Good Eats

I had SUCH a superb day yesterday, and I’m chalking it all up to the morning workout. I got my body movin’, my blood pumpin’, my mood jumpin’ — perfect way to begin the day. I felt so great yesterday that I got up this morning for another jog-o-la! I decided to begin at Week 3 of the C25K program. I’ll be cruising through my 5K in no time! Running an entire 5K right now, however, notsomuch.

Before I start talking about my recent tasty eats, I need to clue you in to Jen’s fab contest on priorfatgirl.com. She’s giving away an EatingWell Diet cookbook and the cutest apron EVER.

Check it out and enter if you haven’t already. Then, be the lucky winner, try out the recipes, and share the food you make with me ;)

Onto the easy peasy food I’ve made lately. Last night I was planning to make one of my yummy veggie sandwiches that I mentioned a couple of weeks ago. But, since I jogged in the morning AND went for a walk with Elizabeth after work, I wanted a little more oomph.
I opted to throw on a MorningStar Farms garden veggie burger onto my already-amazing veggie sandwich, and it totally hit the spot. I never thought about eating veggie burgers before I became a vegetarian, but I’m so glad I found them. Yum yum yum! On the side of my burger/sandwich I had green bean fries.

Haha! OK OK they’re just green beans. Long and skinny like french fries, but crunchy and a little sweet like something I would much rather eat on an already-healthy day. I blanched the beans Tuesday morning so that I could have a go-to snack. If you don’t know what blanching is, people do it to vegetables to keep them crisp and tender while locking in flavor and color. Check out how green those beans are! To blanch my beans, I tossed them in boiling water for a little more than two minutes and then quickly plunged them into an ice water bath. Simple simple simple and they taste soooo good. I really enjoy my blanched green beans with tzatziki dip or Sabra roasted garlic hummus.

And now for a super simple black bean chili recipe! I really don’t cook meals. I’m a big fan of microwavable foods, sandwiches and peanut butter toast — none of which require slaving over a stove. Well, this recipe requires a stove but absolutely no slaving. Prep time WITH cooking time is only 30 minutes.

Ingredients:

• 1 small/medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
• 1 15-oz can of black beans, preferably organic
• 1 15-oz can of diced tomatoes
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 Tbsp chili powder
• 1/2 cup cilantro

Directions:

1. Chop onions and mince or press garlic. Let sit for at least 5 minutes to enhance their health-promoting properties.
2. Place all ingredients in a pot, cover, and let simmer for about 20 minutes.
3. Top with cilantro and serve.

Nutrition: 365 calories, 13.63 g fiber, 18.32 g protein, 77.5% daily value of vitamin A, 65.4% daily value of vitamin C, 39.5% daily value of iron, 29.5% daily value of phosphorus

The nutritional info is using this recipe as 2 servings, but I’d say it makes more like 3 or 4 servings, especially if you eat anything else with it. The beans make it SUPER filling. I’ve added a can of corn before, and I might try adding a diced green pepper next time — both of which would alter the nutrition facts. Easy, though, right??

Do you have any simple and tasty recipes in your repertoire? I’m always open to new foods, so please pass them along if you’ve got ’em. Or, after you win the cookbook from Jen’s contest, you can share some recipes from there!

Peace :)

Humpty Dance!

Happy Hump Day, all! That phrase always makes me giggle inside. Wanna know where I first heard it? My seventh-grade teacher. He was an old man, so it was a tad weird.

My last post about my faux plateau got me thinking about how I need to step it up — literally. My friend Elizabeth has a way of getting me to do something even when I’m unsure about it, but in a good way, of course! She texted me the other night and said we should run a 5K together in September. WE’RE GONNA DO IT!!!! Neither of us are big runners, so this is a pretty big deal.


This 5K is part of Applefest in La Crescent, MN — known as the Apple Capital of Minnesota. Our registration fee gets us a long-sleeved T-shirt and, get this, A BAG OF APPLES! The proceeds from the race are going to a handful of good causes in La Crescent, which makes me more than happy to hand over my dough. But most of all, soooo pumped about the bag of apples!!!! Oh, and they provide apple cider at the finish line. How cute is that?! I’ll probably stick with water, but who knows?

My hometown in Wisconsin is just over the Mississippi River from La Crescent, and I have very fond memories of driving over to this awesome apple market with my mom. They have nearly 50 kinds of apples, so we’d walk around the shop, slice off a piece of each, and then leave with some bags of our favorites. Yummers! I heart fresh apples. Things just taste better when they’re grown locally. Oh my gosh, I just called my mom while writing this because I’m getting nostalgic. My mouth is watering.


Now that I have an actual event with a set date, I NEED TO WORK IT. This morning I woke up early and went for a 30-minute run/walk. It felt so good! (I need to remember that feeling so it’s easier for me to roll out of bed rather than reset the alarm.) I warmed up with a brisk walk for a few minutes and then told myself that I’d run for the duration of the next song that came on my iPod. It was my lucky day! Layla by Derek and the Dominos popped up — that’s a seven-minute song. And you know what? I did it. I ran for the entire song. Then I walked for a minute and ran for another two. Then I walked for a minute and ran for another three. You get the idea :) Basically, I just made up my own rules for running/walking based on my music and mood.


I’ve looked at the Couch-to-5K running plan, and I think I’ll tweak it to my liking. I’m not really at “couch” level, so why would I begin there? I’m closer to the Week 3 or 4 level, so I’ll probably try that. I only have a little more than seven weeks until the event anyway, so this works out quite nicely.

Back to this morning: I stretched when I got home from my run and decided to try something new to me. Mapmyrun.com. Why haven’t I used this before!??! It’s pretty neat, let me tell you. I just clicked around on the map of my route and voila! I now have an accurate measure of how many miles I’m trekking. My past method was based on my driving the route and just guessing the difference the street and my actual course. For instance, I estimated my Como Lake route at 4.8 miles. Mapmyrun.com calculates it at 5.2 miles. Ooodang! I’ve been going farther than I thought! Love it.

I’m going for a walk with Elizabeth tonight, so of course we’ll need to take the Como Lake route, with my new knowledge and all. We’re both gonna be looking so hott for her wedding in less than two weeks ;) ALSO, hollaaaaa to my friend Danielle. Happy birthday, chica!

I’m very motivated right now, if you can’t tell. I feel like doing a humpty dance right here in my chair. Burn some extra cals and make it a great Hump Day!

Case of the Mondays

Ugh. Weigh-in Day.

It’s amazing how Weigh-in Day affects my mood. I could be having a blah day looks-wise, but if I know I’m going to weigh less than last week I’m in SUCH a great mood. On the other hand, in a situation like today, I got dressed in a kinda cute outfit, did my hair and makeup, and felt pretty great when I looked in the mirror. Then I stepped on the scale. Wah waaaaaaaaaaaah. It’s a gain week. An anvil smooshed my good mood.

At this rate, I’ll be happy to lose 5 lbs of my 10-lb goal by August 1. (Yikes! That’s Saturday!) Jen and Annabel’s Challenge has enlightened me as to how much work I’m going to need to put in to lose my last 20 pounds. My first (almost!) 60 pounds didn’t come off easily, but it certainly wasn’t THAT difficult. It’s so much easier to shed pounds when you have a lot to lose. When you’re closer to goal — not so much.


I reeeeeeeeally don’t like the word “plateau.” I hear it too often in my WW meetings, on blogs, and just generally from people who are trying to lose weight. I understand that it’s natural for the body to take some time to regulate itself and process weightloss. The body wants to maintain equilibrium. Sadly, however, I think that word is thrown around too loosely, and it’s turned into an excuse. Oftentimes a plateau is a result of our actions. We get comfortable. Our portion sizes grow. Our workouts are shortened or skipped.

This is where I am right now. I’m using my “plateau” as an excuse. I don’t say the word out loud, but it’s looming around my head at all times. It’s taunting me because I’m really not at a plateau at all. It’s a faux plateau, if you will. I’ve been hovering around the same weight for almost a month, and it’s COMPLETELY because of my lax efforts. I need to quit having healthy Monday-Fridays and oops-I-forgot-to-count-calories-and-workout weekends. I’ll have one great week of working out and eating mindfully, and the next week is crap. Of course my weight gain is due to my actions!

Chin up, I say! No more pity party. I’ve been coasting for too long, and it’s a new day. I’ll be doing this healthy-lifestyle thing for the rest of my life, so I’d better get used to it.



On a FABULOUS note, today is my 6-month veg anniversary!!!! I feel great! I’ve tried so many new foods that I wouldn’t have even thought of before I went meatless. I definitely get my fruits and veggies in every day, and my bod thanks me for it. I just feel cleaner and more energetic. I don’t have it with me right now, but I’ll share one of my fav recipes for a black bean chili later this week. It’s incredibly flavorful and extremely filling. Pretty much I’m salivating right now just thinking about it.



WARNING: What I’m going to say next is totally TMI, but if you know me in real life, you might know that I have no problem talking about poo. Ever since I stopped eating meat, I #2 on a very regular basis. Like at least once a day. I know that’s how the body is supposed to work, but I don’t know many people who can say that. It’s pretty great. Aaaaand that’s enough with the BM talk.

I weigh in at my 5:30 meeting. Wish me luck. I hope the damage isn’t too horrible. I’m guessing a 1.5-lb gain from last week. That’s a lot to backtrack, BUT I had an amazing weekend with superduper friends and some superduper food and drinks. I suppose it’s worth it :)

I’m a changed woman.

I didn’t work the other day, so my friend Leah and I decided to enjoy the day and fab weather by taking a stroll around the lake. Como Lake in Saint Paul, to be exact.

This is one of my favorite places, and I think that’s because it truly was what inspired me to begin working out again. People are running, walking, biking, picnicking. Ducks are swimming. Nature is nature-ing.

There is so much to look at that I don’t get bored with what I’m doing. My iPod definitely helps, too. (The other day I caught myself air guitaring to Joan Jett’s “I Love Rock and Roll” while jogging.) It was nice to walk with Leah and chit-chat. We did two laps like nothin’. If it wasn’t for my feet beginning to ache (flip flops = bad idea), we probably would have circled around another time. Leah was also there to photograph my efforts.

I brought along my 2-lb hand weights, which feel like nothing at first, but I can definitely notice my biceps working more than with no weights. I’ve been majorly lacking on my arm exercises, and I think every little bit helps.

I didn’t really feel like sitting around when I got back to my apartment, so I went to my gym down the hall and did some arm lifting with the weight machine. Then I went back to my apartment to read. I had this totally foreign thought for me: Why don’t I read while on the recumbent bike? I was still in my workout clothes, so why not?! And that’s exactly what I did.

It was my day off work, and all I wanted was physical activity. I’m so glad I forced myself to work out 6 of 7 days last week because now I actually WANT to. My new life rocks.

I went to work the next day and there was a blood drive going on. I’ve never given blood before because a) I’m scared of needles. b) I get super queasy when I think about what’s actually happening. c) I’m a wimp. However, I walked right up to the check-in table and asked if there were any openings. There was an opening in 1.5 hours. Crap. Not really a lot of time to prepare myself mentally for my whimsical idea, but I made the appointment anyway.

I was soooo nervous I thought I was going to vom. The only thing keeping me motivated was knowing that I could be helping someone and possibly saving a life. Also, the way I figure it, I might need blood someday, and I would be incredibly grateful for the person who donated.

While I answered multiple questions about my life, a nice girl pricked my finger (ouch!) and tested my blood. I was worried my iron levels would be too low since I don’t eat meat, but I passed with flying colors! That meant two things: I’m getting enough iron in my diet (yessss) AND I’m really gonna go through with this blood donation thing. Yikes!

My coworker friend Michelle visited me while the blood-taker woman was setting things up. She definitely eased my nerves a bit and took my mind off what was about to happen. (Thank you, Michelle). I really don’t know a more glamorous photo op than lying and waiting to be poked in the arm, so Michelle snapped a shot.

Do I look terrified? I think I did a good job of masking my fear, but I do know how damp my clothes were getting. And then something wonderful happened … Blood-taker woman says to me, “Normally I’d have you sit up while giving blood, but since you’re a first-timer and you’re skinny, I’m going to have you lie down.” I know I looked way too giddy for such a throwaway comment, but I responded with, “Wow! You think I’m skinny?!” She obviously had no idea about what I used to look like, so I’m sure she thought I was as creeptastic as I felt.

Anyway, long story short (too late?), I donated a bag of my very own blood, and it wasn’t scary once I got going and it didn’t hurt. I did, however, almost pass out in the snack area afterward, but that was my fault as an amateur. I was just moving too fast too soon.

I wore my “I MAKE A DIFFERENCE” nametag for the rest of the day. My coworkers know my name (duh), but I was pretty proud of myself. Every time I looked in the mirror, I was reminded of how I conquered one of my fears. Yay me!

Before I go, I promise to work out every day this weekend. What are you going to do? How about something great for yourself, and maybe a little something nice for someone else, too :) Peace.

Wedding Season and WINNER!

I know I wrote that I’d announce the winner of the Camelbak water bottle contest over the weekend, but I was soooo busy. There IS a winner, though … and I’ll share that later ;)

I had dinner with a friend Friday night, and she came over afterward to try on some of my old clothes. She left with an overflowing garbage bag full of stuff I don’t need any more. Some of it was too big for me, and I got rid of some others to make room in my closet for new skinny-girl clothes. Anyway, we went to dinner and I made some BAD decisions.


It all started out with the hot spinach dip with chips. Kelly had NEVER had spinach dip before, so we NEEDED to get it. (Or at least that’s how I rationalized it.) By the time our meals came, we weren’t even hungry, yet I still managed to eat ALL of my waffle fries. I also had a spicy black bean burger, but I only had a few bites of that. I seriously felt sick to my stomach, but I just kept eating. Why do I do that? Masochistic, I guess.

I had been so good all week, too! I worked out 6 of 7 days last week and made healthy eating decisions. I know it’s fine to splurge every now and then, but I really shouldn’t have done it during Jen and Annabel’s Challenge. I already knew that my reaching that 154-pound goal was questionable (and pretty much nonexistent at this point), but I sabotaged my efforts anyway. Dumb. As of this morning, I weigh 160, so I’m down 4 pounds from when I began. Not too happy about it, but I’m not hating it either. I’ve still lost weight!

Back to my busy weekend. I went to the mall Saturday to buy a new shirt. I was specifically looking for a kelly green, short-sleeved shirt. I walked into Gap, and amongst other-colored shirts of the same style, I spotted a lone kelly green shirt — an XS.

Riiiiiiiight. I’ve never owned an extra small anything my entire life. I am an M or L girl. However, this shirt looked big enough, so I tried it on … and it fit! I live in reality, so I know the tag must have been marked incorrectly, but I’m still jazzed to have an XS shirt in my wardrobe now :)

Saturday night was my good friend Elizabeth’s bachelorette party. Here I am with the gorgeous bride-to-be. (Check out my new shirt AND my new ’do!)

We began at a winery in Stillwater, MN, for a tour and wine tasting. Someone snapped a shot of a VERY happy me. I could have been super happy about all the wine of the evening, but I’m guessing I was more pumped about all the cheese and crackers we got to eat.

Afterward, we had dinner at Chai’s Thai in Minneapolis. FAB FOOD! And spicy, let me tell you! Sometimes I would stick my tongue in my water while I was drinking it.

I had the green curry with tofu. I know it kinda looks like goo, but it tastes amazing when you put it on top of rice. The green, red and yellow peppers are really good after soaking in the green curry sauce. Although I’m guessing my entrée at Chai’s wasn’t that unhealthy, the many adult beverages and 5000 crackers with cheese aren’t going to aid in my efforts.

And now onto Sunday. I attended my friend Kim’s wedding and it was a blast. Although the adult beverages were flowing once again, I burned some major cals on the dance floor.

As you can see, there’s not even anyone around me, and I don’t care! I’m not a great dancer, but I sure like to have fun out there. I’m counting it as my exercise for the day because I really worked up a sweat. I didn’t manage to take many pictures of the evening, but I’ll try to post a better one of me if someone else took one. I love that dress and I wanna show it off!

And now for the main event — the contest winner! Congratulations,

Valerie @ Seattle Runner Girl

You are now the proud owner of a shiny green water bottle … if you email me your mailing address :)

That’s it for now. Later, loves.

Hydration is the key to happiness

I have a goal for the week, and the momentum will likely push into the following weeks … and my life. I am going to work out every single day this week. I tackled Sunday and Monday with some jogs around the lake. Last night I had a softball game. (We won!!!) What will I do today? I’m thinking some more laps around the lake :) I love it, so why not? I have a busy weekend ahead of me, but I’m determined to exercise every day. EVERY DAY, I say. NO EXCUSES! (OK, now that I’ve done that, I really can’t skip a day.)

Here’s a picture of me from a softball game a few weeks ago:

When my teammate posted this on Facebook, I was shocked. If it hadn’t been for my FAVORITE tie-dyed shirt (ps I loooooove tie dye), I wouldn’t have recognized me. Sounds weird, but I looked at it and thought, “That’s not me. That girl’s not fat.” I actually laughed out loud after thinking that. If I’m posing for a picture, that’s one thing: I can suck in, stand up straight, and hide the things that should be hidden. But this is a candid action shot … and I look athletic and fab! Pictures can really open your eyes to how the world truly sees you. In my head I’m still 20 pounds heavier. At least. Some days are better than others, but will my brain ever catch up to my bod?

I’m getting my hair cut and colored tonight, and I’ve decided it’s time to take off a few inches. I really like Jillian’s hair on The Bachelorette (pictured above). Probably because she has a stylist to help her every day, but being my own stylist isn’t that difficult. I’ve been wondering if I use my hair to hide myself. I have gotten into a habit of thinking that if my makeup and hair look pretty maybe people won’t notice what’s going on with the rest of me. I’m not doing anything too drastic with the new cut, but I think getting rid of a few inches will keep me from hiding behind my locks.

I’ve written before about how I believe water is the most important thing ever. I have a 1-L Sigg bottle that is like my baby. I drink at least two of them while I’m at work, but most of the time I drink three. That’s 99 ounces! And all before 5:00pm!

Jen, the original priorfatgirl, is serious about hydration, too, which she stated in her post yesterday. I’m SO glad she made the switch to a reusable water bottle instead of cracking open a single-use plastic water bottle each time. I mentioned this before, but I think it’s worth repeating: More than 90 percent of the environmental impacts from a disposable plastic water bottle happen before the consumer opens it. If you already have a reusable bottle, bravo! If you could use another or don’t have one yet, I’ve got some good news for you …

!!!CONTEST ALERT!!!

My very first contest! My passion for water meets my new passion for blogging. You could win your very own 16-oz Camelbak water bottle like the one pictured above. Wanna feel even more special? It’s identical to the one Jen uses every day! You can be just like THE PRIORFATGIRL!!!

Here’s how to enter:

• Leave a comment! Simple as that!
• Add Amanda, another priorfatgirl, to your blog roll.
• If you don’t have a blog, add this site to your internet favorites and promise to check back often.
• Link back to this contest in your next blog post.
• Mention this contest in your next Facebook and/or Twitter update.
  

Note: You will receive multiple entries if you do more than one of these things, but you must tell me what’s up in your comment. Sad news, but this contest is open to US residents only. I love everyone equally, though! The deadline for entries is Friday at 5pm, and the winner will be announced this weekend.

Alright, winners, game on! I want to see the comments flying in. Who’s with me??

GRRR...

GRRR. How frustrating!

So I woke up Saturday morning at 158.8, and I was TOTALLY pumped. Yet, at last night’s weigh-in, I was 161.8. LAME-O. Yea yea, I know I should have passed on the garlic cheese bread Saturday night at Old Chicago, but I had gone for a 4.8-mile walk Saturday afternoon and a 3.2-mile run/jog/walk Sunday morning.

Turns out the garlic cheese bread stays with you. As you see, for me, it’s staying on my midsection — where my excess weight tends to set up camp. (At 4 POINTS a pop, what was I thinking!?) You’ve been warned.

Jen’s been having a thing goin’ on where you can send her your sweaty pics. I’m trying really hard to get sweaty, but I’ve never been big on the waterworks. However, since the beginning of time, if I do anything active, my face gets BEET red. It was always embarrassing when we’d do the mile run in elementary through high school. My face would be red all day, and of course everyone would say something about it. I’ve always been ashamed … until now. After seeing all the sweaty pics, I know that I’m OK. It just means I’m working my butt off!

Here I am after my Sunday-morning run/jog/walk. I had places to go and people to see that day, so I was really pounding the pavement. I kept thinking to myself, if I’m gonna get sweaty, today’s the day. As usual, I wasn’t, but I got a red face — and I’m OK with it! Too bad I didn’t get a chance to snap a picture at my full beet-redness, but I thought I’d partake in the fun and be part of Jen’s cool group :)

Oh! I didn’t even mention! After my WW meeting last night, I came home and ate dinner, watched a little bit of a movie and then went for a 4.8-mile run/jog/walk. (I can’t even handle myself these days. What a lifestyle change!) That August 1 Challenge deadline is approaching soooo fast, and I need to kick it into high gear if I want to even come close to my goal.

At the last two meetings, we’ve talked about eating the fresh produce that is readily available this time of year. We’re supposed to focus on eating at least three different colors of fruits and vegetables each day. And, of course, at least five servings a day. I don’t have a problem with this anymore, but I remember the days when I would maybe have one serving of fruit/veg in an entire day. Ugh. How did I live?

At work, we have a Carrot Club, but it goes well beyond carrots. There are about 15 members and we take turns bringing veggies (with the occasional fruit). Each of us only needs to bring stuff every three weeks, but we always know there will be an assortment of healthy goodness each day. No vending machine devil foods for me!!! Genius, right? (I didn’t think of it.) The picture above is my veggie tray from last Friday. As I was grocery shopping, I was really mindful of choosing various colors. I’m pretty happy with the results! Baby Boy tomatoes, green and yellow peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and red grapes. A rainbow of fun!

Here’s a picture of my favorite sandwich I’ve been making at home lately. It’s VERY low in POINTS (only 1, if I’m doing my math correctly), so I’m able to use my POINTS for other meals and snacks. This sandwich is two slices of 40-calorie bread, two tomato slices, one red onion slice, romaine lettuce, yellow mustard, salt and pepper. OH! Just thought of something! I should add avocado. It would add some POINTS and some good fat. Yummm.

That’s about it for now, friends. I’m thinking about having a contest (with a prize!) soon, so keep checking back often. Why don’t you just add the URL to your favorites while you’re at it ;) Peace.

AMANDA HAS ARRIVED

What what!!!!!!!!!!

You asked and we delivered. I’ve got my own blog! I won’t be an everyday-er, but I’ll post often. Not only is it fun for me, but, hopefully, I’ll help or inspire others in the process. Or at least I’ll give you a giggle. Like Jen, I keep it real, which makes us a good team.


In case you haven’t read my guest blogs before, I’m Amanda, another priorfatgirl. I began Weight Watchers in May 2008, and I’ve lost about 57 pounds. I would like to lose 23 more pounds, which will put me smack dab in the center of the healthy BMI range for my height. Also, I’m a libra, a lacto-ovo vegetarian, and a pretty cool human. You can check out my guest-blog debut for more of a backstory.

I wish I could say that I’ve made substantial progress in Jen and Annabel’s Challenge, but that’s not really the case. Well, weight-wise I haven’t made progress (still 8ish pounds away from my goal — eek!), but healthy-behaviors–wise I’m making positive changes! That’s more important than the silly number anyway, right?

I’ve been tracking all my food, which opened my eyes to how much I thought I was staying within my POINTS allowance during my break from tracking. I wasn’t. But I am now! Here’s my info from a random day last week (POINTS in parentheses):

Breakfast:
1 large banana (2)
1 VitaMuffin VitaTop (1)

Snack:
1 Dannon Light & Fit yogurt (2)

Lunch:
1 salad (5.5)
Romaine lettuce (0)
Spinach (0)
5 cherry tomatoes (0)
1/2 cup peas (0.5)
Red onion (0)
1.5 Tbsp black olives (0.5)
1 hard-boiled egg (2)
1/4 cup chickpeas (0.5)
2 tbsp sunflower seeds (2)
1.5 Tbsp fat-free French dressing (0.5)
1/2 cup cottage cheese (2.5)

Snack:
1 Fiber One bar (2)

Dinner:
2 slices reduced-calorie bread (1)
1 Morningstar Farms Asian veggie patty (2)
10 baby dill pickles (1)
Tortilla chips (3)
Salsa (0)

Snack:
6.5 cups 94% fat-free popcorn (1.5)

TOTAL = 24 POINTS

I get 24 POINTS per day, so yay me! I stay on track by entering my meals and snacks before I eat them. That way, I know I’m not going overboard, but also I can see if I’m getting the daily nutrition my body requires. I also track how much water I’m drinking. During the week, drinking water is not a problem, but I reeeeeaally need to work on the weekend water. Tracking really does help.

As for exercise and activity, I’ve been surprising myself. My Tuesday-night softball games have been so fun! On Wednesdays I can feel that my calves and quads were worked, and I always like that feeling. But what REALLY surprised me last week was that I woke up more than an hour early one day last week, and I just could not get back to sleep … so I went for a run. That’s pretty crazy for me, but I loved it! Now I plan to do that a couple of times a week — on purpose :) I’ve done an on-purpose run once since the first occurrence, and there are no signs of stopping.

Alright, so I’m keeping my first post on my VERY OWN blog (!!!!) short and sweet. Always leave them wanting more, right? But I will leave you with a question. Is there anything in particular you’d like to know about me and my weight-loss journey? My previous guest posts were kind of all over the place because I was blogging so sporadically. I never really found my footing, but this is my chance to do so. Comments and suggestions are more than welcome. I love them!

Here’s to a fab new endeavor :)

Busy Bee

(Originally posted on http://www.priorfatgirl.com/ on June 16, 2009.)

Holla, friends :) I feel like it’s been forever!!! These last four weeks have just been a whirlwind for me, and I’m sad to admit that my weight-loss efforts have taken a backseat. Well, not the BACKseat. Maybe the middle row of seats in a van or something.I had my best friend’s bachelorette party and wedding (maid of honor, what what), a death in the family and another friend’s bridal shower all within the last month. Every time I was calorie-conscious during the week, another weekend event would thwart my efforts. The thing is, though, I didn’t really care. So I gained and lost — and gained and lost again (and gained …) — a few pounds. Big whoop. I am THE ONLY one who notices those stubborn few, and I was feeling just fine.

Here’s a pic of Alia, me, Morgan the happy bride, Brianna and Jenna at Morgan’s reception. I think we’re lookin’ pretty fly … especially with the random sunlight :)
Anyway, things are beginning to settle down again, and I’m more than ready to get back on track. I hopped aboard the excitement train and set a goal for Jen and Annabel’s “Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is” Challenge. I could use a little extra accountability in my life. My goal is to lose 10 pounds by August 1 (8ish pounds to go!), which puts me at a total of 65 pounds lost. Ooodang that’s gonna rock!WHEN I accomplish this, I’m buying myself a Tiffany necklace. Jealous, right? It was originally my 30-pound reward, then 35, then 40, then 50 … and now, apparently, 65. I’m actually going to get the necklace this time, though, because I’ll need the reminder around my neck when I’m working to lose my last 15 pounds.

This is one I’ve been admiring

If the 10 pounds are not gone by August 1 (unlikely), I’ll donate 50 buckaroonies to the VH1 Save the Music Foundation (www.vh1savethemusic.com). I discovered that this charity actually helps a bunch of schools in Minnesota and Wisconsin (not to mention more than 1600 schools across the country), so maybe I’ll donate to them anyway. KEEP MUSIC IN SCHOOLS!

But back to business. I have three distinct action items that will help make my goal a reality:

First, I joined a softball team that will play every Tuesday through mid-August. In preparation, I went to the batting cages and attended a team practice last week. I was definitely feeling both activities in my muscles for a couple of days! I’m looking forward to the physical activity disguised as fun :)

Now for a throwback! This is me in high school as a softball toughie. Here’s to bringing back my skills … and getting my athletic bod back! Second, I’m going to begin taking classes at CorePower (www.corepoweryoga.com). I haven’t done yoga since high school gym class (and I’m pretty sure that doesn’t count), so I’m nervous yet totally excited. I’m going to take advantage of the free first week and then decide if I want to continue. It’s a bit pricey, but my friends who belong to the CorePower studios in the area love it, and I’ve witnessed their fab results. Also, can I really put a price on my health? I think not.

Third — and last because I’m not looking forward to it — I’m going to track all my food again. I was very diligent in the beginning, but then I just kinda knew how much my body needed each day. Luckily, that worked for me for awhile, and I think it’s fun that I’m so in tune with my bod now. However, I need to step it up again after a lax month, and tracking is one of the first keys to successful weightloss.

I will certainly be doing other things to meet the August 1 deadline, but those are three specifics. And blogging about it will hold me accountable ;)

As a parting gift, here’s a picture of me after I caught the bouquet at Morgan and Mike’s wedding.Usually I steer clear of the bouquet toss, but that night I must have been feeling especially competitive. I caught the bouquet and proceeded to run a couple of laps around the dance floor in celebration. Any excuse to raise the heartrate, right? I love everyone’s expressions. Great time :)