Menu Tuesday: Chinese Chicken Salad

Okay, so this is one of my FAVOURITE meals.  It's SO SO SO good.  And while you can make all sorts of arguments against it's health value, it always results in my eating a GIANT amount of cabbage, onions, it's FRESH made, not full of preservatives and all whatever garbage (you know, all the garbage that was in last night's Kraft Dinner meal....) .... it's DELISH. (I tend not to share food I don't find absolutely delicious...that just seems like it would be mean! Here! Here's this meal...it's kinda' crap...)

Here we go: Chinese Chicken Salad

Ingredients:
1 can mandarin oranges, drained
1 head Chinese cabbage (Nappa, or you could use Romaine lettuce)
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 package noodles, crunched up (use the noodles from a package of Ramen, or some other uncooked chow-mein type noodles)
2 tsp sesame seeds
1/3 cup almond slices
cooked chicken breast, cut up in chunks, as much as you want in the salad
DRESSING -
1/4 cup vinegar
3 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil

Directions:
Brown sesame seeds and almond slices in 350 degree oven.  Let cool.  Combine dressing ingredients in a  saucepan and bring to a boil.  Pour into a jar and let cool.  Before serving shake well.

Break up Nappa cabbage and mix with all other salad ingredients.  Toss with dressing and serve immediately.

*make it even healthier for you by substituting in xylitol or stevia for the sugar in the dressing, gluten-free soy sauce, or rice or some other type of dry, oriental noodle for that extra crunch without the wheat, gluten, or whatever your intolerance may be for.

Easy and fabulous. My two favourite things in food.

Enjoy!

Pre-tossing

Tossed and ready to eat!

Say hello to MENU MONDAYS! Beef Vegetable Soup

Hi ho, everyone!  Well, everyone who is kind enough to take however long it takes to read one of my long-winded blog-ramblings to visit and read the latest ramblings I have.... I don't pretend to think there are too many of you, so "everyone" is a very select group of folks...

I totally lost myself in that non-thought.  What am I here for??

OH yes.  Welcome to: MENU MONDAYS!


So, I'm pretty jazzed about this - I've been thinking, honestly, for months to start doing this and then, obviously, never did.  But then I've found it so relatively easy recently to share DAILY what I'm eating that I figure, YES! I CAN do this sometimes!  hahaha

Basically, when I eat something absolutely fabulous, I'll take a picture, post it, and share the recipe.  Sound good??  It does to me, but I'm kind of NUTS about food, so....

FIRST UP: Mom's Best Ever Beef Vegetable Soup

Not my best ever food picture, but I took it on my phone, so let's all be sufficiently impressed, yes? Fabulous.

First thing you have to know...this is really easy to make. And DELICIOUS.  And my mommy used to make it. She may still (why wouldn't you??)


Ingredients: 
1 lb ground beef
2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup thinly sliced carrots
6 cups water
3 tbsp beef bouillon, or 2 oxo cubes
1 28oz can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup pot barley (or pasta stars or some other such thing - I use pot barley)
2 bay leaves
2 tsp each chill powder and basil
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 7.5oz can tomato sauce
1 or 2 cups green beans (can use 2 14oz cans, a small bag of frozen, just as long as they're cut up)


Directions: 
Brown ground beef in large pot.  Drain off fat.  Add onion, celery and carrots.  Stir and cook 5 minutes.  Add remaining ingredients except green beans, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 50 minutes.  Add beans, cook until heated through.  Discard bay leaves.

This one I made up earlier in the day, simmered for the 50 minutes, and then left Mr. Man in charge of chopping up, adding, and cooking the green beans.  Soooo.....the beans were a little on the long side O:-) and a little on the crunchy side.  hahaha BUT I happen to love green beans so it was still pretty fabulous.  Just cut them up however you like them, and make sure they're heated through so they, you know, go with the soup!

Even Little Miss ate it.  Which is saying something.

Week in review. ish.

So I wanted to check in and report on my week. Another post JUST for me, that means, I know. But...you'll get over it. ;)

Tuesday-Friday went exactly as I'd planned, INCLUDING the wonderful book-club-Italian-feast food dalliance I had been counting on......and LOOOOOOOVED!! DELICIOUS chicken-breast lasagna, scrumptious caesar salad (by yours truly), garlic bread, chocolate mousse cake.... mmmmmmmmmmm......... I even drank gasp POP! OH it was DIVINE! hahaha

The rest of the weekend, I sort of resigned myself wold be another food-weekend-from-delicious-empty-calorie-ridden-fantasy-land. My parents were over (my mom's first book club attendance equaled a fun family sleepover!) aaaand we had delicious, healthy smoothies for breakfast Saturday morning....coupled with my dad's famous "Daddy eggs" - delectably fried eggs in....bacon fat!! And YES we ate the bacon, too. And toast with butter... hahaha Lunch we did all-you-can-eat Sushi, and for "dinner" I took my darling pal, for her 13th birthday, to the movies to see the fantastical Justin Bieber in documentary/concert movie 3D splendor, which was obviously coupled with popcorn, hot dogs, and nibs! O:-) Her BIRTHDAY dinner the next night consisted of delicious chicken parmesan with....perfectly too much cheese, another caesar salad, and polished off with ice cream cake.

So yeah. Talk aBOUT some straying from the path there! But you know what? I ran 30K last week, which I know isn't much for SERIOUS runners, but it's the most I've ever done in a single week, and I'm STOKED about it, and I KNOW I can do it, and I plan to do it again this week soooooo.... whatever. Weekend was a throw away. I can survive that. BOOyah!

Feeling a wee bit like I can do anything THAT regards tonight, so YAY for that! hahaha A WELCOME, refreshing change!

Now, I JUST READ on my darling Shop Girl's blog a great post about gratitude. She ends the post with a plan to post every Sunday 10 things she's grateful for. I LOVE this idea, and as soon as she gives me the green light (no pressure, my friend!) I'm TOTALLY STEALING IT!! I oh so DESPERATELY need some positive focus in my life right now and this is just such a great exercise. Like Oprah's gratitude journal or something. hahaha I'm currently beyond excellent at seeing all the hum drum, la dee dah, and blech in my life - yeah, I'm a real peach to be around at the moment - and committing to reflecting on ten different things I'm grateful for each week just seems brilliant. ...I haven't assigned myself a check-in-day yet, though. Shop Girl's doing Sundays, but I don't know if that will be realistic for me as I'm NOT currently in the habit of posting every day and rarely post on Sundays soooo... I'll get back to you on that, along with posting my first list!!

Be excited.

And that, I think, is that for now. I'm reading "The Princess Bride" at the moment and am finding it much funnier now than I remember it being last time I read it - oh the surprises of a maturing humour! aaaand it's sitting here near me calling my name soooo.... into my bed and Florin I dive for the balance of the evening!

Until next time!

MMMMMmmmm....chiiiiilli.....

I know, I know. Another boring food post. I KNOW!

But, you're keeping me accountable, so get over it. hahaha

And I HAD to tell you....

I don't really like chili. Never have. Every time I go to a big event where they're promising food and surprise, surprise, they're serving CHILI.... well, I stock up on the rolls. I mean, I eat the chili but it's never ever been a favourite.

Hot dang, did I make delicious chili last night! hahaha MMMMMMMMMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmmm!!! I think this recipe I stumbled upon is for SURE going in our collection of favourites! AND it's another crock-pot wonder, so BOOYAH easy to make!

Once again, from Better Homes and Gardens Biggest Book of Slow Cooker Recipes, I present to you.... Vegetarian Chili With Pasta

1 15oz can garbanzo beans (chickpeas) rinsed & drained
1 15oz can red kidney beans, rinsed & drained
2 14oz cans diced tomatoes
1 8oz can tomato sauce
1 large onion, finely chopped (1 cup)
1/2 cup chopped green or yellow sweet pepper (I used red 'cause it was on sale)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 to 3 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp dried oregano, crushed
1/4 tsp ground red pepper (optional)
1 cup wagon wheel or elbow macaroni (I used whole wheat bowties)
(optional - we opted out) shredded cheddar cheese

In a 3 1/2- to 4- quart slow cooker combine beans, undrained tomatoes, tomato sauce, onion, sweet pepper, garlic, chili powder, oregano, and red pepper, if desired.

Cover; cook on low-heat setting for 4 to 5 hours or on high-heat setting for 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Stir cooked pasta into bean mixture. Serve in bowls, and, if desired, sprinkle with cheddar cheese.

Nutrition Facts per serving (makes 5 servings): 273 Cal, 2g total fat (0g saturated fat), 0mg chol., 868mg sodium, 53g carbs, 10g fibre, 14g protein. Daily values: 57% vit C, 13% calcium, 22% iron.

Day 2.5

Wanted to tell you how it's going, a whopping not-even-three-days-later. hahaha

So Tuesday, before I posted, I did all sorts of searching for some new, yummy, 30-day-plan-to-lifestyle-kickstart meals. And HUZZAH I found some!!

Here's a quick run-down of the plan/mindset behind everything (which you can find in full detail here) - BASICALLY, you eat HUGE amounts of produce. hahaha Aaaaaand that's about that! No, really, though. I was SUPER skeptical when we were talking about it and planning...the plan hahaha, BUT then I thought about it - what's the recommended daily intake for fruits/vegetables per person per day? Like, oodles, right? 6-7 or something like that? (I really don't know off the top of my head.... Oh, nope! I just looked it up here: 7-8 for females, 8-10 for males (unless over 51 then you just need 7 servings). Alright, fine, so yay. 8 servings.

Yeeeeeaaaaahhhhhh......I LIKE fruit & veggies. I, regularly, do NOT eat 7 servings per day. No way. Maybe 2-3? Maybe? I mean, if I remember to grab an apple out of my fruit bowl and ingest it in a day I'm having a super-good healthy day, right? Now I have to remember to do that SEVEN TIMES????

So, basically, the PLAN teaches you how to make doing that EASY, and in so doing you get better portion control of everything else in your healthy diet!!

For 30 days you eat...LOTS of vegetables, fruit, legumes. White meat/fish once per day, red meat ONLY once a week, and at least once in the week you have a meatless day. GASP HORROR! What about PROTEIN! Um, hi. Chickpeas are one of my "new" FAVOURITE things. Just for an example. :)

At the end of 30 days your body, taste buds, whatever, is adjusted to this fantastic way of eating, and if nothing else you've added a bunch of delicious, vegetable-rich meals into your repertoire, making it easier to stay properly balanced.

OH yeah, and your body's a little busy going WHAT-the-heck-are-you-doing-to-me, and you shed some fat mass. Huzzah bonus!

Okay, so Tuesday, I did up the meal plan and kicked off with a new meal we'd never tried before. DELISH! Loved it! And I'm not going to lie, I was kinda' skeptical about this one.... (sorry the picture's not like, pro-quality. I took it partway through the bowl when I realized just HOW MUCH I was enjoying my dinner)

Recipe from "Better Homes and Gardens Biggest Book of Slow Cooker Recipes" (yes, that's right - it's a crockpot meal, so you dump it together HOURS before dinner, smell it all day, and then VOILA delicious dinner! HOORAY!)
Eggplant-Tomato Stew with Garbanzos - garbanzo beans and chickpeas are the same food. Usually they are stocked along with canned beans or in the Mexican foods section of grocery stores.

1 medium eggplant, peeled, if desired, and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 cups chopped tomatoes
1 1/2 cups sliced carrots
1 15oz can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1 15oz can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup sliced celery
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth
1 6oz can Italian-style tomato paste
1/2 tsp dried oregano, crushed
1/2 tsp dried basil, crushed
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 bay leaf

In a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker combine all ingredients. Cover; cook on low-heat setting for 8-9 hours or on high-heat setting for 4 to 41/2 hours. Discard bay leaf.

Nutrition facts per serving: 227 Cal, 3g total fat (0g saturated fat), 0mg chol., 1,231mg sodium (depending on your broth - mine would be less 'cause we used Epicure's vegetable soup base), 44g carb, 12g fibre, 13g protein. Daily values, 176% vit A, 38% vit C, 8% calcium, 18% iron.

YUUUUUUMMMMM!! And it made OODLES (6 servings) so...I'm definitely eating it for lunch today.

Bore you with more later! :)

I know. I suck. ;)

I'm not going to lie, I missssssss blogging. But I just don't have anything interesting to say lately! hahaha Well, assuming anything I had to say ever was interesting in the first place - I've heard bloggers accused of being very egocentric thinking that anyone would give a crap to stop by and read whatever doldrums come rambling out through their fingers that day.... (shrug) Whatever.

I've had some GREAT run-ins with baby-making/planning questions lately, which have been a blast, but as that topic apparently offends some I feel I can't write about it. Though I will say that I was recently told that the longer a woman waits between children the lazier, and consequentially worse and worse a mother, she becomes. Followed up a week later by someone doing a water evaluation in my home asking me if we're planning on having another one anytime soon. Yeah. The water evaluation guy. 'Cause you know, we're tight like that. (rolling eyes)

What else can I tell you?

I was in a fairly crippling funk the better part of last year, I'm not going to lie. Made for some pretty interesting goings on over here AAAAAAAAAnnnnnnnnnddddd all the weight I lost and then some has come RACING back on. Which I think I may have said at some point - who knows? My blogging has been nothing if not sporadic the last year or so. Anyway, I put on so much weight that a couple of months ago I actually got into an argument at church, with a lovely busy-body who, by the way thinks Little Miss is small because she doesn't get enough exercise - if she's getting enough exercise then she'll sleep well at night and she'll grow when she's sleeping, so the fact she's petite OBVIOUSLY proves she's not getting enough exercise (rolling eyes. Again) - in a choir practice I was directing. In front of actually, like, our full choir that day. It rarely happens, but we finally have a good crowd and she up and says "are you pregnant?"

"No."

"No, you are. You're pregnant."

"No, I'm really not."

"No, Little Miss needs a sibling. I know. You're pregnant."

"I assure you I'm NOT pregnant."

"I'm sure you're pregnant."

"I'm NOT pregnant. I've put on about 20 or more pounds in the last few months. Thank you for noticing and pointing it out to everyone."

"No, you're pregnant."

"I am not pregnant. I keep peeing on the sticks and they keep saying 'no' so I'm pretty sure, I just got really fat."

"I'm sure you're pregnant."

I promise it went down just like that. Just like in the movies when a KID asks a fat lady when the baby is due, but it wasn't a kid, and she wouldn't DROP it!

So...that, and my MOM admitting how fluffy I'd gotten.... yeah, it got pretty out of hand.

It happens to me sometimes. I just get out of my groove and lose control. I hardly EVER have control of my eating habits, but I'm fairly good at staying on top of the exercise. It's a pain, now, 'cause I'm much better, and back to it - I've been exercising/running frequently probably for at least a couple of months, now - but I have SO MUCH WORK to do to get back to where I'd already worked so hard to get! hahaha And it's not even 'yo-yo' dieting, just.....yo-yo funkifying? Anyway, whatever. I'm a work in progress, what can I say?

Aaaaaaaaand, now that I'm boring ME I'm going to call it quits for the day (week? month? months? WHO knows?) aaaaaaand see what happens tomorrow. Hopefully I'll get outta' bed again in the morning and fit a 5K in before Mr. Man heads off to work. I like that schedule.

Cheers!

Remember when....

Hey, it's me! 

Remember way back when in August I said I'd be back to blogging?

Remember when I used to use this blog to confess my I'm-a-kinesiologist-in-training-and-absolutely-know-better trespasses against my athletic physique?

Remember back in the spring, when I was practically SKINNY??

Remember when I qualified as a "runner"?

Remember when it didn't hurt to wear pants that don't belong to Mr. Man?

Remember when I used to fit a bra without that horrid my-boobs-are-too-big-for-this-but-I-apparently-like-to-look-like-a-hootchie-with-the-boob-bulge-over-this-line thing going on?  Because I had fantastically SMALL boobs????

Remember when I could do the 300 workout in under an hour, and found some definition under all my post-baby belly fat??

Remember when I used to love Yogilates??

Remember when I did the 30-day-challenge with some friends to test if we had any idea what we were talking about trying to help people with weightloss goals??

uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuggggggggggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

I have been itching to blog for...well, months, now.  But I've been WAY too embarrassed.  My CLOTHES do NOT fit, and I'm not even only talking about my fantastic, new-within-the-last-year-since-I-ACTUALLY-hit-the-impossible-Gap-8 clothes (which, by the way, are excruciatingly painful, if I can get them on at ALL...).  I saw my reflection the other day while cooking in my mom's kitchen for Thanksgiving - I'm HONESTLY starting to look like a fat girl - my thighs come so so soooooooo together WAY too early at what should be the top of my legs, but is really around my knees... it makes each movement look like one leg is going to have to go through the other in order to take a step forward.  I mean, I have giant, soccer-playing legs to begin with, but then there's all this...this.... GROSSSSSSSSSSSS around it and it's busting out of my pants.  And let's not even get INto my muffin top.  I mean, muffins?  PLEASE!  This is an entire CAKE busting out of not just the top of my pants (belt is like the cruelest word EVER right now - I fold over and cry in pain at the thought of attempting to cinch around this monstrosity).  And not only my pants, but my shirts, blouses....  If I'm not wearing a pair of my husband's baggy jeans and a sweatshirt I can guarantee you I am agonizingly uncomfortable, and super overly conscious of every jiggle, wiggle, waggle, and cellulite-loaded flapping-in-the-wind. 

I. Feel. Disgusting. 

My treadmill is STILL broken.  That thing has turned out to be the biggest joke on me, EVER.  And I KNOW the weather's actually PERFECT for running right now, because it's just cool enough without being biting, to keep a run a very comfortable affair.... but I'm so FAT and my running clothes, OBVIOUSLY are not MEANT to be worn by someone as chunky as me.  I feel like taking this thing out, dressed in THAT, is just cruelty to the world... and I can't seem to get myself past that mental hurdle and out on the street to go for a run.  I feel like I NEED my treadmill operational or I'm just going to keep expanding until I explode....which could be very soon because, SERIOUSLY, my clothes don't fit.  (Cautionary note: if you're hanging out with me any time soon, you MAY want to wear safety goggles to protect your eyes from sky-rocketing buttons flying from my overtaxed apparel...)

Please please, don't post that I'm silly, that I look great, and you don't know what I'm talking about.  YOU'RE silly if you can't see the difference between now and back when school ended and I was on top of things.  School ended, my routine got off, and it's just never gotten back on.  I'm NOT crazy.  I may slightly overstate the problem, but it is a problem.  When your mother will (grudgingly - she's still my mom! I'm always gorgeous to her) admit to you that your weight is ballooning you KNOW there's a problem. 
I can tell every morning when I open my drawers that there's a problem....

Though I know that I haven't been pregnant I was kinda' hoping that maybe by NOW I'd be pregnant and I could kind of excuse myself my holy-super-fatty transgressions and aim for slower-weight-gain pregnancy this time around.  BUT, of course, as in keeping with the year, I am NOT.  Big surprise there. 

So... I can keep wallowing in my expand-a-butt glory...which has honestly been going on for months.  And, really, may continue.  Or I can do something about it.  I hope I do something about it - I'm tired of feeling like this.  My brother's perfectly petite, dwarf-of-a-girlfriend came for Thanksgiving, ate reasonable amounts of food, and after her ONE splurge the entire weekend says "oh, I workout."  Well, congratulations, and hooray for you.  Even when I HAVE a really long, good go of on-the-wagon working out, I NEVER have and never WILL have the obvious success YOU have, so please, yes, rub that in my chipmunk-cheeked face again. 

You know what else is just ironic about the whole thing??  I'm currently growing my hair out.  hahaha  Okay, so I know I'm the only person on the planet who would ever find that funny, but last time I cut it short, before I got pregnant and had Little Miss, I always said I'd never ever grow it out long again unless I lost a tonne of weight and actually hit size 8.  Which I NEVER thought would be possible.  But I just think I look so extra CHUNKY with long hair, and I should keep it shorter unless my face was thin enough to pull it off....  Anyway, so I LOSE all the weight, do that silly play (remember when I was in a play?) and then decide life will be easier if my hair is longer NEXT year when we do the play again..... so I'm growing my hair out.  And I'm probably the fattest I've been in the last three years, barring immediately after giving birth.

Mom thinks my waist size is directly linked to my happiness level. 

I just think I need to figure out this stupid food problem.  I hate food. 

I need some popcorn.

The countdown, the break-up, and..who knows what else?

My last final (ever?!?! Sure is the PLAN!) is on April 21st. April 21st.

Ohmigosh, that's so...so.... SOON!!

That's only 44 sleeps from now. (I totally just pulled up my Google Calendar and counted with my finger bouncing from day to day on my computer screen. I'm sitting in the hall in the PhysEd/Kinesiology wing of the school near the entrance to the gym, counting days. That's right, I really AM this cool.)

Yeah. I'm just a little excited. AND although I'm hitting crunch time for this semester (how crunched can it really get with 2 classes + 1 independent study, I mean, REALLY?) I'm looking forward to it - crunch time is when I have no life, no time to breathe hardly, I alienate friends/would-be friends/nice people who may have otherwise wanted to say hello to me, my house gets lost under dust bunnies and ridiculous amounts of clutter, we stop eating properly (and I sometimes stop eating 'cause there's only enough food in the house to feed Little Miss... hahaha) but it's ALSO the time where I learn the most, I'm the most productive, I re-discover WHY I'm still in school, WHY I love this major program, how smart I really AM beneath all my disorganization and insanity, and really EARN my grades.

Crunch time, I wish I could figure out how to exist properly without you, but oh how I heart thee for so many other reasons.

BRING. IT. ONNNNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!

Okay, on a totally different note, not school related at all, I'm OFFICIALLY OFF SUGAR again. I told you about my downfall with those wonderful dark-chocolate-covered Polish marshmallow goodies The Jedi gave me during a study session last semester, yes? And then...the bandwagon...it just took off without me! I just COULDN'T catch back up to it to hop back on!! PHEW! BUT after it's lapped me a few times around now I've CAUGHT it and I'm ON BOARD.

I know I know some of you think I need to be less drastic, but I really find this the most effective for myself. I'm so horrendously...UNABLE to turn it down once I've tasted it.... I just keep eating. Like, coming home from rehearsal a few weeks ago with RaeDawn we stopped at a corner store to get the KIDS in the car a snack....and we bought ourselves a box of flakies to split. On the 40 minute carride I downed two flakies without batting an eyelash, and had my third almost the instant I walked into my house, as soon as Mr. Man was out of my line of sight.

See...when I wrote this post about losing control the other day...it wasn't SUPPOSED to be funny! hahaha I got some feedback about it being a good laugh or whatever but I'm like, DUDE! That was like, me spilling my eating-disordered innards all over my keyboard! Which is totally fine - I'm learning about myself that I'm at least viewed as a constant jokester (come on people, I don't laugh ALL the time!)

Anyway, so as I was saying, it's EASIER to just cut it out completely, for me, than to treat myself occasionally. The occasional TREAT turns into the occasional ridiculous BINGE session and they become less and less occasional and more and more FREQUENT. The more I allow myself to binge the more I CRAVE a binge session and it's just not WORTH it.

(Gaaaaahhhhhh.... as I'm writing I'm sitting here with my iPod plugged in and turned up way too loud listening to the soundtrack to GLEE and I just got some wicked chills - these are like, the BEST CDs EVER! Okay, sidenote over. Okay, not over - I'm having a wicked-difficult time not busting out singing....HELP!)

SO....here's how my "sugar fasts" work - I just...STOP. I don't eat it. EXCEPT "big" events which are to be celebrated with the addition of sweet food at my discretion, but usually should ONLY include birthdays...and Christmas, but that's a good ways off at this point. Now, I recognize that sugar is EVERYWHERE and in SO many things and there are natural sugars in fruits and vegetables and blah blah blah.... I'm not NEARLY that crazy with this - I just won't eat like, DESSERT type sugar. Or candy. Or THAT kind of stuff, okay?? Raisins and dried fruit, apple sauce and regular fruit and whatever is totally allowed. Candy, ice cream, icing, cookies, fruit-snacks, baked goods, whatever - totally NOT allowed. Juice? Pop? ABSOLUTELY not allowed!! (shudder - haven't learned about it yet?? CLICK HERE or contact me and you'll never give your kid apple juice again!)

Okay, is that it? I think that's it for now. Let me know if you have questions about my...not eating stuff. hahaha I can totally eat anything else - I don't often have the same PROBLEMS with other food. SOMETIMES I'll go for a total binge on something if I absolutely LOVE it, but it's more a wow-this-is-so-good-I-don't-WANT-to-stop-eating-it-even-though-my-belly-is-killing-me (happens with some of my mom's cooking and a few of my signature pasta dishes - mmmmmmmm......) but I'm still in CONTROL then soooo not as worrisome. And if I need to re-evaluate later and expand the scope of my plan then I absolutely will. At the moment I'm back to regular running and doing 300. Keep your fingers crossed life stays more or less normal so we don't run into any further scheduling complications and I can keep THAT aspect of stuff on track.

Aaaaaaaand...what else?? OH! Any of you who pray?? PLEASE put Mr. Man in your prayers! He's doing FINE, but he has a job interview this week for HIS DREAM JOB which I am just WAY too excited about - he currently commutes about 1.5 hours from home.... this one would literally be a 10-20 minute WALK from home (depending on if there's snow on the ground! hahaha) and, well, it's what he dreams of doing.... sooooooo.......... yeah. I'm trying REALLY REALLY hard not to put the cart before the horse, but him getting this job would just be, unreal. Amazing. AMAZING. Anything that will give him a leg up, including random folks' prayers, I'm ABSOLUTELY doing it.

I don't want to tell you all about the job unless he gets it - seems a bit of a bother, frankly. hahaha And that's cart-before-horse type behaviour soooo if he gets it I'll tell you about it.

Cross your fingers for us!!!

I'm done for today. (Thank goodness, eh??) I'm going to eat my sandwich and go get changed for my next lab, and then a run with Steph. Good day so far. :)

Losing control

I don't remember if I've ever told you about my falling off the sugar-wagon - did I? I may not have mentioned my attempt to get back on it after my last downfall. I was doing great. I was feeling great. I looked great - seriously, I was wearing some things that I generally don't love how I look in and I LOVED how I looked in them. The combination of my sugar-less life and the Jedi's kicking my BUTT with 300 was FINALLY working wonders. The secret, honestly, seemed for me to be the sugar. When I eat sugar I eat a LOT of it.

Then, one night (and my dear friend, please don't ever take it that I'm BLAMING you, I just know this is when it started again...) the Jedi came over to do homework, and being the super sweet wonderful friend that he is he brought with him.....

....CHOCOLATE

And not just any chocolate. No no. This was authentic Polish dark chocolate-coated marshmallow.....

And I wasn't due to break my sugar-fast until the next birthday, but I rationalized. I rationalized that if my army-dictator-type-'trainer' was sharing chocolate with me that it MUST be okay for me to reunite with my nemesis for just a moment. Just one moment.

Right?

But then I didn't just eat one. I ate most of the top flat. Mr. Man and the Jedi ate a couple each, and I polished it off.

So fine. So I binged on chocolate. So what??

I've never STOPPED EATING!! I've been stuffing food in my face ever SINCE! I just...can't stop! (I'm eating "cool ranch" Doritos as I type this...they're SO GOOD).

I went to a girlfriend's house to watch "Glee" one night, and she had oodles of cake in her freezer left over from an event at work....and I said let's go GET it and then ate....at least 3, probably 4 pieces. Always cake-first to save the icing for last. (MMmmmmmmmm.....iciiing.... give me a 'tub' of Betty Crocker with a spoon....)

Somewhere in all the eating Christmas happened, which was pretty intense as far as food goes. Christmas Eve and Day dinners, fudge, oodles of the marshmallows that should have been going into the fudge.... OOOoooooooooo.....maaaarshmalllllooows.... drooling

And I've just...never recovered.

I was telling Mr. Man last night. I almost got caught in a marshmallow thieving-moment this weekend at my mom's. I was in the kitchen, dumping mini marshmallows out of the bag onto the counter for me to wolf down when Mom walked in. I am SO good, she didn't see me stash the bag under the counter, tuck the massive pile of marshmallows behind the card on the counter - counter's white, marshmallows are white, hallelujah camouflage - nor did she notice me quickly close up the bag and kick it behind the cheerios box on the ground while she popped popcorn for our Glee-a-thon. (I put the marshmallows back in the cupboard the next morning, when only Little Miss and I were in the kitchen).

When I was a kid I used to make up butter cream icing while my parents were busy doing...whatever, wrap the whole recipe's worth in saran wrap, and keep it in my underwear drawer. Then I had access whenever without having to put the money out on Betty Crocker. Which is an issue for a middle school kid. (And, actually, a 27-year-old student & mom....huh.)

When I think about food, which is often, I often like, day dream about food. And when I think about eating a doughnut I think about eating the whole dozen doughnuts. I can taste and feel the various Krispy Creme flavours on my tongue and feel the remnants making their way down my esophagus to my stomach. I can easily put away that whole box in one sitting. I can literally FEEL the food inside me. The picture at the top of this post? Is PAINful to look at - I can feel it, taste it, smell it, just sitting here looking at it. I like, NEED a doughnut!

I ate most of a bag of Miss Vickies at my mom's the other morning watching Glee (we had a fantastic FANTASTIC leisurely weekend, for like, the first time EVER it feels like! ....we watched a lot of Glee. I LOVE Glee.)

When I think about quitting sugar (again) I'm in agony - I think about and can taste and feel all my favourites (is anything not my favourite?) and think that I can't do it. Can't do it. I LOVE ice cream doused in corn syrup (there weren't any other "toppings" in the house....I ate that combination in abundance the other week... SO good. Little Miss kept asking what I was eating and I lied and told her it was yogurt so I wouldn't have to share with her.....)

So I think I have to do it. I HAVE to do it. I can't keep doing this. I can't keep eating like this.

And I know I don't only binge on sugar, but it's my HUGE downfall. I don't mind eating the occasional over-sized bag of Doritos if I'm NEVER drinking corn syrup.

.....and I'm wondering if I should look further into this, which I stumbled upon doing research for my independent study on body image and eating disorders. The more I learn about it the more I worry I have it...but then the fact that I'm self-diagnosing negates my concerns. sigh

I have to go get my once again increasingly large stomach tucked into my gym clothes for my Therapeutic Applications of Exercise lab, which is super exciting. I won't eat a doughnut.

I'll let you know when I swear off sugar again for sure. Mr. Man offered to do it with me this time when we were chatting last night. I wonder if that will help.

I need help.

Weightloss Wars

HELLO! I know, I know - you all missed me like CRAZY, eh?? I can tell by all the comments left on my last post BEGGING me to hurry my return - what good is there on the internet to read if I'm not around??? ;)

I DO definitely have a post in me all about our little vacation BUT today have a different topic I MUST address, so the vaycay post will have to come later. SORRY if you've been sitting around for the past week twiddling your thumbs waiting for it, as I know some of you have been. (Wow, really? Go GET A LIFE and GET OFF YOUR COMPUTER!! hahaha)

RIGHT before I left for this little vacation I got an invite in Facebook from a friend of mine to join a group she started called "Weightloss Wars" - you can't look it up 'cause it's a secret group - muahaha! (Seriously, not everyone loves splashing info about their weight-not-so-loss all over the internet like I do. I've discovered I'm a bit of an anomaly that way; who knew?) BASICALLY, join the group and 'war' to see who can lose the largest amount of weight. But it's "The Biggest Loser" type rules where it's the percentage of weight loss. WHICH, as you know my thoughts on WEIGHT is just as bunk as the next thing BUT.....it's a COMPETITION!! Members of the group are competing against each other and the winner gets a manicure on everyone else!!

SO by clicking "confirm" on the group invitation I signed my little self up to either win a manicure (not likely) OR be out $10ish (depending on how many people join the group! hahaha PLEASE join!!)

The contest STARTS today - as soon as Mr. Man gets back from a small errand he's running I need him to re-hook up the Wii (we took it on vacation JUST IN CASE we were stuck inside with nothing to do on the three rainy days that were in the forecast - no one predicted sunny skies with a mix of TORNADOES! WHAT?!) so I can take my stats (they will be posted, don't you worry!) - and runs 'till September 23rd. That's right. I have to make it through Little Miss and my birthdays in this war.

Mr. Man and I are in the middle of some scheduling/planning for our last couple of weeks before school starts again, so we're looking at what/when I can fit in runs and/or yogilates, how LONG I can plan to run for, and I REALLY REALLY want to revamp what I eat. Like, REALLY.

I know I've posted about my problems with food before (here, here, and here) but I'm feeling, today, motivated to do something about it. I don't even like getting my nails done, by the way, but I DO NOT want to have to pay $10..... hahaha

While I was away ShopGirl blogged about her anniversary of being chocolate-free which....honestly I was kinda' MEH about before. Chocolate isn't all that big a deal for me. BUT some of my FAVOURITE things have chocolate in them/are chocolate i.e. chocolate chip cookies, my mom's fudge (oh it is TO DIE for!).... When ShopGirl announced she was giving up chocolate I thought - hey, I should do that!! But then thought about Christmas and how much I LOVE LOVE LOVE Mom's fudge. It's not like I eat it all the time or anything - Christmas is only once a year, right? I don't WANT to give up Mom's fudge!

BUT after reading her post.....huh. I'm considering it. I'm considering a lot of 'drastic' things, actually. I did mention before that with food I DO need something concrete, difficult, and insane - if it's not a challenge I just lose interest and start stuffing my face with whatever. I'm currently toying with cutting out chocolate, or ALL "sugar" (I KNOW there are natural sugars in fruits, etc. - I'm talking about gummy bears, caramel popcorn, ice cream.....oooooohhhhhh....iiiiiiiiiice creeeeeeeeeam........) JUST ice cream.....

I have to make up my mind, fast, 'cause the contest STARTS today.... in fact, this post was to announce what I'm doing! hahaha BUT Mr. Man's back now and writing about it I can't decide what to do and for how long - I think I'll go chat it out and see if we can come up with something. Then I'll weigh-in. You MIGHT get two posts tonight, you lucky lucky people.

Too bad it's a boring rambler.... hahaha ;) What else is new?

Reporting In

Well, I'm sure you've all noticed (all like, three of you who actually read this little blog of mine....and when I say I'm sure you've noticed I really mean I'm sure this is so far off all your radars and unimportant that no one's noticed.... hahaha) BUT I've had a HORRID two weeks with running. OY!! This past week and the one before each I only got ONE run in (not including a soccer game both weeks) and only managed to squeeze a measly 5K out each time. And I wasn't really breaking any personal best times with those 5Ks, either.

If you DID read my last post you may have discerned that it's been a wee bit harried around here of late (thanks EVERYONE for your concern - WE GOT SOME HELP and have more coming!! hahaha YAY!) and just all over the place and OY OY OY!! (Someone asked me once if I'm Jewish...I'm not. I just LOVE that word - it so very often describes EXACTLY how I'm feeling! hahaha)

Anyway, in the middle of all that oy there just hasn't been running.

And there's been EATING. Oh my GOSH has there been eating. EVERYthing.

It's like, I'm a stress-eater but while I'm in the middle of it I can't see that's what's happening. I can't see that I'm stressed while I'm stuffing 16 cups of caramel popcorn down my throat after all but two of the seven+ people I prepared it for for our book club meeting (yes yes yes, I know. Another STUPENDOUSLY nerdy thing I do - I'm in a book club) didn't show up to eat it... and the ring pops I bought as "party favours" for them (it was on theme!!)....and all the nachos and salsa-dip (oh my gosh, it's SO GOOD)....(by the way, I was really put out that no one came to my month's meeting - the three of us who DID meet had a BLAST but Mr. Man and I practically killed ourselves getting the house and food and everything ready and then no one came!! GAH!! People, RSVP!!! Oh-mi-GOSH RSVP!!! Do your inviters a HUGE favour and just TELL THEM ahead of time if you're planning to attend or not! If you like them at ALL, in the SLIGHTEST LET THEM KNOW IF YOU'RE COMING OR NOT!! Otherwise, besides being extraordinarily rude, it's unfair to the would/could be hosts. SERIOUSLY! Okay...whoa...are we on a tangent??) What else have I eaten lately?? I guess more what HAVEN'T I eaten lately????

I feel fat. I hate that feeling. Or, this feeling. Whatever. Fat is not a good feeling. Regardless of whether or not you (or I, in this case) actually LOOK fat, FEELING fat is the actual problem.

Anyway, so this week, I plan to be back on track. I don't know how we're going to make it happen, but it will happen. Expect to see my weekly run tally on the sidebar there saying something OTHER that just 5K by the end of the week (I HAVE to get back on this horse or I'll lose all my hard-earned training!! GAH!!) - in fact, I will plan RIGHT NOW to run 10K once this week. So the counter should say at least 15K by the end of the week - that's a minimum of two runs. Plus soccer.

And the food....we'll tackle that one again in a bit. Just "eating better" and all that mushy garbage doesn't really work for me - it's not tangible or drastic enough for me. I'm a little too.....well, I don't really even know what too I am, but I'm too something for airy-fairy I'll-just-eat-less-and-or-better type stuff to really work. I don't have the willpower for something so loose, you know??

I'm going to do a run in the fall with Steph (who just blasted her previous personal best for a half-marathon out of the WATER today with 1:43- HOLY FREAK and CONGRATULATIONS, GIRL!) - we/I just have to pick one and get training for it. And then watch her fly away from me as soon as the 'gun' goes off... hahaha

AND...that's that for now. I think I'm going to go check to see that Little Miss is in her bed and aSLEEP, and then I'm going to read a bit ("Dracula" by Bram Stoker - fantastic and horrifying all at the same time! hahaha I read it once before....but now the whole chick-vampires-feed-on-kids bit is much much much more disturbing than I recall it being first-time through; I think I love Little Miss too much!), and then I'M going to go to sleep. Maybe I'll go get some ice cream first so I can be digesting something and burning calories in bed....

JUST KIDDING! ;)

Happy Mother's Day?

So before we get down to 'business' I HAVE to tell you about my Mother's Day. hahaha

This is my second Mother's Day as a mom. Last year I got a new ceiling fan for my dining room (if you'd have seen the old one you'd be as ecstatic as I was TOO! Little Miss has EXCELLENT taste in ceiling fans!) This year....

Yesterday Mr. Man, Little Miss and I piled into the car for a trip to the Home Depot to get a shelf to put up in our bedroom - we have a tiny house and are falling ever-so-much-more in love with shelves because we suddenly go from NO space to hey-there's-a-spot-to-put-this.... Anyway, we're in the car, about 3pm, and Mr. Man asks "So when IS Mother's Day this year??" hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha I figured that was that for this year. TOO funny. He was shocked and horrified to discover that he only had 9 hours until Mother's Day.

THEN later, we put Little Miss to bed and were all ready to snuggle down and watch a movie and Mr. Man's pager went off for work. He looks at it, GROANS, and says NOOOOOOO........ He ended up working for a couple of hours (= our movie-watching time) and that was that. We were almost asleep AFTER work when he phone rang ('bout 11:30/12ish - occasionally I hate his job) and he was up working again 'till 1am or so.

SO instead of breakfast in bed this morning to make up for the lack of card, gift or anything Mother's-Day-Ish I was woken by a screaming Little Miss at 6am who I had to tend to as Mr. Man had had the late night working.

I DID get a yummy dinner of BBQ pork chops, and lazed around in bed most of the afternoon so it wasn't a TOTAL bust, but still pretty funny. I thought, anyway. It's just a date on the calendar, though - I know they love me regardless. (It's my BIRTHDAY that really counts... hahaha)

BUT all that aside I wanted to get BACK on track here - I haven't been posting about my exercise or eating or goal-fulfillment (or incredible lack thereof) aaaaaaaand I don't know how I look to the outsider but lemme tell ya' I FEEL like a Heffalump. (Little Miss and I watched "Pooh's Heffalump Movie" today - cute. I'm Mrs. Heffalump. Not-so-cute).

A while back I said I was going to watch the food with my whole belief that I may actually have a PROBLEM and not just a need-for-fuel with food. I did okay for a couple, maybe a few weeks buuuuuut..... ohmigosh, yesterday I made a double-batch of cookies that didn't turn out to be my best batch because I ate too much of the butter/sugar combination before mixing in the other ingredients so the finished product (of which there are WAY WAY WAY WAY too many - what was I THINKING?!?!) is slightly more flour-tasting than it should be. How did I solve that? Rolled the dough in sugar before baking it.

Oy.

See??

And that's not all. Every year for Easter Mom buys Uncle Bravo, Mr. Man, and I each our very own box of 48 Cadbury Cream Eggs - my FAVOURITE. Seriously, I ate them ALL in about a week. Maybe two. Disgusting.

I can't STOP EATING.

And I haven't been running 'regularly' - I've been working so hard on WORK stuff since finals ended I've been finding/making excuses. And while the running may be blasting fat when I can drag my butt away from my desk to do it I have oodles of sags and lumps and bumps to deal with still. Not pretty.

I think part of my problem is the new schedule. Mr. Man's work schedule got changed, too, so we're dealing with all sorts of whoa-what-who's-where-when and it throws me off.

SO here's what I'm HOPING to do, starting tomorrow:

I'd like to re-start the Five-Factor-Fitness workout I used to do BEFORE I got pregnant - I tried to reinstate it immediately after but found it too stringent for life with a newborn. BUT we're going to see if we can buckle down and get this puppy done. I'd like to add three runs/week to the workout if I can - five factor consists of 5 25-minute (intense) exercise sessions/week starting with some high-intensity cardio and then focusing mainly on strength training. Which is all fine-and-dandy but I need to bust FAT soooo need more aerobic training!! Enter running. Which I more-or-less enjoy now anyway, sooo just have to make it all fit in the schedule! But I figure I'm looking at:
Monday: 5-factor+run = 1hr
Tuesday: 5-factor = 25 min
Wednesday: Run = however far/long I go that day ;)
Thursday: 5-factor = 25 min
Friday: 5-factor (plus soccer in the evenings once that starts....SO probably no run)
Saturday: 5-factor + run = 1hr.
Sunday: COMPLETELY OFF

I'm DETERMINED that I can shed this weight. I just have to DO it. SO we'll start with the workout and then work on the food. (There are a LOT of cookies in this house right now - I don't think I'm ready to just throw them out.... *sigh*)

WISH ME LUCK and if you want to JOIN me...leave me a message - it's easier with back-up!!

Oy. I need to confess.

What a bad week for this blog. I'm embarrassed. BUT I started this to keep accountable, so here I am!! Ready to spill.

SOOOOOOooooooooo I didn't really just fall off the bandwagon last week, I LEPT from it. Couldn't have been more blatant or intentional a fall if I'd tried.

You know I was sick, and that was really true. Friday last week I was sick, on my period, and just heading OUT of the semester's classes and IN to the semester's finals....

I caved.

I opened a little baggie of candies on my work-desk that I use for prizes and gifts at events, and ate it. Now, not really all that big a deal - small baggie of candy. BUT it was Friday, not Saturday.

Then, Saturday, I ate candy like it was going out of style. Then cake, and ice cream. Then Sunday I had some ice cream with chocolate sauce. Then Monday I finished the ice cream by myself and topped it off with chocolate sauce. Between handfuls of chocolate chips.

I've been downing chocolate chips all week.

Two nights ago I had extraordinarily-wonderfully buttered popcorn at midnight while watching "The Office" and ate until my belly hurt before I passed the bowl to Mr. Man and Bravo, who was over. Then last night after dinner I made this amazing not-quite-caramel popcorn to go with "Transformers." I REALLY wanted to go for a run yesterday, clear the last of this cold, and work out the I-had-two-finals-this-week tension buuuuut it didn't work with Little Miss yesterday. So we substituted with the movie.

This morning I was going to run on Optimus Prime but had a couple of leads for work AAAND was expecting someone for lunch (who didn't show! Sad...) so cleaned and tidied the house, showered, and got dressed. I guess theoretically I still have time today, but I don't have time today. Little Miss should wake up from her nap at any moment, and I have choir practice tonight that will take up my entire evening.

At least I won't be able to stuff my face...

Thankfully ShopGirl hasn't called in for my results for the challenge, but if she does I'd say it's safe to assume I did NOT win, though I haven't checked anything lately. My pants still fit....

In two days I'm to participate in my first ever race. I'm scared out of my mind, and I haven't run in over a week. Due to the cold, at first, and today to my being a lazy bum.

Someone yell at me and get me back on track, will ya'??

The Food Fight

I think people think I'm kidding when I say that I'm a food addict. I don't know if 'addict' is really the right word, but I'm SERIOUS!! Food is so much more than just fuel to me, but I'm not even aware of it when it's sliding down my gullet.

I told Mom the other day that I think I'm addicted to food, and instead of laughing and saying 'aren't we all!' which has been the usual/typical response (not a bad thing, people - I appreciate the comments and feedback!!) she looked at me, thoughtfully, and asked 'what makes you say that?' She took me SERIOUSLY! THEN I explained why I think I have a 'problem' and she AGREED, more or less. You should ask her - I can pack away ridiculously enormous amounts of food. I eat and eat and eat and eat - when dinner's over and everyone's still loitering but FINISHED eating I go back 2, 3, 10 more times. I eat three-meals'-worth in one sitting and then eat half a litre of ice cream. I get 'hungry' right before bed and satiate it with a burger or an ice cream sundae, or a Mr. Noodle with an egg... When I bake cookies I eat half the dough before I bake it and then, sparing three or four cookies for Mr. Man and Little Miss to share, I eat the whole batch in a day or two.

It's disgusting.

So when I said before that I'm a food addict and I'm going to try to work on that, I was being dead serious, and not flip at all. I know it's hard to imagine me without the flip side ;) BUT there it is.

SINCE declaring my new I'm-in-control-of-the-food-it-is-not-in-control-of-me plan last week I've run into a few hiccups, but generally I've done fantastically.

I published the plan on Wednesday, which was followed by a busy busy Thursday and I literally didn't have a chance to eat dinner 'till much after the usual time, and so I ate much later than 7:00. WHICH is really fine, 'cause it wasn't an additional meal. Then FRIDAY was just a WEIRD day, absolutely insane, which resulted in the beginning of dinner-eating around 8:30, I think it was. Anyway, we were at my parents and we ate in shifts (yeah, WEIRD day) and when the last shift was eating (Mom) I went to visit, and popped some food in my mouth. WHICH is against the plan/rules. I didn't realize what I'd done until the second handful was heading to my mouth, but then I remembered and put it down. SO, not TOO bad.

Then I didn't eat any sugar/dessert type things on Saturday, freeing me to bump the freebie day to Sunday and my mother-in-law's birthday, where I had only ONE helping of cake and ice cream, though I desperately wanted a second...and probably a third.

So that's that for now. Mi and I did a spin class last week, I played soccer - it wasn't the most active week I've ever had but it'll do. Homework etc. is really coming down hard on us right now, but I'm trying to stay on top of things all around so that I can get everything done without killing myself. Today between classes I'm (writing this post) doing homework and then going for a much-needed run later, so there you go.

That is all, for now, but I thought you should know how the food thing's been going. Insane, but it's going. ;) Thanks for the support and well-wishes! :D

The Sun is Shining

Little Miss and I went outside this morning and ran around our little smidgen of a backyard - her pants are covered in mud, if you need proof....

It's a GORGEOUS day, and I'm well rested. Today is a better day.

Here, FINALLY are some pictures to prove we were in Ottawa, and moving ;)
My hot vacation-date and I.

Our darling-dearest Ferret-Mama, hostess extraordinaire!

Mr. Man & Little Miss in front of Parliament - we went for typically tourist photos. :)



See? SKATING on the canal - TOO much fun!! I mean, other than the freezing part, doesn't it look like a blast??
Little Miss wasn't overly active, come to think of it....


So I figure it's probalby not that big of a deal NOW because I'm posting them so late, but there it is. I promised, I did it. One thing off the never-ending to-do list.

TODAY I figured I'd better attack this food problem I've decided I have. I just EAT and EAT - it's like I'm compelled to eat by some evil food forces. I don't even know. I just HAVE to eat something. Everything.

I need to do some searching and see if food addiction is a real thing or if I'm just making it up. I mean, I don't eat, I don't think, like some of the morbidly obese people who make it to 'Oprah,' but really, maybe I DO and the difference is the fact that I actually MOVE a bit. A lot.

SO I'm going to try to adhere to a couple of things I used to do back in high school when I was on the wrestling team (surprise!) to make weight for a big competition: I stopped eating 'sugar' except on Saturdays, and stopped eating after 6:30.

I'm a little...hmmmmmm...about this 'cause really the MOST IMPORTANT thing for fat-loss is to make sure calories in are less than calories used - it doesn't MATTER what you eat or when you eat it (even though we go on and on and on and on and ON about what to eat, when to eat, what not to eat - just eat less than you use and you'll lose fat!! PROMISE!) BUT here's why I'm going to try it:

I EAT 'sugar' food in huge huge huge amounts when I eat it. I can eat half a tub of ice cream in a sitting, plus toppings, I pop chocolate chips in my mouth when I walk by them in the kitchen over and over each day - 'sugar' food, i.e. dessert is like, a treat for most people, but I use it as a meal. Even AFTER a meal I'll eat that much. It's gross, actually, the amount I can pack away. SO if I cut it out, except on Saturday 'cause I'm HUMAN and legitimately want it occasionally, I won't eat near as many calories.

CONSIDERATIONS: When you DO this kinda' think and only eat i.e. sugar one day a week you CAN overindulge and your body will hang on to the sugars like no one's business = more fat. I found previously when I did it for an extended period of time, though, that if I tried to eat more than just a 'treat' amount of sugar on Saturday it made me sick to my stomach = less likely to over-eat dessert! HOORAY!

After 6:30 (I may switch this to 7 - let me give it a week, but my school schedule is a bit wacked-out) I eat bad things, and too many of them. I don't need to eat anything after 6:30 if I've had 3+2 meals during the day. It takes a bit of discipline for me for a while to get my belly to recognize it's NOT hungry late at night and I DON'T need uber-buttery popcorn, ice cream, taco-bell.... I don't need it, so why do I EAT it??

I'm going to stop.

I don't think this is too much - I just have to curb my sweet tooth for a few days, and live with the late-night munchies by, gee, going to sleep??

SO - hold me to it. Let's see if I can't get another few inches off this sexy bod of mine and hit Gap 8, eh?? EH?!

I love ice cream.

So, it's no secret amongst my in-laws that I LOVE ice cream. LOVE it. Soooo I'm not really expecting to lose any more girth this week, let's just say. hahaha

I DID run with Mi yesterday - something about running with her KILLS me - we were chatting about it when we finished. Is it because we're actually running faster or just a mental block for me?? I did my 5K on Monday with NO troubles, and then yesterday with Mi I'm DYING, just GASPING for air by the end. WITH a one-lap (200m) water-break after 3kms. I don't take breaks when I run by myself. Or with Blue Belle.

Anyway, yesterday it took us 33 minutes to do the 5K. Would definitely have been faster if poor Mi hadn't been slowed down by my desperation for water, but what can ya' do??

TODAY:
A HECK of a lot of walking ALL OVER the school. In sport psych we were examining team-building and got sent, literally, all over the place on a scavenger hunt. It was a BLAST and a tonne of walking. Then lots MORE walking to and from cars and errand-running....I walked around campus so much today that it's actually worth mentioning, which has to mean something because I almost NEVER mention it.
20 minutes Tae Bo :)
AND no yogilates, again. Which is sad. I need to figure it out and get that back in there 'cause it was previously my resistance training AND stretching (yeah, it's THAT awesome), so now I'm missing out on both. How did I fit it in before??? GAH! OH well!!

OH, and BY THE WAY - being a girl THIS is very exciting. :D

Going Ape

This was passed on to me from Mi, because last week I had a banana for dinner. :D

Bananas contain three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber. A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy. Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes.

But energy isn't the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.

Depression
According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

PMS
Forget the pills - eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

Anemia
High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.

Blood Pressure
This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

Brain Power
200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school ( England ) were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.

Constipation
High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.

Hangovers
One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.

Heartburn
Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.

Morning Sickness
Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.

Mosquito bites
Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.

Nerves
Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.

Overweight and at work?
Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and chips. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.

Ulcers
The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

Temperature control
Many other cultures see bananas as a 'cooling' fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand, for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer tryptophan.

Smoking & Tobacco Use
Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.

Stress
Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.

Strokes
According to research in The New England Journal of Medicine, eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%!

Warts
Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of banana skin and place it on the wart, with the yellow side out. Carefully hold the skin in place with a plaster or surgical tape!

So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around. Maybe it's time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, 'A banana a day keeps the doctor away!'

PS:
Bananas must be the reason monkeys are so happy all the time! I will add one here; want a quick shine on our shoes? Take the INSIDE of the banana skin, and rub directly on the shoe, polish with dry cloth. Amazing fruit!!

TODAY:
60 minutes Yogilates this morning. Had a REALLY hard time with it today for some reason. I mean, obviously, I've had some time off, but I seemed extra-stiff. Mi suggested maybe just midterm-stress??? ANYWAY, whatever it was, I got through it.
Ran 3K, walked 200m with my water bottle, ran 1.8K, walked 400m for a total of 5.4K. I made the mistake of going with Mi. hahaha I knew she'd be faster than me but DANG I was having a hard time. Anyway, I felt the need for water after 3K and she suggested walking a lap with the bottle so I could get good and hydrated. AND my breathing in check. hahaha Sweet girl, that. ;) To do the 5K took 34 minutes. The walking severely added to the time. Anyway, I think I'm going to try to kill myself again next Tuesday and run with her again. ;) hahaha Wish me luck!

Monday, Monday

So it's Monday. The weekend was a write-off for exercise, as it often is, but I DID make an effort to NOT eat like the pig that I can sometimes be known to be. I was never in danger of being thought of as one of those girls on a date who doesn't eat. I could out-eat most of the boys. Ever heard of Fuddruckers pound challenge? Piece of cake. ;) Well, actually, 1 pound burger, bun, large chili fries (I hate chili, by the way), a fountain drink, and wowzers that's not a small sundae. I totally earned that t-shirt, though, and yes, I most certainly AM man enough!

Mr. Man, I don't think I mentioned, graduated with his BSc in Compuer Science this past spring (HOORAY!) and pretty quickly got a job which rocks my socks, BUT because of the nature of the company and what he does his hours are a little bit all over the map. A couple weeks ago it was 7am-3pm, last week 10am-6pm, and this week we're at 11:30am-7:30am. Anyway, so it's difficult to get the swing of things routine with his highness dropping in and out whenever BUT, TODAY, with the darlin' not having to be at work 'till almost noon we had a good morning. :) There was enough time to sleep AND hang out before he had to get ready for work, which is OH so nice!! So with THAT said:

TODAY:
Ran WITHOUT my BOB stroller first thing this morning, because Mr. Man was home!! Started the running a wee bit closer to home than I usually do, ran the ENTIRE path, there AND back, no breaks. Took about 25 minutes. I wanted to die. I've decided that the path THERE is mostly slightly uphill, which means coming BACK is easier, but by the time I get to coming back I'm OH so dead friggin tired from running uphill all that way.... And apparently, as awesome as my stroller is I can run an eensy bit further without pushing it along. Who knew?? And obviously, when I wasn't running, I was walking either TO the path, or on the way home. Walked about 25 minutes - out for 50. (I definately did something faster today because I went the exact same route I always do and shaved about 10 minutes off my time)
45 minutes yogilates.

Wii Fit Measures
Weight - 176.4 lbs
BMI - 28.34