Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Of vices and virtue

Y'all should be proud. This girl right here has gotten up to go to the gym at 8 a.m. twice in the past five days. In type, that doesn't sound as impressive as I want it to be. But if you factor in that a) two of those days were weekend days and I wasn't around and b) one of those days was today, when I wasn't around...that means that I've exercised 100% of the time that I HAVE been around. There, that number sounds much more impressive, doesn't it?

So. The good news is that my new gym buddy is super motivated. He wants to meet even on days that I can't. Hopefully this enthusiasm is infectious. And hopefully, I'll catch it. But I must say that I'm pretty happy with this development. I feel like 8 is a much more reasonable time than 7. And going to the Maple Ridge gym, which is three minutes from my room and private, is much more pleasant than walking halfway around Ring Road to the main gym. All in all, the gym situation = win.

I'm tempting to do a modified version of the Couch to 5 K program I started up at the beginning of the summer. Because let's face it: every muscle I built up in those three months are completely gone by now. It's back to square one, baby.

On Friday, I: walked for 5 minutes, ran for 1 minute, walked for 3 minutes, ran for 1 minute alternately for 2 miles. I then ran out of time.

On Monday, I: did the same treadmill routine for 2 miles. Also squeezed in 1.2 miles on the elliptical.

Tomorrow's goal? 2 miles on the treadmill, 2 miles on the elliptical. We're getting somewhere.

But here's the bad news: Food for thought

Friday

Breakfast: 2 mini muffins (raisin and bran). 1 cup of mint tea.

Dinner: tofu with veggies. 1 piece of flatbread pizza with tomatoes and basil. 1 cup of clam chowder. 1 slice of vegan apple pie with low fat vanilla soft serve.

Saturday

Brunch: 1 cup of french onion soup. 1 bowl of salad with chicken, pears, gorgonzola, pecans, etc (at panera).

Dinner: SO. MANY. CUPCAKES (cupcake party).

After dinner: 1 80 calorie peach mango smoothie. 1 patron margarita.

Sunday

Lunch: 1 footlong roasted chicken breast sub. 1 cup of Cherry Coke.

Dinner: two servings of homemade mac'n'cheese. 2 maryland crab cakes. 1 caramel brownie with caramel vanilla ice cream.

Monday

Breakfast: 2 mini muffins (one banana nut, one raisin bran oat). 1 cup of mint tea. 1 green apple.

Dinner: 2 pieces of portuguese sausage / onion pizza. 2 cups of sake (plum wine).

Tuesday

Lunch: 3/4 of a chicken wrap. 1/2 serving of french fries. 1 cup of Diet Pepsi

Dinner: 1 cup of minestrone soup. 1 cup of honeydew melon and canteloupe. 1 pumpkin latte. 1/2 of a brownie

I wonder what weight watchers would say about all of this... I wonder how many points I have consumed per each day? Not that I'm willing to pay for it to find out.


So there you have it. All of my food-related trespasses laid out on the table. The weekend was awful for me, diet-wise. And the rest of this week isn't looking any better - what with all of the delicious pumpkin brews waiting to be consumed on Friday...

On a brighter note, I will definitely be hitting the gym at 8 a.m. tomorrow!

Thursday, October 21, 2010

The good, the better and the flabby

The good

Oh, snap! Guess who woke up at 6:50 a.m. to go to the gym?

THIS GUY!

That's right. It was cold and dark and I still hopped into my spandex and made my way halfway around Ring Road to deliver myself unto the arms of cardio.

Granted, I was pretty lazy about it. Do you think I stretched? Nope. Maybe some weights, as is normally part of my routine? Pffft.

What I did do: 3 miles on the upright bicycle, 1 mile on the elliptical.

And that's all she wrote, folks!

The better

Apparently, I have a new gym buddy! I ran into my friend Brendan today and he was all about it. So we are going to meet at 8 a.m. tomorrow morning for our first day of gyming together.

Now the thing about gym buddies is that you go there separately most of the time, get there and say "HI!" and then go about your routines separately, say "BYE!" and go back to your rooms...separately. There really isn't much "buddy-ing" about it. Still, having it in your mind that this person expects you to be there is definitely a good motivator. I mean, my gym buddy today sadly didn't make it to our session. I was sorely tempted to run back to my bed, but I didn't. I was already there, so what the hay? [though I did run back to my bed directly following my gym sesh].

The flabby

So I took some PG-13 rated pictures of myself yesterday - for reasons that don't concern you :) - and I have to say, they didn't look too shabby! I would say that I am overall not unhappy with the current state of my body. But there is so much room for improvement. [Read: flab]. I hate stomach rolls. I HATE THEM. Gone are the days of my slender limbs and flat abs. As soon as I sit down, I have like 12 stomachs. It's pretty unbecoming. I feel very self conscious about it and I definitely want them to go away. Which is where my diet (er, lack thereof) comes in:

Wednesday

Breakfast: plain bagel with low fat cream cheese. 1 chocolate milk. 1 cup of mint tea.

Lunch: a few garlic bagel chips. 2 low fat string cheese(s) (?).

Dinner: 2 mini spring rolls. 1/2 of a Spicy Unagi Roll. 1/2 of a California Roll. 1/2 of a Crazy Roll. 1/2 of a Rock'n'Roll [hardy har har].

After dinner: STAFF TREATS!!! 1 piece of apple pie. 2 mini kit kats. 3 whoppers (the little malt ball candies. Not the BK burgers. I'm not THAT bad)

Wednesday = fail.

Thursday

Lunch: 1 maple glazed grilled chicken sandwich. 1 serving of sweet potato french fries. 12 oz of Dr. Pepper

Dinner: 1 bean and cheese chimichanga with sour cream. 2 cups of vegan blueberry cobbler.

Thursday = fail.

Hence, the flabby wins. Yet again.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Weight watching

I'm feeling about 90% better as of today, but there is still an undercurrent of fatigue in my bones and movements, which is irritating.

One of my friends is on Weight Watchers and has lost 30 pounds. I am SO proud of her and also pretty jealous. I wish I could lose 30 pounds. I wish I could stick with a regimented diet the way that she has. When she was talking about it, I briefly considered trying to count calories. However, I realize that this is totally unrealistic for me. I would cheat all the time and make justifications all the time. I already do that and I'm not even legitimately trying to diet.

I'm too lazy to exercise and too unmotivated to diet. What exactly are you doing then, Megan? I wonder. Writing about not exercising and dieting, apparently. And I suppose that knowing I have someone or something to answer to - knowing that people read my blog - holds me accountable in some way. I mean, how much do I want to attack that bag of garlic bagel chips eyeing me from across the room? SO BAD. Am I going to do it? No. Because it's 11:27 p.m. and I am making the conscious decision not to eat at night so I don't have to report extra failings on my Food for Thought.

The soda thing still needs some work, though. I just love diet pepsi. It's evil.

And to make myself feel a little better, I'm going to say that I might attempt to take on the gym with Olivia on Thursday morning, if only to justify the omelette I will consume shortly thereafter.

Speaking of omelettes....

Food for thought

Monday

Brunch: omelette with tomatoes, onions, peppers, mushrooms, cheddar cheese. 2 pancakes.

Dinner: 1/2 cup of chicken noodle soup. 1 square of vegetable lasagna. diet pepsi [fail]. a fruit cup consisting of pineapple, honeydew melon and cantaloupe.

After dinner [this is where the super fail comes in]: salt and vinegar chips. 1 glass of wine. 1 cup of raspberry lemonade tea.

Tuesday

Breakfast: plain bagel with low fat cream cheese. 1 cup of mint green tea.

Dinner: pasta with red sauce. 1/2 cup of vegetable soup. a fruit cup consisting of pineapple, honeydew melon and cantaloupe. diet pepsi [fail]. 2 chocolate chip cookies [double fail].

Tomorrow is a new day.

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Mission : complete ?

So apparently getting sick and not eating helps you lose weight. Who knew?

I didn't end up exercising at all this week on account of some heavy-duty lethargy which turned into full-fledged exhaustion and other unpleasant symptoms including: fever, headache, chest ache, stomach pain, disorientation, dizziness and nausea. Suffice it to say, my weight has dropped by 8 pounds in the last 5 days.

Not the healthiest diet, but I'm okay with it.

Here is my food diary from the last couple of days:

Thursday
- 1 plate of pasta with clam strips
- 1 banana
- 1 cup of chocolate milk
- 1 chocolate cookie
- 1/2 cup of Gatorade
- 1/2 glass of Pinot Grigio
- 1 cube of dill cheese
- 2 cubes of pineaple

Friday
- 1/2 of a 100 calorie yogurt
- 1 piece of whole wheat toast with margarine
- 1 cup of raspberry tea

Saturday
- 1 bowl of cereal
- 1/2 of a grilled cheese sandwich
- 1 cup of low fat minestrone
- 2 oz of pistachio crusted salmon with lemon sauce
- 8 spears of asparagus
- 1/2 cup of couscous
- 1/2 cup of low fat ice cream

Sunday
- 2 cups of chickarina soup
- 1 pumpkin spice latte
- 1/2 pumpkin muffin
- 1 grilled red pepper with goat cheese
- 1/2 cup of quinoa with portabella mushrooms, spinach and onions

So it's not like I was starving or anything, but my calorie intake was definitely lower than normal. And between 5 pm on Thursday and 10 am on Saturday, pretty much all I did was sleep.

I still feel fatigued, so I probably won't be hitting the gym this week. But it seems as though my appetite has retreated. In other words - I feel full after eating much less than I usually do. Which I am- again- okay with.

Perhaps I should change my goal: maintain the 8 pound weight loss and turn it into 10?

On a depressing note, my clothes seem to fit the same. Fail.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

10/12/10

Today was a no-exercise day - mostly because I stayed up until 3 a.m. doing homework and couldn't drag myself out of bed at 8 a.m. The rest of my day was also rather booked, though I did do a lot of running around and was certainly less sedentary than usual.

Tomorrow, I'm thinking a nighttime gym tryst or walk, perhaps. Scheduling is definitely the trickiest part. I am booked from 10 a.m. until 11 p.m. on Wednesdays, typically - though tomorrow I am free as of 9 p.m.

Food for thought:

Breakfast: plain bagel with fat free cream cheese, 1 cup of mint tea

Lunch: turkey sandwich on rye bread with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, mayo, pickles & a vitamin water

Dinner: guacamole with tortilla chips (2 avocados, 1/2 tomato, 1/2 onion)

One slip (I blame stress): a java twix bar (they're delicious)

Not a complete failure, but not great, either. I probably had too many carbohydrates and I definitely didn't have enough fruit (read: zero) and/or protein.

Monday, October 11, 2010

Lesson #1: Nature is cruel.

The thing about riding a bike is that the first mile is a bitch. Especially if you haven't ridden in a while. Example) Me.

It takes that mile to warm up your muscles. As I pedaled off campus, I thought "Holy hell, I hope the entire thing doesn't feel like this."

I went down Old Westport and up Chase.

The thing about riding a bike is that the second mile starts to make you feel invincible. Your body feels more fluid, you start to relax, you think I've got this in the bag. I could go on forever.

What you didn't realize is that the second mile was on flat terrain. You are coasting. You are feeling good.

I turned onto Lucy Little.

Well, invincibility, popped! There's a tiny hill, one that hasn't tripped you up in ages. You shift from 7th down to 4th gear and you are still out of breath.

And another thing, it's bloody hot. This is October. You looked out the window and you thought 50 degrees, here I come! Instead, it's like 75 and the sun is beating down on you. The wind is catching your inner ears and giving you a headache and your face aches from being scrunched against the glare of the sun.

I go down Lucy Little.

I start feeling invincible again. The smooth coast, the shady copse, the quiet houses.

I turned onto Old Westport Road.

The thing about bike riding is that what doesn't kill you makes you want to die.

I shift from seventh gear to second to conquer the final stretch - that accursed hill leading up to UMD. I am literally crawling up that damn thing. But I made it. (I was convinced this ride might end with some walking).

I felt heated. My face was red and my throat was raw. But there was victory as I mounted the final crest and circled the ring back to PD.

Total mileage: 7.4 mi

Not bad.

Food for thought:

Breakfast: 100 calorie yogurt, 1 cup goldfish

Lunch: 1 reduced fat string cheese, 1 whole dill pickle

Dinner: 2 cups of red beans & rice with sausage, 1/2 cup peas, 1 cup 2% milk, 1/2 cup of chocolate mousse

There are a few things I could have done without. All of lunch. The mousse, for sure. But it's 8 p.m. at the moment and I don't plan on eating for the rest of the evening, so I'd say I'm still in good shape. I'm at least keeping up (somewhat) with the parameters I have set for myself.

Good news: Heard from my long lost gym buddy today, and as of this week, we are back in action! Go team!

Sunday, October 10, 2010

ps:

here's the sexy halloween costume i am going to be wearing. how motivating is this?


Operation lose five pounds by halloween

A few things have recently come to my attention:

a) people actually read my blog. and enjoy it.
b) all of the work that i put into this summer has been undone. i am, yet again, completely out of shape and feeling wretched.
c) i need to get my ass back into gear.

i have good intentions, i swear! i always plan on going to the gym at 7 a.m. i set three alarms. i pep-talk myself before going to sleep. i try to go to sleep earlier. but when the alarms rear their ugly heads, i silence them and fall back into peaceful slumber.

of course, i always feel guilty.

i've also been eating like shit. i have tried to set some restrictions for myself: no more soda. no more eating after 10 p.m. less carbohydrates, more protein.

this is harder to follow than you would think.

but i'm done making excuses for myself. operation : lose 5 pounds by halloween is now in effect. i will do this. i have to do this. i have to prove to myself that i am capable of controlling my body and controlling what enters my body. i have to feel better about myself and i have to be proactive about it.

starting tomorrow.

i mean, it's midnight and i just ate cajun trail mix, so that obviously doesn't work.

here's my proposal. it is going to be realistic this time. i don't have the means or desire to work out every day like i was doing over the summer. too many other things going on.

- go to the gym 3x a week
- two other days of the week, go for a long walk. by myself or with friends. 5 mile minimum.
- NO SODA. no matter how delicious dr. pepper is, he just ain't worth it
- no snacking after 10 p.m. we mean it this time. it doesn't matter that you stay up until 3 in the morning. this shit has to end, girl.
- keep track of what i eat. so i can feel guilty when it sucks.
- start going to res. i really think this is one of my biggest issues. my fear of eating alone often has me eating crap from the carts. crap that isn't even satisfying or at all tasty. bring a book, suck it up, and go the cafeteria.
- try to get some biking in before the season ends.

tomorrow, i am going to go on a bike ride. i mean it.