I'm Back...well, sorta.

After many months of ups and downs (I think it's almost been a year since I started trying to lose), I think that I am going to start writing again.  This time, I just need some kind of outlet to record my progress, my recipes and my accomplishments.  I'm not gonna get all into it to get a following.  I have just found it helpful to come back to my "blog" for recipes.  It's like my own little cookbook.

I weighed in this morning and I lost another pound.  So that means that I am at 131 (which is a good 7 lbs over my lowest weight...not really sure where I was when I stopped blogging...the little progress thingy in the corner isn't working anymore).  I plan to lose 6 more pounds by the end of the school year...and around 10 more pounds by the time the following year starts.  My weight loss has been pretty steady...one pound per week.  It's slow, but its been consistent...so I really can't complain.

Date	Weight	Body Fat (%)	Hyd (%)	BMI	Weight Loss
05/31/10	138.4	28.6	49.9	27.0	-
06/13/10	137.2	28.2	50.2	26.8	-1.2
06/28/10	133.8	27.4	50.8	26.1	-3.4
07/05/10	133.8	27.2	50.9	26.1	-0.0
07/12/10	130.6	26.2	51.6	25.6	-3.2
07/19/10	131.0	26.2	51.6	25.6	+0.4
07/26/10	129.2	25.6	52.0	25.2	-1.8
09/06/10	124.2	24.0	53.2	24.1	-5.0
02/07/11	134.0	26.5	51.4	26.2	+9.8
02/19/11	134.0	26.7	51.3	26.2	-0.0
02/27/11	133.0	26.7	51.3	26.0	-1.0
03/07/11	135.0	-	-	26.4	+2.0
03/13/11	133.0	-	-	26.0	-2.0
03/20/11	133.0	-	-	26.0	-0.0
03/27/10	132.0	-	-	25.8	-1.0
04/03/11	131.0	-	-	25.6	-1.0

Here's my updated progress chart.  As you can see...my weight went back up...as did my body fat.  It's kind of like I lost 9 months of progress.  But they were a busy 9 months...with planning a wedding and getting married and all.  My good scale that gives me my body fat and hydration died...or at least the batteries did.  I'm going to get some more this weekend though.  All I can say is at least I'm going in the right direction.

I started C210K again...which has been pretty cool.  I'm finally to the half and half day...week 5 or 6.  Run for 2 minutes and 30 seconds...walk for two minutes and thirty seconds.

I've also been doing a bootcamp afterschool with my co-workers.  It's more than I would do by myself...so, it's been positive.

As far as future fitness plans, I'm going to buy a package for 20 hot yoga sessions for the summer.  This summer, my only job will be to work out 3 times per week...Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 9:30 every morning, I will be at hot yoga.  I'm super excited about this and can't wait to see what kind of results I get.

I'll continue running as well...I have been flirting with the idea of training for a half marathon.  We'll see how the rest of C210K goes.

Today, I need to do my work on my dissertation and run(/walk).  I need to try to be happy about my one pound...it could have said the same thing that it did last week.  It just means that I need to keep going.  I really can't wait to be under 130...I promised myself that I would never be above it again.  Clothes are fitting better and that is what matters.  Slow and steady...

RECIPE BACK UP...

Okay...it's been a million years since I last posted.  I was afraid that this would happen once school really got underway.  In trying to find balance, something had to give...and the blog was the first thing to go. 

Well, not totally...I still wanna make sure that I'm logging all my recipes.

There have been a lot in the past month, but here are a couple of my faves...

Pumpkin Pie Brownie ‘Cupcakes’ 

Borrowed from ohsheglows.com

INGREDIENTS:

Pumpkin Brownie Layer:

• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1/2 cup + 3 tbsp sugar
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, softened
• 3/4 cup white flour
• 1.5 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda

Pumpkin Pie Layer:

• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 3 tbsp almond milk
• 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (or 1 1/4 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ginger, 1/4 tsp nutmeg)
• Shaved chocolate, for garnish

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F and grease a muffin tin.
2. For brownie layer: In a stand mixer or by hand, mix together the coconut oil, pumpkin, vanilla, and sugar until blended well. Sift in the flour, cocoa powder, cornstarch, baking, soda, sea salt and mix until incorporated. Take about 2 tbsp of the mixture and place in muffin tin. Wet fingers and spread around evenly so it is smooth. I made 8 large cupcakes and 2 small ones.
3. For pumpkin layer: In a large bowl mix together the pumpkin, vanilla, and milk. In a small bowl, mix together the cornstarch, sugar, and pumpkin pie spice. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix well until all clumps are gone. Now add approx 1.5-2 tbsp of the pumpkin pie mixture on top of each brownie in the pan. Garnish with grated chocolate.
4. Bake for 30 minutes at 350F. Remove from oven and cool for 20-30 minutes and then move to the fridge to chill for 1.5 hours.
5. Serves approx 8-10.

Next up...

Black Bean and Salmon Tostadas
"Borrowed" from eatingwell.com

INGREDIENTS

• 8 6-inch corn tortillas
• Canola oil cooking spray
• 1 6- to 7-ounce can boneless, skinless wild Alaskan salmon, drained
• 1 avocado, diced
• 2 tablespoons minced pickled jalapeños, plus 2 tablespoons pickling juice from the jar, divided
• 2 cups coleslaw mix or shredded cabbage
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed
• 3-4 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream
• 2-3 tablespoons prepared salsa
• 2 scallions or green onions, chopped

1. Position racks in upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 375°F.
2. Coat tortillas on both sides with cooking spray. Place on 2 baking sheets. Bake, turning once, until light brown, 12 to 14 minutes.
3. Combine salmon, avocado and jalapeños in a bowl. Combine cabbage, cilantro and the pickling juice in another bowl. Process black beans, sour cream, salsa and scallions in a food processor until smooth. Transfer to a microwave-safe bowl. Cover and microwave on High until hot, about 2 minutes.
4. To assemble tostadas, spread each tortilla with some bean mixture and some salmon mixture and top with the cabbage salad. Serve with lime wedges, if desired.

Let's see...what else? Oh yeah...

PMS Banana Nut Muffins
"Borrowed" from fitsugar.com

 INGREDIENTS 

• 1 1/4 cup oatmeal
• 1/2 cup rice flour 
• 1/4 cup ground flaxseed
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/4 cup plain yogurt
• 3 medium, ripe bananas, mashed
• 1/2 cup agave syrup
• 1/3 cup grapeseed oil
• 1/4 cup walnut pieces

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together oatmeal, flour, flaxseed, baking powder, and baking soda.
3. In a separate bowl, combine eggs, yogurt, bananas, syrup, and oil. Add flour mixture and fold in walnuts.
4. Divide batter into paper-lined muffin cups. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes or until tops spring back when lightly touched. Cool on a wire rack.

Makes 18. Per muffin: 147 cal, 7 g fat (1 g sat), 103 mg sodium, 20 g carbs, 2 g fiber, 3 g protein

All of these things were amazing...even my fiance loved them! 

As far as a life and fitness update...

Bachelorette party (with hot yoga) on Saturday...Bridal shower on Sunday...registered for the Candler Park Festival 5K on October 23rd...still no work on dissertation...exercising schedule has hit a few bumps in the road but I'm trying to get back on track...running continues to become easier...cooking quite regularly (not all healthy, but all pretty yummy!)...oh, and lastly no weight loss (but no weight gain either!)

That's it in a nutshell...hope to post again soon.

Magical Running Shorts

I did it!  I ran the whole thing (minus one minute when I was fixing my iPhone)!!  I didn't stop...I didn't feel like I was gonna die!  I even conquered the massive hill at mile 2.6!  I completed 5.3 miles total...outside...running!!!  I'm still in shock!

I don't know what made this such a good run.  It may have been the beautiful weather...it may have been my new found confidence from running the 5K yesterday...it may have been Kanye radio on Pandora...OR it may have been my new *MAGICAL* running shorts!!! (I personally think it was the shorts:))

Even though I think my shorts were my good luck charm...I still don't really understand the big deal when it comes to running shorts.  They were pretty comfortable, I guess...but I did have some riding issues (my #1 worst pet peeve...it happens when your thighs are REALLY good friends).  Fortunately, it wasn't as bad as most shorts and I just learned to ignore it after awhile.

After my run, I still had some energy, so I decided to walk to Harry's for some chocolate rice protein...

I went to Harry's because I wanted to make a green monster to celebrate my great run...but my fiance decided to go to Starbucks for oatmeal and coffee.  It was such a nice day!

After Sbux, we went to West Stride where I got some...

 running shoes!!!

I ran on the treadmill and the guy (who was super helpful) told me that I have a neutral stride.  He explained what it all meant...but I really wasn't following (I just wanted my sneakers!)  He said "neutral" was the most important thing to remember...so that's all I remembered.

The sneakers that I got are not cute...but they are super comfy.   I realize that I need to get over the whole cute sneaker thing (If I want cute...I'll get some Pumas.  My Asics are strictly for comfort).

 After wearing them for ten minutes, I never want to put these guys on again!

 Goodbye, Reeboks!

It really has been a great weekend!!!  A 5K, running shorts AND new sneakers...all in one weekend!!! It's official...I'm a runner!!! (...or at least I hope I am.  If not, I just blew about 150 bucks)

No One Told Me There Was Gonna Be a Dress Code!?!?!

Yay!!!  I did it!!  I finished my first 5K!!!   Actually it was my third...but I wasn't a "runner" back then.  I was hardly even a walker.  Anyway, today I did the Vinings Downhill 5K!!!

Things started off a little rocky this morning...I had a few drinks with some co-workers yesterday afternoon...and after last weekends all-day hangover, I was kinda nervous about running today.  I had a little headache at first, but eventually it seemed to go away.

My friend picked me up around 7:15 am and off we went to Vinings.  The weather was absolutely perfect!!!!

When we got there, I got a little nervous about the whole thing.  There were soooooo many runners there...official runners...with there iPods/iPhones and Garmins and knee braces...and fanny packs (I know they are not really still called fanny packs, but we weren't sure what the kids are calling them these days).  And OH MY GOODNESS...there were so many running shorts!  No one told us there was gonna be a dress code!?!?!  My friend and I got a good laugh at ALL of the swishy panty-lined shorts that everyone was wearing!  I honestly have never seen so many people in one place wearing that many pairs of running shorts in my whole life!  We were obviously novices with our spandex-y capri pants on...we stuck out like a sore thumb.  But once we saw this older lady in a pair of jean shorts who was ready to run, we ended up feeling a little better.

My friend is super funny...so we ended up laughing through all of the events leading up to the race (are we in the right line?!?!...where do we find the stupid pins??!?...should we be stretching!?!?...why is she just wearing a sports bra??!  Did that guy just go into the woods to pee?!!?)  The whole thing was such a new experience... and super funny!!!

Anyway, the race started and I was feeling pretty good.  I was excited about the fact that most of the race was downhill and I had set my sights on this 8 year old that I was determined to beat.

The first mile went quickly.  We finished in 11somthing-or-other.  My friend is very new to running...so we walked for a lot of the second mile.  And kinda did a run/walk through the third. 

My stamina was really good and I never really felt tired throughout the race.  It might have been the excitement of running with a bunch of people.  When my friend slowed down to walk, I decided to slow down with her.  I wasn't trying to win the race and I didn't want to leave her...I was actually happy that she was there, so I had an excuse to walk..and talk...and laugh. 

Anyway, I finished the race in 38:38 seconds.  I'm curious on how I may have done if I tried to run the whole time.  There were a few times that we had to run/walk up hills...which wasn't that much fun.  But other than that, like I said, I felt REALLY good the whole time...and I definitely want to do the race again next year! 

Matter of fact, my friend and I are going to find a race to do next month!  We probably won't be lucky enough to find a downhill race...but hopefully, we'll find one that is pretty flat (uphill suck!!).

Anyway, afterwards, we walked to the finish "party," got our t-shirts (note to self:  next time order a small) and some Gatorade, and walked back to the car (The walk to the car was actually harder than the whole race...we had to walk up a super steep hill that felt like a mountain).  

We finished our wonderful morning with some breakfast at the Marietta Diner.  Very fun day!

Oh! And of course, I had to go to Target and get some (wait for it)...

Some running shorts, of course!!!!!

Gonna test them out tomorrow.  I think today's race has sold me on the outdoor running thing.  It could've been cause we were going downhill...or because the course was prettier than where I run...I don't know.  We'll see tomorrow...I'm definitely headed outside if it's not raining.


 

He's BAAACCCCCKKKKKK!!!

After a six week break, my scale is back!  I was really planning to weigh in last week, but TOM was here and I didn't want to set myself up to be disappointed by water weight.  So, I waited.

And the result (drum roll, please)...124.2 lbs.  I have lost a total of 14.2 lbs in 13 weeks.  There are several reasons to be happy about this news...

1.  On average, I have consistently lost about one pound per week.  AND in the past six weeks, I have done it without even thinking about scales, weight loss, or restricting myself from foods.

Date	Weight	Body Fat (%)	Hyd (%)	BMI
05/31/10	138.4	28.6	49.9	27.0
06/13/10	137.2	28.2	50.2	26.8
06/28/10	133.8	27.4	50.8	26.1
07/05/10	133.8	27.2	50.9	26.1
07/12/10	130.6	26.2	51.6	25.6
07/19/10	131.0	26.2	51.6	25.6
07/26/10	129.2	25.6	52.0	25.2
09/06/10	124.2	24.0	53.2	24.1

 


2.  My BMI is 24.11 and is now in the normal range (FINALLY!!!).

photo credit

3.  My body fat is 24.0%...which is actually in the ideal range for my age group (31-35)!

 photo credit

Though I am so happy that I am 9 lbs away from my goal weight, getting on the scale made me think about a couple of different things.

1.  My initial reaction was disappointment.  I thought that I had lost a little more than I did.  I lost exactly 5 lbs in 6 weeks.  Fair considering that I've started working, slowed down a bit on exercising (I'm only running and doing yoga), and I have been splurging a lot!  I really thought that I was closer to 120 lbs.  BUT, I think that I have gotten over the initial disappointment after looking at my BMI and body fat percentages.  Also, I haven't weighed this little in YEARS (I don't remember the last time...I came close in February 2009)  Anyway, I realize that I've come a long way and I should celebrate that.

2.  Maybe my goal weight is too low.  I am pretty happy with my size now.  I'm not sure that losing another 9 lbs would look good on me.  I may be changing my goal to 120 lbs...we'll see.

3.  I have been slacking off on my eating.  What I mean by this is that I have been snacking a lot more...going out to eat a lot more...drinking alcohol a lot more...drinking coffee a lot more...splurging a lot more...eating late a lot more.  I want to get a little control back in my diet.  I want those "a lot more's" to be "occasionally's."  I think that the scale was a nice reminder that I need to continue with the habits that got me where I am today.

4.  I have serious scale anxiety.  Last night, I went to bed thinking about the fact that I was gonna weigh in today...and it actually haunted my dreams!  I woke up a couple of times thinking about the dreaded scale coming out of hiding.  Part of me thinks that I should put him right back at the top of the closet and weigh in at the beginning of next month...and part of me thinks that I should keep him out to keep me focused through these last 5-9 pounds.  I had gotten away from feeling like this is a weight loss game (which made me extremely happy)...and I'm kinda torn on what to do now.

Okay...I'm off to do a little housecleaning and then to the grocery store.  We're going to a barbecue later and I have SOOO much to do before we leave.