Friday, June 24, 2011

I Cheated

That's right.  I am a cheater.  I couldn't help myself.  My craving was just soooo bad.

Bet you can't guess what I cheated with.

Nope...you're wrong...I didn't cheat with that.

I cheated with carbs.

And creamy, delicious goodness (a.k.a. fat).

I bet you are still wrong in what you think I cheated with...

Yesterday was crazy.  I had a doctor's appointment for my knee that was scheduled for 11.  I arrived at the doctor's office to check in at 10:50.  I sat in the waiting room until 12:10.  That's right, an hour and twenty minutes in the waiting room.  The doctor then told me nothing new, but he did schedule me for physical therapy, gave me a brace, and some medication so that my knee will hurt me less when I exercise.

Then I had to catch up.  So much work, so little time.  I got a good deal accomplished yesterday. By the time the day was over, however, I had eaten nearly enough, was tired and cranky, and my cravings were out of control.  So I cheated with one of my favorite things in the whole world.  Peanut Butter, Pumpkin Butter and a Bagel Thin.  250 calories of pure goodness. 

I toasted the bagel thin, put a carefully measured tablespoon of organic peanut butter on one of the slices and a heaping tablespoon of organic, all natural, Trader Joe's pumpkin butter on the other.  Can you say yum? Cause I can. Yum.

Did you guess it? I bet not! :)

OHHHHH, I almost forgot.  My weight loss is at 4 pounds! Four pounds in four days! Woohoo.

Yesterday's Menu
Breakfast: Forgot (oops)
Lunch: Salad with spinach, carrots, cucumbers, mushrooms, mango (which I think is also cheating) and a low-fat raspberry vinaigrette
Dinner: Chicken with asparagus (I don't know what my mom did to the chicken but it was DELICIOUS) dipped in organic, plain, low-fat yogurt; green tea
Snack: Glorious delicious goodness (a.k.a. my cheat)
Water Intake: 48 oz.

Basically - yesterday was a bad day for my diet...KS's *wah wah* noise.

 

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Cravings

Day three has come and almost gone.  And all I can think about is sugar. Cookies.  Cake.  S'mores.  Hmmmmm s'mores.  It is literally driving me crazy.  I was going to cheat tonight but a certain someone talked me out of it.  I don't know if I want to hug them or murder them in their sleep.

I keep telling myself that if I could drink a homemade lemonade concoction, and nothing else, for five straight days, I can do this.  I don't know though. For whatever reason this is so. much. harder.

Maybe it is stress from bar studying that is creating the overwhelming desire to eat something sweet and gooey. Who knows? All I know is that at some point between now and the end of this diet my self control is going to give and I am going to eat a s'more or a cookie or something.  It will be a glorious day.  It may be tomorrow.

Anyways, back to studying.

Today's Menu
Breakfast: two eggs, spinach; green tea
Lunch: salad with a hard boiled egg, carrots, celery, mushrooms and spinach, an apple; green tea
Dinner: Chicken breast with tomato sauce, vegetable medley; green tea
Snack: yogurt and grapes
Water Intake: 96 oz. (and counting)

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

2 Days In...

And all I can think about is s'mores.  Specifically these s'mores.  Yum.  But I can't eat them.  I just can't.  I have to stick to it and lose weight.  So no s'mores for me.

Anyways, my parents are cheating today.  It's Tuesday and my Dad has his friends over tonight.  So they are having a few alcoholic beverages.  They keep telling me to have a s'more or eat ice cream.  But I am trying so hard to be good.  It is only day two, this is not boding well for the future.

The boy comes home in THREE DAYS! OMG I cannot tell you how excited I am about that.  I cannot wait to see him.  One sad thing? I can't pick him up from the airport.  I have to do a 1/2 day simulated exam for my bar review.  It is at the same time as picking him up from the airport.  I could pick him up and then do it, but he didn't like the idea of seeing me and then having to let me go do work.  So, I am going to see him when I finish the practice exam.  Which means I have to wait three whole hours after he lands to see him.  I know that doesn't seem like a lot, but is the rough equivalent of ... FOREVER! Oh well.

Anyways, back to the diet.  I am going to report my weight loss roughly every four days.  Hopefully the number I am telling you continually gets larger and larger! :)

Today's Menu
Breakfast: two eggs, tomatoes, spinach and a peach; green tea
Lunch: Salad with tuna, spinach, tomatoes, carrots, celery; green tea
Dinner: Chicken in a balsamic vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper marinade and a broccoli, cauliflower, and carrot vegetable medley; green tea
Snack: yogurt and grapes
Water Intake: 72 oz.

Monday, June 20, 2011

Family Plan

Hey everyone!

So, with bar prep and everything else, I do not have the energy to work out for an hour and a half everyday.  Knowing that, but still wanting to lose weight, I decided to try this diet that my future mom-in-law has been doing.  It's called the 17 day diet.  It is basically Atkins with more of a focus on the healthy part, rather than the just not eating carbs part.  You eat lots of greens, which help cleanse your system, and lean protein.  For the first 17 day cycle there are no carbs.  That makes me sad.

This entry is entitled "family plan" because my family agreed to do it with me.  So far today, my mom has fully participated.  I am not sure about my dad because he went into the office.  But I am going to go grill him for a bit.  Hopefully he didn't eat anything he wasn't supposed to.

Dinner is in the oven.  Mom and I have to work out for our 20 minutes tonight before we go to bed.  And I have to do a bunch more Barbri.  I will let you know what my dad says tomorrow.


Todays Menu:
Breakfast: one egg with tomatoes and spinach, and 1/2 a grapefruit
Lunch: Salad with tomatoes, spinach, carrots, celery, tuna, and a homemade balsamic vinaigrette; green tea
Dinner: Tilapia with a vegetable medley; green tea
Snack: Yogurt with grapes
Water intake: 72 oz.

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Fun fact

The boy told me this today.  I have not researched it to prove it, but he usually tends to be right about these things.  This is in relation to my Jamie Oliver post.
L-cysteine is an amino acid chain that is CONTAINED in human hair and duck feathers. The protein is extracted through hydrogenation and added to almost anything that needs to stay soft including breads and hamburger buns. There is no actual hair or feathers and the process actually makes L-cysteine an "all natural product."
So I was not incorrect.  Human hair is used to make cookie dough ice cream soft.  It just isn't the actual hair.  It's still kinda gross, although I guess less so.  Also, it worries that me that it is used in ANYTHING that needs to be kept soft.  Ewww.  Although, I guess when you think about it, we probably all ingest a decent amount of human hair during the course of our lifetimes, without any processing at all!  
The goal of this blog is to learn as much as I can about health, and to teach others what I know.  So if you have any other fun facts like this one, please feel free to share them.  It would make my day! :)

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Jamie Oliver

Viva la Revolution!

So I am an episode behind.  But on the episode before last, entitled "Is it just me or have we just been pushed into the corner?", Jamie had his cooking class make lunch for the entire school.  Then the school put him the corner by the dumpster.  Crazy.  So Jamie decided to go into the classroom and find out what kinds know about their food.  He did a test with them, where he showed them pictures and asked them where food came from.  Most kids didn't know that a cow produces milk, or that cheese comes from milk.  It was sad.  It is a sad statement of our education system when seventeen year olds do not know the basics of food.

Then he went into science class.  And this is where I become most interested in the episode.  He taught the kids what is in their favorite ice cream sundaes.  For starters, he taught them, and me, that the thing that makes candy shiny is shellack.  That's right, the stuff that is used to seal floors is what makes candy shiny.  Shellack is the secretion of a female lac bug.  EWWW. The next thing he taught them made me soooo sad. Chocolate chip cookie dough is one of my favorite things ever.  The stuff they use to keep cookie dough soft in ice cream is FEATHERS and HUMAN HAIR.  I cannot believe that.  HUMAN HAIR.  I will never eat cookie dough ice cream again.  Not unless the ingredients are all whole foods.  If I don't know what the ingredient is or where it comes from, NOT EATING it.  It was so gross.

The other thing that got me the most was the fast food restaurant Jamie is working with.  He doesn't want to change to a better product, even though it is not any more expensive, and exceptionally better for his customers.  He met with one of Jamie's students and just kept telling that it was not his fault that America is overweight, that they have a choice, and they can choose to eat at his restaurant.  That's right, and they can also choose not to eat at your restaurant.  But when you are a single, working mom who is just trying to get by, no matter how sad or bad it is, sometimes it is just easier to go through the drive through.  And if the drive through, for the same price, could offer that mother something healthy, why don't they? Pointing the finger does nothing more than pass the blame.  At some point, someone has to stand up and accept responsibility.  Just imagine what this world would look like if EVERYONE took responsibility. 

So that was the week before last's episode.  This past week's episode was super upsetting.  At first it looked like Jamie was winning.  The school he is at got permission for him to teach a class that involved him cooking for the entire school.  "Experiential learning."  He also had a family that he taught how to cook so that they could avoid eating so much fast food.  The amount of fast food consumed by that family was upsetting.  But the dad, who was a single father, was doing his best and he just needed better tools to take care of his family with.  Hopefully he keeps the ones that Jamie gave him and uses them regularly.

The episode was so upsetting because right at the very end Jamie got the news that his permits had been revoked.  He went to speak to the school board and this is what they said to him. (Click the this in that last sentence to see it).  They say that "Excellence has nothing to fear from observation."  So why are you so afraid of observation?! I am glad that the school and Jamie are going to fight them.  Although, the very fact that the show got moved to Friday nights just goes to show you that even though the show is already taped, he is still fighting that battle.

So here is my plug.  Go to abc.com and click on Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution.  Then sign the petitions.  Educate yourself.  We deserve better as a county, and our children definitely deserve better.  We have no idea what the long term effects of the foods we feed them are going to be.  But if we do feed them all natural, good, wholesome food, then they will be healthier, and happier, for the rest of their lives.  They can also teach their children those habits.  And suddenly, you have generations of happy, healthy people.  So go, sign the petition, educate yourself, and take care of your future.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Day 2

I got up only half an hour late today! That is a victory in my book.

Then I worked out.  And made a decision.  My knee (the one from the car accident) is really bad.  It is getting weaker and more stiff every day.  I have decided to go see my doctor about proper support/braces, and to get some tips on strenghtening exercises.  I want to be able to run with the boy.  I want to be able to join JAG if I so choose.  But in order to do that, I have to make a change in relation to my knee.  So I am going to call the doctor tomorrow (I ran out of time today) and set up an appointment so I can start down that road.

I had a productive day.  That makes me happy.  I went across the river with my mum and went out to dinner with her.  I love her so much.  She has, and always will be, my best friend.  I have another best friend (love you Jelly) and plenty of other wonderful friends (read GHS, W&M, W&L - you know who you are) but it is truly wonderful to know that the person who brought you into the world is also your best friend.  I can tell her anything.  She is wonderful.  Dinner was wonderful.  I love you, Mommy.

Anyways...today was good.  Hopefully I can keep the streak up.  I will let you know what my doctor says.  AND I promise to post about Jamie Oliver before this weeks episode airs.  PROMISE! (I hope that I can keep that promise...). :)

Monday, June 13, 2011

Day 1

I overslept this morning.  That is not abnormal for me.  Apparently my mom went crazy with my alarms going off continually this morning.  I did manage to finally get up and work out immediately.  I have decided that working out has to happen first thing in the morning.  If I wait, I don't want to do it, my motivation is lacking, and I don't push myself as hard as I should.  So morning workouts from now on.  I also ate really well today. Yay me!

I was fairly productive as well.  Today was overall a good day.  It was a good way to start the streak.  Hopefully I can keep it going from now on!

Aside: I miss my lovelies. I miss them sooooo much.  I want to see them again, ASAP. So, lovelies, make it happen! :)

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Stutter Start

So this week, I worked out even less than week.  And now I feel ill.  I think that is more stress than actually being ill.  But my mom came down with something, and we always seem to pass it back and forth between us FOR AGES.  So maybe it is a combination of illness and stress. 

I am going to try very hard to make working out work next week.  I am also going to try and be better about what I eat.  I need to get on a schedule, and work out everyday, because I can usually keep it up.  It's one of those things where when you work out, you feel better about yourself, which makes you want to work out more.  At least that is how it works for me.  I also eat better, because I have been working so hard to look better, I don't want to ruin it with what I am eating. 

This morning, I am going to go all out and eat chocolate chip waffles.  I am excited about them.  I might also do a short work out.  Then tomorrow I am going to work out regularly and try to be a better eater.

Wish me luck! :)

Friday, June 10, 2011

Missing you...



I wish you were coming home sooner rather than later. Oh well, I guess I will just have to remain patient.

I love you very, very much. :)

Thursday, June 9, 2011

New Signature and Look

After about an hour of working at it, because I suck at all things technically related, I managed to create a signature for my blog.  My best friend calls me Peanut Butter.  So I decided to use "PB" as my signature.  I got the idea for the signature from a blog that I was looking at earlier today.  I liked it so I borrowed it.  I may change it later (now that I know how to!) but for now I am happy with it.  I think it is pretty nifty.  It was also pretty easy (once I got the hang out working html).  Doing this makes me want to take a computer class.  Writing that stuff should not have been that difficult for me.  I mean in high school I wrote an entire robotics program.  So I should at least have some kind of knowledge about it somewhere in my head.

I also decided to change the font.  That took significantly longer than the signature.  But I got it done.  Yay for me.

I also stopped while writing this blog post to help my dad replace the inner workings of the upstairs toilet.  It was very interesting and a valuable experience.  I feel like I am even more on my way to becoming a responsible grown-up who can fend for herself.  I like it! :)

Anyways, I hope you like the new look.  If you don't, feel free to give me ideas for how to change it/what do instead.  I am always open to suggestions! :)

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Sleep Cycle and Working Out

For about the first week of being back from vacation I had an awesome sleep schedule.  I got about 9 hours of sleep a night, got up without any trouble in the morning, and fell asleep quickly at night.  I have no idea what happened but I have screwed it up.  I think that part of the problem is my nightmares.

See I have nightmares when I am stressed out.  Right now I am exceptionally stressed out.  I have Barbri and an RA position.  While this is not too much to juggle, it is still a good deal of work.  I am trying to recover from law school.  As a result I have little to no motivation.  I can get all my work done, and I do, but it stresses me out because I would rather be like everyone else, enjoying my summer.  I dislike the idea that I am not ever going to have an actual summer vacation again. Oh well, I guess that means I just have to grow up.

I have been doing okay with working out.  I have been trying to work out everyday but have not succeeded.  I worked out five of the seven days last week, which I think is pretty good for my first week of trying.  I am working on getting to six days a week.  My eating habits are all out of whack as well.  I eat breakfast every morning and then I don't usually eat again until dinner.  I need to get lunch in there somewhere.

Alrighty, it's late, and I am tired.  I am going to make a post about Jamie Oliver's newest episode here soon.  I am so indignant about what was happening, I feel like I am more upset then he is (which I am sure is not true, it just feels like it).  G'night.

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Yay!

The bestest is here! This will make bar studying slightly harder, but totally worth it! :)

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

And we're BACK!

This is going to be a long one, so prepare yourself.  :)

So I know it has been a really long time since the last time I wrote anything.  Since then, I have graduated, gone on vacation, moved back home, and started reviewing for the bar.  My life has only recently settled into a routine that allows me to write again.  

If you know me, then you know how I feel about sleep, namely that I LOVE it. I decided, however, that in order to do everything I wanted to do in a day, I had to get up fairly early.  So this is what my daily schedule looks like:

Up between 8 and 8:30.
Exercise.
Breakfast.
Tanning (if the sun is out/available and it is not DEADLY hot, as my hometown tends to be).
Shower.
Lunch.
Barbri.
Barbri homework.
Dinner.
Free time.

I usually finish with Barbri stuff by 5:30/6:00.  So by about 7 p.m. I have done everything I wanted to do and I am free for the night.  I am also usually so tired that I want to just nap, so I do not really do anything.  My tiredness, coupled with the lack of things to do in this town, means that I basically sit at home.  This is perfectly acceptable to me.  

I am just doing P90X again for my exercise routine.  It worked so well previously that I am just going to stick with it.  I am not following the eating plan, I am sort of just using what I know about eating well to control what my "diet" is.  I am hoping that by the time the boy comes home I am back to where I was in February.

Speaking of which, the boy has been sent on a training deployment for the next thirty days.  I am not excited about it.  I miss him so much already. He also has to do a bunch of crazy, somewhat dangerous things, which makes me nervous.  I just cannot wait to wrap my arms around him again when he gets off the plane at the end of this month.

And finally, I am going to share something with you that saddens me greatly.  If you have been reading my blog recently (or a month ago since I just stopped posting), then you know that I am now infatuated with Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution.  Apparently, the network decided that they were not going to be airing the remaining episodes in their original time slots.  Jamie has already taped all the episodes, so they are going to air them, at 9 p.m. on Friday starting sometime this June. What kinda crap is that?! No one is going to watch it then, but I guess that is the point.  So what exactly are they trying to hide? I will leave that question open to your own thought processes.

Alrighty, I am going to try and write more often.  We will see how that goes! :)