almeeker

At least once a day I break into song, makes my kids nuts, or laugh their butts off. They have requested that I do not dance in public, or at home if some one other than family members is watching.

Kumochi

My kids and friends have requested that I not burst into song within ear range. Even the grandkids fake being asleep so I'll stop singing! So it's while driving alone or in the house along that the music can come forth. A couple years ago at a pool party I joined the hosts kids playing rock band - not knowing everyone at the pool outside could hear my singing. I have not lived it down and they tell me the coyotes are still howling.

Full moon coming up this week -- my excuse if my weight goes up this weekend. Mary

almeeker

Report Card for Wed

Health & Wellness Goals

1. Keep calories below 1,500. 1,970, 1,499, 1,833
2. Calorie deficit at 3,500 for the week. -347, -1,322, -870 (total 2,539)
3. Water intake of 96 oz daily. Y,Y,Y
4. Workout 6 hours. 45 min, 60 min, 62 min (total 2:47)
5. Keep protein near 30%. 22%, 20%, 24% (average 22%)

Other stuff

1. Help kids finish all 4-H projects (fair starts Sat ). Y, Y, Y
2. Find an alternate camper for next week. N, Maybe, Still working on it
3. Call grandma. N,N,N
4. Housekeeping, 15 mins - 2 rooms daily + 1 load laundry. Y, N, N

Rose I'm very impressed with you woman - rock those goals!!! And I'm pretty sure that you take better care of Chico than I do my kids. The salmon looks fantastic, is that ginger on the top? DH loves salmon, and I LOVE ginger. Somehow I missed the original recipe post.

Mike this morning as I played solitaire during my workout I think the app you mentioned came up as an ad, but I skipped it so fast I didn't actually get a good look at it. Bummer, but I'll give it a search.

Quinn, one bad eat-fest day is not a deal breaker. I have them all the time, yet I believe that overall I'm much healthier than I used to be, because truthfully everyday used to be something of an eat-fest compared to now, only I never really noticed.

Canary, you woman are totally cracking me up, Mr. Eau Du you wear too much body spray... LOL I used to sit next to a guy at work, his girlfriend's name was Ellanora and we used to call her "I'll ignore ya". And thanks for the food tips, although I already know all about the sugar-free gummy bears, my SIL is a diabetic, so when I'm at her house I'm very careful with my snack selections. Well I am now, I've made errors in judgment in the past, chalk it up to "learning it the hard way". OY!!! Yes eater+feeder could be an uhoh situation, but it's all healthy and most of it organic to boot. I say we try it anyway, we can always put it in the "cheat day" category eh?

almeeker

OMG that is hilarious. I can carry a tune, somewhat. In the church choir I sing the alto part. Not because I have a low voice, but because I can read music, and usually at Christmas and Easter I have a scratchy allergy voice thing going on. I love it when I have that because I get out all my old Janis Joplin music and BELT IT OUT. "Oh Lord won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz, my friends all drive Porches, I must make amends....."

I LOOOOVVVVEEEE to play Rock Band!!!! Sometimes DH and I get it out after the kids are in bed, he plays the guitar and I sing. We have a couple of different versions of singing games on our Wii, it KILLS the kids that I can get like 90-100% every time. Well on songs I know the words to (usually moldy oldy songs they've never even heard before). They of course can whoop my butt on all the new Disney singers, but I've been working on my Taylor Swift, "I hate that stupid old pick-up truck you never let me drive..."

Well I gotta log off, dentist appts, garden club, swim meet, all of it beckons and I've run out of time to ignore it.

Mern

Terri, wishing you a wonderful birthday tomorrow and a year of many blessings ahead. Enjoy your vacation! Huge hug to ya!

taubele

SO SORRY for disappearing everyone It's been a pretty miserable week for me... Trying to catch up! BIRTHDAY TOMORROW!!!

Main80: If you figure out how to correct your sleep let me know!! The bad habits seem to creep up out of nowhere.

Mike: Apple cobbler is a complete weakness of mine, and that food porn made my mouth water. YUM. I might make your recipe for a pot luck I have coming up!

quinn: I agree with Amy on bacon - have a slice, it won't kill you. At least it's not sausage!! Also, passing on the {{{virtual shake!!}}} from Cassie, you can climb back on that wagon!!

Mern: I actually prefer the warning of oncoming headaches because I can cut them off at the pass, lol! While most people who suffer cluster headaches get them in the middle of the night, mine tend to come smack in the middle of a workday, and it sucks, because I need to concentrate and get things done (though waking up from sleep with a headache is no fun either). Some headache meds, like excedrin, at least cut down on the pain for me, though I suffer "mild" cluster headaches (they still stink). I tend to carry around headache meds at all times just for this reason, lol. Also, THANK YOU for the big pink birthday wishes!!! YAY!! Pink and purple are totally my favorite colors, I'm a girl like that!!

Rose: I love fish too!! Tilapia is just great cause it's so low-cal. BF likes simple flavors so I don't go nuts in preparing it - I actually usually do a dry rub involving basil, a little garlic powder, and salt and then some lime juice spritzed over the top. Lime is one of his favorite flavors, so I tend to go pretty generous with it -- I often serve the tilapia with the lime flavor over a cilantro-lime flavored rice that sort of mimicks the rice you'd get at Chipotle, it's pretty yummy. Your marinade sounds lovely and light though, I'd love to try it (perhaps without the smoked chipotle).

Joanna: Managing your diabetes on top of trying to figure out a healthy way of life really does sound like a headache indeed, though I think it will be worth it for you in the long run. You can do it!!

Cassie: ONE MORE DAY! I really need to get out of here and recharge my batteries. LOL about facebook making you run to the fridge! Food is everywhere, I swear... Thanks for the virtual shake, I am regretting my cheesecake choice!!

almeeker: You make me crack up, lady. I am imagining us all as backup singers and Mike with his pimp cane, is that bad?

Short Week Goals:

1) Calories between 1100-1300, on average. No single day above 1450. M: 1,190 T: 1,375 W: 1,547 (Average: 1,371)
2) Achieve a 4,000 calorie deficit M: -749 T: -523 W: -351 (Total: -1,623)
3) 96 oz. of water per day M: Close T: yes W: No
4) Exercise EVERY DAY, no excuses, 30DS or other exercise M: Walked for roughly 45 minutes when I got home late from work. At least I did *something*. T: No W: Big no
5) In bed by 11:30 every night M: Just made it T: No W: No
6) Multivitamin and fiber pills every day M: D'oh! T: yes W: No
7) 30% protein average M: 34% T: 26% W: 19% (Average: 26%)

Friday, Saturday, Sunday Goal:

1) Enjoy my birthday and long weekend!!! First vacation with BF in 7 years of being together, we're going to JUST HAVE FUN!

Oh, boy.

I wouldn't say that I fell off the wagon so much as just have had a really bad, long week at work. I'm getting home late, eating crap (due to a money squeeze) and in general being kind of lazy about my body. The numbers say it all. Lack of sleep (on Tuesday due to BF deciding, at 11:30 at night, that he SIMPLY HAD TO FIND a flash drive that went missing and ransacking the apartment, and yesterday due to waiting in vain for water so I could shower) is not making it any easier.

In my defense for Wednesday -- even though I told the lab members NOT to get me a cake or sweets for my birthday celebration on Wednesday (We celebrated Wednesday because another lab member was also leaving on that day, so we just did a joint happy-birthday-goodbye celebration) they brought in cheesecake and ice cream. I pretty much had to have some since I would have felt really rude if I didn't -- so my lunch yesterday consisted of two pieces of pizza, a piece of cheesecake, and a scoop and a half of delicious Blue Bell vanilla ice cream. Actually that's....not much of a defense, but I feel the need to explain

Normally on a day like that I just say "screw it" but I *did* just have a salad with grilled chicken for dinner, so that's something to be proud of. The calorie number actually isn't horrible, but I know it was ALL BAD CALORIES. Except for the salad.

THEN, I got home determined to work out only to find that a water main broke and my entire apartment complex was without water. I wasn't about to work out and sweat if I couldn't shower off, and there isn't a YMCA within 20 miles for the nice free showers. I didn't care so much about me, but poor BF, after spending 10 hours fixing cars in a non-air-conditioned environment (in Florida) came home to find he couldn't wash the sweat and grime off of himself We both cleaned with washcloths from bottled water in the fridge, but yuck.

All I have left is today before my vacation, so I'm trying to tell myself to just right the ship as best I can and go into vacation having a good day under my belt. The water was back on this morning (hallelujah) and it's a new day.

I think I'm also battling a mental laziness that has set in since I hit about 175 or so... I think I'm at a weight that I was at for a LONG time (the majority of my undergrad and grad school years) and some part of me is mentally "comfortable" at this weight, even though the rest of me knows I can do more. I can even feel my body ready to lose more, but I'm not putting in the right effort. My switch had been flipped well and now I feel like there's just less of me willing to do it.

It may be that I'm just really stressed out at work right now and can't find the "Me" motivation that I need. I'm really hoping my vacation and birthday tomorrow can help me relax and focus and re-asses and re-kick myself into gear.

Happy Thursday everyone!

~Terri

01gt4.6

Today started off with me waking up at 1:30am with the hiccups... again. So sleep was next to nothing since the hiccups continued throughout the night. I did get some temporary relief when I ate a PB&J sammich but I've nearly maxxed out my carb goal already.

mtlgirl

Amy, THANK YOU so much! You are like my weight loss idol so I am totally blushing.

As for the salmon, yes that is ginger on top. I don't even normally like salmon but marinating it in lemon and grilling it, makes it DELICIOUS.

Here is the recipe which I sort of just came up with one day:

Ingredients:
Salmon steaks
Pickled or fresh ginger, both work well
Lemon juice
Fleur de sel
Blend of dried herbs that are fish friendly, I bought one called "Poseiden's Catch" at a new spice store in the hood. I believe it contains dill, fennel seeds, coriander, garlic, and white pepper but you can definitely improvise on this part.
Toasted sesame oil

Just brush the salmon steaks with the sesame oil. I used one tbsp for 3 salmon steaks so it's too oily. Lay them in a pan, drench them with freshly squeezed lemon juice then sprinkle your dried herbs and fleur de sel, making sure it's pretty evenly distributed on both sides. Lay the ginger slices on top and then marinate for at least 4 hours. Grill them until they are nicely charred and crispy and the salmon is cooked well on the inside. Bon appetit!

Mern

I missed my strength training class today for the first time since I joined the Y. Didn't sleep well last night and just didn't have the energy. I've eaten yogurt and flaxmeal for breakfast, and roast beef on half a low carb tortilla for lunch. I'm going to have a low carb protein shake and then head to the Y for exercise on my own.

Terri, it's great that you know how to manage those cluster headaches. You are so welcome for the birthday wishes. Wow, I think you did a GREAT job with the birthday celebration at work--keeping it in control and then having the salad with grilled chicken for dinner. One of my biggest excuses for blowing a whole day is that I cheated earlier in the day. Our bodies are way more forgiving if we get back on the wagon ASAP as YOU did. I wanna be like YOU when I grow up. LOL Aw, that sucks about your water main break and having to clean up with bottled water from the fridge--beats nothing, I guess. Funny (to me, anyway) story along those lines: many years ago we had a water main break. My neighbor was home alone and in the shower with her hair and body all lathered up when it happened. She dried off (all sticky) and put a baseball cap over her wet hair to go to the store to buy a couple cases of bottled water. I can understand your mental laziness that set in. I reached that point many years ago when I got down from 209 to 177--just like you, I felt my body was ready to lose more but I didn't want to put in the effort. I never got below it... Anyway, try to do controlled cheats during your vacation and then come back rejuvenated next week. Big hug to ya!

Mary, your story about singing gave me a really good chuckle. I used to have a really good voice when I was younger--sang in the church choir and just for fun with two other college friends. Now it's not so great, but I still sing softly at church, and when I'm home alone I belt out Beatles songs as loudly as I want to. LOL

Amy, hope you enjoy/enjoyed your busy day after the dentist appointments! Wow, you're really doing great this week with your calorie deficits, water and workouts!

Hope, you're really trying hard this week. I so admire your committment to not let yourself be off track for very long. Yeah! Thanks for trying out the tummy churning stuff for us. LOL Just kidding--sorry 'bout those upsets! I made the mistake once of going crazy eating semi sweet chocolate chips with malitol. Haven't bought them since.

Joanna! Wow! Congrats on your food success celebrating your friend's birthday!

Mike, I never heard of waking up with hiccups. I hope they're gone now.

Rose, great job on the food and exercise! OMG, what a glowing check-in report so far into the week! Well done, kiddo! So nice to hear you're enjoying the grilling. I've done brussels sprouts on the grill before, but I use thawed from frozen ones. First I cut them in half, then toss lightly with olive oil, salt substitute and pepper, and grill until slightly browned/caramelized--just as one would for oven roasting. I also love them with grilled onions and bacon added. YUM! I do broccoli the same way. DH is growing fennel in the garden. I'm looking forward to grilling that, too.

Mern

Went to the Y as promised. After 3 miles on the stationary bike and just half o'mile on the treadmill, I decided to try the elliptical for the first time. It was so much harder than I imagined---even set on level ONE. Maybe it's harder for me because of being only 5' tall? Or maybe the pedals and arm pumping thingies are adjustable? I didn't wonder about that until I got home. I found it very difficult to be able to do a full range of motion rep on the arm pumping thingies while taking such deep steps. Before I try it again I'll ask one of the Y workers whether depth of steps and range of arm motion are adjustable.