Disclaimer:


If you have issues, or baggage, you may be offended by what you read here. I work through my self loathing of my own fat, and my own fat issues, and I’m told this comes across as loathing all fat people. That is simply not the case.

Here I talk about my issues and my findings, without political correctness. I am not concerned with your issues, or your baggage, or what you may take from this. The title is "My Journey".

This blog is not meant to inspire anyone. I take no responsibility for what you take away from here. You are here as a guest into my inner thoughts.

♥♥

Thursday, April 30, 2009

Damn... Confession

Okay, so great NSV this morning... blown all to hell with a dark chocolate and almond bark, plus a couple small handfuls of peanut butter chips that I'm baking with. AND I'm definately going to eat a muffin who's only saving grace is apple sauce instead of oil, and whole wheat flour instead of white.

Sigh.

Thanks for listening,

Dee

Masochisitic Moment

Why am I sharing this? Because if you can't laugh at yourself, you got problems! And honey, I am laaaaaughing at myself this morning!!!

My hair has been really dry, and usually I mayonaisse it (thanks mom!), but I don't want full fat mayo in the house, so I decided the other day to olive oil it. Same principle. I olive oiled my pony before going out for a run, and it made a HUGE difference in my hair! So today I decided to throw it up in pigtails and olive oil it. Only thing is, my hair is long enough that it touches my shoulders now. I don't want oiled shoulders, so I clipped it up. Then procceeded to laugh my ASS off at myself.

And I'm secure enough to share the joke. Here it is, makeupless and oily haired in all it's glory:



Oh, if Steve could see me now... ROFLMAO!!

NSV - I beat the inner fat bitch!!!

This week I have to drive my son to his volunteer job, and this morning he tells me that he didn't have breakfast. So I decide to drive him through McDonald's. Sure it's crap calories, but seriously, the kid is doing heavy construction. He's going to burn it off. And he needs fuel of SOME sort.

I head for McDonald's. Already, she is in my head "an egg mcmuffin is not a bad choice". No. I have oatmeal prepped IN the pot already, waiting for me at home. I pull into the drive thru, and thank goodness it's empty. No time to argue back and forth.

Now get this... I ordered HIS meal... AND NOTHING ELSE!!! I'm telling you, that fat bitch in my head was SCREAMING in there, "EGG MCMUFFIN, HASHBROWNS, ORANGE JUICE... NO NO TWO EGG MCMUFFINS!!!!" I gritted my teeth and drove on thru and felt like I was Rocky on top of the stairs, man. Seriously.

Thanks for listening,

Dee

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

And the great eating continues...

Yep, once again, within my caloric budget. Actually, way under it... and I eat good! My budget today is for 1830, and I've only eaten 1385. If I feel like a snack later, at least I know I have room for it. S'good.

Have I mentioned how much I hate my camera?? Trying to get a great quality picture that isn't yellow or isn't glaring is damn near impossible. DAMN NEAR, I SAY. Very frustrating. But the budget does not allow for such frivolities in the forseeable future.

My boss kinda freaked me out today because she's wiggin out about the project I'm on. Because she put us on marketing mode, there is nothing in the pipeline and she's talking about shutting it down in a couple of months. The client loves us, it's not him. It's her and her flucking freaking out!! She can be such a spaz. What I call a "knee jerk reactor". I'm sure it's just jabber. Even if this project DOES shut down, she will find other work for us. (don't freak out, Randie... lol)

In other news, I sent my taxes to the accountant... and it looks like I owe. She might be able to get it down some, once I provide my office information. Sigh. I was hoping for money. I have trips planned this year, and it's looking more and more like I'm going to have to cancel one or two of them. The economy is killing the one business that was going to provide the cash for those trips. Fingers crossed that something changes.

Holy negative nelly today! I hate financial bullshit. I'm getting the bills paid, and that's great. I am putting food in the house, and that's great. I'm not going into debt, but am paying off my debts, and that's great. Time to focus on the positive!!

I'm looking forward to the scale tomorrow. Today I took it easy and just did 30 minutes of yoga. For some reason my body is in pure protest over the circuit training on Monday and the run on Tuesday. I could barely move this morning! Thus the yoga. Streeeeetch it out. I feel world's better. And with all that pain, it usually means being up on the scale, what with the muscles holding fluids to help repair the tears. But this morning the scale showed 149.4. Woot! I hate hate HATE seeing 150 on that blasted thing. NO MORE.

Shall we proceed to the food? Lets...

Breakfast was a bit of a variation. I was not feeling the peanut butter this morning, but I was craving protein in a big way. Usually that means an egg white omelette on a bagel, but I knew I'd be wanting bready goodness later. So instead I put a third cup egg white into my oatmeal. Yum'o'licious and hearty! Kept me satisfied right up to lunch. The last two mornings, by 10:30 I was getting growly, and by 11:30, I coulda eaten my clock.




Lunch was that tofu sandwich again. Same scenario with the avocado, sprouts and cream cheese. This time I put a tablespoon of sweet chili sauce in the little frying pan, heated it, THEN added the tofu. It kinda carmelized the sauce onto the tofu for a spicy variation that was delish. I was glad I had the kiwi to counteract the heat. I'm loving carrots these days, too. Have to pick up some more, I'm almost out.





Snack was my old standby, PB2 on apple. Gawd, I love this snack. (stupid yellow lighting)




Dinner. Ahhh, dinner. How I adore thee. A Highliner salmon fillet done in the microwave (with dill, mustard powder and garlic powder), served over 2oz spinach, 1/4 cup craisins and a tablespoon of Romano cheese. That cheese bread is a 1/2 bagel, 1 oz light mozza, and some dill.



Well, that's all I gots for ya. The news is almost over, which means my computer time is almost up. Steve likes me to actually spend time with HIM after dinner. Weird, huh? Something about me being on the computer ALL DAY. Evs. *cheeky grin*

Don't forget to set your PVR for tomorrow's Oprah (sorry to those that taped todays) to see Kirstie Alley. She has always been a favourite of mine. She was my very first girl-crush. It's her eyes. I find her so incredibly gorgeous. I'm really looking forward to the insight into her life and journey. I always look for these shows, because I want to avoid the pitfalls, and the best way to avoid them is through education. I want to know what didn't work just as much, if not more, than what did work.


Thanks for listening,

Dee

Whoops!

Kirstey Alley is on Oprah on THURSDAY. My bad.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

BL & POPCORN!!!

Edit to add: Set your recorders... Kirstie Alley is going to be on Oprah tomorrow talking about how she did Jenny Craig and what happened afterwards!

Joey Bag O Donuts Happy Dance!! I love Tuesday! Biggest Loser = Popcorn in my world!

Popcorn is a HUGE indulgence for me, in case you are new here and unfamiliar with my obsession with it. I know, I know... popcorn is touted as a healthy option. Yessss, mostly. Unless I make it for you.

Stick around, in another week or two you will see PMS Popcorn. But not this week. This week it's Frank's Popcorn. (yummy yummy yummy yummy) That means an ounce of olive oil with a tablespoon of Frank's, shaken, not stirred, and shlooped all over 12 cups of air popped popcorn and then sprinkled with light parmesan. Sluuuurp!! OMG, I am sure I just came in my mouth a lil bit. (hee hee)

So, in order to indulge in said popcorn, the day must be balanced. And today was a pretty good balancing act, if I do say so myself. Tracking on NutriMirror shows me as green in everything EXCEPT my fats. But considering I'm using an ounce of olive oil... which is a good fat... I'm okay with it. I'm within my caloric budget.

In order to HAVE a good caloric budget, I took the dogs for a 45 minute walk AND I did a 45 minute run. A girls gotta do what a girls gotta do, ya know? I mean, c'mon, I'm talking POPCORN here.

And my reality is that I've been over my shoot me (150lbs) the last couple of times I've been on the scale, so a few days of being completely green (a NutriMirror term) are definately in order. Yesterday was completely green, oils, sodium and all. Big pats on the back for that. It can be tough to do!

Okay, on to the eats!

Breakfast was a repeat of yesterday's porridge. That's 1/3 cup dry porridge cooked in 1/3 cup almond breeze and 1/3 cup water. Throw a splash of vanilla and a quarter of a dead banana in there, then when it's done top it with a tablespoon each of PB2, almonds and dark chocolate chips. Served with milk and vitamins, and lovingly displayed beside the flowers that one of my little girls gave me (she's my son's sister, how incredibly sweet, huh?). A lovely spring breakfast that made me very very happy.





Lunch was a repeat of yesterday, so I got lazy and am reusing the pic. That way I didn't have to do the fancy display, I could make and scarf. :)




Okay, I got adventuresome with my snack. I knew I was going for a run, so I needed carbs, and fuel for my body. I have to eat a medium size snack/meal about a half hour before running, or I end up starving and depleted. Today I did an apple/mozza/diet jam sandwich on flax bread. Suprisingly good! (Sam, unwrinkle your nose. It could stay like that.)



Dinner on popcorn nights never has starch. I save that for my popcorn to take care of. Tonight was a pork meatloaf (1lb lean ground pork, 1/2 cup each of oat bran & salsa, 1 t each of cumin, curry powder, and cayenne pepper, and one egg). I served it on top of 2oz spinach and a 1/4 cup of craisins. Nutritious and very filling.



Okay, people, I think that's it. Although on one final note... ever considered doing a cleanse? No need. Make a concious effort to increase your vegetable intake. Trust me on this. I have "gone" six times today. I'm thinking that a bit of that 150.6 lbs I saw on the scale was the restaurant food "stuck" in me. Cleansing it all out should give me a happy scale day in the near future.

I amuse me.


Thanks for listening,

Dee

Monday, April 27, 2009

Ahhh, Monday!

Most people hate Monday. I love it. It means a new start, a new week, and the beginning of my days of being completely OP. Love love love it!

Today started with porridge for breakfast. With a quarter of a mushy banana, a tablespoon each of PB2, almonds and dark chocolate chips, what could be better?? I decided to avoid the bagel for breakfast. I get too carried away with carbs.




I saved that bread thing for lunch! I made a half sandwich that has fat free cream cheese, fried tofo, sprouts and a quarter avocado. Served with a cup of carrots... Yum!!!



Dinner is being scarfed as I type (I know, you aren't supposed to eat in front of the computer... but ALL my meals are in front of the computer. Always have been. Ain't stoppin now!)

That there is 5oz of eye of round, broiled, with mushrooms in a red wine reduction on top. Baby potatoes with ff plain yogurt, and steamed broccoli with a tablespoon of romano. If I'm dreaming, don't wake me up!!



My JFT included 30 minutes (minimum) of excercise, and I'm still debating what I want to do. I could go for a run, but I'm not really feeling it. Maybe I'll do some step aerobics with circuit training. Depends on what is on TV. (Isn't THAT sad??)


Thanks for listening,

Dee

Sunday, April 26, 2009

After today... GAME ON

Seriously, wtf is my problem??? I'm CRAVING healthy foods. I really WANT vegetables.

So I wander into the kitchen to make a healthy breakfast, open the fridge and reach right on in and grab my leftover chinese food, heat it up (which is three minutes of debating back and forth about why I shouldn't eat this) and carry it back into my office to enjoy while reading weight loss blogs.

Um... HELLO?

Ah well... as is my usual format, I will enjoy today and then be completely game on tomorrow. This works for me. I've definately had my fill of crap fast foods this weekend. Pffft!

Thanks for listening,

Dee

For Magda... lol


Thanks for listening,

Dee

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Beautiful Day to Run

According to MapQuest, I just ran 11.87 km, which is 7.38 miles. That's the longest I've ever ran. It took me 1 hour 29 minutes, including my five minute cooldown walk. Apparently that means I run 5 miles an hour, according to NutriMirror.

Wow, do I feel good right now! And considering how unhealthy my last four meals have been, I needed to balance it out. Now for a wicked salad for dinner, with some great chicken protien, craisins, maybe some apple... yum, I'm so excited for dinner! I need me some VEGETABLES!!

Thanks for listening,

Dee

Saturday Musings

As I sit here munching leftover thin crust pepperoni pizza (half the sauce and half the cheese), I think "life is good". Sure the scale said 150.4 this morning, but it could be the sodium in the chinese food and A&W I had yesterday. LOL

Today I have to go to Costco to get a baby gift for a shower tomorrow. Tonight I have a date with my ladies. I just had awesome hot lovins with my husband (tmi, i know). Feelin on top of the world!!

Thanks for listening,

Dee

Thursday, April 23, 2009

She's Nuts!

My mom has lost some weight and got that sleeping thing to stop her apnea. Subsequently she has started cleaning out areas of her house. She phoned me up last week and asked if she could send me stuff. Like pads. She has been in menopause for close to a year, but for some reason has a plethera of pads. Sure, I said!


Well, it came today. I can't even begin to tell you how funny this is. Wait! I'll take a picture!!




Okay, it was VERY sweet of her to think to send me random fun stuff. I've never gotten a care package like this before, so it was really really neat to have the excitement of picking it up from the bus station and bringing it home. I waited until after dinner to open it, to prolong the suspense. Very very cool of mummy.

So what made me laugh so much I had to blog it? The expiry date on that there toothpaste. Anyone want some toothpaste from 1998? LOLOLOL

Mom, I love you, you need therapy for your packrat issues!


Dee

Eggplant Lasagna


Holy CRAP was this good! Thanks to Mouseroo for the link to her post on a dish. I also got from someone (damned if I can remember who right now, sorry) for a core version of the same dish.

From these two dishes I decided to create a lasagna. I had some ground beef in the fridge that needed to be used today.
I gotta tell ya... I was worried. I have only had eggplant in a Greek dish (moussaka?) and it was... well... disgusting (sorry to Greek's everywhere). Truly a terrible dish. And I've tried it more than once. You never know if it's because of the dish or the maker of the dish. It's the dish. Plech.

So needless to say, that impulse to buy an eggplant left me in a tizzy when I got it home. Logan has had it in ratatoulie (sp?) in foods class, so he informed me all about "sweating" it with salt. Eep, scary! Lucky he said it, because I didn't know.

Here's my recipe:

1 large eggplant, cut into 1/2 inch wide circles
1 container of Blue Menu Primavera Sauce (found in the deli section of SuperStore)
3/4 pound of ground lean beef
3/4 onion
1 T minced garlic
4 oz light mozza, grated

Salt the CRAP out of the eggplant slices and let sit for ten minutes then rinse. While slices are sitting, brown the ground beef with the onion and garlic. Rinse. Put back into the pan and add the container of Primavera and mix.

Lay the slices out on a cookie sheet and sprinkle with whatever spices you like (I used oregano and basil). Broil until brown, flip and do other side. I spritzed them with my Misto. Once browned on both sides, remove from oven and turn heat to 375.

In a corningware dish (or whatever holds about four great big pieces of lasagna, so square, vs rectangle) layer meat/sauce, eggplant slices, meat/sauce, eggplant slices, meat/sauce, cheese.
Cover and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and broil, watching carefully, until cheese is nicely brown/orange. Remove from oven and let sit for ten minutes. Slice and serve!

Calories: 370

Woot! Thanks for all the input!!

Shhhhh

I'm going to perform a blind test on my husband. I'm going to give him Maca Root, also known as Peruvian Ginseng (despite not being ginseng).

I'll let you know when I've bought it,

Dee

Breakie and Sunbathing


What have YOU done today?

Click here.

Take the time today to turn up your speakers and listen to this entire song. It's so worth it. I cry every time.

Thanks for listening,

Dee

I am NOT a runner, dammit!!!


I have been thinking long and hard about this whole "not being a runner" thing. I talked it out loud to my husband and finally figured it out.


In my mind, a runner is a dedicated person. One who commits to running on a daily basis. One who enjoys getting out there to run, rain or shine. One who wants to run all the time.


This is not me. I do not relate to that person. I enjoy a run here and there. I enjoy the weather when I'm in the MOOD for it, rain or shine. I do not always enjoy running. Sometimes I downright hate it. I've had good runs and I've had bad runs. But I've not ever thought to myself "this is who I am".


I am a health nut. I am a daily excerciser. I do aerobics. I do circuit training. I do weights. I run. I am not an "anything" really. I am an "all of it". I don't want to be pigeonholed into a commitment. I don't like training for a run, because then I "have" to do the running. And if I have to... I hate it. I end up miserable. I do not enjoy myself. It makes me want to quit working out. I dread getting going. I end up doing it and enjoying it usually, but the whole day before my run is pretty much ruined by the dread.


So marathon training? Sorry Crystal, not going to happen. I am not prepared to commit to a schedule. I love running when the mood strikes me, like it did yesterday. I love that I definately CAN run longer distances. I also love that I don't have to if I don't want to. I love that I'm in such top physical shape that I can not run for months and then do a 10km race and not cripple myself too badly.


But am I a runner? No.


Thanks for listening,

Dee

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Bought an Eggplant

Now whaddo I do?

Dee

I don't care WHAT you say...

... running 8.5 km today just cuz it's nice out does NOT make me a runner.

Harumph.

Dee

Biggest Loser **SPOILER**

Ron is driving me NUTS.

First thought, I have to give him kudos. He accepted responsibility when Mike talked to him about his choices. That whole segment made me pause the tv and have a conversation with my son, Logan. It made me cry when Mike said "sure they took me to buffets, but I was the one that chose my food". I said to Logan, "you can be sure as shit his choices weren't a double cheeseburger versus a spinach salad". I proceeded to talk to Logan about the choices I made in life and diet and how it affected him, and how grateful I am that he jumped on board the healthy eating bandwagon (he didn't have a whole lot of choice at 13) and embraced it. He's healthier, fitter, and dare I say, better looking for it. He's already going through the trials and tribulations of teenage angst, how much worse would it be if he were fat and pimply?

But I digress... Ron did a good thing, stepping up to his responsibility with Mike, and the parent in me applauds him. But then he blew all my love away with his sneaky underhandedness with Kristen. And she knew it. I get that he is only for his son. And that is admirable. Being a low down snake in the grass and a two faced bastard is not. The only reason he was able to keep his vow to Kathy was because of the percentage issue. That jerk got to save face and that's bullshit in my books. Be a man and fess up. There's more pride in standing by your son than there is in pretending to be something you are not. I'd rather a snake stood up and said "I'm a snake and I'm going to protect my brood, like it or not" than "I'm a magic fairy who always has your back, just like I promised" then bites you in a way you can't see coming.

Fucker.

Ahhhhhh, that feels better.

Yesterday I had lunch with my workout buddy. I had her over and prepared her a salad with garlic cheese toast. The salad had a serving of tofu, marinated in sweet chili sauce then pan seared. On the baby greens was half an apple each, a tablespoon of Romano Cheese, a serving of dry cottage cheese, and a sprinkle of Salad Elegance (damn, I wish we could get that stuff in Canada). The garlic cheese toast was Dempster's Flax Bread, a spray (from my Misto) of olive oil and an ounce of light mozza.



Thanks for listening,

Dee

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Dumb Injury

The part of me that hurts the MOST from the Sun Run? My ears. I need better ear buds for my mp3 player.

What a stupid owie.

Thanks for listening,

Dee

Product Preview & Spring has Sprung!

First, I absolutely HAVE to tell you about my new find. After the Sun Run, you go into BC Place and they have food to fuel you back up. You can stand in line forever for a power bar (no thanks, not worth it to me), or snatch and grab from the gigantic island of tables in the middle for a banana and orange slices (yum!) and mini bagels (I took one, had a couple bites and decided it wasn't a ten and chucked it), or there was a juice box giveaway as well (juice is not worth the calories to me). Island Farms is one of the participants, and they were giving away yogurt. And OMG was it good! So good, that I actually went out yesterday and bought a bucket of it. Yup! I haven't bought flavoured yogurt in... at least a year, maybe more. I find it too sweet and artificial tasting. But this yogurt? No artificial sweeteners and absolutely delicious. I tried two kinds, strawberry and blueberry vanilla. Strawberry was by far the best.

If you are a sweet yogurt eater, you may not appreciate this brand. However, if you are like me and kinda miss flavoured yogurts but aren't willing to sacrifice the clean eating to have a fat free one, this may be YOUR next great find.

It's called island FARMS ProPlus, which means Probiotic Yogurt with Prebiotic Fibre.



Check out the nutritional values. Totally worth it to me. And I'm picky!



It was the list of ingredients that was the deal maker. I went over and over them, looking for a deal breaker, and didn't find one. I mean, come on... they even use red cabbage as a colour. How can you beat that??



AAAAAND done. That's my review for the ... month? LOL I never do these things, but had to for this product. It's a Vancouver Island company, so I don't know how long their reach is into Canada or the US, but us Lower Mainlanders are lucky sots, I tell ya.

****************************************************************


Spring has officially sprung in Maple Ridge! This tulip is in my garden. I did a little walk about the house yesterday afternoon."

Here are the chives I eat all summer long. Coming in nice and healthy. I love that they come back each year. I have them in my eggs, on my potatoes, in my cottage cheese. I love them!





Our magnolia tree is blooming! This was an anniversary present I gave my husband... five years ago, maybe? I love that we will watch it grow each year and one day, when we are old, we will be able to sit under it and stare up into the blooms.




I don't know what these are called, but they are so sweet. I love blue flowers. Except those blue snowball ones that every gramma has. I hate those ones.




And here's why I was on my walkabout the yard... BBQ!!! Look what I can do!!




Pork loin, marinated in a basil vinegrette. Sweet potato and asparagus, spritzed with olive oil and sprinkled with greek seasoning. Holy yummy goodness!!!




Ahhhh, you can almost smell the summer coming. Now that I'm not big, I don't sweat as much, I actually enjoy summer a helluva lot more.

Excercise for Monday was walking the dogs. And holy shit did it make my hips and groin muscles groan! Muscle fatigue extrodinaire! I'll be doing the same today, just walking the dogs to go pick up my niece. That's it!

Thanks for listening,

Dee

Monday, April 20, 2009

Vancouver Sun Run


#47347, Dee Sicklesteel, Maple Ridge
1:11:44, 7:11/km, Place: 22475

I did it! With no training! I lived! AND I did a better time than I did last year, when I trained perfectly in a couch to 10k 14 week training schedule. Plus, I had to wait in line for a porta-potty for a good 5 minutes, so my time was actually even better if you minus that.

This is a testement to treating your body well. I am in top physical shape this year, compared to last year. Last year I was still losing weight, and focused on excercising for loss. Today I focus on excercising for strength, endurance, and longevity. And it showed yesterday. My body is conditioned, and I love it!

I barely walked, and I was concious of my time and was able to pace myself well. I carried bites of bagel with me, and when I felt myself flagging, I re-energized with them. Made all the difference in the world. I considered buying gels or other things that runners use, but I always go back to that very first Sun Run that my sister and I did. We were fat, unconditioned, and it was horribly miserable. At the 7km mark there was a man with a bucket of mini bagels. Those bagels saved our lives. It was the best damn bagel I had ever tasted in my LIFE. And it gave us the energy to keep going and cross the finish line. I honestly believe we would not have been able to if it weren't for those bagels.

My sister, Magda, is all over me to do a half marathon. Riiiiiight. I have to admit, though, that I felt like I could have done more yesterday. I don't know about TWICE as much, but I could have gone a couple more km. Luckily, she lives in Taipei so it's a non-issue.

I keep laughing and saying I'm not a runner. And I'm not! That Vista run last year cured me of that. But I will always be a Sun Runner, that's for sure. I love the atmosphere. I love the challenge. I love the comraderie. I love my running team. This year we were joined by my BIL, and I am so busting with pride. I knew he was nervous. I remember my first Sun Run and how freaky it was. But I also remember the sense of pride of just BEING there. And I am so glad for him that he has that. And sure enough... after it was over, he is looking forward to next year. He mostly walked it this year, and my sister stayed by his side, doing it with him. Next year they are going to so rock their times. And we are going to do it together.

Crystal and I did almost the same time! I was shocked! She is a hardcore runner. She started running just to have time with Sam and I at the track, and now she's marathon training. She blows me away, I tell ya! She has an awesome pace and if she can keep that up for a whole marathon, I will bow down and scrape the floor in front of her. I am not worthy... lol.

Today I am definately muscle fatigued. Probably because it's not just an hour running. We left the car at 8:30, walked to the race, stood waiting for an hour, stood waiting after, sat for five minutes before our group all assembled, then stood waiting around watching the crowd, eating yogurt. Then we walked back to the car and reached it at 1:30. So really, there was a lot of walking and being on our feet!

I fell asleep on the couch last night and missed the end of the hockey game. I struggled to stay awake, but there was no way. And I slept HARD last night. It was a good sleep. Today I won't be doing anything more strenuous than a walk, just to keep everything going.

Thanks for listening,

Dee

Sunday, April 19, 2009

Whoa... how different today's answers are!

Top Ten Favourite Foods:

(in no particular order)

1. buffalo
2. peanut butter
3. oatmeal
4. chicken breast
5. oysters
6. broccoli
7. dark chocolate chips
8. craisins
9. avocado
10. egg white

How different is this from my former fat self's top 10 list of favourite foods in no particular order?

1. cheese
2. steak
3. sourdough bread
4. real butter
5. pasta alfredo
6. dill pickle chips
7. garlic cheesy goodness (edam, mayo, garlic cloves, served on toppers brand crackers)
8. blue cheese dressing
9. chicken wings
10. anything covered and smothered (cheesed and gravied)

How about you?,

Dee

Saturday, April 18, 2009

Awesome day...

It was a great day all around today.

I got to spend some quality alone time in the car with my sis.

I got to have fun painting with my crew.

I got to have awesome sushi with my kids (not by birth, but kinda adopted kids, friends of my sons).

I got to get ready for my race tomorrow.

I got to download Jillian Michael's podcast.

I got new inserts for my runners.

Life is good!

Thanks for listening,

Dee

Weigh In

This morning the scale reads 147.4lbs. Woot!

Today I'm off to paint at a cousins new place, then I have a sushi date tonight with my ex daughter in law, which I'm VERY excited about. Two of my favourite things.... Lia and sushi.

Tomorrow it's (cue scary music) Sun Run! I've had almost no training, but I know it'll be good since my "practice run" a couple weeks ago where I did 9.4km and it didn't even come close to killing me.

I love how much I'm in good shape.

Oh, and a funny happened yesterday. Doug and Ashleigh (and the grandbaby invitro) came to visit. Doug was talking about how he wants to bulk up his arms. He makes a muscle and it's pretty nice, so we measured it. 12.5 inches. Then we measured mine. 12.25 inches. ROFL

Thanks for listening,

Dee

Friday, April 17, 2009

Eats so far...

I have to make this quick, as I have to go get ready for work...

No, I did not barf in this bucket! It's 1/3 cup each of porridge, yogurt, blueberries and almond breeze with a squirt of vanilla extract, and it sat in my fridge overnight. I eat this rarely, cuz it's not a fave of mine. But it's not terrible, and it makes for a quick something in the morning which allows an extra snooze button hit. See? There IS a method to my madness.




My lunch salad had an Italian meatloaf serving, 1/4 cup craisins, 1/2 an apple, 10grams of blue cheese, 2 oz of weeds, and a tablespoon of Mediterranian vinegrette. It wasn't until AFTER it was eaten that I saw another blog that had put beets in their salad. I have leftover beets in my fridge. Guess what tomorrow's salad is going to have!?!




That's it, gotta fly. Did 50 minutes of yoga today and feel WONDERFUL.

Thanks for listening,

Dee

Diet Vs Lifestyle

I was just responding to a post on NutriMirror called "Thought I was Immune" and I had an epiphany. Man, I love epiphanys!

Basically it's this:

If you were on a diet, a day of oreas is "blowing it".

If you have created a lifestyle, you had a day of indulgence.

HUGE difference. I have days of indulgence. But my days of healthy choices far outnumber them, which is why I am a successful maintainer. I actually get that there is no such thing as "blowing it".

As long as you make dramatically more healthy choices than not, then what's the problem?

Diets fail. They suck. They restrict you. A healthy lifestyle allows indulgences... when you can afford them, when you have earned them, and when you choose to not let them rule your life.

Thoughts?

Dee

Thursday, April 16, 2009

omg busted

I'm sitting here typing away, quietly freaking out because for some reason NutriMirror seems to think I don't exist, when from behind me I hear a scolding voice.

"Honn-ey! Bad girl!"

After leaping out of my skin, I started HOWLING with laughter, trying to click back into my blog to show him... as he's still talking:

"I know a licked plate when I see one" he says.

Snorting, rolling off excercise ball, tears streaming down face, laughing SO hard.

I'm so busted.





It was worth it, the gravy was awesome.

=)

Dee

Damn, There's Gravy in my Keyboard

Makes me wanna lick my keyboard. This gravy is sooo good. Damn.

I'm pretty excited about today's foods, I gotta tell ya. Pretty damn awesome.

For breakfast I made porridge, but this mornings was a fruity version. In my 1/3 cup porridge (dry measure) I had 4 strawberries and a kiwi cooked into it. I topped it with almonds and dark chocolate chips. So delish!




Look, you can see the chips starting to melt. Mmmmmmm.





Who doesn't like pita pizza?? Turkey thigh, mushrooms, mozza and caraway seeds. Yum!




Dinner was an absolute favourite. Or "is". I'm still eating. I call it Italian Meatloaf. Basically it's a pound of hot italian sausage meat and a pound of lean ground buffalo. Add an egg, a small handful of oatbran, maybe a little polenta. Let set for 20 minutes or so, then form into patties and grill on the George Forman. The amount of grease that comes out of these... *shudder*. Making them in the GF at least gets rid of most of it.



Voila! I did asparagus in the microwave for three minutes. Patties on the grill for six minutes. Gravy is instant mushroom packaged shit made with 2/3 cup of water instead of a whole cup, and then a tablespoon of fat free cream cheese melted into it (thus the licking of the keyboard). The potatoes and beets I did in the toaster oven, which took for EVER. About an hour. But I couldn't justify heating up the big giant oven for one teeny little pyrex dish. Guess I coulda done them in the microwave, but I really like roasted veggies.



So that's my day in foods.


Snack today was a fruit and yoghurt parfait at McDonald's. How's THAT for a healthy choice? *pats self on back*

Okay, I confess... I licked my plate clean. Now to put it in the dishwasher before Steve sees it. ROFL

Thanks for listening,

Dee

Circuit Training

Carla asked me to share my circuit training routine. *waves at Carla*

I don't have an actual "routine" per se... what I do is set my timer for 35 seconds, so it repeats. Then I do a move until the timer beeps and then do a different move.

I use five pound weights and I'll do:

- lunges with bicep curles
- squats with raises
- shoulder raises
- pretty much all the weight moves from my biggest loser dvd's (shred & bob's bootcamp)
I just keep mixing it up.

I'll also do cardio moves for the 35 seconds, so I'm really sweating by the time I'm done

- jumping jacks
- butt kicks
- jump rope
- knee raises
- step aerobics
- moves from the aerobic tapes I do

The point is to just switch it up every 35 seconds (the five seconds allows you to work hard for 30 and gives you 5 to get in position), and keep your body going. Seriously sweaty workout, and it doesn't give you time to rest. It burns wicked calories and is an intense workout.

You do what you know pushes your body. And you do it until you are tired.

I did 45 minutes of circuit training and then another 10 minutes of ab work (still utilizing the beeper) and then did five minutes of stretching (felt sooooo good).

The best thing about it is that you don't get bored, because you are thinking of what your next move will be, and as you are thinking it, the beeper goes... you don't have TIME to get bored. And with no set routine, you can do what feels great. If your shoulders are tired, do something lower body. If your legs are tired, do something upper body. Gives time to rest without lowering your heart rate.

Thanks for wondering,

Dee

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Wednesday Eats

The issue "de jeur" is eating until satisfied rather than eating what I have on my plate cuz I have the calories to eat it. Pffft.

Breakfast this morning was porridge... and no, the camera was not shooting yellow (although the piece of shit usually does), there is sweet potato in that there porridge. My take on pumpkin oatmeal. Cuz I don't actually like pumpkin oatmeal. This wasn't much better. But I do like craisins and chocolate chips. Those can stay.



Lunch. You know, there is nothing in the world like a great sandwich. I've decided I can eat bread as long as it's a healthy variety, and I don't go insane with it. This here sandwich has avocado, tomato, sprouts and ham. Oh My Yum. Oh, and pretzels. Love pretzels. Truth be told, though, I coulda stopped at half a sandwich. But I didn't want to wrap it up because the tomato would make it soggy. Yes, cuz wasting a half a sandwich is sacrilige compared to getting FAT again. *smacks self in head*




Snack. Oh snack. Oh bagel. With PB2 and apple. Sigh. Sooooo delicious. At least it's a whole grain flax bagel.



Dinner is turkey thigh with a red wine reduction splashed on it and the steamed cauliflower. Fried sweet potato and a little cucumber/black olive salad. Healthy and nutritious. The salad had seasoning salt and olive oil for a dressing, and it marinated in it for 1/2 hour. Great veggiful dinner.



And now to work out. Michelle called to tell me she has to jam on me tonight, so I'm stuck doing a circuit training session at home. Ah well... Steve likes getting an eyeful, lol.


Thanks for listening,

Dee

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Clean Eating? Wassat??

You DO know what the road to hell is paved with, right? Yep, you guessed it... bread.

Pffft, so much for clean eating! The good news is that it's a Dempster's Whole Grain Flax bread, but still... and I'm still within my caloric budget, but still...

Anywho... here's a few pics for ya. This is me!




This is a breakfast I had one morning on the weekend. A whole grain flax bagel with PB2 and slices of apple. Heaven!!




Breakfast this morning was porridge with chopped dates and almonds. So delish.



Lunch was leftover yam smash with a sandwich made of ham, tomato and sprouts. There is a smear of butter and a smoodge of Keen's hot mustard on there, too.



Aaand, I forgot to pic my snack, which was a cup of yoghurt with a quarter cup of granola and a tablespoon of dark chocolate chips. Don't worry, I'm sure you'll see it again. :)

Dinner is light, so as to make room for POPCORN!!!! I had a half a sandwich with an ounce of mozza and a 1/4 cup egg white with a bowl of Blue Menu Soupreme, Carrot flavour. First time having this. The sodium is a little high at 420 mg in a cup, but it was definately a tasty soup. And rich in vitamin A (70%).




As I said, it's POPCORN night. Which means Biggest Loser. Which means me sitting on the couch screaming every time that bastard Ron comes on "GO HOME GO HOME".

Maybe tonight is the night. :)

Thanks for listening,

Dee

Oy Vey!!

I'd love to report that my long weekend was filled with healthy foods, good choices, and loads of wonderful workouts. I'd love to... but I'd be lying. :)

It wasn't all terrible, but the bad bits were atrocious. Like the scads of chicken wings I ate last night... and the two large bags of baked dill pickle chips... and the huge bites of chocolate bunny... and the wine, oh the wine...

Easter dinner wasn't so bad. The only really unhealthy bit was the potatoes... which were, of course, the best tasting dish there, lol. Made with sour cream, bacon and cheese. *shakes fist at Andrew*

Today is back on track if it kills me. And it might. I'm going through withdrawls from crap. Plus my period came today, with a bit of a vengeance. I guess that's to payback not getting it on the weekend. I actually hoped it wouldn't come at all (I had endometrial eblasion and fall into the 20% that still get it, but one can dream).

I took pics of my eats today, so I'll be back later to post them. I ate too much at lunch and am feeling bloated so I'm going to do a workout later in the afternoon. I hate working out when bloated.

So am I ever going to learn to read my body vs eating what is on my plate just cuz it tastes awesome? No? Damn.

Thanks for listening,

Dee

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Shoes and Boots, OH MY!!

The shoes...


The boots...




(giggles)
Dee

Sushi Date!!

I've had the Avon order of a friend's for like two weeks? Maybe three? We've both been crazy busy and unable to connect. Finally we set a Sushi Date and it was yesterday... and it was FABULOUS!!!

You see, I don't really know this friend. Her name is Krista, and I started stalking her through a WW buddy that was blogging about how amazing she is. I checked out her blog (I'd post it here, but I'm not sure if it's private or not, so out of respect I won't) and was instantly hooked. Not only is this girl funny, she's totally real. And if you know me at all, you know that real is how I roll.

So yesterday was the first time REALLY meeting in real life. I've literally only met her for about two minutes in the past, when I dropped off Avon books to her outside of Michael's where she worked. Thank GAWD she happened to be outside when I got there, and I didn't have to go in! (if you are new here, that place sends me into panic/anxiety attacks. not pretty, completely embarrassing, and a little humiliating)

I loved loved loved how instantly we connected. I felt that I could talk to her about anything, and she would never sit in judgement of me and my choices. We had the same wide eyeballed "are you kidding me???" moment when a shrieking child went off in the booth behind me, and then was racing up and down the aisle. Although... there was a moment where he stopped and stared at us, and was the cutest little poppet EVER... but still. Control your child!!! This is a bloody restaurant. This set us off on a huge conversation of what we find acceptable and what we don't of child guests in our home... it was awesome!

And, we shared amazing foods. And one that was completely disgusting, but now we know...

I had so much fun ordering stuff I had never tried before. Krista is a pretty tame sushi eater, but she definately stepped outside her comfort zone. And she introduced me to new stuff, too!

On to the pics! (none of Krista, sorry... I'm a good friend and respect when someone says "no pics of me, please"... I didn't even SNEAK one!!)

This is the restaurant, from my booth. I was waiting for Krista to arrive, and I'm sure people were wondering what the hell I was doing, holding my camera up and taking pics... lol. This one faces the entrance. The restaurant is called Sui Sha Ya Japanese Restaurant, and it's (deceptively) at #220 - 2991 Lougheed Highway, Coquitlam. I say deceptively, because it's technically Pinetree Village. Except it's beside Best Buy. Which is about two blocks NORTH of Lougheed Hwy.




Okay, this is the menu...



I had no idea what Robata was... turned out the seafood one is seafood covered in a cream sauce and baked. I ended up ordering a Kaki Robata, too, and it was a whole oyster in the half shell, covered in cream sauce and baked. Spicy tofu is YUM!!! It's one inch cubes, flash fried in a chili infused oil, I think, then drizzled lightly with a sauce... and it is SO good. We ended up ordering more. That was one of the things I was so proud of Krista for trying!



Mmmmm, salmon sashimi!! I tried chopped scallop roll, and it was awesome! Ebi Tempura roll rocked. Christa ordered the BC roll and we tried the Yam Tempura roll. I liked the BC, but not the Yam. It was too sweet for me.




This is the Kaki Robata. Exciting!!! The cream sauce was weird. I didn't eat it all. But I sure enjoyed that oyster!





Okay... this is (from front to back) Ebi Tempura roll, BC roll, and Chopped Scallop roll. All delish, and orderable again.





Mmmmmm, gyoza. I know Steve would love these.





This is the Seafood Robata. It was absolutely vile. I cannot even begin to tell you how displeasing this was to my happy tastebuds. It definately fell into the "no thank you" category.




So, we ordered more after this, but I was so caught up in the frenzy of yumminess that I forgot to take pictures... lol. And then we spent a good hour just chatting. It was the BEST lunch. I so enjoyed myself. We are most definately doing that again.
Then, when we parted ways, I went veggie shopping at the Oxford Market. I have never shopped there before and was impressed with the selection! It's a veggie store. A farmer's market (here in the lower mainland, I don't know if that means the same as in other places. We have an ACTUAL farmers market uptown in Maple Ridge, where the farmers come out with stuff, but then we have stores run by asian folks that have veggies trucked in for ridiculously cheap compared to grocery stores, and they are called farmers markets, too). But they have gai lan, and baby bok choy and other exotic veggies there, too... for really reasonable prices! I'll have to take mummy out there next time she's down. If I have the time, I'd travel back there to do my grocery veggie shopping.
So I left there happy. I'm driving along and I'm thinking of what I'm going to wear that night. I have a date with my husband to a pub fundraiser at the Legion. Normally I don't go to those, but I screwed up gysting the invite and signed up for it (I have huge issues with using alcoholic events to support children. The only time I've ever seen it, though is for elementary school fundraisers and this being cadets it didn't set off my alarm bells like it usually does). So anyways, I'm thinking about my outfit, and I'm realizing that I don't have shoes OR a purse to go with my dress. Damn. So after a couple more stops for grocery/household items, I start the hunt. Dum da dum dum.
First, shoe warehouse. GREAT sales there. Coulda spent a fortune. Nothing leapt at me.
Next VV Boutique (Value Village, our local Big Brothers charity store). Found a pocket book that was PERFECT. $3.99. WOOT! But the BEST woot of ALL??? COWBOY BOOTS!!!!! pant pant pant pant. They so ROCK!!!!!! And they are already worn in, and they are brown and I LOVE THEM!!!!!!
From that high, I decided to bypass home and head to the mall. I figured I'd have a look in Zellers, then Pay Less, and if there was nothing, I'd stuff cotton in the toes of a pair I have that I flop around in like I'm playing dress up, and they'd have to do.
Well, I get to Zellers, and I find the perfect pair! And they are on sale from $30 down to $14.99. I dance up to the till only to find out they are half price again! $8.00 shoes, baby!!!!
I had the BEST time at the cadets thingy. Cindy and I sold 50/50 tickets and collected $728. It was so much fun! I love love love older folks. The legion was a total hoot. The "band" was a guy with a songboard and and electric guitar. He sang Roy Orbison, Elvis, The Big Bopper, all of them, and he did them perfectly! I danced The Twist... LOL. I wished my Sammy was there... she woulda danced with me all night. As it was I only got to dance two songs.
So I did have an amazing time last night, so I'm really pondering my moral dilemma around fundraising for kids at alcoholic venues. I have to chew on it for a while. Elementary schools are a definate line in the sand for me, but for older kids? Do I have issues around that? We had HUGE debates about it last night. Debates is too strong a word. Discussions. I've never thought about it, because all our kids were in elementary school for past events, and it was an instant no in my mind. But now I'm chewing on new thoughts. Especially now that I've seen one in action. And it's not a pissfest. I don't know. I'll have to ponder.
Oh, and the day ended off with Steve and I winning the grand prize. Dinner and a movie. A $100 at the Keg, BABY!!!!
What an AMAZING day!!!!!

Thanks for listening,

Dee