So I pretty much gave up on this blog...

That's ok though. It's going to be more of a fitness journal for me to log my exercise and food, not daily, but whenever I feel like it.

I just started working out again. I mean, it's been a long time. Months. Before the holidays. I was using the holidays as an excuse to not work out, but now it is clearly past the holidays, so I have no more excuses. And let's face it. The weather is getting nice, and I'm gonna have to start wearing less clothing. So I wanna look (and feel) remotely good in my summer clothes. I gave up on bathing suits and shorts a long time ago. Oh, and tank tops. Now I find myself not even wanting to wear short sleeves or capris! I need to get back in shape! 

So I started working out again this week, with my man. That helps, of course. A little extra boost of motivation. So I went to the gym Sunday. Did the treadmill for a mile. Did the elliptical for 10 minutes. I'm not trying to run a marathon here people. Just taking baby steps. Because I know my measly 30 minutes in the gym, as crappy as that seems, is better than nothing and just spending that time laying on the couch instead. I felt like crap Monday, so I didn't go to the gym. And Tuesday we planned to go but it didn't work out. It got too late. So we went again last night, Wednesday night. And I did the same thing.... 1 mile on the treadmill, and 10 minutes on the elliptical. It has been so long since I've been in the gym, I really am just trying to focus on being able to do cardio. The strength training can wait a bit. I've sprained my ankle three times and it is very weak, and starts hurting midway through my mile. It is so discouraging that I'm in discomfort and pain before even a mile. How do people run marathons or even half marathons? Heck, I'm even hoping to be able to do a 5K one of these days. I'll be super proud if I do that! But I dunno how to make my ankle feel better. I get discouraged on the treadmill since it hurts my ankle, but the elliptical doesn't strain it.

So there you have it.... 2 days back in the gym. I doubt we are going today... PJ is working late. Plus I am trying to do every other day. So I'm not too sore, and not too burnt out on it. 

Man, I hate working out. 

Why can't we all just be skinny and eat whatever we want?

New Year, New Me?

Happy New Year, bloggy buddies!

Just thought I would stop by and wish everyone a great start to 2011! As well as post a few resolutions that I hope to accomplish this year.

- Save more moolah. I have a big problem with this! I feel like we are just getting older and older and need to have our life together. Yes, we own our own house. Yes, we both have jobs and work hard. But that money that I work so hard for just seems to be gone so quickly! And we are always living paycheck to paycheck, struggling to pay bills at times. I want to save in 2011, so we can go on vacations and have more date nights. This leads me to my next resolution....

- Do more. Live more. I was just looking at someone's blog and realized how I am missing out on life. She had pictures of her and her hubby traveling, doing all sorts of things together. PJ and I have been together for 10 years, and been through so much, but many of the things I want to do in life (with him) we haven't done yet. I want to travel with him, explore the world together, do simple things like camping (we have been camping, don't get me wrong), go on a cruise, go overseas, scuba dive, swim with dolphins, parasail (or anything beach-related), take a road trip, go boating, and I'm sure there are a billion other things I can't wait to do with my love  :)

- Blog more. The last two months have not been good blogging-wise. And I love to do it! And I love to keep up on fellow foodie blogs so I hope to make more time for it. That also means posting more, learning how to write better posts, bring in more followers, taking better food photos, and more. I really hope to bake more, since I rarely do. And I also want to make more holiday-themed recipes :)

- Live a healthier lifestyle: that means working out more - in the gym AND taking walks/playing basketball etc. This also means drinking more water, being mindful of my caloric intake, drinking less pop, trying to get in a healthy breakfast, not eating so late, eating out less and cooking at home more.

- Rekindle friendships or make new ones. Be more social. Sometimes I get so wrapped up in the life PJ and I have created for ourselves that I don't make enough time for friends.

- Keep on working on improving our house. That means spending money on important house stuff that we need like comforter sets, bed frame and headboard, new blinds etc, instead of spending on clothes and shoes! This also means cleaning more often and learning to enjoy it. This also means being better with decorating our home. I'm supposed to be the woman in the relationship but I HATE to clean, and am not very good when it comes to making a house look cozy like a home. 

Hopefully  2011 will be the year to make these things happen!

quickie

Must. Make it. Through. The Day.

No gym Monday. But we did go on yesterday. I ran on the elliptical for 20 minutes and then did my arm and leg machines. Today is tag football. I want to be excited but I am so tired. Speaking of which.... I am off to get coffee now....

Hopefully I will drink more water today!

Today at least I don't have to worry about cooking after tag football. On our meal plan, I assigned today as an eating out day because I knew we would be playing football pretty late (until it gets dark at least). So it probably won't be very healthy. Probably Penn Station or Wild Mike's (oooh, it's wing night!) or Five Guys or something greasy and fatty. Oh well. It's gonna happen sometimes. At least I am being more active than before when I would eat these fatty foods. Progression is what I'm talking about here, people! Not striving for perfection, just to improve and be a better me. And the meals I have been making at home haven't been the healthiest either... Now that I've got the meal plan going, maybe I can try to focus on finding healthy meals.

baby steps....

Update

A quick update....

I haven't been on top of my 'working out' game. I think I worked out twice last week.... 

I told myself I would try to work out 5 days this week, hopefully Monday through Friday, and that isn't off to such a great start considering that it's only Tuesday and I didn't go Monday...

But we are definitely going tonight....

I haven't been doing a calorie count really anymore. I am just trying to make a conscious effort to eat better, and less. 

I also haven't been drinking as much water as I want and need. 

So basically I have been slackin! Time to get back on my game  :)

So I hope to go to the gym today, Thursday, and Friday. And Wednesdays we are doing tag football with a big group of friends. So that will be a definite workout and I will skip the gym on those days.

Last week PJ came back super sore (and was for the next few days!) and exhausted after last week's football game. I didn't go last week because I had errands to run. But this week I am. It sounds like a fun way to keep in shape. And is a nice change from the treadmills and ellipticals, that's for sure!

Anotha day, anotha pound

Yesterday.... well I'm not too sure how I would say it went. I didn't really eat breakfast. For lunch, I had a turkey and egg sandwich with mayo. I didn't drink nearly as much water as I should have. I did work out, however. I ran on the elliptical for about 25 minutes for 2 miles. I think I burned about 290 calories or more doing that. Then I did some tricep and leg machines, and the crunches machine. I felt good about working out, but I feel like I ruined it by eating dinner so late. We had baked cod with parmesan sauce. Um delish. But the sauce was just cheese and whipping cream, so it was pretty high in calories I would say. It is so good, but did feel heavy as I ate it and made me feel bad for eating it. We had bought a package of 4 cod fillets, and we each were served two... but I only ate one so I'm glad about that. We had broccoli with a bit of parmesan cheese on top with a lemon butter sauce, but I didn't eat much of that because it was cold by the time I ate it. So I had a late and kind of heavy meal last night after feeling great about working out.

Another downside? I weighed myself at the gym before I left - after I had worked out - and it said I gained a freaking pound. I'm not gonna let that get me down. But it just reiterates how hard this is gonna be.

What I learned today -

1. Don't eat so late!
2. Don't eat two of anything if I don't need it!
3. I need to pack my lunch!
4. Working out makes me feel better about myself
5. Don't go to the gym until after we eat dinner for two reasons - so we don't eat so late, and so the gym isn't as busy.

Today I can't get to the gym because I am going to a information session about grad school from 6 PM to 8 PM. I will still need to go home and cook and do laundry etc. so a trip to the gym is not in the works. But tomorrow definitely. I need to learn how to allot our time wisely to all of the things we want to do. We are trying to meal plan so that we eat healthier and spend our money better. So with going to the grocery sometimes, cooking, going to the gym, doing dishes and other cleaning, it doesn't seem like much time to do things we enjoy. I love my tv shows, so I need to be able to take time to watch some. Plus I need to clear up space on my DVR. At this rate, it's gonna be hard to record new shows because I am not getting rid of the old ones and clearing out space. Plus not to mention that I just need some time to do something I enjoy after working all day and then doing more things that I don't wanna do even after I get off work.

How do people do this? How do people with kids do this?!?!

Already?!

I fell off the wagon already :(  I was sick part of this weekend and therefore didn't work out nor pay attention to my calorie intake. Friday I didn't eat much at all because I was too busy throwing up and then sleeping most of the day away.

Saturday I still didn't feel too well early in the day, but pulled myself together to go to a nice 90th birthday party so I didn't really pay attention to my calories there, though I didn't eat too much. That night we had friends over for the UFC fight (Brock got beat, ha!) and I drank a couple of beers. 2 Bud Lite Limes, maybe 3? I obviously am going to drink. Realistically, I am not giving that up completely. But I just need to learn to do it less. I'm sure drinking liquor would be less caloric than beer, but I try not to drink liquor too often. Only on special occasions and I usually hate myself the next day for doing it. So yeah, I had some beers Saturday night.

And then Sunday... well that was just bad. I went to a bridal expo with my girl and munched on two bite-sized pieces of delicious cake (hey, I was taste-testing, for a purpose!)... then we went to Long Horn Steakhouse and I knew I shouldn't order that Shrimp & Lobster dip but I did anyway. I was actually going to get more food, maybe a caesar salad along with the dip, or some of their new white cheddar stuffed mushrooms. But I held myself back to just the dip and thought it would be fine. I can't deprive myself of what I want. This is going to be a lifelong process and I can't realistically just eat healthy yucky food for the rest of my life. I love food. I am going to eat 'good tasting-but bad for me' food sometimes. I just have to learn to moderate it, do it less often, eat smaller portions, etc. I felt bad after I ordered it. I knew it couldn't be healthy at all, and that was confirmed when they delivered a greasy cheese bowl with bits of lobster and shrimp. It didn't taste all that great, and I knew how bad it was for me. I had some guilt. I kind of wished I hadn't ordered it after all.

Then I went home and watched the Bengals game that we had DVR-ed. They make me so mad, I feel like I have to drink while watching them! Just kidding, just kidding. But I do like to have some beers while watching some football (they go well together!). So I did have a few more beers on Sunday, and then a turkey sub from Jimmy John's. Then later that night I wanted a snack and gave in to my temptations and ate a bag of cheesy bugles. I believe there are like 320 calories in one 99cent bag. Ugh. I disgust myself sometimes. Those beers, plus that dip, plus bugles. Not exactly on my road to skinny.

So I already feel like I've fallen off of the healthy wagon. Two days of eating well and working out, followed by illness and the weekend, and I'm already back to my old ways. We are definitely going to the gym today after work. We both felt bad about not working out this weekend at all. Ok, so two good days... followed by three bad days... hopefully going to be followed by a lifetime of healthy happy days.....

First day of a new me

I'm hungry. I want my pop and caffeine. I want a fat cheeseburger with greasy fries. I want to skip my planned work-out session this evening and just lounge on the couch and fill up on reality tv. I don't want water. I don't want Subway's boring excuses for food.

These are all of my thoughts today.

And it's only the first day.

I can imagine it only gets harder. Or maybe it gets easier? In my past experiences, I just get more tired from working out. I stay hungry from trying to eat right. I don't feel full from water and salads. And usually I don't see results quick enough for my likings. So I give up, thinking This isn't working anyways.

Maybe this time will be different? Maybe? Pretty please?

But for now, it is a struggle. Oh well, at least I am doing it so far. Only one day, but that's what it takes. One day at a time....

Breakfast = about 80 calories

• Coffee = about 5 calories
• Cream = 52 calories/tbsp ( I use alot of cream!)
• Sugar = about 20 calories for about 2 tsp

Lunch = about 185 calories

• 1/2 of a 6" turkey sub on wheat bread w/ onions, tomatoes, lettuce, banana peppers, and mustard (No mayo or cheese... go me!) = about 150 calories (whole 6" = 280 calories)
• 1 package of apple slices = 35 calories

So far today I have had about 265 calories just from "breakfast" and lunch. They say you should eat 5 or 6 small meals a day. I've learned that I definitely need to eat breakfast, and more at lunch, because I am starving and it's 4:30 PM! I've had no pop so far, only 1 cup of coffee, and 2 glasses of water so far. I would say I have drank about 32 oz. of water today. I know my body needs a lot more! I don't like this feeling of having to go to the bathroom all the time, though.

We plan to go to Kroger tonight and pick up some healthy lunch items. I can't do Subway every day forever! For dinner, we plan on having Rosemary Chicken & Barbequed Potato Wedges. I hope to get this calorie-counting thing down soon. Hopefully our caloric intake at dinner isn't too high, but I will keep you posted. I am only allowing myself to drink one glass of pop a day with dinner. I can't just give it up cold turkey! I need something other than water!

And we are hittin up the gym after work too! It's both of our first days back into the gym in months! When I say "we" I mean my fiancee and I. I am glad that I have a workout buddy. It can be a motivator, but at the same time we both can feel lazy and bring each other down (like we did last night). But it does make working out a little better when I have my sweetie next to me. I have been having problems with my ankle that has been sprained numerous times. Usually after running only a little bit on the treadmill I start to feel the pain and irritation. So I'm starting back out on the elliptical. That should be better on my ankles. Maybe I will go back to the treadmill, but thinking about running on it just makes me cringe! I hate the treadmill for some reason. The elliptical is more of my kind of thing. I sweat less, sure, but I can make it a good workout if I try.

So today has been hard. But I can only imagine that it will get harder. I just gotta keep remembering how I don't want to look or feel anymore. I can do it. We can do it together. And we WILL.