Girl I'm Gonna Make You Sweat

Ok I know I just wrote recently, but I couldn't resist talking about my sweaty shirt today. I know that this may seem trivial to most, and it's really not an accomplishment to the average person, but I think its important for me to acknowledge. For months at a time I have worked out at my gym. I have also walked miles around the neighborhood, sweated in the car on a hot day, but I have NEVER been able to "sweat out" my tee shirt at the gym. Oh and I try!

I wear dark purple tee shirts, light blue tee shirts, grey tee shirts, I mean I think you get the point (all tees that sweat can easily show through). I press my shirt against my back when we get water breaks in my classes, I sometimes watch myself in the mirror to see if I can do the moves harder. I tell myself its almost over 100 times so I can do it just a little bit more (ok that probably doesn't help the sweating part..lol). I try hard to get that sweat-soaked look. Today, I finally got it. And here are the reasons why (I think):

1. I stayed for the entire class - I usually have to leave 5 minutes early or arrive 5-10 minutes late because of parking/train/transportation issues. Today, I was early and stayed until the very end.

2. I struggled for the ENTIRE class - I used to do about 30% of the moves in Step Aerobics because I just didn't get it and didn't want to look stupid trying them and then messing up, majorly. Now (today especially), I don't care if I can do all the technical moves of it. I just keep stepping. Today, the routine was so confusing, I literally wore myself out with catching up for the entire class. 

3. It was very hot in Queens today - Hey, I know it wasn't ALL me :) I'm honest.

And that's it!

I am just so happy I finally could sport my sweat-soaked tee around so everyone would know I am a gym-girl. Nothing else about me would really say that I am a regular gym-goer. I don't have fancy exercise clothes really. I have 2 pairs of sweat-wicking yoga pants from Old Navy I sometimes sport and I have about 6 tee shirts that I wear over and over again. Nothing sporty or fancy like Nike logo clothes or Adidas, so one might think I am just running around. Not today though! My sweat-soaked shirt (and beet red face) was my evidence. I wore those clothes to the bank, DuaneReade, and walked around the long way to my car so I could feel the cool air on my wet back. Now, I just hope I can do it again soon!

I Was Here!

Hello Friends!

I had a good week so far. I counted my calories every day. I worked out four times (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday). And finally, I went to THREE restaurants for Summer 2011 Restaurant Week. I know that three restaurants seems like a lot in a week, but given the circumstances ($24 or $35 for "fancy" restaurant fare), I think its worth it. I went to Maze by Gordon Ramsey, Destino (an Italian restaurant on the East side), and Trattoria Dell'Arte, another Italian place across from Carnegie Hall. All three had good food, although I'd say Destino definitely had the best service of all. Although it was very tempting to just say, "oh forget counting calories, its a special occasion," I refrained. Instead, I adjusted the food I ate earlier in the day to accommodate the extra calories, I worked out almost daily, and I ate what I wanted, in small portions. Needless to say, I am feeling pretty good about myself.

I think this time around the "lifestyle change" track I am more dedicated to actually thinking about what I am putting in my mouth, instead of thinking of points and how I'll play a numbers game with them later. Before, when I did WW (still love this program) I often knew how to eat small bites and manipulate the points, but now it seems like when I see the actual CALORIES involved, it makes it harder to eat such high-fat foods when I know I can have twice the amount of vegetables for half if not less than the calories of the "fatty" food. I know that sounds a little um, crazy, but when you are trying to stick to a specific goal everyday, it makes it easier. Now, that is not to say I do not want to taste that food, or eat vegetables instead of say, salt and vinegar chips or a little Debbie brownie, but I also want to eat again later that day. I want to eat it all, trust me. But, fitting into a skirt that I have had in my closet for 2 years feels much better than I think a brownie or chips might taste right now. Also, the food is temporary, obviously the skirt isn't going anywhere. I digress. Anyway, I just wanted to say that I believe I am finally developing enough discipline to make smarter choices, even in tough situations (Restaurant Week!).

Well, since I brought it up, I might as well discuss it. I recently cleaned out my closet. I got rid of things I haven't worn, things I was just tired of wearing,  and took inventory of things I hadn't worn in a while, but would like to soon. Low and behold, there were 2 Old Navy brand skirts that I bought a while ago thinking that they'd fit. When I got them home, they did not. And when I say did not fit, I mean more like "really? you thought this would fit?" In fact, I got these skirts when Old Navy had their dressy/work-clothes section actually still IN the store. Anyway, I thought to myself, oh I'll just try them on quickly. YESSSSSS! <-- that was my reaction when I tried on the first one. Now, these are still not small sizes, but I was just so happy to see some progress. It's the little things I guess :)

So, what's up for next week? More gym, more counting, and more variety I think. I am going to try some new recipes, try to up the veggie intake and see how I do. Oh yeah.. last time I wrote I talked about pre-cooking some meals. Well that worked and didn't work. Most of the days I went out, but the food that I did cook was great, especially that Ranch dressing! I love it. The pasta sauce went over well and so did the taco meat. I didn't care for the soup so much, but I think its because I have a thing about leftovers..eew. I just think I need to cook everyday. It's better fresh. We'll see how it goes this week. Beach day tomorrow, so I'll catch you all later!

ps. Hope you liked my pics! The pasta has pesto made with broccoli and Parmesan cheese, which I am going to try to recreate.

Party Party Party!

Whew. I am tired. Yesterday was a friend's birthday party and I have to say, I am pretty proud of myself.I had a great time at Yetty's party and I did indulge in a lot of liquid calories, but I definitely kept a handle on the food. She had all my favorites, including barbeque ribs, empanadias, pasta with homemade meat sauce, chips and dip, macaroni and cheese (prepared by me), fried chicken wings, and of course, red velvet cake. For dinner, I had a few bites of them all. Here's what I had:

2 chicken wings
1 rib
1empanadia
1 bite of macaroni and cheese (I had to taste it before I took it over!)
1 bite of pasta (about 4 penne noodles and a tablespoon of sauce)
1 slice of red velvet cake with frosting

Okay, so I guess when I put it all in a list like that it seems like a "helluva" lot more than what I thought.. hmm.. I am still proud of myself though. I made a conscious effort to watch what I ate, eat on a small plate, and avoid that mindless grazing that can sometimes happen at a party. I also ate a small breakfast and a light lunch (think salad and grilled chicken) because I knew the possibility of increasing a lot of calories later would put me over my limit for the day. For me, this is definitely a Non-Scale Victory (NSV). Normally in situations like that I would give myself a free-for-all eating pass. I'd tell myself, "oh it doesn't matter, its just one night. I won't eat that much the next day."  The next day, I'd feel bad about it and just decide that I had already ruined my eating habits for the weekend, so might as well order a pizza or something else fatty. Not this time my friends, not this time! Alright, so now that I am all proud of myself...

I went overboard on the liquid calories. I had about 4 or 5 jello shots, 1 full glass of sangria, half a shot of Vodka, 1 rum and coke(zero) and 3-4 Cocolosos (thank Diddy for those..lol). I did not even bother to count these in calories. I know it was a lot and because I want to focus on my NSV regarding the food portion, I am not going to beat myself up about consuming so many calories from alcohol. I know that I only conquered half the battle really, but I am counting it as a win anyway. Go ME :)

In other news, I have been cooking up a storm today. I decided that I would try cooking a few meals and a few basic meats for the week. I find that the excuses I use during the week to eat out or eat junk food include not having time to cook, everything being frozen, or just don't have anything on hand. This week, I am trying a new approach. I prepared a chunky chicken soup, homemade pasta sauce with beef, ground turkey taco meat, 2 low-fat beef burgers, and my favorite, homemade ranch dressing! The ranch dressing was really a treat and I have to thank Erika, the author of a great site ( http://blackgirlsguidetoweightloss.com/recipes/make-it-at-home-sexy-ranch-dressing/ ) for this recipe.

I'll report back this week with updates on how my food prep today panned out over the week. I also have a few updates with my workout schedule too. And oh yeah, its Restaurant Week in NYC. I really have to budget my calories this week! See you all soon :)

So What?!...I'm Still a Rockstar..

I know, I know, I know. I have not written in almost two weeks! I am failing miserably at all three of the goals I set a few weeks ago. I wish I could say I have a great reason, or that I was meditating, or taking a break from social media, but I can't. I went away for the 4th of July and just dropped everything. I didn't track calories, I did not think twice about what I put in my mouth. I avoided the gym and am still ducking my trainer. With all that said though, I am down 3 pounds!

Although I lost a couple pounds, I still need to get back on track. I have logged back into my fitness journal and am tracking away again. I am pleased to say that I have not eaten too badly. I maintained my portion control (I am finally leaving the "clean-plate club") and I have limited my fried and fatty foods. This week of course is a little more taxing as I am nearing my monthly cycle, but I think with going back to tracking everything is really going to help.

Speaking of helping, I am undecided about this trainer business. Don't get me wrong. I love her and she really does push me. But the cost factor is an issue. And I know, I talked about investing long-term in my health and while that is still true for me, I just don't know that this particular investment at this time is the right thing to do. Not being too specific, I could easily spend $400 a month working with this woman. Considering the fact that I HATE working out and I am paying more than some people's car payment to do so, I should just quit her asap. However, I know that the pricing will go down as we do less sessions together. Decisions, decisions. What are your thoughts about this?

Finally, I just want to say that I have failed miserably the past two weeks, BUT, of course there is a but..lol I have not felt guilty, ashamed, bad, or even sad that I did. I decided to get back on the bandwagon and go again. I am proud to say I can forgive this mistake (yes a 2-week long mistake) and move on already. I also think that in my subconscious mind I needed a test to see if I could come back from a break like this. Hence, the title of today's post. Good to know I can do it!

Also, I have considered trying to step up my game with a new table feature on the side that tracks my exercise. I think having that will also keep me more accountable. I love my little ticker at the top, but I can't update it easily, so maybe the table will be better. However, I haven't been able to do that. I guess I need a little help with it among other things.

So, I am glad to be back and I'll definitely be updating more often! See ya again soon :)

Work It Out!

It hurts to type this post. Actually, typing is okay, lifting the laptop is the hard part. Needless to say, I've been doing some hard workouts this past week. I met with my new trainer on Wednesday. Thinking it was going to be a sit-down and let's talk about your plan meeting, I threw on some shorts so she could measure me easily. Little did I know, we did a full-blown workout for the first 45 minutes and did a little talking (well, huffing for me) at the end. I didn't realize how strength training and weights could affect a person. Situps, squats, crunches, planks, triceps dips, bicycle kicks and the list continues. Immediately after she left, I drank a quart of water and passed out on the couch. The next day I could not sit down without a scrunched up face and wobbly knees.

Now, I knew I was getting someone who was going to push me and make me do things I never wanted to or even thought I could, but let me tell you I am in P-A-I-N. We also worked out on Friday. Friday was the worst. I met my trainer at the gym not really knowing what to expect. Once we got in, it was straight to an elliptical. Ok cool, not so bad. Then we went to a weight bench or some contraption that looks like a weight bench, but you do situps on it. TONS of situps and crunches and more situps with weights and more crunches with weights. I wanted to DIE. Then we moved to some machine where you hold yourself up on your forearms, then lift your legs in front of you. And of course, more planks and side planks and treadmill inclines of 8 and above. I wanted to puke by the time we got on the elliptical for a "cool down." Of course I recognize that all exercises I described are not ground-breaking or innovative, but to a body that has never done them with any real effort before, it is more than tough.

With all that said, I have to be honest. I have not met my goal of 30 minutes of exercise per day. I physically could not move on Thursday and again yesterday. Today though, I am jumping back on the bandwagon. Obviously, a walk is in order. So even though I have not been on point with my goal of 30/30, I have successfully completed 6 consecutive days of food tracking (today will make 7)! I have more to say on the nutrition front, but I'm saving that for another post to come. Anyway, it's a lazy Sunday, so I am going to be just that, lazy. Enjoy your day people!

ps. TRUE BLOOD premieres tonight! WOHOOO!

Let's Get It Started!

Well hello world :)

I have so much to say and so little time! Today was a busy day as Monday's usually are, but I didn't let that stop me from starting my weight loss journey(for the last time). As you may know from recent posts, I have been teetering back and forth between calorie-counting or Weight Watchers PointsPlus plan. Well, the DECISION (taking ques from LBJ) is made!.......

CALORIE-COUNTING wins! I thought long and hard about this and though I wanted to do WW again, I thought that is exactly why I shouldn't do it. I got too comfortable. I knew how I could eat just little bites without tracking, I knew I could just "eat right" for a couple days before the weigh-in and be fine. I wasn't making healthy decisions because it was good for me, but because it was good for the weigh-in and I am so done with that. Now, that's not to say I won't be doing something like a weigh-in on my calorie-counting plan, its just that this time I have the bigger picture in mind. I say all this with conviction, but I know living it will be a little different-harder I mean.

So now that I know WHAT I am doing, let's talk about HOW I am doing it. I took Nadine's advice (hey girl) and signed up for MyFitnessPal.com . So far so good. They give you badges and weight loss tickers and all kinds of fun things that I'll eventually link to this blog after a few weeks of playing with it. Not to mention they literally have a TON of foods listed in their database. I can also add my own recipes and pretty much calculate calories for anything. Now, with the nutrition portion handled (well, on track I should say) I am going to up the ante with the exercise.

I have a personal trainer now. Expensive. I know. But, I am saving money by not going to WW meetings or using their Website and also being sucked into buying any of their yummy treats that are always "on-sale" during a meeting. Yep, even THEY want you to eat a little processed food. I am also saving money in the long run from buying plus-sized clothes (heck YES they cost more!), paying for more gas (it costs to haul a heavier me around), and even cutting back on eating out so much. Overall, I think its going to be worth it.

Finally, I have been right on track with my exercise everyday. Now, has the past 7 days of exercise been particularly challenging? No, but I have managed to do it. Mostly walks around the track at the school and even walking a new grocery store my friend and I found for about 2 hours with a cart full of fresh and nutritious goodies. However, I know I need to do better. Any my trainer comes tomorrow. Great. I'll let you know how that goes! I have so much more to say, but I'll save it for another day because as much as I thought I wasn't writing, this sure is a long post :) See ya soon!

Willing and Able...but Ready?

That's me looking frumpy in Roma!

So anyway, I have committed to a new weight loss journey and to blog about it...Now where do I start? I have read so many blogs, books, magazines, and listened to so many stories it's hard to decide how I will begin to conquer this journey. For example, I went to a conference this past weekend and there were two sessions (I attended both of course) that illustrated a Student Affairs officer's journey to their goal weight. One person did Weight Watchers, another person had gastric bypass. Bypass is not an option for me for many personal reasons, but also financially, I just can't. So, Weight Watchers...though I have done it before, I am nervous that I may not be able to commit. However, I don't think it's the WW plan that makes me hesitant. I read or heard somewhere that it takes about 7 times for someone with an eating disorder to be successful in their recovery (ok calm down, I am not saying I have a disorder). I just find that highly interesting because although a person wanting to lose weight may not be disordered, it still takes many tries to be "successful" i.e. keep the weight off for good. I guess this is about the 6th try, hopefully the last!

At this point whether it's try 6 or 8 or 29 I have to ask myself, why didn't I continue on the last time I lost weight? Whatever way I choose to do this journey can I stay the path long enough to get to my goal? I think this time the answer is yes, but I need to KNOW it. And that's where I need to change what I have done all the times before. That's where my "obsession" with all things weight-loss related is going to help me. I've learned so much and though I still have plenty of questions, I know some of the things I've done wrong in the past...

I never set small attainable goals along the major journey. I rewarded myself with food whenever I had a good weigh-in. I took "breaks" from my "diet" on vacations, weekends away, and any other time I did any little thing outside of my routine. I basically set myself up to fail. Naturally, I want to be super-dramatic and awe-inspiring here and say "THIS TIME I WILL NOT FAIL!" However, I also want to keep my realist perspective. So, I will say that this time I know I will have days that I will feel like a failure. I will have days I just want to quit and I will have a day that I will believe I have failed. However, I will not fail to keep believing in myself this time. I will not fail to recognize a bad day or bad couple days and persevere. And thankfully, you all will be here to help me :)

With all that ^ being said, what will I do to make this journey work for me this time? I'll list a few things I plan on trying...

1. 30 days of 30 minutes of physical activity - I saw this challenge on another site and I think it's a good way to get in a routine, but still be able to adjust between a 30 minute walk and 30 minutes of straight cardio without any days off in the schedule.

2. Calorie-counting of some sort (I haven't decided officially, but I am leaning toward Weight Watchers again...if anyone else has suggestions please comment and let me know)

3. Hold myself accountable here by tracking my exercise minutes...and yes my weight too..with at LEAST 2 posts per week.

I am going to try the above three things for the next 30 days. I'll then evaluate and decide my next courses of action. Good news already-I started my 30 days of physical activity today with a walk around the track.

So, in the next few days I will be posting a few pics, adding an exercise ticker, and yes, putting my weight on this site. I need some time to prepare for all that. You know, grocery shopping, organizing all the information I have gathered in the past couple months as well as taking a mental holiday to prepare myself. I'll see you again soon!