Zen on a Rainy Sunday

It is cold and wet outside...ugh. Somehow I managed to drag my butt over to the gym for a 90 minute power yoga class. It is a great class due to a great teacher. It is the same teacher I have for Saturday Hard Core Conditioning...she is in insane shape and just has a great/chill persona. I really liked this yoga class because she goes way past the basics and onto some poses that I can't imagine ever being able to do...and I guess that is the cool part...thinking about getting good enough to do them.

I have a three day weekend and am trying to be productive with it...however, I started it by having too many cocktails on Friday night. Too many cocktails = no weight loss. I do not think I am going to hit my 4 pounds for the week....but one never knows.

I am still struggling to find a routine and to break old habits and embrace new ones. I am not giving up and I am trying to be good to myself in the process. Some things in life are just not about "all or nothing"....a concept that I often do not grasp.

For now, I am going to take a HOT shower and curl up for a nap with my puppy (love to nap when it is raining outside!). Then going to a little get-together with friends -- no wine, no snackies for me -- just plan on enjoying the company!

Zone Schmone...

Well...I WAS in the Zone until I went out to dinner last night with a few of my Forum guys (Entreprenuer's group) and ate....wait for it....a 10 oz beef tenderloin!! Of course, I also washed it down with a few glasses of wine. WHO needs 10oz of beef at one sitting?????

What I did right...
I did not touch the fresh basket of bread that was brought to the table. I did not order one of the butter-laden dishes that this restaurant is known for...nor did I order one of their supremely delicious pasta dishes. I asked the waiter if there was a smaller filet option and was told no. I ordered a green salad with dressing on the side and just used balsamic vinegar and a dash of olive oil.

What I will correct in the future...
I should have either ordered the salmon (grilled, no butter) OR cut the tenderloin in half when it arrived at the table and put it in a to-go box (or had them do this in the kitchen).

The good news is that I burned so many calories during my workout yesterday that I still did not exceed my daily calorie goal. I will also spend some QT with my treadmill today...just to be on the safe side!!!

In The ZONE!!

It has taken me an entire week...but I am finally in the ZONE!! With the assistance of some Tylenol PM, I am even managing my sleep better. My weigh in on Monday was much of what I was expecting...2 pounds. I will take that with a BIG smile since my workouts were not consistent (that is my nice way of saying that I was a lazy a** last week!!). I kept my eating in pretty good check aside from a little too much vino. So, like I said...happy with 2 pounds. Let us not forget however...these two pounds are holiday weight and do not count toward my grand total!! I think that by the end of this week, I will be back to chipping away at that bigger number!!

I had a great workout this morning (thanks Adrien)...have a feeling I will awake to sore quads and glutes. I did 20 minutes of intervals on the treadmill at home (got up too late to do 30...oopps), then did a 50 minute training session at Fitness on the Run (www.fitnessontherun.net) and then another 30 minutes of intervals on the Precor. It is still SO hard to get out of bed on these dark, freezing mornings...but nothing feels better than when I return home after my workout and get to enter all my calories burned into MyPlate!!! Nothing, except of course a great weigh in that is!

I really want to stay focused this week and get all of my holiday weight off...and maybe some more. I am shooting for a killer week of 4 pounds....there I said it. It is on the record...now, I have to lose it!!!

Locked n' Loaded

Great workout today, protein is cooked and portioned into 3oz bags, veggies are cleaned and chopped and whole grain pasta is cooked. I am ready for a powerhouse week!

This past week was...well...kinda weak. I did not get my workouts in and while my food was pretty good, I drank wine 3x...calorie kill!!! I "weigh in" tomorrow morning and I am not expecting much.

What was good this past week was me getting my head around things. I have made some little changes that I hope will payoff. I already blogged about my bedtime (which will be an ongoing challenge!). I have also rearranged my closet so that my workout clothes are front and center. I portioned out my daily vitamins and placed them in the front of my pantry. And of course...I am back to blogging!

Hope all of you take on the week and win!

Finding the New Norm.....

I am back, the tan has faded, a few pounds have found their way back to me and I am trying to find my "new normal". In hindsight, coming back right before the holidays was not such a great idea. I went from super structure to no structure at all!

I have enjoyed the last month..catching up with friends and family, treating myself to food and drink that was prohibited, and even taking some days to just sit on the couch with my pup and chill. To be fair to myself, I have also done an okay job with maintaining my fitness level and my food awareness. A few pounds have crept back on...I am only human. But I am ready to conquer the next 35...okay, maybe 40!!!!!!!!!!

My big challenge is figuring out how this is all going to work as a LIFESTYLE. This week has openned my eyes to many routines/habits that I have when living in the real world that are going to have to be adjusted or tossed out.

For example...I have always complained about how hard it is for me to get up early and workout during the week...and IT IS. Then I started thinking "why is it so hard for me...people all around seem to be able to do it???", and the painfully obvious answer hit me on the head...duh, stop focusing on the getting up and focus on the going to bed part!!! So now (starting two nights ago) I have adopted my strict bedtime that I relied on when I was at camp. So if any of you try to call me after 9:30...I won't be answering the phone as I will be winding down for my 10:00pm lights out.

Another thing I am struggling with is food. Not eating healthy...I am pretty good at that and I don't often crave real bad stuff. What is hard for me is that I want to eat smart to be strong and healthy. I am trying to maintain the right balance of protien, carbs and fat...while I eat whole and natural foods...while I watch my glysemic index...while I....you get the idea. There is SO much to incorporate!

I started using Livestrong Daily Plate. It is really helping me to choose the right foods and proper food combinations. It is also a great tool because it's not just a journal it is a social network site as well. A few of my friends from camp have signed up and we can all review each other's eating and workout patterns to help keep each other motivated and challenged! I highly recommend it... www.livestrong.com/thedailyplate .

Look out new year, new decade...I am building a better and stronger life!!!!