a week. LOVE it! The circuit of super sets only takes me 35 minutes to complete and it is soooo effective! I made myself some spreadsheets using the excel program on my computer with the exercises for my workouts. I have a strength training workout A sheet and my strength training circuit for workout B sheet and I alternate between the two. I have the exercises listed on the left hand side of the chart. In the block beside it I write how many repetitions I do of the exercise and how many sets of those reps I do. I also put how heavy the weight is that I am using. I know this my seem elementary to some of you, but to others who have never worked out with a trainer or seen a training log, I want you to know that you can do this for yourself.
Each time I go in the gym I know exactly what I am there for. I have my workout written out and I write out my goals for each workout. Each time I go in the gym I either have to increase repetitions, increase the weight or challenge myself in some way to improve and grow.
Some of the changes that I can feel in day 18 of my transformation:
My pants are looser! In the thighs, in the butt, in the waist.
My face is looking thinner.
My complexion is amazing right now.
I am glowing with a radiant health that comes from eating well, exercising hard, sleeping and hydrating well.
A+ for compliance today! I'm proud of the consistency that I am building and the progress that I am seeing!
I remind myself to inhale fully, exhale completely, focus and absorb only this moment and this moment only. This, a cup of chamomile tea and a couple friends who remind me of why I am doing all that I am doing gets me through these moments. My hubby can be a great support, if I take the time to communicate to him what I need. He is home this week and was sweet enough to bring me a protein shake to work when I realized that I had miscalculated my caloric needs for the day and I was not going to be home after work.
So, there is the burning the candle at both ends, trying not to get stuck in the middle and scorched.
Melting the fat. I started this 12 week transformation program on January 1. I love my workouts! I was concerned that being my own trainer might slow my progress. Just the opposite is true. I love the workout program I have myself on and the fat is melting away! I'm lifting weights in a full body circuit of super sets three days a week, teaching yoga twice a week, doing High Intensity Interval Training (HiiT) twice a week on a cross trainer, and running twice a week. LOVE it! The circuit of super sets only takes me 35 minutes to complete and it is soooo effective! I made myself some spreadsheets using the excel program on my computer with the exercises for my workouts. I have a strength training workout A sheet and my strength training circuit for workout B sheet and I alternate between the two. I have the exercises listed on the left hand side of the chart. In the block beside it I write how many repetitions I do of the exercise and how many sets of those reps I do. I also put how heavy the weight is that I am using. I know this my seem elementary to some of you, but to others who have never worked out with a trainer or seen a training log, I want you to know that you can do this for yourself.
Each time I go in the gym I know exactly what I am there for. I have my workout written out and I write out my goals for each workout. Each time I go in the gym I either have to increase repetitions, increase the weight or challenge myself in some way to improve and grow.
Some of the changes that I can feel in day 18 of my transformation:
My pants are looser! In the thighs, in the butt, in the waist.
My face is looking thinner.
My complexion is amazing right now.
I am glowing with a radiant health that comes from eating well, exercising hard, sleeping and hydrating well.
A+ for compliance today! I'm proud of the consistency that I am building and the progress that I am seeing!
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