Another step, another setback

Ok. So I admit it. I suck at this whole, keeping up with what I eat thing. I am the first to admit I am horrible at it. But after getting another rejection with a show I auditioned for, I realized, that I really need to get my act together. Luckily the show I'm currently in is a lot of high-energy dancing, so that helps, since my gym time has been cut short because of all the practices.
I ate slightly healthier this past weekend while on a crafting weekend retreat for Autism. I haven't had soda since last Thursday (which is a big step for me, except for a single root beer drink on Sunday...but other than that, it has been Water like no other, diet iced tea, and juice). This right here is a big step. I've also been trying to eat more meats, fruits and "good carbs" and stay away from the pastas. I haven't had much pasta at all this week, and had more carbs like potatoes and rice. I know these small changes aren't huge, but they are in the right direction. Considering 3 out of 4 of the regular castmates that go out to dinner after practice with Wren and I are on a diet, shows that we all are starting to feel the pressure of loosing weight.
Sadly today I woke up battling a sickness that has seemed so familiar...ear pressure/pain, slight runny nose, glands in the neck swollen and sore throat. I had a feeling I was going to get sick today, as last night I went to bed with a sore throat. If this ends up mutating into ANOTHER sinus infection, I think its time to say to the doctor...there is a problem. This would be the 3rd time in a row (every 2 months or so) that I've gotten a sinus infection. Same feeling, same symptoms...yes, they might all be stress related, but boy are they not fun.
Today I haven't done totally horrible, thus far (as of 6pm) I've had the following:

March 30th, 2011 menu

Lunch (didn't get up for breakfast):

• Medium Wawa Chicken Noodle Soup and 1 package of Premium Saltine crackers (150 +24 calories)
• 1 spicy southwest beef Wawa wrap (420 calories)
• 32 fl. oz. of Orange Juice (yes I drank that much OJ...I am trying to beat this sickness) (360 calories)

Snack:

• Apple slices, Mango chucks bowl from Wawa (roughly 70-170 calories...no one is really clear on this)
• Diet Raspberry Iced Tea (10 calories)

So thus far I've had 1034 to 1134 calories, leaving me with just the right amount for a small dinner.

I gotta get this diet rolling, and once this show is over, I plan on getting my gym time to really be stepped up a notch. Anyways...I gotta get through this all!
-M

Tuesday Toes

So today, even though its Tuesday, is in essence my "Monday"...I'm working Tuesday through Saturday this week. Anyways, I still have not been 100% good with my nutrition and exercise, but I'm trying to get back. I officially enrolled the hubs and I in the Fitness program through my health insurance (if we go to the gym and check in 120 days in a year, we get $150 each, so $300 back if we both consistently go.) That's $300 that we can use toward the gym membership already, so we basically would only pay in the end about $200 for the use of the gym the whole year! We just gotta strive to do it. That's the toughest part. I plan on going to the gym tomorrow...I've been longing for some cardio and swimming.
Today I did have my Adult Ballet class, so I burn some calories there. My dinner was not the best...curse you fast food for tempting me...since the hubs has to get up at 5:30am to pick up a co-worker who's car is in the shop, he didn't want to cook (nor did I after work and dance class). So here's the lowdown on my food intake for the day.

My Meals today: Tuesday Feb. 8, 2011

Breakfast: 

• Cranberry raspberry juice (240 cals)...I was running late so I missed breakfast...I know..tisk tisk

Lunch:

• Smart Ones Ziti in Marinara (320 cals)
• Green Giant's Just One Cauliflower and cheese sauce (40 cals)

Snack:

• 1 cucumber roll sushi, cut into 6 pieces (110 cals)

Dinner:

• 1 taco bell soft beef taco, no lettuce (210 cals)
• 1 taco bell chicken quesadilla (530 cals)
• 1 30oz Sprite (375 cals)...I know...what happened to giving up soda? I can give up caffeine, but every once in a while I want a Sprite!

Total calorie intake for the day: 1825 calories roughly

Ok. I know...not perfect...and 325 calories shy of my goal calorie intake of 1500 calories a day. If I would of just drank water instead of that 30oz Sprite...I know! Shame on me. I just was jonesin' for a Sprite tonight.
Anyways...I hope tomorrow I do better. I gotta keep thinking positive and keep trying to do better than the day before! I did have sushi and vegs today!

I have however found that the Green Giant Just One vegs...are so fab! Perfect portion, and perfect for me...since the hubs is not a vegetable fan, so I can zap some in the microwave just for my meals! LOVE IT!

(I had the cauliflower, not the broccoli, as show above)

I think also I've convinced the hubs to switch to Whole Wheat bread. If we can keep that up, its a step in the right direction right? Anyways, I'm looking forward to trying out my new swim goggles tomorrow! I hope the weather doesn't do something icky again! I actually WANT to go to the gym for once!
Okeys, off and away!
-M
Note : because of a connection issue last night when I originally wrote this, it didn't get posted till today.

Curse you weather and temptations!

Can I just curse this weather? It has made it so difficult to get to the gym in a normal routine, or even get to my dance class! Argh!
Well, tonight I hope I can make it to the gym. Aka. I'm gonna try to go, no matter what. I can't keep putting it off.
I also need to stop giving into temptation foods: ie. donuts at work, huge portions of pasta at home, that kind of stuff. *sigh*
At least I have pretty much completely switched to whole wheat pasta, bread, and tortilla shells. Woo.
I also have been good (except 1 soda over the weekend) and not had any caffinated or calorie intense sodas. So at least that is one step in the right direction, right?
Ok. I gained back a pound from when I was last actively exercising and eatting right. I MUST get back up! I really need to get rid of those temptations and I pray the weather holds out more, so I can actually get my exercise in (besides shoveling snow and scrapping ice off my car!) lol.
*crossing fingers for the drive to keep going*
-M

Falling off the horse...

Ok, I'm going to own up now. The reason I've been neglecting the blog-o here...well...I haven't been the best in my exercise and diet. I have had an absolutely horrible week (diet and exercise wise). I ordered out, I had foods that aren't very good for me, I didn't make it to the gym, and I had a single soda this week (gasp!). I did however make it to dance class, and auditioned for a musical today (which there was about 20 minutes of dancing) so it hasn't been a total loss. I havn't lost any weight this week (I actually think I might of gained a pound). But let me show you my biggest thing to overcome:

Yes...buffalo chicken cheesesteaks. They are my kriptonite, so to speak. With all the snow we've been having, me not having time to make it to the grocery store, I kind of had to order out at work...which is never a good thing, since all the places people order from are HORRIBLELY tempting.
So, ok...I'm gonna try to do better starting later today, so sorry everyone. Not only am I cursing myself for having no confidence to say NO, but I also am cursing Mother Nature in giving us all this snow!
Anyways, back on the horse I go. We all fall sometimes, we just got to get back up and continue trying!
Laters.
M

Tired Thursday

Ok. So its Thursday night, and I am sooo tired. I think I might even head to bed early tonight. I originally planned on going to the gym after work, but I was so beat after the super-long day at work, that I knew it just wasn't going to happen. That, and it is supposed to snow tonight, and I'll be damn if I am going to drive home in the snow. I already did it once this week, I don't want to do it again.
Meals today were so-so. It was basically a leftovers kind of day. Here's the lowdown:

My meals today: Thursday, Jan. 20th, 2011

Breakfast:

• Plain bagel with 1 tbsp of Pumpkin cream cheese (260+75 cals)

Lunch:

• 1/2 cubano sandwich (leftover from Cheeseburger in Paradise) (~350 cals)
• small pile of sweet potato chips (~100 cals)

Snack:

• 1 Golden Delicious Apple (80 cals)

Dinner:

• 3 cups of cooked penne pasta with light tomato sauce, 1 meatball (600+100 cals)

Total Calorie intake for the day: 1565 Calories roughly

Once again, not 100% sure this is the right calories for everything, but guesstimation is the winner here...or looser, depending on your viewpoint. lol
Anyways, I'm off to go chill on the couch and possibly crash to bed early.
Have a wonderful evening everyone.
-M

Weak Wednesday

Today was a much harder day for the eatting and working out stuff. Work was super busy, so by the time I got to the gym, I was already tired. I did get 1/2 hr of the eclyptical and 30 minutes in the pool, however I didn't get any weight lifting in today...I was just too pooped. Luckily the hot tub in the women's lockerroom was open, so I could relax a few minutes after my rough swim.
My eating wasn't the best either today. I tried to go more of a portion control, since I longed for Chinese food while at work. Also the hubs and I went out to dinner after our gym workout (I know, kinda counter productive, don't you think). But I did save half of my dinner to bring for lunch tomorrow.

 (The Chinese food lunch portion)

 (I left about a 1/4 of the rice and a few vegs that I just couldn't eat it all)

Anyways, here was all my meals today. Not the best, but we all have days like today, right?

Meals today, Wednesday Jan. 19, 2011

Breakfast:

• Plain bagel with 1 tbsp pumpkin cream cheese (260 + 75 cals)
• Orange Peach Mango juice, 8 oz (120 cals)

Lunch:

• 2 wontons in small wonton soup (90 cals)
• 1 1/2 cups of cooked white rice (306 cals)
• 2 cups of Hunan chicken: chicken, spicy sauce, snowpeas, water chestnuts, carrots, mini corn cobs, bamboo shots (455 cals)

Snack:

• 1 Granny Smith Apple (80 cals)

Dinner:

• 1/2 cuban sandwich with no pickle from "Cheeseburger in Paradise" (~350 cals)
• 1/2 serving of sweet potato chips from "Cheeseburger in Paradise" (~100 cals...not sure on this one)

Total Calorie intake for the day: Roughly 1836 calories 

(this is a rough estimate, as no one seems to be 100% sure how many calories are in my Hunan chicken lunch or pretty much any of the Cheeseburger in Paradise menu items, so these are all rough estimates based on other peoples findings of similar foods)

 (Dinner. Very yummy...but I had to resist the urge and not eat it all in one sitting)

(To-go Box...yes, I managed to not eat it all...Portion control...must keep chanting that)

Since it always is tough to figure out calories when you order out, the above is an estimation. I might be way off, so I could of been really good today, or really bad today, depending on how you look at it. But if my estimates are anywhere near close, at least I was under 2000 cals today. Not my 1500 that I strive for, but I'll take it- It's been a long day, and sometimes you just gotta relax. We all have our ups and downs days. At least I'm making an effort, right? And I DID get some exercise in.

Anyways, off to bed soon.

Night webland!

M

Tuesday Two-step

I just got back from my Adult Ballet Class that I attend, taught my a friend of mine. Me being the 'big girl' size wise in the class of 6 women (there were only 3 that showed up today in the class), makes me sometimes a little uncomfortable, but my love of dance sometimes out weights my weight issue. I started dancing at the age of 3, and have continued to do so ever since. Since the class is an hour long, I don't have time to go to the gym on top of that, so Tuesdays is my dance nights.
I also hope to keep a food journal while I'm blogging about my weight loss goals, so below is my meals today. Here's the food I've had today:


My Meals today: Tuesday, Jan. 18th, 2011

Breakfast:
(Sadly I missed my breakfast today, due to having to get my car out of the ice...making me run late for work)

Lunch:

• 1 bottle of cranberry juice (120 calories)
• 1 cucumber roll, aka. 6 pieces of sushi (~110 calories)
• 3 wontons from wonton soup, with a dash of broth (~105 calories)

Mid-snack:

• 1 bottle water (0 calories)
• 1/2 a banana...I couldn't handle eatting the entire thing for some reason (55 calories)

Dinner:

• 2 cups of penne pasta (~400 calories)
• 2 meatballs and a hint of sauce on it all (~250 calories)

Night snack:

• mini boneless buffalo poppers...I know, the worst healthy wise of my meals today (440 calories)

Total Calories consumed today: roughly 1480 calories

I danced the night away, so now I'm dead tired. I know my meal today wasn't the absolute best, but it could be a LOT worse.
Time to dance/step with a smile!
-M