Seven Days Later

Well I’m definitely less grumpy, less melted down, and feeling less sorry for myself this week.  Not sure I’m more motivated, but the plan I laid out worked so that’s a step in the right direction.

Eating the same thing for lunch all week was no big deal at all.  In fact, it was good enough that I just made another batch for this week.

Quinoa with roasted veggies, steamed spinach and goat cheese.  Easy peasy.

The fun part of the week was trying out new smoothies every morning.  I got into the routine of deciding what kind I was making the night before (while laying in bed), whipping it up after walking my dog, taking it to work to stash in the freezer for half an hour, then sipping on it for an hour or so. 

A little weird to break out the frosty breakfast at the same time as I had to start scraping ice off my car windows, but tasty nonetheless.

(I posted all of my smoothie creations on Instagram, Facebook & Twitter).

The biggest helper was involving the girls I share office space with.  Letting them know that I was determined to avoid snacks that I didn’t pack or plan really made life easier.  I felt supported and at ease when presented with potential sabotage.

• On the very first day some generous jerk left Tim Horton’s muffins up for grabs in our coffee room.  There was a salted something chocolate or other in there and I just stared at it with disdain.  Then high-fived my office mate when we didn’t cave. 
• The next day a meeting got cancelled so they put the deli trays out for the whole office.  My favourite egg salad on squishy white bread tried to call my name, but I mentally punched it in the throat.  The delicious bakery cookies got themselves a dropkick in my brain too.  Another high-five.

Overall I’m really happy with how everything went down and I’m just going to head into this next week with a similar plan and thought process.  My birthday is on Thursday so Michael is going to take me out for dinner, and while I don’t want to deprive myself on a lovely date dinner I’ll try not to throw myself into a massive dish of creamy pasta or a steak & potato the size of my face.

A buttercream topped cupcake I would gladly faceplant into though. :)

A huge shout out to all of you that left me supportive comments, tweets, likes and messages.  I miss the old days of blogging where we all chit-chatted and shared our struggles.  Sometimes the whiney blog posts are the best ones!

Make Better Monday

Oh Monday.  Must you arrive every week and remind me that a fresh start is required?  If there were no Mondays I may likely never feel guilty about filling my weekends with eggs benedict, poutine, and farmer’s market chocolates.

While getting dressed to go out Saturday night I tried on three different skirts that no longer fit.  And then I proceeded to eat poutine anyway. 

Denial.  Word of the season.

Being too financially strapped to just go buy new skirts and roomier pants led me to my eight billionth Monday morning diet realization.

What was that? 

Eat less gravy.

Eat more fresh berries.  Don’t let the bananas go to waste over weekends.  Use non-fat milk in my iced coffees.  Snack on low-calorie pita crackers instead of another dish of French fries.

Keep going to the gym even if it’s half the workout I used to be able to do.  Be proud when I can add an extra set of basic crunches or run an extra 30 seconds during treadmill intervals.  Drink more water.

Walk the dog somewhere other than to Starbucks.  Enjoy alone time puttering with patio plants instead of driving for ice cream.  Go to sleep with a book instead of the TV.

Enjoy dinners with friends that focus more on conversation and less on food.  Friends don’t let friends drown in a sea of gravy.

Simplify.  Make better choices.

Accept invitations for homemade dinners.  Particularly from men that catch fresh fish and cook it for you.  Bring wine and relax.

Damn you Monday for clearing my head and bringing focus.  Now I can’t hate you anymore. 

Jump Start

Today is the day.

The day I get back on the wagon.

I’ve said it about a dozen times (and may say it a dozen more) but each time I jump right back off. So today is the day I really do it.

Are you with me?!!

Back to lighter breakfasts.  As much as I love oatmeal and toast with almond butter…and as much as there is nothing wrong nutritionally with those choices…I find they actually set me off on the wrong foot for the day.  Carbs make me want more carbs. 

So, organic fat free lemon yogurt it is.  With blueberries and walnuts.

Coffee was sipped with vanilla soy milk instead of the light cream and brown sugar I’ve taken to recently.

Lunch was on the run so I stirred the leftover roasted beets with the leftover ancient grains salad.  So delicious.

That portion was very small though so I grabbed a handful of multigrain Wheat Thins and an ounce of light cheddar to nosh in the car.

After my afternoon meeting (hello financial planner…I missed you! but my budget did not! ha!) I sipped on some green juice and snacked on red grapes.

And realized I was low on water….glug glug glug…rewarded with the last lonely PB cookie.  Can’t expect me to kick ALL of the treats in one day!

A lot of this new found motivation was provided by last month’s issue of Self magazine.  I picked it up from my stack of unread magazine’s and the Jillian Michael’s article about the Jump Start Diet caught my attention.

Now anyone that has been reading for some time knows I don’t subscribe to the idea of any sort of diet…but I do believe in a good, healthy kick in the pants.  As I read through the 73 meal and snack ideas it struck me that almost all of them sounded like something I would enjoy eating.  Usually these magazine “diet” plans sound like they taste like cardboard.  I like the idea that she is focusing on foods that rev metabolism and nutrients that fuel fat burn.

In conjunction with the powerful meal plans they’ve outlined a “get slim” workout involving various cardio programs and a short practice of yoga-inspired toning exercises.  For me it was appealing as these are things I’m interested in but have been getting bored trying to figure out on my own.

The program is all outlined on the Self website as well if you don’t have a copy of the magazine.  I haven’t spent a lot of time looking around the site yet, but when I signed up I had the option to receive daily tips on all kinds of things and it looks like there are places to chat with other folks giving the program a go.

My brain just grabbed onto the whole thing and I thought that this would be perfect to jump start ME!  I am not naive enough to think I will follow it exactly…in fact, I don’t want to.  But it’s an excellent guideline for fitting healthier choices and workout motivation into my lifestyle.  (FYI:  it probably sounds like I’ve been asked to write about this but I haven’t…I’m just getting it all out there to help motivate myself and see if I can share some of my enthusiasm.)

After catching up on more post-crash recovery work I took myself to the gym to give Jillian’s workout a try.  Holy shiz.  I’d say she’s onto something. ha.  I did one set of the toning moves (6 moves, held for 15 seconds each) and made a really concerted effort to complete cardio workout #1.  I did have to modify it to a more beginner timeline, but I was sweating like crazy and my heart was beating harder than it has in a long time.  Win.

For dinner I made one of her suggested recipes.  Make this.  It was crazy easy, very tasty, filling and totally light and nutritious.

Italian Halibut Stew (a la Jillian Michaels via Self magazine)

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup diced red onion
• 1 chopped garlic clove
• 1 tsp fresh chopped parsley
• 1 tsp fresh chopped oregano
• 1 cup chopped tomato
• 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups fresh spinach
• 5 oz skinless halibut in bite size pieces

Directions:

1. Sautee onion and garlic in olive oil until soft, about 5 minutes.  Add herbs, cook 1 minute more.
2. Add tomato and chicken broth, heat until simmering.
3. Add spinach and halibut, simmer until fish is cooked, less than 10 minutes.

This came together very quickly.  I found that I could chop the next set of ingredients while the previous ones were cooking away.  The only addition I made was fresh cracked pepper…but it would take well to pretty much any yummy herb I think.

She recommends serving with a whole wheat roll so I made a piece of Squirrelly toast and used a mere smidge of real butter. 

I particularly love that this huge serving is for one person!!  And according to the nutritional information from the recipe this clocks in at only 400 calories! (400 calories, 14 g fat (2 g saturated), 34 g carbs, 7 g fiber, 38 g protein)

Dinner was very late so the goal is to go to bed tonight with no additional snacking.  This is my greatest struggle…but I can do it right?!!

Coat Tail Resolutioner

And now…back to our regularly scheduled programming!

The first Monday of the all new 2011 seemed like the best time to get back to the business of embracing balance by returning to healthy eats, working out, and blogging like I’m supposed to.

How about a little motivational coffee to start the day?

Recently I’ve been on an English muffin kick (not that I’ve shown any of you!)…toasted up with TJ’s flaxerific almond butter and a small banana.

You can always tell when the “back on the wagon” bug has struck because the big silver bowl resurfaces…full of bigass salad!

Baby romaine, carrots, cukes, tomatoes, feta, EVOO & a teeny sploosh of balsamic.  Topped with hummus and a side of multigrain Wheat Thins.

After lunch digested I hit the gym. Yup, first time that’s been uttered in over two weeks. I had to do it!

• I went for an epic walk all over downtown and beyond yesterday which made my cranky ol’ lady hips scream at me today….more exercise is the only cure.
• I had most of the day off work so I had no excuse.
• I’m kinda riding the high of the healthy resolutioners out there.

Mondays are now cardio & core days.  Today I banged out 10 minutes rowing machine, 30 minutes treadmill intervals (that would be the first running since way back in September when my back injury started), and finished up with 10 minutes on the Cybex after completing two sets of core strengthening exercises.

I dare to say this is the best workout I’ve had since we finished boot camp with Tia months ago! Yay!

In the car I powered through an unpictured Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Larabar and when I got home I rummaged through the cupboards and came up with a TJ’s flattened banana.

After tying up some loose ends for work and finally getting the Christmas turkey boiling for soup stock I made a simple dinner.  Before I start tackling any more big recipes that make too much food for a single gal I figured I’d better eat up a few things from the freezer.

Chicken Enchiladas…yes please! nom nom nom.

So now I sit here fending off the inevitable sugar craving that is attacking me.  I guess filling my belly with sweets for two weeks straight might not have been the best idea I’ve ever had.  Well damn, it tasted good at the time.

I.will.not.cave.

Last Hurrah

Tomorrow the salads begin.

Healthy Halifax Girl Found

Like many people pretty much every weekend I make myself a deal that come Monday morning I’m going to get back on the straight and narrow. You know…that whole Embracing Balance concept?! It seems like pretty much since the day I drove out of Halifax I’ve gone downhill with my healthy lifestyle.

At first I chalked it up to not wanting to limit myself from things because I had just moved home…and you know how all social events seem to revolve around food and beverages…but it carried on even after I was settled in. It wasn’t too bad but then I got injured and couldn’t work out! By then I was already in a bit of a spiral of not necessarily awesome eating habits and it seemed impossible to sort that out when I was feeling sad and bored because of the injury.

So there I was eating my face off and sitting still for basically 6 weeks solid. Not good. I peeked at the scale and didn’t like what I saw. I went up a belt buckle size for the first time in four years. I saw all of the arm definition I worked so freaking hard for just disappear! Yes…I’m still thin but all I can feel is how I no longer look or feel fit. My friends and family beg to differ but they aren’t the ones that popped the top button on their favourite pants for the first time ever. Sadface.

Thank freaking gawd my blown disc is finally almost better and I can now work out again! Baby steps for sure but along with those first few trips to the gym came my old desire for meal plans, healthy recipes, and less focus on social food situations. Hilariously it’s the holiday season and life will be chock full of eating out but if I can make better choices at home and pair that with working out I won’t have to feel guilty about Christmas indulgences. I’m kind of happy to have found this old me before the turn of the New Year when so many others will jump on the bandwagon. Hopefully I can be near the front of the wagon by then!

Last night I wrote out my meal and work out plan for today and when I woke up this morning I had no problem getting right to it. First thing I have decided to reimplement is the Green Smoothie. Gotta get more fruits and veggies into my system and what better way than a salad in a glass?

In the Kitchen Aid today: 1/2 frozen banana, 1/2 cup frozen blueberries, 1 packet Amazing Grass Green Superfood, 2 tsp flax meal, 2 massive handfuls baby spinach, and about 2/3 cup UVAB.

Followed up the tasty sludge with hot coffee spiked with light egg nog…

Before heading off for a post-lunch hour gym trip I fuelled up with Silver Hills Squirrelly toast schmeared with almond butter and Crofter’s pomegranate jelly…

Into my purse I packed a handful of mini mandarins and a Larabar.  I had a massage appointment after my work out so lunch was going to be a long way off.

My first upper body strength session in well over two months was tough but I felt fantastic when I was through. Oh, rowing machine, how I missed you!

Back at home I heated up the last dish of Chicken Corn Chowder and paired it with Kashi crackers and a few slices of marble cheddar.

Hit the spot! For a quick sweet treat I popped out yesterday and today’s advent chocolates. :)

If I’m working late afternoon into the evening I have been getting very snacky recently. This is going to be one of the hardest new habits to kick…so I’m focusing on hydration during that time instead. My water bottle and sippy cup are both going to be full of water at all times and if I feel like I need something else I’ll make tea. #waterlogged

Since lunch was so late I planned a light dinner knowing I wouldn’t be starving. Originally I had just penciled in a small salad but I don’t want to wind up with the super munchies later so I turned it into a pasta salad.

To the hot drained fusilli I added light feta cheese, chopped tomato and cucumber, baby spinach, red onion, and a quick and easy dressing. Adding everything while the pasta was still warm helped wilt down the spinach and cheese and soaked up the flavour of the dressing.

Dressing: 1 tbsp Italian seasoning, huge squeeze of fresh lemon juice, salt & pepper, and a couple of tablespoons of EVOO.  Let stand while prepping the meal so the dry herbs soak into the oil.

It was deeeelish!! I may have eaten the last few bites straight from the pot while packing up the leftovers. Tomorrow’s lunch – check!

And now because I know cutting out treats altogether would spell dooooom I’m focusing on an evening cup of decaf tea and a sweet snack.  In tonight’s case it’s those delicious Trader Joe’s egg nog cookies…only a few left and I plan to enjoy them!

The biggest hurdle I have now is to do away with bedtime snacking. You all probably don’t realize this…um, because I never blog about it…but I watch a lot of TV shows on my laptop and I tend to watch them in bed. Months ago I started taking snacks to bed while I watch and I cannot seem to break the habit…I have tried sooo many times. Tonight will be night one of no effing snacks even if it kills me. Right? Right!!

Thanks to those of you that made it to the end of this marathon post. I really hadn’t intended to blather on diary-style but I started typing and look what came out! This is a good sign though…history tells me that whenever I really let it all out it makes it a lot easier to follow through. I’m bringing back that healthy living Halifax girl…she’s found home here in Victoria. :)

Vegas Rehab

Don’t worry…actual Las Vegas details are coming.  Just waiting until I pool photos with the girls…there were some better shots on their cameras.

We actually didn’t eat tooooo terribly bad while we were away.  I did manage reasonable breakfasts, a couple of salads, and lots of water.  But we did find our fair share of treats, had some cocktails, and threw our sleep schedule to the wind.

I still came home sporting a “Vegas belly”, craving fresh produce and hating my scale…sooooo Operation Vegas Rehab is in effect for the week.  Bring on the bigass salads and cardio love!

My souvenir…

My breakfast…

It’s oatmeal season.  Today’s pot included: oats, water, UVAB, flax meal, 1/2 frozen banana, fresh blueberries and chopped almonds. 

My workout…

• 35 minute treadmill power walk, varying speeds, varying incline.
• Upper body strength training on bosu and bench.
• Abs and side abs.

My bigass salad…

The big silver bowl is back in action: red lettuce, baby spinach, carrots, celery, red onion, strawberry tomatoes, olive oil, white wine vinegar and coarse salt.

Topped with tuna mixed with olive oil mayo & dijon.  Served with bagel chips and crack hummus…

My afternoon weakness… TJs PB pretzels. 

My easy peasy dinner.  Turkey and black bean chili straight from the freezer…

My fancy dessert.  Gala apple, concord grapes, and a half portion of double creme brie…

Partner all of that with 3 litres of water and you have a pretty rockin’ good first day back on track.  It’s a vacation from my vacation. :)