Saturday, February 27, 2010

RR Log 02.27.10

Breakfast:
-1/2 cup flax plus granola with 1/8 cup pecans, 1 sliced banana & 1 cup almond milk

Lunch:
-1 cup white bean & kale soup
-1 multigrain flour tortilla with 1 slice turkey, hummus & lettuce

Dinner:
-1 multigrain flour tortilla filled with black bean quinoa salad & 2 sauteed chicken strips

Snacks:
-1 mini cinnamon roll
-brown rice crackers with hummus
-1 deeeelicious cayenne dark chocolate truffle I have been hoarding for a while!
-party snacks at Clare's: a few cheese puffs, m & m's, peanuts

Drinks:
-2 cups black tea
-2 glasses white wine

Exercise: Ughhh, not today. I got no sleep last night!

Notes: no comment.

Friday, February 26, 2010

RR Log 02.26.10

Breakfast:
-1 banana (before gym)

Lunch:
-1 whole grain tortilla with 2 slices turkey, hummus & lettuce
-1/2 cup yogurt with blueberries, honey, pecans, walnuts & chia seeds

Dinner:
-potluck= a little bit of everything: artichokes, risotto, quinoa & black bean salad, pasta, salad, and yes, my cousin brought Popeye's biscuits!

Snacks:
-8 multigrain rice crackers with plain hummus

Drinks:
-2 cups black tea
-some Jack Daniels.....

Exercise: Quick trip to the gym, did 30 minutes on the elliptical set to level 6 and random inclines.

Notes: Good night! so much laughing, I hurt. It's great.

SUGAR BOMB

Sooo..... last night I went out with some lady friends for dinner, and afterwards we went out for ICE CREAM SUNDAES. Why, WHY I let myself do this is beyond me. I used to be able to handle that kind of thing, but I haven't been eating too much refined sugar lately.....

So afterwards I knew it was gonna hurt a little, but I have a straight-up SUGAR HANGOVER. Whoa! Last night I couldn't sleep well at all, and I woke up with a headache! Yuck!!! I had no idea it would make me feel this bad. Lesson learned!!

I don't necessarily regret it, because regret is pretty useless. However, I don't think I will be making a mistake like this in the future. I got up and hit the gym to sweat out my sugar-crash sleep-deprived headache and I finally feel better.

Sheesh!

Thursday, February 25, 2010

RR Log 02.25.10

Breakfast:
-1/2 cup yogurt with blueberries, a sprinkle of pecans and 1 tbsp. honey

Lunch:
-1 whole grain tortilla with 2 slices turkey, lettuce, tomatoes and hummus
-1 cup white bean and kale soup

Dinner:
-1 grilled tofu sandwich with sprouts on multigrain bread
-side of broccoli

Snacks:
-1 banana
-trail mix: 1/4 cup mixed raw nuts and seeds with 1/4 cup dried cranberries
-not a snack, but dessert! 1 brownie sundae with vanilla ice cream, caramel sauce and whipped cream (!!!!!!!!!!)

Drinks:
-1 cup black tea
-1 beer

Exercise: 1.5 hours at the gym today: 50 minutes on the 'mill, mostly running at speed 6. Did 2 five minute intervals at 6.5, and some walking speed 4 incline 7 (heart rate above 160 for 80% of my workout!). 40 minutes resistance training.

Notes: Girls night~ dinner at Handlebar followed by sundaes at Margie's Candies! I feel gross, but awesome. It is a special place to be: gross, but awesome.

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

RR Log 02.24.10

Breakfast:
-1 cup nonfat greek yogurt with blueberries, 1/8 cup pecans and 1 tsp. chia seeds
-a few bites of Matt's breakfast potatoes
-1 piece of bacon (drooooool)

Lunch:
-turkey reuben with swiss and saurkraut on rye
-few bites of side salad, a few fries with ketchup

Dinner:
-white bean & kale soup

Snacks:
-multigrain crackers with hummus
-dark chocolate m&m's
-small hunk of reduced fat cheddar

Drinks:
-1 cup black tea
-1 cup green tea
-1 beer

Exercise: Just some walkin' around today, nothing intense

Notes: Lazy day!!

A Few of My Favorite Things

These are my current delicious, healthy food obsessions (not an exhaustive list by any means!):

01. Trader Joe's nonfat Greek-style plain yogurt: So creamy, so dreamy with a spoonful of honey swirled in!

02. Hummus "deviled" eggs: 2 Hard boiled eggs sliced lengthwise, with yolks removed. Add 2 tbsp. of your favorite hummus and dust with paprika. A high protein, low calorie snack! (this one is my sister's idea!)

03. Dried mango: Be sure to buy unsweetened varieties, mango has a natural light sweetness.

04. Inca red quinoa: I can't say enough good things about this miracle grain! It is a complete protein, and because of this has some good fats. Be sure to store in fridge because it can go rancid.

05. White bean and kale soup: I am always trying to trick myself into eating more dark leafy greens, and this soup makes it easy! Filling and delicious. Will post a recipe soon but there are so many versions of it already out there.

06. Trader Joe's reduced fat spinach pie: Found in the freezer section, it bakes in about an hour and is really yummy. We always end up with leftovers too!

07. Bananas: Perfection.

08. Equal Exchange dark chocolate bar with mint: I never thought I would go for a mint bar, but holy WOW this is a good chocolate bar! Dark chocolate is lower in sugar and a great way to satisfy a sweet tooth.

09. Sweet potatoes: They are pretty much my favorite food. I can eat them baked plain, or cut into strips roasted with olive oil, salt & pepper, or as breakfast potatoes cut into cubes and cooked with onions and cayenne.... so many ways to enjoy them!

10. Green tea: Perfect for that afternoon pick-me-up, it doesn't have as much caffeine so it doesn't keep me up at night.

11. Trader Joe's multi-grain tortillas: They are so good, and soft! Great for sandwich wraps, which are quick and easy for lunch on the go.

12. Morningstar Farms veggie sausage patties: These are the BEST. For some reason, they are better than the links.... Trust.

13. White wine "spritzers": Half a glass of wine with half sparkling water or club soda. Refreshing and cuts the calories from that wine in half. Just don't rink too many....

14. Frozen brussels sprouts: For some reason, they are always good, and really cheap to keep on hand. I defrost them, cut in half, and then cook on the stove with olive oil, salt & pepper until they start to brown. So good!

15. Nuts: I pre-measure 1/4 cup of mixed nuts and seeds- mostly raw and unsalted- into a sandwich bag and keep it in my purse for when munchies strike.

16. Nature's Hilights brown rice pizza crust: A gluten-free crust you can find in the freezer section at Whole Foods. They are thin, and kind of weird and chewy, but I love them. I keep them on hand and pile them with veggies and almost no cheese.

17. Ezekiel sprouted grains english muffins: So filling! Can be kept in the freezer, which is always a plus.

18. Multigrain rice thin crackers: Small, lightly salty, delicious. Perfect little crackers.

19. Rapunzel vegan vegetable bouillon with no salt added: My favorite, this way I can control the salt in my soup!

20. Short grain brown rice: For some reason, the texture is superior to long grain. Just so good!

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

RR Log 02.23.10

Breakfast:
-skillet red potatoes with onions, 2 eggs (1 yolk), 2 veggie sausage patties

Lunch:
-1/2 salmon fillet
-1/2 cup short grain brown rice
-3/4 cup yogurt topped with mixed nuts & seeds

Dinner:
-2 bowls of granola with almond milk. really.

Snacks:
-1 banana (before gym)
-1 mini cinnamon roll
-like, a crapload of dark chocolate covered pretzel thins

Drinks:
-2 cups black tea

Exercise: 30 minutes on the 'mill, intervals of running at 6.5 & 6.0, walking speed 4 incline 6. 35 minutes resistance training.

Notes: Sabotaged my dinner with bad snacks (chocolate!) but I think I'll survive.... Feeling better today, happy to get to the gym. By the way, I am getting muscles in my arms!

Monday, February 22, 2010

RR Log 02.22.10

Breakfast:
-2 egg veggie scramble (only used 1 yolk): red peppers, zucchini, green onion, mushroom

Lunch:
-whole grain tortilla with spinach, green onion, red peppers, 2 slices turkey & hummus
-3/4 cup greek yogurt

Dinner:
-1/2 salmon fillet
-sauteed beet greens & spinach with garlic, lemon olive oil
-1/2 cup wild rice blend
-6 veggie pot stickers

Snacks:
-mixed almonds & dried cranberries
-1 banana
-1 whole grain tortilla with fat-free refried beans, reduced fat cheese, greek yogurt as "sour cream" and salsa

Drinks:
-2 cups black tea
-1 glass red wine
-2 gin & soda water
-1 fat tire ale

Exercise: Ugh.

Notes: Man, what a terrible, terrible day. I had to rescue an abandoned cat trapped in an apartment and take it to a shelter. I also saw a guy run into traffic with a gun out. I could go into more detail, but let's just say- my faith in humanity was really tested today. I had way too many drinks tonight, and I know exactly why. I just.... yeah. Whatever. Sometimes you need a fucking drink. Or 4.

Sunday, February 21, 2010

RR Log 02.21.10

Breakfast:
-3/4 cup nonfat plain greek yogurt with 1 tsp. chia seeds, 1/2 cup fresh blueberries & a sprinkle of granola & pecans

Lunch:
-1 almond quinoa muffin
-whole grain tortilla wrap with 2 slices turkey, 1 tbsp. mayo & mustard, spinach
-4 olives

Dinner:
-mixed greens salad with roasted root veggies, drizzled with olive oil, salt & pepper
-broth based vegetable soup

Snacks:
-crumb cake & 1 mini cinnamon roll
-1 banana
-multigrain cracker thins & tortilla chips with hummus
-a fair amount of pistachios

Drinks:
-1 cup black tea
-1 cup green tea
-1 glass white wine

Exercise: Not today unfortunately!

Notes: Ok, sometimes I cave. I totally walked in to clean up breakfast at the Inn and hello sweet delicious pastries!! I have been pretty good laying off that crap so whatever. It was totally delicious. BLAH. I have been feeling kind of grumpy, probably PMS + drinking the night before, but I couldn't seem to push negative thoughts out of my head today. I think I have been a little out of it and I felt overwhelmed last night, like I couldn't say the right thing in any given conversation but for some reason I never stopped talking? You know? I also couldn't get to the gym today (damn Sunday hours!) which totally sucked. BOO! Ready to turn this frown upside-down.

Negativity?

So last night someone was questioning why DB and I want to lose weight. She seemed skeptical and I got the impression she doesn't think we need to. To be fair, this friend was not being overtly rude or anything like that, her question just got me thinking- certainly no hard feelings were felt and this post is not directed specifically at anyone. However, I wanted to share some of my thoughts around questions like these. I felt defensive- and confused. I didn't quite understand why anyone would poo-poo on someone trying to be healthier. I guess this was some of the first negativity I have encountered. I realize that some people look at us and think we "look fine." True. We know this. But the fact is, no matter how well I wear my clothes I have a floppy soft gut that hangs over my jeans. I am weak. I have asthma, varicose veins, and chronic sinus problems. Point being: I could stand to be healthier.

Losing weight IS part of being healthy, however in our diet-image-obsessed culture when one says they are "dieting" it is met with eye-rolls and proclamations of "how great you look already!" The thing is, I am happy with the way I look. I just want to look even better and feel awesome. That extra 8 lbs. I have already lost- what- do you think I should try to gain it back? Really? Do you think I would be healthier with it?

I know what we are doing here is pretty brave. I mean, we are opening up our personal habits to the world. With that will come some negativity. However, I feel confident that I am eating and exercising in a totally healthy and productive way. I don't think anyone would raise an eyebrow in skepticism over my diet posted on here. I am honest and open because it isn't so easy for everyone, including me.

I guess just because you think I look "fine" you will have to understand that I haven't always looked "fine" or eaten very healthfully. I can pack it on as easily as the next tubby bitch and I have. I used to weigh 25 lbs. more than I do right now and I guess I just want you to know, I work for it. I am working really hard for it right now. Why you would try to tell someone they don't need to be conscious of their health and exercise is dumb to me, and I think it is a problem in our culture. It is the reason I started this blog. It gives me a place to talk openly about what I am doing to lose weight and get healthier since it is hard to do that in public. There seems to be a weird culture of "don't ask don't tell" around health and fitness. That I should just do it and shut up and when I finally reach my goals and am looking "hot" just act like I'm born with it.

Well I wasn't born with it. Most people aren't. We're working for it so go ahead and tell me what YOU are doing. I want to hear about it, I truly do!

xoxox,

Robin

Saturday, February 20, 2010

Danielle's log 02.20.2010

Breakfast:
-Irish oat porridge with milk, blueberries, walnut, and chia

Lunch (HIGH TEA!)
-4 finger sandwiches: cucumber cream cheese, asparagus ham, egg salad, egg salad
-1 piece banana bread
-1 raisin scone with lemon curd and clotted cream
-4 bites total of some hella good tarts and pastries

Dinner:
-1/4 rotisserie chicken
-mashed potatoes
-corn and red peppers
-1/2 corn bread muffin

-a whoooole lotta black tea
-water
-iced chia tea, no milk
-1 manhattan (jeeze louise, my new favorite drink?)

Exercise:  lots of walking in downtown Chicago

Notes:  I'm on a downtown staycation with my guy (my Valentine's day present was a weekend living good in the city in a swanky hotel).  He surprised me with High Tea this afternoon...it was lovely.  They give you a lot of food but you don't come out of it feeling gross full or anything.  Although dinner was a kind of home cooked meal, I did not over eat at all.  I feel GREAT!  This hotel has a nice gym downstairs that's open 24 hours.  I plan on hitting it up tomorrow!

RR Log 02.20.10

Breakfast:
-multigrain sandwich thin with 1 egg, spinach & tomato
-1 banana

Lunch:
-1/2 cup brown rice
-3/4 cup steamed broccoli with salt & pepper
-3/4 cup yogurt with sprinkle of pecans, 1 tsp. chia seeds, 1/3 cup fresh blueberries

Dinner:
-1/2 cup butternut squash soup
-romaine salad with beets and carrots, lemon vinaigrette
-3 bites of a soft pretzel dipped in mustard
-like, 8 fries? couldn't keep my hand off Sara's plate!

Snacks:
-1/4 rice cake with 1 tsp almond butter and dried cranberries (before gym)
-leftover sushi: 3 pcs. california roll & 1/2 seaweed salad
-5 rice thin crackers with 2 tbsp. hummus
-1 heart-shaped chocolate filled with something nougaty.

Drinks:
-1 cup black tea
-1 cup green tea
-2 glasses white wine
-1 Sam Smith's Oatmeal stout

Exercise: 50 minutes at the YMCA, 20 minutes busting a move on the treadmill and the rest PUMPING IRON. Took the train to work today so I got in an extra fast-paced 15 minute walk and another 10 to work. Right on.

Notes: I feel sorta sluggish and snacky today. Part of it is my bod's tired, I have been sore from working out almost every day this week- not all over but each day I feel it somewhere. Today in my thighs, which makes stairs heavy! I am likely having less quality sleep as well, a week before my special lady-times I have vivid dreams and toss and turn more than usual. So yeah, let's blame it all (including that chocolate...) on my period! Done!! Update: Later I was feeling better, ate dinner at a a BAR with friends, I did good by ordering the soup & salad, which I would have NEVER done in the past! Not at a bar. Sheesh. Comraderie continued and drinks happened, but since I have been off the booze all week it was nice to kick back with a few! No regrets, as I say, maybe all too often....

Friday, February 19, 2010

Danielle's log 02.19.2010

Breakfast:
-Steel cut Irish oats with blueberries, chia seeds, a few walnuts, topped with a little honey and milk

Lunch:
-1/2 cup low sodium tomato red pepper soup
-1 banana
-1/2 cup cottage cheese

Dinner:
-6 raw oysters and 4 saltines, with cocktail sauce and lemon juice
-1/2 roasted duck flatbread with red onions
-5 steamed curry mussels 

Snacks:
-1 almond quinoa muffin

Beverages
-hot green tea kombucha
-water
-1 manhattan

Exercise:  Couldn't work any in today...two drs appts and a busy day at work.

Notes:  Still eating really light and seeing results.  I'm just a few bitty ounces away from being in the 130s again!

RR Log 02.19.10

Breakfast:
-3/4 cup nonfat plain yogurt topped with a sprinkle of granola, a good handful of blueberries and a sprinkle of pecans

Lunch:
-2 hard boiled eggs with yolks removed and plain hummus in them instead! dusted with paprika.
-big salad with arugula, baby spinach, and heated leftover roasted red potatoes, leeks and garlic with a drizzle of mustard vinaigrette, salt & pepper.
-a few bites of that cleansing shredded raw beets with lemon and olive oil

Dinner:
-1 cup miso soup
-1/2 seaweed salad
-1 piece yellowtail sashimi
-1 piece salmon sashimi
-1/2 california roll

Snacks:
-1 banana & a small handful dried cranberries and peanuts (before gym)
-1/4 cup mixed nuts, seeds & dried cranberries
-1 of my banana walnut muffins

Drinks:
-1 cup black tea
-1 cup green tea

Exercise: 1 Hour on the treadmill today: 30 minutes moderate walking pace (while watching the Fresh Prince of Bel Air!) and then I did 15 minutes running hard at speed 6.5 (just to make sure I could do it since I told you that last night DB!) and then I walked on an incline of 4 at speed 4 for 15 minutes and easy walked the remaining time. An extended cool down!

Notes: I wanted to do weights today but forced myself not to, need to give my body a rest or I will burn out I think. My energy is through the roof the past few days! I woke up ready to go. Whatever it is, I'll take it! The "deviled" eggs with hummus are an idea from my sister, so good! Only 112 calories and 10 grams of protein, tasty too! I was stuck at work later today without a packed dinner, so I got take-out sushi from Bob San. I was good- I went online to read up on sushi calories! I passed on the eel & avocado for the california roll, saving myself like 150 calories. The sashimi is the best but I just had to have a roll please! I miraculously didn't eat everything and saved a little for lunch tomorrow- this is totally unheard of for me! I mean, I can put down some sushi. For reals.

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Recipes for my Favorite Muffins!

I bake every now and then. When I do, I usually make these tasty, healthier vegan muffins. I bake them up, let them cool, and then toss them in a bag in the freezer where they keep pretty well. When I feel like having one I throw it in a smaller bag to defrost to eat later at work, or I just microwave it a few seconds. Yay muffins! Both recipes are from the Veganomicon.

Lower-Fat Banana Bread
Makes one loaf, or 10-12 muffins

2 large or 3 small very ripe bananas
1/4 cup applesauce
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons molasses
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup white whole wheat flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan or 12-cup muffin tin.

In a large mixing bowl, mash the bananas really well. Add the sugar, applesauce, oil, and molasses, and whisk briskly to incorporate.

Sift in the flour, baking soda, spices, and salt. Use a wooden spoon to mix until the wet and dry ingredients are just combined. If you're using chocolate chips or nuts, fold them in here.

Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and bake for 45 to 50 minutes (it took 50 for me). The top should be lightly browned and a knife inserted through the center should come out clean. For muffins, cook 18-22 minutes.

***ROBIN'S NOTES:
-I did not have applesauce on hand the other day, and used a pureed fresh apple instead, came out fine!
-Instead of sugar I used agave syrup, making them even healthier?
-You can use baking powder instead of baking soda, but never the other way around I have read
-I made this as a loaf one time and it wasn't near as gooey and yummy as it turns out as muffins!
-I add chopped walnuts, so good!
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Almond-Quinoa Muffins
Makes about 10-12 muffins

Ingredients:
1 cup plain non-dairy milk (I used plain, unsweetened soy)
1 Tbsp. ground flax seeds
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup agave nectar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour (makes them dense, you can use all-purpose flour if you prefer)
1/4 cup almond meal
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cardamom
1 1/4 cups cooked quinoa, cooled
1/2 cup finely chopped dried apricots (or whatever dried fruit & nuts you want to use, or none!)

Preheat the oven to 350° F, and line or grease a 12-cup muffin tin.
Whisk the "milk" and ground flax seeds in a small bowl. Let sit for at least 1 minute.
Sift the dry ingredients (except the quinoa, which isn’t really dry, but just in case) together into a big bowl.
To the milk mixture, add the oil, agave, and vanilla.
Pour the wet stuff into the dry stuff and mix with a wooden spoon just until it’s combined.
Add the quinoa and nuts or dried fruit and fold in gently to combine.
Spoon the batter in the muffin tin, and bake for 20 minutes. Muffins are done when a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

***ROBIN'S NOTES
-In my last batch, I decreased the regular flour by 1/4 cuo and added 1/4 cup extra almond meal. Why not?
-I also chopped up raw almonds and sprinkled them on top for more almondy-ness and crunchy-ness!
-I like to use the Inca red variety of quinoa
-the ingredients for these muffins are pricey to obtain at first, but once you throw down for that bag of almond meal or ground flax seeds just keep it in the freezer. I eat quinoa pretty regularly so I find these muffins are a good fit for me, as in they are low maintenance now that I have the ingredients on hand.

ENJOY!

DB's log 02.18.2010

Breakfast:
-1/2 cup lowfat cottage cheese with chia seeds
-1 banana

Lunch:
-Fage Greek yogurt with honey
-green and red grapes

Dinner:
-Grilled chicken breast marinated in honey dijon
-steamed broccoli
-1/2 cup Israeli couscous with feta cheese crumbles

Snacks:
-handful dry roasted peanuts
-1/2 vegan almond quinoa muffin, 1/2 lower- fat vegan banana walnut (AMAZING, read Robin's recipe below!!)

Beverages:
-Jasmine tea
-water

Beverages:
-Jasmine tea

Exercise: I put the sneakers on AGAIN this morning and walked a mile to work as fast as I could. It's a GREAT way to see the city!! Later in the evening Robin and I hit the YMCA together (thanks for the ride!) and I OWNED that treadmill. 25 minutes of steady running with sprinting intervals as fast as I could go every 5 minutes, for one minute. At the end I sprinted for 3 minutes straight, a personal best for me.

Notes: I feel good. I feel gooooood! Ate very little calories today and my energy levels are great (I attribute this to a full week of chia seeds in the morning). I'm inching closer and closer to the 130s, hopefully it'll happen soon.

RR Log 02.18.10

Breakfast:
-multigrain sandwich thin with 1/4 avocado, 1 egg, tomato & arugula

Lunch:
-1 spinach salad with zucchini, tomato, sunflower seeds, nonfat feta and Annie's mustard vinaigrette
-1 almond quinoa muffin

Dinner:
-1 whole grain tortilla with black beans, 1/8 cup reduced fat mexican blend cheese, a scoop of guacamole, sauteed zucchini, onion and red peppers, also salsa
-1/8 cup brown rice heated with a scoop of leftover stir fry from last night

Snacks:
-handful off dried cranberries & peanuts (before gym)
-3/4 cup nonfat plain greek yogurt with 1/4 cup blueberries (before 2nd gym-time)

Drinks:
-1 cup black tea
-1 cup green tea

Exercise: 45 minutes at the Y, shortened my cardio to 20 minutes so I would have room for weight training, but increased the intensity. I did the elliptical at level 7 set to random, which kept my heart rate above 160, with spurts reaching up to 170! Sweat!! Also, I proudly tightened my belt an extra notch today and also had to shorten my bra straps. Losing it in my big boobs is fine with me, I think it is a sign that I might be losing some fat in my middle- the last place I lose it. Yay!

Update: Went to the Y a second time with DB tonight! This time I tried a new machine, the row machine for about 20 minutes, maybe less as it was new and I was trying to figure it out at first. It is a really fun machine, and I can totally see more of it in my future.... yes!

Notes: Can I just say how much I love weight training? I feel so amazing when I get to move up the weight pin- especially on tricky small muscles like my shoulders! I have had a lot of energy the past few days, I think it is just manic pms-times but DB thinks it is the chia seeds.... Girl is crazy for 'em!

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

DB's log 02.17.2010

Breakfast:
-Steel cut Irish oats with blueberries, chia seeds, a few walnuts, topped with honey and a little milk

Lunch:
-skinless grilled chicken breast, avocado slices, alfalfa sprouts, and cucumber in a spinach wrap

Dinner:
-Warm cider braised barley salad, glazed beets, toasted pumpkin seeds, scallion & blue cheese cream
-
Prosciutto, garlic herbed sheep’s milk cheese, arugula, brandied cranberry vinaigrette & pistachio on top of naan bread
(both of these things were split with another person)

Snacks:
-1 banana
-mixed fresh fruit: honeydew, cantaloupe, blueberries, strawberries, pineapple
-3 pretzels, 3 pieces dolma, 1 kalamata olive, small slice chocolate banana bread

Beverages:
-decaf americano with whole milk and 1 sugar in the raw
-lotsa water
-2 glasses white wine

Exercise: Today, I did the unthinkable. I wore SNEAKERS during my commute and put my fancy heels in my bag. I got off at the Clark/Lake stop and walked a mile to work as fast as I could. It took exactly 20 minutes and I still made it into work on time and I felt great.

Notes: I'm really starting to feel good again about everything. Not having a car is making me more active because I have to walk so much. Last night I went to dinner with a friend at Rootstock...wow, great menu there. The food we had was delicious but non-fatty for the most part and I did not over eat one bit. I attribute this to eating so much fruit throughout the day to stave off hunger. Then we went to a ladies night potluck where I was handed a second glass of wine for the night and munched on a bit of the grub. Again, I didn't overdo it like I usually do at these sorts of things, but the chocolate banana bread was a weakness. Fortunately I had a small slice and felt good about doing that.

RR Log 02.17.10

Breakfast:
-small glass of smoothie leftover from yesterday (before gym)
-3/4 cup nonfat greek style plain yogurt with blueberries, sprinkle of granola, sprinkle of pecans & 1 tsp. chia seeds

Lunch:
-wrap sandwich: 1 whole grain tortilla with 1 tbsp. mayo & mustard, arugula, tomato, onion and leftover steak from last night cut into strips
-1/2 cup steamed broccoli
-1/8 cup shredded raw beets with lemon & olive oil

Dinner:
-spicy stir fry with chicken, asparagus, mushrooms and red peppers
-1/2 cup short grain brown rice
-2 steamed veggie pot stickers with soy sauce

Snacks:
-1/4 cup mixed almonds, dried cranberries, walnuts & pumpkin seeds
-1 banana walnut muffin (homemade, had to make sure they were good!!)
-2 cups popcorn with olive oil, salt & pepper
-handful of tortilla chips with salsa

Drinks:
-1 cup black tea
-1 cup green tea

Exercise: Hour at the gym, almost all of it on the treadmill, watching Oprah. Intervals of running and walking on an incline (level 5 speed 4.) Did my plank exercise and some chin-ups and dip assist, I love that thing! Feeling sore in my butt today, hoping that means a tight end is in my future?

Notes: Yay! Back on my game.... I think? Still have some nighttime snacking issues.... Anyways, today I made that beet dish from a recipe given to me by the nutritionist I met with prior to my major sinus surgery last winter. It is a recipe meant for a gentle liver cleanse- to do it as a cleanse you would eat 1 tbsp. beet mixture every 2 hours between breakfast and dinner, for 3 days. Interesting! She said I should just make some and eat it whenever I want. I think she was promoting liver cleansing foods to help get the anesthesia out of my system (as well as heavy painkillers, which I used FREELY after my surgery!) It makes sense, our liver is tiny and totally bombarded with toxins, especially mine.... ahem. I figured it couldn't hurt to have some now!

Hey Danielle, did you notice I am using my chia seeds??

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

DB's log 02.16.2010

Breakfast:
-1/2 cup Irish steal cut oats with blueberries, chia seeds, honey, and a little milk

Lunch:
-Grilled chicken breast on bun with lettuce, 1 slice swiss cheese, and 1 Tbs barbecue sauce

Dinner:
-small portion stirfry with asparagus and mushrooms
-small portion white rice

Snack:
-1 piece king cake (Happy Fat Tuesday?)
-1 banana

Beverages:
-peppermint tea
-water

Exercise: FINALLY got a great workout in after a stupid long hiatus. Went to my trainer's gym and spent an hour doing all sorts of weights, sit-ups, lunges. Afterwards I spent 30 minutes on the treadmill, running at 4.5mph but sprinting at 6.0 every 5 minutes for 1 minute. Towards the end I sprinted for 2 minutes. An hour and a half workout--amazing!!

Notes: I'm feeling great and ready to get back in this head-on. Hopefully no more weird bad luck things will happen to interrupt me. I'm thinking about starting back on the Couch to 5K running plan, something I tried several months ago. Getting to the gym is a little tougher, but putting on a pair of shoes and heading out the door really isn't, so I should get with it! My goal is to run 30 minutes on Thursday and twice more this weekend.

RR Log 02.16.10

Breakfast:
-1/2 rice cake with 1 tbsp. almond butter (before gym)
-smoothie with strawberries, wild blueberries, 1 small banana, 1 tbsp. ground flaxseeds, almond & soy milk (didn't have enough of either, used both!)

Lunch:
-1/2 cup tabbouleh
-salad with spinach, crimini mushrooms, tomatoes, nonfat feta, zucchini, sunflower seeds, 1 tsp. chia seeds & Annie's lite mustard vinaigrette

Dinner:
-1/2 ribeye marinated in olive oil, balsamic & fresh herbs
-roasted red potatoes, leeks & whole garlic cloves with olive oil & fresh herbs, salt & pepper over a bed of fresh arugula

Snacks:
-10 tiny multigrain rice thins with plain hummus
-1 cup popcorn (Matt's specialty with butter, parmesan, salt & pepper!)
-4 bites of chocolate banana bread
-1 small bite of cheese on a crostini

Drinks:
-1 cup black tea
-1 cup green tea
-1 whiskey on the rocks
-1 old fashioned

Exercise: Spent an hour at the gym- finally! 35 min. on the 'mill, mostly running/high intensity. 30 minutes weight training.

Notes: Finally feeling 100% today, YAY. Went grocery shopping and picked up the steaks at Trader Joe's. They were perfectly sized and had the calorie and fat content on the package. I decided to eat half and save half for lunch tomorrow! Feel good about that. I don't buy red meat a lot, not sure what made me think of it. Anyways, Went to see a movie and then out to Longman and Eagle with buds for drinks which accounts for the last two things posted under "snacks."

Monday, February 15, 2010

RR Log 02.15.10

Breakfast:
-3/4 cup yogurt with 1/4 cup granola

Lunch:
-leftover grilled salmon
-small portion of asparagus
-tabbouleh salad

Dinner:
-1 Boca griller on a multigrain sandwich thin with some mayo and ketchup

Snacks:
-1 banana
-7 Ferro Rocher chocolates (MOM SABOTAGE!!!!)
-ummmm, yeah.... like, 2 bowls of cereal after dinner! WHY????

Drinks:
-1 cup black tea

Exercise: Uugghhhh.

Notes: I am so tired. Just getting behind on my sleep for a couple of days really does it to me. I have also had pesky sinus issues which I am sure is related to my tiredness. Tiredness made me all manner of WEAK this afternoon and at dinner time, I didn't want anything healthy at all! Phew.

DB's log 02.15.2010

Breakfast:
-two eggs sunnyside up (skipped one of the yolks, though)
-3 Tbs fresh fruit with 3 Tbs lowfast cottage cheese and chia seeds

Lunch:
-salad: mixed greens, mandarin oranges, grilled chicken breast (marinated in some sort of asian sauce), broccoli, carrots, walnuts, toasted sesame dressing

Dinner:
-2 shrimp soft tacos: grilled shrimp, homemade tomatillo salsa, flour tortilla

Snacks: (if you can call them that)
-two weird small asian candies
-1 Ghiradelli chocolate
-a few chips with tomatillo salsa

Beverages:
-green tea
-water

Exercise:  Errrr.....lots of walking, now that I don't have a car!

Notes: I'm back after another lame-o hiatus. This time it was a g.d. CAR WRECK! Long story short, I got hit, my car is totaled, I'm super stressed out. I don't have a decent way to jump over to the gym anymore, I'm mad at the world, blah blah blah. Today I'm going to slowly get back into the groove because eating right and trying to find some form of exercise each day is crucial for my well-being in general during all this stress. I'm also super proud of Robin for her continued success at being more conscious about nutrition and exercise and I don't want to let her down!

Sunday, February 14, 2010

RR Log 02.14.10

Breakfast:
-breakfast sandwich with 1 egg, 1/4 avocado & tomato
-1/2 cup yogurt with 1 tbsp. honey

Lunch:
-3 baked tostada "Mexican Pizzas" with fat-free refried beans, reduced fat cheddar and greek yogurt starring as "sour cream"

Dinner: Valentine's special double date RED LOBSTER WHOA!
-ceasar salad
-shrimp bruschetta
-shrimp linguini alfredo
-a bite of asparagus & a bite of salmon (too full by the time my entree arrived!)
-1.5 cheddar bay biscuits

Snacks:
-multigrain chips with hummus

Drinks:
-1 coke (real deal. so hangover good.)
-1 margarita
-1 glass wine

Exercise: Epic weekend, gym-free.

Notes: Holiday times! Totally enjoyed myself this weekend and still feel good I made it to the gym 4 times this week and two of those days I did my weight training. If I am too strict all the time I just won't do this, so it was totally worth the splurging if you ask me. The thing I do regret is lack of sleep, I hate feeling so tired! To bed with me now!!

Saturday, February 13, 2010

RR Log 02.13.10

Breakfast:
-scrambled eggs
-2 slices bacon
-whole wheat english muffin with butter and jam

Lunch:
-rice noodles with pork belly and hominy (Urban Belly)

Dinner:
-grazed all night at Christine's.... chicken with sweet potato and black beans, hummus, brie, crackers, strawberries with whipped cream and chocolate (fondue), ferro rocher chocolates, 1 vegan carrot cake cupcake..... who knows what else.

Snacks:
-see grazing above

Drinks:
-2 cups black tea
-1 cup green tea
-3 Negra Modelos
-1 Makers on the rocks

Exercise: Naw, still buddies in town!

Notes: Total diet disregard today! No regrets.

RR Log 02.12.10

Breakfast:
-multi-grain sandwich thin with 1 egg, 1/4 avocado & tomato

Lunch:
-sweet potato and cabbage soup

Dinner:
-multi-grain sandwich thin with a Boca spicy "chicken" patty & mayo

Snacks:
-3 mini cinnamon rolls
-hummus and pita chips
-1 banana walnut muffin

Drinks:
-2 cups black tea
-3 glasses white wine
-1 Jack Daniels on the rocks

Exercise: Too busy today! Decided to ditch the gym in favor of cleaning my house for guests!

Notes: Off-track all day, totally CAVED HARD on mini cinnamon rolls at work, which screwed up my hunger-schedule.... and left me not hungry at the right times. My "lunch" was post snacks and ended up being around "dinner" time, the "dinner" was post-party, at like 12:30am...... You get the drift. I had a blast though- I had two friends in town to go to basically a grad school reunion.

Thursday, February 11, 2010

RR Log 02.11.10

Breakfast:
-1 sprouted grains english muffin with 2 tbsp. almond butter

Lunch:
-home made Indonesian sweet potato and cabbage stew
-1/2 piece leftover mahi mahi & 1/2 cup cous cous
-wheat crackers with hummus

Dinner:
-1 veggie "slider"
-asparagus with some dreamy mustard sauce
-3 pumpkin ravioli in sage cream sauce
-1/2 bi bim bop

Snacks:
-1 banana (before gym)
-1/2 thin slice of pound cake (weakness!!!)

Drinks:
-1 cup black tea
-1 cup green tea
-1/2 bottle white wine (!!)

Exercise: 25 minutes elliptical set to random, level 6. 30 minutes weight training.

Notes: Today was not so good, I was stressed out for various reasons all day! I'd rather not go into the particulars, but I can throw out some blanket terms: work, no work, economy, flat tire, love. Ok. So. I drowned my sorrows (obviously) in a bottle of wine and dinner at Mana Food Bar with a good friend. Great food, all vegetarian! The wine is really hitting me since I haven't had a drink all week... but hey, that's how I likes it. And how I needs it. The end.

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Week 5

Hello friends!

So I know I didn't check in last week, the time got away from me and not much to report anyways. Last week I had lost 1 lb. This week, after being sick (which kept me from the gym) and indulging a bit in Madison, I am holding steady. I am fine with that, I have a total to date of 8 lbs. lost! Today at the gym I also realized that I weigh myself every week at the same time in the same outfit. It dawned on me that my clothes weigh a little, and I might be closer to my goal of hitting the 120's than I thought, which is kind of awesome.

In the end though, I am more focused on how I feel and look, and less on the scale. I like to use the scale as a tool, but not as an end-all be-all. I have started weight training, and I know that in toning up I may see less weight dropping. I am looking for more shape-shifting....

But hey, real talk. I still haven't put much of a dent in this tub of love that is mah belly. That's where I gain it first, that's where I lose it last.

I challenge this gut to a goddamned DUEL.

TO THE DEATH!!

xo,

Robin

RR Log 02.10.10

Breakfast:
-whole wheat english muffin with 1 egg, tomato & 1/4 avocado

Lunch:
-big salad with sauteed veggies: red pepper, onions, leeks, crimini mushrooms, zucchini & tomato with goddess dressing

Dinner:
-1 piece mahi mahi
-1 cup cooked garlic & herb cous cous

Snacks:
-1/2 cup mixed nuts seeds (after gym)
-whole wheat crackers with toasted pine nut hummus (maybe a little too much, kind of starving by the time I had a snack!)
-1/4 yogurt with 1 small handful granola (desert!)

Drinks:
-2 cups black tea

Exercise: 1 hour on the treadmill alternating running, walking at a moderate pace & walking at a fast pace on an incline.

Notes: Epic morning at the YMCA. I got the day off of work by surprise! I took advantage of my free time for a leisurely/long workout followed by my new favorite thing- the steam room. Aaaahhhhh..... So anyways, later I was out running errands and I was hitting hungry. I tried to stop for a healthy snack at Starbucks, but they didn't have anything good enough for me. I tried to stop at Panera, and whoa- eye-opener!! You would think you could do alright there, but I don't know, it is still fast food! I asked to see a nutrition guide and not only did they not have an easy chart-like one printed up, they handed me a huge binder with everything they sell in it, each thing with it's own page. What the hell!!! I thought it was hilarious, and I just hung out at the counter reading through it for a while. Did you know there is a full printed page of ingredients in their French onion soup? That the trail mix bagel has the same amount of calories as the (delicious, drooool) cinnamon crunch bagel (430?) I wasn't kidding when I said that figuring out how to eat is the job of a lifetime.... I got sort of tired of reading and grossed out by the ingredients lists so I didn't order anything at all, and headed home instead. Where I had waited so long to snack I gorged a little on hummus and crackers.... c'est la vie!

02.09.2010

Breakfast:
-egg white omelet with spinach and chia seeds

Lunch:
-two homemade chicken enchiladas (Dave won't tell me the secret ingredients but I think it's cheese and Pace picante)

Snacks:
-1 oatmeal cookie (I *think* it was made with Splenda...co-worker brought them in)

Dinner:
-sauteed veggies with toasted sesame oil and honey: green beans, asparagus, red bell pepper, broccoli, turnip, spinach, zucchini, squash, and sesame seeds
-1/2 cup brown rice with golden raisins

Beverages:
-water
-green tea
-half of a nasty skim milk decaf latte

Exercise: had to cancel with Nikki, my trainer, due to my konked out muscles. :-( I did a lot of walking back and forth between buildings and a lot of stairs today at work.

Notes: Our dinner was pretty awesome, we just went to the store and loaded up on tons of great veggies, it was very fresh. I'm doing good on eating less since I am forced to exercise less. I think I may have even lost an additional pound! Still can't wait to do something with my muscles.

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

RR Log 02.09.10

Breakfast:
-Breakfast sandwich with 1 egg, 1/4 avocado & tomato on toasted whole wheat english muffin

Lunch:
-1/2 small sweet potato
-1/2 piece spinach pie
-salad with romaine, spinach, tuna salad: mayo, cranberries, pecans & tomato with Annie's lite mustard vinaigrette

Dinner:
-smoked salmon
-steamed broccoli

Snacks:
-1 brown rice cake with 1 tbsp. almond butter (before gym)
-1/2 cup yogurt with 1 tbsp. honey
-couple of wheat crackers with hummus
-3 cups(?) popcorn with parmesan, salt & pepper

Drinks:
-1 cup black tea
-1 cup green mint tea

Exercise: 30 minutes elliptical set to "random" and level 5. 35 minutes weight training.

Notes: Feeling about 95% today, happy to have hit the gym despite the snowstorm. I tried my new favorite machine today, the dip and chin-up assist! I have been wanting to use it but waited until someone could show me the proper way to use it. Today I really pushed myself on the weights. I upped the weight for some exercises, if I couldn't do all 30 reps at the higher weight I would do the first 2 sets of 10 at the weight I was comfortable at, then up the weight and push through the last 10. Already feeling it!

Monday, February 8, 2010

DB's log 02.08.2010

Breakfast:
-yogurt parfait with blueberries, strawberries, and granola

Lunch:
-small salad with lettuce, spinach, hard boiled egg, feta, cranberries, carrots, kidney beans, almond slivers, balsamic vinegar, and rosemary-infused olive oil.

Dinner:
-garlic hummus with pita chips

Beverages:
-earl grey tea with skim milk and honey
-water

Exercise: neck STILL wonky but today I walked quite a bit for work and then Robin and I hit the gym and steam room for a relaxing 30 minute treadmill stroll, followed by a sweat session.

Notes: The "dinner" of garlic hummus I had was really a snack at a work event around 5pm, but I realized, hey, this can be dinner and that's fine. So I did a good job of eating very light today, to make up for the fact that I can't work in so much exercise due to my neck. It was great winding down the day with treadmill and steam room...hope to do that again soon.

RR Log 02.08.10

Breakfast:
-whole wheat english muffin sandwich with 1 egg, tomato, lettuce & 1 veggie "sausage" patty

Lunch:
-1 cup of curry cauliflower soup
-1 small plate of chilled sesame kale with garlic
-1/2 roll
-1 deviled egg

Dinner:
-1 & 1/2 crab cakes
-salad with romaine and tomatoes, Annie's lite mustard vinaigrette
-1/2 small baked sweet potato
-1/8 reduced fat spinach pie (Trader Joe's, this is such a yummy thing from their freezer section!)

Snacks:
-1/2 cup nonfat greek style plain yogurt with 1 tbsp. honey
-1 cup flax plus granola with 2 cups almond milk

Drinks:
-1 cup black tea
-1 cup green tea with mint

Exercise: 30 minute easy walk on the treadmill

Notes: Though I got 10 hours of sleep last night, I feel tired and groggy. Think I am battling a tiny cold. Boo!! Because of this I forced myself to have a healthy lunch. Thwarted by a longer day than expected at work, I was caught empty-handed, I didn't pack a lunch! I decided to take the time to walk up to Milk and Honey cafe, where I had to discipline myself against the delicious sandwich options. I feel good about my lunch choices! I could have easily caved in and eaten some cheesy, bacony goodness but I stayed strong. Danielle and I went to the gym tonight just to walk a little and use MY NEW FAVORITE THING EVER the steam room! Whoa. So awesome. My asthma acts up in the winter, and since i have been run down, this was a perfect antidote. Nothing beats breathing in that room, my lungs were in heaven!

Sunday, February 7, 2010

DB's log 02.07.2010

Breakfast:
-homemade french toast with blueberries and cream topping
-2 small veggie sausage patties

Lunch:
-extremely small portion Indian leftovers
-half piece bread

Snacks:
-1 ginger chew
-1 graham cracker

Dinner:
-homemade pizza, one slice pineapple mushroom, one slice goat cheese spinach, one slice kielbasa with onion (no cheese or sauce)
-tomatillo salsa with tortilla chips
-small piece mixed berry pie with whole wheat crust

Beverages:
-Bolthouse farms c-boost juice (1 cup)
-water
-black tea
-1.5 beers

Exercise: neck STILL giving me trouble...I am so mad...chiropractor visit tomorrow with review of my xrays...we'll see what they say

Notes: tonight was the Superbowl and our neighbors threw a pizza party...did I eat too much?  Probably.  But I had a very small lunch so I was pretty hungry.  All I want in this world right now is to get to the gym.  Robin lent me a recent copy of SHAPE magazine and I love it!!  It makes me sadder than ever that my neck is giving me so much trouble.

RR Log 02.07.10

Breakfast:
-toasted multi-grain sandwich thin with 1 egg and 1 Morningstar veggie "sausage" patty

Lunch:
-rice cake with almond butter
-baby spinach salad with tomatoes & tuna salad on top: tuna, mayo, dried cranberries & pecans

Dinner:
-3 baked tostadas topped with black beans, cheddar or avocado, hot salsa and greek yogurt

Snacks:
-multi-grain chips
-4 small steamed shrimp dipped in cocktail sauce

Drinks:
-2 cups black tea

Exercise: Uuggghhhh. I feel like crap today!!

Notes: I am completely whack-a-doodle-doo today. I can't seem to get anything right and have been letting people down... buh! I am tired and am either on the verge of a cold or a sinus infection, not sure which but either way I plan on a long soak in a steamy bathroom and a good night's sleep. Also, I hope the Saints win? Yeah, I don't really care either.

RR Log 02.06.10

Breakfast:
-everything bagel with scallion cream cheese, smoked salmon, arugula, tomato and red onion

Lunch:
-pita sandwich with grilled chicken, romaine, feta, grilled onions and tomato

Dinner:
-brown rice sushi philly roll
-3 steamed chicken pot stickers

Snacks:
-half of a crossaint
-5 dark chocolate hazelnut wafers, 1 caramel with dark chocolate & sea salt, 5 dark choc. dusted almonds

Drinks:
-1 double tall nonfat latte with cinnamon & 1 packet honey
-1 cup black tea
-1 glass white wine

Exercise: Nope, we left Madison today to drive back to Chicago and pretty much turned around when we got home and went straight to a party.

Notes: Whew. I was so tired and a little hungover and all I wanted was a goddamned cheeseburger. I had to force myself to try to find the healthiest thing at the roadside oasis, and ended up with that pita sandwich. Not too bad! Still craving junk, almost hit a drive through on the way to the party but made a pit stop at Whole Foods instead for sushi. I feel good navigating those challenges, but really. All I wanted was a cheeseburger. And a coke. Dang. Oh yeah, we stopped at Madison's own AMAZING chocolatier, Gail Ambrosius. Hell yes.

RR Log 02.05.10

Breakfast:
-my favorite egg sandwich, see other posts

Lunch:
-3/4 cup nf gs p yogurt with granola
salad with reduced fat sharp cheddar. apples, cranberries, spinach, wild rice & Annie's lite mustard vinaigrette

Dinner:
-grilled chicken sandwich on cibatta roll with sauteed onions, lettuce and blue cheese
-chips AND french fries

Drinks:
-2 cups black tea
-3 (WOO!!) whiskey on rocks

Snacks:
-1 banana walnut muffin

Exercise: Not today champ!

Notes: Impromptu trip to Madison meant running around a lot and drinking and eating at a bar. Eh, good times. Had a glass of water for every drink, stayed away from beer at least... right? I mean, that's pretty hard to do in Wisconsin. I almost ordered a burger at Mickey's, but subbed a grilled chicken and got the burger toppings for it (blue cheese & grilled onions). That was all I did right at that meal because I was ALL OVER those damn fries. I haven't eaten fries in like a month! WORTH IT.

Saturday, February 6, 2010

DB's log 02.05.2010

Breakfast:
-breakfast sammy with two sunnyside up eggs, american cheese, raspberry jam, and two slices oat bread

Lunch:
-dill rice with a few pieces garlic-lemon shrimp and sauteed eggplant

Dinner:
-Chicken tikka masala with basmati rice
-naan
-papri chaat appetizer

Snacks:
-red grapes
-handful of raisinettes

Beverages:
-green tea
-water
-masala tea, unsweetened
-pomegranate juice

Exercise:  Not possible today.  Neck still out of commission. 

Notes:  Still super sore...went to the chiropractor this morning and it only made my back feel worse.  Decided to get a trigger-point massage and that hurt like heck and didn't help either, although for the rest of the evening I felt sort of sick from the released toxins (which is where the pomegranate juice came from).  We went to a movie and, well, I said I had had it with the day and got some g.d. raisinettes.  I was good though and didn't eat as many as I normally would.

Friday, February 5, 2010

DB's log 02.05.2010

Breakfast:
-bowl of cereal with 2% milk

Lunch:
-peanut butter and honey sandwich on oatnut bread

Snacks:
-2 Tbs natural peanut butter
-1 chocolate pudding cup

Dinner:
-Greek chicken breast with mushrooms and sun dried tomatoes
-dill rice
-sauteed eggplant with tomato and onion
-1 piece pita bread

Beverages:
-1 cup Knudsen's Morning Blend juice
-water

Exercise: oh, read below...

Notes:  So, HUGE set back this morning.  I guess I overdid it at the gym with the sore neck and woke up this morning screaming (literally) in pain.  I threw it out.  I'm in bad, bad, bad shape.  I can't turn my head, lift my arm, get up or down, or bend over without feeling excruciating pain.  I'm so mad!  I don't want to skip out on working out anymore.  I went to the chiropractor, a first for me, and tomorrow I'm going in for an "adjustment."  I'm super nervous about it but I've spoken to several friends who say it'll help.  Afterwards I'm going to seek physical therapy if my insurance will cover it.  This is an injury that has happened before, but right now it's the worse it's ever been.  I'm frustrated and ow-wy. :-(

Thursday, February 4, 2010

RR Log 02.04.10

Breakfast:
-1 banana & 1/2 rice cake with 1 tbsp. almond butter (before gym)
-breakfast sandwich, obviously my new obsession: multi-grain sandwich thin, 1 egg, 1/4 avocado & tomato

Lunch:
-baby spinach salad with mushroom, tomato, nonfat feta & Annie's lite mustard vinaigrette
-1 cup white bean and kale soup
-1/4 cup mixed nuts & seeds

Dinner:
-2 sauteed chicken breast strips marinated in olive oil, balsamic vinegar and fresh herbs
-1 cup wild rice blend
-steamed broccoli

Snacks:
-1/4 cup mixed nuts & seeds
-2 banana walnut muffins.... right from the oven! What was I to do??
Drinks:
-1 cup black tea
-1 cup green tea
-2 white wine spritzers

Exercise: 30 minutes on treadmill, mostly walking fast with the speed set to 4 and incline set to 6. Heart rate around 150, a few spurts of running got it up to 160's. 30 minutes resistance training, I did almost all the machines today!

Notes: Glad to do my weight training today! There are two machines that freak me out, my goal is to get up the nerve to ask a gym rat to show them to me. The dip assist looks awesome..... My pre-workout snack was perfect today by the way, I think I have securely gotten over that hurdle!

DB's log 02.04.2010

Breakfast:
-2 eggs sunny side up
-1 banana

Lunch:
-cup of tomato basil soup
-salad with greens, pear, chicken, goat cheese, cranberries, and walnuts
-garlic bread roll

Snacks:
-blueberries, red grapes, and slice of cantaloupe

Dinner:
-2 sauteed chicken breast strips marinated in olive oil, balsamic vinegar and fresh herbs
-1 cup wild rice blend
-steamed broccoli


Beverages: 
-small green tea latte with skim milk and no sugar
-water
-1.5 wine spritzers (with Robyn and Matt, yay!)

Exercise: Got up at 6am and hit the Y despite my neck being super sore.  Then came back after work and did it all over again on the treadmill...neck feels better after, surprisingly.

Notes: I'm so sick of waiting to eat when my braces are off!  This morning I didn't wear them much and opted to snack on some fruit instead...it really helped keep me from gorging at lunch and dinner.  I hope I can find ways to work snacks into my day and have straight teeth.

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

DB's log 02.03.2010

Breakfast:
-two eggs, sunny side up
-1/2 cup cottage cheese with fresh mango slices

Lunch:
-Grilled fish tacos with blue corn tortillas, cabbage, and lime
-black bean soup and cilantro-lime rice
-chips and salsa

Dinner:
-two slices of pizza, one cheese, one with chicken and broccoli (UGHHHH)

Beverages:
-Starbuck's small (er, tall) green tea latte with skim milk and only 1 pump sugar (I did my research, this should only be 120-ish calories.)
-Rooibos tea
-water

Exercise: Super sore today, I pulled a muscle in my right shoulder blade (this happens a lot, unfortunately...same spot every time). In addition to this, my upper body muscles were sore from yesterday's work out. Couldn't bear the thought of working out.

Notes: Wow, I cannot tell you how much I do not want to admit that I ate two slices of pizza for dinner. It was a late night meeting at work and pizza was provided for dinner, otherwise I'd have to wait a few hours until I was home to make something. I took the easy route, but the fact that I feel guilty about it and plan to work out in the morning to make up for it proves to me that something has changed in my head. Meh.

Workout Mix!!

The long awaited ultimate mix of total workout JAMZ is now available for download:

Treadmillionaires

A few notes about this mix:

1. You can listen to it in order. I tried to give it some sort of flow- the first song is great to warm up to (Phoenix), and the last song is a great cool down (The Knife). ****NOTE: Just discovered it doesn't download in order, so proceed to step 2.....
2. You can drop it on your iPod and put it on shuffle, just lookout for those slower jams meant for cool down.
3. There is a lot of dance party 2007 up in this mix. Just sayin'.
4. This mix is over 2 hours, so it takes about 20 minutes to download.
5. The third song, S.O.T.I., by Romanteek, is THE TREADMILLIONAIRES ANTHEM. Declared.

Listen. Sweat. Repeat.

Track list in intended order:

01. if i ever feel better, phoenix
02. she's good for business, mstrkrft
03. s.o.t.i., romanteek
04. blind, hercules and love affair
05. i believe in miracles, jackson sisters
06. are you my woman?, the chi-lites
07. dirt off your shoulder, jay-z
08. work that, mary j. blige
09. all this time, klanguage
10. electric feel, mgmt
11. ready for the floor, hot chip
12. this is how we do it, montell jordan
13. jenny from the block, j-lo
14. can't hole us down, christina aguilera
15. we are your friends, justice vs. simian
16. banquet, bloc party
17. sexybakc, j timbsss
18. deceptacon, le tigre (dfa mix)
19. please don't stop the music, rhianna
20. boyfriend remix, black kids
21. eye of the sundown, glass candy vs. survivor
22. dusk til dawn, ladyhawke
23. take me to the hospital, the faint
24. stronger, kanye west
25. pro nails, kid sister
26. konichiwa bitches, robyn
27. that's not my name, the ting tings
28. family affair, mary j. blige
29. ain't nothin' ta fuck with, wu-tang clan
30. everyone's a winner- hot chocolate
31. where my girls at, 702
32. survivor, destiny's child
33. n.y. state of mind, nas
34. so fresh, so clean, outkast
35. heartbeats, the knife

DB's log 02.02.2010

Breakfast:
-2 eggs, sunnyside up
-Greek yogurt with peach topping

Lunch:
-Caeser salad with grilled chicken

Dinner:
-Black quinoa with yogurt, curry, red bell pepper, ginger, jalapeno, lime, mint, peanuts (recipe soon!)

Snacks:
-1/3 cup plain yogurt with honey
-small handful of dry roasted peanuts

Beverages:
-coffee with two creamers and 1 sugar packet
-water

Exercise: I was in a terrible mood yesterday and was not exactly looking forward to the trainer coming over (sorry, Nikki!) but then when she got there I was so relieved and specifically requested a harder workout so I could shake the blues. It worked! I was exhausted from doing all sorts of cardio but my mood was completely lifted.

Notes: I've been a little frustrated that I'm still stuck at only 4 lbs lost. I mean, that's a healthy 1 lb a week, but still...I'd like to get out of the 140s once and for all. I have given myself the reward of a trip to the salon for a new haircut as soon as I reach the 130s. I hope I reach it soon because my hair is looking funk-aaay...

RR Log 02.03.10

Breakfast :
-my little egg sandwich again: multi-grain sandwich thin with 1 fried egg, tomato, 1/4 avocado, salt & pepper

Lunch:
-1.5 cups white bean & kale soup
-baby greens salad with grape tomatoes, nonfat feta cheese, crimini mushrooms and...... 1 tsp. chia seeds! 1 tbsp. Annie's lite mustard vinaigrette

DInner:
-leftover pasta with veggies
-1/2 cup yogurt with 1 tbsp. honey
-1 order veggie maki
-1/2 tiny fancy cheese plate

Snacks:
-1 banana and 7 almonds (before gym)
-1/2 cup mixed nuts & seeds

Drinks:
-1 cup black tea
-1 cup green tea
-2 glasses white wine

Exercise: I was on the elliptical almost an hour today, 45 minutes at level 5 set to "random" workout + warm up and cool down.

Notes: I felt great all day today! The extra dinner was from an impromptu date with a friend which ended me up at Lula Cafe.... one of my favorite places. The maki unfortunately was terrible, yet I ate the whole roll. The cheese plate really was tiny, no more than a couple of bites of each thing, delicious. Probably didn't need to order a second glass of wine but what can I say? I was caught up in the moment....!

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

RR Log 02.02.10

Breakfast:
-5 almonds (right after workout)
-1 multi-grain sandwich thin with 1 fried egg, tomato, 1/4 avocado

Lunch:
-1 cup potato leek soup
-2 cups mixed greens with 1 tbsp. olive oil, salt & pepper
-1 almond quinoa muffin
-1 banana

Dinner:
-1.5 cups white bean & kale soup

Snacks:
-5 pieces dried spicy mango
-multi-grain tortilla chips with hummus
-uggghhhh jalapeno chips!
-5 small squares dark chocolate with mint

Drinks:
-1 cup black tea
-1 cup green tea
-2 vodka & sparkling water with lemon

Exercise: 1 hour at the gym. 30 minutes elliptical level 5, "random," heart rate around 155 steady. 30 minutes on various weight machines workin' upper and lower body. I also shoveled snow at work today, though it wasn't much!

Notes: Matt mixed the drinks tonight- it was the LOST first episode of the last season!

Monday, February 1, 2010

DB's log 02.01.2010

Breakfast:
-Quaker Oats cooked in water with cinnamon, golden raisins, vanilla, chia seeds, topped with honey and milk

Lunch:
-vegetarian chili with one small piece cornbread

Dinner:
-grilled shrimp with Mexican rice, half an avocado, and 1.5 corn tortillas
-chips and salsa

Snack:
-a few potato chips
-Snyder's hot wing pretzels
-a goddamn piece of goddamn chocolate chip cheesecake, goddamn it

Beverages:
-water
-black tea
-1/2 cup Knudsen's Morning blend juice

Exercise:  Got up at 6am to hit the gym....25 minutes on the treadmill.  25 sit ups.

Notes:  Ugh, I apologize so much for not updating the past few days.  Dave had surgery on his wrist (a metal plate and six screws!) and I've been taking care of him.  The first few days were all about support, support, support and there was no room for the gym.  I really feel bad about this setback and I'm ready to get back to being serious.  He told me this weekend that I've really inspired him and that as soon as his wrist heals he's going to join the Y as well and see what he can do with his body too.  Wow. :-)

Also, the "snacks" section was lame today due to a work meeting that involved birthday cake. Birthday cheesecake, no less.  Ah well, it's been a stressful couple of days.  Gym tomorrow...alarm set for 6am!  

RR Log 02.01.10

Breakfast:
-1 almond quinoa muffin
-1 banana

Lunch:
-mixed baby greens salad with crimini mushrooms, grape tomatoes, nonfat feta and Annie's lite mustard vinaigrette
-1 cup potato leek soup

Dinner:
-whole wheat pasta with a little bit of olive oil, and a lot of veggies: red & yellow bell peppers, broccoli, onion, garlic & dusted with parmesan cheese

Snacks:
-1 cup nf p gs yogurt with 1/2 cup flax plus granola
-10 raw almonds
-baked tostada with black bean hummus
-rice cake with almond butter

Drinks:
-2 cups black tea

Exercise: Nope, see notes.

Notes: I got up extra early to get to work for a 9am check-in, and when they didn't show I called and found out they wouldn't be checking in until 6pm! AARRRGGGHHH. This pissed me way off because I really missed going to the gym this morning. HOWEVER, I am keeping my eating reigned in today and plan on going tomorrow morning for as long as I can, I want to lift some weights! I will get to do a weigh-in too, wondering how that will go since I feel I got off track a little on my food/portion control, though I did hit the gym 5 times last week.... We'll see!