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Friday, November 30, 2012
THB5K and Weigh in Day
Someone asked when I was going to announce the winners of the THB5K, so I wanted to update you all. If you’ve been reading my blog, you know that I’ve been away for two weeks. As much as I’ve wanted to, I haven’t had the time to finish the post with all of the participant information and announce the winners. But I am back at home now and I hope to get everything done by Monday! I’m really sorry that it has taken me so long, I hope you understand.
So this morning I stepped on the scale expecting the worst. I even told my husband, “this is going to ruin my day” and he told me not to weigh in for a few days. lol.
Well, I said I needed to face the truth and see where I’m at so that I can do something about it and stepped on the scale.
To my surprise, I had LOST over 4 lbs. since I left on the work trip!
WHAT?!
I ate all kinds of rich foods! But my efforts to stay mindful (most of the time!) and to exercise every day must have paid off.
This is way out of the ordinary for me to have a loss. It’s really weird. Normally, I’d be up 10 lbs. I will weigh in next Thursday on my official weigh in day, so that gives me almost a week of normal eating again (hopefully!). I think I will actually have a loss after these 2 weeks of traveling.
And that is a HUGE relief to me!
Happy Friday!!
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Traveling and Work Trips
Hello! It’s been a while since I updated, so I thought I would take a moment to let you all know how I’ve been doing.
As I’ve mentioned, I’ve been on a work trip all week. I don’t travel up here all that often, but when you do, they really spoil you.
In the morning, trays of bagels, muffins, coffee, and fruit are brought into the room. Each day, I have managed to eat a good breakfast at the hotel and only eat fruit and coffee at work. So that’s good.
Lunch time has involved eating out once (I ordered soup and salad but caved and ate one small biscuit. The second lunch was make your own sandwiches. The worst part was the fabulous bread and I also had a few homemade chips and a cookie. The third lunch was pizza. I stayed mindful of my hunger signals and ate ONE piece, but also had a cookie and some toffee. I guess I feel like I’m doing terribly, but I have been watching my portions and quantities of food. I do drink plenty of water, as usual.
They take us to these great local restaurants with fabulous food in the evenings. They order lots of appetizers and everyone is allowed drinks (although I stick to iced tea or one diet soda) and once this was followed by dessert (of which I ate two bites).
But the entrees, I probably could have done better with. My thought philosophy was, I’m never going to eat at these places again, nor do hubby and I frequently dine at places where the average meal costs $15 per plate. So I ordered what I wanted but watched my portions and never cleaned my plate.
But the food we’ve been eating is not conducive to weight loss or health for that matter. I am afraid to step on the scale at home tomorrow and see how much damage has been done.
I have exercised every single day though at 5 a.m.! That’s an accomplishment. And outdoors, where it’s like 17 degrees. The first day, I ran 2 miles by myself. The next two days, my coworker offered to come with me and walk. We walked for a little over 30 minutes each day. It was nice to have someone to talk to! At least I’ve kept my exercise constant.
Last week I was traveling all week too, although miraculously, I only gained a couple of pounds over the course of that trip. My eating was A LOT better than it has been this week though.
So is life. I have to find a balance, and I’m trying. This doesn’t mean the end of the road if I have gained some weight, but just another week in my journey. I’ll be back to normal soon. But I know how frustrating it is to stay completely on track for a month and barely lose a thing, but I’ll bet I’ll have gained all that back and more in a matter of days. I’ll keep my fingers crossed that, if that’s the case, it comes back off quickly!
Have a good day!
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Florida Trip 2012 in Photos
Here are some photos from our trip to Florida last week. It was a short but sweet trip! The weather was a little chilly, but we still enjoyed some time in the sun and relaxation.
There ya have it, just a quick recap in photos!
Monday, November 26, 2012
#BestBodyBootcamp Week 5 in Review
You can read about the Best Body Bootcamp, if you are interested!
My 2 personal goals:
- Drink 64 oz. of water.
- Eat 3 servings of vegetables.
Overall personal goal analysis: I met my water goal all 7 days and missed my veggie goal on two days. Being on vacation really threw me for a loop on that one. I could have done better, that’s for sure.
Here’s how my workouts went:
Monday: I completed my Workout A and cardio workout. I did the cardio part on the bike.
Tuesday: I woke up early on my travel day to make sure I got my workout in. I completed my Workout B and cardio workout. I did the cardio part on the bike again.
Wednesday: Hubby and I headed out for a run along the ocean in Florida! We ran 2 miles and then walked back 2 miles. That met my cardio workout criteria.
Thursday: This was my Thankful Healthy Blogger 5k Day. Hubby and I participated in an organized 5K. I ran the 5K in 37:23, beating my previous PR by 3 seconds! Whoohoo! This served as my second cardio workout for the week.
Friday: All in all, hubby and I walked 3.5 miles on the beach and also rented bikes and biked 6 miles on the beach. It was a very active morning! I will be sure to share pics when I get the chance! This was my cardio of choice day.
Saturday: Travel day, which turned into a rest day. Literally. Hubby and I spent the afternoon napping when we got home!
Sunday: Turned into another rest day. It was a busy day with our second Thanksgiving meal and I had to catch up on work for job #2 and prepare for a business trip for job #1.
Overall workout analysis: I am very proud at how active hubby and I were over our vacation. I think it’s proof that we have changed our lives. We actually ENJOY being active together, it’s so much fun! My favorite part of the vacation was the beach bike ride.
How I feel: I’m actually feeling tired and a bit miserable.
While I did keep up my workouts, my eating has slowly gotten off course. I am trying to make good decisions, but I’ve had to eat out basically every day since Tuesday of last week. This will continue through this week as I am away for work this week. I’m really hoping this won’t undo all of my hard work.
For next week: Today was a rest day, which means I have to be very good about getting my workouts in the rest of the week. The hotel I’m staying at does not have a fitness center and it’s VERY, VERY cold outside. But I’m planning on bundling up and going for runs outside. I HAVE to do SOMETHING.
If you’re following the Best Body Bootcamp, how was your week?
If you’re not following the plan, what tips do you have to stay on track when you’re traveling or away from home for work?
Sunday, November 25, 2012
THB5K
Thanks to all of you who have sent in your entries already! I am busily making my way through them all, but am running a bit behind with having been on vacation and all!
So, if you completed the THB5K, I am extending the deadline. If you forgot to email me in your photos and official entries, feel free to do so now! You will have through the end of the day on Monday to do so!
There are quite a few of you who signed up that haven’t emailed me your photo to let me know you completed the 5k!! Remember, your entries to the giveaway only count if you actually completed the 5k!
Good luck!
Thursday, November 22, 2012
Happy Thanksgiving!
I hope that you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Hubby and I were up bright and early this morning to run the Feet to Feast 5k in Palm Coast, Florida. It was a fabulous 5K and we enjoyed it!
Here we are before the race:
It was a really chilly morning, but once we got moving it was ok.
I am proud of myself because I ran it in 37:23. My average pace is around 12:30 and usually gets slower the farther I go. But I averaged almost 30 seconds faster per mile this time. Whoohoo!
This race probably had the best swag we’ve ever gotten! We each got 2 tech shirts too, they’re not cotton! Very nice! And we each got a full size bottle of Hawaiian Tropic suntan lotion—very Florida-y! Love it.
It’s been a nice and relaxing day. Hope yours was a good one! Don’t forget to send in your #THB5K entries!
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
What you need to know about the Thankful Healthy Blogger 5k
If you have not yet signed up for the THB5K, there is still time! You can sign up all the way through midnight (your time) on Thanksgiving Day. Sign up here.
Here is a quick run down of what you need to know about the THB5K:
- Complete a 5k, wherever you are, whenever you want, on Thanksgiving Day. You can run it, bike it, walk it, dance it, skip it… do as you wish. Just get out there and get active for 3.1 miles!
- Get the family and your friends involved! You get an additional entry for each person you
bribe intogetting active with youbring along to get active with you! - Take a picture. We all love seeing the photos of you, but if you are shy, feel free to take a picture of your treadmill, your shoes, whatever you want. You will only get an extra entry for each participant if they are pictured in some way.
- Email. AJourney2Thin@gmail.com. Send me an email with:
- Your photo.
- You name and blog (if applicable).
- Your time- just for fun!
- How many participated with you.
- What you did.
- Your thoughts! You could also tell me how many years you have participated in the TH5BK and if you plan to do it again next year.
- Have Fun! This is not meant to be a competitive race, but it is designed to get you active on Thanksgiving Day. Recruit your family and friends and enjoy a nice walk outside, if that’s your thing. Maybe you just need some “me time” away from the in-laws—make this event a way to improve your health on Thanksgiving Day!
All entries must be in to me by midnight Sunday, your time. That will give you a few extra days, with the busy weekend, to make sure you get your entry in to me.
Thanks to all of you who have helped spread the word to make this another successful year!
Winners will be announced the following week! Good luck!
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
#BestBodyBootcamp Week 4 in Review
You can read about the Best Body Bootcamp, if you are interested!
I have officially completed the first month of the Best Body Bootcamp! I have met all of my weekly goals so far. I’m proud of myself for sticking with this. I love the diversity of the plan. Each day is different and I don’t get bored with the workouts.
My 2 personal goals:
- Drink 64 oz. of water.
- Eat 3 servings of vegetables.
Here’s how my workouts went: I met my goal to get in 5 workouts this last week. Once again, fitting in 6 workouts seems to be a struggle for me. I think 5 is my number and I am satisfied with that.
Monday: I took a rest day because my calf muscles were still aching from a workout the week before!
Tuesday: I did an optional cardio workout by biking 7.2 miles in 30 minutes. I wasn’t in the mood for exercise that day, but I did it anyways.
Wednesday: I completed the Intervals B workout, 2.75 miles in 39 minutes. I also did the core workout, as scheduled.
Thursday: I completed Workout C and also did a 15 minute optional cardio workout by biking 4 miles.
Friday: I completed my second Intervals B workout. This workout was tougher for me this time, but I managed to burn more calories. 2.74 miles in 40 minutes. I also completed my core workout.
Saturday: My brother came to visit and hubby and I were busy getting things done around the house. I never fit in my workout on Saturday. Rest day #2.
Sunday: As I mentioned, my weekend was a challenge. I ate out quite a few times and had an issue with cookies. I counted the points and moved on. I was feeling miserable on Sunday morning after eating out the night before, so I got out of bed early and headed outside for a run. It was a crisp morning with temps in the 30s. I completed my Intevals A workout (although I just ran consistently and didn’t have any walking breaks) and then came home and completed Workout A. Later on in the day, I also went for a 1.5 mile walk.
Overall workout analysis: I feel like I did a good job by getting those 5 workouts in. I burned 1,829 calories this week, which is about 400 more calories than last week. Think I could burn 2,000 calories this next week?
How I feel: Kind of fit.
I know I am FAR from being toned and fit, but I feel good. I can see more muscle definition in my arms and that is such a good feeling! My legs feel strong. Overall, I feel smaller, which I would call more toned…even though I’m far from TONED, but you know what I mean. I think it's working!
For next week: This coming week will be a challenge. I will be traveling the majority of it. I have already scheduled which days I will complete which workouts based on the equipment I will have at my disposal. I should be good to go! I also have my Thankful Healthy Blogger 5k, and hubby and I have signed up for an official Turkey run on Thanksgiving day. I will complete my Cardio B on that day, because it’s a 40 minute workout and that’s just about how long a 5k usually takes me. It should work out well!
If you’re following the Best Body Bootcamp, how was your week?
If you’re not following the plan, how are you planning on sticking to your healthy habits over this holiday week?
Don’t forget about the Thankful Healthy Blogger 5k! Have you signed up yet? It’s only a few days away!!
Monday, November 19, 2012
I’m over there today!
I hope you all had a great weekend!
I had the honor of guest posting over at Danica’s Daily today…
so head on over and find me there!
Sunday, November 18, 2012
The Weekend
This weekend hasn’t been my best, but I’m not letting it derail me. I had an episode with cookies, but every. single. point. has been counted.
We have gone out to eat twice this weekend. Both times, I made modifications so that my meal would be less points. But still, we all know that restaurant food is loaded with sodium and who knows what else.
Actually, I do know, because last night we went out for Japanese with my brother and we watched the chef POUR on the salt and use mounds of butter. Ugh. It sickened me. And as expected, I woke up in the night feeling sick and miserable. My body is not used to that kind of food anymore.
This has been hubby and my favorite restaurant for some time. We don’t go there often because it’s pricey, but usually to celebrate a special occasion. Now, it just sickens me to think about it. I told him I don’t really want to eat there anymore. Hubby and I both agreed that in the future, we’ll just go for the salad, miso soup, and sushi. Who needs hibachi, really?
But here’s what I’m doing right.
I woke up early this morning, despite feeling bloated and miserable, and geared up and went running outside. It’s in the 30s! Yes, I’m proud of myself too. And then I came home and did a 20 minute strength workout. After lunch, I headed out again. I walked 1.5 miles.
I am drinking water like it’s going out of style because it’s the only thing that makes me feel better and I know my body desperately needs it.
I am dangerously low on weekly points ALREADY. Which scares me because they don’t reset until Thursday and we’re leaving on vacation on Tuesday. That’s why I’m going to try to increase my workouts. It’s likely I may have to eat some of my activity points this week, and I want to make sure I earn as many as possible.
So there ya have it! A little stumble in my path but I refuse to let it get me down! I’ll just make modifications to make up for it.
Hope your weekend is going well!
Saturday, November 17, 2012
Thankful Healthy Blogger 5K
We have 42 participants so far! We’re headed for 100. Help spread the word and earn extra entries into the giveaway!
Friday, November 16, 2012
Maybe things are turning around…?
FINALLY FRIDAY!!
For breakfast, I scrambled an egg with Jimmy Dean turkey sausage crumbles. I also had a light toast with pumpkin spice cream cheese, a side of fruit, and skim milk.
While working, I sipped on a cup of this:
This was REALLY good. I love how the Keurig coffee tastes like something from Starbucks every time! LOVE IT!
On my first break, I ate a gouda snack stick.
I also ate 2 Halloween pistachio packs.
I don’t want to jump the gun here, but I had a HUGE loss this morning. I literally said YES!!!! when I weighed in. lol. Let’s hope being away from home and the holiday doesn’t trip me up now. I’m going to try to be strong and hubby promises to help me and work out with me every day next week. The following week, I’m on my own, but I have a plan!
For lunch, I ate a salad with leftover shredded turkey, BBQ, blue cheese crumbles, avocado, tomato and egg whites.
Yum, it was so good! I actually picked up this oven ready turkey and baked it on Monday. It was so easy and so delicious. I don’t know why the only time out of the year we eat turkey is on Thanksgiving? I definitely want to incorporate more turkey into my life!
I held off on any dessert again. I have to let my stomach realize that it’s full. I was satisfied, but then I got hungry a couple of hours later, which is probably totally normal.
I wanted to save my points, so I settled for a cup of coffee.
I’ve learned that my afternoon cup of coffee is great motivation to workout…seriously. I find the energy to get that workout in after a cup of coffee.
Coffee also helps me focus on my work. I worked on Job #2 after that and got everything done for the early deadline with the holiday coming up! A good feeling!
You want to know another secret that I use to make myself work out? *And hey, I’m sorry that working out takes effort for me and I have to FORCE myself to work out. BUT even Jillian Michaels says she hates working out. lol** If I don’t shower in the morning, I can never use the excuse that I don’t want to have to shower *AGAIN*. That’s kind of gross but then I get myself out there, work out, and take my shower towards the evening. I can only do this since I work from home. If I went into the office, I’d get complaints about my body odor…justttt kiddin!
But I got that workout in. I’m always glad when I do.
I completed my second Intervals B workout today. I completed 2.74 miles in 40 minutes. I walked the recovery periods. I burned 423 calories. I’ve been doing this thing lately where I run with all I have for the last part of my last run. This time I met a new record for my fastest sprint! 8:45 was my fastest pace. Pretty cool!
Here I am post run:
I felt like I was really slow today and was feeling a little disappointed in myself. This is why I love my Garmin Forerunner. I was able to compare my last three Interval B runs and compare them.
I actually did just about the same in all 3 workouts. My avg. pace in all 3 workouts (walks included) was about the same. 4.1 mph, 4.2 mph, and 4.1 mph. The crazy thing was that I felt more tired this time, but I burned the most calories on this last workout. So maybe I didn’t do so bad!
I made sure to complete my core workout right when I got home. My abs were on FIRE again.
Now I need to get the house cleaned up! My brother is coming to visit for the weekend!
Tonight, hubby and I are going to run errands and go out for a quick supper.
Have a good weekend!
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Weigh in day and such
This morning was weigh in day. I lost .2 lbs. That coming after reducing my points this past week. That’s 1 lb. lost in a month of being on track.
BUT, it was TOM again. I am not making any excuses, nor do I need to make excuses. I put in the work and I was on track. But we all know what our bodies do the week before and the week of a period. Imagine going through that cycle for a month straight. That’s pretty much what has happened. I have not been stuffing my mouth with junk.
I’m just happy I’m not gaining.
I have been within my points all four weeks, including weekly and APs. I took a look at the last 4 weeks and here’s what I found:
Week 1-
I ate 279 points (including the weekly points)
I ate 41/49 weekly
I ate 0/44 earned AP
= 0.1 +
Week 2-
I ate 317 points (including the weekly points)
I ate 49/49 weekly
I ate 30/40 earned AP
= –0.5
Week 3-
I ate 289 points (including the weekly points)
I ate 49/49 weekly
I ate 2/28 earned AP
= –0.4
Week 4-
I ate 272 points (including the weekly points)
I ate 49/49 weekly
I ate 6/36 earned AP
= –0.2
I know the amount of points eaten seems like a TON! This is for all 7 days combined. WW recommended that I eat 34 points plus per day, which I did for the first 3 weeks. This last week, I reduced my daily points to the lowest they will allow me, at 31 points plus per day.
Mathematically, it would seem that eating less points would equate a larger loss. According to these data, eating more points equated to a larger loss. My two lowest point weeks equated to one gain and my smallest loss. I have a hard time wrapping my head around that one, although I’ve heard it many times. I’m not going to take that as the answer quite yet though.
I’m going to continue this week as is with reduced daily points. I will do this for one more week. As long as it’s a good week on track, if I don’t lose at least 1 lb., I will adjust my points again. I’m not sure if, at that point, I should reduce my points more (not as many weekly points) or if I should INCREASE my points. This is why I wish I had a professional to work with. I don’t know where to turn for help.
I know it’s really easy to judge me. You’d think if a person is dieting and exercising that they would have results. I KNOW THAT. That’s what this is frustrating to me, because I AM. I am not lying to you all and it breaks my heart that a couple of people think that. Why is it that the opinions of one or two ignorant critics can totally
My husband reminds me that I KNOW that I’m doing all that I can and that’s what matters. He tells me to just keep up what I’m doing, that it’s making me healthier anyways. <3
The next couple of weeks will be tough. I will not be able to have my official weigh in day for two weeks now, so it’s going to be hard to track on a weekly basis what these changes are doing. I will be eating out basically for every meal the next 2 weeks. I do have a plan for my two weeks ahead and I am dedicated to continue within my points and getting in my exercise. I’m glad I’m in a much better place MENTALLY than I was a month ago. I can handle this. This is about health for me more than ever…especially with our upcoming plans to start a family.
Time to move on.
For breakfast this morning, I ate oatmeal with freshly sliced strawberries and a glass of skim.
While working, I sipped on coffee with peppermint mocha creamer.
On my break, I ate two packets of Halloween pistachios. These little guys are 1 points plus for 2 packets. I love the portion control.
It was a pretty slow day at work today, which was nice.
For lunch, I ate a baked potato topped with steamed broccoli and 2% cheddar.
Yum, baked potatoes are always so delicious!
I still felt hungry but I wanted to save my points, so I told myself to just wait before eating anything else. I did some households tasks, made up a dessert for tonight, and got some things done. Sure enough, the hunger disappeared.
After lunch, I sat down and wrote a guest post, which will be shared sometime this next week.
And I finally decided to try out my Keurig! I was amazed at how simple this was. I had one of those Tassimo systems from WAY back and we never got it to work right. This was so easy!
I had the Green Mountain Pumpkin Spice coffee, which I sipped on while working job #2.
After finishing up my work, I got started on Workout C, which is a strength workout. This was a FABULOUS arms workout. My biceps were on fire by the time this was done. This took me about 18 minutes. Probably should have taken me longer but I didn’t rest the full 20-30 seconds between reps. Probably important to do that, huh? I burned 79 calories.
I don’t care what the scale says, my body is feeling SMALLER. Not only that, but my clothes are fitting looser. So I’m sure SOMETHING is happening. It feels good.
There was another optional 15-20 minutes of cardio. I did the 15 minutes because I was running late! I biked 4 miles and burned 107 calories.
A lighter workout day, cardio wise, but a good strength workout.
Another good day! Tonight we are having ladies night at my friend’s house. Three of us are doing Weight Watchers, so we’re making it a WW friendly meal! I have all of my points planned and I’m brining Pumpkin Mousse! Yum!
Have a good night!
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
A Day I Feel Good About
First of all, I want to say thank you to you sweethearts who stood up for me after the ignorant anonymous comment. That means a lot to me and I appreciate your support. Hello, dummy, I HAVE been upping my exercise and I AM eating the minimum that WW recommends right now. So shove it. MmmmmHmmm…
Anyways, I’ll probably be in for it after even acknowledging the comment, but I at least wanted to say thank you.
For breakfast this morning, I ate TJ’s whole wheat toast with PB and a sliced banana along with a glass of skim.
I had to go into the office today for a meeting, so I grabbed my coffee with creamer to go today. Peppermint mocha creamer today.
On my break, I ate light vanilla yogurt with blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and chia seeds.
Eating chia seeds in public may not be the smartest decision. Sometimes I feel them on my teeth after eating them…lol.
They announced my transition into a new position at work today. It’s not really deemed a “promotion” but it is to me! I will be writing full time now. Yippee!!!! This doesn’t formally start for a few weeks yet. I feel like I will be utilizing my degree. It will be great experience.
I also got a very nice plaque for my service today! What a nice recognition. I will hang it proudly in my office.
After work, I headed over to Pita Pit to pick up some lunch. I got the chicken breast on wheat. I chose to forego the chips today. Go me!
Nom Nom!
AND, since I am a good 20 lbs. heavier than last winter, my winter coat (that was slightly snug last year in anticipation of being smaller this year) is just too tight this year. It looks dumb. BUT my winter coat from TWO years ago is ridiculously HUGE on me. What a conundrum.
It is what it is. So I went to Old Navy and picked up a $30 jacket. It’s cute and black. I needed a black coat that wouldn’t attract cat hair, so it’s all good!
After that, I picked up some Starbucks. Just a regular coffee with skim and one pump of caramel.
Good thing I stopped to take a photo before leaving because the employee started waving out the window because she forgot to give my debit card back!!! Whew!
And then I headed home. I had a few minutes of downtime before I had to head out again.
I got some fun things in the mail today! This was waiting for me when I got home. BOGO 50% off Gevalia! I decided to stock up…very literally.
I love Gevalia coffee. So good. Won’t have to buy coffee for a while now!
It’s kind of funny how this happened… but you are going to spot my cats in quite a few pictures from here on out… do you see Dudley in the one above? haha. Part of him anyways!
And while I was taking it easy, the Fed Ex man arrived with this!!
YAY!!!! FINALLY! I can’t wait to try it out!
The cats had fun with the shipping box…
When one jumped out the other one immediately took the place.
And then I headed out for job #2. I had an interview to do. It went smoothly and it was interesting because the person I was interviewing was an artist of sorts! I love me some art!
I made sure to come home and get right to working out. I hit the pavement for my Intervals B workout.
Sorry for the poor quality. There’s something wrong with the mirror, that’s why it’s hazy. Do you spot Dudley? haha
It took me 39 minutes and I completed 2.75 miles. I walked the recoveries. I burned 417 calories! Nice!
I took a while to rest and then I tackled the core workout. My abs were feeling it today! Whew! And Dudley enjoyed getting in my face and biting my hair as I tried to do the moves…
For supper, I made Mexican egg rolls with Nasoya egg roll wrappers. OMW. I made this recipe up but they are AMAZING! I will have to share the recipe! I also made sure to get my veggies in with spinach and tomatoes topped with salsa and guacamole.
I am proud of myself for today. I felt like I was going, going, going all day long, but I fit in all of my healthy habits and got my exercise in. I’m starting to think of exercise as a necessary part of my day versus a chore.
I still have a few points left for the day too! SUCCESS!