OUCH!!!!!

I made the first payment to Emily's orthodontist yesterday. That was pretty painful! At least insurance is paying for a huge chunk of it. She gets her retainer on Wednesday. She's all excited because it's pink and glows in the dark and she got to draw her own little design for it. She drew one of her little bunny characters holding a bomb and the lady shrunk it down with a copy machine to get it to the right size. I imagine that the glow-in-the-dark retainer will be a source of great entertainment at slumber parties. I should start taking bets on how soon she'll lose it. I'm guessing it'll disappear at school on Thursday.

Here's my food and exercise log for yesterday:
B: 1 c. kashi go lean crunch, 3/4 c. soymilk 250 calories
S: 1/2 c. oatmeal, 1 egg, 3/4 c. soymilk, 1/2 c. mango 334 calories
L: Tofu pad thai 481 calories
D: Teriyaki chicken bowl, egg roll 380 calories
Total: 1444 calories

Workout: 2 mile treadmill run. Finished the 2 mile run in 26 minutes and then cooled down for 4 minutes. Did 2.2 miles total. 287 calories

"I have nothing special in my pants!"

Emily had a little activity at the church last night making stuff for Mother's Day. When I picked her up, she announced loudly, "I HAVE NOTHING SPECIAL IN MY PANTS!" I burst out laughing. Then she said, "DON'T LOOK BEHIND ME BECAUSE I HAVE NOTHING SPECIAL IN MY PANTS!" So I started to look and she started slowly backing away. I don't think I've laughed that hard in a very long time. Then after we got in the car, she said, "Now I have nothing special under my shirt." It was pretty funny. I guess you had to be there.

Here's my food log for yesterday:

B: WW english muffin, 1 tbsp. peanut butter 213 calories
S: 2 eggs, tortilla, 2 tbsp. cheese, salsa, 1/2 c. pineapple 383 calories
L: Tofu & veggie stir-fry, egg roll (okay, I shouldn't have eaten the egg roll but DAMN! It was good!) 412 calories
S: Baked potato chips, apple 193 calories
D: Tomato & Basil Chicken with Super Creamy Polenta, 1 c. carrots 406 calories
S: 1/2 c. light ice cream, 1/4 c. cool whip

Workout: Rest Day

Another Run

I went for another run yesterday. Nick came along again and kept up a little better in the beginning and then walked the rest. This time I ran as far as I could in 30 minutes and I made it about 2 2/3 times around the fitness track. My next run is Thursday and I plan to run 2 miles and then Nick wants me to show him some weight training exercises he can do on his own. He says he wants to get in shape which would definitely be a good thing since he's such a stick figure.

Today I got to go meet with Emily's orthodontist to go over her treatment plan. She gets to wear a retainer before they actually put the braces on to make room for the tooth that hasn't come out (there's too many other teeth in the way.) Won't that be fun!

Here's my log for yesterday:

B: WW english muffin, 1 tbsp sugar-free jam, 1 piece light cheese 193 calories
S: 1/2 c. oatmeal, 3/4 c. soymilk, 3 egg whites, 1/2 c. mango 308 calories
L: Stir Fresh w/ tofu & 1/2 c. rice 413 calories
S: 1 peice light cheese, banana 159 calories
D: 1 c. pasta, 2 oz. chicken, 1 tbsp. parmesan cheese, 1 c. brocolli 296 calories
S: 1 c. strawberries, 1/4 c. light cool whip 87 calories
Total: 1455 calories

Workout: 30 min jog 360 calories

I need to plan my meals better

Yesterday I was supposed to have a low calorie day (1720 calories) and I thought I did pretty well until I added it all up this morning and saw that it came out to 2025, which isn't aweful but isn't great either. I really need to sit down and plan out my meals so I'm not just eating randomly and hoping for the best. I really need to not do this half-assed like I've been doing. I really didn't need that 3rd piece of pizza last night. It was just mushroom pizza so it wasn't horrible calorie-wise but that was 210 calories I didn't need just because I felt like having a little more. My workout went really well last night. I did Muscle Endurance and both of the kids decided they wanted to do it with me so I let them use my 3 pound weights. Nick did the whole thing and Emily did her own thing when she didn't feel like doing some of the exercises. I'm actually thinking I need to heavy up next time I do that one because I finished it with so few problems. The only exercises I had a hard time with were the ones that only used bodyweight and the abwork with the medicine ball. Today I'm planning to go for a 2 mile run. Track and Field starts at Nick's school today so he may or may not come along. If he goes for a run today at school he probably won't want to do one with me tonight.

Here's my log for yesterday:

B: 1 c. Kashi Go Lean Crunch, 3/4 c. soymilk 250 calories
S: 1/2 c. oatmeal, 3/4 c. soymilk, 3 egg whites 309 calories
L: Calamari parmesan, pasta with clam sauce 509 calories
S: Weight Watchers Dragon Lomein 240 calories
D: 3 medium slices mushroom pizza 630 calories
S: 1 c. strawberries, 1/4 c. cool whip light 87 calories

Workout: Muscle Endurance 530 calories

Total Calories Eaten: 2025
Carb/Protein/Fat Ratio: 49/24/27

First Run in a Long Time

Yesterday I went for my first run in a long time. I tried running around my neighborhood when we first moved back to San Diego and it was sooooo hilly my run became a walk. There's a fitness trail thingy near my work that's relatively flat and the distance isn't marked but I'm guessing it's just under a mile long (it took me 13 minutes to run around the whole loop and since I'm slow, I think my guess is pretty close.) I went three times around in 39 minutes. Nick decided to come along but he couldn't keep up so he spent a lot of time walking. He told me I'm more athletic than he is which is kinda funny because no one's ever told me that before. I'm the only person I know who actually failed PE as a kid. I was always the last one picked for teams because I suck so much at sports. I can't hit a baseball, I can't throw a football, I can't shoot a basket, I can barely ride a bicycle and if I tried to jump over a hurtle, I'd probably fall on my face. I'm one of the clumsiest, uncoordinated people I know but I can lift a pair of 15 pound dumbells over my head and do an hour of cardio without falling over so that makes me happy. It just goes to show it doesn't take any talent or natural athletic ability to get in shape. It just takes time and practice.

My eating over the weekend wasn't great since it was Sean's birthday and all. Friday for Sean's birthday, we took the kids to Outback. I can't believe I only had one little taste of the bloomin' onion we got. I was really good and got the salmon and didn't have any of the sauce. I only ate half of my meal and ate the rest for a snack the next day. Saturday we went to House on the Hill in Poway which is a super-swanky, fancy-pants steakhouse. It's also FREAKING AWESOME! We went all out and had the appetizer sampler which had ceviche (which was devine, it was like really good salsa with fish in it), seafood salad, the most amazing onion rings I've consumed in my entire lifetime and crab cakes (which were good but I lived in the mid-atlantic for almost two years so I've gotten a little spoiled.) With that and the bread and the cheese and crackers and the split-pea soup, I was barely hungry anymore by the time our dinner came. Sean got a $30 steak. He gave me a taste and it was FABULOUS! I got the Calamari Parmesan which seemed weird but it was really, really good. I could only eat half of it so the rest is still in my fridge (maybe I'll go home and eat it for lunch today.) Then, since it was Sean's birthday, they brought him a slice of the most amazing chocolate cheesecake ever. It was dark chocolate on the bottom and white chocolate on top. I only had two bites because I was so stuffed. Sunday Sean barbequed hamburgers and I made his birthday cake. I made a german chocolate cake from scratch. I even made the frosting. That cake is wrong on so many levels. Not that I don't care about my family's health but if that cake disappears before the end of the day, I'll be really happy.

9 week 10K Training Plan

I've decided to run a 10K. I'm doing the LiveStrong Challenge for the Lance Armstrong Foundation. I'm raising money to help people with cancer so if you want to donate, click here. It's a little over 9 weeks away so I came up with a 9 week rotation to prepare.

Week 0
4/22 Calorie Killer
4/23 2.5 mile run

Week 1
4/24 Muscle Endurance
4/25 2 mile run
4/26 Complete Aerobic & Weight Training
4/27 2 mile run
4/28 Rest
4/29 Low Max
4/30 3 mile run

Week 2
5/1 Body Sculpt
5/2 2.5 mile run
5/3 Cardio & Weights
5/4 2 mile run
5/5 Rest
5/6 Maximum Cardio Burn
5/7 3 mile run

Week 3
5/8 Pyramid Upper Body
5/9 2.5 mile run
5/10 Total Muscle Shaping
5/11 2 mile run
5/12 Rest
5/13 Step Blast
5/14 3.5 mile run

Week 4
5/15 Super Charged Sculpting
5/16 2.5 mile run
5/17 Step Jump Pump
5/18 2 mile run
5/19 Rest
5/20 Ultimate Calorie Blaster
5/21 3.5 mile run

Week 5
5/22 Pyramid Lower Body
5/23 3 mile run
5/24 Aerobic Body Shaping
5/25 2 mile run
5/26 Rest
5/27 Low Max
5/28 4 mile run

Week 6
5/29 Super Body Sculpt
5/30 3 mile run
5/31 Cardio & Weights
6/1 2 mile run
6/2 Rest
6/3 Low Impact Step
6/4 4.5 mile run

Week 7
6/5 Muscle Endurance
6/6 3 mile run
6/7 Complete Body Sculpting
6/8 2 mile run
6/9 Rest
6/10 Step Blast
6/11 5 mile run

Week 8
6/12 Total Sculpt
6/13 3 mile run
6/14 Step Jump Pump
6/15 2 mile run
6/16 Rest
6/17 Express Cardio
6/18 5.5 mile run

Week 9
6/19 Super Charged Sculpting
6/20 3 mile run
6/21 Cardio Sculpt
6/22 2 mile run
6/23 Rest
6/24 Rest
6/25 10K

Getting More Serious

I've decided I need to get a lot more serious about my nutrition and exercise. I've decided to train to run a 10K at the end of June and a half-marathon in December. I've got plenty of time to prepare if I work hard. I'm going to start zig-zagging my calories and running twice a week (the running will probably start this weekend.) I'm thinking a long run during the weekend and a short run mid-week. I'll just have to sit down and come up with a rotation and stick to it. I also need to plan my meals better and limit the little cheats here and there. The restaurant meals aren't so bad if I choose carefully and reserve the extra-yummy stuff for higher calorie days. I've been logging my food really well for the past few days and noticed that if I don't pay too much attention to what I eat, I get about 1980 calories and when I really focus on eating my veggies and including protein with every meal, I get about 1650. According to the math I've done I should be eating 1720 calories on my low days and 2150 on my high days. I should be able to get more accurate numbers once I test my bodyfat in a few days (I've got some calipers on order). I'm going to try a week of the higher numbers with really intense training and if I don't see some progress, I'll ratchet the calories back down.

Here's my log for yesterday:
B: 1/2 c. oatmeal, 1 egg, 3/4 c. strawberries 278 calories
S: 7 quaker rice snacks, 1 egg 145 calories
L: 2 c. mixed veggies, 4 oz. tofu, 1 c. noodles, sauce 539 calories
D: Tofu steak, 1/2 c. yellow peppers, 1/2 c. onions, 2 WW tortillas, 1/4 c. salsa 367 calories
S: 1 c. chocolate soymilk, 1 scoop protein powder, 1 tbsp. walnuts 292 calories

Workout: Express Cardio 31 minutes, 431 calories

Calories Eaten: 1620
Carb/Protein/Fat: 43/26/31
Calories Burned: 431
Net for the day: 1189

Here's my log for Tuesday:
B: 1/2 c. oatmeal, 1 egg, 1/2 c. blueberries 260 calories
S: 9 quaker rice snacks, 1 egg 145 calories
L: Gardenburger, guacamole, salsa, WW bun, 2 c. salad, 1 tbsp. FF dressing 511 calories
S: 1 slice veggie pizza 280 calories
S: 1/2 chocolate malt 317 calories
D: 1 chicken breast tender, 1 c. broccoli, 1/2 potato, 1/4 tbsp. olive oil 220 calories

Workout: Pyramid Upper Body 50 minutes, 437 calories

Calories Eaten: 1730
Carb/Protein/Fat: 44/22/34
Calories Burned: 437
Net for the day: 1293

Here's my log for Monday:
B: 1/2 c. oatmeal, 1 egg, 3/4 c. light soymilk, 1/2 c. blueberries 305 calories
S: 18 quaker rice snacks 140 calories
L: Rubios Shrimp Burrito, rice 730 calories
D: 2 slices veggie pizza 560 calories
S: 1 c. light soymilk, 1 scoop protein powder, 1/2 banana 244 calories

Workout: Calorie Killer, 1/2 Bosu workout 57 minutes, 637 calories

Calories Eaten: 1979
Carb/Protein/Fat: 50/20/30
Calories Burned: 637
Net for the day: 1342

First Annual Easter Barbeque

So we went out and bought a barbeque on Saturday. Then we went out for a family bike ride. On the way back from the park, Sean was having problems with his seat and then suddenly tipped over, scraping up his knee and elbow and hands. I bandaged him up when we got home and I think he'll live. I figured that if anyone was going to get hurt on a bike ride, it would be me since I'm so clumsy. Sunday after church we assembled the barbeque ("partial assembly required" my butt!!) and barbequed bratwurst that night. I had entirely too much cheese (we made up a cheese plate for an appetizer) but I only had one bratwurst so I didn't do too bad. We also had lots of IBC root beer (diet, of course) and this amazingly good diet orange creme soda (I forget who makes it) and strawberries for desert. It was so good and we had such a good time that we decided to do it every year. We also decided that we should get Sean a barbeque cookbook so he can cook dinner once a week (at least the meat part of dinner.) Sean also agreed to let me cook whole wheat pasta, brown rice or various wacky grains twice a week without complaint (Yay! I don't have to wait till he's not home to cook millet!)

Getting back in the swing of things

I got sick on my birthday and I finally recovered. I had a sinus infection for two weeks and I just didn't feel like blogging. I'm about 99% better so I guess I'd better get my butt back into gear. Amazingly, I lost a half a pound while I was sick and not working out. It's not like I was throwing up sick. If I was, it would've made sense. I ate completely normally so it's kinda weird. I'm not complaining though. I finally worked out again for the first time since I got sick last night. It was hard but it felt good to have done it. I did Complete Aerobic & Weight Training and my heart rate monitor said I burned 651 calories! Now I have numerical proof that Emily Welsh is an evil woman. Now all I need to do is start logging my food again. I'm not going to be able to make my goal of being in a size 8 by Sean's birthday but I wasn't expecting to be sick for so long. Now I'm thinking mid-May. I did get a size 8 dress at Old Navy last weekend though. It's this really cute sundress and I wanted to try it on but they only had an 8 and a 12 so I took both into the dressing room and hoped for the best. The size 8 fit perfectly so I didn't even bother taking the 12 off the hanger. I didn't even have to hold my breath to zip it up. Next stop: size 8 jeans!