31
December
2008
Is it December 31st already? Boy, time sure does fly when you’re having fun. I’ve had this blog for a year now! I started it as a way to track my weight loss… and in 2008, I gained some instead. Oh well.
I’m not making any resolutions. You know why? For me, they never stick. I do have some goals set, though. Since I started tracking SparkAmerica Minutes in August, I’ve accumulated 8,348 total. Tomorrow, I will set my 2009 SparkAmerica Goal to 15,000 minutes. Getting my 1500 minutes a month, every month, would put me way over that number, but I’m allowing for some downtime in case life happens to get in my way. Here are some other things I’d like to accomplish in the coming year:
*If it’s meant to be, Robert and I will be preparing to move away from the Bay Area and get some new scenery. This will begin with our trip to San Diego, coming in February!
*Ease into Eating Clean, and attempt to make it a lifestyle. I got my book on Saturday, and it’s some good reading so far! I cleaned out our cupboards and we have two big bags of food to bring to the local Open Heart Kitchen. We’re now eating steel cut oats (that I batch cooked on Sunday) and flaxseed on a daily basis. I have some clean recipes bookmarked to try out in the next few weeks! I made stuffed peppers the other night and they were delicious. Next up- Roasted Salmon. Yum 
*Eventually, I’d like to learn to do a proper push-up. I’ve never been able to manage one. Spark has an article about that, I will have to find it again.
*To keep from getting bored, I’m going to try and change up my fitness routine every 12 weeks or so.
Really, that about sums it up. Eat better, keep up with my exercise, prepare for the new chapter of life with my husband.
Tonight I’m stuck at work until 11pm (boo), but after that I’ll go home, pop open a bottle of Martinelli’s and enjoy some hors d’oeuvres with Robert, watch the ball drop and turn in
I wish you and yours a very safe, happy and healthy new year!
Yael 
General 
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19
December
2008
“Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.”
So, basically, I have the exercise thing down. I’m really good at averaging about an hour a day with that. I’m closing in on 8,000 SparkAmerica minutes since August. I just need to get my eating back under control.
I’ve been thinking back to about six years ago, when I did the Suzanne Somers Somersize program. I ate whenever I wanted, chose one or two meals a week to “splurge”, worked out at Curves about 90 minutes a week, tracked NOTHING, and still managed to lose 20 lbs that summer. The Somersize thing is all about food combining. Of course, now that I’m older and a little wiser, I know that has nothing to do with anything. She claims that weight gain is caused by a “hormonal imbalance”, caused by eating certain foods together, blah blah blah. I remember the weirdest rule was that you could only eat fruit by itself, 3 hours between meals.
I will give her this: She has the right idea- cutting out all refined sugar, eating lots of natural foods, cutting out caffeine and alcohol, cutting way back on carbs and only eating the complex kind.
I will not be trying that program again. Instead, I’m looking into “clean eating”. That summer I ate healthier than I have before, or since. I snacked on broccoli, of all things. After some deliberation, I decided to purchase The Eat-Clean Diet from Amazon. It should be here right after Christmas. Hopefully, I will spend the next week reading, meal planning, and making shopping lists. I don’t plan to dive into it head-first, but start with maybe one meal a day. I’ll make my dinners clean eating. Robert is a bit reluctant, but I’ll let him try some of the things I make and he can decide for himself. I’m excited to get the book
In other news, I make smoothies!! I’ve dabbled on and off with them ever since I had TMJ in September. The trouble is, as much as I love my blender, it just doesn’t agree with frozen fruit and single-serving smoothies. I can crush the fruit in the food processor, then blend it with the other ingredients, but I decided what I really needed was a powerful little blender that can do all of the above. I didn’t feel like forking out the cash for a Magic Bullet, so I searched and found this. The Hamilton Beach Single Serve Blender with its own little travel lid. So far, it seems to be a good match for my frozen fruit! I’ve been experimenting a bit, and here’s one of my favorite meal-smoothie combos so far:
1/2 cup frozen strawberries, unsweetened
1/2 cup Unsweetened Original Almond Breeze
1/2 cup 100% fruit juice
a scoop of my chocolate protein powder
Pulse until well-blended, and voila! This is so satisfying to me- fruity and chocolatey, filling with the protein, and all for around 250 calories. It comes out a bit thick, so I usually eat it with a spoon. I use this as a meal, usually breakfast. Today it was lunch. I love my little blender. It’s easy to clean, and I can drink right out of the cup. Yum. Not bad at all for a $16 investment.
Oh, I must tell you the DVD player incident. I’ve had my player for about 10 years now. It’s been with me through a lot. Recently, when it began making my movies skip and started making loud noises from inside the player itself, we decided it was time for a new one. I found a DVD/VCR combo at Costco. We got it, brought it home, only to find out the remote didn’t work. Not too big a deal. After all, the main controls are located on the player itself. Well. The next day I attempted to do my WalkSlim 4 Mile work out, only to discover that without the remote, I could not switch between options. Bah. Robert exchanged it, and the new one has a working remote and everything.
Yesterday, I decided to re-attempt the above work out on the new player. I open the case, and… no Leslie. WTF! I left it in the returned player! By the time I realized that, Costco had already sent it back to the processing center. That made me a very sad panda. Oh well, I just ordered a new one. Yeah. So nice, I bought it twice.
Nothing else new, until next time!
Yael General No Comments »
10
December
2008
“The sovereign invigorator of the body is exercise, and of all the exercises walking is the best.” -Thomas Jefferson
It’s effing cold. This whole 37 degrees thing every night just is not working for me.
It’s been almost a month! There hasn’t been much new, which is why I suppose I haven’t been driven to write in here.
Since you’ve last heard from me, I got a new haircut (bangs!!!) and my very first hair dryer. I’ve never been into heat-styling, and I was always scared it would fry my hair. I have my cheapie straightener that I’d use every once in awhile, but it’s always such a pain. Well. Now that I have bangs, I have to actually put some effort into the styling. Since about the age of 14, I’ve been content to wash, towel dry, comb out, and put some mousse/gel/whatever I had into my hair and scrunch it and… let it be. I’ve decided that I now need to do something else with it. After receiving my fab new cut (pic to follow), I went and invested in a ConAir Infinity Hair Designer. I got the kind that came with a straightener attachment. See, I’ve never been good at drying my hair straight. Something never clicked with holding the dryer and brush at the same time. This makes thing much easier. I don’t straighten it all out very often, maybe once a week, but I am getting the hang of it. I am so slow getting ready that by the time I’m all showered, all I have time for is to blowdry the bangs. That looks great on its own, by the way. I like this new look. It’s sleek, professional. It says, “Hire me! I will show up in my new business suit and do your bidding.”
I’m kinda-sorta looking for a new job. The site I work at will be shutting down in a matter of months, and while the most that will happen is I get transferred, it’s slim-pickin’ out there. I did apply for a new position at a different site, and I should be getting a call for an interview any day now. If you can, please send some New Job Vibes my way! Thanks
On the diet and exercise front: Still refusing to step on the scale. The good news? I am now on week 4/12 in Buff Brides, and I’ve upped my cardio- a lot. The BB program is to be done 4 days a week. Sometimes I can only find the time to do 2 or 3, but every little bit helps. I feel stronger, and I am noticing little changes in my physical appearance. Yes, I did take Before photos. After 12 weeks (last day should be Feb. 7) I will take new ones, and post them here… maybe. lol.
Ooohh!!! I got a new Walk Away the Pounds DVD! It’s called the Fat Burning 5 Mile. Je l’adore! Each mile is 12 minutes, and consists of: 5 min. moderate walking, 5min. Power Walking, and 2 min. “Boosted Walking”. In WATP speak, that means jogging. Through cool-down, it’s 71 minutes of straight cardio. No weights, stretchie or anything like that. Just you, your feet, and Leslie to guide you. Love.
Robert goosed me today and informed me that my backside is getting smaller and firmer. He’s the expert!
I’ve been cooking a lot lately and trying new recipes. I might put this blog to better use if I posted photos and recipes and reviews and things like that… hmmm….. I’ll get back to you on that.
My eating is… a day-to-day struggle. I still feel like I’m in a “dieter’s mindset”. You know why? Numbers. Too many darn numbers. Calories in, calories out, dress size, fat grams, carbs, exercise minutes, blah blah blah. i wish I were a naturally thin person. Not skinny-fat, but fit and trim. These people have no problem with portions, and in most cases don’t need to track their food. I toyed with the idea of NOT tracking anything… but I have a feeling that this is a recipe for disaster. I don’t trust myself to eye-ball my food, stop eating when I truly feel full, eat enough to have a caloric deficit, etc. I KNOW that I want this to be my lifestyle. I want to live a long, healthy, active life and instill these habits into my future children. So, until I trust myself… tracking it is.
I have to say one thing though: I no longer feel like I’m in a hurry to lose this weight. I’ve been carrying most of this for 10+ years, so of course it will take time to shed. I feel like I’ve finally accepted that if I keep up healthy habits, stay active (not to be confused with “busy”), then eventually, it will come off.
I love IHOP. My favorite thing to order is biscuits and gravy, with no sausage. This is comfort food, and it really hits the spot. The hashbrowns with it don’t hurt, either. I’ve decided to stop ordering this dish everytime I go in there. I can’t track it, and who knows how many calories it must have. It’s delicious, but it needs to only be an occasional treat. Robert and I have been going there for brunch every once 1-2 weeks, which is why I bring this up. I now have a new order. One large bowl of fresh fruit, and two buttermilk pancakes with NO butter on top. I’ve tried the sugar-free syrup, but I think I’ll stick with small amounts of the regular stuff. After some research, I’ve calculated that this meal should come somewhere between 400-500 calories (depending on the syrup). It’s yummy, filling, and gets me a couple of fruit servings while hitting my sweet pancake fix. I feel very good about this choice, and I think it likes me too.
Enough for now. Have a good week, and I promise to update again before the New Year!!
Yael General 1 Comment »
12
November
2008
“Fall down seven times, get up eight.”
The BEST part of cold weather and rain? Cold season!!! Whoopee! The Sunday before last, I woke up with a sore throat, and… it went downhill from there. Between Tuesday night and Wednesday at work, I went through an entire box of Puffs Plus tissues. That’s a new personal record. I’m quite proud of myself. My boss noticed this, and suggested Zycam, and while shoving liquids up my nose and inhaling them isn’t exactly appetizing, I must say there was vast improvement after 20 minutes. Maybe next time I’ll get the swabs. Today I feel much better. There’s still a bit of congestion, and a lingering cough. Last night I didn’t need any cold meds to fall asleep.
My eating and exercise habits suffered while I was sick. I managed to get in some activity… walking at work, plus a bit of Wii Fit here and there. Boy, am I glad I don’t weigh myself anymore. I ate everything in front of me with no rhyme or reason. This will not do.
I’ve decided that it’s time to learn to feel hunger again. I mean real, tummy-growling, body-needs-fuel HUNGER. I’m also employing Paul McKenna’s methods. If you watch TLC, you may have seen or heard of his 5-part series I Can Make You Thin, which aired last Spring. It’s simple and brilliant:
1. When you’re hungry, EAT. Whether you want to believe it or not, our bodies do need those carbs, and fat grams, and calories.
2. Eat what you WANT, not what you THINK you should be eating. After all, what’s the use of eating that salad if you can’t enjoy it?
3. Eat it CONSCIOUSLY. This means chewing slowly, putting your fork down in between bites, and really thinking about what you’re putting into your body. From what I’ve heard and read, the general consensus is that you should take at least 20 minutes for a meal, because that’s how long it takes your brain to register that you’re full. I’m good at this when eating at restaurants- Robert always eats so fast, and now he’s taken to watching me, taking bites when I do, and on occasion, I’ll even finish my meal before him!
4. When you think you’re full, STOP EATING. If you’re like me, chances are you grew up in the Clean Plate Club. My parents didn’t let me leave the table until I finished my dinner- or if they did, it was to yell at me and send me to bed. Then there was always enough for second (or more) helpings. I didn’t even hear the phrase “portion control” until college, when I was at my highest weight, and I can recall rejecting that premise. This was about 6 months before I wised up and joined Weight Watchers.
Today was day one of “eat when you’re hungry.” So far, so good. I wasn’t hungry when I got up at 9:30 a.m. I made some fresh green tea, sipped on that while I caught up on my shows (today it was Samantha Who? and The Biggest Loser) , took care of some stuff, and by the time my tummy was growling, it was after noon. I had a bowl of cereal, then made my dinner for work, and before I knew it, it was time to leave. I think this might be a good “daytime” routine. I’ll probably need more than a bowl of cereal once I’m back to my regular exercise schedule, but I’ll take care of that when the time comes. Hopefully I’ll be 100% in the next day or two.
Speaking of which, I plan to re-start Buff Brides on Monday. Again. I really want to try and do 12 weeks in a row. This time, I will even take before pics. You know, the really unflattering kind. If I’m feeling brave, I may even post them here. 12 weeks later, I will take progress pictures. I don’t need numbers dancing in my head, so I won’t take measurements or weigh myself. The proof will be in the pudding… er, pictures. I can see for myself what a difference 12 weeks makes when I really commit myself and give it a true effort.
After that, if I have the money, I’m thinking of getting the Power 90 or P90X work outs. There are rave reviews of those all over the SP boards. We shall see.
Yael General 2 Comments »
31
October
2008
“You don’t drown by falling in the water. You drown by staying there.” -Unknown
What a month! Things got crazy in the past couple of weeks, particularly with Robert’s job. I won’t go into it, but the good news is he’s still employed. As of right now, he’s no longer on grave yard, so we get more time together as well It’s nice to see my husband every once in awhile, know what I mean?
<service endorsement>
Last week we joined e-mealz. Basically, it’s this service that gives you five nights of dinners and side dishes every week, and the object is to save money at the grocery store. Every week a new menu is posted, along with a shopping list. You can choose to shop for a family, or just for 2. The food is tasty and easy to make. The service is also really cheap: $15.00 for 3 months. (Psst! Enter discount code DAVE at check-out to only pay $12.50 for 3 months!) I’m glad I found out about this, especially since one of the plans corresponds with WW Points. Good stuff.
<end service endorsement>
In other news, I finished out October with a Fitness Minute count of 1,687. My minimum goal for November will again be 1,500 minutes of exercise. I’ve also set a goal to burn 2,500 exercise calories a week, according to my HRM.
I feel like I’m finally dedicated to this whole physical activity thing. Yesterday I was tiiiiiirrreeed and felt like doing squat. No, not squats, squat! All I wanted to do was curl up on the couch and watch Desperate Housewives reruns before work. Well, since I couldn’t NOT work out, you know, as it’s my job now and all, I finally set up Wii Fit and did two 30-minute sets of the Free Step… while watching Desperate Housewives reruns. Ah, multitasking. I’ve never regretted a work out, and I felt much better going about my day, knowing I got myself to do something. I’d have felt a lot worse if I just let excuses win.
This week began my re-do of Buff Brides. It’s good to be back. On Monday I made the “mistake” of doing 80 exercise ball crunches, and I couldn’t do anymore until today. OUCH. For 3 days it killed me to cough. And I have the kind of cough that never goes away. Oh, well, what doesn’t kill me makes me hotter. Eleven weeks to go!
Here’s what my work out schedule will look like, and this should get me through the holidays fairly painlessly(I hope):
Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday- at least 30 minutes of cardio (usually a WATP 2-mile), Buff Brides
Tuesday, Thursday- 45-60 minutes of cardio, or whatever it takes to burn at least 500 calories
Sunday- a well-earned rest.
I hope you and yours had a fun, safe Halloween! Don’t let the fun-size candy bars bite!
P.S. I finally put up some new pics in the gallery! Check ‘em out
Yael General 1 Comment »
21
October
2008
If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always gotten.
Today was day 28 of the 30 Day Shred. It should have been 29, but I missed a day last week. I know I’m not quite done, but I’m going to write about it anyway. Here’s what I have to say for myself–
I did NOT: have dramatic weight loss, lose any dress sizes, or manage to get through the whole work out without doing any of the modifications. This is all a-okay with me, because–
I did lose some inches here and there. I didn’t take any formal measurements, but there is definite improvement to several areas on my body. My arms and shoulders have more definition, my legs are significantly firmer, and there has been some slight shrinking in the tummy area. I think the best result I’ve gained from this is that it helped me build consistency. I’m now getting exercise at least 5 times a week. I feel better inside and out.
Next week I’m going to start a new routine. I have decided to start Buff Brides over again. What’s that you said? Yes, I’m quite aware that my wedding is long gone. I just remember losing so many inches with it, and it also helped me to gain endurance. This time I will do the 12 week program, just because 24 weeks is a looong time, and I had a hard time being consistent last time around. So, Monday-Friday I will be rotating through my collection of WATP, Biggest Loser, Turbo Jam and yoga DVDs. Monday, Wednesday and Friday I will be combining these DVDs with Buff Brides. After 12 weeks, I’ll probably change it up with something different.
I like that I’ve replaced obsessively weighing myself with obsessively working out. I’m getting back the feelings of accomplishment and well-being that I loved when I first got into this.
Last Sunday I took BART into the city to hang out with my big sister for lunch and shopping. After I got off the train, I took the stairs up and out of the station as quickly as I could. A lady who’d gotten off the train with me and had taken the escalator saw me do this and said, “I commend you for taking the stairs!” Well, thank you. I commend me, too! What followed was an afternoon of shopping at higher-end stores that suddenly seem to carry clothes that fit me, for a change. “Regular stores,” some might call them. I love that I’m this close to no longer being able to shop at Lane Bryant. Or Torrid, for that matter. Then again, that didn’t stop me from taking full advantage of a Torrid online clearance sale. I puffy heart getting cute clothes on a serious discount!
In other news, Robert will finally be getting a proper schedule at work. He’s been working full-time graveyard and tons of overtime, so we’d almost never see eachother. It will be very nice to see him more than one night/day a week.
Yael General 1 Comment »
10
October
2008
”You da boss, not da food.” - SkinnySongs
I was hoping we’d skip fall and winter this year… no dice, apparently. *Wraps up in blankie*
I’m still not weighing myself, and now that I make the choice not to while still developing healthier habits, I feel strangely liberated. After all, why should a machine have the power to make or break my day? That’s right, it shouldn’t. I feel free to bask in the glow of my work outs and daily tracking. My arms are getting nice and shapely, and when I throw my shoulders back I can feel my back muscles rippling 
I haven’t lost any dress sizes on the Shred, but my pants are fitting MUCH better than they were two months ago.
Speaking of the Shred, I’ve completed day 22! I actually find Level 3 a little easier than 2. I’m not sure why, but maybe it’s all the floor work.
I’ve come across an interesting new find this week. I get “Fitness Tips” texted to me everyday by Verizon, and one day it said something like, “SkinnySongs is the first ever pop album made specifically for weight loss motivation.”
Naturally, I had to find out more. The first place I checked was iTunes, and sure enough, there it was. I previewed the first song, “Skinny Jeans”, and I decided this would be a worthwhile use for $9.90. Now, these songs can be interpreted a couple of different ways:
a) They can be seen as motivation, words of comfort, and even good working out music, or
b) some people seem to see it as degrading, and adding to the pressure society faces to be, well… skinny.
I see both sides, but really, I do happen to enjoy the songs. They all have a catchy tune, and in my opinion, a positive message. So far, my favorite is “You da Boss”, which talks about how this (weight loss) is all a choice you make. If you’re interested, more info can be found here. Enjoy!
My current Fitness Minute count for October stands at 540. This is my third week in a row of working out on a set schedule from Monday thru Friday. I’ve been drinking lots of hot tea in between meals. It relaxes me, and makes me less likely to overeat.
In the words of Forrest Gump: “And that’s all I have to say about that.” Have a great week!
Yael General 2 Comments »
1
October
2008
“They say motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing- that’s why we recommend it daily.”
So, as promised, I weighed myself this morning for the first time in a month, and *drumroll*…
I gained a pound.
Blah. That does it. No more numbers. I’m going strictly by how my body feels and how my clothes fit. I will keep doing my work outs 5 days a week. I will keep tracking my food intake on Spark People. I have to be in control, and this is the only way I can save myself from getting out of control again.
Okay, here are some healthier habits I picked up in September:
*I am working out on a regular basis again, instead of saying, “I can do it tomorrow.”
*I am holding myself accountable for every bite I take.
*I don’t raid the vending machines at work anymore. Accomplishing this means I don’t carry around a lot of change or small bills. Oh well, whatever works, right?
*I no longer stop at the gas station for unhealthy snacks on my way home late at night. This hugely contributed to me gaining back those 20 lbs several months back.
My Fitness Minute count ended up being over 1,800. This month my goal is to log at least 1,500 minutes, but I will continue not counting my work patrols unless I did not exercise at home that day. I want to keep those incidences to a minimum, no more than one day a week.
After weighing myself, I spent the next hour throwing myself a pity party. Finally, I picked myself up and did day 15 (aka Level 2 day 5) of the Shred. So there.
I feel stronger and healthier. My legs feel more muscled, as do my arms and shoulders. I’m seeing more muscle definition, and my tummy is feeling smaller.
Changes are definitely happening. There’s no reason to stop doing what I’m doing.
Yael General 1 Comment »
30
September
2008
I have a love/hate relationship with exercise. I know I’ve written before that I don’t love exercise. Turns out, it’s not quite that simple.
I hate getting started. I make a point to get up at a reasonable hour, so I have time to get some water in my system and work out, shower and eat before I go to work at 3:00 pm. This also allows time for my daily argument with myself. It usually goes something like this:
”Woot! I got up early enough to get something accomplished. I rock!”
“Aaaw, but it’s only ten o’clock. Don’t you remember how late you were up last night? I’m so sleepy. Isn’t there anything good on TV? You need to check your e-mail. Exercise can wait. It would feel soooo delicious to laze on the futon in your jammies until it’s time to go….”
“Funny, I don’t recall asking your opinion. Look, I’m all dressed and ready to go! The DVD is sitting in the player, my HRM is in place… hey, I wonder what’s up on Myspace today…”
“That’s the spirit! Why work out anyway, you earned a rest day!”
“I did rest yesterday though, and I also overate a little bit. You know what?? I’m gonna do it! We want to be healthy and strong, remember? Besides, it will feel so good once it’s over.”
…Or something like that. Anyway, you get the point. Most of time I can win this argument. These days, anyway. It’s not even about willpower, or motivation, but it’s about control. I finally feel like I am in control of my body again.
The love part begins once I start the work out. I feel how strong I am getting, I see my calorie burn, I break a healthy sweat, and I’m in love with working out all over again. This love lasts for the rest of the day, and pretty much until it’s time to work out again.
There you have it. Tomorrow I plan on weighing in, so expect another update in the next day or so, complete with a review of the month of September. A bientot!
Yael General 1 Comment »
23
September
2008
“If you’re not kicking, you’re sinking.”
Last week was my best for exercise in a very long time, maybe since March. I did six days total, at least an hour each time. I feel like I’m getting better at this. I still argue with myself, without fail, whenever it comes time for me to work out. Who knows, maybe I always will. Hell, I argue with myself when it’s time to get ready for work, yet here I am, five days a week, whether I like it or not.
Today was day nine of the 30 Day Shred. It’s only a little easier than it was on day one, but I think I will be ready to move on to Level 2 on Thursday.
Diet-wise, I’m still mostly on soft foods. I’ve started taking Healthy Choice meals to work for my dinner. With all of the soup and frozen meals I’ve been consuming, I know I’m taking in more sodium than I have in a long time. The good news is, I’ve never had high blood pressure, even when I wasn’t watching my diet. I think I will be okay.
I admitted something to myself this week, and I will state it here:
The second go-around on the diet and exercise train has been infinitely more difficult than it was when I first started, almost 18 months ago.
One of my best friends suggested that, maybe it’s because I don’t have a timed reason for motivation- that is, the wedding- looming over my head. I think she’s right. That’s probably part of it, anyway. As I make this more and more into a habit, it seems to get a little easier. Still, everyday seems to be an uphill battle. You know what, though? That’s okay. Do you have any idea what those hills are doing for my lower body?
My SparkMinute count for September is at 1,455. Last week I did not count the walking at work, unless I did not exercise earlier that day. I think this helps motivate me to get higher impact work outs at home.
That’s about it for this update. Until next time!
Yael General 1 Comment »
