Wednesday, August 31, 2011

AT LAST: Breakthrough in Weight Loss

Just sharing a funny post I saw I today! Thought it was funny!
 
 
AT LAST: Breakthrough in Weight Loss

I finally figured out why I'm overweight...

It's the shampoo I use in the shower!

When I wash my hair, the shampoo runs down my whole body, and (duh!) printed very clearly on the shampoo label is this warning:

"FOR EXTRA VOLUME AND BODY."

NO wonder I have been gaining weight!!!

Well, no more of that for me! I have gotten rid of that shampoo and I am going to start using Dawn dish soap instead.

Its label clearly reads, "DISSOLVES FAT THAT IS OTHERWISE DIFFICULT TO REMOVE."

Problem solved!

If I don't answer the phone... I'll be in the shower!
Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Re-enlisting, Re-Commiting, Ready, Set , Go!!

Alrighty, I think all the birthday festivies are officially over!  As you can see there was too many birthday festivities that I have gained weight this week.  So this week is my time to re-enlist, re-commit and get ready for war!  I mean weight loss!  :0) 

Breakfast
  • Scrambled Eggs w/ kale
  • cup of french vanilla coffee
Mid Am Snack
  • Isopure Zero Carb Vanilla Protein shake 


Lunch
  • Kale Salad: Kale, tomato, cucumber, salmon, Apple cider vinegar, olive oil


Mid Afternoon Snack
  • Green Apple
  • 3ounce Beef Jerky
Dinner
  • 2 hard boiled eggs
  • cheddar cheese & saltine crackers
Workout
     30 minutes w/ Personal Trainer.  Good workout!

Drank 144 ounces of water!  Woohoo!

Scale Whisperer...

A very late, post, but here are the results from yesterdays weigh in...

Starting Weight 6/8/2011: 371lbs

8/29/2011: 333.3  (Can you see my jaw on the floor?)
8/22/2011:  328.8
8/15/2011: 331.8
8/8/2011: 336.7
7/25/2011: 337.7
7/18/2011: 343.0
7/11/2011: 342.2
7/5/2011: 349.8
6/27/2011: 352.8
6/20/2011: 363.5
6/13/2011: 368.7
6/8/2011: 371

Weekly Weight loss +4.5 (birthdays are bad for dieting)
Total Weight Loss:  37.7
Okay so this week concentrating on getting back to hitting my 40lbs weight loss!

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Food Cravings are starting to subside

The food cravings are getting better today, which is surprising since my little monthly visitor has decided to visit.  I made a point today to get back on my water drinking routine.  So maybe that helped with the hunger and temptations.  I also noticed I am retaining water and bloating.  I am puffy in my legs and in my wrists.  Today I drank close to 100 ounces of water, but I think I need more.  Gonna have to do better tomorrow and throughout the weekend. 

Breakfast
     3 scrambled eggs w/ spinach & cheese
     cup of white chocolate latte

Mid Am Snack
     1/2 cup of Nancy's Low Fat cottage cheese
     blueberries

Lunch
     Roast Beef Sandwich
     spear of dill pickle



Dinner
     3 pieces of chicken
     1/2 cucumber

Workout
     30 min personal training with Jen
     I didn't go to spin class tonight.  :0( But I'll be there on Sunday, I promise. 

So that my friends is the end of my day.  All I am going to do for the night is finish doing the dishes,   Make a cup of tea and take 2 pain killers and hit the sack.  I'm thinking I wanna get up earlier tomorrow and hit the gym since  I had to reschedule my Friday workout with Jen.  I will be w/o my beloved car tomorrow, it must be serviced.  Every warning light you can think of is on!  I am really hoping for the best cause I can only fix one thing at a time.  Gonna try to remain positive and hopeful.

A Little Thursday Morning Humor...

Okay this was just the funniest thing to me this morning.  I was scrolling through my Facebook wall and Michael Jr. Comedy made this post:

If you're a twin and you decide to do an extreme diet, tell the other twin. Nobody want to be your "before picture". ~Michael Jr Facebook Status August 25, 2011!
I am in no way shape or form affiliated w/ Michael Jr. Comedy, but I did have the opportunity to see him perform @ the Comedy & Magic Club in Hermosa Beach.  He is a funny guy!  Check out his website, he has some funny videos!  http://michaeljr.com/entertainment/
Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Taming the Beast, Part 2

I had a weekend full of indulgences, and today I am back to trying to get back on my eating regime, and boy it's a struggle.  I can't seem to satisfy my appetite today.  But I tried to the best of my ability to eat healthy.  Is it possible that my system after 6 days have already forgotten its love for veggies & fruit? I am so gassy today, you would its been more than 6 days since I ate any veggies!  I can't imagine what else could be upsetting my stomach. 

Breakfast
    White Chocolate Latte from Coffee Bean
     2 slices of wheat toast

Lunch
     Salad: Lettuce, tomato, cucumbers, Walden Farms Italian Dressing, juice of 1/2 lemon, Dill Weed
     1 piece of melba toast

Mid Afterrnoon Snack
     Granny Smith Apple
     1/2 cucumber

Dinner
     Chicken & a small side Salad

















Other Miscellaneous Snacks
     2 snack size kit kat bars

Workout
     30 minutes personal Training
     We did an outdoor working heavy on cardio, about 10 mins of weight training.  She made me jog!

And here for your amusment an unflattering workout picture! 

Weight Training session 8/24/2011

Product Review: Walden Farms Italian Dressing

Have you heard the Buzz yet?  The Buzz about the Zero Calories, Fat, Carbs, Gluten or Sugars of any kind salad dressing?  Well believe it or not there is such a thing.  Its made by a company called Walden Farms.  I have tried the dressing now over the last 2 weeks so its time for my review.  My personal trainer Jenny Rockets informed me of this great product.

A tidbit on the Company:  The company makes various, Zero Cal, Fat, Carb & Sugar products, but I think people know them mostly for the salad dressings.  Here is a link to the company website:  Waldens Farm Website

So the product I tried is the Walden Farms Italian Dressing
  • Taste  In all honesty, its bland.  Doesn't taste like anything. So each person will have to decide for themself whether or not they stick with it. Before my switch to all things Organic, I was a Wishbone Italian Dressing Girl, and if you have tried it, Wishbone Italian had some flavor and a nice punch to it.  My Recommended Flavor Kick Ups:  Lemon Juice & Fresh Dill Weed.  Try some dried or fresh herbs
  • Price:  So far I find the price on the Walden Farms website is high.  I was able to find the dressing in my Local Sprouts Famer's Market store for $3.65 or something like that
  • Texture/Consistency  The texture of the dressing is good.  It has the same consistency of regular dressing
  • Aftertaste?  I honestly, didn't taste any aftertastes.
  • Would I buy it again?  Absolutely, when I finish my current bottle, I do want to try the Zesty Italian.  Maybe that one will be more flavorful.
I do recommend the product for all those trying to cut back on calories, just be prepared to add something to it if you want some flavor .  I honestly don't know if the product is organic, but I am okay with it not being certified organic.  The ingredient list seems pretty basic, but I have to do some further research. 

Hope this helps you!  If you have any other questions, feel free to make a comment or email me directly
Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Tuesday Tribulations...

What a Tuesday.  First day back to the office!  Crazy busy, but I made it through.  After this quick post, I'll be going to bed.

Breakfast
     Cup of Coffee
     Croissant

Mid AM Snack
     2ounces of Chicken

Lunch
     CObb Salad
     1/2 of a turkey sandwich

Dinner
     Cake & Ice Cream

Workout
     30 minutes with Personal Trainer Jen.  We had a big class today 4 people!  Tough workout.

After workout eats
     Chips & Salsa

Another Birthday Down...Many More to Go!

Recap of Monday August 22nd

Today was/is my birthday!!  Happy Birthday to me!
Well today I dropped my brother off at the airport.  So my Family Visit is officially over!  Good times were had, yet I am so tired.  A combination of the company and the excessive amounts of food I ate today!  I spent the rest of the evening on teh couch watching TV and relaxing, and getting myself mentally prepared to return to work.
Birthday Breakfast
     3 scrambled eggs with diced ham, cheddar cheese, topped with Salsa & a slice of Wheat Toast
     Tall White Chocolate Latte From Coffee Bean


Mid AM Snack
     Slice of Paradise Cake
     Vanilla Ice Cream
Paradise Cake from King Hawaiins Bakery













Lunch @ Red Lobster
     I am sure everyone will agree...you can't go to Red Lobster without partaking of the cheddar biscuits! Yummy!  I can't remember what my dish was called, but it had Fried Shrimp, Shrimp Scampi, and Shrimp Alfredo with Rice Pilaf.  I was utterly amazing!  I washed it all down with a tall glass of sprite! 



Cheddar Biscuits from Red Lobster





     Sadly, I did not stop eating there.  I had more cake and Ice cream when I got home, and drank about 2 glasses of Pepsi. I have not drank Pepsi or any Kind of Soda in like 2 months.  That Pepsi had me wired though, I had a hard time falling asleep!  Lesson learned. 
Monday, August 22, 2011

Scale Whisperer...A Birthday Miracle!

Starting Weight 6/8/2011: 371lbs

8/22/2011:  328.8 (I'm truly amazed!, don't know how that happened!)
8/15/2011: 331.8
8/8/2011: 336.7
7/25/2011: 337.7
7/18/2011: 343.0
7/11/2011: 342.2
7/5/2011: 349.8
6/27/2011: 352.8
6/20/2011: 363.5
6/13/2011: 368.7
6/8/2011: 371

Weekly Weight loss 3.0
Total Weight Loss:  42.2

I am truly shocked that I still lost weight this week!  I broke the 40lb mark!  I am only 8 pounds away from making it half way to my goal!  50 pound weigh loss here I come! 
Sunday, August 21, 2011

Drained, Drained, Drained!

Day #3 of my Family visit, and I am literally drained and tired.  I slept most of the day!  Every time I sat down I was falling asleep!  I don't have much to blog about today, it was pretty uneventful, but in the spirit of being accountable, here are my eats for the day:

Breakfast
     Scrambled Eggs
     Canadian Bacon

Lunch
     Cheese & Crackers

Dinner
     2 slices of Pepperoni Pizza from Pizza Hut
     1 Slice of Mushroom & Sausage Pizza
Saturday, August 20, 2011

Family 5K...Completed

Hello Gang!  I know I missed a day of blogging.  Family day has definitely taken me off of my schedule.  This morning started off with us (me, my sister, my brother, & my dad) participated in a 5k.  The Jet to Jetty 5k & 10k race.  My dad did the 10k, and the rest of us did the 5k.  It was beautiful weather outside for a race.  Not too hot, and the beach was just awesome to look at as always!


The Racers..


Workout
     Jet to Jetty 5k race - 56 minutes; 3.1 miles completed!
     Endomondo Iphone App Tracking of the race:
     http://www.endomondo.com/workouts/hbHpzFLPaDQ

Breakfast @ King Hawaiin's Restaurant
     This was definately not a healthy breakfast but it was delish!  This was my first time eating in the restuarant.  I have always just ordered cakes from there.
     I had scrambled eggs, Portugese Sausage, French Toast & Hash Browns; (2) cups of coffee



Lunch @ Phillips BBQ
     Baby Back Ribs
     Potato Salad

Birthday Snack
     Slice of Paradise cake
     Vanilla Ice Cream

That was all the eats for the day!      
Friday, August 19, 2011

I'm a Genie on a Bottle ;0)

In case you are wondering no it's not at typo.  Christina Aguilera was the Genie in a bottle.  I'm the Genie on a bottle! 

I got a birthday gift from my sister.  It's a bottle of body wash from Philosophy with little me on it.  When I say little me, its a younger picture of me.  So It triggered the Christina Aguilera song! 

In case you are interested Custom Philosophy products can be bought online at CafePress!  Visit this Link:  Custom Philosophy Products

Look here I am..on my bottle!  




         
Throw back jam of the day: Christina Aguilera - Genie in a bottle!



Family & Birthday Festivies have begun

This is a recap of Thursday August 18th! 

My family has officially arrived!  It was a long day, I did not get to bed until after midnight, and here I am at work at my schedule time blogging!  My priorities are a bit out of whack but what the heck.  I am officially the only person in the office!  I won't make this long....

Breakfast
     2 hard boiled eggs
     canadian bacon
     French Vanilla Coffee

Mid AM Snack
    Nectarine

Lunch
     Kale Salad #2, add 2ounces of tuna this time around, and it was still delish!
     Ingredients:  Kale, tomatoes, cucumbers, mozarella cheese, albacore tuna.  Lemon juice, olive oil, Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar



Workout
     30 minutes with Personal Trainer!  Thanks to Jen for letting me come earlier so I don't miss a workout! 

Dinner w/ the Family @ BJs
This was a hard task for me, I love BJs but looking at the menu, so many high calorie options.  I am grateful though, that they listed the caloric values.  I opted for a meal off of the "Enlighted Entrees"...The Chicken A La Fresca.  I like an airhead forgot to take a picture, but here is a snap shot from the BJs website.  BJs Brewhouse Enlightened Entree Menu  It was very tasty..loved the spinach on top, and the other veggies, and the chicken was very tender.  I was impressed!

BJs Brewery - Chicken A La Fresca
        
Thursday, August 18, 2011

Gas: Odorless Vapors!

Now I am sure everyone is thinking, gas is not an odorless vapor! Oh contrare mofrer! I just spent some time reading the National Digestive Disease Information Clearinghouse and gas is usually odorless! I was suprised, but it begs the question, what makes it stink?

Gas is made primarily of odorless vapors—carbon dioxide, oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, and sometimes methane. The unpleasant odor of flatulence, the gas that passes through the rectum, comes from bacteria in the large intestine that release small amounts of gases containing sulfur.

Bacteria in the large intenstine...Hmmm!?! My thinking cap is on~gimmie a moment!

Breakdown of Undigested Foods
The body does not digest and absorb some carbohydrates—the sugar, starches, and fiber found in many foods—in the small intestine because of a shortage or absence of certain enzymes that aid digestion.

This undigested food then passes from the small intestine into the large intestine, where normal, harmless bacteria break down the food, producing hydrogen, carbon dioxide, and, in about one-third of all people, methane. Eventually these gases exit through the rectum.

People who make methane do not necessarily pass more gas or have unique symptoms. A person who produces methane will have stools that consistently float in water. Research has not shown why some people produce methane and others do not.

Foods that produce gas in one person may not cause gas in another. Some common bacteria in the large intestine can destroy the hydrogen that other bacteria produce. The balance of the two types of bacteria may explain why some people have more gas than others.

Which foods cause gas?
Most foods that contain carbohydrates can cause gas. By contrast, fats and proteins cause little gas.

I have never heard of this before, fats & protein cause little gas, and carbs cause gas!

Not to bore you with more gas facts, but I am rather gassy today, and I couldn't figure out why, so I googled, what causes gas and found this website http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/gas/. Now that I have read the information, I guess that Bleu Cheese & Snickers are to blame for my gassy state?

Hmm...much food for thought!
Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Sitting is Killing You...A must read!

Sitting is Killing You
Via: Medical Billing And Coding

Tick Tock, Tick Tock, Tick Tock

Oh My Goodness!  This was the most slow moving day at work!  I literally felt like I was in a time warp and the time was standing still!  Today, still battling my thoughts of worry.  Things became better as my beloved little sister came to my rescue!  There is always a ram in the bush, I need to remember that.  I don't know why I be just trippin' sometimes!  But I need to spend some time to really get wisdom on how to handle my finances.  I am too old to be this broke!  I am not saying I should be millionaire, but sooner or later I got to be able to live without overdrafts and borrowing money!  Okay, let's get to the real matters at hand.

Breakfast
     2 hard Boiled Eggs
     Portobello Mushroom Cap
     1 cup of Yogi Detox Tea

Mid Am Snack
     1/2 Cucumber
     1/2 Tomato

Lunch
     Cobb Salad w/ bleu Cheese

Mid Afternoon Snack
     2 snack size Snicker bars

Dinner (a food mixture that I just don't comprehend)
     1/2 cup of Cottage Cheese
     Slice of Ham
     Collard Greens

I did drink a whole lot of water today.  I didn't think I had that much capacity for water & food!  But I have just been eating like a mad woman!  But I think I figured out why, I looked at the calendar and PMS day is just 3 days away!  Between that and my financial stress I can see why I am eating like I am.  I am not giving up hope though..I will do my darndest to regulate my eating and workout as I can while my family is here.  Onward March!

Workout
     30 Minute Treadmill
Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Back on the rollercoaster of emotions!!

These are the days that I really struggle with.  One thing I learned about myself many years ago is that I am an emotional eater.  Today my heart just dropped to the floor and in came feelings of worry, panic and anxiety.  And quickly after that came the desire to eat!  Last week I thought I was struggling financially but this week takes the cake.  I got paid this past Friday the 12th.  Today I looked at my account, guess what my balance is?  56 cents!  56 cents!  Yes cents! Not dollars!  Bills not paid, family coming into town on Thursday and I have 56 cents!  I cry, I cry, I cry!  My heart hurts, stuff like this just really hurts me.  Before I continue to cry and can't see to keep blogging, here is the day:

Breakfast
     2 hard boiled eggs
     Portobello Mushroom Cap
     Cup of Coffee

Lunch (the meal I waited for all day)
     My very first Kale Salad!  Oh guys It was awesome!  I loved it!
     Kale, tomatoes, cucumbers, chicken.  Olive Oil, & Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar.  That was it! I do think some Feta cheese or bleu cheese crumbles would be delightful in this!

My First Kale Salad! Yum!
 

Mid Afternoon Snack
     An overexcessive amount of Pico de Gallo.  One of my favorite ways to eat tomatoes is in Pico de Gallo.  Today the Brokers order Baja Fresh, and one of my beloved co-workers that knows my love for Pico de Gallo, brought me over the left over pico de gallo from lunch!  I could not resist!  I ate all that she brought me!

Mid Afternoon Snack Part 2
     Chips & Salsa; Tempted and totally gave in.  Went into the breakroom at work and the left over chips & salsa was sitting there.  I partook in the evil chips & salsa

So I get home, and what was the first thing I do?  Head for the fridge! 

Early evening Snack
    1 piece of Chicken
    mozarella cheese

At this point I had to get out of the house or else I would have eaten myself right into a comatose state!  Ya know, the times you eat so much you just fall asleep and wake up the next morning.  Have you done that?  So off I went to the laundromat with what felt like 100 pounds of clothes!  5 loads washed, dried, folded...but not yet put away! 

Workout
    30 minutes with Personal Trainer

Evening Winding down refreshment
     Cup of Yogi Berry Detox Tea
Oh I forgot to tell ya about my happy moment of the day!  I have not been blogging long, but for the most part my only consistent reader has been my dear and near friend Linga!  Shout to to the Eteaki's in Arizona!  Well to date she has been the only person to ever leave comments on my blog!  Guess what happened today?  I got my first blog comment from someone that was not Linga!  I was so happy, shocked and surprised!  I was beginning to think no one was interested in my materials.  That did really make me smile on the inside today.  So Linga thank you for sticking with me during this process and to the blogger that left my message...I thank you as well!  Dueces!


    

Kyra Kooking Kale

Hi Hi...I already had quite an adventure this morning!  On Friday, my appointed nutritional expert Alain, said I needed to add more variety in my vegetable eatings.  He suggested Kale and some other stuff, but Kale is the one thing I decided to try.  Saturday I picked up one bunch of Kale from Sprouts and this morning I attempted to make a Kale salad that was given to me by my co-worker Mayra.

Her instructions were to cut the kale really thinly.  She also said I could blanche the kale to help soften in, but it was optional.  She recommended me adding lemon juice, vinegar and olive oil to the Kale, adding cheese (preferably Feta), tomatoes and cucumbers!  I was pretty amazed, because that is pretty much what I would put in my plain old green salad. 

So here I was at 4am trying to cut Kale so I can pack my lunch to take to work.  I have never been this excited to eat lunch before I can't wait!



Monday, August 15, 2011

Time to Tame the Beast!

Wow!  I was fightinig some pretty serious hunger pains today.  2 days of "off the plan" eatting it just woke back up those "eating demons"!  Yes I said eating demon!  LOL and almost in tears, I'm laughing so hard!  At about 10am this morning, I took notice of how my appetite and eating demons were trying to lead me down the broad path of destruction!  I made up my mind at the point, gotta bring everything back into subjection and Tame the Wild Beast that is Me!

Breakfast
     Cup of Coffee
     Peach

Lunch (By this time, the Beast was famished!)
     A pretty big, yet quick salad since I did no food prep over the weekend
     Lettuce, 1 tomato diced, salmon purchased from Cuvee.
     Walden Farms Italian Dressing
     Slice of rye bread

salad w/ Salmon


Dinner
     3 pieces of chicken from El Pollo Loco

Workout:  Does house work count?
    
I tried the Walden Farms, no calorie, no fat dressing today.  It honestly is not bad.  I will keep using it as the week progresses, and give a full report over the weekend.

Scale Whisper...

Yeah...Good results today.  Not the 4 lbs I was hoping for wonderful results nonetheless!

Starting Weight 6/8/2011:  371lbs
8/15/2011: 331.8
8/8/2011:  336.7
7/25/2011: 337.7
7/18/2011: 343.0
7/11/2011: 342.2
7/5/2011:  349.8
6/27/2011: 352.8
6/20/2011: 363.5
6/13/2011:  368.7
6/8/2011:    371

Weekly Weight loss 2.9
Total Weight Loss:  39.2
Almost at the 40lbs mark!  AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Sunday, August 14, 2011

Birthday Outting and Family Prep Day

Today pretty uneventful.  This was my last weekend until my parents arrive.  Did some grocery shopping, cleaned up a little.  Need to do laundry, I was not feeling it today and I need to vacuum my entire apartment.   I didn't do much today.  Took a friend out for lunch for her Birthday.  It was good eats...alot of eats, but Good eats.

Breakfast:     Cup of Coffee

Lunch/Dinner:  Elephant Bar:  Mash Potato, Steak, Grilled Tomato.  Arnold Palmer

That was it.  I told you it was uneventful!  Tomorrow is weigh in day.  I am hoping for the best!
P.S. Sore in my legs from rowing!

Kyra
Saturday, August 13, 2011

Stayed Busy Saturday...

How I had a full day today!  Overall a good day...not the best eating day though. 

Breakfast:     2 hard boiled eggs

AM Workout:     1 hour Rowing @ iRow Fitness Based on my computer reading I rowed 6138 meters or approx 3.8 miles.  It was a tough class, but I liked it!
Workout Screen
Rowing Machines



After Workout Snack:  Druids Detox from Leaf Organics.
I went to my first Vegan Cafe today.  I did not eat there, but I got a detox drink from them, that was rather tasty.  I don't feel like I've detoxed though, it just made me really gassy.  I may need to drink 2, or maybe eat healthier on the day I drink it.  The Druid Detox consisted of Burdock Root, Lemon, Apple, Ginger, Agave and cayenne.  Good drink, easy to go down.  Check out the website something may interest you:  http://leaforganics.com/
Druid Detox Drink

Lunch & Junk:  Chicken from Hawaiin Cafe, Pepperoni Pretzel, Frozen Lemonade

Dinner:     Medium cup of vanilla ice cream!

All I can do is shake my head as I just typed ice cream!  What was I thinking! 

I also made my weekly Sprouts Farmers Market run, stocked up on my spinach, kale, cucumbers, tomatoes, and I picked up a bottle of Walden Farms Dressing.  I can't wait to try it, since it has no calories, fat or sugars in it.  I just hope it taste good.  Stay tuned cause ones I get to taste it, I will have a full review! 
Some of the pretty produce @ Sprouts


That's all I got for ya folks!
Friday, August 12, 2011

Lane Bryant Jeans: RETIRED!!!

I made the executive decision today that is was time to retire my jeans.  I had such a hard time with them today.  They are noticeably big in the waist and legs.  I attempted to take some pictures which are below.  It's really hard taking pictures of yourself. 

8/12/2011 Retirement Day of these Jeans!

Lane Bryant - size 26 jeans
I am thinking this weekend a brief shopping trip to find a new pair is in order.  Lane Bryant has a sale on jeans right now..40% off!  I may as well take advantage of the special!

Just Got Paid, Friday Night...

Isn't wierd how certain things just trigger a memory.  Well today got to work...an hour late, by the way, and started singing Just got Paid, by Johnny Kemp!  So lets all share in my music flashback of the day! 


Breakfast         
     Omelette (eggs, Swiss cheese, avocado)
     Portobello Mushroom Cap         
     2 slices of Bacon
This was probably one of the biggest breakfasts I have had in a while. 

Lunch
     Salad:  Lettuc, Spinach, carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers
     Dressing:  Lemon juice, dill, hot sauce

Afterwork Workout
     30 mins with Jen Personal Trainer. 

After Workout Snack
     Tomato

Dinner
     Salad: Lettuce, chicken (kept it simple & easy)
     Dressing:  Apple Cider Vinegar, Lemon Juice

Then I spent 3 hours waiting for a UPS delivery!  So by that point, I surely didn't want to go anywhere!  So it's TV watching and off to bed I go.  I got an early morning tomorrow!
Thursday, August 11, 2011

Still on the Emotional Rollercoaster.....

Howdy...still very emotional today.  Got myself into a little emotional pity party and started eating junk!  I am doing better now..as one burden has been lifted aka given an extension until October.  What a relief.  I kept running through and through in my mind how did I get myself into such a financial bind.  Today the thoughts of I give to people, I do for people, why doesn't anyone do for me?  Why is it when I am struggling and in need there is no one to help me?  I know its not good to think that much less feel that way, but I do.  Sigh...all I can do is continue to patiently wait for a financial breakthrough.  I have prayed and asked and asked and prayed, begged and pleaded and some days down right grovel for my money situation to get better.  I believe it will, but for now this is the hand that I have been dealt and I must play my best hand.  Ya feel me?

Breakfast
    2 hard boiled eggs
    1 portabello Mushroom cap (grilled in toaster oven @ work)
    coffee

Lunch
     Salad:  Lettuce, spinach, tomato, cucumbers, dill weed
     Lemon juice & hot sauce for the dressing

Mid Afternoon Snack aka "Emotional Eating"
     2 (yes 2) Snicker bars

Dinner Now that regret for the snickers settled in:
     Cup of Yogi Detox Tea

Workouts (notice that's plural)
     1.  Spin Class in Hawthorne w/ Cindy *new instructor*
     2.  30 mins with Jenny Personal Trainer

Mushrooms: Nature's HIdden Secret

Hey Gang!
I'm here eating breakfast..eggs & mushrooms, and thought to myself, Self, I love mushrooms, but I don't know much about them or there nutrition.  So unto google I went!

I believe I have found a hidde gem on the internet!  I found a website called http://www.mushroominfo.com/
I have browsed the site now for about 15 minutes and believe me, there is some valuable information on it about mushrooms!  There are receipes, nutrition information, a blog, etc!  I love it as much as I love eating mushrooms! 

One thing I learned about mushrooms, reading the site, is that Mushrooms have vitamin D in it!  Maybe I am just stupid, but I was always told the only way to get vitamin D was by getting sun!  Has anyone else heard and believed that? 

I found out enough about mushrooms, that it will now become in a weekly staple in my grocery shopping, and to the loving folks at http://www.mushroominfo.com/, you are being added to my favorite links on this blog!  I love your site! 

P.S  for a quick recap on the reasons to love & eat mushrooms, check this out:  Top Reasons to Celebrate Mushrooms Every Day, Every Way

Not a good day...emotions are running high!

Recap of Wednesday Aug 10th.
Overall not a great day, my emotions were running really really high.  I started to blog last night, but really wasn't into it.  So I make this quick post just so I can continue to be accountable. 
Breakfast
     2 hard boiled eggs
     Grapefruit
     coffee

Mid Am Snack
     1 slice of Melba Toast



Today's Salad..boring huh?

Lunch
     Salad (lettuce, spinach, carrots, red cabbage, chicken & 1 egg)
     Todays dressing was just Lemon Juice, & dill weed

Dinner
     2 chicken breast from El Pollo Loco
     Side salad & a small ear of corn




I debated about going for a walk all evening after work, but I just could not get myself out of a rut.  Fret not my friends...its now Thursday and i will be going to Spin Class tonight and I have a session tonight with Jenny.


Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Regrets...YoshiNOya Restaurant

Some days you have to sit and take inventory of the things you say and see if they match up with what you do.  I did that tonight..and I am missing the mark.  Yesterday I said I was gonna go hard this week in an attempt to lose 4 pounds by next Monday.  Where have I missed the mark?  Let's see, I did not work out on Monday and then today made some bad food choices and did not go to Spin Classs. This is the 2nd day into a new week so let me correct myself now and do better for the remainder of the week, 4 lbs must exit from me by the 15th.

Today was not a good eat day...

Breakfast
Egg, cheese, & bacon burrito
Now you may be thinking what's wrong with that?  I carefully observed the prep method of this burrito, and the cook put so much cheese on the burrito.  If I had to estimate, it was maybe about 1/4 cup of shredded cheese!  The other thing that disturbed me, is that they deep fried the bacon!  I was completely stumped, when I saw bacon coming out of the deep fryer and being added to the top of my burrito!  Oye!   This is a good reminder to me:  How things are prepared is just as important as what I eat.  Food cooking methods add addional and unnecessary calories, fat, sugar, salt, and every thing else. 

Lunch
Yoshinoya chicken plate 
A co-worker of mine, so politely invited to take me out to lunch to Yoshinoya.  I have never been there so I was like okay, I will give it a try.  When we walked out of the restaurant and had the food in the car, I began to smell a strange aroma coming from the food.  It really did not smell right. Now to the normal uninformed eater, one would think, chicken, veggies & rice is a pretty okay meal.  I breifly felt that way until I got back to the office and opened the food. 

The veggies is covered in some kind of sauce like substance.  I can't even tell what it is.  It did not taste like butter, but it had an oily consistency that was horrible!  The chicken had a wierd taste.  I could not put my finger on it.  I was completely disappionted.  I went ahead and ate the veggies while shaking off as much of that sauce as I could and ate the chicken.  Rice was left on touched. 

Yoshinoya Plate *before*
Yoshinoya Plate *after*




For information purposes I went on the Yoshinoya website to find nutritional information of the Large Chicken Bowl.  This is not the full nutritional info, just the things that disturbed me the most!

Calories:  980
Calories from fat:  160
Fat:  18
Sodium:  2440
Total Carbohydrates:  155
Protein:  50g (I question that cause there was not alot of chicken on the plate and can't figure out what else would have protein in it)

Needless to say...YoshiNOya..is a big NO NO for me.  I will not be eating there again.

Mid Afternoon Snack
     Cucumbers

Dinner
     Salad (lettuce, spinach, carrots, red cabbage)
     Dressing:  apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, dash of dill

Evening Workout
     30 minutes with trainer (I would list out all the excercises, but I have no idea what they are called).  Oh, I tried the jump rope again tonight.  the list time I did it.  I could only do 2 jumps.  I think I got about 8 jumps in tonight!  Yeah me!

Don't Believe the Hype! - Organic can be cheaper!!!

For the last few months, I have been buying as much organic produce as I can.  I ran out of my apples, I have been buying from Sprouts.  So this morning, I opted to go to my local grocery story for some apples.

I get to Ralph's supermarket and regular (non-organic apples) were $1.79 a pound!  I almost hit the floor!  Are they nuts?  $1.79 a pound?  Highway robbery!    At Sprouts, I can get regular (non organic) apples for like 88 cents a pound, and at times they are on sale for 49 cents a pound.  I have only bought organic apples from Sprouts once, but ya better believe it was way cheaper than $1.79 a pound.

So what is the moral of this story?  Everyone seems to think that buying organic food is expensive and costly.  I say that, cause I used to think that way.  When done correctly, you can buy organic produce at a lower price than the regular pesticide contamined produce!  And the organic produce taste so so much better! 


Sprouts Farmer's Market...this post is dedicated to you!  I love you and I am so gratefully that you are in my life!    Visit a Sprout's Farmer's Market in your area!   View Sprouts Farmer's Market Online


Apples @ Ralph's $1.79
Monday, August 8, 2011

Dill: My Salad's best friend

Howdy folks!  I am still feeling a little drained today.  Not sure what is going on with me.  But my energy level is low.  Modest weight lost this morning on the scale, but I am grateful for all loses. I was most excited that I have now fit back into another pair of pants that I have not worn in ages!  Progress is here!  So very happy, so very gratefully.  I am gonna try to go as hard as I can this week.  I am 4 pounds away from losing a total of 40 pounds.  Also next weekend my family will be here, so I know my schedule and availablity to excercise will be limited.

So here is today..nothing exciting to report, but in the spirit of keeping myself accountable...here are the eats & activities for the day.

Breakfast
     French Vanilla Coffee
     creamer

Mid AM snack (more like a tempation)
     2 brownies
     someone in the office brought them in! 

Lunch
     Salad (lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, cucumbers, $ Dill)
     Dressing:  apple cider vinegar, lemon juice
     My friends believe me when I tell you that adding dill on top of the salad was very very tasty!  It was awesome!  It was so good, I was tempted to make me a 2nd bowl of salad, but I refrained!

Dinner
     Baked Chicken
     Spinach
  

Scale Whisper...

Another week down.  I was honestly hoping for a bigger weight loss this week.  I did have a brief moment of sadness...but trust me it was very brief.  After about 30 seconds I was overtaken with joy.  Why do you ask?  I have a closet full of pants I used to wear for work, that I can no longer fit into.   So this morning, I grabbed one and said, let's see if this fits yet, and by George....IT FIT!!!   So put your hands in the air and wave them like you just don't care!  So today is screw the scale day...cause as long as I am getting into my smaller sized clothes, I am a happy Fitness girl! 

Here are this weeks results:


Starting Weight: (6/8/2011): 371lbs

 8/8/2011 334.7

 8/1/2011  336.1
7/25/2011 337.7
7/18/2011 343.0
7/11/2011 342.2
7/5/2011   349.8
6/27/2011 352.8
6/20/2011 363.5
6/13/2011 368.7

Weekly weight loss:  1.4 lbs
Total weight loss: 36.3 lbs


Hmm...I think I wanna push for a 4 pound weigh loss this week..its about time I hit the 40lbs weight loss mark.  What do you think? 

Just another Sunday...

Another Late Post...Here is a recap of Sunday August 7th.

Overslep this morning so I did not make it to 7am spin.  Its probably for the best, calves, hamstring, and arms and still sore.  But I figured I had enough time to at least get up and get a stroll in before having to go to church.  So that is what I did.  I tried a different route today, and I am making a mental note that walking down LaTijera is an obstacle course!  The sidewalks are terrible.  I did get off LaTijera and walk in the residential area.  Very nice houses...I may just have to venture over there again.

AM Workout
     50 minutes Neighborhood Walk.. 2.9 miles
     Route:  http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=4700564

Breakfast
     2 scramble egss w/ spinach & tomatoes w/ a dash of hot sauce

Lunch
     Salad: Lettuce, carrots, red cabbage, cucumbers, tomatoes
     Dressing:     apple cide vinegar, lemon juice, pinch of dill

Dinner
     Small Side Salad
     2 piece of chicken

Sunday night was the season finale of In Plain Sight on USA.  I just love that show.  The season did not end as great as I thought it would.  Mary seems to be having some kind of issue with the baby, but I am more concerned about her sister and why she didn't marry Peter.  I think we all know that Mary having a baby and doing her job is just not gonna happen.  Regardless....still love the show. As you can see a pretty uneventful day...but those happen every now and again.

Sunday, August 7, 2011

15 SScariest Food Additives....no more Orbit gum for me!

Just catching up on my emails I have not read over the last few days.  This was one of the emails, provided by Eat this, Not That.  The article is about food additives.  Something has become my personal soapbox!  

At this point I am no longer surprised when I read this stuff, but why do companies feel its okay to put certain things in our food?  The article mentions Azodicarbonamide, it is frequently used in production of foam plastic?  Where is the logic in it being used in Bagels & burger buns?  Bagel...Foam, I don't seem any similarities that would cause that chemical to be used in both products.

Well I won't sit here and list out all of my concerns with this article..but it leaves much room for speculation on what we are eating.  So no more Orbit gum for me, and I will definately be more careful about my bagel eating and if I ever eat a humburger bun! 

Check out hte article here:  15 Scariest Food Additives...SMH
Saturday, August 6, 2011

Sore, Tired, and Garlic Gas

Wow..today was a completely odd day.  Definitely not something I typically do on weekends.  I woke up at 6am, which is typical.  But I was so sore from Fridays boxing workout!  My calves are so tight and my arms are so sore!  I also woke up very gassy!  I know no one wants to hear that, but its the truth.  Interestingly enough, my gas smells like garlic!  Even as I sit her updating the blog for day, I am still having garlicy gassy-ness!  I now know the downside to eating a whole lot of garlic. 

Well anywho..I was gonna go walk in the morning when I woke up, but I couldn't seem to get myself motivated to do much.  I layed around and watched TV until about 10am.  I only got up at 10am cause I had an 11am meeting.  So that started my day.

Breakfast (Quick & Easy..it was already prepped)
     Cucumber slices
     4oz of Cod
     Cup of French Vanilla coffee w/ FV creamer

Lunch
     Salad (lettuce, carrots, red cabbage, tomato)
     4 oz of chicken

Dinner
     3 oz chicken
     1 roma tomato

I lounged around all day with the exception of my 11am appointment.  I think I got home about 3pm and back in front of the TV I was.  I just feel drained today.  Not much energy, really sore so it was a lazy day for me.  Since I was not up for getting out of the house today, we did indoor physical activity.

Workout
     30 mins Leslie Sansone Walk at Home DVD
     10min Abs & Back Workout by some lady who's name I don't remember
    

Fantastic Friday....

Recap of Friday August 6th.

Wow!  Woke up this morning...and by woke up, I mean I opened my eyes and laid in the bed and reached to the right of me to turn off the alarm and wowzilla...ABS are sore, Arms are sore...Legs are sore!  I guess I had a nice full body workout yesterday!  It was not a bad soreness, but I can feel that some muscles got worked.  My arms are probably the ones that hurt the most.  My upper body is very very very weak. 



Breakfast    
     2 hard boiled eggs
     broccoli
     Cup of black coffee w/ french vanilla creamer







Lunch     
 Salad (lettuce, spinach, cucumbers, carrots) w/ a nice piece of Salmon. With my hot sauce/Apple cider VInger/lemon juice as dressing.  The Salmon was pretty to look @ and it was delish going down...My compliments to the chef @ Cuvee!





Workout
     30 minute Boxing routinge w/ Personal Trainer
      I was able to record part of the workout, need to do some editing.

Dinner (Dinner @ Stinking Rose in Beverly Hills)
     House Salad with Chicken Lemon Juice for salad
    2 rolls
    An excessive amount of garlic!
Thursday, August 4, 2011

Tired Thursday...

This morning after getting dressed for work, I feel pretty darn happy and inspired.  Every now and again when I really face myself and look at myself in the mirror.  I can see the weigh loss, I can see how my body is being resculpted.  This morning, I put on my normal brown pants and my white blouse, got in front of the mirror and was pleasantly surprise.  I look smaller...I looked cute!  :0)

8/4/2011
Then today at work Israel asked me if I was excercising, he said it looks like I was losing weight.  I politely told him, I was not!  But a few people are beginning to notice the weight loss and are making comments on it.  Oh one of my KYC got approved today at work..so that is one less headache to deal with!  Hooray!

Breakfast (Another odd food pairing)
     2 hard boiled eggs
     broccoli
     cup of coffee

Mid AM Snack
     1/2 of a bagel
     It was Michael Perle's birthday in the office and they ordered in bagels.
     I partook in some of the treats...had no cream cheese, but ate 1/2 the bagel.

Lunch
     Same as always:  Salad (but I concocted the best salad dressing)
     My Salad:  lettuce, spinach, cucumbers, carrots & reb cabbage & chicken
     My Dressing consisted of:     1 teaspoon of Bragg's Apple cider vinegar
               juice of 1/2 of a lemon
               Habanero Hot Sauce from Trimana (it has no calories or sugar in it!)

Workout...It's thursday...so it's spin day!
  •      1 hour of Spin @ 24 Hour Fitness in Hawthorne.  We had a sub instructor, Donna!  She was a tough instructor, I felt like I was gonna die!  I also forgot my water in the car, that is definitely something I wil never do again!  
  •      30 minutes w/ personal trainer.  This was a struggle for me tonight.  Not sure why, cause we did excercises we've been doing for a while, but it was hard for me. 
Dinner
     Isopure Protein Shake w/ Strawberries

That is it...I have no energy left in me.  I am gonna hit the shower, watch a few episodes of Criminal Minds and off to bed I go.  Until to tomorrow!

P.S. I did add a few more pictures to the photo journal..check it out when you have time.

Gave into my cravings....

Another late post..here is Wednesday August 3rd.

Pretty Mundane day, nothing to exciting to report. I could feel the soreness & weakness in my legs from that hill workout last night.  Its amazing the muscles that you working walking up a hill.  I don't know what the names of the muscles are, but I feel the back & sides of my legs are a bit sore. 

Breakfast
     2 eggs
     1 Melba Toast
     Black coffee w/ French Vanilla creamer

Lunch (I gave in!)
     9inch Cheese Pizza
     Chopped Salad

Dinner (I should not have eaten anything)
     2 pieces of chicken

Workout
     1 mile walk on my lunch break
      30 min on Treadmill  419 calories burned.  1.86 distance
          This time I did walk/jog intervals (2 min walk/1 min jog) for 15 min;  other 15 mins was hills
     Lat pull downs..60lbs 2 sets of 20
     Leg Press 2 sets of 15; 180 lbs + the weight of the bar.  How much do you think the bar weighs?

I did notice while I was doing the leg presses that I struggled doing that 180lbs.  Seems like my leg muscles are not as strong as they used to be.  I used to be able to do that 180lbs with no problem.  gotta hit the weights again.
I had been craving pizza for about 3 days now.  Today I gave in.  Went to this little pizza place by the office called Johnnie's NY pizza. They had a lunch special, a 9 inch pizza, salad & a drink for $9.69.  Not bad...the pizza was good, but I really feel in love with the salad.  I even took a picture of it.  Very tastey! 

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Trying not to Lash out Tuesday....

I have been working on a KYC at work now for 2 weeks!  I am so frustrated, I am about to start cussing!  I really am!  It is taking all of me keep my temper & anger under raps!  I wanted to scream, cry, kill, walk off the job...all those things!  I can't imagine why things have to be so complicated!  Sigh.  It is the DB way, you would think I would have settled into the idea of confusion & chaos, but I have not.  I don't do confusion or utter stupidity very well.

Well I woke up this morning and grabbed a pair of black slacks from the closet and much to my surprise, they went on right away with out me having to do the "get my pants to fit dance"  They slipped right on up!  I guess there has been some inches lost on the hips these last few weeks!  I think I am gonna get a few things from my clothes and put them on so you can see the tightness & the inability for me to pull them up, so that when they do fit...I can have record of it.  Hmm..I think I will!

Breakfast
     Cup of Yogi Detox Tea

Mid AM Snack
    Apple

Lunch
     Salad (lettuce, spinach, carrots, chicken, cucumbers, lemon juice for dressing)
     1 hard boiled egg

Dinner ( I completely ate too much)
     3 pieces of chicken
     3 tortillas

Workout
    30 minutes with Trainer.  Tonights workout was tough!  Oh Weee!
    30 minute treadmill (hill Training)
          Started at 2% incline worked my way up to 9% incline
          385 calories burned
    
    
Monday, August 1, 2011

Mundane Monday...

Howdy...It's me again...blabbing about stuff that no one really cares about.  This is gonna to be a trying 2 wekks for me.  I just paid my rent and I have $30 left to my name.  I need gas in my car and a slew of bills I need to pay!  I am happy that tonight I have off, I don't have to go down to the Arthritis Foundation today, which is great cause I have no gas to get there.  I was all happy that I would have an extra day to go to spin class today, there is a class @ 6pm in Torrance, but I don't have gas to get me to Torrance!  I may just have to walk my neighborhood to get some cardio in. 

Breakfast
     2 hard boiled eggs

Mid AM Snack
     Apple

Lunch
     Salad (lettuce, carrots, tomato, chicken, & some bleu cheese crumbles)...YUMMY!

Dinner
     Salad (Lettuce, cucumbers)

Late Dinner Eats
     2 pieces of chicken

Workout 
    None..got lazy watching my Criminal Minds Marathon!  SMH

Scale Whisper...

Here we go the end of PMS week...Hooray!  I honestly did better than I thought I would.! 

Starting Weight: (6/8/2011): 371lbs

 8/1/2011  336.1
7/25/2011 337.7
7/18/2011 343.0
7/11/2011 342.2
7/5/2011   349.8
6/27/2011 352.8
6/20/2011 363.5
6/13/2011 368.7

Weekly weight loss:  1.6 lbs
Total weight loss: 34.9 lbs
**Please forgive me I just realized my math on my Total weight loss was off! OOPS!