Day 8

AWESOME!!

Ate GOOD food and came in at exactly 1500 calories. I took Jersey on a long walk and did Project Poolside at the gym! I almost went to class in sweats and a tee again but I remembered my "stuff I learned" entry and took the 30 sec. needed to change and I was right it feels/looks way better.

Basically followed the plan I laid out in the previous post except I had 1/2 a glass of wine w/ my hummus and red pepper instead of frozen yogurt.

Good Stuff: yummy food, following the plan, class, wore good work out clothes, and vegging out with Beau after class

Stuff to Improve: ??? Life was pretty great today, ummm ... I need to drink more water!

Stuff I Learned: warming red peppers in a skillet then dipping them in hummus is freakin yummy!!

New Training Schedule

So I signed up (ie paid) for the run then realized I haven't been training. Luckily I found a 4 week training program that fits into my life quite nicely. I will have to adjust the classes I was taking at the gym but variety is the spice of life. So here it is the NEW schedule that starts Sunday.

Sundays = Yoga (Plaza Lib @ 1pm OR Scott Fitness River Market @ 2pm)
Mondays = 8 min abs in AM + RUN (wk 1 20 min, wk 2 25 min, wk 3 30 min, wk 4 20 min)
Tuesdays = Body Weight and Pilates @ Scott Fitness Westside
Wednesdays = 8 min abs in AM + RUN (wk 1-3 20 min wk 4 25 min)
Thursdays = Body Weight @ Scott Fitness Uptown
Fridays = Rest wk 1-3, 8 min abs in AM + 15 min run wk 4
Saturdays = 8 min abs in AM (wk 1-3) + RUN (wk 1 2 miles, wk 2 2.5 miles, wk 3 3 miles, wk 4 RACE DAY 5K)


Here we go!! Again anyone wanting to train/run together let me know :)

Rock the Parkway

I am officially signed- up to be a part of the traffic jam on March 27th. My first run in two years and my 2nd ever. As I signed up I felt my motivation sky rocket. I have to run now I paid for it! PLEASE join me if you are in the KC area or want to visit in March!!

Day 7

Today was much better! I didn't really record a food log but trust me I ate way better, no pizza, brownies or buffets!! I took Jersey on a longer walk and I cooked like a crazy person. Before coming home from work I went to the grocery store and bought everything I needed to make the 3 recipes I have chosen for the week. Beau came over when he got out of class to hangout and do laundry. He ended up being my own personal sous chef I was just a prep cook. I read the recipes and prepped the ingredients and he cooked them up perfectly. I always seem to learn the most on cooking days here is a sampling of what I learned:

1) Beef Stew does NOT need cumin or red pepper
2) Sometimes less really is more; if you buy quality ingredients you don't need to smother the flavors
3) Blood oranges are awesome
4) The meat at HyVee is from Iowa
5) Each shopping trip gets cheaper
6) Garlic, ginger root and other spices go a super long way when you buy fresh and prepare yourself
7) Stew meat is cheap and yummy (at least when Beau cooks it) all by its self
8) Cooking w/ Beau is fun, the food tastes better and things go much smoother
9) Ginger is yummy and fragrant
10) Healthy, flavorful food is way better than the crap I used to crave (ok still crave at times but I can't imagine it much longer)
11) You don't need a zester if you have a fork, or a food processor if you have a sharp knife
15) Rolling pins are very versatile

My favorite recipe for the week is definitely the orange pork loin. If you want the recipe (and you do it is so yummy and so easy) let me know and I will email it to you or post it.

Good Stuff: cooking w/ Beau, following through on the plan, walking Jersey longer, and cooking w/ Beau

Stuff to Improve: workout, workout, workout!!! Stick to the schedule tomorrow and beyond

Day 6

ANOTHER BAD EATING DAY

Sheesh!! On the upside I meal planned and grocery shopped. Day 7-11 are planned and prepared for, from here on out I am thinking plan on Fridays, shop on Saturdays and cook on Sundays. Yes, it takes that much for me to get it right and I have to have stuff cooked for my return to work it makes all the difference in the world. My guts feel gross bad eating is such a cycle that will have to be broken over and over again. Tomorrow begins the good cycle, exercise, feel good, eat good, feel good, exercise, feel good, eat good...

On the menu for days 7-11

Chicken lettuce wraps
Protein shake w/ Kefir and Big B
Hummus and Red Pepper & 1/4 c Fro Yo
Beef Stew w/ Squash
Pork Loin and Orange Sauce
A 200 Calorie protein/fiber rich snack (almond butter and sprouted grain bread or apple)

total = 1500 calories per day = lots of yummy goodness, protein, veggies etc = Good Weekend Updates

I am Freakin Proud of Myself

Adding those little progress bars was a huge hassle. I searched for widgets and gadgets and add-ons. In the end I used common sense and the cut and paste button. One of the Blogs I follow had these cool graphs and so I right clicked on them got the source codes then cut and pasted them and re-wrote then to fit my needs. I am extremely proud of myself considering I am NOT a code person at all this is the first time I have ever tried to do anything with that stuff. So for everyone's quick refrence and my own sense of accomlishment I present to you my Weight Loss and Debt Reduction bars. Reminder that is not all my debt just all the non school debt (credit cards, medical bills, and a speeding ticket due in May is added in there too). Enjoy!!

If You Have More Than 3 Priorities You Don't Have Any

A professor said this in class one day and it has taken on a whole new life. I am a person who always has way to many irons in the fire and directions to go. This year I am pouring all my focus into 3 things:

My Health
My Finances
My Relationships

Life is what you make it and I believe taking control of these three things will make my life the best version. This blog is primarily about the first focus area but it incorporates some of the third, so in the spirit of rounding things out I would like to share a bit about the 2nd. I have worked in non-profit for over a decade and that equals being broke for over a decade.

My goal by the end of January 2011 is to pay off all non-school related debt (including Christmas), save $1500 in my IRA, up IRA contribution to $50 per month and, begin contributing 10% to my 401K again.

This is all on my current salary, one that happens to qualify me for section 8 and food stamps. I am also looking for ways to increase this income. I plan to start free lance writing, taking photos again, in the summer bake cookies to sell, possibly start a gift wrapping service around Christmas, and a friend and I are brain storming ideas for a magazine. I have also been applying for more lucrative jobs that utilize my degree. I am open to all kinds of ideas big and small.

I am gonna try to figure out those countdown boxes and post both my weight loss and debt loss progress.