Diet and Exercise | Do Better

coming clean

Oh all the things I didn’t eat today (but considered eating).

But oh, all the things I did eat today…

Breakfast started out great. Old Fashioned Oats, milk chocolate chips, and banana and milk.

Lunch was terrific. Salmon on bread with sliced tomatoes, pickles, and a salad topped with brie.

After lunch I wanted something sweet. Darn these things being in the refrigerator (they’ve been in there for about 2 weeks). I was very aware of my decision to eat it. And it was goooood.

At 3:30 I finished making some coconut cream mini-pies that I had been working on for my dad. I had trouble with some mini-crusts, soooo…

Okay, I really didn’t need to eat this. And I wasn’t hungry. When dinner rolled around at 6pm, I was still full. Now here it is 7:15pm and still not hungry. I guess the mangled slice of coconut cream pie was pretty filling. And apparently my dinner.

I did go to the gym today. I went on the elliptical for 30 minutes and the treadmill for 15. After that I did a bunch of core work. Felt great!

when hunger strikes

July 24, 2008 at 6:06 pm | Posted in Diet and Exercise | 6 Comments
Tags: diet, Diet and Exercise

Besides the bit of queezy-ness I felt this afternoon, (I blame my many trips to the bathroom on the steel cut oatmeal for the 4th morning in a row) today has been a rather peaceful day. But then I got HUNGRY, and it was almost time for dinner.

Here’s a look at breakfast: A bowl of steel-cut oats with a banana, milk chocolate chips (so perfectly good) and sliced almonds.

Lunch was an open faced sandwich on bread and some Sun Chips remains.

Started to feel the hunger at 4pm. I had a peach.

And then I had a scoop of chocolate cream pie (I put the can of beans in back for perspective on the size).

At this point I knew it was over and I just needed to eat dinner. Bean, rice and cheese burrito with a salad and chips.

Truthfully, I ate this amount of chips with some salsa and sour cream dip while cooking and chopping. I put these chips on my plate for the photo opp, and then returned them to their bag.

I ate dinner at 5pm tonight. For me, when I’m hungry and it’s almost time to eat, it’s usually better to just eat a meal. Because if I don’t, I’ll just pick and nibble and pick some more. And my brain won’t register, “hey, I’m eating”. And then when it is time to eat, regardless if I’m hungry or not, my brain will say, “oh, now it’s time to eat”. Does that make sense?

I didn’t make it to the gym today. So once I get the three of them settled for dinner I’m going on a walk.

slowing to plate

July 23, 2008 at 7:00 pm | Posted in Diet and Exercise | 7 Comments
Tags: Diet and Exercise

Well, I’ve noticed that the process of plating my food before I eat really makes me slow down and be deliberate about what I’m eating. The simple act of a photo food journal has caused me to eat more fruits and veggies, think about what I’m eating, and plan out my food.

Here was breakfast. A bowl of steel cut oats with a splash of milk, sliced banana, coconut and almonds. Had about 3 bites left over.

I had a snack of grapes and a granola bar. (I also had half a peach)

Lunch was an open faced sourdough sandwich with either a slice of ham or turkey and all the trimmings, including brie cheese.

I had that slice of the chocolate cream pie (it’s okay ’cause it has tofu, right?)

Then dinner was turkey breast (thanks for the recipe Dianne), salad, half an orange (and my kids’ sourdough crusts). I added maybe a cup more salad to my plate.

I was at the gym for an hour this morning. Started with 35 minutes of speed walking at an incline. Then did squats, abs, arms and planks.

You know, I woke up feeling much better today. I had more energy. Had a better outlook on life. Felt more like myself.

Could it have been the time spent with girlfriend’s in Bible study and prayer last night? Or possibly the prayers of a faithful friend who checks in with me on a daily basis. Maybe it was a shift in less eating and more moving. Think it was all three?

Slow and Thoughtful

July 22, 2008 at 6:49 pm | Posted in Diet and Exercise | 6 Comments
Tags: diet, exercise

For me, the the lower I sink emotionally, the higher my food intake is.

The more chaotic my life feels, the more chaotic my eating becomes.

I have been mindlessly eating for days. Spiraling further and further downward. So today kept a photo journal of my food.

It forced me to slow down. To stop and think about what I was putting in my mouth. It made me more thoughtful of my eating; what I was eating and how much.

Here’s what I had for breakfast, steel cut oats with a splash of nonfat milk and a white peach.

Snack was a banana and stoneyfield go-gurt. I also had a (non-photoed) tall soy latte.

Lunch was turkey, ham, brie, lettuce, tomato and mustard on sourdough; grapes and another white peach. I ended up eating this sandwich in two halves. The half with the brie, ham and tomatoes was excellent.

Dinner was a salad, grapes, red bell pepper and bread. I had about a cup more of the salad.

At the gym I spent 35 minutes walking at in incline on the treadmill. I also did 15 minutes on the elliptical and finished with abs and push-ups.

And now, at the end of the day, I can say I am feeling more at peace with myself and life’s circumstances. But I’m still feeling low, so I’ll probably do this little exercise again tomorrow.

cake and sprinkles

June 19, 2008 at 10:35 pm | Posted in Diet and Exercise | 9 Comments
Tags: exercise, wii fit

If yoga and pilates are the frosting on the exercise cake, then wii fit is the sprinkles. So today I guess I had some cake and sprinkles with no frosting.

My day started with a trip to the gym. I remembered Eating Bird Food‘s (how cute is that name by the way?) post about walking on the treadmill at 4.5 and thought I’d give it a try…so hard! I found it actually easier to run.

So I ran 2.5 miles and then walked another mile. After that I hit the weight room and worked my triceps, shoulders, back and did some leg presses. Then I grabbed a med ball and did some ab work.

This evening it was time for some sprinkles with the Wii Fit! This is a very fun game. My family is so cute! I love this opening screen. Oh, and my son is a huge Star Wars fan so that’s actually C3-P0 playing.

I started with some balance board games…

…ya, I can’t do this one…darn bubble on the river…

then some aerobics…

that’s right, “calorie incinerator”…

and I finished with some strength training…

…whoo-hoo…Bodybuilder!

I played for one hour and four minutes.

Better than sitting on my butt watching tv or playing on the computer!

stuck in a rut

June 18, 2008 at 12:50 pm | Posted in Diet and Exercise | 15 Comments
Tags: breakfast, diet, lunch

I’m stuck in a rut, and I think it’s good for me.

Without fail I’ll go two weeks eating Kashi Go Lean for Breakfast. It’s easy and simple. Tastes good. And I know it’s good for me.

Lunch this week has been a turkey sandwich with tomato, spinach, cream cheese and mustard on whole grain bread…every day.

This is my favorite mustard, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. It’s so good!

I think I read somewhere that it helps control your calories when you eat the same foods day after day. But I also read that a diet that lacks variety can be missing out on essential nutrients. What I do know is it works for me.

What I’m curious about is, do you get stuck-in-a-rut with your meals? And if so, do you think it helps control your appetite and cravings?

solutions week 30

June 16, 2008 at 10:38 pm | Posted in solutions | 6 Comments
Tags: Diet and Exercise

Summer! Summer! Summer! My weekly diet and exercise solution goals are listed on the sidebar. Here’s me just keeping it real. Because I need some real accountability!

First off…New Running Shoes! These Asics are my favorite…GT-2130.

Monday: Gym day! I started with a 2 mile run and then a 1.5 mile walk. Then on to strength training for arms, walking lunges, one legged squats and a great set of abs! Tonight I finished eating at 6:30pm. No walk, but I played the Wii Fit for 2 hours with a friend.

Tuesday: Gym Day! This morning I ran 2.5 miles (in my new asics) and walked 1 mile. Then I grabbed some weights for arm circles. Plus I did assisted pull-ups, abs on the ball and squats on the ball.

Thursday: Gym day! I ran 2.5 miles and walked 1 mile. It was hard. I felt like I had no energy. But I felt so glad to have done it! After that I went into the weight room for strength training.

Friday: Gym Day! I went on the elliptical for 35 minutes then did some abs on the ball. My heart rate does not go up like on the treadmill. The treadmill makes me go harder and faster than I probably would. For me, it’s a better workout than the elliptical. I should remember that.

solutions week 28

June 2, 2008 at 7:45 pm | Posted in Diet and Exercise, solutions | 8 Comments
Tags: Diet and Exercise, fit, wii, wii fit

First things first…we have the Wii Fit and I LOVE IT! This game is seriously addicting.

My favorite game is Step Aerobics.

This is a far cry from Adam’s Advanced Step Class at Gold’s Gym in Santa Barbara (from 12 years ago), but it is fun. Picture guitar hero for your feet. You have to step up and down to the beat. The beginner level is combinations (and I use that term loosely) of basic step and over the top. And it’s slow, real slow. The advanced level is combinations of basic step, over the top, side step, and step kick.

…and now for some accountability…

Monday Solutions:

This morning I ran 2 miles and then walked 2 miles. We finished dinner at 6:45pm and then I went on a 30 minute walk. After the kids are in bed, it’s Wii Fit time…more photos and information at the end of this post. Wii fit for 1 hour 11 minutes including all strength training exercises, aerobic step and hula hoop, balance board and penguin. Fun Fun Fun!

Tuesday: Today I went to the gym and ran on the treadmill for 30 minutes (2.65 miles).

Wednesday: 2 mile walk this morning. Finished eating at 6pm. Went on a 25 minute walk with the dog and then played Wii Fit for 1 hour (all balance and aerobics games).

Thursday: Ran on the treadmill for 30 minutes (2.7 miles). Then went in to the weight room for walking lunges and arms. Finished eating dinner at 6:30pm and then went on a 25 minute walk. I would love to blog about the peach cobbler from the other night. But it requires a piece to be cut and heated up, so I’ll skip the food blogging tonight and opt for some more wii fit!

Friday: 2 mile run then a 2 mile walk this morning. 1 hour of wii fit this afternoon.

Continue Reading solutions week 28…

hitting the pavement

May 19, 2008 at 7:10 am | Posted in solutions | 5 Comments
Tags: Diet and Exercise

Solutions week 26

Saturday– My brother graduated with his masters today! Before the early morning ceremony I got in a 20 minute walk.

And this afternoon I came home to Wii Fit! LOVE IT! Played for 33 minutes today.

Friday– Planned to go to the gym this morning, but am attending a memorial service for a family friend’s mother. I’m on the hunt for the Wii fit…maybe I’ll be able to try it later today.

Thursday– Started the day with an early run 30 minutes long. Getting up at 6am isn’t horrible when the sun is out. Went to the gym and started with a good 18 minute warm up on the elliptical. After that into the weight room for tricepts, incline push ups, one legged squats, abs on the bench, abs on the ball, abs on the mat with a med ball, forward lunges with twisting med ball. Finished eating at 5pm. No walk, but I am almost caught up on my kids’ scrapbooks!

Wednesday– Finished dinner at 5:30pm and then went on a 30 minute walk.

Tuesday– Another early morning 30 minute run! I do miss my treadmill, I think it’s dying. At the gym I did an easy warm-up on the elliptical for 20 minutes and then went into the weight room and worked my triceps, shoulders, biceps, I did walking lunges, squats and abs.

I finished dinner at 5:30 pm and then went on a 30 minute walk.

Hallelujah! Coffee has returned to my house thanks to…Silk Creamer in French Vanilla. Yep, it’s good. Real good. And it doesn’t have that bad stuff.

Monday update…so I had lots of bad stuff in that pie. But, I was finished eating at 6:45pm and then went on a brisk 30 minute walk.

After last weeks pitiful, almost non existent week of exercise, I knew I had to make a change, and quick. So last night I set my alarm and laid out my running clothes. This morning I got up at 6am and got in a 30 minute run.

My goals this week are…

get up early and run 30 minutes Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. Cardio at the gym on Friday.
go to the gym for strength training on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.
no eating after 7pm
drink water
avoid high fructose corn syrup
avoid hydrogenated fats

Thanks to Allison and this post for inspiring me to get up and run!

solutions week 25

May 12, 2008 at 2:45 pm | Posted in solutions | 9 Comments
Tags: Diet and Exercise

Wednesday: I got to the gym today for 30 minutes on the elliptical. Then strength training with assisted pull-ups, tricepts, abs and push-ups.

Tuesday: Busy day. I got in a 30 minute evening walk after dinner.

Monday: I’m back from a fun filled week beginning with a trip to Southern California with the family and ending in Tahoe with my girlfriends. Here’s a photo of me and Indiana Jones at LegoLand in San Diego.

Of course, the thought of going to the gym today was filled with dread. It’s amazing how a week off and out of routine can make a three mile run seem like an unobtainable goal. So I went on the treadmill for 40 minutes, alternating between walking and running for over 3.25 miles.

The weight room was closed because we are getting all new equipment! So, I’m planning on a walk and some yoga later today.

Here are some fun photos of our time in Southern California… Continue Reading solutions week 25…