AM Gym = Too Much Lost Sleep!!!

So, I can't do it!  The gym in the morning just doesn't work with me.

I figured it out- waking up 2+ hours before I usually do doesn't mean I'll actually get to bed earlier.  I still go to sleep at the same time, and just end up being tired!

Here are the 2 scenarios:

Early Gym means 4:15am wake up with a 10pm bedtime resulting in 6.25 hours of sleep


Late gym means 6:00am wake up with a 10pm bedtime resulting in 8 hours of sleep


Late gym wins!!!

What I've decided to do is go to the gym at the end of the day, but plan ahead to bring something with me so I can have dinner before I get there.

For example, today I'm teaching lessons until 8:00pm.  I have a few 5 minute breaks in there, so I brought a sandwich to munch on before the gym.  Then, I figure I'll get to the gym around 8:20, spend about 45 minutes there, and get home by 9:30 the latest, resulting in a 10pm bedtime.  That, I can deal with since I won't have to wake up until 6 the next morning.

Monday is my latest day, not being done until 8.  Tuesday I'm done around 7:15, Wednesday and Thursday around 6:30, and Friday at 4:30, so it really shouldn't be that bad going in the evening.

I'm glad I gave it a try, but you will find me sleeping at 5am instead of getting my cardio on!

Veggie Pepperoni Pizza

I usually have all of the ingredients in my house to make veggie pepperoni pizza, and it's so quick that it's always one of my standby meals.  It comes in with a WW Points+ value of 7.

The more vegetables you add, the more filling it is!  I vary the veggies based on what's in the fridge, but the recipe below is my favorite combination!

Ingredients:
1 tsp olive oil
1/4 white onion, diced
1/2 bell pepper, diced
1/4 lb Broccoli Rabe, chopped into bite sized pieces (not in the picture )
1 can of sliced mushrooms, drained
1 oz.  Hormel Turkey Pepperoni
Salt
Black Pepper
Dried Oregano
1 Mission Carb Control Flour Tortilla
2 wedges Laughing Cow Mozzarella-Sundried Tomato-Basil cheese
2 sticks Weight Watchers Mozzarella String Cheese, shredded
1/4 cup tomato sauce

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees

2.  Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat.  Add veggies.  Season with salt, black pepper and oregano to taste.

3.  When the oven reaches 400, put in the tortilla on a tray covered in foil.

4.  When the veggies are soft and starting to brown, add the turkey pepperoni.  Turn off heat after 5 more minutes.

5.  The tortilla will curl and begin to brown, when it does, flip it over.  When the other side gets color, remove tortilla from the oven but don't shut it off.

6.  Spread both wedges of cheese over tortilla.  Cover with tomato sauce and shredded mozzarella.  Return to oven until cheese gets nice and melty.

7.  Put veggie mix on top and leave in oven for 5 minutes.  Serve while it's nice and hot!    Enjoy!

You CAN have your cake and eat it, too!

One thing that never works in any weight-loss scenario is depriving ones-self of yummy goodies.  I could cut out all chocolate, but eventually I'd give in and scarf down massive amounts!

So far, I've been able to successfully enjoy whatever I wanted to as long as I limited quantity.  The other week, there was this amazing cheesecake at a shower at school.  I was literally staring it down for an hour, whenever I would walk by.  It was talking to me, seducing me with cheesecake-y goodness.

At first, I was determined to not have any.  As the day went on, it was all I kept thinking about!  So, I took a deep breath, went in, and cut myself a slice.

I brought it back to my classroom.  The first thing I did was cut it in half and throw half right in the garbage!  Wasteful, a bit, but I know that I'm not going to be tempted to retrieve it after it was near booger-filled tissues and such.  Barf.

So, I ate half a piece!  It was scrumptious!  And, I didn't derail all of my efforts to eat well.

The moral of this story is that deprivation doesn't work.  If you see your favorite cookies around, have one, not 20.  You get the satisfaction without the guilt.

I also have noticed that my memory of how delicious some foods taste is often better than the reality.  My brain may go "you want that pie," but after one bite, it's really not that great.

So, from now on, I will ask myself "is it worth it?"  If the answer is yes, then I'll have a small amount.  If the answer is no, I'll find something that is!

Frozen Dinners

Now, I really don't like frozen dinners, but sometimes it's better than ordering a huge beef burrito or grabbing some fast-food burgers in my opinion.

After a 14.5 hour day, the last thing I want to do when getting home after 8pm is start cooking dinner.  All of my pre-made food was being eaten for lunch, so I don't want the same thing for dinner.  I would have loved to get some chicken and broccoli, but my favorite Chinese restaurant is closed for repairs, and I'm too picky to try a new place.  If it sucks, I'll be pissed for wasting food and money!  Not to mention I tend to always overeat when I have Chinese.

I was at the grocery store getting some fresh veggies, and wandered over to the frozen food aisle.  Off to the "healthy meal" section I go!  Now, I don't do frozen cooked seafood.  Never reheats well.  Also not a fan of turkey, or anything trying to be italian.  Despite high sodium, I tend to lean towards Asian food when it comes to frozen meals.

My choice for the evening was a Lean Cuisine Lemongrass Chicken meal.  Looked somewhat appealing, 6 WW Points+, and I was HUNGRY.

Honestly, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.  Considering that it was late, I didn't want a large meal, so it was a good size (I would have supplemented it with soup or a salad if I were eating at a normal dinner hour).  The chicken actually tasted like chicken in both taste and texture.  The sauce was enjoyable.  It was a bit salty, but I expected that.  Overall, my least favorite part of this meal were the noodles.  I can't pinpoint what about them, but something about them wasn't living up to my expectations.  They weren't bad, just not great.

I hope to not have to resort to meals like this too often (not just for nutritional reasons, but almost $5 for about $1.50 worth of food?  Meh).

At least now I have something that I can grab and know I will enjoy it.

It tasted better than it looks!

Week 6 Weigh In

Current Weight: 206.4 lbs

Weekly Loss: 1.2 lbs           Total Loss: 15.6 lbs

I'm still going strong.  I was afraid that I would start off doing everything as best I could but then get lazy after a few weeks.  I've been impressing myself, preparing meals ahead as much as I can.

I've also been working out more than I ever have.  I try to get to the gym 5-7 days a week.  Now, don't be alarmed, I don't do full workouts everyday.  I would say that 3-4 times a week I get in a great gym day with a good cardio session as well as a lifting session.  Other days might be a yoga class (there's a post coming about my AWESOME yoga class).  On a day when I'm feeling really tired, I try to still go and get on the elliptical for 20 minutes.  It's 20 minutes more than nothing, right?

My biggest frustration at this point is my own limitation.  I tore my ACL a few years ago, and they re-attached it, but it didn't heal correctly.  I'd say it's about 85% normal, and that 15% is critical!  I can't really do anything with impact, thus the elliptical is my best friend as far as a cardio machine.  It's really been holding up well to the exercise, until...

ZUMBA!  Now, I LOVED Zumba.  It was such a fun class, I went twice, got such a great workout and had a blast.  Unfortunately, I didn't realize until it was too late that all of the twisting would not agree with my knee and ACL.  So, despite taking time off from working out to let my ACL calm down, it's still irritated.  It tires out much more quickly than usual, and I'm icing it daily since.  It doesn't hurt, but I can feel the joint being all "thick" from swelling.

I'm going to go back to my doctor to see if there's anything I can do besides get ACL replacement surgery.  I'm not ready to be out of commission for any great length of time.  My repair put me in physical therapy for a year, and I just can't do that right now.  Hopefully time, working on my supporting muscles and maybe a new brace will help my ACL deal with my life.

So, no more Zumba for me.  Now I know.  I'm doing my best to keep on exercising while not going to hard to avoid irritating it any more than it already is.  So far, so good.  Thank goodness for ice machines (and ice in the nurses office at work!).

My Gym Pet Peeve of the Week

Ever since I was little, I have issues with the sounds some people make when they chew (my mom can attest to this firsthand).  It's more than just chewing with an open mouth.  Some jaws click, others do other things, and it all sounds like nails on a chalkboard to my ears.

I can't deal.

So, I get to the gym.  My favorite elliptical is open (the only one in the gym where you can adjust both the incline and the resistance that has moveable arm bars).  Hooray!

I get over as fast as I can, claim it with my water bottle and iPod, then go stretch.  So far, so good!

I get on, start my workout, enjoying my latest episode of Dexter (I'm only on Season 2, so don't spoil anything for me!), when I hear it!

The unmistakable sound of someone popping their gum.

I glance around for suspects.  Sure enough, it's the 40-something next to me chatting away like a 13-year-old to her BFFL while cracking her gum.

I'M FREAKING OUT NOW!!!

Okay, I'll just make the volume higher!  That'll mask the noise!

No luck for me.

Now, aside from my irrational noise reaction, how do people chew gum while working out?  Wouldn't that interfere with proper breathing?  Is the gym just another place to catch up on gossip while pretending to do something physical?  I think I would either swallow a piece of gum, or it would come out as a projectile missile and hit someone in the head!

In an attempt to begin to get over this noise issue, I just try to not notice it and eventually she leaves.

My life can now go on as planned.   Phew!

Does anyone else have a pet peeve that drives them insane at the gym?

First Attempt at an Early Morning Workout

So, this morning, my alarm was set for 4:15a.m.  Hubby woke up with me, which was great!  We had a light breakfast, and headed to the gym for a 5:00 opening time.

It was rough getting out of the house, especially since it was frigid outside, but once we got there, it felt great to get started bright and early.  I had a lot of energy, and got in a great workout.

Then, ran home, freshened up, and headed to work.

Don't I look so excited to have already worked out by 6am?  My eyes are still puffy from sleeping!!!

Everyone else went back to bed.  Luckily, there was no room left on the bed for me, or else I may have fallen victim!

As a result, I WAS SO HYPER!!!!  My students in early morning chorus were all giddy because I was all giddy, but we got so much done because no one was acting tired!!!

11:05- it's finally lunch time!  A bit sleepy, but still energetic, so no complaints.

4:30pm- after working since 7:30am, I'm still going!  I'm getting a little tired, but no more tired that I usually am at this time on a Monday.  I have a sort of tired-energy if that makes any sense.  It better last me until 8 tonight!

In conclusion, this whole morning gym routine just might work out for me.  For now, it's a Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday habit, but who knows!

Weight Loss Goals

So, my husband often asks me "How much do you want to weigh in the end?"

My answer- "I have no idea!"

I have never been much thinner than I currently am since I reached my adult height sometime during my teens.  I don't know what I'll look like as I lose, although I am excited!

I don't really have a long-term weight loss goal, and I think that's okay.

Instead, I have short-term goals, and I feel like when I get to my "final" weight, I'll only know it when I actually get there.

Goal #1- Get under that darn 200lb mark.

I feel like it's my enemy.  200.  I got below it for ONE DAY in college.  ONE DAY.  199.5lbs.  That's it.

So, I'm attempting by the end of February to be out of the 200's for good!  I'm going to weigh in on Wednesday, so I'll know where I stand as of now.  Last Monday I was at 207.6, so I feel like it's quite reasonable for me to reach Goal #1.

The little kid in me likes prizes for achieving success (ooooh, a sticker!!!!!).  So, I have decided that once that darned 200 is behind me, my behind (and the rest of my body) deserves a massage.  It shall be done!

After that, most likely my goal will be continued loss in 10lb increments until, well, until I'm satisfied : )

For now, off to the gym!!!  I've got my game face on!!!

My game face, incase you were wondering!

Going Out to Eat

I read something important this week.  It said something to the effect that when you are going out for a social occasion, stick to your eating plan.  When you are going out to enjoy great food, then enjoy great food!

Chris and I have had a hard time going out to eat.  Most things are just way too unhealthy and not worth the points.  Others, we make better (and cheaper) at home.  So, we really haven't gone out to eat much at all since we started WW.

Tonight, I am lucky enough to be going out for both!  We are heading out to Pancho Villas in Huntington. It's our favorite place on the Island pretty much.  They have these amazing soft marinated steak tacos.  Mmmmmm....

I planned for it during the day, having a small breakfast, snack and lunch.  And you know what?  I'm going to enjoy my food tonight.  Every last bite that I want, I'm going to have.  Some sangria?  Only if I think it's worth it!  I already decided that the margaritas I love so much still aren't worth a whopping 9 points+!  

So, Pancho's, here we come!

Chai? Because we love you!

I love Chai!  Particularly nice, creamy vanilla chai.  Unfortunately, that usually means spending around $4 for a cup made with whole milk.  Not exactly part of this whole weight loss thing, nor is it a good financial decision.

I have made a discovery!  Well, 2 actually!

Blue Diamond makes an Unsweetened version of it's Vanilla Almond milk (in the dairy department of your grocery store).  1 cup is 1 Point+ value, and it's really creamy.  I don't enjoy it plain, but it's great in coffee or this lovely beverage.

I also discovered a brand called Oregon Chai that sells chai tea concentrates (you can find this online or in some supermarkets in the organic section).  One of their varieties is called Slightly Sweet Original (they also make a sugar-free, but I haven't tried it yet).  A serving (1/2 cup) has 1 Point+ value.

For a small cup of tea, combine 1/2 cup of the almond milk with a 1/2 cup of the tea concentrate and a packet of Splenda (or sweetener of preference) for a total of 2 Points+ (more if your sweetener contains calories).  I usually make a larger cup with 1 cup milk, 1 cup tea concentrate and 2 Splenda packets for 3 Points+.  Yummy!!!

Nothing like a nice warm cup of Chai to take your mind off of the snow for a while!

A Great Simple Side Dish

I love couscous, but I could keep eating it serving after serving after serving.

So, as a compromise, I came up with the following side dish- Spinach Couscous.  You still get all of the couscous goodness, but some of the serving is now a veggie which fills you up more.

Boil 2 cups of water.  Add a chicken boullion cube or chicken base, or just use chicken broth.

Drop in a package of frozen chopped spinach.

Once the water is boiling and the spinach is no longer frozen, add a cup of couscous.  Turn off heat and cover.

After 5 minutes, stir and fluff.  Viola!

Now, I like my couscous more on the wet side.  If you prefer a drier dish, simply decrease the water.

It's all Greek to me!

Now, you may think that being Greek, having a father who grew up in Greece and being married to a Greek man might sway my opinion, but I promise you all of those factors have nothing to do with the fact that

I LOVE GREEK YOGURT!!!

Lowfat or Nonfat Greek yogurt is great with a little bit of honey as a breakfast or a snack.  Don't mix the honey in, but serve it separately.  Scoop a little honey with your spoon, then the yogurt, and your tastebuds will thank you.

I have also found that I can substitute greek yogurt for sour cream in most recipes.  I despise fat-free sour cream, it just doesn't taste like anything I want to consume.  Not only does nonfat greek yogurt still taste nice and creamy since it's strained more than regular yogurt, it also packs quite a bit of protein (per 6 oz. serving, greek yogurt has 15 grams of protein as compared to regular yogurt with 9 grams). 

Conveniently, Fage (pronounced Fa-yeh!) sells prepackaged 2% greek yogurt with honey on the side.  I try to always keep these at work and at home for a grab and go breakfast or snack.

On that note, it's breakfast time!

Want big pants?

Depending on the day, I might wake up and agree with one of the following statements:

As one loses weight, there's this great thing that happens when you notice that all of your pants are too big and just look plain silly

Or

As one loses weight, there's this horrible thing that happens when you notice that all of your pants are too big and just look plain silly

Today, I agreed with the latter.

One of our favorite commercials to laugh at has the tag line "Want big pants?" And you know what?

No!  I don't want big pants!  I want pants that fit correctly!
I also don't want to keep purchasing new pants everytime I get a little smaller.

So, this morning, after a brief frustrated freak out, I dug out old, smaller pants, and viola!  They fit!

My job for Sunday is to go through my stuff and dig out my smaller clothes so things actually fit.

On that note, I leave you after another long day.  I'm gonna go enjoy one of my favorite deserts- Chocolate Chip Meringues and Chocolate Almond Milk.  For those of you who are doing WW, 3 meringues (Miss Meringue Low-Fat Triple Chocolate) and 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk with 2 serving of Hershey's Lite syrup will satisfy the largest sweet tooth for only 5Points+.  Not too shabby in my book!

As predicted...

...the gym after an extremely long day isn't going to work.  I went tonight at 8pm after a day that started at 7:15am, and even though I did it, it was rough.  If I needed more motivation to get up early and get that done, I have it now!

Gym before work? Say it ain't so!

So, I've been pretty darn good about going to the gym 4-5 times a week. It's part of my routine now, and I truly enjoy it.

Now enter my schedule starting today. 4 out of 5 days a week I'm busy from 730am until 730pm, at which time I really doubt I'll want to go work out.

The solution? Go to the gym at 5 when they open. AAAAAHHHHH!!!

I'm giving myself a week to adjust to the schedule itself before I wake up before sunrise. I'm going to continue going in the evenings, even though it will mean getting home really late.

Monday is the day.  Up at 4:30am, gym from 5-6, shower, get ready, school by 7:15am, home around 7:30pm.  I can do it!!!

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Tilapia with Broccoli Mac and Cheese

I still need to work on neatly getting my fish out of the pan.

I'm lucky to have a great fish store right by the house on my way home, so I have access to fresh products. One of my favorite fish is tilapia.  It has a clean, light taste that goes well with so many different flavors that it never gets boring.

This dinner can be made in about 15-20 minutes total, which is all I'm ever willing to spend when I get home at 7:30 and want to eat dinner without resorting to fast-food or take-out.  It's all about getting everything going at the right time!

Most of my recipes are for a single person, so keep that in mind if you are feeding more than one.

Ingredients:

1 tilapia fillet, about 8oz.

Spices of choice- I love blackened seasoning

2oz. uncooked whole wheat rotini

Large (12oz.) bag Green Giant Broccoli and Cheese Steamers

2 wedges Laughing Cow Lite Original Swiss Cheese

Now, when I first measured out the pasta, I was underwhelmed to say the least:

That's it?!?!

Do not fear!  You will be completely satisfied!

Boil salted water in a small pot for the pasta.

While the water is heating, take the tilapia out of the fridge to bring up the temperature.

As soon as the water boils, put in the pasta.  Place the bag of veggies in the microwave for 6-7 minutes.

Heat a pan sprayed with non-stick spray over medium-high heat.  Season tilapia and place in the pan once it's nice and hot.

Flip tilapia after 3-4 minutes.  Also check the pasta for doneness.  If timed right, the pasta will be done when the veggies are done and the fish needs to be flipped.

Drain pasta and return to pot.  Add contents of steamer bag and the 2 wedges of cheese.  Cook over low heat, stirring, until the cheese wedges melt.

Mmmmm

Fish will flake when done, it might need one or two more flips if it's on the thick side.

Serve pasta and fish immediately.

I love this dinner!  Enjoy!


As a side note, the steamer bags and cheese wedges are always stocked in my house.

The veggies are great without the pasta, and you'll find so many uses for the cheese.  I am also fond of the Mozzarella, Sun-dried Tomato Basil flavor as well as the Queso Fresco Chipolte.  Recipes using those to come.

Welcome

Hi Everyone!

I'm starting this blog to help me keep on track with my latest weight-loss endeavors.  I have had weight issues my entire life, have been on many diets and programs, and am finally determined to get to a healthy weight once and for all!

The first major step was taken in 2005 when I had lap-band surgery.  I was about 250lbs and that helped me get down to 220 and maintain that point.

At my heaviest, 250lbs

This summer- about 220lbs

Then I've been stuck there for a very long time!  How frustrating!  A few weeks ago, my wonderfully supportive husband and I decided to join Weight Watchers.

So here we are, on week 6, and so far I'm down 14.4lbs to 207.6lbs.  So far, so good!

I plan to use this blog for all things related to my weight loss experience.  Food ups and downs, pictures, recipes, exercise information, etc.  I really want to keep this blog up for my own motivation, but if I can help encourage anyone else, that's even better.