New To This

Since getting into this wonderful thing called a relationship, I've gained hmm... a few pounds.  Of course everyone says I look alright, but I don't feel alright.  I don't want to get any bigger and I don't want diabetes.  Ok.  A little extreme but hey, it could happen.  I'm trying to do things to lose weight...like exercise, which has always been a part of my life but eating right is the thing I have the most trouble.  I don't eat terribly...I just eat way too much of whatever I'm eating.  Then I feel sick.  Then I can't work out for hours cause of that sick feeling.  Its a vicious cycle.

Exercise.  I do it.  It's doable.  I just can't get myself to do strength training, which I need the most.  I'd rather go jogging for an hour than lift weights and tighten my ass.  That's something else I need to work on.  Maybe start a "To Do" list with things that need to be done that day, also so I can have that orgasmic liberating feeling of scratching things off my list when they are finished.

Now, I am going to try and eat less.  Small portions. PORTION CONTROL!!!! Well, maybe drink more water, then eat food, drink water while I'm eating food, and hopefully that'll fill me up.  I have a tendency to not drink my liquids while eating.  Then, when I'm done eating I drink a ton of water and then I feel sick.  Like right now.

I do have the occasional cupcake with the gals but other than that I'm eating the right foods, just too much of it.

Yes.

Routines and Dedication

I have found the easiest (and hardest) way to get fit and keeping fit is by having/sticking to a routine. Now, I know that ideally we all like to say that we have a set routine and nothing ever screws that up. Try planning to do something once (or twice) a week at the same time, every week. Now watch how quickly the universe tries to show you who's boss and who really controls your life. The first two weeks will go flawlessly, and you'll think you're amazing and be really proud. That's when friends start calling about happy hour, your mom wants to come by for a visit, or your pet needs to go to the vet (does she really need an annual wellness exam? I don't even get one). You get the point, life gets in the way.

How do you work around that? Make gym time black out time. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 6-7 PM do not exist in my social calendar or any other calendar (unless it's work related, I can't get fired over a Body Pump or yoga class). People will slowly learn to respect your schedule. If you don't respect it, no one else will. It has to be a known fact that you're dedicated to your goal.

What's even better is that the more dedicated you are, the more people take you seriously. And the ones who are truly there for you will help you to your goals. If you're lucky, they might even join! Sam's been cooking healthy meals for me and he'll soon be helping with my speed work outs (he doesn't know it yet, I'm telling him tonight). He hates running but he's really good at doing sprint work outs. Jealous girlfriend over here sucks at it, so I'm appointing him as my speed work pace buddy. He'll be thrilled (or I'll guilt him into it, one of those).

But really, just choose a goal and go for it. And if you have a bad day, don't give up. Every advice from every runner (or athlete) I've ever read all say they had really crappy days and really awesome days. What matters is working through it. That's what makes you stronger and that's what make you better. And isn't that the goal anyways? To feel better, to look better.  Simply, to be better as a person.

Like Nike says: Just Do It!

New Bites

Let me recap the past week a little.

First, I totally fell off the wagon (No, I'm not an alcoholic). I'm not sure I would call it falling off. It was more like the wagon stopped to get drinks (once again non-alcoholic) and I fell asleep at the sandwich counter. It's always a challenge for me to stick with a workout regimen. I start out full of determination and strength only to be taken down by a day of the sleepies. What can I say? I'm a sucker for sleep.

Even though I stumbled last week I managed to make some healthy and delicious meals. Let me start with the tempting photos.

This was for breakfast!

    I got it from pinterest. (Theirs looks better than mine! Don't judge!)

Go HERE to get the recipe!

Take a gander at my lunch!!

I made tuna salad with greek yogurt. 

Here is a rough estimate of the recipe (sometimes I just throw things in).

2 Tbsp nonfat plain greek yogurt

1/2 Tsp olive oil

1/4 tsp mustard

pinch o' black pepper

pinch o' sea salt

halved cherry tomatoes (however many you want! or none...if you hate them or you're allergic or something.)

1 stalk diced celery (fiber!)

1/16 cup of craisins (this measurement is not exact. I sprinkle them until I feel it "looks right")

FINALLY, the pièce de résistance!!

DINNER!!

Yeah, those are enchiladas. No big deal. EXCEPT they are delicious

PUMPKIN ENCHILADAS

Trust me they are delicious. You can find the recipe HERE.

Don't wait. Go to there. You know you want to.

I replaced the meat with black beans but I'm sure you could do lean ground turkey breast too (or any meat for that matter).

Yummies! I hope you're starving now. HAHAHAHAHAHA!

(Yeah that's me as Tom Riddle from Harry Potter. NO JUDGING!)

This past sunday I climbed back into the wagon again and I hope it's for the longest ride of my life. I have managed to go for a 30 min jog/walk once a day since sunday. It's a slow start but I think I can do it this time. I'm trying to change my life and make it better. I'm gonna handcuff myself to the wagon and make sure I don't go anywhere. 

I will keep working towards my goal and while I do check out a trailer. I love Rashida Jones and Andy Samberg. This movie looks super good and I can't wait to watch it.

New Deals

This is going to be a very short post because I am exhausted. I made a few deals with Chelsea today. When I reach my halfway point I will get to buy a new outfit, and when I reach my goal we are going to have a Las Vegas girls weekend! It's exciting! That's it for now. I will update the progress again tomorrow.

New Achievements

Okay, I have to admit, I was jealous that both the previous blog posts tittles started with 'new'. I wanted to fit in. Although today's blog is about an achievement, so I'm not lying. I was planning on posting some motivational post but I've got something better. First, let me take you back to December2011 and set the stage.

It was December 26, 2011 as I stepped on the scale and saw I was .5lbs away from being the heaviest I'd ever been again. Looking back, I have no idea why I thought it would be a good idea to weight myself right after all the big holiday meals. I'm not usually that thoughtless, okay, maybe I am. That's irrelevant right now. Back to the scale,I stood there horrified, I had sworn I would never let myself get back there. Yet, there I was, back to square one. Back to the yo-yoing. Back to old, dangerous habits. Back to being unhappy and cranky.

Right there and then I decided to take charge and make a change. Not only to get back into shape, but I would stop this yo-yo effect I was putting on my body. It's not healthy, it's not sane, and (let's be honest) it's not cheap to replace clothes all the time. It wasn't meant to be a New Year's resolution, it was just a resolution, or a promise.

Since then I've lost 30 lbs and have gotten my running back up to 3 miles. Those are nice accomplishments and I'm proud of them. However, today came the real breakthrough, I was looking in the mirror during Body Pump class and I liked loved the reflection staring back at me. Now let's get one thing straight, I'm not at my goal yet and I don't look like Heidi Klum, not even in my best dream on my best day. Still, today I didn't look away from the mirror, I didn't mentally insult some part of my body, I smiled. I finally felt content and happy in my skin, for the first time in a very long time.

Then I hit myself in the head with my bar full of weights. I'm smooth like that. That's what I get for staring at myself during a work out.

I've still got a ways to go and new goals to reach. I signed up for a half marathon in December and I've got more weight to lose. But today, I win the self esteem battle. Today, I'm happy.

New dogs

OK, just the one dog. His name is Maverick. Not as in Sarah Palin or Dallas. As in: a lone dissenter; an intellectual, an artist, or a politician, who takes an independent stand apart from his or her associates. 

 Or:

Or even:

Today was the first day of settling Maverick into anything resembling a routine. Consequently, it did the same for me. Normally I sleep through three alarms before slipping out of from under the covers, layering on a few sweatshirts (to compensate for the removal of the covers) before sitting dully with my mug of coffee for however long it takes me to realize that I'm going to be late for work. Which I suppose is a kind of routine, but not exactly a healthy one. So this morning was definitely new.

A couple of things: 1. It's easier to wake up and get out of bed at 5 a.m. when you have an incredibly cuddly dog staring at you, wagging his oddly-stumpy tail patiently as you realize that your mornings are no longer just about you. 2. It's easier to wake up and get out of bed at 5 a.m. because you can't help but want to pet him, all the time.

So instead of layering on my sweatshirts, I changed into my workout clothes. I pulled my running shoes out of Maverick's mouth to save/wear them, harnessed him up, and we stepped out into the cool morning air for a jog.

Now, I wasn't sure how this was going to go. I'd only taken him for walks around the apartment complex to try and gauge his stamina while observing his behavior in general. Is he friendly to other dogs? How is he with kids? So far he's been energetic and good-natured, so I figured a short run along my usual route was a fairly safe bet. The best time for this (right now, anyway) seems to be 5 a.m. because the evenings are still pretty warm for a black-haired border collie, and sometimes it's the only time I can squeeze a workout in.

The jog went wonderfully. He didn't pull on the leash or stall too often. The only thing we'll have to work on is that he looooves crossing paths with me, like in that 101 Dalmatians scene but without the adorable meet-cute. (Where are all the cute guys at 5 a.m., you ask? Sleeping! Like the rest of the rational world.) I'll have to train him to stay on my side, just in case we're running along a road and there's traffic. But it felt really great running in that quiet, dark morning stillness. He seemed to love it, too.

I finished the morning with a brisk shower and then breakfast while Maverick alternated between watching me eat and doing what I call his "happy wiggle" on the carpet (he rolls around on his back like a fallen penguin ... I don't really know how else to explain it).

I'm excited to see how these morning jogs pan out with my new buddy! Hopefully there will be a 5k in my future this Fall.

New Beginnings

I'm on a mission to become a morning person.

Today my alarm went off at 5 a.m. and I immediately turned off the alarm and reset it (the snooze button and I are not friends). I should have introduced myself to snooze today, though, because I reset the alarm for 7 a.m. and the alarm went off at 5:10 and again at 5:20. Apparently an inanimate object has more commitment to my getting up and working out than I do. After glaring at my alarm clock for a few moments, I shuffled to the kitchen and found my roommate, Chelsea, searching for a mug in complete darkness. (She's not really a morning person either.) We got coffee (one cup) and water (however many cups we want) situated for both of us. Chelsea carried a bowl of cereal (her "puffy" Kashi GoLean), a cup of coffee, a glass of water, and the creamer (for me!) to the coffee table with no accidents. We really should have one of those “It's Been X-number of Days Since our Last Incident in the Stockton/O-Gold” household signs. We do have dry-erase board, but we use that for important things, like keeping track of bets and Hangman … But back to fitness!

I coerced her to try a new workout with me once we were nice and caffeinated: the Tank Top Arms Workout (found via Pinterest). With the right Spotify playlist to motivate us, we started working our arms. Halfway through the workout we started the lateral arm raises and Chelsea confessed that they are her least favorite. I asked her how bad she wanted strong arms, and she told me "I WANT IT!" with her intense face.

We fought through two circuits of arms and when we were finished we had done 60 pushups (they were the second hardest thing for me). That's more pushups than I have ever done in a single day in my entire life. Lastly was the tricep dip, which is what I struggled with the most. (Don't worry, we couldn't do them without crying either!)

Alright, I'm listening to “No Diggity” by Blackstreet/Dr.Dre and getting ready to make my meal plan. I always have a guide (based on a meal plan) when I go shopping or I just end up with cookies and celery. As I’m heading out, “No Diggity” reminds me that I'm really looking forward to seeing Pitch Perfect. Find the preview and watch it. ‘Nuff said.