Friday Night Light – Day 12

A walk on the beach in Hilton Head at sunset.



I used to look forward to Friday as my splurge day. Go out on Friday for lunch with my co-workers. Eat out on Friday night with my what’s-his-name. Friday splurge day would have been cool if every other day wasn’t splurge day for me. Now I need a way to reward myself after a long work week without food, but I’m not sure what to do. Go to a movie? Take a walk? Healthy backyard picnic? Buy a yoga video? My friend recommends "Bryan Kest Power Yoga Complete Collection." You know me and yoga! This would be a nice treat. But I really need a treat where I don't eat, and I don't spend money. Send me your ideas or buy me the Bryan Kest yoga video.

Weird Weight Loss Tip
I like cookies, but now I think of cookies as my cigarettes. Do you smoke? Think about quitting. Do you overeat? Think of the excess food, the extra food your body doesn’t need, as cigarettes. Don’t want to take my word for it? Check out Cancer Statistics for 2009 or specifically “Cancer Prevention & Early Detection Facts & Figures 2009” and “Excess Weight Linked To 90,000 Us Cancer Deaths Annually.”

Not worried about cancer? The American Diabetes Association, American Cancer Society and American Heart Association have joined together in a historic collaboration to encourage the prevention and early detection of cancer, diabetes, heart disease and stroke. For more go to Everyday Choices.

Thursday Exercise Journal
25 Flights of stairs

2 hours in the emergency room with a 2 year old on his birthday. 2 hours past his bedtime. Say that 10 times fast. Laps around hospital waiting for doctor to tell us arm was not broken, just bizarre reaction to bug bite that makes your arm blue and deformed. I challenge anyone who says I didn't burn 100 calories from stress. Don't do what I do. Stress is actually a weird weight gain tip.

Thursday Food Journal
075 - Boiled egg
100 - Banana
090 - Cottage Cheese
050 - Honeydew
240 - Oat bread
126 - Deli Turkey
050 - Cheese
090 - Yogurt
050 - Blueberries
225 - Turkey burger
100 - Edamame
200 - Most delicious cream cheese pound cake that my mom makes. My monster's birthday, I get to eat homemade cake warmed and served with . . .
100 - 1 tbsp Bruster's vanilla ice cream

Oh, I’m a meanie. You thought I was going to blog about football. All in good time, my friends. I want you to read any of the links above and start thinking about saving your own life. I'm a double meanie. I gave you homework on Friday. Ha, ha. Happy healthy reading, exercising, and eating. See you Monday!

Baby Steps and Caveman Steps – Day 11

Me feeding a baby onion rings, burger, fries, chicken wings, cheese curds, and a strawberry milkshake. Just kidding. His mom fed him all that. I just fed him the milkshake.

A pediatrician told me that a baby’s stomach is the size of her fist. It is supposed to be the same with adults, too. Now, look at your fist. Next time you have a plate of food in front of you, look at your fist again. I can certainly put more food in my stomach than a fist-sized portion!

My ninth grade biology teacher once said that cavemen (and women) probably didn’t eat several times a day, and probably didn’t even eat every day. Maybe they ate like lions, once big meal when they could get it. They might have eaten berries and nuts, but feast daily? They did not.

I’m not a baby or cavewoman, but I guess there are interesting points to ponder from our predecessors and our offspring.

Cavemen probably ate what they had access to and were glad for food. Probably no picky eaters. Lesson learned: I complained heartily about eating celery this week. I don’t like it, and I like every kind of weird vegetable. Except celery. Deep breath. Thank you, God, for the celery. I will be glad for it. I will also pick a different veggie to snack on when the celery isn’t doing it for me.

Babies know when they are hungry. Hence the crying. They also know when to stop eating. Ever had a 3 year-old hand you a wet, hal- eaten graham cracker? I have. It was yesterday. Babies will even go so far as to start chewing, change their mind completely, and spit food out. I am not okay with this. We as adults are a little more civilized. No spitting. Absolutely none. I'm just learning not to put the unwanted food in my mouth. Now that I think about it, isn't this what wine tasters do? I used to be a wine sommelier. I should know. All of the taste none of the swallowing.

Kids know how to eat if given the right choices. Kids learn bad habits from us. Yes, that is my mommy guilt talking. Mine requested Cheerios for breakfast, and I watched them drink all the milk out of the bowl and leave the cereal behind. I said nothing. I really wanted to tell them to finish their cereal and stop wasting my money. Okay, it was the store brand “Cheerios,” but money is money, people!

My biggest weight loss struggle today is to be normal about food around my kids. I'm trying hard to let my kids decide when to stop eating. I will focus on putting good food in front of them. This is so hard. Kids would eat Cheerios and graham crackers all day if they had a choice. I want them to eat a lot of food all the time, including veggies and meat (which my kids are not so fond of). No talking about calories in front of them. Ever. No talking about food for that fact. I’m hoping one day soon they’ll be able to ignore the existence of food and so will I. We will eat it when we need it and get back to reading books and having fun.

(I should mention that I will/do allow my kids to eat cake. I don't want you coming over for one of my monster's birthday parties wondering why we are eating cake and ice cream. If you are lucky we will be eating really good cake and really good ice cream. I don't want my kids going to college never having tasted sweets. That's just not natural.)

Weird Weight Loss Tips

Set a good example for your kids, nieces, nephews, neighbors, little brother, and co-workers. They are watching us more than they are listening. That’s why kids are so creepy like that kid in "The Shining. "

Watch a scary movie. I am never hungry during a scary movie! Not even for popcorn. You never know when something gross is going to flash on the screen. Should I be the inventor of the scary movie weight loss club? Just a thought. Happy eating and exercising.

Speaking of "The Shining" . . . Happy Birthday to my littlest monster who turns 2 years old today. He likes to ride his big wheel around the house and give me the creeps. I know we are supposed to get healthy for ourselves, but I don't agree. I'm doing this for my kids. How can I teach them about self-control if I have none myself? Happy Birthday, No-No. Here's a letter to my children I wrote for one of my other monster's birthdays.

Wednesday Exercise Journal
1 hour "Get Ripped with Jari Love" my all time favorite weight lifting video
6 flights of stairs
Night Time Backyard Boot Camp. 20 minutes. Sprints, lunges, squats, jump role. What's-his-name did push-ups, but I was dodging mosquitoes (also a workout).

Food Journal
100 - Oatmeal with milk
100 - Banana
240 - Oatbread (2 slices)
140 - 1/2 Chicken breast
100 - Cherries
042 - Peach
323 - Turkey sandwich on oat bread with Laughing Cow Light Cheese
070 - Fish stick (cleaning up after the monsters and a bad habit, but they were just going to throw it away! Urrrgh!)
075 - Cottage cheese
030 - Graham cracker

Your Best Guestimate - Day 10

It wasn’t easy traveling and having to figure out calories this weekend. Actually, it was near impossible. My husband and best friend have embarked on this healthy lifestyle change with me. All weekend our conversation sounded like this:

“How many calories do you think are in one bratwurst?” We didn’t know, and we will never know.

“How many calories do you think are in one piece of sushi and one mini crab cake?” Damn weddings and the associated foods of usual portions.

"How many calories are in an Irish Car Bomb?" Not a political statement, but a drink shot containing a variety of alcohols. Identities have been concealed to protect the innocent. My guestimate: too many calories.

Lots of Weird Weight Loss Tips for Traveling

• Bring an apple (I got this from H3 friend Jeff) .
• Order a side salad and appetizer with protein for your meal.
• Eat half of hotel omelet, but regular serving of fruit.
• Ask your friends or co-workers for help. Just verbalizing “Which do you think is better?” might help you make a better food choice. Even if you already know which item on the menu is a better choice.
• Walk when you can. Skip the cab or rental car. Unless you are wearing 4-inch heels to the wedding. You then have permission to take a cab.
• When tempted by the Doritos at the pre-wedding picnic, get up and play a game of Corn Hole. I am not okay with the name of this game, but it is fun. I was tempted by the Doritos and avoided Doritos with a game of Corn Hole.
• Do better than you normally would. Even if you don’t make the best choice every time. Make better choices. This is great advice I heard from Bob Wright at Hilton Head Health. Bob is the Director of Education.
• Get back to your structured eating and exercising plan when you get home.
• Congratulate yourself for focusing on your goals even when you are away from home.

Tuesday Exercise Journal
Boot Camp 10: 10 push-ups, sit-ups, squats, jumping jacks, 300 meters. Repeat 5 times.
Weights: 8lb, 12 reps: biceps, flys, squats, triceps, rows, full overhead press.
18 flights of stairs

Tuesday Food Journal
075 - Egg
025 - Blueberries
025 - Plain yogurt
035 - Kashi Go Lean Whole Grain Puffs
018 - Spinach and sprouts
140 - Grilled chicken
025 - Balsamic dressing
100 - Banana
025 - Blueberries
025 - Plain yogurt
035 - Kashi Go Lean Whole Grain Puffs
070 - Honeydew
035 - Laughing Cow Light Cheese
120 - cheese bread
075 - Hummus
075 - Tabouli
225 - Turkey burger
042 - Peach

The Importance of Being Earnest - Day 9

I’ve got exercise on the brain. It is probably a little irritating to the people around me who are not thinking about exercise. I went to Hilton Head Health with my friend Mamie just over two week ago. We are still focusing on lessons learned during our H3 experience. This weekend, Mamie and I met up at a friend’s wedding in Minnesota.

On Saturday morning before the festivities started, we decided to take a 3 mile walk along the Mississippi. As we started walking, I asked Mamie what we used to do with our time on other trips like this. I’m the curious one. Mamie responded, “Eat.” She is the wise one.

What downtown St. Paul, Minnesota looks like at 7 a.m. if you decide to take a stroll

In the past, we would have had a long breakfast that would turn into a long lunch, and inevitably that would turn into a long dinner. Somewhere in between we’d visit a museum or local point of interest, but meals punctuated our mini-college reunions. When I think back on all the places I’ve visited, I think mostly of the food I’ve eaten in those places. New York, Chicago, Toronto. Lots of nice restaurants. Once I took a walk in New York when I was there for work. I got up at 5 a.m. and hit the streets looking for a good bagel. It was a 30 minute walk (food inspired, but a walk none the less). Now, I wish I’d taken more walks like that in different cities.

First thing Saturday morning, my husband and I took a 30 minute walk around downtown St. Paul. Quiet city, good for walking. Mid morning, we took a 3 mile walk along the Mississippi. Out of my 10 friends, 6 opted to go on the long walk with me and Mamie. Instead of two good meals we had two good walks. Instead of eating and talking, we were walking and talking. Same good time. Fewer calories.

Weird Weight Loss Tip
"Before breakfast" and "after lunch" are not times. Stop telling time by meals. I noticed I’ve been doing this throughout the blog and in life. I’m going to make a conscious effort to start telling time be the time of day, and not my belly!

Get by with a little help from your friends. I know they say have a workout buddy. Someone to be accountable to, but I disagree. If you have a workout buddy that is fine. But I say beg borrow and steal a workout buddy. You don’t need one forever, you need one for every day. Could be a different one each day. This weekend Mamie and I asked our friends if they wanted to walk with us. Most of them did. The boys made us do 1 minute runs, push-ups, jumping jacks. I decline the push-ups, but I’m grateful that they were there to push us a little further than we may have done on our own. Thanks, Posse! I love you guys. Thanks for the great walk. We would have made Huck and Tom proud.

Monday Exercise Journal
22 flights of stairs at work
30 minutes in park with monsters

Monday Food Journal
090 - Cottage cheese
120 - Honeydew
005 - Celery
200 - Marinara meat sauce
280 - 2 slices oat bread
042 - Peach
200 - Meatball
060 - Bread w/cheese
012 - 1 Baked Dorito (Don't ask. Didn't know Doritos could be singular, did you? Next time I won't eat it, just so I don't look stupid having to journal about it)
025 - Honeydew

Back to Life – Day 8

Monday Weigh In : - 7 lbs. (Weight change July 12 to date)

Wooo hoo! I checked at work and at home. Both scales are showing the same amount lost. I’m pretty surprised, but I also know that weight can drastically fluctuate. We’ll see what my results are next Monday for comparison. I am happy.

Weekend in review

Friday
Exercise Journal
20 minute walk before work
20 minute walk at the airport. We skipped the train in the ATL airport and walked to our concourse. Ya’ll in Atlanta know that is a workout.

Food Journal
100 - Oatmeal
150 – ½ Frozen Banana with Peanut Butter
Unknown Lunch– Arugula, yellow beet, blue berry, and gorgonzola salad, 2 oz beef tenderloin, ½ chocolate peanut butter cupcake, ½ meltaway cookie (yumminess)
Unknown Dinner – 1 beef slider no bun, 1 fish slider no bun, 1 onion ring, 2 cheese curds, 1 mini-meatball, 2 sips strawberry milkshake
Unknown drinks – Irish Car Bomb and Kamikaze

Good News. Skipped the beer at the Happy Gnome in St. Paul. Bad News. The Irish Car Bomb and Kamikaze at dinner. Less worried about the two shots of worthless alcohol and calories, but more worried that I’m too old to do shots. After taking both shots, my college roommates and I were tired and immediately went back to hotel to sleep. Rather unlike nights of debauchery in our younger days.

Saturday
Exercise Journal
30 minute walk in downtown St. Paul pre-breakfast
1 hour – 3 mile walk/run along the Mississippi river

I want to give a special thanks to my friends for taking a long walk with us on Saturday. Extra motivation and fun! I'll tell you more about it in tomorrow's blog.

Food Journal
Unknown calories most of the day. This is bad news. Good news is that I tested my judgement and portion control skills.
½ hotel omelet, ½ sausage, 50 calories of honeydew, 40 calories of coffee with milk
Lunch – 1 Bratwurst and 1 hot dog no buns. 1 tsp potato salad, cole slaw, and kraut. 1 piece of rye bread, 1 slice of corned beef, 2 mini-lemon cookies, 1 oatmeal cookie.
Dinner – Wedding reception. Lost track here, but I was nervous about giving a toast to bride and groom. I made better food choices than normal. Enjoyed 2 mojitos and a glass of champagne.

Good News. I brought my running shoes and did a 3 mile walk/run while traveling! Bad news. I remembered running shoes, but not my workout pants. Good thing Minnesota is the home of Target. No excuse not to workout on this trip!

Sunday
Food Journal
200 – ½ turkey sandwich
040 – Coffee with skim milk
Peanut butter and jelly sandwich
280 – 2 pieces Pepperidge farm soft oatmeal bread
090 – 1 tbsp peanut butter
080 – 2 tsp Polaner’s cherry preserves
120 – 1.5 eggs
160 – 2 oz salmon
050 – Sautéed spinach and green peppers
50 – 4 oz Organic limeade

Exercise Journal
1.5 hours in the Great Barn at Stone Mountain Park. It is like Cross Fit for kids. Running jumping, sliding, climbing, throwing. I got a lot of exercise in there! I also felt a lot better than the last time I was in there with my monsters. Better fitness actually means more fun for all.
20 minutes Paddle boat at Stone Mountain Park. Big monster is too short to paddle so I had to do all the work.

Weird Weight Loss Tip
Don’t just take the stairs instead of the escalator. Don’t just walk instead of the moving sidewalk. Pick someone on the escalator or moving sidewalk and try to keep up with them while you are on foot. It might seem creepy at the mall, but if you do this at the airport, people with think you are just trying to catch your flight!

Weird Weight Loss Tip for Weddings
As my dear friend Mamie said as she walked on to the dance floor this weekend, “I’m just here to burn calories.” Don’t forget to dance. No one cares if you dance like Elaine Benes from Seinfield, Mamie. Oh, wait. That's how you run. Different story. Have fun, burn calories!

Run Away with Me - Day 5

It has been a weird week. I feel like I have a new superpower. My husband claims he can hear his metabolism buzzing. Here is the problem, I'll be traveling soon. A wedding out of town. Lots of friends from college. Oh, don't you remember how much fun food was in college?

I'm going to eat and enjoy myself, but I'm also going to bring my running shoes. Something I've never done before, but I heard an interesting comment at Hilton Head Health from Beth Leermakers. Dr. Leermakers is Hilton Head Health's Wellness Counselor.

What would a runner do if she were traveling? She'd pack her running shoes. I've packed my running shoes. I've carved out some time on Saturday morning to walk or run or move before the wedding festivities start. Ditto for Sunday before I fly back home. I'd like to do 30 minutes each day. More if I can. I've also packed my food journal so you can hear all about the exciting things I eat, and maybe about the exciting things I opt not to eat. Of course, I'll bring my camera.

Weird Weightloss Tip
Be your own fortune teller. Write down what you plan to eat at the beginning of the day. Having a plan means you might better be able to control your calorie intake. Hmm. This is great advice. I might just try this! Actually, I did this twice this week and it helped me avert "emergency" eating and snacking. Happy exercising and happy eating!

Going to miss me until Monday?
I'll share my exercise and food journals with you next week. Until then go to H3Daily blog for a crazy backyard workout!

The Sound of the Ocean - Day 4

Beach Yoga

The main character in the novel I'm writing is a young woman obsessed with the sound of the ocean. She is a little bit autobiographical. I went to school in California looking for the sound of the ocean not knowing that the beach was a 45 minute drive away. I married a man who grew up near the ocean. Here is a blog about what I think of him. Until last week, I thought there was something about the scent and taste of him that reminded me of the sea. But I was wrong. I hear the ocean in his breathing. . . and in mine.

While I was at Hilton Head Health, I was fortunate to take a few yoga classes with Karen Verechia. She got the sense that the 4 scheduled classes were not enough for me. I like lifting weights, but I hate walking on treadmills. You don't go anywhere. It is my idea of hell. But with yoga you are always reaching for something. You are both grounding yourself and looking upward. Karen invited me to one of her beach yoga classes, and I jumped at the chance to go.

I could go on forever about what happened to me as I sat facing the water, eyes closed, and breathing like I was the tide itself. You know I'm not overly sentimental. I only cry watching a few movies: Shawshank Redemption, Steele Magnolias, and The Terminator. I cried twice this year walking the Labyrinth at my church. No one could explain what happened, and my guess is that when I speak to God as opposed to praying, I cry. I must have be speaking to God while I did my beach yoga with Karen. My heart hurt. My breathing sounded like the tide touching then withdrawing from the sand.

I have many thanks to give Hilton Head Health and a many more thanks for Karen from Studio V Yoga. She takes her yoga class onto the blinding whiteness of the beach and asks that you breathe, if only for an hour, like the sound of the ocean.

I would recommend beach yoga with Karen Verechia if you're ever in Hilton Head, South Carolina. Check out her website Studio V Yoga for days and times.

Exercise Journal

The Countdown 10. (10 sit-ups, push-ups, jumping jacks, squats, then 100 meters. Then 9 sit-ups, push-ups, jumping jacks, squats, then 100 meters, Then 8, 7, and so on) Time: 19 minutes and way too much sweat for 7 a.m. What we refer to as the butt-crack of dawn. My husband and I did this routine before work this morning. I had come up with about 5 excuses why we didn't have time, but we did it and I was still at my desk before 9 a.m.! I sent him an email at 10 a.m. thanking him for giving me a boost today.

2 sets of stairs at work. 12 flights total up and down. I was in my work clothes so I tried not to break a sweat (see ocean breathing above). I imagine I'm in a chase scene in a movie. Why do they run up the stairs in movie chase scenes? It makes no sense. When bad guys are chasing you, always go down the stairs.

Food Journal
090 - Yogurt

190 - 1/2 cup Flax Seed Plus with Raisins

140 - Oat bread

160 - 1/2 cup Hummus

120 - 1/2 cup Tabouli

100 - Banana

050 - 1/8 of whole Honeydew

100 - Mixed steamed veggies

100 - Strawberries

100 - Grilled chicken

050 - Cottage cheese
075 - Frozen banana and peanut butter (I fell of the wagon and had a little dessert. Delish!)

Weight Loss Tip of the Day That is Not So Weird
Don't like running? Averse to sports? Have an excuse why you shouldn't do every exercise in the book? Try yoga. It is a great exercise for beginners and advanced athletes. I think the inner focus might be useful for those of us trying to change our eating habits. Check out yoga DVDs from your local library or if you are a cool kid who has cable (unlike me) watch (or record) Inhale at 6am on the Oxyen Channel. Namaste!

Happy Salad Day - Day 3

Wednesday is Salad Day at H3. The attendees talk about it like it is free candy day. There is a huge buffet. In honor of salad day, please check out this awesome link to a New York Times article The Minimalist - Recipes for 101 Simple Salads. Happy Salad Day!


Strategic Error of the Day
Despite having a sick child, we went to dinner with friends from out of town tonight. The are only in Atlanta for two days, and they have kids so they swore they weren't afraid of germs. I only see this person one or two times a year at most. The strategic error was not taking sick child out, but I was totally unprepared for how to order food at a pizza place (see Zucca in Decatur).

As noted below, I opted for house salad with balsamic dressing on the side and an order of meatballs. Because eating a meatball the size of your fist is way healthier than eating a slice of pizza.
No really, it is. If you believe that you will believe anything. Serving was two meatballs, and I only ate one. Way better than what I used to do.

And I ate cake. No apologies. It was good cake. But no regrets since I ate a fraction of the slice. I did pretty good today. Proud of myself, and I'll do better tomorrow!

Exercise Journal
1 hr yoga with what's-his-name before work
30 minutes of walking after dinner
1 hr mowing the lawn (Yes, I'm counting this as exercise. I have a big yard and a walk-behind mower.)

Food Journal
Calories - Food
035 - Kashi
070 - Plain yogurt
050 - Strawberries and blueberries
140 - 2 piece oat bread
100 - hummus
050 - tabouli
070 - salad with olives and Parmesan cheese
300 - 1 meatball
200 - 30% of a slice of chocolate cake

Weird Weightloss Tip
Hang out with a 5 year old who has been throwing up all day and night. That is what my last 24 hours has been like. Another great appetite suppressant. On that note, happy eating and exercising!

It Hurts to NOT Workout - Day 2

....and other post Hilton Head Health maladies...

• I have to get up from my desk about every 45 minutes. After working out for 7 days straight, it hurts to be sedentary? It hurts to not workout? Is that possible? Is it like curing a hangover with a shot of tequila? Not that I've ever done that, but I've got friends you know. The more I exercise the less I hurt. Weird.




• I feel very nervous around "treats" and "vending machines," and I'm surprised at how much of food I pass by on a daily basis are unwise choices. I'm a junk food crack fiend. I've got the shakes (actually that was from the morning run). I want to know how much one rib costs. (White people, this is both a food/dieting joke and addiction joke. Google it.)



• I am triumphant...at least for today. I resisted the temptation of two of my favorite treats this Sunday. Baked donuts from Duck's Cosmic Kitchen (you can get them at Dancing Goats Coffee Bar in Decatur) and the Snickerdoodles at Ted's Montana Grill. I have a very bad sweet tooth.

I have faced the temptation of Chick-Fil-A. Chick-Fil-A is what I consider a wise fast-food choice. We went there for dinner tonight for a fundraiser for the monsters' school.

What a stroll through my neighborhood looks like. Some tress, some humans.

Here's how my day went:

Exercise Journal
30 min walk/run (Not a sunrise beach walk, but still good. A pretty good way to start the day with my husband)
1 set of 6 flights of stairs

Food Journal
Calorie - Food
230 - Flax Plus Raisin Bran w/ milk (love this cereal, was already a part of my diet)
025 - Strawberries
250 - Salmon (leftovers from last night)
035 - Dijon sauce
140 - Oatbread
036 - Butter (replaced salad with butter. no good psychology for this)
100 - Banana
220 - Chick-Fil-A Grilled Chicken and Fruit Salad
015 - Light Italian dressing
095 - 3 Tablespoons of Bruster's chocolate ice cream ( a treat!)

Weird Weightloss Tip
I still have the old treats in my desk: Oreos, Snackwell cookies, dark chocolate squares. I'm keeping them. Might eat them one day. But I put post-it notes on all food items in my desk drawer with the calories written very big. 6 Oreo cookies are 270 calories. So post-it note reads 270 calories. Funny thing is, I don't even like Oreo cookies.

Weird Weightloss Tip #2
Go to a fast food restaurant with 100 screaming 2-5 year olds. Instant appetite suppressant! Also instant birth control...

Right knee is hurting a little, slept like a baby last night (well at least a baby that sleeps through the night), thinking about yoga then fresh strawberries and yogurt from breakfast. What are you thinking about tonight? Strawberries? Yoga? Push-ups?

Happy New Year - Day 1

I just spent a fabulous week at Hilton Head Health (H3). I learned a lot. I promise to tell you the details later, but none of what I learned can be translated into a blog. This is a blog about what happens when you learn something, when you reached the tipping point. I wanted to set up some public accountability for my new lifestyle in the form of a weight loss blog. This will not be for those looking for something quick and easy. You might have to follow this blog for years before I get to my desire results. But I plan to enjoy the journey, and I hope you do to.


When you are flexing what you really want is for your closet friend to be laughing hysterically (in the foreground) and 6'5 former pro volleyball player to be smirking (in the background).

As I said on my writing blog: Don't wait for January 1. Start writing, exercising, eating healthy, cleaning your closets today. For now this is my plan:

I will post my

• daily exercise routine
• food journal

If I have time I will post

• complaints and happiness
• people who helped me
• weird tips for weight loss

I'll also remind you about nice websites with official recommendations like The Hilton Head Health Weight Loss Newsletter and Yoga Journal. I will also see if I can get my friends to chime in who are also learning new habits for fitness, healthy cooking, stress management, and weight loss. They say the key to weight loss success is keeping a journal. And here I thought it was staying away from the Krispy Kreme Donuts. Oh, and I am going to talk about food. It is my favorite. I have serious plans to eat a big piece of wedding cake in Minneapolis next weekend.

Food Journal
Calories - Food item
150 - 2 boiled eggs (2 x 75)
035 - Kashi whole grain puffs 1/2 cup
025 - 1/4 cup blueberries
050 - Kefir plain yogurt
050 - Honeydew melon 1/8 of whole
170 - Ethic Gourmet "Chicken Tandoori w/ Spinach"
025 - 1/4 cup blueberries
100 - medium banana
200 - 4oz baked salmon (I made this!)
035 - Dijon sauce (I made this, too! With plain non-fat yogurt as the base)
100 - spinach salad with sprouts and balsamic vinegar (I didn't make it, but I assembled the parts)
005 - 2 pieces of sugar free gum

What dinner tonight looked like. I cooked for my husband and parents. I gave my oat bread to my dad. I don't think he liked the "healthy cooking" because he put gobs of the dijon sauce on salmon and spinach, but then he weighs 125 lbs soaking wet. For my true friends, please see the evidence of my cooking (I swore off cooking once I started having the little monsters). Big monster (age 5) entered the kitchen while salmon was cooking and proclaimed "Grown up food smells yucky." Dude, thanks for the encouragement. I have to say, I really liked the salmon and sauce. Pretty close to what we ate one day at H3.

Exercise Journal
6:30 am 2 set of 12 (chest fly, biceps, triceps, reverse lunges, squats, row, overhead press)
60 mins walking
2 sets of 6 flights of stairs at work

Treat
3 sleeping monsters by 8:15pm
30 minute soak in Epsom salt and vinegar
1 what's-his-name who joined me in tub

Weird Tip for Weight Loss
Sugar-free gum. It is also good for your teeth.

Since this is not my writing blog, I don't have time for verboseness, but if you want to read my writing related ramblings go to Petit Fours and Hot Tamales or click here to see my posts. Coolest bunch of women writers you'll ever meet. Happy eating and happy exercising.