Where I cried on the scale, for a good reason...

I didn't lose anything last week, except a little more of my sanity. Today, at my weekly weight in, I REMOVED 3 pounds!! Tears came out of nowhere, mostly because I worked so hard at the gym and didn't stray from the program. I had a ton of activity points (71) and only used 8 of my bonus points, because I knew that I had worked hard and my body needed FUEL, and didn't use those bonus points on treats.

I am starting to say remove, like my old Weight Watchers meeting leader. She was a crazy feisty black lady who lost a ton of weight (everywhere but her face, with did have a little lady-stache, but bless her heart) who would say "You didn't LOSE that weight. Losin' it makes it sound like you're looking to find it again." It makes me laugh, and helps me on those weigh in days, where I have to tell myself, OUT LOUD, if I don't lose weight this week, I am still healthier and happier, so that's what matters.

This weekend will be filled with paper writing and school work, but I have become better at carving out time to work out. Also, amazingly enough, I am not nearly as tired as I was before, so I get up at 8-9am even on a weekend, and can catch that bargain matinee for $6.50 and be done at 1pm, with plenty of time to do all of the productive things I need to do, including going to the gym.

This week's goal : lose 2lbs, start swimming (need to keep the variety in my workout regimen), try to make a 6pm spinning class, and KEEP WALKING/CYCLING AT WORK.

Love to all.

Desk Bike - Round 1

So I got my desk bike last week, and decided to incorporate it into my workout routine this week. Its sort of addicting, but only after I found the right chair to use it with (rolly chair x pedaling = sliiiiiding backwards). 10:09 minutes and I burned 114 calories. Apparently, my legs have gotten much stronger in the last few weeks as I was able to do 10 minutes with pretty high resistance. 

My goal is to do this 3-4 times a day for 10 minutes, to sort of break up the day, and also to try and avoid the ever dreaded desk leg syndrome, wherein your legs and feet are totally stiffed and cramped after sitting for a few hours.

I'll let you know how it goes.

Mapwalk.com = life

This is the greatest fitness app of the week.

http://www.mapwalk.com/

You can draw out your route, enter your weight/pace, and figure out how long you've walked and how many calories you've burned.

This. Is. Awesome!

Try it out. Hopefully they have a mobile app too!

0 lbs lost

I am trying to tell myself that I didnt lose weight this week because I started working out and I'm gaining muscle mass.

Its not working.

More to come. Stuffing my face with cruciferous vegetables to drown my sorrows.

I miss you carbs

I am always on the look out for recreations of recipes that I love. Its getting to be Fall here in the Bay are (yes, we have a 'fall') and that always makes me want to eat warm bowls of steaming hot carbs. Since pasta is no longer on the approved list, I found a great recipe for PALEO CARBONARA.

It sounds so delicious, if I wasn't already dead tired, I'd go to the store right after work and get all the ingredients to make it. Instead, I will eat what I already have and use this delightful treat as motivation to get through as much of my homework this weekend as possible.

http://paleoparents.com/featured/spaghetti-squash-alla-carbonara/

Tell me that just doesnt look DIRTY!

Inspiration Abounds

Just wanted to start off by saying for any/all 3 of you who read this blog, you provide me with motivation and inspiration every single day to stay on this health journey. Even when I wake up in the middle of the night dreaming of eating Oreo cream from a bowl (no joke). 

I am participating in a walking group at work as part of the Thrive Across America program, sponsored by Kaiser Permanente I believe. Since my employees are super competitive (gee, I wonder whose example they're following....), we are each striving to do 60 minutes of physical activity EVERY DAY, the majority of which is done in the form of walking the campus loop, which provides between 30-40 minutes of activity at lunch every day. This is invigorating for me; the fresh air, getting out of the office, its like a mini Zen endorphin break in the middle of the day. It's also helped keep me, along with WW, motivated to log my physical activity as other people are counting on me to do my part, and that seems to be a much better motivator than just being out there on my own. 

The desire for variety and multitasking (as some day it will start to rain here and I may not be able to go walk around for 40 minutes and sit at my desk like a wet dog for the rest of the day, caused me to make what I've dubbed an "impulse wellness purchase" or IWP. I got a desk bike. No, not a desk attached to a bike, but rather a bike you can pedal under your desk at work. 

http://www.amazon.com/MagneTrainer-ER-Mini-Exercise-Bike-Exerciser/dp/B000V53KD8/ref=sr_1_5?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1349886312&sr=1-5&keywords=desk+bike

One of my coworkers is using this as her 60 minutes of activity, and since I'm trying to find different ways to burn calories and alleviate the calf/foot pain I experience after sitting at a desk all day, it seemed like a great idea. It comes in the mail today and I am super geeked about it. Hopefully, it'll help those pounds come off a smidgen faster, and give me the legs I had in high school and college (thank you marching band... shut up haters).

This weekend marks the first real "outing" that I will participate in since I've gone dairy/bread/complex carbs/essentially gluten free. My sailing people and I are going to the end of season celebration for the Interclub Race Series (WHICH WE WON!) over in Alameda, and I need to give myself a peptalk before I get there: Stick with meat and veggies, avoid sauce, NO ALCOHOL. Maybe half of a dessert (because you're doing well and its been ages and the closest thing you've had to dessert lately is the handful of chocolate covered walnuts about 3 weeks ago). The advantage of weighing myself Friday morning is that I know how good I need to be over the weekend, or if its ok to splurge for a Junior popcorn at the movies or not go nuts at the gym, but instead go for a nice long walk. I'll let you know how I do.

I'm hoping that this whole diet thing doesn't make me a hermit; I think this will be a good chance for me to get out of the house/office and socialize with people. Unfortunately, it seems like in our society socializing = eating/drinking things that aren't good for you, and I am determined to avoid that trap and have a good time regardless of whatever peer pressure I might sustain to have a glass of wine. I'm thinking I'll ask for a seltzer with a lime wedge over ice and no one will know the difference. 

I am so crafty.

10% of goal

So, my goal is to lose 100 lbs. I know. I know. Seems impossible right? Well I have decided, since I want to lose 100, that every pound I lose is 1% close to my goal weight. This makes it seem a lot less intimidating, and makes me realize that every little bit does help.

This week I kicked it into high gear with the exercise. Have gone 4 times since last Saturday, with the 5th and 6th times today and tomorrow. Also, we've started a walking group in my office where we commit to 60 minutes of activity per day. There's a prize for the team that does the most activity, and we are so competitive this seemed like a great way to incentivize being active.

At 10% of my goal (OK, 10.5% but who's counting?) I decided I'd make a few investments to help me get active. 1) I bought new crosstraining shoes (since my running shoes are not good for anything other than running) and 2) Will buy a mini desk exercise bike (http://www.amazon.com/MagneTrainer-ER-Mini-Exercise-Bike-Exerciser/dp/B000V53KD8/ref=pd_sbs_sg_4) This will keep me from feeling like my calves are going to tear off every time I go to get up, will keep me loose, and give me the option to get some activity during my (mostly) sedientary day at my desk. Plus, every little bit helps, and if I use this bike for even 30 minutes a day, that could be 100-200 calories burned, and that really adds up.

This weekend will be my first trip "out" since I've started this diet/Paleo. I am going to dinner at a Mexican restaurant and so my plan is to order steak/chicken fajitas, extra veggies, no rice/beans/tortillas, guacamole and salsa. I'll let you know how it goes!