My first day on my new eating plan, well, it didn't go terribly well after breakfast. This plan is significantly higher in carbs and lower in protein that what I'm used to having. I had breakfast at 0700 and, by 0915, I was seriously beginning to wonder if carpet or a book would be a more tasty snack! I was SOOO hungry! So, Friday, I swapped out the two pieces of whole wheat toast for a second boiled egg and things were much better! Yay!
Buzz Boy has started getting excited about having daily walks again (or, at least, the days that we don't have to leave the house at 0530!). I'm planning to add in a few days of evening walks next week as well. Hopefully, he won't mind too much. ;o)
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Great East Road
You have walked 146.08 miles.
You have passed The Great East Road west of Bree.
It is 5.92 miles to the next landmark.
You have 311.92 miles to reach Rivendell.
They climbed down and out of the dike and through a gap in the wall, and then Tom turned due north, for they had been bearing somewhat to the west. The land was now open and fairly level, and they quickened their pace, but the sun was already sinking low when at last they saw a line of tall trees ahead, and they knew that they had come back to the Road after many unexpected adventures. They galloped their ponies over the last furlongs, and halted under the long shadows of the trees. They were on the top of a sloping bank, and the Road, now dim as evening drew on, wound away below them. At this point it ran nearly from South-west to North-east, and on their right it fell quickly down into a wide hollow. It was rutted and bore many signs of the recent heavy rain; there were pools and pot-holes full of water. They rode down the bank and looked up and down. There was nothing to be seen. 'Well, here we are again at last!' said Frodo. 'I suppose we haven't lost more than two days by my short cut through the Forest! But perhaps the delay will prove useful - it may have put them off our trail.'
You have passed The Great East Road west of Bree.
It is 5.92 miles to the next landmark.
You have 311.92 miles to reach Rivendell.
They climbed down and out of the dike and through a gap in the wall, and then Tom turned due north, for they had been bearing somewhat to the west. The land was now open and fairly level, and they quickened their pace, but the sun was already sinking low when at last they saw a line of tall trees ahead, and they knew that they had come back to the Road after many unexpected adventures. They galloped their ponies over the last furlongs, and halted under the long shadows of the trees. They were on the top of a sloping bank, and the Road, now dim as evening drew on, wound away below them. At this point it ran nearly from South-west to North-east, and on their right it fell quickly down into a wide hollow. It was rutted and bore many signs of the recent heavy rain; there were pools and pot-holes full of water. They rode down the bank and looked up and down. There was nothing to be seen. 'Well, here we are again at last!' said Frodo. 'I suppose we haven't lost more than two days by my short cut through the Forest! But perhaps the delay will prove useful - it may have put them off our trail.'
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
The Barrow-Downs
You have walked 140.4 miles.
You have passed The Barrow-Downs.
It is 3.6 miles to the next landmark.
You have 317.6 miles to reach Rivendell.
They heard of the Great Barrows, and the green mounds, and the stone-rings upon the hills and in the hollows among the hills. Sheep were bleating in flocks. Green walls and white walls rose. There were fortresses on the heights. Kings of little kingdoms fought together, and the young Sun shone like fire on the red metal of their new and greedy swords. There was victory and defeat; and towers fell, fortresses were burned, and flames went up into the sky. Gold was piled on the biers of dead kings and queens; and mounds covered them, and the stone doors were shut; and the grass grew over all. Sheep walked for a while biting the grass, but soon the hills were empty again. A shadow came out of dark places far away, and the bones were stirred in the mounds. Barrow-wights walked in the hollow places with a clink of rings on cold fingers, and gold chains in the wind.' Stone rings grinned out of the ground like broken teeth in the moonlight.
You have passed The Barrow-Downs.
It is 3.6 miles to the next landmark.
You have 317.6 miles to reach Rivendell.
They heard of the Great Barrows, and the green mounds, and the stone-rings upon the hills and in the hollows among the hills. Sheep were bleating in flocks. Green walls and white walls rose. There were fortresses on the heights. Kings of little kingdoms fought together, and the young Sun shone like fire on the red metal of their new and greedy swords. There was victory and defeat; and towers fell, fortresses were burned, and flames went up into the sky. Gold was piled on the biers of dead kings and queens; and mounds covered them, and the stone doors were shut; and the grass grew over all. Sheep walked for a while biting the grass, but soon the hills were empty again. A shadow came out of dark places far away, and the bones were stirred in the mounds. Barrow-wights walked in the hollow places with a clink of rings on cold fingers, and gold chains in the wind.' Stone rings grinned out of the ground like broken teeth in the moonlight.
I'm baaaaaaaack!
Well, here I am...AGAIN! Of course, as soon as I quit posting and quit tracking on SparkPeople, the weight started packing back on my body. I have gained back 11 of the 14. 5 pounds that I worked SO hard to lose!!
But, you know what? I'm getting back on the horse and taking charge of my life! You can look forward to more progress from me!
But, you know what? I'm getting back on the horse and taking charge of my life! You can look forward to more progress from me!
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Frustrated!
Well, it's been 4.5 months since I got serious about getting in shape. Between 1 March and 15 May, I lost about 14.5 pounds, but since then: NOTHING! Even the addition of P90X has not made any change on the scale. All I do know is that whenever I try eating the way my nutritionist wants me to eat (aka 1300-1500 calories a day), my weight immediately starts going up. I start eating more and it goes down back to where I was on 15 May and stays there. Sigh. I just don't know what my metabolism wants from me!! A big part of me just wants to throw in the towel. I mean, if all my hard work isn't going to make any difference then what's the point?
Sorry for the negative post, y'all, but I'm so stinkin' mad right now.
Sorry for the negative post, y'all, but I'm so stinkin' mad right now.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Tom Bombadil!!
You have walked 116.74 miles.
You have passed The House of Tom Bombadil.
It is 15.26 miles to the next landmark.
You have 341.26 miles to reach Rivendell.
The grass under their feet was smooth and short, as if it had been mown or shaven. The eaves of the Forest behind were clipped, and trim as a hedge. The path was now plain before them, well-tended and bordered with stone. It wound up on to the top of a grassy knoll, now grey under the pale starry night; and there, still high above them on a further slope, they saw the twinkling lights of a house. Down again the path went, and then up again, up a long smooth hillside of turf, towards the light. Suddenly a wide yellow beam flowed out brightly from a door that was opened. There was Tom Bombadil's house before them, up, down, under hill. Behind it a steep shoulder of the land lay grey and bare, and beyond that the dark shapes of the Barrow-downs stalked away into the eastern night.
You have passed The House of Tom Bombadil.
It is 15.26 miles to the next landmark.
You have 341.26 miles to reach Rivendell.
The grass under their feet was smooth and short, as if it had been mown or shaven. The eaves of the Forest behind were clipped, and trim as a hedge. The path was now plain before them, well-tended and bordered with stone. It wound up on to the top of a grassy knoll, now grey under the pale starry night; and there, still high above them on a further slope, they saw the twinkling lights of a house. Down again the path went, and then up again, up a long smooth hillside of turf, towards the light. Suddenly a wide yellow beam flowed out brightly from a door that was opened. There was Tom Bombadil's house before them, up, down, under hill. Behind it a steep shoulder of the land lay grey and bare, and beyond that the dark shapes of the Barrow-downs stalked away into the eastern night.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Old Man Willow! Run AWAY!!!!
You have walked 112.14 miles.
You have passed Old Man Willow.
It is 2.86 miles to the next landmark.
You have 345.86 miles to reach Rivendell.
After stumbling along for some way along the stream, they came quite suddenly out of the gloom. As if through a gate they saw the sunlight before them. Coming to the opening they found that they had made their way down through a cleft in a high steep bank, almost a cliff. At its feet was a wide space of grass and reeds; and in the distance could be glimpsed another bank almost as steep. A golden afternoon of late sunshine lay warm and drowsy upon the hidden land between. In the midst of it there wound lazily a dark river of brown water, bordered with ancient willows, arched over with willows, blocked with fallen willows, and flecked with thousands of faded willow-leaves. The air was thick with them, fluttering yellow from the branches; for there was a warm and gentle breeze blowing softly in the valley, and the reeds were rustling, and the willow-boughs were creaking.
You have passed Old Man Willow.
It is 2.86 miles to the next landmark.
You have 345.86 miles to reach Rivendell.
After stumbling along for some way along the stream, they came quite suddenly out of the gloom. As if through a gate they saw the sunlight before them. Coming to the opening they found that they had made their way down through a cleft in a high steep bank, almost a cliff. At its feet was a wide space of grass and reeds; and in the distance could be glimpsed another bank almost as steep. A golden afternoon of late sunshine lay warm and drowsy upon the hidden land between. In the midst of it there wound lazily a dark river of brown water, bordered with ancient willows, arched over with willows, blocked with fallen willows, and flecked with thousands of faded willow-leaves. The air was thick with them, fluttering yellow from the branches; for there was a warm and gentle breeze blowing softly in the valley, and the reeds were rustling, and the willow-boughs were creaking.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
My food rules
I'm been thinking about these and trying to organizing them in my head so that I could share them with you, my faithful blog readers. :o)
So, without any further delay, may I present "Terrie's Food Rules":
1. No high fructose corn syrup
2. No artificial sweeteners, colors, flavors or preservatives
3. No "frankenfoods" (iow, things made from chemicals and other artificial ingredients so that they look like "food")
4. No hydrogenated or partially-hydrogenated oils (no trans fats)
5. No antibiotics or synthetic growth hormones in the meat products
6. No inhumane treatment of the animals the providing me with dairy, meat and eggs
Seems pretty simple, right? Honestly, most of them have been pretty easy to stick with, but, readers, I'm here to tell you that high fructose corn syrup is in EVERYTHING!!! Luckily, though, there doesn't seem to be such a thing as ORGANIC hfcs, so as long as I can afford to choose organic alternatives, it should be easy to avoid. Right? Of course, right!
Did anyone else watch the season premiere of "Next Food Network Star" tonight? I totally LOVE Aarti and Herb! I think if Aarti can overcome her self-doubt, she's going to go all the way. What do you think?
So, without any further delay, may I present "Terrie's Food Rules":
1. No high fructose corn syrup
2. No artificial sweeteners, colors, flavors or preservatives
3. No "frankenfoods" (iow, things made from chemicals and other artificial ingredients so that they look like "food")
4. No hydrogenated or partially-hydrogenated oils (no trans fats)
5. No antibiotics or synthetic growth hormones in the meat products
6. No inhumane treatment of the animals the providing me with dairy, meat and eggs
Seems pretty simple, right? Honestly, most of them have been pretty easy to stick with, but, readers, I'm here to tell you that high fructose corn syrup is in EVERYTHING!!! Luckily, though, there doesn't seem to be such a thing as ORGANIC hfcs, so as long as I can afford to choose organic alternatives, it should be easy to avoid. Right? Of course, right!
Did anyone else watch the season premiere of "Next Food Network Star" tonight? I totally LOVE Aarti and Herb! I think if Aarti can overcome her self-doubt, she's going to go all the way. What do you think?
Bald Hill in the Old Forest
You have walked 99.58 miles.
You have passed The Bald Hill in the Old Forest.
It is 10.42 miles to the next landmark.
You have 358.42 miles to reach Rivendell.
The hobbits led their ponies up, winding round and round until they reached the top. There they stood and gazed about them. The air was gleaming and sunlit, but hazy; and they could not see to any great distance. Near at hand the mist was now almost gone; though here and there it lay in hollows of the wood, and to the south of them, out of a deep fold cutting right across the Forest, the fog still rose like steam or wisps of white smoke.
You have passed The Bald Hill in the Old Forest.
It is 10.42 miles to the next landmark.
You have 358.42 miles to reach Rivendell.
The hobbits led their ponies up, winding round and round until they reached the top. There they stood and gazed about them. The air was gleaming and sunlit, but hazy; and they could not see to any great distance. Near at hand the mist was now almost gone; though here and there it lay in hollows of the wood, and to the south of them, out of a deep fold cutting right across the Forest, the fog still rose like steam or wisps of white smoke.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Bonfire Glade
You have walked 80 miles.
You have passed The Bonfire Glade.
It is 18 miles to the next landmark.
You have 378 miles to reach Rivendell.
'I don't know what stories you mean,' Merry answered. 'If you mean the old bogey-stories Fatty's nurses used to tell him, about goblins and wolves and things of that sort, I should say no. At any rate I don't believe them. But the Forest is queer. Everything in it is very much more alive, more aware of what is going on, so to speak, than things are in the Shire. And the trees do not like strangers. They watch you. They are usually content merely to watch you, as long as daylight lasts, and don't do much. Occasionally the most unfriendly ones may drop a branch, or stick a root out, or grasp at you with a long trailer. But at night things can be most alarming, or so I am told. I have only once or twice been in here after dark, and then only near the hedge. I thought all the trees were whispering to each other, passing news and plots along in an unintelligible language; and the branches swayed and groped without any wind. They do say the trees do actually move, and can surround strangers and hem them in. In fact long ago they attacked the Hedge: they came and planted themselves right by it, and leaned over it. But the hobbits came and cut down hundreds of trees, and made a great bonfire in the Forest, and burned all the ground in a long strip east of the Hedge. After that the trees gave up the attack, but they became very unfriendly. There is still a wide bare space not far inside where the bonfire was made.'
You have passed The Bonfire Glade.
It is 18 miles to the next landmark.
You have 378 miles to reach Rivendell.
'I don't know what stories you mean,' Merry answered. 'If you mean the old bogey-stories Fatty's nurses used to tell him, about goblins and wolves and things of that sort, I should say no. At any rate I don't believe them. But the Forest is queer. Everything in it is very much more alive, more aware of what is going on, so to speak, than things are in the Shire. And the trees do not like strangers. They watch you. They are usually content merely to watch you, as long as daylight lasts, and don't do much. Occasionally the most unfriendly ones may drop a branch, or stick a root out, or grasp at you with a long trailer. But at night things can be most alarming, or so I am told. I have only once or twice been in here after dark, and then only near the hedge. I thought all the trees were whispering to each other, passing news and plots along in an unintelligible language; and the branches swayed and groped without any wind. They do say the trees do actually move, and can surround strangers and hem them in. In fact long ago they attacked the Hedge: they came and planted themselves right by it, and leaned over it. But the hobbits came and cut down hundreds of trees, and made a great bonfire in the Forest, and burned all the ground in a long strip east of the Hedge. After that the trees gave up the attack, but they became very unfriendly. There is still a wide bare space not far inside where the bonfire was made.'
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Crickhollow
You have walked 73.72 miles.
You have passed Crickhollow.
It is 4.28 miles to the next landmark.
You have 384.28 miles to reach Rivendell.
At last they came to a narrow gate in a thick hedge. Nothing could be seen of the house in the dark: it stood back from the lane in the middle of a wide circle of lawn surrounded by a belt of low trees inside the outer hedge. Frodo had chosen it, because it stood in an out-of-the-way corner of the country, and there were no other dwellings close by. You could get in and out without being noticed. It had been built a long while before by the Brandybucks, for the use of guests, or members of the family that wished to escape from the crowded life of Brandy Hall for a time. It was an old-fashioned countrified house, as much like a hobbit-hole as possible: it was long and low, with no upper storey; and it had a roof of turf, round windows, and a large round door.
You have passed Crickhollow.
It is 4.28 miles to the next landmark.
You have 384.28 miles to reach Rivendell.
At last they came to a narrow gate in a thick hedge. Nothing could be seen of the house in the dark: it stood back from the lane in the middle of a wide circle of lawn surrounded by a belt of low trees inside the outer hedge. Frodo had chosen it, because it stood in an out-of-the-way corner of the country, and there were no other dwellings close by. You could get in and out without being noticed. It had been built a long while before by the Brandybucks, for the use of guests, or members of the family that wished to escape from the crowded life of Brandy Hall for a time. It was an old-fashioned countrified house, as much like a hobbit-hole as possible: it was long and low, with no upper storey; and it had a roof of turf, round windows, and a large round door.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Chinese Food
Hannah and I were craving Chinese food for lunch today. Since we'll be moving soon, we decided to get delivery from our favorite local Chinese restaurant. It's been a couple of months since we ate there; certainly, we haven't had it since I made this major change in our eating habits. It made me feel awful!! For about 3 hours after eating it I was light-headed, jittery and my heart was racing at over 100 bpm, even while sitting on the couch (I know this thanks to my handy-dandy new Heart Rate monitor :o) )! Bleh. Their menu "says" they don't use MSG, but I can't imagine what else would have made me feel that bad for so long after.
It's grilled salmon on a red leaf lettuce salad for dinner tonight! Woohoo!!!
It's grilled salmon on a red leaf lettuce salad for dinner tonight! Woohoo!!!
Buckleberry Ferry
You have walked 66.42 miles.
You have passed Buckleberry Ferry.
It is 6.58 miles to the next landmark.
You have 391.58 miles to reach Rivendell.
They turned down the Ferry lane, which was straight and well-kept and edged with large white-washed stones. In a hundred yards or so it brought them to the river-bank, where there was a broad wooden landing-stage. A large flat ferry-boat was moored beside it. The white bollards near the water's edge glimmered in the light of two lamps on high posts. Behind them the mists in the flat fields were now above the hedges; but the water before them was dark, with only a few curling wisps like steam among the reeds by the bank. There seemed to be less fog on the further side.
You have passed Buckleberry Ferry.
It is 6.58 miles to the next landmark.
You have 391.58 miles to reach Rivendell.
They turned down the Ferry lane, which was straight and well-kept and edged with large white-washed stones. In a hundred yards or so it brought them to the river-bank, where there was a broad wooden landing-stage. A large flat ferry-boat was moored beside it. The white bollards near the water's edge glimmered in the light of two lamps on high posts. Behind them the mists in the flat fields were now above the hedges; but the water before them was dark, with only a few curling wisps like steam among the reeds by the bank. There seemed to be less fog on the further side.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
The best beer in the Eastfarthing
You have walked 52.84 miles.
You have passed Stock.
It is 13.16 miles to the next landmark.
You have 405.16 miles to reach Rivendell.
'All right!' said Pippin. 'I will follow you into every bog and ditch. But it is hard! I had counted on passing the Golden Perch at Stock before sundown. The best beer in the Eastfarthing, or used to be: it is a long time since I tasted it.'
You have passed Stock.
It is 13.16 miles to the next landmark.
You have 405.16 miles to reach Rivendell.
'All right!' said Pippin. 'I will follow you into every bog and ditch. But it is hard! I had counted on passing the Golden Perch at Stock before sundown. The best beer in the Eastfarthing, or used to be: it is a long time since I tasted it.'
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Woody End
You have walked 50.21 miles.
You have passed Woody End.
It is 1.79 miles to the next landmark.
You have 407.79 miles to reach Rivendell.
The day's march promised to be warm and tiring work. After some miles, however, the road ceased to roll up and down: it climbed to the top of a steep bank in a weary zig-zagging sort of way, and then prepared to go down for the last time. In front of them they saw the lower lands dotted with small clumps of trees that melted away in the distance to a brown woodland haze. They were looking across the Woody End towards the Brandywine River. The road wound away before them like a piece of string.
You have passed Woody End.
It is 1.79 miles to the next landmark.
You have 407.79 miles to reach Rivendell.
The day's march promised to be warm and tiring work. After some miles, however, the road ceased to roll up and down: it climbed to the top of a steep bank in a weary zig-zagging sort of way, and then prepared to go down for the last time. In front of them they saw the lower lands dotted with small clumps of trees that melted away in the distance to a brown woodland haze. They were looking across the Woody End towards the Brandywine River. The road wound away before them like a piece of string.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
You're not going to believe this!
Those of you who read this blog and know me in real life will absolutely NOT believe what I'm about to tell you. I VOLUNTARILY PUT BEANS IN MY MOUTH TODAY......TWICE!!
I read the results of a recent study that showed that people who eat beans/legumes/lentils on a regular basis have an almost FIFTY PERCENT (yep 5-0%) reduced chance of developing diabetes in their lifetime. 50! So, just as I've decided that I'm not going to turn 44 this summer without finally learning to swim, I've also decided that it is time for me to conquer the beans and get them into my diet.
I can't say that I loved them (they were Hubby's refried beans at OTB which he said were not spectacular) and I made extra careful sure that I didn't get any of the whole beans or bean parts in my tastes, but the major victory here is that I didn't gag! Woohoo.
Now, don't any of you get your hopes up that this means I'll EVER get over my loathing of corn-as-an-ingredient thing, because you can just fuggedaboutit!
I read the results of a recent study that showed that people who eat beans/legumes/lentils on a regular basis have an almost FIFTY PERCENT (yep 5-0%) reduced chance of developing diabetes in their lifetime. 50! So, just as I've decided that I'm not going to turn 44 this summer without finally learning to swim, I've also decided that it is time for me to conquer the beans and get them into my diet.
I can't say that I loved them (they were Hubby's refried beans at OTB which he said were not spectacular) and I made extra careful sure that I didn't get any of the whole beans or bean parts in my tastes, but the major victory here is that I didn't gag! Woohoo.
Now, don't any of you get your hopes up that this means I'll EVER get over my loathing of corn-as-an-ingredient thing, because you can just fuggedaboutit!
Saturday, May 8, 2010
AT LAAAAAAAAAST!!!!
Yesterday, at the teacher appreciation luncheon, Hannah's science teacher was telling me about this place to go and pick-your-own strawberries. I looked up their website last night and found out that, not only do they have strawberries (both pick-your-own and ones they picked), but they also sell asparagus, local raw honey, local grass-fed beef and bison, local hormone-free milk from grass-fed cows, and they have their own flock of free-range chickens and they sell their eggs. They also have local made cheeses, local made jellies, jams and salsas (OH! The cilantro-lime was KICKIN'!!!) I honestly could have cried with joy when I saw everything they offer. Even better, it's only a little over 25 miles from our new house, so that definitely falls into my "buy my food from within 100 miles of home" guideline. WOOHOOO!! I can't wait to see what other crops they have this summer.
So, the athletic department for Hannah's school was having a fundraiser car wash this morning, so I dropped her off and went to find this farm. I drove through not one, but TWO, Civil War battlefields (cool!) to get there. It's the cutest little place! Since I had to go back and wait for Hannah to finish the car wash, I couldn't buy anything that needed to be kept cold, but, I will be going back on Tuesday to get milk, eggs, chicken, beef and some bison burgers (I've been dying to try this!). Bazingo!
So, the athletic department for Hannah's school was having a fundraiser car wash this morning, so I dropped her off and went to find this farm. I drove through not one, but TWO, Civil War battlefields (cool!) to get there. It's the cutest little place! Since I had to go back and wait for Hannah to finish the car wash, I couldn't buy anything that needed to be kept cold, but, I will be going back on Tuesday to get milk, eggs, chicken, beef and some bison burgers (I've been dying to try this!). Bazingo!
Black Rider!
You have walked 27.88 miles.
You have passed Black Rider Stopping Place.
It is 18.12 miles to the next landmark.
You have 430.12 miles to reach Rivendell.
The other two ran quickly to the left and down into a little hollow not far from the road. There they lay flat. Frodo hesitated for a second: curiosity or some other feeling was struggling with his desire to hide. The sound of hoofs drew nearer. Just in time he threw himself down in a patch of long grass behind a tree that overshadowed the road. Then he lifted his head and peered cautiously above one of the great roots.
You have passed Black Rider Stopping Place.
It is 18.12 miles to the next landmark.
You have 430.12 miles to reach Rivendell.
The other two ran quickly to the left and down into a little hollow not far from the road. There they lay flat. Frodo hesitated for a second: curiosity or some other feeling was struggling with his desire to hide. The sound of hoofs drew nearer. Just in time he threw himself down in a patch of long grass behind a tree that overshadowed the road. Then he lifted his head and peered cautiously above one of the great roots.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Last week of school!
How can I begin to express to my seniors how much fun I've had this semester being their teacher? Or how much I'm going to miss each and every one of them when they graduate next week? Or that I feel I've learned as much from them as I hope they've learned from me? Have I found my calling? Teaching *high school English*??? Really? Really really? Could be. :o)
Hannah and I tried a new restaurant with some friends for lunch today. It's a Mexican restaurant that just opened in a nearby town. I have to say that I did not like my fish tacos AT ALL! At first, I thought the bitterness was coming from the 1/2 pound of cabbage they stuffed in each little taco. But, I pulled one of them apart and took a bite of the fish by itself and it was BITTER. Yuck! I didn't eat the second one at all. I did take a little taste of the cheese/sauce on Claire's enchiladas and it was YUMMY! It was hands-down the best enchilada sauce I've ever tasted outside Texas. I will definitely get that next time. Oh, and BONUS: if you don't want rice and beans with your entree, you can get fresh fruit instead. I got fruit with my tacos and the pineapple was SO fresh and ripe (so, it had that almost-coconutty note--DELISH!). The grapes were not squishy or gross and my cantaloupe was perfectly ripe. It was the best part of my meal today. Hannah loved her chicken fajitas, too, so it gets TWO THUMBS WAY UP from us.
Buzz Boy and I had a great walk today. He did a great job keeping up with me and I didn't feel like I was dragging him up the street even once. We were able to go on one of our longest routes! I think walking early in the morning is definitely the key for us, so, once school is over, it will be awesome to be able to do that every day instead of just T/Th. So, I guess I am looking forward to the summer a little bit.
Hannah and I tried a new restaurant with some friends for lunch today. It's a Mexican restaurant that just opened in a nearby town. I have to say that I did not like my fish tacos AT ALL! At first, I thought the bitterness was coming from the 1/2 pound of cabbage they stuffed in each little taco. But, I pulled one of them apart and took a bite of the fish by itself and it was BITTER. Yuck! I didn't eat the second one at all. I did take a little taste of the cheese/sauce on Claire's enchiladas and it was YUMMY! It was hands-down the best enchilada sauce I've ever tasted outside Texas. I will definitely get that next time. Oh, and BONUS: if you don't want rice and beans with your entree, you can get fresh fruit instead. I got fruit with my tacos and the pineapple was SO fresh and ripe (so, it had that almost-coconutty note--DELISH!). The grapes were not squishy or gross and my cantaloupe was perfectly ripe. It was the best part of my meal today. Hannah loved her chicken fajitas, too, so it gets TWO THUMBS WAY UP from us.
Buzz Boy and I had a great walk today. He did a great job keeping up with me and I didn't feel like I was dragging him up the street even once. We were able to go on one of our longest routes! I think walking early in the morning is definitely the key for us, so, once school is over, it will be awesome to be able to do that every day instead of just T/Th. So, I guess I am looking forward to the summer a little bit.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Green Hill Country :o)
You have walked 18.68 miles.
You have passed Green Hill Country.
It is 8.32 miles to the next landmark.
You have 439.32 miles to reach Rivendell.
After some time they crossed the Water, west of Hobbiton, by a narrow plank-bridge. The stream was there no more than a winding black ribbon, bordered with leaning alder-trees. A mile or two further south they hastily crossed the great road from the Brandywine Bridge; they were now in the Tookland and bending south-eastwards they made for the Green Hill Country.
You have passed Green Hill Country.
It is 8.32 miles to the next landmark.
You have 439.32 miles to reach Rivendell.
After some time they crossed the Water, west of Hobbiton, by a narrow plank-bridge. The stream was there no more than a winding black ribbon, bordered with leaning alder-trees. A mile or two further south they hastily crossed the great road from the Brandywine Bridge; they were now in the Tookland and bending south-eastwards they made for the Green Hill Country.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Sorry for the spotty posting
We are winding down to the end of the school year (four class days plus finals and we're DONE!!) and I've been working on writing my final exam. The dealio is that seniors with an A average for the whole semester are exempt from the final exam. Sadly, three of my six look like they're going to have to take the final (two are only off of an A by less than a point, though!). Either way, I have to have my final written by this Friday. On top of that, I have to finalize my reading lists for both the summer reading program and next year's classes. Woof!
Food has been going pretty well, but apparently coming in under my minimum calories for 3 out of 7 days makes me gain weight (I was up 1/4 pound at Curves today :op). I really have to keep my focus on hitting at least the minimum and continuing to make healthy choices while I do it. You know what, though? It takes a LOT of veggies, fruits, healthy fats and lean protein to make up 1600 calories a day!! Did you know that 8 oz of grilled shrimp only add up to 224 calories?
Okay, off to beddy-bye for me!
Food has been going pretty well, but apparently coming in under my minimum calories for 3 out of 7 days makes me gain weight (I was up 1/4 pound at Curves today :op). I really have to keep my focus on hitting at least the minimum and continuing to make healthy choices while I do it. You know what, though? It takes a LOT of veggies, fruits, healthy fats and lean protein to make up 1600 calories a day!! Did you know that 8 oz of grilled shrimp only add up to 224 calories?
Okay, off to beddy-bye for me!
Sunday, April 25, 2010
A Quiet Weekend
Not too much going on this weekend, really. BuzzBoy and I wanted to go to Paws in the Park yesterday, but rain + outdoors = BIG MUDDY DOG NOT GOING IN MY VAN!! lol It's too bad, too, because I really wanted to see if he would figure out how to play with other dogs. Poor puppy! He thinks he's a giant cat.
I ended up going to Trader Joe's with Bean yesterday afternoon, but there had to be at least 900,000 people in that tiny little store and so we didn't really get a chance to look around at everything as much as we wanted to do. I'm going to try to go back someday in the morning when it might be less crowded.
Today was pretty quiet as well. Hubby took Bean to go buy her first set of adult golf clubs. Golf team practice starts on Tuesday! Yay!
BuzzBoy and I went for a long walk, which was really nice. He was doing his "Old Man Walking" routine again, so it took us a loooooong time to get back home. I think I prefer him dragging me up the hills to that slow pace. It was killing me!
Hubby and I tried to invent a new sandwich tonight, but we think we missed a key ingredient somewhere. We took chicken breasts, butterflied them and rubbed them all over with Dijon mustard. When they were cooked, we layered on thinly sliced ham and provolone cheese and grilled it until the cheese was melted. We put them on our favorite Arnold Select 100% Whole Wheat sandwich thins. It was pretty good, but it definitely needed something: probably salt and pepper! We'll try that again some other day.
Meals for this week are all planned. Now, I just have to make the grocery list and watch Amazing Race.
Oh yeah: SPURS WIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOOOOHOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!
I ended up going to Trader Joe's with Bean yesterday afternoon, but there had to be at least 900,000 people in that tiny little store and so we didn't really get a chance to look around at everything as much as we wanted to do. I'm going to try to go back someday in the morning when it might be less crowded.
Today was pretty quiet as well. Hubby took Bean to go buy her first set of adult golf clubs. Golf team practice starts on Tuesday! Yay!
BuzzBoy and I went for a long walk, which was really nice. He was doing his "Old Man Walking" routine again, so it took us a loooooong time to get back home. I think I prefer him dragging me up the hills to that slow pace. It was killing me!
Hubby and I tried to invent a new sandwich tonight, but we think we missed a key ingredient somewhere. We took chicken breasts, butterflied them and rubbed them all over with Dijon mustard. When they were cooked, we layered on thinly sliced ham and provolone cheese and grilled it until the cheese was melted. We put them on our favorite Arnold Select 100% Whole Wheat sandwich thins. It was pretty good, but it definitely needed something: probably salt and pepper! We'll try that again some other day.
Meals for this week are all planned. Now, I just have to make the grocery list and watch Amazing Race.
Oh yeah: SPURS WIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOOOOHOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!
Friday, April 23, 2010
Subbed today
One of the other teachers at Bean's school had to have her wisdom teeth out yesterday (apparently, you cannot move to Japan with your wisdom teeth still in your mouth. Who knew??). They needed someone to sub for her 3 afternoon classes and they asked me to step in for her.
It was fun! It was neat meeting all the 8th graders who will be in my 9th grade English class next year. They seem like a great bunch of kids and I can't wait to challenge their minds with Literature. :o)
Subbing for her two PE classes (both mine next year) was a little more interesting. There are currently only 4 students in the middle school class and, as a consequence, she pretty much lets them do what they want. However, no matter how they tried to convince me, I'm VERY sure that playing with the fire extinguisher is NOT included in that!
The high school class went a little better, although they did tell me that their regular teacher doesn't ever really make them sweat. Ha!! That will definitely change next year when they enter my House of Pain! LOL Just kidding. There shouldn't be too much pain involved, but there will definitely be SWEAT!!
Have a great day, everyone!
It was fun! It was neat meeting all the 8th graders who will be in my 9th grade English class next year. They seem like a great bunch of kids and I can't wait to challenge their minds with Literature. :o)
Subbing for her two PE classes (both mine next year) was a little more interesting. There are currently only 4 students in the middle school class and, as a consequence, she pretty much lets them do what they want. However, no matter how they tried to convince me, I'm VERY sure that playing with the fire extinguisher is NOT included in that!
The high school class went a little better, although they did tell me that their regular teacher doesn't ever really make them sweat. Ha!! That will definitely change next year when they enter my House of Pain! LOL Just kidding. There shouldn't be too much pain involved, but there will definitely be SWEAT!!
Have a great day, everyone!
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Goodbye Hobbiton :o(
You have walked 8.83 miles.
You have passed Last View of Hobbiton.
It is 9.17 miles to the next landmark.
You have 449.17 miles to reach Rivendell.
As they began to climb its first slopes they looked back and saw the lamps in Hobbiton far off twinkling in the gentle valley of the Water. Soon it disappeared in the folds of the darkened land, and was followed by Bywater beside its grey pool. When the light of the last farm was far behind, peeping among the trees, Frodo turned and waved a hand in farewell.
You have passed Last View of Hobbiton.
It is 9.17 miles to the next landmark.
You have 449.17 miles to reach Rivendell.
As they began to climb its first slopes they looked back and saw the lamps in Hobbiton far off twinkling in the gentle valley of the Water. Soon it disappeared in the folds of the darkened land, and was followed by Bywater beside its grey pool. When the light of the last farm was far behind, peeping among the trees, Frodo turned and waved a hand in farewell.
Spread the Spark!
Sorry I haven't been posting my meal plans on here lately...I joined SparkPeople and have been tracking all my food on there. It's a completely amazing and totally FREE healthy lifestyle website. You can track your food, exercise and weight on there. They have exercise demos, recipes, message boards, and so much more! You can either choose to follow their meal plans or you can just use it like I do to track what you're eating. Check it out!
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Walking to Rivendell
I found this walking tracker online and, in honor of my 12th graders studying The Fellowship of the Ring, I'm going to walk from Hobbiton to Rivendell!! Here is my progress so far:
You have walked 4.89 miles.
You have passed Bywater.
It is 2.11 miles to the next landmark.
You have 453.11 miles to reach Rivendell.
Little of all this, of course, reached the ears of ordinary hobbits. But even the deafest and most stay-at-home began to hear queer tales; and those whose business took them to the borders saw strange things. The conversation in The Green Dragon at Bywater, one evening in the spring of Frodo's fiftieth year, showed that even in the comfortable heart of the Shire rumours had been heard, though most hobbits still laughed at them.
Anyone interested in joining me??
You have walked 4.89 miles.
You have passed Bywater.
It is 2.11 miles to the next landmark.
You have 453.11 miles to reach Rivendell.
Little of all this, of course, reached the ears of ordinary hobbits. But even the deafest and most stay-at-home began to hear queer tales; and those whose business took them to the borders saw strange things. The conversation in The Green Dragon at Bywater, one evening in the spring of Frodo's fiftieth year, showed that even in the comfortable heart of the Shire rumours had been heard, though most hobbits still laughed at them.
Anyone interested in joining me??
Sunday, April 18, 2010
A good day!
Breakfast:
Breakfast Sandwich
1 cup mixed red & green grapes
Total Calories: 349
Lunch:
1.5 slices of Papa John's pizza (I'm really losing my taste for non-healthy stuff now--I couldn't even finish this!)
Total Calories: 345
Snacks:
3 cups popcorn at the movies
3 Junior Mints
1 amazingly tasty orange
4 Dr. Kracker 3 seed
Total Calories: 270
Dinner:
8 oz grilled chicken breast
2 cups red-leaf lettuce
2 Tbsp Good Season's Italian made with red wine vinegar and EVOO
Total Calories: 398
Total for Day: 1362 (whoopsies! Notice anything missing? I did a NO DAIRY day again. Argh!!!)
Hubby and went to Whole Foods to, theoretically, see if there were any healthy options we could add to our meal plans. Sadly, he was too tired to spend much time browsing and we didn't really get anything new. I DID find TEXAS grapefruits, though. Yes, I do try to eat local whenever possible, but Texas Rio Star grapefruits are one taste of home that I cannot resist!
Went for an even longer walk with Buzz Boy than yesterday. He was pretty exhausted by the end of it. I really wish we knew how old he is. The last few weeks he's just been acting "older" than usual, especially when we're out walking. But, then 15 minutes after that he'll act like a complete puppy with one of his toys. He's due to go to the vet this week, so I'll have them check him out and see what's what.
Have a great evening!!
Breakfast Sandwich
1 cup mixed red & green grapes
Total Calories: 349
Lunch:
1.5 slices of Papa John's pizza (I'm really losing my taste for non-healthy stuff now--I couldn't even finish this!)
Total Calories: 345
Snacks:
3 cups popcorn at the movies
3 Junior Mints
1 amazingly tasty orange
4 Dr. Kracker 3 seed
Total Calories: 270
Dinner:
8 oz grilled chicken breast
2 cups red-leaf lettuce
2 Tbsp Good Season's Italian made with red wine vinegar and EVOO
Total Calories: 398
Total for Day: 1362 (whoopsies! Notice anything missing? I did a NO DAIRY day again. Argh!!!)
Hubby and went to Whole Foods to, theoretically, see if there were any healthy options we could add to our meal plans. Sadly, he was too tired to spend much time browsing and we didn't really get anything new. I DID find TEXAS grapefruits, though. Yes, I do try to eat local whenever possible, but Texas Rio Star grapefruits are one taste of home that I cannot resist!
Went for an even longer walk with Buzz Boy than yesterday. He was pretty exhausted by the end of it. I really wish we knew how old he is. The last few weeks he's just been acting "older" than usual, especially when we're out walking. But, then 15 minutes after that he'll act like a complete puppy with one of his toys. He's due to go to the vet this week, so I'll have them check him out and see what's what.
Have a great evening!!
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Cheat meal day!
Hubby took Bean and 2 of her best friends to a local amusement park today. They had a great time!! I had a nice relaxing day: I went on a LONG walk with the Buzz Boy and spent a lot of time getting to know my way around SparkPeople.
Breakfast:
1 Boiled Egg
Greek Yogurt with Berries & ground flaxseed
1 slice whole wheat toast
Total Calories: 282
Lunch:
5 ounces of grilled chicken breast
2 Tbsp guacamole
1 Mission Carb Balance tortilla
1 tomato
1 cup grapes
Total Calories: 456
Snacks:
1/4 cup guacamole
8 baked corn chips
1 orange
1 boiled egg
4 Dr. Kracker 3-seed
Total calories: 391
Dinner:
This was my cheat meal for this week. Hubby took me to Outback and I let him choose the appetizer. He was in the mood for a Bloomin' Onion (I would've picked the Bushman's Shrooms :o) ). I had the 6 oz Outback Special with a house salad and sauteed shrooms for my sides. It was yummy!!!! I'm totally on board with this cheat meal idea (although, I've got to do better about eating ALL my other meals healthy to earn it--somehow I doubt Papa John's pizza fits into the "healthy" category).
Breakfast:
1 Boiled Egg
Greek Yogurt with Berries & ground flaxseed
1 slice whole wheat toast
Total Calories: 282
Lunch:
5 ounces of grilled chicken breast
2 Tbsp guacamole
1 Mission Carb Balance tortilla
1 tomato
1 cup grapes
Total Calories: 456
Snacks:
1/4 cup guacamole
8 baked corn chips
1 orange
1 boiled egg
4 Dr. Kracker 3-seed
Total calories: 391
Dinner:
This was my cheat meal for this week. Hubby took me to Outback and I let him choose the appetizer. He was in the mood for a Bloomin' Onion (I would've picked the Bushman's Shrooms :o) ). I had the 6 oz Outback Special with a house salad and sauteed shrooms for my sides. It was yummy!!!! I'm totally on board with this cheat meal idea (although, I've got to do better about eating ALL my other meals healthy to earn it--somehow I doubt Papa John's pizza fits into the "healthy" category).
Got 10 minutes?
You have got to try this! It's super fun and Paul will make you smile all the way through. I just did it and I'm sweating like crazy.
Have fun!!
Have fun!!
MAJOR VICTORY!!!!
There have been TWO open bags of potato chips (one bag of Kettle Cooked and one bag of Sour Cream and Cheddar Ruffles) in my house for over a week and I haven't had ANY!! WOOOHOOOOO!!!!!!
Friday, April 16, 2010
An up and down day
Today had its ups and downs, for sure!
I was in the middle of teaching my class and waxing rhapsodic about Tolkien and The Fellowship of the Ring, when I suddenly broke out in an all-over body sweat and my hands and knees started shaking like crazy. I know what that means: low blood sugar. Which, yay me, but uh-oh. Did I pack my little bottle of apple juice in my bag like I promised my kids?? Of course not! I haven't had an LBSI (low blood sugar incident) in SUCH a long time. I sat down and held myself together long enough to get through my class. Luckily, the super sweet parent volunteer in the office today had brought in a beautiful platter of strawberries and grapes this morning. I had 6 strawberries and I felt much, MUCH better. The school administrator said I could bring in some bottles of juice and they would keep them in the office for me. Yay!
Of course, the real downside of the whole thing is that you aren't supposed to work out for 24 hours after an incident like that so that you have a chance to stabilize your blood sugar. So, no Curves, no kettlebells, no boot camp dvd and no walk with the Buzz Boy. :o( I did have a lovely nap, though, after I got home and ate something substantial.
After my success at WalMart, I was all geared up to have a uber-healthy dinner. Sadly, Hubby wanted to enjoy the pizza that the girls were having and I just wasn't up to making dinner for just me. Weirdly, I ended up below my calorie goal for the day.
Breakfast:
Breakfast sandwich (see the one from a couple days ago, the yummy one with the provolone cheese? Yeah, that one!)
1/2 grapefruit
Total calories: 286
Snack:
6 strawberries
V-8 low sodium
Total Calories: 92
Lunch:
Grilled Ham & Cheese
Tomato
1 large orange
8 oz skim milk
Total Calories: 462
Snack:
1/4 cup homemade guacamole
8 baked corn chips
Total calories: 164
Dinner:
2 slices of Papa John's pepperoni pizza
Total calories: 460
Total calories: 1455
Hubby is taking Bean and two of her friends to King's Dominion tomorrow (and my ST: Enterprise, Season 4, Disc 1 arrived from Netflix with a crack in it), so I'll have loads of time to do all the workouts I was supposed to do today.
I was in the middle of teaching my class and waxing rhapsodic about Tolkien and The Fellowship of the Ring, when I suddenly broke out in an all-over body sweat and my hands and knees started shaking like crazy. I know what that means: low blood sugar. Which, yay me, but uh-oh. Did I pack my little bottle of apple juice in my bag like I promised my kids?? Of course not! I haven't had an LBSI (low blood sugar incident) in SUCH a long time. I sat down and held myself together long enough to get through my class. Luckily, the super sweet parent volunteer in the office today had brought in a beautiful platter of strawberries and grapes this morning. I had 6 strawberries and I felt much, MUCH better. The school administrator said I could bring in some bottles of juice and they would keep them in the office for me. Yay!
Of course, the real downside of the whole thing is that you aren't supposed to work out for 24 hours after an incident like that so that you have a chance to stabilize your blood sugar. So, no Curves, no kettlebells, no boot camp dvd and no walk with the Buzz Boy. :o( I did have a lovely nap, though, after I got home and ate something substantial.
After my success at WalMart, I was all geared up to have a uber-healthy dinner. Sadly, Hubby wanted to enjoy the pizza that the girls were having and I just wasn't up to making dinner for just me. Weirdly, I ended up below my calorie goal for the day.
Breakfast:
Breakfast sandwich (see the one from a couple days ago, the yummy one with the provolone cheese? Yeah, that one!)
1/2 grapefruit
Total calories: 286
Snack:
6 strawberries
V-8 low sodium
Total Calories: 92
Lunch:
Grilled Ham & Cheese
Tomato
1 large orange
8 oz skim milk
Total Calories: 462
Snack:
1/4 cup homemade guacamole
8 baked corn chips
Total calories: 164
Dinner:
2 slices of Papa John's pepperoni pizza
Total calories: 460
Total calories: 1455
Hubby is taking Bean and two of her friends to King's Dominion tomorrow (and my ST: Enterprise, Season 4, Disc 1 arrived from Netflix with a crack in it), so I'll have loads of time to do all the workouts I was supposed to do today.
Small Victory!
So, Bean is having a friend sleepover tonight and we stopped at our local WalMart to hit the redbox and stock up on snacks. I let them each choose a "movie candy" and they got to choose one bag of chips to share. Even in the face of all that junk food, I wasn't tempted to get anything for myself!!! WOOOHOOO!!! Yay me!
They did choose Tostitos with a Hint of Lime and asked me to make guacamole. After I made it, I had my allotted 1/4 cup of guac and 8 Baked Tostitos. It was super yummy, maybe extra so because I know it's a healthy choice to make.
I'm drinking one of my Ayala's Herbal Waters right now. I read about them yesterday on Snack Girl. It's so yummy! I love it because while your taking a swallow, it tastes like plain water, but as you finish swallowing it, you get hit by this amazing flood of cinnamon and orange flavor. I will definitely be buying more of these!!
They did choose Tostitos with a Hint of Lime and asked me to make guacamole. After I made it, I had my allotted 1/4 cup of guac and 8 Baked Tostitos. It was super yummy, maybe extra so because I know it's a healthy choice to make.
I'm drinking one of my Ayala's Herbal Waters right now. I read about them yesterday on Snack Girl. It's so yummy! I love it because while your taking a swallow, it tastes like plain water, but as you finish swallowing it, you get hit by this amazing flood of cinnamon and orange flavor. I will definitely be buying more of these!!
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Had a pretty good day, except when I sat down to fill out my food diary, I realized that I had ZERO dairy products today. Oopsie!!
Breakfast:
1 whole grain English muffin
1/2 grapefruit
2 hard boiled eggs
Total Calories: 310
Snack:
1 orange
2 string cheese
Total Calories: 246
Lunch:
Grilled Ham & Cheese (2 slices whole grain bread, 1 slice low-fat provolone, 3 oz lean deli ham, 2 tomato slices)
1 cup raspberries
2 cups greens with 1 Tbsp dressing
Total Calories: 420
Snack:
4 pretzel crisps
1 tsp natural peanut butter
10 Good 'n Plentys (yeah, yeah, but I'll tell you I *paid* for these with a HUGE headache...won't do that again!)
Total calories: 150
Dinner:
7 oz garlic lemon chicken
12 oz garlic lemon mushrooms
Total calories: 428
Total calories for the day: 1556
Exercise: 45 minute walk/run with the Buzz Boy
I was hoping to try out the Biggest Loser Boot Camp dvd today, but I ended up taking a nap instead. I'll give it a whirl tomorrow!
Breakfast:
1 whole grain English muffin
1/2 grapefruit
2 hard boiled eggs
Total Calories: 310
Snack:
1 orange
2 string cheese
Total Calories: 246
Lunch:
Grilled Ham & Cheese (2 slices whole grain bread, 1 slice low-fat provolone, 3 oz lean deli ham, 2 tomato slices)
1 cup raspberries
2 cups greens with 1 Tbsp dressing
Total Calories: 420
Snack:
4 pretzel crisps
1 tsp natural peanut butter
10 Good 'n Plentys (yeah, yeah, but I'll tell you I *paid* for these with a HUGE headache...won't do that again!)
Total calories: 150
Dinner:
7 oz garlic lemon chicken
12 oz garlic lemon mushrooms
Total calories: 428
Total calories for the day: 1556
Exercise: 45 minute walk/run with the Buzz Boy
I was hoping to try out the Biggest Loser Boot Camp dvd today, but I ended up taking a nap instead. I'll give it a whirl tomorrow!
The next new thing I'm going to try
KETTLEBELLS!! These are a HUGE fitness craze right now. Hubby said that he used them when he was downrange and loved them. We actually own a 15 lb and 20 lb, so I don't have any excuse not to try this.
I'm a huge fan of Shay from the Biggest Loser and she does Kettlebells regularly with her personal trainer. I just found out that her trainer puts a different 5 minute kettlebell workout on her website every week! Yay! I'm going to try this tomorrow:
If you have access to kettlebells, why not try it with me?
Let's get Fit 4 a Lifetime!
I'm a huge fan of Shay from the Biggest Loser and she does Kettlebells regularly with her personal trainer. I just found out that her trainer puts a different 5 minute kettlebell workout on her website every week! Yay! I'm going to try this tomorrow:
If you have access to kettlebells, why not try it with me?
Let's get Fit 4 a Lifetime!
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
New Blog Name
Since we're no longer homeschooling, it seemed kinda silly to keep calling this blog "Bluebonnet Academy", so I've changed the name to better reflect what this blog is all about now. Right now, I'm really only blogging about what I'm doing, but I hope eventually to start adding in more information about nutrition research, DVD and book reviews and links to other blogs about living a healthier life.
Hope you enjoy the new content!
Hope you enjoy the new content!
Hump day!
Today has been pretty good, so far. At least, it didn't start out with slimy, rubbery oatmeal! LOL
I didn't get to work out at Curves today, but was able to stop by long enough to weigh in. Since my last time, I have lost 1 1/4 pounds!! That brings my total weight loss up to 7 1/4 pounds since the 1st of March!!! WOOOHOOOOOO!!!!
Breakfast:
Breakfast Sandwich (Arnold whole wheat sandwich thin, 2 slices Canadian bacon, 1 egg, 1/2 slice of provolone cheese)
1/2 grapefruit
Total Calories: 300 (much better, and definitely more satisfying!)
Snack:
1 reduced fat Colby Jack cheese stick
1/4 cup grapes (the rest were mushy :p)
12 oz V8
Total Calories: 200
Lunch:
1 Fajita Taco (3 oz fajita steak, 1 Mission Carb Balance Tortilla and 1/4 cup guacamole)
Total Calories: 370
Snack:
1 cup strawberries
1/4 cup guacamole
8 baked corn chips
Total calories: 200
Dinner:
I can't believe my plan failed!!! I totally spaced on buying a key ingredient for tonight's dinner. Guess I'm headed to Wegmans AGAIN tomorrow for the THIRD TIME this week.
Five Guys Little Cheeseburger
20 Five Guys fries
On top of that, I had so many meetings at school today that I was exhausted when I finally got home and ended up taking a nap instead of taking Buzz Boy for his walk.
Back on plan tomorrow!!!
In honor of cats everywhere
The episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation that they showed at 0400 this morning is not one of my favorites, except that it starts out with Data doing a reading of some of the poetry that he has written. Here is my favorite:
"Ode to Spot"
Felis catus, is your taxonomic nomenclature
An endothermic quadruped, carnivorous by nature?
Your visual, olfactory and auditory senses
Contribute to your hunting skills and natural defenses
I find myself intrigued by your subvocal oscillations
A singular development of cat communications
That obviates your basic hedonistic predilection
For rhythmic stroking of your fur to demonstrate affection
A tail is quite essential for your acrobatic talents
You would not be so agile if you lacked its counterbalance
And when not being utilized to aid in locomotion
It often serves to illustrate the state of your emotion
Oh, Spot, the complex levels of behavior you display
Connote a fairly well-developed cognitive array
And though you are not sentient, Spot, and do not comprehend
I, nonetheless, consider you a true and valued friend
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Why can I cook almost anything BUT oatmeal?
Oookay, I have made several attempts over the years to cook oatmeal on the stovetop. None of them have ever turned out right and all have ended up in the garbage. Yeah, yeah, I know that regular oatmeal is better for me than the instant, but at least the instant kind ends up being edible.
So, with that in mind, and knowing that steel cut oats are even better for me than the regular (and thus at least twice better than instant), I decided to give it one more try. I tried it two ways. First, I tried following the instructions in the newest Biggest Loser cookbook. Supposedly, once the oatmeal reached room temperature, all the liquid would be absorbed. They said it would take "about 1 hour". Here we are 2 1/2 hour later and there is still unabsorbed liquid in there.
The next method I tried was to cook them according to the instructions on the actual package. I cooked it JUST LIKE IT SAID and there are still hard little oat things floating in a sea of unabsorbed liquid. So, if the grit-cooking guy in "My Cousin Vinny" had magic grits that absorbed water faster in his kitchen than anywhere else in the grit-eating world, does this mean that I have the opposite problem? Do I have evil, non-magic oatmeal? How do I manage to pick up the containers of non-magic oatmeal every time? Since we've moved several times and even changed cookware, my conclusion must be that the problem is me. Wah!!!
I managed to muscle this morning's oatmeal down, but I may actually have to resort to calling the Quaker people to find out what I'm doing wrong. And, on top of everything else, this breakfast ended up being WAY more calories than I wanted.
Breakfast:
1.8 oz Canadian Bacon
1 cup skim milk
1/2 grapefruit
1 serving oatmeal (1 cup steel-cut oats, 1/4 cup sliced peaches, 1/4 cup milk, 1 Tbsp almonds)
Total Cal: 420
Lunch:
Grilled Chicken Pita (4 oz grilled chicken, whole-wheat pita, 2 tomato slices, 1/2 roasted red pepper, and a smidge of dijon mustard)
apple
1 cup milk
Total cal: 434
Snack:
10 baked corn chips
1/4 cup guacamole
Total Cal: 146
Dinner:
1 oz whole wheat pasta
6 oz grilled chicken
1 cup mushrooms
1/2 cup sugar-free marinara sauce
2 Tbsp shredded parmesan cheese
Total Cal: 470
Total Calories: 1540 (goal 1600)
Workout:
45 minute walk with the BuzzBoy
Today was a pretty good day. I'm disappointed in the breakfast I tried today, not just in the taste, but in the amount of calories. It cost me my evening snack and I was starving ALL DAY! Pheh.
Have a great evening!
Monday, April 12, 2010
Day 1 of my new life
Oh. My. Fage! I am completely and totally in love with Fage (fa-yeh) Greek-style yogurt. I had it this morning and it is SO different from "american" yogurt. It's super-thick and creamy, not gelatinous at all. I will never go back!!!
Breakfast:
2 small boiled eggs
1 piece whole-grain toast with 1/2 tsp whipped butter
Berries & Yogurt (1/2 cup Fage, 1/2 cup blueberries, 1 Tbsp ground flax seed, 1 pkt Truvia)
Lunch:
Roast beef wrap (3 oz lean roast beef, 1/4 tsp horseradish, 1 slice tomato, 1 Mission carb-balance tortilla)
3 thin slices of avocado
1 cup red and green grapes
1 small square dark chocolate with mint
Snack:
Banana Smoothie (3/4 cup Fage, 1/2 cup skim milk, 1 frozen banana, 4 Tbsp vanilla protein powder)
Dinner:
Well, as I feared, we did indeed hit a stumbling block with dinner. The recipe I had planned originally was a Greek Orzo and Shrimp Salad. It *sounded* healthy, but when I plugged the recipe into Calorie Count, it came up with a count of 832 calories per serving!!!! Yowza. Axe that. I'm sure I'll find something else to use that orzo for at a later date. Luckily, it's not a fridge item. So, since my avocado hunt today was super successful, we had last night's scheduled fajitas (and, at Bean's request, I did both steak and tonight's originally scheduled shrimp -- that girl is having the BEST ideas!).
1 fajita taco (Mission Carb Balance tortilla with 3 oz steak and 2 Tbsp homemade guacamole)
4 fajita'd shrimp
Snack:
1 small orange
1 string cheese
Total calories for the day: 1545 (goal was 1500-1600). Yay me!
Workout:
30 minute walk with the BuzzBoy.
I can see from my diary, though, that I missed quite a few veggie servings today (1 out of 4 isn't such a great percentage, eh?). I'll have to figure out how to get them into my breakfast and dinner (other than just a salad).
Hope everyone had a great day!
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Oookay, there were no avocados at the store (what is up with THAT?), and since I cannot eat fajitas without guac, we ended up having other stuff for dinner. I had a grilled steak and salad (organic red leaf lettuce and sliced shrooms with a lovely red wine vinaigrette dressing).
Bean invented a new sandwich that she made for herself and Hubby. She seasoned a sirloin steak with taco seasoning, grilled it, then sliced it thinly and made grilled cheese sandwiches with the steak, sourdough bread and shredded cheddar. Hubby pronounced it DELICIOUS!!
And this, ladies and gents, is why I fill out my meal plan in PENCIL. ;o)
Okay, so the meal planning done for the week and, since I'm sick, Hubby & Bean have gone to the grocery where I get my produce to stock up on yummy fruits and veg for the week. I simply refuse to buy the produce at the local commissary (unless it's apples, onions or potatoes). Their other stuff is just too icky and I've put my fingers through too many furry tomatoes there. I'm not kidding. I really miss the lovely Spanish produce we used to get at the commissary in Germany.
A couple of things I'm trying this week for the first time: steel cut oats, almond milk, homemade Truvia-sweetened lemonade and Greek-style yogurt with fresh berries and ground flaxseed (I've used Greek-style yogurt in my smoothies in the past, but I haven't eaten it as, you know, yogurt).
On tap for dinner tonight: grilled sirloin fajitas with homemade guacamole, sauteed onions and Carb-Balance tortillas. Mmmmmm. Oh, and that Truvia-sweetened lemonade. I'll let you know how it goes.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
It's been such a long time since I've posted here!! Our lives have changed SO much since December 2008. We moved to a whole other continent. Bean has stopped swimming and we've stopped homeschooling. It's just been SO much.
I've decided to revive this blog to document our lives and the changes we are making. We're all committed to becoming more healthy (or "healthy at all" in my case) and just making better choices about the things we put in and on our bodies.
We've made some small changes already. We're already trying to limit the amount of processed food that we eat. We've also switched to an all-natural detergent. Bean said something to me the other day and it really struck me: "Don't put anything on your skin that you wouldn't put in your mouth". Interesting notion, huh?
Anyway, I hope you'll stay posted and I'll try to be better about keeping this up to date. :o)
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