Feel like crap

I can't shift this cold. I hate taking drugs, but in order to function and survive thank goodness for alkaseltzer day and night time. It's helping. I did manage to complete a round of training in the gym yesterday and I did feel better after it; that said, tonight I thought it'd be best if I didn't push it as tomorrow I have double duty with training and then a spin class.

Eating:
9am breakfast - oatmeal with milk
11am snack - celery/carrots with peanut butter and hummus
1.3opm lunch - steak salad
4pm snack - a few mentos (a bit of a cheat I know...!!)
7pm dinner - chilli with stir fried bacon

Gym - none

Really getting in the groove again. Let's see if I can make it another 8lb for November!!!!!

Good day

While I think I'm going down with a cold, I'm ignoring it by moving at double pace and taking a few decongestants. I know I'm getting sick as I haven't been hungry all day.

Eating:
8.15am breakfast - cereal and milk
12 noon lunch - chilli w/cheese and mayo, side of cauliflower and broccolli
2.45pm snack - brownie
7 pm dinner - 2 slices ham and veggie stir fry, sugar free jello
9.30 snack - apple

Gym - 1 hour with Billy weight training, 15 min on the arc trainer

It's been a good day and I'm encouraged as Billy thinks I'm losing weight - it's true, at 8lb - but can you really notice just 8lb?

Straight and narrow

OK, so after a hiatus for a week, I'm back. I had put on a couple of pounds while I was away and over the weekend. When I finally ventured onto the scales this morning it wasn't too bad - only a pound from where I was. I suspect that'll go today.

Yesterday's eating:
10am breakfast - ham, spinach and cheese omelette
1.30pm lunch - mushroom, pepper pasta with red sauce (and a touch of the white!!), granola bar
5.45pm snack - banana, blueberry and peach smoothie
8.00pm dinner - salmon and stir fried veggies, sugar free jello

Gym - 45 min spin class

It felt so much better being back to normal - ie no alcohol and no bad food. While I did eat two carb meals in a row (lunch and the smoothie) I still didn't eat protein in the middle. I think that's OK.

I'm really hoping I can drop that final 2 pounds before tomorrow - then I'll have met the goal of 10lbs a month. If not, I'll be notching it up in November:)

The Office

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gukIQRc3Fuk

This is how I feel when I'm presenting to my team.... yeah for me!

I'm back

Did you miss me? I missed you! The training class was great - I met some great people, spent a few hours dining with the new CEO (after the merger) which was great. My impression of him had totally changed by the end of the dinner which was pretty cool.

Rather that learning skills based stuff like delegation, communication etc this was more strategic in nature. We learnt theories and suggestions on how you mobilize teams to achieve results. While some of the exercises were better than others, I really enjoyed the theories.

I thought that I'd been pretty good at eating while I was there, and even managed to get 20 minutes of the elliptical but I had still put on a couple of pounds when I got back (probably due to the few drinks I had each night), but I'm back on the straight and narrow already - I even went to a spin class last night.

So, I'm back to writiing my food and exercise journal as of today.

In other news, my boss gave me a 5% payrise, which was cool until I realized by moving to an annual bonus scheme (from quarterly) and with the % of bonus she assigned me I'm actually going to have less money month on month. It'll be nice to get a annual bonus, but the smiles I had disappeared. It also confirms for me once again that I'm severely underpaid. My company's policy is pay rises are once a year, so when it changes it makes you wonder.

I did have to work a day last Sunday but I did get an award for that work, amounting to $2k....so I'm off on the website trying to figure out where to go and what to do:) Travelocity are now on the list of merchants I can get certificates from so i can feel a holiday coming on.

That's it from me - more later!

England lost

OK, as most of you know I'm not the most avid sports fan in the world, but I do get very patriotic when there's either a semi-final or final. So, on Saturday I hooked up with a friend at the one bar in the town I live in who had the England vs. South Africa Rugby World final.

For those that are not familiar with the sport of Rugby, think American football without the padding. Oh yeah, and rules like you can grab clothes to stop your opponent. Hahaha - anyhow we lost, but still had a good time. I did get a big fed up of the 6' 6" idiot behind me who a) kept looking down my t-shirt b) kept coughing on my head without putting his hand his mouth and c) kept pushing me forward. But all in all it was nice to do something other than work.

Eating on the other hand was bad. I tried really hard to be good but by sunday afternoon (I'd been working all day) I just had to eat chocolate. I've now lost 8lb overall so it can't be too bad.

My challenge this week is that I'm away on a residential training course until Thursday night. I'm not so worried about the meals for carb or protein as there's usually lots of meals. It's the snacks I'm worrying about - usually it's all donuts, croissants or granola bars. Even if there's fruit that's still a carb.

I worked my butt off last week so hopefully all that gym work will pay off. I even squeezed in a training session with Billy this morning, just so I could feel good about going. I'm also scheduled for Friday morning early....and if I get back early enough on Thursday I'll do the spin class. That way I won't feel so bad.

When I get back I'll magically be able to motivate, lead and manage my 55 children:)

Back on the straight and narrow

I have to say, that the moment you follow this diet to the letter, weight drops away regularly. Let this be a less to me.

Friday's grub;
6.30am snack - yogurt (carb)
9.15am breakfast - ham, spinach, cheese omelette (protein)
1.30pm lunch - spinach soup, salad, fat free frozen yogurt (carb)
6.15pm snack - banana and peach smoothie (carb)
8.30pm dinner - salmon and veggies (protein)
10.00pm snack - 2 squares of chocolate (carb)

Gym - 1 hour with Billy, 45 min spin class

Not too bad - the worst was that I was late for the gym so didn't get to eat before I met Billy. I ran out of energy half way through, although it didn't stop me doing everything asked of me. However, once I had the smoothie between classes I felt much better.

It was a weird spin class. Weird doode, weird music. Who on earth plays Loveshack by the B52s in a spin class? Blinking odd if you ask me.

A bit of cheating

So today was a little difficult, although I don't think it's too bad. I'll make up for it tomorrow by doing an extra spin class:)

Eating was:
9.15am breakfast - cereal, milk (carb)
11am snack - tuna salad and celery (protein)
12.45pm lunch - 2 sushi rolls (carb AND protein - a "healthy" cheat)
4.00pm snack - cheese nips, fruit gushers (big cheating.....carb)
6pm out for drinks. 2 vodka/club sodas and a handful of cashews (protein)
8.00pm snack/dinner - yogurt, sugar free jello/rediwhip

Gym - zip, nada, nothing

I'm meeting Billy tomorrow who'll get me back on the straight and narrow (hopefully). I've also timed that so I can do a spin class at 6.30pm.

Also happy as Trev's back from Singapore tomorrow.

Food

With all the extra gym activity I seem spurred on with this diet - it's getting easier each week, and I'm managing to cheat now and then.

9.15am breakfast - cereal, milk, grapes (carb)
12.30 lunch - steak and vegetables (protein)
3.30 snack - peanut butter and celery (protein)
6.30 snack - banana and peach smoothie (carb)
8.15 dinner - bacon, onions, mushrooms, sugar free jello (protein)

Gym - 45 min spin class

Officially now at 7lb lost in 18 days....I don't think that's too bad at all. I'm definitely up for this challenge now and it's getting easier as time goes on.

Things that make me mad

Last night I figured the post I'd write which wasn't about work, gym or diet was going to be about 1st st in the town in which I live. We have cars on either side of the street, with pedestrians having complete right of way, and taking it. When I drive back from the gym at the top of town I have about a 10 block drive down 1st St. The uninitiated will always break at each intersection because the cars/trucks come flying out - even though it's your right of way. This results in lots of unnecessary braking and honking of horns. Last night I decided that I was going to drive without braking once.....and I made it!

I was so happy about this that when I when around the block and into our street imagine my horror when there was no way to drive my car into MY DRIVEWAY. Now remember, cars everywhere.....and we have a one car-width driveway. So, when a blinking great van and an inconsiderate car over park either wide of our white lines it makes it completely impossible to turn into the drive way. I was SOOOOOOOO MAD. Anyway, I double parked (everyone else does, why shouldn't I?) and figured I'd go upstairs and immediately call the police. Anyway, sweaty and horrible that I was (remember I had just got back from the gym) I ran down stairs again and was going to find a space for the car while I called (I figured with my luck i'd get a ticket if I left the car where it was). Anyway, just as I was getting ready to drive off, the people in the van turned up. It all ended well as they backed up so i could get my car in. That kind of thing I think is inconsiderate and I'd never do that to anyone.

Eating

Today hasn't been too bad. I did cheat a little, but given that I was put through my paces by Billy I don't feel too bad. I obviously felt motivated because straight after the gym I headed to the store and and actually bought nothing other than fresh food - and now having bought 2.5lb of salmon I have an additional source of protein in the freezer.

Today's eating:
9.15am breakfast - ham, spinach, cheese omelette
1.30pm lunch - deep fried mushrooms, salad, fat free frozen yogurt
3.30pm snack - fruit rollup, few pieces of fresh pineapple
4.45pm snack - yogurt, few grapes
7.15pm dinner - salmon and veggie stir fry, jello and cool whip

Gym - 15 min cardio, 1 hour with Billy

My cheats today were the deep fried mushrooms and the fruit rollup. While bad, if that's the ONLY bad thing I eat, it's not that bad, right?

I thought I'd give you an idea of what I get through in an hour with Billy. Don't think I've posted this before so it may be of interest. After the cardio warm up.... each set of exercises is done twice

Set 1
a) Seated high row - 20lb resistance, 20 reps
b) Bent over row - 10lb weight 1st round, 25lb weight 2nd round, 20 reps each arm
c) Holding same weight as (b) do 20 squats

Set 2
a) Calf raises with 50lb weight on shoulders 20 reps
b) Lie face down, holding yourself up with your arms, 25lb weight between your feet, pull the weight to your butt 20 reps (your thighs are resting on a spongy thingy)
c) Stand on bosu ball, hold 15lb weight in one arm, squat down and then stand up and reach the weight to the sky 10 reps each arm

Set 3
a) Shoulder press 30lb 15 reps
b) Knee ups, hands behind head 30 reps
c) Leg extension 35lb 20 reps http://www.changingshape.com/exercise/strengthtraining/gym/seatedlegextension.asp

Set 4
a) Single leg press 75lb, 20 reps each leg http://www.changingshape.com/exercise/strengthtraining/gym/legpress.asp
b) Alternating lunges, standing still, hands behind head http://www.changingshape.com/exercise/strengthtraining/lunges.asp
c) 10 dead lifts hold 2 x 25lb dumb bells
d) 10 touch toes and reach to the sky

And I'm done. It doesn't sound a lot, but with the weights I'm carrying it kills. I still think that I've missed a set of exercises but I can't remember them for the life of me.

Are you exhausted? I was.... luckily my recovery is quick:)

CSI

For those of you that don't watch CSI, this will mean nothing. I watch it without fail. Love that show!

http://entertainment.tv.yahoo.com/entnews/ap/20071016/119258430000.html

Now this may mean that Catherine and Grissom get together:) Woooohoooo

Back on the straight and narrow

OK, so I was doing OK for most of the weekend. I ate salmon and veggies when I was out on Friday night, I didn't do too badly on Saturday apart from eating a chocolate bar. Saturday night Trev went off to Singapore for the week and I went to our neighbours for a party. Had a few drinks but decided it was good as I'd worked out, got a massage and eaten "OK". Sunday was a washout as I was recovering from the night before - I didn't get to bed until 3am so was pretty knackered. Sunday I just ate bad food - I started out OK, but then it degenerated.

Today I'm back on the straight and narrow and resolve next weekend to not be so bad. So, for today:

8.15am breakfast - cereal, milk, yogurt
11.15am snack - peanut butter and celery
12.30pm lunch - salad, potato/corn soup, bread roll, little butter, small amount of frozen yogurt
3.45pm snack - granola bar
5.45pm snack - almonds, tuna/mayo, celery
8.15pm dinner - carrot and coriander soup (homemade), nectarine

Gym - 45 min spin class

So, not too bad today although probably should have taken out one of the snacks. Hopefully when I tread on the scales tomorrow it'll be good news. I can't believe I slip off the wagon so easily - you'd think by now I would have retrained my eating habits. Hmmmmmm - maybe that'll never happen.

I really really really have to stop only blogging about this weight loss crap - it's consuming me. I already feel myself becoming a bore with the gym - it can't be fun for people. So, I am going to post at least one thing that is not related to a) work b) gym c) diet.

Are there really people like this?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=487118&in_page_id=1770

OK, so who goes around with facial hair like this these days.....what a plonker!

WL Progress

Still not doing badly at all - I've kept to the 6.6lb of loss since Oct 1st so that's pretty good. Hopefully another pound or two will be gone by Monday when we're at the half way mark. I'm doing enough gym and I'm not eating badly at all so it should be possible.

Yesterday's eating:
9.30am breakfast - cereal, milk, yogurt (carb)
1.15pm lunch - sushi, salmon/cucumber roll, tuna/cucumber roll (carb and protein - I cheated)
3.30pm snack - peanut butter and celery (protein)
6.45pm snack - apple and nectarine smoothie (carb)
8.15pm dinner - chilli and cheese (protein)

Gym - one hour weight training with Billy, 45 min spin class

The smoothies are terrific and completely healthy. I love them.

WL Progress

So it's not going so bad. I like being on the straight and narrow - it's so easy. I even managed to go out yesterday and

Eats:
9.40am Breakfast - cereal and milk (carb)
10.50am Snack - celery and peanut butter (protein)
1.00pm Lunch - seabass and salad (protein)
4.10pm Snack - granola bar, yogurt (carb)
6.30pm Dinner - 2 Gin and Tonics, shot (given to me by the staff), pack of goldfish (carb)

Gym - none

I have to say that I mixed the carbs and proteins wrong, but it just worked out that way. As I ate quite a lot as a snack in the afternoon i really wasn't hungry. I met a colleague for a quick drink and by the time I got home I just wanted to sleep. So, I didn't really miss dinner - I just took complete liberties with the "carb" portion of my diet. I was rewarded when I got on the scale with now a total of 6.6lb loss. You never know, I may make the 10lb for the month that's the target! Who knows.....

I am hungry this morning, so it's omelette time....which works out great!

WL Progress

So this is for Tuesday. It wasn't a bad day at all - this diet really is so easy I'm impressed that I can do it. At the bottom I also have another recipe for a great smoothie:)

Eats
8.30am breakfast - cereal, milk, yogurt (carb)
12 noon lunch - chilli with cheese and mayo (protein)
4.30pm snack - nectarine and pineapple smooth (carb)
8.15pm dinner - skirt steak, little sweet potato (protein)

gym - 10mins cardio, one our training w/Billy

Note the lack of snacks and number of meals.....it really is easy if you eat protein for main meals (lunch/dinner). I just have to stop eating red meat and start focusing on fish and chicken. That's my next goal.

Pineapple and Nectarine Smoothie
Half pineapple
One nectarine
2 cups low calorie cranberry juice
ice to taste
sweetner to taste

Whizz in blender, drink. Blinking brilliant. makes about 2 pints so lasts for 2 days:)

A new use for vodka

Funny story.... who knew vodka could be so useful:)

http://uk.reuters.com/article/wtMostRead/idUKSYD11479320071010

Weather, legs and boobs

I don't think I've mentioned before, but the weather has been FANTASTIC. We've had it in the 80s for the last few weeks and it's only been since the rain hit late this afternoon that we're down to the late 60s. It's been beautiful. The trees still think it's summer. I'm sure it'll all come down with a crashing bang and it'll be 40 and chucking down in no time. In the mean time, I'm enjoying it to the full.

So, sounding more like a gym bore every day, apparently I reached new heights today in the weight training. Rather than doing a full body work out (arms, back, shoulders, butt, legs) I can now handle doing a full hour on either butt/legs or arms/back/shoulders. Tonight was butt/legs.....and OMG, I have jelly legs. I did survive though....this leaves THursday for the arms/back/shoulders followed by the spin class. Yeah for me. Still, pretty good for me. ....and told you I was becoming a bore:)

I'm off out tonight to meet a new friend I found. She's called Tammy. We'll see how that goes. We've chatted back and forth a lot on email and it sounds good, so I'm looking forward to it. I'm liking this leave work early, go to gym, get ready and go out....it's a nice work/life balance.

On the boobs front a colleague of mine is in town from Asia. She used to work in Tokyo and has recently taken a new job living in Bangalore. She is the healthiest, fittest person I know and this time last year she was diagnosed with breast cancer. At a women's network meeting today she came and told us her story about finding out, her family, her friends, and how she coped. A year on, she looks fantastic and is so upbeat and positive. I have two other friends this past year who were also diagnosed and they're the same....I'm so proud of them all....I hope that I can be as strong as them if needed. You are all in my thoughts.

Remember ladies, it's breast cancer awareness month - make sure you're checking yourself and getting mammograms.

And on that note, I'm off out to dinner!

What to eat when working out and other stuff

http://food.yahoo.com/blog/beautyeats/18848/eat-to-lose-before-and-after-workouts

Interesting read....nice to know that I follow this more or less.

Not much else going on. Trev is still traveling (Holland 2 weeks ago, Atlanta last week and this week, Singapore next week....it never ends) and I'm still working hard and then kicking my butt in the gym. That always makes me feel good.

One thing that I am concerned about on a personal note is that I'm now starting to have HUGE guilt feelings if I don't go to the gym. For example last Friday I didn't go. Bear in mind that on the Thursday I worked out with Billy and then did a 45min spin class. He told me to rest Friday, which I did. Why the guilt? Same thing yesterday - I came home and did nothing. Saturday and Sunday I did classes (Pilates and then an aerobic class) so it's not like I've not done anything. This is not a usual feeling for me so it's weird feeling it.....and I know I'm not explaining it well - clearly I'm becoming obsessed and I need to calm it down. Not quite sure how to do that but I'll work on it.

I'm also starting to make new friends - I have Sharon and Marcie at the gym, i've also met a lady called Funda and we seem to hit it off. I'm liking living here even more.... the more things I have to do which doesn't include work or the gym is a good thing and it also gives me stuff to do when Trev isn't around (which is quite often). I still miss my Friday nights at Muddy Waters when we lived in CR.....it was such fun and a tradition. Didn't get to that in STL and haven't quite got to that stage here in NY. working on it though!

I'm starting to think about trips we want to make in the next few months - I just bought a ticket to STL for beginning of January. I'm sure it'll be killer cold....but it'll be great to hang out with old friends for the weekend. Can't wait. Means now I want to get back to CR, Chicago and Denver too so I'm on all the websites looking for good tickets.

In 2 weeks I'm off on a management course.....I'm going to find out about delegating, communicating and coaching again. I always like these courses because it's not about learning a product or application, it's about you. While it can be uncomfortable reading feedback about yourself, it's also a good time to reflect on how others perceive you and your performance. I also get to do a project for 3 months which gets high visibility so that'll be very cool too. All I have to do now is find time to do the pre-work:)

Old friends - Lorraine and Diane.....if you're reading this please get in touch as i've tried emailing and got no responses.

OK enough rambling for today....gotta get back to work!